2018 Archives

291. With reference to Indian history, who among the following is a future

With reference to Indian history, who among the following is a future Buddha, yet to come to save the world ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Avalokiteshvara” option2=”Lokesvara” option3=”Maitreya” option4=”Padmapani” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2018

In Buddhist theology, Maitreya is considered the future Buddha who will appear on Earth in the future, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. According to Buddhist scriptures, Maitreya will be the successor to the present Buddha, Gautama Buddha.

Maitreya is a Bodhisattva who is destined to become a Buddha in the future. The concept of future Buddhas is part of various Buddhist traditions, particularly Mahayana Buddhism.

Avalokiteshvara (also known as Lokesvara and Padmapani in different forms) is a Bodhisattva of Compassion, widely revered in Mahayana Buddhism, but not considered the future Buddha who will attain enlightenment on Earth in a future age.

292. Which one of the following foreign travellers elaborately discussed ab

Which one of the following foreign travellers elaborately discussed about diamonds and diamond mines of India ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Francois Bernier” option2=”Jean-Baptiste Tavernier” option3=”Jean de Thevenot” option4=”Abbe Barthelemy Carre” correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689) was a 17th-century French gem merchant and traveller who made six voyages to Persia and India. His book “Les Six Voyages de Jean-Baptiste Tavernier” contains extensive descriptions of the diamond mines and the diamond trade in India, including detailed accounts of places like Golconda.

Tavernier’s accounts are considered a valuable historical source for the diamond industry and economic conditions in India during the Mughal period.

Francois Bernier was a French physician and traveller who wrote “Travels in the Mogul Empire”. Jean de Thevenot was a French traveller known for his accounts of the Middle East and India. Abbe Barthelemy Carre was a French cleric and traveller. While all were foreign travellers to India, Tavernier’s work is particularly noted for its detailed discussion of diamonds and mines.

293. With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the followin

With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following statements :

White marble was used in making Buland Darwaza and Khankah at Fatehpur Sikri.
Red sandstone and marble were used in making Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza at Lucknow.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

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

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

Statement 1 is incorrect. While Fatehpur Sikri primarily used red sandstone, with some use of marble inlay for decoration or specific structures like the tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti, the Buland Darwaza and Khankah are predominantly built using red sandstone. Statement 2 is incorrect. Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza in Lucknow are examples of Awadhi architecture built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They primarily use brick and lime plaster (stucco) as building materials, not red sandstone or marble as the main components.

Mughal architecture at Fatehpur Sikri is characterized by the extensive use of red sandstone. Awadhi architecture in Lucknow often utilized brick and stucco.

The Buland Darwaza is a magnificent gateway made primarily of red sandstone. The Khankah (a Sufi lodge) at Fatehpur Sikri is also mainly of red sandstone. The Bara Imambara is famous for its large vaulted central hall and the Bhulbhulaiya, built using local materials like Lakhauri bricks and lime plaster.

294. With reference to the religious practices in India, the “Sthanakvasi”

With reference to the religious practices in India, the “Sthanakvasi” sect belongs to

[amp_mcq option1=”Buddhism” option2=”Jainism” option3=”Vaishnavism” option4=”Shaivism” correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

The Sthanakvasi sect is a sub-sect of the Svetambara branch of Jainism. They differ from other Svetambara Jains primarily in their rejection of idol worship and belief in the authenticity of only 32 of the Jain Agamas.

Sthanakvasi means “dwellers in halls,” referring to their practice of worshipping in halls or sthanaks rather than temples with idols.

The sect was founded by Lonkasha Shah in the 15th century. A further reformist movement within the Sthanakvasi tradition led to the formation of the Terapanth sect in the 19th century.

295. Who among the following were the founders of the “Hind Mazdoor Sabha”

Who among the following were the founders of the “Hind Mazdoor Sabha” established in 1948 ?

