India at a Glance

India Capital: New Delhi

Located in South Asia, India is the seventh largest, and the second most populous country in the world. Home to the Indus Valley civilisation and known for its historic trade routes and vast empires, India is recognised for its commercial and cultural wealth. It is the centre of amalgamation of many religions and ethnicities which have shaped the country's diverse culture. Colonised by the United Kingdom from early eighteenth century, India became a modern nation state in 1947, after a struggle for independence that was remarkable for its largely non-violent resistance and is the most populous democracy in the world today.

Location: South Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Mynamar and Pakistan.

Geographic Coordinates: 20 00 N, 77 00 E

Border Countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea, formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.

Coastline: 7,516.6 km encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Climate: Mainly tropical in southern India but temperatures in the north range from sub-zero degrees to 50 degrees celsius. There are well-defined seasons in the northern region: winter (Dec - Feb), Spring (Mar - Apr), Summer (May - Jun), Monsoons (Jul - Sep) and Autumn (Oct - Nov).

Area: total: 3,287,263 sq km

Land: 2,973,193 sq km

Water: 314,070 sq km

Natural Resources: coal (fourth largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land.

Land Use: arable land: 48.83 percent

Irrigated Land: 60.2 million hectares (2005-06)

Political Profile

Political System and Government:

The 1950 Constitution provides for a parliamentary system of Government with a bicameral parliament and three independent branches: the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The country has a federal structure with elected governments in States.

Administrative Divisions: 28 States and 7 Union Territories

Constitution: The Constitution of India came into force on 26th January 1950

Executive Branch: The President of India is the Head of State, while the Prime Minister is the Head of the government and runs office with the support of the Council of Ministers who form the Cabinet.

Legislative Branch: The Federal Legislature comprises of the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) forming both the Houses of the Parliament.

Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court of India is the apex body of the Indian legal system, followed by other High Courts and subordinate Courts.

Chief of State: President Mrs Pratibha Patil (since 25 July 2007)

Head of Government: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh (since 22 May 2009)

Demographic profile

Population: 1,166,079,217 (July 2009 est.)

Population Growth Rate: 1.548 per cent (2009 est.)

Ethnic Groups: Indo-Aryan 72 per cent, Dravidian 25 per cent, Mongoloid and other 3 per cent (2000)

Religions: Hindu 80.5 per cent, Muslim 13.4 per cent, Christian 2.3 per cent, Sikh 1.9 per cent, other 1.8 per cent, unspecified 0.1 per cent (2001 census)

Languages: Apart from Hindi, which is the Official Union Language and mother tongue of 30 per cent of the people, there are 21 other official languages. English is the preferred language for national, political, and commercial communication.

Literacy: Total population: 64.8 per cent (2001 census)

Male: 75.3 per cent

Female: 53.7 per cent

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Economic Profile

Indian Economy

Per capita income (average income) of Indians has grown by 10.5 per cent to US$ 947.21 in 2009-10 as against US$ 857.43 in 2008-09, at the current price.

According to the estimates by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the Indian economy has registered a growth of 7.4 per cent in 2009-10, with 8.6 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) growth in its fourth quarter. The growth is driven by robust performance of the manufacturing sector on the back of government and consumer spending. GDP growth rate of 7.4 per cent in 2009-10 has exceeded the government forecast of 7.2 per cent for the full year. According to government data, the manufacturing sector witnessed a growth of 16.3 per cent in January-March 2010, from a year earlier.

According to the Central statistical Organisation (CSO), following are the key indicators:

• GDP at factor cost at constant (2004-05) prices in the year 2009-10 is now estimated at US$ 949.1 billion (as against US$ 946.8 billion estimated earlier on 8th February, 2010, showing a growth rate of 7.4 per cent over the Quick Estimates of GDP for the year 2008-09 of US$ 883.4 billion, released on 29th January, 2010. The upward revision in the GDP growth rate is mainly on account of higher performance in ‘agriculture, forestry and fishing’, ‘mining and quarrying’ and ‘manufacturing’, than anticipated.
• GDP at factor cost at current prices in the year 2009-10 is estimated at US$ 1.25 trillion, showing a growth rate of 12.2 per cent over the Quick Estimates of GDP for the year 2008-09 of US$ 1.11 trillion, released on 29th January 2010.

• GDP Composition by Sector in 2009-10 (RBI estimate):

  Services: 57.2 per cent

  Industry: 28.2 per cent

  Agriculture: 14.6 per cent

  Forex Reserves (2009-10): US$ 277 billion

  Labour Force: 523.5 million (2008 est.)

  Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) at current prices: 32.4 per cent of GDP at market prices (April 2009-March 2010)

  Industrial output in April 2010: 17.6 per cent

  Cumulative Value of Exports: US$ 153 billion (April'09-Feb'10)

  Exports Commodities: Petroleum products, precious stones, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, vehicles, apparel

  Export Partners: US 12 per cent, UAE 10.8 per cent, China 5.1 per cent, Singapore 4.8 per cent, Hong Kong 3.7 per cent, UK 3.6 per cent (April’08-February’09)

  Currency (code): Indian rupee (INR)

  Exchange Rates: Indian rupees per US dollar - 1 USD = 47.03 INR (June 01, 2010)

  Fiscal Year: 1 April - 31 March

  Cumulative FDI Inflows: US$ 33.1 billion (April'09- Feb'10)

  Share of Top Investing Countries FDI Equity Inflows: Mauritius, Singapore, US, UK, Netherlands, Cyprus, Japan (as on March 2010)

  Major Sectors Attracting Highest FDI Equity Inflows: Services Sector, Computer Software & Hardware, Telecommunications, Housing and Real Estate, Construction Activities, Power (as on March 2010)

  Transportation in India

  Airports: 125

  International Airports: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram

  Railways: total: 63,327 route km (31st March, 2007)

  Roadways: total: 3,316,452 km

  Waterways: 14,500 km (2008)

  Major Ports of Entry: Chennai, Ennore, Haldia, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Kolkata, Kandla, Kochi, Mormugao, Mumbai, New Mangalore, Paradip, Tuticorin and Vishakhapatnam.

Indian Economy Overview

According to the estimates by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the Indian economy has registered a growth of 7.4 per cent in 2009-10, with 8.6 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) growth in its fourth quarter. The growth is driven by robust performance of the manufacturing sector on the back of government and consumer spending. GDP growth rate of 7.4 per cent in 2009-10 has exceeded the government forecast of 7.2 per cent for the full year. According to government data, the manufacturing sector witnessed a growth of 16.3 per cent in January-March 2010, from a year earlier.

Economic activities which showed significant growth rates in 2009-10 over the corresponding period last year were mining and quarrying (10.6 per cent), manufacturing (10.8 per cent), electricity, gas and water supply (6.5 per cent), construction (6.5 per cent), trade, hotels, transport and communications (9.3 per cent), financing, insurance, real estate and business services (9.7 per cent), community, social and personal services (5.6 per cent). The Gross National Income is estimated to rise by 7.3 per cent in 2009-10 as compared to 6.8 per cent in 2008-09. The per capita income is estimated to grow at 5.6 per cent in 2009-10.

India’s industrial output grew by 17.6 per cent in April 2010. The manufacturing sector that accounts for 80 per cent of the index of industrial production (IIP) grew 19.4 per cent in April 2010, as against 0.4 per cent a year-ago.

Capital goods production grew by 72.8 per cent against a contraction of 5.9 per cent a yearago. Consumer durables output continued to grow at a fast pace of 37 per cent, mirroring higher purchase of goods such as televisions and refrigerators.

The Economic scenario

The number of registered foreign institutional investors (FIIs) was 1710 as on May 31, 2010 and the total FII inflow in equity during January to May 2010 was US$ 4606.50 million while it was US$ 5931.80 million in debt.

Net investment made by FIIs in equity between June 1, 2010 and June 14, 2010 was US$ 530.05 million while it was US$ 875.73 million in debt.

As on June 4, 2010, India's foreign exchange reserves totalled US$ 271.09 billion, an increase of US$ 9.88 billion over the same period last year, according to the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Weekly Statistical Supplement.

Moreover, India received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth US$ 25,888 million during April-March, 2009-10, taking the cumulative amount of FDI inflows during August 1991 - March 2010 to US$ 1, 32,428 million, according to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

The services sector comprising financial and non-financial services attracted 21 per cent of the total FDI equity inflow into India, with FDI worth US$ 4,392 million during April-March 2009-10, while construction activities including roadways and highways attracted second largest amount of FDI worth US$ 2,868 million during the same period. Housing and real estate was the third highest sector attracting FDI worth US$ 2,844 million followed by telecommunications which garnered US$ 2,554 million during the financial year 2009-10.

