56th - 59th BPSC Prelims (Held in 2015) Official paper (Previous Year Paper)

The correct answer is 10^th October 2014.

Key Points

• The Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched Mental Health Policy on 10^th October 2014.
• Mental Health Policy:
• National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) was started in 1982 with the following objectives:
• To ensure availability and accessibility of minimum mental health care for all.
• To encourage mental health knowledge and skills.
• To promote community participation in mental health service development, and stimulate self-help in the community.
• The need for NMHP has always been felt.
• The latest Lancet Report’s findings also reflect on the mental health of the people in India.
• Hence, NMHP is the right step towards mental health support.
• The main objective of this new "Mental Health Policy" is to provide universal access to mental health care by enhancing understanding of mental health and strengthening leadership in the mental health sector at all levels.

The correct answer is 11^th October 2014.

Key Points

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana on 11^th October 2014.
• Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana:-
• The scheme was started by the Prime Minister of India on 11^th October 2014 on the birth anniversary of Jai Prakash Narayan.
• Under the Yojana, Members of Parliament (MPs) are responsible for developing the socio-economic and physical infrastructure of three villages each by 2019, and a total of eight villages each by 2024.
• The first Adarsh Gram (Model Village) was to be developed by 2016, and two more by 2019.
• From 2019 to 2024, five more Adarsh Grams must be developed by each MP, one each year.
• This implies that a total of 6,433 Adarsh Grams, of the 2,65,000 gram panchayats, will be created by 2024.

The correct answer is October 2014.

• The 11^th Metropolis Congress was organized in Hyderabad in October 2014.
• During the 11^th Metropolis World Congress in Hyderabad, there was a special series of exhibitions dedicated to the rich art, culture, and people of the region.

Key Points

• Metropolis:
• In India, urban planning and spatial planning are not integrated.
• This leads to a significant deterioration in the quality of public services and ease of living.
• Metropolitan regions are being created by default and not by design.
• Current urban centers are established without paying attention to the need to create a unified market, especially the labor market, which would forge strong economic linkages between the core city and the periphery.
• There are 53 urban agglomerations in India with a population of one million and above, but these agglomerations spread across various states. With different rules and regulations regarding land, transport across the states, this severely affects infrastructure development.

The correct answer is Ranikhet (Uttarakhand).

Key Points

• Yudh Abhyas:
• Yudh Abhyas is a joint military exercise, bilaterally occurring between India and the US.
• It was started in 2002 and is undertaken by the armies of both countries to promote defense cooperation.
• The recent Yudh Abhyas exercise took place from 5^th September 2019 to 18^th September 2019 at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington, USA.
• India and the US participate in the following joint exercises apart from Yudh Abhyas:
• Cope-India (Air Force)
• Vajra Prahar (Special Forces)
• A few multilateral exercises that India and the US participate in are:
• MALABAR
• RED FLAG
• RIMPAC

The correct answer is DMK, RLD, National Conference, and BSP.

Key Points

• DMK, RLD, National Conference, and BSP could not win a single seat in the 16^th Lok Sabha Election.
• 16^th Lok Sabha:
• The 16^th Lok Sabha passed a total of 133 Bills, of which 6% were passed within 30 minutes.
• The number of Bills passed within half an hour in the previous Lok Sabha was 26%.
• This 16^th Lok Sabha sat for 331 days (against a 468-day average for all previous full-term Lok Sabhas), and lost 16% of its time to disruptions.
• In terms of referral of Bills to various committees, the 16^th Lok Sabha referred only 25% of the Bills, while the previous House had referred around 70% of the Bills to various panels.

The correct answer is Dr. A.S. Pillai.

Key Points

• President Pranab Mukherjee on 7^th October 2014 presented the Lal Bahadur Shashtri National Award for excellence in Public Administration, Academics, and Management for the year 2014 to Dr. A.S. Pillai.
• Dr. A.S. Pillai:
• Dr. A.S. Pillai is a former Chief Controller and founder of Brahmos Aerospace.
• He contributed a lot in the field of aerospace along with Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Satish Dhawan, etc.
• He is the author of The Path Unexplored, Thoughts For Change.
• He had been awarded Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.

The correct answer is Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur.

Key Points

• Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur has been appointed as the Chairman of the 7^th Central Pay Commission constituted by the Government of India in February 2014.
• Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur has served as Chief justice of Calcutta High Court till 2004 and Justice of the Supreme Court of India till 2008.
• 7^th Central Pay Commission:
• The 7^th Pay Commission was formed by the UPA government on 28 February 2014.
• It was chaired by Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur and given a time period of 18 months to submit its report.
• The 7^th Central Pay Commission (7 CPC), constituted in February 2014 to review the principles and structure of emoluments of all central government civilian employees including defense forces in India, submitted its report on 19 November 2015.
• CPC’s recommendations would affect the organization, rank structure, pay, allowances and pension, of 13,86,171 armed forces personnel.

The correct answer is Change in law pertaining to offenses against women.

Key Points

• Justice J.S.Verma Committee’s Report, 2013 deals with Change in law pertaining to offenses against women.
• Justice J.S.Verma Committee’s Report:-
• Justice J.S. Verma Committee had recommended setting up an employment tribunal instead of an internal complaints committee (ICC) in the Sexual Harassment at the Workplace Act.
• To ensure speedy disposal of complaints, the committee proposed that the tribunal should not function as a civil court but may choose its own procedure to deal with each complaint.
• An internal complaints committee as laid down under the act could be counterproductive as dealing with such complaints in-house could discourage women from filing complaints.
• Domestic workers should be included within the purview of the Act.
• The Committee has termed the Sexual Harassment Act “unsatisfactory” and said, it did not reflect the spirit of the Vishakha guidelines framed by the Supreme Court in 1997 to curb sexual harassment at the workplace.
• The Committee said any “unwelcome behavior” should be seen from the subjective perception of the complainant, thus broadening the scope of the definition of sexual harassment.

The correct answer is 40.

Key Points

• 40 members are elected from Bihar to the Lok Sabha.
• 6 Seats out of 40 are reserved for the Scheduled castes.

The correct answer is Chhath Puja.

Key Points

• Chhath Puja:
• Chhath is a Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun god and his wife Usha in order to thank them for bestowing the bounties of life on earth.
• The Goddess who is worshipped during the famous Chhath Puja is known as Chhathi Maiya (also known as Usha, wife of the sun god).
• The word Chhath means sixth and the festival is celebrated on the sixth day of the month Kartika of the Hindu lunar Vikram Samvat calendar.
• The festival is observed over a period of four days.
• The rituals include holy bathing, fasting, standing in water for long periods of time, and offering prayers and food to the setting and rising sun.

The correct answer is Patrick Modiano.

Key Points

• Patrick Modiano has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2014.
• Nobel Prize:
• The Nobel Prizes regarded as the most prestigious awards given for intellectual achievement in the world are awarded annually from a fund bequeathed for that purpose by the Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel.
• It is announced every year for excellence in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, Economics, and a distinguished achievement towards humanity – commonly known as the Nobel Peace Prize.
• Nobel Prizes in all the above said fields except Economics were first awarded in 1901.
• Nobel Prize in Economics was established in 1968.
• Poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore was the first non-European and Indian to get a Nobel Prize in 1913 in literature.
• India received its first Nobel Prize in physics in 1930 when scientist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was awarded “for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him”.
• This phenomenon is now known as Raman Effect.
• Har Gobind Khorana shared his 1968 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with Robert W Holley and Marshall W Nirenberg.
• The trio was honored “for their interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis”.

Additional Information

• Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi won Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
• Jean Tirole won Nobel Prize in Economics in 2014.

The correct answer is Sweden.

Key Points

• Sweden is the first European Union country to officially recognize the State of Palestine.
• State of Palestine:
• Sweden will join more than 130 other countries that recognize a Palestinian state.
• Most of the EU's 28 member states have refrained from recognizing Palestinian statehood and those that do, such as Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, did so before joining the bloc.
• The Palestinians have long sought to establish an independent, sovereign state in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem as its capital, and the Gaza Strip - occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Additional Information

​

The correct answer is U.A.E.

Key Points

• The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces were formed in 1951.
• The UAE introduced mandatory military conscription for adult males in 2014 of 16 months to expand its reserve force.
• The UAE is a federal monarchy.
• President:- Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
• Prime Minister:- Mohammed bin Rashid.

Additional Information

• North Korea:
• North Korea has remained isolated from the international community, with its governmental, economic, and other operations veiled in secrecy.
• Restrictions on travel into or out of the country and a tightly controlled press helped maintain this isolation.
• North Korea’s foreign policy has been marked by two significant alliances, with China and the Soviet Union, and by enduring hostility to South Korea and the United States.
• The President of North Korea is Kim Jong-Un.
• He is a member of the Worker's Party of Korea.

