INSIGHTS MOCK TEST SERIES 2015: TEST – 2 SOLUTIONS
Potential resources are those whose entire quantity
1. Solution: b)
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/34
0951/Lilatilakam
The first literary works in Malayalam, dated to
about the twelfth century, are directly indebted to
Sanskrit. Interestingly enough, a fourteenth-
century text, the Lilatilakam, dealing with
grammar and poetics, was composed in
Manipravalam – literally, ―diamonds and corals‖
referring to the two languages, Sanskrit and the
regional (Malayalam) language.
2. Solution: a)
A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by
a sovereign state to an inventor or assignee for a
limited period of time in exchange for detailed
public disclosure of an invention. An invention is a
solution to a specific technological problem and is a
product or a process. Patents are a form
of intellectual property.
The procedure for granting patents, requirements
placed on the patentee, and the extent of the
exclusive rights vary widely between countries
according to national laws and international
agreements.
Under the World Trade Organization's
(WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (not international
laws), patents should be available in WTO member
states for any invention, in all fields of
technology, and the term of protection available
should be a minimum of twenty
years. Nevertheless, there are variations on what is
patentable subject matter from country to country.
3. Solution: d)
Actual resources are those resources whose
quantity is known. These resources are being used
in the present. The rich deposits of coal in Ruhr
region of Germany and petroleum in the West
Asia, the dark soils of the Deccan plateau in
Maharashtra are all actual resources.
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may not be known and these are not being used at
present. These resources could be used in the
future. The level of technology we have at present
may not be advanced enough to easily utilise these
resources. The uranium found in Ladakh is an
example of potential resource that could be used in
the future. High speed winds were a potential
resource two hundred years ago. Today they are an
actual resource and wind farms generate energy
using windmills like in Netherlands.
4. Solution: d)
Resource distribution refers to the geographic
occurrence or spatial arrangement of resources on
earth. In other words, where resources are located.
Any one place may be rich in the resources people
desire and poor in others.
Low latitudes (latitudes close to the equator)
receive more of the sun's energy and much
precipitation, while higher latitudes (latitudes
closer to the poles) receive less of the sun's energy
and too little precipitation. The temperate
deciduous forest biome provides a more moderate
climate, along with fertile soil, timber, and
abundant wildlife. The plains offers flat landscapes
and fertile soil for growing crops, while steep
mountains and dry deserts are more challenging.
Metallic minerals are most abundant in areas with
strong tectonic activity, while fossil fuels are found
in rocks formed by deposition (sedimentary rocks).
These are just a few of the differences in the
environment that result from different natural
conditions. As a result, resources are distributed
unevenly across the globe.
5. Solution: d)
Some Principles of Sustainable Development:
 Respect and care for all forms of life
 Improve the quality of human life
 Conserve the earth‘s vitality and diversity
 Minimise the depletion of natural resources
 Change personal attitude and practices
toward the environment
 Enable communities to care for their own
environment.
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6. Solution: d)
7. Solution: a)
Refer to
http://www.fao.org/nr/land/degradation/en/
8. Solution: c)
9. Solution: d)
Mulching is one of the simplest and most beneficial
practices you can use in the garden. Mulch is
simply a protective layer of a material that is
spread on top of the soil. Mulches can either be
organic -- such as grass clippings, straw, bark
chips, and similar materials -- or inorganic -- such
as stones, brick chips, and plastic. Both organic and
inorganic mulches have numerous benefits.
 Protects the soil from erosion
 Reduces compaction from the impact of
heavy rains
 Conserves moisture, reducing the need for
frequent waterings
 Maintains a more even soil temperature
 Prevents weed growth
 Keeps fruits and vegetables clean
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 Keeps feet clean, allowing access to garden
even when damp
 Provides a "finished" look to the garden
Organic mulches also improve the condition of the
soil. As these mulches slowly decompose, they
provide organic matter which helps keep the soil
loose. This improves root growth, increases the
infiltration of water, and also improves the water-
holding capacity of the soil. Organic matter is a
source of plant nutrients and provides an ideal
environment for earthworms and other beneficial
soil organisms.
While inorganic mulches have their place in certain
landscapes, they lack the soil improving properties
of organic mulches. Inorganic mulches, because of
their permanence, may be difficult to remove if you
decide to change your garden plans at a later date.
Therefore, this tip sheet is limited to the use of
organic mulches
10. Solution: b)
The Gonds lived in a vast forested region called
Gondwana – or ―country inhabited by Gonds‖.
They practised shifting cultivation. The large Gond
tribe was further divided into many smaller clans.
Each clan had its own raja or rai. About the time
that the power of the Delhi Sultans was declining, a
few large Gond kingdoms were beginning to
dominate the smaller Gond chiefs. The Akbar
Nama, a history of Akbar‘s reign, mentions the
Gond kingdom of Garha Katanga that had 70,000
villages.
Garha Katanga was a rich state. It earned much
wealth by trapping and exporting wild elephants to
other kingdoms. When the Mughals defeated the
Gonds, they captured a huge booty of precious
coins and elephants.
11. Solution: d)
Contour barriers: Stones, grass, soil are used to build
barriers along contours. Trenches are made in front
of the barriers to collect water.
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Intercropping: Different crops are grown in alternate
rows and are sown at different times to protect the
soil from rain wash.
Refer to this too http://www.icimod.org/?q=10412
12. Solution: a)
Others techniques have been discussed in the previous
questions.
Contour ploughing: Ploughing parallel to the
contours of a hill slope to form a natural barrier for
water to flow down the slope.
Shelter belts: In the coastal and dry regions, rows of
trees are planted to check the wind movement to
protect soil cover.
13. Solution: d)
Forest and other vegetation cover slow the surface
runoff and replenish underground water. Water
harvesting is another method to save surface
runoff. Water is used for irrigating fields. The
canals should be properly lined to minimise losses
by water seepage. Sprinklers effectively irrigate the
area by checking water losses through seepage and
evaporation. In dry regions with high rates of
evaporation, drip or trickle irrigation is very useful.
The valuable water resource can therefore be
conserved by adopting these means of
conservation.
Read more at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_runoff#Mit
igation_and_treatment
14. Solution: d)
Refer to
http://envfor.nic.in/division/international-
conventions for details about each of the
convetions. They are important and should be
covered a in a little detail. There was a question on
such conventions this year.
15. Solution: b)
Biosphere reserves are sites established by
countries and recognized under UNESCO's Man
and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme to promote
sustainable development based on local
community efforts and sound science.
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As places that seek to reconcile conservation of
biological and cultural diversity and economic and
social development through partnerships between
people and nature, they are ideal to test and
demonstrate innovative approaches to sustainable
development from local to international scales.
Biosphere reserves are thus globally considered as:
 sites of excellence where new and optimal
practices to manage nature and human
activities are tested and demonstrated;
 tools to help countries implement the
results of the World Summit on Sustainable
Development and, in particular,
the Convention on Biological Diversity and
its Ecosystem Approach;
 learning sites for the UN Decade on
Education for Sustainable Development.
After their designation, biosphere reserves remain
under national sovereign jurisdiction, yet they
share their experience and ideas nationally,
regionally and internationally within the World
Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
There are currently 631 biosphere reserves in 119
countries all over the world.
16. Solution: d)
Refer to the ―Distribution of minerals‖ section in
Class 8th Geo NCERT.
Australia produces nearly 23% of the total uranium
ore in the world !!!
17. Solution: a)
In fact by the fifteenth century the Bengali group Of
dialects came to be united by a common literary
language based on the spoken language of the
western part of the region, now known as West
Bengal. Thus, although Bengali is derived from
Sanskrit, it passed through several stages of
evolution. Also, a wide range of non-Sanskrit
words, derived from a variety of sources including
tribal languages, Persian, and European languages,
have become part of modern Bengali.
Early Bengali literature may be divided into two
categories – one indebted to Sanskrit and the other
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independent of it. The first includes translations of
the Sanskrit epics, the Mangalakavyas (literally
auspicious poems, dealing with local deities) and
bhakti literature such as the biographies of
Chaitanyadeva, the leader of the Vaishnava bhakti
movement.
18. Solution: d)
North America may be divided into at least five
major physiographic regions.
Canadian Shield
This is a geologically stable area of rock dating
between 2.5 and 4 Gya that occupies most of the
northeastern quadrant, including Greenland.
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachians are an old and eroded system
that formed about 300 Ma and extends from
the Gaspé Peninsula to Alabama.
Atlantic Coastal Plain
The plain is a belt of lowlands widening to the
south that extends from south New England to
Mexico.
Interior Lowlands
The lowlands extend down the middle of the
continent from the Mackenzie Valley to the Atlantic
Coastal Plain, and include the Great Plains on the
west and the agriculturally productive Interior
Plains on the east.
North American Cordillera
The cordillera is a complex belt of mountains and
associated plateaus and basins some of which were
formed as recently as 100–65 Ma, during the
Cretaceous. The cordillera extend from Alaska into
Mexico and includes two orogenic belts — the
Pacific Margin on the west and the Rocky
Mountains on the east — separated by a system of
intermontane plateaus and basins.
19. Solution: d)
Explanation for Q17 and 18 are together.
20. Solution: c)
Iron: India has deposits of high grade iron ore. The
mineral is found mainly in Jharkhand, Orissa,
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra
and Karnataka.
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Bauxite: Major bauxite producing areas are
Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh,
Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Mica: Mica deposits mainly occur in Jharkhand,
Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. India has the
largest reserves of mica in the world – in Kodarma,
Jharkhand.
Copper: It is mainly produced in Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka and
Andhra Pradesh.
Manganese: India‘s manganese deposits lie in
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Orissa, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Limestone: Major limestone producing states in
India are Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and
Tamil Nadu.
Gold: Kolar in Karnataka has deposits of gold in
India. These mines are among the deepest in the
world which makes mining of this ore a very
expensive process.
Salt: It is obtained from seas, lakes and rocks. India
is one of the world‘s leading producers and
exporters of salt.
21. Solution: d)
Petroleum is found between the layers of rocks and
is drilled from oil fields located in off-shore and
coastal areas. This is then sent to refineries which
process the crude oil and produce a variety of
products like diesel, petrol, kerosene, wax, plastics
and lubricants. Petroleum and its derivatives are
called Black Gold as they are very valuable.
A rise in price of Petroleum will affect all the
product industries related to it.
22. Solution: a)
Natural gas is a fossil fuel formed when layers of
buried plants, gases, and animals are exposed to
intense heat and pressure over thousands of years.
Natural gas is a hydrocarbon gas mixture
consisting primarily of methane, but commonly
includes varying amounts of other
higher alkanes and even a lesser percentage
of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide
Natural gas is found in deep underground rock
formations or associated with other hydrocarbon
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 INSIGHTS MOCK TEST SERIES 2015: TEST – 2 SOLUTIONS
reservoirs in coal beds and as methane
clathrates. Petroleum is another resource and fossil
fuel found in close proximity to, and with natural
gas.
CNG is made by compressing natural gas (which is
mainly composed of methane, CH4).
On the other hand, LPG includes mixes that are
primarily propane (C3H8), primarily butane (C4H10)
and, most commonly, mixes including both
propane and butane.
23. Solution: b)
There were several great monarchs – all near
contemporaries — in different parts of the world in
the sixteenth century.
These included Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) of
England, Akbar‘s (14 October 1542 – 27 October
1605) contemporary.. Elizabeth was the last ruler of
a dynasty known as the Tudors. Elizabeth‘s rule
was marked by several conflicts – foremost
amongst these were conflicts between the Roman
Catholic Church and the Protestants, who were
attempting to reform the Church. Elizabeth sided
with the latter, and tried to establish the
independence of the Church of England from
Roman control, even as she adopted several
practices of the Roman Church. She came into
conflict with Philip II, the powerful ruler of Spain,
and defeated a Spanish effort to attack England.
Under her patronage English sailors harassed the
Spanish fleet and made it difficult for them to
control the wealth of the Americas. She was a great
patron of the arts and supported the famous
English playwright William Shakespeare. A poet
named Edmund Spenser wrote a long epic poem
called The Faerie Queene in her praise.
24. Solution: b)
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In this schematic diagram of a nuclear reactor:
 Fission (nuclear energy gives rise to heat i.e.
thermal energy)
 The heat produces fast moving high
pressure steam i.e. thermal energy to kinetic
energy
 The steam moves the turbine i.e. kinetic to
electrical energy
25. Solution: b)
Energy generated from tides is called tidal
energy. Tidal energy can be harnessed by
building dams at narrow openings of the sea.
During high tide the energy of the tides is used
to turn the turbine installed in the dam to
produce electricity. Russia, France and the Gulf
of Kachchh in India have huge tidal mill farms.
26. Solution: b)
Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies
on techniques such as crop rotation, green
manure, compost, and biological pest control.
Depending on whose definition is used, organic
farming uses fertilizers and pesticides (which
include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides) if
they are considered natural (such as bone
meal from animals or pyrethrin from flowers), but
it excludes or strictly limits the use of various
methods (including synthetic
petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides; plant
growth regulators such as hormones; antibiotic use
in livestock; genetically modified
organisms; human sewage sludge;
and nanomaterials.) for reasons
including sustainability,
openness, independence, health, and safety.
27. Solution: d)
In commercial farming crops are grown and
animals are reared for sale in market. The area
cultivated and the amount of capital used is large.
Most of the work is done by machines. Commercial
farming includes commercial grain farming, mixed
farming and plantation agriculture.
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28. Solution: a)
Refer to
http://www.agriinfo.in/?page=topic&superid=1&
topicid=652 for a comprehensive understanding.
29. Solution: d)
Rice is the major food crop of the world. It is the
staple diet of the tropical and sub-tropical regions.
Rice needs high temperature, high humidity and
rainfall. It grows best in alluvial clayey soil, which
can retain water. China leads in the production of
rice followed by India, Japan, Sri Lanka and Egypt.
In favourable climatic conditions as in West Bengal
and Bangladesh two to three crops a year are
grown.
30. Solution: b)
Wheat requires moderate temperature and rainfall
during growing season and bright sunshine at the
time of harvest. It thrives best in well drained
loamy soil. Wheat is grown extensively in USA,
Canada, Argentina, Russia, Ukraine, Australia and
India. In India it is grown in winter.
31. Solution: d)
Refer to:
The Section IV on environmental conditions in
https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/mi
llet.html
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai
/Millet-cultivation-comes-to-farmers-
rescue/articleshow/18457171.cms
32. Solution: c)
Self-explanatory.
33. Solution: c)
By the mid-eighteenth century the Kangra artists
developed a style which breathed a new spirit into
miniature painting. The source of inspiration was
the Vaishnavite traditions. Soft colours including
cool blues and greens, and a lyrical treatment of
themes distinguished Kangra painting.
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34. Solution: d)
Jute was also known as the ‗Golden Fibre‘. It grows
well on alluvial soil and requires high temperature,
heavy rainfall and humid climate. This crop is
grown in the tropical areas. India and Bangladesh
are the leading producers of Jute.
35. Solution: d)
Joint sector industries are owned and operated by
the state and individuals or a group of individuals.
Maruti Udyog Limited is an example of joint sector
industry. Co-operative sector industries are owned
and operated by the producers or suppliers of raw
materials, workers or both. Anand Milk Union
Limited and Sudha Dairy are a success stories of a
co-operative venture.
36. Solution: c)
The textile industry can be divided on the basis of
raw materials used in them. Fibres are the raw
material of textile industry. Fibres can be natural or
man-made. Natural fibres are obtained from wool,
silk, cotton, linen and jute. Man made fibres
include nylon, polyester, acrylic and rayon.
37. Solution: c)
The first successful modern textile mill was
established in Mumbai in 1854. The warm, moist
climate, port for importing machinery, availability
of raw material and skilled labour resulted in rapid
expansion of the industry in the region.
Initially this industry flourished in the states of
Maharashtra and Gujarat because of favourable
humid climate. But today, humidity can be created
artificially, and raw cotton is a pure and not weight
losing raw material, so this industry has spread to
other parts of India. Weight losing raw material is
the one in which the usable part of the raw material
is a minor part of the raw material. So, the waste is
more. If the waste is more, it is futile to transport
the whole raw material over large distances. It can
be instead processed on site. This then results in the
growth of industries in local area only. Since cotton
is not a weight losing material, it does not matter
whether it is processed on site or off-site.
Coimbatore, Kanpur, Chennai, Ahmedabad,
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Mumbai, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Pondicherry and
Panipat are some of the other important centres.
38. Solution: c)
Rates of population growth vary across the world.
Although, the world‘s total population is rising
rapidly, not all countries are experiencing this
growth.
Some countries like Kenya have high population
growth rates. They had both high birth rates and
death rates. This is a sign of low human
development.
Now, with improving health care, death rates have
fallen, but birth rates still remain high leading to
high growth rates. This is a sign of medium level of
human development.
In other countries like United Kingdom, population
growth is slowing because of both low death and
low birth rates. This is a sign of high human
development.
39. Solution: c)
Refer to the section on ‗Population Composition‘ in
Chapter 6- Class 8th Geo NCERT.
40. Solution: d)
Britain does have a written constitution. It is still a
democratic monarchy.
Syria has a written constitution. It is an autocracy.
A constitution is the mere embodiment of the
political philosophy of a nation.
41. Solution: d)
Societal ideals like fraternity, harmony, justice etc.
are enshrined in the Preamble and DPSP.
Nature of society is to be secular, liberal and
socialist. It is mentioned in the Preamble, DPSP and
Fundamental Rights.
Political system is republic democratic mentioned
in the constitution in the Preamble.
42. Solution: d)
Self-explanatory. These constitute the ‗basic
structure‘ of the Indian constitution. The ‗basic
structure‘ doctrine was propounded in the
Kesavananda Bharti case in 1973.
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43. Solution: d)
State governments are not mere agents of Central
government. They derive their authority from the
Indian constitution. They are not subordinate to the
Centre. Instead, the Centre is more powerful than
the state governments to maintain the unity and
integrity of the Indian union.
44. Solution: a)
The Paik system was a type of corvee labor system
on which the Ahom kingdom of
medieval Assam was based. The origin of the
word paik is unknown and it is believed that the
system is based on the South-East Asian legacy
the Ahoms brought with them in 1228. The mature
structure was designed by Momai Tamuli
Borbarua in 1609. The system continued to evolve
over time to meet the needs of the Ahom state and
in time began to accumulate contradictions.
Scholars believe that a major reason for the collapse
of the Ahom kingdom was that the Paik system
had outlived itself by the 18th century.
Every male in the Ahom kingdom between the
ages of fifteen and fifty who was not a noble, a
priest, a high caste or a slave was a paik. According
to Guha (1991), about 90% of the population
belonged to this class at the time of Rudra Singha,
around 1714. The top landed aristocracy was about
1% and the rest constituted the servile class.
45. Solution: d)
The state does discriminate among religions. The
jains were recently given minority status
nationally. They will be eligible for several
