1. Which of the following monasteries is known as Galden Namgey Lhatse?
[A] Hemis Monastery
[B] Tawang Monastery
[C] Bomdila Monastery
[D] Namdroling Monastery
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Correct Answer: B [ Tawang Monastery ]
Notes:
Tawang monastery is the largest of its kind in the country and is one of the largest monasteries in Asia. It is said to be one of the biggest Buddhist monasteries in the world outside of Lhasa, Tibet. It is also known by another Tibetan name, ‘Galden Namgey Lhatse’, which means ‘celestial paradise in a clear night’.
2. Hanukkah, the festival of light is associated with which one of the following religions?
[A] Hindu
[B] Jewish
[C] Muslim
[D] Christian
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Jewish]
Notes:
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, Feast of Dedication, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.
3. Who among the following has written “Bharat Durdasha”?
[A] Maithili Sharan Gupt
[B] Munshi Prem Chand
[C] Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
[D] Bharatendu Harishchandra
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Correct Answer: D [Bharatendu Harishchandra]
Notes:
Bharatendu Harishchandra (1850 – 1885) lived only for 34 years but he was such a great writer that he is known as father of modern Hindi literature as well as Hindi theatre. His pen name was “Rasa”. The title “Bharatendu” was conferred on him at a public meeting by scholars of Kashi in 1880 for his role in the development of Hindi Literature. Government of India confers the Bharatendu Harishchandra Awards since 1983 to promote original writings in Hindi mass communication.
4. Who among the following had written the Novel “Pather Panchali”, which was base of the film of same name by Satyajit Ray?
[A] Bankimchandra Chatterjee
[B] Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay
[C] Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
[D] Shambhunath Pandit
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay]
Notes:
Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay (1894-1950) is best known for his autobiographical novel, Pather Panchali (The Song of the Road), which was later adapted (along with Aparajito, the sequel) into the Apu Trilogy films, directed by Satyajit Ray. Pather Panchali is considered Bibhutibhushan masterpiece and is included in the CBSE syllabus for students choosing to study Bengali.
5. Which of the following prizes is given by KK Birla Foundation for commendable work in Hindi?
[A] Acharya Tulsi Samman
[B] Vyas Samman
[C] Saraswati Samman
[D] Rajahasha Samman
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Vyas Samman]
Notes:
KK Birla Foundation awards the Vyas Samman to outstanding Hindi literature published in the last 10 years. The award was established in 1991 and carries a cash prize of Rs 4 lakh. The winner of the 2022 Vyas Samman was Gyan Chaturvedi for his satirical novel Pagalkhana.
The KK Birla Foundation also awards the Saraswati Samman and the Bihari Puraskar. The Saraswati Samman is given to literary works published in the last 10 years by Indian writers in languages included in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The Bihari Puraskar recognizes outstanding work in Hindi or Rajasthani published in the last 10 years by a Rajasthani writer.
6. How Kumbh mela is organised in India?
[A] Every 4 years at 3 location
[B] Every 12 years at 4 locations
[C] Every 3 years at 4 locations
[D] Every 4 years at 4 locations
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Every 12 years at 4 locations]
Notes:Kumbha (Kumbha means pot) Mela is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage that takes place at the following four locations of India:
- Prayag (near the city of Allahabad, in the state of Uttar Pradesh) at the confluence of three rivers Ganga (Ganges), Yamuna and Saraswati
- Haridwar (in the state of Uttarakhand) where the river Ganga enters the plains from Himalayas
- Ujjain (in Madhya Pradesh), on the banks of Ksipra river, and
- Nasik (in Maharashtra) on the banks of Godavari river.
The pilgrimage occurs four times every twelve years, once at each of the four locations. Each twelve-year cycle includes the Maha (great) Kumbh Mela at Prayag, attended by millions of people, making it the largest pilgrimage gathering around the world.
7. Who among the following was India’s First photojournalist?
[A] Mira Chaudhuri
[B] Indira Dey
[C] Debalina Mazumadar
[D] Homai Vyarawalla
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Homai Vyarawalla]
Notes:
Homai Vyarawalla was India’s first woman photojournalist. She began work in the late 1930s and retired in the early 1970s. In 2011, she was awarded Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award of the Republic of India.
8. The word “El Niño” comes from which among the following languages?
[A] Arabic
[B] French
[C] Spanish
[D] Portuguese
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Spanish]
Notes:
The term “El Niño” comes from Spanish, meaning “the boy.” It originally referred to the Christ child, as the phenomenon typically peaks around Christmas. El Niño is characterized by the warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, impacting global weather patterns.
9. 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.
10. Who among the following Sikh Gurus struggled against Sati system and Pardah System ?
[A] Guru Nanak
[B] Guru Amardas
[C] Guru Hargovind
[D] Guru Teg Bahadur
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Guru Amardas]
Notes:
Guru Amar Das ji, the 3rd guru of Sikhs, raised the status of women and gave them equality with men. Excerpts of the works contributed by him for the society are as follows:
a) Strictly prohibited the practice of Sati system and Pardah System.
b) Started the langar ( or community kitchen) to abolish caste system.
c) Started the Manji and Piri system by appointing 94 men as Manji and 52 women as Piris to spread Sikhism.
d) Composed Anand Sahib, a part of the Nitnem (daily prayers).
