BPSC 65th Question Paper [Solved]

Answer: C

Solution: Kerala was ranked as the best performer on top, while Uttar Pradesh was the worst. Other bottom States were Bihar (32.11), Odisha (35.97) and Madhya Pradesh (38.39).

Answer: B

Solution: Krishi Kumbh Mela, 2019 was organized in Motihari, East Champaran 2019.

Answer: B

Solution: The Hindu rate of growth is a term referred to the low annual growth rate of the economy of India before the economic reforms of 1991 (it was around 3.5% from 1950s to 1980s).

Answer: A

Solution: The MSP is the minimum price at which the central government buys the agriproducts from farmers. It helps protect farmers against any sudden fall in the price of farm produce.

How is the MSP calculated? 

MSP is calculated on the basis of recommendations of Swaminathan Committee report. Three variables are used in the calculation of MSP namely A2, FL, and C2.

A2 is the out of pocket expenditure on Seeds, irrigation, fertoilizers etc.

FL is the cost of family labour enganged in the gri practices.

So what is C2 then? 

C2 is the agrregated cost of agriculture including A2, FL, the rental of the land and and interest foregone on the land and machinery owned by farmers. So, C2 is the umbrella rate covering all the input costs of farmers.

So, C2= A2 FL Land Rents

The Swaminathan committee recommended to calculate MSP considering C2 rate.

MSP = CPX1.5 (Ideal rate of MSP)

What formula is used at present to calculate MSP?

MSP= 1.5X (A2 FL)

What farmers are demanding? 

MSP= 1.5XC2

No need to mention that the second formula will create additional pressure on the fiscal health of the government.

Who prepares the estimate of MSP? 

The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) prepares the estimate. It is an apex advisory body for pricing policy under the Ministry of Agriculture.

Who approves the recommendations of the CACP?

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approves the MSP rates recommended by the CACP. This body comes under the ministry of finance and is headed by the Prime minister of India.

What are the crops covered under MSP?

Government announces minimum support prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane.

Answer: C

Solution: Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Scheme comes under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Under the scheme, each subscriber shall receive the minimum assured pension of ₹ 3,000 per month after attaining the age of 60 years.

Answer: C 

Solution: This is the term used in international export. Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme allows import of capital goods including spares for pre-production, production and post-production at zero duty

Answer: A

Solution: Direct finance means taking loans from the institutions directly. Can you go to the NABARD office and ask for the agriculture loan? No. 

But, you may get it from nearby Banks like SBI, RRBs etc.

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is an apex regulatory body for the overall regulation of regional rural banks.

Answer: D 

Solution: 

What is Forex Reserve? 

It is a wealth meter of a country in terms of foreign currency, gold, treasury bills, etc.

Who holds Forex reserve in India?

RBI

What is the current Forex Reserve in India?

About 28 Lakh Crore INR.

Answer: B

Solution:  Zamindari System: Tax collected indirectly with the help of Zamindars. Lands were surveyed and they were given to the Zamindars on fixed rents for 10 years. It was implemented in Bengal by the East India Company.

Mahalwari System: The productivity of land was surveyed and lands were allocated to the village headman.

Ryotwari system: Implemented in South India by Captain Alexander Read and Munro. The tax was collected directly from the farmers. 

Note: The common point in all the three systems of revenue collection is that the lands were surveyed for productivity before allocation.

Answer: D

Solution: Factual Question

Answer: D

Solution: Antyodaya Anna Yojana aims at providing subsidized food grains to the poorest of the poor section of society.

It was launched in the year 2000 and Rajasthan was the first state to implement it.

Answer: A

Solution: Factual Question

Answer: A

solution: Factual Question

Answer: B

solution: Factual Question from Economic Survey of Bihar.

Answer: A 

Solution

As per Census 2011(with reference to Bihar)

• Sex Ratio: 916 
• District with the highest Sex ratio: Gopalganj (1015)
• District with the Lowest Sex ratio: Munger and Bhagalpur (879)
• Overall child sex ratio: 935

Answer: C 

Solution: The Panchayati Raj system in India was introduced on the recommendation of the Balwant Rai Mehta committee.

The Parliament passed the 73rd constitutional amendment act, 1992 to enact the Panchayati Raj system in India. It was a three-tier structure system with Gram Sabha at the lowest level.

Answer: E 

Solution: Salient Features of Parliamentary form of government: 

1. The executive is responsible to Legislature (elected by the people)
2. There is a Prime Minister and the Ministers are members of the legislature.
3. Majority party rules.

Hence None of the above is the correct answer.

Answer: A

Solution: Order of Precedence

1. Chairperson, Union Public Service Commission,
2. Chief Election Commissioner,
3. Comptroller & Auditor General of India.
4. Chief Justices of High Court

Answer: B

Solution: Members in the Assembly

Himachal Pradesh: 68

Arunachal Pradesh: 60

Manipur: 60

Meghalaya: 60

Answer: C 

Solution: M3 version of the VVPAT is used in India.

Answer: D

Solution: Quo Warranto literally means under what authority. It is issued to question the official for checking the legitimate claims of the chair being held.

Why it is also referred to as postpartum in nature?

Because it is issued after the individual has assumed the chair and not before it.

Answer: E

Solution:  Aam Admi Party is 

1. Registered Party
2. State Party
3. Regional Party 

Answer: E 

Solution: All are the Features of the Community Development Program.

