Part–IV : Miscellaneous
Q.1. Who among the following from the first cabinet of indepenent India was responsible for mass religious conversion ?
(a) Dr. S. P. Mukherjee
(b) Dr. John Mathai
(c) Sardar Baldev Singh
(d) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Ans: (D)
Notes: After publishing a series of books and articles arguing that Buddhism was the only way for the Untouchables to gain equality, Ambedkar publicly converted on October 14, 1956, at Deekshabhoomi, Nagpur. He took the three refuges and the Five Precepts from a Buddhist monk, Bhadant U Chandramani, in the traditional manner, and in his turn administered them to the 600,000 of his followers who were present. After receiving ordination, Ambedkar gave dhamma diksha to his followers. The ceremony included 22 vows given to all new converts after Three Jewels and Five Precepts. On 16 October, 1956, Ambedkar performed another mass religious conversion ceremony at Chanda.
Q.2. The Bandung Conference was a major milestone in the history of :
(a) The Non-aligned movement
(b) Indo-Chinese relationship
(c) U.S.-Vietnam War
(d) Creation of ASEAN
Ans: (A)
Notes: The first large-scale Asian–African or Afro–Asian Conference—also known as the Bandung Conference— was a meeting of Asian and African states, most of which were newly independent, which took place on April 18–24, 1955 in Bandung, Indonesia. The twentynine countries that participated at the Bandung Conference represented nearly one-fourth of the Earth’s land surface and a total population of 1.5 billion people. The conference’s stated aims were to promote Afro-Asian economic and cultural cooperation and to oppose colonialism or neocolonialism by either the United States or the Soviet Union in the Cold War, or any other imperialistic nations. The conference was an important step toward the crystallization of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Q.3. Where are the mortal remains of
St. Francis Xavier housed?
(a) Velankanni, Chennai
(b) Se Cathedral, Velha (Goa)
(c) Basilica of Bom Jesus, Velha
(Goa)
(d) St. Xaviers Church, Mumbai
Ans: (C)
Notes: The Basilica of Bom Jesus or Borea Jezuchi Bajilika is located in Goa, India, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The basilica holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, a very close friend of St. Ignatius Loyola with whom he founded the Society of Jesus, the (Jesuits). Francis Xavier died on Sancian Island while enroute to continental China on (December 2, 1552). The body of Francis Xavier was first taken to Malacca and two years later shipped back to Goa. It is said that the saint’s body was as fresh as the day it was buried. The remains of the saint still attract a huge number of devotees (Christian and non-Christian alike) from all over the world, especially during the public viewing of his body every ten years (last held in 2004).
Q.4. Who amidst the following great music composers was the ruler of a State ?
(a) Tyagaraja
(b) Shyama Shastri
(c) Muthu Swami Dikshitar
(d) Swati Thirunal
Ans: (D)
Notes: Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma was the Maharaja of the state of Travancore in the first half of the 19th century. Besides being an able ruler, he was a patron of music and a musician himself. He encouraged both broad systems of Indian music, Hindustani and Carnatic music, though he was essentially a connoisseur of the Carnatic music tradition. He is credited with composing over 400 compositions in Carnatic music as well as Hindustani music. Some of his favorite compositions are Padmanabha Pahi, Deva Deva, Sarasijanabha and Sree Ramana Vibho.
Q.5. Match the museum and its place :
List I : (Museum)
A. Ashutosh museum
B. Prince of Wales museum
C. Calico museum
D. Raja Kelkar museum List II : (Place)
1. Mumbai
2. Ahmedabad
3. Kolkata
4. Pune
(A) (B) (C) (D)
(a) 2 3 4 1
(b) 3 1 2 4
(c) 4 2 1 3
(d) 1 4 3 2
Ans: (B)
Notes: Ashutosh Museum of Indian Art is an art museum located in the main campus of University of Calcutta on College Street, Kolkata. Established in 1937, it is the first public museum in any University in India. The Prince of Wales Museum of Western India is the main museum in Mumbai which was founded in the early years of the 20th century by prominent citizens of Bombay, with the help of the government, to commemorate the visit of the then prince of Wales. The Calico Museum of Textiles is located in the city of Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat in western India. The Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum is in Pune, Maharashtra, India. It contains the collection of Dr Dinkar G. Kelkar (1896–1990), dedicated to the memory of his only son, Raja, who died an untimely tragic death.
