DAY – 35 (InstaTest-35): Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2022: Topic – ART & CULTURE, Subject-wise Tests 2 , Text Book Based Test 21 , March 2022 CA Revision

Solution: A

The consolidation of a kingdom as vast as the Delhi Sultanate needed reliable governors and administrators. Rather than appointing aristocrats and landed chieftains as governors, the early Delhi Sultans, especially Iltutmish, favoured their special slaves purchased for military service, called bandaganin Persian.

They were carefully trained to man some of the most important political offices in the kingdom. Since they were totally dependent upon their master, the Sultan could trust and rely upon them.

Like the earlier Sultans, the Khalji and Tughluq monarchs appointed military commanders as governors of territories of varying sizes. These lands were called iqta and their holder was called iqtadar or muqti. The duty of the muqtis was to lead military campaigns and maintain law and order in their iqtas.

In exchange for their military services, the muqtis collected the revenues of their assignments as salary. They also paid their soldiers from these revenues. Control over muqtis was most effective if their office was not inheritable and if they were assigned iqtas for a short period of time before being shifted.

Solution: A

Vedanta is made of two words- ‘Veda’ and ‘ant’, i.e. the end of the Vedas. This school upholds the philosophies of life as elaborated in the Upanishads

This argument considers atma and brahma to be the same and if a person attains the knowledge of the self, he would automatically understand brahma and would achieve salvation. This argument would make brahma and atma indestructible and eternal.

The Vedanta theory also gives credence to the Theory of Karma. The theory believes in Punarjanama or rebirth.They also argued that a person would have to bear the brunt of their actions from the previous birth in the next one.

Ramanujacharya considers brahma to possess certain attributes. He advocates loving the faith and practicing devotion as the path to attain salvation.

Solution: D

Early Buddhist and Jaina texts mention, amongst other things, sixteen states known as mahajanapadas. Although the lists vary, some names such as Vajji, Magadha, Koshala, Kuru, Panchala, Gandhara and Avanti occur frequently. Clearly, these were amongst the most important mahajanapadas.

While most mahajanapadas were ruled by kings, some, known as ganas or sanghas, were oligarchies, where power was shared by a number of men, often collectively called rajas. Both Mahavira and the Buddha belonged to such ganas. In some instances, as in the case of the Vajji sangha, the rajas probably controlled resources such as land collectively. Although their histories are often difficult to reconstruct due to the lack of sources, some of these states lasted for nearly a thousand years. Each mahajanapada had a capital city, which was often fortified. Maintaining these fortified cities as well as providing for incipient armies and bureaucracies required resources.

Solution: C

Teachings of Mahavira

The three principles of Jainism, also known as Triratnas (three

gems), are:

1. right faith
2. right knowledge
3. right conduct.

Right faith is the belief in the teachings and wisdom of Mahavira. Right Knowledge is the acceptance of the theory that there is no God and that the world has been existing without a creator and that all objects possess a soul. Right conduct refers to the observance of the five great vows:

1. not to injure life
2. not to lie
3. not to steal
4. not to acquire property
5. not to lead an immoral life.

Both the clergy and laymen had to strictly follow the doctrine of ahimsa. Mahavira regarded all objects, both animate and inanimate, have souls and various degrees of consciousness. They possess life and feel pain when they are injured.

Mahavira rejected the authority of the Vedas and objected to the Vedic rituals. He advocated a very holy and ethical code of life. Even the practice of agriculture was considered sinful as it causes injury to the earth, worms and animals.

Solution: D

The provinces were divided into shiqs and the next division was pargana. The
shiqwas under the control of shiqdar. The pargana comprising a number of villages was headed by amil. The village remained the basic unit of the administration. The village headman was known as muqaddam or chaudhri. The village accountant was called patwari.

Khalisa land – land under the direct control of the Sultan and the revenues collected were spent for the maintenance of royal court and royal household.

During the Sultanate period, the process of urbanization gained momentum. A number of cities and towns had grown during this period. Lahore, Multan, Broach, Anhilwara, Laknauti, Daulatabad, Delhi and Jaunpur were important among them.

Solution: D

Also known as the Karnataka school of architecture, it was conceptualized under the later Chalukya rulers in the mid-seventh century A.D. It combined features of both Nagara school and Dravidian school and resulted in a hybridised style. Some of its features are:

1. Emphasis on vimana and mandapa
2. Open ambulatory passageway
3. The pillars, doorways and the ceilings were decorated with intricate carvings.

