HPAS Prelims 2013 General Studies Paper I with Answers & Explanations

Explanation

Nadaun is a historical town in the Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh situated on the banks of the Beas River. The town has a rich historical significance, having served as a major court of Maharaja Sansar Chand of the Katoch dynasty. The Beas River flowing through Nadaun is famous for various water sports like rafting and angling, and several prominent sites like the Gurdwara Patshahi Dasvin and the Bilkaleshwar Mahadev Temple are situated along its banks.

Explanation

Kangla Pass, situated at an elevation of approximately 5,465 meters in the Great Himalayan Range, connects the Miyar Valley in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh to the Zanskar region of Ladakh. It features one of the longest glacial approach treks in the central Himalayas, spanning about 24 kilometers, and has historically served as a traditional high-altitude crossing route for locals and traders between the two regions.

Explanation

Kalatope is located in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, near Dalhousie. It is well-known for the Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary and lies more than 300 kilometers away from Kullu, placing it far outside the geographical vicinity of the Kullu region.

Explanation

The Panchvaktra Temple is a historic Hindu temple located in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple is situated at the picturesque confluence of the Beas and Suketi rivers. It is renowned for its five-faced (Panchvaktra) stone image of Lord Shiva, which depicts five distinct aspects: Aghora, Ishana, Tat Purusha, Vaamdeva, and Rudra. Built in the traditional Shikhara architectural style, this ancient structure is recognized as a monument of national importance under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). It was historically restored during the reign of Raja Sidh Sen between 1684 and 1727 after sustaining damage from floods.

Explanation

The question specifically asks about the lake 'at Rewalsar,' which is the sacred Rewalsar Lake itself, locally known as Kuntbhyog in association with Pandava legends. Parashar Lake, while also famous for a floating island, is a completely separate lake located elsewhere in Mandi district and is not at Rewalsar. Among the given options, Kuntbhyog is the name directly associated with the Rewalsar lake complex and its floating reed-peat islands.

Explanation

The chronological order of the European travelers visiting the Punjab and Shimla Hill states is established by their respective years of travel.

Thomas Coryat was the earliest to visit, traveling through the region during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir and reaching Kangra and Jwalamukhi in 1615.

George Forster undertook his journey through the outer Himalayas and Punjab hill states, including Bilaspur, Kangra, and Jammu, in 1783.

William Moorcroft traveled extensively through the Punjab plains and the hill states of Kangra, Kullu, and Lahaul between 1820 and 1822.

Godfrey Thomas Vigne visited the Shimla Hill states, Mandi, Chamba, and Kashmir during his travels between 1835 and 1839.

This historical timeline places Thomas Coryat first, followed by George Forster, William Moorcroft, and finally Godfrey Thomas Vigne.

Explanation

Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra pursued an aggressive expansionist policy to assert his dominance over the neighboring hill states. In 1795, he invaded the state of Kahlur (Bilaspur), occupied its fertile territories, and built the Chhatipur fort on Dhar Jhanjiar within Bilaspur territory as a strategic threat. This blatant aggression and threat to their sovereignty deeply alarmed the local hill rulers. In response, Raja Mahan Chand of Kahlur, in alliance with other threatened hill chiefs of the region, invited the Gurkha commander Amar Singh Thapa to invade Kangra and curb the rising power of Sansar Chand.

Explanation

The princely state of Bushahr is believed to be the oldest and largest among the Shimla Hill states. According to local legend and dynastic tradition, the state was founded in antiquity by Pradyumna, the son of Lord Krishna. Historically, the state's initial capital was established at Kamru in the Sangla Valley of Kinnaur, before being shifted to Sarahan and eventually to Rampur on the banks of the Sutlej River. Its strategic location along ancient trade routes connecting India with Western Tibet and Central Asia made it a highly prominent commercial, political, and cultural hub in the Western Himalayas.

Explanation

Colonel Henry Lawrence, as British Resident at Lahore after the First Anglo-Sikh War (1846), was the principal British negotiator for the settlement of the Himalayan Hill States. He arranged that Chamba would come directly under British suzerainty rather than being absorbed into Maharaja Gulab Singh's newly formed Dogra Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir, thereby securing Chamba's independence from the latter.

Explanation

The ruler of Nurpur princely state, Raja Rajrup Singh, was treated by Nadira Banu Begum, the wife of Prince Dara Shikoh, as her son. During the Mughal war of succession, to secure the political and military loyalty of Raja Rajrup Singh to Dara Shikoh's cause, Nadira Banu Begum invited him to the imperial harem and addressed him as her son, placing him in the stead of her own son, Sulaiman Shikoh. To formalize this bond of maternal allegiance, she offered him water with which she had washed her breasts as a symbolic ritual of milk kinship. This incident is recorded in detail by the contemporary Italian traveler Niccolao Manucci in his historical work, Storia do Mogor.