[amp_mcq option1=”B. Krishna Pillai, E.M.S. Namboodiripad and K.C. George” option2=”Jayaprakash Narayan, Deen Dayal Upadhyay and M.N. Roy” option3=”C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer, K. Kamaraj and Veeresalingam Pantulu” option4=”Ashok Mehta, T.S. Ramanujam and G.G. Mehta” correct=”option4″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

The Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) was founded on December 24, 1948, by socialists, Forward Bloc followers, and independent unionists. The key founders included Ashok Mehta, T.S. Ramanujam, and G.G. Mehta.

HMS is one of the major trade union federations in India, formed after a split from the Hind Mazdoor Panchayat and the Indian National Trade Union Congress.

It is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). The other options list individuals associated with different political or social movements. B. Krishna Pillai and E.M.S. Namboodiripad were prominent communists. Jayaprakash Narayan was a socialist leader, Deen Dayal Upadhyay was associated with the Jan Sangh, and M.N. Roy was a radical humanist and communist. C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer was Dewan of Travancore, K. Kamaraj was a Congress leader, and Veeresalingam Pantulu was a social reformer.

296. Which one of the following is a very significant aspect of the Champar

Which one of the following is a very significant aspect of the Champaran Satyagraha ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Active all-India participation of lawyers, students and women in the National Movement” option2=”Active involvement of Dalit and Tribal communities of India in the National Movement” option3=”Joining of peasant unrest to India’s National Movement” option4=”Drastic decrease in the cultivation of plantation crops and commercial crops” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

The Champaran Satyagraha (1917) was Mahatma Gandhi’s first major Gandhian movement in India.

The Champaran movement was specifically centered on the grievances of indigo cultivators, who were peasants exploited under the ‘tin kathia’ system imposed by British planters. Gandhi’s intervention in Champaran involved investigating the situation, organizing the peasants, and using non-violent civil disobedience (satyagraha) to challenge the oppressive system. Its success led to the abolition of the tinkathia system and brought relief to the peasants.

The most significant aspect of the Champaran Satyagraha was that it successfully linked the local, isolated peasant unrest against specific grievances (indigo cultivation system) to the broader Indian National Movement led by figures like Gandhi. It demonstrated the effectiveness of Gandhi’s method of non-violent protest (Satyagraha) in addressing socio-economic issues and mobilized the peasant class, a large segment of the population, into the fold of the national struggle for the first time in such a prominent and successful manner. While some lawyers assisted Gandhi (like Rajendra Prasad), it was not marked by widespread all-India participation of lawyers, students, and women (A). It focused on the specific peasant issues and did not primarily involve Dalit and Tribal communities as distinct leading groups (B). It led to the abolition of the indigo system in Champaran but not a general drastic decrease in all plantation/commercial crops across India (D).

297. The staple commodities of export by the English East India Company fro

The staple commodities of export by the English East India Company from Bengal in the middle of the 18th century were

[amp_mcq option1=”Raw cotton, oil-seeds and opium” option2=”Sugar, salt, zinc and lead” option3=”Copper, silver, gold, spices and tea” option4=”Cotton, silk, saltpetre and opium” correct=”option4″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

In the mid-18th century, particularly after gaining significant political influence in Bengal (like post-Battle of Plassey 1757), the English East India Company dramatically increased its exports from the region.

The staple commodities of export by the EIC from Bengal during this period included textiles (cotton and silk fabrics), saltpetre (potassium nitrate, essential for gunpowder), and increasingly, opium. Bengal was a major producer of silk, cotton, and saltpetre. Opium, while initially traded, became a massive export commodity, especially towards China, funding the purchase of Chinese goods like tea and silk.

Option A includes oil-seeds, which were less prominent than textiles or saltpetre as *staple* exports. Option B includes commodities that were either less significant exports (sugar, salt) or primarily imports (zinc, lead). Option C includes precious metals (copper, silver, gold) which were primarily imported into India to purchase goods for export, and tea, which became a major EIC export from India much later, in the 19th century. Spices were more associated with trade from South India and the East Indies initially. Therefore, cotton, silk, saltpetre, and opium accurately represent the major staples exported from Bengal by the EIC in the mid-18th century.

