Vision Ias CSP 2018 Test 14 Solutions

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ANSWERS & EXPLANATION

GENERAL STUIDES (P) TEST – 2441 (2018)
Q 1.D
o Bharat Muni's Natyashastra, is the source book of the art of drama, dance and music. It is generally
acceptedthat the date of the work is between the 2nd century B.C.E- 2nd centuryC.E. The Natyashastra is
also known as the fifth veda.
Q 2.C
o Mahmud Begarha (1459 to 1511) ruled over Saurastra and Girnar region of Gujarat. He sacked Dwarka,
largely because it harboured pirates who preyed on the pilgrim traffic to Mecca. He also joined hands with
rulers of Egypt to check the Portuguese naval power but did not succeed. He was also famous for his
voracious appetite. His court poet was Udayaraja who composed in Sanskrit. Hence, option c is correct.
Q 3.B
o Buddhism made an important impact on the society by keeping its doors open to women and
shudras. As both women and shudras were placed in the same category by Brahmanism, they were
neither given the sacred thread nor allowed to read Vedas. Their conversion to Buddhism freed them from
such restrictions. Buddhism did not deprecate manual labour. In a second century sculpture from Bodh
Bodh-
Gaya, the Buddha
ddha is depicted ploughing with oxen.
o Buddhism advised people not to accumulate wealth. According to it, poverty breeds hatred, cruelty,
and violence. To eradicate these evils, Buddha taught that farmers should be provided with grain
and other facilities, traders with wealth, and the unemployed with employment. These measures were
recommended to eradicate poverty in the world. Buddhism also taught that if the poor gave alms to the
monks, they would be born wealthy in the next world.
o Buddhism created and developed a new awareness in the field of intellect and culture. It taught the
people not to take things for granted but to argue and judge them on merits. To a certain degree, the
place of superstition was taken by logic, promoting rationalism among people. Hence, option 'b' is
correct.
Q 4.C
o Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) is Rs 4,455
crore Centrally sponsored scheme including Rs. 3,300 crore loan support from World Bank.It envisages
setting up of trainers and assessors academies with self-sustainable models. Over 50 such academies are to
be set up in priority sectors. SANKALP aims at enhancement of inclusion of marginalized communities
including women. Scheduled Castes (SCs), Schedule Tribes (STs) and Persons with Disabilities (PWD) to
provide skill training opportunities to the underprivileged and marginalised section of the society.
o Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) is a Rs. 2,200 crore - central sector
scheme, with half of the scheme outlay as World bank loan assistance. STRIVE scheme shall incentivize
ITIs to improve overall performance including apprenticeship by involving SMEs, business association
and industry clusters. The schemes aim to develop a robust mechanism for delivering quality skill
development training by strengthening institutions such as State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs),
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), ITIs and National Skill
Development Agency (NSDA) etc.
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o KIRAN (Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing) is a scheme to
provide opportunity to women scientist to pursue research in physical, mathematical, chemical and life
sciences etc.
o Hence, option (c) is correct.
Q 5.D
o The Gupta Empire stretched across northern, central and parts of southern India between c. 320 and 550
CE. The Gupta period witnessed a brilliant activity in the sphere of mathematics, astronomy, astrology
and medicine.
o Aryabhatta was a great mathematician and astronomer. He wrote the book Aryabhatiya in 499 A.D.
o Varahamihira (505 A.D.-587 A.D.) composed PanchaSiddhantika, the five astronomical
systems, Brihadsamhita, on Sanskrit literature and Brihadjataka on astrology.
o Vagbhata who was the author Ashtangasamgraha (Summary of the eight branches of medicine) also lived
during this period.
o Sushruta lived before the Gupta age. He was an ancient Indian surgeon (who was possibly born in
7th century BC) and is the author of the book SushrutaSamhita, in which he describes over 120
surgical instruments, 300 surgical procedures and classifies human surgery in 8 categories.
Q 6.C
o The World Monument Fund is a private nonprofit organization founded in 1965 by individuals concerned
about the accelerating destruction of important artistic treasures throughout the world.
o Through its programme World Monuments Watch it aims to identify imperiled cultural heritage sites
and direct financial and technical support for their preservation. Hence, both the statements are correct.
.
o World Monuments Fund has placed 25 cultural heritage sites spanning 30 countries on its 2018 World
Monuments Watch list. Putting the heritage sites on watch list means that they are currently threatened by
conflict, climate change, or other dangers.
―Post-Independence
o From India ―Post-Independence
Independence Architecture of Delhi‖ has been identified for preservation.
Q 7.C
o Kalbelia is a folk dance from Rajasthan, recognised as an intangible cultural heritage of India by
UNESCO.. It is performed by the Kalbelia community who were traditionally professional snake
snake-
handlers. Women dance replicating the movement of the snake and men accompany them on khanjari
and poongi.
o Swang is a music-based theatre form from Haryana.
o Bhavai is traditional theatre from Gujarat.
o Lavani is a folk dance performed by the women of fishing community in Maharashtra.
o Hence, (c) is the correct option.
Q 8.B
o All the statements are correct.
 Social Organisation: Excavations indicate a hierarchy in urban habitation. The citadel was where
the ruling class lived and the lowest tower was where the common people dwelt. The middle
settlement may have been meant for bureaucrats and middle-class merchants. Social differentiation is
indicated by different residential structures, with the number of rooms varying from one to twelve.
 Trade and Commerce: The Harappans had commercial links with Rajasthan and also with
Afghanistan and Iran. They set up a trading colony in northern Afghanistan which evidently
facilitated trade with Central Asia. Their cities also had commercial links with the people of the Tigris
and Euphrates basins. Many Harappan seals have been discovered in Mesopotamia. The Harappans
carried on long-distance trade in lapis- lazuli.
 Polity: As the Harappan culture is more or less uniform over a large area, a central authority
may have contributed to this. In the Harappan culture, the citadel may have been the area where the
bureaucrats lived or the seat of the government and the great granary at Mohenjodaro may have been
the treasury. The state was well established in the mature Harappan phase.

Q 9.D
o Theoretically, the doors of the Mughal nobility were open to everyone but in practice, person belonging to
aristocratic families had a decided advantage. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
o The Mughal nobility had a number of unusual features. Though often divided on ethnic lines, it formed a
composite ruling class representing different regions as well as different religions and tried to promote a
composite culture. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
o Though feudal in character, since land was the main source of income, the nobility had developed many
characteristics of a bureaucracy. It was also becoming more commerce and money minded. Hence,
statement 3 is correct.
Q 10.D
o Images of Vaishnava (mainly Vishnu and his various forms) and Shaiva (mainly the lingas and
mukhalingas) faiths are found at Mathura. Buddhist images are found in large numbers. It may be noted
that the images of Vishnu and Shiva are represented by their ayudhas (weapons).
Q 11.C
o A new path called Tauhid-i-Ilahi initiated by Emperor Akbar. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
o It was an order of the sufistic type. Those who were willing to join and those whom Emperor approved
were allowed to become member of it. Sunday was fixed as day of initiation. The initiates were to abstain
from meat as far as possible, give a sumptuous feast and give alms on their birthday. There were no sacred
books, no priestly class, and no place of worship or ritual ceremonies. Akbar didn‘t use force or money
for making disciple. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
o Only a few leading nobles including Birbal were joined or were invited to do so. Raja Man Singh was
invited but declined.
o The nobles who joined it tied them to the Emperor by personal bonds.bon Many nobles continued to pride
themselves as being the banda or murids of the Emperor. Hence, it ensured their loyalty towards the
Emperor. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Q 12.B
o Ro-ro ro stands for 'roll-on,
on, roll-
roll -off' ferry service. It will ferry people and goods including vehicles between
roll-off'
Ghogha in Bhavnagar and Dahej in Bharuch district of Gujarat.
o The ro-ro ferry will reduce the travel time between peninsular Saurashtra and south Gujarat by five hours
through the Gulf of Khambhat.
o This is the first of its kind in India. Hence, option b is correct.
o Ro-Ro Ferry Service: It refers to vessels used to carry wheeled cargo like cars, trucks, semi-trailer trucks,
trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on (rolled on) and off (rolled off) the ferry on their own wheels
or using a platform vehicle. It has been launched by Ministry of Shipping as part of Sagarmala Project. It
funded partly by Gujarat Government and partly under Sagarmala Project.
Q 13.D
o Rajas mentioned in the Rigveda did not have capital cities, palaces or armies, nor did they collect
taxes. Generally, sons did not automatically succeed fathers as rajas. Some of the rajas were probably
chosen by the jana, the people.
o They became rajas of janapadas rather than janas. The word janapada literally means the land where the
jana set its foot, and settled down.
o About 2500 years ago, some janapadas became more important than others, and were known as
mahajanapadas. Most of them had a capital city, many of these were fortified. The new rajas now
began maintaining armies. Due to this, they started collecting regular taxes.
o Taxes on crops (this was fixed at 1/6 of what was produced) and goods that were bought and sold through
trade was collected. Taxes on crafts person, herders, hunters and gatherers was also there.
