Social Studies PYQs

The correct answer is Chhattisgarh.

Key Points

• Bhilai Steel Plant
• It is a major government-operated steel plant, was built in collaboration with the Soviet Union.
• This plant was India's first and main producer of steel rails, also a major producer of wide steel plates and other steel products.
• This plant was built during India’s Second Five-Year Plan (1956–61).
• Bhilai plant is used for manufacturing rails and structural steel.
• The first blast furnace of the plant inaugurated by the president of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, on 4 February 1959.

The correct answer is shale.

Key Points

• Shale Rocks
• Shale is of a group of fine-grained, laminated sedimentary rocks consisting of silt- and clay-sized particles.
• Shale is the most abundant of the sedimentary rocks, accounting for roughly 70 per cent of this rock type in the crust of the Earth.
• Shales are often found with layers of sandstone or limestone.
• They typically form in environments where muds, silts, and other sediments were deposited by gentle transporting currents and became compacted.
• Most shales occur in extensive sheets several metres thick, though some develop in lenticular formations.

Additional Information

• Marble
• Marble is a granular limestone or dolomite that has been recrystallized under the influence of heat, pressure, and aqueous solutions.
• It is made of rock composed of calcium-magnesium carbonate.
• Commercially, it includes all decorative calcium-rich rocks that can be polished, as well as certain serpentines.
• Petrographically marbles are massive rather than thin-layered and consist of a mosaic of calcite grains that rarely show any traces of crystalline form under the microscope.
• They are traversed by minute cracks that accord with the rhombohedral cleavage of calcite.
• Slate Rocks
• A slate is a fine-grained, clayey metamorphic rock that cleaves, or splits, readily into thin slabs having great tensile strength and durability.
• Slate was formed under low-grade metamorphic conditions i.e, under relatively low temperature and pressure.
• True slates do not, as a rule, split along the bedding plane but along planes of cleavage, which may intersect the bedding plane at high angles.
• The original material was a fine clay, sometimes with sand or volcanic dust, usually in the form of sedimentary rock.
• Granite
• • Granite is a coarse- or medium-grained intrusive igneous rock that is rich in quartz and feldspar.
• It is the most common plutonic rock of the Earth’s crust, forming by the cooling of magma at depth.
• Granites, depending on their mineralogy, can be predominantly white, pink, or grey in colour.
• In reference to the coarse-grained structure of such a holocrystalline rock.
• The word “granite” comes from the Latin granum, a grain.
• Strictly speaking, granite is an igneous rock with a volume of between 20% and 60% and at least 35% of the total feldspar consisting of alkali feldspar.

The correct answer is Away from the Sun.

Important Points

• Comets
• Comets are frozen leftovers from the formation of the solar system composed of dust, rock and ices.
• These icy objects, occasionally pushed by gravity into orbits bringing them closer to the Sun, become the so-called short-period comets.
• The astronomer Gerard Kuiper gave a theory in 1951, a disc-like belt of icy bodies exists beyond Neptune, where a population of dark comets orbits the Sun in the realm of Pluto.
• They range from a few miles to tens of miles wide, but as they orbit closer to the sun, they heat up and spew gases and dust into a glowing head that can be larger than a planet.

Key Points

• The dust and gases form a tail that stretches always away from the Sun for millions of miles.
• The tail actually has two parts – the dust tail and the ion tail.
• These can extend for millions of miles.
• The tail of the comet always points away from the sun no matter what the direction the comet travels because the solar wind always blows out from the sun.
• There are likely billions of comets orbiting our Sun in the Kuiper Belt and even more distant Oort Cloud.

The correct answer is Graben.

Key Points

Graben:

• A graben is a piece of Earth’s crust that is shifted downward in comparison to adjacent crust known as “horsts,” which are shifted upward.
• Horst and graben, elongate fault blocks of the Earth’s crust that have been raised and lowered, respectively, relative to their surrounding areas as a direct effect of faulting.
• Horsts and grabens may range in size from blocks a few centimetres wide to tens of kilometres wide, the vertical movement may be up to several thousand feet.

Additional Information

• Anticlinorium
• ​An anticlinorium is a large anticline on which minor folds are superimposed.
• It is a fold that is convex upward.
• Anticlines appear wider on the unmigrated seismic sections beyond their true position and cross through the reflections point.
• It is an example of rocks, which were previously flat, but have been bent into an arch.
• Strike valley:
• Many longitudinal valleys follow the strike of the rock strata or significant geological fault lines.
• Strike and dip is a measurement convention used to describe the orientation, or attitude, of a planar geologic feature.
• A feature's strike is the azimuth of an imagined horizontal line across the plane, and its dip is the angle of inclination measured downward from the horizontal.
• A valley eroded along a belt of weak strata and therefore followed their trend or strike.
• Hogback Ridges
• Hogback is a term in geomorphology applied to a long narrow ridge or series of hills.
• Hogback Narrow, symmetric ridge, underlain and controlled by a resistant bed dipping at some 40° or more.
• They are also favoured by the sheet wash and pediment erosion or semiarid climates.

