CGPSE Prelims Paper 1 Mock Test - 1 - CGPSC (Chhattisgarh) MCQ

Statement 2 is not correct: After the battle, Maharana Pratap able to make a successful escape, the battle failed to break the deadlock between the two powers. Subsequently, Akbar led a sustained campaign against the Rana, and soon, Goganda, Udaipur, and Kumbhalgarh were all under Akbar’s control

The Antyodaya Anna Yojana is specifically designed to provide highly subsidized food to the poorest families, ensuring that those in need have access to essential nutrition. This initiative plays a critical role in addressing food security among the most vulnerable populations.

The distribution of free rice to eligible ration card holders is set to begin in January 2024. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance food security over the next five years, reflecting the government's commitment to support impoverished communities.

Restoring General Consent for the CBI allows for more efficient investigations of corruption cases involving central government employees within the state. This mechanism enables the CBI to proceed with cases without needing to seek individual permissions for each investigation, thus streamlining the process.

Aromatic rice, specifically the RB Gold variety, was sent to Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple. This event highlights the cultural and religious significance of the rice, linking it to local traditions and the state's historical associations with Lord Ram.

Lithium is known as "white gold" due to its increasing value and importance in modern technology, especially in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and electronics. Its unique properties make it vital in various applications, including energy storage solutions.

The Hasdeo Arand forests are under threat from deforestation linked to coal mining operations. This area is ecologically significant and the loss of biodiversity there could have serious implications for local water sources and wildlife, along with the livelihoods of indigenous communities.

Fair price shops (FPS) are government-regulated outlets that distribute essential commodities like food grains and other basic necessities to the public at subsidized prices. This initiative is vital for ensuring food security among economically weaker sections of society.

The deforestation in the Hasdeo Arand region is expected to displace approximately 700 indigenous families, affecting their livelihoods and cultural heritage. This situation underscores the need for sustainable development practices that consider both ecological and social impacts.

Lithium compounds are utilized to strengthen glass and ceramics, enhancing their durability and heat resistance. This property is particularly valuable in various manufacturing processes, including the production of heat-resistant cookware and industrial glass.

The Ram Gaman Path project is designed to identify and develop 248 locations in Chhattisgarh associated with Lord Ram's life during his 14-year exile. This initiative not only promotes cultural heritage but also aims to boost tourism and local economies by highlighting significant historical sites.

The primary concern of these activists is the preservation of the Hasdeo Forest, which is facing relentless tree felling due to mining activities. Their efforts aim to protect the biodiversity and ecological integrity of this vital forest area.

The Hasdeo Arand Coal Field (HACF) region encompasses 23 coal blocks. This area is significant not only for its coal deposits but also for its ecological value, being the largest un-fragmented forest in Central India.

The Shri Ram Lala Darshan Scheme allows Chhattisgarh natives aged 18 to 75 years to participate, provided they pass a health examination. This age range aims to ensure that participants are capable of undertaking the pilgrimage.

Section 106 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 stipulates a penalty of up to 10 years in jail and a fine for individuals involved in hit-and-run incidents. This penalty has sparked considerable debate and protests among transporters and drivers.

The Advocate General is responsible for advising the State Government on legal matters referred by the Governor. This position is crucial for ensuring that the state operates within the legal framework and adheres to constitutional provisions.

The Chhattisgarh government plans to facilitate approximately 20,000 pilgrims annually for the Shri Ram Lala Darshan. This initiative reflects the state's commitment to promoting religious tourism and supporting devotees in their spiritual journeys.

Fortifications were significant in Vijayanagara as it was to protect from outsiders and they were unique as they enclosed agricultural tracts.

Statement 1 is correct. Often, the objective of mediaeval sieges was to starve the defenders into submission. These sieges could last for several months and sometimes even years. Rulers tried to be prepared for such situations by building large granaries within fortified areas and agricultural tracts.The rulers of Vijayanagara adopted a more expensive and elaborate strategy of protecting the agricultural belt itself. A second line of fortification went round the inner core of the urban complex, and a third line surrounded the royal centre, within which each set of major buildings was surrounded by its own high walls.

Statement 2 is correct. Abdur Razzaq noted that between the first, second and third walls there were cultivated fields, gardens and houses. Domingo Paes observed that there was a great distance from the first circuit until the entrance of the city. There were fields for sowing rice, many gardens and a lot of water, in which water came from two lakes. Present-day archaeologists, who have also found evidence of an agricultural tract between the sacred centre and the urban core, have corroborated these statements. An elaborate canal system drawing water from the Tungabhadra serviced this tract.

