63rd BPSC Prelims (Held on 1 July 2018) Official paper (Previous Year Paper)

The correct answer is Diu.

• Diu has become India’s first city to run on 100% renewable energy during the daytime.

Key Points

• Diu had been importing 73 per cent of its power from Gujarat till last year, it added.
• The city has developed a 9-MW solar park spread over 50 hectares rocky barren land.
• Besides installing solar panels on the rooftops on 79 government buildings generated 1.3 MW annually.
• The Diu is saving 13,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year and due to low-cost solar energy, power tariffs have been cut in residential category by 10 per cent and 15 per cent per year.

The correct answer is Egypt.

• Mahmoud Abu Zeid has won the 2018 UNESCO/ Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize he hails from Egypt.

Key Points

• Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid is also known as Shawkan won the 2018 UNESCO/ Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
• The Prize recognizes a person, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence or promotion of press freedom especially in the face of danger.
• The award is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza.
• He was the Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper El Espectador in Bogotá, Colombia in 1986.
• The Prize is funded by the Guillermo Cano Isaza Foundation (Colombia), the Helsingin Sanomat Foundation (Finland), and The Namibia Media Trust.

The correct answer is Malaysia.

• The bilateral military exercise ‘Harimau Shakti 2018’ has been conducted between India and Malaysia.

Key Points

• Indian and Malaysian armies conducted the joint training exercise ‘Harimau Shakti 2018’ in the dense forests of Sengai Perdik, Hulu Langat, Malaysia.
• The exercise is aimed at bolstering cooperation and coordination between the armed forces of both the nations and to share the expertise of both the contingents in conduct of counter-insurgency operations in jungle terrain.
• The Indian Army was represented by 4 Grenadiers which is one of the oldest infantry battalions.
• The Malaysian contingent was represented by soldiers from 1 Royal Ranger Regiment and the Royal Malay Regiment.
• The focus was on tactical operations in jungle warfare.

Additional Information

The correct answer is The Ministry of Human Resource Development.

• The Ministry of Human Resource Development has launched the Second Edition of the ‘Unnat Bharat Abhiyan’

Key Points

• The main objective of the program is to enable higher education institutions to work with the people of rural India in identifying development challenges and evolving appropriate solutions for accelerating sustainable development.
• Students from 750 higher educational institutions from across the country will adopt nearby villages and visit them to get acquainted with the regular lifestyle of village people and the problems faced by them in their day to day life.

The correct answer is The Ministry of Tourism.

• The Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with Google India has launched a 360 Virtual Reality (VR) video of ‘Incredible India’.

Key Points

• Under the partnership, Google Arts and Culture will provide users with an immersive 360-degree view of India's heritage, its festivity spirituality and adventure.
• The videos under the partnership showcase users a 360-degree view of destinations in India including Qutub Minar, Amritsar's, Golden Temple, Vitthal Temples at Hampi and Goa's easygoing vibe.
• The videos have been created using the 360-degree video capture technology including Google s Yi Halo camera and the music is inspired by the rhythms and melodies of the regions depicted in the video.
• The government, through this partnership with Google, wanted to “engage new and global audiences and offer them immersive content in a never-before-seen manner”.

The correct answer is Mumbai.

• Mumbai hosted India’s first-ever nationwide food archaeology conference ‘ArchaeoBroma’.

Key Points

• The conference was organised by the India Study Centre Trust (INSTUCEN Trust) and the Centre for Extra-Mural Studies (CEMS) of the University of Mumbai.
• The topics like concepts in food studies will focus on creating an academic framework for examining food from point of views of history, archaeology and sociology.

The correct answer is 138th

• India’s rank in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index 138^th.

Key Points

• The Index is compiled and published by Reporters without borders.
• Reporters without borders is a Paris based non-profit organisation.
• India ranked 142nd in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index
• Around 180 countries were ranked in the index.
• The World Press Freedom Index 2018 was topped by Norway followed by Finland, Sweden, Netherlands and Denmark.

Additional Information

• According to the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, Pakistan ranked 145 dropping three places, Bangladesh ranked 151, North Korea was at 180th and China ranked 177th.

The correct answer is The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has been awarded the 2018 National Intellectual Property Award in the category Top R & D Institution / Organization for Patents and Commercialization.

Key Points

• The CSIR has been ranked 9^th in the world among the 1,207 government institutions, with an overall global ranking of 75^th in the world, covering 5,250 institutions, as per the statement.
• The National Intellectual Property Award is awarded annually by Indian Intellectual Property Office in various categories on outstanding innovators, organizations and companies in fields of patents, designs, trademarks and geographical indications on the occasion of World IP Day.
• Indian Intellectual Property Office comes under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Additional Information

• ​CSIR is an autonomous body and India’s premier research and development (R&D) organisation.
• It was established in 1942.
• It operates as an autonomous body as per the Registration of Societies Act of 1860.
• Prime Minister is the chairman of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

The correct answer is West Bengal.

• West Bengal has topped the list of states with the most number of beggars, as per data released by the Union Ministry of Social Justice.

Key Points

• The highest number of beggars in West Bengal is 81,000.
• As per the data released by the Union Ministry of Social Justice, there are around 4 lakh beggars in total in India.
• West Bengal is followed by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar at number two and three respectively.
• Lakshadweep has only two people begging for their livelihood.

The correct answer is Surat.

• Surat has become India’s first district to have 100% solar powered health centres.

Key Points

• The solidification of all Primary health centres in Surat cut down electricity charge by 40 per cent and reduce global warming.
• All 52 PHCs in the district are now powered by a solar system.
• 75 per cent of the cost of making gram panchayat solar powered is borne by the state government and the remaining 25 per cent by district panchayats.

Additional Information

• World’s 95% of rough diamonds are cut and polished in Surat.
• British East India company came in Surat in the year 1818.

The correct answer is Anish Bhanwala.

Key Points

• Anish Bhanwala bagged Gold in the Men’s 25 m Rapid Fire Pistol event at the 2018 ISSF Junior Shooting World Cup in Sydney.
• Anish Bhanwala topped qualification with a score of 584 and shot 29 in the final to win the gold medal in the 25m rapid pistol competition at the ISSF Junior World Cup.
• Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anish Bhanwala defeated Egor Ismakov of Russia by 29-23 to clinch the gold in 25-metre rapid-fire pistol in the Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany.
• The 2018 ISSF Junior World Cup was the annual edition of the ISSF Junior World Cup and is governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation.
• India stood first with 26 total medals 15 golds, 2 silvers and 9 bronzes.
• The Republic of China took 2nd place with 21 medals 6 golds, 9 silvers and 6 bronzes.

The correct answer is Assam.

Key Points

• Assam has signed a pact with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to develop villages in Kamrup.
• The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has recently signed an MoU with the Assam government under its Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) initiative for sustainable development of human settlements at villages in Kamrup district.
• The AAI would provide financial assistance under the initiative of Rs 4.58 crore for the Kamrup district.
• As per the estimates prepared by the United Nations Development Programme to improve the resilience of communities around Guwahati Airport.

Additional Information

• The Airports Authority of India or AAI is a statutory body working under the aegis of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• Assam shares its borders with Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, West Bengal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

The correct answer is Madhya Pradesh.

Key Points

• Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of fully covered tribal habitations with the safe drinking water in the country.
• The highest number of fully covered tribal habitations is 55770 which is followed by Odisha and Jharkhand.
• Mizoram is the state with the highest proportion of Scheduled Tribes it constitutes of 94.5%.
• Uttar Pradesh has the largest Scheduled Caste in India.
• UT which have the highest proportion of Scheduled Tribes is Lakshadweep.

​

Additional Information

• National Rural Drinking Water Programme:
• National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with 50: 50 fund sharing between the Centre and the States.
• The scheme was started in 2009, with a major emphasis on ensuring the sustainability of water availability in terms of potability, adequacy, convenience, affordability and equity.
• The aim and objective of the scheme are to provide every rural person with adequate safe water for drinking cooking.
• The scheme will run co-terminus with the 14th Finance commission until March 2020.

The correct answer is GSLV – F08.

Key Points

• ISRO has successfully launched GSAT– 6A satellite from GSLV – F08 rocket vehicle.
• Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F08) successfully launched GSAT-6A Satellite into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
• It was launched from the Second Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, the spaceport of India
• It was the fifth consecutive success achieved by GSLV-F08 carrying indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage.
• GSAT-6A is a communication satellite built by ISRO and it will provide mobile communication services through multi-beam coverage.
• GSAT-6A is orbiting the Earth with a perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 169.4 km and an apogee (farthest point to Earth) of 36,692.5 km with an orbital inclination of 20.64 deg with respect to the equator.

