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Kerala PSC Degree Level study materials
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Kerala PSC Degree Level practice questions

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Question 1General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which Fundamental Right is guaranteed by Article 21 of the Indian Constitution?

  1. Right against exploitation
  2. Right to equality before law
  3. Right to freedom of religion
  4. Right to life and liberty Correct answer.

Explanation

Article 21 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to life and personal liberty. The Supreme Court has expanded this article to include the right to privacy, dignity and a clean environment. Article 14 deals with equality before law, Articles 23 and 24 with exploitation, and Article 25 with religious freedom.

Question 2General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Vembanad Lake, the longest lake in India, is located in which state?

  1. Tamil Nadu
  2. Kerala Correct answer.
  3. Andhra Pradesh
  4. Karnataka

Explanation

Vembanad Lake lies in Kerala and is the longest lake in India. It stretches across Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts and hosts the Nehru Trophy Boat Race. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh do not contain Vembanad Lake.

Question 3General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Deficiency of which vitamin causes scurvy?

  1. Vitamin C Correct answer.
  2. Vitamin B12
  3. Vitamin D
  4. Vitamin A

Explanation

Scurvy is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, which is needed for collagen synthesis. Symptoms include bleeding gums, easy bruising and poor wound healing. Vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness, vitamin D deficiency causes rickets, and vitamin B12 deficiency causes pernicious anaemia.

Question 4General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which of the following is a Harappan site located in present-day Gujarat?

  1. Lothal Correct answer.
  2. Kalibangan
  3. Banawali
  4. Rakhigarhi

Explanation

Lothal is a Harappan site in Gujarat and is known for its ancient dockyard. Rakhigarhi and Banawali are in Haryana, while Kalibangan is in Rajasthan. Therefore Lothal is the only Gujarat site among the given options.

Question 5General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which country hosted the 2023 G20 Leaders' Summit?

  1. Indonesia
  2. India Correct answer.
  3. Brazil
  4. Italy

Explanation

India hosted the 2023 G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi under the theme 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. Indonesia hosted the summit in 2022, Italy in 2021 and Brazil in 2024. Therefore India is the correct host for the 2023 summit.

Question 6General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which institution decides the repo rate in India?

  1. Ministry of Finance
  2. NITI Aayog
  3. Reserve Bank of India Correct answer.
  4. Securities and Exchange Board of India

Explanation

The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee decides the repo rate, which is the rate at which banks borrow short-term funds from the RBI. SEBI regulates securities markets, the Finance Ministry handles fiscal policy, and NITI Aayog is a policy think tank.

Question 7General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The headquarters of the World Health Organization is located in which city?

  1. Geneva Correct answer.
  2. New York
  3. Vienna
  4. Paris

Explanation

The World Health Organization is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. New York hosts the United Nations headquarters, Paris hosts UNESCO, and Vienna hosts the IAEA and UNODC. Geneva is therefore the correct city for the WHO headquarters.

Question 8General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Aranmula Uthrattathi Vallam Kali is held on the banks of which river?

  1. Bharathappuzha
  2. Pamba Correct answer.
  3. Periyar
  4. Chalakudy

Explanation

The Aranmula Uthrattathi Vallam Kali is held on the Pamba river in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala. Periyar, Bharathappuzha and Chalakudy host other boat races but not the Aranmula race. Hence Pamba is the correct river.

Question 9General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Under which article can the President of India promulgate an ordinance when Parliament is not in session?

  1. Article 123 Correct answer.
  2. Article 213
  3. Article 356
  4. Article 360

Explanation

Article 123 empowers the President to promulgate ordinances when either House of Parliament is not in session. Article 213 gives a similar power to the Governor, Article 356 deals with President's rule, and Article 360 with financial emergency.

Question 10General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with which body of water?

  1. Caspian Sea
  2. Mediterranean Sea
  3. Gulf of Oman Correct answer.
  4. Red Sea

Explanation

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, which opens into the Arabian Sea. The Red Sea is linked by Bab-el-Mandeb, the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal, and the Caspian is a landlocked sea. Therefore the Gulf of Oman is correct.

Question 11General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which gas makes up the largest proportion of Earth's atmosphere?