298. With reference to solar power production in India, consider the follow

With reference to solar power production in India, consider the following statements :

India is the third largest in the world in the manufacture of silicon wafers used in photovoltaic units.
The solar power tariffs are determined by the Solar Energy Corporation of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

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

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

Let’s examine the two statements regarding solar power production in India.

Statement 1 is incorrect. India is not the third largest in the world in the manufacture of silicon wafers used in photovoltaic units. The global market for silicon wafers and solar cells is dominated by countries like China, Taiwan, and Malaysia. While India has been increasing its domestic manufacturing capacity through policies like Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat, it heavily relies on imports for wafers and cells.
Statement 2 is incorrect. While the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is a major implementing agency for renewable energy schemes and conducts auctions for solar power projects, resulting in tariff discovery through competitive bidding, it is not the sole authority determining all solar power tariffs in India. Tariffs for state-level projects are determined by state implementing agencies, often through bidding, and regulatory commissions also play a role in approving tariffs or methodologies. So, SECI determines tariffs for the projects it auctions, but not *the* solar power tariffs for the entire country.

India has made significant progress in solar power deployment and is among the top countries in installed solar capacity. However, the manufacturing ecosystem, especially for critical components like wafers and cells, is still developing, with a significant reliance on imports. Tariff determination is a multi-faceted process involving central and state agencies, competitive bidding, and regulatory oversight.

299. When the alarm of your smartphone rings in the morning, you wake up an

When the alarm of your smartphone rings in the morning, you wake up and tap it to stop the alarm which causes your geyser to be switched on automatically. The smart mirror in your bathroom shows the day’s weather and also indicates the level of water in your overhead tank. After you take some groceries from your refrigerator for making breakfast, it recognises the shortage of stock in it and places an order for the supply of fresh grocery items. When you step out of your house and lock the door, all lights, fans, geysers and AC machines get switched off automatically. On your way to office, your car warns you about traffic congestion ahead and suggests an alternative route, and if you are late for a meeting, it sends a message to your office accordingly.

In the context of emerging communication technologies, which one of the following terms best applies to the above scenario?

[amp_mcq option1=”Border Gateway Protocol” option2=”Internet of Things” option3=”Internet Protocol” option4=”Virtual Private Network” correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

The scenario describes everyday objects that are connected to a network, communicating with each other, and performing actions based on context or user input, without direct human intervention for each action.

The scenario involves a smart home and a smart car where devices like geysers, mirrors, refrigerators, lights, fans, AC machines, and cars are connected and interact intelligently. This interconnectedness and automation of various devices falls under the purview of the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT refers to the network of physical objects—”things”—embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet.

Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and Internet Protocol (IP) are fundamental networking protocols, not concepts describing the interconnectedness and automation of devices. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a technology for creating secure network connections. None of these accurately describe the overarching concept presented in the scenario.

300. Which of the following statements best describes “carbon fe

Which of the following statements best describes “carbon fertilization”?

[amp_mcq option1=”Increased plant growth due to increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere” option2=”Increased temperature of Earth due to increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere” option3=”Increased acidity of oceans as a result of increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere” option4=”Adaptation of all living beings on Earth to the climate change brought about by the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere” correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

“Carbon fertilization” is an ecological term describing a specific effect of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a key input for photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy in the form of glucose. Increased levels of atmospheric CO2 can stimulate photosynthesis, leading to increased plant growth, especially in plants using the C3 photosynthetic pathway. This effect is known as carbon fertilization.

While increased CO2 contributes to global warming (B) and ocean acidification (C), these are distinct phenomena from carbon fertilization. Carbon fertilization is about the direct impact of elevated CO2 on plant physiology and growth. The adaptation of living beings to climate change (D) is a broad concept and not the definition of carbon fertilization.