UPSC daily subject quiz | History and Culture (Week 160) : Protests, Swadeshi, cultural terms, and more

2. Dadabhai Naoroji, in his book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India, argued through the “Drain of Wealth” theory that India had lost millions of wealth during British rule.

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

Relevance:

UPSC often inserts minor factual inaccuracies in otherwise correct historical statements. Aspirants must carefully verify dates, books, personalities, and numerical claims rather than relying on the overall familiarity of the statement.

Explanation: 

In the wake of the 1905 Partition of Bengal, the Swadeshi movement gathered unprecedented momentum. As crowds shouted “Vande Mataram” and called for the boycott of British goods, another label quietly began to acquire new political meaning in Indian bazaars: ‘Made in Germany’.

The boycott was never intended to reject all foreign goods. Where Indian industry lacked the capacity to manufacture certain products or access specialised knowledge, nationalists considered it both legitimate and necessary to turn to countries other than Britain.

Sri Aurobindo articulated this distinction between political strategy and economic necessity in a speech in 1908:  “Why should we take revenge upon America or Germany for the oppression caused to us by the people of Britain?… There is a political reason for the boycott of British goods; it is to make the brethren of our oppressors feel the pinch.”

Among the principal beneficiaries of this distinction were German manufacturers. While the Swadeshi movement opened opportunities for several non-British industrial powers, German products occupied a distinctive place in Indian markets. This reflected both the growing commercial rivalry between Britain and Germany and Germany’s increasingly hostile political relationship with Britain, which would culminate in the First World War.

Founding site of “Friedr. Bayer et comp.” at Barmen (Official website of Bayer)

No industry benefited more from this political climate than German synthetic dyes. By the early 20^th century, firms such as BASF, Bayer, and Hoechst had established a near-monopoly over the global synthetic dye industry, with India emerging as one of their most important overseas markets. Hence, statement 1 is not correct. 

Satatement 2 is correct. 

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

Which of the following is ‘Ganjifa’?

(a) A traditional Indian card game, often featuring mythological themes

(b) A miniature painting tradition that flourished under the Mughals

(c) A folk theatre form originating in coastal Karnataka

(d) A handloom weaving tradition of eastern India

Relevance:

Sometimes, UPSC surprises aspirants with questions on obscure cultural terms that are neither in the news nor part of popular static topics. The challenge lies in the strong distractors, as all options often belong to the broader domain of Indian art, craft, and cultural traditions.

Explanation: 

Ganjifa, Ganjapa or Gânjaphâ, is a card game and type of playing cards that are most associated with Persia and India. Ganjifa became popular in India under the Mughal emperors in the 16th century. The term has been used at times in many countries throughout the Middle East and western Asia. (indianculture.gov.in)

ganjifa (wikimedia commons)

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

Who among the following gave the call for “Total Revolution”?

(a) Jayaprakash Narayan

(b) Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar

(c) Vinoba Bhave

(d) Acharya Narendra Dev

Relevance:

Protests often bring historical personalities, movements, and slogans into the news. Aspirants should therefore revise such historical trivia, as UPSC has a tendency to frame straightforward questions on iconic protest movements and their leaders.

Explanation: 

The JP Movement, or Sampoorna Kranti (Total Revolution), began as a student-led agitation in Bihar against corruption, inflation, unemployment, and administrative misrule before growing into a nationwide challenge to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s government.

Led by veteran socialist Jayaprakash Narayan (JP), the movement gained momentum after police firing on demonstrators and the arrest of thousands of activists. JP urged students to boycott classes, demanded the dissolution of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, and advocated peaceful mass mobilisation against corruption. As the movement spread, Delhi became its political nerve centre, with JP’s massive rally at Ramlila Maidan in June 1975 intensifying pressure on the government.

The movement fundamentally altered India’s political trajectory. Hours after JP’s Ramlila Maidan rally, Indira Gandhi declared a nationwide Emergency on the evening of June 25, 1975, suspending civil liberties, censoring the press and imprisoning opposition leaders, including JP.

When the Emergency was lifted in 1977, the opposition united under JP’s moral influence and inspiration to form the Janata Party, which defeated Congress in the general election, the first time a non-Congress government came to power at the centre.

The JP Movement thus became a defining moment in India’s democratic history, demonstrating the capacity of mass protest to reshape national politics.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

Who is the author of Heart Lamp, which won the International Booker Prize 2025?

(a) Geetanjali Shree

(b) Banu Mushtaq

(c) Perumal Murugan

(d) Vivek Shanbhag

Relevance:

UPSC frequently asks questions on major international literary and cultural awards, especially when they are in the news. Aspirants should keep track of award-winning books along with their authors, translators, and the significance of the award.

Explanation: 

Kannada author Banu Mushtaq’s short story collection Heart Lamp, which interprets and inhabits the faultlines and silent revolts in the everyday lives of Muslim women, won the 2025 International Booker Prize.

Translated from the Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi, Heart Lamp (Penguin) examines how misogyny unfolds, according to a review in The Indian Express, “in kitchens, bedrooms, prayer rooms, and (women’s) own silent soliloquies”.

This marked only the second time a Kannada author has been recognised by the Booker institutions — the first being U R Ananthamurthy’s nomination in 2013 for his body of work.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

The Prambanan Temple, recently seen in the news, is located in:

(a) Cambodia

(b) Indonesia

(c) Thailand

(d) Vietnam

Relevance:

Location-based questions on places that have recently been in the news are low-hanging fruit for UPSC. Aspirants should be prepared for such questions.

Explanation: 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Yogyakarta, Indonesia, this month marked the beginning of India’s effort to help restore Indonesia’s iconic Prambanan Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during their visit at Prambanan Temple, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on July 8, 2026. Photo: AP/P

The Prambanan Temple Compounds, located on the border between Indonesia’s Yogyakarta Special Region and Central Java province on the island of Java, comprise Prambanan Temple (also known as Loro Jonggrang or Candi Prambanan), Sewu Temple, Bubrah Temple, and Lumbung Temple. At the heart of the complex is Prambanan Temple, which originally consisted of 240 large and small temples.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 168)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 159)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 168)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 168)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 168)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 168)

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

Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.