Answer: C 

Solution: 

1. Centralization of Powers
2. Single and Simple Government
3. Uniformity of Laws
4. No/ Less Distribution of Powers

Drawback: Not suitable for large countries as the diverse population is not well represented.

Answer: A 

Solution: The term Patwari refers to an individual in the local authority who maintains the ownership records for a specific area as well as undertakes the collection of land taxes.

Ans: B

Solution: As per Census 2011(with reference to Bihar)

• Sex Ratio: 916
• District with the highest Sex ratio: Gopalganj (1015)
• District with the Lowest Sex ratio: Munger and Bhagalpur (879)
• Overall child sex ratio: 935

Answer: C 

Solution: 

Answer: C 

Solution: 12 districts of Bihar are situated on the bank of river Ganga with Patna having the longest length share.

Answer: B 

Solution: Dharwar geological formations are found in Chotanagpur plateau, Meghalaya, Aravalli, parts of the Himalayas region, Tamil Nadu & Delhi. In Bihar, they are found in Munger, Jamui, Nawada.

Answer: C 

Solution: Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor is an important industrial corridor of India.

It passes through Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat & Maharashtra.

It is being developed in collaboration with Japan.

Answer: D 

Solution

Correctly matched pair of Tribe and State from the given options are- 

• Bhils-Gujarat 
• Gaddis-Himachal Pradesh 
• Kotas-Tamil Nadu 

• Todas- Tamil nadu (Nilgiri Hills)

Answer : D 

Solution: As per the Census 2011, Jains have recorded the highest percentage of literacy rate .

• Jain: 86.73%. 
• Christians: 74.34%, 
• Buddhists: 71.83%
• Sikhs: 67.51%. 
• Hindus: 63.60
• Muslims: 57.28%

Answer: A 

Solution

Coral reefs in India are mainly found in the following regions- 

• Gulf of Mannar 
• Gulf of Kachchh 
• Lakshadweep and Manioc Island 
• Palk Bay 
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Answer: C 

Solution: As per the India State of Forest Report 2017, top three states/UTs having the largest forest cover in terms of area are: ✓

1. Madhya Pradesh (77414 sq.km)
2. Arunachal Pradesh (66964 sq.km)
3. Chhattisgarh (55547 sq.km)

Note: Madhya Pradesh also has the largest area under dens deciduous forest cover in India.

Answer: D 

Solution: Girnar hills do not have tea plantations.

Answer: B 

Solution: North Koel river is the tributary of Son river and Son river is the tributary the river Ganga, hence, North Koel river is the part of Ganga river basin.

Answer: C

Solution: Three important hills of Western Ghats are Nilgiri Hills, Annamalai & Cardamom.

From North to south:  Nilgiri Hills, Annamalai & Cardamom. Hence, Kanyakumari is the southern tip of mainland India. Cardamom Hill is situated closer to Kanyakumari.

Answer: A 

Solution: The leading producers of Uranium are Kazakhstan, Australia & Canada.

Answer: D 

Solution: Saffron is derived from the flower of Crocus sativus (or saffron crocus). Iran produces 90–93% of global production of saffron.

Answer: B 

Solution: Indonesia has more than 17000 thousand islands. 

Answer: A 

Solution: Russia is located partly in North Asia & partly in the Eastern Europe. It has the longest north-south (latitudinal) extension of its territory.

Answer: C 

Solution: Japan is the largest country without borders in terms of geographical area.

Answer: A 

Solution: Sheohar is the district with highest population density.

Answer: C 

Solution: Out of its total length of 2525 Km, 445 Km of river Ganga passes through the  state of Bihar. The river enters into the state from Chausa.

Patna has the longest length of the river Ganga in Bihar. The total length of the Ganga river is 99 Km in Patna district. 

Answer: A 

Solution: 6.87% of the total areas of Bihar is the forested area.

The area of the state, under dense forest is 2951 Sq. Km. which is 3.13% of the total  geographical area of the state. 

West Champaran has larger area under dense deciduous forest cover.

Answer: A 

Solution

Non-Cooperation Movement in Bihar 

• Non-Cooperation Movement in India was started by Mahatma Gandhi in the backdrop of  Rowlatt Rowlatt Act & Jalliawalan Bag Massacre. 
• In August 1920, the Bihar Congress passed the non-cooperation resolution under the  presidentship of Dr. Rajendra Prasad. 
• This resolution was introduced by Shah Mohammad Zubair & Dharnidhar Prasad. 
• A committee on the movement was constituted by Dr. Rajendra Prasad with Mazhar-ul-Haq &  Shah Mohammad Zubair. 
• ‗Bihar National College‘ and its building ‗Bihar Vidhyapeeth‘ was inaugurated by Mahatma  Gandhi. 
• Swami Vidyanand led cultivators in Bihar during the Non-cooperation Movement.

Answer: C 

Solution

• Babu Veer Kunwar Singh was nearly 80 years old, but his bravery & courage helped him shine  as a star in the revolt of 1857.

    • He took charge of the sepoys who were            stationed at Danapur on 25th July, 1857. 

