DAY – 73 (InstaTest-73): Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2020: Topic – Art & Culture, Previous year UPSC papers – 2015, January 2020 CA

Solution: A

Eight sovereign states have publicly announced successful detonation of nuclear weapons. Five are considered to be nuclear-weapon states (NWS) under the terms of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). In order of acquisition of nuclear weapons these are the United States, Russia (the successor state to the Soviet Union), the United Kingdom, France, and China.

Since the NPT entered into force in 1970, three states that were not parties to the Treaty have conducted overt nuclear tests, namely India, Pakistan, and North Korea. North Korea had been a party to the NPT but withdrew in 2003.

Solution: A

Terracotta

Terracotta refers to the use of fire baked clay for making sculptures. Compared to the bronze figures, the terracotta sculptures are less in number and crude in shape and form. They were made using pinching method and have been found mostly in the sites of Gujarat and Kalibangan. Terracotta was generally used to make toys, animal figures, miniature carts and wheels, etc.

Example: Mother Goddess, mask of horned deity, etc.

Solution: C

The Mauryan rulers commissioned a large number of architectural works for political as well as religious reasons. These works are referred to as Court Art.

Palaces:

The Mauryan Empire was the first powerful empire to come to power in India. The capital at Pataliputra and the palaces at Kumrahar were created to reflect the splendour of the Mauryan Empire. The palace of Chandragupta Maurya was inspired by the Achaemenid palaces at Persepolis in Iran. Wood was the principal building material. Megasthenes described the palace as one of the greatest creations of mankind.

Similarly,  Ashoka’s  palace at Kumrahar was a massive structure. It had a high central pillar and was a three-storey wooden structure. The palace walls were decorated with carvings and sculptures.

Stupas were burial mounds prevalent in India from the Vedic period. It is a conventional representation of a funeral cumulus in which relics and ashes of the dead were kept. During the period of Ashoka, the art of stupas reached its climax. Almost 84000 stupas were erected during his period.

Although a Vedic tradition, stupas were popularized by the Buddhists. After the death of Buddha, 9 stupas were erected. 8 of them had the relics of Buddha at their medhi while the ninth had the pot in which the relics were originally kept.

Solution: C

There is only one planet we know of so far that is teeming with life––Earth. And on our planet, water is a critical ingredient for life as we know it. While astronomers still don’t know whether there’s life on other planets, they narrow the search for potentially habitable worlds using a handful of criteria. Because our blueprint for life is Earth, astronomers look for planets with Earth-like characteristics, like liquid water.

But a celestial object can only orbit so close (like Mercury) or so far (like Pluto) from its star before water on its surface boils away or freezes. The ‘Goldilocks Zone,’ or habitable zone, is the range of distance with the right temperatures for water to remain liquid. Discoveries in the Goldilocks Zone, like Earth-size planet Kepler-186f, are what scientists hope will lead us to water––and one day life.

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/resources/323/goldilocks-zone/

Solution: B

Nasik Caves:

It is a group of 24 Buddhist caves, also known as “Pandav Leni”. They were developed during 1^stcentury A.D. and belong to the Hinayana period. However, later, the influence of Mahayana sect can also be found in these caves. Under hinayana sect, his presence is indicated through the use of motifs and symbols like throne and footprints. And later, the idols of Buddha were also carved inside these caves representing influence of Mahayana Buddhism. The site also depicts an excellent system of water management indicated through presence of water tanks carved out of solid rocks.

Solution: D

Mimamsa School

The word ‘Mimamsa’ literally means the art of reasoning, interpretation and application. This school focuses on the analysis of the texts of Samhita and Brahmana that are portions of the Vedas. They argue that the Vedas contain the eternal truth and they are the repositories of all knowledge. If one has to attain religious merit, acquire heaven and salvation, they would have to fulfill all the duties which are prescribed by the Vedas. The texts that describe the Mimamsa philosophy in detail, are the Sutras of Jaimini, which were supposedly composed in the 3^rdcentury BCE. Further inroads into the philosophy were made by two of their greatest proponents: Sabar Swami and Kumarila Bhatta.

They argue that salvation is possible through performing rituals but it is also necessary to understand the justification and reasoning behind Vedic rituals.

The main focus of this philosophy was on the ritualistic part of the Vedas, i.e. to achieve salvation one has to perform the Vedic rituals. As most humans did not understand the rituals properly, they would have to take assistance of the priests. Therefore, this philosophy inherently legitimized the social distance between the various classes. This was used as a device by the Brahmans to maintain their clout over people and they continued to dominate the social hierarchy.

