DAY – 7 ( INSTA REVISION TEST)INSTA REVISION PLAN 3.0, 2020

Solution: A

A special kind of tie and dye that leads to ripples or wave like patterns in the fabric is called Laharia. This is usually made in Jaipur and Jodhpur.

Other processes from the ancient period that are still being used are Kalamkari, which utilize the art of hand painting on fabrics using vegetable dyes of the deep colors. It is commonly practiced in Andhra Pradesh.

Another beautiful technique of fabric decoration is called Batik Art, in which one end of the fabric is permeated with molten wax and then dyed in cold to produced batik saris and dupattas that are multi-colored. Batik art is famous in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.

Solution: A

The New Southern Policy emphasizes the “3P” community: People, Prosperity, and Peace. With a “people first” mindset, the government hopes to increase trade with this region to establish symbiotic prosperity.

Additionally, given the abnormal atmosphere on the Korean peninsula, the Republic of Korea hopes to build an alliance of nations in both South and North Korea to help promote communication in the region, keeping in mind the goal of attaining de-nuclearisation on the peninsula and greater peace for the East Asian region as a whole.

Solution: B

A Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 engaged in the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares/stocks/bonds/debentures/securities issued by Government or local authority or other marketable securities of a like nature, leasing, hire-purchase, insurance business, chit business but does not include any institution whose principal business is that of agriculture activity, industrial activity, purchase or sale of any goods (other than securities) or providing any services and sale/purchase/construction of immovable property. Hence,

NBFCs lend and make investments and hence their activities are akin to that of banks; however there are a few differences as given below:

• NBFC cannot accept demand deposits;
• NBFCs do not form part of the payment and settlement system and cannot issue cheques drawn on itself;
• deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation is not available to depositors of NBFCs, unlike in case of banks

Solution: C

Traditional Regional Sarees of India

Pochampalli Andhra Pradesh

Silk and cotton saree with intricate motifs and geometric ikat style of dyeing. Air India airlines crew wears this saree.

Patola Patan, Gujarat

Rich handloom sarees

Baluchari Murshidabad, West Bengal

Depicts ancient stories on its border and pallu.

Jamdani West Bengal Finest muslin with opaque patterns woven on a transparent background.

Tanchoi Brocades Varanasi Akind of banarasi saree where weaving technique involves a single or double warp and two to five colors on the weft on Silk fabric.

Chanderi Madhya Pradesh

Silk, zari and cotton woven together to make a fabric that is lighter than

a feather. It is a see-through saree.

Ilkal Karnataka Use of kasuti embroidery with chariot and elephant as common motifs.

Solution: D

Ammanaivari, Tamil Nadu

Ammanaivari are songs sung in praise of Chola monarch. Ammanai is a wooden ball and the women folk sing appropriate songs while playing the ball. This game of Ammanai is still current in Tamil Nadu.

Ghasiyari Geet, Garhwal

 Young women of mountains have to go in far off forests to get grass for their cattle. They go to the forest dancing and singing in groups. Alongwith entertainment emphasis is laid on the importance of labour in the Ghasiyari Geet.

Burrakatha, Andhra Pradesh

 Burrakatha is a highly dramatic form of ballad.  A bottle shaped drum (tambura) is played by the main performer while reciting a story. The ballad singers, like stage actor, wear makeup and a highly stylised costume.

Bhakha, Jammu and Kashmir

 The Bhakha form of folk music is popular in Jammu region. Bhakha is sung by the villagers when harvesting is done. It is considered to be the regional music with most melodic and harmonious elements. It is sung to the accompaniment of instruments like harmonium.

Bhuta song, Kerala

The basis of Bhuta song is rooted in superstitions. Some communities of Kerala do Bhuta rituals to send away the evil ghost and spirits. This ritual is accompanied with vigorous dancing and the music has a piercing and eerie character.

Daskathia, Odisha

Daskathia is a form of ballad singing prevalent in Odisha. Daskathia is a name derived from a unique musical instrument called “Kathi” or  “ Ram Tali”, wooden clappers used during the presentation. The performance is a form of worship and offering on behalf of the “Das”, the devotee.

Solution: B

Sana Lamok, Manipur

Manipur’s hills and valley-both are fond of music and dance. Sana Lamok is sung at the time of coronation ceremony by the Maaiba (priest). It may also be sung to welcome the king. It is sung to evoke the spirit of Pakhangba, the presiding deity. There is a belief that this song is potent with magical powers.

