Insights Mock Tests – 2015: Test – 12 Solutions · Bhimbetka is located fortyfive kilometres south of Bhopal, in an area of ten square kilometres, having about eight hundred rock

Insights Mock Tests – 2015: Test – 12 Solutions

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1. Solution: b)

Prehistoric paintings have been found in many parts of the world. We do not really know if

Lower Palaeolithic people ever produced any art objects. But by the Upper Palaeolithic times

we see a proliferation of artistic activities. Around the world the walls of many caves of this

time are full of finely carved and painted pictures of animals which the cave-dwellers

hunted. The subjects of their drawings were human figures, human activities, geometric

designs and symbols. In India the earliest paintings have been reported from the Upper

Palaeolithic times.

2. Solution: b)

Remnants of rock paintings have been found on the walls of the caves situated in several

districts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Bihar. Some

paintings have been reported from the Kumaon hills in Uttarakhand also. The rock shelters

on banks of the River Suyal at Lakhudiyar, about twenty kilometres on the Almora–

Barechina road, bear these prehistoric paintings.

Lakhudiyar literally means one lakh caves. The paintings here can be divided into three

categories: man, animal and geometric patterns in white, black and red ochre. Humans are

represented in stick-like forms. A long-snouted animal, a fox and a multiple legged lizard

are the main animal motifs. Wavy lines, rectangle-filled geometric designs, and groups of

dots can also be seen here. One of the interesting scenes depicted here is of hand-linked

dancing human figures.

THE ABOVE MAKES IT CLEAR that option D is not appropriate. For the other options

here is the argument and evidence.

There is some superimposition of paintings. The earliest are in black; over these are red

ochre paintings and the last group comprises white paintings. From Kashmir two slabs with

engravings have been reported. The granite rocks of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh

provided suitable canvases to the Neolithic man for his paintings. There are several such

sites but more famous among them are Kupgallu, Piklihal and Tekkalkota. Three types of

paintings have been reported from here—paintings in white, paintings in red ochre over a

white background and paintings in red ochre.

3. Solution: c)

Richest paintings are reported from the Vindhya ranges of Madhya Pradesh and their

Kaimurean extensions into Uttar Pradesh. These hill ranges are full of Palaeolithic and

Mesolithic remains, and they are also full of forests, wild plants, fruits, streams and creeks,

thus a perfect place for Stone Age people to live. Among these the largest and most

spectacular rock-shelter is located in the Vindhya hills at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh.



Bhimbetka is located fortyfive kilometres south of Bhopal, in an area of ten square

kilometres, having about eight hundred rock shelters, five hundred of which bear paintings.

The caves of Bhimbetka were discovered in 1957–58 by eminent archaeologist V.S.

Wakankar and later on many more were discovered. Wakankar spent several years in

surveying these inaccessible hills and jungles to study these paintings.

The themes of paintings found here are of great variety, ranging from mundane events of

daily life in those times to sacred and royal images. These include hunting, dancing, music,

horse and elephant riders, animal fighting, honey collection, decoration of bodies, and other

household scenes.

4. Solution: c)

To be noted, it is not a UN body. It exists separately. The same is true for WTO, WB etc.

Also, only the WB, not the IMF, gives infrastructural loans.

5. Solution: c)

Nations can usually see that there are some things they must do together. There are issues

that are so challenging that they can only be dealt with when everyone works together.

Disease is an example. Some diseases can only be eradicated if everyone in the world

cooperates in inoculating or vaccinating their populations. Or take global warming and its

effects. As atmospheric temperatures rise because of the spread of certain chemicals called

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), there is a danger that sea levels will also rise, thereby

submerging many coastal areas of the world including huge cities. Of course, each country

can try to find its own solution to the effects of global warming. But in the end a more

effective approach is to stop the warming itself. This requires at least all of the major

industrial powers to cooperate.



6. Solution: c)

Explanation for this and the next three questions are together.

7. Solution: d)

Explanation above.

8. Solution: c)

Explanation above.



9. Solution: d)

Explanation above.

10. Solution: d)

After the Cold War, the realities of the globe are different that force a revisit of the

composition of the UNSC. Here are some of the changes that have occurred that revisit:

The Soviet Union has collapsed.

The US is the strongest power.

China is fast emerging as a great power, and India also is growing rapidly.

The economies of Asia are growing at an unprecedented rate.

Many new countries have joined the UN (as they became independent from the

Soviet Union or former communist states in eastern Europe).

A whole new set of challenges confronts the world (genocide, civil war, ethnic

conflict, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, climate change, environmental degradation,

epidemics).

11. Solution: d)

The World Bank was created immediately after the Second World War in 1945. Its activities

are focused on the developing countries. It works for human development (education,

health), agriculture and rural development (irrigation, rural services), environmental

protection (pollution reduction, establishing and enforcing regulations), infrastructure

(roads, urban regeneration, electricity) and governance (anti-corruption, development of

legal institutions). It provides loans and grants to the member-countries. In this way, it

exercises enormous influence on the economic policies of developing countries. It is often

criticised for setting the economic agenda of the poorer nations, attaching stringent

conditions to its loans and forcing free market reforms.

12. Solution: c)

This organisation was set up in 1995 as the successor to the General Agreement on Trade

and Tariffs (GATT) created after the Second World War. It has 150 members. All decisions

are taken unanimously but the major economic powers such as the US, EU and Japan have

managed to use the WTO to frame rules of trade to advance their own interests. The

developing countries often complain of non-transparent procedures and being pushed

around by big powers.



13. Solution: b)

While Harappa and Mohenjodaro are situated in Pakistan, the important sites excavated in

India are Lothal and Dholavira in Gujarat, Rakhigarhi in Haryana, Ropar in the Punjab,

Kalibangan and Balathal in Rajasthan, etc. Statues whether in stone, bronze or terracotta

found in Harappan sites are not abundant, but refined.

14. Solution: b)

The art of bronze-casting was practised on a wide scale by the Harappans. Their bronze

statues were made using the ‗lost wax‘ technique in which the wax figures were first

covered with a coating of clay and allowed to dry. Then the wax was heated and the molten

wax was drained out through a tiny hole made in the clay cover. The hollow mould thus

created was filled with molten metal which took the original shape of the object. Once the

metal cooled, the clay cover was completely removed.

15. Solution: a)

Archaeologists have discovered thousands of seals, usually made of steatite, and

occasionally of agate, chert, copper, faience and terracotta, with beautiful figures of animals,

such as unicorn bull, rhinoceros, tiger, elephant, bison, goat, buffalo, etc. The realistic

rendering of these animals in various moods is remarkable. The purpose of producing seals

was mainly commercial. It appears that the seals were also used as amulets, carried on the

persons of their owners, perhaps as modern-day identity cards. The standard Harappan seal

was a square plaque 2×2 square inches, usually made from the soft river stone, steatite.

Every seal is engraved in a pictographic script which is yet to be deciphered. Some seals

have also been found in gold and ivory. They all bear a great variety of motifs, most often of

animals including those of the bull, Unicorn, Tiger etc.

16. Solution: d)

The Harappan men and women decorated themselves with a large variety of ornaments

produced from every conceivable material ranging from precious metals and gemstones to

bone and baked clay. While necklaces, fillets, armlets and finger-rings were commonly worn

by both sexes.

From archaeological finds it appears that the people of the Indus Valley were conscious of

fashion. Different hairstyles were in vogue and wearing of a beard was popular among all.

Cinnabar was used as a cosmetic and facepaint, lipstick and collyrium (eyeliner) were also

known to them. Many stone structural remains are also found at Dholavira which show how

the Indus Valley people used stone in construction.



17. Solution: c)

Even today we observe that mural painting on interior and exterior walls of houses in

villages or havelis is prevalent in different parts of the country. These paintings are usually

made by women either at the time of ceremonies or festivals or as a routine to clean and

decorate the walls. Some of the traditional forms of murals are pithoro in parts of Rajasthan

and Gujarat, Mithila painting in northern Bihar‘s Mithila region, warli paintings in

Maharashtra, or simply paintings on the walls, be it in a village of Odisha or Bengal,

Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh.

