[DAY 39] 60 DAY RAPID REVISION (RaRe) SERIES for UPSC Prelims 2024 – HISTORY, CURRENT AFFAIRS & CSAT TEST SERIES!

Solution (c)

Buddha traveled to Rajagaha, capital of Magadha, to visit King Bimbisara. During this visit, Sariputta and Maudgalyayana were converted by Assaji, one of the first five disciples.

Buddha belonged to Shakya clan whose capital was Kapilavastu, and who were later annexed by the growing Kingdom of Kosala during the Buddha’s lifetime.

Avanti and Gandhara are not visited by Buddha.

Solution (c)

Maitreya is regarded as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he is referred to as Ajita.According to Buddhist tradition, Maitreya is a bodhisattva who will appear on Earth in the future, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma.

Solution (a)

The Indus people probably worshipped Mother Goddess, in addition to male and female deities. They worshipped a father God who might be a progenitor of the race and probably was a prototype of Siva as the Lord of the Animals.

On the basis of the Indus seals, it can be said that a large number of animals including goats, buffaloes, oxen, elephants, dogs, and camels were domesticated.

But the Harappans seem not to have been familiar with the horse-drawn chariots.

Solution (b)

Solution (c)

Note:

The Nalanda University:

• The ancient Nalanda was a center of learning from the 5th century CE to the 12th century CE. Located in present day Rajgir (Bihar), Nalanda was one of the oldest universities of the world and UNESCO declared the ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara, a ‘World Heritage Site’. The new Nalanda University is envisaged as a center of inter-civilizational dialogue.
• Nalanda, when Xuan Zang visited it, was called Nala and was a center of higher learning in various subjects.
• The courses of study offered by the Nalanda University covered a wide range, almost the entire circle of knowledge then available. The students at Nalanda studied the Vedas and were also trained in fine arts, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, politics and the art of warfare.

The Takshashila or Taxila University:

• In ancient times, Takshashila was a noted center of learning, including religious teachings of Buddhism for several centuries. It continued to attract students from around the world until its destruction in the 5th century CE.
• It was known for its higher education and the curriculum comprised the study of ancient scriptures, law, medicine, astronomy, military science and the 18 Silpas or arts. Takshashila became famous as a place of learning due to its teachers’ expertise.
• Among its noted pupils was the legendary Indian grammarian, Panini. He was an expert in language and grammar, and authored one of the greatest works on grammar, called Ashtadhyayi.
• Jivaka, one of the most renowned physicians in ancient India, and Chanakya (also known as Kautilya), a skilled exponent of statecraft, both studied here.
• Students came to Takshashila from Kashi, Kosala, Magadha and also from other countries, in spite of the long and arduous journey they had to undertake.

Solution (c)

Rig Vedic Aryans used the cost of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them.There is also evidence of swords, arrows, bows used during Rig Vedic Aryans.

Rig Vedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people having been aware of this animal.

Rig Vedic Aryans know gold, silver, copper, iron whereas Indus valley people knew gold, copper, bronze but they did not know iron.

Solution (a)

Discovered in 1968, Dholavira is set apart by its unique characteristics, such as its water management system, multi-layered defensive mechanisms, extensive use of stone in construction and special burial structures.

It has a complex system for collecting and storing rain water within several reservoirs.

Planners in the ancient city of Dholavira had conceptualised a system of drains, dams and tanks to manage water.

Solution (a)

Solution (c)

 Note:

Sangam Literature:

