UPSC NDA-1 Archives

11. Harappan crafts display an amazing degree of standardization. Accordin

Harappan crafts display an amazing degree of standardization. According to Kenoyer, what was the possible reason for such an achievement ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Availability of raw materials at local level” option2=”Centralized markets for crafts” option3=”Specialized training centres for craftsmen” option4=”State control” correct=”option4″]

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The correct answer is D) State control. According to archaeologist Jonathan Mark Kenoyer and other scholars, the remarkable degree of standardization observed in Harappan crafts (such as weights, measures, bricks, and certain pottery and bead types) suggests a high level of centralized organization, often interpreted as a form of ‘state control’ or central authority regulating production and trade.

– Standardization in Harappan crafts is seen across vast geographical distances, indicating a unified system of production and quality control.
– While availability of raw materials, markets, and training centres are factors in craft production, they don’t fully explain the widespread uniformity.
– A central authority (interpreted as state control in archaeological terms, though the nature of Harappan governance is debated) would be necessary to enforce such uniform standards across a large empire.

Evidence for this standardization includes the consistent ratio of brick sizes (typically 1:2:4), standardized weights following a specific binary and decimal system, and uniformity in seals and certain artifact types. This organization facilitated long-distance trade and internal exchange within the civilization. Kenoyer’s research, particularly on crafts like bead-making and seal production, supports the idea of highly organized systems, likely involving a central authority.

12. The Second Five Year Plan that called for the establishment of Sociali

The Second Five Year Plan that called for the establishment of Socialist pattern of society was commonly referred to as the

[amp_mcq option1=”Harrod-Domar Plan” option2=”Mahalanobis Plan” option3=”Nehru Plan” option4=”Peoples Plan” correct=”option2″]

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The correct answer is B) Mahalanobis Plan. The Second Five Year Plan (1956-1961) is commonly referred to as the Mahalanobis Plan because its framework was largely based on the economic model developed by the statistician P. C. Mahalanobis.

– The Second Five Year Plan focused on rapid industrialization, with particular emphasis on the development of heavy industries.
– This plan aimed at achieving a ‘socialist pattern of society’ through state control over key sectors.
– P. C. Mahalanobis provided the theoretical and statistical foundation for this plan, emphasizing investment in basic and heavy industries.

The First Five Year Plan (1951-1956) was primarily based on the Harrod-Domar model, focusing on agriculture and irrigation. The Mahalanobis model stressed a shift towards industrial growth. Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister during this period and a strong proponent of socialist ideas and planning, but the plan itself is associated with Mahalanobis’s model. The “People’s Plan” was a separate economic plan proposed in 1944 by M.N. Roy.

13. Which one of the following books won the Man Booker Prize 2014 ?

Which one of the following books won the Man Booker Prize 2014 ?

[amp_mcq option1=”History of the Rain” option2=”The Lives of Others” option3=”The Narrow Road to the Deep North” option4=”How to be Both” correct=”option3″]

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The correct answer is C) The Narrow Road to the Deep North. The Australian author Richard Flanagan won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 2014 for his novel ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’.

– The Man Booker Prize is a prestigious literary award for a novel written in English and published in the UK.
– The 2014 prize was awarded to Richard Flanagan’s novel.
– ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’ is a historical novel set during the construction of the Burma Railway during World War II.

The shortlist for the 2014 Man Booker Prize also included ‘How to Be Both’ by Ali Smith, ‘The Lives of Others’ by Neel Mukherjee, ‘We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves’ by Karen Joy Fowler, ‘J’ by Howard Jacobson, and ‘To Rise Again at a Decent Hour’ by Joshua Ferris. ‘History of the Rain’ by Niall Williams was longlisted.

14. East Zone won the prestigious Deodhar Trophy cricket tournament 2014-1

East Zone won the prestigious Deodhar Trophy cricket tournament 2014-15 by defeating

[amp_mcq option1=”South Zone” option2=”Central Zone” option3=”West Zone” option4=”North Zone” correct=”option1″]

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The correct answer is A) South Zone. East Zone won the Deodhar Trophy cricket tournament in the 2014-15 season by defeating South Zone in the final match.

– The Deodhar Trophy is a domestic one-day cricket competition in India contested between zonal teams.
– The 2014-15 final was played between East Zone and South Zone.
– East Zone emerged victorious in the final, claiming the trophy.

The 2014-15 Deodhar Trophy final was held at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. East Zone batted first and scored 269/8, and then bowled out South Zone for 245, winning by 24 runs. This was East Zone’s second Deodhar Trophy title.

15. Which one among the following films was awarded the best motion pictur

Which one among the following films was awarded the best motion picture (Drama) in the 72nd Golden Globe Awards ?

[amp_mcq option1=”The Theory of Everything” option2=”Boyhood” option3=”Still Alice” option4=”Birdman” correct=”option2″]

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The correct answer is B) Boyhood. Richard Linklater’s film ‘Boyhood’ won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards ceremony held in January 2015, recognizing films from 2014.

– The 72nd Golden Globe Awards honored the best in film and television from 2014.
– ‘Boyhood’ was a strong contender in the awards season for 2014 releases and won the top drama film award at the Golden Globes.
– ‘The Theory of Everything’ won Best Actor – Drama (Eddie Redmayne) and Best Original Score.
– ‘Still Alice’ won Best Actress – Drama (Julianne Moore).
– ‘Birdman’ won Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

‘Boyhood’ was unique for being filmed over 12 years (2002-2013) with the same cast, chronicling the growth of a boy and his older sister to adulthood. Its innovative approach and emotional depth garnered significant critical acclaim and multiple awards.