​

Additional Information

• Indian Space Research Organisation:
• Indian Space Research Organisation is headquartered at Bengaluru.
• ISRO operates under the Department of Space which is directly commanded by the prime minister of India.
• It was founded by Vikram Sarabhai in the year 1969.

The correct answer is Forests and Sustainable Cities.

Key Points

• The theme of the 2018 International Day of Forests and Sustainable Cities.
• The International Day of Forests is celebrated every year on 21st March to create awareness among people about the importance of trees in our lives.
• In 1971, the International Day of Forests was established at the 23rd General Assembly of the European Confederation of Agriculture.
• The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation decided to celebrate the International Day of Forests every year on 21st March.
• The theme for each International Day of Forests is chosen by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.

​

Additional Information

• The theme for International Day of Forests 2019 is Forests and Education.
• The theme for 2020 is Forests and Biodiversity.

The correct answer is Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Key Points

• Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has been elected as a new President of Egypt.
• General Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi led a military overthrow that ejected Egypt's first democratically elected president.
• He is the most populous state in the Arab world and Africa's second-largest economy.
• In April 2018, he secured a second term in office after winning 97% of the vote in the presidential election.
• In 2013, the Egyptian military ousted President Mohamed Morsi, with el-Sisi saying Morsi "did not achieve the goals of the people.

Additional Information

• Moussa Mostafa Moussa is an Egyptian architect and politician and was a candidate in the 2018 Egyptian presidential election.
• Aḥmad Muḥammad Shafīq Zakī is an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as prime minister from January to March 2011 and stood as an independent in Egypt’s 2012 presidential election.

The correct answer is Sreekumaran Thampi.

Key Points

• Sreekumaran Thampi has been chosen for the prestigious J.C. Daniel Award for 2017.
• Sreekumaran Thampi is the 25th recipient of the state's highest film honour.
• The award was announced by culture minister A.K. Balan.
• Sreekumaran Thampi is a prolific scriptwriter of Malayalam.
• Thampi was introduced to the Malayalam film industry in 1966 by P Subramaniam as a lyricist in 'Kaatumallika'.

​​

Additional Information

• J.C. Daniel Award:
• It is the Kerala government’s highest honour for outstanding contribution to Malayalam cinema.
• The award is named after J C Daniel, who is credited for making the first silent movie in Mollywood (Malayalam Film Industry).
• The award comprises of a citation, plaque and a cash prize of ₹5 Lakh.

The correct answer is Second.

Key Points

• According to data released by the Indian Cellular Association [ICA], India acquired the second position in the world in producing mobile phones.
• India is the second-largest mobile phone producer in the world after China, as per the information shared by the Indian Cellular Association (ICA) with the Government of India.
• India replaced Vietnam to become the second-largest producer of mobile phones in 2017.
• The efforts of the Government of India, ICA and FTTF India bagged second place.
• The fast track task Force(FTTF) is a body under the Ministry of Electronics and IT.
• She has set a target to achieve around 500 million mobile phone production in India by 2019, with a value estimated to be around

USD 46 billion.

The correct answer is West Bengal.

Key Points

• West Bengal has rolled out the ‘Rupashree Scheme ‘ for the marriage of poor girls.
• The scheme provides one-time financial support to the marriages of poor women.
• 'Rupashree' scheme is followed by the ambitious 'Kanyashree' project.
• Under the 'Kanyashree' the beneficiary gets an annual scholarship of Rs 500 and a one-time grant of Rs 25,000 aims at incentivizing schooling of teenaged girls and delaying their marriages until its legal age at 18.
• No minimum educational qualifications are required to apply for the scheme.
• Under the scheme, the beneficiary will have to submit the application before marriage to the Local Bodies or Block Development Officer (BDO) office.

The correct answer is Rs. 1 crore.

Key Points

• NITI Aayog has launched the ‘Atal New India Challenge’ that will provide grants of up to Rs. 1 crore amount to innovative products and solutions.
• The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative set up by NITI Aayog.
• The objective of the mission to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
• Its major initiatives are Atal Tinkering Labs, Atal Incubation Centers, Atal New India Challenges and Atal Research and Innovation for Small Enterprises (ARISE).
• The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) in July 2020 has launched an incubator capabilities enhancement program called ‘AIM-iCREST’.
• AIM-iCREST is an Incubator Capabilities Enhancement program for a Robust Ecosystem.
• It is aimed at creating high performing Startups.

Additional Information

• NITI Aayog:
• NITI Aayog is the premier policy 'Think Tank' of the Government of India, providing both directional and policy inputs.
• NITI was made replacing 65 years old Planning Commission.
• The Prime minister is the chairman of the commission.

The correct answer is Suresh Prabhu.

Key Points

• Suresh Prabhu chaired the first meeting of the think tank on the Framework for National Policy on E-commerce.
• The think tank on the Framework for National Policy on E-commerce will seek to collectively consider the challenges confronting India in the field of the digital economy with a view to developing recommendations for a comprehensive and overarching national policy on e-commerce.
• The think tank was set up by the department of commerce.
• The issues discussed by the think tank included aspects of e-commerce and the physical and digital infrastructure of the digital economy, the regulatory Regime taxation, policy data flows, server localization, FDI, Technology flows.
• Global development on E-Commerce on the underlying issues was another important topic for discussion of the think tank.

Additional Information

• Narendra Damodardas Modi is the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014.
• Smriti Irani is as Minister of Textiles and was given additional charge as Minister of Women and Child Development.
• Arun Jaitley served as the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of the Government of India from 2014 to 2019.

The correct answer is Purnia.

Key Points

• Purnia city of Bihar does not share a border with Nepal.
• Five Indian States namely Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim share boundaries with Nepal.
• Uttar Pradesh shares the largest border with Nepal.
• Bihar shares its borders with West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.
• ​There are only seven districts in Bihar that shares the boundary with Nepal.
• West Champaran.
• East Champaran.
• Sithamarhi.
• Madhubani.
• Supaul.
• Araria.
• Kishanganj.

Additional Information

• Rajgir hills, Brahmayoni Hill, Pretshila Hill, and Ramshila Hill there in Bihar.
• Bihar is a major producer of litchi.
• It accounts for 71 percent of India's annual litchi production.

The correct answer is More than one of the above.

Key Points

• Nalanda was an acclaimed Mahavihara, a large Buddhist monastery in the ancient kingdom of Magadha (modern-day Bihar) in India.
• The site is located about 95 kilometers southeast of Patna near the town of Bihar Sharif and was a center of learning from the fifth century CE to 1200 CE.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Mahabodhi Vihar is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site present in Bihar.
• Mahabodhi Vihar is a Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya.
• It marks the location where the Buddha, is said to have attained enlightenment.
• Buddhism:
• ​At the age of 35, under a peepal tree at Uruvell (Bodh Gaya) on the bank of river Niranjana (modern name Falgu), Gautam Buddha attained Nirvana.
• Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath (deer park) to his five disciples. This is known as Dharmachaka Pravartana (turning of the wheel of law).
• He died at Kushinagar. This is known as Mahaparinirvana (final blowing out).
• The ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara were declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.
• It was the second UNESCO site in Bihar.
• A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by UNESCO for its special cultural or physical significance.
• The list of World Heritage Sites is maintained by the 'World Heritage Programme' which is administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

The correct answer is South Asia Cooperation Environment Programme.

Key Points

• SACEP stand for South Asia Cooperation Environment Programme.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and South Asian Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) for cooperation on the response to Oil and Chemical Pollution in the South Asian Seas Region.
• The MoU promotes cooperation between India and other maritime nations comprising the South Asian seas region namely Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka for protection and preservation of the marine environment in the region.
• SACEP is an inter-governmental organisation established in 1982 by the South Asian governments to promote and support protection, management and enhancement of the environment in the region.

The correct answer is Uttar Pradesh.

Key Points

• Uttar Pradesh has signed MoU with South Korea to enhance tourism cooperation.
• The Uttar Pradesh government signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea to enhance cooperation in the field of tourism, skill development, culture and farming.
• The MoU signed gave a new dimension to cooperation in the field of tourism, skill development, culture and farming, which will provide more employment opportunities and development, an official release said.
• An agreement was signed in 2000 to develop Ayodhya and Gimhae as sister cities, following which a memorial was constructed in Ayodhya which attracts a large number of tourists from South Korea every year.
• It is believed in South Korea that 2,000 years ago, an Ayodhya princess had married Korean King Kim Suro.
• Their descendants are members of the ‘Crock Clan’.

The correct answer is Dehradun.