• Exports from India were worth US$ 16,887 million in April 2010, 36.2 per cent higher than the level in April 2009, which touched US$ 12,397 million, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. India's imports during April 2010 were valued at US$ 27,307 million representing a growth of 43.3 per cent over April 2009.
• India's logistics sector is witnessing increased activity—the country's major ports handled 560,968 metric tonnes (MT) of cargo during April-March 2009-10, an increase of 5.74 per cent over previous year traffic, according to revised estimates released by the Ministry of Shipping.
• Foreign tourist arrivals in India during the month of May 2010 were 345,000, an increase of 15.5 per cent over May 2009. Foreign tourist arrivals during January-May 2010 were 2.263 million, an increase of 11.3 per cent over the corresponding period last year. Foreign exchange earnings during May 2010 were US$ 951 million, an increase of 42.2 per cent over May 2009. Foreign exchange earnings during January-May 2010 were US$ 5822 million, an increase of 38.3 per cent over the corresponding period last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Tourism.
• The total telephone subscriber base in the country reached 638.05 million in April 2010, taking the overall tele-density to 54.10, according to the figures released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Also the wireless subscriber base increased to 601.22 million.
• According to the latest statistics from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), the assets under management (AUM) of mutual funds were worth US$ 170.46 billion in May 2010 as compared to US$ 135.58 billion in May 2009.
• As per NASSCOM’s Strategic Review 2010, the BPO sector continues to be the fastest growing segment of the industry and is expected to reach US$ 12.4 billion in 2009-10, growing at 6 per cent.
• According to data released by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the total number of vehicles including passenger cars, commercial vehicles, two wheelers and three wheelers produced in 2009-10 was 14,049,830, as compared to 11,172,275 produced in 2008-09.
• According to the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, the exports of gems and jewellery from India including rough diamonds, rose by 57.08 per cent during April-May 2010 to touch US$ 5551.24 million.
• According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, domestic airlines carried 211,380 passengers between January-May 2010, an increase of 21.95 per cent over 173,340 passengers carried in the same period last year.
• The number of corporate merger & acquisitions (M&As) and private equity (PE) transactions, have more than doubled during January-May 2010. 439 M&A and PE deals valuing over US$ 30 billion took place between January-May 2010 as compared to 179 deals worth US$ 8.1 billion in the corresponding period in 2009.
• The HSBC Markit Business Activity Index, which measures business activity among Indian services companies, based on a survey of 400 firms, rose to 62.1 in April 2010, its highest since July 2008, and compared with 58.1 in March 2010.

Agriculture

Agriculture is one of the strongholds of the Indian economy and accounted for 15.7 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2008-09, and 10.23 per cent of the total exports. Moreover, it provided employment to 58.2 per cent of the work force.

Production of foodgrains during 2009-10 is estimated at 216.85 million as per second Advance Estimates.

In the Union Budget 2010-11, the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee made the following announcements for the agriculture sector.

• US$ 86.89 million is provided to increase the Green Revolution to the eastern region of the country comprising Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Eastern up, West Bengal and Orissa.
• US$ 65.17 million has been provided to organise 60,000 pulses and oil-seed villages in rain-fed areas in 2010-11 and provide an integrated intervention for water harvesting, watershed management and soil health to improve productivitiy of the dry land farming areas.
• Banks have been consistently meeting the targets set for agricultural credit flow in the past few years. For the year 2010-11, the target has been set at US$ 81.47 billion.
• In addition to the 10 mega food park projects already being set up, the government has decided to set up five more such parks.
• External commercial borrowings are available for cold storage for preservation or storage of agricultural and allied products, marine products and meat.

Growth potential story

• The data centre services market in the country is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.7 per cent between 2009 and 2011, to touch close to US$ 2.2 billion by the end of 2011, according to research firm IDC India’s report published in March 2010. The report further stated that the overall India data centre services market in 2009 was estimated at US$ 1.39 billion.
• According to a report by research and advisory firm Gartner published in March 2010, the domestic BPO market is expected to grow at 25 per cent in 2010 to touch US$ 1.2 billion by 2011. Further, the BPO market in India is estimated to grow 19 per cent through 2013 and grow to US$ 1.8 billion by 2013. According to the report, the domestic India BPO services market grew by 7.3 per cent year-on-year in 2009.
• The BMI India Retail Report Quarter 3, 2010 released in May 2010, forecasts that total retail sales will grow from US$ 353.0 billion in 2010 to US$ 543.2 billion by 2014.
• According to a report titled 'India 2020: Seeing, Beyond', published by domestic broking major, Edelweiss Capital in March 2010, stated that India's GDP is set to quadruple over the next ten years and the country is likely to become an over US$ 4 trillion economy by 2020.
• India will overtake China to become the world's fastest growing economy by 2018, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research arm of London-based Economist magazine.