  1. Nitrogen Correct answer.
  2. Carbon dioxide
  3. Oxygen
  4. Argon

Explanation

Earth's atmosphere is dominated by nitrogen, which accounts for roughly 78 per cent of dry air by volume. Oxygen is the second most abundant component at about 21 per cent, while carbon dioxide and argon occur only in much smaller trace amounts.

Question 12General Knowledge and Current Affairs

In the Indian federal setup, who administers the oath of office to a state's Chief Minister?

  1. The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
  2. The President of India
  3. The Chief Justice of the High Court
  4. The Governor of the state Correct answer.

Explanation

The Governor is the constitutional head of the state and appoints the Chief Minister, administering the oath of office and secrecy. The President deals with the Union executive, while the High Court Chief Justice and Assembly Speaker have no role in administering this oath.

Question 13General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Silent Valley National Park, known for the lion-tailed macaque, lies in which district of Kerala?

  1. Wayanad
  2. Idukki
  3. Palakkad Correct answer.
  4. Kollam

Explanation

Silent Valley National Park is situated in the Nilgiri hills within Palakkad district and forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It is renowned for its tropical evergreen forest habitat and populations of the endangered lion-tailed macaque.

Question 14General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Temple Entry Proclamation of 1936, which opened Hindu temples in Travancore to all castes, was issued by which ruler?

  1. Sree Moolam Thirunal
  2. Swathi Thirunal
  3. Chithira Thirunal Correct answer.
  4. Marthanda Varma

Explanation

Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma issued the Temple Entry Proclamation in 1936, a landmark social reform in Travancore. The proclamation removed caste-based restrictions on entry into Hindu temples and is associated with reformers such as Mannathu Padmanabhan.

Question 15General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which regulatory body in India is responsible for licensing and supervising insurance companies?

  1. SEBI
  2. IRDAI Correct answer.
  3. RBI
  4. PFRDA

Explanation

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, known as IRDAI, is the statutory regulator for the insurance sector. It licenses insurers and intermediaries and protects policyholders' interests, while RBI regulates banking and SEBI regulates securities markets.

Question 16General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which is the largest freshwater lake in India?

  1. Chilika Lake
  2. Wular Lake Correct answer.
  3. Loktak Lake
  4. Sambhar Lake

Explanation

Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir is regarded as India's largest freshwater lake by area. Chilika is a brackish-water lagoon, Sambhar is a salt lake, and Loktak is a freshwater lake but smaller than Wular.

Question 17General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Aditya-L1 solar observatory is positioned in a halo orbit around which point in the Sun-Earth system?

  1. Lagrange point L2
  2. Lagrange point L4
  3. Lagrange point L5
  4. Lagrange point L1 Correct answer.

Explanation

Aditya-L1 operates around the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L1, about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. This position allows continuous observation of the Sun without Earth occultation, which is important for studying solar activity and space weather.

Question 18General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which article of the Indian Constitution provides for the constitution of a Finance Commission?

  1. Article 280 Correct answer.
  2. Article 263
  3. Article 315
  4. Article 324

Explanation

Article 280 provides for a Finance Commission, constituted by the President every five years or earlier, to recommend devolution of financial resources between the Union and states. Article 324 deals with the Election Commission, Article 263 with inter-state councils, and Article 315 with public service commissions.

Question 19General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Cholanaickan community, a particularly vulnerable tribal group in Kerala, is primarily associated with which district?

  1. Idukki
  2. Palakkad
  3. Kasaragod
  4. Malappuram Correct answer.

Explanation

The Cholanaickan are a particularly vulnerable tribal group traditionally associated with the Nilambur forests of Malappuram district. They are among Kerala's most isolated tribal communities and have historically depended on forest resources for their livelihood.

Question 20General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which country became NATO's 31st member in April 2023?

  1. Sweden
  2. Ukraine
  3. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  4. Finland Correct answer.

Explanation

Finland formally joined NATO on 4 April 2023, becoming the alliance's 31st member after applying in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sweden joined later as the 32nd member, while Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina are not NATO members.

Question 21General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which classical dance-drama of Kerala is performed with elaborate green facial make-up, heavy headgear and stylised gestures?