incentives which Hindus may not get officially.
Moreover, there is a different set of laws for almost
every religion. Sardars are allowed to carry
kirpans; and allowed not to wear helmet while
driving. Normal citizens are not.
The state does intervene in religious affairs when it
is necessary. For e.g. the Central government has
overtaken the management of most important
shrines over India like Vaishno Devi, Amarnath etc.
Banning untouchability in Hinduism can be
another example.
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46. Solution: b)
The Vice-President presides over the Raja Sabha.
Rest all Presiding officers are elected.
47. Solution: c)
Self-explanatory. Even though President does not
attend the Parliamentary sessions, his nod is
required for a bill to become an Act. Hence, he is
considered an integral part of the Parliament.
48. Solution: d)
The executive can make laws via the ordinance
route as mentioned in the Article 123 of the
constitution.
49. Solution: c)
Normally, the Rajya Sabha is as powerful as the
Lok Sabha when passing the legislations. If the
Rajya Sabha rejects the bill passed by Lok Sabha
then the President has to call for a joint sitting of
both the houses.
50. Solution: a)
They are elected only by the Legislative assembly.
51. Solution: c)
Surat in Gujarat was the emporium of western
trade during the Mughal period along with
Cambay (present- day Khambat) and somewhat
later, Ahmedabad. Surat was the gateway for trade
with West Asia via the Gulf of Ormuz. Surat has
also been called the gate to Mecca because many
pilgrim ships set sail from here.
The city was cosmopolitan and people of all castes
and creeds lived there. In the seventeenth century
the Portuguese, Dutch and English had their
factories and warehouses at Surat. According to the
English chronicler Ovington who wrote an account
of the port in 1689, on average a hundred ships of
different countries could be found anchored at the
port at any given time.
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There were also several retail and wholesale shops
selling cotton textiles. The textiles of Surat were
famous for their gold lace borders (zari) and had a
market in West Asia, Africa and Europe. The state
built numerous rest-houses to take care of the
needs of people from all over the world who came
to the city. There were magnificent buildings and
innumerable pleasure parks. The Kathiawad seths
or mahajans (moneychangers) had huge banking
houses at Surat. It is noteworthy that the Surat
hundis were honoured in the far-off markets of
Cairo in Egypt, Basra in Iraq and Antwerp in
Belgium.
However, Surat began to decline towards the end
of the seventeenth century. This was because of
many factors: the loss of markets and productivity
because of the decline of the Mughal Empire,
control of the sea routes by the Portuguese and
competition from Bombay (present-day Mumbai)
where the English East India Company shifted its
headquarters in 1668. Today, Surat is a bustling
commercial centre.
52. Solution: d)
It starts from question hour and zero hour follows
it. General matters can be raised by any MP in the
zero hour. So, the opposition is allowed to raise
matters.
Question hour is a very important way of
controlling the executive by keeping them
accountable for their deeds and misdeeds before
the house.
53. Solution: c)
Judicial review is adopted in the Constitution of
India from judicial review in the United States. In
the Indian constitution, Judicial review is dealt
with under Article 13. Judicial Review refers that
the Constitution is the supreme power of the nation
and all laws are under its supremacy. Article 13
states that:
1. All pre-constitutional laws, if in part or
completely in conflict with the Constitution,
shall have all conflicting provisions deemed
ineffective until an amendment to the
Constitution ends the conflict. In such
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situation the provision of that law will
again come into force, if it is compatible
with the constitution as amended. This is
called the Doctrine of Eclipse.
2. In a similar manner, laws made after
adoption of the Constitution by the
Constituent Assembly must be compatible
with the constitution, otherwise the laws
and amendments will be deemed to be
void ab initio.
3. In such situations, the Supreme Court or
High Court interprets the laws to decide if
they are in conformity with the
Constitution. If such an interpretation is not
possible because of inconsistency, and
where a separation is possible, the provision
that is inconsistent with constitution is
considered to be void. In addition to article
13, articles 32, 226 and 227 provide a
constitutional basis to judicial review in
India.
54. Solution: c)
Self-explanatory.
55. Solution: a)
Nomadic pastoralists moved over long distances
with their animals. They lived on milk and other
pastoral products. They also exchanged wool, ghee,
etc., with settled agriculturists for grain, cloth,
utensils and other products.
They bought and sold these goods as they moved
from one place to another, transporting them on
their animals. The Banjaras were the most
important trader- nomads. Their caravan was
called tanda. Sultan Alauddin Khalji used the
Banjaras to transport grain to the city markets.
56. Solution: d)
Judiciary is independent of the Government based
on the doctrine of separation of powers.
While all courts uphold the law, only the SC and
HCs are authorized to enforce fundamental rights.
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57. Solution: a)
It was not mentioned in the constitution of India
neither any law enacted by Parliament. It is a result
of Judicial activism. PIL is an important topic. Read
properly about it here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_interest_litig
ation_in_India
58. Solution: c)
Article 22 of the constitution says that the right to
be defended is a fundamental right.
Article 39A (DPSP) places the duty on the state as
mentioned in statements 2.
59. Solution: c)
This is a very good article to understand the
criminal justice system as a whole. Please go
through it http://www.victimsofcrime.org/help-
for-crime-victims/get-help-bulletins-for-crime-
victims/the-criminal-justice-system
It covers the explanation for next question too.
60. Solution: d)
Explanation same as that of the previous question.
61. Solution: a)
The police merely forms an opinion based on its
investigation. It is reflected in the charge sheet. It
cannot decide whether a person is guilty or not,
and then punish him. This is left to the courts.
62. Solution: d)
63. Solution: d)
In recognition of this, the constitution provides
religious and cultural rights to the minorities and
provides for provisions which discriminate
positively in favour of these minorities. For e.g.
minority scholarships, govt. non-interference in
minority run institutions etc.
64. Solution: d)
Article 15,16 and 17 abolish untouchability; provide
for equal opportunity in matters of public
employment; and prohibit discrimination on
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 INSIGHTS MOCK TEST SERIES 2015: TEST – 2 SOLUTIONS
grounds of caste, religion, sex or place of birth
respectively.
All three stand in consonance with the above
provisions.
65. Solution: b)
Under a number of able leaders in the eighteenth
century, the Sikhs organized themselves into a
number of bands called jathas, and later on misls.
Their combined forces were known as the grand
army (dal khalsa). The entire body used to meet at
Amritsar at the time of Baisakhi and Diwali to take
collective decisions known as ―resolutions of the
Guru (gurmatas)‖. A system called rakhi was
introduced, offering protection to cultivators on the
payment of a tax of 20 per cent of the produce.
66. Solution: d)
It is a very important act. Please read it in detail
here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scheduled_Tri
bes_and_Other_Traditional_Forest_Dwellers_(Reco
gnition_of_Forest_Rights)_Act,_2006
67. Solution: a)
68. Solution: d)
The Constitution of India recognises the right to
water as being a part of the Right to Life under
Article 21. This means that it is the right of every
person, whether rich or poor, to have sufficient
amounts of water to fulfil his/her daily needs at a
price that he/she can afford. In other words, there
should be universal access to water. There have
been several court cases in which both the High
Courts and the Supreme Court have held that the
right to safe drinking water is a Fundamental
Right.
69. Solution: a)
While all details of revenue expenditure and
receipts are mentioned in the budget, an account of
capital receipts is not mentioned fully in the
http://insightsonindia.com INSIGHTS
budget. This is one area of financial administration
where the executive is not responsible to the
legislature.
70. Solution: b)
While Akbar was at Fatehpur Sikri during the
1570s he started discussions on religion with the
ulama, Brahmanas, Jesuit priests who were Roman
Catholics, and Zoroastrians. These discussions took
place in the ibadat khana. He was interested in the
religion and social customs of different people. It
made him realise that religious scholars who
emphasised ritual and dogma were often dogma
bigots. Their bigots teachings created divisions and
disharmony amongst his subjects. This eventually
led Akbar to the idea of sulh-i kul or ―universal
peace‖. This idea of tolerance did not discriminate
between people of different religions in his realm.
Instead it focused on a system of ethics – honesty,
justice, peace – that was universally applicable.
Abul Fazl helped Akbar in framing a vision of
governance around this idea of sulh-i kul. This
principle of governance was followed by Jahangir
and Shah Jahan as well.
71. Solution: c)
Through making, enforcing and upholding laws
such as Minimum wages Act, the government can
control the activities of individuals or private
companies so as to ensure social justice. Many of
these laws have their basis in the Fundamental
Rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. For
instance, the Right against Exploitation says that no
one can be forced to work for low wages or under
bondage. Similarly, the Constitution lays down ―no
child below the age of 14 shall be employed to
work in any factory or mines or any other
hazardous employment.‖
72. Solution: d)
Graphene is a 2D (two-dimensional) material
comprising of sheets of carbon atoms. It is amongst
the strongest, most lightweight and flexible
materials identified, and has the capacity to
revolutionize industries from healthcare to
electronics. Graphene is more elastic than usual
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 INSIGHTS MOCK TEST SERIES 2015: TEST – 2 SOLUTIONS
ceramic substitutes like Indium-Tin oxide (ITO)
and more transparent than metal films. Graphene
can be processed from solution bringing
characteristic benefits of using more effective
printed and roll-to-roll manufacturing methods.
Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov
of Russia won the Nobel Prize 2010 for research on
graphene.
Researchers at the Cavendish Laboratory of the
Cambridge University for the very first time have
developed a grapheme-based flexible screen. The
advancement is important because it will lead to
the development of next-generation high-tech
wearable and foldable electronic devices in future.
73. Solution: c)
CO2, Nitrous Oxide and Methane will have an
growing influence on the ozone layer. What
happens to the ozone layer in the second half of the
21st century will mostly be determined by the
concentrations of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide
– the 3 key long-lived greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. In general, CO2 and methane lead to