Q 14.B
o Bahamani kingdom was a contemporary of Vijayanagarempire in Deccan. Both the empires ruled Deccan
from fourteenth to sixteenth century A.D. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

o One of the most remarkable step taken by Firuz shah Bahmani, a Bahamani ruler was the induction of
Hindus in the administration on a large scale. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
o The Bahmani kingdom acted as a cultural bridge between the north and the south. It also established close
relations with some of the leading countries of West Asia, including Iran and Turkey. The culture which
developed as a result had its own specific features which were distinct from north India. These cultural
traditions were continued by the successor states and also influenced the development of Mughal culture
during the period. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Q 15.C
o Recently, United Nation Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) launched the report
‗State of Commodity Dependency 2016‘.
o Some of the key highlights of the report are:
 A country is considered dependent on commodities when its commodity exports account for more
than 60 per cent of its total merchandise exports in value terms.
 Where the share exceeds 80 per cent in a particular country, it is considered 'strongly‖ dependent on
commodity export.
 Nine more developing economies became dependent on commodity exports between 2010 and 2015,
bringing the total to 91—two-thirds of all the 135 developing countries.
 In India, the total value of commodity exports has increased by 44.3 per cent from $84,861 million in
2009-10 to $122,500 million in 2014-15.
Hence, option (c) is correct.
Q 16.A
o The sculptural art of Nalanda, in stucco, stone and bronze, developed out of a heavy dependence on the
Buddhist Gupta art of Sarnath. By the he ninth century a synthesis occurred between the Sarnath Gupta
idiom, the local Bihar tradition, and that of central India, leading to the formation of the Nalandaschool of
sculpture characterised by distinctive facial features, body forms and treatment oof clothing and jewellery.
The characteristic features of Nalanda art, distinguished by its consistently high quality of workmanship,
are that the precisely executed sculptures have an ordered appearance with little effect of crowding.
Sculptures are also usually
sually not flat in relief but are depicted in three-dimensional
three forms. Hence,
o The Nalanda sculptures initially depict Buddhist deities of the Mahayana pantheon such as standing
Buddhas, bodhisattvas such as Manjusri Kumara, Avalokiteshvara seated on a lotus and Naga-Nagarjuna.
During the late eleventh and twelveth centuries, when Nalanda emerged as an important tantric centre, the
repertoire came to be dominated by Vajrayana deities such as Vajrasharada. Hence, statement 2 is not
correct.
Q 17.D
o According to Samkhya school, world owes its creation and evolution more to nature than to God. Later,
the creation of world was attributed to both nature and spirit. Thus in the beginning this school was
materialistic and later becomes spiritualistic.
o Whereas, according to Vedanta philosophy, brahma is reality and everything else is unreal. By the
knowledge of self, one can attain salvation.
o Vaisheshikaschool also put forward the materialistic view of life. According to vaisheshika school,
material objects are made up of atoms. Hence it propounded the atom theory.
o Nyayaschool was developed as a system of logic. According to Nyayaschool, salvation can be attained
through the acquisition of knowledge. Hence, option d is not correct.
o The main objective of this school is to establish the authority of the Vedas. They formed the rules for
Vedic interpretations. They believed in the power of the mantras and yajnas and they believed that this
power sustained the activity of the Universe. Their dharma is to perform Vedic rituals.
Q 18.D
o The consolidation of a kingdom as vast as the Delhi Sultanate needed reliable governors and
administrators. Rather than appointing aristocrats and landed chieftains as governors, the early Delhi
Sultans, especially Iltutmish, favoured their special slaves purchased for military service, called
bandagan in Persian. They were carefully trained to man some of the most important political
offices in the kingdom. Since they were totally dependent upon their master, the Sultan could trust and
rely upon them.
Q 19.A
o E-Samiksha is an online monitoring and compliance mechanism developed by Cabinet secretariat with
technical help from National Informatics Centre. Recently, Central government departments have been
asked to work out specific targets to be achieved by 2022 which will be monitored by PM under e-
Samiksha platform. This platform will be used for tracking the progress on projects & policy initiatives
and follow up actions of various ministries by cabinet secretary and Prime Minister on a real-time basis.
The portal is designed to enhance efficiency, bring transparency, increase accountability, and improve the
communication between Government to Government, Business to Government and vice versa. Thus,
promoting the maxim of ‗Minimum Government and Maximum governance‘. Hence, option (a) is
correct.
Q 20.C
o Vachanas are the composition of poems in Kannada by Basavana.
Q 21.D
o All the pairs are correctly matched.
 Kasi:The Kasis were Aryan people who had settled in the region around Varanasi (formerly called
Banaras). The capital of Kasi was at Varanasi, which took its name from the rivers Varuna and Asi
which made up its north and south boundaries.
 Kosala: The country of Kosalas was located to the north-west of Magadha with its capital at Savatthi
(Sravasti). It was located about 70 miles to north-west of Gorakhpur and comprised territory
corresponding to the modern Awadh (or Oudh) in Uttar Pradesh
 Anga: The first reference to the Angas is ffound Atharva-Veda
ound in the Atharva -Veda where they are mentioned along
with the Magadhas, Gandharis and the Mujavats, all apparently as a despised people. The
JainaPrajnapana ranks Angas and Vangas in the first group of Aryan peoples. Based on Mahabharata
evidence, the country
ountry of Anga roughly corresponded to the region of Bhagalpur and Monghyr in
Bihar and parts of Bengal.
 Magadha: The kingdom of the Magadhas roughly corresponded to the modern districts of Patna and
Gaya in southern Bihar, and parts of Bengal in the east. It was bounded on the north by river Ganga,
on the east by the river Champa, on the south by the Vindhya mountains and on the west by river
Sona.
 Vajji or Vriji:The Vajjians or Virijis included eight or nine confederated clans (atthakula) of whom
the Licchhavis, the Videhans, the Jnatrikas and the Vajjis were the most important. Mithila (modern
Janakpur in district of Tirhut) was the capital of Videha which became an important center of political
and cultural activities in northern India.
 Malla:The Mallamahajanapada was situated north of Magadha and divided into two main parts with
the river Kakuttha (present day Kuku) as the dividing line. The Mallas were republican people with
their dominion consisting of nine territories (Kalpa Sutra; Nirayavali Sutra), one for each of the nine
confederated clans.
 Chedi or Cheti: The Chedis (Chetis or Chetyas) had two distinct settlements of which one was in the
mountains of Nepal and the other in Bundelkhand near Kausambi. According to old authorities,
Chedis lay near Yamuna midway between the kingdom of Kurus and Vatsas.
 Vamsa or Vatsa: The Vatsas, Vamsas or Vachchas (also known as Batsa, or Bansa) are said to be an
offshoot from the Kurus. Vatsa's geographical location was near the confluence of the Ganges and
Yamuna rivers, corresponding with the territory of modern Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. Its capital was
Kausambi, (identified with the modern village of Kosam, 38 miles from Allahabad).
 Kurus: The country of the Kurus roughly corresponded to the modern Thaneswer, union territory of
Delhi and Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. The rivers Aruna, Ashumati, Hiranvati, Apaya, Kausiki,
Sarasvati and Drishadvati or Rakshi washed the lands of Kurus.
 Panchala: The Panchalas occupied the country to the east of the Kurus between the upper Himalayas
and the river Ganga. Panchala roughly corresponded to modern Budaun, Farrukhabad and the
adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh. The country was divided into Uttara-Panchala and Dakshina-
Panchala.
 Machcha or Matsya:Matsya or Machcha (Sanskrit for fish), lay to south of the kingdom of Kurus
and west of the Yamuna which separated it from the kingdom of Panchalas. It roughly corresponded
to former state of Jaipur in Rajasthan, and included the whole of Alwar with portions of Bharatpur.
 Surasena:Surasenas lay to the southwest of Matsya and west of Yamuna, around the modern
Brajabhumi. Its capital was Madhura or Mathura. Avantiputra, the king of Surasena, was the first
among the chief disciples of Buddha through whose help, Buddhism gained ground in Mathura
country.
 Assaka or Ashmaka:Assaka (or Ashmaka) was located on the Dakshinapatha or southern high road,
outside the pale of Madhyadesa. In Buddha's time, Assaka was located on the banks of the Godavari
river and was the only mahajanapada south of Vindhya mountains.
 Avanti: The country of Avanti roughly corresponded to modern Malwa, Nimar and adjoining parts of
the Madhya Pradesh. Both Mahishmati and Ujjaini were located on the southern high road called
Dakshinapatha extending from Rajagriha to Pratishthana (modern Paithan). Avanti was an important
center of Buddhism and some of the leading theras and theris were born and resided there
 GandharaMahajanapada: of Buddhist traditions included territories in east Afghanistan, and north-
west of the Panjab (modern districts of Peshawar (Purushapura) and Rawalpindi). Its capital was
Takshasila (PrakritTaxila). The Taxila University was a renowned center of learning in ancient times,
attracting scholars from all over the world.
 Kamboj:The cis-Hindukush region from Nurestan up to Rajauri in southwest of Kashmir sharing
borders with the Daradas and the Gandharas constituted the Kamboja.The capital of Kamboja was
probably Rajapura (modern Rajori) in south-west of Kashmir. The KambojaMahajanapada of the
Buddhist traditions refers to this cis-Hindukush branch of ancient Kamboja.
Q 22.D
o Scientists have successfully created the world‘s shortest X-Ray laser pulse with aduration of just 43
attoseconds(10-18). This is the shortest controlled event ever created by humans. Molecules rotate in range
of picoseconds(10-12), atoms in femtoseconds(10-15 15
) and electrons in attoseconds. The laser pulse will
allow scientists to observe electrons in slow motion. Researchers can now observe in high detail how
electrons
ns move within a molecule or how chemical bonds are formed. It could contribute to
development of efficient solar cells are now it is possible to follow the process of excitation through
sunlight up to the generation of electricity step by step. A detailed
detaile understanding of the charge transfer
pathway could help optimizing the efficiency of the next generationofphotosensitive
elements. Chemical reactions can also be directly manipulated. Using a laser pulse can alter the course
of a reaction even chemical bonds can be broken by stopping the charge shift at a certain location in the
molecule.
o Hence, all the statements are correct.