• Dravidian literature mainly consists of the four languages Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Out of these, Tamil is the oldest language which preserved its Dravidian character the most. Kannada, as a cultured language, is almost as old as Tamil.
• All these languages have borrowed many words from Sanskrit and vice versa. Tamil is the only modern Indian language which is recognizably continuous with a classical past.
• Early classical Tamil literature is known as Sangam literature meaning, fraternity‟, indicating mainly two schools of poets,
  • Aham (subjective love poems): Aham deals purely with the subjective emotions of the lover.
  • Puram (objective, public poetry and heroic): Puram with all kinds of emotions, mainly the valor and glory of kings and about good and evil.
• These were written by many poets, among whom 30 were women, the famous poetess Avvaiyar being one of them.
• The Sangam literature includes Tolkappiyam, Ettutogai, Pattuppattu, Pathinenkilkanakku, and two epics named – Silappathikaram and Manimegalai.
  • Tolkappiyam was authored by Tolkappiyar and is considered the earliest of Tamil literary work. Though it is a work on Tamil grammar, it also provides insights on the political and socioeconomic conditions of the time.
  • Ettutogai (Eight Anthologies) consists of eight works.
  • The Pattuppattu (Ten Idylls) consists of ten works.
  • Pathinenkilkanakku contains eighteen works about ethics and morals. The most important among these works is Tirukkural authored by Thiruvalluvar, the Tamil great poet and philosopher. It serves as a manual of precepts to guide one to noble living.
  • The twin epics, Silappadhikaram (the story of the anklet), written by Ilango-Adigal, and Manimekalai (the story of Manimekalai) by Chattanar, were written sometimes in A.D. 200-300 and give vivid accounts of Tamil society during that period. In Manimekalai there is an elaborate exposition of the doctrines of Buddhism.

Solution (b)

Solution (b)

Solution (a)

Solution (c)

Solution (b)

Note:

• The Sangam Society – Tolkappiyam refers to the five-fold division of lands:

• Tolkappiyam also refers to 4 castes, namely Arasar; Anthanar; Vanigar; and Vellalar. The ruling class was called Arasar. Anthanars played a significant role in the Sangam polity and religion. Vanigars carried on trade and commerce.

Solution (b)

Solution (b)

Solution (b)

 Note:

Temple Architecture:

• The style of temple architecture that became popular in northern India is known as nagara. Most of the nagara temples were built on the stone platform with steps leading up to it, whereas the temples in south India have elaborate boundary walls or gateways.
• Depending on the shape of the shikhara, the nagara temples are sub-divided as the Latina type, Phamsana type and the Valabhi type.
• The important temples belonging to the nagara style are:
  • Sun temple, Konark
  • Dashavatara Vishnu temple, Deogarh
  • Vishwanatha temple and Laxman temple, Khajuraho
  • Sun temple, Modhera, etc.
• Virupaksha Temple is located in Hampi in the Ballari district of Karnataka, India. It is part of the Group of Monuments at Hampi, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple is dedicated to Lord Virupaksha, a form of Shiva.
• The Virupaksha temple is a Dravida style temple.

Solution (b)

Solution (a)

 Note:

• Other important Chola temples include:
  • Vijayalaya Cholisvara temple, Thanjore;
  • Koranganatha temple, Srinivasanallur;
  • Muvarkovil, Pudukkottai;
  • Tiruvalisvaram temple, Tiruneveli and
  • Brihadeeswarar temple, Gangaikondacholapuram.

Solution (b)

• Village government in the Chola Empire is known from a number of inscriptions. We hear of two assemblies, called the Ur and the Sabha or Mahasabha. The Ur was a general assembly of the village.
• However, we know more about the working of the Mahasabha. This was a gathering of the adult men in the Brahman villages, which was called Agraharam.
• An Agraharam or Agrahara was a grant of land and royal income from it, typically by a king or a noble family in India, for religious purposes, particularly to Brahmins to maintain temples in that land or a pilgrimage site and to sustain their families.
• Agraharams were also known as Chaturvedimangalams in ancient times.
• They were also known as Ghatoka, and Boya. Agraharams were built and maintained by dynasties such as the Cholas and Pallavas.
• The name originates from the fact that the Agraharams have lines of houses on either side of the road and the temple to the village god at the center, thus resembling a garland around the temple.
• According to the traditional Hindu practice of architecture and town-planning, an Agraharam is held to be two rows of houses running north–south on either side of a road at one end of which would be a temple to Shiva and at the other end, a temple to Vishnu. An example is Vadiveeswaram in Tamil Nadu.

Solution (c)

Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) has been designated as India’s first Dark Sky Park which is protecting the night sky and preventing light pollution. Dark Sky Place certification focuses on lighting policy, dark sky-friendly retrofits, outreach and education, and monitoring the night sky. This designation positions PTR as a sanctuary where tourists can witness celestial spectacles, shielded from the intrusion of artificial light pollution. The certification was given by the International Dark-Sky Association, a global dark-sky movement to promote astronomy. Hence option c is correct.

