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Publications
Junior Engineer
SSC-JEStaff Selection Commission
GeneralAwareness
Also useful for various Public Sector Examinations & other Competitive Examinations
Comprehensive Theory with
Practice Questions
MADE EASY PUBLICATIONS has taken due care in collecting the data and providing the solutions, before publishing this book. Inspite of this, if any inaccuracy or printing error occurs then MADE EASY PUBLICATIONS owes no responsibility. MADE EASY PUBLICATIONS will be grateful if you could point out any such error. Your suggestions will be appreciated.
© All rights reserved by MADE EASY PUBLICATIONS. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form without the written permission from the publisher.
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SSC-Junior Engineer : General AwarenessCopyright © by MADE EASY Publications.All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, recording or
otherwise), without the prior written permission of the above mentioned publisher of this book.
First Edition: 2019
Publications
SSC-Junior Engineer : General Awareness has always been preferred by
Engineers due to job stability. SSC-Junior Engineer examination is conducted
every year. MADE EASY team has deeply analyzed the previous exam papers and
observed that a good percentage of questions are repetitive in nature, therefore
it is advisable to solve previous years papers before a candidate takes the exam.
The SSC JE exam is conducted in two stages as shown in table given below.
Papers Subject Maximum Marks Duration
Stage 1:
Paper-I : Objective type
(Computer Based Test)
(i) General Intelligence & Reasoning
(ii) General Awareness
(iii) General Engineering : Technical Stream
50 Marks
50 Marks
100 Marks
2 hours
Stage 2:
Paper-II: Conventional Type
General Engineering : Technical Stream 300 Marks 2 hours
In this first edition of General Awareness book, MADE EASY has taken due care to provide complete theory with
accuracy in answers. Apart from Staff Selection Commission-Junior Engineer, this book is also useful for Public Sector
Examinations and other competitive examinations for engineering graduates.
I have true desire to serve student community by providing good source of study and quality guidance. I hope this
book will prove as an important tool to succeed in SSC -JE and other competitive exams. Any suggestion from the
readers for improvement of this book is most welcome.
With Best Wishes
B. Singh
CMD, MADE EASY
Preface
(iv)
C o n t e n t sSSC : Junior Engineer
1. General Knowledge ................................................. 02 ~ 62
2. Geography ..............................................................63 ~ 168
3. History and Culture .............................................169 ~ 242
4. Indian Polity ........................................................243 ~ 296
5. General Science .....................................................297~ 436
6. Basics of Computer Applications .........................437 ~ 452
7. Science & Technology ............................................453~ 500
8. Environment ........................................................501 ~ 560
9. Indian Economy ....................................................561~ 580
General Awareness
GeneralAwareness
SSC-JE
History & Culture
Geography
Indian Polity
Indian Economy
Environment
Science & Technology
General Science
Basics of Computer Applications
General Knowledge
Comprehensive Theory with
Practice Questions
Staff Selection CommissionJunior Engineer Examination
NATIONAL SYMBOLS
National Flag• The National Flag of India is a horizontal tricolour
of deep saffron (Kesaria) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of width of the flag to its length is 2:3. In the centre of the white band a navy-blue wheel is located which represents the Chakra.
• It was adopted by Constituent Assembly of India on July 22, 1947.
• A tricolour flag was first accepted by the Indian National Congress in 1931, having Charkha in place of today’s Chakra.
• The horizontal colour strip of deep Saffron at top represents courage, sacrifice and renunciation, White at middle shows truth and purity in thoughts and dark Green at the bottom is the symbol of life abundance and prosperity.
• A wheel (Chakra) in centre of the white strip is the symbol of progress and movement. It has 24 spokes.
• Supreme Court declared the right to hoist flag as a Fundamental Right under Article 19 (i) (a) of the Constitution in 2002. Flag hoisting in India is regulated by Flag Code of India, 2002.
• The Flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya and first time, the flag was hoisted by Sacchindra Prasad Bose in 1906 in Calcutta and later on in the year 1907 an another tricolour flag was unfurled by Madam Bhikaji Cama in Stuttgart, Germany.
• The first flag committee was headed by Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
National Emblem• The National Emblem of India is an adaptation
from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. It was adopted by the Government of India on January 26, 1950.
• In this emblem, only three lions are visible, the fourth lion being hidden from view. The wheel appears in relief in the centre of the abacus with a bull on right and a horse on left. The bell shaped lotus (as in the original) has been omitted. The other animals present in the emblem are an Elephant and a Lion.
• The words Satyameva Jayate are inscribed below the abacus in Devanagri script. These words are taken from Mundaka Upanishad.
National Anthem• The song Jana gana mana is the National Anthem
of India which was composed by Rabindra Nath Tagore, originally in Bengali.