Key Points

• The headquarters of ICFRE is at Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
• The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education [ICFRE] has signed MoU with a TIFAC for supporting forest-based communities.
• The MoU will be valid for a period of 5 years.
• TIFAC stands for Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment Council.
• The MoU will provide livelihood opportunities and augment the income of the forest-based communities.
• TIFAC will help ICFRE to refine and up-scale the technologies developed, take technologies to the end-users including farmers, State Forest Departments, forest based industries and forest dependent communities in a more effective manner.

Additional Information

• National Institute of Nutrition, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Institute of Forest Biodiversity is in Hyderabad
• Trivendra Singh Rawat is the eighth and current Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.
• Baby Rani Maurya is the governor of Uttarakhand.

The correct answer is India – UK Joint Team.

Key Points

• India – UK Joint Team has won the Newton - Bhabha Fund for the project on Groundwater Atomic Research in Ganga River Basin.
• The Department of Science and Technology undertook the project with the Natural Environment Research Council, UK.
• The collaboration found solutions to the water challenges faced in the pervasively arsenic-affected Ganga River Basin.
• The Indian team comprised representatives from the IIT Kharagpur, the National Institute of Hydrology, the IIT Roorkee and the Mahavir Cancer Sansthan and Research Centre of Patna.
• The UK team consisted of representatives from the University of Manchester, the British Geological Survey, the University of Salford and the University of Birmingham.
• The Newton Bhabha Fund is provided by the British Council.
• It aims is to bring together the UK and Indian scientific research and innovation sectors to find joint solutions to the challenges facing India in economic development and social welfare.
• The team members involved with the project will try to assess how the problem of arsenic poisoning can get aggravated in the next 25 to 30 years and influence groundwater management practices and suggest water remedial technologies accordingly.

The correct answer is Bihar.

Key Points

• The Barh Super Thermal Power Station [BSTPS] is located in Bihar.
• The Barh project is a mega power project and is owned by National Thermal Power Corporation.
• Thermal Power Station:
• A thermal power plant generates electricity by using heat from the fuel. The heat generates steam in a boiler which is then used to run a steam turbine connected to a generator, which then generates electricity.
• Fuel can be of various types like Coal-Fired, Gas, Liquid fuel, Geothermal energy, Biomass, Waste Material.
• Barauni Thermal Power plant is also located in Bihar.

Additional Information

The correct answer is the Asian Development Bank.

Key Points

• International Solar Alliance [ISA] has signed a pact with the Asian Development Bank international organization to promote solar deployment in Asia and the Pacific.
• The pact was signed to promote solar energy deployment in Asia and the Pacific.
• The cooperation envisions solar power generation, solar-based mini-grids and transmission systems for integrating solar energy into grids.
• The ISA and the ADB will also cooperate on knowledge sharing and developing technology roadmaps for the promotion of solar energy.
• ADB energy policy commits USD 3 billion per year by 020 for promoting clean energy, including solar energy projects in its developing member countries​.

Additional Information

• ISA is headquartered in Gurgram, Haryana and is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization that was established following the Paris Declaration.
• It acts as an alliance dedicated to the promotion of solar energy among its member countries.
• Its major objectives include global deployment of over 1,000 gigawatts of solar generation capacity and mobilization of investment of over USD 1 trillion into solar energy by 2030.
• Asian Development Bank is based in Manila and is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
• It was established in 1966 and it is owned by 67 members 48 from the region.

The correct answer is ​Russia and Bangladesh.

Key Points

• India has signed a tripartite MoU with Russia and Bangladesh.
• It was the first time India signed a tripartite agreement with foreign partners -- Russia & Bangladesh for civil nuclear cooperation.
• Nuclear Power Cooperation of India Limited will play a key role in building a nuclear power plant in foreign nations with the proposed supply of equipment and material for the power station being built by Russia in Bangladesh.
• The agreement was signed in Moscow by Deputy Director-General of Rosatom Nikolay Spassky, Ambassador of Bangladesh in Russia S.M. Saiful Hoque and Indian Ambassador to Russia Pankaj Saran.

Additional Information

• India's three-stage nuclear power programme was formulated by Homi Bhabha in the 1950s.
• Tarapur Atomic Power Plant-1 was the first Nuclear power plant in India.
• India has 22 operating nuclear reactors with an installed capacity of 6780 MWe.

The correct answer is Burnt brick buildings.

• Burnt brick buildings are the most significant feature of the Indus Valley Civilization.​

Key Points 

• Indus Valley Civilisation:
• John Marshall was the first scholar to use the term ‘Indus Valley Civilisation’.
• The Indus Valley Civilisation belongs to the Protohistoric Period (Chalcolithic Age/Bronze Age).
• Dayaram Sahni first discovered Harappa Civilisation in 1921.
• R.D. Banerjee discovered Mohenjodaro or Mound of the Dead in 1922.
• Mohenjodaro–The largest site of Indus Valley Civilisation.
• Rakhigarhi–The largest Indian site of Indus Valley Civilisation.
• Common features of major cities: Systematic town planning on the lines of grid system; Use of burnt bricks in construction; Underground drainage system (giant water reservoirs in Dholavira); Fortified citadel (exception: Chanhudaro).

The correct answer is Seleucus.

• Megasthenes was the ambassador of Seleucus Nikator.

Key Points

• Megasthenese wrote extensively in a book called Indica.
• The fragments of Indica, provide valuable information on Maurya Administration, social classes and economic activities.
• Megasthenes states that Indian society was divided into 7 classes.
• The famous city of Pataliputra was described in detail by Megasthenese, references of which are found in the writings of Strabo, Arian and other Greek writers.

Additional Information

• Alexander, The Great was the First European to Attack India.
• Alexander conquered Kabul in 328 BC. He moved to India through the unguarded Khyber Pass and reached Sirhind near Attock in 326 BC.
• Ambhi, the ruler of Taxila submitted to Alexander.
• Alexander defeated Porus in the Battle of Hydaspes on the bank of river Vitasta (Jhelum).
• Darius-I was the grandson of Cyrus invaded north- West India (516 BC) and annexed Punjab, west of Indus and Sind.

The correct answer is Principles and practice of statecraft.

• Arthashastra, the classical work of Indian political thought, focuses primarily on Principles and practice of statecraft.

Key Points

• The book on statecraft was written in the Mauryan period.
• The text is divided into 15 chapters known as books.
• The book was written in Sanskrit.
• Even before the final version of Arthashastra was written in the fourth century B.C. by Kautilya, there appeared a tradition of writing on and teaching of statecraft because Kautilya acknowledges his debt to his predecessors in the field.
• Kautilya was the Prime Minister of Chandragupta Maurya.

Additional Information

• Bhasha Kautilya, a commentary on Arthashastra and Kokash Nisam are the two great works done in Malayalam.

The correct answer is Buddhists.

Tripitaka's are the sacred books of the Buddhists.

Key Points

Tripitakas:

• Vinay Pitaka consists of rules of monastic discipline for monks.
• Sutta Pitaka is the collection of Buddha’s sermons.
• Abhidhamma Pitaka is the philosophy of Buddha’s teachings.
• Milindapanho (i.e. Questions of Milinda)–a dialogue between Milinda (identical with Indo-Greek ruler Menander) and Buddhist saint Nagasena.
• Dipavamsha and Mahavamsha–The great chronicles of Sri Lanka.
• Sects of Buddhism: Hinayana (i.e. Lesser Vehicle):
• (i) Its followers believed in the original teachings of Buddha.
• (ii) They sought individual salvation through self-discipline and meditation.
• (iii) They did not believe in idol-worship.
• (iv) They favoured the Pali language.
• (v) It is known as Southern Buddhist Religion because it prevailed in the South of India, e.g., Sri Lanka and South East Asia.
• (vi) There were two subjects of Mahayana-Madhyamika/Shunyavada (founder-Nagarjuna) and Yogachar/ Vijanavada (founder-Maitreyanath and his disciple Asanga).

Additional Information

• Jain Literature:
• The sacred literature of the Svetambaras is written in a type of Prakrit called Ardhamagadhi Prakrit.
• The important Jain texts are (i) Kalpasutra (in Sanskrit)–Bhadrabahu, (ii) Bhadrabahu Charita, (iii) Parishishta Parvan (an appendix of Trishashthi-shalaka Purush)–Hemchandra.

The correct answer is None of the above/ More than one of the above.

Key Points

• Ashoka’s Dhamma:
• Ashoka’s Dhamma cannot be regarded as a sectarian faith. Its broad objective was to preserve the social order.
• It ordained that:
• People should obey their parents.
• Pay respect to Brahmans.
• Buddhist monks show mercy to slaves and servants.