Songs of Lai Haraoba Festival, Manipur

The meaning of Lai Haraoba is the festival of gods and goddesess. It is performed for the Umang-Lai (forest deity). Ougri Hangen, song of creation and Heijing Hirao a ritualistic song is sung on the last day of Lai Haraoba festival.

Saikuti Zai (songs of Saikuti), Mizoram

Mizo are traditionally known as a ‘singing tribe’. The regional folk songs of Mizoram constitute the richest heritage of Mizos. Saikuti, a poetess of Mizoram composed songs in praise of warriors, brave hunters, young men aspiring to be great warriors and hunters etc.

Chai hia (songs of the Chai Dance), Mizoram

As per Mizo custom during the Chapchar Kut festival not only singing, dance should also continue throughout the festival. Special occasion for singing and dancing is called ‘chai’ and songs are known as ‘chai hia’ (chai songs).

Solution: B

Bommalattam, Tamil Nadu

Puppets from Tamil Nadu, known as Bommalattam combine the techniques of both rod and string puppets. They are made of wood and the strings for manipulation are tied to an iron ring which the puppeteer wears like a crown on his head.

A few puppets have jointed arms and hands, which are manipulated by rods. The Bommalattam puppets are the largest, heaviest and the most articulate of all traditional Indian marionettes. A puppet may be as big as 4.5 feet in height weighing about ten kilograms. Bommalattam theatre has elaborate preliminaries which are divided into four parts – Vinayak Puja, Komali, Amanattam and Pusenkanattam.

Solution: D

Pavakoothu, Kerala

In Kerala, the traditional glove puppet play is called Pavakoothu. It came into existence during the 18th century due to the influence of Kathakali, the famous classical dance-drama of Kerala, on puppet performances. In Pavakoothu, the height of a puppet varies from one foot to two feet. The head and the arms are carved of wood and joined together with thick cloth, cut and stitched into a small bag.
The face of the puppets are decorated with paints, small and thin pieces of gilded tin, the feathers of the peacock, etc. The manipulator puts his hand into the bag and moves the hands and head of the puppet. The musical instruments used during the performance are Chenda, Chengiloa, Ilathalam andShankha the conch. The theme for Glove puppet plays in Kerala is based on the episodes from either the Ramayana or the Mahabharata.

Solution: D

Kathak

Tracing its origins from the Ras Leela of Brajbhoomi, Kathak is the traditional dance form of Uttar Pradesh. Kathak derived its name from the ‘Kathika’ or the story-tellers who recited verses from the epics, with gestures and music.

During the Mughal era, the dance form degenerated into lascivious style and branched off into court dance. It was also influenced by Persian costumes and styles of dancing. The classical style of Kathak was revived by Lady Leela Sokhey in the twentieth century.

Kathak dance form is characterised by the use of intricate footworks and pirouettes.

The elements of a Kathak recital are:

• Ananda or the introductory item through which the dancer enters the stage.
• Thaat comprising soft and varied movements.
• Todas and Tukdas are small pieces of fast rhythm.
• Jugalbandi is the main attraction of kathak recital which shows a competitive play between the dancer and the table player.
• Padhant is a special feature in which the dancer recites complicated bols and demonstrates them.
• Tarana is similar to thillana, which comprises of pure rhythmic movements before the end.
• Kramalaya is the concluding piece comprising of intricate and fast footwork.
• Gat bhaav is dance without any music or chanting.
• This is used to outline different mythological episodes.
• Kathak is generally accompanied with dhrupad music.
• Taranas, thumris and ghazals were also introduced during the Mughal period.

Famous proponents: Birju Maharaj, Lacchu Maharaj, Sitara Devi,

Damayanti Joshi etc.

Solution: C

Sattriya

Sattriya dance in modern-form was introduced by the Vaishnava saint Shankaradeva in the 15th century A.D in Assam. The art form derives its name from the Vaishnava monasteries known as ‘Sattras’, where it was primarily practised. It finds mention in the ancient text ‘Natya Shastra’ of sage Bharat Muni. It is inspired from Bhakti Movement.