• He tried to free Arrah with the help of his band of 4000 soldiers. 
• Though he failed in his first attempt but succeeded to capture Arrah in his second attempt on  27th July, 1857. 
• He declared himself as the ruler of Arrah. 
• Captain Dunver reached Arrah to re-capture it, but he was defeated. 
• This was a significant victory of Veer Kunwar Singh. 
• He took control of the Arrah fort till 3rd August, 1957. 
• Finally British officer Major Vincent Eyre took Arrah back from Veer Kunwar Singh. • In Ayodhya, he joined Nana Saheb in his fight against British for Kanpur. • He was appointed as a divisional commander there. 
• In his way to Azamgarh, he was joined by the forces of Ali Kareem. 
• An intense struggle took place between him & Colonel Milkman to seize Azamgarh fort. • The Colonel Milkman had to flee & Kunwar Singh confiscated the Azamgarh fort. • Finally he passes away on 26 April 1858. 
• The Government of India released a stamp in his honour, in 1966.

Answer: A 

Solution

• The division of India between two new dominions was carried out as per the ―Mountbatten  Plan‖. 
• The plan was announced by the Mountbatten on 3 June 1947. 
• J.B. Kripalani was elected as the President of the Indian National Congress in November 1946. • He presided over the Meerut session of INC in 1947. 
• He was the President of the Indian National Congress at the time of partition of India. 

Answer: B 

Solution

• The Sarabandi was a no tax campaign. 
• The campaign was led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1922. 
• In this campaign, the peasants decided not to pay the taxes. 

Answer: B 

Solution

Dandi March (March 12-April 6, 1930) 

• The Civil Disobedience Movement in India was started with the Salt Satyagraha. 
• Mahatma Gandhi along with a band of 78 members of Sabarmati Ashram, marched from  Ahmedabad to Dandi on March 12, 1930. 
• They travelled a distance of 240 miles. 
• They reached the Dandi beach on April 6, 1930. 
• Gandhiji collected the salt from the beach & violated the salt law.

Answer: B 

Solution

• Lord Lytton was the viceroy of India from 1876-1880. 
• The Second Afghan War (1878-80) took place during his viceroyship. • He followed aggressive policy towards Afghanistan. 
• Much of Afghanistan was occupied by British during the second Anglo Afghan war. • The ruler Sher Ali was defeated and fled to Turkistan. 
• His son, Mohammad Yaqub Khan signed a treaty of Gandamak in May, 1879. 

Answer: B 

Solution

• Lord William Bentick appointed Captain William Sleeman for the suppression of the thugs in  India. 
• The thugs were suspended by the British rulers of India during the 1830s. • Henry Sleeman captured ―Feringhea‖ (also known as Syeed Amir Ali). 

Answer: C 

Solution

• Vasco da Gama arrived at Calicut on May 20, 1498 
• The Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral arrived at Calicut in Kerala on 13 September  1500 
• They were also the first European to enter in Bihar. 
• They were mainly interested in cotton & textile of Bihar. 
• Portuguese captain Pedro Tavares received permission from Emperor Akbar to establish a  factory in the region. 
• The first place where they set-up their factory was Hooghly in 1579-80 • They used Hooghly as a base for piracy in the Bay of Bengal.

Answer: A 

Solution

• He was born in 1309 
• He ascended the throne of Delhi after the death of his cousin Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq. • He started the imposition of Jaziya. 
• He was called as the ‗father of the irrigation department‘ as he constructed several canals. • He constructed canals from:- 

✓ Mandvi and Sirmour Hills to Hansi in Haryana 

✓ Ghaggar to Firozabad 

✓ Sutlej to the Ghaggar 

✓ Yamuna to the city of Hissar

Answer : D

Solution 

• Chhatrapati Shivaji was born on February 19, 1630 at Shivneri Fort in Pune (present-day  Maharashtra). 
• He was the son of Shahaji Bhonsle (a Maratha general) & Jijabai. 
• Shivaji was the founder of the Maratha kingdom of India. 
• His Reign lasted from 1674 to 1680. 
• He established the system of Ashta Pradhan. 
• Ashta Pradhans were the prominent officials of Marathas. 
• They were – 

✓ Peshva (Prime Minister) 

✓ Nyayadhish (judiciary) 

✓ Amatya or Mazumdar (Finance Minister) 

✓ Samant or Dabir (dealing with the outsiders) 

✓ Waqia-Navis (similar to home minister) 

✓ Sachiv (The official correspondence) 

✓ Sar-i-nabuat (army affairs) 

✓ Pandit Rao (The official religious officer) 

• Chhatrapati Shivaji was born on February 19, 1630 at Shivneri Fort in Pune (present-day  Maharashtra). 
• He was the son of Shahaji Bhonsle (a Maratha general) & Jijabai. 
• Shivaji was the founder of the Maratha kingdom of India. 
• His Reign lasted from 1674 to 1680. 
• He established the system of Ashta Pradhan. 
• Ashta Pradhans were the prominent officials of Marathas. 
• They were – 

✓ Peshva (Prime Minister) 

✓ Nyayadhish (judiciary) 

✓ Amatya or Mazumdar (Finance Minister) 

✓ Samant or Dabir (dealing with the outsiders) 

✓ Waqia-Navis (similar to home minister) 

✓ Sachiv (The official correspondence) 

✓ Sar-i-nabuat (army affairs) 

✓ Pandit Rao (The official religious officer) 

Answer: B

Solution

• Mansabdari system was a grading system of those who joined the Mughal service. • A Mansabdar was an individual holding a Mansab (a position or rank). 
• The system was used to fix military responsibility, rank & salary of a Mansabdar. • The rank & salary of the Mansabdar were determined by the number called Zat. • Higher the Zat, higher the rank & salary of the Mansabdar. 
• Mansabhar also had to maintain a specific number of cavalrymen to perform his military  functions. 
• He had to register & review his cavalrymen & got his horses branded. 
• The jagirs were carefully assessed during the rule of Akbar to match the revenue & salary of a  Mansabdar. 
• But the condition deteriorated in the reign of Aurangzeb where the actual revenue collected was  often lesser than the granted sum. 
• There was a huge increase in the number of Mansabdars during his rule & it becomes highly  cumbersome for him. 

