Art and Culture: ARCHITECTURE (Practice Questions with answers ,Prelims 2016 )

History, IndianCulture, MCQ, Prelims2016

6 April 2016

Art and Culture has played a crucial role in IAS Prelims Exam in recent years. In last few years, the paper of IAS Prelims Exam has witnessed several number of questions based on the Art and Culture which are very important for the Civil Services IAS aspirants to cover during their preparation of IAS Prelims Exam.

Q1. Which of the following is/are true about Mauryan architecture?

1. Mauryans introduced stone mansonry on a wide scale.
2. Barabar caves in Gaya is the earliest example of caves hewed by Mauryan artisans for monks.
3. Polished pillars of Mauryan empire was made of single piece of sandstone.

Select the correct answer from the following codes

a.Only 1
b.Only 1 and 2
c.Only 2 and 3
d.1,2 and 3

Answer: d

Explanation:  Mauryan artisans started the practise of hewing out caves from rocks for monks to live in. The earliest examples are Barabar caves at a distance of 30 Km from Gaya. Each pillar is made of single piece of buff coloured sandstone.

Q2. Which of the following is/are true about Barabar caves?

1. It is also known as Lomus Rishi cave.
2. It was patronised by Chandra Gupta Maurya for Ajivika sect.
3. The facade of cave is decorated with chaitya arch.

Select the correct answer from the following codes

a.Only 1
b.Only 1 and 2
c. Only 2 and 3
d. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: d

Explanation:  The rock-cut cave carved at Barabar hills near Gaya in Bihar is known as Lomus Rishi cave. The elephant frieze carved in high relief on the chaitya arch shows considerable movement. Lomus Rishi cave is an isolated example of this period.

Q3. Consider the following statements 
1. Stupa, vihara and chaitya are part of Buddhist and Jaina monastic complexes.
2. During time of Ashoka the great stupa at sanchi was built with bricks.

Select the correct answer from the following codes

a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: c

Explanation:  Stupa, Vihara and chaitya are part of Buddhist and Jaina monastic complexes but the largest number belongs to the Buddhist religion. Bairat in Rajasthan is best example of stupa.

Q4. Dhammachakrapravartana commemorates 

Select the correct answer from the following codes

a. Enlightment of Buddha
b.  First sermon of Buddha
c. 8 fold path of Buddha.
d. code of conduct laid down by Buddha  for his followers.

Answer: b

Explanation:  Sarnath lion capital is one of the finest examples of sculpture from Mauryan period. Built in commemoration of historical event of the first sermon or Dhamma chakra pravartana by Buddha at Sarnath, the capital by Ashoka.

Q5. Which of the following pairs are correctly matched?

    Sculptures        Location

1.Bharhut        -    Bihar
2.Bhaja            -    Maharashtra
3.Jaggayyapeta-   Andhra Pradesh

Select the correct answer from the following codes

a.Only 1
b.Only 1 and 2
c.Only 2 and 3
d.1,2 and 3

Answer: c

Explanation: Some of the prominent examples of finest sculpture are found at Vidisha, Bharhut (Madhya Pradesh); Bodhgaya(Bihar) Jaggayyapeta (Andhra Pradesh);Mathura (Uttar Pradesh); Khandagiri –udaigiri (Odisha); Bhaja near Pune and Pavani near Nagpur(Maharasthra).

Q6. Which of the following is/are true regarding Bharhut sculpture?

1. They are tall like images of Yaksha and Yakshini.
2. It is one of the prominent examples of Mauryan sculpture.
3. Queen Mayadevi’s dream is significant event in Bharhut sclpture.

Select the correct answer from the following codes

a.Only 1
b.Only 1 and 2
c.Only 2 and 3
d.1,2 and 3

Answer: d

Explanation: It is post Mauryan art. Bharhut sculptures are tall like images of yaksha and yakshini in Mauryan period.

Q7. With reference to  Sanchi stupa, which of the following is/are true?

1. Carving technique are not much advanced than Bharhut.
2. Buddha and Manushi Buddha’s are represented using symbols.
3. Narratives are more elaborated in Sanchi stupa.

Select the correct answer from the following codes

a.Only 1
b.Only 1 and 2
c.Only 2 and 3
d.1,2 and 3

Answer: c

Explanation:  Carving technique appear more advanced than Bharhut, symbols continue to be used representing the Buddha and Manushi Buddha’s or the past Buddha’s. At the sanchi stupa narratives get more elaborated.