Three prominent dynasties who made Vesara style temples are:

1. Chalukyas of Badami and Kalyani.
2. Rashtrakutas (750-983 AD). For Example, Kailashnath temple in Ellora, etc.
3. Hoysala Dynasty (1050-1300 AD). For example, temples at Halebid, Belur etc.

• Influence of Nagara style is in Curvilinear Shikhara and square base of Vesara temples.
• Influence of Dravida style is seen in intricate carvings and sculptures, design of Vimana and Step or terraced Shikara of Vesara temples.

Example: Doddabasappa temple at Dambal, Ladkhan temple at Aihole, temples at Badami etc.

Solution: D

The temples developed during the Pallava dynasty reflected the stylistic taste of the individual rulers and can be classified into four stages chronologically.

Mahendra group:

This was the first stage of Pallava temple architecture. The temples built under Mahendravarman were basically rock-cut temples. Under him, the temples were known as mandapas, unlike the Nagara style in which the mandapas meant only the assembly hall.

Narasimha group:

This represented the second stage of the development of temple architecture in South India. The rock-cut temples were decorated by intricate sculptures. Under Narasimhavarman, the mandapas were now divided into separate rathas. The biggest one was called the Dharmaraja ratha while the smallest one was called the Draupadi ratha. The design of a temple in the Dravidian style of architecture is a successor of the Dharmaraja ratha.

Rajsimha group:

Rajsimhavarman led the third stage of temple development. Under him, development of real structural temples was started in the place of rock-cut

temples.

Example: Shore temple at Mahabalipuram, Kailashnath temple at Kanchipuram, etc.

Nandivarman group:

This was the fourth stage of temple development during the Pallava dynasty. The temples built under him were smaller in size. The features were almost similar to the Dravidian style of temple architecture. After the decline of Pallava dynasty, temple architecture acquired a new style under the Chola kingdom, known as the Dravidian style of temple architecture. This marked a new era in the development of temples in the Southern India.

Solution: C

An elite and well-trained force of bodyguards known as Garudas protected the members of the royal family at all times. These servants moved closely yet inconspicuously by the side of their master, their loyalty being so complete that they committed suicide after his death

Major political changes were taking place in the Deccan region in the early 14th century when significant areas of northern India were under Muslim rule. Alauddin Khalji, the Sultan of Delhi, was determined to bring South India under his domain and sent his commander, Malik Kafur, on a southern expedition to plunder the Seuna capital Devagiri in 1311.  The Hoysala capital Halebidu was sacked twice, in 1311 and 1327.

Solution: B

Sectarian lists the following eight auspicious symbols under Jainsim:

• Swastika: It signifies peace and wellbeing of the humans.

Nandyavartya: It is a large swastika with nine end points. Bhadrasana: A throne which is said to be sancrified by the jaina’s feet.

• Shrivasta: A mark which manifested on the Jain’s chest and signified his pure soul.
• Darpana: The mirror which reflects the inner self
• Minayugala: A couple of fish which signifies the conquest over sexual urges
• Vardhamanaka: A shallow dish used as lamp which shows the increase in the wealth, due and merit.

Kalasha: A pot filled with pure water signifying water

Solution: A

Jainism has two major ancient sub traditions:

Digambaras [Sub-sects include Mula Sangh (original community) and Terapanthi, Taranpathi and Bispanthi (these three are modern communities)]

Svetambaras (Sub-sects include Sthanakavasi and Murtipujaka)

There are several other smaller sub-traditions that emerged in the 2^nd millennium CE.

Solution: C

Solution:

• Permafrost is any ground that remains completely frozen—32°F (0°C) or colder—for at least two years straight. These permanently frozen grounds are most common in regions with high mountains and in Earth’s higher latitudes—near the North and South Poles.
• Permafrost is made of a combination of soil, rocks and sand that are held together by ice. The soil and ice in permafrost stay frozen all year long.

Solution: D

Solution:

• The short-lived climate pollutants- black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons are the most important contributors to the man-made global greenhouse effect after carbon dioxide, responsible for up to 45% of current global warming.

Solution: C

Solution:

Multilingual Mobile App, ‘CHC-Farm Machinery’ also known as “FARMS-app” developed by Ministry of Agriculture, connects farmers with Custom Hiring Service Centres situated in their locality to take machines on rental basis for agriculture practices.