Stone tools have been used for:

• Digging the ground to collect edible roots.

• Stitching clothes made out of animal skin.

• Some of these stone tools were used to cut meat and bone, scrape bark (from trees) and hides (animal skins), chop fruit and roots.

• Some may have been attached to handles of bone or wood, to make spears and arrows for hunting.

• Other tools were used to chop wood, which was used as firewood. Wood was also used to make huts and tools.

Stone tools have been used for:

1. Digging the ground to collect edible roots.

2. Stitching clothes made out of animal skin.

3. Some of these stone tools were used to cut meat and bone, scrape bark (from trees) and hides (animal skins), chop fruit and roots.

4. Some may have been attached to handles of bone or wood, to make spears and arrows for hunting.

5. Other tools were used to chop wood, which was used as firewood. Wood was also used to make huts and tools.

• The political developments after Harshavardhan, can be best understood if we divide the period from AD 750 to AD 1200 into two parts (a) AD 750–AD 1000; (b) AD 1000–AD 1200. The first phase was marked by the growth of three important political powers in India. These were Gurjara Pratiharas in north India, Palas in eastern India, and Rashtrakutas in South India. In the second phase, we notice the break-up of these powers. It resulted in the rise of many smaller kingdoms all over the country. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• These powers were constantly fighting with each other to set up their control of Kannauj of the Gangetic region in northern India. The struggle for control over Kannauj among these three dynasties is known as the tripartite struggle in Indian history. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
  • Control of Kanauj also implied control of the upper Gangetic valley and its rich resources in trade and agriculture.
• The Pratiharas who first had their capital at Bhinmal gained prominence under Nagabhatta I who offered stout resistance to the Arab rulers of Sind who were trying to encroach on Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, etc.
• However, the real founder of the Pratihara empire and the greatest ruler of the dynasty was Bhoja. He rebuilt the empire, and by about 836 he had recovered Kanauj which remained the capital of the Pratiharaempire for almost a century
• In the south, Dantidurga was the founder of the dynasty called, the Rashtrakuta dynasty (8th AD).
• The capital of the Rashtrakutas was Manyakheta or Malkhed near Sholapur. It was under the king Dhruva that the Rashtrakutas turned towards north India in a bid to control Kannauj, then the imperial city.
  • Soon, the Rashtrakuta king Dhruva from south India jumped into the fight. And thus began what is known as ‘Tripartite Struggle’ i.e struggle among three powers.
• The Pala empire was founded by Gopala, probably in AD 750 when he was elected king by the notable men of the area to end the anarchy prevailing there. Gopala was succeeded in AD 770by his son, Dharmapala, who ruled till AD 810. His reign was marked by a tripartite struggle between the Palas, the Pratiharas and the Rashtrakutas for the control of Kanauj and north India.

• The caves of Bhimbetka were discovered in 1957–58 by eminent archaeologist V. S. Wakankar and later on, many more were discovered. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• The rock art of Bhimbetka has been classified into various groups on the bases of style, technique, and superimposition. The drawings and paintings can be categorized into seven historical periods. Period I, Upper Palaeolithic; Period II, Mesolithic; and Period III, Chalcolithic. After Period III there are four successive periods.
• The largest number of Bhimbetka paintings belong to Period II which covers the Mesolithic
• paintings.
  • During this period the themes are multiple but the paintings are smaller in size compared to Upper Palaeolithic paintings. Hence statement 2 is correct.
  • Hunting scenes predominate. The hunting scenes depict people hunting in groups, armed with barbed spears, pointed sticks, arrows and bows. In some paintings, these primitive men are shown with traps and snares probably to catch animals.
  • The hunters are shown wearing simple clothes and ornaments. Sometimes, men have been adorned with elaborate headdresses, and sometimes painted with masks also.
  • Elephant, bison, tiger, boar, deer, antelope, leopard, panther, rhinoceros, fish, frog, lizard, squirrel, and at times birds are also depicted.
  • The Mesolithic artists loved to paint animals. In some pictures, animals are chasing men. In others, they are being chased and hunted by men. Some of the animal paintings, especially in the hunting scenes, show fear of animals, but many others show a feeling of tenderness and love for them.
  • Though animals were painted in a naturalistic style, humans were depicted only in a stylistic manner. Hence statement 3 is correct.
  • Women are painted both in the nude and clothed. The young and the old equally find their place in these paintings. Children are painted running, jumping, and playing. Community dances provide a common theme.
  • There are paintings of people gathering fruit or honey from trees, and of women grinding and preparing food.
  • Some of the pictures of men, women, and children seem to depict a sort of family life. In many of the rock shelters, we find handprints, fist prints, and dots made by the fingertips.
  • The artists of Bhimbetka used many colors, including various shades of white, yellow, orange, red ochre, purple, brown, green, and black. But white and red were their favorite colors.