Some of the features of Sattriya dance include:

• The dance form was an amalgamation of various dance forms prevalent in Assam, mainly Ojapali and Devdasi.
• The focus of the Sattriya recitals is own the devotional aspect of dance and narrates mythological stories of Vishnu.
• Sattriya dance also includes Nritta, Nritya and Natya.
• The dance is generally performed in group by male monks known as ‘Bhokots’ as part of their daily rituals or even on
• Khol (drum), Cymbals (Manjira) and flute form the major accompanying instruments of this dance form. The songs are composition of Shankaradeva known as ‘Borgeets’.
• There is great emphasis on rhythmic syllables and dance postures along with footwork. It combines both Lasya and Tandava elements.
• The Sattriya dance tradition has strictly laid down rules in respect of hand gestures and footwork, and it plays a very important role.
• Costumes worn by male dancers are Dhoti, and ‘Paguri’ (turban). While, females wear traditional Assamese jewellery, ‘Ghuri’ and ‘Chador’ made in Pat silk. Waist cloth is worn by both men and women.
• In the modern times, Sattriya dance has evolved into two separate streams – the Gayan-Bhayanar Nach and the Kharmanar Nach.
• Ankia Naat: a type of Sattriya, it involves play or musicaldrama.
• It was originally written in Assamese-Maithili mix language called Brajavali. It is also called ‘Bhaona’, and involves stories of Lord Krishna.

Solution: C

Jat-Jatin

Jat-Jatin is popular in the northern parts of Bihar, especially in the regions of Mithila. This dance form is unique in its representation of the tender love and quarrel of a married couple.

Danda-Jatra

The Danda Nata or the Danda Jatra is one of the oldest folk arts of India. Mainly popular in Odisha, it is a unique blend of dance, drama and music. While it mainly narrates stories and lore about Shiva, the theme is generally social harmony and brotherhood.

Singhi Chham

The Singhi Chham is a popular mask dance of Sikkim. The dancers are dressed in furry costumes, symbolising the snow lion and pay tribute to Khang-Chen Dzong Pa (Kanchenjunga peak).

Chakyar Koothu

It is an art form of Kerala. It is a solo performance, where the performer dresses himself as a snake. It is combination of prose and poetry, and is generally a narration in Malayalam. It has been traditionally performed by the Chakyar community (a priestly caste). The performer wears a colourful headgear, a large black moustache and red spots all over his body.

Solution: D

Qawwali

This is also a kind of devotional music as they are in praise of the Allah or the Prophet Muhammad or any other major Sufi or Islamic saint.

It is composed in a single raga and is generally written in Urdu, Punjabi or Hindi. Some words of Brajbhasa and Awadhi are also used.

They are performed in Sufi shrines. Qawwali is usually sung as a solo or in groups of two leads singers and a team comprises of around eight members.

Musical instruments like tabla, dholak and harmonium are used. The intensity or tempo gradually builds up, seeking to induce transcendental state.

It is said that Amir Khusrau can be credited with the origin of Qawwali but it is severely disputed. Major Qawwals are the Sabri Brothers, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Aziz Warisi etc.

Solution: C

All the statements given above are correct.

Underground coal gasification converts coal to gas while still in the coal seam (in-situ). Gas is produced and extracted through wells drilled into the unmined coal seam. Injection wells are used to supply the oxidants (air, oxygen) and steam to ignite and fuel the underground combustion process. Separate production wells are used to bring the product gas to the surface.

The process decomposes coal and generates carbon dioxide, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane.

It causes minimal environment hazard.

Solution: C

The Kamaicha is a bowed lute played by the manganiars of west Rajasthan. The whole instrument is one piece of wood, the spherical bowl extending into a neck and fingerboard; the resonator is covered with leather and the upper portion with wood. There are four main strings and a number of subsidiary ones passing over a thin bridge.

The kamaicha links the sub-continent to Western Asia and Africa and is considered by some scholars to be the oldest instrument, with the exception of the Ravana Hatta or Ravana Hasta Veena.

Solution: D

Plastic has multiple uses and the physical and chemical properties lead to commercial success. However, the indiscriminate disposal of plastic has become a major threat to the environment. In particular, the plastic carry bags are the biggest contributors of littered waste and every year, millions of plastic bags end up in to the environment vis-a-vis soil, water bodies, water courses, etc and it takes an average of one thousand years to decompose completely.