Q 23.C
o Bhagavatismcentred on the worship of Vishnu or Bhagavat. Vishnu was a minor God in the Vedic times
but in the 2nd century B.C. he was merged with a God called Narayana, who was originally a non-Vedic
tribal god. He was called Bhagavat and his worshippers were called Bhagavatas. Vishnu also came to be
identified with a legendary hero of the Vrishni tribe of western India known as Krishna Vasudeva.
Bhagavatism was marked by bhakti (loving devotion) and ahimsa (non-killing of animals).
o It preached the doctrine of incarnation or avtara. History was presented as a cycle of ten incarnations of
Vishnu.
Q 24.B
o Exercise Mitra Shakti is an India-Sri Lanka joint military training exercise which had started in 2012,
mainly as a response to China‘s efforts to increase its influence in South Asia and Indian Ocean region.
The aim of the joint training is to exchange the best of military practices of the two countries and build a
strong military to military relations between the two armies. It also aims at developing joint strategies by
sharing the expertise of conducting operations, especially in the counter-insurgency and counter terrorism
(CI and CT) environment.
o CORPAT is a bilateral maritime exercise between India and Indonesia. The two navies have been
carrying out Coordinated Patrols (CORPAT) on respective sides of the International Maritime Boundary
Line (IMBL) twice a year since 2002, with the aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean Region

safe and secure for commercial shipping, International trade and legitimate marine activities. Both
countries have been carrying out maritime exercise twice a year since 2002.
o Exercise INDRA-2017, the first ever Tri Services Joint Exercise between Indian and Russian Armed
Forces. The year 2017 marks a major milestone as this Exercise has been upgraded to involve all the three
Services of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy & Air Force). It provides an opportunity to the armed forces
of both countries to train in counter terrorism operations in a multinational scenario in a joint tri service
environment.
However, VARUNA Exercise is with France.
Hence, option (b) is correct.
Q 25.B
o Kathputli, Rajasthan
o The traditional marionettes of Rajasthan are known as Kathputli. Carved from a single piece of wood,
these puppets are like large dolls that are colourfully dressed. Their costumes and headgears are designed
in the medieval Rajasthani style of dress, which is prevalent even today. The Kathputli is accompanied
by a highly dramatised version of the regional music. Oval faces, large eyes, arched eyebrows and
large lips are some of the distinct facial features of these string puppets. These puppets wear long trailing
skirts and do not have legs. Puppeteers manipulate them with two to five strings which are normally tied
to their fingers and not to a prop or a support.
Q 26.D
o Statement 1 and 3 are correct: First Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation, Disaster Management Exercise (BIMSTEC DMEx-2017) was held recently in New Delhi
with primary objective to create synergy and synchronize efforts to institutionalize regional cooperation
and inter-governmental
governmental coordination
ion efforts on disaster response among Member States.
o Statement 2 is correct: All seven BIMSTEC nations (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri
Response
Lanka and Thailand) participated in the joint exercise and it was conducted by National Disaster Respons
Force of India. Hosting of the Exercise is in keeping with India's commitment to share its expertise and
capabilities in disaster management with the region.
Q 27.C
o The foundation for the Mughal painting was laid by Humayun when he was staying in Persia. He brought
with him two painters – Mir Sayyid Ali and AbdalSamad to India. Mughal paintings reached its climax
during the reign of Jahangir. He employed a number of painters like AbulHasan, Bishan Das, Madhu,
Anant, Manohar, Govardhan and Ustad Mansur. Hence, option c is correct.
Q 28.D
o The movement of goods during Mughal period was facilitated by the growth of a financial system which
permitted easy transfer of money from one part of the country to another.
o This was done through the use of Hundis. The Hundis was a letter of credit payable after a period of time
at a discount. The Hundis often included insurance which was charged at different rates on the basis of
value of the goods. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.
o The sharrafs was specialized in dealing with Hundis. In the process they acted as private bank and
supplement the money in circulation. Many Sharrafs set up their agency in different parts of India and also
in West and Southeast Asia. Therefore, they helped in promoting external trade with neighboring
countries. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Q 29.C
o Rig Vedic people found it difficult to explain the coming of rains, the appearance of the sun and moon,
and the existence of rivers, mountains and the like. They therefore personified these natural forces and
looked upon them as living beings to whom they attributed human or animal attributes. The most
important god in Rig Veda is Indra or Purandhar. Other importants gods are Agni, Varun, soma and

Maruts. Many hymns are devoted to river Sarasvati and other women deities as Aditi and Usha.
Therefore Rig Vedic religion can be described as naturalistic polytheism.
o There were striking similarities between the Rig Vedic religion and Iranian Avesta. The fire-cult is
considered to be a special trait of both the Indo-Aryans and Indo- Iranians. The fire altar or vedi is
mentioned in the Rig Veda, and fire worship is very important in the Avesta.
Q 30.B
o Avadanas were texts composed in Buddhist-hybrid Sanskrit. Their objective was to preach the teachings
of Mahayana Buddhism to the people. Some of the important books of this genre were Mahavastu and
Divyavadana.
Q 31.C
o Statement 1 is correct: SampoornaBima Gram (SBG) Yojana, an initiative for expansion of clientele
base of Postal Life Insurance with a aim to provide affordable life insurance services to people living in
rural areas of the country. All villages under the SaansadAdarsh Gram Yojana will be brought under its
ambit. Under SBG Yojana, at least one village (having a minimum of 100 households) will be identified
in each of the revenue districts of the country, wherein endeavour will be made to cover all households of
that identified village with a minimum of one RPLI (Rural Postal Life Insurance) policy each. Coverage
of all households in the identified SampoornaBima Gram village is the primary objective of this scheme.
o Statement 2 is correct: It is an initiative of Ministry of Communication to secure lives of people as well
as enhance financial inclusion among the rural people.
Q 32.A
o The Mauryas created for the first time a well-organized state machinery which operated at the heart of the
empire. Their conquest also opened the doors for trade and missionary activity. It appears that the contacts
established by the administrators, traders, and Jaina and Buddhist monks led to the spread of the material
culture of the Gangetic basin to areas situated on the periphery of the empire. The new material culture
in thee Gangetic basin was based on an intensive use of iron, the prevalence of writing, punchmarked
coins, an abundance of beautiful poetry called Northern Black Polished Ware, the introduction of
t
burnt bricks and ring wells and above all, on the existence of towns in northeastern India.
Q 33.A
o Statement 1 is correct: Shankara‘s philosophy is called Advaitavadaot the doctrine of non dualism.
According to Sankara god and the created world was one. The difference was apparent but not real and
arose due to ignorance. The path to salvation was devotion to God.
o Statement 2 is not correct: He did not reject the path of Bhakti, but a bhakt had to first clean his heart
through jnan or knowledge for which a study of scriptures was necessary.
o Statement 3 is correct: Sankara upheld the Vedas as the fountainhead of true knowledge.
Q 34.C
o The stone statuaries found at Harappa and Mohenjodaro are excellent examples of handling three
dimensional volumes. In stone are two male figures— one is a torso in red sandstone and the other is a
bust of a bearded priest in steatite. Hence, pair 1 is not correctly matched.
o The bronze dancing girl of the same period discovered at Mohenjodaro is perhaps the greatest surviving
achievement of the metal work of the Harappan age. This world-famous figure shows a female dancing
figure standing as if relaxing after a dance number, with her right hand on her hip and the left dangling
free. She wears a large number of bangles, probably made of bone or ivory on her left arm together with a
couple of pairs on her right arm. Hence, pair 2 is correctly matched.
o The terracotta figure representing the large sized mother goddess is one of the best preserved and comes
from Mohenjodaro. Hence, pair 3 is not correctly matched.
Q 35.C
o Statement 1 is not correct- Lingayatism, also known as Veerashaivism, began as a reform movement in
the 12th century AD in Karnataka, India.
o Statement 2 and 3 are correct- Basaveshwara (Basavanna) is the founder of Lingayatism. Though born a
Brahmin, he rebelled against the rigid practices of the caste system then prevalent, and eventually began
expounding his own philosophy with a casteless society at its core. Although Basavanna rejected the
social caste system, he embraced the principle of Karma and reincarnation. Additionally, he rejected the
practice of treating women as inferior.
Q 36.D
o All the options are correct.
o The guilds could act as banker, financer and trustee as well. Generally these functions were carried out
by different category of merchants known as Sreshthin in North India and Chettyars in South India.
o Many guilds operated at local as well as on larger country level and undertook domestic trade.
Certain guilds were also involved in foreign trade. 'Ayyavdle' a guild from South India operated at
longer long distance trade. 'Manigramam', another guild composed of multiple nationalities under took
foreign trade.
o The sealings from Vaishali show that artisans, merchants, and the head of the guild served on the same
corporate body, and in this capacity they obviously conducted the affairs of the town. The
administrative board of the district of Kotivarsha in north Bengal (Bangladesh) included the chief
merchant, the chief trader, and the chief artisan. Their consent to land transactions was considered
necessary. Artisans and bankers were organized into their own separate guilds.
o Over its own members, the guild had judicial rights, which were recognized by the state.The guild
had not only economic power but also over social life e.g. it could expel a refractory member. It also
acted as a guardian of the widows and orphans of their members and as their insurance against sickness.
