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ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS
GENERAL STUDIES (P) TEST – 4138 (2024)
Q 1.B
• Slavery had been abolished in Britain in 1820, and in India, the colonial administrators continued to detect
its existence in various forms. The agrarian relations in India were complex, marked by numerous
structures of labor dependencies, many of which, viewed through the post-Enlightenment "lens of the
freedom-unfreedom opposition" looked like slavery in British eyes.
• The Charter Act of 1833, therefore, instructed the government of India to abolish slavery, and
parliamentary pressure continued to mount until its legal abolition.
• Slavery was ultimately abolished in India in 1843 under the Indian Slavery Act 1843 also known as
Act V. Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.
Q 2.A
• The Deoband Movement was organized by the orthodox section among the Muslim ulema as a revivalist
movement with the twin objectives of propagating pure teachings of the Quran and Hadis among
Muslims and keeping alive the spirit of jihad against foreign rulers.
• The Deoband Movement was begun at the Darul Uloom (or Islamic academic center), Deoband, in
Saharanpur district (United Provinces) in 1866 by Mohammad Qasim Nanotavi and Rashid Ahmed
Gangohi to train religious leaders for the Muslim community.
• In contrast to the Aligarh Movement, which aimed at the welfare of Muslims through Western
education and the support of the British government, the aim of the Deoband Movement was the
moral and religious regeneration of the Muslim community. The instruction imparted at Deoband
was in the original Islamic religion. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• On the political front, the Deoband school welcomed the formation of the Indian National Congress
and 1888 issued a fatwa (religious decree) against Syed Ahmed Khan’s organizations, the United
Patriotic Association and the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental Association. Hence, statement 2 is not
correct.
• Shibli Numani, a supporter of the Deoband school, favored the inclusion of the English language and
European sciences in the education system. He founded the Nadwatal Ulama and Darul Uloom in
Lucknow in 1894-96. He believed in the idealism of the Congress and cooperation between the Muslims
and the Hindus of India to create a state in which both could live amicably.
Q 3.D
• The Treaty of Allahabad
o Robert Clive concluded two important treaties at Allahabad in August 1765—one with the Nawab of
Awadh and the other with the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II.
o Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula agreed to:
P surrender Allahabad and Kara to Emperor Shah Alam II; Hence statement 2 is not correct
P pay Rs 50 lakh to the Company as war indemnity; Hence statement 1 is not correct
P give Balwant Singh, Zamindar of Banaras, full possession of his estate.
o Shah Alam II agreed to:
P reside at Allahabad, to be ceded to him by the Nawab of Awadh, under the Company’s
protection;
P issue a Farman granting the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the East India Company in lieu
of an annual payment of Rs 26 lakh; and
P a provision of Rs 53 lakh to the Company in return for nizamat functions (military defense,
police, and administration of justice) of the said provinces.
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o Clive did not want to annex Awadh because it would have placed the Company under an
obligation to protect an extensive land frontier from the Afghan and the Maratha invasions.
Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
o The treaty made the Nawab a firm friend of the Company and turned Awadh into a buffer state.
o Similarly, Clive’s arrangement with Shah Alam II was inspired by practical considerations. It made
the emperor a useful ‘rubber stamp’ of the Company. Besides, the emperor’s Farman legalised the
political gains of the Company in Bengal.
o Mir Kasim, the dethroned Nawab of Bengal, spent the rest of his life in abject misery as a homeless
wanderer and died in June 1777.
Q 4.C
• The General Service Enlistment Act was passed by Lord Canning in 1854. It created a great deal of
resentment among the sepoys as future recruits to the Bengal Army would have to give the undertaking
to serve anywhere their services might be required by the Government. This went against the
religious sentiments of the religious Hindus of the time as crossing the seas meant the loss of caste.
• In 1854, the India Post Office Act was passed after Lord Dalhousie introduced uniform postage rates
and the privilege of free postal services enjoyed by the Indian sepoys was withdrawn. This caused a
great deal of dissatisfaction among Indian sepoys.
• Therefore, Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
• Hence, option (c) is the correct answer
Q 5.A
• Curzon, the viceroy between 1899 and 1905
o In 1902, Raleigh Commission was set up to go into the conditions and prospects of universities
in India and to suggest measures for improvement in their constitution and working. Hence,
statement 1 is correct.
o The commission was precluded from reporting on primary or secondary education. Based on its
recommendations, the Indian Universities Act was passed in 1904.
o The Chinese suzerainty over Tibet was ineffective and Russian influence at Lhasa was increasing.
There were reports of Russian arms and ammunition coming into Tibet.
o Curzon felt alarmed and sent a small Gorkha contingent under Colonel Younghusband on a
special mission to Tibet to oblige the Tibetans to come to an agreement. Hence, statement 2 is
correct.
o The Tibetans refused to negotiate and offered non-violent resistance. Younghusband pushed his way
into Lhasa (August 1904) while the Dalai Lama fled.
o Setting up of Durand Commission (1893) to define the Durand Line between India and
Afghanistan (now between Pakistan and Afghanistan; a small portion of the line touches India
in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) happened during the office of Lord Lansdowne 1888-1894.
Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Q 6.A
• GI tags:
o Seven products from across India, including four from Rajasthan, were given the Geographical
Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai.
o Recently, three famous products of Tamil Nadu - Jaderi Namakatti, Kanyakumari Matty Banana,
and Chedibutta Saree have been given GI tag in Chennai. Hence pair 1 is not correctly matched.
• Other GI-tagged products:
o Leather shoes from Agra.
o Marcha Rice of Bihar.
o Nathdwara Pichhwai painting from Rajasthan.
o Mushkabudji rice from Kashmir. Hence pair 2 is correctly matched.
o Rajouri chicory wood craft from Jammu and Kashmir.
o Agasechi Wayangim (Agasam Brinjal), Goa Mankurad Mango’, ‘Goan Bebinca from Goa, Sat
Shiro Bheno (Sat Shirancho Bhendo) popularly known as Okra of Goa. Hence pair 3 is not
correctly matched.

Q 7.B
• The 1861 Act marked an advance in that the principle of representatives of non-officials in legislative
bodies became accepted; laws were to be made after due deliberation, and as pieces of legislation they
could be changed only by the same deliberative process. Law-making was thus no longer seen as the
exclusive business of the executive.
• For legislative purposes, the viceroy could add six to twelve additional members, of whom at least half
had to be non-officials who could be either Indian or English. The legislative council so constituted
possessed no real powers and was merely advisory in nature.
o The Act by vesting legislative powers in the Governments of Bombay and Madras and by making
provision for the institution of similar legislative councils in other provinces laid the foundations of
legislative devolution.
o It could not discuss important matters, and no financial matters at all without the previous approval of
the Government.
o It had no control over the budget and neither it could discuss the budget.
o It could not discuss executive action.
o The final passing of the bill needed the viceroy’s approval.
o Even if approved by the viceroy, the secretary of state could disallow legislation.
o Indians associated as non-officials were members of elite sections only princes, landlords, diwans,
etc-and were not representative of the Indian opinion.
o The viceroy could issue ordinances (of 6 months validity), without the concurrence of the
legislative council in case of emergency. Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.
• The only important function of the legislative council was to endorse official measures and give them the
appearance of having been passed by a legislative body. The British Government in India remained, as
before, an alien despotism
• Financial decentralization was a legislative devolution inaugurated by the Indian Councils Act of
1861. Apart from the annual grant from the imperial Government, the provincial governments were
authorized to resort to local taxation to balance their budgets.
• Although it decentralized law-making by reinstituting the legislative councils in Bombay and
Madras provinces, it did not create any demarcation of jurisdiction between the central and
provincial legislative councils. The provincial legislative councils were to legislate for respective
provinces with a general supervision of the Governor-General only. In certain matters, it had to take his
sanctions.
• The 15-member council of India to assist the Secretary of State was created by the Government of
India Act of 1858 and not by the Indian Councils Act of 1861.
Q 8.B
• Pabna Agrarian Leagues
o During the 1870s and 1880s, large parts of Eastern Bengal witnessed agrarian unrest caused by
oppressive practices of the zamindars. The Act of 1859, provided ryots with immunity from eviction.
Landlords enhanced rent through the imposition of a variety of adwabs (cesses). The attempts of
zamindars to annihilate the tenant's newly acquired occupancy rights and to convert them into tenants
at will. through forcible written agreement resulted in harassment and atrocities that were vehemently
opposed by peasants under the leadership of Ishan Chandra Roy and Sambhunath Pal etc. The
zamindars (not the British Government) resorted to enhanced rents beyond legal limits and
prevented the tenants from acquiring occupancy rights under Act X of 1859. Hence statement 1
is not correct.
o Having had enough of the oppressive regime, the peasants of Yusufshahi Pargana in Pabna district
formed an agrarian league or combination to resist the demands of the zamindars.
o The league organized a rent strike—the ryots refused to pay the enhanced rents, challenging the
zamindars in the courts. Funds were raised by ryots to fight the court cases. The struggles spread
throughout Pabna and to other districts of East Bengal. The main form of struggle was that of legal
resistance; there was very little violence. Hence statement 2 is correct.
o Though the peasant discontent continued to linger on till 1885, most of the cases had been solved,
partially through official persuasion and partially because of zamindars’ fears. Many peasants were
able to acquire occupancy rights and resist enhanced rents.
o The government passed in 1885, the Bengal Tenancy Act to protect the tenants from the worst
aspects of zamindari oppression. ; it was passed as a conciliatory measure against Deccan Riots)
o Again, a number of young Indian intellectuals supported the peasants’ cause. These included Bankim
Chandra Chatterjee, R.C. Dutt, and the Indian Association under Surendranath Banerjea.
Q 9.C
• Away from the didactic nationalism of Brahmo Samaj, the average Bengali found more emotional
satisfaction in the cult of bhakti and yoga. The teachings of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836- 1886), a
poor priest at the Kali temple in Dakshineshwar, on the outskirts of Calcutta (who was known in
childhood as Gadadhar Chattopadhyay) found many followers.
• Paramahamsa sought salvation through traditional ways of renunciation, meditation and bhakti
amidst increasing westernization and modernization. He recognized the fundamental oneness of all
religions and emphasized that Krishna, Hari, Ram, Christ, and Allah are different names for the
same God and that there are many ways to God and salvation. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are
correct.
• After the Cooch Behar marriage, Keshub took an important line of departure by entering upon a system of
spiritual interpretation of the idol deity and her attendants. He also started visiting the mystic saint
Ramakrishna and it was Keshub and his party who were instrumental in bringing him to public notice.
Ramakrishna was present in many Brahmo gatherings. Keshub was intrigued by the religious experiments
performed by Ramakrishna. The idea of differentiating the good and bad features within Saktism,
and incorporating the good into Brahmoism, probably came to Keshub after his acquaintance with
Ramakrishna. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Q 10.C
• Metagenome Sequencing Technology
o Context: Metagenome sequencing technology is transforming pathogen surveillance.
o Metagenomics is the study of the entire genetic content of all microbiota members in a natural
habitat by utilization of the whole genome sequencing technique.
o The field of metagenomics centres upon direct genetic analysis of microbial genomes isolated from
various environments ranging from the human gastrointestinal tract (gut microbiome) to geothermal
hot springs.
o Genomics vs Metagenomics: The main difference between genomics and metagenomics is the nature
of the sample.
P Genomics explores the complete genetic information of a single organism only. Hence statement
1 is correct.
P whereas metagenomics explores a mixture of DNA from multiple organisms and entities,
such as viruses, viroids, and free DNA. Hence statement 2 is correct.
o Significance
P By offering direct access to the entire genetic makeup of microbial communities, metagenomics
can provide valuable molecular insights into novel enzymes and biocatalysts, as well as into
genomic linkages between community function and structure.
P The metagenomics approach serves as a powerful tool for elucidating the relationship between
host-associated microbial communities and host phenotype.
o Application
P COVID-19: One of the initial breakthroughs in the definitive identification of SARS-CoV-2 as
the causative agent of COVID-19 came from the application of Metagenome Sequencing
Technology instead of the more time-consuming microbiology route.
P It also allowed the scientists to rule out viral infections in some individuals and link their
symptoms to pesticide poisoning instead.
P The studies have demonstrated the power of metagenomic sequencing investigations for pathogen
detection and disease diagnosis, and to inform public health outbreak responses.
P The global mpox virus outbreak in 2022 was attributed to a super-spreader event and threatened
the planet with another epidemic, but fortunately ‘fizzled’ out. One reason is that scientists were
able to apply genome-sequencing technologies perfected during the COVID-19 pandemic to
understand the origin and spread of the mpox virus.
Q 11.D
• The Indian Association of Calcutta (also known as the Indian National Association) superseded the
Indian League founded by Sisir Kumar Ghosh and was founded in 1876 by younger nationalists of
Bengal led by Surendranath Banerjea and Ananda Mohan Bose, who were getting discontented with
the conservative and pro-landlord policies of the British Indian Association.
• It protested against the reduction of the age limit in 1877 for candidates of the Indian Civil Service
examination. The association demanded the simultaneous holding of civil service examinations in
England and India and the Indianisation of higher administrative posts. It led a campaign against the
repressive arms act and the vernacular press act.
• Branches of the association were opened in other towns and cities of Bengal and even outside
Bengal. The membership fee was kept low in order to attract the poorer sections to the association.
• The association sponsored an all-India conference which first took place in Calcutta on December 28 to
30, 1883. More than a hundred delegates from different parts of the country attended. So, in a way, the
association was a forerunner of the Indian National Congress as an all-India nationalist organization. It
later merged with the Indian National Congress in 1886.
• Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.
Q 12.C
• The United Indian Patriotic Association was a political organization founded in 1888 by Sir Syed
Ahmad Khan and Raja Shiv Prasad Singh of Benaras. The aim of the association was to counter
Congress propaganda. Hence, pair 1 is correctly matched.
• Madras Mahajan Sabha was founded in 1884 by M Veeraraghavachariar, G Subramania Iyer, and
P Ananda Charlu. The aim was to liberate the nation from British rule and resolve national
issues. Hence, pair 2 is correctly matched.
• The Bombay Presidency Association was started in 1885 by Pherozeshah Mehta, Kashinath Trimbak
Telang, Badruddin Tyabji, and others in response to Lytton's reactionary policies and the Ilbert Bill
controversy. Hence, pair 3 is correctly matched.
Q 13.A
• Background: The English concluded a treaty with the Nizam of Hyderabad (1766) persuading him to
give them the Northern Circars (region) in lieu of which they said they would protect the Nizam from
Haidar Ali.
• Haidar already had territorial disputes with the Nawab of Arcot and differences with the Marathas.
• The first Anglo-Mysore war continued for a year and a half without any conclusion. Haidar changed his
strategy and suddenly appeared before the gates of Madras. There was complete chaos and panic at
Madras forcing the English to conclude a very humiliating treaty with Haidar on April 4, 1769—
Treaty of Madras. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• The treaty provided for the exchange of prisoners and mutual restitution of conquests. Haidar Ali was
promised the help of the English in case he was attacked by any other power.
• Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-84)
o Haidar Ali accused the English of a breach of faith and non-observance of the Treaty of Madras when
in 1771 he was attacked by the Marathas, and the English failed to come to his aid.
o Also, he found that the French were much more helpful than the English in meeting his army’s
requirement of guns, saltpetre and lead. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
o Consequently, through Mahe, a French possession on the Malabar coast, some French war material
was brought to Mysore. Meanwhile, the American War of Independence had broken out in which the
French were on the side of the rebels against the English.
o Under the circumstances, Haidar Ali’s friendship with the French caused even more concern to the
English.
o They, therefore, tried to capture Mahe, which Haidar regarded to be under his protection. Haidar
considered the English attempt to capture Mahe a direct challenge to his authority.
• During the second Anglo-Mysore War, Haidar Ali died of cancer on December 7, 1782.
• Now his son, Tipu Sultan, carried on the war for one year without any positive outcome.
• Fed up with an inconclusive war, both sides opted for peace, negotiating the Treaty of Mangalore
(March 1784) under which each party gave back the territories it had taken from the other. Hence,
statement 3 is not correct.
