1. Who was the first recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Award?
[A] Prithviraj kapoor
[B] Raj kapoor
[C] Devika Rani
[D] Guru Dutt
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Devika Rani]
Notes:
The first recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was actress Devika Rani, who was honoured at the 17th National Film Awards.
2. Which state is famous for Lavi Fair?
[A] Gujarath
[B] Punjab
[C] Orissa
[D] Himachal Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Himachal Pradesh]
Notes:
The Lavi Fair is primarily held in Himachal Pradesh, particularly in the town of Rampur Bushahr. This fair, celebrated in November, has historical significance as it dates back to the 16th century and is associated with trade and cultural exchange. It attracts traders and visitors from various regions, showcasing local handicrafts, traditional foods, and folk performances. The fair is a vibrant reflection of the region’s rich cultural heritage.
3. In the Indian mythology, who sung Shiva Tandava Stotra?
[A] Ravana
[B] Rama
[C] Kuber
[D] Vibhishana
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ravana]
Notes:
Shiva Tandava Stotra is sung by Ravana in Ramayana. It is a Sanskrit sloka. Ravana is king of Lanka.
4. The oldest recorded Indian Music dates back to 1902 when India’s first disc featured a khayal in Raag Jogiya by one of these singers. Identify the singer:
[A] Abdul Wahid Khan
[B] Govindrao Tembe
[C] Gauhar Jan
[D] Abdul Karim Khan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Gauhar Jan]
Notes:
Gauhar Jan, born as Angelina Yeoward, was of the foremost musicians in the Hindustani classical music tradition during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in India. She is known especially for her ghazal style and singing in several languages such as Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, and more. A critical performer in khyal style music, she was notable enough to perform in the first recording sessions held in India circa 1902.
5. Ancient Bhima Devi Temple is located in which state ?
[A] Rajasthan
[B] Himachal Pradesh
[C] Haryana
[D] Punjab
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Haryana]
Notes:
Bhima Devi Temple Complex, also known as Khajuraho of North India is located in Pinjore town in Panchkula district of Haryana. This temple was built between 8-11 century AD and is known for its erotic sculptures like Khajuraho.
6. Ghurrat-al-kamal (on music) was written by whom?
[A] Tansen
[B] Amir Khusrau
[C] Abul Fazl
[D] Minhaj-i-Siraj
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Amir Khusrau]
Notes:
The famous Sufi poet, Amir Khusrau was the author of the poem Ghurrat-ul-Kamaal (the Prime of Perfection). Excerpts of the works done by him are Tughluq Nama, Wast-ul-Hayat, Nuh Sipihr, Laila Majnun, etc. He was the court poet of Alauddin Khilji and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya, Delhi.
7. Which of the following were the most popular Sufis? (UPSC Prelims 1989)
[A] Rabia
[B] Hallaj
[C] Ghazali
[D] All of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [All of the above]
Notes:
Rabia al-Adawiyya al-Qaysiyya was a Muslim saint and Sufi mystic. She is known in some parts of the world as, Hazrat Bibi Rabia Basri, Rabia Al Basri or simply Rabia Basri.
Mansur al-Hallaj was a Persian mystic, poet and teacher of Sufism. He is best known for his saying: “I am the Truth”, which many saw as a claim to divinity, while others interpreted it as an instance of annihilation of the ego which allows God to speak through the individual.
Al-Ghazali was one of the most prominent and influential philosophers, theologians, jurists, and sufi mystics of Sunni Islam. He was of Persian origin. Some Muslims consider him to be a Mujaddid, a renewer of the faith who, according to the prophetic hadith, appears once every century to restore the faith of the ummah.
8. Match the columns:
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(A) M. S. Swaminathan
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(i) Author
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(B) Mulk Raj Anand
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(ii) Scientist
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(C) A. P. Venkateshwaran
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(iii) Diplomat
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(D) J. D. Sethi
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(iv) Painter
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(v) Economist
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(UPSC Prelims 1987)
[A] A-(ii) B-(i) C-(iii) D-(v)
[B] A-(i) B-(iii) C-(ii) D-(iv)
[C] A-(v) B-(ii) C-(i) D-(iii)
[D] A-(iii) B-(iv) C-(v) D-(i)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [A-(ii) B-(i) C-(iii) D-(v)]
Notes:
Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan is an Indian geneticist and administrator, known for his role in India’s Green Revolution, a program under which high-yield varieties of wheat and rice were planted.
Mulk Raj Anand was an Indian writer in English, notable for his depiction of the lives of the poorer castes in traditional Indian society.
Ayilam Panchapakesha Venkateswaran was an Indian diplomat, former Foreign Secretary of India and former Chairman of Asia Centre, Bangalore, rated by many as one of the most efficient foreign secretaries of India.
J.D. Sethi. Dr. Sethi is Reader and Head of the Department of Economics, Institute of Post Graduate Studies, Delhi University.
9. Who among the following Sufi saint maintained that devotional music was one way of coming close to God? (UPSC Prelims 1996)
[A] Muin-ud-din Chishti
[B] Baba Farid
[C] Saiyid Muhammad Gesudaraz
[D] Shah Alam Bukhari
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Muin-ud-din Chishti]
Notes:
The Sufi saint who maintained that devotional music was one way of coming close to God was Muin-ud-din Chishti. He was born in Afghanistan in 1156.He began his religious career at the age of 13. He distributed his inheritance among the poor and adopted the simple life of an itinerant Sufi fakir.
Khwaja Sahib and his disciples settled in Ajmer at the beginning of the thirteenth century. Withdrawing into a life of meditation and fasting, he preached a message of renunciation, affirming that personal experience of God was attainable to anyone who relinquished their ties to the world.
10. Which among the following is the national animal of India?
[A] Lion
[B] Tiger
[C] Elephant
[D] Bull
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Tiger]
Notes:
Panthera tigris or the tiger holds the position of the national animal of India as it symbolizes strength and agility.