NDA — Set 16

Q: Which Chola ruler is credited with constructing the Gangaikondacholapuram temple, surpassing the Brihadeeswara in certain artistic details?

B) Rajendra I. **Rajendra I** built the **Gangaikondacholapuram** temple after his victorious northern campaign to the Ganges. The temple's vimana rises to **11 storeys** and features intricate sculptures that art historians consider more refined than those of Brihadeeswara. He also transferred the **Chola capital** to Gangaikondacholapuram.

Q: The 'Drain of Wealth' theory was first systematically presented by Dadabhai Naoroji in which year?

A) 1867. Dadabhai **Naoroji** first articulated the **Drain of Wealth** theory in his 1867 paper presented to the East India Association. He later elaborated it in his 1901 book **'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India'**. He estimated the annual drain at **£12–30 million**, impoverishing India.

Q: Which Himalayan pass connects Spiti Valley with the Tibetan Plateau?

C) Shipki La. **Shipki La** at an altitude of approximately **5,639 metres** connects the **Spiti Valley** of Himachal Pradesh with the Tibetan Plateau. It is one of the four designated trade routes between India and China. The pass is on the **Sutlej River** trade corridor used historically.

Q: The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, related to Urban Local Bodies, introduced which new schedule to the Constitution?

D) Twelfth Schedule. The **74th Amendment** added the **Twelfth Schedule** listing 18 functions to be devolved to **Urban Local Bodies** such as municipalities and corporations. It also inserted **Article 243P to 243ZG** dealing with urban governance. This amendment was paired with the **73rd Amendment** for Panchayati Raj institutions.

Q: Which phenomenon explains why the sky appears blue during the day?

B) Rayleigh scattering of sunlight by atmosphere. **Rayleigh scattering** occurs when sunlight interacts with atmospheric gas molecules, scattering shorter **blue wavelengths** more than longer red wavelengths. The intensity of scattered light is proportional to **1/λ⁴**, making blue light ~10 times more scattered than red. At sunrise and sunset, light travels through more atmosphere, scattering blue away and leaving **red and orange hues**.

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Which Chola ruler is credited with constructing the Gangaikondacholapuram temple, surpassing the Brihadeeswara in certain artistic details?

💡

Correct Answer: B. B) Rajendra I

**Rajendra I** built the **Gangaikondacholapuram** temple after his victorious northern campaign to the Ganges. The temple's vimana rises to **11 storeys** and features intricate sculptures that art historians consider more refined than those of Brihadeeswara. He also transferred the **Chola capital** to Gangaikondacholapuram.

The 'Drain of Wealth' theory was first systematically presented by Dadabhai Naoroji in which year?

💡

Correct Answer: A. A) 1867

Dadabhai **Naoroji** first articulated the **Drain of Wealth** theory in his 1867 paper presented to the East India Association. He later elaborated it in his 1901 book **'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India'**. He estimated the annual drain at **£12–30 million**, impoverishing India.

Which Himalayan pass connects Spiti Valley with the Tibetan Plateau?

💡

Correct Answer: C. C) Shipki La

**Shipki La** at an altitude of approximately **5,639 metres** connects the **Spiti Valley** of Himachal Pradesh with the Tibetan Plateau. It is one of the four designated trade routes between India and China. The pass is on the **Sutlej River** trade corridor used historically.

The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, related to Urban Local Bodies, introduced which new schedule to the Constitution?

💡

Correct Answer: D. D) Twelfth Schedule

The **74th Amendment** added the **Twelfth Schedule** listing 18 functions to be devolved to **Urban Local Bodies** such as municipalities and corporations. It also inserted **Article 243P to 243ZG** dealing with urban governance. This amendment was paired with the **73rd Amendment** for Panchayati Raj institutions.

Which phenomenon explains why the sky appears blue during the day?

💡

Correct Answer: B. B) Rayleigh scattering of sunlight by atmosphere

**Rayleigh scattering** occurs when sunlight interacts with atmospheric gas molecules, scattering shorter **blue wavelengths** more than longer red wavelengths. The intensity of scattered light is proportional to **1/λ⁴**, making blue light ~10 times more scattered than red. At sunrise and sunset, light travels through more atmosphere, scattering blue away and leaving **red and orange hues**.