18. Solution: d)

Two broad orders of temples in the country are known— Nagara in the north and Dravida in

the south. At times, the Vesar style of temples as an independent style created through the

selective mixing of the Nagara and Dravida orders is mentioned by some scholars.

As temples grew more complex, more surfaces were created for sculpture through additive

geometry, i.e., by adding more and more rhythmically projecting, symmetrical walls and

niches, without breaking away from the fundamental plan of the shrine.

Phamsana and Valabhi are sub-types of Nagara.

19. Solution: c)

This temple is in the panchayatana style of architecture where the main shrine is built on a

rectangular plinth with four smaller subsidiary shrines at the four corners (making it a total

number of five shrines, hence the name, panchayatana). The tall and curvilinear shikhara also

corroborates this date.

Rekha-prasada type of shikhara is the presence of this curving latina in an early example of

a classic nagara style of temple.

20. Solution: b)



The main architectural features of Odisha temples are classified in three orders, i.e.,

rekhapida, pidhadeul and khakra.

Most of the main temple sites are located in ancient Kalinga—modern Puri District,

including Bhubaneswar or ancient Tribhuvanesvara, Puri and Konark. The temples of

Odisha constitute a distinct substyle within the nagara order. In general, here the shikhara,

called deul in Odisha, is vertical almost until the top when it suddenly curves sharply

inwards. Deuls are preceded, as usual, by mandapas called jagamohana in Odisha. Theground

plan of the main temple is almost always square, which, in the upper reaches of its

superstructure becomes circular in the crowning mastaka.

This makes the spire nearly cylindrical in appearance in its length. Compartments and

niches are generally square, the exterior of the temples are lavishly carved, their interiors

generally quite bare. Odisha temples usually have boundary walls.

21. Solution: d)

Kashmir‘s proximity to prominent Gandhara sites (such as Taxila, Peshawar and the

northwest frontier) lent the region a strong Gandhara influence by the fifth century CE. This

began to mix with the Gupta and post-Gupta traditions that were brought to it from Sarnath,

Mathura and even centres in Gujarat and Bengal.

Brahmin pundits and Buddhist monks frequently travelled between Kashmir, Garhwal,

Kumaon and religious centres in the plains like Banaras, Nalanda and even as far south as

Kanchipuram. As a result both Buddhist and Hindu traditions began to intermingle and

spread in the hills. The hills also had their own tradition of wooden buildings with pitched

roofs.

At several places in the hills, therefore, you will find that while the main garbhagriha and

shikhara are made in a rekha-prasada or latina style, the mandapa is of an older form of wooden

architecture. Sometimes, the temple itself takes on a pagoda shape.

22. Solution: b)

In 1961, the leaders of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) were worried that the

United States of America (USA) would invade communist-ruled Cuba and overthrow Fidel

Castro, the president of the small island nation off the coast of the United States. Cuba was

an ally of the Soviet Union and received both diplomatic and financial aid from it. Nikita

Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union, decided to convert Cuba into a Russian base.

In 1962, he placed nuclear missiles in Cuba. The installation of these weapons put the US, for

the first time, under fire from close range and nearly doubled the number of bases or cities

in the American mainland which could be threatened by the USSR.



Three weeks after the Soviet Union had placed the nuclear weapons in Cuba, the Americans

became aware of it.

The US President, John F. Kennedy, and his advisers were reluctant to do anything that

might lead to full-scale nuclear war between the two countries, but they were determined to

get Khrushchev to remove the missiles and nuclear weapons from Cuba. Kennedy ordered

American warships to intercept any Soviet ships heading to Cuba as a way of warning the

USSR of his seriousness. A clash seemed imminent in what came to be known as the Cuban

Missile Crisis.

23. Solution: d)

The Cold War was not simply a matter of power rivalries, of military alliances, and of the

balance of power.

These were accompanied by a real ideological conflict as well, a difference over the best and

the most appropriate way of organising political, economic, and social life all over the

world.

The western alliance, headed by the US, represented the ideology of liberal democracy and

capitalism while the eastern alliance, headed by the Soviet Union, was committed to the

ideology of socialism and communism.

The two superpowers and the countries in the rival blocs led by the superpowers were

expected to behave as rational and responsible actors. They were to be rational and

responsible in the sense that they understood the risks in fighting wars that might involve

the two superpowers. When two superpowers and the blocs led by them are in a deterrence

relationship, fighting wars will be massively destructive.

24. Solution: a)

The two superpowers were keen on expanding their spheres of influence in different parts

of the world. In a world sharply divided between the two alliance systems, a state was

supposed to remain tied to its protective superpower to limit the influence of the other

superpower and its allies.

The smaller states in the alliances used the link to the superpowers for their own purposes.

They got the promise of protection, weapons, and economic aid against their local rivals,

mostly regional neighbours with whom they had rivalries. The alliance systems led by the

two superpowers, therefore, threatened to divide the entire world into two camps. This

division happened first in Europe.

Most countries of western Europe sided with the US and those of eastern Europe joined the

Soviet camp. That is why these were also called the ‗western‘ and the ‗eastern‘ alliances.



25. Solution: d)

Why the superpowers needed any allies at all? After all, with their nuclear weapons and

regular armies, they were so powerful that the combined power of most of the smaller states

in Asia and Africa, and even in Europe, was no match to that of the superpowers. Yet, the

smaller states were helpful for the superpowers in gaining access to

(i) vital resources, such as oil and minerals,

(ii) territory, from where the superpowers could launch their weapons and troops,

(iii) locations from where they could spy on each other, and

(iv) economic support, in that many small allies together could help pay for military

expenses.

They were also important for ideological reasons. The loyalty of allies suggested that the

superpowers were winning the war of ideas as well.

26. Solution: d)

27. Solution: a)



The roots of NAM went back to the friendship between three leaders — Yugoslavia‘s Josip

Broz Tito, India‘s Jawaharlal Nehru, and Egypt‘s leader Gamal Abdel Nasser — who held a

meeting in 1956. Indonesia‘s Sukarno and Ghana‘s Kwame Nkrumah strongly supported

them. These five leaders came to be known as the five founders of NAM. The first non-

aligned summit was held in Belgrade in 1961. This was the culmination of at least three

factors:

(i) cooperation among these five countries,

(ii) growing Cold War tensions and its widening arenas, and

(iii) the dramatic entry of many newly decolonised African countries into the international

arena. By 1960, there were 16 new African members in the UN.

The first summit was attended by 25 member states. Over the years, the membership of

NAM has expanded.

28. Solution: c)

As non-alignment grew into a popular international movement, countries of various

different political systems and interests joined it. This made the movement less

homogeneous and also made it more difficult to define in very neat and precise terms: what

did it really stand for? Increasingly, NAM was easier to define in terms of what it was not. It

was not about being a member of an alliance. The policy of staying away from alliances

should not be considered isolationism or neutrality.

Non-alignment is not isolationism since isolationism means remaining aloof from world

affairs. Isolationism sums up the foreign policy of the US from the American War of

Independence in 1787 up to the beginning of the First World War. In comparison, the non-

aligned countries, including India, played an active role in mediating between the two rival

alliances in the cause of peace and stability. Their strength was based on their unity and

their resolve to remain non-aligned despite the attempt by the two superpowers to bring

them into their alliances.

Non-alignment is also not neutrality. Neutrality refers principally to a policy of staying out

of war. States practising neutrality are not required to help end a war. They do not get

involved in wars and do not take any position on the appropriateness or morality of a war.

Non-aligned states, including India, were actually involved in wars for various reasons.

They also worked to prevent war between others and tried to end wars that had broken out.

29. Solution: d)

Economic development was also vital for the independence of the new countries.



Without sustained development, a country could not be truly free. It would remain

dependent on the richer countries including the colonial powers from which political

freedom had been achieved. The idea of a New International Economic Order (NIEO)

originated with this realisation. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

(UNCTAD) brought out a report in 1972 entitled Towards a New Trade Policy for Development.

