BSSC CGL key terms

Basic freedoms guaranteed to citizens by Part III of the Indian Constitution, such as equality, speech, and life. They are enforceable in court through writs.

Guidelines in Part IV of the Indian Constitution directing the state toward social and economic welfare. They are not enforceable in courts but are fundamental to governance.

The opening statement of the Indian Constitution declaring India a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic and listing justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity as its objectives.

A formal written order of a court commanding action or restraint. Habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, certiorari, and quo warranto are the five writs named in the Constitution.

The power of courts to examine laws and executive actions and declare them invalid if they violate the Constitution. It protects fundamental rights and maintains constitutional supremacy.

The principle that Parliament cannot amend the Constitution in a way that destroys its essential features, such as secularism, federalism, or judicial review. Established in Kesavananda Bharati.

A seasonal reversal of wind direction that brings heavy rainfall to India from June to September when moist winds blow from the southwest off the Indian Ocean.

The latitude about 23.5 degrees north of the equator. It passes through the middle of India and divides the country into tropical and subtropical climatic zones.

A dry region on the leeward side of a mountain range, where descending air has lost its moisture. The Deccan interior behind the Western Ghats is a classic Indian example.

The process by which green plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make glucose and release oxygen. Chlorophyll in chloroplasts captures the light energy needed.

The green pigment in plant cells that absorbs light energy for photosynthesis. It absorbs mainly red and blue light, which is why leaves look green.

The movement of water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane from a region of higher water concentration to one of lower concentration, without external energy input.

The spontaneous spreading of particles from a region of higher concentration to lower concentration caused by random molecular motion. It needs no membrane and no energy.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Forces always occur in pairs acting on two different bodies, which is why they never cancel out.

The tendency of a body to resist any change in its state of rest or uniform motion. It depends only on mass, so a heavier object has greater inertia.

The product of a body's mass and its velocity, measured in kilogram metres per second. In a closed system the total momentum before and after a collision stays the same.

A scale from 0 to 14 measuring how acidic or basic a solution is. Values below 7 are acidic, 7 is neutral, and values above 7 are basic.

A substance that releases hydrogen ions in water, turns blue litmus red, and reacts with bases to form salt and water. Common examples are hydrochloric acid and vinegar.

A substance that accepts hydrogen ions or releases hydroxide ions in water, turns red litmus blue, and neutralises acids. Sodium hydroxide is a common strong base.

A fraction expressed with denominator 100. To convert a fraction to a percentage, multiply by 100; to convert a percentage to a fraction, divide by 100.

A comparison of two quantities of the same kind by division, written as a:b. Both terms must be in the same unit, and the ratio is usually reduced to lowest terms.

An equation stating that two ratios are equal, written a:b = c:d. In a true proportion the product of the extremes equals the product of the means.

Interest calculated only on the original principal for the whole period, using the formula SI = P x R x T / 100, where R is the yearly rate percent.

Interest calculated on the principal plus previously earned interest, so the amount grows faster than under simple interest. The formula is A = P(1 + R/100)^T.

The sum of a set of quantities divided by their number, also called the arithmetic mean. It gives a single value representing the whole group.

The lowest common multiple: the smallest number divisible by each of a given set of numbers. It is used to bring fractions to a common denominator.

The highest common factor: the largest number that divides each of a given set of numbers exactly. It is found by prime factorisation or the division method.

A relationship stating that distance equals speed multiplied by time. To convert kilometres per hour to metres per second, multiply by five-eighteenths.

A reasoning item that asks you to identify the relationship between one pair of items and apply the same relationship to a second pair to find a missing term.

A reasoning task in which four or more items are given and you must find the one that does not share the common property of the rest, known as odd-one-out.

A sequence of numbers, letters, or figures following a hidden rule. The candidate must identify the pattern, such as a constant difference or a growing gap, and supply the next term.

A reasoning topic where words or letters are converted into a code by a fixed rule, such as shifting letters by a set number of places, and you must decode or encode another word.

Reasoning puzzles that describe family links in words or symbols, and you must work out how two named people are related, such as uncle, sister, or grandfather.

A reasoning topic tracking a person's movement through turns and distances in the four cardinal directions, ending with a question about final direction or shortest distance.

A logic problem giving two or more statements treated as true, from which you must decide which conclusions logically follow, often drawn with Venn diagrams.

A puzzle where people are placed in a row or around a circle according to clues about who sits beside, opposite, or to the left of whom, and questions test the final layout.

A reasoning topic about odd days, leap years, and day-of-the-week shifts. A normal year has one odd day and a leap year two, which fixes the weekday of a date.

A reasoning topic on the angle between the hour and minute hands. The minute hand gains 5.5 degrees per minute on the hour hand, giving the standard angle formula.