Post on 01-Feb-2020
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 1
ANSWERS & EXPLANATION OF
Modern Indian History + Physical & World Geography
+ Current Affairs (TC19E1001)
Q.1) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Cornwallis introduced the Regulation of
1791 that defined the powers of the
Police Superintendent.
• Cornwallis had a low opinion about
Indian character, ability and integrity.
He sought to reserve all higher services
for Europeans which suggests that he
was very much prejudiced against
Indians.
Q.2) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• Thomas Munro was responsible for the
introduction of the Ryotwari settlement
in 1820.
Q.3) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• Lord Hastings decided to take stern
action against the Pindaris. He
concluded agreements with the Maratha
chiefs, the ruler of Bhopal and the
Rajput princes. Owing to his plan, by
the end of 1817 the Pindaris were
driven across the Chambal and by 1818
their bands were destroyed.
Q.4) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• The Treaty of Salbai was signed as a
result of the First Anglo-Maratha war,
whereas the Treaty of Bassein was
concluded at the end of the Second
Anglo-Maratha war.
Q.5) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• The credit of the Suppression of Thugee
is given to William Bentinck wherein
government measures were taken
against the thugs in 1830.
Q.6) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• Cataract surgery has emerged the
procedure for which the highest number
of claims have been made under
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
(PMJAY), the government’s flagship
health cover scheme. Cataract refers to
a clouding of the lens of the eye causing
gradual loss of vision. It is common in
old age but can also be triggered by
injuries to the eye. Option c is incorrect
as the genetic component is strong in
the development of cataracts. The
presence of cataracts in childhood or
early life can occasionally be due to a
particular syndrome.
Q.7) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Prarthana Samaj was started by Atma
Ram Panduranga and Govind Ranade.
• Jyotiba Phule started Satya Shodhak
Samaj for social service and spread of
education amongst women and lower
caste.
• He along with his wife started school for
children from lower caste.
• He wrote books such as Gulamgiri and
Sarvajanik Satyadharma to propagate
his ideas.
• Just like Ambedkar he worked for
complete abolition of caste system.
Q.8) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 2
• Deobandis welcomed the formation of
Indian National Congress in 1885.
Q.9) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• Justice Party was initially known as
South Indian Liberal Foundation.
• It was organized by TM Nair and Sri P.
Theagaraya and was the first non-
Brahmanical organization.
Q.10) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• Gandhi believed in the concept of
Chaturvarna because of which he was
openly criticized by Narayana Guru.
Q.11) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• Dadabhai Naoroji along with J.B
Wacha, S.S. Bangali started Rahnumayi
Mazdayan Sabha in 1851 whose basic
objective was to restore Zorastrianism
and reformation of social condition of
Parsees.
• B M Malabari started Seva Sadan to
give shelter to widows and other
women.
• Women Purdah system was abolished
due to their efforts
Q.12) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• Satyendra Sinha was the first Indian to
be appointed as the member of the
Viceroy’s Executive council in 1909.
Syed Hussain Bilgrami on the other
hand was one of the two Indian
members of the Secretary of State’s
India Council, along with K G Gupta in
1907.
Q.13) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• Lord Canning introduced a portfolio
system in the administration based on
the provisions of this act.
Q.14) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• Jawaharlal Nehru referred to the offer of
the dominion status as ‘dead as a door
nail’.
• Lord Linlithgow made August offer in
1940.
Q.15) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• According to the plan, the portfolio of
External Affairs was transferred to the
Indian members of the Council.
Q.16) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• Faraizi movement was a religious
movement developed among the
peasants of East Bengal under the
leadership of Haji Shariatullah. It
sought to purify Islam but also lay its
social roots, as the rural Muslim poor of
east Bengal united under this religious
sect and revolted against British rulers,
landlords and indigo planters.
Q.17) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• Bhils was a tribe local to Maharashtra
who were concentrated in the hill
regions of Khandesh.
• They revolted in 1818 against British
occupation in their territory.
Q.18) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Dinabandhu Mitra wrote a famous play
in Bengali called Neel Darpana which
depicted the atrocities of the indigo
planters. The play was translated in
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 3
English by the famous Bengali poet
Michael Madhusudan Dutt.
Q.19) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Forest department in India started in
1864 whereas Indian Forests Act of
1878 was passed to establish complete
government monopoly over Indian
forestlands.
Q.20) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Indian Officials Secrets Amendment act,
1904 was passed under Lord Curzon to
put restrictions on press.