Q 37.C
o Both the statements are correct.
o In order to spread the teachings of Jainism, Mahavira organized an order of his followers that admitted
both men and women. He preached his teachings in Prakrit, the language of the common people. As
Jainism did not very clearly differentiate itself from the Brahmanical religion, it failed to attract the
masses. Despite this, Jainism gradually spread intointo the south and west India where the Brahmanical
religion was weak. The second cause of the spread of Jainism in south India is said to have been
the great famine that took place in Magadha 200 years after Mahavira’s death. The famine lasted
for 12 years and in order to protect themselves, many Jainas migrated to the south under the
leadership of Bhadrabahu, though the rest of them stayed back in Magadha under the leadership of
Sthalabahu. The emigrant Jainas spread Jainism in south India. At the end of the famine, they returned to
Magadha, where they developed differences with the local Jainas. Those who returned from the south
claimed that even during the famine they had strictly observed the religious rules. They alleged too that
the Jaina ascetics living in Magadha had violated those rules and had become lax. In order to sort out
these differences and to compile the principle teachings of Jainism, a council was convened in Pataliputra
(Patna), but the Jainas who had returned from the south boycotted it and refused to accept its decisions.
From now onwards, the Southern began to be called digambaras and the Magadha‘s shvetambara.
Q 38.B
o Statement 1 is not correct: The Nalanda University was founded by Kumaragupta I during the Gupta
period. It was patronized by his successors and later by Harsha. Nalanda University was a residential
university and education was free including the boarding and lodging. According to Hsuan Tsang, the
monastery at Nalanda was supported from the revenue of 100 villages.
o Statement 2 is correct: Nalanda is a mahavihara as it is a complex of several monastries of various
sizes. There is evidence that all three Buddhist doctrines— Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana—were
taught here and monks made their way to Nalanda and its neighbouring sites of Bodh Gaya and Kurkihar
from China, Tibet and Central Asia in the north etc. Different religious subjects like the Vedas, Sankhya
and Yoga philosophies were also taught.
Q 39.C
o Ghoomar is a traditional folk dance of Rajasthan. Ghoomar or Ghumar was basically developed by the
Bhil tribe and was adopted by other Rajasthani communities. The Ghoomar dance is a particularly a
women's dance and performed by the women for exclusively ladies gatherings. Ghoomar dance is
performed by groups of women moving in a circular fashion and in swirling robes accompanied by men
and women singing together. This spectacular folk dance derived its name from ‗ghoomna‘.
o Garba Dance is a popular folk dance of Gujarat. It is a circular form of dance performed by ladies on
the Navaratri days, SharadPurnima, VasantPanchami, Holi and such other festive occasions. The basics of
the dance are singing and clapping rhythmically while going round the goddess.Garba is performed
throughout nine nights of Navaratri, by both men and women.
o Hence, statements 1 and 3 are correct and statement 2 is not correct.
Q 40.A
o Some of the earliest bhakti movements were led by the Alvars (literally, those who are ―immersed in
devotion to Vishnu) and Nayanars (literally, leaders who were devotees of Shiva). They travelled from
place to place singing hymns in Tamil in praise of their gods. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
o It rebelled against the caste ridden system of the south. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
o During their travels the Alvars and Nayanars identified certain shrines as abodes of their chosen deities.
Very often large temples were later built at these sacred places.
o These developed as centres of pilgrimage. Singing compositions of these poet-saints became part of
temple rituals in these shrines, as did worship of the saints' images.
o The most striking features of these traditions was the presence of women like Andal was a women Alvar
and KaraikkkalAmmaiyar(Nayanar), a devotee of Shiva , adopted the path of extreme ascetism in order to
attain her goal.These women renounced their social obligations, but did not join an alternative order or
become nuns. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
Q 41.C
o The final development flight trials of Astra - Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile (BVRAAM) were
successfully conducted over the Bay of Bengal, off the Coast of Chandipur, Odisha recently. ASTRA-
BVRAAM is an all-weather weapon‘s system capable of destroying an enemy target 60 to 70 km far
away. In a typical Astra engagement both the launcher and the target move at a speed in excess of 1000
kmph. Hence, statement 1 is correct and 2 is not correct.
o The missile has been developed by the Defence Research and a Development Organization (DRDO)
together with Indian Air Force (IAF). Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
Q 42.B
o Indigeneoustradition as well as modern research trace the origin of Indian drama to the Vedas. In the
Ramayana we hear of drama troupes of women
women while KautilyasArthshastra mentions musicians, dancers
and dramatic shows. Drama is a performing art, which has also been practised since times immemorial.
Drama could spring from a child‘s play. The child enacts, mimics, and caricates which was definitely the
beginning of drama. Since early times mythological stories of war between the gods, goddesses and the
devils is known. Bharata wrote Natyashastra and created the plays known as AsuraParajaya and
AmritManthan. Natyashastra is one of the greatest texts written in the field of drama and other
performing arts.
o While referring to drama, Bharata has mentioned nat (male artists), and nati (female artist), music, dance,
musical instruments, dialogues, themes and stage. Thus we find that drama achieved a great level of
perfection during the age of Bharata. For Bharata, drama is a perfect means of communication. He also
started the concept of an enclosed area for drama. There is mention of a community called 'shailoosh‘
which had professional drama companies. The practice of singing heroic tales became popular. As a result
professional singers called kushilavas came into existence.
Q 43.B
o Central Asian invasions led to further development of Indian art and sculpture. Close contacts with the
western world introduced many new forms in Indian art. The most significant development was the
growth of the Gandharaschool of art. Hence, statement 1 is not correct. This school borrowed features
from both the Greek and Roman art forms. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
o Mathura, which was the centre of the indigenous school of art, was also influenced by the invasions. A
number of images from here of terracotta and red sandstone, which have definite Saka-Kushan influence,
have survived. The Buddha image at Mathura is modelled on the lines of earlier Yaksha images whereas
in Gandhara it has Hellenistic features.

Q 44.D
o The Mughal State provided incentives and loans called taccavi to the peasant for expansion and
improvement of cultivation. However, it was started by Mohammad bin Tughlaq. Hence, option d is
correct.
Q 45.A
o Government has decided to establish Turtle Sanctuary at Allahabad under NamamiGangeprogramme. It
includes setting up of a Turtle Rearing Centre, River Biodiversity Park at Sangam (confluence of the
rivers Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Sarasvati) and awareness campaign about the importance of river
Ganga and imperativeness of its conservation. It would contribute to the sustenance of more than 2,000
aquatic species including some of the most endangered fauna like turtles, the National Aquatic Animal —
Gangetic dolphin ( Platanistagangetica ), the Gharial ( Gavialisgangeticus ) and numerous migratory and
resident birds. Previously, Turtle sanctuary was set up in Varanasi in 1989 under the Ganga Action Plan-I.
Q 46.A
o Recently held 8th IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) trilateral Ministerial Commission Meeting in
Durban, South Africa the member countries have signed the IBSA Trust Fund Agreement. This dedicated
fund aims to bring together the three emerging economies of India, Brazil and South Africa to combat
poverty in other developing countries. Each country will contribute US $1 million annually to this fund
which is managed by the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) Special Unit for South-South
Cooperation. The IBSA forum was launched in June 2003.
Q 47.B
o Recently,T. K. Viswanathan committee, constituted by the Centre, on Hate speech, has recommended
introducing stringent provisions for hate speech.
o Observations of the Committee:
 It has recommended amendments
amendments in CrPC to enable each state to have a State Cyber Crime
Coordinator (Sec 25B) and a District Cyber Crime Cell (Sec 25C).
―highly disparaging, abusive or inflammatory against any person or
 The offensive speech should be ―highly
―fear of injury or alarm‖.
group of persons‖, and should be uttered with the intention to cause ―fear
 The committee also expressed the desirability of having guidelines in place to prevent the abuse of
provisions by investigation agencies and to safeguard innocent users of social media.
 Section 78 of the IT Act primarily ‗dealt with capacity building‘ and needs to be relooked to sensitize
the officers and give them support with electronic expertise, computer-forensics and digital-forensics.
Hence, option (b) is correct.
Q 48.B
o Statement 1 is not correct: SURYA KIRAN EXERCISE is an Indo-Nepal joint military exercise
o Statement 2 is correct: Its aim is to enhance inter-operability between Indian and the Nepalese Army
units.The training will also focus on counter terror operations in mountainous terrain, Disaster
management and joint operations for disaster relief. Surya Kiran series of exercises are held alternately in
India and Nepal.
Q 49.B
o SECURE Himalayas - The Union Government recently launched a six-year project to ensure conservation
of locally and globally significant biodiversity, land and forest resources in the high Himalayan ecosystem
spread over four states in India. Protection of snow leopard and other endangered species and their
habitats is one of the key components of the project which will also focus on securing livelihoods of the
people in the region and enhancing enforcement to reduce wildlife crime. The project was launched in
association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the inaugural day of the
Global Wildlife Programme (GWP). Hence, statement 1 is not correct and 2 is correct.
o The SECURE - securing livelihoods, conservation, sustainable use and restoration of high range
Himalayan ecosystems - is meant for specific landscapes. It includeChangthang (Jammu and Kasmir),
Lahaul - Pangi and Kinnaur (Himachal Pradesh), Gangotri - Govind and Darma - Byans Valley in
Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand) and Kanchenjunga - Upper Teesta Valley (Sikkim).
