OPSC OAS Prelims Paper 1 Practice Test - 1 - OPSC OCS (Odisha) MCQ

Soma was a ritualistic drink. It was an intoxicating drink made since the Vedic Mandala of the Rigvedic period. There are two ways to get wine: fermentation and distillation. Fermentation was widely known in the world. Wine was procured by fermenting rice, sugarcane juice, mahuwa flowers, etc. Distillation, however, was a late comer. Some think that it was first discovered in Italy in the 12th century A.D.

On January 15, 1949, Lieutenant General K. M. Cariappa assumed command of the Indian Army, making him the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. This date has since been commemorated as Indian Army Day, highlighting the significance of military service and the armed forces' role in the nation.

The Himalayan Wolf has been newly classified as 'Vulnerable' by the IUCN Red List, indicating its population is declining due to threats like habitat loss and hunting. This classification aims to raise awareness and promote conservation efforts for this species.

The theme for Indian Army Day in 2024 is "In Service of the Nation," which aligns with the Indian Army's motto, "Service Before Self." This theme emphasizes the dedication of the army to the welfare and protection of the nation, highlighting their commitment to national service over personal interests.

Manoj Kumar, the CMD of Vekoli, received the IMMA Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his contributions to the industry. Such awards celebrate individuals who have made significant impacts in their fields over their careers.

The 2024 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting focuses on the theme "Rebuilding Trust." This theme reflects the need for collaboration and trust-building among nations and organizations in addressing global challenges such as climate change and misinformation.

Wikipedia debuted in 2001, founded by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger. It has since become one of the largest and most popular online reference sources, relying on user-generated content to provide information on countless topics.

The Maldives formally requested that India withdraw its military personnel by March 15, 2024. This request signifies a potential shift in the Maldives' foreign policy, particularly under President Mohamed Muizzu, who has shown a pro-China stance.

Rohit Sharma became the first men's player to achieve 150 T20I appearances and secure 100 wins. This milestone highlights his significant contribution to Indian cricket and his consistency in the shortest format of the game.

The Asiatic Society of Bengal was founded in 1784. This institution has played a crucial role in the promotion of research and scholarship in the fields of literature, archaeology, and history in India.

The 'Yogyasree' scheme aims to empower SC/ST students by providing them with resources and opportunities for better educational outcomes. It highlights the government's commitment to supporting marginalized communities in accessing quality education.

Enrich Your Learning:

Mauryan empire:

• The Mauryan empire was founded by Chandragupta Maurya, more than 2300 years ago. Chandragupta was supported by a wise man named Chanakya or Kautilya. Many of Chanakya’s ideas were written down in a book called the Arthashastra. There were several cities in the empire such as Taxila, Pataliputra, Ujjain. Taxila was a gateway to the northwest, including Central Asia, while Ujjain lay on the route from north to south India. People in different parts of the empire spoke different People in different parts of the empire spoke different languages. They probably ate different kinds of food and wore different kinds of clothes as well.

• The area around Pataliputra was under the direct control of the emperor. The officials were appointed to collect taxes from farmers, herders, craftspersons and traders, who lived in villages and towns in the area. These officials (not all) were given salaries. Messengers went to and fro and spies kept a watch on the officials and they both were supervised by the emperor. There were also the forested regions and people living in these areas were more or less independent, but may have been expected to provide elephants, timber, honey and wax to Mauryan officials.

• Shankara Deva of Assam (late fifteenth century) emphasised devotion to Vishnu, and composed poems and plays in Assamese. He began the practice of setting up Namghars or houses of recitation and prayer, a practice that continues to date. He is widely accredited with building on past cultural relics and devising new forms of music (Borgeet), theatrical performance (Ankia Naat, Bhaona), and dance (Sattriya) and literary language (Brajavali).

• Besides, he has left an extensive literary oeuvre of trans-created scriptures (Bhagavat of Shankar deva), poetry and theological works written in Sanskrit, Assamese and Brajavali. The Bhagavatic religious movement he started, Ekasarana Dharma and also called Neo- Vaishnavite movement, influenced two medieval kingdoms –Koch and the Ahom kingdoms — and the assembly of devotees he initiated evolved into Sattras over time, which continue to be important socio-religious institutions in Assam and to a lesser extend in North Bengal.