Q.21) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• The resolution of Swadeshi, boycott,
national education and Swaraj was
taken by INC at its Calcutta session in
1906.
• Anushilan Samiti was founded by
Satischandra Basu in March,1902.
• Split in the Indian National Congress -
1907 (Surat).
Q.22) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• All persons given in the question were
signatories to the Bombay Manifesto of
1936 that had expressed serious
disapprobation of Nehru’s socialist
ideas.
Q.23) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Age of Consent Bill, 1891 pushed the
age of consummation of marriage for
women from 10 to 12.
• All India Women’s Association was
brought up in Madras in 1917 started
by enlightened Europeans and Indian
ladies.
Q.24) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• The Trades Disputes act of 1929, which
virtually banned strikes was passed
without any opposition by the Congress.
Q.25) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• Central Ground Water Authority has
been constituted under Section 3 (3) of
the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
to regulate and control development and
management of ground water resources
in the country.
• The Authority has been conferred with
the following powers:
(i) Exercise of powers under section 5
of the Environment (Protection)
Act, 1986 for issuing directions
and taking such measures in
respect of all the matters referred
to in sub-section(2) of section 3 of
the said Act.
(ii) To resort to penal provisions
contained in sections 15 to 21 of
the said Act.
(iii) To regulate and control,
management and development of
ground water in the country and to
issue necessary regulatory
directions for the purpose.
(iv) Exercise of powers under section 4
of the Environment (Protection)
Act, 1986 for the appointment of
officers.
• The NGT had rapped the Central
Ground Water Authority for failing to
curb illegal extraction of groundwater
and directed the Ministry to notify a
policy by December 18.
Q.26) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 4
• It has natural vegetation stretching in
an unbroken sequence from the tropics
to mountain tundra.
• The BR has an altitudinal range from
500 to 6000 mtr and a major factor in
determining the plant community.
• The type of vegetation found in this
biosphere reserve can be grouped as
1. Sub-tropical broad leafed forests,
2. Sub tropical pine forest,
3. Temperate broad leafed forests,
4. Temperate conifer,
5. Sub-alpine woody shrub,
6. Alpine meadow( mountain
Tundra),
7. Bamboo brakes,
8. Grassland.
• The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has
cleared the way for at least two
proposed mega hydel power projects in
Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley and
Lohit districts, one of India’s most
biodiverse landscapes.
Q.27) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• GSLV-F11 is the 13th flight of India’s
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle (GSLV) and its 7th flight with
indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage
(CUS).
• GSLV – F11 is ISRO’s fourth generation
launch vehicle with three stages.
• GSAT-7A with a lift-off mass of 2250 kg,
is a geostationary satellite
• ISRO has successfully launched GSAT
7A satellite
Q.28) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• Nilgiri biosphere reserve includes the
Aralam, Mudumalai, Mukurthi,
Nagarhole, Bandipur and Silent Valley
national parks, as well as the Wayanad
and Sathyamangalam wildlife
sanctuaries.
• Logic - The National Tiger Conservation
Authority (NTCA) and the Karnataka
government objected to the multi-crore
project of Highway to construct elevated
highway at Bandipur and Wayanad
sanctuaries .
Q.29) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• The term “microsatellite” or “microsat”;
is usually applied to the name of an
artificial satellite with a wet mass
between 10 and 100 kg (22 and 220 lb)
A microsatellite is a tract of
repetitive DNA in which certain DNA
motifs (ranging in length from 1–6 or
more base pairs) are repeated, typically
5–50 times.
• Logic - In a first for India, every one of
Kerala’s captive elephants now has a
unique DNA-based genetic ID.
Q.30) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• Geophysicists call the region that exists
between 2 km and 3 km below the
ocean-floor as deep earth. This consists
of about 2-2.3 billion cubic km, which
is about twice the volume of the oceans
combined. The deep biosphere
constitutes a world that can be viewed
as a sort of “subterranean Galapagos”
and includes members of all three
domains of life: bacteria and archaea
(microbes with no membrane-bound
nucleus), and eukarya (microbes or
multicellular organisms with cells that
contain a nucleus as well as membrane-
bound organelles). Two types of
microbes — bacteria and archaea —
dominate Deep Earth. Scientists say
about 70% of earth’s bacteria and
archaea live in the subsurface.