Q8. Consider the following statements 

1. Historical narrative of Buddha’s visit to Kapilavasta is carved in Bharhut stupa.
2. According to textual tradition there are 24 Buddha’s.

Select the correct answer from the following codes

a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: b

Explanation:  Historical narrative of Buddha’s visit to Kapilavasta is carved in sanchi stupa which also contains siege of kushinara, Buddha’s visit to kapilavastu visit of Ashoka to Ramgrama stupa. According to textual tradition there are 24 Buddha’s but only first one Dipankar and the last six are pictorially represented, remaining Buddha’s are represented symballically.

Q9. With reference to Mathura school, which of the following is/are true?

1. It is the confluence of Bactria, Parthian and local Gandhara tradition.
2. Buddha image is modelled on lines of yaksha images.
3. Though Buddhist images are found in large numbers images of Vaishnavi and Shaiva faiths are also found.

Select the correct answer from the following codes

a.Only 1
b.Only 1 and 2
c.Only 2 and 3
d.1,2 and 3

Answer:  c

Explanation:  Gandhara school is the confluence of Bactria, Parthian and local Gandhara tradition images in Mathura get sensual ,rotundity increases, they become fleshier.

Q10. Which of the following is/are true about Gandhara School of art?

1. Buddha image has Hellenistic features.
2. Halo around the head of Buddha has little ornamentation.
3.  Gandhara school of art flourished in kosambi and Sarnath.

Select the correct answer from the following codes

a.Only 1
b.Only 1 and 2
c.Only 2 and 3
d.1,2 and 3

Answer:  b

Explanation: In Mathura school halo around the head is profusely decorated. Mathura school of art flourished in kosambi and Sarnath.

vision ias current affairs august 2015 to february 2016

Here

Economic Survey 2015-16 Questions: Challenge for the Indian Economy (Prelims 2016 )

economy, GS 3, MCQ, Prelims2016

7 April 2016

In the Civil Services IAS Exam, the questions of GS Indian Economy play a crucial role for the aspirants to crack the IAS Exam. In the past few years the relevance of questions based on Indian Economy has been increased in IAS Prelims Exam while there is always a greater possibility of asking many more questions. So, an aspirant should have to be prepared for such questions based on Indian Economy. 

Here, we have provided Multiple Choice Questions based on the very first chapter of Economic Survey 2015-16: The Chakravyuha Challenge of the Indian Economy.

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding Indian economy's remarkable progress in increasing entry into the market economy:
I.    Industrial licensing has been dismantled
II.    Public sector monopolies have been diluted
III.    Foreign direct investment has been considerably liberalised

Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
A.    Only I
B.    I and II
C.    I and III
D.    All of the above

Answer: D

Explanation: Since the early 1980s, the Indian economy has made remarkable progress in increasing entry into the market economy for instance, the industrial licensing has been dismantled, public sector monopolies have been diluted, some public sector assets have been privatised, foreign direct investment has been considerably liberalised, a process that has been accelerated under various government, and trade barriers have been reduced. Indeed, the narrative of reforms has been one of promoting entry by eliminating the barriers to it.

Q2. It is true that Indian economy has moved from socialism with restricted entry to “marketism” without exit form the former. The lack of exit from socialism creates at least three types of costs, which of the following cost is not associated with this:
A.    Fiscal Cost
B.    Opportunity Cost
C.    Economic Cost
D.    Political Cost

Answer: B

Explanation: Fiscal Cost is an increasing function of the taxes that will have to make up for the lost revenue, and/or the general equilibrium effects of greater deficits, via the greater interest costs and reduced private sector investment activity that result if the government borrows to finance the foregone revenue. Economic losses result from resources and factors of production not being employed in their most productive uses. The lack of exit can also have considerable political costs for governments attempting to reform the economy. The benefits of impeded exit often flow to the rich and influential in the form of support for "sick" firms.

Q3. Canalisation of imports means:
A.    Exports and imports only through the agencies designated by the Central Government.
B.    Exports and imports only through the agencies designated by the WTO.
C.    Exports and imports only from the country which are already member of WTO.
D.    The activities of exports and imports are to be done only through canals and sea ways.

Answer: A

Explanation: "Canalisation" of exports and imports means exports and imports only through the agencies designated by the Central Government.