The correct answer is Gobi.

Key Points 

Gobi Desert

• The Gobi is a great desert and semidesert region of Central Asia.
• In Mongolian gobi, means a waterless place.
• This desert stretches across huge portions of both Mongolia and China.
• The Gobi occupies a vast arc of land 1,600 km long and 500 to 1,000 km wide, with an estimated area of 1,300,000 square km.

Additional Information

• Atacama Desert
• The Atacama Desert is situated in a cool, arid region.
• It is in northern Chile.
• The length of this desert is 1,000 to 1,100 km long from north to south.
• It lies mainly between the south end of the Loa River and the mountains separating the Salado-Copiapó drainage basins
• Along Chile’s northeastern frontier with Argentina and Bolivia extends the Atacama Plateau, which reaches elevations of 4,000 metres.
• Kalahari Desert
• The Kalahari Desert, a large basin-like plain of the interior plateau of Southern Africa.
• It occupies almost all of Botswana, the eastern third of Namibia, and the northernmost part of Northern Cape province in South Africa.
• Its area has been estimated at some 930,000 square kilometres.
• It is everywhere is 900 metres or more above sea level.
• Arabian Desert
• The Arabian Desert, great desert region of extreme southwestern Asia that occupies almost the entire Arabian Peninsula.
• It is the largest desert area on the continent covering an area of about 2,300,000 square km.
• It is the second-largest desert on Earth, surpassed in size only by the Sahara.

The correct answer is Part III.

Important Points

• Fundamental Rights- The Constitution offers all citizens, individually and collectively, some basic freedoms.
• Article 12 to 35 contained in Part III of the Constitution deal with Fundamental Rights.
• These are guaranteed in the Constitution in the form of six categories of Fundamental Rights.​

Key Points

Additional Information

• Part I-  Union and its Territory
• Part II-  Citizenship
• Part IV- Directive Principles of State Policy

The correct answer is the 73^rd Amendment.

Important Points

• The Constitution (73^rd Amendment) Act, 1992 has added a new part IX consisting of the 11^th Schedule to the Constitution.
• The 73^rd Amendment envisages the Gram Sabha as the foundation of the Panchayati Raj System to perform functions and powers entrusted to it by the State Legislatures.
• The amendment provides for a three-tier Panchayat Raj System at the village, intermediate, and district levels.
• Empowerment of Gram Sabha means strengthening of the Panchayat Raj Institution.

Additional Information

• 42^nd Amendment (1976)- Added three new words (socialist, secular, and integrity) in the Preamble.
• It is known as ‘Mini-Constitution’.
• Added Fundamental Duties by the citizens (new Part IV A).
• Made the president bound by the advice of the cabinet.
• Made the constitutional amendments beyond judicial scrutiny.
• Raised the tenure of Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies from 5 to 6 years.
• 44^th Amendment (1978)- Restored the original term of the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies (5years).
• Replaced the term ‘internal disturbance’ with ‘armed rebellion’ in respect of national emergency.
• Deleted the right to property from the list of Fundamental Rights and made it only a legal right.
• 86^th Amendment (2002)- Made elementary education a fundamental right. 
• ​The newly-added Article 21-A declares that the State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years in such manner as the state may determine.

The correct answer is Hague.

Important Points

• International Court of Justice- It is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN).
• It was established in June 1945.
• Office- Hague, Netherlands.
• Of the six principal organs of the United Nations, it is the only one not located in New York (USA).
• The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.
• Its official languages are English and French.
• The Court is composed of 15 judges, who are elected for terms of office of nine years by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council.

Additional Information

The correct answer is The Concurrent List.

Key Points

• The Constitution of India has provided for a division of powers between the Central and state governments.
• Under the Seventh Schedule, there are three lists – the Union, State, and Concurrent.
• The Concurrent List includes subjects that give powers to both the Centre and state governments.
• Subjects like Education including technical education, medical education and universities, population control and family planning, criminal law, prevention of cruelty to animals, protection of wildlife and animals, forests, etc.