Answer: A 

Solution 

• Mughal painting is a mixture of Islamic, Persian & Indian styles. 
• It emerged during the rule of Humayun (1530-1540). 
• The style was flourished & advanced during the reign of Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan.
• Mughal painting reached its zenith under Jahangir. 
• Under his patronage, the Mughal school paintings acquired greater dignity, refinement &  charm. 

Answer: E 

Solution 

• The Gupta had flourishing trade with Romans, which was badly affected with Huna invasion in  the later period. 
• Important trade towns of the period were Sind, Kalyana & Brigukachchaha which had bulk  trade with Romans. 
• Ujjain was also a major commercial centre which was linked to north & south India. • Other important centres of trade were Benares, Pataliputra & Nasik. 
• Tamralipti was a good source of Trade with East Asia. 
• Broach was also an important port under Guptas 

Answer: C 

Solution 

• Kharosthi is the contemporary script of Brahmi. 
• It was written from right to left. 
• Sometimes, it is called as the Gandhari Script, as it was used in the Gandhara culture of North Western India. 
• These inscriptions are found in present day Pakistan & Afghanistan in Buddhist Texts. 

Answer: A 

Solution

• He lived in 6th century BC during the Gupta period. 
• He is known for his work on medicine. 
• He wrote treaties titled ‗Sushruta Samhita‘. 
• It has one of the earliest works on cataract surgery, rhinoplasty & leprosy etc. • It also has details of surgery procedures & surgical instruments. 
• He is called as the ―Father of Plastic Surgery‖. v

Answer: B 

Solution 

• Ashoka was born in 304 BC 
• He was the son of mauryan king Bindusara. 
• He was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya. 
• He was also known by the names of Piyadasi/ Priyadarshi & Devanampiya (Beloved of the  Gods). 
• He is considered as one of greatest ruler of India. 

Answer: A 

Solution 

 The First cabinet of Bihar was formed in 1946, which initially had two members i.e. Dr. Shri  Krishna Singh as the first Chief Minister & Dr. Anurag Narayan Sinha as the first Deputy Chief  Minister. 

• He was the first Chief Minister of Bihar, who served from 1946 to 1961. • He was also the first Chief Minister in the country to abolish the Zamindari system. • He was a Gandhian Freedom fighter. 
• He was also known as ―Bihar Kesari‖.

• He established the Swaraj Dal in Bihar.

Answer: B 

Solution 

• The fertile soil of Bihar, which is drained by river Ganga & its tributaries has attracted many  foreign powers. 
• Europeans were no exception. 
• They were attracted with indigo, saltpeter, cotton & textiles of Bihar. 
• They opened their factories in various places of Bihar. 
• During the 17th century Patna was the centre of international trade. 
• Patna became an important centre of calicos & silk. 
• It was also a trading port of Salt Petre. 
• Along with the British, other European powers like the Portuguese, the French, the Danes, the  Dutch started competing with each other in the lucrative & highly profitable business. 
• Dutch were interested in saltpeter, foodgrains, cotton & textiles. 
• Their factory was established in Patna in 1632. 

Answer: A 

Solution 

• Sri Krishna Singh & Mohammad Zubair organised the Kisan Sabha in Munger in 1922. • Bihar Provincial Kisan Sabha (BPKS) was formed by Swami Sahajanand Saraswati in 1929. 
• The purpose of the sabha was to redress the grievances of peasant against the zamindari attacks  on their occupancy rights. 
• The year 1933 saw the formation of Bihar Kisan Sabha. 

Answer: A 

Solution 

• Sachchidananda Sinha was an educationist, humanist, legislator, lawyer & orator. • He was the member of the Indian Legislative Assembly & the Imperial Legislative Council. • He was the Deputy President of the Assembly in 1921. 
• He was the President of the Bihar and Orissa Legislative Council. 
• He served as the Interim President of the Constituent Assembly in 1946. • He called as the creator of Modern Bihar.

Answer: C 

Solution

• Suresh Nambath was appointed as the Editor of The Hindu by the Board of Directors of The  Hindu Publishing Group with effect from March 1, 2019. 
• He will succeed Mukund Padmanabhan. 
• Sh. Padmanabhan has been the editor of the newspaper from March 2016. • The Hindu was founded by G. Subramania in 1878. 

Answer: A 

Solution 

• BRICS the group of world‘s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China,  and South Africa. 
• Together, they comprise 23% of the global GDP, 17% of the world trade & 42% of the world’s  population. 
• The 11th BRICS Summit took place in Brasilia, Brazil from 13th-14th November 2019. • The theme of the summit was “Economic Growth for an Innovative Future.|
•  The Brasilia Declaration was adopted in the summit.