NATO's Article 5 collective defence clause was first invoked after which event?

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Correct Answer: C. C) September 11 attacks 2001

**Article 5** of the NATO Treaty — 'an attack on one is an attack on all' — was first and only invoked after the **September 11, 2001** terrorist attacks on the United States. NATO members collectively supported **Operation Enduring Freedom** in Afghanistan. The article was originally drafted to deter the **Soviet Union** but has only been triggered once.

The Mahabalipuram monuments were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in which year?

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Correct Answer: C. C) 1987

The **Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram**, built under **Pallava** rule in the 7th–8th centuries CE, was inscribed as a **UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987**. The site includes the **Shore Temple**, Pancha Rathas, and Arjuna's Penance bas-relief. It was declared along with other Indian sites including the **Ellora Caves** in the same year.

Which type of nuclear reaction powers the Sun?

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Correct Answer: B. B) Nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium

The Sun generates energy through **nuclear fusion**, specifically the **proton-proton chain** where four hydrogen nuclei fuse to form one helium-4 nucleus, releasing approximately **26.7 MeV** per reaction. This process converts **mass into energy** via Einstein's E=mc². The Sun fuses approximately **620 million tonnes** of hydrogen per second.

India's INS Vikrant (commissioned 2022) is significant because it is:

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Correct Answer: B. B) India's first indigenously built aircraft carrier

**INS Vikrant** (IAC-1), commissioned in September 2022, is India's **first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier**. It displaces approximately **45,000 tonnes** at full load and can operate **30 aircraft**. The carrier was built at **Cochin Shipyard Limited**, marking a major milestone in India's **Make in India** defence initiative.

The Pala dynasty's patronage of Buddhism led to the establishment of which famous monastery in present-day Bihar?

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Correct Answer: B. B) Vikramashila Monastery

The **Vikramashila Monastery** was founded by Pala king **Dharmapala** (770–810 CE) and became one of the greatest centres of **Tantric Buddhism** in medieval India. It attracted scholars from **Tibet, China, and Southeast Asia**. The monastery was destroyed by **Bakhtiyar Khilji** in the early 13th century.

Which Article of the Indian Constitution deals with the Right to Constitutional Remedies?

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Correct Answer: C. C) Article 32

**Article 32** provides every citizen the right to approach the **Supreme Court** directly for enforcement of Fundamental Rights, making it the 'heart and soul of the Constitution' according to **Dr. B.R. Ambedkar**. It empowers the Supreme Court to issue **writs** including habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto, and certiorari. Article 226 gives similar power to **High Courts**.

The Battle of Buxar (1764) was fought between the British East India Company and the combined forces of:

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Correct Answer: B. B) Mir Qasim, Shuja ud-Daula, and Shah Alam II

The **Battle of Buxar** (October 22, 1764) saw the British face a coalition of **Mir Qasim** (Nawab of Bengal), **Shuja ud-Daula** (Nawab of Awadh), and **Shah Alam II** (Mughal Emperor). British victory under **Hector Munro** led to the **Treaty of Allahabad (1765)** and confirmed British dominance in Bengal. This battle was more significant than **Plassey** in consolidating British power.

Which gas has the highest contribution to the greenhouse effect in Earth's atmosphere by volume?

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Correct Answer: C. C) Water vapour (H₂O)

**Water vapour (H₂O)** accounts for approximately **36–70%** of the total natural greenhouse effect, making it the most significant greenhouse gas by contribution. However, **CO₂** is considered the primary driver of **human-induced** (anthropogenic) climate change due to its long atmospheric lifetime. Water vapour acts as a **feedback amplifier** rather than a forcing agent.

The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) was established in which year under India's initiative?

