DAY – 36 (InstaTest-36): Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2022: Topic – ART & CULTURE, Subject-wise Tests 17 , Text Book Based Test 22 , March 2022 CA Revision

Solution: C

Many foreign travelers visited the Vijayanagar Empire and their accounts are also valuable. The Moroccan traveler, Ibn Battuta, Venetian traveler Nicolo de Conti, Persian traveler Abdur Razzak and the Portuguese traveler Domingo Paes were among them who left valuable accounts on the socio-economic conditions of the Vijayanagar Empire

Solution: D

The Lower Palaeolithic or the Early Old Stone Age covers the greater part of the ice age. The Early Old Stone Age may have begun in Africa around two million years ago, but in India it is not older than 600,000 years. This date is given to Bori in Maharashtra, and this site is considered to be the earliest Lower Paleolithic site. People use hand axes, cleavers, and choppers. The axes found in India are more or less similar to those of western Asia, Europe, and Africa. Stone tools were used largely for chopping, digging, and skinning. Early Old Stone Age sites have been found in the valley of river Son or Sohan in Punjab, now in Pakistan. Several sites have been found in Kashmir and the Thar Desert.

Lower Paleolithic tools have also been found in the Belan valley in UP and in the desert area of Didwana in Rajasthan. Didwana yielded not only Lower Paleolithic stone tools but also those of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic ages.

Chirki-Nevasa in Maharashtra has yielded as many as 2000 tools, and thosehavealso been found at several places in the south. Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh is an important site, and the caves and rock shelters of Bhimbetka near Bhopal also show features of the Lower Paleolithic age. The rock shelters may have served as seasonal camps for human beings. Hand axes have been found ina deposit of the time of the second Himalayan inter-glaciation, when the climate became less humid. The people of the Lower Stone Age seem to have principally been food gatherers. They took to small game hunting and lived also on fish and birds. The Early or Lower Stone Age in India may be associated with the people of the Homo sapiens group.

Solution: A

Arabesque method was used for decoration. Arabesque meant the use of geometrical vegetal ornamentation and was characterised by a continuous stem which split regularly, producing a series of counterpoised, leafy, secondary stems. The secondary stems, in turn, split again or returned to merge with the main stem creating a decorative pattern.

The Islamic rulers introduced the Charbagh style of gardening, in which a square block was divided into four adjacent identical gardens.

The architectures of these times also used the pietra-dura technique for the inlay of precious stones and gems into the stone walls.

Another unique feature was the use of foreshortening technique in the buildings, such that the inscriptions appear to be closer than it really is.

Solution: D

The city of Mandu is located sixty miles from Indore, at an elevation of over 2000 feet and overlooks the Malwa Plateau to the north and the Narmada valley to the south. Mandu’s natural defence encouraged consistent habitations by Parmara Rajputs, Afghans and Mughals. As the capital city of Ghauri Dynasty (1401–1561) founded by Hoshang Shah it acquired a lot of fame. Subsequently, Mandu was associated with the romance of Sultan Baz Bahadur and Rani Rupmati. The Mughals resorted to it for pleasure during the monsoon season. Mandu is a typical representation of the medieval provincial style of art and architecture. It was a complex mix of official and residential-cum-pleasure palace, pavilions, mosques, artificial reservoirs, baolis, embattlements, etc. In spite of the size or monumentality, the structures were very close to nature, designed in the style of arched pavilions, light and airy, so that these buildings did not retain heat. Local stone and marble were used to great advantage. Mandu is a fine example of architectural adaptation to the environment.

The Royal Enclave located in the city comprised the most complete and romantic set of buildings, a cluster of palaces and attendant structures, official and residential, built around two artificial lakes.

The Hindola Mahal looks like a railway viaduct bridge with its disproportionately large buttresses supporting the walls. This was the audience hall of the Sultan and also the place where he showed himself to his subjects. Batter was used very effectively to give an impression of swinging (Hindola) walls.