Therefore, to address the issue of scientific plastic waste management, the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 were notified in 2011, which included plastic waste management. The Government has notified the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, in suppression of the earlier Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011.

The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 aim to expand the jurisdiction of applicability from the municipal area to rural areas, because plastic has reached rural areas also.

http://vikaspedia.in/energy/environment/waste-management/plastic-waste-management-rules-2016

Solution: C

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in its Statement on Development and Regulatory Policies, has proposed to introduce a new type of prepaid payment instrument (PPI) with a limit of up to Rs 10,000.

PPIs are methods that facilitate purchase of goods and services against the value stored on such instruments.

These prepaid instruments can be issued as online wallets (e.g. paytm), mobile accounts, mobile wallets, smart cards, magnetic stripe cards, internet accounts, paper vouchers and any such instruments used to access the prepaid amount.

https://m.economictimes.com/wealth/personal-finance-news/rbi-to-introduce-new-prepaid-payment-instrument-to-make-for-digital-transactions-up-to-rs-10000/articleshow/72379968.cms

Solution: C

Classical’ languages in India

• Currently, six languages enjoy the ‘Classical’ status: Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014).

How are they classified?

Guidelines for declaring a language as ‘Classical’ are:

• High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years.
• A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
• The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community.
• The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.

How are the Classical languages promoted? Various benefits:

• Two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in classical Indian languages.
• A Centre of Excellence for studies in Classical Languages is set up.
• The University Grants Commission is requested to create, to start with at least in the Central Universities, a certain number of Professional Chairs for the Classical Languages so declared.

Solution: D

Lord Curzon:

• He was a true successor of Lord Dalhousie. He was great imperialist, authoritarian in temperament, ruthless in his ways and wanted to achieve too much at too great pace.
• The time of his governorship (1899-1905), was the formative phase of Indian national movement. Thus he tried to strangulate Indian nationalism and freedom movement by all fair and foul means.

Reactionary policies of Lord Curzon:

• Through Calcutta Corporation act 1899 he reduced the number of elected legislatures to deprive Indians from self-governance.
• He looked at Indians with contempt and insulted and injured their feelings. He described Bengalis as cowards, windbags, impracticable talkers and mere frothy patriots. He even refused to meet to president of Indian national congress.
• The biggest blunder he committed was the partition of Bengal. Although it was a political masterstroke to break growing Indian nationalism among Bengalis, it proved disastrous for British in longer term.

Reforms by Lord Curzon:

• Educational: To set the educational system in order, he instituted in 1902, a Universities Commission to go into the entire question of university education in the country. On the basis of the findings and recommendations of the Commission, Curzon brought in the Indian Universities Act of 1904, which brought all the universities in India under the control of the government.
• Scientific: The Agriculture Research Institute in Pusa (Bihar – Bengal Presidency) was established.
• Administrative: He made efforts for police reforms, eliminating the corruption and to promote the economic development. He provided a revival to conservatism in India by refurbishing the main features of Lord Mayo’s policies. He instituted a Police Commission in 1902 under the chairmanship of Sir Andrew Frazer. Curzon accepted all the recommendations and implemented them. He set up training schools for both the officers and the constables and introduced provincial police service. During Curzon regime, the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) was established which covered roughly the areas of upper course of River Indus.
• Military: Imperial cadet corps was set up which became an instrument for Indianisation of army later.
• Other reforms: He passed a law called the Ancient Monuments Act, 1904 which made it obligatory on the part of the government and local authorities to preserve the monuments of archaeological importance and their destruction an offence.

Solution: A

Time to Care report:

• A report titled- “Time to Care”– has been released by Oxfam International. The report focuses on the alleviation of global poverty.
• The world had 2,153 billionaires in the world in 2019. The number of billionaires has doubled in the last decade, despite their combined wealth having declined in 2018.
• World’s richest 1% have more than twice as much wealth as 6.9 billion people.
• From 2011 to 2017, average wages in G7 countries grew 3%, while dividends to wealthy shareholders increased by 31%.
• Globally, extreme poverty rates are 4% higher for women than men and this gap rises to 22% during women’s peak productive and reproductive ages.

Findings related to India:

• India’s richest 1% hold more than four-times the wealth held by the bottom 70% of the country’s population.
• The combined total wealth of 63 Indian billionaires is higher than the total Union Budget of India for the fiscal year 2018-19 which was at Rs 24,42,200 crore.