• Often associated with the goddess were forms of worship that were classified as Tantric. Tantric practices were widespread in several parts of the sub-continent – they were open to women and men, and practitioners often ignored differences of caste and class within the ritual context.

• Many of these ideas influenced Shaivism, as well as Buddhism, especially in the eastern, northern and southern parts of the sub- continent.

• Those engaged in Tantric practices frequently ignored the authority of the Vedas. Also, devotees often tended to project their chosen deity, either Vishnu or Shiva, as supreme. Relations with other traditions, such as Buddhism or Jainism, were also often fraught with tension, if not open conflict.

Women saints played an important role in the Bhakti Movement. Some of the prominent women saints were:

(1) Lal Ded: Born in modern-day Kashmir, 14th-century Kashmiri saint and mystic poet Lal Ded (Mother Lalla), also known as Lalla or Lalleshwari, was married at the age of 12 into a family that was reported to have regularly mistreated her. After becoming a disciple of Sidh Srikanth, she renounced her material life and marriage to become a devotee of the god Shiva. As a mystic, she wandered naked, reciting her proverbs and quatrain-based poems. Lal Ded often used her poetry as a peaceful means of engagement with both Shaivism and Sufism.

(2) Andal: She in the only femal Alvar among the 12 Alvar saints of South India. The Alvar saints are known for their affiliation to the Vaishavite tradition of Hinduism. Andal is accredited great Tamil works, Thiruppavai and Nachiar Tirumozhi, which are still recited by devotees during the winter festival season of Margazhi.

(3) Akka Mahadevi: Akka Mahadevi was one of the early female poets of Kannada language and a prominent personality in the Lingayat Sect of Hinduism. She composed Vachanas and two short writings, called Mantrogopya and the Yoganagatrividhi in Kannada. She is known to have considered the Shiva as her husband.

• Statement 1 is incorrect: B R Ambedkar attended all the three round table conferences.

• Statement 2 is correct: The differences between Gandhi, representing Congress and Dr. B R Ambedkar, representing depressed class, regarding separate electorate for untouchables led to Poona Pact in 1932.

• After withdrawing its support to the Cabinet Mission plan, the Muslim League decided on “Direct Action” for winning its Pakistan demand.

• It announced 16 August 1946 as “Direct Action Day”. On this day, riots broke out in Calcutta, lasting several days and leaving several thousand people dead. By March 1947 violence spread to many parts of northern India.

The Swadeshi Movement had thrown up some towering leaders – among them Bal Gangadhar Tilak of Maharashtra, Bipin Chandra Pal of Bengal, and Lala Lajpat Rai of Punjab. The three were known as “Lal, Bal and Pal”, the alliteration conveying the all-India character of their struggle, since their native provinces were very distant from one another. These leaders advocated militant opposition to colonial rule.

• Pherozshah Mehta - was a Parsi politician and lawyer from Bombay. He was knighted by the British Government in India for his service to the law. He was one of the founding members and President of the Indian National Congress in 1890. He started The Bombay Chronicle, an English-language weekly newspaper

• Dadabhai Naroji - also known as the "Grand Old Man of India" and "Unofficial Ambassador of India" was a British Parsi scholar, trader and politician who was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom House of Commons and the first Indian to be a British MP. He was one of the founding members of the Indian National Congress.

• A O Hume - was a member of the Imperial Civil Service, a political reformer, ornithologist and botanist who worked in British India. He was one of the founders of the Indian National Congress.

• Gopal Krishna Gokhale - was a political leader and social reformer. He was a senior leader of the INC and the founder of the Servants of India Society. He belonged to the moderate faction of INC. Gokhale's mentor was Justice M.G. Ranade, who started the Sarvajanik Sabha Journal. Gokhale was the mentor to Mahatma Gandhi and he was the one who suggested Gandhi to tour India after his return in 1915.