Solution: A

Mahayana Buddhism:

• It means the greater vehicle.
• The school is more liberal and believes in the heavenliness of Buddha and Bodhisattvas embodying Buddha Nature.  The ultimate goal under Mahayana is “spiritual upliftment”.
• The Mahayana followers believe in idol or image worship of Buddha.
• The concept of Bodhisattva is the result of Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana is also called “Bodhisattvayana”, or the “Bodhisattva Vehicle. That is to say, the followers believe in Bodhisattva concept of salvation of all conscious individual.
• In other words, they believe in universal liberation from suffering of all beings.
• A bodhisattva seeks complete enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. A bodhisattva who has accomplished this goal is called a Samyaksaṃbuddha.
• Prominent Mahayana texts include Lotus Sutra, Mahavamsa, etc.
• As per Lotus Sutra, Mahayana school believes in six perfections (or paramitas) to be followed by an individual.
• The Mahayana scholars predominantly used Sanskrit as a language.

Emperor Ashoka patronised Hinayana sect as Mahayana school came into being much later.

Solution: C

The Banjaras were the most important tradernomads. Their caravan was called tanda. Sultan Alauddin Khalji used the Banjaras to transport grain to the city markets. Emperor Jahangir wrote in his memoirs that the Banjaras carried grain on their bullocks from different areas and sold it in towns. They transported food grain for the Mughal army during military campaigns. With a large army there could be 100,000 bullocks carrying grain.

Tribal people were found in almost every region of the subcontinent. The area and influence of a tribe varied at different points of time. Some powerful tribes controlled large territories. In Punjab, the Khokhar tribe was very influential during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Later, the Gakkhars became more important. Their chief, Kamal Khan Gakkhar, was made a noble (mansabdar) by Emperor Akbar.

The large tribe of Bhils was spread across western and central India. By the late sixteenth century, many of them had become settled agriculturists and some even zamindars. Many Bhil clans, nevertheless, remained hunter-gatherers.

Solution: A

Ramananda belonged to Ramanuja’s philosophical thought. He visited the holy places of North India and preached Vaishnavism. Ramananda introduced radical changes in Vaishnavism by founding his own sect based on the doctrine of love and devotion to Rama and Sita.

He preached equality before God. He rejected caste system, particularly the supremacy of Brahmins as the sole custodians of Hindu religion.

The people from the lower strata of the society became his followers. His twelve disciples included Ravidas, Kabir and two women.

Ramananda was the first to preach his doctrine of devotion in Hindi, the vernacular language.

Solution: D

Kuchipudi is originally from Andhra Pradesh. Its evolution can be traced to traditional dance – drama, known under the generic name of Yakshagaana.

The dance is accompanied by song which is typically Carnatic music. Like other classical dances, Kuchipudi also comprises pure dance, mime and histrionics but it is the use of speech that distinguishes Kuchipudi’s presentation as dance drama.

Solution: D

The silver coins issued by the Guptas were called Rupaka. The silver coin was called Rupaka based on Sakas of Ujjaini weighing 32-36 grains. In Delhi Sultanate, gold coins were called Tanka which were equivalent to the Greek Drachm standard of 67 grains. The silver coins were called Drama

Solution: D

India has a rich tradition in shadow puppetry, which has survived till now. Some of the features of shadow puppetry are:

• Shadow puppets are flat figures cut out of leather.
• The figures are painted identically on both sides of the leather.
• The puppets are placed on a white screen with light falling from behind, creating a shadow on the screen.
• The figures are manipulated so that the silhouettes created on the blank screen create telling imagery

Ravanchhaya is the most theatrical of shadow puppetry and is a popular form of entertainment in the Odisha region. The puppets are made of deer skin and depict bold, dramatic postures. They do not have any joints attached to them, making it a more complex art.

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: B

Solution:

The CACP determines the MSP based on the expenses incurred by the farmer. It is determined in following manner:

• Expenses incurred (A2) is estimated by considering cost of production, changes in input price, trends in market prices, demand and supply situation, inter-crop price parity, effect on general price level, effect on cost of living,international market price situation, etc.
• The final MSP is determined as a function of expenses incurred (A2) and the imputed value of family labour (FL).
• There have been demands for considering a different costing method (C2). Adopting C2 will entail following changes:

1. It would include the rent paid for any leased-in land, the imputed rent for the owned land, the interest on owned fixed capital, and imputed value of wages to family labour, in addition to the Cost A2.
2. It is also argued that 50 percent of Cost C2 should be added as the profit component, for determining the MSP.