Q 14.A
• Nirankaris:
o Baba Dayal Das (1783-1855) was the founder of this movement of purification and return. In the
1840s, he called for the return of Sikhism to its origins and emphasised the worship of God as
nirankar (formless). Such an approach meant a rejection of idols, rituals associated with idolatry, and
the priests who conducted these rituals. Stressing the importance and authority of Guru Nanak and of
the Adi Granth, he prohibited eating meat, drinking liquor, lying, cheating, using false weights, etc.
o Before his death Dayal Das named his son, Baba Darbara Singh (1814-70), as his successor.
Determined to cut all ties with Hinduism, Darbara Singh began to issue hukamnamas (statements

describing both doctrine and approved rituals). Under him the Nirankaris had their most rapid period
of expansion; in fifteen years, he opened forty new subcentres.
o Rattan Chand, younger brother and successor of Darbara Singh, also established new centres and
appointed biredars (leaders) for each congregation or sangat.
o The biredars oversaw these groups and were charged with reciting the hukamnamas every fifteen
days. Thus they provided a tie between the head of the Nirankari movement and its members.
o Between 1909 and 1947, Baba Gurdit Singh, son and successor of Rattan Chand, headed the
movement.
o The Nirankaris laid emphasis on Guru Nanak and on Sikhism before the establishment of the
Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur. In this, they pursued a path open to both orthodox
Sikhs, kesadharis, and to the non-baptised ranks of the sahajdharis, but drew members mainly from
the urban non-Jat section of the Sikh community. Their dependence on Gum Nanak and early Sikhism
for their model of 'pure' religion separated them from another movement, the Namdharis.
• Namdharis:
o The Namdhari movement was founded by Baba Balak Singh (1797-1862), a pious and saintly
man. He was a devout follower of Bhagat Jawahar Mal, who preached the virtues of poverty and
denounced the rich as Godless. Those who accepted Balak Singh's leadership saw him as a
reincarnation of Guru Gobind Singh. Before his death, Balak Singh chose Ram Singh as his
successor.
o In 1857, Ram Singh formally inaugurated the Namdhari movement with a set of rituals modelled
after Guru Gobind Singh's founding of the Khalsa. To initiate followers into the new
community, Ram Singh used a recitation of Gurbani (hymns from the Granth Sahib), ardas (the
Sikh prayer), a flag, and baptism.
P Every baptised Sikh was required to wear the five symbols. Instead of the sword, Ram Singh
required them to keep a lathi. In addition, the Namdharis wore white clothes with a white
turban and carried a rosary to further set them apart from all others.
o The Namdharis were to abandon the worship of gods, goddesses, idols, graves, tombs, trees, and
snakes. They were also told to abstain from drinking, stealing, adultery, falsehood, slandering,
backbiting and cheating. Further, the consumption of beef was strictly forbidden, since the protection
of cattle remained one of the Namdharis' most ardently held values.
• Hence option (a) is the correct answer.
Q 15.A
• Recent context: ‘Nabhmitra’, a device developed by ISRO-Space Applications Centre (Ahmedabad)
for the safety of fishermen, was successfully tested at Neendakara. Hence statement 2 is not correct
and statement 1 is correct.
• The satellite-based communication system enables two-way messaging services from and to the sea.
While weather and cyclone warnings will be communicated in the local language, the boats can also send
distress messages to the authorities.
• In emergency situations like capsizing and fire, fishers can press a button on the device and get in touch
with the control centre. While the control centre will receive the alert including the location of the boat,
the crew on the boat will get a response message from the control centre.
• Apart from providing information about shipping channels and maritime boundaries, the device will also
help to identify fishing fields. The device was installed on a fishing vessel in Neendakara and tested in the
presence of scientists and Fisheries department officials.
Q 16.B
• News Context: North India's first River Rejuvenation Project river Devika is nearing completion.
• Devika is considered as the sister of sacred river Ganga. It originates from the hilly Suddha Mahadev
temple in Udhampur district, J&K UT and flows down towards western Punjab (now in Pakistan)
where it merges with the Ravi River. Devika is also known as Gupt Ganga, as it appears and disappears
in many places. Hence statement 1 is not correct and statement 2 is correct.
• The river holds religious significance as it is revered by Hindus as the elder sister of the river Ganga. This
holy river finds mention in Padma Purana and other scriptures.
• There are many Shiva lingams on the bank of the river, so great importance is attached to the sacred
bathing in its water on special days. Also, a fair is organized on the eve of Baisakhi every year on the
bank of the river.

Q 17.D
• Belem Declaration
o Context: The eight countries that make up the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO)
signed the Belém Declaration during the Amazon Summit.
o Aim: An agreement to address the threats to the Amazon rainforest and highlight its significance in
confronting the climate crisis. Hence option (d) is the correct answer.
o It consolidates the consensus agenda of Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname,
and Venezuela for the region.
o The Belém Declaration contains 113 cross-cutting objectives and principles signed in the Brazilian
city of Belém.
o ACTO will play a central role in implementing the new Amazon cooperation agenda.
o Amazon Rainforest
P Nearly 60% of the rainforest is in Brazil, while the rest is shared among eight other countries—
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, and French Guiana, an
overseas territory of France.
P It is located on the South American continent. The Amazon rainforest is the largest remaining
tropical rainforest in the world.
Q 18.C
• The Wahabi Movement was founded by Sayyid Ahmad (1786-1831) of Rae Bareli, the Wahabi
Movement in India was a vigorous movement for socio-religious reforms in Indo-Islamic society in the
nineteenth century with strong political undercurrents.
• It stood for a strong affirmation of Tauhid (unity of God), the efficacy of ijtihad (the right of further
interpretation of the Quran and the Sunnah, or of forming a new opinion by applying analogy) and the
rejection of bid'at (innovation). It remained active for half a century.
• The movement was active since the 1830s but in the wake of the 1857 revolt, it turned into armed
resistance, a Jihad against the British. Subsequently, the British termed Wahabis as traitors and rebels
and carried out extensive military operations against the Wahabis. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• Sittana in North West Frontier Province was the headquarters of the Wahabis from 1850 onwards. British
expeditions against the Wahabi camp at Sittana:
o Failure of 16 British expeditions, sent between 1850 and 1857, to destroy the Wahabis at Sittana.
o British expedition under Sir Sydney Cotton and capture of Sittana (1858).
o Recovery of Sittana by the Wahabis (July 1863), and failure of Sir Neville Chamberlain to recapture it
and crush the rebels (October 1863).
o Defeat of the Wahabis by General Warvock (November 1863).
• The movement was fully suppressed after 1870. State Trials and Suppression of the Wahabi
Movement in India:
o Ambala Trial (May 1864) and passing of the sentence of transportation for life on Yahya Ali, Abdul
Rahim, Muhammad Jaffer and many others.
o Patna Trial (1865) and transportation of Ahmadullah (leader of the Wahabis at Patna) for life.
o Malda Trial (September 1870) and transportation of Maulavi Amiruddin of Maida for life.
o Rajmahal Trial (October 1870) and transportation of Ibrahim of Islampore for life. Hence statement
1 is correct.
Q 19.A
• The Opium Trade: The demand for Chinese goods such as tea, silk, and porcelain created a serious
balance-of-trade problem. Western goods did not find a market in China, so payment had to be in silver.
The East India Company found a new option – opium, which grew in India. They sold the opium in China
and gave the silver that they earned to company agents in Canton in return for letters of credit. The
Company used the silver to buy tea, silk, and porcelain to sell in Britain. This was the ‘triangular trade’
between Britain, India, and China. Thus both statements I and II are correct and statement II is the
correct explanation for statement I.
• The roots of the Opium War (or First China War) lay in a trade dispute between the British and the
Chinese Qing Dynasty which was related to this triangular trade.

Q 20.B
• Raja Rammohan Roy has been aptly described as the Father of Modern India. A multifaceted
personality as he was, he touched upon nearly every aspect of national life and struggled for the
regeneration of the Indian nation. He learned several languages and was an erudite scholar of his time. He
published his first philosophical work, Tuhfat-ul Muwahhidin (A Gift to Monotheists) in 1805 in
which he analyzed the major religions of the world in the light of ‘reason’ and ‘social comfort’. He
denied that religion was merely a matter of faith outside reason and attempted to expose the myth of
miracles associated with it. Hence, pair 1 is not correctly matched.
• The main contribution of Gopal Hari Deshmukh, also known as, Lokahitwadi, was in broadening
the scope of the social reform movement. In the Prabhakar, a Marathi Weekly, he wrote his
hundred letters, the famous ‘Shatpatre’, between 1848 and 1850. This constituted the magnum opus of
the early intellectual endeavors in Maharashtra. These letters taken together are all-encompassing in
dimension; there is hardly any aspect of the society which is left untouched. Hence, pair 2 is correctly
matched.
• Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was a champion of the Hindu-Muslim unity. He had once described the
Hindus and Muslims as two beautiful eyes of a beautiful bride. He wrote two essays in ‘Tahzib-ul-
Akhlaq’, one in 1888 and another in 1898 exhorting Muslims to give up the killing of cows since this
would bring about good neighborly relations between the Hindus and the Muslims. There were
innumerable occasions when he strongly advocated for this unity between the two important religious
communities. Hence, pair 3 is correctly matched.
Q 21.A
• Deccan riots:
o The ryots of the Deccan region of western India suffered heavy taxation under the Ryotwari
system. Here again the peasants found themselves trapped in a vicious network with the
moneylender as the exploiter and the main beneficiary. These moneylenders were mostly
outsiders—Marwaris or Gujaratis. Hence option 1 is not correct.
o The conditions had worsened due to a crash in cotton prices after the end of the American Civil War
in 1864, the government’s decision to raise the land revenue by 50 percent in 1867, and a
succession of bad harvests. This increase of land revenue further aggrieved the ryots(farmers).
The ryots were mainly against moneylenders (mostly outsiders). Hence option 2 is correct.
• Social boycott movement:
o In 1874, the growing tension between the moneylenders and the peasants resulted in a social boycott
movement organised by the ryots against the “outsider” moneylenders.
o The ryots refused to buy from their shops. No peasant would cultivate their fields. The barbers,
washermen, shoemakers would not serve them. This social boycott spread rapidly to the villages of
Poona, Ahmednagar, Sholapur, and Satara. Soon, the social boycott was transformed into agrarian
riots with systematic attacks on the moneylenders’ houses and shops. The debt bonds and deeds were
seized and publicly burnt.
o The government succeeded in repressing the movement. As a conciliatory measure, the Deccan
Agriculturists Relief Act was passed in 1879. This time also, the modern nationalist intelligentsia of
Maharashtra supported the peasants’ cause. Hence option 3 is not correct.
Q 22.B
• Joseph Francis Dupleix, born in 1697, was the son of a wealthy Farmer-General of Taxes and Director-
General of the Company of the Indies. He got a high post at Pondicherry in 1720, allegedly on the basis of
the influence of his father. At Pondicherry he made a lot of money by private trade, which was then
permitted to servants of the French company. In 1730, Dupleix won his case and was appointed as
governor of Chandernagore as compensation. In 1741, he was appointed as the Director-General of
French colonies in India. Later, he was conferred the title of Nawab by the Mughal emperor and the
subahdar of Deccan, Muzaffar Jang. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• The analysis of the first two Carnatic wars proves the diplomacy of Dupleix as a leader who visualized the
path of the European conquest of India. Dupleix used the Nawab of Carnatic to forbid the English from
waging war in his territories so that the French settlements at Pondicherry could be protected till the
French forces acquired enough strength. In return, the Nawab was promised Madras after the English got
defeated. But Dupleix, using his diplomacy, didn’t give Madras to the Nawab and even defeated him at St.
Thome (1746).
• Dupleix was the first European to interfere in the internal politics of the Indian rulers. He supported
Muzzaffar Jang for Hyderabad and Chanda Sahib for Carnatic and his candidates emerged
successful and, in return, gave great concessions to Dupleix. Dupleix was, in fact, the originator of
the practice of subsidiary alliance in India. He placed a French army at Hyderabad at the expense
of the subahdar. Hence, statements 1 and 3 are correct.
• One of the reasons for the failure of Dupleix against the British was that he was not a man of action:
he planned a campaign and directed his lieutenants, but never led an army in the battlefield like
Lawrence or Clive. The French failed to capture Trichinopoly (1752-53) because the schemes
thought out by Dupleix could not be turned into action by his commanders.
Q 23.B
• Shanan hydropower project
o Context: Himachal Pradesh and Punjab are facing a potential conflict over the Shanan hydropower
project. Hence pair 1 is correctly matched.
o The Shanan hydropower project (on the Uhl River, a tributary of the Beas River ) is a 110 MW power
project located in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1932 and is
currently under the control of the Punjab Government.
• Mekedatu dam project
o Context: The Mekedatu dam project, located in the Ramanagaram district of Karnataka, has sparked
a long-running dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Hence pair 2 is not correctly matched.
o The project aims to build a dam and reservoir on the Cauvery River to supply drinking water to
Bengaluru and replenish groundwater. It also aims to generate 400 MW of power. The Karnataka
government approved the project in 2017.
• Kalasa Banduri project (Mahadayi River, Goa)
o The Kalasa-Banduri project aims to divert water from the Mahadayi River to meet the drinking water
needs of several districts in Karnataka. However, the project has faced opposition from the
governments of Goa and Maharashtra, who recently issued a joint statement pledging to fight against
Karnataka’s water diversion plans. Hence pair 3 is correctly matched.
o The Mandovi is a river that originates from springs at Bhimgad in the Western Ghats of Belgaum
district in Karnataka. It has its basin in Maharastra and Goa as well. It is described as the lifeline of
the Indian state of Goa. Mandovi joins with the Zuari River at a common creek at Cabo Aguada,
forming the Mormugao harbor in Goa.
Q 24.A
• Kharwar Rebellion or Kherwar Movement, also known as Safa Hor Movement, was one of the non-
violent tribal struggles against British rule.
o It was initiated by the Santhal tribal community in 1868 in Bihar (Chota Nagpur region) under
the leadership of Bhagirath Manjhi. This Safa Hor (or Sapha Har) Movement popularised the
concept of one God (i.e., Monotheism) and aimed at social reform.
o Bhagirath Manjhi proclaimed himself as the king of Santhal and the representative of God. He
demanded to introduce a Santhal Raj. He wanted the Santhal tribes to stop the sacrifices to the "evil
bongas" He was arrested in 1868 as an instigator of disturbances.
o The Movement initially taught monotheism and social reform, but just before its suppression, it
took the form of a struggle against revenue settlement activities.
o Hence option (a) is the correct answer.
Q 25.B
• Oort Cloud
o Context: NASA’s Voyager 1 probe will take 300 years to reach the Oort cloud, the most distant
region of our solar system.
o The Oort Cloud is the most distant region of our solar system.
o Even the nearest objects in the Oort Cloud are thought to be many times farther from the Sun than the
outer reaches of the Kuiper Belt.
o Kuiper Belt is the collection of millions of icy objects, collectively referred to as Kuiper Belt objects
(KBOs) or trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), in this distant region of our solar system. Hence
o Unlike the orbits of the planets and the Kuiper Belt, which lie mostly in the same flat disk around the
Sun, the Oort Cloud is believed to be a giant spherical shell surrounding the rest of the solar
system. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
o Because the orbits of long-period comets are so extremely long, scientists suspect that the Oort Cloud
is the source of most of those comets.
o The distance from the Sun to the Oort Cloud is so enormous that it’s useful to describe it not in the
more common units of miles or kilometers, but astronomical units.
• Voyager 1 and Voyager 2
o The twin Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft are exploring where nothing from Earth has flown before.
o In August 2012, Voyager 1 made the historic entry into interstellar space, the region between stars,
filled with material ejected by the death of nearby stars millions of years ago.
o Voyager 2 entered interstellar space on November 5, 2018, and scientists hope to learn more about
this region. Both spacecraft are still sending scientific information about their surroundings through
the Deep Space Network, or DSN.
o The primary mission was the exploration of Jupiter and Saturn.
o Voyager 2 went on to explore Uranus and Neptune and is still the only spacecraft to have visited those
outer planets.
o The adventurers' current mission, the Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM), will explore the outermost
edge of the Sun's domain.