Indian History Questions for APPSC Exams

Indian History

1. The officer responsible for the safe custody of land records during the Gupta period was known as—

(A) Dhruvadhikarana

(B) Karanika

(C) Samaharta

(D) Shaulkika

Ans : (B)

2. The Prakrit text Gaudavaho describes the deeds of—

(A) Bhaskaravarman

(B) Isanavarman

(C) Sasanka

(D) Yasovarman

Ans : (D)

3. Which of the following refers to ‘Pushyabhuti’ as the founder of the Vardhana dynasty ?

(A) Kadambari

(B) Harshacharita

(C) Banskhera Inscription of Harsha

(D) Yuan-Chwang

Ans : (B)

4. The first Gupta ruler to assume the title of the ‘Maharajadhiraja’ was—

(A) Srigupta

(B) Chandragupta I

(C) Samudragupta

(D) Ghatotkacha

Ans : (B)

5. Which one of the following statements about Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hien’s travel in India is not correct ?

(A) He came to India during the reign of Chandragupta II

(B) His object was to visit the holy places of Buddhism

(C) He came by the sea route

(D) He visited whole India and went back to his country by the land route

Ans : (C)

6. Which was the first work to recognise the payment of officers by grants of land ?

(A) Kautilya’s Arthasastra

(B) Indica of Megasthenese

(C) Manusmriti

(D) Harsacharita of Bana

Ans : (C)

7. Below are given the pairs of names of the Dharmashastra-writers and their patrons. Indicate the incorrect match—

(A) Ballalasena – Dharmapala

(B) Hemadri – Yadava Mahadeva

(C) Laxmidhara – Govindachandra Gahadawala

(D) Mitra Misra – Virasinha Bundela

Ans : (A)

8. Who among the following was celebrated with the title of ‘Gangai-Konda’ ?

(A) Rajaraja I

(B) Rajendra I

(C) Mahendravarman I

(D) Kulottunga I

Ans : (B)

9. Which Chola emperor received a letter on golden leaves from the Burmese king Kyanzittha ?

(A) Rajaraja I

(B) Rajendra I

(C) Kulottunga I

(D) Rajadhiraja I

Ans : (C)

10. Who among the following boldly stood for the sacrificial vedic tradition and opposed the theory of Sanyasa ?

(A) Kumarila

(B) Ramanuja

(C) Gaudapada

(D) Yamunacharya

Ans : (A)

11. In the case of a man dying without a son, whom Yajnavalkya places first in order of succession ?

(A) Wife

(B) Daughters

(C) Parents

(D) Brothers

Ans : (A)

12. Consider the following statements and select the correct answer from the code given

below—

Assertion (A) : The Gahadawalas had friendly relations with the Cholas.

Reason (R) : A fragmentary Gahadawala inscription has been found incised below an inscription of Kulottunga I.

Codes :

(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)

(B) Both (A) and (R) are ture, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)

(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false

(D) (A) is false, but (R) is true

Ans : (A)

13. Who among the following Europeans was first to come to India to establish trade relations with their country ?

(A) Dutch

(B) British

(C) Portuguese

(D) French

Ans : (C)

14. Which of the following gives the administrative divisions of the chola kingdom in the correct descending order ?

(A) Mandalam, Valanadu, Kurram

(B) Mandalam, Nadu, Kottam

(C) Kurram, Nadu, Kottam

(D) Nadu, Kurram, Taniyur

Ans : (C)

15. Which one of the following was the primary village assembly in the chola village administration ?

(A) Nadu

(B) Sabha

(C) Ur

(D) Mahasabha

Ans : (C)

16. Which one of the following states was a milch-cow for the British ?

(A) Hydrabad

(B) Punjab

(C) Mysore

(D) Avadh

Ans : (D)

17. Match the authors with their books—

(a) Subramanya Bharti

(b) Bhai Vir Singh

(c) Rabindra Nath Tagore

(d) Michael Madhusudan Dutt

1. Gitanjali

2. Meghnad Badh Kavya

3. Rana Surat Singh

4. Kuyil Pattu

Select the correct answer from the code given below—

Codes :

(a) (b) (c) (d)

(A) 2 3 1 4

(B) 4 2 1 3

(C) 4 3 1 2

(D) 4 3 2 1

Ans : (C)

18. “The emergence of British power in India is from the battle of Buxar.” Who made this statement ?