• It was adopted by Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950 in its Hindi version.
• The song Jana gana mana was first published in January, 1912 under the title ‘Bharat Vidhata’ in Tattva Bodhini Patrika.
• The song was translated in English in 1919 with the title “Morning Song of India’’.
• It was first sung at the Calcutta Session of Congress on December 27, 1911.
• Playing time of full version of National Anthem is 52 seconds while it is 20 seconds for first and last lines of the stanza.
Basic General Knowledge of
India & World
National Song• “Vande Mataram” is the National song of India,
which was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, originally in Sanskrit.
• It was adopted on January 24, 1950, providing it equal status with National Anthem Jana gana mana.
• It is taken from his novel Anand Math published in 1882. Its English translation was done by Sri Aurobindo.
• It was sung for the first time at the Congress Session of 1896.
National Calendar• National Calendar is based on Saka Era (began
on 78 A.D.) with Chaitra as its first month and
Phalguna as its last month with a normal year of
365 days adopted from March 22, 1957 along
with the Gregorian Calendar.
• First day of Chaitra normally falls on March 22
and on March 21 in leap year.
National Animal• The Tiger (Panthera Tigris) is the National Animal
of India. It has a thick yellow coat of fur with dark
stripes.
• Lion was the National Animal of India till 1972.
Later on, it was replaced by Tiger.
Other Indian National Symbols
National Bird Peacock(Pavo Cristatus)
National Flower Lotus(Nelumbo Nucipera Gaertn)
National River Ganga
National Tree Banyan(Ficus Benghalensis)
National Fruit Mango(Mangifera Indica)
National Aquatic Animal Ganges River Dolphin
National Heritage Animal
Elephant
National Game(De-facto)
Hockey
National Emblems of Countries
Country Emblem
India Sarnath Lion Capital
Australia Kangaroo
Bangladesh Water Lily
Canada White Lily
France Lily
Germany Corn flower
Iran Rose
Italy White Lily
Japan Chrysanthemum
Pakistan Crescent
Spain Eagle
Sri Lanka Sword & Lion
Russia Sickle and Hammer
Norway Lion
United Kingdom Rose
USA Golden Rod
Significance of Signs and Symbols
Symbol Meaning
Red triangle Family planning
Red cross Hospital/Ambulance
Red light Danger/Emergency
Green light Line clear signal
Olive branch Peace
Black arm-band Sign of mourning/protest
Dove Peace
Black flag Demonstration of protest
Red flag Sign of danger, revolution
Yellow Flag Displayed by ship with infectious disease on board or ship in quaran-tine.
White Flag Truce
Tricolour National Flag of India
General Knowledge 3
Significance of Signs and Symbols
Symbol Meaning
Union Jack National Flag of UK
Lotus Culture and civilization
Wheel Progress
Flag flown half mast
National mourning
Flag flown upside down
Distress
A blind-folded woman holding a balance
Justice
Pen Symbol of Culture and Civilization
Country Symbols
Country Symbol
India Royal Bengal Tiger
China Dragon
Russia Brown Bear
USA Bald Eagle
Spain Red Carnation
Japan Cherry Blossom
England Rose
Australia Golden Wattle Flower
South Africa Blue Crane
Greece Olive Branch
Official Publications of Countries/Organizations
Publication Issued/Released by
Blue Book Report by the British Government
Green Book Government of Italy and Iran
Grey Book Japanese and Belgium Government
Orange Book Government of the Netherlands
White Book Official publication of Germany, Portugal and China
White Paper (Shwet Patrika) Issued by the Government of India
Yellow Book Issued by the Government of France
Economic Survey Ministry of Finance(Government of India)
Report on Currency and Finance Reserve Bank of India
Wholesale Price Index Ministry of Commerce and Industry
National Accounts Statistics Central Statistical Organization
SSC-Junior Engineer | General Awareness4
FIRST AMONG INDIANS
Sl. Particulars Name
1 Chief Justice of India ...................................................................................... Justice Harilal J. Kania
2 Indian athlete to win a medal (Bronze) at the World Athletic Championship ............Anju Bobby George
3 Indian Governor of a British Province .......................................................................... Lord S.P. Sinha
4 Indian Commander-in-Chief (Chief of Staff) ............................................Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa
5 Indian to get the Bharat Ratna Award ....................................................................C. Rajagopalachari
6 Indian Governor of the Reserve Bank of India .......................................................Dr. C.D. Deshmukh
7 Indian to become President of the UN General Assembly .................................Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
8 Woman Cabinet Minister of an Indian state .......................................................Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
9 Indian to win the election as Vice-President of INTERPOL.......................................................F.V. Arul