increase global ozone levels. By contrast, nitrous
oxide, a by-product of food production, is both a
strong greenhouse gas and an ozone depleting gas,
and is expected to become more significant in
future ozone depletion.
74. Solution: c)
The Union Ministry of Science & Technology also
announced KIRAN (Knowledge, Involvement,
Research, Advancement through Nurturing) for
women scientists –A unique advertising scheme to
bring about, as far as possible, gender equality in
the field of science and technology.
Objectives:-
1. To increase the number of women
researchers in India.
2. Provide Research grants particularly to
those female researchers and technologists
who had to take a break in career owing to
household reasons.
3. Bring about, as far as achievable, gender
parity in the field of science and technology.
The scholarships will be provided under three
categories-
http://insightsonindia.com INSIGHTS
1. For those women linked in research work in
basic or applied sciences with any central or
state level organization or university
2. For those women scientists involved in
research and application of innovative
solutions for several social problems
3. For those researchers who are self-
employed.
Under the scheme, the Union Ministry of Science &
Technology will build leadership positions for
women. Such a scheme would be beneficial for
women who face unavoidable interruptions in their
careers owing to numerous reasons.
75. Solution: c)
The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC)
has warned its offices at ports about smuggling of
ozone-depleting materials as there has been a fresh
surge in efforts to unlawfully ship R-22 gas, which
is used in refrigerants and air-conditioners (ACs).
The department of revenue intelligence has
recognized fresh ways of smuggling these items
into the country viz. R-22 gas cylinders were found
to be hidden in shipments where the importer had
stated shipments of furniture, kitchen cabinets,
photocopiers,fruits, etc.
R-22 gas (Chloro-di-fluoro-methane) is permitted to
be imported in India but is licensed. Given the
rising market for fridges and air-conditioners, the
demand is greater than licensed supply.
In some nations, use of the R22 will will be banned
by 2015, while manufacturers were banded from
using it in products launched after 2004. R-22 has
been predominantly phased out in new equipment
in the US under the Montreal Protocol, and has
been substituted by other refrigerants with lower
ozone depletion ability such as Propane (R-290),
Pentafluoroethane etc.
R-22 is
 A Hydro-Chloro-Fluoro-Carbon (HCFC)
 Colorless gas
 Mostly used as a propellant and refrigerant
 Has Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and
High Global Warming Potential (GWP) – a
powerful greenhouse gas with a GWP
of 1810 (i.e. 1810 times as powerful as
carbon dioxide)
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76. Solution: d)
Although inscriptions, coins and architecture
provide a lot of information, especially valuable are
―histories‖, tarikh (singular) / tawarikh (plural),
written in Persian, the language of administration
under the Delhi Sultans.
The authors of tawarikh were learned men:
secretaries, administrators, poets and courtiers,
who both recounted events and advised rulers on
governance, emphasising the importance of just
rule.
Keep the following additional details in mind: (1)
the authors of tawarikh lived in cities (mainly
Delhi) and hardly ever in villages. (2) They often
wrote their histories for Sultans in the hope of rich
rewards. (3) These authors advised rulers on the
need to preserve an ―ideal‖ social order based on
birthright and gender distinctions. Their ideas were
not shared by everybody.
77. Solution: c)
The new government‘s next giant drive to free up
service delivery from the hold of the lower
bureaucracy will be in the form of a „digital cloud‟
for every Indian.
Now, Certificates issued by the Govt.: Education,
residential, medical records, birth certificates, etc.
will be saved in separate „digital lockers‟ and a
communication protocol will be established for
Govt Departments to access them without actually
having to see the hard copy.
The idea is very simple. Tt is not desired that copies
of certificates issued by the government itself to be
carried everywhere by people to government
offices for several services, e.g. if a student is
applying for a government college and has studied
in a government-aided school, his birth certificate,
identity details and educational certificates, school-
leaving details, et al should be available to Govt.
institutes where he is applying. Likewise his
medical records, etc.
78. Solution: a)
India launched “The Green Bus
project” in Nagpur with the launch of its first
http://insightsonindia.com INSIGHTS
ethanol-run, environment-friendly public bus. The
bus will emit carbon dioxide as low as 15% to
90% and its emissions will be monitored by the
Union government, Maharashtra state government
and Nagpur Municipal Corporation.
The buses are manufactured by Swedish
company Scania Commercial Vehicle India Ltd.
Scania has additionally introduced an engine in
consonance with Bharat Stage 5 Norms, a step
toward further reducing the emissions.
79. Solution: a)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has
approved the use of drug ZMapp to combat Ebola
spread as the death count surged.
The current outbreak of Ebola is seen as the most
terrible since the discovery of Ebola Virus. At
present, there is no cure for Ebola. Recently, Mapp
Biopharmaceutical offered the drug ZMapp to two
US doctors who got affected with the Ebola disease.
The drug uses a novel method of passive
immunization to treat Ebola disease by inserting
genetically altered Ebola protein into tobacco
leaves. However, it has been tested only on
monkeys so far and it was to be tested on human
volunteers in 2015. The abrupt outbreak of Ebola
hastened the development.
80. Solution: d)
Refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulayar
The community was related to Modi‘s recent visit
to Kerala. It is a dalit community. Hence,
important.
81. Solution: d)
As per a latest research financed by the Union
government and headed by noted marine
scientist Abhijit Mitra, the Sunderban‘s
huge mangrove forest is rapidly losing its
capacity to absorb carbon dioxide, one of the main
greenhouse gases, from the atmosphere due to
increase in the salinity of water, unchecked
deforestation and pollution.
As per the study, the mangrove forest, marsh grass,
phytoplanktons, molluscus and other coastal
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 INSIGHTS MOCK TEST SERIES 2015: TEST – 2 SOLUTIONS
vegetation in the largest delta on earth are the
natural absorbers of carbon dioxide (CO2). The
locked carbon in the plants is known as “Blue
Carbons”. The absorption of CO2 is a process
which plays a role in reduction of the warming of
the earth and other bad effects of climate change.
The study titled “Blue Carbon Estimation in
Coastal Zone of Eastern India – Sunderbans” was
submitted to the government in 2013. The
researchers who conducted the study expressed
concerns, especially towards the central
Sunderbans, one of the three zones into which the
forest was divided for the study, the other two
being western and eastern.
The situation, especially in the central part, is quite
alarming. The capacity of the mangrove forest,
especially the Byne species, to absorb carbon
dioxide has declined significantly. This will affect
the whole ecosystem of the area.
The main causes of such an alarming situation in
the Sunderbans, a UNESCO world heritage site,
are increased salinity in water and human activities
like shrimp farming, kiln industries and
deforestation.
 Sharp increase in the salinity of water in
Matla River: The mangroves thrive on fresh
water, but due to lack of fresh water the
height of mangroves has reduced
significantly, bringing down its capacity to
absorb carbons. Due to deposition of silt at
the confluence of the Vidyadhari and Matla
rivers, fresh water is unable to enter the
Matla river resulting into rise in its salinity.
 Human incursion in these areas for
activities like shrimp farming, setting up of
brick kiln industry and deforestation has
added to the problem.
82. Solution: a)
As the Delhi Sultans brought the hinterland of the
cities under their control, they forced the landed
chieftains — the samanta aristocrats — and rich
landlords to accept their authority. Under
Alauddin Khalji the state brought the assessment
and collection of land revenue under its own
control. The rights of the local chieftains to levy
http://insightsonindia.com INSIGHTS
taxes were cancelled and they were also forced to
pay taxes. The Sultan‘s administrators measured
the land and kept careful accounts. Some of the old
chieftains and landlords served the Sultanate as
revenue collectors and assessors. There were three
types of taxes – (1) on cultivation called kharaj and
amounting to about 50 per cent of the peasant‘s
produce, (2) on cattle and (3) on houses.
83. Solution: a)
Since this is an initiative for the youth, for you, we
would request you to visit the website directly and
know what is in store for you. Your participation is
needed for Good Governance. Please visit
http://mygov.nic.in/
84. Solution: b)
Both Nouveau and Al Idrisi never visited India.
Both were cartographers, but Nouveau drew more
accurate map of India, but it was 600 years after Al
Idrisi drew his map of the Indian Ocean.
On the other hand, statement three is correct.
For More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillaume_Delisle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_al-
Idrisi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minhaj-i-Siraj
85. Solution: d)
Today we understand ―Hindustan‖,as ―India‖, the
modern nation state. When the term was used in
the thirteenth century by Minhaj-I Siraj, a
chronicler who wrote in Persian, he meant the areas
of Punjab, Haryana and the lands between the
Ganga and Yamuna. He used the term in a political
sense for lands that were a part of the dominions of
the Delhi Sultan. The areas included in this term
shifted with the extent of the Sultanate but the term
never included south India within it. By contrast, in
the early sixteenth century Babur used Hindustan
to describe the geography, the fauna and the
culture of the inhabitants of the subcontinent. As
we will see later in the chapter, this was somewhat
similar to the way the fourteenth-century poet
Amir Khusrau used the word ―Hind‖. While the
idea of a geographical and cultural entity like
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 INSIGHTS MOCK TEST SERIES 2015: TEST – 2 SOLUTIONS
―India‖ did exist, the term Hindustan did not carry
the political and national meanings which we
associate with it today.
86. Solution: a)
Statement one is correct. Other two schools of
thought are: Hanbali and Maliki.
The Shafi'i school is the dominant school of
jurisprudence amongst Muslims in
the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, the
Palestinian
territories, Jordan, Egypt, Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia,
Ethiopia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, the North
Caucasus, Kurdistan and Maldives. It is also
practised by large communities in Saudi Arabia (in
the Tihamah and Asir), Kuwait, Iraq, the Swahili
Coast, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia,
the Philippines, Sri
Lanka, Kazakhstan (by Chechens) and parts
of India (by Mappila).
87. Solution: a)
The Vishwakarma (Cave 10) is the only chaitya
griha amongst the Buddhist group of caves at
Ellora. It is locally known as Vishwakarma or Sutar
ka jhopda "carpenter's hut". It follows the pattern of