Q 50.A
o Some of the important sites of the Indus Valley civilisation and their archaeological findings are:
 Harappa in present Pakistan- 2 row of six granaries with big platforms, stone symbol of lingam and
yoni, mother goddess figure, wheat and barley in wooden mortar, dice, copper scale and mirror.
Moreover, sculpture of dog chasing a deer in bronze metal, nude dancing girl of stone and a red sand
stone male torso have been excavated.
 Mohenjo-Daro in present Pakistan- the great bath, the great granary, post cremation burial, sculpture,
and bearded priest.
 Dholavira in Gujarat- giant water reservoir, unique water harnessing system, stadium, dams and
embankments, inscription comprising 10 large sized signs like an advertisement board.
 Lothal (Manchester of Indus Valley civilisation) in Gujarat- Dockyard, double burial, risk husk, fire
altars, painted jar, modern day chess, terracotta figure of horse and ship, instruments for measuring
45, 90 and 180 degree angles.
 Rakhigarhi in Haryana
 Ropar in Punjab- Dog buried with human oval burials.
 Balathal and Kalibangan in Rajasthan- bangle factory, toy carts, bones of camel, decorated bricks,
citadel and lower town.
 Surkotada in Gujarat- first actual remains of horse bones.
 Banawali in Haryana- toy plough, barley grains, oval shaped settlements, only city with radial streets.
 Alamgirpur in Uttar Pradesh- Impression of a cloth on a trough
Q 51.B
o A large quantity of pottery excavated from the sites, enable us to understand the gradual evolution of
various design motifs as employed in different shapes, and styles. The Indus Valley pottery consists
chiefly of very fine wheel-made
made wares, very few being hand-
hand -made. Plain pottery is more common than
hand-made.
painted ware. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
o It is evident from the discovery of a large number of spindles and spindle whorls in the houses of the
Indus Valley that spinning of cotton and wool was very common. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
o Many stone structural remains are also found at Dholavira which show how the Indus Valley people uused
stone in construction. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
Q 52.B
o The later vedic period saw certain important changes, such as the beginnings of territorial
kingdoms, called janapadas, under the kshatriya rulers. Wars were fought not only for possessions
of cattle but also for territory. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
o The famous Mahabharata war, fought between Kauravas and Pandavas, is attributed to this period. The
predominantly pastoral society of early Vedic times had become agricultural. Hence, statement 2 is
correct. The tribal pastoralists came to be transformed into farmers who could maintain their chief with
frequent tributes. Chiefs, called raja or janapadin, grew at the expense of the tribal peasantry, and
handsomely rewarded the priests who supported their patrons against the common people called the
vaishyas.
o The factor that contributed most to the creation of social divisions was the conquest of the indigenous
inhabitants by the Anglo-Aryans. The dasas and the dasyus, who were conquered by the Aryans, were
treated as slaves and shudras. The Rig Veda mentions the aryavarna and dasavarna. The tribal chiefs and
the priests acquired a larger share of the booty and naturally became wealthy at the cost of their kinsmen,
thereby creating social inequalities in the tribe. Thus the tribal society got divided into varna system in
Rig Vedic age. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
Q 53.C
o Fahien‘s account on the Gupta administration provides useful information. He characterises the Gupta
administration as mild and benevolent. There were no restrictions on people‘s movements and they
enjoyed a large degree of personal freedom. There was no state interference in the individual’s life.
Punishments were not severe.
o Imposing a fine was a common punishment. There was no spy system.
o The administration was so efficient that the roads were kept safe for travelers, and there was no fear of
thieves. He mentioned that people were generally prosperous and the crimes were negligible.
Q 54.B
o The Rig Vedic Aryans were pastoral people and their main occupation was cattle rearing. Their wealth
was estimated in terms of their cattle. When they permanently settled in North India they began to
practice agriculture. With the knowledge and use of iron they were able to clean forests and bring more
lands under cultivation. Carpentry was another important profession and the availability of wood from
the forests cleared made the profession profitable. Carpenters produced chariots and ploughs. Workers in
metal made a variety of articles with copper, bronze and iron. Spinning was another important occupation
and cotton and woollen fabrics were made. Goldsmiths were active in making ornaments. The potters
made various kinds of vessels for domestic use. Trade was another important economic activity and rivers
served as important means of transport. Trade was conducted on barter system. In the later times, gold
coins called nishka were used as media of exchange in large transactions.
Q 55.D
o The corpus of Sangam literature includes Tolkappiyam, Ettutogai, Pattuppattu, and Pathinenkilkanakku.
o Nalayira Divyaprabandham is also known as Tamil Veda. They are text of Nayanar tradition of
6th century and flourished in Tamilnadu.
Q 56.B
o Zawabit refers to the secular decree issued by the emperor. Hence, option b is correct.
o Emperor Aurangzeb however followed Hanafi school of Muslim law but did not hesitate in issuing
Zawabit-i-
secular decrees or Zawabit. A compendium of his decrees has been collected in a work called Zawabit
Alamgir.
Q 57.D
o Judicial and Police Departments
Kautilya mentions the existence of both civil and criminal courts. The chief justice of the Supreme Court
at the capital was called Dharmathikarin. There were also subordinate courts at the provincial capitals and
districts under Amatyas. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
o Census
Census was conducted regularly during the Mauryan period. The village officials were to number the
people along with other details like their caste and occupation. They were also to count the animals in
each house. The census in the towns was taken by municipal officials to track the movement of population
both foreign and indigenous. The data collected were cross checked by the spies. The Census appears to
be a permanent institution in the Mauryan administration. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
o Central Government
There were civil servants called Amatyas to look after the day-to-day administration. These officers were
similar to the IAS officers of independent India. The method of selection of Amatyas was elaborately
given by Kautilya. Asoka appointed DhammaMahamatras to supervise the spread of Dhamma. Thus the
Mauryan state had a well organized civil service. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Q 58.D
o Depiction of a monumental rock-cut elephant at Dhauli has Ashokan rock-edict.
o Ashoka is referred to as DevanampiyaPiyadassi (Beloved of the gods). Only the inscription
at Maski identified Ashoka by name, and hence it became evident that DevanampiyaPiyadassi was a title
Ashoka held.

o The Kandahar Rock Inscription, is a famous bilingual edict in Greek and Aramaic, proclaimed and
carved in stone by the Indian Maurya Empire ruler Ashoka. It mentions about fishermen and tribes who
have ceased from hunting.
o Around 14 edicts of Ashoka are located on the route to the Mount Girnar Hills. This rock edict is a huge
stone and the carving in Brahmi script in Pali language mention the resistance to greed and animal
sacrifice and also moralize the principles of purity of thought, secularism in thinking, kindness and
gratitude.
Q 59.A
o There are subdivisions of dravida temples. These are basically of five different shapes: square, usually
called kuta,, and also caturasra; rectangular or shala or ayatasra; elliptical, calledcalle gaja-prishta or
elephantbacked, or also called vrittayata, deriving from wagon- vaulted shapes of apsidal chaityas with a
horse-shoe shaped entrance facade usually called a nasi; circular or vritta; and octagonal or ashtasra.
Q 60.A
o The temples at Khajuraho were built during the Chandella dynasty, which reached its apogee between 950
and 1050. Khajuraho temples are an example of Nagara style of architecture. Hence, statement 2 is not
correct.
o There are many temples at Khajuraho, most of them devoted to Hindu gods. There are some Jain temples
a well as a Chausanth Yogini temple, predating the tenth century. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
Q 61.B
o INS Aridhaman is second Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN).The
Aridhaman will purportedly have a more powerful reactor than the 6,000-ton Arihant and also be slightly
bigger. It can also be used for underwater communication. The SSBN can be armed with up to eight K-4
missiles. The K-4 is an intermediate-range nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM),
currently being development by India‘s Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO). The
indigenously built second nuclear submarine will add to India‘s growing nuclear capabilities, in the face
of the new strategic realities of the region, including the assertive Chinese naval presence in the Indian
Ocean.
o Hence, option (b) is correct.
Q 62.C
o NitiAayog along with the Health ministry has started ranking district hospitals through ‗Health of our
Hospitals‘ index. Its aims to provide comprehensive secondary health care services to the people in the

district at an acceptable level of quality and to be responsive and sensitive to the needs of people and
referring centers. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is also correct.
Q 63.C
o History of Indian music starts with history of Indian music with the melodic patterns of vedic
chanting. The oldest music, which possessed a grammar was the vedic. Of course, the Rig-Veda is said to
be the oldest: nearly 5000 years old. The hymns of the Rig-Veda were called the richas. The Yajur
Veda was also a religious chant. The earliest traditions of music are traced to the Samaveda which
contains the Slokas that were put to music and prescribes the chanting of vedic hymns with pitch and
accent. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
o The tradition of vedic chanting was inscribed in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in
2008. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
Q 64.B
o Ur, a settlement of peasants was the smallest unit of administration in Cholaempire. Nadu was group of
villages and formed a larger unit. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
o The villages in Cholaempire enjoyed self-government, the village assemblies like mahasabha performed
various administrative functions including dispensing justice and collecting taxes. They could also settle
new lands and exercise ownership rights over them. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
Q 65.C
o Statement 1 is correct: The Moroccan traveller IbnBattutah visited India in fourteenth century and lived
in the court of Muhammad Tughlaq for eight years. He travelled widely all over India and has left a very
interesting account of products of the country, conditions of roads and the life of the people. He says soil
ould produce two crops every year. Rice,sesame,sugarcane and cotton were
was so fertile that it could
grown.They formed the basis of many village industries such as oil pressing, dyeing, jaggery,
weaving etc.
o Statement 2 is correct: Slaves were openly sold in markets, like any other ccommodity, and were
regularly exchanged as gifts.As it is mentioned earlier, when Ibn Battuta reached Sind he purchased
―hor ses, camels and slaves‖ as gifts for Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq. They were generally usedfor
―horses,
domestic labour. Ibn Battuta found that men slaves were used for carrying rich women and men on
palanquins.The price of slaves, particularly female slaves required for domestic labour, was very low.
o Statement 3 is not correct: He mentions with horror the scene of women burning herself in the funeral
pyre of her husband. According to him permission from the sultan had to be taken for the
performance of sati.
Q 66.B
o There are 8 classical dance forms in India. These are - Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam, Kathakali,
Kathak, Odissi, Sattriya and Manipuri. Chhau is not yet recognised as a classical dance. Hence, statement
1 is not correct.
o Chhau dance is a tradition from eastern India where episodes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, local
folklore and abstract themes are performed. It is a blend of martial tradition, temple rituals and local
folklores prevalent in the region. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
o Chhau dance was recognised as India‘s Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2010. Hence,
Q 67.B
o Buddhism became a victim to the evils of Brahmanism against which it had initially fought. To meet the
Buddhist challenge, the Brahmanas reformed their religion. They stressed the need to preserve the cattle
wealth and assured women and shudras of admission to heaven. Buddhism, on the other hand, changed for
the worse. Gradually the Buddhist monks were cut off from the main stream of people’s lives; they
gave up Pali, the language of the people, and took to Sanskrit, the language of intellectuals. From the
1st century onwards, they practised idol worship on a large scale and received numerous offerings from

devotees. The rich offerings supplemented by generous royal grants to the Buddhist monasteries made the
life of monks easy.
o The Brahman ruler PushyamitraShunga is said to have persecuted the Buddhists. Several instances of
persecution occur in the sixth-seventh centuries. The Huna king Mihirakula, who was a worshipper of
Shiva killed hundreds of Buddhists. The ShaiviteShashankGauda felled the Bodhi tree at Bodh gaya
where Buddha had attained enlightenment.
o For their riches, the monasteries came to be invaded by the Turkish invaders. The Turks killed a large
number of Buddhist monks in Bihar, although some of the monks managed to escape to Nepal and Tibet.
In any event, by the 12th century, Buddhism had virtually disappeared from the land of its birth.
Q 68.A
o NEOLITHIC PERIOD
o A remarkable progress is noticed in human civilization in the Neolithic Age. It is approximately dated
from 6000 B.C to 4000 B.C. Neolithic remains are found in various parts of India. These include the
Kashmir valley, Chirand in Bihar, Belan valley in Uttar Pradesh and in several places of the Deccan. The
important Neolithic sites excavated in south India are Maski, Brahmagiri, Hallur and Kodekal in
Karnataka, Paiyampalli in Tamil Nadu and Utnur in Andhra Pradesh.
o The chief characteristic features of the Neolithic culture are the practice of agriculture, domestication of
animals, polishing of stone tools and the manufacture of pottery. In fact, the cultivation of plants
and domestication of animals led to the emergence of village communities based on sedentary life.
o There was a great improvement in technology of making tools and other equipments used by man. Stone
tools were now polished. The polished axes were found to be more effective tools for hunting and cutting
trees. Mud brick houses were built instead of grass huts. Wheels were used to make pottery. Pottery
was used for cooking as well as storage of food grains. Large urns were used as coffins for the burial of
the dead. There was also improvement in agriculture. Wheat, barely, rice, millet were cultivated in
different areas at different points of time. Rice cultivation was extensive in eastern
e India. Domestication
of sheep, goats and cattle was widely prevalent.
o Cattle were used for cultivation and for transport. The people of Neolithic Age used clothes made of
cotton and wool.
Q 69.D
o Statement 1 is not correct: Recently, it has been announced
announced that for the first time, Nepal and India will
undertake a joint tiger census next month in their national parks, forests and protected areas adjoining the
two countries using a globally-recognised method i.e. ―Cam era Tapping Procedure‖ to count the number
of tigers and avoid double counting.TheChitwan National Park in Chitwan and Parsa Wildlife Reserve of
Nepal are adjacent to the Balmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar. Likewise, Nepal's Bardiya National Park
adjoins India's Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary while the Shuklaphant National Park in Nepal adjoins
India's Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.
o Statement 2 is not correct: Tigers are listed as an ‗Endangered‘ Species in the IUCN Red List.
Q 70.C
o Mudiyettu is a ritual dance-drama (folk theatre) of Kerela, celebrated in the month of Vrischikam
(November-December). It depicts a mythological tale or triumph battle of Goddess Kali over demon
Darika. It is usually performed annually in ‗BhagvatiKavus‘, the temple of the Goddess, as an oblation to
the Goddess.The entire village community participates in the village with mutual cooperation and
collective participation of all castes. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.
o Mudiyettu is the second Kerala art form being included in the UN list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
of Humanity; the first was ―K oodiyaattam‖.
Q 71.C
o Option (c) is the correct answer.
o Many ancient books contain religious themes. Hindu religious literature includes the Vedas (Rig Veda,
Atharva Veda, Yajur Veda and Sama Veda), the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the
Brahmanas, Aryankas and Upanishads.
o We also have a large body of secular literature. To this class belong the law-books, called the
Dharamasutras and Smritis, Arthashastra of Kautilya, Astadhyayi of Panini, works of Bhasa, Sudraka,
Kalidasa and Banabhatta.
Q 72.D
o All the pairs are correcty matched.
o A beautiful example of Ajanta painting is the one which illustrates a scene of Jataka and commonly
called 'the dying princess' in cave No.XVI painted in the early part of the 5th century A.D. The story
tells how Nanda who was passionately in love with this girl was tricked away from her by the Buddha and
carried up to heaven. Overwhelmed by the beauty of the Apsaras, Nanda forgot his earthly love and
consented to enter the Buddhist order as a shortcut to heaven. In time, he came to see the vanity of his
purely physical aim and became a Buddhist but the Princess, his beloved, was cruelly left to her fate
without any such consolation. 'It is one of the most remarkable paintings of Ajanta as the movement of the
line is sure and firm. This adaptation of line is the chief character of all oriental paintings and one of the
greatest achievements of the Ajanta artists. Emotion and pathos are expressed here by the controlled turn
and poise of the body and the eloquent gestures of the hands.
o Many caves at Ellora are dedicated to Shaivism, but the images of both Shiva and Vishnu and their
various orms according to Puranic narrative are depicted. Among the Shaivite themes, Ravana shaking
Mount Kailash, Andhakasurvadha, Kalyanasundara are profusely depicted whereas among the
Vaishnavite themes, the different avatars of Vishnu are depicted.
o The image of Maheshmurti at Elephanta dates back to the early sixth century CE. The image is
large in size. The central head is the main Shiva figure whereas the other two visible heads are of
Bhairava and Uma. The all-inclusive aspect of Shiva is exhibited in this sculpture by soft-modelling,
smooth surface and large face. The face of Shiva-Bhairava is clearly shown in profile in anger with
bulging eye and mustache. The other face showing feminine characters is of Uma who is the consort of
Shiva.
Q 73.A
o Option (a) is correct.
o Rudradaman I (A.D. 130-150) 150) was the most famous Shaka ruler. He rules not only over Sindh, but also
over a good part of Gujarat, Konkan, Narmada Valley, Malwa and Kathiawar. He is famous in history for
the repair of the Sudarshana Lake semi-arid
Lake in the semi-
semi -arid zone of Kathiawar. He was a great lover of Sanskrit.
Although a foreigner, he issued the first ever long inscription in chaste Sanskrit. Junagadh rock inscription
of Rudradam tells about the history of Sudarsanalake and gives accounts of reign of Rudradaman.
o Chandragupta II belong to the Gupta Empire.
o Vikramaditya was a king of Ujjain who fought against Shakas.
o Samudragupta belong to the Gupta empire.
Q 74.A
o Recently, Start-up Sangam initiative was launched by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Start-up
Sangam Initiative It was launched for bringing in innovations and disruptions in the technology in heavy
oil and gas industry. Under the initiative a corpus of 320 crore has been put together by contribution of
various PSUs like - India Oil Corporation, ONGC, Engineers India etc. It will be used to fund more than
30 start ups for the next three years. The selected start-ups will work in various energy fields such as
converting waste plastics to petroleum fuels, solar stove, multipurpose fuel from agricultural waste
biomass and leak detectors for liquefied natural gas (LNG) cylinders etc. It is expected to reduce fuel
import dependence through innovations in alternative fuels.
Q 75.D
o The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2017 has been awarded to three American molecular
biologists who used Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly, since the 1970s, in their work on the
circadian rhythm. The fruit fly was also the test bed of genetics. Hence, option (d) is correct.