Q.31) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 5
• All types of asbestos cause lung cancer,
mesothelioma, cancer of the larynx and
ovary, and asbestosis (fibrosis of the
lungs). Exposure to asbestos occurs
through inhalation of fibres in air in the
working environment, ambient air in
the vicinity of point sources such as
factories handling asbestos, or indoor
air in housing and buildings containing
friable (crumbly) asbestos materials.
• International pharmaceutical firm
Johnson & Johnson had known for
decades that its baby powder contained
asbestos, read an investigation by news
agency Reuters.
Q.32) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• Soyuz is a series of spacecraft designed
for the Soviet space program by the
Korolev Design Bureau in the 1960s
that remains in service today. The
Soyuz succeeded the Voskhod
spacecraft and was originally built as
part of the Soviet manned lunar
programs.
• The Soyuz spacecraft is launched on
a Soyuz rocket, the most reliable launch
vehicle in the world to date.
• Recently using knives and shears, a
pair of Russian spacewalkers cut
samples of material around a
mysterious hole in a Soyuz spacecraft
docked on the International Space
Station that a Moscow official suggested
could have been deliberate sabotage.
Q.33) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• Voyager 2 is a space probe launched
by NASA on August 20, 1977, to study
the outer planets. Part of the Voyager
program , it was launched 16 days
before its twin, Voyager 1 , on a
trajectory that took longer to
reach Jupiter and Saturn but
enabled further encounters
with Uranus and Neptune .
• For the second time in history, a
human-made object has reached the
space between the stars.
• NASA’s Voyager 2 probe now has exited
the heliosphere - the protective bubble
of particles and magnetic fields created
by the Sun.
Q.34) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• Agni-V is an intercontinental ballistic
missile developed by the Defence
Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) of India.
• It has a range of 5500-5800 km.
• An intercontinental ballistic
missile (ICBM) is a guided ballistic
missile with a minimum range of
5,500 kilometres primarily designed
for nuclear weapons delivery India
successfully test-fired nuclear-capable
ballistic missile Agni-5, from Dr Abdul
Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.
Q.35) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• Kaiga – Karnataka
• Kakrapar – Gujarat
• Kundankulam – Tamil Nadu
• Karnataka’s Kaiga has once again made
the country proud by creating a world
record for the longest uninterrupted
operation for 941 days, thereby
breaking the earlier record of 940 days
by the United Kingdom.
Q.36) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• Hodeidah or Hudaida is the fourth-
largest city in Yemen and its principal
port on the Red Sea.
• Recently, the ceasefire between Yemen’s
Houthi rebels and forces loyal to
President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi in
the port city of Hodeida came into
existence. The agreement was reached
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 6
in UN-mediated talks held in
Stockholm.
Q.37) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• A key element of the Paris Agreement is
the Global Stocktake – a five-yearly
assessment of whether countries are
collectively on track to meet the Paris
Agreement’s goals to limit global
warming.
• The Paris Rulebook, agreed at the UN
climate summit in Katowice, Poland,
gives countries a common framework
for reporting and reviewing progress
towards their climate targets.
• The new rulebook affirms that this
process will consider “equity and best
available science”.
• But it does not elaborate specifically on
how these inputs will be used, and how
the outcomes of the stocktake will
increase ambition.
• One of the aims of the Katowice talks
was to develop a common set of formats
and schedules for countries to report
their climate policy progress.
• The new rules allow a degree of
flexibility for the most vulnerable
countries, who are not compelled to
submit quantified climate pledges or
regular transparency reports. All other
countries will be bound to report on
their climate action every two years,
starting in 2024.
Note: Statement 2 is incorrect because there
is no such provision in the Paris Agreement.
Recently, the Paris Agreement Rulebook has
been formulated.
Q.38) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• Blitzs are swift, vigorous attacks and
are normally a part of military parlance.
• But, BioBlitz have different connotation.
They are useful tools to understand how
tress change across seasons.
• A BioBlitz is an event that focuses on
finding and identifying as many species
as possible in a specific area over a
short period of time. A Bioblitz is also
known as a biological inventory or
biological census. The primary goal of a
BioBlitz is to get an overall count of the
plants, animals, fungi, and other
organisms that live in a place.
Q.39) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Special Mention Accounts are those
assets/accounts that shows symptoms
of bad asset quality in the first 90 days
itself.
• The classification of Special Mention
Accounts (SMA) was introduced by the
RBI in 2014, to identify those accounts
that has the potential to become an
NPA/Stressed Asset. Logic of such a
classification is because some accounts
may turn NPA soon.