• Statement 1 is incorrect: During the Great War of 1914-18, the British had instituted censorship of the press and permitted detention without trial. Now, on the recommendation of a committee chaired by Sir Sidney Rowlatt, these tough measures were continued. In response, Gandhiji called for a countrywide campaign against the “Rowlatt Act”.

• Statement 2 is correct: In towns across North and West India, life came to a standstill, as shops shut down and schools closed in response to the bandh call. The protests were particularly intense in the Punjab, where many men had served on the British side in the War – expecting to be rewarded for their service. Instead they were given the Rowlatt Act. Gandhiji was detained while proceeding to the Punjab, even as prominent local Congressmen were arrested. It was the Rowlatt satyagraha that made Mahatma Gandhi a truly national leader. Emboldened by its success, Gandhiji called for a campaign of “non-cooperation” with British rule.

Chundrigar, Asaf Ali, C H Bhabha, Jagjivan Ram, Ghasanfar Ali Khan, Rajendra Prasad, Abdur Nishar. Somnath Lahiri was a communist who criticised the Interim Government due to British involvement in it.

• Statement 1 is correct: Mahatma Gandhi focused on social reform works when he was not in politics. A very good example is, when Congress declared Purna Swaraj in Lahore session (1930), and hoisted the National flag, Gandhiji wanted that the declaration of Purna Swaraj be made by whole villages and towns, and the rest of the day be spent in service of untouchables. Also, during Dandi March he said to the upper castes that if they want Swaraj, they need to correct the wrongs done by them on untouchables. Hence, he used the National movement to bring social transformation.

• Statement 2 is correct: Mahatma Gandhi was profoundly critical of the modern age in which machines enslaved humans and displaced labour. He saw the charkha as a symbol of a human society that would not glorify machines and technology

• Statement 1 is correct: The Khilafat Movement, (1919-1920) was a movement of Indian Muslims, led by Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali that demanded the following:

• Statement 2 is incorrect: The Turkish Sultan or Khalifa must retain control over the Muslim sacred places in the erstwhile Ottoman Empire; the jazirat-ul-Arab (Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Palestine) must remain under Muslim sovereignty; and the Khalifa must be left with sufficient territory to enable him to defend the Islamic faith.

• Statement 3 is also correct: The Congress supported the movement and Mahatma Gandhi sought to conjoin it to the Non-cooperation Movement.

• The Canary Current (cold) is a wind-driven surface current that is part of the North Atlantic Gyre. This eastern boundary current branches south from the North Atlantic Current and flows southwest about as far as Senegal where it turns west and later joins the Atlantic North Equatorial Current. Hence option 1 is not correct.

• The Mozambique Current is an ocean current in the Indian Ocean, usually defined as warm surface waters flowing south along the African east coast in the Mozambique Channel, between Mozambique and the island of Madagascar. Hence option 2 is correct.

• The North Equatorial Current (warm) is found in the North Atlantic from about 7°N to about 20°N. Fortified by the Atlantic trade wind belt, the NEC is a broad westward flowing current that forms the southern limb of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre. The current originates from the northwestern coast of Africa, where it is fed mainly by the cooler waters flowing from the northeast Atlantic. Hence option 3 is correct.

• Sub-Polar low-pressure belt is located between 60-65 degree latitudes in both the hemispheres. The low-pressure belt does not appear to be thermally induced because there is low temperature throughout the year. The surface air spreads outward from this zone due to the rotation of the earth and low pressure is caused. Instead of a regular and continuous belt, there are well-defined low-pressure centres or cells over the oceans in the northern hemisphere e.g. in the neighbourhood of the Aleutian Islands in the Pacific Ocean and between Greenland and Iceland in the Atlantic Ocean. Hence option (c) is the correct answer.

• The sub-tropical highs extend from near the tropics to about 35°N and S. After saturation (complete loss of moisture) at the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the air moving away from equatorial low pressure belt in the upper troposphere becomes dry and cold. This dry and cold wind subsides at 30°N and S. So the high pressure along this belt is due to subsidence of air coming from the equatorial region which descends after becoming heavy.