The correct answer is Financial inclusion.

Key Points

• The theme of the Global Financial Development Report, 2014 is Financial inclusion.
• Global Financial Development Report:-
• It provides a unique contribution to financial sector policy debates, building on novel data, research, and wide-ranging country experience, with emphasis on emerging markets and developing economies.
• It is released by World Bank.
• The report’s findings and policy recommendations are relevant for policymakers, staff of central banks, ministries of finance, and financial regulatory agencies.
• The report tracks financial systems in more than 200 economies before and during the global financial crisis.
• After the global financial crisis of 2007-08, governments and regulators recognized and began to address the dangers of large and complex banking and financial structures.
• But they largely missed the argument that opening up the financial sector to foreign players was important to boost efficiency and bring sophisticated products to local customers.

Additional Information

• The Global Financial Development Database is an extensive dataset of financial system characteristics for 214 economies.
• It contains annual data, starting from 1960.
• It has been last updated in September 2019 and contains data through 2017 for 109 indicators, capturing various aspects of financial institutions and markets.
• The Global Financial Development Report 2019/2020 provides new data and evidence on the regulatory remedies adopted to prevent future financial instability and sheds light on ongoing policy debates.

The correct answer is All of them.

Key Points

• Time’ magazine’s few most influential teens of 2014:-

The correct answer is Ufa, Russia.

Key Points

• BRICS Summit:
• BRICS is an acronym for 5 emerging economies of the world viz. – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa.
• The term BRIC was coined by Jim O’ Neil, the then chairman of Goldman Sachs in 2001.
• The first BRIC summit took place in the year 2009 in Yekaterinburg (Russia).
• In 2010, South Africa formally joined the association making it BRICS.
• BRICS is an association with more than 40% of the global population and with 25% of the global GDP (nominal GDP of US$16.039 trillion) and an estimated US$4 trillion in combined forex. Bilateral relations are conducted mainly on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
• The 11^th summit of the BRICS grouping comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa was held in Brasilia on 13^th & 14^th November 2019.
• The 12^th summit (Russia) of BRICS was held on 17^th Nov 2020 via videoconference.

The correct answer is 3^rd December.

Key Points

• International Day of Persons with Disabilities observed every year on 3 December is started by the United Nations in 1992.
• It aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities.
• The theme for International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 2020 is "Building Black Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 World".

Additional Information

• Important Days in December:-
• 1 December- World Aids Day
• 2 December- National Pollution Control Day
• 2 December- International Day for the abolition of slavery
• 3 December- World day of the handicapped
• 4 December- Indian Navy Day
• 5 December- International Volunteer Day
• 5 December- World soil day
• 7 December- Armed Forces Flag Day

The correct answer is Protection of human rights.

Key Points

• Amnesty International is an organization that is associated with the Protection of human rights.
• Amnesty International:-
• Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people in over 150 countries and territories who campaign to end abuses of human rights.
• Amnesty International (AI), an international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) founded in London on May 28, 1961.
• Agnes Callamard is the current Secretary-General of Amnesty International.
• The organization seeks to publicize violations by governments and other entities of rights recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
• Amnesty International actively seeks the release of political prisoners and the relief, when necessary, of their families.
• It also works with inter-governmental human rights bodies to expand and enforce human rights protections in international law.

The correct answer is The UN Economic and Social Council(ECOSOC).

Key Points

• The UN Economic and Social Council(ECOSOC):-
• Economic and Social Council(ECOSOC), one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN).
• It is responsible for the direction and coordination of the economic, social, humanitarian, and cultural activities carried out by the UN.
• It is the UN’s largest and most complex subsidiary body.
• ECOSOC was established by the UN Charter (1945), which was amended in 1965 and 1974 to increase the number of members from 18 to 54.
• ECOSOC membership is based on geographic representation, 14 seats are allocated to Africa, 11 to Asia, 6 to eastern Europe, 10 to Latin America and the Caribbean, and 13 to western Europe and other areas.
• Members are elected for three-year terms by the General Assembly.

Additional Information

The correct answer is The UN Security Council.

Key Points

• The UN Security Council:
• United Nations Security Council, United Nations (UN) organ whose primary responsibility is the maintenance of international peace and security.
• The Security Council originally consisted of 11 members - five permanent members (the Republic of China [Taiwan], France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and six Non-Permanent members elected by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms.
• An amendment to the UN Charter in 1965 increased council membership to 15, including the original five permanent members and 10 Non-Permanent members.
• Among the permanent members, the People’s Republic of China replaced the Republic of China in 1971, and the Russian Federation succeeded the Soviet Union in 1991.
• The Non-Permanent members are generally chosen to achieve equitable representation among geographic regions, with five members coming from Africa or Asia, one from eastern Europe, two from Latin America, and two from Western Europe or other areas.
• Five of the 10 nonpermanent members are elected each year by the General Assembly for two-year terms, and five retire each year.
• The presidency is held by each member in rotation for a period of one month.

Additional Information

• The UN Security Council
• Headquarter:- New York
• Founded in:- 1945
• President:-  Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta
• The UN Trusteeship Council
• Headquarter:- New York
• Founded in:- 1945
• President:- Anne Gueguen
• The UN General Assembly
• Headquarter:- New York
• Founded in:- 1945
• President:- Volkan Bozkır
• The UN Human Rights Commission
• Headquarter:- Geneva, Switzerland
• Founded in:- 1946
• CEO:- Nazhat Shameem

The correct answer is Russia.

Key Points

• Winter Olympic Games 2014:
• Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, an athletic festival held in Sochi, Russia, took place from 7 February to 23 February 2014.
• It was officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Sochi 2014, was an international winter multi-sport event.
• The Sochi Games were the 22^nd occurrence of the Olympic Winter Games.
• The Sochi Games marked the first time that the Winter Olympics were held in Russia.
• The country had previously been home to the Olympics when Moscow hosted the 1980 Summer Games.
• Sochi was awash in controversy in the months leading up to the Games, as the choice of a city with a temperate climate as a Winter Games site led to concerns about whether there would be adequate snow cover.
• Moreover, the construction of venues and other buildings ran far behind schedule, and preparations were plagued by allegations of mismanagement and corruption.
• Russia reportedly spent $51 billion on the Games, a total that surpassed any paid by a previous host country.
• Sochi is the largest resort city situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia$.

The correct answer is Corey Anderson.

Key Points

• List of fastest Centuries in One Day International:-

The correct answer is Chennai Super Kings (India).

Key Points

• List of winners of Champions League T-20 tournament:
• 2009 - New South Wales Blues
• 2010 - Chennai Super Kings
• 2011 - Mumbai Indians
• 2012 - Sydney Sixers
• 2013 - Mumbai Indians
• 2014 - Chennai Super Kings

The correct answer is 8^th.

Key Points

• 17^th Asian Games 2014:-
• The 17^th edition of the Asian Games took place in Incheon, South Korea in September and October 2014.
• It was the third time South Korea had staged the Olympic Council of Asia's showpiece event, following in the footsteps of 1986 hosts Seoul and 2002 hosts Busan.
• A total of 9,501 athletes from 45 National Olympic Committees competed in 36 sports.
• Three spotted seal siblings were the official mascots of the Games, known as Barame, Chumuro, and Vichuon, meaning wind, dance, and light. They were chosen as symbols of the future peace between North Korea and South Korea.

The correct answer is Yogeshwar Dutt.

Key Points

• Yogeshwar Dutt won the Gold Medal in the 17^th Asian games Men’s Freestyle 65kg Wrestling.
• Yogeshwar Dutt:
• In the 17^th Asian Games, at Incheon, South Korea, the 31-year-old Yogeshwar Dutt came the first place to win the gold medal in wrestling.
• He defeated Zalimkhan Yusupov of Tajikistan to win the gold.
• He is the first Indian to win gold in wrestling after 28 years.​
• The native of Haryana bettered his own bronze-winning performance in the 2006 edition of the Asian Games.
• He has been awarded the Padma Shri in 2013.
• He had won a bronze medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2012 Olympics and a gold in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The correct answer is India.

Key Points

• India achieved the fifth position in the 20^th Commonwealth Games.
• Commonwealth Games:-
• The Commonwealth of Nations is an association of independent sovereign states, most of which are former colonies of the United Kingdom.
• The British Monarch remains the Head of the Commonwealth. Hence, the Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II is given the title of Head of the Commonwealth.
• This title doesn’t hold any political power over its member countries.
• There are 54 countries in the Commonwealth, Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific.
• Commonwealth countries are diverse - they are amongst the world’s biggest, smallest, richest, and poorest countries.
• 32 of the members are classified as small states.
• Small states are especially vulnerable to things like climate change or developmental challenges.