construction of Caves 19 and 26 of Ajanta. On
stylistic grounds, the date of construction of this
cave is assigned to 700 A.D. The chaitya once had a
high screen wall, which is ruined at present. At the
front is a rock-cut court, which is entered through a
flight of steps. On either side are pillared porticos
with chambers in their back walls. These were
probably intended to have subsidiary shrines but
not completed. The pillared verandah of
the chaitya has a small shrine at either end and a
single cell in the far end of the back wall. The
corridor columns have massive squarish shafts
and ghata-pallava (vase and foliage) capitals. The
main hall is apsidal on plan and is divided into a
central nave and side aisles by 28 octagonal
columns with plain bracket capitals. In the apsidal
end of the chaitya hall is a stupa on the face of
which a colossal 3.30 m high seated Buddha
in vyakhyana mudra (teaching posture) is carved. A
large Bodhi tree is carved at the back. The hall has a
http://insightsonindia.com INSIGHTS
vaulted roof in which ribs have been carved in the
rock imitating the wooden ones.
88. Solution: a)
Brahmanas often received land grants or
brahmadeya. As a result, a large number of
Brahmana settlements emerged in the Kaveri valley
as in other parts of south India. Each brahmadeya
was looked after by an assembly or sabha of
prominent Brahmana landholders. These
assemblies worked very efficiently. Their decisions
were recorded in detail in inscriptions, often on the
stone walls of temples. Associations of traders
known as nagarams also occasionally performed
administrative functions in towns.
Inscriptions from Uttaramerur in Chingleput
district, Tamil Nadu, provide details of the way in
which the sabha was organised. The sabha had
separate committees to look after irrigation works,
gardens, temples, etc. Names of those eligible to be
members of these committees were written on
small tickets of palm leaf and kept in an
earthenware pot, from which a young boy was
asked to pick the tickets, one by one for each
committee.
Additional information:
http://insightsonindia.com/2009/10/27/brahmad
eya-devadana-and-agrahara-land-grants/
89. Solution: c)
The Qutb minar is made of red sandstone covered
with intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an.
The minar comprises several superposed flanged
and cylindrical shafts, separated
by balconies carried on Muqarnas corbels.
The first three storeys are made of red sandstone;
the fourth and fifth storeys are of marble and
sandstone. At the foot of the tower is the Quwwat-
ul-Islam Mosque, the first mosque to be built in
India.
The nearby 7 metres high Iron Pillar is a
metallurgical curiosity, standing in the Qutb
complex. The pillar has Brahmic inscriptions on it
that predate the Islamic minar.
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The minar tilts just over 60 cm from the vertical,
which is considered to be within safe limits,
although experts have stated that monitoring is
needed in case rainwater seepage further weakens
the foundation.
In 1802, the cupola on the top was thrown down
and the whole pillar was damaged by an
earthquake. It was repaired by Major R. Smith of
the Royal Engineers who restored the Qutub Minar
in 1823 replacing the cupola with a Bengali-
stylechhatri which was later removed by Governor
General, Lord Hardinge in 1848, as it looked out of
place, and now stands in the outer lawns of the
complex, popularly known as Smith's Folly.
90. Solution: a)
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
http://insightsonindia.com INSIGHTS
the kingdom. Since they were totally dependent
upon their master, the Sultan could trust and rely
upon them.
91. Solution: c)
The Mughals were descendants of two great
lineages of rulers. From their mother‘s side they
were descendants of Genghis Khan (died 1227),
ruler of the Mongol tribes, China and Central Asia.
From their father‘s side they were the successors of
Timur (died 1404), the ruler of Iran, Iraq and
modern-day Turkey. However, the Mughals did
not like to be called Mughal or Mongol. This was
because Genghis Khan‘s memory was associated
with the massacre of innumerable people. It was
also linked with the Uzbegs, their Mongol
competitors. On the other hand, the Mughals were
proud of their Timurid ancestry, not least of all
because their great ancestor had captured Delhi in
1398. They celebrated their genealogy pictorially,
each ruler getting a picture made of Timur and
himself.
92. Solution: c)
Generally, metallic minerals are found in igneous
and metamorphic rock formations that form large
plateaus. Iron-ore in north Sweden, copper and
nickel deposits in Ontario, Canada, iron, nickel,
chromites and platinum in South Africa are
examples of minerals found in igneous and
metamorphic rocks. Sedimentary rock formations
of plains and young fold mountains contain non-
metallic minerals like limestone. Limestone
deposits of Caucasus region of France, manganese
deposits of Georgia and Ukraine and phosphate
beds of Algeria are some examples. Mineral fuels
such as coal and petroleum are also found in the
sedimentary strata.
93. Solution: c)
While Akbar was at Fatehpur Sikri during the
1570s he started discussions on religion with the
ulama, Brahmanas, Jesuit priests who were Roman
Catholics, and Zoroastrians. These discussions took
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 INSIGHTS MOCK TEST SERIES 2015: TEST – 2 SOLUTIONS
place in the ibadat khana. He was interested in the
religion and social customs of different people. It
made him realise that religious scholars who
emphasised ritual and dogma were often dogma
bigots. Their bigots teachings created divisions and
disharmony amongst his subjects. This eventually
led Akbar to the idea of sulh-i kul or ―universal
peace‖. This idea of tolerance did not discriminate
between people of different religions in his realm.
Instead it focused on a system of ethics – honesty,
justice, peace – that was universally applicable.
Abul Fazl helped Akbar in framing a vision of
governance around this idea of sulh-i kul. This
principle of governance was followed by Jahangir
and Shah Jahan as well.
94. Solution: c)
Between the seventh and tenth centuries architects
started adding more rooms, doors and windows to
buildings. Roofs, doors and windows were still
made by placing a horizontal beam across two
vertical columns, a style of architecture called
―trabeate‖ or ―corbelled‖. Between the eighth and
thirteenth centuries the trabeate style was used in
the construction of temples, mosques, tombs and in
buildings attached to large stepped-wells (baolis)
95. Solution: b)
The state depended on local bankers and mahajans
for loans. It sold the right to collect tax to the
highest bidders. These ―revenue farmers‖
(ijaradars) agreed to pay the state a fixed sum of
money. Local bankers guaranteed the payment of
this contracted amount to the state. In turn, the
revenue-farmers were give considerable freedom in
the assessment and collection of taxes. These
developments allowed new social groups, like
moneylenders and bankers, to influence the
management of the state‘s revenue system,
something which had not occurred in the past.
96. Solution: d)
Mars Orbiter Mission is India's first interplanetary
mission to planet Mars with an orbiter craft
http://insightsonindia.com INSIGHTS
designed to orbit Mars in an elliptical orbit. The
Mission is primarily technological mission
considering the critical mission operations and
stringent requirements on propulsion and other
bus systems of spacecraft.
Mission Objectives
One of the main objectives of the first Indian
mission to Mars is to develop the technologies
required for design, planning, management and
operations of an interplanetary mission.
Following are the major objectives of the mission:
A. Technological Objectives:
 Design and realisation of a Mars orbiter
with a capability to survive and perform
Earth bound manoeuvres, cruise phase of
300 days, Mars orbit insertion / capture,
and on-orbit phase around Mars.
 Deep space communication, navigation,
mission planning and management.
 Incorporate autonomous features to handle
contingency situations.
B. Scientific Objectives:
 Exploration of Mars surface features,
morphology, mineralogy and Martian
atmosphere by indigenous scientific
instruments.
97. Solution: d)
The term kathak is derived from katha, a word
used in Sanskrit and other languages for story. The
kathaks wer originally a caste of story-tellers in
temples of north India, who embellished their
performances with gestures and songs. Kathak
began evolving into a distinct mode of dance in the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries with the spread of
the bhakti movement. The legends of Radha-
Krishna were enacted in folk plays called rasa lila,
which combined folk dance with the basic gestures
of the kathak story-tellers.
Under the Mughal emperors and their nobles,
Kathak was performed in the court, where it
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acquired its present features and developed into a
form of dance with a distinctive style.
Subsequently, it developed in two traditions or
gharanas: one in the courts of Rajasthan (Jaipur)
and the other in Lucknow. Under the patronage of
Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, it grew
into a major art form.
Kathak, like several other cultural practices, was
viewed with disfavour by most British
administrators in the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries. However, it survived and continued to
be performed by courtesans, and was recognised as
one of six ―classical‖ forms of dance in the country
after independence.
98. Solution: d)
Right to education under Article 21A is a
fundamental right via 86th constitutional
amendment.
Right to a pollution free environment is a part of
Right to life under Article 21 as interpreted by the
Supreme Court.
Right to safeguard heritage of minorities is a
cultural right guaranteed under the constitution.
The recent episode where tribes in Odisha –
Niyamgiri hills- were asked to abandon their
religious and sacred Niyamgiri raja hill; and where
the court stayed it, is an example of the
enforcement of this right.
99. Solution: a)
http://insightsonindia.com INSIGHTS
Above diagram shows thorium reserves (in
tonnes).
Refer to the introduction of the article. You need
not go into details. Just an overview is required.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium_fuel_cycle
100. Solution: d)
Thanjavur is also an example of a temple town.
Temple towns represent a very important pattern
of urbanisation, the process by which cities
develop. Temples were often central to the
economy and society. Rulers built temples to
demonstrate their devotion to various deities. They
also endowed temples with grants of land and
money to carry out elaborate rituals, feed pilgrims
and priests and celebrate festivals. Pilgrims who
flocked to the temples also made donations.
Temple authorities used their wealth to finance
trade and banking. Gradually a large number of
priests, workers, artisans, traders, etc. settled near
the temple to cater to its needs and those of the
pilgrims. Thus grew temple towns. Towns emerged
around temples such as those of Bhillasvamin
(Bhilsaor Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh), and
Somnath in Gujarat. Other important temple towns
included Kanchipuram and Madurai in Tamil
Nadu, and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. Pilgrimage
centres also slowly developed into townships.
Vrindavan (Uttar Pradesh) and Tiruvannamalai
(Tamil Nadu) are examples of two such towns.
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 INSIGHTS ON INDIA MOCK PRELIMINARY EXAM - 2015