• Equatorial Low Pressure Belt lies between 10°N and 10°S latitudes. This belt is the zone of convergence of trade winds from two hemispheres from sub-tropical high pressure belts. As this region lies along the equator, it receives highest amount of insolation. Due to intense heating, air gets warmed up and rises over the equatorial region (convection).Whenever there is vertically upward movement of air, the region at the surface will be at low pressure. Thus the belt along the equator is called equatorial low pressure belt.

• The polar highs are small in area and extend around the poles. They lie around poles between 80 – 90° N and S latitudes. The air from sub-polar low pressure belts after saturation becomes dry. This dry air becomes cold while moving towards poles through upper troposphere. The cold air (heavy) on reaching poles subsides creating a high pressure belt at the surface of earth.

• Dal is a freshwater lake in Srinagar. Hence option 1 is correct.

  • It is also an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting.

  • The floating gardens, known as “Raad” in Kashmiri, blossom with lotus flowers during July and August in this lake. o It is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel”.

• Wular Lake is the largest freshwater lake in India and lies in the Kashmir Valley, 40 km northwest of Srinagar City. Hence option 2 is correct.

• Pangong Tso lake is located in the Union Territory of Ladakh. It is situated at a height of almost 4,350m and is the world’s highest saltwater lake. Hence option 3 is not correct.

  • It acts as a huge absorption basin for annual floodwater in Kashmir Valley.

  • The Jhelum river flows into it, 40 km down from Srinagar, and then out again.

  • Lake basin is formed by the tectonic activity and is fed by the Jhelum river.

  • Extending to almost 160 km, one-third of the Pangong Lake lies in India and the other two-thirds in China.

• Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in North East India. Hence option 4 is correct.

  • Loktak Lake is fed by the Manipur river and several tributaries and ‘Ungamel Channel’ (Ithai Barrage) is its only outlet now.

  • Keibul Lamjao national park- the only floating national park in the world lies in the lake.

  • The national park is the last habitat of endangered Sangai deer also called as dancing deer.

  • The lake is famous for Phumdis- floating mass of entangled vegetation formed by the accumulation of organic debris and biomass with soil.

• Tropical cyclones originate and intensify over warm tropical oceans. The conditions favourable for the formation and intensification of tropical storms are:

  • Large sea surface with a temperature higher than 27° C; Hence option 1 is correct.

  • Presence of the Coriolis force Hence option 2 is not correct.

  • Small variations in the vertical wind speed; Hence option 3 is not correct.

  • A pre-existing weak low-pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation.

  • Upper divergence above the sea level system.

• The cyclones, which cross 20°N latitude generally, recurve and they are more destructive (cyclones do not form near the equator due to the absence of Coriolis force).

• A mature tropical cyclone is characterized by the strong spirally circulating wind around the centre, called the eye. The diameter of the circulating system can vary between 150 and 250 km. The eye is a region of calm with subsiding air.

• Around the eye is the eyewall, where there is a strong spiralling ascent of air to a greater height reaching the tropopause. The wind reaches maximum velocity in this region, reaching as high as 250 km per hour. Torrential rain occurs here.

• From the eyewall, rain bands may radiate and trains of cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds may drift into the outer region. The diameter of the storm over the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and Indian ocean is between 600 and 1200 km. The system moves slowly about 300 - 500 km per day. The cyclone creates storm surges and they inundate the coastal low lands. The storm peters out on the land.

• Rocks (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic) of the earth’s surface are exposed to denudational agents, and are broken up into various sizes of fragments. Such fragments are transported by different exogenous agencies and deposited. These deposits through compaction turn into sedimentary rocks. This process is called lithification.

• Depending upon the mode of formation, sedimentary rocks are classified into three major groups:

  • mechanically formed - sandstone, conglomerate, shale, loess etc. are examples;

  • organically formed - geyserite, chalk, limestone, coal etc. are some examples;

  • chemically formed - chert, limestone, halite, potash etc. are some examples. Hence option (b) is the correct answer.

• Granite, gabbro, pegmatite, basalt, volcanic breccia and tuff are some of the examples of igneous rocks.

• Gneissoid, syenite, slate, schist, marble, quartzite etc. are some examples of metamorphic rocks.