16. Which one among the following films was conferred the ‘Golden Peacock’

Which one among the following films was conferred the ‘Golden Peacock’ award in the 45th International Film Festival of India (2014) ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Ek Hazarachi Note” option2=”A Short Story” option3=”Leviathan” option4=”Ajeyo” correct=”option3″]

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The correct answer is C) Leviathan. The Russian film ‘Leviathan’ was awarded the prestigious Golden Peacock award for the Best Film at the 45th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held in 2014.

– The 45th edition of IFFI was held in Goa from November 20 to November 30, 2014.
– ‘Leviathan’, directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, was recognized as the best film of the festival.
– Other films listed were also part of the festival or relevant films from 2014, but ‘Leviathan’ won the top prize.

‘Leviathan’ is a critically acclaimed drama film that explores themes of corruption, faith, and power in contemporary Russia. It also won the award for Best Screenplay at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. ‘Ek Hazarachi Note’ (A Thousand Rupee Note) was an Indian film that won a Special Jury Award at the same festival.

17. Who among the following cricket players has not died while playing a m

Who among the following cricket players has not died while playing a match ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Wasim Raja” option2=”Phillip Hughes” option3=”Raman Lamba” option4=”Vijay Hazare” correct=”option4″]

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The correct answer is D) Vijay Hazare. Among the listed players, Vijay Hazare is the only one who did not die while playing a match or as a direct result of an injury sustained during a match.

– Wasim Raja died of a heart attack while playing a match in England in 2006.
– Phillip Hughes died in 2014 from a head injury sustained while batting in a Sheffield Shield match.
– Raman Lamba died in 1998 from a head injury sustained while fielding in a club match in Dhaka.
– Vijay Hazare died in 2004 at the age of 89, long after his retirement from cricket, due to age-related health issues.

The deaths of Phillip Hughes and Raman Lamba occurred a few days after their injuries on the field, but were a direct consequence of playing the match. Wasim Raja’s death was sudden during play. These tragic incidents highlight the potential risks associated with the sport, although death directly on the field or as a result of injury is rare.

18. Which one among the following books is centered around ‘environment’ ?

Which one among the following books is centered around ‘environment’ ?

[amp_mcq option1=”The Late, Great Planet Earth” option2=”Silent Spring” option3=”Here I Stand” option4=”And Then One Day” correct=”option2″]

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‘Silent Spring’ by Rachel Carson, published in 1962, is a seminal work that documented the detrimental effects on the environment of the indiscriminate use of pesticides. It is widely credited with raising public awareness about environmental issues and helping to launch the modern environmental movement. The book focuses heavily on the impact of chemicals on ecosystems and human health.

‘Silent Spring’ is a highly influential book centered on environmental concerns, specifically the effects of pesticides.

While other books listed may touch upon environmental themes tangentially, ‘Silent Spring’ is explicitly and primarily focused on environmental science and advocacy. ‘The Late, Great Planet Earth’ is primarily a prophecy-based book. The other options are not related to environment.

19. Which one among the following statements with regard to a climate deal

Which one among the following statements with regard to a climate deal adopted between USA and China in November 2014 is not correct ?

[amp_mcq option1=”China committed to cap its output of carbon pollution by the year 2030 or earlier” option2=”China committed to increase its use of zero emission energy to 20% by the year 2030″ option3=”USA agreed to reduce its emissions by 26% – 28% below its year 2005 levels in the year 2025″ option4=”Both the countries agreed to completely phase out coal technologies by the year 2020″ correct=”option4″]

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The US-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change made in November 2014 included commitments from both countries regarding future emissions reductions and clean energy development.
– The US committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 26%-28% below its 2005 levels by 2025. (Option C is correct)
– China committed to peaking its CO2 emissions around 2030 and increasing the share of non-fossil fuels in its primary energy consumption to around 20% by 2030. (Option A and B are correct, reflecting aspects of China’s commitment).
– There was no agreement in this announcement for either country to completely phase out coal technologies by the year 2020. Both countries continued to rely heavily on coal power in 2014 and planned transitions, not rapid phase-outs by 2020. Therefore, statement D is not correct.

The 2014 US-China climate deal set specific emissions reduction targets and clean energy goals for both countries, but did not include a complete phase-out of coal technologies by 2020.

This joint announcement was a significant step towards the eventual Paris Agreement reached in 2015, demonstrating collaboration between the world’s two largest emitters. However, transitioning away from coal remains a complex and ongoing process for both nations.

20. Who among the following Nobel laureates has recently announced to put

Who among the following Nobel laureates has recently announced to put his Nobel Medal under auction ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Kailash Satyarthi” option2=”J D Watson” option3=”Mikhail Gorbachev” option4=”Jody Williams” correct=”option2″]

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In December 2014, James D. Watson, who shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his co-discovery of the structure of DNA, announced his decision to auction his Nobel medal. He cited financial reasons and feeling ostracized by the scientific community. The medal was later bought and returned to him by a Russian billionaire, Alisher Usmanov.

James D. Watson is a Nobel laureate known for his work on DNA structure who publicly announced the auction of his Nobel medal in 2014.

While Nobel medals are valuable, auctioning them is relatively uncommon. Other Nobel laureates have also auctioned their medals, often for charitable causes. Kailash Satyarthi also received a Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, but the news of auctioning a medal specifically points to Watson around this time.