Explanation

The Narendra Mandal, known in English as the Chamber of Princes, came into existence on February 8, 1921. It was established by a Royal Proclamation of King-Emperor George V and formally inaugurated by the Duke of Connaught in Delhi. The chamber was created following the recommendations of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 to provide a formal consultative forum where the rulers of the Indian princely states could meet and voice their collective interests to the British colonial government.

Explanation

Kayang (also known as Kayang Mala) is one of the most prominent traditional folk dances of the Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh. In this dance, performers weave their arms together to form a criss-cross pattern resembling a beautifully woven garland (mala) and dance in a circular or semi-circular formation. It is highly popular among the tribal communities of the Kinnaur region and is performed during major festivals and cultural celebrations. Variations of this dance include Nagas Kayang, Shuna Kayang, and Jataru Kayang.

Explanation

Vishakha is a Rajasthan-based non-governmental organization dedicated to women's rights and education. The group is widely recognized for filing a landmark public interest litigation in the Supreme Court of India following the brutal gang rape of Bhanwari Devi, a grassroots social worker, in 1992. This collective action led to the historic 1997 Supreme Court judgment in Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan, which established the Vishaka Guidelines to prevent and redress sexual harassment of women at workplaces. These guidelines served as the legal framework on the issue until the enactment of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act in 2013.

Explanation

A Sanad was formally granted to Raja Anand Chand of Bilaspur (Kahlur) by the British government on October 21, 1847, confirming his possession of territories on the right bank of the Satluj River. This came during the post-First Anglo-Sikh War consolidation phase, when the British were formalizing their suzerainty over the Hill States — nearly a year and a half after the Treaty of Lahore (March 1846).

Explanation

The book Shashi Vansh Vinod is a prominent historical work written by Kavi Ganesh Singh, who served as the court poet of the princely state of Bilaspur (historically known as Kahlur) in the Shimla Hills region of Himachal Pradesh. The text provides a detailed genealogical and historical account of the ruling Chandel dynasty of Bilaspur and the major political events of the region.

Explanation

Shyam Sharan Negi, a schoolteacher from Kalpa in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, was the first person to cast a vote in the first general elections of independent India. The voting in the high-altitude regions of Himachal Pradesh was held early on 25 October 1951, ahead of the rest of the country in early 1952, to avoid the heavy winter snowfall that would block access to the polling stations. He cast his historic first vote at the Kalpa polling booth.

Explanation

The Hindi daily newspaper Divya Himachal began its publication on 29 December 1997. Founded by the Divya Himachal Group, it was established to provide regional and local news coverage in Himachal Pradesh and neighboring northern areas. The newspaper is headquartered in Old Mataur, Kangra, and is published across multiple editions, including Dharamshala, Shimla, Chandigarh, and Punjab.

Explanation

Kinnaur district was created on 1 May 1960 as the sixth district of Himachal Pradesh. It was carved out of Chini tehsil of the erstwhile Mahasu district, along with the inclusion of 14 villages from Rampur tehsil, to establish a separate administrative unit for the border region.

Explanation

According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2012, which was released in January 2013, 72.8% of Class V students enrolled in both government and private schools in Himachal Pradesh could read a Class II level text. While the national average of Class V students who could read a Class II level text stood much lower at around 46.9% in 2012, Himachal Pradesh was among the top-performing states.

Explanation

The Mandi Conspiracy of 1914-15 was carried out under the active influence of the Ghadar Party in the princely state of Mandi. Inspired by Ghadarites who returned to India from the United States, local leaders Mian Jawahar Singh and Rani Khairgarhi became deeply involved in organizing, leading, and funding the revolutionary movement.

The conspirators plotted to assassinate the British Superintendent and the Wazir of Mandi and Suket, loot the state treasury, and blow up the strategic Victoria suspension bridge over the Beas River to disrupt British communication networks. However, the plan was leaked, and the revolutionary attempt was suppressed. Mian Jawahar Singh was subsequently arrested, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment at Kalapani in the Andaman Islands.

Explanation

Anti-Leprosy Day is observed in India on January 30 to coincide with the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi fought passionately against the social stigma associated with leprosy and worked tirelessly for the treatment, care, and rehabilitation of people affected by the disease. This day is dedicated to raising awareness about leprosy, promoting early detection, and advocating for the rights and dignity of those affected by it.

Explanation

The h-index is named after Jorge E. Hirsch, an Argentine-American physicist at the University of California, San Diego, who proposed it in 2005. The index is an author-level metric designed to measure both the scientific productivity and the citation impact of a researcher's publications. It is calculated based on the distribution of citations received by a scientist's publications, where an author has an index of h if h of their N papers have at least h citations each, and the remaining papers have fewer than h citations each.

