General Awareness and Current Affairs
What the paper actually tests
The General Awareness section of OSSC papers is Odisha-weighted. Expect roughly half the questions on Odisha geography, history, polity and state schemes, and the rest on Indian polity, economy, general science, and current affairs of the previous six to twelve months.
- Odisha geography: 30 districts; rivers Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani, Subarnarekha, Budhabalanga, Rushikulya, Vamsadhara, Nagavali; Chilika, Asia's largest brackish-water lagoon; Similipal, a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2009; Bhitarkanika mangroves; Hirakud dam on the Mahanadi.
- Odisha history and polity: Utkal Sammilani founded 1903 by Madhusudan Das; the separate province came into being on 1 April 1936 (Utkal Divas); Legislative Assembly with 147 seats; Odisha sends 21 members to the Lok Sabha; 314 community development blocks.
- National polity: Fundamental Rights in Part III, Directive Principles in Part IV, the 73rd Constitutional Amendment (1992) creating three-tier Panchayati Raj.
- Economy and science: repo rate and RBI functions, GST slabs, SI units, human body systems, basic plant and soil science.
Worked example
Which of these rivers does NOT drain into the Bay of Bengal - Mahanadi, Godavari, Narmada, Krishna? Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna all reach the Bay of Bengal. The Narmada flows west through a rift valley into the Gulf of Khambhat, an arm of the Arabian Sea. Reason from the direction of flow rather than from memorised lists.
Marks-losing traps
- Confusing 1 April 1936 with 1930 or 1947 as the date of Odisha's formation.
- Mixing up Assembly seats (147) with Lok Sabha seats (21).
- Guessing on current affairs. Eliminate by date and category first; never invent a scheme name.