The report proposed a reform of the global trading system so as to:

(i) give the LDCs control over their natural resources exploited by the developed Western

countries,

(ii) obtain access to Western markets so that the LDCs could sell their products and,

therefore, make trade more beneficial for the poorer countries,

(iii) reduce the cost of technology from the Western countries, and

(iv) provide the LDCs with a greater role in international economic institutions.

Gradually, the nature of nonalignment changed to give greater importance to economic

issues.

30. Solution: c)

India‘s policy of non-alignment was criticised on a number of counts. Here we may refer to

only two criticisms:

First, India‘s non-alignment was said to be ‗unprincipled‘. In the name of pursuing its

national interest, India, it was said, often refused to take a firm stand on crucial international

issues.

Second, it is suggested that India was inconsistent and took contradictory postures.

Having criticised others for joining alliances, India signed the Treaty of Friendship in

August 1971 with the USSR for 20 years. This was regarded, particularly by outside

observers, as virtually joining the Soviet alliance system. The Indian government‘s view was

that India needed diplomatic and possibly military support during the Bangladesh crisis and

that in any case the treaty did not stop India from having good relations with other countries

including the US.

31. Solution: d)

LIMITED TEST BAN TREATY (LTBT)



Banned nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere, in outer space and under water. Signed by

the US, UK and USSR in Moscow on 5 August 1963. Entered into force on 10 October 1963.

NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY (NPT)

Allows only the nuclear weapon states to have nuclear weapons and stops others from

aquiring them. For the purposes of the NPT, a nuclear weapon state is one which has

manufactured and exploded a nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive device prior to 1

January 1967. So there are five nuclear weapon states: US, USSR (later Russia), Britain,

France and China. Signed in Washington, London, and Moscow on 1 July 1968. Entered into

force on 5 March 1970. Extended indefinitely in 1995.

STRATEGIC ARMS REDUCTION TREATY I (START-I)

Treaty signed by the USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev and the US President George Bush

(Senior) on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms in Moscow on 31 July

1991.

STRATEGIC ARMS REDUCTION TREATY II (START-II)

Treaty signed by the Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the US President George Bush

(Senior) on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms in Moscow on 3 January

1993.

32. Solutions: d)

There was no unemployment. State ownership was the dominant form of ownership: land

and productive assets were owned and controlled by the Soviet state.

The Soviet system, however, became very bureaucratic and authoritarian, making life very

difficult for its citizens. Lack of democracy and the absence of freedom of speech stifled

people who often expressed their dissent in jokes and cartoons. Most of the institutions of

the Soviet state needed reform: the one-party system represented by the Communist Party of

the Soviet Union had tight control over all institutions and was unaccountable to the people.

The party refused to recognise the urge of people in the fifteen different republics that

formed the Soviet Union to manage their own affairs including their cultural affairs.

Although, on paper, Russia was only one of the fifteen republics that together constituted

the USSR, in reality Russia dominated everything, and people from other regions felt

neglected and often suppressed.

In the arms race, the Soviet Union managed to match the US from time to time, but at great

cost. The Soviet Union lagged behind the West in technology, infrastructure (e.g. transport,

power), and most importantly, in fulfilling the political or economic aspirations of citizens.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 weakened the system even further. Though

wages continued to grow, productivity and technology fell considerably behind that of the



West. This led to shortages in all consumer goods. Food imports increased every year. The

Soviet economy was faltering in the late 1970s and became stagnant.

33. Solution: d)

The disintegration of Soviet Union started under the leadership of Micheal Gorbachev. A

discussion of his policies and their shortcomings would lead us to the break-up of the soviet

Union.

Gorbachev came to power in 1985. He was determined to transform and revitalize the Union

and for this purpose intended the modernizing and streamlining the communist party.

Gorbachev wanted to make communism practiced in Soviet more humane and democratic.

Reforms by Gorbachev – perestroika (economic restructuring) and Glasnost (openness):

1. He made foreign affairs a priority, took initiatives for better relations with china; and

pushed Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan.

2. Freedom was given to media to criticize the government.

3. For the first time, parties other than the Communist Party could participate in

elections.

4. In economic affairs government grip was loosened. Small scale private entrepreneurs

were allowed. Computerization was started which reduced the manual labor.

5. Workers were given the right to strike for better wages and conditions.

6. Gorbachev also encouraged foreign investment in Soviet enterprises.

7. Political changes were initiated that led to a move towards democracy within the

Communist party.

34. Solution: d)

The collapse of the second world of the Soviet Union and the socialist systems in eastern

Europe had profound consequences for world politics.

First of all, it meant the end of Cold War confrontations. The ideological dispute over

whether the socialist system would beat the capitalist system was not an issue any more.

Since this dispute had engaged the military of the two blocs, had triggered a massive arms

race and accumulation of nuclear weapons, and had led to the existence of military blocs, the

end of the confrontation demanded an end to this arms race and a possible new peace.



Second, power relations in world politics changed and, therefore, the relative influence of

ideas and institutions also changed. The end of the Cold War left open only two possibilities:

either the remaining superpower would dominate and create a unipolar system, or different

countries or groups of countries could become important players in the international system,

thereby bringing in a multipolar system where no one power could dominate. As it turned

out, the US became the sole superpower.

Third, the end of the Soviet bloc meant the emergence of many new countries. All these

countries had their own independent aspirations and choices. Some of them, especially the

Baltic and east European states, wanted to join the European Union and become part of the

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Thus, the international system saw many new

players emerge, each with its own identity, interests, and economic and political difficulties

35. Solution: d)

The collapse of communism was followed in most of these countries by a painful process of

transition from an authoritarian socialist system to a democratic capitalist system. The

model of transition in Russia, Central Asia and east Europe that was influenced by the

World Bank and the IMF came to be known as ‗shock therapy‘.

Each of these countries was required to make a total shift to a capitalist economy, which

meant rooting out completely any structures evolved during the Soviet period. Above all, it

meant that private ownership was to be the dominant pattern of ownership of property.

Privatisation of state assets and corporate ownership patterns were to be immediately

brought in. Collective farms were to be replaced by private farming and capitalism in

agriculture.

Shock therapy also involved a drastic change in the external orientation of these economies.

Development was now envisaged through more trade, and thus a sudden and complete

switch to free trade was considered essential. \

The free trade regime and foreign direct investment (FDI) were to be the main engines of

change. This also involved openness to foreign investment, financial opening up or

deregulation, and currency convertibility.

Finally, the transition also involved a break up of the existing trade alliances among the

countries of the Soviet bloc.

36. Solution: c)

On 19 March 2003, the US launched its invasion of Iraq under the codename ‗Operation Iraqi

Freedom‘. More than forty other countries joined in the US-led ‗coalition of the willing‘ after

the UN refused to give its mandate to the invasion. The ostensible purpose of the invasion



was to prevent Iraq from developing weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Since no

evidence of WMD has been unearthed in Iraq, it is speculated that the invasion was

motivated by other objectives, such as controlling Iraqi oilfields and installing a regime

friendly to the US.

Although the government of Saddam Hussein fell swiftly, the US has not been able to

‗pacify‘ Iraq. Instead, a full-fledged insurgency against US occupation was ignited in Iraq.

37. Solution: d)

The first constraint is the institutional architecture of the American state itself. A system of

division of powers between the three branches of government places significant brakes upon

the unrestrained and immoderate exercise of America‘s military power by the executive

branch.

The second constraint on American power is also domestic in nature, and stems from the

open nature of American society.

Although the American mass media may from time to time impose or promote a particular

perspective on domestic public opinion in the US, there is nevertheless a deep scepticism

regarding the purposes and methods of government in American political culture. This

factor, in the long run, is a huge constraint on US military action overseas.

However, it is the third constraint on the US that is perhaps the most important.

There is only one organisation in the international system that could possibly moderate the

exercise of American power today, and that is the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

(NATO). The US obviously has an enormous interest in keeping the alliance of democracies

that follow the market economies alive and therefore it is possible that its allies in the NATO

will be able to moderate the exercise of US hegemony.