Explanation

Pangong Tso is a landlocked, endorheic lake situated in the Himalayas at an elevation of approximately 4,225 meters. The lake is about 134 km long and is bisected by the Line of Actual Control between India and China. Roughly one-third of the lake length lies in Ladakh, India, while the remaining two-thirds lies in Tibet, China, making it a geographically shared water body between both nations.

Explanation

Prince George, born on 22 July 2013 to Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was officially named George Alexander Louis. At the time of his birth in 2013, he was third in the line of succession to the British throne, behind his grandfather Prince Charles and his father Prince William.

Explanation

Frederick Sanger is the only individual to have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry twice. He received his first Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1958 for his groundbreaking work on the structure of proteins, especially that of insulin, being the first to determine its complete amino acid sequence. He was awarded his second Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1980, sharing it with Walter Gilbert and Paul Berg, for his contributions to the determination of base sequences in nucleic acids through the development of the dideoxy chain-termination method, commonly known as Sanger sequencing.

Explanation

The state-run telegraph service in India, operated by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), was officially closed down in July 2013. The 163-year-old communication service, popularly known as the telegram or taar, sent its final messages on July 14, 2013, before stopping operations permanently on July 15, 2013. The decision to discontinue the historic service was taken due to mounting financial losses and the rapid proliferation of modern digital communication tools like mobile phones, SMS, and email.

Explanation

Shinzo Abe was a prominent Japanese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan. He first assumed the office of Prime Minister in September 2006, serving until September 2007, and was elected to the position once again in December 2012. He also served as the President of the Liberal Democratic Party.

Explanation

Deepika Kumari is a prominent Indian athlete who represents India in archery. She won a gold medal in the individual recurve event at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and achieved the World No. 1 ranking in women's individual recurve archery in June 2012. She was also honored with the Arjuna Award in 2012 for her outstanding achievements in the sport.

Explanation

The Delhi–Lahore Bus service is officially named Sada-e-Sarhad, which translates to Call of the Frontier. It is a passenger bus service connecting the Indian capital city of New Delhi with Lahore, Pakistan, via the border transit post at Wagah. The service was inaugurated on February 19, 1999, to foster peace and improve bilateral relations between India and Pakistan. The inaugural run of the bus carried Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who travelled to Lahore to sign the historic Lahore Declaration with his Pakistani counterpart.

Explanation

Mridula Garg was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2013 for her Hindi novel Miljulman. Published in 2010, this autobiographical novel depicts the life and relationship of two sisters, Mogra and Gulmohar, spanning across five decades of societal and familial evolution.

Explanation

In the Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International for both 2012 and 2013, Denmark and New Zealand emerged at the top of the rankings as the least corrupt and most honest nations. In the 2012 index, Denmark and New Zealand tied for the first rank with a score of 90 out of 100. In the 2013 index, they again shared the top position, scoring 91 out of 100. These rankings reflect their exceptionally strong public sector integrity, high levels of press freedom, and robust access to information systems.

Explanation

Megan Young representing the Philippines was crowned Miss World 2013 at the 63rd edition of the Miss World pageant held on September 28, 2013, at the Nusa Dua Convention Center in Bali, Indonesia. She made history by becoming the first Filipina to win the prestigious Miss World title since the pageant's inception in 1951.

Explanation

The Asiatic Society of Bengal was founded on January 15, 1784, by the British lawyer and Sanskrit scholar Sir William Jones. The primary objective of establishing the society in Calcutta was to promote and nurture Oriental research, focusing on the study of the history, antiquities, arts, sciences, and literature of Asia.

Explanation

The Harappan Civilization, also known as the Indus Valley Civilization, represents the first urbanisation in the Indian subcontinent. Flourishing during the Bronze Age, particularly between 2600 BCE and 1900 BCE, it was characterized by highly sophisticated civic planning, organized grid patterns, advanced brick-built drainage systems, and monumental architecture. This marked the transition of the region from agrarian, rural chalcolithic communities into thriving, highly structured urban centers such as Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, and Lothal.

Explanation

In the Rigveda, the Saraswati River is highly praised and occupies a central position of reverence among all rivers. It is honored with several grand epithets, most notably Naditama, which translates to the best of all rivers. It is also referred to as Devitama, meaning the best of goddesses, and Ambitama, meaning the best of mothers, reflecting its profound spiritual, cultural, and sustenance-providing significance to the Vedic society.

Explanation

During the Rigvedic period, pastoralism was central to the economy, and cattle were the most valued form of wealth. The term Vraja referred to a pasture ground or a cattle-pen. The officer who enjoyed authority over these large pasture grounds was known as the Vrajapati. He played a crucial administrative and military role, often leading heads of families and local fighting groups into battle during cattle raids and clan conflicts.