Additional Information

• The State List: The State List lists subjects under which the legislature of a State may make laws. Public order, police, public health, and sanitation; hospitals and dispensaries, betting, and gambling are some of the subjects that come under the state.
• The Union List: The Union List has a range of subjects under which the Parliament may make laws. This includes defence, foreign affairs, railways, banking.

The correct answer is Article 51.

Key Points

• The subject of International Relations in the Constituent Assembly was addressed with deliberations on Article 51 under Directive Principles. This article provides that States shall endeavour to:
• Promote international peace and security
• Maintain just and honourable relations betw.een nations.
• Foster respect for international law and treaty obligations in the dealings of organized peoples with one another.
• Encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration.

Additional Information

• **Article 48:**The State shall endeavour to organize agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter, of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle
• Article 49: It shall be the obligation of the State to protect every monument or place or object of artistic or historic interest, [declared by or under law made by Parliament]to be of national importance, from spoliation, disfigurement, destruction, removal, disposal or export, as the case may be.
• Article 50: The State shall take steps to separate the judiciary from the executive in the public services of the State.

The correct answer is increase of temperature with height.

Important Points

• Temperature Inversion- It is a reversal of the normal behaviour of temperature in the troposphere,
• ​In which a layer of cool air at the surface is overlain by a layer of warmer air.
• In the normal condition, air temperature decreases with height but under the Temperature inversion, temperature starts increasing with height rather than decreasing.

Additional Information

• The temperature usually decreases with an increase in height in the troposphere at a rate of 1 degree for every 165 metre.

The correct answer is Govind Ballabha Pant Sagar.

Important Points

• The reservoir of the Rihand Dam is called Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar.
• It is the largest dam in India by volume.
• The dam was constructed on the River Rihand (Tributary of the Son River)
• It is located near Pipari village in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.

Additional Information 

The correct answer is Himachal Pradesh.

Important Points

• The Shipki La Pass is located in the Himalayan Range in the state of Himachal Pradesh (Kinnaur).
• It is a Second Border post-trade with Tibet (China) after Nathu La.
• Sutlej River enters India (from Tibet) near this pass.

Additional Information

• Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh: Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
• Governor of Himachal Pradesh: Shri  Shiv Pratap Shukla
• Fruit: Apple.
• Tree: Deodar cedar.
• Motto: Satyameva Jayate.
• Bird: Western tragopan.

The correct answer is teaching methods.

Key Points

• Teacher performance is indeed the most important factor in the field of education.
• Teaching methods
• It is important that the teachers need to know different methods so that he/she can choose the one that makes teaching more comfortable and the learning process easier for the pupils.
• It should be noted that although educational objectives are necessary, yet, those objectives can't be executed unless teaching method is known to the teacher. Consider a scenario where a social science teacher applies those methods which are more useful at primary level. In that case, knowing educational objectives will be of no use.
• Important for ideal outcomes in the learning process.
• Pupils should be given room to contribute as well, as this aids/facilitates better learning.
• Every good teacher must be flexible and always seek new ways to communicate with the pupils irrespective of culture, religion, etc.

Additional Information

• Subject knowledge plays an important role because high-quality teaching depends on the teacher's understanding of the subject they are teaching. 
• It helps the teachers to sequence the concepts, develop factual knowledge necessary to each subject, and guiding their students into the different ways of knowing that subject.
• ​Educational objectives state what the student will learn and be able to accomplish by the end of instruction.
• It describes specific behavior that will lead to the desired goal. It is specific and measurable.
• Teaching technology involves the mechanism of the instructional process in the classroom situation, levels of teaching, theories of teaching, principal teaching operations, and establishing relations between theories and teaching operations.
• Teaching technology as a concept can be classified into four well-defined components and are manpower, methods, materials, and media.
• It implies making use of a few devices such as programmed learning, team teaching, micro-teaching, personalized system of instruction, etc as materials, it comprises instructional materials, comprising programmed textbooks, manuals, guides, text, and other written/printed materials, which expose the learner to the contents of these sources of materials.
• To conclude, the teacher of Social Studies should have knowledge of the subject matter as well as the teaching methods.

Geography concerns the study of people and places. It involves the study of humans and how they adjust to their environment. Thus, this subject deals with an in-depth study of the way human beings relate to their environment as well as how they make use of it. At the school level, therefore, students learn about the man and his environment of which encompasses a mass of information.

Teaching Materials:  

• These are the supplementary materials, which help the teacher to make his/her presentation concrete, effective, interesting, meaningful, and inspirational.
• plays a vital role as they provide sensory experiences to the learners.
• The primary aim of teaching materials is to provide the teachers with the layout of the course for teaching in the classroom.

 

It is difficult to make understand the geographical concepts with the help of mere verbal description but it is easier to understand than through the media of teaching materials. 