The correct answer is Li Na.

Key Points

• Li Na won her first Grand Slam Australian Open Tennis Competition, 2014 (Women’s Singles).
• Australian Open Tennis Competition:-
• The Australian Open is a Tennis Tournament held in Melbourne, Australia over the last fortnight of January.
• It is the first of the Four Tennis Grand Slam Events i.e French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Opens.
• It is managed by Tennis Australia earlier known as the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia (LTAA).
• The First Australian Open (Men) was played in 1905 at Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground Melbourne now known as the Albert Reserve Tennis Centre.
• The First Australian Open Women was played in 1922.
• Before 1988 the AO was played on the grass courts but now it is played on hard courts.
• Since 1905, Australian Open has been staged in five Australian and two New Zealand cities namely Melbourne (55 times), Sydney (17 times), Adelaide (14 times), Brisbane (7 times), Perth (3 times), Christchurch (1906) and Hastings (1912).

The correct answer is Afghanistan.

Key Points

• The winner of the SAFF Tournament, 2013 was Afghanistan.
• SAFF Tournament:-
• The South Asian Football Federation Championship or SAFF Championship, popularly known as SAFF Suzuki Cup for sponsorship reasons.
• It is the main international association football tournament of the men's national football teams governed by the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF).
• Previous names have included the South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation Gold Cup in 1993 and the South Asian Gold Cup in 1995.
• Seven teams play against each other in the South Asian Football Federation Tournament.
• After a "hostile takeover" of the Pakistan Football Federation, Pakistan was suspended from any kind of association football and was banned from taking part in the 2021 SAFF Championship.

The correct answer is Arjuna Award.

Key Points

• Arjuna Award is given for excellence in sports.
• Arjuna Award:-
• Arjuna Award is one of the famous sports awards given to individuals for their exemplary performance in various sports.
• The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India extends this award.
• The Arjuna Award is given to promote sports in India by motivating the sportsperson for their fantastic performance.
• The First Arjuna award was given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in 1961.
• The award carries a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh, a bronze statue of Arjuna and a scroll of honour.

Additional Information

• Jamnalal Bajaj Award recognizes and commemorates businessmen and industrialists who uphold the highest ethical practices in business.
• Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony was instituted by the Government of India from 2012 recognizing the contributions made by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore to humanity at large with his works and ideas.
• Moortidevi Award is given every year for excellence in the field of Literature.

The correct answer is Golf.

Key Points

• Prince of Wales Cup is associated with Golf.
• Cups related to other games:-
• Hockey - Murugappa Gold cup, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Gold Cup, Beighton Cup.
• Cricket - C.K. Naidu Trophy, Deodhar Trophy.
• Football - Durand Cup, DCM Trophy.
• Golf - Bombay Gold Cup.

Confusion Points

• The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is an award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL) to the Eastern Conference (formerly the Wales Conference) playoff champions, prior to the final series of games for the Stanley Cup.
• Prince of Wales Cup is associated with Golf.

The correct answer is V.A.Smith.

Key Points

• V.A.Smith was a renowned historian of Ireland.
• The Early History of India and The Oxford History of India are the two comprehensive volumes of Indian history published by him.
• Excavations and their excavators:
• Harappa - Daya Ram Sahni
• Mohenjo-Daro - Rakhal Das Banerjee
• Chanhudaro - NG Mazumdar
• Lothal - SR Rao
• Kalibanga - BB Lal
• Dholavira - JP Joshi
• Surkotada - JP Joshi

The correct answer is Sarnath.

Key Points

• Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath.
• Gautam Buddha:
• After 49 consecutive days of meditation, Gautama attained Bodhi (enlightenment) under a pipal tree at Bodhgaya a village in Bihar.
• Buddha gave his first sermon in the village of Sarnath, near the city of Benares in UP.
• This event is known as Dharma-Chakra-Pravartana (turning of the wheel of law).
• He died at the age of 80 in 483 BCE at a place called Kushinagara a town in UP.
• The event is known as Mahaparinirvan.

The correct answer is Samudragupta.

Key Points

• Samudragupta is called ‘the Napoleon of Ancient India’.
• Samudragupta:
• Samudragupta was the son of Chandragupta-I and Kumaradevi.
• He ascended the throne in 335 AD.
• Before his death, probably 4 or 5 years back, Chandragupta-I had publicly announced that Samudragupta would be his heir apparent and thus abdicated the throne in his favor.
• This was justified by the killer instincts of Samudragupta who displayed a greater degree of skill in the arts of both peace and war.
• But this nomination was perhaps not liked by many and coins of an obscure prince Kacha say that there was some trouble over the succession.
• Samudragupta was the greatest ruler of the Gupta Dynasty and ruled till around 380 AD.
• The western scholars equate him with Napoleon and call him Indian Napoleon due to the extensive military conquests.

The correct answer is Hiuen-Tsang.

Key Points

• Hiuen-Tsang visited India during Harshavardhana’s rules.
• Hiuen-Tsang:
• Huen Tsang or Xuanzang was a Chinese Buddhist Traveler who belongs to the early Tang period of China.
• He was born in the Henan province.
• He was basically interested in improving the incomplete & misinterpreted information provided by the earlier Chinese monks, particularly Fa-Hien.
• The title of his work is “Journey to the West”(Si-Yu-Ki).
• Huen-Tsang followed the Central Asian Route and visited from Kashmir in North to Saurashtra and Vallabhi in the west, Kamarupa in East, and Malakotta in South.
• He stayed in various monasteries and came in touch with the scholars of that time.
• His association with Harshavardhana and Bhaskarvarmana of Kamarupa adds special value to his work.

The correct answer is Mosque.

Key Points

• Dhai Din Ka Zhonpda:-
• Adhai Din ka Jhonpra is a mosque that is said to be built within two and a half days by the order of Mohammad Ghori.
• The sultan ordered the mosque to be built within 60 hours and the workers worked day and night but were only able to construct a screen wall so that the sultan could offer his prayers.
• After defeating Prithvi Raj Chauhan III, once Mohammad Ghori was passing by Ajmer and saw many temples so he ordered his slave named Qutbuddin Aibak to construct a mosque so that he can offer prayers.
• The sultan also ordered that the mosque has to be built within two and a half days.

The correct answer is Turkish.

Key Points

• Tuzuk-i-Baburi is the autobiography of Babur, the founder of the Mughal empire in India.
• Babur wrote it in the Turkish language.
• On the instruction of Akbar, Tuzuk-i-Baburi was translated into Persian named, ‘Baburnamah’ in 1589 by one of his nobles, Mirza Abdur-Rahim.
• The Tuzuk-i-Baburi is a faithful description of the world the author had lived in, and of the people, he had come into contact with.

The correct answer is Hakim Khan.

Key Points

• Hakim Khan was the commander of Rana Pratap’s army in the Battle of Haldighati.
• Battle of Haldighati**:**
• The Battle of Haldighati was a battle fought on 18 June 1576 between the armies of the Rana of Mewar, Maharana Pratap, and the Mughal emperor Akbar’s forces, led by Man Singh I of Amber.
• Although the battle ended in defeat for the forces of Mewar, Maharana Pratap escaped continuing his valiant resistance against the Mughal Empire.
• Maharana Pratap was in the thick of the fighting at the Mewari center slaying many of his foes.
• Although both Rajput and Mughal chroniclers allude to a duel by him and Man Singh, modern historians point out that Maharana Pratap fought against Madho Singh instead in a duel.

The correct answer is Raigarh.

Key Points

• Raigarh was the capital of Shivaji.
• Shivaji:
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, great Maratha ruler was born on 19 February 1630 at Shivneri Fort in Pune District in the present-day state of Maharashtra.
• Shivaji was given excellent training in military warfare and administration.
• He was married for the first time in 1640 to Saibai.
• Shivaji displayed his military zeal for the first time in 1645 when as a teenager.
• He successfully got control of the Torna Fort which was under Bijapur.
• He also acquired the Kondana Fort.
• Both these forts were under Adil Shah of Bijapur.
• Shah then got Shahaji imprisoned in a bid to contain Shivaji.
• Some accounts say that Shivaji surrendered these forts to get his father released.
• Shahaji died in 1664-65 in an accident.
• After this, Shivaji resumed his raids and extended his territories.

The correct answer is AD 1773.