Q 26.C
• Finger Minutiae Record – Finger Image Record (FMR-FIR) modality
o Context: UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) is employing artificial intelligence-based
technology to address fraud in the Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS). The technology is
called Finger Minutiae Record–Finger Image Record (FMR-FIR) modality.
o The Finger Minutiae Record–Finger Image Record (FMR-FIR) modality is an Artificial Intelligence /
Machine Learning technology used by UIDAI to prevent fraud in Aadhaar-enabled Payment System
(AePS). Hence statement 1 is correct.
o How does it work?
P It verifies the authenticity of fingerprints during authentication by combining finger minutiae
(distinct ridge characteristics) and finger images. This technology helps detect cloned fingerprints,
ensuring that only real fingerprints are used for verification, thus enhancing security and
preventing fraud. Hence statement 2 is correct.
o Significance: As payment-related frauds rise, this AI-based solution aims to enhance security and
curb financial crimes associated with the AePS system.
Q 27.A
• Recent context : Skill India project successfully revived the dying Namda Art of Jammu and
Kashmir.
• The Namda craft of Kashmir is being successfully revived under a Skill India’s Pilot Project as part of
the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), with nearly 2,200 candidates from across six
districts of the state, receiving training in the dying art form.
• Namda craft is a rug made of sheep wool through felting technique instead of normal weaving
process. Due to low availability of raw material, lack of skilled manpower and marketing techniques, the
export of this craft has declined almost 100 percent between 1998 and 2008. Hence statement 1 is
correct.
• Namda works are used by Kashmiris in the form of carpets, rugs, floor mats, and even bed covers.
o Namda carpets and rugs are created by felting wool. Wool is spread in a thick layer over a mat, then
soap water in sprinkled on it, following which the layer may be pressed using a tool called pinjra.
o Thus it is a traditional art of kashmir and not Odisha. It is also practiced in Rajasthan and
Himachal Pradesh. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
Q 28.A
• The Theosophical Society was founded by Westerners who drew inspiration from Indian thought and
culture. Madame H.P. Blavatsky (1831-1891) of Russo-German birth laid the foundation of the
movement in the United States in 1875. Later Colonel M.S. Olcott (1832-1907) of the U.S. Army joined
her. In 1882 they shifted their headquarters to India at Adyar, an outskirt of Madras. Hence statement 1 is
not correct.
• The members of this society believe that a special relationship can be established between a person's soul
and God by contemplation, prayer, revelation etc.
• The Society accepts the Hindu beliefs in reincarnation, and karma and draws inspiration from the
philosophy of the Upanishads and Samkhya, Yoga, and Vedanta schools of thought. It aims to work
for the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour. Hence
statement 2 is not correct and statement 3 is correct.
• The Society also seeks to investigate the unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in man. The
Theosophical Movement came to be allied with the Hindu Renaissance.
• In India the movement became somewhat popular with the election of Mrs. Annie Besant (1847-1933) as
its President after the death of Olcott in 1907. Early in her life Mrs. Besant lost all faith in Christianity,
divorced her husband, an Anglican clergyman, and came in contact with theosophy (1882). In (1889) she
formally joined the Theosophical Society.
• After the death of Madame Blavatsky in 1891, Mrs. Besant felt lonely and decided to come to India. Mrs.
Besant was well acquainted with Indian thought and culture and her approach was Vedantic as is very
evident from her remarkable translation of the Bhagavad Gita.
• Madame Blavatsky's main emphasis had been on the occult than spiritualism. Mrs. Besant found a bridge
between matter and mind. Gradually Mrs. Besant turned a Hindu, not only in her views but also in her
dress, food, company and social manners. In India, under her guidance, Theosophy became a movement
of Hindu Revival.
Q 29.C
• The Act for Better Government of India, 1858 transferred the power to govern from the East India
Company to the British Crown. The Company’s limitations in administering the country in complex
situations had been exposed by the revolt of 1857; besides, there was not much accountability.
• Now, the power to govern was to be wielded through a secretary of state (earlier this power was exercised
by Directors of the Company and the Board of Control). The secretary of state was to be a member of the
British cabinet, and was to be assisted by a council of 15. He was answerable to the British Parliament.
All initiatives and final decisions rested with the secretary and the council was only advisory in
nature. (Thus the dual system introduced by Pitt’s India Act, 1784 came to an end.) Also, the
ultimate power over India remained with Parliament.
• The Government in India was to be carried on, as before, by the governor-general whose prestige, if not
authority, increased with the new title of viceroy given to him. The viceroy was to be assisted by an
executive council whose members were to act as the heads of various departments, as well as viceroy’s
official advisors.
• The concentration of the main authority in the hands of the secretary of state based in London, on the one
hand, gradually reduced the viceroy to a subordinate status and further alienated the Indian public opinion
from government policy-making. On the other hand, it had the effect of increasing the influence of British
industrialists, merchants and bankers over government policy in India. This made the Indian
administration even more reactionary than it had been before 1858.
• The portfolio system was created in 1859 and was legalized by the Indian Councils Act, 1861 during
the time of Lord Canning, leading to the introduction of the portfolio system. Hence, statement 2 is
not correct.
Q 30.B
• Rammohan Roy accepted the concept of one God as propounded by the Upanishads. For him, God was
shapeless, invisible, omnipresent and omnipotent, but the guiding spirit of the universe and omniscient.
• In August 1828, Roy founded the Brahmo Sabha which was later renamed Brahmo Samaj. The
Trust Deed executed in 1830 explained the object of the Brahmo Samaj as "the worship and adoration of
the Eternal, Unsearchable, Immutable, Being who is the Author and Preserver of the Universe".
• The Samaj declared its opposition to idol worship and "no graven image, statue or sculpture, carving,
painting, picture, portrait or the likeness of anything was to be allowed in the Samaj building. There was
no place for the priesthood in the Samaj building. There was no place for priesthood in the Samaj nor
sacrifices of any kind were allowed. Hence option (b) is the correct answer.
• The worship was performed through prayers and meditation and readings from the
Upanishads. Great emphasis was laid on the "promotion of charity, morality, piety, benevolence, virtue,
and strengthening of the bonds of union between men of all religious persuasions and creeds".
• Keshab Chandra Sen joined the Brahmo Samaj in 1858. Soon after Tagore appointed him the Acharya of
the Brahmo Samaj. The energy, vigour, and persuasive eloquence of Keshab popularised the movement
and the branches of the Samaj were opened outside Bengal, in the U.P., the Punjab, Bombay, Madras and
other towns. In Bengal itself, there were 54 branches in 1865.
• However, Keshab's liberal and cosmopolitan outlook brought about a split in the Samaj. Under Keshab's
influence, the Samaj began to cut itself from Hindu moorings; henceforth religious scriptures of every sect
and every people including the Christians, Muslims, and Parsis began to be read in the Brahmo Samaj

meetings. On the social front, Keshab spoke against the caste system and even advocated intercaste
marriages.
o To Debendranath these developments looked too radical and by virtue of his position as the sole
trustee of the dismissed Keshab from the office of the Acharya in 1865. Keshab and his followers
left the parent body in 1866 and formed the Brahmo Samaj of India. Debendranath's Samai
henceforth came to be known as the Adi Brahmo Samaj.
Q 31.C
• Surendranath Banerjee: He was often known as Rashtraguru and was an Indian nationalist leader
during the British Rule. He founded a nationalist organization called the Indian National
Association to bring Hindus and Muslims together for political action.
o He was one of the founding members of the Indian National Congress. He supported Montagu–
Chelmsford Reforms, unlike Congress, and with many liberal leaders he left Congress and founded a
new organisation named Indian National Liberation Federation in 1919.
o He was one of the founding fathers of the national movement, became the first Indian to go to jail
in performance of his duty as a journalist. In 1883, in an angry editorial in 'The Bengalee',
Banerjea had criticised a judge of Calcutta High Court for being insensitive to the religious sentiments
of Bengalis in one of his judgements.
• Hence option (c) is the correct answer.
Q 32.C
• Abolition of Sati: Influenced by the frontal attack launched by the enlightened Indian reformers led by
Raja Rammohan Roy, the government declared the practice of sati illegal and punishable by criminal
courts as culpable homicide. The regulation of 1829 (Regulation XVII, A.D. 1829 of the Bengal Code)
was applicable in the first instance to the Bengal Presidency alone, but was extended in slightly
modified forms to Madras and Bombay Presidencies in 1830. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Preventing Female Infanticide: The practice of murdering female infants immediately after their birth
was a common practice among upper class Bengalis and Rajputs who considered females to be an
economic burden. The Bengal regulations of 1795 and 1804 declared infanticide illegal and
equivalent to murder. An Act passed in 1870 made it compulsory for parents to register the birth of
all babies and provided for verification of female children for some years after birth, particularly in
areas where the custom was resorted to in utmost secrecy. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Controlling Child Marriage: The Native Marriage Act (or Civil Marriage Act), 1872 signified
legislative action in prohibiting child marriage. It had a limited impact as the Act was not applicable to
Hindus, Muslims and other recognised faiths. The relentless efforts of a Parsi reformer, B.M.
Malabari, were rewarded by the enactment of the Age of Consent Act (1891) which forbade the
marriage of girls below the age of 12. The Sarda Act (1930) further pushed up the marriage age to 18
and 14 for boys and girls, respectively. In free India, the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Act,
1978 raised the age of marriage for girls from 15 to 18 years and for boys from 18 to 21. Hence,
Q 33.B
• Of all the national movements in colonial countries, the Indian national movement was the most deeply
and firmly rooted in an understanding of the nature and character of colonial economic domination and
exploitation. Leaders like Dadabhai Naoroji, M.G. Ranade, G.V. Joshi, etc analyzed every aspect of
the economy and subjected the entire range of economic issues and colonial economic policies to
minute scrutiny. They traced the process of the colonialization of the Indian economy and
concluded that colonialism was the main obstacle to India’s economic development. Hence,
• Economic development was seen above all as the rapid development of the modern industry. The early
nationalists accepted with remarkable unanimity that the complete economic
• Transformation of the country on the basis of modem technology and capitalist enterprise was the primary
goal of all their economic policies. Industrialism, it was further believed, represented, to quote G.V. Joshi,
‘a superior type and a higher stage of civilization;’ or, in the words of Ranade, factories could ‘far more
effectively than Schools and Colleges give a new birth to the activities of the Nation.’ The modern
industry was also seen as a major force that could help unite the diverse peoples of India into a
single national entity having common interests. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• At the same time, nearly all the early nationalists were clear on one question: However great the need of
India for industrialization, it had to be based on Indian capital and not foreign capital. The early
nationalists disagreed vehemently with this view. They saw foreign capital as an unmitigated evil that
did not develop a country but exploited and impoverished it. Or, as Dadabhai Naoroji popularly put
it, foreign capital represented the ‘despoilation’ and ‘exploitation’ of Indian resources. Hence,
Q 34.C
• Bio-Trace Minerals Project
o Context: Recently, the Technology Development Board under the Department of Science and
Technology (TDB-DST) collaborated with M/s Chemlife Innovations pvt ltd. for innovation in the
Bio-Trace Minerals Project.
o The mission aims to enhance livestock productivity, optimize feed and fodder resources and infuse
technology into livestock management. Hence statement 1 is correct.
o It will enhance animal nutrition, transform livestock and poultry & dairy production, and set new eco-
friendly manufacturing benchmarks.
o As per the ‘Accelerated Natural Bio Transformation’ (ANBioT) technology, the project introduces
a proprietary nutrient that facilitates chelation reactions under milder conditions, aligning with
environmental sustainability. Hence statement 2 is correct.
o This project contributes to the circular economy by repurposing silkworm pupae meals and mitigating
waste generated by the silk industry.
o Innovative products like MinBioZen address the need for bio trace minerals in optimizing
livestock health and growth. It integrates bioavailability and stability, symbolizing their dedication to
innovation and environmental stewardship. Hence statement 3 is correct.
Q 35.A
• Balshastri Jambhekar (1812-1846) was a pioneer of social reform through journalism in Bombay; he
attacked Brahminical orthodoxy and tried to reform popular Hinduism. He started the newspaper
Darpan in 1832. Known as the father of Marathi journalism, Jambhekar used the Darpan to awaken the
people to an awareness of social reforms, such as widow remarriage, and to instill in the masses a
scientific approach to life.
• The Dayal Singh Trust sought to implant Brahmo ideas by the opening of Dayal Singh College at
Lahore in 1910.
• Karsondas Mulji started the 'Satya Prakash' in Gujarati in 1852 to advocate widow remarriage.
• The Age of Consent Act was passed in 1891 which forbade the marriage of girls below the age of
12.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.
Q 36.B
• The Christian missionaries were the first to set up the Calcutta Female Juvenile Society in 1819. In 1857,
universities at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras were set up and later, departments of education were set up
in all provinces.
• The Bethune School, founded by J.E.D. Bethune, president of the Council of Education in Calcutta
in 1849 was the first fruit of the powerful movement for women’s education that arose in the 1840s
and 1850s. Bethune was the president of the Council of Education. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• Mostly due to Bethune’s efforts, girls’ schools were set up on a sound footing and brought under
government’s grants- in-aid and inspection system.
• Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which later
came to be known as Bethune Female School. Bethune School replaced Hindu Female School as the
original name in 1856. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
Q 37.A
• China may be constructing an airstrip on a disputed island in the South China Sea that is also claimed by
Vietnam and Taiwan, satellite images suggest.
o Pictures of Triton Island, one of the islands in the Paracel group in South China Sea, appear to
show the construction of a runway more than 600 metres (2,000ft) long. Hence pair 1 is not
correctly matched.
• Devastating wildfire in Hawaii’s Maui island have grabbed the world’s attention. The wildfires,
which have already killed nearly 100 people.
o Maui is an island in the Central Pacific Ocean, part of the Hawaiian archipelago. Hence pair 2
is correctly matched.
• A 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia's Timor island in Indian ocean.
o The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is also helping the island build a cutting-edge
early warning system for a range of climate-related disasters. Hence pair 3 is not correctly matched.
Q 38.B
• As in the early stages of the Industrial Revolution in Europe, the working conditions in factories and
plantations in nineteenth-century India were miserable.
• Working hours were long—for women and children as well as for men—and wages were low. In
overcrowded, poorly ventilated and poorly lighted working places, safety measures were practically non-
existent.
• Ironically, the first-ever demand for regulation of the condition of workers in factories in India
came from the Lancashire textile capitalist lobby. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Apprehending the emergence of a competitive rival in the Indian textile industry under conditions of
cheap and unregulated labour, they demanded the appointment of a commission for investigation into
factory conditions.
• The first commission was appointed in 1875 although the first Factory Act was not passed before 1881.
• The Indian Factory Act, of 1881 dealt primarily with the problem of child labour (between 7 and 12
years of age). Its significant provisions were:
o employment of children under 7 years of age prohibited,
o working hours restricted to 9 hours per day for children,
o children to get four holidays in a month,
o hazardous machinery to be properly fenced off.
• The Indian Factory Act, 1891
o increased the minimum age (from 7 to 9 years) and the maximum (from 12 to 14 years) for children,
o reduced maximum working hours for children to 7 hours a day, Hence, statement 2 is not
correct.
o fixed maximum working hours for women at 11 hours per day with a one-and-a-half hour interval
(working hours for men were left unregulated),
o provided weekly holidays for all.
• However, these laws did not apply to British-owned tea and coffee plantations where the labour was
exploited ruthlessly and treated like slaves. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
• The Government helped these planters by passing laws such as those which made it virtually impossible
for a labourer to refuse to work once a contract was entered into.
• A breach of contract was a criminal offence, with a planter having the right to get the defaulting labourer
arrested.
• More labour laws were passed under nationalist pressures in the twentieth century but the overall working
conditions remained deplorable as ever.
• The early nationalists, especially the Moderates, were indifferent to the labour’s cause;
o differentiated between the labour in the Indian- owned factories and those in the British-owned
factories;
o believed that labour legislation would affect the competitive edge enjoyed by Indian-owned
industries;
o did not want a division in the movement on the basis of classes;
o did not support the Factory Acts of 1881 and 1891 for these reasons. Hence, statement 4 is
correct.
