UPSC CDS-2 Archives

41. Which one of the following is the highest altitude zoo in the world?

Which one of the following is the highest altitude zoo in the world?

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Pandit G. B. Pant High Altitude Zoo

Himalayan Zoological Park, Gangtok

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park

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The correct answer is Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park.

The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India, is recognized as the highest altitude zoo in India and among the highest in the world. Situated at an average altitude of 2,134 metres (7,000 feet), it specializes in the conservation of Himalayan fauna.

Other high-altitude zoos include the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, USA, and Pandit G. B. Pant High Altitude Zoo in Nainital, India. While these are also at significant altitudes, the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park is widely cited as having the highest altitude among well-known zoos focused on conservation and public exhibition.

42. Who among the following was defeated by Chile to won the Copa America

Who among the following was defeated by Chile to won the Copa America Football Championship, 2016?

Colombia

Argentina

Ecuador

Peru

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Chile defeated Argentina to win the Copa America Football Championship in 2016.

The Copa America Centenario was a special edition tournament held in the United States in 2016 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of CONMEBOL and the Copa America. The final was contested between Argentina and Chile at MetLife Stadium. Chile won the match 4-2 on penalties after the game ended 0-0 in regulation and extra time. This was the second consecutive Copa America final won by Chile against Argentina on penalties (the first being in 2015).

Lionel Messi famously missed his penalty in the shootout and briefly announced his retirement from international football after this match, though he later reversed his decision.

43. Rakshasa type of marriage is

Rakshasa type of marriage is

marriage by purchase

marriage by capture

marriage by giving dowry

marriage by seduction

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Rakshasa type of marriage is marriage by capture.

Ancient Hindu texts like the Manusmriti describe eight types of marriage. These are Brahma, Daiva, Arsha, Prajapatya (considered approved forms), and Gandharva, Asura, Rakshasa, Paishacha (considered unapproved or inferior forms). Rakshasa marriage is defined as the forcible abduction of a maiden from her home after slaying or wounding her relatives.

The eight types of marriage represent different ways alliances were formed, reflecting varying social customs and degrees of acceptability based on consent, intent, and method.

44. The epic, Silappadikaram refers to the

The epic, Silappadikaram refers to the

story of Rama

Jaina elements in the storyline

culture of Sri Lankan Buddhists

cult of Shakti worship

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The epic Silappadikaram refers to the Jaina elements in the storyline.

Silappadikaram is one of the five great Tamil epics. Its author, Ilango Adigal, is traditionally identified as a Jain ascetic. The epic incorporates various religious traditions prevalent in ancient Tamilakam, including Jainism, Buddhism, and different forms of Hindu worship, but the author’s background and the narrative often reflect Jain philosophical perspectives and values, particularly regarding karma and asceticism. The central character, Kannagi, ultimately attains moksha, a concept understood within the religious context depicted, including Jainism.

While the epic depicts various religious practices and deities (like Shiva, Vishnu, Korravai), the philosophical and ethical underpinnings, as well as the author’s tradition, strongly link it to Jainism. The story follows Kovalan and Kannagi, a merchant couple, and highlights themes of justice, karma, and asceticism.

45. Which one of the following was the earlier name of Tokyo?

Which one of the following was the earlier name of Tokyo?

Osaka

Kyoto

Samurai

Edo

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The earlier name of Tokyo was Edo.

Edo was a small fishing village that grew into a major city under the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1867), serving as the seat of the shogunal government. In 1868, with the Meiji Restoration, the Emperor moved from Kyoto to Edo, and the city was renamed Tokyo (東京), meaning “Eastern Capital”.

Kyoto (formerly Heian-kyō) had been the imperial capital of Japan for over a thousand years before the capital was moved to Tokyo.

46. The ‘four great needs’ of the people as identified by the Guomindang

The ‘four great needs’ of the people as identified by the Guomindang were

clothing, food, housing and transportation

education, food, housing and health care

food, housing, education and employment

employment, housing, education and health care

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The ‘four great needs’ of the people as identified by the Guomindang, based on Sun Yat-sen’s Principle of Livelihood (Minsheng), were typically understood as clothing, food, housing, and transportation.

Sun Yat-sen’s Three Principles of the People are Nationalism, Democracy, and Livelihood. The Principle of Livelihood focused on the people’s welfare and material needs. Sun Yat-sen himself elaborated on this principle, discussing basic necessities. The common articulation of the “four great needs” derived from this principle includes the fundamental material requirements for living: Yi (衣 – Clothing), Shi (食 – Food), Zhu (住 – Housing), and Xing (行 – Transportation).

The Principle of Livelihood also encompassed broader aspects like land distribution and control of capital, aiming for equitable distribution of wealth and resources.

