UPPSC GS I Practice Test - 13 (Old Pattern) - UPPSC (UP) MCQ

The correct answer is Unified Re-imagined Innovation for Student Empowerment.

Key-Points

• The full form of the U-RISE portal is Unified Re-imagined Innovation for Student Empowerment.

• It was launched on 24th September 2020 by the UP Government.

• Aim: To guide students in various aspects like career counseling, learning, employment, etc.

• This portal is developed by Dr. APJ Kalam Technical University, Lucknow.

Important Points

Importance of U-RISE portal:

• It will help students in connecting with practical and technical knowledge.

• It will enable the students to access e-content, e-library, and online courses even in remote areas of the state.

• It will also provide information on exams, internships, digital assessments, webinars, video content, etc.

• It will benefit 20 lakh students and other technical experts.

Additional Information

About Uttar Pradesh:

• ​Fourth Largest State of India

• Population (2011 Census) - 199581477 million

• Surrounded by 8 states, 1 UT, and 1 foreign country (Nepal)

• Total Districts: 75

• Total Division: 18

• Capital: Lucknow

Key-Points

• Harappan culture is divided into various phases:

• Early Harappan 3000–2600 BCE

• Mature Harappan 2600–1900 BCE

• Late Harappan 1900–1700 BCE

• The Indus Civilisation and the contemporary cultures covered nearly 1.5 million sq. km area in India and Pakistan.

• The Harappan civilization belongs to the Bronze Age civilization and Harappans knew how to make copper bronze tools.

• One of the sources of the Harappan economy was trade and exchange activities.

Dholavira

• It was excavated by JP Joshi in 1967-68.

• It is an archaeological site at Khadirbet in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District, Gujarat.

• Evidence of a unique water management system, Harapan inscription and stadium has been found here.

Kalibangan

• It was excavated by BB Lal in 1961.

• It is located at the southern banks of the Ghaggar in Tehsil Pilibangān, Rajasthan.

• The most important discovery of Kalibangan is a ploughed field.

• A wooden furrow has been found, 7 fire altars in a row have been found and they suggest the practice of sacrifice.

• Bones of the camel have also been found at Kalibangan.

Banawali

• It was excavated by RS Bisht in 1973.

• It is located in the Fatehabad District, Haryana.

• Evidence of both pre-Harappan and Harappan culture and barley with good quality has been found here.

Lothal

• It was excavated by SR Rao in 1954.

• It is situated near the village of Saragwala in the Dholka Taluka of Ahmedabad district, Gujarat.

• The dominant sight at Lothal is the massive dockyard.

• An ivory seal and sawn pieces for boxes, combs, rods, inlays and ear-studs were found during excavations.

Only pairs 1 and 4 are correct.

Key-Points

• A recessionary gap, or contractionary gap, is a macroeconomic term used when a country's real gross domestic product (GDP) is lower than its GDP at full employment.

• A recessionary gap, or contractionary gap, occurs when a country's real GDP is lower than its GDP at full employment.

• Recessionary gaps close when real wages return to equilibrium, and the quantity of labor demanded equals the quantity supplied.

• Policymakers may choose to implement a stabilization policy to close the recessionary gap and increase real GDP.

• Essentially, a recessionary gap refers to the difference between actual and potential production in an economy, with the actual being lower than the potential, which puts downward pressure on prices in the long run.

• These gaps are evident during an economic downturn and are associated with higher unemployment numbers.

Additional Information

• Significant reductions in economic activity for several months will indicate a recession.

• During periods of recession, companies will often pull back on spending, creating a gap from the contraction in the business cycle.

• In the period leading up to a recession, there is often a significant reduction in consumer expenditure or investment due to a decrease in the take-home pay of workers.

• When production levels fluctuate, prices change to compensate.

• This price change is considered an early indicator that an economy is moving into a recession and may lead to less favorable exchange rates for foreign currencies.

• Dachigam National Park is home to the rare and critically endangered Hangul or Kashmir stag.

Important Points

• Dachigam National Park is located 22 kilometres from Srinagar, Jammu, and Kashmir.

• It covers an area of 141 km2.

• It was declared as a national park in 1981.