• Thus, earlier attempts to improve the economic conditions of the workers were in the nature of the
philanthropic efforts which were isolated, sporadic and aimed at specific local grievances.
Q 39.C
• PM Vishwakarma
o Context: Union Cabinet has recently approved a new Central Sector Scheme ‘PM Vishwakarma’.
o Aim: To support traditional artisans and craftspeople (Vishwakarmas) of rural and urban
India. Hence statement 1 is correct.
o It will be launched on the forthcoming Vishwakarma Jayanti (17 Sept, 2023).
o Duration: 5 years (FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28).
o Ministry: Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises.
o Significance: It aims at improving the quality, as well as the reach of products and services of
Vishwakarmas and to ensure that they are integrated with the domestic and global value chains.

o 18 traditional trades will be covered in the first instance under PM Vishwakarma. Hence statement
2 is correct.
o Benefits:
P Under this scheme, Vishwakarmas will be provided recognition through PM Vishwakarma
certificate and ID card,
P Credit Support up to Rs.1 lakh (First Tranche) and Rs.2 lakh (Second Tranche) with a
concessional interest rate of 5%. Hence statement 3 is correct.
P The scheme will further provide skill upgradation, toolkit incentive, incentive for digital
transactions, and marketing support.
P Participants will get a stipend of Rs.500 per day while undergoing training.
P Beneficiaries will also receive up to Rs. 15,000 to buy modern tools.
Q 40.B
• The Sikh community could not remain untouched by the rising tide of rationalist and progressive ideas of
the nineteenth century.
• The Singh Sabha Movement was founded at Amritsar in 1873 with a two-fold objective- to make
available modern Western education to the Sikhs and to counter the proselytizing activities of
Christian missionaries as well as the Brahmo Samajists, Arya Samajists and Muslim maulvis.
• For the first objective, a network of Khalsa schools was established by the Sabha throughout
Punjab. In the second direction, everything that went against the Gurus’ teachings was rejected, and rites
and customs considered to be consistent with Sikh doctrine were sought to be established. Hence,
• The Akali movement (also known as Gurudwara Reform Movement) was an offshoot of the Singh Sabha
Movement. It aimed at liberating the Sikh gurudwaras from the control of corrupt Udasi mahants (the post
had become hereditary). These mahants were a loyalist and reactionary lot, enjoying government
patronage.
Q 41.B
• Under Lord Dalhousie who was the Governor-General from 1848 to 1856, a policy was devised that came
to be known as the Doctrine of Lapse. The doctrine declared that if an Indian ruler died without a male
heir his kingdom would “lapse”, that is, become part of Company territory. One kingdom after another
was annexed simply by applying this doctrine: Satara (1848), Sambalpur (1850), Udaipur (1852), Nagpur
(1853) and Jhansi (1854). Hence option (b) is the correct answer.
• Finally, in 1856, the Company also took over Awadh. This time the British had an added argument – they
said they were “obliged by duty” to take over Awadh in order to free the people from the
“misgovernment” of the Nawab! Enraged by the humiliating way in which the Nawab was deposed, the
people of Awadh joined the great revolt that broke out in 1857.
Q 42.C
• Singpho's rebellion:
o Singpho's rebellion took place in Assam against occupation of their region by Britishers.
o The Singhphos resisted the Colonial Government in the early 1830s while the British were
preoccupied with repelling the challenge posed by the Khasis.
o The rebellion of the Singphos in Assam in early 1830 was immediately quelled, but they continued to
organise revolts.
o An uprising in 1839 saw the death of the British political agent. Chief Nirang Phidu led an
uprising in 1843, which involved an attack on the British garrison and the death of many
soldiers.
o A British settlement in Assam was attacked by Khasma Singphos later in 1849. Finally, the British
Government ruthlessly put an end to this insurrection
o Hence option (c) is the correct answer.
Q 43.A
• Lord Charles, 1st Earl Canning (Lord Canning), an English statesman, was the Governor-General of
India from 1856 to 1858. During his tenure as Governor General, began the revolt of 1857.
• The Background:
o India was under the administrative control of the British East India Company (EIC).

o The EIC had been associated with multiple problems, including corruption, unfair trade practices,
insensitivity, etc.
o Further, the policies of the Subsidiary Alliance and later the Doctorine of Lapse by Dalhousie irked
the Indian population and Princes.
o All this resulted into a revolt that included the participation of both: the Princely states as well as the
soldiers.
• This revolt shook the British Administration to its very core. Henceforth, only crushing the revolt was
not enough but major reforms were needed to keep things under control.
• Hence, was introduced the Government of India Act of 1858, which caused the transfer of power from
the EIC to the British Crown. Some of the provisions of the Act included:
o Liquidation of the East India Company.
o Indian territories were to be governed in the name of the British Queen.
o The powers of the Company’s Court of Directors were vested with the Secretary of State for India.
o The title of the Governor-General was to be replaced by the Viceroy of India. In this regard,
the Viceroy would be the representative of the British government in India, appointed by the
Crown.
o This act made India a direct British colony.
• Therefore, the then Governor General of India, Lord Canning, became the first Viceroy of India.
• Hence, both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is the correct explanation
for Statement-I.
Q 44.A
• Jyotiba Phule (1827-1890), born in Satara, Maharashtra, belonged to the mali (gardener) community and
organised a powerful movement against upper caste domination and brahminical supremacy.
• Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth Seekers’ Society) in 1873, with the leadership of the
samaj coming from the backward classes, malis, telis, kunbis, saris and dhangars. The main aims of
the movement were social service, and spread of education among women and lower caste people.
• Major Publications: Trutiya Ratna (1855); Powada: Chatrapati Shivajiraje Bhosle Yancha (1869);
Gulamgiri (1873), Shetkarayacha Aasud (1881).
• Trutiya Ratna (drama)(1855): This drama is considered as the first modern, social and independent play
in Marathi, ’knowledge’ is considered as the third jewel in Indian tradition. In this sense, the title is
appropriate. This drama depicts how ‘Bhats’ (Brahmins) exploit ignorant shudras.On the other hand, this
drama deposits a Christian preacher shows the exploited shudras, the way of truth. This drama effectively
depicts the importance of education by illustrating how the masses are cheated because of their ignorance.
• Phule’s works became sources of inspiration for the common masses. He used the symbol of Rajah Bali as
opposed to the brahmins’ symbol of Rama. He aimed at the complete abolition of the caste system and
socio-economic inequalities. He was against Sanskritic Hinduism.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.
Q 45.C
• The Pitt’s India Act gave the British government a large measure of control over the Company’s
affairs. In fact, the Company became a subordinate department of the State. The Company’s
territories in India were termed ‘British Possessions’. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.
• The government’s control over the Company’s affairs was greatly extended. A Board of Control
consisting of the chancellor of the exchequer, a secretary of state, and four members of the Privy Council
(to be appointed by the Crown) was to exercise control over the Company’s civil, military, and revenue
affairs. All dispatches were to be approved by the board. Thus a dual system of control was set up.
• In India, the governor-general was to have a council of three (including the commander-in-chief), and the
presidencies of Bombay and Madras were made subordinate to the governor-general. A general
prohibition was placed on aggressive wars and treaties under this act which was in reality breached very
often.
Q 46.C
• By June 1857, the First War of Independence had spread to Cawnpore (Kanpur, as it is known today).
Cawnpore was an important garrison town for the East India Company forces. It was ideally located on
the Grand Trunk Road. Initially, the sepoys at Cawnpore were not a part of the war. The British General at
Cawnpore, at that time, was Hugh Wheeler. He knew the local language, had adopted local customs, and
to top it all was married to an Indian woman. So confident was he that his sepoys would not join the fight,
he despatched two British companies to besiege Lucknow.
• The British in Cawnpore numbered 900, including military men, women and children, merchants,
business people, salesmen and engineers. The war was coming closer, and although there was no trouble
in Cawnpore, the European families were afraid. They began to shift into the entrenchment (a military
position fortified by trenches). The Indian sepoys were asked to collect their pay one by one, to avoid an
armed mob.
• The sepoys on their part felt threatened by the fortifications and the prepared artillery guns. There was a
minor skirmish when a lieutenant fired on his Indian guard when drunk, and was jailed for a night. The
next day, however, he was released. There were also rumors that the Indian troops had been summoned to
a parade, where they were to be massacred. The sepoys joined the war against the East India Company on
June 5.
• The besieged Company forces and the civilians were not prepared for such a long siege. After almost
three weeks, they surrendered to Nana Sahib, in return for a safe passage to Allahabad. Nana Sahib was
the adopted heir to Baji Rao II, the ex-Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy.
• The evacuation did not go as planned. There was confusion on getting into the boats, and
misunderstanding causing sepoys to fire at the departing British. This was called the Satichaura Ghat
massacre.
• Finally, the East India Company forces stationed in Allahabad marched to Cawnpore. Women and
children who had been captured by the sepoys were killed and their remains were thrown into a
nearby well. After Cawnpore was recaptured, the massacre was discovered. There was outrage and
Company forces retaliated with force capturing sepoys and civilians. This came to be known as the
Bibighar massacre. The murders angered and embittered the British and inspired the war cry
“Remember Cawnpore”. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.
Q 47.A
• Consultative Committees
o Context: Recently, the government was asked about the constitution of consultative committees for
the year 2023-24.
o These committees are constituted by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
o Consultative Committees of different ministries are not constituted year-wise. Hence statement 1 is
not correct.
o As per the Guidelines on Constitution, Functions, and Procedures of Consultative Committees,
Consultative Committees shall be constituted upon the constitution of each Lok Sabha. For the 17th
Lok Sabha, 40 Consultative Committees have so far been constituted.
o The maximum membership of a Consultative Committee should be limited to forty. In addition, a
maximum of four Members from both Houses can also be nominated as Permanent Special Invitees.
The minimum membership of the Consultative Committee shall be ten. Hence statement 2 is
correct.
o There is no requirement for the presence of a minimum number of Members to constitute the
quorum for holding meetings of Consultative Committees. Hence statement 3 is not correct.
o The Minister concerned with each Ministry/Department shall preside over the meeting of the
Consultative Committee attached to his/her Ministry.
o Functions: Consultative committees provide a forum for informal discussions between the ministers
and the members of Parliament on policies and programs of the government and the manner of their
implementation.
Q 48.C
• As colonists, the British were primarily focused on draining as much wealth from India as possible.
However, as soon as they entered administration, the Indians started demanding rights, and education was
one of them. In this regard, various committees were formed that advised the then government on how to
proceed with the Education Scenario.
• In 1823, the Governor-General-in-Council appointed a “General Committee of Public Instruction”,
which had the responsibility to grant the one lakh rupees for education. The committee was headed
by Lord Macaulay. It was later replaced by the Council of Education in 1841.
• The Hunter Education Commission of 1882 was appointed by Viceroy Lord Ripon in order to look into
the complaints of the non-implementation of the Wood's Despatch of 1854; the contemporary status of
elementary education in the British territories; and suggest means by which this can be extended. The
Commission recommended that:
o The medium of primary education should be the mother tongue.
o More training schools should be established for primary teachers' training.
o A model government high school should be established.
• The Sadler Commission of 1917–19 was set up to inquire into the conditions and prospects of the
University of Calcutta. It focused on freeing the universities from the responsibility of secondary
education so they could concentrate only on higher education.
Q 49.D
• Sir James Outram is best known for his role during the relief and capture of Lucknow during the
Indian Mutiny (1857-1859).
• Sir Hugh Rose was given command of the Central Indian Field Force during the Indian Rebellion of
1857 and was successful at the battle of Jhansi in April 1858, at Lahore in May 1858 and at Gwalior in
June 1858.
• John Nicholson served as commander of the main storming party during the Siege of Delhi (September
1857) to suppress the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Q 50.B
• Trans Lunar Injection
o Context: ISRO successfully conducts Trans Lunar Injection (TLI) of Chandrayaan-3 from ISRO
Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru.
o The Trans Lunar Injection (TLI) maneuver is a vital space travel technique used to launch a
spacecraft from Earth's orbit and place it on a track beyond the Moon. Hence statement 1 is
correct.
o Chandrayaan-3 has completed 5 orbit-raising maneuvers around Earth and has achieved an orbit of
127,603 km x 236 km, forming an elliptical path with the farthest and closest points.
o The TLI is performed when the spacecraft is at the ‘perigee’ or the closest point to Earth. Hence
o During this maneuver, its thrusters will be activated to propel the spacecraft to obtain the velocity
necessary to break away from the gravitational pull of the Earth.
o The engines on the spacecraft's propulsion module will be fired to go toward the Moon.
o Lunar-Orbit Insertion (LOI) happens later once the spacecraft enters the lunar orbit. Hence
o The spacecraft's altitude and position is lowered into a 100 km circular orbit.
o At this point, the propulsion module will be separated from the landing module.
Q 51.D
• Born in 1845 in Bombay, Pherozeshah Mehta came under Dadabhai Naoroji’s influence while
studying law in London during the 1860s. He was one of the founders of the Bombay Presidency
Association as also the Indian National Congress. From about the middle of the 1890s till his death in
1915, he was a dominant figure in the Indian National Congress and was often accused of exercising
autocratic authority over it.
• Mehta’s first major intervention in the Imperial Legislative Council came in January 1895 on a Bill
for the amendment of the Police Act of 1861 which enhanced the power of the local authorities to
quarter a punitive police force in an area and to recover its cost from selected sections of the
inhabitants of the area.
• In 1901, a Bill was brought in the Bombay Legislative to take away the peasant’s right of ownership
of land to prevent him from bartering it away because of his thriftlessness. Denying this charge and
opposing the bill, Mehta defended the right of the peasant to have some joy, color, and moments of
brightness in his life.
• In the case of the average Indian peasant, he said, ‘‘a few new earthenwares a few wildflowers, the village
tom-tom, a stomach-full meal, bad areca nut and betel leaves and a few stalks of cheap tobacco, and in
some cases, a few cheap tawdry trinkets, exhaust the joys of a festive occasion in the life of a household
which has known only an unbroken period of unshrinking labor from morn to sunset.” And when the
Government insisted on using its official majority to push through the Bill, Mehta along with
Gokhale, G.K. Parekh, Balachandra Krishna and D.A. Khare took the unprecedented step of
organizing the first walk-out in India’s legislative history. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.
Q 52.A
• Under the ryotwari system, the revenue collection and maintenance were directly settled with the ryot. But
the revenue rates were exorbitant and in many places, the peasants abandoned their villages and migrated
to new provinces.
• To pay the exorbitant revenue amount and to meet their daily requirements, the peasants started to borrow
from the moneylenders. The Moneylenders charged exorbitant interest rates which accumulated over the
years leading to a vicious debt trap. In these circumstances, the British felt the need to regulate the credit
system.
• Thus, the British passed a Limitation law passed in 1859 which stated that the loan bonds signed
between moneylenders and ryots would have validity for only three years.
• This law was meant to check the accumulation of interest over time. The moneylender, however,
turned the law around, forcing the ryot to sign a new bond every three years. When a new bond was
signed, the unpaid balance that is, the original loan and the accumulated interest was entered as the
principal on which a new set of interest charges was calculated.
Q 53.B
• First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-82)
o The English and the Maratha armies met on the outskirts of Pune. Though the Maratha army had a
larger number of soldiers than the English, the latter had highly superior ammunition and cannons.
o However, the Maratha army was commanded by a brilliant general named Mahadji Sindhia (also
known as Mahadji Shinde). Mahadji lured the English army into the ghats (mountain passes) near
Talegaon trapped the English from all sides and attacked the English supply base at Khopali.
o The Marathas also utilized a scorched earth policy, burning farmland and poisoning wells. As
the English began to withdraw to Talegaon, the Marathas attacked, forcing them to retreat to
the village of Wadgaon.
o Here, the English army was surrounded on all sides by the Marathas and cut off from food and water
supplies. The English surrendered by mid-January 1779 and signed the Treaty of Wadgaon that forced
the Bombay government to relinquish all territories acquired by the English since 1775.
o Treaty of Salbai (1782): The Treaty of Salbai was signed on 17 May 1782, by representatives of the
Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company after long negotiations to settle the
outcome of the First Anglo-Maratha War it was signed between Warren Hastings and Mahadaji
Shinde. Hence statements 1 and 3 are correct.