Q4. The Smartcards program was a tremendous success. Which of the following statements is correct?
A.    Smart card program reducing payment delays by 19 per cent, increasing MGNREGA wages by 24 per cent and reducing leakages by 35 per cent.
B.    The return on investing in Smartcards infrastructure was less than the cost of implementation.
C.    90 per cent of beneficiaries also preferred the Smartcards system.
D.    Smart Card programme is called as a classic case of the imbalance of power between concentrated losses and diffuse benefits.

Answer: B

Explanation: The Smartcards program was a tremendous success, reducing payment delays by 19 per cent, increasing MGNREGA wages by 24 per cent and reducing leakages by 35 per cent. The return on investing in Smartcards infrastructure was thus seven times the cost of implementation. 90 per cent of beneficiaries also preferred the Smartcards system (Muralidharan et. al. 2015)8 . And yet, the perception was created that the program was mostly negative. This was a classic case of the imbalance of power between concentrated losses and diffuse benefits.

Q5. What are the reasons that even after LPG, Indian economy is not moving away from Socialistic economy?
A.    Institutions
B.    Interests
C.    ideas/ideology
D.    All of the above

Answer: D

Explanation: It is useful to understand the exit problem of Indian economy from Socilistic economy, in terms of analytical categories because it aids in the search for solutions. In India, the exit problem arises because of three types of reasons, what might be called the three I’s: interests, institutions, and ideas/ ideology.

Q6. Who among the following had given one of the famous phrases “licence-quota-permit Raj”?
A.    Amartya Sen
B.    Rajagopalachari
C.    Mahalanobis
D.    Jawaharlal Nehru

Answer: B

Explanation: Structural impediments to India’s economic progress have often been framed in relation to the problem of entry as evoked in the famous phrase--“licence-quota-permit Raj”--of C. Rajagopalachari, India’s original economic liberal.

Q7. A market economy requires:
I.     unrestricted entry of new firms, new ideas, and new technologies so that the forces of competition can guide capital and labour resources to their most productive and dynamic uses.
II.   easy exit so that resources are forced or enticed away from inefficient and unsustainable uses.
III.  Restricted entry of new firms, new ideas, and new technologies so that the forces of competition can guide capital and labour resources to their most productive and dynamic uses.

Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
A.    Only I
B.    I and II
C.    I and III
D.    All of the above

Answer: B

Explanation: A market economy requires unrestricted entry of new firms, new ideas, and new technologies so that the forces of competition can guide capital and labour resources to their most productive and dynamic uses. But it also requires exit so that resources are forced or enticed away from inefficient and unsustainable uses.

Q8. Which of the followings high-powered committee set up by the finance ministry to redraw the contours of the country’s public private partnership (PPP) model has recommended ending the one-size-fits-all approach in dealing with project-specific risks, and advocated independent regulators?
A.    Kelkar Committee
B.    Rangrajan Committee
C.    Gadgil Committee
D.    Hazari Committee

Answer: A

Explanation: The committee observed that given the urgency of India’s demographic transition and the experience the country has already gathered in managing PPPs, the government must now tweak the model by incorporating lessons learnt so far and making it more sophisticated.

Q9. Sometimes, the vested interest problem is aggravated by a certain imbalance or asymmetry that confers greater power on concentrated producer interests in relation to diffused consumer interests. Such imbalance or asymmetry was first identified by which of the following economists?
A.    Alfred Marshal
B.    David Ricardo
C.    Vilfredo Pareto
D.    Amartya Sen

Answer: C

Explanation: In context of current situation of Indian economy, interests regarded as the most powerful reason for lack of exit is the power of vested interests. Often, this vested interest problem is aggravated by a certain imbalance or asymmetry (first identified by the Italian economist Pareto) that confers greater power on concentrated producer interests in relation to diffused consumer interests.

Q10. Consider the following statements regarding CACP:
I.    CACP stands for Commission of Agricultural Costs & Prices came into existence in January 1965.
II.    For CACP, it is mandated to recommend minimum support prices (MSPs) to incentivize the cultivators to adopt modern technology, and raise productivity and overall grain production in line with the emerging demand patterns in the country.
III.    CACP submits its recommendations to the government in the form of Price Policy Reports every year, separately for five groups of commodities namely Kharif crops, Rabi crops, Sugarcane, Raw Jute and Copra.

Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
A.    Only I
B.    I and II
C.    I and III
D.    All of the above

Answer: D

Explanation: The Commission of Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP since 1985, earlier named as Agricultural Prices Commission) came into existence in January 1965. Currently, the Commission comprises a Chairman, Member Secretary, one Member (Official) and two Members (Non-Official). The non-official members are representatives of the farming community and usually have an active association with the farming community.

Bankruptcy committee

The government-appointed Bankruptcy Law Committee recently submitted its report and its proposed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Bill to the government.

• The 15-member committee was headed by T K Vishwanathan, a former Lok Sabha secretary-general.
• The committee has observed that the enactment of the proposed Bill will provide greater clarity in the law and facilitate the application of consistent and coherent provisions to different stakeholders affected by business failure or inability to pay debt and will address the challenges being faced at present for swift and effective bankruptcy resolution.

Proposed draft bill:

• The draft Bill has consolidated the existing laws relating to insolvency of companies, limited liability entities, unlimited liability partnerships and individuals which are presently scattered in a number of legislations, into a single legislation.
• The Bill seeks to improve the handling of conflicts between creditors and debtors, avoid destruction of value, distinguish malfeasance vis-a-vis business failure and clearly allocate losses in macroeconomic downturns.
• The Bill suggests an insolvency regulator, for oversight over professionals in this regard. It also lays down a transition provision during which the central government will exercise all the powers of the regulator till the time one is set up.
• The Bill recommends the existing Debt Recovery Tribunals be the adjudicating authority for individuals and unlimited liability partnership firms. And, that the National Company Law Tribunal be the one for companies and limited liability entities. It also proposes setting up of information utilities, to collect and collate financial information from listed companies and their creditors.

Background:

• The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in his Budget Speech 2015-16, had identified Bankruptcy Law Reform as a key priority for improving the ease of doing business and had announced that a comprehensive Bankruptcy Code, meeting global standards and providing necessary judicial capacity, will be brought in fiscal 2015-16.
• Accordingly, the Government had constituted the Bankruptcy Law Reform Committee to look into various Bankruptcy related issues and give its report along with a draft Bill on the subject to the Government.

The Government will shortly take a final decision on the Report and introduce the Bill in Parliament.

sources: pib, toi.

GSAT-15 set to replace dying INSAT-3A and 4B

GSAT-15, which will be put in space shortly, will replace two older spacecraft-INSAT 3A and 4B- that will likely expire in the coming months.

• According to the ISRO, the transponders of GSAT are solely in the Ku band and will cater to DTH (direct-to-home) television needs, besides supporting the thousands of VSAT operators who provide broadband services and DSNG (digital satellite news gathering) for TV news channels.
• ISRO is also focusing on bridging the Ku-band shortage in the country. Currently, Indian D2H broadcasters are heavily dependent on external transponders.

GSAT 15:

• GSAT-15, weighing 3,164 kg, will be launched in on November 11 from Kourou in French Guiana (in South America) on the European Arianespace’s Ariane-5 launcher.
• The satellite cost and the launch fee are around Rs. 860 crore.
• GSAT-15 will be flown along with Saudi Arabia’s Arabsat-6B/Badr-7.
• It will be stationed over India at a slot at 93.5 degrees East longitude.
• GSAT will also carry the third GAGAN satellite navigation transponder as a back-up for airlines and other users of augmented GPS-based systems.

Why can’t we use Indian launch vehicles?

The two Indian rockets — PSLV and GSLV — cannot pitch the weight of GSAT-15 to its slot 36,000 km high.

INSAT 3A and 4B:

INSAT-3A, launched in April 2003, has completed its 12-year life. INSAT-4B, flown in March 2007, got reduced to half its functions in 2010 after one of its two power-generating solar panels developed a snag.

sources: the hindu, isro.

short cut to remember the G-20 countries

GURU JI  SITA  AB  SSC FCI ME hei
G-Germany, U-USA, R-Russia, U-UK (GURU)
J-Japan, I-India (JI)
S-Saudi Arabia, I-Indonesia, T-Turkey, A-Australia (SITA)
A-Argentina, B-Brazil (AB)
S-South Africa, S-south Korea, C-Canada (SSC)
F-France, C-china, I-Italy (FCI)
M-Mexico, E-European Union (ME)
hein is just a hook to remember.
So Guys just remember in your way its just a shortcut to memorise.