Answer: D 

Solution 

• Recently the practice of instant Triple Talaq was criminalised by passing the Muslim Women  (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 by the Indian Parliament. 
• The practice of Triple Talaq (or talaq-e-biddat) was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme  court of India in Shayara Bano case (2017). 
• The practice was held to be in violation of the Article 14 (the right to equality) of Indian  constitution. 
• The bill has the provision of three years in jail to any Muslim husband who communicates the  ―talaq‖ orally or in writing. 

Answer : B 

Solution

• UNESCO inaugurated the celebration of 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table of  Chemical Elements. 
• The International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements 2019 aims to recognise the  importance of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. 
• It is one of the most important achievements in modern science. 
• The event celebrates 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Periodic Table of Chemical  Elements Mendeleev. 
• UNESCO inaugurated the celebration of 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table of  Chemical Elements. 
• The International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements 2019 aims to recognise the  importance of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. 
• It is one of the most important achievements in modern science. 
• The event celebrates 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Periodic Table of Chemical  Elements Mendeleev. 

Answer : C 

Solution 

• Summer Olympic Games were planned to be held in 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. • It was the XXXII Olympiad. 
• The games were originally scheduled to take place between 24 July and 9 August 2020. 
• However due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Tokyo Olympic games are rescheduled for 23 July  to 8 August 2021. 

Answer: B

Solution

• Ikea is the world‘s biggest furniture giant.
• It is the Swedish furniture giant.
• Ikea‘s first showroom in India was opened in Hyderabad in August, 2018.
• Ikea is also planning to open its stores in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Gurugram.

Answer: B
Solution

• Ruskin Bond is a famous author.
• He is an Indian author of British descent.
• He is a top novelists & children’s author.
• The book ―A Gallery of Rascals‖ is written by him.

Answer: D

Solution

• Tulsi Gabbard is an American politician and Hawaii Army National Guard major.
• She was elected as the first Hindu member of the US Congress in 2012.
• She is also the Democratic Presidential candidate.
• She sued Google for at least $50 M for its ̳discriminatory actions‘ against her 2020 election
campaign.

Answer: C

Solution 

• Asoke Kumar Mukerji was the Permanent Representative of India to the UN.
• He was replaced by Syed Akbaruddin.
• Akbaruddin has been serving as India’s Permanent Representative at the UN since January
2016.
• TS Tirumurti, who is a 1985-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, succeeds Syed Akbaruddin
as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in April, 2020.

Answer: A
Solution

• The first major step towards establishing the Non-Aligned Movement was Asia-Africa
Conference.
• It was held in 1955, in Bandung, Indonesia.
• The summit of the Non-Aligned Movement was held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia from September
1-6, 1961.
• Currently there are 120 members, 17 observer states and 10 international observer
organisations in the Non-Aligned Movement.
• The Ministerial Meeting of the Coordination Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement was held
in Caracas, Venezuela on July 18-21, 2019.

Answer: D
Solution

• After first round of voting in the Conservative Party to be the Prime Minister of the UK, name
of first seven candidates were declared.
• Esther McVey, Andrea Leadsom & Mark Harper could not make into the list of top 7
candidates.

• The highest number of votes were received by Boris Johnson (114 votes).
• With 43 votes, Jeremy Hunt came second.
• Michael Gove was third in the list with 37 votes.

Answer: B
Solution

• Chandrayaan-2 was India‘s second lunar exploration mission.
• It was launched on 22 July 2019 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• The mission carried an orbiter, a lander & a rover.
• It was ISRO‘s first attempt to land on any extraterrestrial surface.
• The Core objective of the mission was to map the location, and abundance of lunar water.
• The mission was failed to do soft landing on the lunar surface.

Answer: D

Solution

• Sir Don Bradman is the fastest batsman to score 25 centuries in the test format.
• He recorded his 25th century in his 68th test inning.
• Steve Smith became the second batsman to achieve the feat.
• He has scored his 25th century in his 119th test inning.
• Virat Kohli achieved the feat in his 127th test inning.

Answer: D
Solution

• ̳The New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos, 2019‘ for the conservation and protection of
Rhinos was recently signed by the five rhino range nations.
• These nations are India, Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia and Bhutan.
• The 2nd meeting of Asian Rhino Range Countries was recently held in New Delhi.
• It was organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of Government of
India in collaboration with the WWF- India, Aaranyak & IUCN Asian Rhino Specialist Group.

Answer: C 

Solution

• World‘s first camel hospital is located in Dubai, UAE. 
• It is a unique hospital catering to the needs of the camel industry. 
• Camels are an integral part of the United Arab Emirate (UAE)‘s heritage. 

Answer: A 

Solution

• The Gandhi Peace Prize 2018 was conferred to Yohei Sasakawa (the Goodwill Ambassador of  World Health Organization) for his contribution in Leprosy Eradication in India and world. 
• The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 1 Crore, a Citation, a plaque as well as an exquisite  traditional handicraft/handloom item. 
• The Gandhi Peace Prize 2017 was conferred to the Ekal Abhiyan Trust. • Akshaya Patra Foundation & Sulabh International were given the award for 2016. • For 2015, the award was given to Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari.