P End of the First Phase of the Struggle Warren Hastings, the Governor-General in Bengal,
rejected the Treaty of Wadgaon and sent a large force of soldiers under Colonel Goddard who
captured Ahmedabad in February 1779, and Bassein in December 1780. Another Bengal
detachment led by Captain Popham captured Gwalior in August 1780.
P In February 1781 the English, under General Camac, finally defeated Sindhia at Sipri.
P Sindhia proposed a new treaty between the Peshwa and the English, and the Treaty of Salbai was
signed in May 1782; it was ratified by Hastings in June 1782 and by Phadnavis in February
1783. The treaty guaranteed peace between the two sides for twenty years.
P The main provisions of the Treaty of Salbai were:
§ Salsette should continue in the possession of the English. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
§ The whole of the territory conquered since the Treaty of Purandhar (1776) including Bassein
should be restored to the Marathas.
§ In Gujarat, Fateh Singh Gaekwad should remain in possession of the territory that he had
before the war and should serve the Peshwa as before.
§ The English should not offer any further support to Raghunathrao and the Peshwa should
grant him a maintenance allowance.
§ Haidar Ali should return all the territory taken from the English and the Nawab of Arcot.
§ The English should enjoy the privileges of trade as before.
§ The Peshwa should not support any other European nation.
§ The Peshwa and the English should undertake that their several allies should remain at peace
with one another. (ix) Mahadji Sindhia should be the mutual guarantor for the proper
observance of the terms of the treaty.
o Treaty of Bassein (1802) Under the treaty, the Peshwa agreed:
P to receive from the Company a native infantry (consisting of not less than 6,000 troops), with the
usual proportion of field artillery and European artillerymen attached, to be permanently stationed
in his territories;
P to cede to the Company territories yielding an income of Rs 26 lakh;
P to surrender the city of Surat; Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
P to give up all claims for Chauth on Nizam’s dominions;

P to accept the Company’s arbitration in all differences between him and the Nizam or the
Gaekwad;
P not to keep in his employment Europeans of any nation at war with the English; and
P to subject his relations with other states to the control of the English.
Q 54.D
• In 1783, a person named William Jones arrived in Calcutta. He had an appointment as a junior judge
at the Supreme Court that the Company had set up. In addition to being an expert in law, Jones was a
linguist. He had studied Greek and Latin at Oxford, knew French and English, had picked up Arabic from
a friend, and had also learnt Persian.
• At Calcutta, he began spending many hours a day with pandits who taught him the subtleties of
Sanskrit language, grammar and poetry. Soon he was studying ancient Indian texts on law,
philosophy, religion, politics, morality, arithmetic, medicine and the other sciences.
• Jones discovered that his interests were shared by many British officials living in Calcutta at the
time. Englishmen like Henry Thomas Colebrooke and Nathaniel Halhed were also busy discovering
the ancient Indian heritage, mastering Indian languages and translating Sanskrit and Persian works into
English. Together with them, Jones set up the Asiatic Society of Bengal, and started a journal called
Asiatick Researches.
Q 55.B
• The Act of 1833 was a great landmark in the constitutional history of India. Constitutional developments (
1757-1858) The monopoly of tea trade with China was abolished. The Company was to have only
political functions. India was to pay the Company's debts. Its shareholders were guaranteed a dividend of
10.5 percent per annum. The union of the trader and the sovereign was finally dissolved.
• The Governor General of Bengal became the Governor General of India. The Governor General in
Council was to control, superintend and direct the civil and military affairs of the Company. Bombay,
Bengal, Madras, and other regions were subjected to complete control of the Governor General in
Council.
• By this Act, the Governor General was empowered to appoint the Law Commission to study, collect
and codify various rules and regulations prevalent in India. The Indian Penal Code and Codes of
Civil and Criminal Law were enacted by the efforts of the Indian Law Commission. Hence,
• The Act added one member to the Executive council of the Governor General. the Law Member,
whose work was fully legislative. He had no vote in the Council and he was to attend meetings, on the
invitation. But he practically became a regular member of the council. Lord Macaulay, the Law member,
influenced the educational policy of the government for a number of years. Hence, statement 2 is not
correct.
• Section 87 of the Act declared, "that no native or natural born subject of the crown resident in
India should be by reason only of his religion, place of birth, descent, color or any of them be
disqualified for any place in the company's service." It was a momentous declaration. Lord Morley
later described it as the most important India Act passed by the British Parliament till 1909. This clause
proclaiming discrimination was of great importance for it became the sheet anchor of political agitation in
India towards the end of the century. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Q 56.C
• The life of tribal groups was directly connected to the forest. So changes in forest laws had a considerable
effect on tribal lives. The British extended their control over all forests and declared that forests were state
property. Some forests were classified as Reserved Forests for they produced timber which the British
wanted. In these forests, people were not allowed to move freely, practice jhum cultivation, collect fruits,
or hunt animals. Thus the British favored settled agricultural practices at the cost of shifting cultivation (or
jhum). Hence statement I is correct.
• Harry Verrier Elwin (1902-1964) was a British-born anthropologist and ethnologist. Even though he
was not trained in the discipline formally, “the overwhelming influence that Elwin’s writings had on the
bureaucracy in India was nowhere to be matched by the influence of any other anthropologist in
India”. He came to India in 1927 as a Christian missionary but was soon heavily influenced by M.K.
Gandhi and his philosophy and converted to Hinduism in 1935. He is most significantly known for his
writings on tribals and has numerous books, pamphlets, and articles published under his name since the
1930s. He was closely involved with both the pre-independence and post-independence Indian
governments and had close associations with both Gandhi and Nehru; he served in government positions
as an official ethnographer under the colonial government, deputy director of the Anthropological Survey
of India, and anthropological advisor for NEFA (North East Frontier Agency). He went on to play a
crucial role in the formulation of the tribal policy by the Indian state
• Elwin developed an approach of protectionism against the approach of intervention. The difference
between them can be observed in their contrary views on the agricultural practices of tribal communities:
Elwin wished for protection to be given to shifting cultivation. Hence statement II is not correct. Thus
option (c) is the correct answer.
• In the the1930s Verrier Elwin visited the land of the Baigas – a tribal group in central India. He wanted to
know about them – their customs and practices, their art and folklore. He recorded many songs that
lamented the hard time the Baigas were having under British rule.
Q 57.C
• Burgeoning nationalism was an increasing trend, especially in Indian Universities. In order to curb the
same and tighten the grip of the government on the universities, the Indian Universities Act of
1904 was introduced by Lord Curzon. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• The act also included provisions to improve the condition of university education in India. It expanded
the scope of university education and included new initiatives such as laboratories to improve the
quality of research.
• The Act introduced governmental control over universities in the following ways (Hence statement 3
is correct):
o Reorganization of university administration, making it strict and systematic.
o Supervision of the colleges by the university.
o Stricter conditions of affiliation, and
o Major changes in curricula and examinations.
• The Act was passed on the recommendations of the Raleigh Commission. Hence statement 2 is
correct.
Q 58.A
• The First Carnatic War is remembered for the Battle of St. Thome (in Madras) fought between the
French forces and the forces of Anwar-ud-din, the Nawab of Carnatic, to whom the English
appealed for help. A small French army under Captain Paradise defeated the strong Indian army under
Mahfuz Khan at St. Thome on the banks of the River Adyar. This was an eye-opener for the Europeans in
India: it revealed that even a small disciplined army could easily defeat a much larger Indian army.
Further, this war adequately brought out the importance of naval force in the Anglo-French conflict in the
Deccan. Hence, pair 3 is not correctly matched.
• The decisive battle of the third Carnatic War was won by the English on January 22, 1760, at
Wandiwash (or Vandavasi) in Tamil Nadu. General Eyre Coote of the English totally routed the
French army under Count Thomas Arthur de Lally and took Bussy as a prisoner. Hence, pair 2 is
correctly matched.
• The rising power of the Dutch was looked upon as a threat by the English to their own vested interests.
When the English established a factory at Masulipatam and opened trade at Petapuli, the Dutch interest
lay in not allowing the English to have a share in the Pulicat trade. Between 1672-74 the Dutch tried to
obstruct English settlements at Surat and Bombay and captured an English vessel in the Bay of Bengal.
The English realized the supremacy of the Dutch over the Eastern Islands. They decided to drive them
away from their Indian possessions. To fulfill their designs, the English joined hands with the
Portuguese in India. Finally, they succeeded in defeating them at Bedara (1759) which weakened
the Dutch opposition in India greatly. Hence, pair 1 is not correctly matched.
Q 59.C
• In the early 19th century, the English started to show an interest in Sindh where they enjoyed some trade
facilities authorized by a farman of the Mughal Emperor in 1630.
• The Farman provided the English with such privileges in the ports of Sindh which they enjoyed
elsewhere.
• In the eighteenth century, prior to the rule of Talpuras Amirs, Sindh was ruled by the Kallora chiefs.
• In 1758, an English factory was built at Thatta, owing to a parwana given by the Kallora prince,
Ghulam Shah. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• In 1761, Ghulam Shah, on the arrival of an English resident in his court, not only ratified the earlier treaty
but also excluded other Europeans from trading there. This advantage was enjoyed by the English up to
1775 when a not-too-friendly ruler, Sarfraz Khan, made the English close their factory.
• In the 1770s, a Baluch tribe called Talpuras, descended from the hills and settled in the plains of Sindh.
They were excellent soldiers as well as adapted to hard life. They acquired great influence and soon
usurped power in the new region.
• In 1783, the Talpuras, under the leadership of Mir Fath (Fatah) Ali Khan, established a complete
hold over Sindh and sent the Kallora prince into exile. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Treaty of ‘Eternal Friendship’
o In June 1807, the alliance of Tilsit with Alexander I of Russia was joined by Napoleon Bonaparte.
The alliance had as one of its conditions a combined invasion of India by the land route.
o Now the British wanted to create a barrier between Russia and British India. To achieve this, Lord
Minto sent three delegations under the leadership of various prominent persons to forge alliances.
o Accordingly, Metcalfe was sent to Lahore, Elphinstone to Kabul, and Malcolm to Teheran. Sindh was
visited by Nicholas Smith who met the Amirs to conclude a defensive arrangement.
o After negotiations, the Amirs agreed to a treaty—their first-ever treaty with the English.
o After professing eternal friendship, both sides agreed to exclude the French from Sindh and to
exchange agents at each other’s court.
• Treaty of 1832
o In 1832, William Bentinck sent Colonel Pottinger to Sindh to sign a treaty with the Amirs.
o The provisions of the treaty were as follows:
P Free passage through Sindh would be allowed to the English traders and travelers and the use of
the Indus for trading purposes; however, no warships would ply, nor any materials for war would
be carried.
P No English merchant would settle down in Sindh, and passports would be needed for
travelers.
P Tariff rates could be altered by the Amirs if found high and no military dues or tolls would be
demanded.
P The Amirs would work with the Raja of Jodhpur to put down the robbers of Kachch.
P The old treaties were confirmed and the parties would not be jealous of each other.
Q 60.C
• Bahadur Shah I (1709–March 1712)
o After a nearly two-year-long war of succession, the 63-year-old Prince Muazzam, the eldest son of
Aurangzeb, became the emperor, taking the title Bahadur Shah. He was later called Bahadur Shah I).
o He had killed his brothers Muhammad Azam and Kam Bakhsh in the war of succession.
o Khafi Khan gave the title of Shah-i-Bekhabar to Bahadur Shah. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
o He adopted a pacific policy with the Marathas, the Rajputs, and the Jats. Shahu, the Maratha prince,
was released from Mughal captivity, and Rajput chiefs were confirmed in their respective states.
o However, the Sikh leader Banda Bahadur attacked the Muslims in Punjab and hence the emperor took
action against him.
o Bahadur Shah I died in February 1712.
• Jahandar Shah (March 1712-February 1713)
o With the help of Zulfikar Khan, Jahandar Shah became the emperor. Zulfikar Khan was appointed
prime minister; he introduced izara system to improve the financial condition of the empire. Jahandar
Shah abolished Jaziya.
• Farrukhsiyar (1713-1719)
o After killing Jahandar Shah with the help of Sayyid brothers—Abdulla Khan and Hussain Ali (known
as ‘King Makers’), Farrukhsiyar became the new emperor.
o He followed a policy of religious tolerance by abolishing Jaziya and the pilgrimage tax. Hence,
o In 1717, he gave farmansto to the British. In 1719, the Sayyid brothers, with the help of Peshwa Balaji
Vishwanath, dethroned Farrukhsiyar.
o Later, he was blinded and killed. It was the first time in Mughal history that an emperor was killed by
his nobles.
• Rafi-ud-Darajat (February 28 to June 4, 1719)
o He ruled for the shortest period among the Mughals.

o Rafi-ud-Daula (June 6 to September 17, 1719) The Sayyid brothers placed Rafi-ud-Daula with the
title Shah Jahan II on the throne. The new emperor was an opium addict.
• Muhammad Shah (1719-48)
o After the death of Rafi- ud-Daula, Raushan Akhtar became the choice of the Sayyid Brothers.
o Muhammad Shah, as he came to be known in history, was given the title of ‘Rangeela’ due to his
luxurious lifestyle.
o Muhammad Shah, with the help of Nizam-ul-Mulk, killed the Sayyid Brothers.
o In 1724, Nizam-ul-Mulk became the wazir and founded the independent state of Hyderabad.
o In 1737, Baji Rao I, the Maratha Peshwa invaded Delhi with a small army of 500 horsemen.
o In 1739, Nadir Shah defeated the Mughals in the Battle of Karnal and later imprisoned
Muhammad Shah and annexed areas west of the Indus into the Persian empire. Hence,
• Ahmad Shah (1748-1754)
o Ahmad Shah was an incompetent ruler who left state affairs in the hands of Udham Bai, the ‘Queen
Mother’.
o Udham Bai, given the title of Qibla-i-Alam, was a lady of poor intellect who ruled with the help of her
paramour, Javid Khan (a notorious eunuch).
• Alamgir II (1754-1758)
o Alamgir II was a grandson of Jahandar Shah.
o Ahmed Shah Abdali, the Iranian invader, reached Delhi in January 1757.
o During his reign, the Battle of Plassey was fought in June 1757.
• Shahjehan III (1758-1759)
• Shah Alam II (1759-1806)
o His reign saw two decisive battles—the Third Battle of Panipat (1761) and the Battle of Buxar (1764).
o In 1765, according to the terms of the Treaty of Allahabad (August 1765), he was taken under the
East India Company’s protection and resided at Allahabad.
Q 61.A
• Paika Rebellion (1817):
o The Paiks of Odisha were the traditional landed militia (‘foot soldiers’ literally) and enjoyed rent-
free land tenures for their military service and policing functions on a hereditary basis. Hence
o The English Company’s conquest of Odisha in 1803, and the dethronement of the Raja of Khurda had
greatly reduced the power and prestige of the Paiks. Further, the extortionist land revenue policy of
the Company caused resentment among zamindars and peasants alike. Common masses were
affected by the rise in prices of salt due to taxes imposed on it, abolition of cowrie currency, and the
requirement of payment of taxes in silver, etc. Hence statement 2 is correct.
o Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar had been the military chief of the forces of the Raja of Khurda.With
active support of Mukunda Deva, the last Raja of Khurda, and other zamindars of the region, Bakshi
Jagabandhu Bidyadhar led a sundry army of Paikas forcing the East India Company forces to retreat
for a time. The rebellion came to be known as the Paika Bidroh (rebellion). Hence statement 3 is
not correct.
o Though Khurda was back under Company control by mid-1817, the Paika rebels resorted to guerilla
tactics. The rebellion was brutally repressed by 1818. Priests at the Puri temple who had sheltered
Jagabandhu were caught and hanged. Paikas on the whole suffered greatly. In 1825, Jagabandhu
surrendered under negotiated terms.
o The Paika Rebellion succeeded in getting large remissions of arrears, reductions in assessments,
suspension of the sale of the estates of defaulters at discretion, a new settlement on fixed tenures, and
other adjuncts of a liberal governance.