Additional Information

The Other national parks located in Jammu and Kashmir are

• Dachigam National Park

• Kaziranga National Park

• Kishtwar National Park

• Salim Ali National Park

Key-Points

The main objectives of an agriculture price policy are:

• ​To ensure that the producer gets a minimum remunerative price. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• To maintain reasonable terms of trade between agricultural sectors; Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• To maintain the general price level and protect the non producing consumer from violent fluctuations in the price of food grains.

• During the pre-green revolution period, due to the shortage of domestic production, the terms of trade were in favour of the agriculture sector.

• However, with the surplus of food grains in the years following the green revolution, the policy shifted towards protecting the farmers from the prospect of non-remunerative prices.

• The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) formerly known as the Agricultural Prices Commission analyzes the input costs and recommends the minimum support prices for 24 major crops.

• MSP announced by the government is the price at which the government is ready to purchase the crop from farmers directly if the crop prices become lower than MSP.

• As a result, the market price of the crop never comes down from the level of MSP. The minimum price security gives incentives to farmers to increase their production.

• However, historically, the actual support prices are fixed far above the recommended prices due to intense lobbying by the interested parties.

• Procurement price and minimum support price are different from each other.

• Procurement price (PP) is the price at which the government purchases the crop after harvesting, while Minimum Support price (MSP) is the minimum price at which the government declares it will buy the crop.

• Since 1968-69, the MSP is usually the procurement price.

Key-Points

• Magadha was one of the 16 Mahajanapadas of ancient India.

• It rose to prominence under the rule of Bimbisara who belonged to the Haryanka dynasty (from around the mid-6th century BCE to around 413 BCE).

• Sisunagas succeeded Udayin, the last ruler of the Haryanka dynasty. Sisunagas' rule (from around 413 BCE to around 345 BCE) was famous for their destruction of Avanti and hence the long-drawn rivalry between Magadha and Avanti.

• Nanda dynasty (from around mid-4th century BCE to around 322 BCE) was the first non-Kshatriya dynasty, founded by Mahapadma Nanda. He usurped the throne of Kalasoka

• He conquered Koshala and Kalinga, from the latter he brought an image of Jina as a trophy of victory.

• The later Nandas were overthrown by Chandragupta Maurya along with Chanakya, which led to the foundations of the Mauryan Empire in Magadha.

• The Mauryan Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power based in Magadha and dominated the Indian subcontinent between 322 and 185 BCE.

• Asoka's policy of Dhamma put an end to the policy of aggression followed by most Magadhan rulers prior to him

• Hence option 3 is the correct answer.

Important Points

• Income tax is a Direct tax.

• Direct taxes are progressive, because it is possible to help more people who do not earn as much, and at the same time, mobilize resources from those who earn well. This is what makes them progressive.

• This is the tax that is levied on the annual income or the profits which are directly paid to the government.

• Everyone who earns any kind of income is liable to pay income tax.

• A progressive tax imposes a higher rate on the rich than on the poor. It's based on the taxpayer's income or wealth. It's done to help lower-income families pay for basics like shelter, food, and transportation.

• A progressive tax allows them to spend a larger share of their incomes on the cost of living expenses.

• Examples of progressive tax include investment income taxes, tax on interest earned, rental earnings, estate tax, and tax credits.

Key-Points

Mauryan Administration:

• A council of ministers called Mantriparishad assisted the king in administrative matters. Hence statement 1 is correct.

• It consisted of Purohita, Mahamantri, Senapati and Yuvaraja. Hence statement 2 is correct.

• There were civil servants called Amatyas to look after the day-to-day administration.

• These officers were similar to the IAS officers of independent India.

Key-Points

• Without improving the performance of the electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs) of the state government's efforts towards 100 per cent village electrification, 24x7 power supply and clean energy cannot bear fruit.

• Power outages also adversely affect national priorities like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’. In addition, default on bank loans by financially stressed DISCOMs has the potential of seriously impacting the banking sector and the economy at large.

• For the financial and operational turnaround of DISCOMs and to ensure a sustainable permanent solution to the problem, the UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana) was launched by the GoI, in November 2015.