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Correct Answer: B. B) 2008

The **Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS)** was established in **2008** at New Delhi under India's chairmanship as a **multilateral naval forum**. It brings together navies of **35+ littoral states** of the Indian Ocean Region to enhance maritime cooperation. India's initiative was part of its broader **Indian Ocean region leadership** strategy.

The French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789) was primarily influenced by:

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Correct Answer: B. B) Enlightenment ideas of Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu

The **French Declaration of the Rights of Man** (August 26, 1789) drew heavily from **Enlightenment** philosophy, particularly **Rousseau's** social contract, **Voltaire's** criticism of tyranny, and **Montesquieu's** separation of powers. It proclaimed **liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty**. The American Declaration of Independence also influenced it, but the primary intellectual foundation was French **Enlightenment thought**.

The Sundarbans mangrove forest spans across India and Bangladesh. Which Indian state contains the Indian portion?

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Correct Answer: B. B) West Bengal

The **Sundarbans** — the world's largest mangrove forest — spans approximately **10,000 sq km**, with about **4,200 sq km** in **West Bengal**, India, and the remainder in **Bangladesh**. It is home to the **Royal Bengal Tiger** and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The Sundarbans is formed by the delta of the **Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Meghna** rivers.

Which constitutional provision allows the President to dissolve the Lok Sabha even before the expiry of its five-year term?

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Correct Answer: B. B) Article 85

**Article 85(2)(b)** empowers the **President** to dissolve the **Lok Sabha** on the advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. The President summons and prorogues Parliament under **Article 85(1)**. A dissolved Lok Sabha is followed by fresh general elections within **six months**.

India's Agni-P (Prime) missile is unique because it uses:

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Correct Answer: B. B) Canisterised composite propellant (solid-solid)

**Agni-P** is a new-generation intermediate range ballistic missile that uses **canisterised solid-solid propellant** in both stages, making it easier to store and deploy quickly. Its range is approximately **1,000–2,000 km** with improved **manoeuvrable reentry vehicle (MaRV)** technology. The canisterisation means it can be **road-mobile** and launched within minutes.

The Non-Aligned Movement's principle of 'Panchsheel' (Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence) was first signed between India and:

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Correct Answer: C. C) China

**Panchsheel** — the five principles of peaceful coexistence — was formally signed between India and **China** on April 29, 1954, as part of the **Sino-Indian Agreement on Tibet**. The principles include mutual respect for sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference, equality, and peaceful coexistence. **Jawaharlal Nehru** and **Zhou Enlai** were the key architects of this agreement.

The first synthetic antibiotic penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming in which year?

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Correct Answer: B. B) 1928

**Alexander Fleming** discovered **penicillin** in **1928** when he observed that the mould **Penicillium notatum** was killing bacteria in his Petri dishes. However, it was Howard Florey and Ernst Boris Chain who developed it for clinical use in the **1940s**. Fleming, Florey, and Chain shared the **Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945**.

Which Maratha leader founded the Gwalior State and was a key figure after the Third Battle of Panipat?

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Correct Answer: B. B) Mahadji Scindia

**Mahadji Scindia** (1730–1794) reorganised the Maratha confederacy after the disaster at **Panipat 1761** and became the most powerful Maratha chief. He recaptured Delhi and became regent of the **Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II**, exercising vast political influence. His **French-trained Compoo army** under De Boigne made the Scindia forces formidable.

In optics, a concave mirror is used as a rear-view mirror in vehicles. This statement is:

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Correct Answer: B. B) False; convex mirrors are used as rear-view mirrors

**Convex mirrors** — not concave mirrors — are used as **rear-view mirrors** in vehicles because they produce a **virtual, erect, and diminished** image that covers a wider field of view. Concave mirrors are used in **headlights, searchlights, and shaving mirrors** because they produce a magnified erect image when the object is within the focal length. The key advantage of convex mirrors is the **wider field of vision** they provide.

The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 by:

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Correct Answer: C. C) Allan Octavian Hume

The **Indian National Congress** was founded by **Allan Octavian Hume** (a retired British civil servant) in **1885** in Bombay. The first session was presided over by **W.C. Bonnerjee**. Hume believed a safety valve organisation for educated Indians would prevent revolutionary unrest against British rule.