Explanation

The Kailashanath Temple is a prominent Pallava era Hindu temple located in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. The Brihadeshwar Temple is a massive Chola temple built by Rajaraja I in Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The Hoyasaleshwar Temple is a renowned 12th-century Hoysala architectural marvel situated in Halebid, Karnataka. The Gomteshwar statue is a colossal monolithic Jain statue of Lord Bahubali located at Shravanabelgola, Karnataka.

Explanation

Kamban, a celebrated medieval Tamil poet, authored the Ramavataram, which is popularly known as the Kamba Ramayanam. Written in the 12th century CE, this epic poem is the Tamil adaptation of Sage Valmiki's Ramayana. Kamban's work is widely considered a masterpiece of classical Tamil literature, distinguished by its unique poetic meter, profound spiritual devotion, and deep philosophical insights, adapting the Sanskrit epic to fit the cultural and literary sensibilities of the Tamil-speaking region.

Explanation

The temporary camp and settlement of 'Swargadwari' (Gate of Heaven) was established by the Delhi Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq on the banks of the Ganga River near Kanauj. During a devastating plague and famine in Delhi around 1338–1341 CE, the Sultan along with his army and court left the capital and resided at Swargadwari for about two and a half years. This strategic location on the fertile banks of the Ganga ensured a steady supply of food grains and provisions from regions like Kara and Awadh.

Explanation

The Mansabdari system was introduced by Akbar as a structured framework for military and civil administration. Originally, the maximum mansab (rank) a noble could attain was capped at 5,000, with higher ranks reserved exclusively for imperial princes. However, towards the end of his reign, Akbar raised the maximum rank for nobles to 7,000. He conferred this highest rank of 7,000 upon two of his most prominent and trusted nobles, Raja Man Singh and Mirza Aziz Koka, acknowledging their exceptional services to the empire.

Explanation

The British Indian Government termed the Indian National Congress as Rajadroha Ka Karkhana, which translates to a factory of sedition. Initially, the colonial administration tolerated the Congress, believing its activities would remain limited to academic discussions among a small group of intellectuals. However, as the organization began to actively criticize British economic and administrative policies and cultivate nationalist sentiments, the official attitude turned hostile. Viceroy Lord Dufferin publicly attacked the Congress, famously ridiculing it as representing only a microscopic minority of the population and calling it a factory of sedition.

Explanation

Annie Besant established the Central Hindu College in Banaras in July 1898. Her vision was to create an educational institution that integrated modern Western scientific knowledge with traditional Indian culture, philosophy, and religious values. The college later served as the foundation and nucleus for the establishment of the Banaras Hindu University in 1916.

Explanation

Rani Gaidinliu was a prominent Naga spiritual and political leader who led an armed rebellion against British rule in Northeast India. She was born on 26 January 1915 in Luangkao village, which is located in the present-day Tamenglong district of Manipur. At a young age, she joined the Heraka movement initiated by her cousin Haipou Jadonang, which aimed at the revival of ancient Naga tribal religion and establishing self-rule. After Jadonang was executed by the British, she took over the leadership of the movement, leading to her arrest in 1932 and subsequent imprisonment until India gained independence in 1947.

Explanation

In the first provincial elections held in British India in 1937 under the provisions of the Government of India Act 1935, the Indian National Congress failed to secure a majority in Punjab. Instead, the Unionist Party, which was a coalition of Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh landowners led by Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan, emerged victorious and formed the provincial government, keeping the Congress out of power in the province.

Explanation

Compos refers to the tropical savanna grasslands located in the Brazilian Highlands of South America. Unlike temperate grasslands that are found in mid-latitude regions with cold winters and warm summers, Compos experiences a tropical wet-and-dry climate characterized by high temperatures year-round and distinct wet and dry seasons.

Explanation

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory located in the North Atlantic Ocean, situated approximately 1,030 kilometers east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, USA. It lies within the Sargasso Sea and is part of an archipelago consisting of about 181 islands and islets.

Explanation

India's total geographical area of approximately 3.28 million square kilometers accounts for only about 2.4% of the total land surface area of the world, making the 4.2% figure incorrect.

Explanation

The descending order of these major Indian rivers is determined by their respective total lengths. Ganga is the longest river in India with a length of 2525 km. Godavari, the longest river in peninsular India, has a length of 1465 km. Krishna is the next longest, flowing for a length of 1400 km. Narmada is a major west-flowing river with a length of 1312 km.

Explanation

The Zulu are an Nguni ethnic group inhabiting Southern Africa. They represent the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with the majority residing in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Historically, they are well-known for their formidable military empire built under the leadership of King Shaka during the early nineteenth century. Their language, isiZulu, belongs to the Bantu branch of the Niger-Congo language family.

Explanation

According to the 2011 Census of India, Tamil Nadu recorded a sex ratio of 996 females per 1000 males. This is the second-highest sex ratio among all Indian states, with only Kerala having a higher ratio of 1084 females per 1000 males.

