UPSC Prelims Mock Test - 26 - UPSC MCQ

Usina is a top knot of hair. Urna refers to mole. They along with elongated ears were indigenous style. The depiction of head like the Greek God and heavy folds of the robe are western element.

The aim of Mimamsa is to give rules for the interpretation of the Vedas, the earliest scriptures of Hinduism, and to provide a philosophical justification for the observance of Vedic ritual. The goal of Mimamsa is to provide enlightenment on dharma, which in this school is understood as the set of ritual obligations and prerogatives that, if properly performed, maintains the harmony of the world and furthers the personal goals of the performer. Since dharma cannot be known through either perception or reasoning, one must depend on revelation in the Vedas, which are considered eternal, authorless, and absolutely infallible.

While Arya Samaj repudiated the caste system, it upheld the fourfold Varna division of society. It started a Shudhi movement to reconvert people to Hinduism.

Kabir and Guru nanak were contemporaries. Kabir (1440-1518) ; Guru Nanak (1469-1539) ; Dadu Dayal (1544-1603) ; Tukaram (1608-1649)

The Barabar Caves are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India, mostly dating from the Maurya Empire (322–185 BCE), some with Ashokan inscriptions, located in the Jahanabad district, Bihar, 24 km north of Gaya. These rock-cut chambers date back to the 3rd century BC, Maurya period, of Ashoka (r. 273-232 BCE) and his son Dasaratha Maurya. Though Buddhists themselves, they allowed various Jain sects to flourish under a policy of religious tolerance. The caves were used by ascetics from the Ajivika sect.

Curvilinear shikara is a feature of the Nagara style. The other two features – recessed sculptures and gopuram are feature of Dravida style.

Phad paintings are folk paintings of Rajasthan. Their themes includes rural life, animals, and narratives of folk deities, like Pabuji and Dev Narayan. The ancient tradition of scroll painting survives in Rajasthan as Phad. A Phad is a long rectangular cloth painting that tells of the adventures and travails of Pabuji, a local hero or other epic heroes. The Hindu has covered phad paintings regularly in last few months.

Kashida is of Jammu Kashmir, while Kasuti is of Karnataka. Phulkari is of Punjab.

Trabeated roof was used before the Muslims came. The Muslims added the feature of arcuate roof as reflected in the dome and double dome in their buildings. Indian architecture took new shape with the advent of Islamic rule in India towards the end of the twelfth century AD. Islam introduced new elements into the Indian architecture including: use of shapes (instead of natural forms); inscriptional art using decorative lettering or calligraphy; inlay decoration and use of colored marble, painted plaster and brightly colored glazed tiles.

All the above works are of medieval period, while Gupta age was in the ancient period.

The chief election commissioner and the two other election commissioners have equal powers and receive equal salary, allowances and other perquisites. In case of difference of opinion amongst the Chief Election Commissioner and/or two other election commissioners, the matter is decided by the Commission by majority. Only the chief election commissioner is provided with the security of tenure. Election commissioners can be removed from office on the recommendation of the chief election commissioner.

The Constitution does not provide for the mechanism of joint sitting of two Houses of the state legislature to resolve a deadlock between them over the passage of a bill. The legislative assembly can override the legislative council by passing the bill for the second time. Therefore the final power of passing an ordinary bill lies with the assembly. At the most, the council can detain or delay the bill for the period of four months.

Original jurisdiction means the power of a high court to hear disputes in the first instance, not by way of appeal. High courts do not have any original criminal jurisdiction and thus cases related to murders can be taken to High court only as appeal. The original jurisdiction includes – (a) Matters of admiralty, will, marriage, divorce, company laws and contempt of court. (b) Disputes relating to the election of members of Parliament and state legislatures. (c) Regarding revenue matter or an act ordered or done in revenue collection. (d) Enforcement of fundamental rights of citizens. (e) Cases ordered to be transferred from a subordinate court involving the interpretation of the Constitution to its own file.

Both the statements are true for President and not VP. If the Vice-President suddenly resigns, then election to fill the vacancy should be held as soon as possible. The constitution mentions no ground for removal of VP.