Additional Information

• Ashoka (273 BC-232 BC):
• He was the greatest Mauryan ruler; Governor of Taxila and Ujjain previously. His rule extended to the whole of the sub-continent except the extreme south. It also included Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Kashmir, and the valleys of Nepal.
• According to Buddhist tradition, Ashoka usurped the throne after killing his 99 brothers and spared Tissa, the youngest one.
• Ashoka had himself formally crowned in 269 BC.
• Under Ashoka, the Mauryan Empire reached its climax. For the first time, the whole of the sub-continent, leaving out the extreme south, was under imperial control.
• Ashoka fought the Kalinga War in 261 BC in the 9th year of his coronation. The king was moved by the massacre in this war and, therefore, abandoned the policy of physical occupation in favor of the policy of cultural conquest. In other words, Bherighosa was replaced by Dhammaghosa.
• Ashoka was not an extreme pacifist. He retained Kalinga after his conquest and incorporated it into his empire.
• He embraced Buddhism under Upagupta.
• He sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to Ceylon as Buddhist missionaries with a sapling of the original peepal tree.

The correct answer is ​the Indica of Megasthenes.

• The division of Maurya society into seven classes particularly mentioned in the Indica of Megasthenes.

Key Points

• Megasthenese wrote extensively in a book called Indica.
• The fragments of Indica, provide valuable information on Maurya Administration, social classes and economic activities.
• Megasthenes states that Indian society was divided into 7 classes.
• The famous city of Pataliputra was described in detail by Megasthenese, references of which are found in the writings of Strabo, Arian and other Greek writers.

Additional Information 

• Kautilya’s Arthashastra looked upon the Shudras as an Aryan community.
• Bhasha Kautilya, a commentary on Arthashastra and Kokash Nisam are the two great works in Malayalam.
• Ashokan edicts give a glimpse of Ashoka’s image and personality as a benevolent king concerned with the welfare of not only his subjects but also of the whole of humanity.
• Puranic literature is very vast.
• 18 main Puranas, 18 subsidiaries Puranas and a large number of other books.
• In all the Puranas royal genealogies are dealt with the reign of Parikshit, the grandson of Arjun, as a benchmark. This may be because of the fact that the coronation of Parikshit is considered to be the beginning of the Kali Age.

The correct answer is Chandragupta II.

• The famous Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hien visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II.

Key Points

• Chandragupta II  adopted the titles Sakari and Vikramaditya.
• Chandragupta II conquered Western Malwa and Gujarat, from the Shaka Kshatrapas Rudrasena III.
• He issued silver coins in the memory of the victory over Sakas.
• He was the first Gupta ruler to issue silver coins
• Ujjain made the second capital by Chandragupta II.

Additional Information

• Gupta Period (319 AD-540 AD):
• Chandragupta I was the first Gupta ruler to assume the title of Maharajadhiraja.
• He established his authority over Magadha, Saketa and Prayaga.
• Samudragupta was the greatest king of the Gupta dynasty.
• Samudragupta’s military campaigns justify description of him as the Napoleon of India by V.A. Smith.

The correct answer is Village assemblies.

• The Chola age was most famous for village assemblies.

Key Points

• The Chola Empire (850 AD-1279 AD):
• Capital was Tanjore, Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
• The founder of the Chola dynasty was Vijayalaya, who was at first a feudatory of the Pallavas.
• He took the title of ‘Narkesari’.
• He captured Tanjore in 850 AD.
• The ancient capital of Cholas was Palyarai.
• The greatest Chola rulers were Rajaraja and his son Rajendra I.
• The most important feat of the Chola administration was local self-government or village assemblies.

Additional Information

• Cholas maintained a strong navy. ‘Kasu’ or Kalaju’ was their gold coin.
• Rajaraja built Vrihadeshwar/Rajarajeshwar temple (attributed to Shiva) at Tanjore.
• Rajendra I assumed the title of ‘Gangaikonda Cholam’ and built a city called Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
• Rajendra I conquered complete Sri Lanka and made Anuradhapura his capital.

The correct answer is Gopurams.

• The mighty gateways found at the temples of South India is called  Gopurams.

Key Points

• Dravidian Style Architecture–South India:
• Dravidian style temples consist almost invariably of the four following parts:
• The principal part, the temple itself, is called the Vimana (or Vimanam).
• It is always square in plan and surmounted by a pyramidal roof of one or more stories.
• It contains the cell where the image of the god is placed.
• The porches or Mandapas, which always cover and precede the door leading to the cell.
• Gate-pyramids or Gopurams, which are the principal features in the quadrangular enclosures that surround the more notable temples.
• Pillared halls or Chaultris–properly Chawadis–used for various purposes, and which are the invariable accompaniments of these temples.

The correct answer is Hampi.

• The remains of the Vijayanagara empire is found in Hampi.

Key Points

• Hampi is a historical place and the erstwhile capital of the Vijayanagar.
• he 14th-century ruins feature around 500 monuments, their planning, public baths and other advancements of the era.
• Vijayanagar Empire (1336 AD-1580 AD):
• Vijayanagar kingdom and the city were founded by Harihar and Bukka.
• They were brought to the centre by Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq, converted to Islam and were sent to South to control rebellion but motivated by a Bhakti saint Vidyaranya, they established Vijayanagar kingdom in 1336 AD.
• The Vijayanagar period can be divided into four distinct dynasties, viz. Sangam, Saluva, Tuluva and Aravidu.

Additional Information

• Chalukyas established their capital at Vatapi/Vadami in the district of Bijapur in Karnataka.
• Qutub Shahis of Golconda (1518 AD- 1687 AD) founded by Quli Qutub Shah. He built the famous Golkonda fort and made it his capital.

The correct answer is Balban.

• Balban was the first Muslim ruler to formulate the ‘theory of kingship’ similar to the ‘theory of the divine right of the kings'.

Key Points

• Balban lived and ruled from 1266 AD to 1287 AD.
• Balban himself was a member of Chalisa or Chahalgani but he broke the power of Chahalgani and restored the prestige of the crown.
• He created a strong centralised army and established the military department Diwan-i-Arz.
• He ordered the separation of military affairs from the finance department (Diwan‑i‑Wazarat).
• He declared the sultan as representative of God on Earth. Persian court model influenced Balban’s conception of kingship. He took up the title of Zil-i-Ilahi (shadow of God) and impressed upon the people that the king was the deputy of God (Niyabat-i-Khudai).
• He insisted on the Iranian ceremonies of sijda and paibos.
• He was a patron of Persian literature and showed special favor to Amir Khusro.

Additional Information

• Qutubuddin Aibak constructed two mosques, Quwwat-ul- Islam in Delhi and Adhai din ka Jhonpra in Ajmer. He also began the construction of Qutub Minar, in honour of famous Sufi Saint, Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki.
• Shamsuddin Iltutmish was the slave of Qutubuddin Aibak and occupied the throne of Delhi in 1211 AD after deposing Aram Bakhsh.
• Alauddin introduced the system of Dagh (the branding of the horse) and Chehra (descriptive role of soldiers).

The correct answer is the 11th century.

• Paper came to be used in the 11th century.

Key Points

• Papermaking was invented by the Chinese.
• Cai Lun, a Chinese official working in the Imperial court during the Han Dynasty, is associated with the invention of paper.
• Cai Lun’s paper was made using mulberry pulp and other bast fibres along with fishnets, old rags, and hemp waste.
• Early paper was used as a wrapping material, to wrap bronze mirrors and to wrap poisonous medicines.
• The world’s first known paper money was produced during the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE).

Additional Information

• Chemicals used in the papermaking:
• sulfurous acid (H₂SO₃) is used in softening and defining wood.

The correct answer is Akbar.

Key Points

• European paintings were introduced in the court of Akbar, the third Mughal emperor.
• It was introduced by the Portuguese priests who visited his court in the 16th century.
• Akbar was a great patron of the arts and was interested in learning about different cultures.
• He was fascinated by European paintings and commissioned several artists to paint in the European style.
• This led to a fusion of Mughal and European artistic styles in the paintings of that time.
• Some of the most famous Mughal paintings that were influenced by European art include the "Diwan-i-Am" (Hall of Public Audience) at Fatehpur Sikri and the "Razamnama" (Book of Kings).
• These paintings depict Mughal emperors and nobles in a realistic style, which was a departure from the traditional Mughal style of painting, which was more stylized and decorative.
• The introduction of European paintings in the Mughal court had a significant impact on the development of Mughal art.
• It led to a new style of painting that was more realistic and naturalistic.
• This style of painting continued to be popular in the Mughal court for several centuries.