Key Points

• Regulating Act 1773:
• The regulating Act of 1773 was passed by the British Parliament to control the territories of the East India Company majorly in Bengal.
• This act was passed due to the misgovernment by the British East India government that introduced a situation of bankruptcy and the government had to interfere with the affairs of the Company.
• This act permitted the company to retain its territorial possessions in India but sought to regulate the activities and functioning of the company.
• It did not take over power completely, hence called ‘regulating’.
• The act provided for the appointment of a Governor-General along with four Councillors in the Presidency of Fort William (Calcutta), jointly called the Governor-General in Council.
• As per this, Warren Hastings was appointed as the Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William.
• A Supreme Court was established at Fort William, Calcutta. Sir Elijah Impey was the first Chief Justice.

The correct answer is Canning.

Key Points

• Lord Canning:
• Charles John Canning, 1^st Earl Canning, was an English statesman who was the Governor-General of India.
• Canning later became the first Viceroy of India when power was transferred from the East India Company to the British Crown following the end of the revolt of 1857.
• He entered Parliament in 1836, siding with the Conservatives faction in the House of the Commons.
• In 1837 he entered the House of Lords.
• He held many administrative posts such as Under-Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs, and First Commissioner of Woods and Forests.
• Lord Canning served as the Postmaster-General in July 1855.

The correct answer is Chauri-Chaura.

Key Points

• Mahatma Gandhi had called Non-Cooperation Movement his ‘Himalayan Blunder' after the incident of Chauri Chaura.
• Chauri-Chaura:
• Chauri Chaura is a town in the Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh.
• On 4^th February 1922, this town witnessed a violent incident. A large crowd of peasants set on fire a police station that killed 22 policemen.
• Due to this incident, Mahatma Gandhi called off the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22).
• It involved the use of swadeshi and boycott of foreign goods, especially machine-made cloth, and legal, educational, and administrative institutions, "refusing to assist a ruler who misrules".

Additional Information

• Events and their respective years:-
• ​Chauri-Chaura -  4^th February, 1922.
• Kheda Satyagraha - 11^th March 1918.
• Nagpur Satyagraha - 1923.
• Rajkot Satyagraha - 7^th March 1939.

The correct answer is Swadeshi Movement.

Key Points

• Swadeshi Movement started after the partition of Bengal.
• Swadeshi Movement:
• The Swadeshi movement was one of the most successful movements of the Pre-Gandhian era.
• The movement finds itself in the backdrop of the mendicant policies of the early nationalist leaders who resisted the Un-British-like rule in India but believed in the English monarchy.
• The major cause of the Swadeshi movement can be attributed to the partition of Bengal in 1905 which was seen by the Indian nationalist as a divisionary tactic of Britishers to weaken the Bengali (Bhadralok) intelligentsia class which was seen as a cradle of Indian resistance.

Additional Information

• Events and their occurrence years:
• Civil Disobedience Movement - March 12, 1930.
• Swadeshi Movement - 1905.
• Quit India Movement - August 1942.
• Non-Cooperation Movement - 1 August 1920.

The correct answer is Sarojini Naidu.

Key Points

• Sarojini Naidu:
• Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman president of the Indian National Congress Organization.
• In 1925, she was appointed the President of the Indian National Congress.
• Sarojini Naidu was the first woman governor of Independent India.
• Sarojini Naidu was born on 13 February 1879 in Hyderabad to Bengali parents.
• Her father administered the Nizam College in Hyderabad while her mother was a prolific writer.
• She was the eldest of eight siblings.
• Sarojini Naidu graduated from the University of Madras and the Nizam Charitable Trust founded by Mahbub Ali Khan gave her a chance to study at Girton College at Cambridge.
• Sarojini married Pradipati Govindarajulu Naidu after completing her education.
• The couple would have five children, one of them, Paidipati Padmaja would join the independence struggle and become a part of the Quit India Movement.

Additional Information

• Annie Besant:
• First female President of Indian National Congress: 1847-1933 (Calcutta, 1917)
• She joined the Theosophical Society in May 1889 and became Mme Blavatsky's devoted pupil and helper.

The correct answer is Stuttgart.

Key Points

• Madam Cama hoisted the first tricolor flag in 1907 at Stuttgart.
• Madam Cama:
• Bhikaiji Rustom Cama was a prominent figure in the Indian Independence Struggle.
• She is famous for hosting the precursor to the Indian National Flag on foreign soil.
• For this act, she came to be known as the ‘Mother of the Indian Revolution.
• During her visit to London, Bhikaiji Cama came into contact with Shyamji Krishna Varma, an Indian nationalist known for the speeches he gave in Hyde Park.
• She met Dadabhai Naoroji, the president of the British committee of the Indian National Congress (founded on December 28, 1885).

The correct answer is Kumargupta.

Key Points

• Kumargupta founded Nalanda University in the 5^th century A.D.
• He was also called Shakraditya.
• Nalanda University:
• Constructed during the rule of Kumargupta of the Gupta dynasty.
• Mahayana monks Asnaga and Vasubandhu said to have found Nalanda in 400-500AD.
• Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang came during Harsha’s reign, gave a detailed account of Nalanda University.
• Nalanda was a huge monastic-educational establishment.
• Primary teaching focus: Mahayana Buddhism, yet included other ‘secular’ subjects as well- Like, Grammar, logic, epistemology, and sciences.

Additional Information

• Dharmapala revived Nalanda University.
• He founded Vikarmshila University.
• He was a great patron of Buddhism.
• He founded the Vikaramasila monastery in Bhagalpur district in Bihar, and a monastery at Odantapuri in Bihar.

The correct answer is Champaran.

Key Points

• Champaran Satyagraha:
• The first Satyagraha movement inspired by Mahatma Gandhi occurred in the Champaran district of Bihar in the year 1917.
• The Champaran Satyagraha was the first to be started, but the word Satyagraha was used for the first time in Anti Rowlatt Act agitation.
• Champaran, a district in the state of Bihar where tens of thousands of landless serfs, indentured laborers, and poor farmers were forced to grow indigo and other cash crops instead of the food crops which were necessary for their survival.
• These goods were bought from the farmers at a very low price.
• Suppressed by the brutal militias of the landlords, they were given negligible compensation, leaving them in extreme poverty.
• Even in the throes of a devastating famine, the British government levied a heavy tax on them and insisted on increasing the rate.

The correct answer is Megasthenes.

Key Points

• Megasthenes:
• Megasthenes was the Greek ambassador of Seleucus Nicator who spent time in the court of Chandragupta Maurya.
• His account was mentioned in his book Indica which was survived only in fragments.
• Indica gives details about the Mauryan administration.
• The capital city of Pataliputra and its administration and military organization was particularly mentioned.
• He has given a notable picture of contemporary social life.

The correct answer is Gobind Singh.

Key Points

• Guru Gobind Singh:
• The last of the ten Sikh Gurus, Guru Gobind Singh was born on 22^nd December 1666 in Patna, Bihar.
• His birth anniversary is based on the Nanakshahi calendar according to which it will fall on January 20 in 2021 while for the last year it was celebrated on January 2.
• He became the Sikh guru at the age of nine, following the demise of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru.
• He was assassinated in 1708 by Jamshed Khan and Wasil Beg.

The correct answer is Chittaranjan Das.

Key Points

• Chittaranjan Das was the President of the Gaya Session of the Indian National Congress held in 1922.
• List of Presidents in their respective Sessions and years:
• Chittaranjan Das - Gaya Session, 1922.
• S.N.Banerjee - Pune Session, 1895 and Ahmedabad Session, 1902.
• Dr. Rajendra Prasad - Bombay Session, 1934.
• Hakim Ajmal Khan -  Ahmedabad Session, 1921.

The correct answer is Loknayak.

Key Points

• Jay Prakash Narayan:
• Lok Nayak Jay Prakash Narayan’s birthday i.e. 11 October is celebrated as Save Democracy Day for his invaluable contribution to anti-emergency agitation during 1975-76.
• His entire life is one of supreme sacrifice and commitment to the nation.
• In 1921 he joined the Non-cooperation movement and was influenced by Gandhian Ideology.
• Later he went to the US, where he was deeply influenced by Marxist ideology.
• In 1929 he joined the INC at the invitation of Jawahar Lal Nehru.

Additional Information

• Titles to the eminent personalities:-
• Lokmanya - Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
• Loknayak - Jai Prakash Narayan.
• Lokhitwadi - Gopal Hari Deshmukh.
• Lokneta - Gopinath Munde.

The correct answer is Canada.

Key Points

• Canada is the second-largest country in the world in the area after Russia.
• Canada has the largest coastline.
• Canada:
• Prime Minister: Justin Trudeau
• Total Area of Canada: 9,984,670 km²
• List of countries with the largest coastline:
• Canada - 356,000 km
• Norway - 202,080 km
• Indonesia - 83,281 km
• Greenland - 54,716 km
• Russia - 44,087 km
• Philippines - 37,653 km

The correct answer is China.