Solution: C

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) is a Mini Ratna (Category – I) Government of India Enterprise under the administrative control of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

IREDA is a Public Limited Government Company established as a Non-Banking Financial Institution in 1987 engaged in promoting, developing and extending financial assistance for setting up projects relating to new and renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency/conservation with the motto: “ENERGY FOR EVER” Energy is a basic requirement for economic development.

Every sector of the national economy – agriculture, industry, transport, commercial and domestic – needs inputs of energy.  The economic development plans implemented since independence have necessarily required increasing amounts of energy.  As a result, consumption of energy in all forms has been steadily rising all over the country.

Solution: B

Odisha School:

In different parts of the Kalinga empire, a distinct style of temple architecture developed. Some of its features are:

• The exterior walls were lavishly decorated with intricate carvings, but interior walls were plain.
• There was no use of pillars in the porch. Iron girders were used instead to support the roof.
• The shikharas in the Odisha school were known as rekha deuls. They were almost vertical roofs which suddenly curved inwards sharply.
• The mandap was known as jagmohan in this region.
• The ground plan of the main temple was square.
• Temples were surrounded by a boundary wall as in Dravidian style of temple architecture.

Example: Sun Temple at Konark (also known as Black Pagoda as the first rays of the Sun entered the garbhagriha through the sea-facing pagoda), Jagannath temple at Puri, Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneswar, etc.

Solution: C

• Ghum monastery: West Bengal
• Rumtek, Pemayangtse and Enchay Monastery: Sikkim
• Alchi Monastery, Spituk Monastery, Shey Monastery etc. in Ladakh
• Dhankar Monastery, Nako Monastery(Kinnaur), Kye Monastery, Tabo Monastery (Spiti valley) etc. in Himachal Pradesh
• Tawang Monastery (largest monastery in India), Bomdila Monastery in Arunachal Pradesh
• Namdroling Monastery in Bylakuppe, Karnataka.

Solution: C

The ECGC Limited (Formerly Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd) is a company wholly owned by the Government of India based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

It provides export credit insurance support to Indian exporters and is controlled by the Ministry of Commerce. Government of India had initially set up Export Risks Insurance Corporation (ERIC) in July 1957. It was transformed into Export Credit and Guarantee Corporation Limited (ECGC) in 1964 and to Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India in 1983.

It is managed by a Board of Directors comprising representatives of the Government, Reserve Bank of India, banking, and insurance and exporting community

Solution: D

In the third century AD, Vatsyayana in his book Kamasutra mentioned about 6 main principles/limbs or shadanga of paintings. They are:

Rupabheda: Variety of form

Sadrisyan: Portrayal of likeliness of the subject

Bhava: Creation of luster and gleam with the colours

Varnikabhanga: Mixing of colours to resemble the effects of modelling

Pramanam: Proportion of the object or subject

Lavanyayoganam: Immersion of emotions

Solution: B

Jogimara Cave Paintings

It is an artificially carved out cave located in Surguja district of Chattisgarh. It is dated back around 1000-300 BC and has few paintings and inscriptions of a love story in Brahmi script. The cave is said to be an attachment to Amphitheatre and paintings were made to decorate the room. Paintings are of dancing couples, animals like elephant and fish. The paintings have a distinct red outline. Other colours like white, yellow and black are also used. Rock-cut theatre of Sitabenga is also located nearby.

Solution: B

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in April 1946.

The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). Of the six principal organs of the United Nations, it is the only one not located in New York (United States of America).

The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.

The Court is composed of 15 judges, who are elected for terms of office of nine years by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. It is assisted by a Registry, its administrative organ. Its official languages are English and French.

In order to ensure a measure of continuity, one third of the Court is elected every three years. (Judges are eligible for re-election).

https://www.icj-cij.org/en/court

Solution: B

Shah Jahan

The tenor of the Mughal paintings changed rapidly in the period of Shah Jahan. Unlike his father and grandfather who liked naturalistic depictions, Shah Jahan liked to create artificial elements in the paintings. It is said that he tried to reduce the liveliness of the paintings and bring in unnatural stillness as he was inspired by the European influence.

He brought a change in the technique of drawing and painting from the earlier period. He eschewed the use of charcoal to draw and encouraged the artists to draw and sketch using a pencil. He also ordered to increase the use of gold and silver in the paintings. He also liked brighter colour palettes as compared to his predecessors. Hence, we can say that the Mughal atelier was enlarged during his reign but changed a lot in style and technique.