10 Woman to become a Union Cabinet Minister .................................................... Rajkumari Amrit Kaur
11 Indian C.A.G. ..........................................................................................................C.V. Narahari Rao
12 Attorney General of India ..............................................................................................M.C. Setalvad
13 Indian woman Governor......................................................................... Sarojini Naidu (UP, 1963-67)
14 Indian woman President of the Congress .....................................................................Sarojini Naidu
15 Woman Chief Minister of an Indian State ......................................................... Sucheta Kripalani (UP)
16 Indian woman High Court Judge .....................................................................Anna Chandy (Kerala)
17 Indian woman Supreme Court Judge ..................................................................... M. Fathima Beevi
18 Indian woman to conquer the Everest ........................................................................Bachhendri Pal
19 Indian in Space ........................................................................................ Sqdn. Ldr. Rakesh Sharma
20 Indian woman to swim across the English Channel ........................................................... Aarti Saha
21 Indian to become President of the International Court of Justice ........... Dr. Nagendra Singh (1970)
22 Indian to win an Oscar Award ......................................................................................Bhanu Athaiya
23 Indian woman to win an Olympic Medal ...............................................................Karnam Malleswari
24 Indian to get the Booker Prize (Britain’s top literary prize) ........................................ Salman Rushdie
25 Indian woman to get the Booker Prize ......................................................................... Arundhati Roy
26 Indian to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award ................................. Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1958)
27 Chief of Army Staff ................................................................................ Gen. Maharaj Rajendra Singhji
28 Woman to swim across the Strait of Gibraltar ................................................................. Arti Pradhan
29 Indian actress to be awarded Padma Shri .............................................................Nargis Dutt (1958)
30 Musician to get Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan .............. M.S. Subbulakshmi
31 Woman Foreign Secretary of India ................................................................................... Chokila Iyer
32 Indian Captain of Independent India’s Cricket team ....................................................Lala Amarnath
33 Indian woman candidate to contest elections (1926) .............................Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya
General Knowledge 5
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
Q.1 ‘World Development Report’ is an annual publication of(a) United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP)(b) International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD)(c) World Trade Organization (WTO)(d) International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Q.2 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is made up of(a) 10 Members (b) 15 Members(c) 11 Members (d) 8 Members
Q.3 Maastricht Treaty is related to(a) Global warming(b) Bio-diversity(c) Biological weapons(d) European Community
Q.4 Which of the following is not a member of SAARC?(a) Bhutan (b) Bangladesh(c) Myanmar (d) Maldives
Q.5 The first regular session of the General Assembly of the UN was held at(a) New York (b) Paris(c) London (d) Moscow
Q.6 The first month of Indian National Calendar is(a) Phalguna (b) Magha(c) Jaishtha (d) Chaitra
Q.7 The National Anthem of India (Jana gana mana) was first sung in(a) 1912 (b) 1919(c) 1929 (d) 1911
Q.8 Which of the following is correctly matched with regard to thermal power projects?(a) Korba .......................................UP(b) Ramagundam.......................... MP(c) Talcher .....................................AP(d) Kawas ...............................Gujarat
Q.9 Which of the following types is used by computed tomography employed for visualisation of the internal structure of human body?
(a) X-rays(b) Sound waves(c) Magnetic resonance(d) Radio isotopes
Q.10 The nearest planet to the sun is(a) Venus (b) Mars(c) Mercury (d) Jupiter
Q.11 Which one of the following is not correctly matched?(a) Indian Rare Earths Ltd. – Mumbai(b) Uranium Corporation of India – Jaduguda(c) Radio Astronomy Centre – Mysuru(d) Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics – Kolkata
Q.12 Nomadic elephant is the exercise between?(a) India-Mangolia (b) India-US(c) India-Japan (d) India-China
Q.13 START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is a treaty between/among(a) China and Japan(b) USA and Russia(c) USA and European Union(d) China, India, USA and Russia