Q.6. Who was the architect of North and South Blocks of the Central Secretariat in Delhi ?
(a) Sir Edward Lutyens
(b) Herbert Bakers
(c) Robert Tor Tussell
(d) Antonin Raymond
Ans: (A)
Notes: Edwin Landseer Lutyens had originally intended the Kingsway (Rajpath) to slope up to the Viceroy’s palace. However, Herbert Baker, his colleague, felt it necessary to level the space between the two secretariat buildings, thus creating the great central vista called the North & South Block. The two secretariat buildings are raised on a plinth so as to be level with the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The secretariat buildings are now the offices of the Government of India. The Home affairs & Finance ministries are in the North Block and the Prime Minister’s office, External Affairs Ministry and the Defence Ministry are in the South Block.
Q.7. Which amidst the following sites/monuments in India is NOT on the UNESCO’s list of World Cultural Heritages?
(a) Ellora Caves
(b) Kashi Viswanath Temple
(c) Qutab Minar
(d) Manas Wild-life Sanctuary
Ans: (B)
Notes: Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located in Varanasi, the Holiest existing Place of Hindus, where at least once in life a Hindu is expected to do pilgrimage, and if possible, also pour the remains (ashes) of cremated ancestors here on the River Ganges. It is in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The temple stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganges, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest of Shiva temples.
Q.8. Correlate the UNSECO enlisted heritage sites/ monuments and their locations :
Site/Monument
(A) Cave paintings
(B) Rock-cut shrines
(C) Basilica of Bom Jesus
(D) Sun temple Location 1.Velha Goa 2. Konark
3. Ajanta 4. Ellora A B C D
(a) 1 2 2 4
(b) 3 4 1 2
(c) 2 3 4 1
(d) 4 2 1 3
Ans: (B)
Notes: The Basilica of Bom Jesus or Borea Jezuchi Bajilika is located in Goa, India, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The basilica holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. Konark Sun Temple is a 13th century Sun Temple, at Konark, in Orissa. It was constructed from oxidized and weathered ferruginous sandstone by King Narasimhadeva-I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. Ellora also known as Ellooru, is an archaeological site, 29 km North-West of the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra built by the Rashtrakuta dynasty. Well known for its monumental caves, Ellora is a World Heritage Site. Ellora represents the epitome of Indian rock-cut architecture. The Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India are 30 rock-cut cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to the 600 CE. The caves include paintings and sculptures considered to be masterpieces of Buddhist religious art (which depict the Jataka tales).
Q.9. Where was “tancho brocade” developed ?
(a) Varanasi
(b) Dhaka
(c) Surat
(d) Tanjavur
Ans: (A)
Notes: The following are considered to be the main characteristics of the brocade fabrics of Banaras: heavy gold work; compact weaving; figures have small details; metallic visual effects; pallus; jal and mina work. Banarasi brocade produced two sub-variants from its original structure namely: Katan and Tanchoi. Tanchoi has plain woven body with one color extra weft, one color weft and one color warp. Relative to the jamawar, it is lighter and softer. Tanchoi could be further classified into the following: Satan Tanchoi is the satin weave (four ends and eight picks or five ends and five picks satin) with the warp in one color and the weft in one or more colors.
Q.10. Who was the town-planner of Chandigarh ?
(a) Edward Lutyens
(b) Charles Correa
(c) Le Corbusier
(d) Christopher Wren
Ans: (C)
Notes: Of all the new town schemes in independent India, the Chandigarh project quickly assumed prime significance, because of the city’s strategic location as well as the personal interest of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India. Commissioned by Nehru to reflect the new nation’s modern, progressive outlook, Chandigarh was designed by the French (born Swiss) architect and urban planner, Le Corbusier, in the 1950s. Le Corbusier was in fact the second architect of the city, after the initial master plan was prepared by the American architect-planner Albert Mayer (planner) who was working with the Polishborn architect Matthew Nowicki.