The Deccan Plateau is primarily composed of which type of rock?

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Correct Answer: C. C) Basalt from Deccan Traps

The **Deccan Plateau** is underlain primarily by **Deccan Traps basalt** — one of the world's largest volcanic features formed approximately **66 million years ago** through massive volcanic eruptions at the **Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary**. The basalt covers over **500,000 sq km** across Maharashtra, Karnataka, and neighbouring states. This volcanic rock weathers into **black cotton soil (regur)** ideal for cotton cultivation.

Which UN body is primarily responsible for maintaining international peace and security?

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Correct Answer: B. B) UN Security Council

The **UN Security Council (UNSC)** bears **primary responsibility** for international peace and security under the UN Charter. It has **15 members** — 5 permanent (P5: USA, UK, France, Russia, China) with veto power, and 10 non-permanent elected members. Under **Chapter VII**, UNSC resolutions are **legally binding** on all UN member states.

The Morley-Minto Reforms (1909) introduced which significant change in Indian governance?

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Correct Answer: B. B) Separate electorates for Muslims

The **Morley-Minto Reforms** (Indian Councils Act 1909) introduced **separate electorates** for **Muslims**, allowing them to elect their own representatives to legislative councils. This was a key demand from the **All India Muslim League** (founded 1906). Critics including **Indian National Congress** leaders saw this as a **divide and rule** tactic by the British.

Exercise Indra is a joint military exercise conducted between India and:

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Correct Answer: C. C) Russia

**Exercise Indra** is an annual tri-services (Army, Navy, Air Force) joint military exercise between **India and Russia**. It began in 2003 and covers areas including **counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, and humanitarian operations**. Russia is one of India's oldest defence partners, supplying systems including the **S-400** air defence system.

The phenomenon of 'eutrophication' in water bodies is caused by:

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Correct Answer: B. B) Excessive nutrient (nitrogen/phosphorus) runoff

**Eutrophication** occurs when excessive **nitrogen and phosphorus** — primarily from agricultural **fertiliser runoff** and sewage — cause explosive growth of **algal blooms** in water bodies. The algae deplete oxygen when they decompose, creating **hypoxic dead zones** where fish and aquatic life cannot survive. The **Gulf of Mexico dead zone** is a prominent example of anthropogenic eutrophication.

Which Mughal emperor issued the 'Doctrine of Lapse' was actually a British policy but his reign saw the last significant Mughal territorial expansion?

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Correct Answer: A. A) Aurangzeb

**Aurangzeb** (1658–1707) achieved the greatest **territorial extent** of the Mughal Empire, conquering the **Deccan Sultanates** of Bijapur (1686) and Golconda (1687) and extending control to the far south. However, his **prolonged Deccan campaigns** drained imperial resources and sparked **Maratha resistance** under Shivaji and successors. His reign marked both the **peak and beginning of Mughal decline**.

The Chang La pass, one of the highest motorable roads in the world, is located in which Union Territory?

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Correct Answer: B. B) Ladakh

**Chang La** at approximately **5,360 metres** is one of the world's highest **motorable mountain passes**, located in the **Ladakh** Union Territory. It connects **Leh** with the **Pangong Tso** lake and Durbuk. The pass is maintained by the **Border Roads Organisation (BRO)** and is strategically important for military logistics along the **Line of Actual Control** with China.

The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (April 13, 1919) was carried out under orders of:

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Correct Answer: B. B) General Reginald Dyer

**General Reginald Dyer** ordered troops to open fire on a peaceful crowd of approximately **15,000–20,000** people gathered at **Jallianwala Bagh** in Amritsar on Baisakhi Day. Official figures recorded **379 deaths** and 1,200 wounded, while Indian estimates were far higher. The massacre led **Rabindranath Tagore** to return his knighthood and galvanised the independence movement.

Which scientific principle explains why ice floats on water?