• The scheme also aims to reduce the interest burden of the DISCOMs, cost of power and their AT&C (Aggregate Transmission & Technical) losses.

• It empowers DISCOMs with the opportunity to break even in the next 2-3 years.

This is to take place through four initiatives:

• (i) Improving operational efficiencies; Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• (ii) Reduction of cost of power; Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• (iii) Reduction in interest cost; Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

• (iv) Enforcing financial discipline. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Salient Features

• States shall take over 75 per cent of the DISCOM debt—50 per cent in 2015–16 and 25 per cent in 2016–17. This will reduce the interest cost to 8–9 per cent, from as high as 14–15 per cent.

• GoI will not include the debt taken over by the states in the calculation of fiscal deficit of the States in the financial years 2015–16 and 2016–17.

• States to take over the future losses of DISCOMs in a graded manner

• Lingaraj Temple was built in the 11th century by King Jajati Keshari.
• The Temple was dedicated to lord shiva.
• It is built of red sandstone and is an example of Kalinga style of architecture.

Key-Points

• The Udyam Sarthi App was launched by the Uttar Pradesh govt. on 24th January 2021.

• It was launched on the 71st Foundation Day of Uttar Pradesh. Hence statement 1 is incorrect.

• Through this app, the youth will be able to explore various types of business opportunities in different departments and regions of the state and central government.

• The app, designed under the One District-One Product (ODOP scheme), is called a master key for exploring self-employment opportunities for the youth. Hence statement 2 is correct.

• This app will provide support to the state government, experts as well as the entire process of availability of loans for youth to start self-employment.

• Apart from this, information about market availability, business models, and strategies for development will also be present on the app.

Additional Information

• Uttar Pradesh was renamed Uttar Pradesh on 24th January 1950.

• Uttar Pradesh celebrates its foundation day on 24th January.

• UP has been celebrating this day since 2018.

• The celebration of this day was proposed by the then Governor Ram Naik in May 2017.

• The theme of this year's UP Foundation Day is "Respect for Self-reliant Uttar Pradesh, women, young, farmers, development of all".

• Vishti is a kind of forced labor, it was famous during the ancient time in Southern India.

• Vishti was used as a form of tax by the king that the peasants had to do.

• During ancient times in southern India, villagers were compelled to provide free services to the army and visiting officials.

• The burden of the tax was imposed on agrarians and forced labor (known as Vishti) in the form of land tax, donation of cereals, gold, flower, milk.

Key-Points

• Nokrek Biosphere Reserve is located in Meghalaya.

• It is located in West Garo Hills.

• It was added to UNESCO Biosphere Reserve List in 2009.

• Nokrek is the highest peak in Garo Hills.

• Along with Balpakram national park, Nokrek is a hotspot of biodiversity in Meghalaya.

Additional Information

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve - Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka

• The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is an International Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills ranges of South India.

• The Nilgiri Sub-Cluster is a part of the Western Ghats, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2012.

​Similipal Biosphere Reserve - Odisha

• Simlipal National Park is a national park and a tiger reserve in the Mayurbhanj district in the Indian state of Odisha.

• This protected area has been part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2009.

Dehang-Debang Biosphere Reserve - Arunachal Pradesh

• Dihang-Dibang or Dehang-Debang is a biosphere reserve constituted in 1998.

Key-Points

Fatehpur Sikri:

• The town was founded in 1569 by the great Mughal emperor Akbar.

• Fatehpur Sikri was a town planned as an administrative unit consisting of public buildings as well as private residences in close proximity.

• The city of Fatehpur Sikri was founded as a token of gratitude to Sheikh Salim Chisti who had foretold that Akbar would have three sons who would survive after the sad demise of many children in infancy.

• It is a city predominantly made up of red sand-stone.

• It is an amalgamation of the Persian, Hindu and Islamic architecture.

• It is a unique blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture.

Important Points

• Khasi is the largest Tribal Group in Meghalaya.
• After Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia tribes are the largest tribal group in Meghalaya.

Additional Information

Key-Points

• The background to the Khilafat movement was provided by a series of events after the First World War. The Treaty of Sevres with Turkey, signed in May 1920, completely dismembered Turkey and sanctions imposed upon the Caliphate, who was considered as supreme leader of Muslims all over the world.

