2016 Archives

111. The earliest literary references to iron in the Indian Sub-Continent a

The earliest literary references to iron in the Indian Sub-Continent are found in the :

[amp_mcq option1=”Rigveda” option2=”Samaveda” option3=”Yajurveda” option4=”Vinaya Pitaka” correct=”option3″]

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The correct answer is C. The earliest literary references to iron (referred to as Shyama ayas or Krishna ayas) in the Indian Subcontinent are found in the later Vedic texts, including the Yajurveda, Atharvaveda, and Brahmanas.

– The Rigveda, the oldest Vedic text, primarily mentions ‘ayas’, which is generally interpreted as copper or bronze.
– Later Vedic texts, composed after the Rigveda (c. 1000 BCE onwards), show clear knowledge and use of iron. The term ‘Shyama ayas’ or ‘Krishna ayas’ (black metal) is used to distinguish it from ‘lohita ayas’ (red metal, i.e., copper/bronze).
– The Yajurveda is one of the principal later Vedic texts where such references appear.
– The Samaveda is primarily a collection of hymns meant for chanting and does not contain as much material on material culture as the Yajurveda or Atharvaveda.
– The Vinaya Pitaka is part of the Buddhist canon (Pali Canon) and belongs to a later period (post-6th century BCE) compared to the Vedic texts.

The archaeological evidence for the use of iron in India corresponds with the period of the later Vedic texts, around 1000 BCE, particularly in regions like Gandhara and subsequently spreading to the Gangetic plain, coinciding with the Painted Grey Ware (PGW) culture. The introduction and spread of iron technology significantly impacted agriculture, warfare, and settlement patterns in ancient India.

112. Which of the following statements about the founding of the Indian Nat

Which of the following statements about the founding of the Indian National Congress (INC) is / are correct ?

1. The INC was formed in Bombay in 1885
2. The first president of the INC was W.C. Bonnerjee

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”Both 1 and 2″ option4=”Neither 1 nor 2″ correct=”option3″]

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The correct answer is C because both statements regarding the founding of the Indian National Congress (INC) are factually accurate.

– Statement 1 correctly states that the INC was formed in Bombay in 1885. The first session was held from 28 to 31 December 1885 at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay.
– Statement 2 correctly identifies W.C. Bonnerjee (Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee) as the first president of the INC. He presided over the inaugural session in Bombay.

The Indian National Congress was founded by Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British Indian Civil Service officer, with the objective of creating a forum for civil and political dialogue among educated Indians and serving as a link between the Indian populace and the British government. The first session was attended by 72 delegates from various parts of India.

113. Which one of the following is the famous novel written in 1869 by Nazi

Which one of the following is the famous novel written in 1869 by Nazir Ahmad?

[amp_mcq option1=”Twilight in Delhi” option2=”Mirat-ul-urus” option3=”Bahishti Zewar” option4=”City of Djinns” correct=”option2″]

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*Mirat-ul-urus* (The Bride’s Mirror) is considered the first proper novel in Urdu literature and was written by Nazir Ahmad Dehlvi. It was published in 1869. The novel is didactic, aimed at educating Muslim girls and discussing social issues.

– Nazir Ahmad is a prominent Urdu writer.
– *Mirat-ul-urus* was his first novel and was published in 1869.

– *Twilight in Delhi* was written by Ahmed Ali and published in 1940.
– *Bahishti Zewar* was written by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi, not a novel by Nazir Ahmad, and is a comprehensive manual of Islamic knowledge and practice for women.
– *City of Djinns* is a non-fiction travel book by William Dalrymple, published in 1993.

114. Which of the following statements about the Bengali literary epic, Meg

Which of the following statements about the Bengali literary epic, Meghnad Badh Kabya (1861), is / are correct ?