(A) Sir Stephen

(B) Ramsay Muir

(C) Dr. K. K. Datta

(D) Dr. R. C. Majumdar

Ans : (B)

19. In 1757 Siraj-ud-Daulah attacked British factory at—

(A) Dhaka

(B) Calcutta

(C) Kasimbazar

(D) Murshidabad

Ans : (B)

20. Which Governor of Madras presidency made treaty of Mangalore with Tipu ?

(A) Eyercoote

(B) Stephenson

(C) Wellesely

(D) Lord Macartany

Ans : (D)

21. What was the bone of contention between Nizam Ali, the ruler of Hyderabad and the English ?

(A) Masulipatanam

(B) Karnataka

(C) The Sarkar of Guntur

(D) The Northern Sarkars

Ans : (C)

22. The statement “we have crippled our enemy without making our friends too formidable.” is associated with—

(A) Fourth Anglo-Mysore war

(B) Third Anglo-Mysore war

(C) Second Anglo-Mysore war

(D) First Anglo-Mysore war

Ans : (B)

23. Who among the following Mughal emperors, granted permission to trade free of tax in the territories of Bengal, Hyderabad and Gujarat to the British ?

(A) Muhammad Shah

(B) Aurangzeb

(C) Bahadur Shah

(D) Farrukh Siyar

Ans : (D)

24. Where did the British East India Company open its first factory in India ?

(A) Masulipatanam

(B) Surat

(C) Bharuch

(D) Mumbai

Ans : (B)

25. The Whitley commission was concerned with—

(A) Labour

(B) Education

(C) Public Health

(D) Reorganisation of civil services

Ans : (A)

26. Match the following treaties with the years of their conclusion—

(a) Treaty of Srirangapatnam

(b) Treaty of Sangoli

(c) Treaty of Manglore

(d) Treaty of Rajghat

1. 1792 2. 1806

3. 1816 4. 1784

Find the correct answer from code given below—

Codes :

(a) (b) (c) (d)

(A) 3 2 1 4

(B) 2 3 1 4

(C) 4 3 1 2

(D) 1 3 4 2

Ans : (D)

27. Whom did Sir Charles Napier replace as British Resident of Sindh ?

(A) Alexander Burnier

(B) James Outram

(C) Sir John Karne

(D) Sir Eyre Coote

Ans : (B)

28. When was the East India Company brought under the parliamentary control ?

(A) 1773

(B) 1784

(C) 1793

(D) None of the above

Ans : (A)

29. Which one of the following Acts created ‘Board of control’ ?

(A) Regulating Act, 1773

(B) Pitt’s India Act, 1784

(C) Act of 1813

(D) Act of 1833

Ans : (B)

30. Which one of the following historians has written about the nature of the movement of 1857 that “It was neither first nor national nor a war of independence.” ?

(A) T. R. Holmes

(B) R. C. Majumdar

(C) S. B. Chaudhuri

(D) G. B. Mallison

Ans : (B)

31. Which one of the following pairs

is not correctly matched ?

(A) Jhansi —Laxmi Bai

(B) Gwalior —Tatya Tope

(C) Kanpur —Nana Saheb

(D) Allahabad —Kunwar Singh

Ans : (D)

32. The official historian of the movement of 1857 was—

(A) S. N. Sen

(B) R. C. Majumdar

(C) Tarachand

(D) V. D. Savarkar

Ans : (A)

33. Match the following associations with their presidents—

(a) British Indian Association, 1851

(b) Deccan Association, 1852

(c) Bombay Association, 1852

(d) British Indian Madras Association, 1850

1. Raja Radhakant Dev

2. Gopal Hari Deshmukh

3. C. Y. Mudaliar

4. Jamshedji Jijabhai

Select the correct answer from the code given below—

Codes :

(a) (b) (c) (d)

(A) 2 1 4 3

(B) 1 2 4 3

(C) 1 2 3 4

(D) 1 2 4 3

Ans : (D)

34. Who had chaired the Indian Education commission in 1882 ?

(A) Macaulay

(B) Sadler

(C) W. W. Hunter

(D) None of the above

Ans : (C)

35. Who was the founder of Seva Sadan in Bombay ?

(A) Baharamji Malabari

(B) Shiva Narrain Agnihotri

(C) R. G. Bhandarkar

(D) B. K. Jayakar

Ans : (A)

36. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer by using codes given below—

List-I

(a) Laxmi Bai

(b) Tatya Tope

(c) Nana Saheb

(d) Bahadur Shah

List-II

1. Deported to Rangoon

2. Fled to Nepal

3. Captured and executed

4. Killed in battle

Codes :

(a) (b) (c) (d)

(A) 4 3 2 1

(B) 2 4 3 1

(C) 1 2 3 4

(D) 4 2 3 1

Ans : (A)

37. Which of the following pairs are correctly matched ?

1. Brahmo Samaj – Swami Brahmanand

2. Dev Samaj – Swami Satyanand Agnihotri

3. Arya Samaj – Swami Dayanand

4. Ram Krishna Mission – Swami Ramkrishna Paramhansa

Choose the correct answer from the codes given below—

Codes :