Explanation

According to the 2011 Census of India, Karnataka has a significant Scheduled Caste population of approximately 10.4 million, which constitutes about 17.15% of the total population of the state. Therefore, the statement claiming that no scheduled caste population is found in Karnataka is completely false.

Explanation

Brazil is the largest producer of coffee in the world, a status it has held for more than 150 years. The country produces roughly one-third of the global coffee supply, cultivating both Arabica and Robusta varieties. Brazil's extensive tropical climate, favorable elevations, and abundant rainfall, particularly in major coffee-growing states like Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Espírito Santo, create the perfect conditions for highly productive coffee estates and plantations.

Explanation

UPEC is not a trade block.

SAPTA (South Asian Preferential Trading Arrangement) is a preferential trade agreement signed in 1993 to promote mutual trade and economic cooperation among SAARC countries.

EFTA (European Free Trade Association) is an intergovernmental trade organization established in 1960 to promote free trade and economic integration among its European member states.

OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is an intergovernmental organization that coordinates petroleum policies among oil-exporting nations and is classified as a commodity-based trading bloc.

UPEC does not represent any recognized international trade group or economic bloc.

Explanation

The Tehri Dam is the tallest dam in India, with a height of 260.5 meters. Located on the Bhagirathi River in Uttarakhand, it is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam. It is also one of the tallest dams in the world, playing a vital role in electricity generation, irrigation, and municipal water supply.

Explanation

The title Silicon Valley of India is associated with Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) rather than Hyderabad. Bengaluru earned this nickname due to its status as India's leading information technology exporter and the hub of major technology corporations, startups, and research institutions. Hyderabad is instead famously known by nicknames such as the City of Pearls or Cyberabad.

Explanation

On 26th January 1950, when the Constitution of India came into force, the Preamble declared the country to be a Sovereign Democratic Republic. The terms Socialist and Secular were not part of the original Constitution on this date. These words, along with Integrity, were incorporated into the Preamble later through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976.

Explanation

Under the constitutional provisions of India, a sitting Vice-President is eligible to contest the election for the office of the President without resigning from their post beforehand, as the office of Vice-President is not considered an office of profit for the purposes of candidacy.

Among the given individuals, Dr. Zakir Husain (in 1967), R. Venkataraman (in 1987), and Dr. S.D. Sharma (in 1992) contested the presidential election while continuing to hold the office of the Vice-President. They only vacated the vice-presidential office after being elected and before assuming the presidency.

In contrast, V.V. Giri, who was serving as the Vice-President and Acting President after the death of Dr. Zakir Husain in 1969, resigned from the office of Vice-President on July 20, 1969, to contest the 1969 presidential election as an independent candidate.

Explanation

The Citizenship Act of 1955 prescribes five ways of acquiring citizenship in India. These methods are birth, descent, registration, naturalization, and incorporation of territory. Under these legal provisions, individuals can obtain Indian citizenship by being born in the country, by descent if they are born abroad to Indian parents, by naturalization after meeting specific residency and language criteria, and through the incorporation of territory if a foreign region becomes a part of India. As a result, all four listed options represent valid legal pathways to acquiring Indian citizenship.

Explanation

Under Article 358 of the Constitution of India, when a proclamation of National Emergency is declared by the President under Article 352 on the ground of war or external aggression, the fundamental rights guaranteed by Article 19 are automatically suspended. This suspension means that the state is empowered to make any law or take any executive action restricting these freedoms, and such measures cannot be challenged in any court for being inconsistent with Article 19 while the emergency is in operation.

Explanation

Under Article 108 of the Constitution of India, a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament can be summoned by the President to resolve a legislative deadlock between the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. This provision applies to Ordinary Bills. Since a Private Member Bill is simply an ordinary bill introduced by any member of Parliament who is not a minister, it follows the exact same legislative procedure as a government-sponsored ordinary bill, making it eligible for a joint sitting in case of a deadlock. Joint sittings cannot be summoned for a Money Bill, which falls under the exclusive overriding authority of the Lok Sabha, or for a Constitutional Amendment Bill, which must be passed by each House separately with a special majority as mandated by Article 368.

Explanation

Under the provisions of the Constitution of India, representation in the Rajya Sabha is allocated only to those Union Territories that have their own Legislative Assembly. As of 2013, only Delhi and Puducherry possessed legislative assemblies among all the Union Territories, granting them three seats and one seat respectively in the Rajya Sabha. The other Union Territories, including Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Lakshadweep, lack legislative assemblies and therefore do not have any representation in the Rajya Sabha.

Explanation

Article 120 of the Constitution of India provides that the business in Parliament shall be transacted in Hindi or in English. Although the Chairman of the Council of States or Speaker of the House of the People may permit any member who cannot adequately express themselves in either of these languages to address the House in their mother tongue, the Constitution specifically designates English and Hindi as the languages for conducting business.