• Indian Muslims were critical of the treatment meted out to Turkey (Ottoman Empire) under the Treaty of Sevres. Khilafat movement was launched to influence the British in its treatment of the Ottoman Empire post World War 1.

• Mohammad Ali and his brother Maulana Shaukat Ali joined with other Muslim leaders to form the All India Khilafat Committee which called upon the British to protect the Caliphate and for Indian Muslims to unite and hold the British accountable for this purpose.

• Khilafat Leaders and the Indian national congress launched the Khilafat movement to influence Britishers in its treatment of the Ottoman Empire post World War 1 and pursue the goals of the Indian National movement as well. Hence, option 3 is the correct answer.

Key-Points

• Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana is a Government of India scheme designed to provide a continuous power supply to rural India.

• The government plans to invest ₹756 billion (US$11 billion) for rural electrification under this scheme.

• The scheme replaced the existing Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana.

• The scheme will enable the initiation of much-awaited reforms in the rural areas.

• Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana comes under the Ministry of Power.

Additional Information

• The Ministry of Power has launched a new app, the GARV-II app to provide real-time data of all six lakh villages of the country.

• The Minister of Power is Raj Kumar Singh.

• The total budget of Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana is ₹756 billion (US$11 billion).

• It was launched in 2015.

Important Points

Sangam age :

• The Sangam Age constitutes an important chapter in the history of South India.

• According to Tamil legends, there existed three Sangams (Academy of Tamil poets) in ancient Tamil Nadu popularly called Muchchangam.

• The most probable date of the Sangam literature has been fixed between the third century B.C. to the third century A.D. on the basis of literary, archaeological and numismatic evidence.

• The Tamil country was ruled by three dynasties namely the Chera, Chola, and Pandyas during the Sangam Age.

Key-Points

Sangam Polity :

• The hereditary monarchy was the form of government during the Sangam period.

• The king had also taken the advice of his minister, court-poet and the imperial court or avai.

• The Chera kings assumed titles like Vanavaramban, Vanavan, Kuttuvan, Irumporai and Villavar, the Chola kings Senni, Valavan and Killi and the Pandya kings Thennavar and Minavar.

• Each of the Sangam dynasties had a royal emblem – carp for the Pandyas, tiger for the Cholas and bow for the Cheras.

• The imperial court or avai was attended by a number of chiefs and officials.

• The king was assisted by a large body of officials who were divided into five councils.

• They were ministers (amaichar), priests (anthanar), military commanders (Senapati), envoys (thuthar) and spies (orrar). Hence pairs 1, 2 and 3 are correctly matched.

• The military administration was also efficiently organized during the Sangam Age. Each ruler had a regular army and their respective Kodimaram (tutelary tree).

• Land revenue was the chief source of the state’s income while custom duty was also imposed on foreign trade.

• The Pattinappalai refers to the customs officials employed in the seaport of Puhar.

• Booty captured in wars was also a major income to the royal treasury

• Roads and highways were well maintained and guarded night and day to prevent robbery and smuggling.

Key-Points

• There are six orthodox schools of Indian Philosophy called shad darshanas and it includes Nyaya, Sankhya, Yoga, Vaisheshika, Purva Mimamsa and Uttara Mimamsa (Vedanta Philosophy).

• Vaisheshika school deals with metaphysics. It was founded by the sage Kanada. According to the Vaisheshika school of philosophy, the universe is reducible to a finite number of atoms, Brahman being the fundamental force causing consciousness in these atoms.

​Important Points

• The other five schools of Indian Philosophy are as follows:

• Sankhya is the oldest philosophy. It was put forward by Kapila. Samkhya emphasizes the attainment of knowledge of the self by means of concentration and meditation.

• Yoga presents a method of physical and mental discipline. The founder of Yoga is Pathanjali. It is believed that practising Ashtanga Yoga is the way to relieve oneself from past sins in order to make way for liberation.

• Nyaya school follows a scientific and rational approach. Sage Gautama is the founder of this school. Nyaya Philosophy states that nothing is acceptable unless it is in accordance with reason and experience (scientific approach).