38. Solution: d)

The Sri Lankan problem involves people of Indian origin, and there is considerable pressure

from the Tamil people in India to the effect that the Indian government should protect the

interests of the Tamils in Sri Lanka. The government of India has from time to time tried to

negotiate with the Sri Lankan government on the Tamil question.

But in 1987, the government of India for the first time got directly involved in the Sri Lankan

Tamil question. India signed an accord with Sri Lanka and sent troops to stabilise relations

between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamils. Eventually, the Indian Army got into a

fight with the LTTE. The presence of Indian troops was also not liked much by the Sri

Lankans. They saw this as an attempt by India to interfere in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka.



In 1989, the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) pulled out of Sri Lanka without attaining its

objective.

39. Solution: c)

Soon after the partition, the two countries got embroiled in a conflict over the fate of

Kashmir.

The Pakistani government claimed that Kashmir belonged to it. Wars between India and

Pakistan in 1947-48 and 1965 failed to settle the matter. The 1947-48 war resulted in the

division of the province into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the Indian province of Jammu

and Kashmir divided by the Line of Control. In 1971, India won a decisive war against

Pakistan but the Kashmir issue remained unsettled.

India‘s conflict with Pakistan is also over strategic issues like the control of the Siachen

glacier and over acquisition of arms. The arms race between the two countries assumed a

new character with both states acquiring nuclear weapons and missiles to deliver such arms

against each other in the 1990s. In 1998, India conducted nuclear explosion in Pokaran.

Pakistan responded within a few days by carrying out nuclear tests in the Chagai Hills.

Since then India and Pakistan seem to have built a military relationship in which the

possibility of a direct and full-scale war has declined.

40. Solution: a)

India and Pakistan also have had problems over the sharing of river waters. Until 1960, they

were locked in a fierce argument over the use of the rivers of the Indus basin. Eventually, in

1960, with the help of the World Bank, India and Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty

which has survived to this day in spite of various military conflicts in which the two

countries have been involved.

There are still some minor differences about the interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty

and the use of the river waters. The two countries are not in agreement over the demarcation

line in Sir Creek in the Rann of Kutch. The dispute seems minor, but there is an underlying

worry that how the dispute is settled may have an impact on the control of sea resources in

the area adjoining Sir Creek. India and Pakistan are holding negotiations on all these issues.

41. Solution: d)

In 1950, Nepal signed India-Nepal Friendship treaty this treaty, in order to maintain the

special ties with independent India that it had with British India. Another reason was that

Nepal‘s security concerns had been heightened by the Communist revolution in China and

its takeover of Tibet.



The treaty provides for:

an open border between the two countries

allows Nepali nationals to work in India without a work permit, to apply for

government jobs and the civil services (except for the IFS, IAS, and IPS), to open

bank accounts and buy property.

42. Solution: d)

The rock-cut cave carved at Barabar hills near Gaya in Bihar is known as the Lomus Rishi

cave. The facade of the cave is decorated with the semicircular chaitya arch as the entrance.

The elephant frieze carved in high relief on the chaitya arch shows considerable movement.

The interior hall of this cave is rectangular with a circular chamber at the back. The entrance

is located on the side wall of the hall. The cave was patronised by Ashoka for the Ajivika

sect. The Lomus Rishi cave is an isolated example of this period. But many Buddhist caves of

the subsequent periods were excavated in eastern and western India.

43. Solution: c)

The Lion Capital discovered more than a hundred years ago at Sarnath, near Varanasi, is

generally referred to as Sarnath Lion Capital. This is one of the finest examples of sculpture

from the Mauryan period. Built in commemoration of the historical event of the first sermon

or the Dhammachakrapravartana by the Buddha at Sarnath, the capital was built by Ashoka.

The motif of the chakra becomes significant as a representation of the Dhammachkra in the

entire Buddhist art.



Each animal figure, despite sticking to the surface, is voluminous, its posture creating

movement in the circular abacus. Despite having limited space between each chakra, these

animal figures display considerable command over the depiction of movement in a limited

space. The circular abacus is supported by an inverted lotus capital.

44. Solution: a)

During the early phase of Buddhism, Buddha is depicted symbolically through footprints,

stupas, lotus throne, chakra, etc. This indicates either simple worship, or paying respect, or at

times depicts historicization of life events. This was because Buddha said Digha Nikaya i.e.

he discouraged his representation in human forms after his death.

Gradually narrative became a part of the Buddhist tradition. Thus events from the life of the

Buddha, the Jataka stories, were depicted on the railings and torans of the stupas. Mainly

synoptic narrative, continuous narrative and episodic narrative are used in the pictorial

tradition.

While events from the life of the Buddha became an important theme in all the Buddhist

monuments, the Jataka stories also became equally important for sculptural decorations. The

main events associated with the Buddha‘s life which were frequently depicted were events

related to the birth, renunciation, enlightenment, dhammachakrapravartana, and

mahaparinibbana (death). Among the Jataka stories that are frequently depicted are Chhadanta

Jataka, Vidurpundita Jataka, Ruru Jataka, Sibi Jataka, Vessantara Jataka and Shama Jataka.

Stupa worship, Bharhut.

45. Solution: b)

After the developments at Bantur, the next phase of sculptural development at Sanchi Stupa-

1, Mathura, and Vengi in Andhra Pradesh (Guntur District) is noteworthy in the stylistic

progression. Stupa-1 at Sanchi has upper as well as lower pradakshinapatha or

circumambulatory path. It has four beautifully decorated toranas depicting various events

from the life of the Buddha and the Jatakas. Figure compositions are in high relief, filling up

the entire space.

46. Solution: a)

The first century CE onwards, Gandhara (now in Pakistan), Mathura in northern India and

Vengi in Andhra Pradesh emerged as important centres of art production. Buddha in the

symbolic form got a human form in Mathura and Gandhara. The sculptural tradition in

Gandhara had the confluence of Bactria, Parthia and the local Gandhara tradition. The local

sculptural tradition at Mathura became so strong that the tradition spread to other parts of



northern India. The best example in this regard is the stupa sculptures found at Sanghol in

the Punjab.

47. Solution: a)

The sculptural tradition in Gandhara had the confluence of Bactria, Parthia and the local

Gandhara tradition.

The Buddha image at Mathura is modelled on the lines of earlier Yaksha images whereas in

Gandhara it has Hellenistic features. Images of Vaishnava (mainly Vishnu and his various

forms) and Shaiva (mainly the lingas and mukhalingas) faiths are also found at Mathura but

Buddhist images are found in large numbers. It may be noted that the images of Vishnu and

Shiva are represented by their ayudhas (weapons).

48. Solution: d)

Buddhist Monuments of South India - Vengi in Andhra Pradesh has many stupa sites like

Jagayyapetta, Amaravati, Bhattiprolu, Nagarjunkonda, Goli, etc. Amaravati has a

mahachaitya and had many sculptures which are now preserved in Chennai Museum,

Chatur Mukhlinga, Amaravati Site Museum, National Museum, New Delhi and the British

Museum, London. Like the Sanchi Stupa, the Amaravati Stupa also has pradakshinapatha

enclosed within a vedika on which many narrative sculptures are depicted.

49. Solution: b)

Along with the images of the Buddha, other Buddhist images of Boddhisattvas like

Avalokiteshvara, Padmapani, Vajrapani, Amitabha, and Maitreya Buddha started getting

sculpted.

However, with the rise of Vajrayana Buddhism many Boddhisattva images were added as a

part of the personified representations of certain virtues or qualities as propagated by the

Buddhist religious principles for the welfare of the masses.

50. Solution: d)

In western India, many Buddhist caves dating back to the second century BCE onwards

have been excavated. Mainly three architectural types were executed—(i) apsidal vaultro of

chaitya halls (found at Ajanta, Pitalkhora, Bhaja); (ii) apsidal vault-roof pillarless hall (found

at Thana-Nadsur); and (iii) flat-roofed quadrangular hall with a circular chamber at the

back.



Many cave sites have the standard first type of chaitya halls in the subsequent period. In

Karla, the biggest rock-cut chaitya hall was excavated.

