Magazines, Books and Their Authors Archives

1. Who serialized the autobiography called Amar Katha between 1910 and 19

Who serialized the autobiography called Amar Katha between 1910 and 1931 ?

Binodini Das

Girish Chandra Ghosh

Rabindranath Tagore

M.G. Ranade

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2020

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The autobiography titled ‘Amar Katha’ (My Story) was serialized between 1910 and 1931 by Binodini Das (also known as Binodini Dasi).

Binodini Dasi was a pioneering figure of the Bengali stage, one of the first actresses of Kolkata’s professional theatre. Her autobiography is a significant historical document detailing her life and the theatre world of that era.

Girish Chandra Ghosh was a playwright and mentor of Binodini Dasi. Rabindranath Tagore was a renowned poet, writer, and polymath. M.G. Ranade was a prominent social reformer and leader of the Indian National Congress.

2. Who wrote the feminist text Stree-Purush Tulana ?

Who wrote the feminist text Stree-Purush Tulana ?

Pandita Ramabai

Rukhmabai

Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain

Tarabai Shinde

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CBI DSP LDCE – 2023

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The correct answer is D.

– The feminist text “Stree-Purush Tulana” (A Comparison Between Women and Men) was written by Tarabai Shinde in 1882 and published in 1885.
– It is considered one of the earliest modern feminist texts in India, critiquing patriarchal double standards and the subjugation of women.

Pandita Ramabai was another contemporary social reformer and feminist, known for establishing institutions like the Arya Mahila Samaj and Sharada Sadan. Rukhmabai was notable for her legal battle against child marriage and later became one of India’s first women doctors. Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was a pioneering Bengali feminist, writer, and educator who founded schools for girls and wrote influential works like “Sultana’s Dream”.

3. Who among the following is associated with ‘Songs from Prison’, a tran

Who among the following is associated with ‘Songs from Prison’, a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics in English?

Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Jawaharlal Nehru

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Sarojini Naidu

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2021

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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is associated with ‘Songs from Prison’, which is a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics into English.

‘Songs from Prison: Translations of Indian Lyrics made in Jail’ is a book containing English translations of devotional poems and hymns by Mahatma Gandhi. These translations were made while he was imprisoned in Yerwada Jail, Poona (now Pune), primarily in 1930 and 1932. The collection includes translations of verses from various Indian languages and religious traditions.

The book was compiled and published after Gandhi’s release from prison. It reflects Gandhi’s deep religious and spiritual inclinations and his practice of translating texts as a form of meditation and study during his incarceration. The other options, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sarojini Naidu, were also prominent figures involved in the freedom struggle, with significant literary contributions or interests, but ‘Songs from Prison’ is specifically linked to Gandhi.

4. The Vittal-Vidhwansak, the first monthly journal to have the untouchab

The Vittal-Vidhwansak, the first monthly journal to have the untouchable people as its target audience was published by

Gopal Baba Walangkar

Jyotiba Phule

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2020

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The correct answer is A) Gopal Baba Walangkar.

Gopal Baba Walangkar (1840-1900), also known as Gopal Krishna, was a pioneering figure in the Dalit movement in Maharashtra. He is considered the first journalist from the untouchable community.
“Vittal-Vidhwansak” (meaning “Destroyer of Pollution”) was the first monthly journal specifically aimed at raising awareness and addressing the issues faced by the untouchable community. It was published by Gopal Baba Walangkar starting around 1888.

Jyotiba Phule was a prominent social reformer who worked for the upliftment of backward classes and women, influencing Walangkar, but “Vittal-Vidhwansak” was published by Walangkar. Gandhi and Ambedkar were later figures in the broader struggle against untouchability, with Ambedkar becoming the foremost leader of the Dalit movement in the 20th century.

5. With reference to the book “Desher Katha” written by Sakharam Ganesh D

With reference to the book “Desher Katha” written by Sakharam Ganesh Deushkar during the freedom struggle, consider the following statements:

1. It warned against the Colonial State’s hypnotic conquest of the mind.
2. It inspired the performance of swadeshi street plays and folk songs.
3. The use of ‘desh’ by Deushkar was in the specific context of the region of Bengal.

Which of the statements given above are correct ?

1 and 2 only

2 and 3 only

1 and 3 only

1, 2 and 3

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2020

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The correct answer is A) 1 and 2 only.

Sakharam Ganesh Deushkar’s book “Desher Katha” (meaning “The Story of the Country”) was a highly influential work during the Swadeshi movement. It was originally written in Bengali and published in 1904.
Statement 1 is correct: The book critically analyzed the economic exploitation by the British colonial rule and warned how foreign rule impacted the Indian mind and culture, advocating for a mental liberation from colonial influence.
Statement 2 is correct: “Desher Katha” significantly inspired the Swadeshi movement, influencing various forms of nationalist expression, including street plays, songs, and other cultural performances aimed at spreading the message of self-reliance and patriotism.
Statement 3 is incorrect: While Deushkar wrote in Bengali and the book was particularly influential in Bengal, the term ‘desh’ referred to the entire Indian motherland, not specifically or solely the region of Bengal. The book’s message resonated throughout India as a call for national awakening and swadeshi.

Sakharam Ganesh Deushkar (1869-1912) was a close associate of Sri Aurobindo and Bipin Chandra Pal. His book went through multiple editions and was widely read by nationalists. It was eventually banned by the British government in 1910 due to its revolutionary potential and nationalist message.

6. Which one of the following pairs of books and their authors is not cor

Which one of the following pairs of books and their authors is not correctly matched ?