Additional Information

• Humayun (1530 AD-1540 AD and 1555 AD-1556 AD):
• His sister, Gulbadan Begum wrote his biography Humayunama.
• He built Din Panah at Delhi as his second capital.
• Jahangir (1605 AD-1627 AD):
• In 1608 AD, Captain William Hawkins, a representative of the East India Company, came to Jahangir’s court.
• Sir Thomas Roe, an ambassador of King James I of England, also came to his court. Jahangir granted permission to the English to establish a trading port at Surat.
• Pieta Valle, famous traveller came during his reign.
• He wrote his memories Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri in Persian.
• Shahjahan (1628 AD-1658 AD):
• His real name was Khurram. He was the youngest prince to be appointed as governor of Deccan at the age of 15.
• Two French travellers Bernier and Tavernier and the Italian traveller Nicolo Manucci visited during his reign.
• The Red Fort, Jama Masjid and Taj Mahal are some of the magnificent structures built during his reign.

The correct answer is Akbar.

Key Points

• The East India Company was established in 1600 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar (1556-1605).
• The East India Company was an English company formed on December 31, 1600,
• It started as a monopolistic trading body so that England could participate in the East Indian spice trade.

The correct answer is Gwalior.

Key Points

• The Doctrine of Lapse was given by Lord Dalhousie.
• Under it, the states that were annexed are Satara (1848 AD), Jaitpur and Sambalpur (1849 AD), Baghat (1850 AD), Sindh (1843) Udaipur (1852 AD), Jhansi (1853 AD), and Nagpur (1854 AD).
• The doctrine of Lapse was withdrawn due to the Revolt of 1857.

Key Points

• Lord Dalhousie (1848 AD-1856 AD):
• Abolished Titles and pensions, Widow Remarriage Act (1856 AD).
• The annexation of Berar in 1853 Annexation of Awadh in 1856 AD on charges of mal-administration.
• Santhal uprisings (1855 AD-1856 AD). Nationalist Educational Institutions were founded.
• Wood’s Educational Despatch of 1854 AD. An Engineering College was established at Roorkee.
• Started the first railway line in 1853 AD; Started electric telegraph service. Laid the basis of the modern Postal System (1854 AD); A separate public works department was set up for the first time.

The correct answer is the Repeal of Salt laws.

• Repeal of Salt laws was the ultimate goal of Gandhiji’s Salt Satyagraha.

Key Points

• The Salt Satyagraha was a mass civil disobedience movement initiated by Mahatma Gandhi against the salt tax imposed by the British government in India. He led a large group of people from Sabarmati Ashram on 12 th March 1930 till Dandi, a coastal village in Gujarat, to break the salt law by producing salt from seawater.
• Dandi March and Salt Satyagrah:
• Gandhi, along with a band of 78 members of Sabarmati Ashram, was to march from his headquarters in Ahmedabad through the villages of Gujarat for 240 miles. On reaching the coast at Dandi, the salt law was to be violated by collecting salt from the beach.
• Spread Of Salt Disobedience:
• non-payment of revenue in ryotwari areas;
• the no-chowkidar-tax campaign in zamindari areas
• violation of forest laws in the Central Provinces.

Additional Information

• Satyagraha at different places and leaders:
• Tamil Nadu- C. Rajagopalachari
• Malabar- K.Kalappan
• Orissa- Gopalbandhu  Chaudhari
• Assam- Strike against the Cunningham Circular.

The correct answer is Kerala.

• The Moplah Rebellion of 1921 broke out in Kerala.

Key Points

• The Moplah Rebellion is also known as the Moplah Riots of 1921.
• It was the culmination of a series of riots by Mappila Muslims of Kerala in the 19th and early 20th centuries against the British and the Hindu landlords in Malabar.
• It was an armed revolt led by Variyamkunnath Kunjahammed Haji.

Additional Information

• Khilafat Movement (1920 AD-1922 AD):
• The Ali Brothers–Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali–launched an anti-British movement in 1920 AD–the movement for the restoration of the Khilafat Movement.
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad also led the movement. It was supported by Mahatma Gandhi and INC.

The correct answer is the Anti-Bengal partition agitation.

• The Swadeshi Movement place in India during the Anti-Bengal partition agitation.

Key Points

• Swadeshi Movement :
• The Swadeshi and Boycott Movement Began as a reaction to the partition of Bengal which became known in 1903, was formally announced in July 1905 and came into force in October 1905.
• The motive behind partition was to weaken Bengal which was the nerve centre of Indian nationalist Activity: the official reason given for the partition was that Bengal had become too big to administer—which was true to some extent.
• Moderate-led anti-partition movement (1903-05) was under Surendranath Banerjea, K.K. Mitra, Prithwishchandra Ray. Methods included public meetings, petitions, memoranda, led by Tilak, propaganda through newspapers and pamphlets.
• The movement under Extremists (1905-08) was Bipin Chandra Pal. Lajpat Rai, Aurobindo Ghosh. Methods included boycott of foreign cloth and other goods, public meetings and processions, forming corps of volunteers or samitis, use of traditional popular festivals and melas for propaganda, emphasis on self-reliance or Atma Shakti, launching a programme of swadeshi or national education, swadeshi or indigenous enterprises, initiating new trends In Indian painting, songs, poetry, pioneering research in science and later calling Hor boycott of schools, colleges, councils, government service.
• The extent of mass participation: students, women, certain sections of zamindari, labour, some lower-middle and middle classes in towns and cities participated for the first time while the Muslims generally kept away.

Additional Information

• Non-cooperation Movement (1920 AD-1922 AD) was announced at the Calcutta session in September 1920 AD, the Congress resolved in favour of the Non-cooperation Movement and defined Swaraj as its ultimate aim (according to Gandhiji).
• The Champaran Satyagraha of Gandhiji was his first Civil-disobedience movement.
• The arrest of Dr Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr Satyapal on 10th April 1919 AD, under the Rowlatt Act in connection with Satyagraha caused serious unrest in Punjab. A public meeting was held on 13th April 1919 AD in a park called Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar.

The correct answer is 1929

• Bihar Provincial Kisan Sabha formed in 1929.

Key Points

• Sahajanand Saraswati formed the Bihar Provincial Kisan Sabha (BPKS)in 1929.
• The motive was to mobilise peasant grievances against the zamindari attacks on their occupancy rights and thus sparking the Farmers’ movement in India.
• A Kisan Sabha was organised in 1922 by Mohammad Zubair and Sri Krishna Singh in Munger.
• United Political Party was formed by Zamindars of Bihar to suppress peasants.
• Bihar Kisan Sabha was formed in 1933.
• All India Kisan Sabha was formed in 1936 and Swami Shajanand Saraswati was President and NG Ranga was made secretary.
• Pandit Yamuna Karjee and Rahul Sankrityayan who was followers of Swami Shahjanand Saraswati started Hindi weekly “Hunkar” in 1940 which became the mouthpiece of agrarian and peasant movement in Bihar.

The correct answer is The Government of India Act of 1935.

• Bihar became a separate province by The Government of India Act of 1935.

Key Points

• When separated from the Bengal Presidency in 1912, Bihar and Orissa comprised a single province.
• It was once a part of the Bengal Presidency which was the largest British province in India to exist at that time.
• In March 1936, Bihar and Odisha were made into separate provinces after the declaration of the Government Of India 1935. 
• The Government of India Act of 1935:
• The Act divided legislative powers between the Centre and Provinces.
• Dyarchy was abolished in the provinces, but it was introduced at the federal level.
• It provided for the establishment of a Reserve Bank of India to control the currency and credit of the country.
• It provided for the establishment of a Federal Public Service Commission and Joint Public Service Commission for two or more provinces.

• The Government of India Act of 1919:
• Also is known as Montagu-Chelmsford reforms or Montford reforms.
• Responsible government in the Provinces was to be introduced, without impairing the responsibility of the Governor (through the Governor-General), for the administration of the Province, by resorting to a device known as ‘Dyarchy’ or dual government.
• The subjects of administration were to be divided into two categories Central and Provincial.
• ​The Indian Councils of 1909:
• Also known as the Morley-Minto Reforms.
• The size of Provincial Legislative Councils was enlarged by including elected non-official members so that the official majority was gone.
• The Muslims were given separate electorates and there were reservations of seats on religious grounds.
• Satyendra Prasad Sinha became the first Indian to join the Viceroy’s Executive Council.
• The Indian Independence Act, 1947 of the British Parliament:
• From the 15 August 1947, India ceased to be a Dependency, and the suzerainty of the British Crown over the Indian States and the treaty relations with Tribal Areas lapsed from that date.
• The office of the Secretary of State for India was abolished.
• The Constituent Assembly itself was to function also as the Central Legislature with complete sovereignty.

The correct answer is Ashok Mehta Committee.

Key Points

• The committee that suggested the creation of the Nyaya council is the Ashok Mehta Committee.
• The Committee was constituted in 1977.
• ​A Nyaya council may be a system in Indian villages that resolves the dispute i.e they solve civil and minor criminal cases.