Q.14 Pinaka is a(a) Multi barrel Rocket Launcher System(b) Unmanned Aerial Vechicle(c) Anti Tank Missile System(d) Nuclear Submarine
Q.15 India’s first indigenously built sub-marine is(a) INS Shahkul (b) INS Savitri(c) INS Vibhuti (d) INS Shalki
Q.16 With which one of the following games is the Hopman Cup associated?(a) Badminton (b) Lawn Tennis(c) Hockey (d) Football
Q.17 Who of the following is not associated with Sitar?(a) Amir Khusrau (b) Ravi Shankar(c) Vilayat Hussain Khan(d) Amjad Ali Khan
Q.18 Which of the following Indian States has the largest number of Scheduled Tribe population?(a) Bihar (b) Odisha(c) MP (d) Assam
Q.19 Who of the following was not the acting President of India?(a) V. V. Giri(b) B. D. Jatti(c) Muhammad Hidayatullah(d) Zakir Hussain
Q.20 The first Chief Justice of India was(a) M. Patanjali Sastri(b) Mehar Chand Mahajan(c) Hiralal J. Kania(d) B. K. Mukherjee
Q.21 The first Chief Election Commissioner of India was(a) K.V.K. Sundaram (b) S. P. Sen Verma(c) T. Swaminathan (d) Sukumar Sen
Q.22 Rial is the currency of(a) Sudan (b) Saudi Arabia(c) Jordan (d) Iran
Q.23 The first recipient of the Jnanpith Award was(a) T. S. Bandopadhyay(b) Uma Shankar Joshi(c) G. Shankar Kurup(d) Sumitra Nandan Pant
Q.24 In India, Book Royalty is given upto(a) 50 years(b) 60 years(c) Life + 50 years(d) Life + 60 years
Q.25 Spherical shape of rain droplet is due to(a) cohesion (b) surface tension(c) adhesion (d) capillary action
Q.26 Which of the following is busiest airport of India?(a) Delhi (b) Mumbai(c) Bengaluru (d) Chennai
Q.27 The film The Making of the Mahatma has been directed by(a) Peter Ustinov(b) Richard Attenborough(c) Shyam Benegal(d) Mira Nair
Q.28 Battle of Waterloo was fought in(a) 1805 (b) 1809(c) 1813 (d) 1815
Q.29 The biggest city of the world in area is(a) New York (b) Tokyo(c) Mount Isa (d) Paris
Q.30 Which of the following islands is renamed as Kalaallit Nunaat?(a) Micronesian (b) Greenland(c) Melanesian (d) Polynasian
Q.31 Bibi-ka-Maqbara is located in India at(a) Hyderabad (b) Fatehpur Sikri(c) Aurangabad (d) Bijapur
Q.32 New York is located on the bank of river(a) Potomac (b) Tiber(c) Hudson (d) Spree
Q.33 Mesopotamia is the old name of(a) Iran (b) Iraq(c) Turkey (d) Egypt
Q.34 ‘Knesset’ is the name of the parliament of(a) Poland (b) Spain(c) Israel (d) Norway
Q.35 Which of the following is known as the Playground of Europe?(a) Italy (b) Germany(c) France (d) Switzerland
Q.36 The highest milk producing breed of goat in India is(a) Barbari (b) Jamnapuri(c) Blackbengal (d) Beetal
Q.37 Match List-I (Specialised Agencies of UNO) with List-II (Headquarters) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List-I List-IIA. United Nations Industrial
Development Organization 1. Geneva
B. Food and Agricultural Organization
2. Paris
C. World Health Organization 3. Berne
D. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
4. Rome
5. Vienna
SSC-Junior Engineer | General Awareness60
Latitude• It is the angular distance of a point on the earth’s
surface, measured in degrees from the centre of the earth. It varies from 0 to 90° North and 0 to 90° South.
• Latitudes are circular lines which are parallel to the equator, which lies midway between the poles. Hence, these lines are called parallels of latitude. The latitudes are also called as temperature coordinates because with the increase in latitudinal distance towards the poles, the temperature reduces.
N.P.
NorthFrigid Zone
23½°S
SouthFrigid Zone
S.P.
South Temperate Zone
Antarctic Circle
Tropic of Capricorn
Torrid Zone
Equator
North Temperate Zone
Torrid Zone
Arctic Circle
Tropic of Capricorn 23½°N
0°
66½°S66½°S
23½°S
0°
23½°N
66½°N66½°N
• The most important lines of latitude are the Equator (0°), the Tropic of Cancer (23½°N), the Tropic of Capricorn (23½°S), the Arctic Circle (66½°N) and the Antarctic Circle (66½°S).
• The midday sun is exactly overhead at least once a year on all latitudes in between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. This area, therefore receives the maximum heat and is called the Torrid Zone (or Tropical Zone).
• The areas bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle in the northern hemisphere, and the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle in the southern hemisphere, have moderate temperature, hence called Temperate Zones (or Mild Zone).
• Areas bounded by the Arctic Circle and North Pole, and the Antarctic Circle and South pole are called Frigid Zones. These zones are very cold as the sun does not rise above the horizon.
Longitude• It is an angular distance measured in degrees along
the equator east or west of the Prime Meridian (0°). It varies from 0 to 180° E and 0 to 180° W. It is also called as time coordinates.
• Longitudes are also known as Great circles because it divides earth into two equal parts. Each longitude cuts each latitude at 90°.
1° = 4 minute i.e. 15° = 1 hour• Meridians are a series of semicircles that run
from pole to pole passing through the equator.