The stupas in the fourth and fifth centuries CE have Buddha images attached. Junnar has the

largest cave excavations— more than two hundred caves around the hills of the town—

whereas Kanheri in Mumbai has a hundred and eight excavated caves. The most important

sites are Ajanta, Pitalkhora, Ellora, Nashik, Bhaja, Junnar, Karla, Kanheri. Ajanta, Ellora, and

Kanheri continue to flourish.

51. Solution: d)

There are twelve Buddhist caves having many images belonging to Vajrayana Buddhism

like Tara, Mahamayuri, Akshobhya, Avalokiteshwara, Maitrya, Amitabha, etc.

The brahamanical caves have many sculptures. Many caves are dedicated to Shaivism, but

the images of both Shiva and Vishnu and their various forms according to Puranic narrative

are depicted. Among the Shaivite themes, Ravana shaking Mount Kailash,

Andhakasurvadha, Kalyanasundara are profusely depicted whereas among the Vaishnavite

themes, the different avatars of Vishnu are depicted.

52. Solution: d)



The Elephanta Caves located near Mumbai, were originally a Buddhist site which was later

dominated by the Shaivite faith. It is contemporary with Ellora, and its sculptures show

slenderness in the body, with stark light and dark effects. The other noteworthy cave site is

Bagh located near Indore in Madhya Pradesh.

The tradition of rock-cut caves continued in the Deccan and they are found not only in

Maharashtra but also in Karnataka, mainly at Badami and Aiholi, executed under the

patronage of the Chalukyas; in Andhra Pradesh in the area of Vijayawada; and in Tamil

Nadu, mainly at Mahabalipuram, under the patronage of the Pallavas.

53. Solution: c)

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was established in 1957. It came into being

to implement US President Dwight Eisenhower‘s ―Atoms for Peace‖ proposal. It seeks to

promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to prevent its use for military purposes.

IAEA teams regularly inspect nuclear facilities all over the world to ensure that civilian

reactors are not being used for military purposes.

It was in news due to the US action against the Irani Nuclear programme.

To be noted, even though India has not signed NPT, due to signing Indo-US civil nuclear

deal, we are supposed to allow for IAEA inspections.

54. Solution: d)

UN sec-Gen does not have any decision making powers with respect to the decisions taken

by the UNGA and UNSC. He is more of an executive officer of the UN who assists the UN in

its functioning.



WHO, UNCTAD, UNECOSOC are organs of the UN which have lesser members than the

UNGA. So membership of the UNGA does not automatically qualify countries for their

membership of the other agencies and organs.

55. Solution: a)

‗Commons‘ are those resources which are not owned by anyone but rather shared by a

community.

This could be a ‗common room‘, a ‗community centre‘, a park or a river. Similarly, there are

some areas or regions of the world which are located outside the sovereign jurisdiction of

any one state, and therefore require common governance by the international community.

These are known as res communis humanitatis or global commons. They include the earth‘s

atmosphere, Antarctica, the ocean floor, and outer space. Cooperation over the global

commons is not easy. There have been many path-breaking agreements such as the 1959

Antarctic Treaty, the 1987 Montreal Protocol, and the 1991 Antarctic Environmental

Protocol.

A major problem underlying all ecological issues relates to the difficulty of achieving

consensus on common environmental agendas on the basis of vague scientific evidence and

time frames. In that sense the discovery of the ozone hole over the Antarctic in the mid-

1980s revealed the opportunity as well as dangers inherent in tackling global environmental

problems.

56. Solution: a)



57. Solution: c)

In a slew of measures, India and China have agreed for some CBMs across the borders. It

includes sharing information on the location of troops; military modernization drives;

information exchange in case of violation of ceasefire; strengthening the communication

between the major generals of both the armies etc.

58. Solution: c)

In introducing the Permanent Settlement, British officials hoped to resolve the problems

they had been facing since the conquest of Bengal. By the 1770s, the rural economy in Bengal

was in crisis, with recurrent famines and declining agricultural output. Officials felt that

agriculture, trade and the revenue resources of the state could all be developed by

encouraging investment in agriculture. This could be done by securing rights of property

and permanently fixing the rates of revenue demand. If the revenue demand of the state was



permanently fixed, then the Company could look forward to a regular flow of revenue,

while entrepreneurs could feel sure of earning a profit from their investment, since the state

would not siphon it off by increasing its claim. The process, officials hoped, would lead to

the emergence of a class of yeomen farmers and rich landowners who would have the

capital and enterprise to improve agriculture. Nurtured by the British, this class would also

be loyal to the Company.

59. Solution: d)

Company officials felt that a fixed revenue demand would give zamindars a sense of

security and, assured of returns on their investment, encourage them to improve their

estates. In the early decades after the Permanent Settlement, however, zamindars regularly

failed to pay the revenue demand and unpaid balances accumulated. The reasons for this

failure were various.

First: the initial demands were very high. This was because it was felt that if the demand

was fixed for all time to come, the Company would never be able to claim a share of

increased income from land when prices rose and cultivation expanded. To minimise this

anticipated loss, the Company pegged the revenue demand high, arguing that the burden

on zamindars would gradually decline as agricultural production expanded and prices rose.

Second: this high demand was imposed in the 1790s, a time when the prices of agricultural

produce were depressed, making it difficult for the ryots to pay their dues to the zamindar.

If the zamindar could not collect the rent, how could he pay the Company?

Third: the revenue was invariable, regardless of the harvest, and had to be paid punctually.

In fact, according to the Sunset Law, if payment did not come in by sunset of the specified

date, the zamindari was liable to be auctioned. Fourth: the Permanent Settlement initially

limited the power of the zamindar to collect rent from the ryot and manage his zamindari.

The Company had recognised the zamindars as important, but it wanted to control and

regulate them, subdue their authority and restrict their autonomy.

The zamindars‘ troops were disbanded, customs duties abolished, and their ―cutcheries‖

(courts) brought under the supervision of a Collector appointed by the Company.

Zamindars lost their power to organise local justice and the local police. Over time the

collectorate emerged as an alternative centre of authority, severely restricting what the

zamindar could do. In one case, when a raja failed to pay the revenue, a Company official

was speedily dispatched to his zamindari with explicit instructions ―to take charge of the

District and to use the most effectual means to destroy all the influence and the authority of

the raja and his officers‖.

60. Solution: c)



While many zamindars were facing a crisis at the end of the eighteenth century, a group of

rich peasants were consolidating their position in the villages. In Francis Buchanan‘s survey

of the Dinajpur district in North Bengal we have a vivid description of this class of rich

peasants known as jotedars. By the early nineteenth century, jotedars had acquired vast

areas of land – sometimes as much as several thousand acres. They controlled local trade as

well as moneylending, exercising immense power over the poorer cultivators of the region.

A large part of their land was cultivated through sharecroppers (adhiyars or bargadars) who

brought their own ploughs, laboured in the field, and handed over half the produce to the

jotedars after the harvest.

Within the villages, the power of jotedars was more effective than that of zamindars. Unlike

zamindars who often lived in urban areas, jotedars were located in the villages and

exercised direct control over a considerable section of poor villagers. They fiercely resisted

efforts by zamindars to increase the jama of the village, prevented zamindari officials from

executing their duties, mobilised ryots who were dependent on them, and deliberately

delayed payments of revenue to the zamindar. In fact, when the estates of the zamindars

were auctioned for failure to make revenue payment, jotedars were often amongst the

purchasers.

61. Solution: d)

Paharis lived around the Rajmahal hills, subsisting on forest produce and practising shifting

cultivation.

With their base in the hills, the Paharias regularly raided the plains where settled

agriculturists lived. These raids were necessary for survival, particularly in years of scarcity;

they were a way of asserting power over settled communities; and they were a means of

negotiating political relations with outsiders. The zamindars on the plains had to often

purchase peace by paying a regular tribute to the hill chiefs. Traders similarly gave a small

amount to the hill folk for permission to use the passes controlled by them.

62. Solution: b)

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/chile-copper-mine-water-use-rising-

desalinitaion-industry-expected-gain-heavily

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile

63. Solution: a)

The World Health Organization has allowed the use of meningitis vaccine MenAfriVac on

infants in Africa. The vaccine, which is inexpensive and effective, has been in use since 2010



and is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India Ltd. The move would allow the use of

the vaccine for routine immunisation of children.

In a news release dated January 9, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, ―In the four

years since its introduction in Africa, MenAfriVac® has had an immediate and dramatic

impact in breaking the cycle of meningitis A epidemics, leading the safe, effective

technology to be approved by WHO through its prequalification process for use in infants,

and paving the way for protecting millions more children at risk of the deadly disease.‖

Meningitis is a major killer in Africa, particularly in the ―meningitis belt‖ of sub-Saharan

Africa which stretches from Ethiopia in the east to Senegal in the west.

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/who-approves-use-meningitis-vaccine-infants

64. Solution: d)

Wave power is distinct from the diurnal flux of tidal power and the steady gyre of ocean

currents. (http://www.rnp.org/node/wave-tidal-energy-technology)

There is a potential impact on the marine environment. Noise pollution, for example, could

have negative impact if not monitored, although the noise and visible impact of each design

vary greatly. Other biophysical impacts (flora and fauna, sediment regimes and water

column structure and flows) of scaling up the technology is being studied. In terms of socio-

economic challenges, wave farms can result in the displacement of commercial and

recreational fishermen from productive fishing grounds, can change the pattern of beach

sand nourishment, and may represent hazards to safe navigation.[86] Waves generate about

2,700 gigawatts of power. Of those 2,700 gigawatts, only about 500 gigawatts can be

captured with the current technology.

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/wave-energy-could-prove-be-more-steady-

cheaper-renewable-energy-source

65. Solution: b)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbuck

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbuck_National_Park,_Velavadar

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/blackbuck-case-supreme-court-sets-aside-high-

court-stay-salman-khan-s-conviction

66. Solution: c)

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/who-approves-use-meningitis-vaccine-infants



http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/africa-s-masai-tribals-turn-slaughterhouse-waste-

biogas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maasai_people

67. Solution: c)

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=114328

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED_lamp#Comparison_to_other_lighting_technologies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED_lamp#Limitations

68. Solution: b)

The insurrection of the Santhals was mainly against the British and their supporters like

moneylenders, bangali zamindars and their operatives. Before the advent of the British in

India the Santhals resided peacefully in the hilly districts of Mayurbhanj Chhotanagpur,

Palamau, Hazaribagh, Midnapur, Bankura and Birbhum. Their agrarian way of life was

based on clearing the forest; they also engaged themselves in hunting for subsistence. But, as

the agents of the new colonial rule claimed their rights on the lands of the Santhals, they

peacefully went to reside in the hills of Rajmahal. After a brief period of peace the British

operatives with their native counterparts jointly started claiming their rights in this new

land as well. The simple and honest Santhals were cheated and turned into slaves by

thezamindars and the money lenders who first appeared to them as business men and lured

them into debt, first by goods lent to them on loans. However hard the Santhals tried to

repay these loans, they never ended. Through corrupt measures of the money lenders, the

debts multiplied to an amount for which a generation of the Santhal family had to work as

slaves. Furthermore, the Santhal women who worked under labour contractors were

disgraced and abused.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santhal_people

69. Solution: d)

The Water Storage available in 85 important reservoirs of the country as on January 01, 2015 was 89.947 BCM which is58% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. This storage is 85% of the storage of corresponding period of last year and 100% of storage of average of last ten years. The present storage position during current year is less than the storage position of last year but is equal to the storage of average of last ten years.

Central Water Commission monitors live storage status of 85 important reservoirs of the country on weekly basis. These reservoirs include 37 reservoirs having hydropower benefit with installed capacity of more than 60 MW. The total storage capacity of these reservoirs is 155.046 BCM which is about 61% of the storage capacity of 253.388 BCM which is estimated to have been created in the country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maasai_people



REGION WISE STORAGE STATUS :

NORTHERN REGION The northern region includes States of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. There

are 6 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 18.01 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 8.88 BCM which is 49% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 63% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 54% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

EASTERN REGION The Eastern region includes States of Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Tripura. There

are 15 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 18.83 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 13.61 BCM which is 72% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 86% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 68% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year but better than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

WESTERN REGION The Western region includes States of Gujarat and Maharashtra. There are 22 reservoirs

in this region having total live storage capacity of 24.54 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 14.48 BCM which is 59% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 75% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 66% of storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years.

CENTRAL REGION The Central region includes States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and

Chhattisgarh. There are 12 reservoirs in this region having total storage capacity of 42.30BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 28.64 BCM which is 68% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 74% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 48% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year but better than the average storage of last ten years.

SOUTHERN REGION The Southern region includes States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil

Nadu. There are 30 reservoirs in this region having total live storage capacity of 51.37 BCM. The total storage available in these reservoirs is 24.35 BCM which is 47% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 56% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 61% of storage



capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year and also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

States having better storage than last year for corresponding period

are Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. States having equal storage than last year for corresponding period is Uttarakhand. States having lesser storage than last year for corresponding period are Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Tripura, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh.


70. Solution: a)

When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, a wave of panic spread through cotton

circles in Britain. Raw cotton imports from America fell to less than three per cent of the

normal: from over 2,000,000 bales (of 400 lbs each) in 1861 to 55,000 bales in 1862. Frantic

messages were sent to India and elsewhere to increase cotton exports to Britain. In Bombay,

cotton merchants visited the cotton districts to assess supplies and encourage cultivation. As

cotton prices soared (see Fig. 10.15), export merchants in Bombay were keen to secure as

much cotton as possible to meet the British demand. So they gave advances to urban

sahukars who in turn extended credit to those rural moneylenders who promised to secure

the produce. When there is a boom in the market credit flows easily, for those who give out

loans feel secure about recovering their money.

71. Solution: c)

The sepoys began their action with a signal: in many places it was the firing of the evening

gun or the sounding of the bugle. They first seized the bell of arms and plundered the

treasury. They then attacked government buildings – the jail, treasury, telegraph office,

record room, bungalows – burning all records. Everything and everybody connected with

the white man became a target. Proclamations in Hindi, Urdu and Persian were put up in

the cities calling upon the population, both Hindus and Muslims, to unite, rise and

exterminate the firangis.

When ordinary people began joining the revolt, the targets of attack widened. In major

towns like Lucknow, Kanpur and Bareilly, moneylenders and the rich also became the

objects of rebel wrath. Peasants not only saw them as oppressors but also as allies of the

British. In most places their houses were looted and destroyed. The mutiny in the sepoy

ranks quickly became a rebellion.




72. Solution: d)


73. Solution: d)

To fight the British, leadership and organisation were required. For these the rebels

sometimes turned to those who had been leaders before the British conquest. One of the first

acts of the sepoys of Meerut, as we saw, was to rush to Delhi and appeal to the old Mughal

emperor to accept the leadership of the revolt. This acceptance of leadership took its time in

coming.

Bahadur Shah‘s first reaction was one of horror and rejection. It was only when some sepoys

had moved into the Mughal court within the Red Fort, in defiance of normal court etiquette,

that the old emperor, realising he had very few options, agreed to be the nominal leader of

the rebellion. Elsewhere, similar scenes were enacted though on a minor scale. In Kanpur,

the sepoys and the people of the town gave Nana Sahib, the successor to Peshwa Baji Rao II,

no choice save to join the revolt as their leader. In Jhansi, the rani was forced by the popular

pressure around her to assume the leadership of the uprising.

So was Kunwar Singh, a local zamindar in Arrah in Bihar. In Awadh, where the

displacement of the popular Nawab Wajid Ali Shah and the annexation of the state were still

very fresh in the memory of the people, the populace in Lucknow celebrated the fall of

British rule by hailing Birjis Qadr, the young son of the Nawab, as their leader. Not

everywhere were the leaders people of the court – ranis, rajas, nawabs and taluqdars.

Often the message of rebellion was carried by ordinary men and women and in places by

religious men too. From Meerut, there were reports that a fakir had appeared riding on an

elephant and that the sepoys were visiting him frequently. In Lucknow, after the annexation

of Awadh, there were many religious leaders and self-styled prophets who preached the

destruction of British rule.

Elsewhere, local leaders emerged, urging peasants, zamindars and tribals to revolt. Shah

Mal mobilised the villagers of pargana Barout in Uttar Pradesh; Gonoo, a tribal cultivator of

Singhbhum in Chotanagpur, became a rebel leader of the Kol tribals of the region.

74. Solution: d)


75. Solution: a)

Key facts





Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a flavivirus related to dengue, yellow fever and West

Nile viruses, and is spread by mosquitoes.

JE is the main cause of viral encephalitis in many countries of Asia with nearly 68

000 clinical cases every year.

Although symptomatic JE is rare, the case-fatality rate among those with encephalitis

can be as high as 30%. Permanent neurologic or psychiatric sequelae can occur in

30%–50% of those with encephalitis.

24 countries in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions have endemic

JE transmission, exposing more than 3 billion people to risks of infection.

There is no cure for the disease. Treatment is focused on relieving severe clinical

signs and supporting the patient to overcome the infection.

Safe and effective vaccines are available to prevent JE. WHO recommends JE

vaccination in all regions where the disease is a recognised public health problem.


http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs386/en/

76. Solution: d)

On Gokhale‘s advice, Gandhiji spent a year travelling around British India, getting to know

the land and its peoples. His first major public appearance was at the opening of the Banaras

Hindu University (BHU) in February 1916. Among the invitees to this event were the

princes and philanthropists whose donations had contributed to the founding of the BHU.

Also present were important leaders of the Congress, such as Annie Besant. Compared to

these dignitaries, Gandhiji was relatively unknown. He had been invited on account of his

work in South Africa, rather than his status within India. When his turn came to speak,

Gandhiji charged the Indian elite with a lack of concern for the labouring poor.

The opening of the BHU, he said, was ―certainly a most gorgeous show‖. But he worried

about the contrast between the ―richly bedecked noblemen‖ present and ―millions of the

poor‖ Indians who were absent. Gandhiji told the privileged invitees that ―there is no

salvation for India unless you strip yourself of this jewellery and hold it in trust for your

countrymen in India‖. ―There can be no spirit of selfgovernment about us,‖ he went on, ―if

we take away or allow others to take away from the peasants almost the whole of the results

of their labour. Our salvation can only come through the farmer. Neither the lawyers, nor

the doctors, nor the rich landlords are going to secure it.‖ The opening of the BHU was an

occasion for celebration, marking as it did the opening of a nationalist university, sustained

by Indian money and Indian initiative. But rather than adopt a tone of self-congratulation,

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs386/en/



Gandhiji chose instead to remind those present of the peasants and workers who constituted

a majority of the Indian population, yet were unrepresented in the audience.

77. Solution: a)

Two new reports, released by the World Bank Group, have said that the socio-economic

impacts of Ebola in Liberia and Sierra Leone are far-reaching as both the countries continue

to experience job losses. The reports are based on mobile surveys carried out by the

international bank and its partners.

Following the economic slowdown, triggered by reduction in jobs, many households have

been forced to take short-term actions to cope with the changing socio-economic landscape.

For example, two-third of the people surveyed in Liberia have said that they were not able

to purchase enough rice to meet their needs in the previous two weeks, and nearly 80 per

cent of those cited a lack of money as the main reason.

At present, nearly half of Liberian household heads remain out of work. In Sierra Leone, an

estimated 9,000 wage workers and 170,000 self-employed workers outside of agriculture are

no longer working since the July/August 2014 baseline.

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/ebola-damaging-economies-two-countries-west-

africa

78. Solution: c)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idukki_district

79. Solution: d)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Vivekananda

80. Solution: d)

Union Ministry of Agriculture‘s Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI)

programme was launched in Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Purvanchal (eastern Uttar

Pradesh), Jharkhand and West Bengal. With this initiative, the government hoped to

improve production of crops, especially rice, and water resource management in the region.

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/ebola-damaging-economies-two-countries-west-africa

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/ebola-damaging-economies-two-countries-west-africa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idukki_district



http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/new-green-revolution-programme-has-not-

benefited-jharkhand-farmers-says-report

81. Solution: d)

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international

development goals that were established following the Millennium Summit of the United

Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration. All

189 United Nations member states at the time (there are 193 currently), and at least

23 international organizations, committed to help achieve the following Millennium

Development Goals by 2015:

To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

To achieve universal primary education

To promote gender equality and empower women

To reduce child mortality

To improve maternal health

To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases

To ensure environmental sustainability

To develop a global partnership for development

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/mdg-led-healthcare-policy-not-comprehensive-

says-report

82. Solution: d)

In June 1944, with the end of the war in sight, Gandhiji was released from prison. Later that

year he held a series of meetings with Jinnah, seeking to bridge the gap between the

Congress and the League. In 1945, a Labour government came to power in Britain and

committed itself to granting independence to India. Meanwhile, back in India, the Viceroy,

Lord Wavell, brought the Congress and the League together for a series of talks. Early in

1946 fresh elections were held to the provincial legislatures.

The Congress swept the ―General‖ category, but in the seats specifically reserved for

Muslims the League won an overwhelming majority. The political polarisation was

complete. A Cabinet Mission sent in the summer of 1946 failed to get the Congress and the

League to agree on a federal system that would keep India together while allowing the

provinces a degree of autonomy. After the talks broke down, Jinnah called for a ―Direct

Action Day‖ to press the League‘s demand for Pakistan. On the designated day, 16 August

1946, bloody riots broke out in Calcutta. The violence spread to rural Bengal, then to Bihar,

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/new-green-revolution-programme-has-not-benefited-jharkhand-farmers-says-report

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/new-green-revolution-programme-has-not-benefited-jharkhand-farmers-says-report



and then across the country to the United Provinces and the Punjab. In some places,

Muslims were the main sufferers, in other places, Hindus.

83. Solution: b)

UN is not the world government. It is only an international organization with hardly any

formal authority.

UNSC has 5 permanent members that yield veto power. So it does not work on the principle

of equity.

States can not be punished severely. Occasional sanctions may be put that too only when

there is a gross case of unauthorized military intervention; genocide etc. There are other

bodies like WTO which may take action against its members in case of violation of WTO

rules.

84. Solution: b)

The European Union has evolved over time from an economic union to an increasingly

political one. The EU has started to act more as a nation state. While the attempts to have a

Constitution for the EU have failed, it has its own flag, anthem, founding date, and currency.

It also has some form of a common foreign and security policy in its dealings with other

nations.

The European Union has tried to expand areas of cooperation while acquiring new

members, especially from the erstwhile Soviet bloc. The process has not proved easy, for

people in many countries are not very enthusiastic in giving the EU powers that were

exercised by the government of their country. There are also reservations about including

some new countries within the EU.

Its share of world trade is three times larger than that of the United States allowing it to be

more assertive in trade disputes with the US and China. Its economic power gives it

influence over its closest neighbours as well as in Asia and Africa. It also functions as an

important bloc in international

85. Solution: c)

The Chinese leadership took major policy decisions in the 1970s. China ended its political

and economic isolation with the establishment of relations with the United States in 1972.

Premier Zhou Enlai proposed the ‗four modernisations‘(agriculture, industry, science and

technology and military) in 1973. By 1978, the then leader Deng Xiaoping announced the



‗open door‘ policy and economic reforms in China. The policy was to generate higher

productivity by investments of capital and technology from abroad.

China followed its own path in introducing a market economy. The Chinese did not go for

‗shock therapy‘ but opened their economy step by step. The privatisation of agriculture in

1982 was followed by the privatisation of industry in 1998. Trade barriers were eliminated

only in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) where foreign investors could set up enterprises.

86. Solution: c)

Sixth century BCE marks the beginning of new religious and social movements in the

Gangetic valley in the form of Buddhism and Jainism which were part of the shraman

tradition. Both religions became popular as they opposed the varna and jati systems of the

Hindu religion. Magadha emerged as a powerful kingdom and consolidated its control over

the other regions.