Q.40) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• The government has formulated
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
as a medium term national level
strategy to tackle the increasing air
pollution problem across the country in
a comprehensive manner. The overall
objective is to augment and evolve
effective ambient air quality monitoring
network across the country besides
ensuring comprehensive management
plan for prevention, control and
abatement of air pollution.
• The NCAP focuses on collaborative and
participatory approach covering all
sources of pollution and coordination
between relevant Central Ministries,
State Governments, local bodies and
other stakeholders.
• In order to ensure use of new
technologies to combat the rising
challenge of air pollution in India, a
separate component on ‘Technology
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 7
Assessment Cell’ has been envisaged
under NCAP to evaluate the
technologies for prevention, control and
abatement of air pollution.
Q.41) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• The world’s leading conservation
organization, WWF is an international
non-governmental organization which
works in 100 countries and is
supported by more than one million
members in the United States and close
to five million globally.
• WWF and IUCN in 1976 create
TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring
network that works to ensure trade in
wild plants and animals is not a threat
to the conservation of nature.
• The Living Planet Report documents the
state of the planet—including
biodiversity, ecosystems, and demand
for natural resources—and what it
means for humans and wildlife.
Published by WWF every two years, the
report brings together a variety of
research to provide a comprehensive
view of the health of the Earth.
• Recently, WWF warns about extinction
of kangaroo rat.
Q.42) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• A first-of-its-kind assessment by the
secretariat of the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC), made at the request of the
developing countries, shows that
developed nations had reduced their
emissions by 16 per cent from their
1990 levels by the year 2016. But a rise
in emissions after that has meant that
by the year 2020, the emission levels
were expected to be only 11.4 per cent
below the 1990 levels, well short of their
collective target of 18 per cent.
• These targets for the developed
countries for the pre-2020 period are
governed by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol
and will expire in 2020, after which the
Paris Agreement will take over.
• In the Kyoto framework, only the
developed countries, responsible for the
overwhelming majority of emissions
over the last 150 years, were assigned
specific emission reduction targets.
• In the Paris architecture, however, no
country is assigned any target and
everyone decides for their own the
climate actions they want to take.
Q.43) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Question is asking for incorrect
statement. First two statements are
incorrect and the third statement is
correct.
• Water Vapour is the biggest overall
contributor to the greenhouse effect, not
Carbon Dioxide.
• CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas
emitted through human activities.
• Unlike CO2 which can persist in air for
centuries, water vapour cycles through
the atmosphere quickly.
• India, the third-highest contributor, is
projected to see emissions rise by 6.3%
from 2017.
• Although India is rapidly going in for
solar and wind power, coal usage
continues to grow strongly. Coal is
responsible for 65% of India’s CO2
emissions. Recently, there is demand to
equitably cut CO2 emissions in COP24.
Q.44) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• The Royal Bengal Tiger is known to live
in a wide variety of habitats in the
Subcontinent. Its roar can be heard in
moist evergreen forests, dry and
coniferous forests, mangroves,
subtropical and temperate upland
forests and alluvial grasslands.
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 8
• The mangroves of the Sundarbans—
shared between Bangladesh and India—
are the only mangrove forests where
tigers are found.
• Since 2008, it is listed
as Endangered on the IUCN Red
List and is threatened
by poaching, loss and fragmentation of
habitat.
• There is need to renew conservation
methods to save new species of tigers.
Q.45) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Indian Star Tortoise and Olive Ridley in
the given options are under Vulnerable
category in the IUCN list whereas Saw-
Jawed Terrapin is in Critically
Endangered category.
• Recently, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
(CWS), located in Kerala, has
successfully rehabilitated Indian star
tortoises, making it the only
rehabilitation centre for star tortoises in
the country.
• Every year Olive Ridley Turtle comes to
Gahiramatha beach in Odhisa coast for
nesting. It has been awarded vulnerable
status in IUCN.
Q.46) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• An aurora, sometimes referred to as
polar lights, northern lights (aurora
borealis) or southern lights (aurora
australis), is a natural light display in
the Earth’s sky, predominantly seen in
the high-altitude regions (around the
Arctic and Antartica).
• Aurora is of two types: night side and
day side aurora.
• The dancing lights of the auroras
provide spectacular views on the
ground, but also capture the
imagination of scientists who study
incoming energy and particles from the
sun. Auroras are one effect of such
energetic particles, which can speed out
from the sun both in a steady stream
called the solar wind and due to giant
eruptions known as coronal mass
ejections or CMEs.