Key Points

• China is the largest producer of aluminium in the world.
• China:
• It is located in East Asia with a population of around 1.4 Billion.
• China is divided into 23 Provinces.
• Capital: Beijing
• Largest City: Shanghai
• Area: 9596961 km²
• Currency: Renminbi
• President: Xi Jinping

The correct answer is Old Mountains.

Key Points

• The Pennines (Europe), the Appalachians (America), and the Aravallis (India) are examples of Old Mountains.
• Old Mountains:
• Old Mountains are such mountains that rise prominently above its surroundings, generally exhibiting steep slopes, a relatively confined summit area, and considerable local relief.
• Old Mountains generally are understood to be larger than hills, but the term has no standardized geological meaning.
• Very rarely do old mountains occur individually.
• In most cases, they are found in elongated ranges or chains.
• When an array of such ranges is linked together, it constitutes a mountain belt.

Additional Information

• The Pennines are a mountain range said to as the backbone of England.
• Pennines hills is a range of hills and mountains separating North West England from Yorkshire and North East England.
• The Appalachians are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America.
• The Aravalli Range is a mountain range in Northwestern India.
• It is approximately 670 km in a southwest direction, starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana, Rajasthan, and ends in Gujarat.
• The highest peak is Guru Shikhar at 1722 metres.

The correct answer is a-3, b-1, c-4, d-2.

Key Points

Additional Information

• Seine:-
• Seine River, a river of France, after the Loire its longest.
• It rises 18 miles (30 kilometers) northwest of Dijon and flows in a northwesterly direction through Paris before emptying into the English Channel at Le Havre.
• Rhine:-
• Rhine River, German Rhein, French Rhin, Dutch Rijn, Celtic Renos, Latin Rhenus, river and waterway of western Europe.
• It is culturally and historically one of the great rivers of the continent and among the most important arteries of industrial transport in the world.
• It flows from two small headways in the Alps of east-central Switzerland north and west to the North Sea, into which it drains through the Netherlands.
• Danube:
• Danube River is the second-longest river in Europe after the Volga.
• It rises in the Black Forest mountains of western Germany and flows for some 1,770 miles (2,850 km) to its mouth on the Black Sea.
• Along its course, it passes through 10 countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine.
• Potomac:-
• Potomac River is found within the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands into the Chesapeake Bay.
• The rive is approximately 405 miles (652 km) long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles.

The correct answer is London.

Key Points

• The largest metal trading centre is in London.
• London:
• London, city, capital of the United Kingdom.
• It is among the oldest of the world’s great cities—its history spanning nearly two millennia.
• By far Britain’s largest metropolis, it is also the country’s economic, transportation, and cultural centre.
• London is situated in southeastern England, lying astride the River Thames some 50 miles (80 km) upstream from its estuary on the North Sea.
• In satellite photographs, the metropolis can be seen to sit compactly in a Green Belt of open land, with its principal ring highway (the M25 motorway) threaded around it at a radius of about 20 miles (30 km) from the city centre.

The correct answer is Both A and B.

Key Points

• Bay of Bengal:-
• Bay of Bengal, large but relatively shallow embayment of the northeastern Indian Ocean.
• It occupies an area of about 839,000 square miles (2,173,000 square km).
• It lies roughly between latitudes 5° and 22° N and longitudes 80° and 90° E.
• It is bordered by Sri Lanka and India to the west, Bangladesh to the north, and Myanmar (Burma), and the northern part of the Malay Peninsula to the east.

Additional Information

• The bay is about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) wide, with an average depth of more than 8,500 feet (2,600 meters).
• The maximum depth is 15,400 feet (4,694 meters).
• A number of large rivers—the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri (Cauvery) on the west and the Ganges (Ganga) and the Brahmaputra on the north—flow into the Bay of Bengal.
• The Andaman and Nicobar groups, which are the only islands, separate the bay from the Andaman Sea.

The correct answer is Digboi, Assam.

Key Points

• The oldest oil field in India is Digboi, Assam.
• Digboi, Assam:-
• It is India's oldest operating refinery and one of the oldest operating refineries in the world.
• It is situated in the Tinsukia district of Assam.
• The historic Digboi Refinery has been termed as the "Gangotri of the Indian Hydrocarbon sector".
• A stretch of Dihing or Burhi Dihing in Eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh district witnessed fire following the spillage of crude oil which was being transported to Digboi refinery.
• Assam is an ecologically sensitive state, spillage of crude or processed oil in river bodies threatens aquatic life.

Additional Information

• India's important oil fields are:
• Bombay High Oil Field:-
• Bombay High (now Mumbai High) field is an offshore oilfield located in the Arabian Sea, approximately 160km west of the Mumbai coast, India.
• Discovered in 1974, the field commenced production in 1976 and is operated by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
• The oil field consists of two blocks named Mumbai High North (MHN) and Mumbai High South (MHS).
• The blocks were divided based on shale barriers, assisting in the independent exploitation of reserves at both sites.
• Ankleshwar Oil Field:-
• Ankleshwar oil field is one of the main onshore Cenozoic hydrocarbons bearing anticline of deltaic origin known in the Cambay Basin.
• It runs into the Gulf of Cambay in approximately ENE-WSW direction.

The correct answer is Brahmaputra.

Key Points

• In India, the ‘Yarlung Zangbo River’ is known as the Brahmaputra.
• Brahmaputra:
• Majuli Island, the world's largest riverine island is on the Brahmaputra river in the state of Assam.
• Important cities along the Brahmaputra river are Dibrugarh, Pasighat, Neamati, Tezpur, and Guwahati.
• Source of origin:
• The Brahmaputra river rises from the Chemayundung glacier of the Kailash range near the Mansarovar Lake to the north of the Himalayas in the southwest Tibet region.
• Confluence of Mouth:
• ​The Brahmaputra drains into the Bay of Bengal before forming a huge delta along with the Ganga.

Additional Information

• Important cities on the bank following rivers:
• Ganga - Patna, Varanasi, Kanpur, Haridwar
• Indus - Gilgit, Karachi, Rawalpindi
• Brahmaputra - Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Tezpur, Jorhat
• Mahanadi - Sambalpur, Cuttak, Sonepur, Subalaya.

The correct answer is Leh.

Key Points

• Leh is the driest region among the following.
• The reason behind this is because Leh has a cold desert climate with long, cold winters from late November to early March, with minimum temperatures well below freezing for most of the winter.
• The city gets occasional snowfall during winter.
• The weather in the remaining months is generally fine and warm during the day.
• The average annual rainfall is only 102 mm (4.02 inches).
• In 2010 the city experienced flash floods that killed more than 100 people.

Additional Information

• Chief Minister of Maharashtra - Eknath Shinde
• Governor of Maharashtra - Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• National Parks in Maharashtra - Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Tadoba-Andhari National Park, Chandoli National Park, etc.
• Literacy rate of Maharashtra - 82.34%
• Total districts in Maharashtra - 36.
• Sex Ratio of Maharashtra - 902.

The correct answer is Haryana.

Key Points

• Haryana has not identified any tribal community.
• Haryana:
• Haryana was carved out of Punjab on 1^st November 1966, as the 17^th Indian state.
• There are diverse interpretations about the origin of the name of Haryana.
• In ancient times, this region was known as Brahmavarta, Aryavarta, and Brahomoupdesa.
• These names are based on the emergence of Brahma-Lord on the land of Haryana.
• The abode of Aryas and home of the preachings of Vedic cultures and other rites.
• Its other names Bahudhanyaka and Bahudhana suggest Haryana as the land of plentiful grains and immense riches.
• The capital of Haryana, Chandigarh, is shared by its neighbouring state of Punjab, designed by Swiss-born French architect, Le Corbusier.
• At 44,212 sq km, Haryana covers 1.34% of India's geographical area.

Additional Information

• Maharashtra:
• Bhania, Andh, Bhil, Binjhwar, Dhanka, Tadvi, Tetaria, Valvi, Gamit, Gamta, Gavit, Mavchi, Padvi, etc. are some of the listed tribes of Maharashtra.
• Chhattisgarh:
• Halbas, Batras, and Gonds. are some of the listed tribes of Chhattisgarh.
• Karnataka:
• Bedar, Toda, Hakkipikki, Jenu Kuruba, Kadu Kuruba, Kattunayakan, Konda Kapus, Sholaga, etc. are some of the listed tribes of Karnataka.

The correct answer is Gurgaon.

