UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : History, Culture and Social Issues MCQs on Yakshagana, World Heritage Sites and more (Week 63)

1. Shantiniketan

2. Rani-ki-Vav

3. Sacred ensembles of the Hoysalas

4. Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodhgaya

How many of the above properties were included in 2023? (UPSC 2024)

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 2

Consider the following statements about Yakshagana:

1. The theme of the Yakshagana revolves around the stories of Lord Vishnu.

2. It is a rich folk dance-drama of Kerala state.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 3

The Ulgulan movement of 1899 used weapons and guerrilla warfare to drive out foreigners. The movement was launched by:

(a) Chittur Singh

(b) Buddho Bagat

(c) Birsa Munda

(d) Balram Bhagat

QUESTION 4

Matabari Pera – a dairy-based confectionary item traditionally served as prasad has recently got a geographical indication (GI) tag from which state?

(a) Maharashtra

(b) Manipur

(c) Tripura

(d) Goa

QUESTION 5

Which one of the following is a work attributed to playwright Bhasa? (UPSC 2024)

(a) Kavyalankara

(b) Natyashastra

(c) Madhyama-vyayoga

(d) Mahabhashya

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (b)

FYI:

— The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas, which includes three temples in Karnataka, has been inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The Hoysala Temples and Rabindranath Tagore’s Santiniketan are India’s 42nd UNESCO World Heritage Site.

— Santiniketan becomes the 41st UNESCO World Heritage Site in India and the third in West Bengal, after the Sundarbans National Park and the Darjeeling Mountain Railways.

— The three temples include the Chennakeshava temple, the main temple in the complex at Belur (Hassan district), located at the centre of the traditional settlement which is surrounded by the remnants of a mud fort and a moat; the Hoysaleswara Temple on the banks of Dwarasamudra tank in Halebidu (Hassan district), a town which has many protected and unprotected temples, archaeological ruins and mounds; and the Keshava Temple at the centre of Somanathapura village (Mysore district).

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

2. (a)

FYI:

— Renowned Yakshagana artist Kumble Sundar Rao died at his residence who was an exponent of ‘Thenkuthittu’ style of Yakshagana.

— He had served as the president of the Karnataka State Yakshagana and Bayalata Academy.

— Yakshagana is a traditional folk dance form popular in Coastal Karnataka districts. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— It is a rare combination of dance, music, song, scholarly dialogues and colourful costumes.

— Men have traditionally played all parts, including female characters, while women are now included in Yakshagana troupes. A typical troupe has 15 to 20 performers and a Bhagavatha, who serves as the master of ceremonies and principal storyteller.

— The theme of the Yakshagana revolved around the stories of Lord Krishna and Vishnu. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: karnatakatourism.org)

3. (c)

FYI:

— Birsa Munda was born on November 15, 1875, during a time when his society was experiencing significant transformation. The Mundas, a nomadic-hunting-turned-farmer tribe living in the Chotanagpur district of today’s Jharkhand, were subjected to a series of harsh policies and occurrences.

— However, the passage of the Permanent Settlement Act (1793) resulted in a shift and aided colonialism’s incursions into rural India. To optimise its earnings, the East India Company used the law to legitimise the zamindari system of land revenue collection.

— The Act permitted the dikus to claim ownership rights through a deed that defined a specific territory. This uprooted indigenous people and denied them access to the land they had been cultivating for centuries.

— Birsa Munda launched the Ulgulan movement in 1899, utilising weaponry and guerilla warfare to drive away outsiders. He pushed tribals to adopt the Birsa Raj and disregard colonial rules and rent payments.

— On June 9, 1900, at the age of 25, he is thought to have died in Ranchi Jail from an illness. Despite his short life and the movement’s demise shortly after his death, Birsa Munda’s mobilisation of the tribal population to safeguard their land rights was impressive.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer,

4. (c)

FYI:

— Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha announced that two commodities from the state have received the famous Geographical Indication (GI) label.

— The two things to earn the tag are Matabari Pera, a dairy-based confectionery delicacy traditionally provided as prasad at the Tripurasundari temple in Gomati district, and Pachra, a handwoven textile utilised by the state’s Indigenous groups.

— The Matabari Mahila Cluster Level Bahumukhi Samabaya Samity Limited filed for the GI tag for Matabari Pera, while the Dewanbari Mahila Cluster Bahumukhi Samabaya Samity Limited did the same for Pachra or Rignai textiles.

— The GI tag is expected to increase the number of traditional weavers and revive the rich art form.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

5. (c)

FYI:

— Playwright Bhasa’s story, which takes off from the Mahabharata and deals with the madhyama or the middle child syndrome, Madhyamavyayogam.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 63)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 62)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 62)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 62)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 62)

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