Explanation

The Ashok Mehta Committee, appointed by the Janata Government in December 1977, submitted its report in August 1978. It was the first official committee to recommend that Panchayati Raj Institutions should be accorded constitutional recognition and status. The committee emphasized that constitutional backing was essential to ensure the requisite sanctity, stature, and continuous functioning of these institutions, protecting them from arbitrary dissolution or suppression by state governments.

Explanation

The Panchayati Raj systems in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh have been structured in a manner that protects, integrates, and functions in accordance with the customary laws, traditions, and local self-governing practices of their indigenous tribal populations. Under Article 243M of the Constitution, Nagaland is exempted from the application of Part IX to safeguard its traditional village councils, which perform local governance functions based on tribal customs. Similarly, Arunachal Pradesh incorporates traditional tribal local self-governing systems, such as the Kebang, into its grassroots administrative framework to ensure harmony with local traditions and customs.

Explanation

The Incremental Model of public policy, primarily associated with political scientist Charles E. Lindblom, conceptualizes public policy as a continuation of previous government activities with only small, incremental modifications. Under this model, policymakers do not annually review the entire range of existing and proposed programs due to constraints of time, resources, and cognitive capacity. Instead, they accept the legitimacy of established programs and focus on making minor, step-by-step adjustments to existing policies to minimize conflict and reduce the risks of unforeseen consequences.

Explanation

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) was established by the United Nations General Assembly on 15 March 2006 through Resolution 60/251. It was created to replace the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, with the goal of strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and addressing situations of human rights violations. The Council is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and is composed of 47 United Nations member states elected by the General Assembly.

Explanation

The N.N. Vohra Committee was established by the Government of India in July 1993, following the Bombay bomb blasts, to examine the growing problem of criminalization of politics. Under the chairmanship of the former Home Secretary N.N. Vohra, the committee studied the links between mafia organisations, criminal syndicates, and government officials. In its report submitted in October 1993, the committee concluded that there was a deeply entrenched and pervasive nexus between politicians, bureaucrats, and criminals, which was seriously undermining the administration of the country and posing a grave threat to the state.

Explanation

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) was established on 12 July 1982 under the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act 1981. It was set up based on the recommendations of the B. Sivaraman Committee to act as an apex development bank for providing and regulating credit and other facilities for the promotion and development of agriculture, small-scale industries, cottage and village industries, handicrafts, and other allied economic activities in rural areas.

Explanation

Ashok Gulati served as the Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices from March 2011 to February 2014. During his tenure, he led the advisory body in recommending Minimum Support Prices for mandated agricultural commodities and shaping agricultural pricing policies in India.

Explanation

The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) was launched by the Government of India in June 1997. This system was introduced to target the food subsidy benefits specifically toward the poor. Under the TPDS, beneficiaries were categorized into Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) families to ensure that the highly subsidized food grains reached the most vulnerable sections of the population.

Explanation

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report 2011, India was positioned at 134th place among 187 countries. India's Human Development Index (HDI) value for 2011 was 0.547, placing the nation in the medium human development category.

Explanation

The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is a key demographic indicator that measures the probability of a child dying before reaching one year of age. It is calculated by dividing the number of deaths of children under one year of age during a given year by the total number of live births registered during that same year, and then multiplying the quotient by 1000 to express it per 1000 live births.

IMR = (Number of infant deaths during a year × 1000) / Number of live births during the year

Using the number of live births as the denominator ensures that only children who were born alive are included in the baseline population of infants at risk, excluding stillbirths.

Explanation

During the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-12), the agriculture and allied sector in India achieved an average annual growth rate of 3.6%. This marked a significant recovery from the growth rates of 2.5% in the Ninth Plan and 2.4% in the Tenth Plan, although it remained slightly below the targeted growth rate of 4.0%.

Explanation

Mahatma Gandhi made this famous statement to highlight the importance of resource conservation and sustainable development. His philosophy emphasized that the Earth provides ample resources to satisfy the basic survival and living needs of all human beings, but it cannot sustain the unlimited desires and greed of individuals, which leads to exploitation and environmental degradation.

Explanation

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body established in April 1957 by the Government of India under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956. This establishment occurred during the Second Five Year Plan, which spanned from 1956 to 1961. The Second Five Year Plan, influenced by the Mahalanobis model, emphasized rapid industrialization and recognized the crucial role of village, cottage, and small-scale industries in generating rural employment and promoting balanced regional development.

Explanation

Statement (i) is incorrect: the highest decadal population growth rate (2001-2011) was recorded by Meghalaya (~27.95%), not Bihar, and the lowest was Nagaland (negative growth at -0.58%), not Kerala. Statement (ii) is correct: Bihar was the best-performing state in terms of GSDP growth rate during 2011-12, a fact widely cited in the Economic Survey and Planning Commission documents of that period, where Bihar's growth consistently topped the list of major states.