INSIGHTS ON INDIA MOCK TEST - 2

GENERAL STUDIES

PAPER-I
Time Allowed: 2 Hours Maximum Marks: 200

INSTRUCTIONS
1. IMMEDITELY AFTER THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE EXAMINATION, YOU SHOULD
CHECK THAT THIS TEST BOOKLET DOES NOT HAVE ANY UNPRINTED OR TORN OR MISSING PAGES OR
ITEMS, ETC. IF SO, GET IT REPLACED BY A COMPLETE TEST BOOKLET.
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Booklet in the Box provided alongside. DO NOT
write anything else on the Test Booklet.
4. This Test Booklet contains 200 items (questions). Each item is printed only in English. Each item comprises four responses
(answers). You will select the response which you want to mark on the Answer Sheet. In case you feel that there is more
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10. Penalty for wrong answers :
THERE WILL BE PENALTY FOR WRONG ANSWERS MARKED BY A CANDIDATE IN THE OBJECTIVE TYPE
QUESTION PAPERS.
(i) There are four alternatives for the answer to every question. For each question for which a wrong answer has
been given by the candidate, one-third of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty.
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INSIGHTS ON INDIA MOCK TEST SERIES FOR CIVIL SERVICES PRELIMINARY EXAM 2015

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 1. A fourteenth-century text, the Lilatilakam, 4. The distribution of natural resources on
dealing with grammar and poetics, was Earth can be dependent on which of the
composed in Manipravalam– literally, following factors?
“diamonds and corals” referring to the two 1. Terrain
languages. These languages are: 2. Climate
a) Sanskrit and Tamil 3. Altitude
b) Sanskrit and Malayalam
c) Tamil and Malayalam Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
d) Sanskrit and Kannada
a) 1 and 2
b) 2 and 3
c) 1 and 3
2. Consider the following statements about
d) All of the above
patents:
1. It can be granted only by the sovereign
5. Apart from minimizing the depletion and
state.
degradation of natural resources, which of
2. It gives the patentee the exclusive right
the following can be considered as the
over the idea or invention in normal
principles of sustainable development?
cases.
1. Respect and care for all forms of life
3. Patents are also granted under
2. Improve the quality of human life
International laws which are binding on
3. Enable communities to care for their
all the nations under the United Nations
own environment
(U.N.)
4. Conserve the biodiversity on earth
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
a) 1 and 2
a) 1, 2 and 3
b) 2 and 3
b) 2, 3 and 4
c) 1 and 3
c) 4 only
d) All of the above
d) All of the above
3. As per resource classification, which of the
following can be the examples of potential
resources? 6. Consider the following matches of countries
1. Uranium found in Ladakh with highest percentage proportion of land
2. High speed wind in Netherlands use for each category (both within the
3. Dark soils of Deccan plateau country and overall in the world).
1. India – Crop Land
Choose the correct answer using the codes below: 2. Australia – Pasture
3. Japan – Forest
a) 1 and 2
b) 2 and 3 Select the correct matches.
c) 1 and 3
d) Only 1 a) 1 and 2
b) 2 and 3
c) 1 and 3
d) All of the above

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 7. Which of the following have a bearing on a) Bhils
the degradation of land resources? b) Gonds
1. Deforestation c) Santhals
2. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers d) None of the above
3. Excessive use of chemical pesticides
4. Overgrazing

Choose the correct answer using the codes below: 11. Which of the following techniques help
counter land degradation?
a) All of the above
1. Coutour bunding
b) All except 3
2. Countour barriers
c) All except 2 and 3
d) All except 1 and 4 3. Intercropping

Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

8. Which of the following factors affect soil
formation? a) 1 and 2
1. Relief features b) 2 and 3
2. Climate c) 1 and 3
3. Parent rock d) All of the above
4. Flora, fauna and microorganism

Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

12. Which of the following techniques for soil
a) 2 and 3 only conservation is best used in coastal and dry
b) 1 and 4 only areas to prevent soil erosion?
c) All of the above a) Sheltered belts
d) 2, 3 and 4 only b) Terrace farming
c) Countour barriers
d) Countou ploughing
9. Consider the following statements about
13. Surface runoff is a major agent in soil
mulching – technique to conserve soil:
erosion by water. Which of the following
1. In the technique, bare ground between
techniques can reduce or minimize surface
plants is covered with a layer or organic
runoff of water?
matter.
1. Water harvesting
2. Mulching helps retain soil moisture.
2. Sprinkler irrigation
3. It stops soil erosion.
3. Afforestation
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
a) 1 and 2
a) 1 and 2
b) 2 and 3
b) 2 and 3
c) 1 and 3
c) 1 and 3
d) All of the above
d) All of the above

10. Garha Katanga, now in the Narsinghpur

district within the state of Madhya
Pradesh, was once a kingdom of

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 14. Which of the following International 17. Consider the following statements
Conventions (India being a signatory) have 1. Bengali language is derived from
a bearing on conservation of wildlife in Sanskrit
India? 2. Mangalakavyas, literally auspicious
1. International Whaling Commission poems, dealing with local deities were
(IWC) folk tales from original Bengali
2. Convention on International Trade in language
Endangered Species of wild fauna and
flora (CITES) Which of the above is/are correct?
3. United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization-World a) 1 Only
Heritage Convention (UNESCO-WHC) b) 2 Only
4. Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) c) Both
5. International Union for Conservation of d) None
Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)

Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

18. Which of the following, inter alia, are major
a) 1, 2 and 3 only physiographic regions of North America?
b) 3, 4 and 5 only 1. Canadian Shield
c) 2 only 2. Appalachian mountains
d) All of the above 3. Western Cordillera

15. Series of protected areas linked through a Choose the correct options from the codes given
global network, intended to demonstrate below:
the relationship between conservation and
development – They are? a) 1 and 2
a) National Parks b) 2 and 3
b) Biosphere reserves c) 1 and 3
c) Wildlife Sanctuaries d) All of the above
d) Reserved forests

19. While travelling through the states of

16. Consider the following matches of ores with Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, which
the continent they are most abundant in or of these mines you are likely to find in any
they are most produced in: one or more states?
1. Iron ore – Asia and Europe 1. Bauxite
2. Bauxite – Australia 2. Uranium
3. Uranium – Australia 3. Limestone

Choose the correct matches from the codes given Choose the correct options from the codes given
below: below:

a) 1 and 2 a) 1 and 2
b) 2 and 3 b) 2 and 3
c) 1 and 3 c) 1 and 3
d) All of the above d) All of the above

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 c) 1 and 3 only
d) All of the above
20. Consider the following statements:
1. India is a leading producer and exporter
of salt.
2. There is no known Gold mine in India. 23. With reference to Queen Elizabeth I (1558-
3. Koderma district in Jharkhand state in 1603) of England, consider the following
India had the largest deposits of mica in statements
the world. 1. She was a contemporary of Mughal
emperor, Humayun
Choose the correct statements from the codes 2. She sided with Protestants and tried to
below: establish the independence of the
Church of England from Roman
a) 1 and 2 control
b) 2 and 3 3. She supported the famous English
c) 1 and 3 playwright William Shakespeare
d) All of the above
Which of the above statements is/are correct?

21. A rise in price of Petroleum ore may have a a) 1 and 2 Only

bearing on which of the following b) 2 and 3 Only
industries? c) 1 and 3 Only
1. Plastic d) All
2. Wax-making industry
3. Kerosene

Choose the correct answer using the codes below: 24. Which of the following energy conversions
happen in a nuclear reactor?
a) 1 and 2 only
1. Thermal energy to Kinetic energy
b) 2 and 3 only
2. Kinetic energy to electrical energy
c) 1 and 3 only
3. Kinetic energy to potential energy
d) All of the above
4. Nuclear energy to thermal energy

Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

22. Consider the following statements about
a) 1, 2 and 3
Natural Gas:
b) 1, 2 and 4
1. It is found with Petroleum deposits.
c) 2 and 4 only
2. It consists mainly of Methane.
d) 1 and 4 only
3. Compressed Natural gas (CNG) and
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) used in
vehicles and gas cylinders respectively
are composed of almost the same 25. Tidal energy is based on which of the
composition as that of natural gas. following?
a) Difference in temperature of tides
Choose the correct answer using the codes below: b) Difference in height of tides
c) Marine upwelling
a) 1 and 2 only
d) Difference in the height of waves
b) 2 and 3 only

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 26. Which of the following is NOT used in a) 1 and 2 only
organic farming? b) 2 and 3 only
1. Natural pesticides c) 1 and 3 only
2. Chemical fertilizers d) All of the above
3. Genetically modified crops/seeds
30. Consider the following statements about the
Choose the correct answer using the codes below: cultivation of wheat.
1. It thrives best in soils which do not
a) 1 and 2 only
drain water easily like loamy soil.
b) 2 and 3 only
2. It is a crop of temperate region.
c) 1 and 3 only
3. It requires moderate rainfall during
d) All of the above
growing season and bright sunshine at
the time of harvest.

27. Which of the following can be included Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
under „Commercial farming‟?
a) 1 and 2 only
1. Plantation agriculture
b) 2 and 3 only
2. Mixed farming
c) 1 and 3 only
3. Commercial grain farming
d) All of the above
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
31. Consider the following statements about the
a) 1 and 2 only cultivation of millets.
b) 2 and 3 only 1. It can be grown on less fertile and sandy
c) 1 and 3 only soils.
d) All of the above 2. It can be grown in areas of low rainfall
and high temperature.
28. Mixed farming is the technique of 3. Jowar, Bajra and Ragi are millets.
a) Growing food and fodder crops and
rearing livestock. Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
b) Growing more than one crops in the
a) 1 and 2 only
same field simultaneously.
b) 2 and 3 only
c) Intercropping more than one crops in
c) 1 and 3 only
the same field in different seasons for
d) All of the above
achieving commercial sustainability of
the farm
32. Crop „X‟ requires high temperature, light
d) None of the above
rainfall, several frost-free days and bright
sunshine for its growth. It grows best on
29. Consider the following statements about the
black and alluvial soils. X can be?
cultivation of rice.
a) Jute
1. It is grown in tropical and sub-tropical
b) Maize
regions.
c) Cotton
2. It requires high temperature, high
d) Coffee
humidity and high rainfall.
3. It grows best in soils like alluvial and
clay which can retain water.

Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

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 33. In the mid-eighteenth century, Soft colours
including cool blues and greens, and a
lyrical treatment of themes inspired by
Vaishnavite traditions was prominent in
which of the following schools of painting?
a) Pahari
b) Mughal
c) Kangra
d) Rajput
Choose the correct option from the codes below:
37. Which of the following factors may have
contributed to the spread of cotton industry
over India?
1. Cotton is not a weight losing raw
material.
2. The favourable humid climate condition
required for cotton can be created
artificially too.

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
34. Jute requires which of the following?
c) Both1 and 2
1. Alluvial soil
d) None
2. High temperature
3. Heavy rainfall
38. Consider the following stages in the
Choose the correct answer using the codes below: demographic and human development of a
country.
a) 1 and 2 only 1. Low birth rate and low death rate
b) 2 and 3 only 2. High Birth rate and high death rate
c) 1 and 3 only 3. High Birth rate and Low death rate
d) All of the above
Choose the correct order of the status of human
development.