1. It was written by Michael Madhusudan Dutta
2. It draws upon existing Hindu and Jain traditions of Ramayana
3. It was translated into Assamese and Hindi

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 and 3″ option3=”1 and 2″ option4=”1 and 3″ correct=”option4″]

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Let’s evaluate the statements about Michael Madhusudan Dutta’s *Meghnad Badh Kabya*:
1. It was written by Michael Madhusudan Dutta. This is correct. It is his magnum opus, published in 1861.
2. It draws upon existing Hindu and Jain traditions of Ramayana. This is incorrect. The epic is fundamentally based on Valmiki’s Hindu Ramayana, although Dutta reinterprets characters and events from a modern, humanist perspective, often showing sympathy for the ‘villainous’ characters like Ravana and Meghnad. It does not draw upon Jain traditions of the Ramayana, which have their own distinct narratives.
3. It was translated into Assamese and Hindi. This is correct. As a highly significant work of Bengali literature, it has been translated into several Indian languages, including Assamese and Hindi, making it accessible to a wider audience.

Based on the evaluation, statements 1 and 3 are correct, while statement 2 is incorrect.

– *Meghnad Badh Kabya* is a famous Bengali epic by Michael Madhusudan Dutta.
– It is based on the story of Ramayana but reinterprets it.
– The work has been translated into various Indian languages.

– *Meghnad Badh Kabya* is written in blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter), a style Dutta introduced to Bengali literature.
– The epic’s innovative style and unconventional portrayal of characters marked a significant shift in Bengali literary tradition.

115. Who among the following coined the terms ‘Demand Polity’ and ‘Command

Who among the following coined the terms ‘Demand Polity’ and ‘Command Polity’ ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Lloyd I. Rudolph and Susanne H. Rudolph” option2=”Rajni Kothari” option3=”Sudipta Kaviraj” option4=”Paul Brass” correct=”option1″]

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The terms ‘Demand Polity’ and ‘Command Polity’ were coined and extensively used by the American political scientists Lloyd I. Rudolph and Susanne Hoeber Rudolph in their studies of India. A ‘Command Polity’ describes a state apparatus primarily focused on control and extraction, characteristic of colonial or highly centralized regimes. A ‘Demand Polity’ emerges when political mobilization enables citizens to make demands on the state, characteristic of democratic systems.

– Lloyd I. Rudolph and Susanne H. Rudolph are known for coining and using the terms ‘Demand Polity’ and ‘Command Polity’.
– These terms are used in the context of analyzing political systems, particularly in developing countries like India.

– Rajni Kothari is famous for his analysis of India’s party system, particularly the ‘Congress system’, and for founding the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS).
– Sudipta Kaviraj is known for his work on the state in India, nation-formation, and political discourse.
– Paul Brass is a leading scholar on ethnic conflict, riots, and collective violence, particularly in South Asia.

116. Who among the following divided governments into ‘Republican’, ‘Monarc

Who among the following divided governments into ‘Republican’, ‘Monarchical’ and ‘Despotic’?

[amp_mcq option1=”Aristotle” option2=”Hobbes” option3=”Montesquieu” option4=”St. Augustine” correct=”option3″]

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Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, a French political philosopher, in his influential work ‘The Spirit of the Laws’ (1748), provided a classification of governments into three main types: Republics (subdivided into democracies and aristocracies), Monarchies, and Despotisms. This classification was based on the principle underlying the government (virtue for republic, honour for monarchy, fear for despotism) and the nature of rule.

– Montesquieu classified governments into Republics, Monarchies, and Despotisms in ‘The Spirit of the Laws’.
– This classification is based on the principles and nature of the respective governments.

– Aristotle’s classification was based on the number of rulers and their purpose (Monarchy/Tyranny, Aristocracy/Oligarchy, Polity/Democracy).
– Thomas Hobbes discussed the state of nature and advocated for an absolute sovereign.
– St. Augustine’s political thought was deeply integrated with his theological views, discussing the City of God versus the City of Man.

117. ‘Cut Motion’ can be introduced after the presentation of :

‘Cut Motion’ can be introduced after the presentation of :

[amp_mcq option1=”any Bill introduced in the Parliament.” option2=”the Railway and General Budgets.” option3=”any Private Member’s Bill.” option4=”a Constitution Amendment Bill.” correct=”option2″]

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‘Cut Motions’ are parliamentary devices used in the Lok Sabha during the discussion of Demands for Grants, which are part of the budgetary process. They are moved to reduce the amount of a demand for grant submitted by the government. Therefore, they can be introduced after the presentation of the Budgets (Railway and General Budgets, as the demands for grants follow).