PR
IME
ME
RID
IAN
15°W3
0°W
45°W
60°W
75°W
90°W
0° 1
5°E
45°E
60°E
75°E
90°E
30°E
N.P.
• The Prime Meridian is at 0° and is known as the Greenwich line as it passes through Greenwich near London, where the British Royal Observatory is located.
• Longitudes have one very important function i.e. they determine Local Time in relation to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
• Local Time is the time reckoned by the noon-sun at a given place and Standard Time is the Local Time of the Standard Meridian of a country.
• In India, the longitude of 82½° E is treated as the Standard Meridian. The Local Time at meridian is taken as the Standard Time for the whole country. It is known as the Indian Standard Time (IST).
International Date Line• It is an imaginary line drawn at 180° longitude,
avoiding the continuous land parts.• International Date Line passes through Arctic
Ocean, Bering Strait, Pacific Ocean, Antarctica, Fiji, Tonga and other islands.
• It is also the longitude where the date changes by exactly one day when it is crossed. If a traveller crossing the date line from east to west, he loses a day and while crossing the date line from west to east, he gains a day.
Motions of Earth• The earth is a planet of the solar system. It is not
static but has two types of motions: (a) Rotational Motion (b) Revolutional (or Orbital) Motion
(a) Rotation of Earth• The earth spins (or rotates) continuously on
its own axis from west to east once in every 24 hours, causing day and night. This motion is called Rotation of the Earth (also called ‘Daily Motion’).
• Day and Night: When the earth rotates on its own axis, only one portion of the earth’s surface comes into the rays of the sun and experiences day light whereas the other portion experiences darkness (or night).
(b) Revolution of Earth• The earth also revolves around the sun in an orbit
once in about 365 days and 6 hours, causing formation of seasons and the year. This motion
is called Revolution of earth (also called annual movement).
Varying Lengths of Day and Night• The axis of the earth is inclined to the plane of
earth’s orbit at an angle of 66½° giving rise to different seasons and varying lengths of day & night.
• The earth’s revolution round the sun with its axis inclined at 66½° to the plane of earth’s orbit changes the apparent altitude of the midday sun.
• The sun is vertically overhead at the equator on 21 March and 21 September and these two days are termed as Equinoxes (equal length of day & night in both the hemisphere).
• On 21 June, the sun is vertically overhead at the Tropic of Cancer (23½° N). This is known as summer solstice, when the northern hemisphere will have its longest day and shortest night.
• On 22 December, the sun is vertically over head at the Tropic of Capricorn (23½° S). This is known as winter solstice, when the southern hemisphere will have its longest day and shortest night.
• Beyond the Arctic Circle (66½° N) and Antarctic Circle (66½° S) darkness lasts for 6 months and daylight is continuous for the remaining 6 months.
Structure of Earth
• The earth as a whole has been divided into three broad zones:
64 SSC-Junior Engineer | General Awareness
1. Crust (SIAL) : The earth is made up of several distinct layers but the outermost layer is called the crust. The crust is not a continuous layer of rocks, but consists of large masses called plates, which are free to drift slowly over a layer called Asthenosphere.
• The crust has a thickness of about 33 km in the continents (Continental crust) and 5-10 km thick in the ocean basins (Oceanic crust). Silica and Aluminium are the main constituent of the earth therefore it is also known as Sial.
2. Mantle (SIMA) : The layer of rock below the crust is called the mantle. It is about 2900 km thick and is divided into the upper and lower mantle. This layer contains most of the mass of the earth, and is where most of the earth’s heat is located. The mantle is composed mainly of Ferro-magnesium silicates.
(a) Upper Mantle: The upper mantle is about 650 km thick and has two distinct layers. The top layer of the upper mantle is solid. Combined with the crust, this layer forms the Lithosphere, which makes up the earth’s plates. With in this layer is the Asthenosphere, where semi molten rock flows slowly.
(b) Lower Mantle : The lower mantle is solid and is about 2700 km thick. Though temperatures are higher here but the tremendous pressures keep the rock material from melting.
3. Core : It is the innermost part of the earth and it comprises of outer core and inner core.
(a) Outer Core : The outer core is liquid and is about 1900 km thick. It comprises of molten iron and nickel, formed as a result of the extremely high temperature. This liquid outer core controls the earth’s magnetic field.
(b) Inner Core: The earth’s innermost core is about 1600 km thick and is made up of solid iron and nickel. The inner core is incredibly hot, with temperature reaching about 5,500°C and is subjected to a pressure of about 4 million atmospheres. It is this extreme pressure that keeps the inner core in a solid state.
Formation of Continents• The age of earth is about 4500 million years
(4.5 billion) and about 70%, of the total surface area of the globe is represented by the oceans (Hydrosphere), whereas remaining, 29.2% is represented by the continents, (Lithosphere).
