1. Which among the following is the hallmark feature of the Dravida style of temple architecture?
[A] Shikara
[B] Gopura
[C] Vimana
[D] Mandapa
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Correct Answer: C [Vimana]
Notes:
Vimana is a term for the tower above the Garbhagriha or Sanctum sanctorum in a Hindu temple in Dravidian style.
2. Dhundiraj Govind was the first name of which of the following legends of Indian Cinema?
[A] Dada Saheb Phalke
[B] Dev Anand
[C] Guru Datt
[D] Prithviraj Kapoor
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Dada Saheb Phalke]
Notes:
Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke, was an Indian producer-director-screenwriter, known as the Father of Indian cinema. His debut film, Raja Harishchandra, was the first Indian movie in 1913, and is now known as India’s first full-length feature film. His first name is Dhundiraj Govind.
3. Who among the following is known for the famous quote “an uncontrolled pen serves but to destroy.”?
[A] Jawahar Lal Nehru
[B] Mahatma Gandhi
[C] Leo Tolstoy
[D] Rabindranath Tagore
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Mahatma Gandhi]
Notes:
The name of the autobiography of Gandhiji is “The Story of My Experiments with Truth”. It was published in 1927. In this book he wrote “In the very first month of Indian Opinion, I realised that the sole aim of journalism should be service. The newspaper press is a great power, but just as an unchained torrent of water submerges whole countryside and devastates crops, even so an uncontrolled pen serves but to destroy”.
4. Ezhuthachan Puraskaram is the highest literary award of which among the following Governments?
[A] Kerala
[B] Tamil nadu
[C] Karnataka
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Kerala]
Notes:
The Ezhuthachan Puraskaram is the highest literary award conferred by the Government of Kerala. Established in 1993, it honors contributions to Malayalam literature and is named after Ezhuthachan, a revered poet often regarded as the father of the Malayalam language. The award aims to promote and recognize literary excellence in Kerala.
5. Khwaja Fariduddin Masud is popularly known by what name?
[A] Bahauddin Zakaria
[B] Shah Barkatullah
[C] Baba Farid
[D] Hamiddudin Nagauri
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Correct Answer: C [Baba Farid]
Notes:
Khwaja Fariduddin Masud, better known as Baba Farid, was a highly revered Islamic scholar in the 12th-century. This saintly figure is known for his contributions to Punjabi literature, having composed numerous verses and hymns. His wisdom revolved around themes of God’s love, and he was instrumental in spreading the message of Sufism, a mystical sect of Islam. His teachings and works continue to hold spiritual significance among believers.
6. Which of the following is not a correct statement about Buddhist Canonical literature?
[A] Abhidhamma Pitaka was compiled in third Buddhist Council
[B] Digha Nikaya is a part of the Sutta Pitaka
[C] Vinaya Pitaka primarily deals with monastic rules for monks and nuns
[D] Sutta Pitaka deals with philosophy and psychology and lays down methods for training the mind.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [ Sutta Pitaka deals with philosophy and psychology and lays down methods for training the mind. ]
Notes:
Abhidhamma Pitaka is the third and latest of the Pali canonical texts recognized in the early Buddhist Theravāda tradition. Its compilation is dated to the third Buddhist Council, held during the reign of the Mauryan emperor Asoka, that is, c. third century BCE. The text focuses on philosophy and psychology and lays down methods for training the mind.
7. Which of the following paintings involves the art of creating images on cotton cloth using the wax resist method?
[A] Kalighat
[B] Batik
[C] Kalamkari
[D] Madhubani
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Batik ]
Notes:
The art of Batik painting is practised mainly in West Bengal, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. It involves the art of creating images on cotton clothes using the wax resist method.
8. The famous Kolayat Fair is celebrated in which state of India?
[A] Rajasthan
[B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] Jharkhand
[D] Bihar
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ Rajasthan]
Notes:
Kolayat fair is annually held on Kartik Purnima tithi, or the full moon day, in Kartik month as per traditional Hindu lunar calendar in Rajasthan. The fair is held on the banks of a lake located at Kolayat near Bikaner in Rajasthan.
9. 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.
10. Which of the following films is India’s first talkie film?
[A] Alam Ara
[B] Pundlik
[C] Raja Harishchandra
[D] Nal Damayanti
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Alam Ara]
Notes:
India’s first talkie film was Alam Ara which was release in 1931 and produced by Imperial Film Company. Ardeshir Irani directed this film. It was the first Indian sound film.The film was houseful for the next 8 weeks of its release. It was advertised with the tagline “All living. Breathing. 100 per cent talking”.