35. Cooperative sector industries can be owned a) 1,2,3

and operated by b) 2,1,3
a) Producers of raw materials c) 2,3,1
b) Supplier of raw materials d) 3,2,1
c) Workers in the cooperative industry
d) All three of (a), (b) and (c) 39. Consider the following statements about
population pyramid.
36. Which of the following fibres are NOT 1. The population pyramid for countries
natural? with low level of human development
1. Rayon will be broad at base and narrow at the
2. Linen top.
3. Acrylic 2. The population pyramid for countries
with high level of human development
Choose the correct answer using the codes below: and steady population size will not
show much variation in width from
a) 1 and 2 only
base to top.
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only Which of these is/are true?
d) All of the above
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both
d) None
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 40. Consider the following statements: a) 1 only
1. Having a constitution guarantees that b) 2 only
the concerned country will be c) Both
democratic. d) None
2. Not having a written constitution
guarantees that the concerned country 44. In the Ahom kingdom, each village had to
will be autocratic. send a number of paiks by rotation. Who
were these paiks?
Which of these is/are true? a) Forced labourers
b) Soldiers of the King‟s army
a) 1 only c) Craftsmen
b) 2 only d) Women workers
c) Both
d) None

41. Which of the following are enshrined in the 45. Which of the following can be considered
Indian constitution? valid under the Indian concept of
1. Societal ideals „Secularism‟?
2. Nature of Indian society 1. The state not promoting officially any
3. Nature of country‟s political system peculiar religion.
2. There is no discrimination at all by the
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
state, whether legal, administrative etc.
a) 1 and 2 among religions.
b) 2 and 3 3. The state does not intervene at all in
c) 1 and 3 matters of religion.
d) All of the above
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
42. Which of the following are the aspects of a) 1 and 2
the Indian constitution? b) 2 and 3
1. Separation of powers c) 1 and 3
2. Federalism d) Only 1
3. Fundamental Rights
46. The presiding officer (Chairman or Speaker)
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
of which of the following is NOT elected by
a) 1 and 2 its members?
b) 2 and 3 1. Rajya Sabha
c) 1 and 3 2. Lok Sabha
d) All of the above 3. State Legislative assembly
4. State Legislative Council
43. Consider the following statements:
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
1. State governments in India draw their
authority from the Central government. a) 1, 3 and 4
2. State governments in India are b) Only 1
subordinate to the Central government. c) 1 and 4
d) None of the above
Which of these is/are true?

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 47. The word „Parliament‟ means a) 1 only
a) Lok Sabha b) 2 only
b) Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha c) Both 1 and 2
c) President, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha d) None
d) President, Council of Ministers, Lok
Sabha and Rajya Sabha 51. Surat which was a thriving commercial
cosmopolitan hub, began to decline towards
the end of the seventeenth century.
Consider the following reasons.
48. Consider the following statements about the 1. The loss of markets and productivity
executive branch of government in India. because of the decline of the Mughal
1. It is concerned with implementing laws Empire
made by the Parliament. 2. Control of the sea routes by the
2. It can make laws too for short periods. Portuguese and competition from
3. The whole Council of Ministers is a part Bombay
of the executive.
Which of the above is/are correct?
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

a) 1 and 2 a) 1 Only
b) 2 and 3 b) 2 Only
c) 1 and 3 c) Both
d) All of the above d) None

49. Consider the following statements: 52. Consider the following statements about the
1. A bill is required to pass through the proceedings of the Indian Parliament:
Rajya Sabha for it to become a law. 1. The proceedings of the Parliament begin
2. A bill cannot become an Act without the with zero hour.
assent of the President. 2. The question hour which follows zero
hour, is characterized by MP asking
Which of these is/are true?
questions from the government.
a) 1 only 3. Opposition parties are not allowed to
b) 2 only raise any matter in the zero hour.
c) Both 1 and 2
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
d) None
a) 1 and 2
b) 2 and 3
50. Consider the following statements: c) 1 and 3
1. Rajya Sabha contains both nominated d) None of the above
and indirectly elected members.
2. The members of Rajya Sabha are elected 53. Consider the following statements:
by both Legislative assembly and 1. A citizen can move the Supreme Court if
Legislative council of the states. s/he finds a law unfair or
unconstitutional.
Which of these is/are true? 2. The Supreme Court and High courts can
scrap a law completely if it does not

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 conform to the constitutional a) 1 and 2
framework. b) 2 and 3
c) 1 and 3
Which of these is/are true? d) Only 2
a) 1 only
57. Consider the following statements about
b) 2 only
Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
c) Both 1 and 2
1. It need not be filed by the aggrieved
d) None
party only.
2. It may be introduced suo motu by the
court.
54. The judiciary in India can resolve disputes 3. The provision of PIL is mentioned in the
legally between constitution of India.
1. Citizens
2. Citizens and Government Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
3. State governments
a) 1 and 2
4. Central government and State
b) 2 and 3
governments
c) 1 and 3
Choose the correct answer using the codes below: d) All of the above

a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1, 3 and 4 only
58. Consider the following statements about the
c) All of the above
criminal justice system:
d) 2, 3 and 4 only
1. The right to be defended by a lawyer is
a fundamental right.
2. The constitution places a duty on the
55. Which of the following tribes belonged to state to provide a lawyer to any citizen
nomadic pastoralists during medieval times who is unable to engage on due to
in India? poverty or other disability.
a) Banjara
b) Koraga Which of these is/are true?
c) Bhil
a) 1 only
d) Vetars
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) None
56. Consider the following statements:
1. The Judiciary in India is an organ of the
Government. 59. Which of the following are a part of the
2. There is a hierarchy of courts in India Criminal Justice system in India?
with the Supreme Court at the top to 1. Police
which the other courts are subordinate. 2. Public Prosecutor
3. All the courts in India have the power to 3. Judge
uphold the law and enforce 4. Defense lawyer
fundamental rights.
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

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 a) Only 3 3. The police can arrest a person for a
b) 2, 3 and 4 cognizable offence without the
c) All of the above permission of the court.
d) 1 and 2 only
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

a) 1 and 2
60. Consider the following stages in the b) 2 and 3
working of the Criminal Justice system. c) 1 and 3
1. Trial d) All of the above
2. Sentencing
3. Prosecution

Arrange in the correct order in which they happen. 63. Safeguarding the rights of minorities in
India is important for which of the
a) 132 following reasons?
b) 123 1. To protect the rich cultural heritage
c) 321 2. To ensure social justice
d) 312 3. To prevent majority
authoritarianism on issues related
to political power and access to
resources
61. In the criminal justice system, consider the
following statements about the role of the Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
Police.
1. It investigates complaints about the a) 1 and 2
commissioning of a crime with the b) 2 and 3
statement of witnesses and evidences. c) 1 and 3
2. It files a charge sheet in the court. d) All of the above
3. It can punish the criminal based on the
charges it has framed against him or
her.
64. Consider the following provisions.
Choose the correct answer using the codes below: 1. Reservation of SCs and STs in
government jobs
a) 1 and 2 2. SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act
b) 2 and 3 1989
c) 1 and 3 3. Employment of Manual Scavengers and
d) All of the above Construction of Dry Latrines
(Prohibition) Act.

Which of these have been enacted in the spirit of

62. Consider the following statements about Article 15, 16 and 17 of the Indian constitution?
First Information Report (FIR).
1. Only with the filing of an FIR can the a) 1 and 2
police start investigating a complaint. b) 2 and 3
2. It is registered whenever a person gives c) 1 and 3
information about a cognizable offence. d) All of the above

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 65. A system called rakhi was introduced by b) All of the above
the Sikh army to c) 3, 4 and 5 only
a) To protect samanthas on payment of d) 1 and 2 only
tribute
b) To protect cultivators on payment of
certain tax
68. Which of the following rights have been
c) To villages on payment of property tax
recognized under the Right to Life under
d) None of the above
Article 21 by the courts?
1. Right to safe drinking water
2. Right to food
3. Right to a speedy trial
66. Consider the following statements about the
Forest Rights Act 2006 concerning Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional
forest dwellers. a) 1 and 2
1. It recognizes their right to homestead b) 2 and 3
and cultivable land in the forest. c) 1 and 3
2. It allots these land deprived d) All of the above
communities one-tenth of an acre of
land in the forest land.
3. It recognizes the right of these 69. Consider the following statements about the
communities to conserve biodiversity Government annual budget.
and forests. 1. It includes an account of the expenses
4. It recognizes their right to timber as well on programmes incurred in the last
as non-timber produce from forests. financial year.
5. Gram Sabha is the authority identifying 2. It mentions the sources of revenue for
the forest rights of these communities the government to meet its expenses in
and individuals therein. the coming financial year.
3. It mentions all the sources of capital for
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
the government to meet its expenses in
a) 1, 2 and 3 the coming financial year.
b) 3, 4 and 5
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
c) 1, 4 and 5
d) 1, 3, 4 and 5 a) 1 and 2
b) 2 and 3
c) 1 and 3
67. Which of the following diseases can be d) All of the above
caused due to drinking non-potable water?
1. Diarrhoea 70. Ibadat khana at Fatehpur Sikri was used by
2. Cholera Akbar
3. Dysentery a) To have leisure time with his royal
4. Chickengunya family members
5. Japanese Encephalitis b) To discuss religious matters with
various religious scholars
Choose the correct answer using the codes below: c) To pursue his literary activities
d) None of the above
a) 1, 2 and 3
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 a) 1 and 3
b) 1 and 2
71. Consider the following statements: c) 1, 3 and 4
1. Minimum wages in India is regulated d) 2 and 3 only
by government.
2. Working at lower than minimum wages 74. The Union Ministry of Science &
can be classified as exploitation under Technology has announced KIRAN
the Fundamental rights enshrined in the (Knowledge, Involvement, Research, and
Indian constitution. Advancement through Nurturing) scheme.
Consider the following statements about it.
Which of these is/are true? 1. The scheme aims to bring about
gender equality, as far as possible, in
a) 1 only
the field of Science and Technology.
b) 2 only
2. It will provide research grants
c) Both 1 and 2
particularly to those female researchers
d) None
and technologists who had to take a
break in career owing to household
72. Researchers at the Cavendish Laboratory of
reasons.
the Cambridge University for the very first
time have developed a grapheme-based Which of these is/are true?
flexible screen. Consider the following
statements about Graphene. a) 1 only
1. Graphene is a 2D (two-dimensional) b) 2 only
material comprising of sheets of carbon c) Both 1 and 2
atoms. d) None
2. It is amongst the strongest, most
lightweight and flexible materials
identified till date.
75. The Central Board of Excise and Customs
3. Graphene is more elastic than usual
(CBEC) has warned its offices at ports about
ceramic substitutes like Indium-Tin
smuggling of ozone-depleting materials as
oxide (ITO) and more transparent than
there has been a fresh surge in efforts to
metal films.
unlawfully ship R-22 gas. Consider the
Choose the correct answer using the codes below: following statements about this gas.
1. It is used in refrigerants and air-
a) 1 and 2 conditioners (ACs).
b) 2 and 3 2. The gas is banned in India.
c) 1 and 3 3. It has Ozone Depletion Potential
d) All of the above (ODP) and High Global Warming
Potential (GWP).
73. Which of the following gases are powerful
ozone depletors? Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
1. Chloro-fluoro carbons (CFCs)
a) 1 and 2
2. Hydro- fluoro carbons (HFCs)
b) 2 and 3
3. Halons
c) 1 and 3
4. Nitrous oxide
d) All of the above
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