Solution (c)

• Thylakoids are little pouches located in the chloroplasts of plants. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• These membranes are dense, mostly galactolipid, protein-containing bilayers in which photosynthesis occurs in photosynthetic organisms.
• They are found in ancient, light-sensitive bacteria called cyanobacteria. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• The cyanobacteria multiplied in the oceans billions of years ago, and are believed to be responsible for the vast stores of oxygen that are found in the atmosphere and thus, a precursor to life.
• It is now believed that thylakoid membranes in cyanobacteria were what made them capable of using sunlight to create energy and release oxygen.
• They store chlorophyll, the substance in plants that reacts to sunlight and triggers photosynthesis. Hence statement 3 is correct.

Solution (b)

• Pangolins are the only known mammals with large keratin scales covering their skin. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• Of the eight species found worldwide (four each in Asia and Africa), two are found in India: The Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla).
• The Indian Pangolin lives in India, Bangladesh, Southern Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• It can also curl itself into a ball in self-defense against predators.
• It is an insectivore, feeding on ants and termites.
• It is nocturnal and it rests in deep burrows during the day.
• The Indian Pangolin is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List and is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Hence statement 3 is incorrect.
• It is protected under the Appendix I of the CITES.

Solution (c)

• Warli Tribes are spread across Thane, Nashik, and Dhule districts of Maharashtra, Valsad district of Gujarat, Karnataka, Goa, and the Union Territories of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. They are small-scale cultivators and cultivate rice, pulses, and vegetables. They also sell toddy, mahua, and fuelwood to their tribesmen and neighbouring communities for a living.
• Warli are nature worshippers. Warli art stems from their belief system shaped by their centuries-old subsistence on forest land.
• Warli Adivasi Revolt began in Zari village of Maharashtra in 1945. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• It was against the exploitation of the landlords and moneylenders. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• Nearly 5,000 indentured tribals gathered and refused to work in landlords’ fields until they received 12 annas a day in wages. Their resistance sowed the first seeds of rights-based movements among the region’s indigenous communities.
• Godaveri Parulekar supported the women participating in this revolt. Hence statement 3 is correct.
• She was the Kisan Sabha leader and was also known as Godutai (elder sister) by the Adivasis. Women followed her and spoke at meetings about the oppression they faced and encouraged other women to join the struggle.

Solution (d)

• The term ‘genocide’ has been defined using set criteria in the UN’s Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, moved in the General Assembly in 1948.
• It says, “In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
• Killing members of the group;
• Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
• Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
• Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
• Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Hence option d is correct.

• As per this convention, genocide is a crime whether committed during wartime or peacetime.

Solution (b)

• The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is an apex organization under the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, with regard to khadi and village industries within India. Hence statement 1 is incorrect.
• It is charged with the planning, promotion, organisation, and implementation of programmes for the development of Khadi and other village industries in rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary.
• It is a statutory body established under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• At the state level, Khadi & Village Industries Boards were set up to effectively implement the schemes of KVIC in their respective states.
• Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) and Market Promotion Development Assistance (MPDA) are covered under the KVIC. Hence statement 3 is correct.
• The other schemes covered under the KVIC include the Interest Subsidy Eligibility Certificate (ISEC), the Workshed Scheme for Khadi Artisans, Strengthening the infrastructure of existing weak Khadi institutions and assistance for marketing infrastructure, the Khadi Reform and Development Programme (KRDP), Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), and Honey Mission.

Solution (b)

• The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER Rover is the first mobile robotic mission to the Moon by NASA. Hence statement 1 is incorrect.
• It will directly analyze ice on the surface and subsurface of the Moon at varying depths and temperature conditions within four main soil environments.
• The data VIPER transmits back to Earth will be used to create resource maps, helping scientists determine the location and concentration of ice on the Moon and the forms it’s in, such as ice crystals or molecules chemically bound to other materials.
• It navigates across the rugged terrain of the lunar South Pole and gathers valuable data that will help us better understand the history of the Moon and the environment where NASA is planning to send Artemis astronauts. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• The mission duration is 100 Earth days, covering 3 cycles of lunar day and night. It will land at the South Pole of the Moon in late 2024.

Solution (a)

• Devika River originates from the hilly Suddha Mahadev temple of Jammu and Kashmir. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• It is considered the sister of the sacred river Ganga, and it has great religious significance.
• It flows down towards western Punjab where it merges with the Ravi River. Hence statement 2 is incorrect.
• River Devika Project is built on the lines of ‘Namami Ganga’ and it is north India’s first river rejuvenation project.