• Purva Mimamsa school believes in the complete authority of Vedas. It is based on sage Jaimini’s Mimamsa Sutras.

• Vedanta school is a monotheistic school of philosophy that believes that the world is unreal and the only reality is Brahman. It is based on Upanishads (the end portions of Vedas).

• Among the options, only Canada is NOT correct.

• BRICS is the acronym coined for an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

• It was the Russian side that initiated the creation of BRICS.

• Since 2009, the BRICS nations have met annually at formal summits.

• Yekaterinburg hosted the first BRIC Summit.

• South Africa became a part of the BRIC in 2010.

• The BRICS members are known for their significant influence on regional affairs.

• The BRICS summit 2019 was held in Curitiba, Brazil.

• Russia hosted the most recent BRICS summit in 2020 virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Hiuen-Tsang wrote the book ‘Shi-Yu-Ki’ after visiting Harshavardhana court.

• Si-yu-ki means "Record of the Western Countries".

• Hiuen Tsang visited India during the period of emperor Harsha.

• Hiuen Tsang remained at the University of Nalanda for five years.

• Hiuen Tsang had been a guest to Bhaskara Varman, ruler of Kamarupa.

• Hiuen Tsang described Kannauj as a beautiful city.

• Pu Songling was a Qing dynasty Chinese writer.

• Pu Songling was the author of Strange Stories.

Banabhatta:

• Banabhatta was the Asthana Kavi in the court of King Harsha Vardhana.

• Kadambari is the work of Banabhatta.

• The "Harshacharita" was also written by Banabhatta.

Quit India Movement:

• In August 1942, Gandhiji started the 'Quit India Movement' and decided to launch a mass civil disobedience movement 'Do or Die' call to force the British to leave India.

• Also known as India August Movement or Bharat Chodo Andolan was launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) by Mahatma Gandhi on August 8, 1942

Civil Disobedience Movement:

• It was launched in March 1930 under the leadership of Gandhi.

• It began with the famous Dandi March of Gandhi.

• Dandi March from his Ashram at Sabarmati in Ahmedabad.

• Lord Irwin was viceroy during the launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

• Sarojini Naidu was among the leaders who accompanied Mahatma Gandhi during the Dandi March.

• Salt March is also known as Salt Satyagraha, Dandi March or Civil Disobedience Movement

• Non-Cooperation Movement:

• The Non-Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi was the first nationwide mass protest in the history of Indian Independence.

• The non-cooperation movement by Gandhiji was followed from September 1920 to February 1922.

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre:

• The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in Amritsar in 1919 was one of the major reasons for the start of the Non-cooperation movement.

• General Michael O'Dwyer, had deputed Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer to restore “law and order” in the Punjab province.

• General Reginald Dyer opened fire on the people who gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh (Punjab) on 13th April 1919.

• On March 13, 1940, Udham Singh shot General Michael O'Dwyer at Caxton Hall, London, who ordered the Jallianwala Bagh massacre

Key-Points

• Kalanamak Rice is also called Buddha Rice.
• It is cultivated from the times of Gautam Buddha.
• The rice is grown in the Terai belt of Uttar Pradesh. Hence statement 1st is correct.

Districts covered:

• ​Siddharthnagar
• Sant Kabir Nagar
• Maharajganj
• Basti
• Gonda
• Balrampur
• Bahraich
• Shravasti
• Gorakhpur
• Kushinagar

Siddharthnagar is recognized as the main cultivating area of this rice.

Important Points

Benefits of Kalanamak Rice:

• It contains Anthocyanin that helps in keeping the heart healthy.
• It also helps in improving the skin.
• It is rich in Iron and Zinc that helps in preventing Vitamin Deficiency. Hence statement 2 is incorrect.
• It helps in regulating blood pressure.
• It was granted the GI tag in the year 2013. Hence statement 3rd is correct.

Additional Information

• The Uttar Pradesh government organized a three-day "Kalanamak Rice Festival" in the Siddharthnagar district.
• It was held from 13-15 March 2021.
• The festival is being organized after the grand success of the "Jaggery Festival in Lucknow" and "Strawberry Festival in Jhansi".
• This rice festival is being organized to promote and brand the selected products under the "One District, One Product" (ODOP) in the market under 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Campaign' and 'Local for Vocal'.
• Cultural programs were organized at the Kalanamak Rice Festival, in which local artists and students got a chance to showcase their talent.