The council of ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. This means that all the ministers own joint responsibility to the Lok Sabha for all their acts of ommission and commission. Article 75 contains the principle of individual responsibility. It states that the ministers hold office during the pleasure of the president. In India there is no provision in the Constitution for the system of legal responsibility of a minister. It is not required that an order of the President for a public act should be countersigned by a minister

All four are the parts of the union executive of India. Some of you might have excluded VP, but please remember the VP is also a part of union executive.

Although the chairman of a SPSC are appointed by the governor, they can be removed only by the president (and not by the governor). They can be removed on the grounds of misbehaviour. The Constitution states that the chairman or any other member of a SPSC is deemed to be guilty of misbehaviour, if he (a) is concerned or interested in any contract or agreement made by the Government of India or the government of a state, or (b) participates in any way in the profit of such contract or agreement or in any benefit therefrom otherwise than as a member and in common with other members of an incorporated company.

While a proclamation of national emergency is in operation, the President can modify the constitutional distribution of revenues between the centre and the states. This means that the president can either reduce or cancel the transfer of finances from Centre to the states. So statement 2 about increasing the transfer of finances from Centre to states is incorrect.

River water tribunals are setup under an act and therefore are not constitutional. Article 262 of the Constitution provides for the adjudication of inter-state water disputes.Under this provision, the Parliament has enacted the Inter-State Water Disputes Act (1956). The Inter-State Water Disputes Act empowers the Central government to set up an ad hoc tribunal for the adjudication of a dispute between two or more states in relation to the waters of an inter-state river or river valley.Inter-State Councils are constitutional body under article 263. Zonal councils were setup under the State reorganisation act, 1956 and are thus not constitutional.

The legislative assembly of Delhi can make laws on all the matters of the State List and the Concurrent List except the three matters of the State List, that is, public order, police and land. Therefore, critics have often called Delhi no more than a senior municipality.

Beaches in coastal areas are a depositional landform and not erosional. A wave-cut platform is the narrow flat area often found at the base of a sea cliff. They along with capes and bays are erosional landform.

The latitude denotes a geographical coordinate of a place located on the surface of the earth and is the angular distance of that point (north or south of the equator) measured with respect to the Centre of the Earth. Its value is zero at equator and 90 degrees at poles.

Latitude is the angular distance of a point on earth’s surface measured from the centre of earth. It specifies the north-south position of a point on the Earth’s surface. Latitude is an angle which ranges from 0° at the Equator to 90° (North or South) at the poles.

Easy one. Ladakh region receives very low rainfall and is an example of cold desert.

River rejuvenation involves a renewed period of vertical erosion to achieve a new and lower base level. Rejuvenation occurs when the river’s base level falls (i.e. when sea level falls). This can be a consequence of either a fall in the amount of sea water or the land rising. Uplift of land over which the river is flowing steepens the slope so that active down cutting is renewed. A fall in sea-level (and not rise) causes river rejuvenation. A fall in sea level leaves the flood plain at an increased altitude above the sea level. The river with its renewed vigour cuts into the former flood plain, leaving behind terraces on both sides of the river.

Westerly jet stream blows over the northern Indian region in winter. The westerly jet stream is replaced by the easterly jet stream during summer. This helps in the onset of monsoon.

All the above factors affect ocean current. The ocean currents are generated from the forces acting upon the water like the earth’s rotation, the wind, the temperature and salinity differences and the gravitation of the moon.

Please go through the India Physical map for hills, rivers, passes etc. Lushai hills are also called Mizo hills, so that can give a hint that Mizo hills should be south of Naga hills.

On the other hand the Canadian region is touched by the cold Labrador current. The effect of continentality is felt in the interior region of continents and not the coastal areas.

The first two statements are self explanatory. The third statement about change in cropping pattern is also correct. Punjab and Haryana region are best suited for wheat, but farmers are increasingly growing rice there. Punjab and Haryana are battling with crop diversification to reduce depletion of groundwater due to higher area under water-guzzling paddy crop. To irrigate their fields, farmers in both states draw groundwater using tubewells, which has lowered the water table to alarming levels, even if rainfall is deficient or scanty.