GK Questions

IMD (India Meteorological Department) uses INSAT/GSAT satellites, Doppler weather radars, and numerical models for cyclone tracking and flood forecasting. ISRO provides satellite data and infrastructure. Early warnings enable evacuation and disaster preparedness, saving lives and property. Critical for disaster management questions.

India achieved one of the world's fastest 5G rollouts, covering 300+ cities within 18 months of spectrum auction (2022-2024). Driven by competitive telecom operators, government policy support, and indigenous technology development. Important for telecom infrastructure and digital India questions.

SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment) successfully demonstrated autonomous rendezvous and docking of two spacecraft in Earth orbit in 2024. Critical technology for future space station modules, satellite servicing, and human spaceflight. Represents India's advancement in complex space operations. Important for ISRO current affairs questions.

Bit (binary digit) is the smallest unit of data in computing, representing either 0 or 1. Eight bits make one byte. All digital information - text, images, audio, video - is ultimately stored and processed as sequences of bits.

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) transmits data in plaintext, making it insecure for sensitive information. HTTPS (HTTP Secure) uses SSL/TLS encryption to protect data in transit. Always use HTTPS for login pages, payments, and personal data.

UPI does NOT require a physical card. It uses virtual payment addresses linked to bank accounts. Key features include 24x7 availability, single-click two-factor authentication, instant fund transfer, and support for multiple banks in one app.

Authentication is the process of verifying who a user claims to be, typically using passwords, biometrics, or tokens. It is distinct from authorization (what an authenticated user is allowed to do) and accounting (tracking user activities).

Aditya-L1 is India's first dedicated solar mission, positioned at Lagrange Point 1 (L1) to study the Sun's corona, solar emissions, and space weather. Launched in 2023, it carries seven indigenous payloads for comprehensive solar observations.

AGI (human-level AI that can learn and perform any intellectual task) does not yet exist. Current AI systems are Narrow AI, designed for specific tasks. AGI remains a research goal with significant technical and ethical challenges to overcome.

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard for cables, connectors, and protocols for connection, communication, and power supply between computers and peripheral devices. USB-C is the latest reversible connector standard.

Primary Key is a column or set of columns that uniquely identifies each row in a table. It cannot contain NULL values and must be unique. Foreign keys establish relationships between tables, while candidate keys are potential primary keys.

CSCs are village-level access points under Digital India that enable delivery of government services, banking, insurance, education, healthcare, and entertainment to rural citizens. They are operated by Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs).

Switch is a networking device that connects devices within a LAN and uses MAC addresses to forward data frames only to the intended recipient port. Unlike hubs that broadcast to all ports, switches improve network efficiency and security.

Augmented Reality (AR) superimposes computer-generated images, sounds, or data onto the real-world environment. Unlike VR which creates fully immersive digital environments, AR enhances reality. Applications include gaming, education, retail, and navigation.

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack uses multiple compromised systems to flood a target server with traffic, exhausting resources and making services unavailable. Mitigation includes traffic filtering, rate limiting, and using DDoS protection services.

SSDs use flash memory chips with no moving parts, making them faster, more durable, and quieter than HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) which use spinning platters and mechanical read/write heads. SSDs are now standard in most modern computers.

UPI (Unified Payments Interface) enables instant bank-to-bank transactions using virtual payment addresses (e.g., name@bank). Developed by NPCI, it supports peer-to-peer and merchant payments, bill payments, and integrates with multiple banking apps.

SMS (Short Message Service) is a text messaging service component of most telephone, internet, and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols to exchange short text messages (up to 160 characters) between devices.

Chandrayaan-2's lander Vikram lost communication during final descent and crash-landed on the Moon in September 2019. However, the orbiter component was successfully placed in lunar orbit and continues to provide valuable scientific data.

Firewall is a network security device/software that monitors and filters traffic between trusted internal networks and untrusted external networks based on security rules. It can be hardware-based, software-based, or cloud-based.