Important Points

• Azad Hind Fauj was an armed force formed by Indian Nationalists.

• It was formed in 1942 in Southeast Asia.

• It is also called Indian National Army.

• Azad Hind Fauj was founded by Mohan Sing.

• Azad Hind Fauj or the Indian National Army (INA) was established to free India from British control.

• They tried to invade India through Imphal and Kohima in 1941 but the campaign failed.

• Subhas Chandra Bose became the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian National Army from 1943 to 1945.

Key-Points

• Lakshmi Sahgal was a member of the Azad Hind Fauj.

• She is commonly referred to in India as "Captain Lakshmi".

• She was an officer of the Indian National Army and the Minister of Women's Affairs in the Azad Hind government.

• She was the leader of the Women's Regiment of the Indian National Army, Rani of Jhansi Regiment.

• She was arrested by the British army in May 1945, remaining in Burma until March 1946.

Additional Information

• Sarojini Naidu was the first female to become the Governor of an Indian state.

• She was appointed as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh from 1947 to 1949.

• She is well known as the 'Nightingale of India'.

• She was appointed as the President of the Indian National Congress's Kanpur session in 1925.

• Aruna Asaf Ali was an Indian political activist.

• She hoisted the Indian National flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan, Bombay during a Quit India Movement in 1942.

• She is popularly called the "Heroine of Quit India movement".

• She was appointed as Delhi's first Mayor.

• Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was an Indian politician.

• She was the first Indian woman to hold a cabinet post in pre-independent India.

• She was the first woman President of the United Nations General Assembly.

Key-Points

Sanyasi Revolt

• Sanyasi and Fakirs used to collect alms from local zamindars as they travelled to North Bengal.

• Because of high taxes and the Bengal Famine in 1770, production dropped and zamindars couldn't pay taxes.

• Restrictions were placed on sanyasis and they came together in a rebellion. Many Britishers were killed.

• In 1771, many fakirs were killed and rebellion was suppressed.

Additional Information

Kol Rebellion

• These tribes lived in the Chota Nagpur area.

• They also lost their lands and were forced to pay a huge amount of taxes and became bonded laborers.

• This led to the revolt in the year 1832.

Pabna Peasant Uprising

• 1873-76

• This movement was against landlords in Bengal in Pabna.

• It was supported by many intellectuals like RC Dutt, Surendranath Bannerjee, Bankim Chandra Chatterji, etc.

• This was led by Ishan Chandra Roy.

• It happened because some landlords collected rents and taxes forcefully which added to their misery.

Deccan Riots

• May-June 1875

• Happened in parts of Maharashtra - Pune, and Ahmednagar

• Their purpose was to destroy documents possessed by moneylenders.

• They were under huge debt because of taxes.

• It spread to over 30 villages.

Key-Points

Pitt’s India Act, 1784 -

• It was named after the British prime minister William Pitt the Younger.

• It established the dual system of control by the British government and the East India Company. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• In the dual system the company retained control of commerce and day-to-day administration but important political matters were reserved to a secret committee of three directors in direct touch with the British government.

• A Board of Control consisting of six members was created. They were appointed by the Crown. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• The Court of Directors was retained without any alteration in its composition.

• It reduced the number of the members of the Governor-General’s Council from four to three including the Commander-in-Chief.

Important Points

• Pitt’s India Act, 1784 was passed to rectify the defects of the Regulating Act of 1773.

Regulating Act of 1773 - ​

• The Governor of Bengal was elevated as the Governor-General of Bengal.

• A council of four members was appointed to assist the Governor-General.

• The Governor-General in Council was made supreme over the other Presidencies in matters of war and peace.

• This Act prevented the servants of the Company from receiving directly or indirectly any gifts in kind or cash.

• Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Rural Development.

​Key-Points

• Indira awaas yojana was introduced during the Rajiv Gandhi government in June 1985.