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 76. Tarikh (singular) / tawarikh (plural), written
in Persian, the language of administration 79. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has
under the Delhi Sultans, were „histories‟ recently approved the use of
written by scholars then. With reference to drug ZMapp to combat the spread of a fatal
this, consider the following statements disease. It has been done to contain?
1. The authors of tawarikh advised rulers a) Ebola Virus
on governance, emphasising the b) Enterovirus
importance of just rule c) Corona virus
2. The authors of tawarikh lived in cities d) None of the above
3. They often wrote their histories for
Sultans in the hope of rich rewards

Which of the above statements is/are correct? 80. Consider the following statements about the
„Pulayar‟ community in Kerala.
a) 1 and 2 Only 1. They believe in practices like exorcism.
b) 2 and 3 Only 2. Kōlam-thullal, a mask dance, is
c) 1 and 3 Only performed by them.
d) All 3. Mudi-āttam, hair-dance, which has its
origins in a fertility ritual, is also
performed by them.
77. The government initiative „digital cloud‟ for Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
every Indian means
a) Every Indian citizen will get a personal a) 1 and 2
storage space on the web for storing b) 2 and 3
the data s/he wants. c) 1 and 3
b) Every Indian citizen will get a personal d) All of the above
storage space on the web on which
his/her identity details like biometric
identity, educational background,
81. The carbon stored in these is known as „blue
work history, criminal history etc. will
carbon‟ as they absorb carbon dioxide from
be accessible.
atmosphere. Which of the fall in this
c) Every Indian citizen‟s government
category?
issued certificates (like education, birth
1. Mangrove forests
etc.) will be stored in a digital locker
2. Pytoplanktons
on the web.
3. Marsh grass
d) None of the above
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

a) 1 and 2 only
78. “The Green Bus project” was recently
b) 2 and 3 only
launched in Nagpur with the launch of
c) 1 and 3 only
an environment-friendly public bus. The
d) All of the above
buses launched under the project will run
on
a) Ethanol
b) Biodiesel
c) Green Diesel
d) Biofuel gasoline
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 82. With reference to tax collection and revenue 3. Minhaj-I-Siraj was a Persian scholar
matters during the Delhi Sultanate period, who the principal historian for
consider the following statements the Mamluk Sultanate of Delhi
1. Alauddin Khalji brought the
assessment and collection of land Which of the above statements is/are correct?
revenue under the own control of the
a) 1 and 2 Only
state
b) 3 Only
2. The rights of the local chieftains to levy
c) 1 and 3 Only
taxes were cancelled and they were
d) 2 Only
also forced to pay taxes
3. Kharaj was a tax imposed on
ownership of cattle
85. Consider the following statements
Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1. In the thirteenth century, the word
„Hindustan‟ connoted land between
a) 1 and 2 Only Kashmir and South India
b) 2 and 3 Only 2. By sixteenth century, the word
c) 1 and 3 Only „Hindustan‟ had come to be associated
d) All with the political and national
connotation

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

83. A web portal named MyGov.in was a) 1 Only
recently launched by the new government. b) 2 Only
The portal allows which of the following c) Both
activities by the youth? d) None
1. Discussing ideas
2. Volunteering for a local social cause 86. Consider the following statements
3. Donation for social causes 1. Hanafi and Shafi‟i are two of the four
schools of jurisprudence within
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
the Sunni branch of Islam
a) 1 and 2 only 2. The Shafi'i school is the dominant school
b) 2 and 3 only of jurisprudence amongst Muslims in
c) 1 and 3 only India
d) All of the above
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
84. Consider the following statements a) 1 Only
1. Nouveau of Guillaume de l‟Isle, a b) 2 Only
French scholar, visited India and stayed c) Both
here during early Eighteenth century d) None
2. Al Idrisi was an Arabic geographer who
drew first accurate map of India
including Sri Lanka in 12th century
showing their positions exactly as they
are today

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 87. In the apsidal end of the Vishwakarma
chaitya hall is a stupa on the face of which a
90. With reference to administration during
colossal 3.30 m high seated Buddha
Delhi Sultanate period, consider the
in vyakhyana mudra (teaching posture) is
following statements
carved.
1. Bandagan were special slaves bought
The above mentioned statue of Buddha is by Sultans from Persia for military
found in which of the following places in services
India? 2. Bandagans were never appointed as
generals and governors
a) Ellora caves
b) Ajanta caves Which of the above statements is/are correct?
c) Nagarjunasagar a) 1 Only
d) Rajgir
b) 2 Only
c) Both
88. Consider the following statements d) None
1. Brahmadeya was a grant of land given
to Brahmanas by the South Indian
kings 91. With reference to Mughals, consider the
2. Nagaram was an association of following statements
prominent Brahmanas to look after the 1. They were the direct descendants of
administration of towns during the Mongol warriors from both their
Chola period mother‟s and father‟s sides
2. Mughal paintings prominently portray
Which of the above is/are correct? the picture of Chengiz Khan, their
ancestor, in most of their miniature
a) 1 Only
paintings
b) 2 Only
c) Both
Which of the above statements is/are
d) None
INCORRECT?
89. With reference to Qutb Minar and its
a) 1 Only
complex, consider the following statements
b) 2 Only
1. Qutb Minar is made of red sandstone
c) Both
covered with intricate carvings and
d) None
verses from the Qur'an.
2. Smith‟s Folly is a small structure
located in the Qutb Minar complex and
was once part of the Qutb Minar itself
92. Consider the following statements:
Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1. Generally, metallic minerals are most
likely to be found in igneous and
a) 1 Only metamorphic rocks.
b) 2 Only 2. Non-metallic minerals are most likely to
c) Both be found in sedimentary rocks.
d) None
Which of these is/are true?

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 a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 96. Consider the following statements about the
d) None Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM).
1. Mars Orbiter Mission is India's first
interplanetary mission to planet Mars.
93. With reference to Akbar‟s idea of sulh-i kul, 2. Its scientific objective is exploration of
consider the following statements Mars surface features, mineralogy and
1. It focused on a system of ethics – Martian atmosphere by indigenous
honesty, justice, peace – that was scientific instruments.
universally applicable 3. One of its technical objectives is to
2. This principle was followed by develop and mature technology
Jahangir and Shah Jahan as well required for deep space communication,
navigation, mission planning and
Which of the above statements is/are correct? management.

a) 1 Only Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

b) 2 Only
c) Both a) 1 and 2
d) None b) 2 and 3
c) 1 and 3
d) All of the above

94. Between the seventh and tenth centuries

architects started adding more rooms, doors
97. With reference to kathak dance, consider
and windows to buildings. Roofs, doors and
the following statements
windows were still made by placing a
1. It was performed in the Mughal court
horizontal beam across two vertical
2. It was viewed with disfavour by most
columns. This technique of architecture is
British administrators in the nineteenth
called as
and twentieth centuries
a) Trabeate
3. The kathaks were originally a caste of
b) Corbelled
story-tellers in temples of north India
c) Both a and b
d) None of the above
Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 Only
b) 2 and 3 Only
95. During the later years of the Mughal
c) 1 and 3 Only
Empire, in certain part of the empire, some
d) All
developments allowed new social groups,
like moneylenders and bankers to emerge.
Which of the following development was a
major contributor?
a) Introduction of jagirdari system
b) Introduction of ijardari system
c) Introduction of subadari system
d) None of the above

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 98. The Right to constitutional remedies is 3. India has the highest reserves of
referred to as the „conscience‟ of the thorium in the world.
constitution. A citizen can move the
Supreme Court for enforcing which of these Choose the correct answer using the codes below:
rights below?
a) 1 and 2 only
1. Right to education.
b) 2 and 3 only
2. Right to a pollution free environment
c) 1 and 3 only
3. Right to safeguard cultural heritage and
d) All of the above
religious beliefs of minorities

Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

100. Which of the following towns
a) 1 and 2
emerged as temple towns in ancient India?
b) 2 and 3
1. Tanjavur
c) 1 and 3
2. Somanth
d) All of the above
3. Vidisha
99. Thorium is being considered as a future
Choose the correct answer using the codes below
nuclear fuel. Consider the following
statements it.
a) 1 and 2 Only
1. Monazite is a commercial source for
b) 2 and 3 Only
extracting thorium.
c) 1 and 3 Only
2. Unlike natural uranium, thorium
d) All
contains very little of the fissile material.

1.

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