Key Points

• Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is a very popular national park located at Gurgaon.
• Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary:
• Sultanpur National Park & Bird Sanctuary is located in the Gurgaon district of Haryana, 46 km. from Delhi and 15 km. from Gurgaon on the Gurgaon - Farukh Nagar Road.
• The Sultanpur National Park is lush with trees, shrubs and clusters of bougainvillea.
• A good pair of binoculars is a must to clearly see the wildlife from a safe distance, without disturbing them.
• To facilitate bird watching, there are four watch towers (machans) located at different points.
• In addition, there is adequate parking and facilities like toilets and drinking water.
• The Educational Interpretation Center has been established here to offer proper guidance to the tourist visiting the place.
• The Tourist Complex built in the Park has elegant rooms equipped with all modern amenities, a restaurant and a bar.
• Sultanpur National Park is essentially a bird watcher's paradise with few trees obscuring the visitor's view of the lake.
• The birds here can be easily spotted wading, swimming or flying.

Additional Information

• Bird Sanctuaries present at different places:
• Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary - Rajasthan
• Chilika Lake Bird Sanctuary - Orissa
• Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary - Gujrat
• Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary - Tamil Nadu
• Velavadar National Park - Gandhinagar
• Keoladeo Ghana National Park - Bharatpur

The correct answer is 0.29.

Key Points

• The forest area in India per person (in average hectare) is 0.29.
• Forest Report 2019:-
• The total forest and tree cover is 24.56% of the geographical area of the country.
• The total forest cover is 7,12,249 sq km which is 21.67% of the geographical area of the country.
• The tree cover is 2.89% of the geographical area of the country.

Additional Information

• Key findings of ISFR 2021:
• According to the report, India's total forest and tree cover is now spread across 80.9 million hectares, which is 24.62% of the geographical area of the country.
• The total tree-and-forest cover in the country includes an increase of 1,540 square kilometres of forest cover and 721 sq km of tree cover compared to the 2019 report.
• The top five states in terms of increase in forest cover are Andhra Pradesh (647 sq km), Telangana (632 sq km), Odisha (537 sq km), Karnataka (155 sq km), and Jharkhand (110 sq km). Hence option B is the correct answer.
• The gain in forest cover or improvement in forest canopy density may be attributed to better conservation measures, protection, afforestation activities, tree plantation drives, and agroforestry
• Area-wise, Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Maharashtra.
• The report also added that the northeast did not show positive results as the current assessment showed a decrease of forest cover to the extent of 1,020 sq km in the region.
• Arunachal Pradesh lost the maximum forest cover of 257 sq km, followed by Manipur which lost 249 sq km, Nagaland 235 sq km, Mizoram 186 sq km, and Meghalaya 73 sq km.
• The Kanha to Navegaon-Nagzira-Tadoba-Indravati corridor has the highest area under ‘Very Dense Forest’ comprising 857.65 sq km.

The correct answer is West Bengal.

Key Points

• West Bengal has an agricultural area of less than 60 per cent.
• West Bengal:
• West Bengal is situated in eastern India and shares its borders with Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Sikkim, and Assam.
• The state also shares international borders with Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.
• The Bay of Bengal is in the south of West Bengal.
• At current prices, the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of West Bengal is estimated at Rs 14.44 trillion (US$ 206.64 billion) in 2020-21.
• The average annual GSDP growth rate from 2015-16 to 2020-21 is about 12.62%.
• West Bengal is the largest producer of rice in India.
• Rice production for the state totalled 14.99 million tonnes in 2017-18.
• West Bengal is also a major producer of fish.
• During 2018-19, the state produced a total of 1.85 million tonnes of fish.
• West Bengal is the second largest tea-producing state in India and is home to the globally acclaimed Darjeeling tea variety.

Additional Information

• India's largest agricultural producing states:
• West Bengal - Rice, Jute, Sesamum, Tobacco
• Uttar Pradesh - Rice, Bajra, food grains
• Punjab - Wheat, Sugarcane, Cotton
• Haryana - Paddy, Sunflower
• Madhya Pradesh - Pulses, Soyabean$

The correct answer is Krishna.

Key Points

• Nagarjuna Sagar Multipurpose Project is on the river Krishna.
• Multipurpose Projects on the following rivers:
• Tapti - Vallabh Sagar Sarovar
• Kosi - Sapta Kosi High Dam Multipurpose Project
• Godawari - Sriram Sagar Project
• Krishna - Nagarjuna Sagar Project

Additional Information

• Various Multipurpose Projects in India along with River names:
• Almatti Dam - Krishna
• Baspa Hydro Electric Project - Baspa
• Bhakra Nangal - Sutlej
• Chukha Project - Wang Chu
• Farakka Barrage - Hooghly

The correct answer is Cement.

Key Points

• Dalmianagar of Bihar is famous for Cement.
• The economy of Bihar:
• Agriculture engages nearly three-fourths of Bihar’s population, and Bihar is one of India’s top producers of vegetables and fruits.
• Despite significant gains in mining and manufacturing in the late 20^th century, the state has continued to lag behind other Indian states in per capita income.
• By government standards, a large segment of the population remains below the poverty level.
• At the turn of the 21^st century, the creation of the state of Jharkhand from Bihar’s southern region further strained Bihar’s struggling economy.

The correct answer is 2612 Square meters.

Key Points

• Forest Report of Bihar:
• In undivided Bihar, about 17% of the total geographical area was forest amounting to 29.48 lakh hectare.
• After its division in 2000,  the forest cover in Bihar remained only 6.87% amounting to 6.16 lakh hectare of its total geographical area.
• By this division, 79% of the total forest went to Jharkhand and only 21% remained in Bihar.
• According to the ISFR Reports, 2017 and 2019 total forest cover in Bihar is increased from 7299 Sq. Km to 7306 Sq. Km between 2017 and 2019.

Additional Information

• The Total Forest and Tree cover is 24.56% of the geographical area of the country.

• The Total Forest cover is 7,12,249 sq km which is 21.67% of the geographical area of the country.

• The Tree cover is 2.89% of the geographical area of the country.

• Forest cover in the hill districts is 40.30% of the total geographical area of these districts.

• An increase of 544 sq km (0.19%) in 140 hill districts of the country.

• The total forest cover in the tribal districts is 37.54% of the geographical area of these districts.

• Total forest cover in the North-Eastern region is 65.05% of its geographical area.

• The current assessment shows a decrease of forest cover to the extent of 765 sq km (0.45%) in the region.

• Except for Assam and Tripura, all the States in the region show a decrease in forest cover.

• Though the question was asked in 56^th to 59^th BPSC (Pre) Question Paper- 2015, but the data in the options are wrong and the answer here is according to the official answer key.

• In the later stage, the question was abandoned by the Commission.

• The solution provided here is in accordance with the recent data and reports of the Government. Hence go through the solution for the understanding and knowledge of the topic.

• Source:- https://fsi.nic.in/isfr-2015/isfr-2015-forest-cover.pdf

The correct answer is Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.

Key Points

• The two states of India, most richly endowed with iron ore, are Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
• Orissa:-
• More than 26% of iron-ore reserves are located within Orissa, contributing nearly 18% of annual Indian iron-ore production.
• Major mines are located within three districts of Keonjhar, Sundargarh, and Mayurbhanj.
• Major mines of Keonjhar districts are Kurband, Thakurani, Kodekola, Philora, and Toda.
• The combined output of the Keonjhar district is remarkable.
• Madhya Pradesh:-
• ​Nearly 26% of India’s proven iron- ore reserve and 19% of the total production are from Madhya Pradesh.
• 75% of Madhya Pradesh’s iron-ore production comes from Jabalpur(mainly), Bijori, Kanwara, Sumra, Dharampur,

Gwalior, Sagar,Tikamgarh, Dewas, Betul.

Additional Information

• Major mines in Bastar district are Raoghat, Aridongri, and the famous Bailadila hilly range.
• Dhanjadongri and Kondpal mines are other minor deposits of the district.
• Bihar:
• Once Bihar was known as the iron-ore capital of India.
• Though presently it has lost its pre-eminence due to the emergence of other states as an iron-ore producer but considering total reserve, quality, and strategic location.
• Bihar still holds key to India’s iron-ore production.
• In the last couple of decades, Bihar supplied on an average 15% of Indian iron-ore demand.
• West Bengal:
• Durgapur Steel Plant
• It was set up in the Burdwan district with the help of the U.K.
• Influenced by the availability or ready market and proximity to Hooghly engineering works.

The correct answer is Coal.

Key Points

• Jharia Coal Mines:
• Jharia is estimated to have nearly 80 underground fires in the years since 1916.
• The Government has decided to shift all major public utility assets from areas around the coalfield.
• Jharia coalfields are in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district and span over 160 square kilometers.
• Unsafe and illegal mining has led to fires in coal deposits under the surface of these coalfields.
• They now pose a risk to the population living on the surface like cave-ins and gas spills and are a threat to rail transport.
• Most of the affected mines date back before Independence and nationalization.