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Correct Answer: B. B) Water expands anomalously when freezing, making ice less dense

Water exhibits **anomalous expansion** — unlike most substances, water **expands** when it freezes, forming **hydrogen-bonded crystalline ice** that has a lower density (0.917 g/cm³) than liquid water (1.00 g/cm³). This anomaly is crucial for **aquatic life**, as ice forms on the surface, insulating the water below. Maximum density of water occurs at **4°C**.

The Lucknow Pact (1916) was significant because it marked:

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Correct Answer: B. B) Hindu-Muslim unity between Congress and Muslim League

The **Lucknow Pact** (1916) was a landmark agreement between the **Indian National Congress** and the **All India Muslim League**, representing **Hindu-Muslim political unity** against British rule. Congress accepted **separate electorates** for Muslims in exchange for League support for self-governance. **Bal Gangadhar Tilak** and **Muhammad Ali Jinnah** were key architects of this pact.

What is the role of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India?

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Correct Answer: B. B) Audits all receipts and expenditures of Union and States

The **Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)** under **Article 148** is the supreme audit institution that audits all **receipts and expenditures** of the Union Government, State Governments, and bodies substantially funded by them. The CAG's reports are placed before **Parliament/State Legislatures** through the Public Accounts Committee. The CAG is appointed by the **President** and holds an independent constitutional position.

The Maratha Empire's decline accelerated after which event in 1802?

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Correct Answer: B. B) Treaty of Bassein (Vasai)

The **Treaty of Bassein** (December 31, 1802) between **Peshwa Baji Rao II** and the British East India Company made the Peshwa a **British subsidiary**, allowing British troops to be stationed in Maratha territories. This treaty triggered the **Second Anglo-Maratha War** (1803–05) as other Maratha chiefs rejected it. It effectively marked the beginning of the **end of Maratha independence**.

Which space agency operates the Hubble Space Telescope jointly with ESA?

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Correct Answer: C. C) NASA

The **Hubble Space Telescope** is operated jointly by **NASA** and the **European Space Agency (ESA)**, having been launched in 1990 aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. It orbits at approximately **547 km** above Earth and has revolutionised astronomy. India's **ISRO** participated as a partner through the **AstroSat** mission rather than Hubble.

The 'Seven Sisters' of Northeast India are eight states including Sikkim. Which is the newest state added?

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Correct Answer: D. D) Sikkim

**Sikkim** became India's 22nd state on **May 16, 1975**, making it the newest addition to what was originally the 'Seven Sisters' of Northeast India. The original Seven Sisters are **Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh**. With Sikkim, the group is now sometimes called the '**Eight Sister States**' of Northeast India.

The process by which plants manufacture food using sunlight is called photosynthesis. Where does the light-dependent reaction occur?

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Correct Answer: B. B) Thylakoid membranes of chloroplast

The **light-dependent reaction** (or light reactions) of photosynthesis occurs in the **thylakoid membranes** of the chloroplast where **chlorophyll** absorbs sunlight. This stage produces **ATP, NADPH, and oxygen** (as a byproduct of water splitting). The **Calvin cycle** (light-independent or dark reactions) occurs in the **stroma** of the chloroplast.

India's first Defence Space Agency was established in which year?

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Correct Answer: C. C) 2019

India's **Defence Space Agency (DSA)** was established in **2019** under the **Integrated Defence Staff** to handle India's military space assets and operations. This followed **Mission Shakti** (March 2019) when India demonstrated its **ASAT (Anti-Satellite)** capability by destroying the Microsat-R satellite. The DSA coordinates with ISRO for **dual-use space technologies**.

The Cabinet Mission Plan (1946) proposed which type of governance structure for India?

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Correct Answer: C. C) Three-tier federal structure with provinces and groups

The **Cabinet Mission Plan** (May 1946) proposed a **three-tier federal structure**: a Union of India handling defence, foreign affairs, and communications; **Groups** of provinces (Group A Hindu-majority, Group B Muslim-majority NW, Group C Bengal+Assam); and **Provinces** with remaining powers. Both Congress and League initially accepted it but disagreements over **grouping** led to its failure and eventual **Partition**.