1. Who among the following authors is known for his satires exposing the evils of contemporary society ?
[A] Ksemendra
[B] Pravarsena
[C] Sriharsa
[D] Visakhadutta
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ksemendra]
Notes:
Kshemendra was a Kashmirian poet of the 11th century, writing in Sanskrit.In his most of the works like ‘Kalavilas’, ‘Narma Mala’ describes the inner weakness of man and society and the corrupt official machinery of those times.In his one of the work ‘Samaya Matrika’ ,he depicted super seductress ‘Kankali’ character By depicting it ,he wishes to reform the degradation in the society. In short Ksemendra had chosen the vehicle of satire.
2. Who among the following preached the doctrine of One religion, one caste and one God for mankind?
[A] Jyotiba Phule
[B] Vivekananda
[C] Sri Narayan Guru
[D] Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Sri Narayan Guru]
Notes:
Sri Narayana Guru preached the doctrine of ‘One caste, One religion, One God.’ Its worth note that one of his athiest disciples, Sahadaran Ayyapan, changed into ‘no religion, no caste and no God for mankind.
3. Vedantham Satyanarayan is known to be a greatest guru of which of the following dance forms?
[A] Odissi
[B] kathak
[C] Bharatnatyam
[D] Kuchipudi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Kuchipudi]
Notes:
Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma, popularly known as Satyam, was an Indian classical dancer and choreographer. She is considered as an expert of Kuchpudi dance.
4. In which of the following fields Moortidevi Award is conferred?
[A] Science & Technology
[B] Law
[C] Literature
[D] Social Services
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Literature]
Notes:
Moortidevi Award is given by Bharatiya Jnanpith to Indian writers writing in 22 Indian languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution and English. It was instituted in 1961 but was first given in 1983. The first recipient of the award was the Kannada writer C. K. Nagaraja Rao (1983) for his novel, Pattamahadevi Shantala Devi.
5. 1996 was UN’s fiftieth anniversary year and this year was declared by United nations as “Year for Tolerance”. The same time frame also coincided with 125th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. In this connection, UNESCO had established a new award in the name of an Indian philanthropist for Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence. Who is this Indian philanthropist?
[A] Aga Khan III
[B] Dinshah Irani
[C] Ghanshyam Das Birla
[D] Madanjeet Singh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Madanjeet Singh]
Notes:
The correct answer is Madanjeet Singh. In 1995, UNESCO established the “Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence” to honor his contributions to peace and tolerance. Singh was an Indian diplomat and a prominent advocate for non-violence, aligning with the UN’s declaration of 1995 as the “Year for Tolerance” and the 125th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who is renowned for his philosophy of non-violence.
6. Sylheti language is a dialect of which of the following languages ?
[A] Sindhi
[B] Bengali
[C] Odia
[D] Punjabi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bengali]
Notes:
Sylheti is a language spoken by the Sylheti people, who are primarily found in the Sylhet Division of northeastern Bangladesh and in the adjacent parts of the Indian state of Assam. Sylheti is part of the Eastern Indo-Aryan language group and is closely related to Bengali, the national language of Bangladesh. It is written in the Bengali script and has its own distinctive vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Sylheti is spoken by around 15 million people and is an important language for commerce and education in the Sylhet region. It is also used as a literary language, and there is a rich tradition of Sylheti poetry, prose, and drama.
7. Who among the following was the poets composed Sur Sagar?
[A] Surdas
[B] Mira Bai
[C] Jagjivan Das
[D] Kabir Das
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Surdas]
Notes:
Saint Surdas ji was an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna and Radha, known for his devotional songs dedicated to Lord Krishna. He composed Sur Sagar (Ocean of Melody), Sur Saravali and Sahitya Ratna. He was blind from birth belong to saguna school of Bhakti Kal.
8. Khwaja Fariduddin Masud is popularly known by what name?
[A] Bahauddin Zakaria
[B] Shah Barkatullah
[C] Baba Farid
[D] Hamiddudin Nagauri
Show Answer
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.
9. Consider the following:
- Ellora Caves
- Mahabalipuram Caves
- Khajuraho Temple
Which among the following is the correct set of dynasties to which the above three are ascribed to?
[A] Rastrakuta, Pallava, Chandella
[B] Rastrakuta, Chola, Chandella
[C] Saatvahana, Pallava, Chandella
[D] Saatvahana, Chola, Chandella
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ Rastrakuta, Pallava, Chandella]
Notes:
- Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It is associated with Rashtrakuta.
- The Cave Temples of Mahabalipuram are part of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, less well-known than the ratha temples. It is associated with Chola.
- The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu temples and Jain temples in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh. It is associated with Chandelas.
10. With respect to Indian culture, what is ‘Ghode Modni’?
[A] festival celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh
[B] tribe of Andaman & Nicobar islands
[C] dance form in Goa
[D] style of Painting
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [dance form in Goa]
Notes:
Ghode Modni (‘Ghode’ means ‘horse’ and ‘Modni’ means ‘gyrations and dance-like movements’) is literally a dance involving horse-like movements. It is a warrior-dance, which commemorates the victory of the Ranes, the Maratha rulers over the Portuguese.The dance is a famous folk dance from of the Goa state.