Q72moderateCommon Misconception
With reference to the Government of India Act, 1935, consider the following statements :
1. It provided for the establishment of an All India Federation based on the union of the British Indian Provinces and Princely States.
2. Defence and Foreign Affairs were kept under the control of the federal legislature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a)
Trap: Common Misconception
Statement 2 is the trap — Defence and Foreign Affairs were reserved subjects under the Governor-General's control (not the federal legislature). The 1935 Act introduced dyarchy at the center where the Governor-General retained control of reserved subjects. Students may confuse federal subjects with the Governor-General's reserved list.
Q74hardDistractor Pairing
Sanghabhuti, an Indian Buddhist monk, who travelled to China at the end of the fourth century AD, was the author of a commentary on :
(a) Prajnaparamita Sutra
(b) Visuddhimagga
(c) Sarvastivada Vinaya
(d) Lalitavistara
Answer: (b)
Trap: Distractor Pairing
All four are important Buddhist texts, and this is extremely niche knowledge. Visuddhimagga is primarily attributed to Buddhaghosa, so linking Sanghabhuti to its commentary is counterintuitive. Prajnaparamita Sutra is a Mahayana text that many monks commented on, making (a) a strong distractor. Sarvastivada Vinaya relates to monastic rules, and a travelling monk writing on Vinaya seems plausible.
Q84moderate
With reference to ancient India, Gautama Buddha was generally known by which of the following epithets ?
1. Nayaputta
2. Shakyamuni
3. Tathagata
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) None of the above are epithets of Gautama Buddha
Answer: (b)
Q85hardDistractor Pairing
Consider the following information :
Archaeological Site | State | Description
1. Chandraketugarh | Odisha | Trading Port town
2. Inamgaon | Maharashtra | Chalcolithic site
3. Mangadu | Kerala | Megalithic site
4. Salihundam | Andhra Pradesh | Rock-cut cave shrines
In which of the above rows is the given information correctly matched ?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 1 and 4
Answer: (b)
Trap: Distractor Pairing
Chandraketugarh is in West Bengal (not Odisha) — it was indeed a trading port town but the state is wrong. Salihundam is in Andhra Pradesh but it's known as a Buddhist site (with stupas/sculptures), not specifically rock-cut cave shrines. Inamgaon in Maharashtra IS a famous Chalcolithic site (Jorwe culture). Mangadu in Kerala IS a Megalithic site.
Q86hardDistractor Pairing
Who of the following rulers of medieval India gave permission to the Portuguese to build a fort at Bhatkal ?
(a) Krishnadevaraya
(b) Narasimha Saluva
(c) Muhammad Shah III
(d) Yusuf Adil Shah
Answer: (a)
Trap: Distractor Pairing
Students may think the Bahmani/Deccan Sultanates dealt with the Portuguese on the west coast. Yusuf Adil Shah (Bijapur Sultanate) or Muhammad Shah III (Bahmani) seem like plausible answers for a west coast port interaction. However, Bhatkal was under Vijayanagara control, and Krishnadevaraya maintained trade relations with the Portuguese for horses and firearms.
Q87moderateAbsolute Qualifier
With reference to revenue collection by Cornwallis, consider the following statements :
1. Under the Ryotwari Settlement of revenue collection, the peasants were exempted from revenue payment in case of bad harvests or natural calamities.
2. Under the Permanent Settlement in Bengal, if the Zamindar failed to pay his revenues to the state, on or before the fixed date, he would be removed from his Zamindari.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (x)
Trap: Absolute Qualifier
This question was dropped by UPSC (answer 'x'). Statement 1 is problematic — Ryotwari was introduced by Munro/Read, NOT Cornwallis (who introduced the Permanent Settlement). The question's framing 'revenue collection by Cornwallis' is misleading for Statement 1. Statement 2 about the Sunset Law under Permanent Settlement is historically accurate. The question was likely dropped due to the misleading framing combining two different administrators.
Q88moderate
Consider the following statements :
1. There are no parables in Upanishads.
2. Upanishads were composed earlier than the Puranas.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (b)
Q93moderateDistractor Pairing
Consider the following pairs :
Party | Its Leader
1. Bharatiya Jana Sangh | Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
2. Socialist Party | C. Rajagopalachari
3. Congress for Democracy | Jagjivan Ram
4. Swatantra Party | Acharya Narendra Dev
How many of the above are correctly matched ?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Answer: (b)
Trap: Distractor Pairing
The names are deliberately swapped. C. Rajagopalachari founded the Swatantra Party (not Socialist Party). Acharya Narendra Dev was associated with the Socialist movement/Congress Socialist Party (not Swatantra). Pairs 2 and 4 have their leaders swapped. Pair 1 (BJS-Mukherjee) and Pair 3 (CFD-Jagjivan Ram) are correct.