• The Ministry of rural development is the ministry responsible for governing Indira awaas yojana.

• It was launched during the 7th five-year plan in India.

• Initially, it was launched as a subscheme of the rural landless employment guarantee program.

• In 1989 it became a subscheme of Jawahar rozgar yojana.

• It was renamed Pradhan Mantri Gramin awaas yojana in 2016.

• The houses constructed under this scheme are allotted in the name of the woman or jointly between husband and wife.

• "AWAAS Soft" is software to assist in improved administration of this scheme.

• AWAAS Soft was launched in July 2010.

Additional Information

• Narendra Singh Tomar is the current minister responsible for the ministry of rural development.

• Santosh Gangwar is the Minister of State with independent charge of the ministry of labour and employment.

• Ramesh Pokhriyal is the current minister responsible for the ministry of human resource development.

• Thawar Chand Gehlot is the current minister responsible for the ministry of social justice and empowerment.

• The main source of revenue during Mughal administration were tolls and levies on craft production, market levies, customs and road tax both on inland and overseas trade, and also mint charges.

Rahadari or Transit tax:

• It is a road tax levied on both inland and overseas trade.

• It was also a tax collected on river routes.

Katraparcha:

• It was the tax levied from merchants, artisans on their products. Hence, Option 3 is the correct answer.

• The articles under this included all sorts of cotton, silk, and wool cloth, indigo, saltpeter and salt etc.

Key-Points

• Biomagnification refers to the increase in the concentration of POPs such as DDT, that occurs in a food chain as a consequence of persistence, high lipid solubility, and low water solubility.

• The substances become more and more concentrated in tissues or internal organs as they move up the chain.

Important Points

• Bioremediation is defined as the process whereby (mostly) organic wastes can be biologically degraded under controlled conditions to an innocuous state, or to levels below the respective concentration limits, as set by the controlling authorities.

• Biological pollution (impacts or bio pollution) is the impact of humanity's actions on the quality of the aquatic and terrestrial environment.

Additional Information

• Bio-accumulation refers to an increase in the concentration of a substance in certain tissues of an organism’s body.

• Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a toxic substance from all sources at a rate greater than that at which the substance is lost.

• Bioconcentration occurs when an organism absorbs a toxic substance from ONLY Water at a rate greater than that at which the substance is lost.

Key-Points

Prarthana samaj -

• Atmaram Pandurang founded the Prarthana samaj in Bombay.

• Hence pair 1 is correctly matched.

• It was a reform society established in Bombay in the 1860s.

• In purpose, it is similar to, but not affiliated with, the more widespread Brahmo Samaj and had its greatest sphere of influence in and around India’s Maharashtra state.

• The aim of the society is the promulgation of theistic worship and social reform, and its early goals were opposition to the caste system, the introduction of widow remarriage, the encouragement of female education, and the abolition of child marriage.

Arya Samaj -

• It is a reform movement of modern Hinduism, founded in 1875 by Dayananda Sarasvati, whose aim was to reestablish the Vedas, the earliest Hindu scriptures, as revealed truth.

• Hence pair 2 is correctly matched.

• He rejected all later accretions to the Vedas as degenerate but, in his own interpretation, included much post-Vedic thought.

• The Arya Samaj opposes worship of murtis (images), animal sacrifice, shraddha (rituals on behalf of ancestors), basing caste upon birth rather than upon merit, untouchability, child marriage, pilgrimages, priestly craft, and temple offerings.

• It upholds the infallibility of the Vedas, the doctrines of karma (the accumulated effect of past deeds) and samsara (the process of death and rebirth), the sanctity of the cow, the importance of the samskaras (individual sacraments), the efficacy of Vedic oblations to the fire, and programs of social reform.

• It has worked to further female education and intercaste marriage; has built missions, orphanages, and homes for widows; has established a network of schools and colleges; and has undertaken famine relief and medical work.

Sewa Sadan -

• Seva Sadan Society was founded in 1908 by Shri Behramji Malabari and Diwan Dayaram Gidumal.

• ​Hence pair 3 is correctly matched.

• The Society was founded in Mumbai.

• Its aim is to provide oppressed women with shelter, care, and a life of dignity.