Answer: A 

Solution 

• Manohar Parrikar, the Chief Minister of Goa & former Union Defence Minister of India was  passed away on March 17, 2019 in Panaji. 
• He was suffering from pancreatic cancer. 
• Pramod Sawant succeeded him as the Chief Minister of Goa. 
• He became 11th Chief Minister of state.

Answer: B
Solution

• The first edition of the Indian Sign Language Dictionary was launched on March 23, 2018.
• The dictionary had 3,000 words of daily use.
• The second edition of the Indian Sign Language Dictionary was launched in March 2019.
• It has 6,000 words, used in daily life.
• These dictionaries have been developed by the Indian Sign Language Research and Training
Centre (ISLRTC), under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
(DEPwD).

Answer: D
Solution

• United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) is the governing body of the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP).

• It was established in the year 2012.
• The body enjoys the universal membership of all 193 UN Member nations.
• The 4th Session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) was recently held in Nairobi from
11-15 March 2019.
• The theme of the session was “Innovative Solutions for environmental challenges and
sustainable production and consumption”.

Answer: A
Solution

• The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, visited Paraguay from 5-7 March 2019
and Costa Rica from 7-9 March 2019.
• This is the first high-level visit of these countries from India.
• The President of Paraguay, Mr. Fernando Lugo visited India in May 2012.
• Paraguay is a landlocked country of South America.
• The capital of the nation is Asunción.

Answer: C

Solution

• Recently India‘s National space agency, ISRO and French space agency, CNES has signed an
agreement to set up a joint maritime surveillance system.
• The agreement was signed between K.Sivan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research
Organisation, and Jean-Yves Le Gall, President of CNES of France.
• Under the agreement, two nations are planning to put a constellation of low-Earth orbiting
satellites for surveillance to identify and track the movement of ships globally, and in the Indian
Ocean region particularly.
• The National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) is the French Space Agency founded in 1961
with the headquarters in Paris.

Answer: C
Solution

• 46th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC) was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
• The session was held from 1st to 2nd March, 2019.
• India was invited as the ̳Guest of Honour‘ of the session by the host UAE.
• The theme of the session was “50 years of Islamic cooperation: the road map for prosperity and
development”.

Answer: B
Solution

• In November 2018, 6 megalithic burial sites were discovered on Kaimur hills under Nauhatta
block of Rohtas district of Bihar.
• These burial sites were discovered by Dr Shyam Sundar Tiwary.
• This discovery is an indication that Bihar too ―is a megalithic state‖.
• It is the first documentation of a megalithic site in Bihar.
• It has great historical significance.

Answer: D
Solution

• The Prime Minister of India Sh. Narendra Modi recently laid the foundation of Mandal Dam
project on North Koel river.

• It is situated in the Jharkhand State.
• North Koel river is the tributary of Son river.
• Son river is the tributary the river Ganga.

Answer: C
Solution

• Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) was established in the year 1980 with
the objective of the development of tourism in the State.
• BSTDC provides various tourist infrastructures such as Restaurant, Cafeteria, Tourist
Bungalow, Transportation facilities and Ropeway at various tourist places in the state.
• It has taken several major initiatives to showcase the tourism potential of the state.
• The tagline of Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation is ―Blissful Bihar‖.

Answer: D
Solution

• The last Muslim ruler of Kashmir valley was Yousuf Shah Chak.
• Mughal emperor Akbar exiled him to Bihar.
• He settled in Biswak village in Nalanda along with his family and relatives.
• Though, he passed way in Odisha in 1592, but his body was buried at the graveyard at Biswak
village in Nalanda.

Answer: A
Solution 

• Some states fulfilling certain parameters are given the tag of the Special Category Status (SCS)
by the Central government.
• These criteria are-
✓ Non-viable nature of state finances
✓ Strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries
✓ Hilly and difficult terrain
✓ Economic and infrastructural backwardness
✓ Low population density or sizeable share of tribal population
• Initially Jammu & Kashmir, Nagaland & Assam were granted special status.
• Five more states i.e. Meghalaya, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur & Tripura were included
in this list from 1974-1979.
• Mizoram & Arunachal Pradesh were included in the list in 1990.

• Uttarakhand was given special category status in 2001.

Answer: C
Solution

• The capital of the British India was shifted to Delhi in 1911.
• As that time, the Bengal Presidency was split into four sabhas, i.e., Bengal, Bihar, Assam &
Orissa.
• On March 22, 1912, Bihar was separated from Bengal Presidency.
• Hence, March 22 is celebrated as the foundation day of Bihar.
• This day is celebrated as ̳Bihar Diwas‘.
• The celebration of ̳Bihar Diwas‘ was the brain child of Sh. Nitish Kumar.
• 107th foundation day of Bihar was celebrated on March 22nd, 2019.

Answer: B

Solution

• Shri Fagu Chauhan is the present Governor of Bihar.
• He took oath of the office on 29-07-2019.
• Sh. A. P. Sahi was the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court at the time of his appointment.
• He administered the oath of office to Mr. Fagu Chauhan.

Answer: B
Solution

• The food is prepared in the plant by the process of Photosynthesis.
• In this process, Water (H2O) & Carbon dioxide (CO2) reacts in the presence of sunlight, to
form glucose. Chlorophyll traps the light from the Sun which is essential for the process.