• Designed to capture high-resolution
images of Earth, the Advanced
Spaceborne Thermal Emission and
Reflection Radiometer, or ASTER,
instrument is one of five instruments
aboard NASA’s Terra satellite. NASA
and Japan release the ASTER Global
Digital Elevation Model, a digital
topographic map of Earth covering more
of the planet than ever before.
• NASA has launched its VISIONS-2
mission. VISIONS-2 is all about
checking whether and how the process
for the heating and energizing of oxygen
on the dayside aurora NASA to image
the leak in the Earth’s Atmosphere.
Q.47) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• All the statements are incorrect.
• The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to
strengthen the global response to the
threat of climate change by keeping a
global temperature rise this century well
below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-
industrial levels and to pursue efforts to
limit the temperature increase even
further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
• The Paris Agreement requires all Parties
to put forward their best efforts through
“nationally determined contributions”
(NDCs) and to strengthen these efforts
in the years ahead.
• The Paris Agreement entered into force
in 2016, thirty days after the date on
which at least 55 Parties to the
Convention accounting in total for at
least an estimated 55 % of the total
global greenhouse gas emissions have
deposited their instruments of
ratification, acceptance, approval or
accession with the Depositary.
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 9
Q.48) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
is the apex anti-smuggling agency of
India, working under the Central Board
of Indirect Taxes & Customs,
Ministry of Finance, Government of
India.
• It is tasked with detecting and curbing
smuggling of contraband, including
drug trafficking and illicit international
trade in wildlife and environmentally
sensitive items, as well as combating
commercial frauds related to
international trade and evasion of
Customs duty.
• There is news of rescue of exotic species
smuggled in India.
Q.49) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• It is correct that GSAT-11 will be used
to provide broadband connectivity to
gram panchayats.
• However, the name of the program is
Bharat Net Project. Statement 2 is
correct as Ka band is introduced for the
first time through GSAT-11.
Q.50) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• OSIRIS-Rex has used the Earths
Gravitation to reach Bennu asteroid and
hence, statement 1 is correct. At the
same time, statement 2 is incorrect as
OSIRIS Rex won’t land on the asteroid.
It will get close to the body, blast
nitrogen and collect sample.
Q.51) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• Barren and Narcondam islands are
volcanic islands in Andaman and
Nicobar.
Q.52) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• Turkey is located between Black Sea
and Mediterranean Sea
Q.53) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• They are found on western slopes of
Western Ghats
• Sal and teak are important species of
deciduous forests
• They are spread along western coast of
India and not along eastern coast.
Q.54) Ans: (c)
Explanation:
• The kharif crops include rice, maize,
sorghum, pearl millet/bajra, finger
millet/ragi (cereals), arhar (pulses),
soyabean, groundnut (oilseeds), cotton
etc.
• The rabi crops include wheat, barley,
oats (cereals), chickpea/gram (pulses),
linseed, mustard (oilseeds) etc.
Q.55) Ans: (b)
Explanation:
• Dalli-Rajhara is a town and a
municipality in Balod district in the
state of Chhattisgarh, India.
• Dalli Rajhara is home of iron ore captive
mines for Bhilai Steel Plant, the largest
integrated steel plant in India.
Q.56) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• The Sabarmati river is one of the major
west-flowing rivers in India. It originates
in the Aravalli Range of the Udaipur
District of Rajasthan and flows into the
Gulf of Cambay of Arabian Sea.
Q.57) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 10
• Alluvium is usually most extensively
developed in the lower part of the
course of a river, forming floodplains
and deltas.
• Alluvium consists of silt, sand, clay,
and gravel and often contains a good
deal of organic matter. It therefore
yields very fertile soils such as those of
the deltas of the Ganga and
Brahmaputra, and the Huang rivers.
• The proportion of nitrogen is generally
low in Alluvial soils.
Q.58) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• R C Dutt wrote The Economic History of
India which gave an account of the
economy of India under British covering
a period from Battle of Plassey till the
beginning of 20th century.
• Dadabhai Naoroji published his book
Poverty and Un-British rule in India in
1901 which put forward his drain of
wealth theory.
Q.59) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Lord Macaulay in 1835 argued in his
famous minute that Indian languages
were not sufficiently developed to serve
the purpose and that oriental learning
was completely inferior to European
learning.