Q 62.D
• Santhal rebellion of 1855 or (Hul Rebellion):
o Santhal's, a tribal group in Chhotanagpur region, were facing multiple issues of extortion by the
British East India Company, Zamindari system and a myriad of intermediaries like moneylenders,
upper ryots etc.
o The Santhals were deeply frustrated by the colonial structure. The moneylenders used to give loans at
exorbitant rates which were the only source of money for santhals in Rajmahal hills. If they were
unable to pay, they had to sell out their land, which was the biggest asset then.

o By the 1850s, the Santhals felt the need to rebel against the zamindars and the moneylenders. The
rebellion soon turned into a movement against the British colonial state. The Santhals called the
rebellion ‘hul’, meaning a movement for liberation.
o Under Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu, two brothers, the Santhals proclaimed an end to Company rule,
and declared the area between Bhagalpur and Rajmahal as autonomous. It is said that emissaries with
sal branches as a form of secret communication were sent by the Murmu brothers to Santhal lands to
gather support. Phulo and Jhano Murmu, the sisters of Sidhu and Kanhu, participated in the rebellion
and are said to have entered the enemy camp under cover and killed several soldiers before they
themselves died.
o The British suppressed the rebellion with a heavy hand by 1856, burning down villages or destroying
them with the help of elephants, and killing thousands of Santhals. Sidhu and Kanhu were killed.
o It was after the Santhal Revolt of 1855-56 that the Santhal Pargana was created out of the
districts of Bhagalpur and Birbhum. The pargana was to have special laws within it.
o Hence option (d) is the correct answer.
Q 63.A
• The form of the relationship of the East India Company and its possessions with the British Government
was most important because it was closely connected with - party and parliamentary rivalries in Britain.
English statesmen were politically ambitious and English merchants were commercially greedy. Bengal
had yielded rich resources into the hands of the Company.
• Many political thinkers and statesmen of Britain were afraid that the Company and its powerful rich
officials would lower the standard of morality of the English nation and increase corruption in British
politics. The seats in the House of Commons were bought by the Company for its agents. It was feared
that the Company, with the help of money brought from India, might achieve dangerous supremacy in the
British Government.
• The East India Company's position was unique at home. King George Ill patronized it. It fought
with the help of its friends in Parliament. The Parliament decided on a compromise. A balance was
worked out. The British parliament decided to control the Company's Indian administration in the
interest of Britain's influential elite class as a whole. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• In the field of executive government. the status of Governor of Bengal was raised to Governor General.
His Council would consist of four members. The Governor General in Council was given the power to
superintend and control the presidencies of Madras and Bombay in matters of war and peace. But the
Governor General had to face the opposition of his council, who united against him. He had no power to
override them, though, in case of an equal division, he had a casting vote. Hence, statement 2 is not
correct.
• The Act also provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court of Justice at Calcutta to give
justice to Europeans, their employees, and the citizens of Calcutta. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Q 64.C
• By the 1880s, Indian women began to enter universities. Some of them trained to be doctors, some
became teachers. Many women began to write and publish their critical views on the place of women in
society.
• Tarabai Shinde, a woman educated at home at Poona, published a book, Stripurushtulna, (A
Comparison between Women and Men), criticising the social differences between men and women.
• In this she protested against the fact that in a new colonial society men enjoyed all the rights,
opportunities and benefits of change, while women were blamed for all the evils and were still
bound by the old strictures of pativrata (duty to husband).
• Yet, ultimately, Tarabai was no rebel; what she claimed for Indian women was more respect and dignity
in a happy home and the enlightenment that the colonial state had supposedly promised.
• The History of Doing, An illustrated Account of Movements for Women's rights and Feminism In
India,1800-1990 by Radha Kumar is a thematic history of the women’s movement in India both before
and after independence. This this book covers the period from the nineteenth century to the present day. It
looks at how women’s issues were raised, initially by men and as part of the movements for social reform,
and then with the involvement of women in the nationalist movement, by women themselves.
• Ratanbai is a Sketch of a Bombay High Caste Hindu woman (1895) by Shevantibai M.
Nikambe. From the early part of the 19th century up to the independence of India in 1947, it illuminates
not only the Indo-British encounter, but also helps us understand the complexities of colonialism,
nationalism, gender relations, caste, class, language, identity, or what in a nutshell might be termed the
evolution of modern India itself.
• Swarnakumari Devi, the elder sister of Rabindranath Tagore, published her first novel eight years
after her marriage. The novel, called Deep Nirban or the Snuffing out of Light, was a call to
nationalism. She went on to author numerous plays, poems, novels, and essays, becoming the first female
Bengali author to gain prominence. Simultaneously, she also worked towards women’s and child rights
her entire life.
• Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.
Q 65.C
• Graphene-Aurora Program
o Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has launched the ‘Graphene-Aurora
program’ in Kerala recently. Hence statement 1 is correct.
o Aim: It aims to fill the gap between R&D and commercialization by providing a complete facility to
startups and industries. Hence statement 2 is correct.
o Ministry: Ministry of Electronics & IT.
o Implemented by: Digital University Kerala with joint funding from the Ministry of Electronics &
Information Technology (MeitY) and Government of Kerala and Industry partners.
o Under this program, a Section 8 Company (not for profit) called India Graphene Engineering and
Innovation Center (I-GEIC) shall be set up in Trivandrum, Kerala.
• Graphene
o Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice.
o It is often referred to as a wonder material for its extraordinary electrical and electronic properties.
o It is stronger than steel, very stretchable, and can be used as a flexible conductor.
o Its thermal conductivity is much higher than that of silver.
o It is an ultimately thin, mechanically very strong, transparent, and flexible conductor.
o Applications: Touch screens, light panels, and solar cells.
Q 66.C
• Although the French harbored a wish to engage in the commerce of the East since the opening years of the
sixteenth century, their appearance on the Indian coasts was late. Indeed, the French were the last
Europeans to come to India.
• In 1667, Francois Caron headed an expedition to India, setting up a factory in Surat. Mercara, a Persian
who accompanied Caron, founded another French factory in Masulipatnam in 1669 after obtaining a
patent from the Sultan of Golconda.In 1673, the French obtained permission from Shaista Khan, the
Mughal subahdar of Bengal, to establish a township at Chandernagore near Calcutta. Hence option
(d) is not correct.
• In 1673, Sher Khan Lodi, the governor of Valikondapuram (under the Bijapur Sultan), granted
Francois Martin, the director of the Masulipatnam factory, a site for a settlement. Pondicherry was
founded in 1674. In the same year, Francois Martin replaced Caron as the French governor. The
French company established its factories in other parts of India also, particularly in the coastal
regions. Mahe, Karaikal, Balasore, and Qasim Bazar were a few important trading centers of the French
East India Company. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.
• The French position in India was badly affected by the outbreak of war between the Dutch and the French.
Bolstered by their alliance with the English since the Revolution of 1688, the Dutch captured Pondicherry
in 1693. Although the Treaty of Ryswick concluded in September 1697 restored Pondicherry to the
French, the Dutch garrison held on to it for two more years. Hence option (a) is not correct.
• Again there was a bad turn in the fortunes of the French company in India when the War of Spanish
Succession broke out in Europe (thus it weakened the French and did not strengthen them vis-a-vis the
Portuguese). Consequent to this, they had to abandon their factories at Surat, Masulipatnam, and Bantam
in the early 18th century. Hence option (b) is not correct.
Q 67.D
• The modern working class arose in India with the introduction of capitalism in the 19th century
under colonial dispensation. It was a modern working class in the sense of relatively modern
organisation of labour and a relatively free market for labour.
• This development was due to the establishment of modern factories, railways, dockyards and construction
activities relating to roads and buildings.
• But over the time, Indian working class faced same mode of exploitation that was faced by European
working class during the industrialization such as low wages, long working hours, unhygienic and
hazardous working conditions, child labour and absence of basic amenities.
• The Indian working class movement gave different colour due to the presence of colonialism in
India because of imperialist political regime and economic exploitation by both foreign and native
capitalist classes. Hence, the movement of Indian working classes became national emancipation with
political struggle. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• The Factory Act in 1881 focused on the welfare of working children. It ensured that children below
the age of 7 could not be employed in factories. Also mandated that children between 7 and 12 years
of age cannot be made to work more than 9 hours a day and should be given a one-hour break each
day. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
Q 68.C
• WorldCoin Project
o Context: WorldCoin project launched by OpenAI has claimed over 2 million sign-ups across the world.
o Worldcoin is a cryptocurrency project that aims to create a new form of digital identity that can verify
that its holder is a real human being, not an AI bot or a fake account. The project was co-founded by
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, and the research organization behind ChatGPT, one of the most
advanced AI chatbots in the world. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
o Worldcoin's main innovation is its World ID, which is generated by scanning a person's eyes using a
device called an orb. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
o The orb is a silver sphere that can capture a high-resolution image of the iris, which is unique for
every individual. The orb then encrypts the image and sends it to a blockchain network, where it is
matched with a Worldcoin address. The person who scans their eyes receives some Worldcoins as a reward
for joining the network.
o Worldcoin claims that its World ID is a way to create a universal and decentralized digital
identity that can protect people's privacy and enable them to access various services and benefits online.
The project also has a vision of using Worldcoin as a means to distribute universal basic income (UBI) to
everyone in the world, regardless of their location, income, or status.
o Uses:
P Biometric data would help differentiate between humans and Artificial Intelligence systems and
prevent duplication of IDs from the same person.
P It can be used as an ID in a variety of everyday applications such as a cryptocurrency wallet without
revealing the user’s identity.
P Countries that have higher sign-up of users are France, Germany and Kenya, India, and the U.S.
o Concerns:
P WLD’s price is prone to fluctuation.
P The chances of being scammed or even hacked are high.
Q 69.A
• In the Madras Presidency of British India, a political party known as the Justice Party, officially
known as the South Indian Liberal Federation was active. It was founded by Dr. C. Natesa
Mudaliar with assistance from P. Theagaraya Chetty, T. M. Nair, and Alamelu Mangai
Thayarammal in Madras’ Victoria Public Hall in the year 1916. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• It was later popularly called Justice party. It is believed that the Dravidian Movement began with the
founding of the Justice Party, the result of numerous attempts to find a group to represent non-
Brahmins in Madras. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
Q 70.A
• Lachin Corridor:
o Context: Recently Armenia and Azerbaijan clashed at an emergency meeting of the UN Security
Council over the plight of the 120,000 people in the Nagorno-Karabakh region that Armenia says are
blockaded by Azerbaijan and facing a humanitarian crisis.
o Armenia asked for the meeting saying Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only road
connecting mainly Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, had left its people with
dwindling food, medicine, and electricity. Hence pair 1 is not correctly matched.
o What is the Nagorno-Karabakh Region?
o Nagorno-Karabakh, straddling western Asia and Eastern Europe, is internationally recognized as part
of Azerbaijan. But most of the region is controlled by Armenian separatists.
o It has been part of Azerbaijan territory since the Soviet era. When the Soviet Union began to collapse
in the late 1980s, Armenia’s regional parliament voted for the region’s transfer to Armenia. But, the
Soviet authorities turned down the demand. Years of clashes followed between Azerbaijan forces and

Armenian separatists. While the area remains in Azerbaijan, it is governed by Armenians who
declared it a republic called “Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast”.
• Jeddah
o Context: Saudi Arabia hosted a conference for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine war in the
Red Sea port city of Jeddah. Hence pair 2 is correctly matched.
o It is Saudi Arabia’s port city. It is situated on the eastern shore of the Red Sea. It is on the maritime
trade route connecting the Mediterranean with India, the Arabian Peninsula, and Southeast Asia.
• Kuril Islands
o Context: The Ukraine war has given some hope to the Japanese that the Kuril Islands can be wrestled
out of Russia's control.
o The Kuril Islands are strategically located islands stretching between the north of Japan's
Hokkaido island and the southern tip of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. Hence pair 3 is not
correctly matched.
o These are a set of 4 islands situated between the Sea of Okhotsk and the North Pacific Ocean.
o These islands are a point of contention between Russia and Japan.
o Japan claims - The islands have been part of it since the early 19th century.
o Russia - Soviet forces seized these islands in the closing days of WWII.
o Japan, Russia, and South Korea call them 3 different names.
P Japan - Northern territories
P Russia - the Kuril Islands
P South Korea - Dokdo islands
Q 71.C
• M.G. Ranade and Raghunath Rao founded the Indian Social Conference. It met annually from its
first session in Madras in 1887 at the same time and venue as the Indian National Congress.
• It focussed attention on the social issues of importance. It could be called the social reform cell of
the Indian National Congress. The conference advocated inter-caste marriages and opposed
polygamy and kulinism. It launched the ‘Pledge Movement’ to inspire people to take a pledge
against child marriage. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.
Q 72.D
• Sahitya Akademi Awards
o Context: The Union Ministry of Culture expressed its intent to change the process of nomination for
the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award.
o Sahitya Akademi Award established in 1954, is a literary honour that is conferred annually by Sahitya
Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters.
o Akademi gives 24 awards annually to literary works in the languages it has recognized and an equal
number of awards to literary translations from and into the languages of India.
o Besides the 22 languages enumerated in the Constitution of India, the Sahitya Akademi has
recognised English and Rajasthani as languages in which its programme may be
implemented. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
o The Sahitya Akademi Award is the second-highest literary honour by the Government of India,
after the Jnanpith Award. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
o Criteria for Choosing Awardee:
P The author must be of Indian Nationality.
P The book/work eligible for the award must be an outstanding contribution to the language and
literature to which it belongs.
P When equal merit for books of two or more are found, certain criteria like total literary
contribution and standing of authors shall be taken into consideration for declaring the award.
P Any of the 22 languages of the 8th Schedule to the Indian constitution as well as in English and
Rajasthani.
Q 73.D
• John Lawrence and the Policy of Masterly Inactivity
o He started a policy of masterly inactivity which was a reaction to the disasters of the First Afghan
War and an outcome of practical common sense and intimate knowledge of the frontier problem and
of Afghan passion for independence.
o Even when Dost Mohammed died in 1863, there was no interference in the war of succession.

o Lawrence’s policy rested on the fulfillment of two conditions—(i) that the peace at the frontier
was not disturbed, and (ii) that no candidate in civil war sought foreign help. Hence option (d) is
the correct answer.
o And as Sher Ali established himself on the throne, Lawrence tried to cultivate friendship with him.
Q 74.A
• Chashma Nuclear Plant (Pakistan)
o China has inked an agreement with Pakistan to set up a 1,200-megawatt nuclear power plant
Chashma-V at Chashma in the Mianwali district of Pakistan Punjab. Hence pair 1 is correctly
matched
o The Chashma Nuclear Power Plant is a large commercial nuclear power plant covered under the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitoring and safeguards which also provides funding
for the site expansion.
• Arkadag
o Turkmenistan has unveiled a new $5 billion “smart” city called Arkadag. Arkadag, situated southwest
of the capital Ashgabat, is named after Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who ruled the country from
2006 to 2022 and carries the title Hero Arkadag (Protector).
o Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia bordered by the Caspian Sea and largely covered by the
Karakum Desert. It’s known for archaeological ruins including those at Nisa and Merv, major stops
along the ancient trade route the Silk Road. Hence pair 2 is not correctly matched
• Chennai-Vladivostok maritime route
o India and Russia are working towards establishing the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime route, which is
expected to reduce transport time from 32 days to 12 days and costs by around 30%. The route passes
through the Sea of Japan, the South China Sea, and Malacca Strait. Hence pair 3 is not correctly
matched
Q 75.C
• The Arya Samaj movement was an outcome of a reaction to Western influences. It was revivalist in form
though not in content. The founder, Swami Dayanand, rejected Western ideas and sought to revive the
ancient religion of the Aryans.
• Mulshanker (1824-83) popularly known as Dayanand was born in a Brahmin family living in the old
Morvi state in Gujarat. His father, a great Vedic scholar, also assumed the role of the teacher and helped
young Mulshankar acquire a good insight into Vedic literature, logic, philosophy, ethics, etc.