Solution: C

Dhrupad

It is one of the oldest and grandest forms of Hindustani classical music and finds it mention even in Natyashastra (200 BC–200 AD).It is said that dhrupad owes its roots to older forms like Prabhanda and Dhruvapada. The name is derived from ‘dhruva’ and ‘pada,’ which means that it denotes both verse form of the poetry and the style in which it is sung. Although Dhrupad consolidated its position as a classical form of music in the 13th century, it reached its zenith in the court of emperor Akbar.

He employed and patronized musical masters like Baba Gopal Das, Swami Haridas and Tansen, who was considered to be one of the Navaratna or nine gems of the Mughal court. It is also speculated that BaijuBawra sang at the court of Akbar. We find evidences of singers who mastered Dhrupad in the court of Raja Man SinghTomar situated in Gwalior. It became the major form of singing in the medieval period but fell in a state of decline in the 18th century. Dhrupad is essentially a poetic form that is incorporated into an extended presentation style that is marked by precise and overt elaboration of a raga. Dhruva literally means ‘unmoving’. It implies the return of the Swara (tonal), Kala (time) and Shabda (textual) trajectories to a fixed point.

Dhrupad starts with Alap which is sung without words. The temporizes gradually, and it is the major part of the performance. The alap evokes a mood in the audience that coincides with the mood of the raga that is chosen. It is pure music without distraction of words. Then after some time Dhrupad begins and Pakhawaj is played. Dhrupad includes use of sanskrit syllables and is of temple origin.

Dhrupad compositions usually have 4 to 5 stanzas and are performed by a duo. Generally, two male vocalists perform Dhrupad style of performances.

Solution: B

Bhoomi Rashi:

• Bhoomi Rashi, the portal developed by MoRTH and NIC, comprises the entire revenue data of the country, right down to 6.4 lakh villages.
• The entire process flow, from submission of draft notification by the State Government to its approval by the Hon. Minister of State for RT&H and publication in e-Gazette, is online.
• The portal, created for expediting the process of publication of notifications for LA, is now being fully utilised for issuing the notifications.
• Bhoomi Rashi portal has been instrumental in reducing the time taken for approval and publication of notifications pertaining to land acquisition.
• The portal intends to expedite the process of land acquisition for National Highways.

Solution: A

Kuchipudi

Originally performed by group of actors going from village to village, known as Kusselavas,  Kuchipudi derives its name from the Andhra village of Kusselavapuri or Kuchelapuram. In 17th century, Siddhendra Yogi formalized and systematized the tradition. He authored ‘BhamaKalapam’ and many other plays.

Some of the features of Kuchipudi dance are:

• It involves difficult foot movements, and is generally a team performance.
• Most of the Kuchipudi recitals are based on stories of Bhagwata purana but have a secular theme. There is a predominance of Shringaararas.
• Each principal character introduces itself on the stage with a “daaru”, which is a small composition of dance and song, specifically choreographed for the revelation of each character.
• The dance involves all three components of classical dances: Nritta, Nritya and Natya. It is similar to Bharatnatyam but has its own features.
• The Kuchipudi dance style is a manifestation of the earthly elements in the human body.
• In a Kuchipudi recital, the dancer may combine the role of asinger into himself/herself as well. Hence, it becomes a dance-drama performance.
• Both Lasya and Tandava elements are important in the Kuchipudi dance form.

Solution: C

Solution: B

20th Livestock Census

Context: Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying releases 20th Livestock Census.

Significance: The Census will prove beneficial not just for policy makers but also for agriculturists, traders, entrepreneurs, dairying industry and masses in general.

Key results of the Census:

• Total Livestock population is 535.78 million- an increase of 4.6% over Livestock Census-2012.
• Total Bovine population (Cattle, Buffalo, Mithun and Yak)-79 Million in 2019- an increase of about 1% over the previous census.
• A decline of 6 % in the total Indigenous/ Non-descript cattle population over the previous census.

About livestock census:

• Conducted periodically since 1919-20.
• Covers all domesticated animals and its headcounts.
• It has been released by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
• It has been conducted once every 5 years.

Solution: C

Ravanchhaya

It is the most theatrical of shadow puppetry and is a popular form of entertainment in the Odisha region. The puppets are made of deerskin and depict bold, dramatic postures. They do not have any joints attached to them, making it a more complex art. There is use of non-human puppets, such as trees and animals as well. The Ravanchhaya artists are thus extremely trained in their art – creating a lyrical and sensitive theatrical narration.

Solution: D

India’s first underwater metro nears completion after costs double. The first underwater metro project is being constructed in Kolkata, a part of which will pass under the iconic Hoogly River on which the famous Howrah Bridge is constructed.

Solution: B

Sankirtana included in 2013 as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list.