• The equation of the reaction is-
6CO2 12H2O — C6H12 O6 6H2O 6O2

• Factors influencing photosynthesis are-
✓ Temperature
✓ Carbon dioxide (CO2)
✓ Light
✓ Water (H2O)

Answer: B
Solution

• Chloroplasts are organelles found in eukaryotic algae & plant cells.
• They conduct photosynthesis.
• They absorb sunlight & use it in conjunction with carbon dioxide & water to produce food.
• They capture sunlight to produce the free energy stored in ATP and NADPH through the
process of photosynthesis.

Answer: E
Solution

• Habitat- It is the type of natural environment in which a particular species of organism lives.
• Ecosystem- It is the functional & structural where the living organisms interact with each other
and the surrounding environment.
• Niche- A particular role played by organisms in an ecosystem. It is species specific.
• Biome-It is a large ecosystem where different types of living organisms live together in a
certain type of climate.

Answer: B
Solution

• Lichen is a symbiotic association between a fungus and algae or cyanobacterium.
• In this association, the fungus provides protection, shelter & holds water for the algae.
• The algae in turn supplies nitrogen & food to the fungus.
• This mutual interdependence helps both of them grow together.

Answer: D

Solution: Charles Darwin propounded the theory of evolution by natural selection.

This theory of evolution by natural selection was first formulated in his book “the Origin of Species” in 1859.

Answer: D

Solution: The number of chemical bonds between any pair of atoms in a molecule is known as the Bond Order.

Bond order & Bond length indicates the strength & type of covalent bonds between atoms. The bond order of CO group is 3.

Answer: C

Solution: The chemical formula for Glucose is C6H12O6. It is the most abundant organic compound on the earth.

Answer: A

Solution: Natural Rubber is a natural polymer of Isoprene. It is obtained from bark of a rubber tree. The leading producers of Natural Rubber are Thailand & Indonesia.

Answer: A

Solution: Kerosene is a pale yellow or colorless fuel with an unpleasant odour. Its chemical formula is C₁₂H₂₆−C₁₅H_{32. It has no Oxygen in it.} 

Answer: E

Solution: Some atmospheric gases are capable of trapping the out-going infrared radiation from the earth‘s surface. They are called green house gases.

Examples of Green House Gases: Chlorofluorocarbons, Water vapour, Carbon dioxide, Methane & Nitrous oxide are such gases. Carbon dioxide is considered as a major component of greenhouse gases based on percentage
share.

Answer: B

Solution: When pH is up to 7, the solution is acidic. When pH is at 7, the solution is neutral. When pH is above 7, the solution is basic.

The PH value of pure water is 7.

Answer: C

Solution: Gas is the State of the Matter and not a type of element.

Answer: B

Solution: Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an oxide of nitrogen. It is known as the laughing gas.
It was first identified by Joseph Priestley in 1772. It is generally used as an anesthetic agent.

Answer: C

Solution: Mass number of an atom equals to sum total of number of protons and neutrons. In a neutral atom, the number of protons is equals to number of electrons.

Here, the number of electrons and neutrons in an element is 18 and 20, so the the Mass Number=18 plus 20=38.

Ans: (C)

Solution: He was a French chemist who made important contributions to the science. He is considered the father of modern chemistry.

Ans: (D)

Solution: Watt is standard unit of power (energy per unit time), the equivalent of one jouleper second. The watt is used to specify the rate at which electrical energy is dissipated.

Ans: (B)

Solution: An ammeter is a measuring instrument used to measure the current in a circuit. Electric currents are measured in amperes, hence the name. The ammeter is usually connected in series with the circuit in which the current is to be measured.

Answer: C

Solution: Hypothalamus is an almond size region, present at the centre of the human brain. It is made of three regions which are-anterior region, middle region & posterior region. The primary function of Hypothalamus is to regulate the homeostasis in the body.

Answer: A

Solution: Frequency is defined as the number of oscillations per unit time of a wave. It is measured in terms of Hertz (Hz) in SI Unit.

Answer: B
Solution: The formula for conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit: F=(9/5)C plus 32

Here, F=(9/5)*50  plus 32= 122

Answer: B

Solution: A sound wave propagates as the longitudinal waves. It means that the direction of propagation of vibration of particles is parallel to the direction of the energy wave propagation. The speed of sound is fastest in solid medium, intermediate in liquid medium & slowest in gaseous medium.

Answer: C

Solution: Strain is defined as the ratio between the amount of deformation experienced by the body in the direction of force applied & initial dimensions of the body.

Mathematically, It can be expressed as, ε=δl/L where ε is the strain, δl is the change in length & L is the original length of the body.

Since it is a ratio between lengths, it is a dimensionless.

Answer: B

Solution: Pressure is perpendicular force applied per unit area on a surface. It is a scalar quantity as it has magnitude but no direction associated with it.

Answer: C

Solution: Sunlight travels at the speed of light and its speed is equal to 3 Lakh Km/s.
It almost equals to 8 minutes and 20 seconds.

Answer: E

Solution: Pressure is perpendicular force applied per unit area on a surface.
The SI unit for pressure is the Pascal (Pa) and it is equal to one newton per square metre (N/m2).

Sometimes it is also expressed as kilograms-force per square centimetre or grams-force per square centimetre (kg/cm2 or g/cm2).