• Dayanand's quest for the truth goaded him to yogabhyas (contemplation or communion) and to learn yoga
it was necessary to leave home. For fifteen years (1845-60) Dayanand wandered as an ascetic in the whole
of India studying Yoga.
• In 1875 he formally organised the first Arya Samaj unit at Bombay. A few years later the headquarters of
the Arya Samaj were established at Lahore. For the rest of his life, Dayanand extensively toured India for
the propagation of his ideas.
• Dayanand's ideal was to unite India religiously, socially, and nationally- Aryan religion to be the common
religion of all, a classless and casteless society, and an India free from foreign rule.
• He (looked on the Vedas as India's 'Rock of Ages the true original seed of Hinduism. His motto was Go
back to the Vedas'. He gave his own interpretation of the Vedas. He disregarded the authority of the later
Hindu scriptures like the Puranas and described them as the work of lesser men and responsible for the
evil practices of idol worship and other superstitious beliefs in the Hindu religion. Dayanand condemned
idol worship and preached unity of Godhead. His views were published in his famous work Satyartha
Prakash (The True Exposition). Hence statement 1 is correct.
• Dayanand launched a frontal attack on the numerous abuses (like idolatry, polytheism, belief in magic,
charms, animal sacrifices, feeding the dead through sraddhas, etc.) that had crept into Hindu religion in
the 19th century.
• He rejected the popular Hindu philosophy which held that the physical world is an illusion (Maya),
that man's soul is merely a part of God, temporarily separated from God by its embodiment in the
illusory mask of the body and that man's object, therefore, was to escape the world where evil existed and
to seek union with God. Against this belief, Dayanand held that God, soul, and matter (Prakriti)
were distinct and eternal entities and every individual had to work out his own salvation in the light
of the eternal principles governing human conduct. In rejecting monism, Dayanand also dealt a severe
blow at the popular belief in pre-determination. Hence statement 3 is correct.
• The swami contended that human beings were not playthings of fate and as such no one could avoid
responsibility for his actions on the plea that human deeds were predetermined. Dayanand accepted the
doctrine of karma but rejected the theory of niyati (destiny). He explained that the world is a
battlefield where every individual has to work out his salvation by right deeds. Hence statement 2
is correct.
Q 76.C
• Richard Colley Wellesley was a British statesman and government official. He served, as the governor
of Madras and later as the Governor-General in Bengal from 1798 to 1805. Hence statement 3 is
correct.
• In the year 1798, he introduced the policy of Subsidiary Alliance in India. It was a military protection
agreement between the East India Company and the Indian States. The Nizam of Hyderabad was the
first to enter this system. This policy helped the British to intervene in the local politics and
exponentially raised their influence.
• In the year 1800, he established Fort William College in Calcutta as an academy of oriental studies and
a center of learning. Its purpose was to train European administrators. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• During the fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799, the Battle of Seringapatam (Mysorean capital) took
place. Although it took place during the tenure of Lord Wellesley, it was his brother, Arthur
Wellesley who participated in the Battle as a Colonel. His victory marked the decline of French
influence in India and helped the British to upscale their policy of Subsidiary Alliance. Hence,
Q 77.B
• the Jesuits made a good impression at the court of Akbar, mainly due to the Mughal emperor’s interest in
questions of theology. In September 1579, Akbar forwarded a letter to the authorities at Goa requesting
them to send two learned priests. The Church authorities in Goa eagerly accepted the invitation, seeing in
it a chance to convert the emperor to Christianity, and with him his court and the people. Jesuit fathers,
Rodolfo Aquaviva and Antonio Monserrate were selected for the purpose. It was during the reign of
Shah Jahan, that the advantages which the Portuguese enjoyed in the Mughal court were lost
forever. They were often arrested and tortured during his reign. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• The Portuguese not only made money as traders but also started a cruel slave trade by purchasing
or seizing Hindu and Muslim children, whom they brought up as Christians. In the course of their
nefarious activities, they seized two slave girls of Mumtaz Mahal. On June 24, 1632, the Mughal siege of
Hooghly began, ending in its capture three months later. Shah Jahan ordered the Bengal governor Qasim
Khan to take action against the Portuguese. The siege of Hooghly finally led to the Portuguese
fleeing. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• By the 18th century, the Portuguese in India lost their commercial influence, though some of them
still carried on trade in their individual capacity and many took to piracy and robbery. In fact,
Hooghly was used by some Portuguese as a base for piracy in the Bay of Bengal. The decline of
the Portuguese was brought about by several factors. Their dishonest trade practices also evoked a
strong reaction. The Portuguese earned notoriety as sea pirates. Their arrogance and violence
brought them the animosity of the rulers of small states and the imperial Mughals as well. Hence,
Q 78.D
• Havana Syndrome
o Context: Recently a Bengaluru resident filed a petition in Karnataka High Court requesting a writ of
mandamus for an inquiry into Havana Syndrome in India.
o Havana Syndrome refers to a set of mental health symptoms that are said to be experienced by United
States intelligence and embassy officials in various countries. The word ‘syndrome’ simply means a
set of symptoms.
o Symptoms: Hearing certain sounds without any outside noise, nausea, vertigo and headaches,
memory loss and balance issues. Hence option (d) is the correct answer.
o Origin: It traces its roots to Cuba in late 2016 when the US opened its embassy in the capital city of
Havana. Some US intelligence officials and members of the staff at the embassy began experiencing
sudden bursts of pressure in their brains followed by persistent headaches, feelings of disorientation,
and insomnia.
o What are the causes of Havana Syndrome?
P Initially, during the Cuban experience, the suspicion was on Cuban intelligence or a section
within the Cuban establishment that did not want US-Cuba relations to normalize. It was then
speculated to be a “sonic attack”.
P However, further study suggests that they may have been subjected to high-powered microwaves
that either damaged or interfered with the nervous system. It was said to have built pressure inside
the brain that generated the feeling of a sound being heard.
Q 79.C
• Composite Quantum Material
o Context: A team of scientists has used computational techniques to design a novel 2D composite
quantum material that exhibits an exotic quantum property called Rashba splitting.
o What is composite quantum material?
P A composite quantum material combines two different quantum properties in one substance. For
instance, a 2-D carbide structure named Mo2COX displays both the Rashba effect and nonlinear
anomalous Hall effect, offering the potential for advanced spintronic devices. Hence statement 1
is correct.
o What is Spintronics?
P Spintronics is a technology (used on next-generation nanoelectronic devices) that exploits the
intrinsic spin of electrons alongside their charge for innovative electronic devices. Hence
P An example is a spin transistor, where electron spin is used for information storage and
processing, potentially leading to more energy-efficient and faster electronic devices.
o What is Rashba splitting?
P Rashba splitting is a quantum phenomenon in materials where spin-up and spin-down electrons
separate due to interactions with an electric field. Hence statement 3 is correct.
P For instance, in a 2-D carbide material, Rashba splitting causes momentum-dependent separation
of electron spin bands, enabling novel spintronic device applications.
P Quantum materials possess unique physical properties that stem from quantum effects like
coherence and entanglement. These properties have the potential to revolutionize quantum
technology applications, including quantum computing, communication, sensors, and memory
devices.
Q 80.D
• Recent context: The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US government’s domestic intelligence
and security agency, announced it successfully dismantled the notorious Qakbot botnet and
removed the malware from 7,00,000 machines worldwide.
o According to a press release by the FBI, the action was part of a multinational operation
dubbed ‘Duck Hunt’ and took place in countries like France, Germany, Netherlands, Latvia,
Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States.
• Between October 2021 and April 2023, the botnet procured approximately $58 million from ransomware
payments.
• The Qakbot malware was created in 2008 and has been used in several ransomware attacks and
cybercrimes around the world. It is often distributed via spam emails that contain malicious links and
attachments in the form of Word or Excel documents with macros, OneNote files or Windows shortcuts.
o Opening these files activates Qakbot, which then downloads additional malware on the infected
machine, including some ransomware. When installed, Qakbot also searches the victim’s email
address for upcoming phishing campaigns.
• Hence option (d) is the correct answer.
Q 81.B
• The moderate phase of the Indian National Congress can be analysed in the following manner:
• The early nationalists did a great deal to awaken the national sentiment, even though they could not draw
the masses to them.
• They represented the most progressive forces of the time.
• They were able to create a wide national awakening of all Indians having common interests and the
need to rally around a common program against a common enemy, and above all, the feeling of
belonging to one nation.
• They trained people in political work and popularised modern ideas.
• They exposed the basically exploitative character of colonial rule, thus undermining its moral foundations.
• Their political work was based on hard realities, and not on shallow sentiments, religion, etc.
• They were able to establish the basic political truth that India should be ruled in the interest of Indians.

• They created a solid base for a more vigorous, militant, mass-based national movement in the years that
followed.
• However, they failed to widen their democratic base and the scope of their demands.
• The moderate phase of the national movement had a narrow social base and the masses played a passive
role. This was because the early nationalists lacked political faith in the masses; they felt that there were
numerous divisions and subdivisions in Indian society, and the masses were generally ignorant and had
conservative ideas and thoughts. The Moderates felt that these heterogeneous elements had first to be
welded into a nation before they entered the political sphere. But they failed to realize that it was only
during a freedom struggle and with political participation that these diverse elements could come
together.
• Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.
Q 82.B
• The office of Governor General of India was created by the Charter Act of 1833. In this regard, India
has seen the tenure of multiple Governor Generals until 1858.
• Lord William Bentinck was the first Governor General of India because of the Charter Act of 1833.
His tenure saw the formation of laws for the Abolition of Sati, Suppression of Thugee, etc.
• After him came Lord Auckland (1836-1842) whose tenure saw the First Afghan War (1838-42).
• The final name on the list is that of Lord Charles Metcalfe (1835-1836). He is also known as the
‘Liberator of the Indian Press'.
• Hence, the correct order is 3-2-1. Hence option (b) is the correct answer.
Q 83.A
• The term "diku" holds significance in the context of Tribal Movements. It refers to non-tribal outsiders
or foreigners who were often in positions of authority or power and exploited tribal communities.
Hence option (a) is the correct answer.
• These "dikus" could include colonial rulers, government officials, landlords, or anyone from outside
the tribal community who exerted control over tribal lands, resources, and lives.
• In many instances, the "dikus" were responsible for imposing unjust practices, levying taxes, and
enforcing policies that adversely affected the traditional way of life and autonomy of tribal populations.
• The term reflects the tension between the indigenous tribal communities and those who wielded
power over them, often leading to resistance, protests, and movements aimed at reclaiming their rights,
land, and autonomy.
• The famous tribal revolts against dikus include Santhal Rebellions, Rampa Rebellion etc.
Q 84.D
• The argument for practical education was strongly criticised by the Christian missionaries in India
in the nineteenth century. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• The missionaries felt that education should attempt to improve the moral character of the people, and
morality could be improved only through Christian education.
• Until 1813, the East India Company was opposed to missionary activities in India. It feared that
missionary activities would provoke reaction amongst the local population and make them suspicious of
British presence in India.
• Unable to establish an institution within British-controlled territories, the missionaries set up a
mission at Serampore in an area under the control of the Danish East India Company. A printing
press was set up in 1800 and a college established in 1818. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• Over the nineteenth century, missionary schools were set up all over India. After 1857, however, the
British government in India was reluctant to directly support missionary education. There was a feeling
that any strong attack on local customs, practices, beliefs and religious ideas might enrage “native”
opinion.
Q 85.C
• Urea Gold
o Context: The Prime Minister of India launched the ‘Urea Gold’ fertiliser, which was developed by
the state-owned Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers Ltd (RCF).
o Urea Gold is basically a kind of urea which is fortified with sulphur, having 37% Nitrogen plus
17% Sulphur, while normal urea contains 46% of a single plant nutrient i.e. Nitrogen. Hence
o Objectives of Urea Gold
P It is to deliver Sulphur along with Nitrogen.
P Indian soils are deficient in Sulphur, which is needed by oilseeds and pulses, and the country is
significantly import-dependent in both.
P It is to improve the Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) of urea.
P Coating of Sulphur over urea ensures a gradual release of Nitrogen. Hence statement 2 is
correct.
Q 86.A
• Moplahs (or Mappilas) Uprising:
o A peasant movement of the 1840s and 1850s where religion played an important role was the Moplah
uprising in the Malabar region of south India.
o The Moplahs (or Mappilas) were the descendents of Arab traders who had settled in this region.
Gradually the Moplahs became dependent on agriculture and turned into a community of
cultivating tenants, landless labourers, petty traders and fishermen. Hence statement 1 is
correct.
o When the British took over Malabar in 1792, they sought to revamp the land relations by creating
individual ownership right in land. The traditional system stipulated an equal sharing of the net
produce of the land by the janmi (holder of[anmam tenure), the Kanamdar or Kanakkaran
(holder of kanam tenure) and the cultivator.
o The British system upset this arrangement by recognising the janmi as absolute owners of land,
with right to evict tenants, which did not exist earlier, and reduced other two categories to the status
of tenants and lease holders. But the most important aspect of this agrarian relations was that the
majority of the janmi were high-caste Hindus and the peasants were the Muslim Moplahs.
o Within this social matrix, the traditional Muslim intellectuals, like Umar Qazi of
Veliamkode, Sayyid Alavi Tangal, played an important role in revitalising a popular ideological
domain where religion and economic grievances intermingled to produce a mentality of open
resistance. Mosques became the centres of mobilisation and the targets were the Hindu janmi,
their temples and the British officials who came to their rescue. Hence statement 2 is not
correct.
o The second Moplah uprising occurred after the Moplahs came to be organised by the Congress and
the Khilafat supporters during the Non-Cooperation Movement. But Hindu- Muslim differences
distanced the Congress and the Moplahs from each other. By 1921, the Moplahs had been subdued.)
Q 87.C
• Sree Narayana Guru Swamy (1856– 1928) founded SNDP among the Ezhavas of Kerala, a
backward caste of toddy-tappers who were considered untouchables and were denied education and
entry into temples. During the pre-independence period, a number of backward class movements
arose. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• A remarkable social reformer, he was in the forefront of the movement for universal temple entry and
against the societal ills like the social discrimination of untouchables. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• The Shree Narayan Guru Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Movement was an example of a regional movement
that arose from the conflict between the lower and upper castes. The main aim of SNDP Yogam was to
spiritually uplift the people of the Ezhava/Tiyyar communities.
• The First Social Organization in Kerala was formed with the intention of uplift the socially backward
classes, propagates and promotes the moral teachings and Dharma of Gurudevan.
• Sree Narayana Darma Paripalana Yogam was formed on 15th May 1903 under Travancore
Regulation 1 of 1063 (Indian Companies Act IV 1882).
Q 88.B
• The Indian National Congress and the nationalist newspapers began a campaign against the manner in
which the tea plantation workers in Assam were reduced to virtual slavery, with European planters being
given powers, through legislation to arrest, punish and prevent the running away of labour. An appeal was
made to national honour and dignity to protest.
• It was not fortuitous and then the first organized strike by a section of the working class occured in
British-owned and managed railway. This was the signallers’ strike in May 1899 in the Great
Indian Peninsular (GIP) Railway and the demands related to wages, hours of work and other
conditions of service. Almost all nationalist newspapers came out fully in support of the strike, with
Tilak’s newspapers Mahratta and Kesari campaigning for it for months.

• Public meetings and fund collections in aid of the strikers were organized in Bombay and Bengal
by prominent nationalists like Pherozeshah Mehta, D.E. Wacha and Surendranath Tagore. The fact
that the exploiter in these cases was foreign was enough to take agitation against it a national issue and an
integral part of national movement.
• Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.