• The Gupta period is remarkable for the production of secular literature, which consisted of a fair degree of ornate court poetry. Bhasa was an important poet in the early phase of the Gupta period and wrote thirteen plays. He wrote in Sanskrit, but his dramas also contain a substantial amount of Prakrit.
• Bhasa was the author of a drama called Dradiracharudatta, which was later refashioned as Mrichchhakatika or the Little Clay Cart by Shudraka. The play deals with the love affair of a poor brahmana trader with a beautiful courtesan and is considered one of the best works of ancient drama. Hence option (d) is the correct answer.
• In his plays Bhasa uses the term yavanika for the curtain, which suggests Greek contact. However, what has made the Gupta period particularly famous is the work of Kalidasa who lived in the second half of the fourth and the first half of the fifth century. He was the greatest poet of classical Sanskrit literature and wrote Abhijnanashakuntalam which is very highly regarded in world literature.
• It relates the love story of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala, whose son Bharata appears as a famous ruler. Shakuntalam was one of the earliest Indian works to be translated into European languages, the other work being the Bhagavadgita. The plays produced in India during the Gupta period have two common features.
• First, they are all comedies; no tragedies are found. Secondly, characters of the higher and lower classes do not speak the same language; women and Shudras featured in these plays use Prakrit whereas the higher classes use Sanskrit. We may recall that Ashoka and the Satavahanas used Prakrit as the state language.

• A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. In order to function as a GI, a sign must identify a product as originating in a given place
  • Under Articles 1 (2) and 10 of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, geographical indications are covered as an element of IPRs. They are also covered under Articles 22 to 24 of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.
• In December 1999, the Parliament passed the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act,1999. This Act seeks to provide for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India.
  • The Act is administered by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks- who is the Registrar of Geographical Indications. The Geographical Indications Registry is located at Chennai. The Act has come into force with effect from 15th September 2003.
• Aranmula Kannadi (literally meaning Aranmula mirror) is a handmade metal-alloy mirror, unlike the usual glass mirror. Aranmula Kannadi is an extraordinary traditional handmade metal mirror which is famous for bringing prosperity, luck and wealth into life.
  • What’s unique about this front surface reflection mirror is that it eliminates secondary reflections that you typically see in back surface mirrors. Born out of Kerala’s rich culture and its inclination towards metallurgical articles, the mirror is said to have tremendous spiritual value and brings good luck.
  • In 2004, this rare craft belonging to a small town in Kerala was given worldwide recognition when a 45-centimeter tall Aranmula mirror was placed in London’s British Museum and awarded a geographical indication (GI) tag.
  • Owing to the unmatched splendor and religious significance of Aranmula Kannadi, Aranmula was declared a heritage village by Kerala Tourism in order to draw tourists’ attention to this dying craft.
• The making of Mysore Agarbathi became an organized industry in Bangalore during the 1900s. The incense sticks are locally known as oodabathies (blowing fumes). Herbs, flowers, essential oils, barks, roots and charcoal are ground into a smooth paste, then rolled onto bamboo sticks and dried in the sun.
  • The key ingredients Sandalwood and Ailanthus malabaricum (which yields halmadi) are indigenous to the forests of Karnataka, thus earning the product its GI tag status.
• The Hmaram was and is a popular article of clothing for Mizoram women. It is a handmade shawl and is worn like a short skirt by being wrapped around the waist and tucked in on one side. It is worn with a white blouse for ceremonies, festivals, or special events. It is made of cotton and dyed with natural indigo. It enjoys a GI tag status.
• The Lock manufacturing industry in Dindigul is hundreds of years old. Dindigul locks can guarantee aspects like quality, full safety & key facilities, most importantly they are attractive and unique in design.
  • The popular kinds of locks that are manufactured in Dindigul are Mango lock, Door Lock, Trick Lock, Bell Lock, Drawer Lock, Shutter Lock & Book Shutter Lock.
  • Dindigul Locks are specifically purchased for Temples. Government institutions and business places because of its foolproof Safety.
  • Dindigul lock manufacturers claim that the precision lever mechanism in their locks is manually assembled with a unique key code and shackles are meticulous in design that gives greater resistance to anyone who tries to break in.
  • Dindigul locks enjoy GI tag status.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

