Kerala PSC KAS Prelims Paper 1 Mock Test - 7 - Kerala PSC KAS MCQ

• A major agrarian outbreak occurred in the Poona and Ahmednagar districts of Maharashtra in 1875. Here, as part of the Ryotwari system, land revenue was settled directly with the peasant who was also recognized as the owner of his land. Peasant found it difficult to pay land revenue without getting into the clutches of the moneylender and increasingly losing his land. This led to growing tension between the peasants and the moneylenders most of whom were outsiders — Marwaris or Gujaratis. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• Causes of the Deccan riots:
  • During the early 1860s, the American Civil War had led to a rise in cotton exports which had pushed up prices. The end of the Civil War in 1864 brought about an acute depression in cotton exports and a crash in prices. The ground slipped from under the peasants’ feet.
  • Simultaneously, in 1867, ‘the Government raised land revenue by nearly 50 per cent.
  • The situation was worsened by a succession of bad harvests.
• Peasants organized a complete social boycott of the ‘outsider’ moneylenders to compel them to accept their demands in a peaceful manner. They refused to buy from their shops. No peasant would cultivate their fields. This social boycott spread rapidly to the villages of Poona, Ahmednagar, Sholapur and Satara districts. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• The social boycott was soon transformed into agrarian riots. Peasants seized and publicly burnt debt bonds and deeds — signed under pressure, in ignorance, or through fraud — decrees, and other documents dealing with their debts. There was very little violence in this settling of accounts.
• The Deccan disturbances had very limited objectives. There was once again an absence of anti- colonial consciousness. It was, therefore, possible for the colonial regime to extend them certain protection against the moneylenders through the Deccan Agriculturists’ Relief Act of 1879. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

(7 x 3) = 21 and (9 x 3) = 27

and (4 x 9) = 36 and (2 x 9) = 18

Therefore (9 x 6) = 54 and (4 x 6) = 24.

• Governor General Lord Lytton (1876-1880) introduced the Statutory Civil Service in the 1870s. It meant that Indians of ability and merit could be nominated to a few positions hitherto reserved for the European covenanted civil servants. Accordingly, one-sixth of covenanted posts were to be filled by Indians of high families through nominations by local governments subject to approval by the Secretary of State and the Viceroy.
• The structure of the civil service was again reformed in 1892, on the basis of the recommendations of a Public Service Commission submitted five years ago. The new regulations retained the exclusive status of the covenanted civil service and called it the Indian Civil Service (ICS). The Uncovenanted Civil Service, on the other hand, was to be called the Provincial Civil Service. The Statutory Civil Service was abolished, and in its place, certain higher positions which were previously preserved for the ICS were now to be filled in through promotion from the Provincial Civil Service.
• In 1893, the House of Commons in England passed a resolution supporting the holding of simultaneous examinations in India and England; but the resolution was not implemented. From 1922 onwards the Indian Civil Service Examination began to be held in India.
• Hence option (a) is the correct answer.

• Despite enjoying such fame in the world, the Indian handicraft industry had begun to decline by the beginning of the 18th century. There were many reasons for it. First, the policies followed by the English East India Company proved to be highly detrimental to the Indian handicrafts industry. The Indian market was flooded with the cheap finished goods from Britain. It resulted in a steep decline in the sale of Indian products, both within and outside of the country. In 1769, the Company encouraged the cultivation of raw silk in Bengal, while imposing service restrictions on the sale of its finished products. In 1813, strategies were devised by the Company to enhance the consumption of finished goods from Britain. In this respect the tariff and octroi policies were suitably modified to suit the British commercial interests.
• To cite an example, in 1835, only a minimal import duty of 2.5% was imposed on the import of British manufactured cotton cloth, whereas a very high 15% export duty was charged on Indian cotton textiles, as per the new maritime regulations. Moreover, goods from England could only be brought by the English cargo ships. As a result of all these policies, the Indian textiles could not enter the British market, whereas the Indian market was flooded with British goods. Thus, with the rise of British paramountcy in India, the process of decline in the power and status of the Indian rulers had set in. Thus, the demands for the domestic luxury goods, like royal attires, armoury and objects of art by the Indian royalty also reduced drastically.
• So, with the disappearance of the traditional dynasties, their nobility also passed into oblivion. This led to a sharp decline in the demand for traditional luxury goods. Besides, the Industrial Revolution led to the invention of new machinery in Europe. Powerlooms replaced handlooms. In India also the advent of machines led to the decline of handicraft, as now the machine-made products were available at cheaper rate and more goods could be produced in much lesser time. Finally, the new communication and transport facilities brought about a revolution in public life. Earlier, goods used to be transported either by bullock carts or by ships. Thus, during the rainy season, it was not always convenient to carry on with the normal transportation. But now conditions were changed with the introduction of railways and steamer services.
• Concrete roads were laid to connect the country’s agricultural hinterland. The import of goods from England also increased with the simultaneous increase in the exports of raw materials from India, leading to massive loss of jobs among the Indian artisans and craftsmen, who lost their only means to livelihood.

