UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz: History, Culture and Social Issues MCQs on ‘stitched ship’ method, 4B Movement, Majuli masks and more (Week 87)

(a) Anti-caste activism and movements

(b) Constituent Assembly of India

(c) Indian participation in the World War

(d) Indian entrepreneurs abroad in the colonial period

Explanation

— Buddhism rejected the institution of caste that formed the backbone of Vedic society. Dr Ambedkar wrote: “Buddhism was a revolution. It was as great a Revolution as the French Revolution.” (Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Ancient India, an incomplete manuscript published in 2017).

— Buddhism eventually declined in India (even as it flourished in East and South-East Asia), and caste society prevailed for another couple of millenia. In the 19th and 20th centuries, however, radical intellectuals from oppressed castes once again started to harken to Buddhism in their bid to challenge the Brahmanical hegemony.

— Among them was Iyothee Thasar in the Tamil region, who imagined a Dravidian identity with roots in a Buddhist past. In Malayalam-speaking areas, reformers such as Mitavadi Krishnan and Sahodaran Ayyappan proposed leaving Hinduism as a political tool to negotiate the rights of the lower castes.

— In the early decades of the 20th century, as India saw various social reform movements, the threat of conversion played an important role in negotiations for rights such as temple entry, right of way, anti-untouchability legislation, and the promotion of inter-dining and inter-caste marriages.

Therefore, (a) is the correct answer. 

Question 2

With reference to ‘Project Mausam’ consider the following statements:

1. It aims to upgrade the capabilities of India’s weather department in forecasting, modelling and dissemination. 

2. It will be spearheaded by three institutions funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences — the IMD, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, and National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting, Noida. 

Which of the above given statements are true?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

Project Mausam

— Project ‘Mausam’ is a Ministry of Culture project to be implemented by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi as the nodal coordinating agency with support of Archeological Survey of India and National Museum as associate bodies.

According to indiaculture.gov.in,

“ At the macro level, it aims to re-connect and re-establish communications between countries of the Indian Ocean world, which would lead to an enhanced understanding of cultural values and concerns;

— At the micro level, the focus is on understanding national cultures in their regional maritime milieu.”

Mission Mausam

— Mission Masum will be spearheaded by three institutions funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences — the IMD, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, and National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting, Noida. The mission’s primary objective is to provide accurate and timely weather forecasts and alerts at various geographical and temporal scales, provide alerts and warnings ahead of extreme weather events, introduce weather interventions that will help manage fog, hail and rainfall in addition to capacity building and training of personnel.

Therefore, (d) is the correct answer.

Question 3

Consider the following statements:

Statement 1: The “stitched ship” method of shipbuilding fell out of favour around the 16th century, when European powers began to colonise the Indian Ocean region.

Statement 2: The stitched ships were not suitable for use of canons, as they could not withstand the recoil from blast of canons.

Which one of the following is correct with respect to the above statements?

(a) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I

(b) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I

(c) Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct. 

(d) Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is incorrect.

Explanation:

— A 21-metre “stitched ship”, an ancient technique of constructing a ship by stitching plank of woods using ropes, cords, coconut fibers, natural resins and oils, is set to start a voyage with a 13-member Indian Navy crew from Odisha to Indonesia’s Bali in November 2025 as part of an initiative to revive and honour India’s traditional maritime heritage, it was announced last year. 

— The project, an initiative of the Centre, along with the Navy, the Culture Ministry, and Goa-based shipbuilding company Hodi Innovations, is set to cost Rs 9 crore and is expected to take 22 months to complete.

— The “stitched ship” method of shipbuilding fell out of favour around 16th century, when European powers began to colonise the Indian Ocean region and it was found that stitched ships had a flaw: they were not suitable for use of canons, as they could not withstand the recoil from blast of canons.

Therefore, (a) is the correct answer. 

Question 4

With reference to ‘4B Movement’ recently seen in news, consider the following statements:

1. The movement started in the United States around 2016, when Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election.

2. It is related to anti-immigration movements in United States of America. 

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

— In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s victory, the 4B movement, which originated in South Korea a couple of years ago, became one of the most searched topics online. Many American women took to social media to announce that they are adopting it in their lives.

— 4B stands for four bis, or no in the Korean language: bihon, bichulsan, biyeonae, and bisekseu, meaning the refusal of (heterosexual) marriage, childbirth, romance, and sexual relationships, respectively.

— The movement started in South Korea around 2016, when a young woman was murdered in a Seoul subway station. Her killer said he had “felt ignored by women”. This was also the time when multiple women in South Korea reported having been filmed by spycams in washrooms or while having sex, by strangers as well as men known to them. In many cases, the police were hostile to the victims.

Therefore, (d) is the correct answer.

Question 5

Which of the following pairs are not correctly matched:

1. Majuli masks : Assam

2. Rupa Tarakasi: Odisha

3. Dodol: Maharashtra

4. Kapdaganda shawl: Ladakh

Select the correct code:

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only

Explanation:

— The traditional Majuli masks in Assam were given a Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Centre March 4, 2024. Majuli manuscript painting also got the GI label. Hence, the 1st pair is correct.

— The famous Rupa Tarakasi, or silver filigree work of Odisha’s Cuttack, also received the geographical indication (GI) tag. Hence, the 2nd pair is correct. 

— Seven products from Odisha, ranging from the Similipal Kai chutney made with red weaver ants to the embroidered Kapdaganda shawl, have bagged the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag in recognition of their exclusivity to the state.

— Dhenkanal Magji, Odisha Khajuri Guda, Nayagarh Kanteimundi Brinjal, Koraput Kala Jeera Rice and Lanjia Saura Painting are few others. Hence, the 4th pair is not correct. 

— In June 2024, the Goa government formally applied for a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the Goan sweet called Dodol. Hence, the 3rd pair is not correct. 

Therefore, (c) is the correct statement. 

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 86)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 86)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 86)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 86)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 85)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 85)

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.