• Another step which Muhammad-Bin- Tughlaq took at this time was the introduction of the ‘token currency’. Since money is merely a medium of exchange, all countries in the world today have token currencies — generally paper currency, so that they do not have to depend upon the supply of gold and silver. There was a shortage of silver in the world in the fourteenth century. Moreover, Qublai Khan of China had already successfully experimented with a token currency. A Mongol ruler of Iran, Ghazan Khan, had also experimented with it.

• Muhammad Tughlaq decided to introduce a bronze coin which was to have the same value as the silver tanka. Specimen of this coin has been found in different parts of India, and can be seen in museums. The idea of a token currency was a new one in India and it was difficult to induce the traders, as well as the common man to accept it.

Statement 1 is correct. Magadha became the most important mahajanapada in about two hundred years. There were many reasons for it; many rivers such as the Ganga and Son flowed through it which was important for transportation, water supplies and making the land fertile. Also, as the parts of Magadha were forested, wood obtained from it was used to make houses, carts, and chariots. Elephants who lived in the forests could be captured and trained for the army. Also, there were iron ore mines that could be tapped to make strong tools and weapons. In Magadha usually, one person ruled.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Vajji was under a different form of government, known as gana or sangha. This was different from Magadha as here there were not one but many rulers, sometimes thousands of men ruled together and each one was called as raja. These rajas performed rituals together. The system was such that these rajas met in assemblies, and decided through discussion and debate what had to be done and hoe.

However, women, dasas, and kammakaras could not participate in these assemblies. Statement 3 is correct. Both the Buddha and Mahavira belonged to ganas or sanghas.

Statement 3 is incorrect. In the Supreme Court, the English language replaced Persian. KB) Under Cornwallis, The District Faujdari Courts were abolished and, instead, circuit courts were established at Calcutta, Dacca, Murshidabad and Patna. These circuit courts had European judges and were to act as courts of appeal for both civil and criminal cases.

Before reforms by William Bentinck, Persian was the official language in courts. Now, the suitor had the option to use Persian or a vernacular language, while in the Supreme Court, English language replaced Persian

• Robert Clive concluded two important treaties at Allahabad in August 1765 - one with the Nawab of Awadh and the other with the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II.

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Under the treaty Nawab of Awadh Shuja-ud-Daula agreed to surrender Allahabad and Kara to Emperor Shah Alam II.

• Statement 2 is incorrect: Under the treaty Nawab of Awadh Shuja-ud-Daula agreed to pay Rs 50 lakh to the Company as war indemnity.

• Most of the Indian princes had not only remained loyal to the British but had actively aided the latter in suppressing the Revolt. Moreover, the experience of the Revolt had convinced the British authorities that the princely states could serve as useful allies and supporters in case of popular opposition or revolt. The Revolt of 1857 led the British to reverse some aspects of their policy towards the Indian States.

• Some of the relaxation announced by the British to the princely states were:

  • Before 1857, the British availed every opportunity to annex princely states. This policy was now abandoned. Hence statement 1 is correct.

  • The right of princes to adopt heirs would be respected and the integrity of their territories guaranteed against future annexation.

• On the other hand, some of the old policies were applied even after the revolt of 1857:

  • Princes were made to acknowledge Britain as the paramount power as the price of their continued existence. In 1876, Queen Victoria assumed the title of the Empress of India to emphasize British sovereignty over the entire Indian subcontinent. Hence statement 3 is correct.

  • British claimed the right to supervise the internal government of the princely states.

  • They not only interfered in the day-to-day administration through the Residents but insisted on appointing and dismissing ministers and other high officials. Sometimes the rulers themselves were removed or deprived of their powers. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

• Their perpetuation was only one aspect of the British policy towardé the princely state. Complete integration of princely states with British India was another aspect of the British policy towardé the princely states.