• More than 75% of the total land area of the globe is situated to the north of the equator, therefore the northern hemisphere is also known as the ‘Land Hemisphere’ and the Southern hemisphere as the ‘Water Hemisphere’. It is believed that the continents are moving away from each other, Several theories have been propounded to explain this phenomenon:
Continental Drift Theory:• This theory was proposed by famous German
Geographer, Prof. Alfred Wagner in 1924. According to this theory, before 200 million years ago, there was a single land mass surrounded by water which was named as Pangea.
• About 200 million years ago, pangea got cracked into two parts i.e. (a) Angaraland (or Laurasia) (b) Gondwana land, and ocean water filled in it. As a result, a narrow sea was created, known as Tethy’s Sea.
• During further course of time, Angaraland was cracked into:
(i) North American Plate (ii) Eurasian Plate Whereas Gondwana land was cracked into 5 plates: (i) African Plate (ii) South American Plate (iii) Indian Plate (iv) Australian Plate (v) Antarctic Plate
65Geography
After that, about 40 million years ago, Indian plate started drifting towards North East direction where it collided with Eurasian plate and as a result of collision, folding occurs over Tethy’s sea which resulted into upliftment of Himalayas and this process of upliftment is still going on.
Earthquake• A sudden shaking or vibration in the earth’s crust
is called an earthquake. According to the theory of plate tectonics, the earth’s crust is divided into sections called plate, which are in constant motion, travelling independently over the semi-molten mantle of the earth and releases energy in the form of seismic waves.
• Earthquake can also be triggered by molten rock moving up into the chamber of a volcano before eruption. Most earthquake are very slight that humans cannot detect them, but the vibrations of major earthquake are catastrophically destructive.
• The place of origin of an earthquake below the surface is called the seismic focus or Hypocentre, which can be a few kilometers or several 100 kilometers deep. The point on the surface directly above it is called the Epicentre.
Volcanoes• A volcano is a sudden opening in the crust of the
earth, caused by the earth’s interior movements. A volcanic mountain forms when molten rock material from earth’s mantle forces its way through the crust and accumulates like a cone to form volcanic ridges and mountain.
• This hot molten rock material appearing at the surface of a volcano is called lava (under the earth surface it is known as magma). It contains hot gases, water vapour, ash and small stones. Volcanoes usually form near hot spots within the earth’s crust or at the marginal area of tectonic plates.
• Besides causing immense destruction, volcanoes can also transform landscapes, forming or destroying mountains, changing river courses, forming geysers and hot springs, destroying vegetation, enriching the soil (like black soil), forming islands and plateaus, deep basins and lava plains.
There are several types of volcanoes like: (i) Effusive volcanoes: Volcanoes that erupt
without any noise. (ii) Explosive volcanoes: Explode with a lot of noise. (iii) Active volcanoes: Volcanoes that
continuously sand out lava (like Barren Island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mt. Etna in Sicily).
(iv) Dormant volcanoes: It have long periods of quiet between two successive eruptions and are potentially dangerous (for e.g. Narcondum in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mt. St. Helens in USA and Pinatubo in Philippines).
(v) Extinct volcanoes: Volcanoes that have ceased all activities (like Mt. Kilimanjaro).
Important Earth Data
Sl. Feature Description
1. Shape Geoid
2. Water 71%
3. Land 29%
4. Age of Earth 4.5 billion years
5. Mass of Earth 5.9 × 1024 kg
6. Average Density of Earth 5.5 gm/cc
7. Radius of Earth 6,400 kms
8. Rotational time 23 hours 56 minute
66 SSC-Junior Engineer | General Awareness
Important Earth Data
Sl. Feature Description
9. Revolution time 365 days 5 hours (approx.)
10. Length of the Orbit 960 million km
11. Minimum distance from the Sun (Perihelion) 147.9 million km
12. Maximum distance from the Sun (Apehelion) 152.1 million km
13. Time taken by the Sunlight to reach Earth 8 min 18 sec
14. Highest point Mt. Everest (8848 m from Mean Sea level)
15. Deepest Ocean Point Mariana Trench (11,034 m) in Pacific ocean and challenger deep is its deepest point.
16. Average Depth of Ocean 3,730 mts
17. Mean Surface Temperature 14° C
18. Inclination of Polar Axis from Orbital Plane 23 deg. 26 min. & 59 sec
19. Time Coordinates of Earth Longitudes
20. Temperature Coordinates of Earth Latitudes
21. International Meridian 0°, Greenwich line
22. International Date Line 180° E/W
23. Tropic of Cancer 23½° N
24. Tropic of Capricorn 23½° S
25. Arctic Circle 66½° N
26. Antarctic Circle 66½° S
Important International Boundary Lines
Sl. Boundary line Countries
1. Durand Line (drawn in 1896) Pakistan and Afghanistan (It was determined by Sir Motiger Durand of Britain). Afghanistan doesn’t recognise it as the international frontier.