  1. Koodiyattam
  2. Kathakali Correct answer.
  3. Mohiniyattam
  4. Theyyam

Explanation

Kathakali is Kerala's classical dance-drama, traditionally performed by male actors in elaborate green facial make-up called chutti, huge headgear and stylised costumes. Its narratives are usually drawn from the Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas.

Question 22General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Kerala Kalamandalam, the renowned institution for Kathakali, Mohiniyattam and allied performing arts, is situated at Cheruthuruthy in which district?

  1. Palakkad
  2. Thrissur Correct answer.
  3. Kannur
  4. Kozhikode

Explanation

Kerala Kalamandalam was founded in 1930 by Vallathol Narayana Menon at Cheruthuruthy, which lies in Thrissur district on the banks of the Bharathappuzha. It is a deemed university devoted to Kathakali, Mohiniyattam and related arts.

Question 23General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The anti-defection provisions that disqualify elected legislators who voluntarily give up membership of their party are contained in which Schedule of the Indian Constitution?

  1. Ninth Schedule
  2. Tenth Schedule Correct answer.
  3. Eleventh Schedule
  4. Eighth Schedule

Explanation

The Tenth Schedule, inserted by the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1985, contains the anti-defection provisions. It empowers the presiding officer of the legislature to disqualify a member who voluntarily gives up party membership or votes against the party whip.

Question 24General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which river is the longest in Kerala and drains westward into the Arabian Sea?

  1. Periyar Correct answer.
  2. Bharathappuzha
  3. Pamba
  4. Chalakudy

Explanation

The Periyar is the longest river in Kerala, about 244 km long, rising in the Sivagiri hills of the Western Ghats and draining into the Arabian Sea. The Bharathappuzha is the second longest river in the state.

Question 25General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which Kerala social reformer led the Villuvandi Samaram, a struggle for the right of lower-caste people to travel on public roads?

  1. Ayyankali Correct answer.
  2. Chattampi Swamikal
  3. Vagbhatananda
  4. Sree Narayana Guru

Explanation

Ayyankali led the Villuvandi Samaram in 1893, travelling in a bullock cart along roads that were barred to Pulayas and asserting the right of lower-caste people to use public spaces. He also campaigned for education and founded the Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham.

Question 26General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which Kerala city is traditionally known as the cashew capital of the world because of its long-established cashew processing and export trade?

  1. Kozhikode
  2. Kollam Correct answer.
  3. Alappuzha
  4. Kochi

Explanation

Kollam is traditionally known as the cashew capital of Kerala, with a long history of cashew processing and export through its port. The cashew industry was once a major employer in the district.

Question 27General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The World Economic Outlook, a flagship publication presenting global economic forecasts, is released by which institution?

  1. World Bank
  2. International Monetary Fund Correct answer.
  3. Asian Development Bank
  4. World Trade Organization

Explanation

The World Economic Outlook is the flagship forecasting publication of the International Monetary Fund, usually released twice a year. It presents the IMF's analysis and projections for the global economy.

Question 28General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway arch bridge, is located in which Union Territory?

  1. Himachal Pradesh
  2. Sikkim
  3. Uttarakhand
  4. Jammu and Kashmir Correct answer.

Explanation

The Chenab Bridge, part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, spans the Chenab river in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is recognised as the world's highest railway arch bridge.

Question 29General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Punnapra-Vayalar uprising of 1946 took place in which princely state?

  1. Travancore Correct answer.
  2. Malabar
  3. Mysore
  4. Cochin

Explanation

The Punnapra-Vayalar uprising of 1946 was a peasant and workers' agitation in the Travancore princely state, centred in the Alappuzha region. It was directed against the policies of Dewan C. P. Ramaswami Iyer.

Question 30General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to which organisation?

  1. World Food Programme
  2. International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
  3. Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
  4. Nihon Hidankyo Correct answer.

Explanation

The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, the Japanese confederation of atomic bomb survivors, known as hibakusha. It was honoured for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating that nuclear weapons must never be used again.

Question 31General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Night blindness, a condition in which the eye cannot adapt to dim light, results from a deficiency of which vitamin?

  1. Vitamin B12
  2. Vitamin C
  3. Vitamin A Correct answer.
  4. Vitamin D

Explanation

Vitamin A is required to form rhodopsin, the light-sensitive pigment in the retina's rod cells that enables vision in dim light. Its deficiency therefore impairs dark adaptation and can progress to xerophthalmia and night blindness.