Answer: D

Solution: Acquire immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a viral disease. It is caused by the Human Immuno Virus (HIV).

Answer: C

Solution: The thyroid gland is an essential part of the human endocrine system, which secrets several hormones. Thyroxine is one of the most important hormones secreted by the thyroid gland and it contains Iodine.

This The hormone plays a crucial role in muscle control, bone health, metabolism, heart and digestive function & brain development.

Answer: B

Solution: A lymphocyte is a type of white blood cell. These are the human body’s main types of immune cells.

They are formed in the bone marrow.

Answer: E

Solution: Lichen is a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae, Enzymes are found in the cells of algae.

Bacteria are living cells which have enzymes in its cells.
Algae also have enzymes in their cells.

Answer: D

Solution: Osteology is the scientific study of bones of both humans and animals.

Geology: The scientific study of the Earth, its material and the structure.

Serology: The scientific study of serum and other body fluids.

Orology: The study of mountains and their formation.

Answer: D

Answer: C

Answer: B
Solution

• Number of students who play carom=80*60%=48
• Number of students who play chess=80*45%=18
• Number of students who neither play carom nor chess=80*10%=8
• Number of students who play at least one game=80-8=72
• Number of students who play only chess=72-48=24

Answer: A

Answer: D

Answer: A

Solution: First tap can fill the water tank in 3 hours
Second tap can empty the water tank in 4 hours

Now, let us assume the capacity of the tank is 12 litres (LEM of numbers)

Now, given that the tank is 1/3rd filled, so there is already 4 litres of water in the tank.

Filling capacity of the First tap=12/3=4 litres/hour
Emptying capacity of the Second tap=12/4=3 litres/hour

So, it will take 8/1=8 hours to fill the tank

Answer: C

Solution: Given that radii of circles A and B are in the ratio 1.5 : 1

Let us assume that the radii of circles A and B are, 1.5x & x
Now the ratio of areas of the circles A and B=square of 1.5x/ square of x=2.25:1

Answer: B

Answer: C

Ans: (A)

Answer: A

Solution: Ambari Satyagraha was organised in Bihar in 1939 and was led by Rahul Sankrityayan. He was a great historian, writer, archaeologist. He is called the Father of Indian Travelogue Travel literature.

Answer: B

Solution: The Salt Satyagraha in Bhagalpur was led by Mahadev Lal Sarraf.

Note: Salt Satyagraha was launched in various places in India under the Civil Disobedience Movement. The Salt Satyagraha in Bihar was drafted by Dr Rajendra Prasad.

Answer: A

Solution: India House was started in 1905 by Shyamji Krishnavarma in London.
It was an Indian Home Rule Society, established as a centre for Indian students where a scholarship scheme was devised to bring radical youth from India.

Note: A journal called The Indian Sociologist was also started by him. Revolutionaries such as Hardayal and Savarkar also became the members of India House.

Answer: C

Solution: Gandhiji launched individual satyagraha. Vinoba Bhave was chosen as the first Satyagrahi and Jawahar Lal Nehru was the second one.

About Vinoba Bhave

‘Vinayak Narahari “Vinoba” Bhave was an Indian advocate of nonviolence and human rights. Often called Acharya, he is best known for the Bhoodan Movement. He is considered a National Teacher of India and the spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi. He was an eminent philosopher.

Answer: B

Solution: Annie Besant was the first female congress president in the year 1917. She laid the foundation of the Central Hindu College in Benaras in 1898 which later became the Benaras Hindu University in 1916.

Answer: B

Solution: The Satyashodhak Samaj was founded by Jyotiba Phule in 1873.

About Satyashodhak Samaj

The aim of the organization was education and increased social rights and political access for underprivileged groups, focusing especially on women, Shudras, and Dalits, in Maharashtra.

Answer: A

Solution: C.R. Das wrote the book India for Indians.

About C. R. Das

Chittaranjan Das, popularly called Deshbandhu, was an Indian freedom fighter, political activist, and lawyer during the Indian independence movement and founder-leader of the Swaraj Party in Bengal during the period of British colonial rule in India.

Answer: A

Solution: The Kakori Train Action was a train robbery incident that took place at Kakori, UP in 1925. It was led by Hindustan Republican Association.

Rajendra Lahiri, Roshan Singh, Ashfaqullah & Ram Prasad Bismil were arrested and were hanged later in this case.

Answer: C

Solution: Gopal Krishna Gokhale founded the Servants of India Society in 1905.

Answer: C

Solution: As a reaction to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, Rabindranath Tagore gave up his “knighthood” and Gandhiji gave up his title of “Kaiser-i-Hind”.

Answer: C

Solution: Bal Gangadhar Tilak demanded self-government and gave the slogan of “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it”.

Answer: B

Solution: INC was founded in 1885 by A. O. Hume, a British civil servant. The first session of Congress was held in the same year at Bombay.

Answer: A

Solution: The Bihar Socialist Party was founded by Jayaprakash Narayan and Phulan Varma in 1931. The party was formed in the year 1931 but it was working under the shadow of Congress.

Answer: E

Solution: The Newspaper used to be published in Patna. Syed Haider Hussain was the first editor and Maheshwar Prasad was the second.

Note: CSR Somayajulu and S. Ranga Iyer was also the editor of this paper.

Answer: A

Solution: The book Desher Katha was written by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar.