UPSC Essentials: Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 2)

Each day, we will cover one new subject. Attempt today’s subject quiz on History, Culture and Social Issues to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the MCQs on Environment, Geography, Science and Technology. Don’t miss checking the answers and explanations at the end of the quiz.

QUESTION 1

Match the following festivals according to their states:

List I (Festivals)                          List II (State)

A. Bonalu                                      1. Assam

B. Sangai                                       2. Telangana

C. Ambubachi                              3. Manipur

D. Losoong                                   4. Sikkim

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Codes: 

                 A    B    C    D

           (a)  2     3     1     4

           (b)  3     2     1     4

           (c)  2      3    4      1

           (d)  1      3     2     4

QUESTION 2

With reference to the Intangible Cultural Heritage, consider the following statements:

1. India has been elected to the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) for the 2026-2030 cycle.

2. Durga Puja in Kolkata is not included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 3

Kanthalloor Vattavada Veluthulli recently got a GI tag. It is a variety of garlic which is associated with:

(a) Karnataka

(b) Andman and Nicobar

(c) Kerala

(d) Telangana

QUESTION 4

Which of the following is not a dimension for calculating the score of the Global Hunger Index?

(a) Undernourishment

(b) Child Wasting

(c) Birth Rate

(d) Child Stunting

QUESTION 5

With reference to the New Navy Flag, consider the following statement:

1.The national emblem is encompassed by a square shield and it is designed to represent four directions.

2. It features the national emblem with the Tricolour on the top left corner of the flag.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 6

Which of the following statement is correct with reference to the  Operation ‘Megha Chakra’:

(a) It is against child sex abuse.

(b) It targets drug networks with international footprints.

(c) It focuses on the cognitive developments of children.

(d) It was a code name for the Indian Armed Forces’ operation to seize control of the Siachen Glacier.

QUESTION 7

Consider the following statements with respect tribal movements and history of India:

1. Alluri Sitharama Raju and Komaram Bheem were 20th-century revolutionaries who led tribal people in present-day Andhra Pradesh against the British and the Nizams.

2. The Rampa Rebellion coincided with Mahatma Gandhi’s Quit India Movement.

3. The Forest Act of 1882 banned the collection of minor forest produce such as roots and leaves, and tribal people were forced into labour by the colonial government.

Which of the above statements is not correct?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) Only 3

(d) None of the above

QUESTION 8

With reference to Lalitaditya Muktapida, which of the statements is not correct?

(a) He belonged to Karkota dynasty who ruled Kashmir from 725 AD to 753 AD.

(b) He built his capital at Parihaspora.

(c) He built the Martand Temple.

(d) Kalhana who wrote Rajatarangini, a major historical source for Kashmir’s history belonged to his reign.

ANSWERS TO MCQs

1. (a)

FYI:

Festival	State	Remarks
Bonalu	Telangana	The festival is dedicated to Goddess Mahakali. It is essentially a commemoration of the Goddess, to appease her and to thank her for fulfilling wishes. The festival got its name from the word ‘bonam’ which means meal or a feast in telugu.
Sangai	Manipur	This festival is celebrated as the ‘Festival of Oneness’ to encourage a sense of belongingness and pride in ownership of the land among the people.
Ambubachi	Assam	Ambubachi Mela is held at the Kamakhya temple situated on the banks of the Brahmaputra. The mela, also known as Amoti or Tantric fertility festival during the monsoon season falling in the Assamese month of Ahaar, is the celebration of the yearly menstruation course of goddess Kamakhya
Loosang	Sikkim	Losoong also called Namsoong by the Lepchas is the Sikkimese is usually the time when the farmers rejoice and celebrate their harvest.The Black Hat dance takes place at this festival commemorating the victory of good over evil, with ‘chaams’ held in many monasteries two days prior to Losoong. The festival of Lossong is mostly celebrated in the month of December every year with traditional gaiety and colour both by the Lepchas and Bhutias.

 

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Other Source: sikkim.gov.in

2. (d)

FYI:

— India has been elected to the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) for the 2022-2026 cycle. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— According to UNESCO, the core functions of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage are to promote the objectives of the convention, provide guidance on best practices and make recommendations on measures for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage.

— The list of Intangible Cultural Heritage elements on the UNESCO website includes 14 entries from India.

— Durga Puja in Kolkata (2021), Kumbh Mela (2017), Nowruz and Yoga (2016), traditional brass and copper utensil-making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab (2014), Sankirtana of Manipur (2013), Buddhist chanting of Ladakh (2012), Chhau dance, Kalbelia dance of Rajasthan, and Mudiyettu of Kerala (2010), Ramman festival of Garhwal (2009), and Kutiyattam Sanskrit theatre, Ramlila, and Vedic chanting (2008). Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

3. (c)

FYI:

— Kanthalloor is a rain-shadow village on the Eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, lying nearly 40 km away from Munnar, Kerala.