Question 32General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Human Development Report, which publishes the Human Development Index, is released by which organisation?

  1. International Monetary Fund
  2. World Bank
  3. United Nations Development Programme Correct answer.
  4. World Trade Organization

Explanation

The Human Development Report is an annual publication of the United Nations Development Programme. It presents the Human Development Index and related measures of health, education and living standards.

Question 33General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Who became the first Chief Minister of Kerala after the state was formed on 1 November 1956?

  1. E.M.S. Namboodiripad Correct answer.
  2. R. Sankar
  3. Pattom Thanu Pillai
  4. C. Achutha Menon

Explanation

Kerala came into existence on 1 November 1956, and the elections of 1957 brought the first Communist-led ministry to power. E.M.S. Namboodiripad took oath as the state's first Chief Minister in April 1957.

Question 34General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram is governed by which schedule of the Indian Constitution?

  1. Eighth Schedule
  2. Seventh Schedule
  3. Sixth Schedule Correct answer.
  4. Fifth Schedule

Explanation

The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution provides for autonomous district and regional councils to administer tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. The Fifth Schedule covers Scheduled Areas in the rest of India.

Question 35General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Under India's inflation-targeting framework, which body decides the policy repo rate?

  1. NITI Aayog
  2. Securities and Exchange Board of India
  3. Monetary Policy Committee of the RBI Correct answer.
  4. Union Finance Ministry

Explanation

The Monetary Policy Committee, chaired by the RBI Governor, is the statutory body that sets the policy repo rate. It is required to keep consumer price inflation at 4 per cent with a tolerance band of plus or minus 2 per cent.

Question 36General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which organisation was admitted as a permanent member of the G20 at the 2023 New Delhi summit?

  1. OPEC
  2. NATO
  3. ASEAN
  4. African Union Correct answer.

Explanation

The African Union was admitted as a permanent member of the G20 at the New Delhi summit in September 2023. The G20 now has the European Union and the African Union as permanent regional members alongside the country members.

Question 37General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Channar Revolt, also known as the breast-cloth struggle, was a movement in Travancore by which community seeking the right of women to cover the upper body?

  1. Ezhavas
  2. Pulayas
  3. Nadars (Channars) Correct answer.
  4. Muslims

Explanation

The Channar community, also called Nadars, campaigned in Travancore for the right of women to cover the upper body. The agitation led to the 1859 royal proclamation permitting the upper cloth, though full social equality came later.

Question 38General Knowledge and Current Affairs

How many Ramsar wetlands of international importance are located in Kerala?

  1. Three Correct answer.
  2. One
  3. Two
  4. Four

Explanation

Kerala has three Ramsar sites: Vembanad-Kol, Ashtamudi and Sasthamkotta. These wetlands were designated for their ecological importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

Question 39General Knowledge and Current Affairs

As per the 2011 Census, which district of Kerala has the highest population density?

  1. Thrissur
  2. Alappuzha Correct answer.
  3. Ernakulam
  4. Kollam

Explanation

Alappuzha district recorded the highest population density in Kerala in the 2011 Census, at about 1,500 persons per square kilometre. Its narrow coastal strip and dense settlements explain the figure.

Question 40General Knowledge and Current Affairs

President's rule in a state, under which the elected state government is suspended, is imposed under which article of the Indian Constitution?

  1. Article 352
  2. Article 365
  3. Article 356 Correct answer.
  4. Article 360

Explanation

Article 356 allows the President, on the Governor's report or otherwise, to assume the functions of a state government when the constitutional machinery has failed. Articles 352, 360 and 365 deal with national emergency, financial emergency and non-compliance with Union directions respectively.

Question 41Mental Ability and Reasoning

Study the number series 3, 8, 15, 24, 35, ___. Which number should replace the blank?

  1. 50
  2. 48 Correct answer.
  3. 46
  4. 49

Explanation

Each term is one less than a perfect square: 2²−1, 3²−1, 4²−1, 5²−1 and 6²−1. The next term is therefore 7²−1 = 48. Equivalently, the differences 5, 7, 9, 11 increase by 2 each time, so the next difference is 13 and 35 + 13 = 48.