Judicial Reforms by Cornwallis –

• Civil and criminal courts were completely re-organized. At the top of the judicial system, the highest civil and criminal courts of appeal, namely Sadar Diwani Adalat and Sadar Nizamat Adalat were functioning at Calcutta. Both of them were presided over by the Governor- General and his Council. District and City Courts functioned each under a European judge.
• Every district was provided with a court. As already stated Cornwallis had taken away from the Collectors of their judicial powers and made them solely responsible for the collection of revenue. As a result, District Judges were appointed. Indian judges, or Munsiffs, were appointed to all the courts at the bottom of the judicial system.

Cartaz System a sea-pass introduced by the Portuguese East India Company (Estado da India) in the Indian Ocean region including Bay of Bengal in the early sixteenth century. Traditionally, the Arab and Persian mariners were predominant in the Indian Ocean traffic and by virtue of their supremacy they maintained order and security in the maritime trade of the region. From the early sixteenth century, the Portuguese superseded the Muslim dominance in the maritime regime of the Indian Ocean. By declaring sovereignty over the Indian Ocean, the Portuguese introduced cartaz system as a mark of their authority. They compelled all other Asian partners in the Indian Ocean to recognise their supremacy by paying a toll called cartaz. The cartaz was a pass, the holder of which was declared to be free from seizure by the Portuguese navy. The cartaz entitled its holder freedom of movement in the Indian Ocean.

Who was the leader of the Bolshevik Party during the Russian Revolution? a) Vladimir Lenin b) Joseph Stalin c) Leon Trotsky d) Nikita Khrushchev

The Russian Revolution occurred between 1917 and 1922, starting with the February Revolution in 1917 and culminating in the victory of the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution.

The February Revolution of 1917 resulted in the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the end of the Romanov dynasty in Russia.

The main slogan of the Bolshevik Party during the Russian Revolution was "Peace, Land, Bread," which resonated with the common people's aspirations for an end to the war, land reforms, and access to basic necessities.

Leon Trotsky was a key figure in the Bolshevik Party and played a crucial role in leading and organizing the Red Army during the Russian Civil War.

The White Party, also known as the White Army, was the main opposition to the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War. The White Army comprised various anti-Bolshevik factions.

The Russian Civil War ended with the victory of the Red Army, leading to the establishment of the Soviet Union in 1922.

The official end of the Russian Revolution was marked by the adoption of the New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1921, which allowed for limited private enterprise and economic reforms in the country.

Joseph Stalin succeeded Vladimir Lenin as the leader of the Soviet Union after Lenin's death in 1924.

The Russian Revolution had far-reaching consequences on the global stage. It inspired communist movements in various countries, triggered social and political changes in Europe, and encouraged anti-colonial movements in Asia and Africa.

The Lateran Treaty, signed in 1929, recognized Vatican City as an independent state, resolving long-standing disputes between the Italian government and the Catholic Church.

The "March on Rome" was a political event organized by the Fascists to pressure the Italian government to appoint Mussolini as Prime Minister and to overthrow the monarchy.

Fascist ideology in Italy aimed for totalitarian control over society, seeking to regulate all aspects of life and suppress individual liberties in favor of the state's interests.

The invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany on September 1, 1939, marked the beginning of World War II in Europe. It led to Britain and France declaring war on Germany in response to its aggression, setting off a chain of events that engulfed the world in a devastating conflict.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is not one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Seven Wonders include the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

The Great Pyramid of Giza was built during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu (also known as Cheops) around 2580-2560 BCE. It is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in Giza, Egypt.

Francesco Petrarch, an Italian scholar, poet, and humanist, is often referred to as the "Father of Renaissance Humanism" for his significant contributions to humanist ideas and the revival of classical learning.

• The subjects that do not fall in any three lists are categorized as residuary subjects. According to Article 248 of the Constitution, the Union government can legislate on residuary subjects.

• This feature was borrowed from the Canadian Constitution. So, statement 1 is not correct.

• The Parliament cannot on its own change the arrangement of sharing of powers between the Union Government and the State governments. Any change has to be first passed by both the Houses of Parliament with at least a two-thirds majority. Then it has to be ratified by the legislatures of at least half of the total States. So, statement 2 is not correct. Therefore option (d) is the correct answer

• In addition to original and appellate jurisdiction, the Supreme Court of India possesses advisory jurisdiction also. This means that the President of India can refer any matter that is of public importance or that involves interpretation of the Constitution to Supreme Court for advice. So, statement 1 is correct.

• However, the Supreme Court is not bound to advise on such matters, and the President is not bound to accept such advice. So, statement 2 is not correct.

• The utility of advisory jurisdiction is two-fold. In the first place, it allows the government to seek legal opinion on a matter of importance before taking action on it. This may prevent unnecessary litigations later. Secondly, in the light of the advice of the Supreme Court, the government can make suitable changes in its action or legislation.

  Therefore option (b) is the answer.