Solution: C

Solution: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development and Pachayati Raj, Narendra Singh Tomar, said that the government has set the target of covering 100 lakh hectares under micro-irrigation in five years’ time.

Solution: C

Solution:

The major objective of PMKSY is to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level, expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water, enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies (More crop per drop), enhance recharge of aquifers and introduce sustainable water conservation practices by exploring the feasibility of reusing treated municipal wastewater for peri-urban agriculture and attract greater private investment in precision irrigation system

Solution: c)

Learning: Lomas Rishi Cave is carved into the hard monolithic granite rock face of Barabar hills, flanked to its left by the smaller Sudama cave.

This rock-cut cave was carved out as a sanctuary. It was built during the Ashokan period of the Maurya Empire in the 3rd century BC, as part of the sacred architecture of the Ajivikas.

The hut-style facade at the entrance to the cave, which was meant as a milk shed, had an impact on South Asian rock-cut architecture.

It became a model for all such arched entrance portals built at many other Buddhist and Jain caves in India, such as the much bigger Buddhist Chaitya halls of Ajanta or Karli in Maharashtra.

Q Source: CCRT Website

Solution: a)

Justification:  The earliest examples of miniature painting in India exist in the form of illustrations to the religious texts on Buddhism executed under the Palas of the eastern India and the Jain texts executed in western India during the 11th-12th centuries A.D.

Statement 1:   The Pala dynasty came to power around 750 A.D. The Pala school of art first flourished in the Magadha region of Southern Bihar, the homeland of Buddhist religion. Not surprisingly, the majority of early Pala-period remains are Buddhist

The Pala painting is characterised by sinuous line and subdued tones of colour. It is a naturalistic style which resembles the ideal forms of contemporary bronze and stone sculpture and reflects some feeling of the classical art of Ajanta.

Statement 2:  The Pala art came to a sudden end after the destruction of the Buddhist monasteries at the hands of Muslim invaders in the first half of the 13th century. Some of the monks and artists escaped and fled to Nepal, which helped in reinforcing the existing art traditions there

Q Source:  http://ccrtindia.gov.in/miniaturepainting.php

Solution: d)

Justification: The inscription written in Sanskrit and it is in Kannada script.

Many inscriptions found at Aihole, but the inscription which found at Meguti Temple popularly known as Aihole inscription, which has the significance in the history of India, witnessed for the many historical events of Chalukyas.

There is a mention about the defeat of Harshavardhana by Pulikeshi II. And there is a mention about the victory of Chalukyas on Pallavas, also mentioned about the shifting of the capital from Aihole to Badami by Pulikeshi. There is mention about the poet Kalidasa.

Q Source: http://ccrtindia.gov.in/templearchitecture.php

Solution: b)

Learning: In the middle of the 8th century the Rashtrakutas wrested power from the Chalukyas. They created the greatest wonder of medieval Indian art in their Kailasa temple at Ellora. Quarried out of a hill and solid rocks, it is sculptured on a grand scale.

• The beautiful architectural rock sculpture from Ellora shows the marriage of Siva and Parvati. Siva holding the hand of the bashful Parvati occupies the centre of the composition.
• To the right Brahma, the creator, is actively engaged in stirring up the flames of the sacred fire.
• The parents of Parvati stand behind her to offer their daughter to the great god. A number of gods assembled to witness the function are shown hovering above the principal figures. The dignified grace of the divine couple and the gentle solemnity of the occasion have been portrayed by the sculptor with a masterly skill.

Q Source: http://ccrtindia.gov.in/templearchitecture.php

Solution: c)

Justification: Karla is one of the most famous centres of early rock-cut architecture and has received much attention of scholars and commoners alike.

Statement 1: The chaityagriha at Karla is the biggest of its type in the whole of India. The hall measures around thirty eight m deep from door to back. The object of worship is the stupa at the rear end of the chaityagriha.

Statement 2:  The caves were caused from the donations and support of a group of assorted individuals. This includes a prince of Maharathi family; merchants, monks etc.

The inscriptions of Usavadata and Vasisthiputra Pulumavi mention donation of land to the Veluraka Samgha for this.