Additional Information

• Balwant Rai Mehta Committee: The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee was a committee originally appointed by the government of the Republic of India on 16th January, 1957 to look at the operating of the Community Development Programme (2 October 1952) and also the National education (2 October 1953).
• G.V. K Rao Committee Planning commission in 1985 appointed The Committee on body Arrangement for Rural Development and PovertyAlleviation Programmes under G. V. K. Rao.
• The Committee came to the conclusion that bureaucratization of development administration hostile the democratisation has weakened the Panchayati dominion establishments.
• Sarkaria Committee "The Commission can examine and review the operating of the prevailing arrangements between the Union and States in relevancy powers, functions and responsibilities altogether spheres and suggest such changes or different measures as could also be applicable.

The correct answer is Maintenance of Public Order.

Key Points

• Section 31 of the Police Act,1861 defines the term “maintenance of public order” which needs that the order ought to be maintained in public places and will not be stopped-up by assemblies and processions.
• Maintenance of Public order comes primarily in the domain of State government.

Additional Information

• Public health is the science of protecting and up the health of individuals and their communities. This work is achieved by promoting healthy lifestyles, researching un-wellness and injury interference, and detecting, preventing, and responding to infectious diseases.
• Sanitation refers to public health conditions associated with clean potable and adequate treatment and disposal of human body waste and sewerage.
• A service could be a business that furnishes associate everyday necessity to the general public at large.
• Public utilities give water, electricity, fossil fuel, public-service corporation, and alternative necessities.

The correct answer is The State List.

Key Points

• Indian constitution under the 7th Schedule provides for the State List.
• It currently has 61 subjects (originally 66).
• It includes transportation, public health and sanitation, hospitals and dispensaries. etc.
• Local government, that is to say, the constitution and powers of
  

municipal corporations, improvement trusts, districts boards, mining settlement authorities and other local authorities for the purpose of local self-government or village administration.

Additional Information

• The Union List is a list of subjects of national importance.
• These include national defense, foreign affairs, banking, communications, and currency etc.
• Union list currently has 100 subjects (originally 97).
• The concurrent List includes the themes that are of common concern to the center and also the state governments.
• Both the central and the state governments will frame laws on these subjects. However, if there's a conflict between the central law and the state law over a subject matter then central law would be effective.
• There are 52 subjects in this list currently.

The correct answer is I, II, III, and IV.

Key Points

• Among the States that already follow reservation for ladies in Panchayati rule establishments (PRIs) are state Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Himachal Pradesh.
• Article 243-D of the constitution provides for reservation in the Panchayati Raj institutions.
• Panchayati Raj Institutions were constitutionalised by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment act of 1992.
• L.M. Singhvi committee is credited for recommending constitutional status for PRIs.

Additional Information

• Some important articles of the constitution associated with PRIs include-
• 243   - Definition
• 243A -  Gram Sabha
• 243I   - State Finance Commission
• 243K - State Election Commission
• 243G - Power, authorities and responsibilities of Panchayats.

The correct answer is Only in the Lok Sabha.

Key Points

• The Lok Sabha, or is that the lower house of India's Parliament, with the higher house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha ar electoral by adult universal enfranchisement and a first-past-the-post system to represent their several constituencies, and that they hold their seats for 5 years or till the body is dissolved by the President on the recommendation of the council of ministers.
• The house meets within the Lok Sabha Chambers of the Sansad Bhavan, New Delhi.

Additional Information

• The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is that the higher house of the bicameral Parliament of the Republic of India.
• It presently includes a most membership of 245, of that 233 area unit non-appointive by the legislatures of the states and union territories mistreatment single transferable votes through Open Ballot whereas the President will appoint twelve members for his or her contributions to art, literature, science, and social services.
• The potential commodiousness of the Rajya Sabha is 250 (238 non-appointive, twelve appointed), in keeping with article eighty of the Indian Constitution.

The correct answer is Fedral in nature but unitary in spirit.

Key Points

• Central Government holds all the ability, however, a federal system divides power between national and native types of government.

Additional Information

• The definition of federal is some things concerning a kind of government wherever states acknowledge the facility of a central government whereas still keeping bound state-level governmental powers. Associate in nursing example of federal is that the U.S government.
• A unitary state may be a state ruled as one entity during which the central government is ultimately supreme. Unitary states fill in distinction with federations, conjointly called federal states. A part of the Politics series. Basic varieties of government.
• A few examples among the various parliamentary democracies area unit North American nation, nice kingdom, Italy, Japan, Latvia, European country, and New island. ... in an exceedingly parliamentary system, laws area unit created by a majority vote of the legislative assembly and signed by the pinnacle of state, the World Health Organization doesn't have good veto power.

The correct answer is The president.

Key Points

Mode of Appointment:

• The judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President (which means the cabinet) in consultation with the members of the judiciary itself (ie, judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts).
• This provision curtails the absolute discretion of the executive as well as ensures that the judicial appointments are not based on any political or practical considerations.

Additional Information

Qualifications of Judges

• A person to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court should have the following qualifications:
• He should be a citizen of India.
• He should have been a judge of a High Court (or high courts in succession) for five years; or
• He should have been an advocate of a High Court (or High Courts in succession) for ten years; or
• He should be a distinguished jurist in the opinion of the president.
• From the above, it is clear that the Constitution has not prescribed minimum age for appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court.

Oath or Affirmation

• A person appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court, before entering upon his office, has to make and subscribe an oath or affirmation before the President, or some person appointed by him for this purpose.
• In his oath, a judge of the Supreme Court swears:
• to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India;
• to uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India;
• to duly and faithfully and to the best of his ability, knowledge and judgement perform the duties of the Office without fear or favour, affection or ill-will; and
• to uphold the Constitution and the laws.

The correct answer is The Vice President.

Key Points

• The Vice President of an India is the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha. The House conjointly elects a Deputy Chairman from among its members.

Additional Information

• President, the officer in whom the chief Govt power of a nation is unconditional. The president of a republic is that the head of state.
• The Prime Minister of the Republic of India is the leader of the manager branch of the Govt of India.
• The prime minister is the chief authority to the president of the Asian nation and also the head of the Union Council of Ministers.
• They’ll be a member of any of the 2 homes of the Parliament of India—the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and also the Rajya Sabha (Council of the States); however needs to be a member of the organization or coalition, having a majority within the Lok Sabha.

The correct answer is The Lok Sabha.

Key Points

• There's a Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister to help and advise the President in the exercise of his functions. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, United Nations agency additionally appoints different ministers on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The Council is put together accountable to the Lok Sabha. it's the duty of the Prime Minister to speak to the President all choices of Council of Ministers about the administration of affairs of the Union and proposals for legislation and knowledge about them.

Additional Information

• The president of the Republic of India is that the ceremonial head of state of the Republic of India and also the Commander in chief of the Indian militia. The president is indirectly non-appointive by an associate degree body comprising the Parliament of the Republic of India (both houses).
• The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is that the higher house of the bicameral Parliament of the Republic of India. It presently incorporates the most membership of 245, of that 233 area unit non-appointive by the legislatures of the states and union territories exploitation single transferable votes through Open Ballot whereas the President will appoint twelve members for his or her contributions to art, literature, science, and social services.

The correct answer is 25 years.

Mistake Points

• In this question, the word parliament refers to Lok Sabha

Key Point

Parliament of India:

• The Parliament is the legislative organ of the Union government.
• It occupies a pre-eminent and central position in the Indian democratic political system due to the adoption of the parliamentary form of government, also known as the ‘Westminster’ model of government.
• Articles 79 to 122 in Part V of the Constitution deal with the organization, composition, duration, officers, procedures, privileges, powers and so on of the Parliament.
• The Parliament of India consists of three parts viz, the President, the Council of States and the House of the People.
• Though the President of India is not a member of either House of Parliament and does not sit in the Parliament to attend its meetings, he is an integral part of the Parliament.
• The parliamentary form of government emphasizes the interdependence between the legislative and executive organs.

Important Points

• Article 84 describes the qualification to become a member of the Parliament which consists of the President, the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha.
• Qualification to become a member of either house of the Parliament.
• He must be a citizen of India.
• He must make and subscribe to an oath of confirmation.
• He must not be less than 25 years of the age in case of Lok Sabha and 30 years in the case of Rajya Sabha.
• He must also possess other qualifications as prescribed by the Parliament.

Thus, 25 is the minimum age to become a member of the Indian Parliament.

Additional Information

The correct answer is 65 years.

Key Points

• Supreme Court judges retire at the age of sixty-five. However, there are suggestions from the judges of the Supreme Court of India to supply a set term for the judges together with the jurist of India.

The correct answer is The Cabinet Secretary.