Solution : D

Solution:

What is a Production Linked Incentive (PLI)?

Production Linked Incentive refers to a rebate given to producers. This rebate is calculated as a certain percentage of sales of the producer (sales referred to in it can be total sales or incremental sales). For example, the PLI scheme for the Electronics Sector offered a rebate of 4-6% on the incremental sales of the producer.

With regard to nature of the scheme, following can be cited as key features of the PLI Scheme-

• The scheme is outcome-based, which means that incentives will be disbursed only after production has taken place.
• The calculation of incentives is based on incremental production at a high rate of growth.
• The scheme focuses on size and scale by selecting those players who can deliver on volumes.
• The selection of sectors covering cutting-edge technology, sectors for integration with global value

chains, job-creating sectors and sectors closely linked to the rural economy, is highly calibrated.

• Also, the design of the earlier PLI scheme for electronics is such that it is compatible with World Trade Organization commitments as the quantum of support is not directly linked to exports or value-addition.

Solution: D

Solution:

AR6 is related to Climate change and is released by IPCC.

Solution : D

Solution: Emissions Gap Report 2021 was recently released by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). About the report The report in an annual series that provides an overview of the Emission gap- difference between where greenhouse emissions are predicted to be in 2030 and where they should be to avert the worst impacts of climate change.

Solution: c)

Justification: In the twelfth century, Ramanuja preached Visishtadvaita.

• According to him God is Sagunabrahman. The creative process and all the objects in creation are real but not illusory as was held by Sankaracharya. Therefore, God, soul, matter are real. But God is inner substance and the rest are his attributes.
• He also advocated prabattimarga or path of self-surrender to God. He invited the downtrodden to Vaishnavism.

Learning: In the thirteenth century, Madhava from Kannada region propagated Dvaita or dualism of Jivatma and Paramatma.

According to his philosophy, the world is not an illusion but a reality.

God, soul, matter are unique in nature.

Nimbarka and Vallabhacharya were also other preachers of Vaishnavite Bhakti in the Telungana region. Surdas was the disciple of Vallabhacharya and he popularized Krishna cult in north India.

Q Source: Page 202: 11^th Standard: Tamil Nadu History Textbook  

Solution: d)

Justification: Unlike Mughal painting which is primarily secular, the art of painting in Central India, Rajasthani and the Pahari region etc. is deeply rooted in the Indian traditions, taking inspiration from Indian epics, religious texts like the Puranas, love poems in Sanskrit and other Indian languages, Indian folk-lore and works on musical themes.

The cults of Vaishnavism, Saivism and Sakti exercised tremendous influence on the pictorial art of these places. Among these the cult of Krishna was the most popular one which inspired the patrons and artists.

The Rajasthani style of painting including that of Malwa, is marked by bold drawing, strong and contrasting colours. The treatment of figures is flat without any attempt to show perspective in a naturalistic manner.

Q Source: Revision: http://www.ccrtindia.gov.in/visualarts.php

Solution: a)

Learning: Satavahanas dominated the Deccan region from 1st century BCE to 3rd century CE.

• The dynasty reached its zenith under the rule of Gautamiputra Satakarni and his successor Vasisthiputra Pulamavi.
• The kingdom fragmented into smaller states in the early 3rd century CE.
• They built chaityas and viharas. They also made grants of villages and lands to Buddhist monks. Vashishtaputra Pulamayi repaired the old Amaravathi stupa.
• Hala’s Sattasai is an excellent piece of Prakrit literature by them.
• The collection is attributed to the king Hāla who lived in the 1st century, but this attribution is most likely fictitious and the real author was someone else from a later century. The poems are about love and love’s joy.
• Inside the text, many poems include names of authors, some of which are names of kings from many South Indian particularly Deccan region kingdoms from the first half of the first millennium CE.