o Circadian rhythm is an internal clock that keeps humans in sync with the world, exerts influence on
sleeping patterns of humans, regulate blood pressure and body temperature. Humans share circadian
rhythm with animals, plants, fungi and even archaic forms like cyanobacteria.
o The 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was shared jointly by William C. Campbell and
Satoshi Ōmura for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by
roundworm parasites and YouyouTu for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria.
o The 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Ohsumi, Yoshinori for discoveries
in mechanisms for autophagy.
o In 1901 Behring, Emilvon was the first winner of Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology for his work
on serum therapy.
Q 76.D
o Limitations of Chalcolithic Cultures
o The Chalcolithic people domesticated cattle, sheep, which were tethered in the courtyard. In all
probability, the domesticated animals were slaughtered for food and not used for milk and dairy products.
The tribal people, such a Gonds of Bastar, believe that meant only to feed young animals and, therefore,
they do not milk their cattle. Consequently, the Chalcolithic people were not able to make full use of
the animals. Also, the Chalcolithic people living in the black cotton soil area of central and western India
did not practice cultivation on an intensive or extensive scale.
o The general weakness of Chalcolithic cultures is evident from the burial of a large number of children in
western Maharashtra. Despite a food-producing economy, the rate of infant mortality was very high. This
might be attributed to lack of nutrition, the absence of medical knowledge, or outbreaks of epidemics. In
any events, the Chalcolithic social and economic pattern did not promote longevity.
o The copper-stone
-stone
stone culture had an essentially rural background. During its continuance, the supply of
copper was limited. Though we find copper mines in eastern India, few copper tools have been found iin
the Chalcolithic sites of Bihar and the neighbouring states. People were unaware of the art of mixing tin
with copper and thus forging the much stronger and useful metal caller bronze. Bronze tools
facilitated the rise of the earliest civilization in Crete,
Crete, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and also in the Indus Valley.
o The people of the copper-stone
copper stone age could not write, nor did they live in cities as did those of the
Bronze age. All these elements of civilization figure for the first time in the Indus region of the Indian
subcontinent
Q 77.C
o Statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is not correct:The famous Rajatarangini written
by Kalhana in Sanskrit who belonged to the period of Zain-ul-Abidin, the ruler of Kashmir.
o Statement 3 is correct. It covers the entire span of history in the Kashmir region from the earliest times
to the date of its composition. According to Rajatarangini, Kashmir was a part of the Mauryan Empire.
Kanishka invaded Kashmir and occupied it.
Q 78.C
o Both the statements are correct.
o Earliest coins, called punch marked, are in silver and copper. Some gold punch-marked coins are also
reported to have been found, but they are very rare and their authenticity is doubtful.
o They bear only symbols on them. Each symbol is punched separately, which sometimes overlap the
another.These have been found throughout the country, from Taxila to Magadha to Mysore or even
further south. They do not bear any inscription, or legend on them.
Q 79.A
o For the content and thematic aspect of dance and drama, we must examine the works of creative literature.
The most important literary event, which influenced not only dance and drama but painting also, was the
composition of Jayadeva’s Gita-Govinda in the 13th century. Its great impact can be seen on dance
and drama forms all over India—from Manipur and Assam in the east to Gujarat in the west; from
Mathura and Vrindavan in the North, to Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the South. Innumerable commentaries
on the Gita Govinda exist throughout the country. There are a large number of manuscripts dealing with
the Gita-Govinda as material for dance or drama and this work has been the basic literary text used by
many regional theatrical traditions. The spread of Vaisnavism during this period gave further impetus to
the development of different forms of dance, drama and music.
Q 80.A
o There are plenty of source materials to reconstruct the history of the Gupta period. They include literary,
epigraphical and numismatic sources. The Puranas throw light on the royal genealogy of the Gupta kings.
Contemporary literary works like the Devichandraguptam and the Mudhrakshasam written by
Visakadatta provide information regarding the rise of the Guptas.
o The Chinese traveler Fahien, who visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II, has left a valuable
account of the social, economic and religious conditions of the Gupta empire.
o Apart from these literary sources, there are inscriptions like the Meherauli Iron Pillar Inscription and the
Allahabad Pillar inscription.
o Allahabad Pillar inscription was issued by Samudragupta and was composed by Harisena. It is written
in very simple and refined Sanskrit in Champukavya style. It lists achievements of Samudragupta. This
Inscription is a eulogy of Samudragupta and mentions about the conquests of Samudragupta and
boundaries of the Gupta Empire.
Q 81.D
o Joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA) referred to Iran nuclear deal which was signed in 2015
between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the U.N.S.C and Germany) in which
economic sanctionsns were removed against Iran. This plan ensured that Iran will drastically reduce its
uranium enriching capacity and levels, enriched stockpiles and centrifuges, and will allow for stringent
inspection and monitoring by international agencies. Recently it was in news as the U.S formally
―decertifying‖ the nuclear deal with Iran. Hence, option (d) is correct.
―decertifying‖
Q 82.D
o All statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct.
o Kabir belonged to the Nirguna tradition of Bhakti. Kabir preached a religious system strictly
montheistic advocating abolition of Varnaashrama, and casting doubt on the authority of the Vedas
and the other sacred books.
o The school of Kabir sought to understand Islam and was sufficiently broad minded to incorporate
some of its basic principles. That is why his references are available in the Sufi literature as well.
AbulFazl called Kabir a muwahhid (monotheist).
Q 83.B
o The temples of Brihadeswara at Thanjavur, GangaikondaCholapuram and Darasuram were built during
the reigns of RajarajaChola and his son, RajendraChola. Though Chola paintings are seen in Nartamalai,
the most important are those in Brihadeswara temple. The paintings were executed on the walls of the
narrow passage surrounding the shrine. Hence, option 1 is correct.
o With the decline of power of the Chola dynasty in the thirteenth century, the Vijayanagara Dynasty
captured and brought under its control the region from Hampi to Trichy with Hampi serving as its capital.
Many paintings survive in a number of temples. The paintings at Tiruparakunram, near Trichy, done in
the fourteenth century represent the early phase of the Vijayanagara style. In Hampi, the Virupaksha
temple has paintings on the ceiling of its mandapa narrating events from dynastic history and episodes
from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Hence, option 2 is not correct.
o Among the sites where one can see the mature phase of Kerala‘s mural painting tradition are
Pundareekapuram Krishna temple (Krishna playing flute, accompanied by Gopikas), Panayanarkavu,
Thirukodithanam, Triprayar Sri Rama temple and Trissur Vadakkunathan temple. Hence, option 3 is not
correct.
Q 84.B
o Statement 1 is not correct: The Kushanempire extended from Oxus to the Ganga, from Khorasan in
Central Asia to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. It included a good part of Central Asia, a portion of Iran, a
portion of Afghanistan, almost whole of Pakistan and almost the whole of north India. Kushan coins,
inscriptions and sculptures found in Mathura shows that it was their second capital in India after
Purushpura or Peshawar.
o Statement 2 is correct: Kanishka, the most famous Kushan ruler started the Shaka era in A.D. 78.
o Statement 3 is not correct: The Indo-Greeks were the first to issue gold coins in India, which increased
in number under Kushanas. Indo-Greeks were also the first rulers in India to issue coins which can be
definitely attributed to king.
Q 85.D
o ―Globa l Partnership on Wildlife Conservation and Crime Prevention for sustainable development‖
program also known as Global Wildlife Program (GWP) was launched in response to increasing crime
against animals in natural habitat. Hence, statement 1 is correct. It works towards wildlife conservation
and sustainable development by fighting against illicit trafficking in wildlife through a holistic
comprehensive approach.
o Partner Countries of Global Wildlife Program: Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya,
Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Asia: Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Hence, statement 3 is
correct.
o Implementing Agencies include: World Bank Group, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) & Asian Development Bank (ADB). Hence, statement
2 is correct.
o Other Collaborating
borating Partners: International Consortium to Combat Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS), The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Internati International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Traffic, WildAid
o Priorities of Global Wildlife Program Promoting community based resource management, achieve
biodiversity goals and tourism development
o Increasing knowledge sharing and enhance collaboration
o Implement monitoring and evaluation framework
o Promote donor cooperation and ensure proper monitoring of international fund
Q 86.B
o The Hindu style or ornamentation is largely naturalistic showing human and animal forms and the
luxuriant vegetation life. As among the Muslims the representation of living beings was taboo by way
of decoration or ornamentation (1 is not correct).They introduced geometrical and arabesque patterns,
ornamental writing and formal representation of plant and floral life. Other decorations included
arabesque, calligraphy and high andlow relief carving and a profuse use of jalis (3 is correct). In short the
contribution of the Muslims to Indo-Muslim architecture is profound and no less interesting. Among the
architectural features introduced by them mention may be made of arches, domes, minars and minarets,
the pendentive, squinch arch, half domed double portals, kiosks (chhatris) and the use of concrete as a
factor of construction. (2 is correct).
Q 87.A
o Option (a) is the correct answer.
o Battle of Hydaspes
o In 327 B.C. Alexander crossed the Hindukush Mountains and spent nearly ten months in fighting with the
tribes. He crossed the Indus in February 326 B.C. with the help of the bridge of boats. He was warmly
received by Ambhi, the ruler of Taxila. From there Alexander sent a message to Porus to submit. But
Porus refused and decided to fight against Alexander. Then Alexander marched from Taxila to the banks
of the river Hydaspes (Jhelum). On the other side of the river he saw the vast army of Porus. As there

were heavy floods in the river, Alexander was not able to cross it. After a few days, he crossed the river
and the famous battle of Hydaspes was fought on the plains of Karri. It was a well-contested battle.
