UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : History, Culture and Social Issues MCQs on Buddhist sites, Upanishads and more (Week 67)

1. It provided for the establishment of an All India Federation based on the union of the British Indian Provinces and Princely States.

2. Defence and Foreign Affairs were kept under the control of the federal legislature.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC 2024)

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— The Government of India Act of 1935 serves as the primary source for India’s new Constitution.

— The Government of India Act 1935 is the longest and most significant of all the constitutional statutes enacted by the British government in India.

— The statute is based on numerous sources, including the Simon Commission Report, the Nehru Report, Round Table Conferences, the Communal Award, the White Paper, and others.

Main Provisions

— This Act dissolved the Indian Council, which helped the Secretary of State for India, and established a three-member Advisory Council.

— This Act confirmed that India would remain an integral part of the British Empire.

— The British administration decided to form an All-India Federation composed of British provinces and princely states. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The Act eliminated the system of diarchy introduced by the Government of India Act, 1919.

— The Act introduced bicameralism — upper and lower Houses — at the Centre and in six provinces along with direct elections to these chambers.

— The 1935 Act also granted the provincial governor the power to suspend the provincial government if deemed necessary.

— The powers are divided between Centre and states under three lists:

1. Central list: This list contains 59 issues of national importance, including defence, foreign affairs, finance, railways, currency, and the press, among others. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

2. State list: It comprises 54 regionally important items, such as education, medicine, agriculture, law and order, and local governance.

3. Concurrent list: This list consists of 36 issues, including electricity, marriage, divorce, labour, and criminal law. The rest were delegated to the Governor-General under the doctrine of residual powers.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: ccelms.ap.gov.in)

QUESTION 2

Which of the following statements are correct about Upanishads?

1. They serve as foundational texts in many traditions of Hindu theology.

2. They are also known as Vedanta.

3. They came at the beginning of the Vedic period.

4. Aitareya is one of the ten principles of the Upanishads.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 1, 2 and 4 only

(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4

(d) 2 and 4 only

Explanation

— The Ten Principal Upanishads, translated from Sanskrit by Shri Purohit Swami, a scholar of Hindu scripture, and Irish poet WB Yeats, is considered to be one of the best translations of the Upanishads, some of the most important Hindu religious texts.

— The Upanishads, also known as the Vedanta – as they signal the end of the total Veda – speculate about the ontological connection between humanity and the cosmos. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Chronologically, the Upanishads came at the end of the Vedic period. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— They serve as foundational texts in many traditions of Hindu theology and have hence attracted far more attention than the Vedas themselves. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The Upanishads were given particular importance in Hindu theology by eighth century Hindu scholar Adi Shankara, whose interpretations synthesised the Advaita Vedanta tradition.

— There are ten main (or principal) Upanishads: Esha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer

QUESTION 3

Which one of the following was the latest inclusion in the Intangible Cultural Heritage List of UNESCO? (UPSC 2024)

(a) Chhau dance

(b) Durga puja

(c) Garba dance

(d) Kumbh mela

Explanation

— UNESCO has approved the inclusion of garba, Gujarat’s most popular folk dance style, on its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).

— The decision to “inscribe” the dance style as “intangible heritage” was made at the 18th session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage, which was held in the Republic of Botswana.

— With this, 15 elements from diverse parts of India have been included to UNESCO’s representative list of ICH.

— Garba promotes equality by transcending socioeconomic, gender, and religious boundaries. It includes different and marginalised communities, which strengthens social bonds.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

With reference to the Buddhist sites in India, consider the following pairs:

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Explanation

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

The term “Aranyakas” in the ancient history refers to:

(a) Philosophical texts

(b) Ritual texts

(c) Agricultural texts

(d) Forest texts

Explanation

— There are broadly two categories of Hindu sacred texts: shruti (loosely translated as “the revealed”) and smriti (“the remembered”).

— The first category is considered to be the most authoritative and consists of the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva) and accompanying texts. These include Brahmanas (ritual texts), Aranyakas (“forest” or “wilderness” texts), and Upanishads (philosophical texts).

— The second category of Hindu scriptures is less authoritative – in many ways they are considered to be derived from the first – but more popularly known. These include the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, Dharmashastras, Puranas and all other post-Vedic scriptures.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 67)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 66)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 66)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 66)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 66)

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