AIIMS Nursing (BSc) Entrance General Knowledge and Current Affairs Syllabus

What is the normal pH range of human blood, and is it acidic, neutral, or alkaline?

Human blood has a pH of about 7.35 to 7.45, making it slightly alkaline (basic).

How many bones are present in the adult human body, and how many in a newborn?

An adult human body has 206 bones; a newborn has about 300 bones, which fuse with age.

Which vitamin is produced in the human skin on exposure to sunlight, and what deficiency disease does its lack cause?

Vitamin D is synthesised in the skin on exposure to sunlight; its deficiency causes rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.

What is the speed of light in vacuum, and what is the speed of sound in air at room temperature (approximate values)?

The speed of light in vacuum is about 3 × 10⁸ m/s (299,792 km/s). The speed of sound in air at about 20 degrees C is roughly 343 m/s.

What is the universal blood donor group and the universal recipient group, and why?

O negative is the universal donor (no A, B, or Rh antigens). AB positive is the universal recipient (no anti-A or anti-B antibodies and Rh-positive).

Which countries are the permanent members of the UN Security Council (P5) holding veto power?

The five permanent members are the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China; each holds veto power.

Where is the headquarters of the United Nations, and in which year was the UN founded?

The United Nations headquarters is in New York City, USA; the UN was founded on 24 October 1945.

What does the BRICS grouping stand for, and which countries founded it?

BRICS originally stood for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—a grouping of major emerging economies (South Africa joined in 2010).

Which Indian space mission successfully landed near the Moon's south pole, and what was its lander and rover named?

Chandrayaan-3 (ISRO) achieved a soft landing near the Moon's south pole in August 2023; its lander was named Vikram and its rover Pragyan.

What is the highest civilian award of India, and what is the highest military gallantry award?

The highest civilian award is the Bharat Ratna; the highest military (peacetime) gallantry award is the Param Vir Chakra (highest wartime gallantry award).

Which award is regarded as the 'Nobel Prize' for literature in India, and who instituted it?

The Jnanpith Award is the highest literary honour in India, instituted by the Bharatiya Jnanpith trust, given for outstanding contribution to Indian literature.

Who was the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, in which field, and in which year?

Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian Nobel laureate, winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for 'Gitanjali'.

In which field did Mother Teresa win the Nobel Prize, and in which year?

Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work in Kolkata.

What are the highest sporting honours in India for athletes and for coaches?

The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is the highest sporting honour for athletes; the Dronacharya Award is the highest honour for coaches. The Arjuna Award recognises consistent outstanding performance.

How many players are in a cricket team and in a kabaddi team on the field?

A cricket team has 11 players. A kabaddi team has 7 players on the court (out of 12 in the squad).

Which is the national sport associated with India's hockey legacy, and who is called the 'Wizard of Hockey'?

Field hockey is closely associated with India's sporting legacy; Major Dhyan Chand is called the 'Wizard'/'Magician' of hockey.

Who wrote the Indian national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana' and the national song 'Vande Mataram'?

'Jana Gana Mana' (national anthem) was written by Rabindranath Tagore; 'Vande Mataram' (national song) was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Who is the author of 'Discovery of India' and who wrote 'The Story of My Experiments with Truth'?

'The Discovery of India' was written by Jawaharlal Nehru; 'The Story of My Experiments with Truth' is the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi.

On which dates are World Health Day, International Nurses Day, and World AIDS Day observed?

World Health Day is 7 April; International Nurses Day is 12 May (Florence Nightingale's birthday); World AIDS Day is 1 December.

Why is International Nurses Day celebrated on 12 May, and who is honoured as the founder of modern nursing?

It is celebrated on 12 May, the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, who is honoured as the founder of modern nursing (the 'Lady with the Lamp').

What is the full form of ASHA and what role does an ASHA worker play in India's health system?

ASHA stands for Accredited Social Health Activist—a community health worker under the National Health Mission acting as a link between the community and the public health system, promoting maternal, child, and immunisation services.

What is the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and what is its main objective?

JSY is a safe-motherhood scheme under the National Health Mission that provides cash assistance to promote institutional delivery among poor pregnant women, aiming to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.

What is the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) and name some diseases it targets in India.

UIP is India's national immunisation programme providing free vaccines against vaccine-preventable diseases including tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, hepatitis B, and rotavirus.

What is the Pulse Polio Immunization programme and which vaccine does it use?

Pulse Polio is a nationwide campaign to immunise all children under 5 years with Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) on fixed days to eradicate poliomyelitis; India was declared polio-free in 2014.

What does the Ayushman Bharat - PM-JAY scheme provide?

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana provides health insurance cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation to poor and vulnerable families.

Where is the World Health Organization (WHO) headquartered, and when was it established?

The WHO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and was established on 7 April 1948.

Which Indian national body controls drug standards, and which body conducts the nursing council registration?

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) regulates drugs in India; the Indian Nursing Council (INC) is the statutory body regulating nursing education and registration.

What is the full form of UNICEF and what is its primary mission?

UNICEF stands for the United Nations Children's Fund; its mission is to protect the rights and improve the health, nutrition, education, and welfare of children worldwide.

Which pathogen causes tuberculosis, and which national programme tackles it in India?

Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis; the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), formerly RNTCP, addresses it in India.

Name the mosquito vectors of malaria and of dengue.

Malaria is transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito; dengue is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

What kind of pathogen causes COVID-19, and what is the name of the virus?

COVID-19 is caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2), a novel coronavirus; the WHO declared it a pandemic in March 2020.

What is an epidemic, and how does it differ from a pandemic and an endemic disease?

An epidemic is a sudden rise of a disease above normal levels in a community/region; a pandemic is an epidemic spread across multiple countries or worldwide; an endemic disease is one that is constantly present at a baseline level in a particular area.