Solution (a)

• Karman Line is named after Theodore von Karman, who first determined the altitude at which the atmosphere becomes too thin to support aeronautical flight. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• It is the internationally recognized boundary of space.
• The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) defines the Kármán line as the altitude of 100 kilometres (62 miles) above Earth’s mean sea level. FAI is an international standard-setting and record-keeping body for aeronautics and astronautics.
• However, not all organizations recognize this definition. The US Air Force and NASA define the boundary as 50 miles (80 km) above sea level. Hence statement 2 is incorrect.
• But there is no international law that defines the edge of space or the limit of national airspace.

Solution (c)

• Savitri Bai Phule started the Mahila Seva Mandal to raise awareness about women’s rights. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• It brought together members of all castes, challenging entrenched social hierarchies.
• She was born in a small village in the Satara district of Maharashtra on January 3, 1831, Savitribai Phule was an Indian social reformer, poet, and powerful voice in the Indian freedom struggle.
• She was an active participant in the women’s liberation movement.
• Savitribai trained at Ms. Farar’s Institution in Ahmednagar and at Ms. Mitchell’s school in Pune to become the first female teacher in India.
• Savitribai Phule and her husband, Jyotirao Phule (one of the most famous social reformers in Maharashtra), opened India’s first school for women in Pune in 1848.
• They also established two educational trusts: the Native Female School, Pune, and the Society for Promoting the Education of Mahars, Mangs, and others from downtrodden castes.
• She wrote two books, Kavya Phule in 1854 and Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar in 1892. They are collections of her poems. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• Savitribai also fought against dowry and other oppressive social customs.
• In 1863, Jyotirao and Savitribai began Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha, India’s first home prohibiting infanticide, helping pregnant Brahmin widows and rape victims.
• She wrote the famous poem ‘Go Get Education’ to encourage backward and oppressed class people to get an education. Hence statement 3 is correct.
• Her birth anniversary celebrated as Savitribai Phule Jayanti, is a day to commemorate her legacy and contributions to education and social equality.

Solution (b)

Let the length of the rectangle be ‘l’

Let the breadth of the rectangle be ‘b’

Now, the length is increased by 50% = 1.5l

The breadth is decreased by 20% = 0.8b

As we know, the area of a rectangle = length * breadth

The new area = 1.5l * 0.8b = 1.2 times the original area = 20% increase.

Solution (c)

Assume that Chandana earlier used to purchase 10 units of wheat for Rs. 100 per unit.

∴ Initial spending = 100 × 10 = Rs. 1,000.

New price of wheat = 1.3 × 100 = Rs. 130 and new spend = 1.17 × 1000 = Rs. 1,170 ∴

New consumption = 1170/130 = Rs. 9 per unit.

∴ Percentage decrease in consumption = [(10 – 9)/10] × 100 = 10%

Hence, option c.

Solution (d)

Let the total number of votes cast be 100x.

Since 10% of the votes were invalid, total valid votes = 90x.

Since the winner got 70% of the valid votes, votes cast for the winner = (0.7)(90x) = 63x

∴ Votes received by loser = 90x – 63x = 27x

The loser lost by 1800 votes.

∴ 63x – 27x = 1800

∴ 36x = 1800 i.e. x = 50

∴ Votes obtained by winner = 63x = 3150 and votes obtained by loser = 27x = 1350

Hence, statements a and b are true.

Observe that 63x/27x = 2.33 i.e. > 2

Hence, statement c is definitely true.

Hence, none of the statements is false.

Hence, option d.

Solution (c)

Let the original number be 100x + 10y + z.

Hence, the reversed number is 100z + 10y + x. Here, y = 0.

Hence, the numbers become (100x + z) and (100z + x)

The difference between these numbers is 396.

∴ (100z + x) – (100x + z) = 396

∴ 99z – 99x = 396

∴ z – x = 4

Hence, option c.

Solution (c)

Let a two digit number be (10x + y) and reversing number be (10y + x)

Therefore, Required sum = 10x + y + 10y + x = 11x + 11y = 11 (x+y)

Hence it is divisible by 11.

Similarly, Let a two digit number be (10x + y)

And reversing number be (10y + x)

Required difference = 10x + y – 10y – x = 9x – 9y = 9 (x-y)

Hence it is divisible by 9.

Thus, both statements are correct.