Explanation

During the financial year 2012-13, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) of India estimated the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at constant prices using the base year of 2004-05. This base year was adopted in January 2010 to replace the previous base year of 1999-2000. It remained in use until January 2015, when the CSO updated the base year to 2011-12.

Explanation

According to SRS data aligned with Census 2011, West Bengal recorded a crude death rate of approximately 5.9 per 1000, lower than Kerala's approximately 6.6 per 1000. Despite Kerala's excellent health infrastructure, its older age structure caused by low fertility rates and large-scale youth outmigration paradoxically results in a higher crude death rate compared to West Bengal, making West Bengal the state with the lowest death rate among the given options.

Explanation

National parks are designated protected areas classified under IUCN Category II, which are established to protect large-scale ecological processes along with the complement of species and characteristics of the area. Under legislation such as the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, a national park is dedicated to conserving the entire ecosystem. This comprehensive protection covers all living organisms, including plants and animals, alongside non-living physical components like landscapes, water systems, and geological formations. By safeguarding the complete habitat and its natural processes, national parks prevent habitat destruction and maintain ecological integrity.

Explanation

Afforestation involves planting trees on a large scale in areas that have no forest cover. The extensive root systems of the trees bind the soil particles firmly together, which enhances soil cohesion and structural integrity. This prevents the topsoil from being easily swept away by wind or washed away by running water. Furthermore, the tree canopy intercepts rainfall, reducing the kinetic energy of raindrops before they hit the ground, which significantly decreases splash erosion.

Explanation

Climatology is the scientific study of climate, which is defined as weather conditions averaged over a long period of time. It focuses on analyzing climatic factors, such as temperature, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, wind patterns, and humidity, as well as their variations and long-term trends across different regions of the Earth.

Explanation

Sunlight is the ultimate source of energy for almost all living organisms on Earth. Through the process of photosynthesis, green plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria capture solar energy and convert it into chemical energy stored in organic molecules. Since all heterotrophic organisms, including herbivores, carnivores, and decomposers, depend directly or indirectly on these primary producers for their nutritional and energy requirements, the flow of energy through every ecosystem ultimately originates from solar radiation.

Explanation

Jhum cultivation is the local term used for shifting cultivation, which is also commonly referred to as slash-and-burn agriculture. This traditional method of farming is primarily practiced by tribal communities in the hilly terrains of Northeast India, including states like Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Manipur.

In this practice, farmers clear a patch of forest land by cutting down trees and vegetation, which are then allowed to dry and are subsequently burned. The resulting ash acts as a natural fertilizer, enriching the soil with nutrients. Crops are grown on this cleared land for a few seasons. Once the soil fertility declines, the farmers abandon the plot and move to a new patch of forest to repeat the cycle, allowing the abandoned land to regenerate naturally over a fallow period.

Explanation

A washing machine works on the principle of centrifugation. Centrifugation is a separation process that utilizes centrifugal force to separate particles of different densities from a liquid medium. During the spin cycle of a washing machine, the drum rotates at high speeds. This rapid spinning generates a strong centrifugal force that drives water molecules outward and away from the clothes, forcing them through the perforations in the drum. This effectively separates the water from the fabrics, leaving the clothes damp and ready for drying.

Explanation

The refractive index of air (n = 1.0) is less than the refractive index of water (n = 1.33). According to the lens maker's formula, when a lens of a lower refractive index is placed in a medium of a higher refractive index, its focal length changes sign and its nature reverses. Thus, although the air bubble has a physical shape resembling a convex lens, it causes passing light rays to bend away from the principal axis and diverge. This divergent behavior is characteristic of a concave lens.

Explanation

Diffusion of light in the atmosphere, also known as scattering, occurs when sunlight encounters various suspended particles. Dust particles, along with smoke, water droplets, and aerosols, are of a size comparable to or larger than the wavelength of visible light, which enables them to scatter the incoming solar radiation in all directions. This scattering and diffusion of light by particulate matter illuminates the atmosphere, making the sky appear bright even in areas not directly exposed to direct sunlight.

Explanation

Garlic contains organosulfur compounds, primarily allicin, which are responsible for its characteristic pungent odour and flavor. When the garlic clove is crushed, chopped, or damaged, the enzyme alliinase converts alliin, which is a sulfur-containing amino acid derivative, into allicin. Allicin is unstable and quickly breaks down into various other volatile sulfur-containing compounds, such as diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide, which contribute to the strong and persistent smell of garlic.

Explanation

Eugenol is the primary bioactive constituent of clove oil, extracted from the flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum. It typically accounts for 70% to 90% of the essential oil's total composition. Eugenol is a volatile phenolic compound responsible for the characteristic sweet, spicy aroma of cloves and is widely recognized for its strong analgesic, local anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties, which makes it highly effective in dental care for relieving toothaches.