The correct answer is Kishanganj.

Key Points

• Among the following districts, Kishanganj is the easternmost district.
• Bihar:
• Bihar, state of eastern India.
• It is bounded by Nepal to the north and by the Indian states of West Bengal to the northeast and Uttar Pradesh to the west.
• In November 2000 the new state of Jharkhand was created from Bihar’s southern provinces and now forms the state’s southern and southeastern borders.
• The capital of Bihar is Patna.
• Bihar occupied an important position in the early history of India.
• For centuries it was the principal seat of imperial powers and the main focus of Indian culture and civilization.
• The derivation of the name Bihar from the Sanskrit vihara (Buddhist monastery) reflects the prominence of such communities in the region in ancient times.

Additional Information

• Outermost region-wise districts of Bihar:
• Westernmost District - Kaimur
• Northernmost District - West Champaran
• Southernmost District - Gaya
• Easternmost District - Kishanganj

The correct answer is Anupam Lake.

Key Points

• Anupam Lake:
• It is situated in the Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Kaimur district of Bihar, near the town of Bhabhua.
• It is the largest sanctuary in the state and covers an area of about 1,342 km2 (518 sq mi).
• The government of Bihar has planned to construct it into Tiger Reserve.
• There are three well-defined seasons: the hot-weather season, lasting from March to mid-June; the season of southwest monsoon rains, from mid-June to October; and the cold-weather season, from November to February.

Additional Information

• Other Lakes and their locations:
• Sambhar Lake - Jaipur, Rajasthan
• Sukhna Lake - Chandigarh
• Kama Lake - Russia

The correct answer is Balwant Rai Mehta.

Key Points

• The Decentralization System was recommended by Balwant Rai Mehta Committee.
• Recommendations by the Committee:
• Three-tier Panchayati Raj system: Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, and Zila Parishad.
• Directly elected representatives to constitute the gram panchayat and indirectly elected representatives to constitute the Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad.
• Planning and development are the primary objectives of the Panchayati Raj system.
• Panchayat Samiti should be the executive body and Zila Parishad will act as the advisory and supervisory body.
• District Collector to be made the chairman of the Zila Parishad.

Additional Information

• Ashok Mehta Committee:
• The key recommendations are:
• The three-tier system should be replaced with a two-tier system: Zila Parishad (district level) and the Mandal Panchayat (a group of villages).
• District level as the first level of supervision after the state level.
• Zila Parishad should be the executive body and responsible for planning at the district level.
• The institutions (Zila Parishad and the Mandal Panchayat) have compulsory taxation powers to mobilize their own financial resources.

The correct answer is Setting up heavy industries which were capital intensive.

Key Points

• Mahalanobis Plan Model adopted in India in the Mid-fifties aimed at Setting up heavy industries which were capital intensive.
• Mahalanobis Plan Model:-
• In the 1950s, an Old Russian Model was Indianized by P.C. Mahalanobis.
• This model is known to have set the statistical foundations for state-directed investments and created the intellectual underpinnings of the license-raj through an elaborate input-output model.
• This Model suggested that there should be an emphasis on the heavy industries, which can lead the Indian Economy to a long-term higher growth path.
• India’s second five-year plan and Industrial policy Resolution 1956, which paved the way for the development of the Public Sector and license raj.
• He was the founder of the Indian Statistical Institute and a close aide of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru.

The correct answer is a-3, b-2, c-1, d-4.

Key Points

Additional Information

• Export-Import Bank of India:
• Export-Import Bank of India is a wholly-owned Govt. of India entity established in 1982.
• Its main aim is financing, facilitating and promoting foreign trade in India.
• The EXIM Bank extends Line of Credit (LoC) to overseas financial institutions, regional development banks, sovereign governments and other entities abroad.
• It is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India.
• Industrial Development Bank:
• In 1964, Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) was set up as an apex body of all development finance institutions.
• According to an UNCTAD study (December 2016), development banks loans which formed 2.2% of the gross capital formation in the early 1970s reached 15.5% by the early 1990s.
• Industrial Credit and Investment:
• It played a facilitating role in consolidation in various sectors of the Indian industry, by funding mergers and acquisitions.
• The ICICI group’s financing and banking operations, both wholesale and retail have been integrated into a single company effective from May 2002.
• Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction:
• The BIFR consists of a chairperson, as well as two to fourteen other representatives.
• The prerequisite for all members to be elected as judges of the High Court because otherwise, they should have essential professional experience of at least 15 years.
• The Board organises and oversees only large or medium-sized sick industrial enterprises where vast amounts have been destroyed.

The correct answer is a-2, b-1, c-4, d-3.

Key Points

Additional Information

• Open general license:
• The OGEL is a one-time export license to be granted to a company for a specific period which is two years initially.
• The application for the grant of OGEL will be considered by the Department of Defence Production (DPP) on a case-to-case basis.
• For acquiring the licenses, the applicant is mandatory to have an Import-Export certificate.
• ​**TRYSEM:**​
• Training of Rural Youth for Self-Employment (TRYSEM), scheme was started in 1979 with the objective to help unemployed rural youth between the age of 18 and 35 years to acquire skills for self-employment.
• Priority was given to SC/ST Youth and Women.
• ​Wholesale price index:
• The Wholesale Price Index represents the price of a basket of wholesale goods.
• WPI focuses on the price of goods that are traded between corporations.
• It does not concentrate on goods purchased by the consumers.
• The main objective of WPI is monitoring price drifts that reflect demand and supply in manufacturing, construction and industry.
• WPI helps in assessing the macroeconomic as well as microeconomic conditions of an economy.
• Cash-reserve ratio:
• CRR is an important tool of the Monetary Policy.
• Monetary Policy is the process of regulating the supply of money in an economy by the monetary authority of the country.
• A specific CRR is provided to each commercial bank in India by the RBI.
• The Reserve Bank of India is authorized to make monetary policy under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, and can set the cash reserve ratio between 3% and 15%.

The correct answer is The Finance Ministry.

Key Points

• The controlling authority of government expenditure is the Finance Ministry.
• The Ministry comprises of the five Departments namely:
• Department of Economic Affairs
• Department of Expenditure
• Department of Revenue
• Department of Investment and Public Asset Management
• Department of Financial Services

Additional Information

• The Reserve Bank of India:
• The Reserve Bank's affairs are governed by a central board of directors.
• The board is appointed by the Government of India in keeping with the Reserve Bank of India Act.
• The directors are appointed/nominated for a period of four years.
• It implements and monitors the monetary policy and ensures price stability while keeping in mind the objective of growth.
• The Planning Commission:
• Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) defines economic planning as the utilisation of a country’s resources for developmental activities in accordance with national priorities.
• It is a consciously and judiciously carried out process for optimum utilisation of existing resources in order to fulfil some well-defined objectives.
• After independence in 1950, the Planning Commission was set up under the chairmanship of Pt Jawaharlal Nehru.
• It was to formulate plans for the economic development of the country on the basis of the available physical, capital and human resources.
• The Planning Commission is essentially a non-political and non-constitutional advisory body, which makes recommendations to the government.
• It was set up through an executive order of the Union Government on 15^th March 1950.
• The Finance Commission:
• The Finance Commission (FC) is a constitutional body, that determines the method and formula for distributing the tax proceeds between the Centre and states, and among the states as per the constitutional arrangement and present requirements.
• Under Article 280 of the Constitution, the President of India is required to constitute a Finance Commission at an interval of five years or earlier.
• The 15^th Finance Commission was constituted by the President of India in November 2017, under the chairmanship of NK Singh.
• Its recommendations will cover a period of five years from the year 2021-22 to 2025-26.

The correct answer is 2011-12.

Key Points

• Effective Revenue Deficit was introduced in the Union Budget of 2011-12*.*
• Effective Revenue Deficit:-
• Effective Revenue Deficit is the difference between revenue deficit and grants for the creation of capital assets.
• The concept of effective revenue deficit has been suggested by the Rengarajan Committee on Public Expenditure.
• It is aimed to deduct the money used out of borrowing to finance capital expenditure.
• The concept has been introduced to ascertain the actual deficit in the revenue account after adjusting for the expenditure of capital nature.
• Focusing on this will help in reducing the consumptive component of the revenue deficit and create space for increased capital spending.

The correct answer is Revenue expenditure.

• The interest payment is an item of Revenue expenditure.

