UPSC CAPF Archives

41. The prevalence of grain in Harappan sites indicated that

The prevalence of grain in Harappan sites indicated that

Harappans ploughed their fields

Harappans broadcast seed on their fields

agriculture was prevalent in Harappan sites

trade in bulk items like food grains was well-established in Harappan times

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The correct answer is C. The prevalence of various types of grain (wheat, barley, rice, millet, pulses, etc.) found at numerous Harappan sites is direct evidence that agriculture was a major economic activity in the Harappan civilization.

– Archaeological excavations at Harappan sites have unearthed large quantities of domesticated plant remains, primarily grains.
– Granaries have been found at major sites like Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, suggesting surplus production and storage of grains.
– Evidence like terracotta plough models and ploughed fields at Kalibangan further supports the practice of agriculture.

While options A and B relate to agricultural practices (ploughing, broadcasting seeds), the mere *prevalence* of grain directly confirms that agriculture itself was widespread (C). While trade in grains likely occurred (D), the abundance of grains at sites points to local production as the primary reason for their prevalence, making agriculture a key feature of the economy.

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42. Which one among the following inscriptions was installed in the easter

Which one among the following inscriptions was installed in the easternmost part of Ashoka’s territory?

Barabar hill cave inscription

Dhauli major rock edicts

Sahasram minor rock edicts

Lauriya Araraj pillar edicts

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The correct answer is B. The Dhauli major rock edicts are located in Odisha (near Bhubaneswar), which was part of the ancient kingdom of Kalinga. Ashoka conquered Kalinga in a bloody war, and subsequently issued the Dhauli edicts, including the special Kalinga Edicts, which are located in the eastern part of his vast empire.

– Ashoka’s inscriptions are spread across modern-day India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
– Barabar hill caves (Bihar), Sahasram (Bihar), and Lauriya Araraj (Bihar) are located in the region of Magadha and its vicinity.
– Odisha is located to the east of Bihar. The conquest of Kalinga was a pivotal event in Ashoka’s life, leading to his adoption of Dhamma.
– Dhauli was the site of a major rock edict. Another major rock edict site in Kalinga is Jaugada, also in Odisha.

The special Kalinga Edicts found at Dhauli and Jaugada replaced Edicts 11, 12, and 13 from the standard set of 14 Major Rock Edicts, reflecting Ashoka’s specific message of reconciliation and welfare for the newly conquered Kalinga people. These sites are indeed among the easternmost locations of Ashoka’s major rock inscriptions within the core empire.

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43. Who among the following is the author of ‘Ashtadhyayi’, the Sanskrit

Who among the following is the author of ‘Ashtadhyayi’, the Sanskrit grammar?

Patanjali

Panini

Kalidasa

Banabhatta

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The correct answer is B. ‘Ashtadhyayi’, the foundational work on Sanskrit grammar, was written by Panini.

– Panini was an ancient Sanskrit philologist, grammarian, and a revered scholar in ancient India.
– His ‘Ashtadhyayi’ (meaning “Eight Chapters”) is a comprehensive and scientific treatise on the Sanskrit language, formulating its grammar in 3,959 sutras or aphorisms.
– It laid down the rules for Sanskrit grammar, phonetics, and morphology, and is considered one of the greatest linguistic works of all time.

Patanjali is known for his Mahabhasya, a commentary on Panini’s Ashtadhyayi and Katyayana’s Varttikas. Kalidasa was a famous poet and dramatist, while Banabhatta was a celebrated prose writer and court poet of King Harsha.

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44. Various causes have been suggested for the decline of Harappan culture

Various causes have been suggested for the decline of Harappan culture. Consider the causes mentioned below and identify the weakest of them.

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Due to constant incidents of naturally occurring floods

Due to increase in the salinity of the soil, fertility decreased there

Earthquakes caused changes in the course of the Indus, which led to inundation

The Aryans invaded and destroyed the Harappan culture

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The correct answer is D. The theory that the Aryans invaded and destroyed the Harappan culture is now widely considered the weakest explanation among scholars regarding the decline of the Harappan civilization.

– Various theories have been proposed for the decline of the Harappan civilization, including environmental factors like floods, changes in river courses, increased aridity, soil salinity, and internal factors like decline in trade or administrative collapse.
– The “Aryan Invasion Theory,” popularized by Mortimer Wheeler, suggested a violent end to the civilization by invading Aryans.
– Modern archaeological research has found little evidence of large-scale violence or invasion across the entire Harappan area at the time of decline. Evidence points more towards a gradual decline and abandonment of many sites due to complex factors.

Current scholarship favors a multi-causal explanation for the decline, emphasizing environmental changes (like the drying up of the Ghaggar-Hakra river system), ecological stress, and possibly internal socio-economic factors, rather than a single catastrophic event like an invasion.

45. Mahatma Gandhi’s opposition to separate electorates for untouchables w

Mahatma Gandhi’s opposition to separate electorates for untouchables was because

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separate electorates would ensure them bondage in perpetuity

of the apprehension of offending the conservative high caste Hindus

it would weaken Mahatma Gandhi's position as a leader

None of the above

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The correct answer is A. Mahatma Gandhi opposed separate electorates for untouchables because he believed it would permanently segregate them from the rest of the Hindu community, thereby perpetuating their untouchable status and preventing their social integration.

