APPSC General Studies Mock Test - 1 - APPSC (Andhra Pradesh) MCQ

Fold Mountains are caused by large scale earth movements, when stresses are set up in earth crust. Stresses may be due to increased load of overlying rocks, flow movements in mantle, magmatic intrusions into the crust, expansion or contraction of some part of earth.

The President acquires the following extraordinary powers when the President's Rule is imposed in a state

1. He can take up the functions of the state government and powers vested in the governor or any other executive authority in the state.

2. He can declare that the powers of the state legislature are to be exercised by the Parliament.

3. He can take all other necessary steps including the suspension of the constitutional provisions relating to anybody or authority in the state.

• Rotation of Earth does cause wind movements; change of day and night; distribution of heat on Earth etc. However, it does not explain several other phenomena such as seasons on Earth; extreme heat and cold in Poles etc.

• Sun’s energy causes all these and is ultimately responsible for life and activity on Earth, which also subsumes weather phenomena.

• Earth’s hydrological cycle is only partly responsible for the weather. For example, rainfall patterns, movements of ocean water etc.

• The peaks of the loftier mountains project above the surface as nunataks. When the ice sheets reach the sea, they often extend outwards into the polar waters and float as ice shelves. 

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  They terminate in precipitous cliffs. When they break into individual blocks, these are called icebergs.

The correct answer is C. Both A & B.

• In most states in India, the Lokayukta and Upalokayukta are appointed by the Governor of the state, but only after consultation with the Chief Justice of the State High Court and the Leader of Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly.
• The Lokayukta is an anti-corruption authority or ombudsman who represents the public interest. The Lokayukta investigates allegations of corruption and mal-administration against public servants and is tasked with quickly redressing public grievances.
• The Chief Justice and the Leader of Opposition are consulted to ensure a fair and unbiased appointment. This is because the Lokayukta should be an individual of high integrity and impartiality. The involvement of these two key figures helps uphold the credibility and independence of the Lokayukta.

• Putting indirect taxes' and 'subsidies' together, India's National Income will thus be derived with the following formula (as India does it at factor cost): National Income at Factor Cost = NNP at Market Cost – Indirect Taxes + Subsidies

Chanakya, the prime minister to the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya, mentioned the minting of punch marked coins such as rupyarupa (silver), suvarnarupa (gold), tamrarupa (copper) and sisarupa (lead) in his Arthashastra treatise. Out of the various symbols used, sun and six armed wheel were most consistent. The coin contained an average of 50-54 grains of silver and 32 rattis in weight and termed as Karshapanas.

• The major factors responsible for the people's resentment and uprisings against the Company rule are as follows. 

• Colonial land revenue settlements, the heavy burden of new taxes, eviction of peasants from their lands, and encroachments on tribal lands. 

• Exploitation in rural society coupled with the growth of intermediary revenue collectors, tenants and money-lenders. 

• Expansion of revenue administration over tribal lands leading to the loss of tribal people's hold over agricultural and forest land.  

• Promotion of British manufactured goods, heavy duties on Indian industries, especially export duties, leading to the devastation of Indian handloom and handicraft industries.  

• Destruction of indigenous industry leads to migration of workers from industry to agriculture, increasing land/agriculture pressure.

The Maurya Empire was centralized by conquering the Indo-Gangetic Plain in the eastern extent of the empire and had its capital city at Pataliputra (modern Patna).

• The money market is the short-term financial market of an economy. In this market, money is traded between individuals or groups (i.e., financial institutions, banks, government, companies, etc.), who are either cash-surplus or cash-scarce.

• Trading is done on a rate known as the discount rate which is determined by the market and guided by the availability of and demand for the cash in the day-to-day trading.

• Borrowing in this market may or may not be supported by collaterals.

• In the capital market, money is traded on the interest rate as well as on dividends. Long-term loans are raised on well-defined interest rates, while long-term capital is raised on dividends through the sale of shares.

A Saranjam is grant of land (initially non-hereditary) for maintenance of troops or for military service found among the Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu, Pathare Prabhu, Maratha and Somvanshi Kshatriya Pathare communities in Maharashtra and the former Maratha administered regions of India, including territories in present-day Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. The grant was bestowed by a king or regional ruler of a princely state.

• The eightfold Path in Buddhism, an early formulation of the path to enlightenment.
• The idea of the Eightfold Path appears from the first sermon of the Buddha, which was delivered after his enlightenment.
• Right desire is not included in the Eightfold path of Buddhism.

Additional Information

• Eightfold Path, Pali Atthangika-magga, Sanskrit Astangika-marga, in Buddhism, an early formulation of the path to enlightenment.
• The idea of the Eightfold Path appears in what is regarded as the first sermon of the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, which he delivered after his enlightenment.
• There he sets forth a middle way, the Eightfold Path, between the extremes of asceticism and sensual indulgence.

The life insurance business/industry in the country was nationalised by the Government of India in 1956 and a fully government-owned company, the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) was set up (at that time 245 Indian and foreign companies were playing in the life segment of insurance). Opening of private life insurance companies was prohibited at that time.

There are certain special terms used to understand the cropping seasons of India. The agricultural crop year in India is from July to June. The Indian cropping season is classified into two main seasons- (i) Kharif and (ii) rabi based on the monsoon.

• The Kharif cropping season is from July to October during the South West/Summer Monsoon and

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  The Rabi cropping season is from October to March (North-East/Returning/Winter Monsoon).

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  The crops grown between March and June are summer crops, known as zaids.

   

   

   

   

Limestone should not be porous because the water may pass through the rock mass and thus whole rock mass will become weak and will collapse. On the other hand, if limestones are non-porous and thickly bedded, water will infiltrate through joints resulting into effective corrosion of the limestone.