It is a ritual singing, drumming and dancing art form of Manipur. This art form is performed to mark religious occasions and various stages in the life of Manipuri Vaishnavites. Practiced at temples, the performers here narrate the life and deeds of Lord Krishna through songs and dances. Sankirtana brings people together on festive occasions and reinforces the relationship between the individual and the community through life cycle ceremonies. In a typical Sankirtana performance, two drummers and 10 singers-dancers perform in the hall of a domestic courtyard encircled by the devotees. Musical instruments mainly used are Cymbals and Drums.

Solution: C

Indian Ocean Rim Association:

• The Indian Ocean Rim Association was set up with the objective of strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean Region
• The IORA is a regional forum, tripartite in nature, bringing together representatives of Government, Business and Academia, for promoting co-operation and closer interaction among them.
• It is based on the principles of Open Regionalism for strengthening Economic Cooperation particularly on Trade Facilitation and Investment, Promotion as well as Social Development of the region.
• India, Australia, Iran, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Singapore, Mauritius, Madagascar, UAE, Yemen, Seychelles, Somalia, Comoros and Oman are among the members of IORA.

Significance of IORA:

The existence of IORA is a reminder of the untapped potential of Indian Ocean regionalism. Nearly five decades ago, in the aftermath of decolonization, the attempt to bring together the Indian Ocean states faltered amidst deep divisions within the littoral and due to the negative impact of the Cold War. Today, the IORA underlines the region’s agency in shaping its own future.

Solution: D

Sushruta:Sushruta Samhita (Book on surgery)

Madhava: Madhava Nidana(Book on pathology)

Varamihira: Pancha-Siddhantika(Book on astrology) and Brihat Samhita (book on wide ranging subjectslike planetary movements, geology, architecture,etc.

Aryabhatta: Aryabhatiya(Book on astronomy and

mathematics)

Bhaskara: Siddhanta Shiromani

Solution: C

Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha state on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 km

SambharLake is India’s largest inland salt lake, is located 80 km southwest of the city of Jaipur and 64 km northeast of Ajmer, Rajasthan. It surrounds the historical Sambhar Lake Town.

Rudrasagar Lake, also known as Twijilikma, is a lake located in Melaghar, Tripura, India. The Government of India’s Ministry of Environment and Forest has identified Rudrasagar as one of the wetlands of National Importance for conservation and sustainable use based on its bio-diversity and socio economic importance.

Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, consisting primarily of a 120.82-square-kilometre (46.65 sq mi) lake and ambient marshes, is situated about 64 km to the west of Ahmadabad near Sanand Village, in the Gujarat state of India. Mainly inhabited by migratory birds in winter and spring, it is the largest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat, and one of the largest in India. It was declared a bird sanctuary in April 1969.

Solution: D

Let the distance between house and office be ‘x’ km.

=>Therefore, time taken by the person to reach office if he travels at the speed of 10 km/hr = (x/10) hours

=>Time taken by the person to reach office if he travels at the speed of

12 km/hr = (x/12) hours

Thus, time difference = (x/10)-(x/12) = (6x-5x)/ 60 or x/60 — (Eq 1)

Let the actual time the person is supposed to take to reach office be ‘t’ hours.

=>Time taken by the person to reach office if he travels at the speed of

10 km/hr = t+6 min or t+(6/60) hour = ((60t+6)/60) hours

=>Time taken by the person to reach office if he travels at the speed of

12 km/hr = t-6 min or t-(6/60) = ((60t-6)/60) hours.

Thus, time difference= (60t+6-60t+6)/60 = 12/60 hours … (Eq 2)

Equating the equation 1 and equation 2 we get x/60= 12/60

=>x=12km

Therefore, distance between the house of the person and his house is 12kms.

Solution: D

To form the word we use arrangement.

The word NUMBER has 6 alphabets.

Therefore, to form 4 letter word from the word NUMBER is 6P4= 6!/2!

=>6*5*4*3* 2!/2!

=>360

Solution: B

The ratio of the profits will be according to their investment X duration
Ratio of profits of A to B = 10000*12/5000*8
=>Ratio = 3:1
Total profit = 2000
Hence, profit of A = 1500
Profit of B = 500

Therefore, profit of A is Rs. 1000 more than profit of B.

Solution: B

Total number of boys in a row = 16.
As we know, when Parvez was shifted by two places towards left, he became 7th from the left end.
So, his original position from the left end = 9th
Position from the right end = 16 – 9 + 1= 8^th

Answer. A.

Statement II is not correct as the efforts are being taken as mentioned in the passage. Statement III is also not correct as the short term gain have resulted into long term degradation of other. Hence A is the correct answer.