Key Points

• A Cabinet Secretary is typically a senior official (typically a civil servant) UN agency that provides services and recommendations to a cupboard of Ministers as a part of the cupboard workplace.
• In several countries, the position will have significantly wider functions and powers, as well as general responsibility for the complete government officials.

Additional Information

• The Attorney General of India is the highest lawman in the country. he's accountable to help the govt. altogether it's a legal matter. The President appoints the professional General (AG).
• The one who is appointed ought to be qualified to be appointed a decide of the Supreme Court.
• The Home Secretary is the body head of the Ministry of Home Affairs. This post is controlled by a senior IAS officer of the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
• Home Secretary is Ajay Kumar Bhalla. As a Secretary to the Government of India, the house Secretary ranks twenty third on the Indian Order of Precedence.
• The Finance Secretary is the body head of the Ministry of Finance. This post is controlled by a senior IAS officer of the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.

The correct answer is Non-organized sector.

Key Points

• The unorganized sector is the biggest impediment in calculating the National Income India.

Additional Information

• Inflation may be a quantitative live of the speed at that the common index of a basket of designated product Associate in nursing services in an economy will increase over some amount of your time.
• It increases within the general level of costs wherever a unit of currency effectively buys but it did in previous periods.
• The condition within which folks in a very labour area unit used at but regular or regular jobs or at jobs inadequate with relevancy their coaching or economic desires the condition of being part-time.
• A low savings magnitude relation implies that shopper defrayal is also too high and there are also insufficient funds for investment. Within the short run, low savings can increase standards of living, however, within the long-term, an occasional savings magnitude relation can mean that fewer funds area unit offered for investment, and the economic process might suffer.
• 'The unorganized sector consists of all unorganized personal enterprises in hand by people or households engaged within the sale and production of products and services operated on a proprietary or partnership basis and with but 10 total workers'.

The correct answer is NABARD.

Key Points

• The full-service bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) may be a national financial organization in India with a complete record of over US$ forty billion.
• It's the mandate of promoting property agriculture and rural development through innovative, property, and evenhanded agriculture and rural prosperity by providing monetary and technical support.
• Full form of NABARD: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.
• Establishment: 12 July 1982.
• Headquarter: Mumbai.

Additional Information

• The depository financial institution of India (RBI) is that the financial organization of India that formulates, implements and monitors the financial policy. it absolutely was established on Gregorian calendar month one, 1935 in accordance with the provisions of the depository financial institution of Bharat Act, 1934.
• The Imperial Bank of Asian nation (IBI) was one of the oldest and thus the most important full-service bank of the Indian land and was later reworked into the installation financial organization of Asian nation in 1955.
• SBI is that the 43rd largest bank within the world and stratified 236th within the Fortune world five hundred lists of the world's biggest companies of 2019.

The correct answer is 42 Percent.

Key Points

• The Fourteenth Finance Commission of the Asian nation was recognized on 2 January 2013.
• The commission's chairman was a former bank of Asian nation governor Y. V. Reddy. The govt. of the Asian nation on 24 February 2015 accepted the recommendations of the 14th finance commission for increasing the share of states in central taxes to 42 per cent, the single largest increase ever counselled.

The correct answer is Service Sector.

Key Points

• The services sector is not exclusively the dominant sector in India’s price but has to boot attracted very important foreign investment, has contributed significantly to export, and has provided large-scale employment.
• ​India’s services sector covers an outsized kind of activities like trade, building and restaurants, transport, storage and communication, financing, insurance, assets, business services, community, social and personal services, and services associated with construction.

Additional Information

• Construction Sector- The branch of manufacture and trade supported the building, maintaining, and repairing structures. This includes drilling and solid mineral exploration.
• The energy sector or business includes firms concerned with the exploration and development of oil or gas reserves, oil and gas drilling, and refinement. The energy business additionally includes integrated power utility firms like renewable energy and coal.
• Automobile business, the business of manufacturing and merchandising self-powered vehicles, as well as rider cars, trucks, farm instrumentation, and different industrial vehicles.

The correct answer is Urjit Patel.

Note: The current governor is Dr. Y V Reddy, However answer is given according to year in which this question was asked(63rd BPSC Prelims (Held on 1 July 2018) Official paper)

Key Points

• Urjit Ravindra Patel was the Governor of the RBI from September 4, 2016, to December 10, 2018

Confusion Points

• This question was asked in BPSC 2017 and at that time Urjit Ravindra Patel was the Governor of the RBI

Additional Information

• The current Governor of the RBI is Shaktikanta Das. Shaktikanta Das is a retired IAS officer of state Cadre.
• He has been one of the foremost distinguished bureaucrats within the Ministry of Finance.
• In Dec 2018, he was appointed the twenty-fifth Governor of the Federal Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Dr. Bimal Jalan was the Governor of the bank of the Republic of India from November 22, 1997, to September 6, 2003.
• ​Initially appointed as Governor, for a term of 3 years.
• He was nominated as a Rajya Sabha member.
• Raghuram Rajan is that the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service faculty member of Finance at Chicago Booth.
• He was the twenty-third Governor of the RBI between Sep 2013 and Sep 2016.
• Between 2003 and 2006, Dr. Rajan was the Chief social scientist and Director of analysis at the International Monetary fund.
• Arvind Subramanian, the nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International economic science, is a professor at Ashoka University and director of the Ashoka Center for policy.

The correct answer is Less than 1 hectare.

Key Points

• Marginal holdings (Below one hectare) constituted 86.21% of the total land holdings, an increase of 1.2 percentage points compared to 2010-11.

Additional Information

• More than 5 hectares – The size of medium landholding in India.
• 2 hectares to 4 hectares - The size of semi medium landholding in India.
• 1 hectare to 2 hectares - The size of small landholding in India.

The correct answer is Disinvestment of Public Sector Equity.

Key Points

• ​Disinvestment of PSUs forms a part of Capital Account of the Government.

Additional Information

• The national trading policy reforms geared toward the removal of licensing procedures for imports.
• Import licensing was abolished except just in case of dangerous and environmentally sensitive industries.
• FDI permits the transfer of technology—particularly within the variety of new styles of capital inputs—that cannot be achieved through money investments or trade merchandise and services.
• FDI may also promote competition within the domestic input market.
• Once the Government sells a region of its equity of a public enterprise but fifty percent of its total stock.
• It's referred to as simply withdrawal and during this case, management and management of commercialism remain within the hands of the presidency.

The correct answer is 2005.

Key Points

• The Prevention of Laundering Act could also be referred to as the interference of Money- washing (Amendment) Act, 2005.
• It shall acquire force on such date because the Central Government might, by notification within the Official Gazette, appoint and completely different dates could also be appointed for various provisions of this Act.

The correct answer is Trade-Related Investment Measures.

Key Points

• The Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMS) acknowledges that bound investment measures will prohibit and deform trade.
• It states that world organization members might not apply any life that discriminates against foreign merchandise or that ends up in quantitative restrictions, each of that violate basic world organization principles.
• The TRIMS Committee monitors the operation and implementation of the Agreement and permits members the chance to consult on any relevant matters.

The correct answer is 1st January 2015.

Key Points

• The National establishment for the reworking Republic of India, conjointly known as NITI Aayog, was fashioned via a resolution of the Union cupboard on Jan one, 2015.
• NITI Aayog is that the premier policy ‘Think Tank’ of the govt of the Republic of India, providing each directional and policy inputs. Whereas coming up with strategic and long-run policies and programs for the Govt of the Republic of India, NITI Aayog conjointly provides relevant technical recommendations to the Centre and States.
• NITI Aayog Chairperson:  Narendra Modi.
• NITI Aayog Headquarter: New Delhi.

The correct answer is Patna.

Key Points

• ‘Gullak Bachcha Bank’ is a bank based in Patna.
• This bank has been opened with the aim of teaching the youngsters – habit of saving, use of cash, and its proper management.
• This can be a miniature kind of bank known as ‘Gullak’. Its total management is completed by kids.
• For correct operating of this bank, a Committee of kids has been shaped that takes care of the banks operating and management.

The correct answer is 2011 - 12.

Key Points

• Wholesale indicant (WPI) measures the typical amendment within the costs of commodities for bulk sale at the amount of early stage of transactions.
• The index basket of the WPI covers commodities falling underneath the 3 major teams specifically Primary Articles, Fuel, Power, and man-made merchandise.
• The index basket of this 2011-12 series encompasses a total of 697 things as well as 117 things for Primary Articles, sixteen things for Fuel & Power, and 564 things for factory-made merchandise.

The correct answer is Bihar.