– The issue arose with the British Communal Award of 1932, which proposed separate electorates for the Depressed Classes (untouchables).
– Gandhi saw this as a political tactic to divide Hindus and feared it would institutionalize the social separation of untouchables.
– He undertook a fast unto death against separate electorates, which led to the Poona Pact (1932) between Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar.
– The Poona Pact replaced separate electorates with reserved seats for Depressed Classes within the general electorate.

Gandhi’s primary concern was the social and religious unity of Hinduism and the upliftment of the Depressed Classes (whom he called Harijans) within the existing social framework, rather than through political separation. Ambedkar, while initially favouring separate electorates for political empowerment, agreed to the Poona Pact under pressure from Gandhi’s fast.

46. Which one among the following is the major occupation in equatorial

Which one among the following is the major occupation in equatorial region?

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Growing of tropical crops

Growing of cereals

Growing of citrus fruits

Animal rearing

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The correct answer is A. The equatorial region is characterized by a hot and wet climate throughout the year, which is ideal for the cultivation of various tropical crops.

– The climate of the equatorial region (lying roughly between 5° North and 5° South latitude) is characterized by high temperatures, high humidity, and heavy rainfall.
– This climate supports dense tropical rainforests and is suitable for growing crops like rubber, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, spices, bananas, etc.
– Plantation agriculture, focused on these tropical crops, is a significant economic activity in many equatorial regions.

While other activities may exist locally, the cultivation of tropical crops is the most widespread and defining major agricultural occupation across the equatorial belt compared to cereal farming (more common in temperate zones), citrus fruit farming (more sub-tropical/tropical), or animal rearing (highly variable and often limited by disease in dense rainforest environments).

47. The Wallace’s Line distinguishes or separates the flora and fauna

The Wallace’s Line distinguishes or separates the flora and fauna between

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Canada and USA

Taiga region and Tundra region

Mexico and Central America

South-East Asia and Australasia

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The correct answer is D. Wallace’s Line is a faunal boundary line that separates the ecozones of Asia and Wallacea, a transitional zone between Asia and Australia. It effectively distinguishes or separates the flora and fauna between South-East Asia and Australasia.

– Wallace’s Line was proposed by Alfred Russel Wallace based on his observations of dramatic differences in animal distribution across the Malay Archipelago.
– West of the line, species are largely of Asian origin (e.g., tigers, rhinos, monkeys).
– East of the line, species are largely of Australian origin (e.g., marsupials, cockatoos).
– The line runs through Indonesia, between Borneo and Sulawesi, and between Bali and Lombok.

Wallace’s Line is thought to reflect a deep ocean trench that acted as a barrier to migration even during lower sea levels in glacial periods. This prevented many species from crossing between the Asian and Australian continental shelves.

48. Which one among the following ocean currents mixes with Labrador

Which one among the following ocean currents mixes with Labrador current?

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Canaries current

Benguela current

Florida current

California current

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The correct answer is C. The Labrador Current, a cold current, mixes with the warm waters originating from the Gulf Stream system, which includes the Florida Current.

– The Labrador Current flows from the Arctic Ocean southward along the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland.
– It meets the Gulf Stream system off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.
– The Gulf Stream is a powerful warm ocean current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea northward into the Atlantic Ocean. The Florida Current is a component of the Gulf Stream, flowing through the Florida Straits.

The mixing of the cold Labrador Current and the warm Gulf Stream waters creates the fog commonly found on the Grand Banks and is also a significant area for marine life and fishing. Other options like the Canaries Current (off NW Africa), Benguela Current (off SW Africa), and California Current (off West USA) are in different ocean basins or flow regimes.

49. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code

Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists :

List-I (Continent)	List-II (Desert)
A. Asia	1. Atacama
B. Africa	2. Mojave
C. North America	3. Kalahari
D. South America	4. Gobi

Code :

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A-4 B-2 C-3 D-1

A-1 B-3 C-2 D-4

A-4 B-3 C-2 D-1

A-1 B-2 C-3 D-4

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The correct answer is C. This option correctly matches the continents with the specified deserts.

– Asia is home to the Gobi Desert.
– Africa contains the Kalahari Desert.
– North America includes the Mojave Desert.
– South America features the Atacama Desert.

The Gobi Desert is a cold desert located in China and Mongolia. The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in Southern Africa. The Mojave Desert is a desert in the southwestern United States. The Atacama Desert is a desert plateau in South America, known as the driest non-polar desert in the world.

50. The place located at the confluence of Alakananda and Pindar rivers is

The place located at the confluence of Alakananda and Pindar rivers is

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Rudraprayag

Karnaprayag

Devaprayag

Vishnupravag

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The place located at the confluence of Alakananda and Pindar rivers is Karnaprayag.

The Alakananda river is one of the two main headstreams of the Ganga river. It originates from the Satopanth and Bhagirathi Kharak glaciers. Various rivers join the Alakananda at specific locations called ‘Prayags’ (confluences), which are considered sacred in Hinduism.
– Vishnuprayag: Alakananda + Dhauliganga
– Nandaprayag: Alakananda + Nandakini
– Karnaprayag: Alakananda + Pindar
– Rudraprayag: Alakananda + Mandakini
– Devaprayag: Alakananda + Bhagirathi (This confluence forms the main Ganga river)

These five confluences along the Alakananda are collectively known as the ‘Panch Prayag’ and are important pilgrimage sites in Uttarakhand. The Pindar river originates from the Pindari Glacier in the Kumaon region.