Q 89.B
• One of the most militant and widespread of the peasant movements was the Indigo Revolt of 1859-60.
o The indigo planters, nearly all Europeans, compelled the tenants to grow indigo without any
increase in wages, which they processed in factories set up in rural (mofussil) areas. The planters
forced the peasants to take a meager amount as advance and enter into fraudulent contracts. Since
the enforcement of forced and fraudulent contracts through the courts was a difficult and prolonged
process, the planters resorted to a reign of terror to coerce the peasants.Hence statement 1 is
correct.
o Kidnapping, illegal confinement in factory godowns, flogging, attacks on women and children,
carrying off cattle, looting, were some of the methods used by the planters. They hired or
maintained bands of lathyals (armed retainers) for the purpose.
o In practice, the planters were also above the law. With a few exceptions, the magistrates, mostly
European, favoured the planters. The discontent of indigo growers in Bengal boiled over in the
autumn of 1859 when their case seemed to get Government support.
o Misreading an official letter and exceeding his authority, Hem Chandra Kar, Deputy Magistrate of
Kalaroa, published on 17th August a proclamation to policemen that ‘in case of disputes
relating to Indigo Ryots, they (ryots) shall retain possession of their own lands and shall sow on
them what crops they please, and the Police will be careful that no Indigo Planter nor anyone else is
able to interfere in the matter. The news of Kar’s proclamation spread all over Bengal, and peasants
felt that the time for overthrowing the hated system had come.
o The beginning was made by Digambar Biswas and Bishnu Biswas, ex-employees of a planter, they
gave up indigo cultivation.The peasant disturbances and indigo strikes spread rapidly to other areas.
The peasants refused to take advances and enter into contracts, pledged not to sow indigo, and
defended themselves from the planters’ attacks with whatever weapons came to hand.
o The planters then used their zamindari powers. They threatened the rebellious ryots with eviction or
enhancement of rent. The ryots replied by going on a rent strike. Peasants gradually learnt to use
the legal machinery to enforce their rights. They also used the weapon of social boycott to force a
planter’s servants to leave him. Ultimately, the planters could not withstand the united resistance of
the ryots, and they gradually began to close their factories. The cultivation of indigo was virtually
wiped out from the districts of Bengal by the end of 1860.
o A major reason for the success of the Indigo Revolt was the tremendous initiative, cooperation,
organization and discipline of the ryots.
P Another was the unity among Hindu and Muslim peasants. Leadership for the movement was
provided by the more well-off ryots and in some cases by petty zamindars, moneylenders and ex-
employees of the planters.
P The intelligentsia’s role in the Indigo Revolt was to have an abiding impact on the emerging
nationalist intellectuals very political childhood they had given support to a popular peasant
movement against the foreign planters. This was to establish a tradition with long-run
implications for the national movement.
P Christian Missionaries were another group that extended active support to the indigo ryots
in their struggle. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
o Worried by the rebellion, the government brought in the military to protect the planters from
assault, and set up the Indigo Commission to enquire into the system of indigo production.
The Commission held the planters guilty, and criticised them for the coercive methods they used
with indigo cultivators. It declared that indigo production was not profitable for ryots. Hence
Q 90.C
• During the early 19th century vernacular education was in a sorry state of affairs. It was mostly dependent
on contributions from wealthy zamindars.
• William Adam’s reports were related to vernacular Education in Bengal and Behar were submitted
to the Government in 1855, 1836, and 1838. It pointed out defects in the system of vernacular
education. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.
Q 91.D
• The debate on the nature of education to be introduced in India is significant to understanding the
development of education under British India.
• While the liberal Lord Macaulay in his famous Education Minute of 1835 presented a strong case
for the introduction of English education, Utilitarians like Mill still favored vernacular education as
more suited to Indian needs. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• The Orientalists said while Western sciences and literature should be taught to prepare students to
take up jobs, emphasis should be placed on the expansion of traditional Indian Learning. Hence,
• The famous Lord Macaulay’s Minute settled the row in favor of Anglicists—the limited government
resources were to be devoted to the teaching of Western sciences and literature through the medium of the
English language alone. Lord Macaulay held the view that “Indian learning was inferior to European
learning”—which was true as far as physical and social sciences in the contemporary stage were
concerned. The government soon made English as the medium of instruction in its schools and colleges
and opened a few English schools and colleges instead of a large number of elementary schools, thus
neglecting mass education.
Q 92.A
• The effective control of the Peshwas ended with the great defeat of Panipat (1761) at the hands of the
Afghans and the death of the young Peshwa Madhav Rao I in 1772. Thereafter the Maraṭha state was a
confederacy of five chiefs under the nominal leadership of the Peshwa at Poona (Pune) in western
India. The other states were Sindhia, Holkar, Gaikwad, and Bhonsle. Though they united on occasion, as
against the British (1775–82), more often they quarreled. The Confederacy expressed a general Maraṭha
nationalist sentiment but was divided bitterly by the jealousies of its chiefs. Hence pair 1 is not correctly
matched.
• Bhonsle Dynasty: They ruled from Nagpur in the present Maharashtra state and were a leading power in
the 18th-century Marāṭhā confederacy. They were British clients from 1818 to 1853. Raghuji Bhonsle of
Berār founded the dynasty in 1730. Hence pair 5 is not correctly matched.
• Gaikwaḍ Dynasty: Their capital was at Baroda in Gujarāt state. The state became a leading power in the
18th-century Marāthā confederacy. The founder of the dynasty was Damaji I who had risen to power by
1740. The last Gaekwad, Sayaji Rao III, died in 1939. Hence pair 3 is not correctly matched.
• Holkar Dynasty: The family, of peasant origin and of shepherd caste, was said to have migrated from the
Mathurā district to the Deccan village of Hol, or Hal, the name of which, coupled with kar(“inhabitant
of”), became the family surname. The dynasty's founder, Malhar Rao Holkar, rose from peasant origins by
his own ability. In 1724 Baji Rao I, the Peshwa (prime minister) of the Maraṭha state, gave him command
of 500 horses, and he soon became the Peshwa's chief general in Malwa, with headquarters at Maheshwar
and Indore. Hence pair 4 is not correctly matched.
• Sindhia Dynasty: The Maratha ruling family of Gwalior, which for a time in the 18th century dominated
the politics of northern India. The dynasty was founded by Ranoji Sindhia, who in 1726 was put in charge
of the Mālwa district by the Peshwa (chief minister of the Maratha state). At his death in 1750, Ranoji had
established his capital at Ujjain; only later was the Sindhia capital moved to the rock fortress of Gwalior.
Hence pair 2 is correctly matched.
• Thus option (a) is the correct answer.
Q 93.D
• The Hindu Widow Remarriage Act 1856 legalized the remarriage of Hindu widows on 16th July
1856. The Act was enacted on 26th July 1856. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• The introduction of the widow remarriage act was a major change in the state of women that prevailed
during that period. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar played a major role in the establishment of the act. Pandit
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-91), the principal of Calcutta’s Sanskrit College, was largely
responsible for this law to be included in the constitution.
• Ishwar Chandra cited Hindu scriptures to show that widow remarriage was well within the folds of
Hinduism. Through his efforts, Lord Canning enacted the Widow Remarriage Act throughout British
India.
• However, in Bengal the widow remarriage reform achieved very limited success. Hence, statement 2
is not correct.
• Dhondo Keshav Karve was a social reformer and educator who established the widow Marriage
Association in 1893, advocated widow remarriage and himself married a widow named Godubai in the
same year.
• On his 100th birthday he was awarded India’s highest honour, the Bharat Ratna.
Q 94.B
• Einstein Cross
o Context: Astronomers have discovered a stunning, rare example of an Einstein cross splitting and
magnifying light from the far depths of the universe.
o Einstein predicted the existence of these crosses back in 1915. It is located in the constellation
Pegasus. Hence statement 1 is correct.
o General Relativity: Einstein's theory of general relativity describes the way massive objects warp the
fabric of the universe, called space-time. Hence statement 3 is not correct.
o Gravity: Einstein discovered, gravity, is not produced by an unseen force; rather, it is simply our
experience of space-time curving and distorting in the presence of matter and energy.
o Space curve: This curved space, in turn, sets the rules for how energy and matter move. Even though
light travels in a straight line, light moving through a highly curved region of space-time, like the
space around enormous galaxies, also travels in a curve. This bends around the galaxy and splays out
into a halo. What this halo looks like depends on the strength of the galaxy's gravity and the
perspective of the observer.
o Einstein ring: In this case, Earth, the lensing galaxy, and the quasar have aligned to perfectly
duplicate the quasar's light, arranging them along a so-called Einstein ring. The phenomenon was
named the "Einstein Cross" due to the cross-like pattern created by the four bright images of the
quasar around the lensing galaxy. The general effect is known as gravitational lensing, and this
specific case is known as the Einstein Cross. Hence statement 2 is correct.
Q 95.D
• Satya Prakash was a Gujarati language weekly founded in 1852 by social reformer and journalist
Karsandas Mulji to advocate widow remarriage in India. Later on, it was merged with Rast Goftar,
another newspaper published in Bombay.
• Dhondo Keshav Karve, popularly known as Maharshi Karve, was a social reformer who advocated widow
remarriage and promoted widows' education.
• Vishnu Shastri Pandit was a pioneer among social reformers who worked for the salvation of women. He
started The Widow Remarriage Association in 1856.
• Jagganath Shankar Seth was an active promoter of girls' education and opened the first-ever school for
girls in Mumbai in 1849.
Q 96.A
• What is Khuntkatti system?
o ‘Khuntkatti’ system is joint ownership of land by tribal lineage. Under the system, Munda tribals
usually clear the forests and make the land fit for cultivation. The cultivable land is then owned by
whole clan and not a particular individual.
• History of Khuntkatti system:
o This system was replaced with the Zamindari system by 1874, with the advent of the British and the
outsider-Zamindars. This caused indebtedness and forced labour among the tribals. As a result of
indebtedness, Munda tribal started to revolt against British rule, under the leadership of Birsa Munda.
• Tenancy Act of 1903:
o Birsa Munda movement impacted the government attitude towards their problems, on ground level.
Government conducted surveys and settlement operations for them, during 1902 and 1910 to achieve
this purpose.
o Finally, government decided to abolish the compulsory begar system and passed the Tenancy Act of
1903. The Tenancy Act of 1903 recognised the Mundari Khuntkatti system. Government also passed
Chotanagpur Tenancy Act in 1908. Hence option (a) is the correct answer.
• Birsa Munda Revolt In the 1890s:
o Birsa Munda emerged at the head of a movement of the Munda tribes of SInghbhum and Ranchi
districts of Chotanagpur region.
o The Ulgulan (‘Great Tumult’), as this movement was called, and which was aimed at getting
independence establishing a Munda Raj, went on in phases right into the twentieth century.
o With the coming of the British, the traditional ways of the tribals both with regard to their social
customs and with regard to land were drastically affected.
o The tribals were now forced to pay rent to the landlords and failure to do so resulted in their eviction
from land. Paying rent meant increasing dependence on usurious moneylenders and ultimately debt.
Resenting the harassment by the landlords, who were encroaching the tribal land and often pushed
them into begar (forced labour), besides using brute force, the Munda tribals rose in revolt under
Birsa Munda. The objective was to attain religious and political independence.
Q 97.A
• The state of Hyderabad was founded by Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah in 1724. He was one of the leading
nobles of the post-Aurangzeb era. From 1722 to 1724, he was the wazir of the Empire. But he soon got
disgusted with that office as Emperor Muhammad Shah (1719-1748) frustrated all his attempts at
reforming the administration. So he decided to go back to the Deccan where he could safely maintain his
supremacy. Here he laid the foundations of the Hyderabad State which he ruled with a strong hand. Hence
option (a) is the correct answer.
• He never openly declared his independence from the Central Government (Mughal empire) but in
practice, he acted like an independent ruler. He waged wars, concluded peace, conferred titles, and gave
jagirs and offices without reference to Delhi.
• He followed a tolerant policy towards the Hindus. For example, a Hindu, Puran Chand, was his
Dewan. He consolidated his power by establishing an orderly administration in the Deccan. He forced the
big, turbulent zamindars to respect his authority and kept the powerful Marathas out of his dominion. He
also made an attempt to rid the revenue system of its corruption.
Q 98.A
• The First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-6) was a short and bloody conflict won by the British East India
Company (EIC) against the Sikh Empire. The EIC was keen to expand into northern India, but the Sikh
army was a well-trained, well-equipped, and hard-fighting obstacle. The end of the first Anglo-Sikh War
forced the Sikhs to sign a humiliating treaty on March 8, 1846.
• The main features of the Treaty of Lahore were as follows:
o War indemnity of more than 1 crore rupees was to be given to the English.
o The Jalandhar Doab (between the Beas and the Sutlej) was annexed to the Company’s dominions.
o A British resident was to be established at Lahore under Henry Lawrence.
o The strength of the Sikh army was reduced.
o Daleep Singh was recognized as the ruler under Rani Jindan as regent and Lal Singh as wazir. Hence,
o Since, the Sikhs were not able to pay the entire war indemnity, Kashmir including Jammu was sold to
Gulab Singh and he was required to pay Rupees 75 lakh to the Company as the price.
o The transfer of Kashmir to Gulab Singh was formalized by a separate treaty on March 16,
1846.
• The course of War Second Anglo-Sikh War
o The Second Anglo-Sikh War was a military conflict between the Sikh Empire and the East India
Company which took place in 1848 and 1849. It resulted in the fall of the Sikh Empire, and the
annexation of the Punjab.
o Lord Dalhousie (the Governor-General) himself proceeded to Punjab. Three important battles were
fought before the final annexation of Punjab. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
o These three battles were:
P Battle of Ramnagar, led by Sir Hugh Gough, the commander-in-chief of the Company.
P Battle of Chillhanwala, January 1849.
P Battle of Gujrat, February 21, 1849; the Sikh army surrendered at Rawalpindi, and their Afghan
allies were chased out of India. (Gujarat is a small town on the banks of River Jhelum.) Hence,
o Result At the end of the war came:
P surrender of the Sikh army and Sher Singh in 1849;
P annexation of Punjab; and for his services the Earl of Dalhousie was given the thanks of the
British Parliament and a promotion in the peerage, as Marquess;
P setting up of a three-member board to govern Punjab, comprising of the Lawrence brothers
(Henry and John) and Charles Mansel.
Q 99.C
• 75 Endemic Birds of India:
o Context: The publication, titled 75 Endemic Birds of India, was recently released on the 108th
foundation day of the ZSI.
o India is home to 1,353 bird species, which represents approximately 12.40% of global bird diversity
Of these 1,353 bird species, 78 (5%) are endemic to the country and are not reported in other parts of
the world. Out of the 78 species, three species have not been recorded in the last few decades. They
are the:
P Manipur Bush Quail, listed as ‘Endangered’;
P Himalayan Quail, listed as ‘Critically Endangered’; and the
P Jerdon’s Courser is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’.
o Region-wise :
P Western Ghats: The highest number of endemic species have been recorded in the Western
Ghats, with 28 bird species. Some of the interesting species recorded in the country’s bio-
geographic hotspot are the Malabar Grey Hornbill; Malabar Parakeet; Ashambu Laughing
Thrush; and the White-bellied Sholakili.
P Andaman and Nicobar Islands: 25 bird species are endemic to the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands. Some interesting bird species which are only found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
are Nicobar Megapode; Nicobar Serpent Eagle; Andaman Crake; and Andaman Barn Owl.
P Eastern Himalayas: Four species of birds are endemic to the Eastern Himalayas, and one each to
the Southern Deccan plateau and central Indian forest.
P Protection status wise: Of the 78 endemic species, 25 are classified as ‘Threatened’ by the
IUCN. Three species (Bugun Liocichla; Himalayan Quail; Jerdon’s Courser) are listed as
‘Critically Endangered’. Hence option (c) is the correct answer.
Q 100.A
• Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah was one of the many maulvis who played an important part in the revolt of
1857. Educated in Hyderabad, he became a preacher when young. In 1856, he was seen moving from
village to village preaching jehad (religious war) against the British and urging people to rebel.
• He moved in a palanquin, with drumbeaters in front and followers at the rear. He was therefore
popularly called Danka Shah – the maulvi with the drum (danka). British officials panicked as
thousands began following the maulvi and many Muslims began seeing him as an inspired prophet.
• When he reached Lucknow in 1856, he was stopped by the police from preaching in the city.
Subsequently, in 1857, he was jailed in Faizabad. When released, he was elected by the mutinous 22nd
Native Infantry as their leader. He fought in the famous Battle of Chinhat in which the British
forces under Henry Lawrence were defeated.
• He came to be known for his courage and power. Many people in fact believed that he was invincible, had
magical powers, and could not be killed by the British. It was this belief that partly formed the basis of his
authority. Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.
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