Question 42Mental Ability and Reasoning

In a certain code language, PEN is written as QFO. Using the same rule, how is INK written?

  1. IOL
  2. JOL Correct answer.
  3. JNL
  4. KOL

Explanation

The code moves every letter one place forward in the English alphabet: P→Q, E→F and N→O. Applying the same shift to INK gives I→J, N→O and K→L, which spells JOL.

Question 43Mental Ability and Reasoning

A man starts from his house, walks 5 km north, turns right and walks 3 km, then turns right again and walks 5 km. Where is he now with respect to his house?

  1. 3 km west
  2. 8 km east
  3. 3 km east Correct answer.
  4. 5 km north

Explanation

After walking 5 km north, a right turn takes him 3 km east, and a second right turn takes him 5 km south. The northward and southward walks cancel each other, leaving a net displacement of 3 km east from the house.

Question 44Mental Ability and Reasoning

Pointing to a photograph, Sunita says, “He is the son of the only daughter of my mother.” How is the man in the photograph related to Sunita?

  1. Son Correct answer.
  2. Brother
  3. Nephew
  4. Cousin

Explanation

Sunita's mother has only one daughter, and since Sunita is speaking about her own mother, that daughter is Sunita herself. The photograph therefore shows the son of Sunita, which makes the man her son.

Question 45Mental Ability and Reasoning

Statements: All pens are books. Some books are red. Conclusions: I. Some pens are red. II. Some red are books. Which conclusion(s) logically follow(s)?

  1. Both I and II follow
  2. Only II follows Correct answer.
  3. Only I follows
  4. Neither I nor II follows

Explanation

The statement “Some books are red” converts validly to “Some red are books”, so conclusion II follows. The pens lie inside the set of books, but the red books need not overlap the pens, so conclusion I is not forced.

Question 46Mental Ability and Reasoning

Five friends A, B, C, D and E sit in a straight row facing north. A is at the extreme left and E at the extreme right. C is not adjacent to A. D sits second to the right of B. Who sits exactly in the middle?

  1. B
  2. A
  3. D
  4. C Correct answer.

Explanation

A occupies seat 1 and E occupies seat 5. For D to be second to the right of B, B must be in seat 2 and D in seat 4, since B in seat 3 would push D onto E's seat. The only remaining seat, the middle one, is taken by C, and C is indeed not adjacent to A.

Question 47Mental Ability and Reasoning

If 1 January 2025 falls on a Wednesday, on which day does 1 March 2025 fall?

  1. Friday
  2. Saturday Correct answer.
  3. Thursday
  4. Sunday

Explanation

January has 31 days, which is 4 weeks and 3 days, so the weekday advances by 3 and 1 February 2025 is a Saturday. February 2025 has 28 days, which is exactly 4 weeks, so the weekday does not change and 1 March is also a Saturday.

Question 48Mental Ability and Reasoning

What is the smaller angle between the hour hand and the minute hand of a clock at 3:40?

  1. 150°
  2. 130° Correct answer.
  3. 140°
  4. 120°

Explanation

At 3:40 the hour hand is at 3 × 30° + 40 × 0.5° = 110° from 12, while the minute hand is at 40 × 6° = 240° from 12. The difference is 130°, which is less than 180°, so the smaller angle is 130°.

Question 49Mental Ability and Reasoning

The positions of the first and sixth letters of the word TRANSPORT are interchanged, then the second and seventh, then the third and eighth, and finally the fourth and ninth. Which letter is fourth from the left after these rearrangements?

  1. S
  2. R
  3. N
  4. T Correct answer.

Explanation

The nine-letter word is rearranged by swapping positions (1,6), (2,7), (3,8) and (4,9). Applying these swaps to TRANSPORT produces P O R T S T R A N, usually written PORTSTRAN. The fourth letter from the left in this arrangement is T.

Question 50Mental Ability and Reasoning

A cube is painted on all six faces and then cut into 64 identical smaller cubes. How many of the smaller cubes have exactly two faces painted?

  1. 16
  2. 8
  3. 32
  4. 24 Correct answer.

Explanation

Since 64 = 4³, each edge of the original cube is divided into 4 small cubes. Cubes with exactly two painted faces lie along the edges but not at the corners, giving 12 edges × (4 − 2) = 24 such cubes.