Explanation

Sodium is classified as a beneficial plant element rather than an essential nutrient because most plants can successfully complete their life cycle and reproduce in its complete absence. While sodium can assist in osmotic regulation and stimulate growth in specific C4 plants, CAM plants, and halophytes by partially substituting for potassium, it is not universally required by all plant species for their fundamental survival and metabolic functions.

Explanation

The subcutaneous fat layer, also known as adipose tissue, is located directly beneath the skin and has very low thermal conductivity. It serves as an effective thermal insulator that minimizes the conduction of heat from the warm internal organs to the external environment, thereby preventing the excessive loss of heat from our body and helping to maintain a stable core body temperature.

Explanation

When ants bite or sting, they inject formic acid, which is also known as methanoic acid, into the skin of the victim. Formic acid, represented by the chemical formula HCOOH, is the simplest carboxylic acid. It is produced in the venom glands of ants and serves as a defense mechanism against predators and threats. The injection of this acidic substance causes the characteristic sharp, burning pain, irritation, redness, and swelling associated with ant bites.

Explanation

Kidney stones, medically known as renal calculi, are solid deposits of minerals and acid salts that crystallize and stick together in concentrated urine. The vast majority of these stones, accounting for approximately 75% to 80% of all cases, are composed of calcium oxalate. They form when calcium binds with oxalate, a naturally occurring compound found in various foods and also produced by the liver, under conditions of low urine volume or high concentrations of these minerals.

Explanation

Cryogenic engines utilize propellants stored at extremely low temperatures, typically liquid hydrogen as fuel at -253°C and liquid oxygen as an oxidizer at -183°C. The use of these liquefied gases offers a very high energy output per unit mass, providing a significantly higher specific impulse compared to solid or earth-storable liquid propellants. This high efficiency makes cryogenic engines indispensable for the upper stages of space launch vehicles in rocket technology, where maximizing payload capacity to high-altitude orbits is crucial.

Explanation

In eye donation, only the cornea is harvested and used for transplantation. The cornea is the clear, transparent dome-shaped outer layer at the front of the eye that helps focus light. Corneal transplantation, also known as keratoplasty, replaces a damaged or diseased cornea with a healthy donor cornea to restore vision. The cornea does not have blood vessels, which significantly reduces the risk of tissue rejection by the recipient's immune system, making corneal transplants highly successful.

Explanation

Honey is a natural sweet substance produced by honeybees, primarily consisting of water and carbohydrates. Among the sugars present in honey, fructose is the single largest component, accounting for approximately 38% of its total composition. This high concentration of fructose is responsible for honey being sweeter than standard table sugar and helps prevent it from crystallizing rapidly compared to other sugars.

Explanation

The coronary arteries are the blood vessels that supply oxygen-rich blood directly to the heart muscle itself. They branch off from the ascending aorta, which is the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle to the rest of the body. These arteries wrap around the outside of the heart, forming a network that ensures the myocardium receives a continuous and adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients required to sustain its constant pumping action.

Explanation

Buffalo milk is highly nutritious and structurally richer in major chemical constituents than cow milk. The average fat content of buffalo milk is approximately 7.2%, which is nearly double that of cow milk (which typically averages around 4% to 4.4%). This high fat percentage, alongside higher levels of total solids, proteins, and minerals like calcium and phosphorus, gives buffalo milk its signature rich, thick, and creamy texture, making it ideal for producing dairy products like butter, ghee, paneer, and curd.

Explanation

Hydrogen is considered the cleanest burning fuel because its combustion in the presence of oxygen produces only water vapor (H₂O) and heat. It does not release harmful greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, or particulate matter into the atmosphere. Additionally, hydrogen has an exceptionally high calorific value, releasing about 150 kilojoules of energy per gram, which is far higher than any traditional fossil fuel, making it highly efficient while leaving a zero-carbon footprint during use.

Explanation

Caratage represents the purity of gold alloyed with other metals, measured on a scale of 24 parts. The proportion of gold in an alloy is determined by this standard scale where 24 carats represents 100% pure gold.

For an 18-carat gold alloy, the total number of parts is 24. Since 18 of these parts are pure gold, the remaining proportion is calculated as 24 − 18 = 6 parts of other metals, such as copper, silver, or nickel, which are added to enhance the strength and durability of the jewelry.

Explanation

Crookes glass is a special type of optical glass containing cerium oxide and other rare earth elements. Cerium oxide has a high absorption capacity for ultraviolet radiation while allowing visible light to pass through relatively unimpeded. This unique property makes Crookes glass highly effective at cutting off harmful ultraviolet rays, leading to its widespread use in the manufacturing of protective eyewear, spectacles, and high-quality sunglasses to shield the eyes from solar radiation.