Key Points

• Revenue Expenditure:
• Revenue expenditure is a cost that is charged to expense as soon as the cost is incurred.
• By doing so, a business is using the matching principle to link the expense incurred to revenues generated in the same reporting period.
• This yields the most accurate income statement results.
• There are two types of revenue expenditure:
• Maintaining a revenue-generating asset.
• This includes repair and maintenance expenses, because they are incurred to support current operations, and do not extend the life of an asset or improve it.
• Generating revenue.
• These are all day-to-day expenses needed to operate a business, such as sales salaries, rent, office supplies, and utilities.

Additional Information

• Capital expenditure:
• Capital expenditure is used to create assets or to reduce liabilities.
• It consists of:
• The long-term investments by the government on creating assets such as roads and hospitals, and
• The money was given by the government in the form of loans to states or repayment of its borrowings.
• Plan expenditure:
• All expenditures done in the name of planning (i.e. Five Year Plans) were called plan expenditures.
• For example expenditure on electricity generation, irrigation, and rural developments, construction of roads, bridges, canals, etc.

The correct answer is 135.

Key Points

• The HDI rank of India as per the HDR-2014 is 135.
• Latest Human Development Index Rankings wise of Various Countries and their HDI values:-
• Norway - 0.957
• Ireland - 0.955
• Switzerland - 0.955
• Hong Kong - 0.949
• Iceland - 0.949
• Germany - 0.947
• India - 0.645

Additional Information

• The Human Development Report(HRD) is an annual report published by the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme.
• HDR was launched in 1990.
• The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, which are used to rank countries into four tiers of human development.

The correct answer is IV Only.

Key Points

• Consumer Price Index for Urban Non-Manual Employees is compiled by the Central Statistical Organization (CSO). Hence, only statement 4 is correct.
• Central Statistical Organization (CSO):
• The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) merged with the Central Statistical Office (CSO) to form the National Statistical Office (NSO).
• On 23^rd May 2019, the Government of India has approved the merger of NSSO and CSO.
• The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), formerly called the National Sample Survey Organisation was the largest organization in India conducting periodic socio-economic surveys.
• The National Sample Survey Office used to work under the Ministry of Statistics of the Indian government until May 2019.
• On 23^rd May 2019, the Indian government passed the order to merge the NSSO with the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to form the National Statistical Office (NSO).
• The Government stated that the NSO will be headed by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI).

Additional Information

• Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers:
• All-India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (2016=100) for March, 2021 increased to 119.6 points compared to 119.0 points for February, 2021.
• The increase in index is mainly due to items like Cooking Gas, Petrol, Poultry Chicken, Edible Oils, Apple, Tea Leaf, Served & Processed Packaged Food, etc. which experienced an increase in prices.
• Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourers:
• The All-India Consumer Price Index Numbers for Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers (Base: 1986-87=100) for the month of February 2021 decreased by 1 point each to stand at 1037 (One thousand and thirty-seven) and 1044 (One thousand and forty-four) points respectively.
• Consumer Price Index for Rural Labourers:
• The Ministry of Labour and Employment on Friday released the All-India Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers for agricultural labourers (AL) and rural labourers (RL) for the month of November 2020.
• Point to point rate of inflation based on the CPI-AL and CPI-RL decreased to 6 per cent and 5.86 per cent in November 2020 from 6.59 per cent and 6.45 per cent respectively in October 2020.
• Consumer Price Index for Urban Non-Manual Employees:
• The all-India Consumer Price Index for Urban Non-Manual Employees CPI (UNME) with base 1984-85=100 for the month of March 2001 has been released by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation; together with the indices for 59 selected urban centres in India.​

The correct answer is 30.72 million tonnes.

Key Points

• Oilseeds Production:
• The country needs 25 million tonnes of edible oils to meet its requirement at the current consumption level of 19 kg per person per year.
• Out of the total requirement, 10.50 million tonnes are produced domestically from primary (Soybean, Rapeseed & Mustard, Groundnut, Sunflower, Safflower & Niger) and secondary sources (Oil palm, Coconut, Rice Bran, Cotton seeds & Tree Borne Oilseeds) and remaining 60%, is met through import.
• The oilseed production of the country has been growing impressively.
• Despite this, there exists a gap between the demand and supply of oilseeds, which has necessitated sizeable quantities of imports.
• India is the second-largest producer of groundnut after China and the third-largest producer of Rapeseed after China and Canada.

The correct answer is Textile.

Key Points

• Foreign Exchange:
• According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, the country’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves touched a lifetime high of USD 555.12 billion after it surged by USD 3.615 billion in the week ended 16^th October 2020.
• The rise in total reserves was due to a sharp rise in Foreign Currency Assets (FCAs), a major component of the overall reserves.
• FCA jumped by USD 3.539 billion to USD 512.322 billion.
• Foreign exchange reserves are assets held on reserve by a central bank in foreign currencies, which can include bonds, treasury bills, and other government securities.
• It needs to be noted that most foreign exchange reserves are held in U.S. dollars.

Additional Information

• Iron export:
• The value of iron ore exported from India amounted to nearly 186 billion rupees in the fiscal year 2020.
• This export value was significantly higher than the previous financial year's value of about 92 billion rupees.
• Tea:
• Indian tea exports value FY 2020, by the destination country.
• India exported tea worth 13.98 billion Indian rupees to Iran in the financial year 2020.
• Even though Iran imported the highest worth of Indian tea, Russia imported the highest volume of Indian tea that same year.
• Rubber:
• Natural rubber (NR) exports from India registered a quantum leap during the last fiscal, with 20,030 tonnes leaving the country.
• By contrast, in 2015-16, exports were just 865 tonnes.
• NR exports stood at 30,594 tonnes in 2012-13.
• But thereafter, owing to the relatively low price of NR in the international market, exports showed a declining trend.

The correct answer is Hot currency.

• The currency which has a tendency of quick migration is called Hot currency.

Key Points

• Hot currency:
• It is the term for the Forex market and is the temporary name for any Hard currency.
• If any Hard currency is exiting any economy at a fast pace for the time, the Hard currency is said to be Hot currency.

Additional Information

• Soft Currency:
• It is the currency that is easily available in any economy in its Forex market.
• For example, Indian Rupee is the Soft currency in the Indian Forex market.
• Hard currency refers to money that is issued by a nation that is seen as politically and economically stable.
• In macroeconomics, hard currency, safe-haven currency, or strong currency is any globally traded currency that serves as a reliable and stable store of value.​

The correct answer is Oilseeds.

Key Points

• National Food Security Mission:
• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in 2007.
• It aims to increase the production of rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals, and commercial crops, through area expansion and productivity enhancement.
• It works toward restoring soil fertility and productivity at the individual farm level and enhancing the farm-level economy.
• It further aims to augment the availability of vegetable oils and to reduce the import of edible oils.
• The National Development Council (NDC) in its 53^rd meeting held on 29^th May 2007 adopted a resolution to launch a Food Security Mission comprising rice, wheat, and pulses to increase the annual production of rice by 10 million tonnes, wheat by 8 million tonnes, and pulses by 2 million tonnes by the end of the Eleventh Plan (2011-12).

The correct answer is 31^st March 1997.

Key Points

• Ad hoc Treasury Bill System of meeting budget deficit in India was abolished on 31^st March 1997.
• Ad hoc Treasury Bill System:
• All treasury bills, ad hoc or ordinary, are sold by the RBI on behalf of the central government.
• Until July 12, 1965, they used to be sold by lenders at weekly auctions.
• From that date, they are made available ‘on tap’ throughout the week at a rate of discount fixed by the RBI.
• This change was made to make the ready supply of bills available to all investors at all times for investment of their temporary surpluses and also to mop up larger amounts of such surpluses for the government.
• The latter, of course, has been eager to borrow all the funds offered to it.

The correct answer is Insurance sector.

Key Points

• R.N. Malhotra Committee is Associated with the Insurance sector.
• R.N. Malhotra Committee:-
• A  was set up in 1993 under the chairmanship of R.N. Malhotra, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, to make recommendations for reforms in the insurance sector.
• The Malhotra Committee recommended the introduction of a concept of professionalization in the insurance sector to make out a strong case for paving the way for foreign capital.
• In its report submitted in 1994, the committee recommended, among other things, that:
• Private players are included in the insurance sector.
• Foreign companies are allowed to enter the insurance sector, preferably through joint ventures with Indian partners.
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) be constituted as an autonomous body to regulate and develop the insurance sector.
• The key objectives of the IRDA would include promotion of competition so as to enhance customer satisfaction through increased consumer choice and lower premiums while ensuring the financial security of the insurance market.
• Brokers representing the customer be brought in as another marketing and distribution channel, a practice prevalent in most developed markets.
• Raise the level of professional standards in risk management and underwriting and speed up settlement of claims.
• Following the recommendations of the committee, the IRDA was constituted as an autonomous body in 1999 and incorporated as a statutory body in April 2000.