UPSC CAPF Archives

41. In the Mathura School of Art, Buddha’s images are largely carved in

In the Mathura School of Art, Buddha’s images are largely carved in

Dhyana Mudra

Abhaya Mudra

Dharmachakra Mudra

Varada Mudra

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In the Mathura School of Art, Buddha images are significantly characterized by the Abhaya Mudra, especially in the standing postures. This mudra, where the right hand is raised with the palm facing outwards and fingers pointing upwards, symbolizes reassurance, fearlessness, protection, and peace. Early Mathura images often depict the Buddha in this posture and mudra, representing him as a powerful, dynamic figure dispelling fear.

– The Mathura School of Art flourished in and around Mathura from the 1st to 3rd centuries CE.
– It developed indigenous Indian styles, using red sandstone.
– Mathura Buddha images often show Indian facial features, fleshy bodies, and a flowing robe draped over one shoulder.
– The standing Buddha in Abhaya Mudra is a hallmark of the Mathura school.

Other mudras:
– Dhyana Mudra: Hand pose for meditation, typically with hands resting on the lap.
– Dharmachakra Mudra: Gesture of teaching the first sermon, symbolizing the turning of the Wheel of Dharma. Often seen in seated Buddha images.
– Varada Mudra: Gesture of granting boons or charity, with the hand pointing downwards.
While other mudras are present, Abhaya Mudra is notably prominent in the early Mathura standing Buddha images.

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42. Which one of the following pairs of authors and Sanskrit literary work

Which one of the following pairs of authors and Sanskrit literary works is not correctly matched?

Somadeva : Kathasaritsagara

Ashvaghosa : Buddhacharita

Bilhana : Vikramankadevacharita

Kalidasa : Vasavadatta

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The pair Kalidasa : Vasavadatta is not correctly matched. Vasavadatta is a famous Sanskrit romance written by Subandhu (around 6th-7th century CE). Kalidasa was a renowned Sanskrit poet and playwright, generally dated earlier (around 4th-5th century CE), known for works like Abhijnanasakuntalam, Meghaduta, Raghuvamsa, etc.

– Somadeva was an 11th-century CE Kashmiri writer known for Kathasaritsagara (“Ocean of the Streams of Stories”), a large collection of Indian legends, fairy tales, and folk tales.
– Ashvaghosa was a Buddhist philosopher, poet, and playwright of the 1st-2nd century CE. Buddhacharita (“Acts of the Buddha”) is his epic poem recounting the life of Gautama Buddha.
– Bilhana was an 11th-century CE Kashmiri poet. Vikramankadevacharita is his epic poem celebrating the life and achievements of the Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI.
– Kalidasa is widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language of India.

The Vasavadatta by Subandhu is known for its complex prose style and elaborate wordplay. The story revolves around the romance between Prince Kandarpaketu and Princess Vasavadatta.

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43. Madhyamika Karika, the basic text of Madhyamika School, was composed

Madhyamika Karika, the basic text of Madhyamika School, was composed by

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Nagarjuna

Asanga

Vasubandhu

Dharmakirti

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Madhyamika Karika (Mūlamadhyamakakārikā), meaning “Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way,” is the foundational text of the Madhyamika school of Mahayana Buddhism. It was composed by the Indian Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna (c. 150-250 CE), who is considered one of the most important figures in Mahayana philosophy.

– Nagarjuna’s philosophy is based on the concept of shunyata (emptiness), arguing that phenomena are empty of inherent existence (svabhava).
– The Madhyamika school is known as the “Middle Way” because it avoids the extremes of asserting existence or non-existence of phenomena.
– Asanga and Vasubandhu were prominent figures of the Yogacara school of Mahayana Buddhism, which focused on the nature of consciousness.
– Dharmakirti was a major Buddhist philosopher of the 7th century CE, primarily known for his work on Buddhist logic (Pramana).

Nagarjuna is revered as the second Buddha by some Mahayana traditions. His work significantly influenced the development of Buddhist thought in India and subsequent traditions in East Asia and Tibet.

44. Most of the mature Harappan sites in the region of Cholistan had been

Most of the mature Harappan sites in the region of Cholistan had been abandoned during

C. 2250 BCE

C. 2000 BCE

C. 1800 BCE

C. 1700 BCE

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Archaeological evidence from the Cholistan desert region, which contains a large number of Harappan sites, indicates a significant decline and abandonment of most mature Harappan settlements during the Late Harappan phase. Studies place the peak of the Mature Harappan period in Cholistan between 2600 and 1900 BCE, followed by a drastic reduction in sites and a shift towards smaller, less complex settlements. By around 1800 BCE, the mature urban centers in Cholistan were largely abandoned.

– Cholistan is located in Pakistan, south of Punjab and east of Sindh.
– It was a core area of the Mature Harappan civilization.
– The decline of the Harappan civilization varied regionally, but the period from around 1900 BCE onwards is generally considered the Late Harappan phase or Post-Urban Harappan.
– Factors like climatic change, changes in river courses (e.g., the Ghaggar-Hakra river), and potentially other socio-political factors contributed to the decline and abandonment of sites.