(A) 1 and 2

(B) 2 and 3

(C) 3 and 4

(D) 1 and 4

Ans : (B)

38. Which one of the following journals had conducted a bitter campaign against the abolition of the practice of Sati ?

(A) Sambad Kaumadi

(B) Bangadoot

(C) Samachar Darpan

(D) Samachar Chandrika

Ans : (A)

39. In which of the following places ‘Jatiya Sarkar’ a parallel government was formed during the Quit India Movement ?

(A) Satara

(B) Tamaluk

(C) Ballia

(D) None of the above

Ans : (B)

40. Which one of the following was elected as president of Indian National Congress after the resignation of Subhas Chandra Bose ?

(A) Dr. Rajendra Prasad

(B) Pattabhi Sitaramayya

(C) Sarojini Naidu

(D) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

Ans : (A)

41. The party which observed ‘Black day’ on 3 July, 1947 against partition of India was—

(A) Indian National Congress

(B) Forward Bloc

(C) Hindu Mahasabha

(D) Communist Party of India

Ans : (C)

42. Who was the author of ‘Pather Dabi’ a novel which glorified the path of violent revolution and which was banned by the British Government ?

(A) Premchand

(B) Sharatchandra Chatterji

(C) Bankimchandra Chatterji

(D) Ajai Ghosh

Ans : (B)

43. The newspaper ‘Man in India’ was edited by—

(A) Surjit Chadra Sinha

(B) Ashok Kumar Sarkar

(C) Ram Gopal Maheshwari

(D) Shiv Prasad Gupta

Ans : (A)

44. Who edited “Sahid Bhagat Singh : Dastavejo Ke Aine Mein” ?

(A) Irfan Habib

(B) Malavinder Jit Singh

(C) Chaman Lal

(D) Amalesh Tripathi

Ans : (C)

45. Which of the following writers was not associated with ‘economic nationalism’ ?

(A) R. C. Dutt

(B) G. V. Joshi

(C) Dadabhai Naoroji

(D) Annie Besant

Ans : (D)

46. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R)—

Assertion (A) : Dadabhai Naoroji founded East India Association in London.

Reason (R) : He wanted to influence the British Public Opinion.

In the context of the above two statements, which one of the following is correct ?

(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)

(B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)

(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false

(D) (R) is true, but (A) is false

Ans : (A)

47. Which one of the following was not a member of the Hunter committee set up to enquire into the Jallianwala bagh massacre ?

(A) Lord Hunter

(B) General Dyer

(C) W. F. Rice

(D) Sir Thomas Smith

Ans : (B)

48. Which one of the following was not a slave of Mohammad Ghori ?

(A) Ikhtiyaruddin Bhakhtiyar Khalji

(B) Tajuddin Yaldauz

(C) Qutbuddin Aibak

(D) Shamsuddin Iltutmish

Ans : (D)

49. Who among the following writers has described the seven fold division of the Hindu society ?

(A) Ibn Khordadbah

(B) Abu zaid-Alhasan

(C) Al-Beruni

(D) Utbi

Ans : (A)

50. The foreign invader who plundered somnath temple was—

(A) Mohammad Ghori

(B) Masud III

(C) Muhammad Bin-Qasim

(D) Mahmud Ghaznavi

Ans : (D)

51. The first hand account of conquest of India by Mohammad Ghori and the history of newly established Turkish kingdom is found in which of the following texts ?

(A) Faqra-i-Muddabir

(B) Qamil-ut-Tawarikha

(C) Tabaqat-i-Nasiri

(D) Kitab-ul-Yamini

Ans : (C)

52. Select from the following options, the Arab invader who defeated Dahira, the king of Sindh in 712 A.D.—

(A) Budail

(B) Muhammad-bin-Qasim

(C) Sultan Mahmud

(D) Ubaidullah

Ans : (B)

53. Which one of the following is not correctly matched ?

(A) Diwan-i-Mushtakharaj – Alauddin Khalji

(B) Diwan-i-Amirkohi – Mohammad Tughlaq

(C) Diwan-i-Khairat – Firoz Shah Tughlaq

(D) Diwan-i-Riyasat – Balban

Ans : (D)

54. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R)—

Assertion (A) : Alauddin built the siri fort.

Reason (R) : He wished to safeguard Delhi from Mongol invasions.

In the context of the above two statements, which one of the following is correct ?