Bandi Jiwan : Sachindranath Sanyal

The Philosophy of the Bomb : Bhagwati Charan Vohra

Indian Unrest : Annie Besant

Desher Katha : Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2023

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Let’s check the pairs:
A) Bandi Jiwan: Written by Sachindranath Sanyal. This is correctly matched. Sanyal was a revolutionary, and ‘Bandi Jiwan’ is his autobiographical account.
B) The Philosophy of the Bomb: Written by Bhagwati Charan Vohra. This is correctly matched. Vohra, a member of HSRA, wrote this as a response to Gandhi’s critique of revolutionary violence.
C) Indian Unrest: This book was written by Valentine Chirol, an English journalist. Annie Besant was a harsh critic of this book as it portrayed Indian nationalism negatively and linked it to figures like B.G. Tilak. Therefore, the pair “Indian Unrest : Annie Besant” is *not* correctly matched.
D) Desher Katha: Written by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar. This is correctly matched. This book in Bengali was very influential during the Swadeshi movement, highlighting the economic exploitation by the British.
The incorrect match is option C.

Valentine Chirol wrote ‘Indian Unrest’. Annie Besant was a critic of this book.

Valentine Chirol’s ‘Indian Unrest’ was published in 1910. B.G. Tilak filed a defamation suit against Chirol in London for remarks made in the book.

7. Who among the following is the author of the famous partition narrativ

Who among the following is the author of the famous partition narrative, The Other Side of Silence?

Amrita Pritam

Urvashi Butalia

Saadat Hasan Manto

Manju Kapur

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2022

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The correct answer is B) Urvashi Butalia.

– “The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India” is a seminal work of oral history by Urvashi Butalia, first published in 1998.
– The book compiles personal narratives and testimonies of individuals, particularly women, who experienced the Partition of India in 1947, offering a perspective often excluded from mainstream historical accounts.

– Amrita Pritam was a Punjabi writer whose novel “Pinjar” is another powerful narrative on Partition.
– Saadat Hasan Manto was a famous Urdu short story writer whose stories like “Toba Tek Singh” vividly depict the horrors and absurdity of Partition.
– Manju Kapur is a contemporary Indian novelist known for works like “Difficult Daughters,” which also touches upon the Partition era, but she is not the author of “The Other Side of Silence”.

8. Who among the following was the author of Hind Swaraj?

Who among the following was the author of Hind Swaraj?

Aurobindo Ghose

C. R. Das

Mahatma Gandhi

Rajendra Prasad

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2018

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Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule is a book written by Mohandas K. Gandhi in 1909. It expresses his views on Swaraj, modern civilization, mechanisation, etc.

Hind Swaraj is a key text outlining Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of Swaraj and his critique of Western civilization.

Aurobindo Ghose was a philosopher, yogi, guru, poet, and nationalist. C. R. Das (Chittaranjan Das) was a prominent freedom fighter and founder of the Swaraj Party. Rajendra Prasad was the first President of India.

9. Who among the following has not written about partition in his works?

Who among the following has not written about partition in his works?

Saadat Hasan Manto

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

Bhisham Sahni

Narendranath Mitra

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2018

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Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, a prominent Bengali writer, lived in the 19th century (1838–1894). He wrote extensively on various themes but passed away decades before the Partition of India in 1947. Therefore, he could not have written about Partition in his works.

The other writers listed are known for their works dealing with the Partition of India. Saadat Hasan Manto (Urdu) is famous for his short stories on Partition horrors. Bhisham Sahni (Hindi) wrote the acclaimed novel ‘Tamas’ on Partition. Narendranath Mitra (Bengali) also depicted the trauma of Partition in his writings.

Saadat Hasan Manto’s short stories like ‘Toba Tek Singh’, ‘Khol Do’, ‘Thanda Gosht’ are powerful narratives on Partition. Bhisham Sahni’s ‘Tamas’ is a seminal work on the communal violence during Partition. Narendranath Mitra’s works, such as ‘Mahanagar’ (later adapted into a film by Satyajit Ray), often reflected the social changes and dislocations, including those related to Partition and its aftermath. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s most famous works include ‘Anandamath’ and ‘Durgeshnandini’.

10. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code

Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists:

List I (Author)	List II (Book)
A. Dadabhai Naoroji	1. Essays on Indian Economics
B. Prafulla Chandra Ray	2. Poverty and Un-British Rule in India
C. Mahadev Govind Ranade	3. Economic History of India
D. R.C. Dutt	4. The Poverty Problem in India

A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3

A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2

A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3

A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2016

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The correct answer is A, matching the authors with their respective books.

– A. Dadabhai Naoroji: His most famous work detailing the economic exploitation of India by the British and the drain of wealth is “Poverty and Un-British Rule in India”. (Matches 2)
– B. Prafulla Chandra Ray: While primarily known as a chemist, P.C. Ray also wrote on socio-economic issues. “The Poverty Problem in India” is attributed to him. (Matches 4)
– C. Mahadev Govind Ranade: A prominent intellectual and economist of the early nationalist period, Ranade compiled his economic thoughts in “Essays on Indian Economics”. (Matches 1)
– D. R.C. Dutt: Romesh Chunder Dutt wrote a comprehensive history of India’s economy under British rule in his work “Economic History of India” (published in two volumes). (Matches 3)

These authors were key figures in the early Indian nationalist movement who critically analyzed the economic impact of British rule and highlighted issues like poverty, deindustrialization, and the drain of wealth, laying the intellectual groundwork for the freedom struggle.