Although Porus had a strong army, he lost the battle. Alexander was impressed by the courage and
heroism of this Indian prince, treated him generously and reinstated him on his throne.
Q 88.B
o A hugely interesting feature of medieval India was the sarais which ringed cities and dotted the vast space
of the Indian subcontinent. Sarais were largely built on a simple square or rectangular plan and were
meant to provide temporary accommodation to Indian and foreign travellers, pilgrims, merchants,
traders, etc. In effect, sarais were public domains which thronged with people of varied cultural
backgrounds. This led to cross-cultural interaction, influences and syncretic tendencies in the cultural
mores of the times and at the level of the people.
Q 89.B
o Sikandar Lodi established a new measurement of the cultivated lands called the Gaz-i-Sikandari. It was of
30.36 inches which gave way to gaz-i-ilahi of about 32 inches under Akbar.
Q 90.D
o The National Wildlife Action Plan 2017-2031 has been drafted by a 12 member committee headed by J.
C. Kalra with special emphasis on people participation. Important Components of NWAP 2017-2031
include
 strengthening and promoting the integrated management of wildlife and their habitats
 adaptation to climate change and promoting integrated sustainable management of aquatic
biodiversity in India
 promoting eco-tourism,
eco tourism, nature education and participatory management
 strengthening wildlife research and monitoring of development of human resources in wildlife
conservation
 enabling policies es and resources for conservation of wildlife in India. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
o The plan has adopted the Landscape approach rather than the earlier strategies more concentrated on
national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. The Landscape approach is based ba on the importance of
conservation of uncultivated flora and undomesticated fauna that had ecological value irrespective of their
place of occurrence. Hence statement 2 is correct.
o Plan also highlights role of private sector in the wildlife protection by ensuring adequate fund flow from
the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Q 91.C
o Sulh-i-kul means equal toleration of and respect to all sections, irrespective their religious beliefs. The
policy started by Emperor Akbar and supported by Tauhid-i-Ilahi. It paved the way of induction of many
native rulers to become ally of Akbar including Rajputs, Jats and so on. Hence it helped in consolidation
of Mughal Empire.
o Hence, both statements are correct.
Q 92.A
o In order to provide strategic development to the horticulture sector, so as to increase farmers income,
Government of India launched pioneer project called CHAMAN. This project is being implemented by
National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) using remote sensing technology and is likely to be completed
in March 2018. Income of farmers will increase by growing selected crops in the high suitable areas
identified under CHAMAN in the current Jhum /waste lands. Besides this, the Post-Harvest damages of
farmers would be significantly reduced by creation of desired Post Harvest Infrastructures like cold
storages etc. thereby increasing their income. In addition, the Geo-Spatial Studies like crop intensification,
orchard rejuvenation and aqua-horticulture would further help the farmers‘ to grow their horticultural
crops in a profitable manner which will help doubling their income.
o Hence, option (a) is correct.

Q 93.A
o In line with the broader strategy and emphasis on preventive vigilance, the Central Vigilance
Commission (CVC) believes that the next level of systemic change can be through the tool of Integrity
Index. It will bring out annual scores/rankings of Public Sector Undertakings/Public Sector Banks and
Financial Institutions/Departments/Ministries of Government of India by linking the essential drivers of
vigilance with long term efficiency, profitability and sustainability of public organizations and create an
internal and external ecosystem that promotes working with Integrity in public organizations. Integrity
Index-based on bench-marking of internal processes and controls within an organisation as well as
management of relationships and expectations of outside stakeholders. Initially 25 organizations have
been selected for development of the Integrity Index. Subsequently, it is proposed to extend the Integrity
Index concept to all other CPSUs and organizations of Government of India. Hence, option (a) is
correct.
Q 94.A
o The rock shelters on banks of the River Suyal at Lakhudiyar, about twenty kilometres on the Almora–
Barechina road, bear these prehistoric paintings from upper Paleolithic period. Lakhudiyar literally means
one lakh caves. The paintings here can be divided into three categories: man, animal and geometric
patterns in white, black and red ochre. Hence, option 1 is correct.
o The rock art of Bhimbetka in Madhya Praadesh has been classified into various groups on the bases of
style, technique and superimposition. The drawings and paintings can be catagorised into seven historical
periods. Period I, Upper Palaeolithic; Period II, Mesolithic; and Period III, Chalcolithic. Hence, option 2
is correct.
o A typical example of early cave architecture is the most datable cave of all, the so-called Lomas Rishi
cave in the Barabar Hills of Bihar. An inscription proves that this was excavated for the Ajivika sect in the
time of Ashoka himself. Hence, option 3 is not correct.
Q 95.D
o Dashavtara Vishnu temple at Deogarh belongs to fifth century CE. The temple depicts Vishnu in
various forms, due to which it was assumed that the four subsidiary shrines must also have housed
Vishnu‘s avatars and the temple was mistaken for a dasavatara temple. There are three main reliefs of
Vishnu on the temple walls: Sheshashayana on the south, Nara- Narayan on the east and Gajendramoksha
on the west. The temple is west-facing, which is less common, as most temples are east- or north-facing.
o Vadakkunnathan Temple is an ancient shiva temple located in the city of Trissur in Kerala. This temple
is a classic example of the architectural style of Kerala. India won the UNESCO prize 'Award of
Excellence' 2015 for the remarkable conservation efforts of this temple in Kerala.
o The Ladkhan temple of Aihole belongs to about 5th century A.D. Here the architect has tried to give
attention to the circumambulation path which is enclosed by means of a wall allowing devotees to have
pradakshana or cirumambulatory of the holy of holies. The structure still reminds us of a wooden
prototype with stone walls, supporting a slanting roof made of large boulders of stone slabs. On the top of
the structure is the very first attempt to raise a turret, a precursor to the future loftier spire, the Shikhara.
The idea behind it must have been that, a temple being the home of the God must be seen from far and
near, from different parts of the village or town so it must be tall and higher than the surrounding
buildings.
Q 96.B
o Dhrupad and Khyal, among others, are different styles of Hindustani Classical Music. Like the various
schools of singing, there are ‗vanis‘ for Dhrupad style and ‗gharanas‘ for Khyal. Hence, statement 1 is
not correct.
o There were four schools or vanis of singing the dhrupad. The Gauharvani developed the raga or
unadorned melodic figures. The Dagarvani emphasized melodic curves and graces. The
Khandarvanispecialised in quick ornamentation of the notes. Nauhar vani was known for its broad
musical leaps and jumps. These vanis 'are now indistinguishable.
o Gharanas in Khyal are schools of singing founded or developed by various individuals or patrons such as
kings or noblemen like Gwalior gharana (oldest of all gharanas), Agra Gharana, Jaipur Atroligharana, etc
o As sung today, the khyal has two varieties: the slow or vilambit khyal and the fast or drut khyal. In form
both are similar, they have two sections - the asthayee and the antara. The vilambit is sung in slow tempo
and the drut at a faster speed. In technique. the exposition is less grave than the dhrupad. There are more
delicate gamkas and ornamentations. Khyal style is more lyrical than the Dhrupad and more popular
in modern times.
o In structure dhrupad has two parts, the anibaddha section and the sanchari dhrupad proper. The first is free
alap. The dhrupad proper is a song in four parts: the asthayee, the antara, the Sanchari and the abhoga.The
essential quality of the dhrupadic approach is its sombre atmosphere and emphasis on rhythm.
o Hence, statement 2 is correct.
Q 97.C
o The Alai-Darwaza was built by AllaudinKhilji by enlarging the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque's enclosures of
colonnades and providing them two gateways. In this and other buildings constructed by the Khiljis, the
true arch in the form of a pointed horseshoe, broad dome, recessed arches under the squinch, perforated
windows, inscriptional bands and use of red sandstone relieved by marble are features characteristic of
Khilji architecture. Hence, option 1 is correct.
o The tomb of Sikandar Lodi was the first example with a double dome, lifting its height in order to get a
more attractive outward appearance. Sikander Lodi's tomb was the first garden tomb built in India.
Charbagh was introduced by Babur. Hence, options 2 and 3 are not correct.
Q 98.D
o Buddha was never represented in human form in Buddhist art before the Christian era, as his spirituality
was considered
ed too abstract for the purpose. Buddha's presence in early Indian art is, therefore, suggested
by symbols like the Bodhi tree under which he attained enlightenment, the wheel of law, foot prints, the
royal umbrella, the stupa and an empty throne,
throne, etc.
Q 99.D
o Malik Muhammad Jaisi was a Sufi poet during Bhakti Movement. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
o He wrote famous epic Padmavat in Awadhi language. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
o He was not contemporary of AlauddinKhilji because Padmavat was written around 1540 and
AlauddinKhilji died in 1316. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
Q 100.B
o In North India Nagara style, it is common for an entire temple to be built on a stone platform with steps
leading up to it. Further, unlike in South India it does not usually have elaborate boundary walls or
gateways. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
o Whereas at the entrance to the North Indian temple‘s garbhagriha, it would be usual to find images such
as mithunas and the river goddesses, Ganga and Yamuna, in the south you will generally find sculptures
of fierce dvarapalas or the door-keepers guarding the temple. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
o The North Indian idea of multiple shikharas rising together as a cluster was not popular in South India. At
some of the most sacred temples in South India, the main temple in which the garbhagriha is situated has,
in fact, one of the smallest towers. This is because it is usually the oldest part of the temple. Hence,
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