(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)

(B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)

(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false

(D) (R) is true, but (A) is false

Ans : (A)

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GENERAL STUDIES QUESTIONS

Economy & Industry

1. Which of the following is not a Central Government tax?
a. Corporation Tax
b. Land Revenue
c. Customs Duty
d. Income Tax
Ans : B

2. The main cause of International Trade is
a. Equal cost difference
b. Absolute cost difference
c. Comparative cost difference
Ans :C

3. Which petroleum company has introduced an improved quality petrol called 'Speed'?
a. Bharat Petroleum
b. Indian Oil
c. Hindustan Petroleum
d. None of these
Ans : A

4. In the recent past, Reliance has found the gas in..........
a. Mumbai offshore
b. Mahanadi basin
c. Krishna -Godavari basin
d. Kaveri basin
Ans : C

5. Which company uses the ad line, 'Knowing is everything'?
a. BBC World
b. Star
c. Sony
d. Zee
Ans : A

6. K.L.M. Royal Airlines belongs to
a. Italy
b. Japan
c. Netherlands
d. Austria
Ans : C

7. Who among the following persons is closely associated with the leading company ITC Ltd?
a. M.S Banga
b. K. Gopalkrishnan
c. Yogi Deveshwar
d. Deepak Satwalekar
Ans : C

8. Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana has been launched by
a. National Insurance Co.
b. United India Insurance Co.
c. LIC of India
d. Oriental Insurance Co.
Ans : C

9. Suvidha Fixed Deposit scheme was launched by which bank?
a. IDBI
b. ICICI
c. SBI
d. City Bank
Ans : A

10. BPO is an abbreviation for
a. Bharat Petroleum Organisation
b. Business Process Outsourcing
c. Business Products Outsourcing
d. Bharat Pesticides Outlet
Ans : B

11. Which one of the following is not manufacturing mobile telephone handsets?
a. Samsung
b. Nokia
c. Videocon
d. Sony
Ans : C

12. Which is the largest tea producing country in the world?
a. Kenya
b. Indonesia
c. China
d. India
Ans : D

13. Recession in the market implies
a. Slump in trade & industry due to fall in demand
b. Increase in trade industry due to rise in demand
c. No change in trade and industry due to stability in demand
d. None of these
Ans : A

14. 'Bottle neck inflation' means
a. No rise in prices despite increase in aggregate demand
b. Rise in prices without increase in the aggregate demand
c. Decline in prices due to increase in aggregate demand
d. None of these
Ans : B

15. Nandan Nilekani is associated with which company?
a. Satyam Computers
b. Wipro
c. Infosys
d. Polaris
Ans : C

16. Which is South Korea's largest car manufacturing company?
a. Hyundai
b. Honda
c. Suzuki
d. Toyota
Ans : A

17. Ashok Leyland is owned by the
a. Tatas
b. Birlas
c. Hindujas
d. None of these
Ans : C

18. NABARD stands for
a. National Bank of Agriculture and Regional Development
b. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
c. National Bureau of Aeronautical Research and Development
d. None of these
Ans : B

19. The part of profit or other surpluses of a company distributed proportionately among shareholders is called
a. Preference Share
b. Equity Share
c. Face Value
d. None of these
Ans : B

20. Which brand/company uses the ad line "We know India better"?
a. Max New York Life Insurance
b. LIC of India
c. Amul
d. Bajaj
Ans : B

21. Zero Coupon Bonds are that variety of loans
a. which fail to yield an income for the creditors
b. which are issued at a discount and redeemed at par
c. on which the entire interest income is paid at the time of purchase
d. the market price of which may fall suddenly and heavily
Ans : B

22. The term 'Third World' refers to
Economically developing nations

23. ADB was setup in the year
1966

24. National Stock Exchange (NSE) was established in the year
1992

25. SEBI was established in the year
1988

26. Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) was setup in the year
1978

27. GIC was setup in the year
1973

28. LIC was established in the year
1956

29. HDFC was established in the year
1977

30. HUDCO was setup in the year
1970

31. NABARD was established in the year
1982

32. SIDBI was setup in the year
1990

33. IDBI was setup in the year
1964

34. Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) was established in the year
1948

35. Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) was established in the year
1955

36. Reserve Bank of India was established in the year
1935

37. The oldest oil refinery in India is located in
Digboi (Assam)

38. Command Area Development Program was launched to
Ensure better utilization of irrigation potential

39. Which two iron and steel plants have been setup in collaboration with the former Soviet Union
Bokaro and Bhilai

40. Which city is known as the silicon valley of India
Bangalore

41. Ranigiri in Andhra Pradesh is famous for
Gold

42. Where has the Geological Survey of India located most of India Chromite deposits
Cuttack

43. Firozabad in U.P is famous for which industry
Glass

44. Which is the largest rubber producing state in India
Kerala

45. Ankaleshwar in India is known for the production of
a. Petroleum
b. Coal
c. Iron ore
d. Bauxite
Ans : A

46. For which one of the following items, Tirupur is famous as a huge exporter to many parts of the world
a. Handicrafts
b. Gems and Jewelry
c. Leather goods
d. Knitted garments
Ans : D