47. The ‘water frame’ of Richard Arkwright was a device for

The ‘water frame’ of Richard Arkwright was a device for

producing a new type of painting

irrigating fields for rice cultivation

producing strong threads of yarn

the faster movement of steamships

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The ‘water frame’ invented by Richard Arkwright was a device for producing strong threads of yarn, revolutionizing textile manufacturing.

Richard Arkwright’s water frame, patented in 1769, was a spinning machine powered by a water wheel. It drew cotton rovings through rollers and twisted them as they were drawn, producing a much stronger and harder thread (warp) than the earlier Spinning Jenny. This invention allowed for the production of pure cotton fabric for the first time and led to the development of factories located near water sources.

The water frame was a key invention of the Industrial Revolution, transforming cotton spinning from a cottage industry into factory-based production.

48. The term Upari refers to which one of the following?

The term Upari refers to which one of the following?

A category of proprietary tenure under the Mughal rule

A category of tenancy tenure under the Maratha rule

A soldier in the Maratha army

A village headman in the Mughal period

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The term ‘Upari’ refers to a category of tenancy tenure under the Maratha rule.

Under the Maratha revenue system, there were primarily two types of cultivators: Mirasidars and Uparis. Mirasidars were hereditary occupants or proprietors of land, holding permanent rights. Uparis were temporary tenants, often tenants-at-will or cultivating land in villages other than their own, and their rights were not hereditary or permanent. They were often brought in to cultivate vacant or fallow lands.

The distinction between Mirasidars and Uparis was significant in terms of social status, rights to land, and vulnerability to eviction or changes in revenue demands.

49. Why are the Gypsies regarded as of Indian origin? 1. They follow Ind

Why are the Gypsies regarded as of Indian origin?

1. They follow Indian religious practices.
2. Their language, called Romani, is an Indo-Aryan language.
3. They believe that they came from India.
4. Epigraphic evidence locates their original home in Uttar Pradesh.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 and 4 only

2 only

1, 2 and 4

2 and 3

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The primary and most conclusive evidence for the Indian origin of the Gypsies (Roma people) is linguistic. Their language, Romani, is demonstrably an Indo-Aryan language closely related to languages spoken in North India.

Statement 2 is true. Linguistic analysis shows that Romani shares a common ancestor with languages like Hindi, Punjabi, etc., and contains vocabulary and grammatical structures indicating its origin from North India. Statement 1 is generally false; Roma people have adopted the religions of their host countries and do not typically follow traditional Indian religious practices in their diaspora. Statement 3 is partially true for some communities but not a universal belief and is not the primary scholarly evidence. Statement 4 is false; there is no known significant epigraphic evidence locating their origin in Uttar Pradesh; the evidence is primarily linguistic and genetic.

Genetic studies also support the Indian origin of the Roma people, showing genetic links to populations in the Indian subcontinent. The migration from India is believed to have occurred in waves, possibly starting around the 5th-10th centuries CE.

50. Which of the following statements about the Deccan Riots of 1875 is/ar

Which of the following statements about the Deccan Riots of 1875 is/are true?

1. The Deccan Riots resulted in protection for peasants through the Deccan Agriculturists Relief Act of 1879.
2. The riots did not spread to the whole of Maharashtra because of prompt suppression by the British.
3. The British were unable to contain the riots and they spread throughout Maharashtra.
4. The cotton boom in the Deccan that had been caused by the artificial demand generated by the American Civil War caused the impoverishment of the peasants.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 only

1 and 3

2 and 4 only

1, 2 and 4

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Statements 1, 2, and 4 are true. Statement 3 is false as the riots were contained and did not spread throughout the entire Maharashtra region.

The Deccan Riots of 1875 were peasant uprisings in the Deccan region of Maharashtra against moneylenders, primarily due to agrarian distress. The riots were triggered by factors including high land revenue demands, economic depression following the end of the American Civil War (which had caused an artificial cotton boom), and exploitative practices of moneylenders who often took advantage of peasants’ indebtedness to seize their land. The riots prompted the British government to appoint a commission and subsequently pass the Deccan Agriculturists Relief Act of 1879, which provided some legal protection to peasants against debt and land alienation. The riots were largely concentrated in specific districts and were suppressed by the British authorities, preventing them from spreading across the entire region.

The American Civil War (1861-1865) led to a disruption of cotton supply from the US to Britain, boosting Indian cotton exports and prices. This led to increased cultivation and borrowing by peasants in the Deccan. When the war ended, cotton prices crashed, leaving peasants burdened with debt and facing high revenue demands, which contributed significantly to their impoverishment and the outbreak of the riots.