– Cut Motions are specific to the process of scrutinizing budgetary demands for grants.
– They are discussed and moved after the Union Budget (which includes Railway and General expenditure) has been presented and the demands for grants are being debated.

– There are different types of cut motions: Policy Cut (reducing the demand to Re. 1 signifying disapproval of the policy), Economy Cut (proposing a specific reduction to effect economy), and Token Cut (reducing the demand by Rs. 100 to ventilate a specific grievance).
– Cut motions are not typically associated with the introduction of any general bill, private member’s bill, or constitution amendment bill.

118. With regard to a Constitution Amendment Bill, which one of the followi

With regard to a Constitution Amendment Bill, which one of the following statements is *not* correct ?

[amp_mcq option1=”The Speaker of the Lok Sabha can call a joint sitting of both the Houses to pass the Bill” option2=”Each House needs to pass the Bill separately by a prescribed special majority” option3=”The Bill can be introduced in either House of Parliament” option4=”The Bill can be sponsored by a Private Member” correct=”option1″]

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Statement A is incorrect. Article 368 of the Constitution lays down the procedure for passing a Constitution Amendment Bill. It requires the Bill to be passed by each House of Parliament separately by a special majority (a majority of the total membership of the House and a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting). There is no provision for a joint sitting of both Houses to resolve a deadlock over a Constitution Amendment Bill. Joint sittings (under Article 108) are only for ordinary bills where there is a disagreement between the two Houses.

– Constitution Amendment Bills require separate passage by each House with a special majority.
– Joint sittings are not permitted for Constitution Amendment Bills.

– Statement B is correct as per Article 368.
– Statement C is correct; a Constitution Amendment Bill can be introduced in either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha.
– Statement D is correct; a Constitution Amendment Bill can be introduced by a Minister or a Private Member (any MP who is not a Minister).

119. The amending power of the Parliament is set forth in which one of the

The amending power of the Parliament is set forth in which one of the following Articles of the Constitution of India ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Article 368″ option2=”Article 360″ option3=”Article 13(2)” option4=”Article 370″ correct=”option1″]

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Article 368 of the Constitution of India specifically deals with the Power of Parliament to amend the Constitution and Procedure therefor. It outlines the process by which the Constitution can be amended, requiring specific majorities in Parliament and in some cases, ratification by State Legislatures.

– Article 368 is the primary article granting and regulating the power to amend the Constitution.
– It specifies the procedure for constitutional amendments.

– Article 360 deals with the provisions relating to Financial Emergency.
– Article 13(2) states that the State shall not make any law which takes away or abridges the rights conferred by Part III (Fundamental Rights), and any law made in contravention of this clause shall, to the extent of the contravention, be void.
– Article 370 (now largely inoperative) contained temporary provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

120. The Tenth Schedule to the Constitution of India relates to :

The Tenth Schedule to the Constitution of India relates to :

[amp_mcq option1=”the provisions relating to the formation of District Councils.” option2=”the land reforms.” option3=”the States and Union Territories.” option4=”the anti-defection law.” correct=”option4″]

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The Tenth Schedule to the Constitution of India was added by the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985, often referred to as the Anti-Defection Law. It lays down the grounds for disqualification of members of Parliament and State Legislatures on the basis of defection from their political party.

– The Tenth Schedule deals with anti-defection provisions.
– It was added by the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985.

– Option A (District Councils): Provisions related to the administration of tribal areas, including the formation of District Councils, are primarily found in the Sixth Schedule.
– Option B (Land Reforms): Provisions related to land reforms are included in the Ninth Schedule, added by the 1st Amendment Act, 1951, to protect laws from judicial review on the ground of violation of fundamental rights.
– Option C (States and Union Territories): The First Schedule lists the States and Union Territories of India and their territories.