— Kanthalloor Vattavada garlic is known for its pungency and medicinal properties. It has allicin content which gives garlic its unique pungency and flavour. 

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Source: search.ipindia.gov.in

4. (c)

FYI:

— The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool that is designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels, reflecting multiple dimensions of hunger over time.

— The GHI score is calculated based on a formula that combines four indicators that together capture the multidimensional nature of hunger:

Undernourishment: The share of the population with insufficient caloric intake.

Child stunting: The share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.

Child wasting: The share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition

Child mortality: The share of children who die before their fifth birthday, partly reflecting the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Other Source: http://www.globalhungerindex.org

5. (a)

FYI:

— The Saint George’s Cross has been removed from the Indian Navy’s new flag and now it features the national emblem with the Tricolour on the top left corner of the flag. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The national emblem is encompassed by an octagonal shield and sits atop an anchor.

— The new Naval flag was unveiled during the commissioning of INS Vikrant, first indigenously built Indian Aircraft Carrier.

— The golden border surrounding the national emblem draws inspiration from the seal of Indian emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and depicts steadfastness.

— The octagonal shape of the national emblem has been designed to represent eight directions, symbolising the multi-directional reach and multi-dimensional operational capability of the Indian Navy. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

6. (a)

FYI:

— Operation ‘Megha Chakra’ was launched by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in order to crackdown online circulation and sharing of child sexual abuse material.

— The raid was conducted at 59 locations in 21 states and UTs based on inputs from the Crime Against Children (CAC) unit of the Interpol, based in Singapore, which had received it from New Zealand police.

— The operation is targeted at cloud storage, therefore the codename ‘Megha Chakra’ was used by peddlers to circulate audio-visual material on illicit sexual activities with minors.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

7. (b)

FYI:

— With a win for Best Original Song for ‘Naatu Naatu’ at the 2023 Oscars, the Telugu movie ‘RRR’ is garnering attention on the global stage.

— Its story and characters have roots in real historical figures, inspired by the lives of Indian freedom fighters Alluri Sitharama Raju, who is played by actor Ram Charan in the film, and Komaram Bheem, played by Jr NTR. ‘RRR’ shows the two freedom fighters’ lives and friendship in a fictionalised manner, as there is no record of them ever having met in real life. The film spans the period before they joined the freedom struggle.

— Both men were 20th-century revolutionaries who led tribal people in present-day Andhra Pradesh against the British and the Nizams. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Bheem was a tribal man but Raju was not. Both leaders died young while resisting colonial rule.

— Colonial rule threatened the tribals’ traditional podu (shifting) cultivation, as the government sought to secure forest lands. The Forest Act of 1882 banned the collection of minor forest produce such as roots and leaves, and tribal people were forced into labour by the colonial government. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— While the tribals were subjected to exploitation by muttadars, village headmen commissioned by the colonial government to extract rent, the new laws and systems threatened their way of life itself.

—The Rampa Rebellion coincided with Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

— The NCERT history textbook notes that “Raju talked of the greatness of Mahatma Gandhi, said he was inspired by the Non-Cooperation Movement, and persuaded people to wear khadi and give up drinking. But at the same time, he asserted that India could be liberated only by the use of force, not non-violence.”

— In May 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 30-foot-tall bronze statue of Alluri Sitharama Raju at Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh as the year-long celebrations of the freedom fighter’s 125th birth anniversary began.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

8. (d)

FYI:

— In May last year, some pilgrims offered prayers inside the Martand Temple, an Archaeological Survey of India-protected (ASI) monument. Soon after, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha participated in a ‘Navgrah Ashtamangalam Puja’ on the premises.

— The ASI objected to this, saying no permission was granted for the ceremony. Two months later, in July, another group of people entered the temple and held an hour-long prayer session.

— The Martand Temple was built by the Karkota dynasty king Lalitaditya Muktapida, who ruled Kashmir from 725 AD to 753 AD. Hence, a and c are correct.

— Lalitaditya built his capital at Parihaspora, the ruins of which also survive to this day. Hence, b is correct.

— A major historical source for Kashmir’s history remains Rajatarangini, written in the 12th century by Kalhana (not around Lalitaditya’s time), and various translations of the work contain descriptions of Martand’s grandeur. Hence, d is not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Previous Quizzes:

Polity and Governance (1)

Polity and Governance (2)

History, Culture, and Social Issues (1)

UPSC Weekly Quiz (Current Affairs)

Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (1)

International Relations (1)

Tomorrow’s Quiz: Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (2)

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