The overall decline of the Harappan civilization across its vast extent is a complex process that occurred over several centuries, typically dated from around 1900 BCE to 1300 BCE, with regional variations in timing and nature of decline or transformation. The abandonment of core regions like Cholistan by 1800 BCE is a significant event within this broader process.

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45. In the course of a river, in time, which one of the following features

In the course of a river, in time, which one of the following features is formed when the old meander is closed off by deposition?

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Pothole

Levee

Oxbow lake

Flood plain

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An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake that forms when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. This occurs as erosion and deposition processes narrow the neck of a meander loop. Eventually, during high flow, the river cuts across the neck, and deposition seals off the old meander channel, leaving a crescent-shaped lake.

– Meanders are bends or curves in a river channel.
– Erosion occurs on the outer bend, and deposition occurs on the inner bend.
– This process leads to the migration and accentuation of meanders.
– An oxbow lake is a relict feature of a former meander.

Other river features mentioned:
– Potholes are cylindrical or bowl-shaped depressions drilled into the rocky bed of a river by abrasive action of pebbles and sediment swirled by turbulent water.
– Levees are natural or artificial embankments along the sides of a river channel, especially in its lower course, formed by deposition of sediment during floods.
– A flood plain is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a stream or river that stretches from the bank of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.

46. The speed of the wind is measured by

The speed of the wind is measured by

wind vane

wind rose

barometer

anemometer

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The speed of the wind is measured by an anemometer.

An anemometer is a meteorological instrument used to measure wind speed. Common types include cup anemometers, propeller anemometers, and sonic anemometers.

A wind vane measures wind direction, indicating the direction from which the wind is blowing. A wind rose is a graphical tool used to show the distribution of wind speed and direction at a particular location over a period of time. A barometer is used to measure atmospheric pressure.

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47. In order to find out the absolute location of a place on the map, whic

In order to find out the absolute location of a place on the map, which of the following will be required?

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Latitude of the place alone

Longitude of the place alone

Both latitude and longitude of the place

Neither latitude nor longitude of the place

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To find the absolute location of a place on a map or the Earth’s surface, both its latitude and longitude are required.

Absolute location is defined by a unique set of coordinates within a specific reference system. On Earth, the most common system uses latitude and longitude, which form a grid. Latitude lines run east-west and measure distance north or south of the Equator. Longitude lines run north-south and measure distance east or west of the Prime Meridian.

Latitude alone defines a parallel, which is a line circling the Earth. Longitude alone defines a meridian, which is a line running from pole to pole. Neither line on its own can pinpoint a specific location. The intersection of a specific latitude and a specific longitude provides the unique absolute location of a point on the Earth’s surface.

48. What is the depression at the top of a volcano following a volcanic er

What is the depression at the top of a volcano following a volcanic eruption called?

Chamber

Vent

Cinder

Crater

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The depression at the top of a volcano following a volcanic eruption is called a crater. It is typically a bowl-shaped geological formation.

A volcanic crater is formed by explosive eruptions or collapse around a vent. It is the exit point for volcanic materials like lava, ash, and gases. Craters vary in size and shape.

A vent is the channel through which volcanic material rises to the surface. A magma chamber is a reservoir of molten rock beneath the surface. Cinder refers to porous, volcanic rock fragments (a type of pyroclastic material) ejected during eruptions. A caldera is a much larger depression, often miles wide, formed by the collapse of a volcano into its emptied magma chamber, usually after a very large eruption.

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49. Which one of the following is a pull factor for migration?

Which one of the following is a pull factor for migration?

Natural disaster

High wage

Housing shortage

Low income

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A high wage in a potential destination is a pull factor for migration, as it attracts people seeking better economic opportunities and higher income than what is available in their current location.

Migration is often influenced by a combination of push factors and pull factors. Push factors are negative conditions or circumstances that compel people to leave a place, while pull factors are positive conditions or attractions that draw people to a place.

Natural disasters, housing shortages, and low income in the origin location are all examples of push factors, as they represent unfavorable conditions that might encourage people to leave. Pull factors contrast these by offering desirable conditions such as job availability, better services, higher education, political stability, or attractive climate.

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50. Broadly both birth and death rates are low in which one of the followi

Broadly both birth and death rates are low in which one of the following stages of demographic transition model?

FRGY e

Early expanding stage

Late expanding stage

Low stationary stage

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In the Low Stationary Stage (Stage 4) of the demographic transition model, both birth rates and death rates are low. This results in a very low or zero rate of population growth.

The Demographic Transition Model describes the historical shift from high birth and death rates, found in agrarian societies, to low birth and death rates, found in industrialized societies. It typically involves four (or five) stages. Stage 1 has high birth and death rates. Stages 2 and 3 are characterized by declining death rates followed by declining birth rates, leading to population growth.

The Early Expanding Stage (Stage 2) has high birth rates and falling death rates, leading to rapid population growth. The Late Expanding Stage (Stage 3) has falling birth rates and continuing falling death rates, leading to slower population growth compared to Stage 2. The term “FRGY e” is not a standard stage in the model, likely a typo.

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