• Due to paucity of funds the government
introduced Downward Filtration theory
according to which few people from
upper and middle class were educated
and further expected to educate the
masses. Hence statement 2 is correct.
Q.60) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• In 1849, Paramahansa Mandali was
formed in Maharashtra. Its founders
believed in one god and were primarily
interested in breaking caste rules. Its
branches were found in Poona and
Satara.
• The Bethune School was founded in
Calcutta in 1849 which was the fruit of
the powerful movement for women’s
education that arose in 1840’s and
1850’s.
• In 1791, Jonathan Duncan started
Sanskrit college at Varanasi for the
study of Hindu law and philosophy.
Q.61) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• The Revolt of 1857 was led by different
leaders at different places. The storm
centers of the revolt were at Delhi,
Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, Jhansi and
Arrah in Bihar. Begum Hazrat Mahal
led the revolt from Lucknow, Rani
Laxmi Bai from Jhansi, Kunwar Singh
from Jagdishpur, Maulvi Ahmadullah
from Faizabad and Khan Bahadur from
Bareilly.
Q.62) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• Treaty of Seringapatnam was signed in
1792 between Tipu Sultan and British.
• Treaty of Bassien was signed in 1802
between Peshwa Baji Rao II and British.
• Treaty of Salabai was signed in 1782
between British and Maratha as
agreement of peace.
• Treaty of Rajghat was signed in 1806
between Holkars and British.
Q.63) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• The Theosophical Society was founded
in the United States by Madam H.P
Blavatsky and H.S Olcott who later
came to India and founded its
headquarters near Madras in 1886.
Annie Besant was strong force of this
movement who joined it later.
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 11
• The Theosophists advocated the revival
and strengthening of the ancient
religions of Hinduism, Zoroastrianism
and Buddhism.
Q.64) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• Dalhousie introduced a new system of
internal communication in India. He
was the father of Indian Railways.
• The credit of establishing Postal
Department also goes to Lord
Dalhousie. In 1854 a new Post Office
Act was passed.
• Dalhousie abolished female infanticide
which was prevalent among the Rajputs
of higher castes.
• He established and Public Works
Department and Engineering College at
Roorkee.
• During his time period, Second Anglo-
Burmese War was fought.
Q.65) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Iberian Peninsula is in Europe. It is
associated with Portugal and Spain.
Q.66) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• As a result of Swadeshi and Boycott
movement the Partition of Bengal which
took place in 1905 was annulled in
1911.
• The moderates aimed at constitutional
agitation and orderly political progress.
They did not aim at organizing a mass
movement and this owed to it’s a
narrow social base.
Q.67) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• Simon Commission was appointed in
1927 by the British Conservative
government under Stanley Baldwin to
report on the working of the Indian
constitution established by the
Government of India Act of 1919. The
commission consisted of seven
members.
• Its composition met with a storm of
criticism in India because Indians were
excluded.
• Resentment and suspicion were not
confined to the Congress circles alone.
The call for boycott of the Commission
was supported by the Hindu
Mahasabha and the Muslim League.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah said,
‘Jalianwalabag was a physical butcher.
The Simon Commission is the butchery
of our soul’.
Q.68) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• The violent methods were advocated by
various leaders during the Swadeshi
Movement. However, the Gandhian
mass movements had the component of
nonviolence as the primary strategy.
Q.69) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya,
Tripura and Mizoram share their border
with Bangladesh.
Q.70) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• The main tributaries of Brahmaputra
are:
- Teesta River
- Manas River
- Dibang River
- Lohit River
- Kameng River
- Dhansiri
- Subansiri
Q.71) Ans. (c)
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 12
Explanation:
• In the bottom horizons of arid soils, a
‘kanker’ layer is formed which restricts
the infiltration of water, as such when
irrigation is made available, the soil
moisture is readily available for a
sustainable plant growth.
Q.72) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• Black colour is because of the presence
of titanium magnetite.
• Black soils are deficient in nitrogen and
phosphates. They are fertile because of
high water retention capacity and self-
ploughing action.
Q.73) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• A tectonic plate (also called lithospheric
plate) is a massive, irregularly-shaped
slab of solid rock, generally composed of
both continental and oceanic
lithospheres. Plates move horizontally
over the asthenosphere as rigid units.
The lithosphere includes the crust and
top mantle with its thickness range
varying between 5-100 km in oceanic
parts and about 200 km in the
continental areas. A plate may be
referred to as the continental plate or
oceanic plate depending on which of the
two occupy a larger portion of the plate.