Key Points

• Bihar’s attainment rate has witnessed aloft tendency and it absolutely was 61.80 considered per Census 2011.
• The male attainment rate was 71.20  but the feminine attainment was 51.5 %.
• In the year 2001, Bihar’s attainment rate was 47 %, you move out of that the male attainment stood at 59.68 % attempts to feminine attainment at 33.12 %.
• The total variety of literates in the province stood at 52,504,553 out of that the males were 31,608,023 but the females were 20,896,530.

The correct answer is Second lowest.

Key Points

• The average size of landholdings in Bihar in comparison with other States is the second-lowest.
• The average size of landholdings in Kerala is the lowest.
• The average size of landholdings in Nagaland is the highest.

Additional Information

• According to the tenth agricultural census:
• The number of small and marginal agricultural land holdings in the country (known as operational holdings) has registered a marginal increase in 2015-16 compared to 2010-11.
• The total number of land units used for agricultural production has shown a 5% increase in 2015-16 compared to 2010-11.
• Uttar Pradesh is home to the largest number of landholders, constituting 16% of the total number.
• The average size of operational holdings is highest in Nagaland (5 hectares) and lowest in Kerala (0.18 hectares).

The correct answer is Bihar.

Key Points

• The latest per capita income at current prices is the lowest for the Indian State of Bihar
• The latest per capita income at current prices is the highest for the Indian State of Goa.

Additional Information

• The per capita income measures the average income earned per person in a specified year.
• It is calculated by dividing the area’s total income by its total population.
• The per-capita income is a crude indicator of the prosperity of a country.

Important Points

• According to government data on national income, the country's per-capita income is estimated to have risen by 10% to Rs. 10,534 a month during the financial year ended March 2019.
• In 2017-18, the monthly per-capita income had stood at Rs. 9,580.

The correct answer is Lowest.

Key Points

• The latest annual per capita consumption of electricity in Bihar is the lowest.
• It is 85% lower than the average Indian consumption.
• The highest per capita consumption of electricity is in Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Additional Information

• According to data released by the Ministry of Power:
• India’s per capita consumption of electricity is 1,181 kWh.
• In India, the highest per capita consumption in 2018-19 is in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, at 15,179 kWh.
• The Union Territory is followed by the states of Gujarat (2,378), Goa (2,274), Haryana (2,082), and Punjab (2,046).
• The state with the lowest per capita consumption of electricity in Bihar, at 311 kWh, followed by the Northeastern states of Assam (341), Nagaland (356), Manipur (371), and Tripura (514).

Important Points

• Arunachal Pradesh accounts for the highest number of such households at 1,134, followed by Odisha (925), Jharkhand (729), Bihar (596), and Assam (572).

The correct answer is Andhra Pradesh.

Key Points

• The average yield of cotton is the highest in India for the state of Andhra Pradesh.
• The figures for 2017-18 say that Andhra Pradesh tops the list with 686kg/Hectare yield of cotton.

Additional Information

• Cotton is one of the most important cash crops and accounts for around 25% of the total global fiber production.
• In the raw material consumption basket of the Indian textile industry, the proportion of cotton is around 59%.
• A wet and humid climate is the best condition for cotton cultivation.

Important Points

• India is the country to grow all four species of cultivated cotton which are:
• Gossypiumarboreum
• Herbaceum (Asian cotton)
• G.barbadense (Egyptian cotton)
• G. hirsutum (American Upland cotton).
• India got 1st place in the world in cotton acreage with around 126.07 lakh hectares under cotton cultivation

The correct answer is Second lowest.

Key Points

• The road length per lakh of population in Bihar is second lowest.
• Road density is highest for Arunachal Pradesh.
• Jammu & Kashmir has the lowest density of roads.

Additional Information

• The road density, defined as the average road length per 1000 population.
• The rural road density per 1000 population increased from 4.20 km to 4.86 km.
• The urban road density increased from 0.88 km to 0.91 km during this period.

Important Points

• The number of registered motor vehicles per thousand persons increased from 53 in 2001 to 81 in 2006 indicating an improvement in accessibility of means of transport for the people.

The correct answer is None of the above/ More than one of the above.

• The population of the world during 10000BC was approximately 1 million.

Key Points

• The time taken by the earth to reach its 1st billion population was around 50,000 years, duration was around 1830 C.E.
• In the current time, the human population is estimated to have reached 7.6 billion.
• It took only 200 years to reach 7 billion from 1 billion.g this period.

Important Points

• According to ‘The World Population Prospects 2019’ published by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs:
• India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country by 2027.
• Through the end of the century (between 2019 and 2050) India (with an estimated population of 1.37 billion) is expected to remain the world’s most populous country, followed by China, Nigeria, the United States of America, and Pakistan.
• The global population is projected to increase by another 2 billion people by 2050.
• The aging of the world's population will also spike due to increasing life expectancy and falling fertility levels.

The correct answer is Central America and the Pacific Plate.

Key Points

• Cocos plates lie between Central America and the Pacific Plate.
• The worldwide famous Coco Island rested upon it.
• The oceanic plate creates the Island chain.

Additional Information

• Divergence forming Divergent Edge
• In this kind of interaction, the plates diverge (move away from each other).
• Mid-ocean ridges (e.g. Mid-Atlantic Ridge) are formed due to this kind of interaction.
• Convergence forming Convergent Edge
• I​n this kind of interaction, two lithospheric plates collide against each other.
• The zone of collision may undergo crumpling and folding, and folded mountains may emerge (orogenic collision). Himalayan Boundary Fault is one such example.
• Transcurrent Edge or Conservative Edge or Transform Edge
• In this kind of interaction, two plates slide past each other, and there is no creation or destruction of landform but only deformation of the existing landform.
• San Andreas Fault (Silicon Valley lies dangerously close to the faultline) along the western coast of the USA is the best example of a transcurrent edge on continents.

The correct answer is Pittsburg region.

• The Pittsburg region of the USA is associated with the Rust Bowl of the USA.
• Rust bowl is a geographic area of the USA which is known for manufacturing the heartland, of the nation.
• It is also known as the ‘Rust Belt’.

Additional Information

• The Great Lakes also called the Great Lakes of North America, is known for its industry that produces steel, chemicals, and other products.
• The shipping opportunities in the Great Lakes played a critical role in the settlement of the region and the development of the industry.
• California leads the U.S. in agricultural production.
• The state is also home to famous cultural institutions and national parks including Hollywood, Disneyland, Yosemite National Park, Alcatraz, Angel Island, and the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Alabama is nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, after the state bird.
• Alabama is also known as the "Heart of Dixie" and the "Cotton State".
• The state tree is the longleaf pine, and the state flower is the camellia.
• Alabama's capital is Montgomery.

The correct answer is Capability Approach.

Key Points

• The capability approach is associated with Prof. Amartya Sen.
• The capability approach (also referred to as the capabilities approach) is an economic theory conceived in the 1980s as an alternative approach to welfare economics.
• The core focus of the capability approach is on what individuals can do.
• The basic needs approach is one of the major approaches to the measurement of absolute poverty in developing countries.

Additional Information

• The income approach, sometimes referred to as the income capitalization approach, is a type of real estate appraisal method that allows investors to estimate the value of a property based on the income the property generates.
• The basic emphasis of the welfare approach is who gets what, where, and how.
• In other words, it can be said that welfare is the function of the distribution of goods among different groups of people as defined by the area of residence.
• The basic needs approach is one of the major approaches to the measurement of absolute poverty in developing countries.
• It attempts to define the absolute minimum resources necessary for long-term physical well-being, usually in terms of consumption goods.

The correct answer is Santos.

• "Santos" is known as the ‘Coffee Port’ of the world.
• Santos is a port in Brazil which is the world's largest producer of coffee, and the Santos port is one of the busiest ports of Latin America.

Additional Information

• Coffee is cultivated in the hill tracts of South Indian states, with Karnataka accounting for 71%, followed by Kerala with 21% and Tamil Nadu with 5%.
• The coffee plant requires a hot and humid climate with temperatures varying between 15°C and 28 °C and rainfall from 150 to 250 cm.
• Coffee is generally grown under shady trees and dry weather iscrucial only at the time of ripening of the berries.

The correct answer is Arunachal Pradesh.

Key Points

• Largest forest cover in the country in terms of area-Madhya Pradesh (77,414 s km)> Arunachal Pradesh (66,964 s km)>
  

Chhattisgarh (55,547 s km).

• In terms of percentage of forest cover concerning the total geographical area-Lakshadweep with (90.33%)> Mizoram (86.27%)> Andaman and Nicobar Island (81.73%)

Important Points

• According to India State of 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.
• The top five states (UT) in terms of the increase in forest cover: Karnataka>Andhra Pradesh>Kerala>Jammu & Kashmir>Himachal Pradesh.
• Mangrove cover in the country has increased by 1.10% as compared to the previous assessment.