Q Source: CCRT literary arts

Solution: b)

Justification: Statement 1:  The Mricchakatika (the clay-cart) by Sudraka (248 A.D.) presents a remarkable social drama with touches of grim reality. The characters are drawn from all stratas of society, which include thieves and gamblers, rogues and idlers, courtesans

Statement 2:   In Kalidasa’s narrative lyric poem, Meghaduta (the cloud messenger), the poet makes a cloud a messenger to tell the story of two lovers who are separated. This is also quite in keeping with the sublime conception of love, which looks dark in separation, like a black cloud with a silver lining.

Statement 3:  The didactic fable Panchatantra (five chapters), dealing with politics and practical wisdom, which was written by Vishnu Sharma, and the Hitopadesha, the bird, animal-human and non-human stories of advice for the benefit of the listeners, which was written by Narayan Pandit, are literary masterpieces which cross the borders of the sub-continent and became popular in foreign lands.

Q Source: http://www.ccrtindia.gov.in/literaryarts.php

Solution: b)

Learning: The word Purana means ‘that which renews the old’ and is almost always mentioned alongwith Itihasa.

• The fundamental abstruse philosophical and religious truths were expounded through popular legends or mythological stories.
• If something is described as a story, it exerts a greater influence on the human mind.
• Thus, Itihasa combined with narration makes a story seem credible.
• Together with the two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, they are the origins of many of the stories and anecdotes of the social, religious and cultural history of India.

Q Source: http://www.ccrtindia.gov.in/literaryarts.php\

Answer D

World’s largest thorium reserves in the form of monazite are found in India on the coast of Kerala. The country’s thorium reserves make up 25 per cent of the global reserves.

Australia possesses around 30% of the world’s known recoverable uranium reserves.

Answer C

The members of the G20 are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.

Answer C

The Mediterranean Sea is bordered by 21 countries. They are Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey

Answer D

5 National parks of TN

• Guindy National Park
• Gulf of Mannar Marine Park Ramanathapuram & Tuticorin
• Indira Gandhi National Park Coimbatore
• Mukurthi National Park Nilgiris
• Mudumalai National Park

Answer C

It currently has 31 shareholders, comprising 28 African countries, the African Development Bank, the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), and Bank Al-Maghrib.

Ans: (b)

We have, abc = 30, where a, b,c are positive integer.

\30 = 1x 1×30 = 3 ways

30 = 1 x 2x 15 = 6 ways

30=  1x 3x 10 = 6 ways

30 = 1x 5 x 6 = 6 ways

30 = 2 x 3x 5 = 6 ways

Total number of (a, b, c) = 3+ 6+ 6+ 6+ 6 =27 ways

Ans: (C)

Let x = (n3- n)(n-2), where n> 2

Take n= 3, we get

x=(33-3)(3 -2) (27 -3)(1)= 24

which is divisible by 6, 12 and 24

Take n= 4, we get

x = (43-4)(4-2)= (64- 4) x 2 =120

which is again divisible by 6, 12 and 24.

Now,      take n = 5, we get

x= (53-5)(5-2)= (125- 5) x 3 = 120 x 3 =360

which is again divisible by 6, 12 and 24.

Hence, 24 is the largest natural number.

Ans: d

We have, (234)100+ (234)101 (234)00(1+ 234) = 235(234)100

We know that square of any number having 4 at unit place is a number in which 6 at unit place. Any exponent of a number 6 at unit place is always 6 is at unit place.

Because (235)(…..6)=…30

Resulting number have 0 at unit place.

Ans: a

We have, 3x+2y is divided by 5 remainder is 2.

\3x+2y=5q+2                                                                          ……………………..(1)

And 2x +3y is divided by 5 remainder is 3.

\ 2x + 3y = 5m+3                                                                     ……………………..(2)

Subtract Eq. (2 ) from Eq.(1) , we get

x-y = 5(q-m)-1

x-y=5(q-m)-5+4

x-y=5(q-m-1)+4

\x-y is divided by 5 remainder is 4.

Correct answer: A

The passage hints that FDI in India has not flown into employment intensive sectors. This tells us capital intensive sectors are preferred by FDI. Thus A can be assumed. Since one can assume private investments like FDI cant generate employment, public investment shall generate employment. But we can’t assume in light of the passage that MOST economic goals need public investment over private investment. Hence 2 is incorrect. Thus A is answer.