47. Which of the following Indian cities was the venue for the festival of Gold 2005
a. Chennai
b. Delhi
c. Kolkotha
d. Bangalore
Ans : B

48. Which of the following states is the largest producer of cashew nuts in India
a. Tamil Nadu
b. Assam
c. Kerala
d. Karnataka
Ans : C

49. Which Indian state leads in the production of cotton
Maharashtra

50. The region known as the Rice-Bowl of India is
Krishna-Godavari Delta region

Geography

1.Name the world only floating National park

Ans : Keibul Lamjao

2.Kimberley mines in South Africa is famous for
a. Silver
b. Coal
c. Gold
d. Diamonds
Ans : D


3.The length of the river Nile from its remotest headstream in Burundi is

Ans : 6695 km

4.Which is the principle source of the river Nile

Ans : Lake Victoria

5.The longest river in the world Nile flows north to the Mediterranean Sea through the countries

Ans : Uganda, Sudan and Egypt

6.The term Dawn Under denotes
a. Arctic Ocean
b. Australia
c. Cape of Good Hope
d. South Pole
Ans : B

7.The term COP is related with

Ans : UN framework on climate change held in Italy

8.Pong dam has been constructed over the river

Ans : Beas

9.What is Angkor Wat of Kampuchea

Ans : A temple

10.Which is the longest river in the African continent

Ans : Nile

11.What is sobriquet (Geographical surname) of Finland

Ans : The land of Thousand Lakes

12.Durand line is the International boundary which separates the countries

Ans : Pakistan-Afghanistan

13.Which countries are linked by the Khyber Pass

Ans : Afghanistan and Pakistan

14.The longest river in the world Nile, drains into which sea

Ans : Mediterranean Sea

15.Po is the largest river of

Ans : Italy

16.The Great Barrier Reef is situated on the coast of

Ans : Australia

17.The third largest continent in the world

Ans : North America

18.The longest river of Europe is

Ans : Volga

19.A European country has 5500 lakes within its territory. Which is the country

Ans : Finland

20.Eritrea is on the banks of which sea

Ans : Red sea

21.The Grand Canyon is located on the

Ans : Colorado River

22.The second largest desert in the world is

Ans : Gobi

23.The largest desert in the world is

Ans : Sahara

24.Location of Mohave desert is in

Ans : Southwestern United States

25.Location of Simpson desert is in

Ans : Australia

26.Location of Thar desert is in

Ans : India/Pakistan

27.Location of Kyzyl Kum desert is in

Ans : Uzbekistan

28.Location of Kalahari desert is in

Ans : Southwestern Africa

29.Location of Sonoran desert is in

Ans : Mexico/southwestern United States

30.Takla Makan desert is in which country

Ans : Northern China

31.Chihuahuan desert is in

Ans : Mexico/southwestern United States

32.Great Victoria desert is in

Ans : Southwestern Australia

33.Great Sandy desert is in

Ans : Northwestern Australia

34.Rub al Khali desert in in

Ans : Southern Arabian peninsula

35.Patagonian desert is in which country

Ans : Argentina

36.Congo river falls into which ocean

Ans : Atlantic Ocean

37.The fifth largest river in the world is

Ans : Congo river

38.The second longest river in Africa after the Nile is

Ans : Congo

39.Earth is the third nearest planet to the Sun orbiting between the planets

Ans : Venus and Mars

40.The wind blowing in a spiral form around a region of low atmospheric pressure is a

Ans : Cyclone

41.What is a leap year

Ans : Year in which the month of February has 29 days

42.What is called the two points in the calender when we experience the longest day or the longest night of the year

Ans : Solstice

43.Term applied to either of the two points in the ecliptic at which the sun is farthest from the celestial equator

Ans : Solstice

44.The equinoxes occur around

Ans : March 21 and September 23

45.One of two times of year when the sun position makes day and night of nearly equal length in all parts of the earth

Ans : Equinoxes

46.Earth moves faster at

Ans : Perihelion

47.Earths distance from the sun has little to do with seasons. Instead, what causes seasonal climate changes

Ans : The tilt of the earth on its axis

48.The earth's perihelion occurs in the month of

Ans : January

49.The earths aphelion occurs in the month of

Ans : July

50.The earths aphelion is only about ....... km farther away from the sun than its perihelion

Ans : 5.9 million