1. Which among the following Mudra is the gesture of Buddha as depicted in his first sermon?
[A] Abhaya Mudra
[B] Dhyana Mudra
[C] Dharmachakra Mudra
[D] Bhumisparsa Mudra
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [ Dharmachakra Mudra ]
Notes:
The sermon Buddha gave to the five monks was his first sermon, called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. The Seated Buddha from Gandhara is an early statue of the Buddha made in Gandhara, in modern Pakistan, in the 2nd or 3rd century The pose, which was to become one of a number of standard ones, shows Buddha as a teacher setting the wheel of Dharma in motion (Dharmachakra Mudra). Buddha did this following his enlightenment and after delivering his first sermon at the deer park at Sarnath near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
2. Which of the following statements is incorrect about the Lingayatism?
[A] It was founded by the 12th-century philosopher and statesman Basava
[B] It is a distinct Shaivite religious tradition in India
[C] Lingayat thinkers rejected the custodial hold of Brahmins over the Vedas and the shastras
[D] Contemporary Lingayatism is influential in North India, especially in the state of Jammu & Kashmir
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Contemporary Lingayatism is influential in North India, especially in the state of Jammu & Kashmir]
Notes:
Fourth statement is incorrect because Contemporary Lingayatism is influential in South India, especially in the state of Karnataka.
3. Where are the headquarters of the North East Zone Cultural Centre located?
[A] Guwahati
[B] Itanagar
[C] Aizawl
[D] Dimapur
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Dimapur]
Notes:
The North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC), one of the seven zonal centres established by the Indian government, is situated in Dimapur in Nagaland. These cultural centres were designed to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of India. NEZCC includes Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.
4. Who was the first individual of Indian origin to be canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church?
[A] Mother Teresa
[B] Saint Alphonsa
[C] Saint Paulina
[D] Gemma Galgani
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Saint Alphonsa]
Notes:
Saint Alphonsa became the first person of Indian origin to be canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 2008. She was known for her severe ascetism and spiritual suffering. A commemorative coin was issued by the Government of India in her memory in 2009, highlighting her significance and contribution to Indian Christian history. She is the second Indian to be elevated to sainthood, following Gonsalo Garcia, a 16th-century martyr who was canonized in 1862.
5. For the first time, Indian Music genres were divided into Marga Sangeet (Classical Music) and Desi Sangeet (Folk Music) by __?
[A] Natyashashtra
[B] Brihaddeshi
[C] Sangeet Ratnakara
[D] Sangeet Martand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Brihaddeshi]
Notes:
In post Gupta period, a great treatise only after Natya Shastra was composed in Sanskrit as Brihaddeshi by Matanga Muni. Brihaddeshi is the first text that speaks about raga and distinguishes the music genres into Marga Sangeet (Classical Music) and Desi Sangeet (Folk Music). Brihaddeshi was also the important work on Indian music before the Islam came and influenced the Indian music. Brihaddeshi was based upon the Natya Shastra itself and has clarified many things which were unclear in the Bharata’s text.
6. Kovai Kora cotton saris, which received the GI status in 2014, are manufactured in which state?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Karnataka
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Tamil Nadu]
Notes:
Kovai Kora cotton is a blend of silk and cotton and Kora another product that is found more in the Sirumugai area of Tamil Nadu. This art is mostly practised by people belonging to the Devanga community, who are involved mostly in weaving Kovai Kora cotton saris and they are the pioneers also in making the product. It received GI status in 2014.
7. With reference to India’s culture and tradition, what is Kayotsarga?
[A] Meditation technique
[B] Martial art
[C] Buddhist festival
[D] Style of temple architecture in India
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ Meditation technique]
Notes:
Kayotsarga is a yogic posture or meditation technique which is an important part of the Jain meditation. Kayotsarga means to give up one's physical comfort and body movements, thus staying steady, either in a standing or other posture, and concentrating upon the true nature of the soul.
8. N Gopalaswami committee has been to set up for the promotion of which language?
[A] Sakskrit
[B] Urdu
[C] Sindhi
[D] Tamil
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Sakskrit]
Notes:
The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has set up a 13-member expert committee exclusively for promotion of the Sanskrit language. The committee is headed by N Gopalaswami, the former chief election commissioner (CEC) and now Chancellor of Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth in Tirupati. Other members of the panel include Bibek Debroy (NITI Aayog member), V V Bhat (former government of India secretary), Dr Ramadorai (Chairman of National Skill Development Corporation), Ramesh Bharadwaj (professor at Delhi University), Ved Prakash (UGC Chairman) and Chamu Krishna Shastri of the RSS-affiliated Samskrita Bharti. The committee will recommend measures to integrate the study of the Sanskrit language with other disciplines such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, medical science and law, and suggest changes in Sanskrit education in schools and universities and recommend ways to impart Sanskrit education through modern tools. The committee is also tasked with draw an action plan to develop the Sanskrit language in the next 10 years.
9. Who was the first recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Award?
[A] Prithvi Raj Kapoor
[B] Devika Rani
[C] Saurabh Modi
[D] Naushad
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Devika Rani]
Notes:
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was introduced in 1969 by the government to recognise the contribution of film personalities towards the development of Indian Cinema. Devika Rani was the first recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. She received the award in 1969 has made an immense contribution to the Indian film industry and is regarded as the “first lady of Indian cinema”
10. Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha together are known as which of the following?
[A] Triratna
[B] Trivargu
[C] Trisarga
[D] Trimurti
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ Triratna ]
Notes:
Triratna, also called Threefold Refuge, in Buddhism the Triratna comprises the Buddha, the dharma (doctrine, or teaching), and the sangha (the monastic order, or community).