Q Source: Page 105: NCERT Class VI Our Pasts – I

Answer B

• The NMPI enables estimation of poverty not only at the level of the states but also for all the 700-plus districts across the 12 indicators, capturing simultaneous deprivations and indicator-wise contribution to poverty.
• It was developed by the NITI Aayog in consultation with 12 ministries and in partnership with state governments and the index publishing agencies, namely, Oxford University’s Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• The National MPI Project is aimed at deconstructing the Global MPI and creating a globally aligned and yet customised India MPI for drawing up comprehensive Reform Action Plans with the larger goal of improving India’s position in the Global MPI rankings.
• It is calculated using the household microdata collected at the unit-level for the NFHS-4 (which was conducted between 2015 and 2016) that is used to derive the baseline multidimensional poverty.
• NFHS is conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The Index is calculated using 12 indicators – nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, antenatal care, years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, assets and bank account that have been grouped under three dimensions namely, health, education and standard of living.
• According to Global MPI 2021, India’s rank is 66 out of 109 countries.

Answer D

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households throughout India. 

The NFHS is a collaborative project of the International Institute for Population Sciences(IIPS), Mumbai, India; ICF, Calverton, Maryland, USA and the East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. 

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Government of India, designated IIPS as the nodal agency, responsible for providing coordination and technical guidance for the NFHS. NFHS was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with supplementary support from United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Answer D

As per the Global Gender Gap Report 2021 published by the World Economic Forum, India is ranked at 140 out of 156 countries with a score of 0.625 (out of 1). The Global Gender Gap Report provides scores on Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) which examines the gap between men and women in four dimensions, namely, Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival and Political Empowerment. Compared to last year, Indian score has come down largely due to Political Empowerment dimension. India’s score in this dimension should be one of the highest in the world as India has provided 30% reservation to women at local self-government level and representation of women in the local self-government bodies is more than 30% at present. However, the publishing agency, World Economic Forum, takes into account representation of women in Parliament only

Answer B

The GII is an inequality index released by UNDP. 

It measures gender inequalities in three important aspects of human development—

1)reproductive Health, measured by maternal mortality ratio and adolescent birth rates; 

2)Empowerment, measured by proportion of parliamentary seats occupied by females and proportion of adult females and males aged 25 years and older with at least some secondary education; and 

3)Economic status, expressed as labour market participation and measured by labour force participation rate of female and male populations aged 15 years and older.

Answer C

UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so countries can sustain progress. As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Correct Option: D

Clearly, the narrator starts from A, moves towards north-east a distance of 10 m up to B, turns left (90 degree anti-clockwise) and moves 7.5 m up to C. Clearly, C lies to the north of A. Also , ΔABC is right-angled at B. So,

AC2 = AB2 + BC2 = (10)2 + (7.5)2

= 100 + 56.25 = 156.25

AC  = (156.25) m = 12.5m

Thus the narrator is 12.5 m to the north of his initial position.

Hence, option D is correct.

Correct Option: B

Clearly, Ravi starts from home at A, moves 10 km south wards up to B, turns right and moves and 5 km up to C, turns right again and moves 10 km up to D and finally turns left and moves 10 km up to E.

Thus his distance from initial position A = AE + DE = BC + DE = (5 + 10) km = 15 km

Hence, option B is correct.

Correct Option: D

Clearly, Kunal moves from A 10 km north-wards up to B, then moves 6 km southwards up to C, turns towards East and walks 3 km up to D. Then, AC = (AB – BC) = (10 – 6) = 4 km. So, Kunal’s distance from the starting point A.

(AD)2 =  (AC2 + CD2)  =  (4)2 + (3)2 = 5 km.

Also, D is to the North-east of A.

Hence, option D is correct

Correct Option: d

Clearly, the narrator starts from A, moves towards north-east a distance of 10 m up to B, turns left (90 degree anti-clockwise) and moves 7.5 m up to C. Clearly, C lies to the north of A. Also , ΔABC is right-angled at B. So,

AC2 = AB2 + BC2 = (10)2 + (7.5)2

= 100 + 56.25 = 156.25

AC  = (156.25) m = 12.5m

Thus the narrator is 12.5 m to the north of his initial position.

Hence, option D is correct.

Correct answer: B:

The passage is not against amending labour laws. But it is unclear whether it should be done for ease of doing business. However, The passage clearly shows labour concerns to be considered. It tells there should be no movement of policy against the direction which upholds labour interests. The passage has no mention of migrants or ease of doing business. Hence B is the answer.