Some of the teaching materials are as follows:

• Maps:
• Maps are useful tools in the teaching and learning of Geography.
• They are required in the study of most topics including position, relief, climate, natural vegetation, minerals, population distribution, towns, industries, and communications.
• These maps give a realistic picture of the subject matter to the students as they also give a proper explanation of geographical facts and geographical factors.
• The educational value of maps in the Geography room is that it makes the subject interesting and attractive as well as it facilitates the teachers.
• Flashcards: These are often used as a learning drill to aid memorization. Moreover, it appeals to visual learners and can be used to stimulate kinaesthetic learners too. They are a great way to introduce learners to new vocabulary. Teachers can use them in the classroom to practice and revise vocabulary. These are a set of cards on which are items are written to be studied.
• Calendar: It shows the dates, days, and months of one year. This can be used for primary school learners. It is used to teach time.
• Barometer: It is an instrument used to measure air pressure. Hence, it can be used to teach the concept of air pressure.

Therefore, Maps are the most useful teaching material for Geography.

The correct answer is Panini.

• Ashtadhyayi was written by  Indian grammarian Panini during the 6^th to 5^th century BCE.

Key Points

• Ashtadhyayi sets the work standard for the Sanskrit language.
• It sums up in 4,000 sutras that had evolved in the Vedic religion.
• Panini divided his work into eight chapters, each of which is further divided into quarter chapters. Beyond defining the morphology and syntax of Sanskrit language, Ashtadhyayi distinguishes between usage in the spoken language and usage that is proper to the language of the sacred texts.

Additional Information

• Vedavyasa: He is the author of Mahabharata.
• Shukadeva: He is the main narrator of Bhagavata Purana.
• Valmiki: He is the author of the epic Ramayana.

The correct answer is Kalasoka.

Key Points

• Kalasoka convened the second Buddhist Council in Vaishali (383 BC).
• Results of Council- Schism into Sthavira-Vadins and Mahasanghikas.

 

The correct answer is Fatehpur Sikri.

Important Points

The Ibadat Khana (House of Worship)

• It was a meeting house built in 1575 CE by the Mughal Emperor Akbar (1556–1605) at Fatehpur Sikri.
• It was built to gather spiritual leaders of different religious grounds so as to conduct a discussion on the teachings of the respective religious leaders.
• Akbar built a call of prayer in his eagerness to learn about different religions.
• Akbar invited selected mystics, intellectuals, and theologians, and held discussions on religious and spiritual themes.
• He invited scholars belonging to various religions such as Hinduism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and even atheists.
• He conducted religious debates with these people.
• They visited Ibadat Khana and discussed their religious belief with Akbar.

The correct answer is 1875.

Key Points

• Arya Samaj was founded in 1875 by Dayananda Sarasvati.
• His aim was to reestablish the Vedas, the earliest Hindu scriptures, as revealed truth.
• He rejected all later accretions to the Vedas as degenerate but, in his own interpretation, included much post-Vedic thought.
• The Arya Samaj opposes worship of murtis (images), animal sacrifice, shraddha (rituals on behalf of ancestors), basing caste upon birth rather than upon merit, untouchability, child marriage, pilgrimages, priestly craft, and temple offerings.​
• The first meeting establishing the Arya Samaj was held in Bombay (now Mumbai) on April 10, 1875.

Additional Information

• Mool Shankar was the real name of Dayananda Sarasvati.
• Virajanand Dandeesha was the guru of  Dayananda Saraswati.
• Satyarth Prakash was written by him in 1875.

The correct answer is Surya Sen.

Key Points

• Kakori Conspiracy was an armed robbery on August 9, 1925, of a train in Uttar Pradesh state, north-central India.
• Onboard, the train was money that had been collected from various railway stations en route and that was to be deposited at Lucknow.
• Ramprasad Bismil led a band of 10 revolutionary activists who stopped the train.
• This robbery was carried out by 10 revolutionaries including Hindustan Republican Association's revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaq Ullah Khan, Rajendra Lahiri, Keshav Chakraborty, Mukundi Lal, Banwari Lal.
• The objectives of the Kakori Kand/Conspiracy were to:
• Gain funds for the HRA by taking money from the British Administration through force.
• Create a positive image of the HRA among Indians by attacking a high-profile British government target with minimum collateral damage.

Thus, we can say that Surya Sen was not associated with the kakori case.

Additional Information

• Ramprasad Bismil was hanged in Gorakhpur, Ashfaqullah Khan in Faizabad, Rajindernath Lahiri in Gonda, and Roshan Singh in Allahabad.