Q.74) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• A list prepared by UNESCO has
mentioned about the 42 languages or
dialects in India which are endangered
and they may be heading towards
extinction.
• The languages or dialects which were
considered endangered, include 11 from
Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Great
Andamanese, Jarawa, Lamongse,
Luro, Muot, Onge, Pu, Sanenyo,
Sentilese, Shompen and
Takahanyilang), seven from Manipur
(Aimol, Aka, Koiren, Lamgang,
Langrong, Purum and Tarao) and four
from Himachal Pradesh (Baghati,
Handuri, Pangvali and Sirmaudi).
• The other languages in the endangered
category are Manda, Parji and Pengo
(Odisha), Koraga and Kuruba
(Karnataka), Gadaba and Naiki
(Andhra Pradesh), Kota and Toda
(Tamil Nadu), Mra and Na (Arunachal
Pradesh), Tai Nora and Tai Rong
(Assam), Bangani (Uttarakhand),
Birhor (Jharkhand), Nihali
(Maharashtra), Ruga (Meghalaya) and
Toto (West Bengal).
Q.75) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• Easterly jet stream is dynamically
introduced only during summer season
and are absent during winter season.
Q.76) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Shevaroy Hills is located in Tamil Nadu.
It is one of the major hill stations in
Tamil Nadu and in the Eastern Ghats.
Q.77) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• Sabarmati and mahi drain in gulf of
khambat (Arabian Sea)
• Luni drains into runn of kutch while
west banas drains into little rann.
Q.78) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• The transformation of the Sikhs into a
militant, fighting community was begun
by Guru Hargobind Singh.
Q.79) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 13
• The islands north of 11 degrees are
known as Amendvi and to the south are
called cannanore island.
Q.80) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Krishna originates in Mahabaleshwar
while Narmada originates from
Amarkantak plateau.
• Godavari rises in the Western Ghats
near Thriambak Hills in the Nasik
district of Maharashtra.
Q.81) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Monsoon rainfall is seasonal in nature
and is concentrated in 4 months from
June to September
• Tamil Nadu receives heavy rainfall
during retreating monsoon and largely
remains dry during south west
monsoon.
Q.82) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• The Tropic of Cancer passes through 8
Indian states – Gujarat, Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and
Mizoram.
Q.83) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• The Peninsular plateau consists of 3
major divisions
1. The Deccan plateau.
2. The Central Highlands – It
includes the Maikal hills.
3. The Northern Plateau - It includes
the Meghalaya Plateau, including
the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills.
Q.84) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• The western coastal plains are an
example of submerged coastal plain. It
is believed that the city of Dwaraka,
which was once a part of the Indian
mainland situated along the west coast
is submerged under water. Because of
this submergence it is a narrow belt and
provides natural conditions for the
development of ports and harbours.
Kandla, Mazagaon, JLN port Navha
Sheva As compared to the western
coastal plain, the eastern coastal plain
is broader and is an example of an
emergent coast. There are well
developed deltas here, formed by the
rivers flowing eastward in to the Bay of
Bengal. These include the deltas of the
Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna
and the Kaveri. Because of its emergent
nature, it has less number of ports and
harbours
Q.85) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• The Indian drainage system may be
divided on various bases. On the basis
of discharge of water (orientations to the
sea), it may be grouped into:
(i) the Arabian Sea drainage; and
(ii) the Bay of Bengal drainage.
• They are separated from each other
through the Delhi ridge, the Aravalis
and the Sahyadris.
Q.86) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• The Sutlej originates in the ‘Raksas Tal’
near Mansarovar at an altitude of 4,555
m in Tibet where it is known as
Langchen Khambab. It flows almost
parallel to the Indus for about 400 km
before entering India, and comes out of
a gorge at Rupar. It passes through the
Shipki La on the Himalayan ranges and
enters the Punjab plains. It is an
antecedent river. It is a very important
tributary, as it feeds the canal system of
the Bhakra Nangal Project.
Q.87) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• The Subarnarekha, the Baitarni, the
Brahmani, the Vamsadhara, the
Penner, the Palar and the Vaigai are
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 14
important rivers which flow directly into
the Bay of Bengal.
Q.88) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Why the Tamil Nadu coast remains dry
during this season. There are two
factors responsible for it:
(i) The Tamil Nadu coast is situated
parallel to the Bay of Bengal
branch of southwest monsoon.