Solution: A

Zonal councils:

• Statutory bodies established under the States Reorganisation Act 1956 and not constitutional bodies. They are only deliberative and advisory bodies.
• Aim: to promote interstate cooperation and coordination.

There are 5 five Zonal councils namely:

• The Northern Zonal Council, comprising the States of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, National Capital Territory of Delhi and Union Territory of Chandigarh.
• The Central Zonal Council, comprising the States of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
• The Eastern Zonal Council, comprising the States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, and West Bengal.
• The Western Zonal Council, comprising the States of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
• The Southern Zonal Council, comprising the States of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

The North Eastern States i.e. (i) Assam (ii) Arunachal Pradesh (iii) Manipur (iv) Tripura (v) Mizoram (vi) Meghalaya (vii) Sikkim and (viii) Nagaland are not included in the Zonal Councils and their special problems are looked after by the North Eastern Council, set up under the North Eastern Council Act, 1972.

The main objectives of setting up of Zonal Councils are:

• Bringing out national integration.
• Arresting the growth of acute State consciousness, regionalism, linguism and particularistic tendencies.
• Enabling the Centre and the States to co-operate and exchange ideas and experiences.
• Establishing a climate of co-operation amongst the States for successful and speedy execution of development projects.

Solution: B

Mani App

• RBI launches mobile app MANI for visually challenged to identify currency notes.
• The application also works offline once installed.
• The application can scan the currency notes using the camera of the mobile phone.
• It also gives audio output in Hindi and English.

Solution: D

Wangkhei Phee is a textile fabric made of white cotton. It is a product which is protected under the GI registration and is made throughout the Indian state of Manipur and is woven by women

The shawls of Chakhesang are not only made of cotton but also made of nettle and jute plants. It is a GI tagged handloom product from Nagaland

Kinnauri Shawl is a type shawl manufactured in Kinnaur district of the Indian state Himachal Pradesh. The shawls are known for their geometric designs.

Solution: B

Mohiniyattam literally interpreted as the dance of ‘Mohini’, the celestial enchantress of the Hindu mythology, is the classical solo dance form of Kerala.

The delicate body movements and subtle facial expressions are more feminine in nature and therefore are ideally suited for performance by women.

References of Mohiniyattam can be found in the texts Vyavaharamala written in 1709 by Mazhamagalam Narayanan Namputiri and in Ghoshayatra, written later by great poet Kunjan Nambiar.

This dance form of Kerala was structured into the present day classical format by the Travancore Kings, Maharaja KartikaTirunal and his successor Maharaja Swati Tirunal (18th -19th century C.E.).

Mohiniyattam is characterized by graceful, swaying body movements with no abrupt jerks or sudden leaps. It belongs to the lasya style which is feminine, tender and graceful.

Solution: D

Bhavai is the traditional theatre form of Gujarat. The centers of this form are Kutch and Kathiawar. The instruments used in Bhavai are: bhungal, tabla, flute, pakhaawaj, rabaab, sarangi, manjeera, etc. In Bhavai, there is a rare synthesis of devotional and romantic sentiments.

Maach is the traditional theatre form of Madhya Pradesh. The term Maach is used for the stage itself as also for the play. In this theatre form songs are given prominence in between the dialogues. The term for dialogue in this form is bol and rhyme in narration is termed vanag. The tunes of this theatre form are known as rangat.

Tamaasha is a traditional folk theatre form of Maharashtra. It has evolved from the folk forms such as Gondhal, Jagran and Kirtan. Unlike other theatre forms, in Tamaasha the female actress is the chief exponent of dance movements in the play. She is known as Murki. Classical music, footwork at lightning-speed, and vivid gestures make it possible to portray all the emotions through dance.

Solution: A

Tawlhlohpuan, a medium to heavy, compactly woven, good quality fabric from Mizoram is known for warp yarns, warping, weaving & intricate designs that are made by hand. Tawlhloh, in Mizo language, means ‘to stand firm or not to move backward’.

Tawlhlohpuan, which holds high significance in the Mizo society, is produced throughout the state of Mizoram, Aizawl and Thenzawl town being the main centre of production.

https://thenortheasttoday.com/mizorams-tawlhlohpuan-mizo-puanchei-given-gi-tag/