2. Radcliff Line (drawn in 1947) India and Pakistan (It was determined by Sir Redcliff on 15th August, 1947)
3. McMahon Line (drawn in 1914) India and China (Arunachal Pradesh Region). It was determined by Sir McMahon of Britain through a treaty, in 1914. Its length is 700 miles.
67Geography
Important International Boundary Lines
Sl. Boundary line Countries
4. 24th Parallel Pakistan claims that it is boundary between India and Pakistan in Rann of Katchh but India does not accept it.
5. 17th Parallel North Vietnam and South Vietnam
6. 38th Parallel North Korea and South Korea
7. 49th Parallel Canada and USA
8. Hindenberg Line Germany and Poland (determined during the First World War)
9. Maginot Line Germany and France
10. Seigfried Line Fortification between Germany and France. It was constructed by Germany in the forms of walls, minarets and army posts between France and former Germany before the World War-II.
11. Odernisse Line Germany and Poland
INDIA: GENERAL FACTS
India: Geographical Extremes
Sl. Feature Description
1. Area 3.28 million km2, which is 2.4% of the world’s total area
2. Length (N-S) 3214 kms
3. Width (E-W) 2933 kms
4. Latitudinal Extent (Mainland) 8° 4' N to 37° 6' N
5. Longitudinal Extent 68° 7' E to 97° 25' E
6. Southern-most Point of Indian Mainland
8° 4' N, known as Kanyakumari or Cape Camorin
7. Southern-most Point of India 6½°N, known as Indira point (or Pygmallion point) in Great Nicobar
8. Longest River (lengthwise) Ganga (2510 kms) (But volumewise Brahmaputra is the largest river of India.)
9. Largest Riverine Island Majuli island (1500 sq. km) in river Brahmaputra in Assam.It is also world’s largest fresh water riverine island.
10. Largest Oceanic Island Middle Andaman in Andaman & Nicobar Islands
68 SSC-Junior Engineer | General Awareness
India: Geographical Extremes
Sl. Feature Description
11. Highest Dam Tehri dam (265 m) on Bhagirathi river in Uttarakhand. It is world’s highest rock based dam.
12. Longest Dam Hirakud Dam (4.8 km) on Mahanadi river in Odisha
13. Longest Bridge Bhupen Hazarika Setu (Dhola-Sadia bridge) on Lohit River, connecting Assam and Arunchal Pradesh.
14. Highest Waterfall Jog (Gersoppa) falls on river Saravati in Karnataka. It falls 253 m in four separate falls which are known as four R’s i.e., Raja, Rani, Rocket and Roarer. There is an hydro electric power generating station named after Mahatma Gandhi. So, this waterfall is known as Gandhi Waterfall.
15. Longest Canal Indira Gandhi Canal also called as Rajasthan canal
16. Longest Beach Marina Beach in Chennai (stretches over 13 km and is also considered as 2nd longest beach in the World after Miami beach).
17. Longest Coast Line Gujarat Coast (1600 km) followed by Andhra coast (900 km). India’s total length of coast line is (7516.6 kms)
18. Highest Peak Mt. K-2 known as Godwin Austin or Qagir (8611 m). It is also worlds’ 2nd highest peak after mount Everest.
19. Largest Desert Great Indian Desert (Thar) in Rajasthan Area (2,59,000 sq. km)
20. Coldest Place Drass in J&K (– 45°C)
21. Hottest Place Phalodi in Jodhpur district (51°C) 2018.
22. Wettest Place Mawsynram in Meghalaya (1220 cms/year) followed by Cherrapunji. Both this places are located at Khasi hills in Meghalaya.
23. Active Volcano Barren Island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands (last time erupted on 17th February, 2013)
24. Largest Delta Sunderbans in West Bengal (formed by Ganga and Brahmaputra). It is also world’s largest delta.
25. Largest Cave Krem Liat Prah in Jaintia hills of Meghalaya.
26. Largest Plateau Deccan plateau (1,00,000 sq. km)
27. Tropic of Cancer 23½° N latitude, which passes through 8 states: viz. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh (longest length of tropic of cancer), Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura (smallest length of tropic of cancer) & Mizoram.