By the fourth century BCE the Mauryas established their power and by the third century

BCE, a large part of India was under Mauryan control. Ashoka emerged as the most

powerful king of the Mauryan dynasty who patronised the shraman tradition in the third

century BCE.

87. Solution: d)

The tradition of constructing pillars is very old and it may be observed that erection of

pillars was prevalent in the Achamenian empire as well. But the Mauryan pillars are

different from the Achamenian pillars. The Mauryan pillars are rock-cut pillars thus

displaying the carver‘s skills, whereas the Achamenian pillars are constructed in pieces by a

mason.

Stone pillars were erected all over the Mauryan Empire with inscriptions engraved on them.

The top portion of the pillar was carved with capital figures like the bull, the lion, the

elephant, etc. The Mauryan pillar capital found at Sarnath popularly known as the Lion

Capital is the finest example of Mauryan sculptural tradition. It is also our national emblem.

88. Solution: b)



The above event is part of the enlightenment where Buddha is surrounded by Mara‘s army.

It is a personification of the commotion of mind which the Buddha went through at the time

of enlightenment. Mara represents desire.

According to the narrative, there is a dialogue between the Buddha and Mara, and the

Buddha is shown with his right hand indicating towards earth as a witness to his generosity.

89. Solution: d)



90. Solution: d)



Badami was the capital of the western Chalukyan dynasty which ruled the region from 543

to 598 CE. With the decline of the Vakataka rule, the Chalukyas established their power in

the Deccan. The Chalukya king, Mangalesha, patronised the excavation of the Badami

caves. He was the younger son of the Chalukya king, Pulakesi I, and the brother of

Kirtivarman I. The inscription in Cave No.4 mentions the date 578–579 CE, describes the

beauty of the cave and includes the dedication of the image of Vishnu. Thus it may be

presumed that the cave was excavated in the same era and the patron records his Vaishnava

affiliation. Therefore, the cave is popularly known as the Vishnu Cave. Only a fragment of

the painting has survived on the vaulted roof of the front mandapa.

Paintings in this cave depict palace scenes. One shows Kirtivarman, the son of Pulakesi I and

the elder brother of Mangalesha, seated inside the palace with his wife and feudatories

watching a dance scene. Towards the corner of the panel are figures of Indra and his retinue.

91. Solution: a)

The tradition of building temples and embellishing them with carvings and paintings

continued during the reign of the Chola kings who ruled over the region from the ninth to

the thirteenth century. But it was in the eleventh century, when the Cholas reached their

zenith of power, that masterpieces of Chola art and architecture began to appear. The

temples of Brihadeswara at Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram were

built during the reigns of Rajaraja Chola and his son, Rajendra Chola.

Though Chola paintings are seen in Nartamalai, the most important are those in

Brihadeswara temple. The paintings were executed on the walls of the narrow passage

surrounding the shrine. Two layers of paint were found when they were discovered. The

upper layer was painted during the Nayak period, in the sixteenth century. Thanks to the

cleaning of the surface painting, examples of the great tradition of painting during the Chola

Period were unveiled. The paintings show narrations and aspects related to Lord Shiva,

Shiva in Kailash, Shiva as Tripurantaka, Shiva as Nataraja, a portrait of the patron Rajaraja

and his mentor Kuruvar, dancing figures, etc.

92. Solution: d)

The painters in Kerala evolved a language taking cues from contemporary traditions like

Kathakali and kalam ezhuthu using vibrant and luminous colours, representing human

figures in three-dimensionality. Most of the paintings are seen on the walls of shrines and

cloister walls of temples and some inside palaces. Thematically too, paintings from Kerala

stand apart. Most of the narrations are based on those episodes from Hindu mythology

which were popular in Kerala. The artist seems to have derived sources from oral traditions

and local versions of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata for painted narration.



More than sixty sites have been found with mural paintings which include three palaces—

Dutch palace in Kochi, Krishnapuram palace in Kayamkulam and Padmanabhapuram

palace. Among the sites where one can see the mature phase of Kerala‘s mural painting

tradition are Pundareekapuram Krishna temple, Panayanarkavu, Thirukodithanam,

Triprayar Sri Rama temple and Trissur Vadakkunathan temple.

93. Solution: a)

After India regained its independence from Britain, and China expelled the foreign powers,

there was hope that both would come together to shape the future of the developing world

and of Asia particularly. For a brief while, the slogan of ‗Hindi-Chini bhaibhai‘ was popular.

However military conflict over a border dispute between the two countries marred that

hope. Soon after independence, both states were involved in differences arising from the

Chinese takeover of Tibet in 1950 and the final settlement of the Sino-Indian border. China

and India were involved in a border conflict in 1962 over competing territorial claims

principally in Arunachal Pradesh and in the Aksai Chin region of Ladakh.

94. Solution: b)

Jammu Kashmir State assembly election held in December 2014 had given hung verdict as

no party has majority to form government in State.

In case of failure of constitutional machinery in any other state of India, the

President‘s Rule is imposed under Article 356 of the Constitution.

But in case of J&K, as per Section 92 of state Constitution, the Governor‘s Rule can

be imposed in the state for a period of six months only after the consent of the

President of India in case of failure of constitutional machinery. During the

Governors rule, State Assembly is either suspended or dissolved.

If the Constitutional machinery is not restored before the expiry of this six month

period, the provision of Article 356 of the Constitution of India are extended to J&K

and the President‘s rule is imposed in the State.

It should be noted that, Governors rule has been imposed in the state for the 6 time

since 1977.

95. Solution: a)

Key amendments



Citizenship Act amendments will benefit PIO and will give them benefits like life-

long visa and exemption from appearing before the local police station on every visit

etc.

It will also change the clause of parent Act which says that foreigners who marry

Indians must continuously stay in the country for a period of one year before they

get an Indian citizenship. In this regards they will get relief of 30 days in a year when

they can travel outside the country.

The amendment also clears the way for relaxed visa norms for minor children of OCI

cardholders.

96. Solution: d)

It is launched in lines with Governments flagship programme of Digital India.

It seeks to provide entire village with services ranging from cashless banking to

digitised school teaching.

As part of this project, banking platform at rural part will be digitized by covering all

aspects of banking like opening an account to sale of goods to purchase of products

including milk from the vendors or local kirana stores.

In case of school teaching, it will digitized all school records alongwith the Gujarat

syllabus and even teaching methods and tools.

It will also provide necessary infrastructure needed for digisiting entire village in

order to provide villager with the access required to data and information in a digital

format.

Besides basic banking facilities like ATMs and other digital banking services, other

services like e-health, e-milk producer group, Wi-Fi connectivity and schools with

digital black boards in the village, along with a host of other digital facilities will be

provided under this project.

97. Solution: d)

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/countries-rushing-ban-styrofoam-food-

containers

98. Solution: a)

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/cabinet-clears-mineral-act-foreign-companies-

can-mine-too



99. Solution: c)

Unlike the EU there is little desire in ASEAN for supranational structures and institutions.

ASEAN countries have celebrated what has become known as the ‗ASEAN Way‘, a form of

interaction that is informal, non-confrontationist and cooperative. The respect for national

sovereignty is critical to the functioning of ASEAN.

With some of the fastest growing economies in the world, ASEAN broadened its objectives

beyond the economic and social spheres. In 2003, ASEAN moved along the path of the EU

by agreeing to establish an ASEAN Community comprising three pillars, namely, the

ASEAN Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Socio-

Cultural Community.

100. Solution: b)

Pakistan and Bangladesh have experienced both civilian and military rulers, with

Bangladesh remaining a democracy in the post-Cold War period. Pakistan began the post-

Cold War period with successive democratic governments under Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz

Sharif respectively. But it suffered a military coup in 1999 and has been run by a military

regime since then. Till 2006, Nepal was a constitutional monarchy with the danger of the

king taking over executive powers. In 2006 a successful popular uprising led to the

restoration of democracy and reduced the king to a nominal position.

Documents

Insights Mock Tests – 2015: Test – 12 Solutions · Bhimbetka is located fortyfive kilometres south of Bhopal, in an area of ten square kilometres, having about eight hundred rock