General Awareness –

*Mohammad Iqbal has composed the famous song ‘Sare Jahan Se Achha’.

*Lucknow is famous for Chikankari work, which is a traditional art of embroidery.

*Boat races are special feature in Onam festival.

*Kalchakra ceremony is associated with Buddhism.

*Kathak is a classical dance form of North India.

*The head quarters of Sahitya Akademi is in Delhi.

*The last Mahakumbh of the 20th century was held at Haridwar.

*Bankim Chandra Chatterji has composed the National Song of India.

*’Kathakali’ is a folk dance in Kerala.

*Ottan Thullal is a solo dance.

*Thillana is a format of Baharatanatyam.

*’Madhubani’, a style of folk paintings, is popular in Bihar.

*The national anthem of India is ‘Jana-gana-mana’. Originally it was composed in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore. The national anthem  was first sung on 27th December 1911 at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.

The complete song consists of five stanzas.

The full version of the national anthem will take up approximately 52 seconds.

A short version consists of only first and last lines of the stanza (playing time is just 20 seconds), that is played on certain occasions.

*The Rath Yatra at Puri is celebrated in honour of Jaganath Hindu deity.

* Zend Avesta is the book of Parsis.

*Sangeet Akademi is responsible for fostering the development of dance, drama and music in India.

* Folk dance forms associated with Gujarat is Garba.

*Mohiniattam dance form originated from Kerala state.

*The ratio of width of our National flag to its length is 2:3 .

The wheel at the centre has 24 spokes.

The design of the National Flag of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947.

* ‘Natya – Shastra’ the main source of India’s classical dances was written by Bharat Muni.

*’Dandia’ is a popular dance of Gujarat.

*The words ‘Satyameva Jayate’ inscribed below the base plate of the emblem of India are taken from Mundak Upanishad.

*Graphite is used in pencils.

*Mercury  forms an amalgam with other metals.

*Bromine is a non metal that remains liquid at room temperature.

*The gas usually filled in the electric bulb is Nitrogen.

*Washing soda is the common name for Sodium carbonate .

* The most abundant greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere are water vapor,carbon dioxide,

methane,nitrous oxide, ozone and chlorofluorocarbons.

* Graphite  is used as a moderator in nuclear reactor.

* Isotopes are separated by the process of distillation.