28. Indian Standard Meridian 82½° E longitude, which passes through Naini near Prayagraj
69Geography
70 SSC-Junior Engineer | General Awareness
Q.8 Asiatic wild ass is naturally found in(a) Rann of Kutch(b) Baghelkhand(c) Sunderbans(d) Shivaliks
Q.9 The hill stations in ascending order of heights are(a) Darjeeling, Srinagar, Leh, Simla(b) Srinagar, Darjeeling, Simla, Leh(c) Srinagar, Leh, Simla, Darjeeling(d) Simla, Srinagar, Leh, Darjeeling
Q.10 Which group of the rivers form delta?(a) Godavari, Narmada, Mahanadi(b) Narmada, Kaveri, Mahanadi(c) Godavari, Kaveri, Mahanadi(d) Narmada, Krishna, Kaveri
Q.11 The Baglihar Hydro-power project, is located on which one of the following rivers?(a) Beas (b) Chenab(c) Ravi (d) Satluj
Q.12 Match List-I (Hydel Power Project) with List-II (Location) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List-I List-IIA. Balimela 1. Jammu & Kashmir
B. Koyna 2. Maharashtra
C. Kundoh 3. Odisha
D. Salal 4. Tamil Nadu
5. Uttar Pradesh
Codes: A B C D(a) 3 2 4 1(b) 5 1 2 4(c) 3 1 2 4(d) 5 2 4 1
Q.13 Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?(a) Gwalior : Betwa(b) Dhaulpur : Chambal
Q.1 Which of the following will never get the vertical rays of the sun?(a) Srinagar(b) Mumbai(c) Chennai(d) Thiruvananthapuram
Q.2 If the time of sunrise in Arunachal Pradesh is 6.00 am, what will be the probable time of sunrise in Saurashtra?(a) 6.30 am (b) 5.30 am(c) 8.00 am (d) 7.00 am
Q.3 What is Durand Line?(a) Boundary line between Afghanistan and
Pakistan(b) Boundary line between India and Pakistan(c) Boundary line between India and China(d) Boundary line between India and Burma
Q.4 Duncan Pass is located between(a) North and Little Andaman(b) North and South Andaman(c) North and Middle Andaman(d) Andaman and Nicobar
Q.5 The highest dam of India is(a) Bhakra dam(b) Nagarjuna Sagar dam(c) Hirakud dam(d) Tehri dam
Q.6 Sahyadri is the traditional name of the(a) Western Ghats(b) Eastern Ghats(c) Aravallis(d) Barbar and Nagarjuni hills
Q.7 The climate of India is mainly tropical because of the (a) Seasonal influence of jet streams(b) Location of the Himalayas in its north(c) Over-powering influence of Indian
Ocean(d) Country being a part of Asian landmass
GEOGRAPHY
(c) Jhansi : Ken(d) Kota : Banas
Q.14 Which one of the following rivers originates near Mahabaleshwar?(a) Godavari (b) Krishna(c) Kaveri (d) Tapi
Q.15 In which State is the Hydel Power Project Nathpa Jhakri located?(a) Himachal Pradesh(b) Uttarakhand(c) Jammu & Kashmir(d) Madhya Pradesh
Q.16 Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
Rivers Major Tributaries
(a) Godavari : Pairi, Hasdo, Tel
(b) Mahanadi : Purna, Penganga, Wainganga
(c) Krishna : Manjra, Dudhana, Indravati
(d) Kaveri : Kabani, Hemavati, Amravati
Q.17 Consider the following regions1. North-Eastern Madhya Pradesh2. South-Western Andhra Pradesh3. Saurashtra
Which of the above regions is/are considered to be semi-arid?(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 Only(c) 2 and 3 (d) 3 Only
Q.18 In the dotted area in the map of India, the average annual rainfall varies between
(a) 20–40 cm (b) 40–100 cm(c) 100–200 cm (d) 200–400 cm
Q.19 Of the following four periods which one corresponds with the withdraw of South-West Monsoon in most of the Northern India?(a) June to September(b) October to November(c) December to March(d) April to May
Q.20 Four major types of soil, i.e.A. Mixed Red and BlackB. Red loamsC. Red and YellowD. Regur are marked as 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the given map. Match them and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Codes: A B C D(a) 4 1 3 2(b) 4 3 1 2(c) 2 1 3 4(d) 2 3 1 4
Q.21 Tropical forest of Silent Valley lies in the State of(a) Goa (b) Karnataka(c) Kerala (d) Tamil Nadu
Q.22 The year of Demographic Divide, in Indian demography is (a) 1905 (b) 1921(c) 1947 (d) 1965
Q.23 According to Census 2011, arrange the States in ascending order in terms of sex ratio (Female : Male).
Select the correct answer using the codes given below1. Mizoram 2. Himachal Pradesh3. Uttar Pradesh 4. Kerala(a) 3, 2, 1, 4 (b) 2, 1, 3, 4
164 SSC-Junior Engineer | General Awareness