(ii) It lies in the rain shadow area of
the Arabian Sea branch of the
south-west monsoon
Q.89) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• Red soil develops on crystalline igneous
rocks in areas of low rainfall in the
eastern and southern part of the
Deccan Plateau. The soil develops a
reddish colour due to a wide diffusion of
iron in crystalline and metamorphic
rocks. It looks yellow when it occurs in
a hydrated form. They are generally
poor in nitrogen, phosphorous and
humus.
Q.90) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• They are found in the areas of heavy
rainfall and high humidity, where there
is a good growth of vegetation. Thus,
large quantity of dead organic matter
accumulates in these areas, and this
gives a rich humus and organic content
to the soil.
• These soils are normally heavy and
black in colour. At many places, they
are alkaline also.
Q.91) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• Gully erosion is common on steep
slopes. Gullies deepen with rainfall, cut
the agricultural lands into small
fragments and make them unfit for
cultivation. A region with a large
number of deep gullies or ravines is
called Bad Land Topography. Ravines
are widespread, in the Chambal basin.
Besides this, they are also found in
Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Q.92) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• Recently, five Caspian Sea states
reached a breakthrough agreement on
sovereign rights to the sea, paving the
way for new oil and gas extraction --
and pipelines -- after more than two
decades of disputes.
• The treaty ends a spat over whether the
Caspian is a sea or a lake, granting it
special legal status and clarifying the
maritime boundaries of each
surrounding country. It also allows each
to lay pipelines offshore with consent
only from the neighbouring states
affected, rather than from all Caspian
Sea nations.
• Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia
and Turkmenistan have tried to define
the Caspian Sea’s legal status since the
collapse of the Soviet Union, in order to
divide up the waters and its natural
resources for new drilling and pipelines.
Q.93) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Recently, Lalitgiri, one of the earliest
Buddhist settlements in Odisha, has
been converted into a museum.
• Diamond Triangle comprises Udayagiri,
Lalitgiri and Ratnagiri. All these sites
are situated in Odisha.
Q.94) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• Recently, China launched its first
communication satellite to provide
broadband internet services worldwide
RAUS IAS TC19E1001 15
in an apparent bid to rival Google and
other international firms.
• The satellite was launched from a Long
March 11 carrier rocket from the
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in
north-western China and is the first in
the Hongyun project planned by China
Aerospace Science and Industry Corp
(CASIC).
• It aims to build a space-based
communications network to provide
broadband internet connectivity to
users around the world.
Q.95) Ans. (c)
Explanation:
• The Bogibeel rail / road bridge built
across the River Brahmaputra in the
Dibrugarh district, in the state of Assam
in north-east India. The 4.94km bridge
is one of the longest river bridges in the
country.
• The rail-road bridge is being undertaken
by the Northeast Frontier Railway,
which is a part of the Indian Railways.
Q.96) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• Raja Ram Mohun Roy did not believe
any scripture as ultimate authority. He
propounded that any scripture must
evolve through ages and inculcate
changes accordingly.
• Bramho Samaj movement was basically
a reformist movement that worked for
improving and refining the impurities
entered in Hinduism.
• Alexander Duff, David Hare and
Dwarkanath Tagore were amongst his
main followers.
• Whereas Derozio started his own
movement called the Young Bengal
Movement.
Q.97) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• Atmiya Sabha was started by Ram
Mohun Roy but not for abolition of Sati
and widow remarriage, rather for debate
and discussion.
• Tatvabodhini Patrika was a Bengali
journal started by Debendranath Tagore
wherein he promoted systematic study
of India’s past.
Q.98) Ans. (d)
Explanation:
• Vedanta College was established by
Raja Ram Mohun Roy in 1825 in
Calcutta.
• Swami Vivekananda was a follower of
Ramakrishna who started the
Ramakrishna Movement which was a
reformist movements.
• “Go back to Vedas” was the idea
proposed by Arya Samaj which was a
revivalist movement.
Q.99) Ans. (b)
Explanation:
• Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar believed in
the ideas of both Western and Indian
Culture. He allowed western thoughts to
enter education especially as a principal
of Sanskrit College.
• He opened the gates of Sanskrit college
to non-Brahmins for he was opposed to
the monopoly of Sanskrit to only
Brahmins.
Q.100) Ans. (a)
Explanation:
• Subsidiary Alliances was originally
mooted by Dupleix, French Governor
but was actually put in practice by
Wellesley in India.