• The idea here is less tax on the people who earn less and higher tax on the people who earn more classifying income earners into different slabs.

• This method is believed to discourage more earnings by the individual to support low growth and development unintentionally.

• Being poor is rewarded while richness is punished.

• Taxpayers also start evading tax by showing lower unreal income.

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture is one of the eight missions under National Action Plan on Climate Change.

• Mir Qasim overran the Company offices in Patna in 1763, killing several Europeans including the Resident.
• Mir Qasim allied with Shuja-ud-Daula of Avadh and Shah Alam II, the itinerant Mughal emperor, who was also threatened by the British.
• However, their combined forces were defeated in the Battle of Buxar in 1764.

Hence, the correct option is 'C'

• All statements are correct

Aryan Culture

• Texts for Traits of Aryan Culture: The principal traits of Aryan culture are set out by Vedic, Iranian, and Greek literary texts and cognate terms found in the protoIndo-European languages. The Rig Veda is assigned to roughly 1500 BC, although the later additions might be as late as 1000 BC. The earliest parts of the Zend-Avesta are roughly attributed to 1400 BC.
• The Horse, its Domestication and Diffusion: The horse is regarded as an indispensable trait of the Aryan culture, for it plays a crucial role in the life of the early IndoEuropeans. In its various forms, the term asva (horse) occurs 215 times in the Rig Veda; no other animal is mentioned so frequently. The Indo-Europeans widely used horse-drawn chariots. Aryans succeeded everywhere because they possessed chariot driven by horses & possibly with coats of mail & better armory. They also introduced these things for the 1st time in west Asia & India.
• The pit-dwelling can also be associated with the Aryan culture, and may have originated in cold conditions.

• The practice of pit-dwelling prevailed in Burzahom near Srinagar in Kashmir and also in Haryana. This may be due to the Central Asian influence on the borders of Kashmir.

• Cremation developed as an Aryan trait. Its practice is supported by the Vedic, Avestan, and Homeric texts.
• Animal sacrifice was an important Aryan ritual. However, given its almost universal practice among pastoral tribal people, it is difficult to make much of it. Animal sacrifice may have prevailed among many tribal peoples, but the horse sacrifice was typical of the Indo-Europeans, particularly of the Vedic people.
• Though two hymns are devoted to the horse sacrifice in the tenth book of the Rig Veda, the later Vedic texts transform the sacrifice into asvamedha. Animals may have been sacrificed in pre-Vedic times in the subcontinent, but despite cut marks found on the bones, it cannot be said that the horses were killed for religious purposes.

Both statements 1 and 2 are correct.

The 89th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003 was passed to provide for better safeguards for the Scheduled Tribes. One of the provisions of the amendment was to bifurcate the existing National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes into two separate commissions, namely, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. This was done in order to ensure that the interests of the Scheduled Tribes are safeguarded more effectively.

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) is a statutory body established under Article 338A of the Constitution of India. The NCST was set up on 19 February 2004 with the objective of protecting, promoting and safeguarding the interests of the Scheduled Tribes. The NCST has the following functions:

• To investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the Scheduled Tribes under the Constitution or under any other law for the time being in force or under any other order of the Government;
• To evaluate the working of such safeguards;
• To make recommendations to the Central Government and the State Governments on the measures required to be taken for the protection, development and welfare of the Scheduled Tribes;
• To advise the Central Government and the State Governments on any matter relating to the welfare of the Scheduled Tribes;
• To take up such other work as may be entrusted to it by the Central Government or the State Governments.

The NCST is headed by a Chairperson who is appointed by the President of India on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The Chairperson is assisted by a Vice-Chairperson and a few members. The NCST has its headquarters in New Delhi and has regional offices in different parts of the country.

Capital account is classified into 3 parts in India- private, banking and official capital.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was set up in 1963 by a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Later, it was transferred to the Ministry of Personnel and now it enjoys the status of an attached office

• Winds blowing across the ocean surface push water away. Water then rises from beneath the surface to replace the water that was pushed away. This process is known as ‘upwelling’. Upwelling occurs in the open ocean and along coastlines.

• Water that rises to the surface as a result of upwelling is typically colder and is rich in nutrients. These nutrients ‘fertilise’ surface waters, meaning that these surface waters often have high biological productivity. Therefore, good fishing grounds typically are found where upwelling is common.

The CAT exercises original jurisdiction in relation to recruitment and all service matters of public servants covered by it. Its jurisdiction extends to the all-India services, the Central civil services, civil posts under the Centre and civilian employees of defence services. However, the members of the defence forces, officers and servants of the Supreme Court and the secretarial staff of the Parliament are not covered by it.

The Constitution makes the following provisions concerning the borrowing powers of the Centre and the states:

• The Central government can borrow either within India or outside upon the security of the Consolidated Fund of India or give guarantees, but both within the Parliament's limits. So far, no such law has been enacted by the Parliament.

• Similarly, a state government can borrow within India (and not abroad) upon the security of the Consolidated Fund of the State or give guarantees, but both within limits fixed by the legislature of that state.

• The Central government can make loans to any state or give guarantees regarding loans raised by any state. Any sums required for making such loans are to be charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.

• A state cannot raise any loan without the Centre's consent, if there is still outstanding any part of a loan made to the slate by the Centre or in respect of which the Centre has given a guarantee.

• The Magadha kingdom first used elephants in wars.
• The rulers of Magadha employed elephants as a weapon of large-scale destruction.
• Magadha was an ancient Indian kingdom in southern Bihar.
• Magadha was counted as one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas.
• Magadha also played an important role in the development of Jainism and Buddhism.

Additional Information

The kingdom of the Magadha covers the modern districts of:

• Patna
• Jehanabad
• Nalanda
• Aurangabad
• Arwal
• Nawada
• Gaya.