Are you preparing for UPSC CSE Prelims 2025? UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of daily subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus.  Attempt today’s subject quiz on History, Culture and Social Issues to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the Polity and Governance MCQs. Don’t miss checking the answers and explanations.

For which of the Acts enacted by the British Parliament and mentioned below did Nehru call it a ‘Charter of Slavery’ and Mohammad Ali Jinnah thought it to be “thoroughly rotten, fundamentally bad and totally unacceptable?”

(a) 1919 Government of India Act 

(b) Official Secrets Act, 1923

(c) 1934 Government of India Act 

(d) The Foreigners Act 1946

Explanation

— The big landmark moment in the process of making the Indian Constitution was the 1934 Government of India Act enacted by the British Parliament. The Act is considered to have been the longest piece of legislation enacted by the British Parliament at the time. Some of its most crucial features included the creation of a federation of India with a central executive and Parliament on top and the provinces and princely states below it, separate electorates for Muslims and Sikhs, and critical emergency powers to be enjoyed by the Governor.

— The Act was heavily criticised by the Congress and the Muslim League. While Nehru called it a ‘Charter of Slavery’, Mohammad Ali Jinnah thought it to be “thoroughly rotten, fundamentally bad and totally unacceptable.” It is only in 1942 that the British government conceded to the request of Indians to frame their own Constitution through a Constituent Assembly.

Therefore, (c) is the correct answer.

Consider the following pairs of Indus sites and the archaeologists. Which of the pairs given below are not correctly matched?

Select the correct code:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 2 only

Explanation

The correct matches are:

—Dholavira: Jagat Pati Joshi

—Harappa : Daya Ram Sahni

—Mohenjodaro : Rakhal Das Banerji 

—Lothal: S.R. Rao

Hence, (c) is the correct answer.

‘Jamdani’ and ‘Ajarakh’ refer to:

(a) Indian desserts with GI tags

(b) Traditional kitchen utensils

(c) Medieval sports of India

(d) None of the above

Explanation

— Jamdani, a centuries-old handwoven textile from the Bengal region—now Bangladesh and West Bengal, India—has deep historical roots. Dr Sadhna, associate professor of fashion design, School Arts and Design at Woxsen University, said that while the term appears in literature from the 3rd century BC in Kautilya’s Arthashastra and during the Gupta period (4th–6th century AD), it was under Mughal rule (16th–18th centuries) that Dhaka’s weavers gained royal patronage.

— Evolving from renowned Bengal muslin, jamdani is traditionally crafted from cotton, and is celebrated for its fine, airy texture and elegance. The name “jamdani” derives from the Persian words jam (flower) and dani (vase), describing its floral designs. In 2013, UNESCO recognized Jamdani weaving as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, underscoring its cultural and historical significance. 

— Deep in the heart of India’s Kutch region, a tradition of block printing a textile — ajrakh — famous for its intricate patterns and deep indigo hue has been passed down through generations for centuries.

— “Ajrakh is more than just a fabric; it is a cultural symbol, deeply entangled with the lives of the Kutch region,” according to Professor John Varghese from the School of Fashion at the World University of Design, Sonipat.

— Whether ajrakh originated in the Egyptian or Indus Valley Civilisation is still being debated. But Gujarat-printed ajrakh was excavated from Al-Fostat, near old Cairo in Egypt, and was showcased at the ‘India and the World’ exhibit at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai, from November 11, 2017, to February 18, 2018. The priest-king of Mohenjodaro is also depicted wearing what is believed to be an early form of ajrakh, explained J Usha Rani, associate professor of fashion and textiles at Pearl Academy, Bengaluru.

Therefore, (d) is the correct answer.

With reference to the History of India, consider the following statements.

1. After the death of Emperor Aurangzeb and the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Maratha Confederacy expanded rapidly, posing a threat to Ahmad Shah Durrani’s Afghan Empire. 

2. The smaller but unified Ahmad Shah army decisively overwhelmed the Marathas in the third battle of Panipath due to the technological and tactical superiority of Afghans, combined with internal rivalries within the Maratha ranks.

Which of the above given statements is/are true?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Marathas, Ahamd Shah Durrani, and the battle for control

— After the death of Emperor Aurangzeb and the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Maratha Confederacy expanded rapidly, posing a threat to Ahmad Shah Durrani’s (also known as Ahmad Shah Abdali) Afghan Empire. To counter this, Ahmad Shah launched a campaign, capturing large parts of Punjab and aiming to starve the Maratha forces. In response, the Marathas assembled a large army under Sadashivrao Bhau, who managed to reclaim Delhi.

— Ahmad Shah sought to trap the Maratha forces in Punjab, cutting off their supplies while moving troops southward. Surrounded by the enemy and starving, Sadashivrao Bhau attempted to break the siege, leading to a confrontation at Panipat in 1761. In part II of his book, Medieval India, historian Satish Chandra observes that “the Bhau would not have been able to prevail over the Abdali, saddled as he was with heavy artillery and womenfolk.” He contends that while the Maratha soldiers primarily relied on lances and swords, the Afghan forces held a significant advantage with skilled musketeers equipped with quick-loading flintlock guns and mounted on “swift, well-trained horses.” This technological and tactical superiority, combined with internal rivalries within the Maratha ranks, ultimately weakened their forces. The smaller but unified Ahmad Shah army decisively overwhelmed the Marathas.

— The third battle of Panipat on January 14, 1761, devastated the Maratha army, ended their ambition to succeed the Mughals, and plunged northwestern India into decades of instability. “The ultimate beneficiaries were not the Maratha sardars and erstwhile Mughal nobles who stood for regionalism, but the English who brought in centralism of a new-kind, the colonial type,” notes Chandra.

Therefore, (c) is the correct answer.

‘Sambal’ and ‘Samarthya’ are two sub schemes of which of the following Government missions:

(a) Mission Yuva

(b) Mission Saksham Anganwadi

(c) Mission Shakti

(d) POSHAN Abhiyaan 

Explanation

According to missionshakti.wcd.gov.in,

Mission Shakti has two sub-schemes – ‘Sambal’ and ‘Samarthya’. In the Sambal subscheme, which is for safety and security of women, the existing scheme of One Stop Centre (OSC), Women Helpline (WHL), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) have been included with modifications and a new component of Nari Adalat – women collective has been added.

Therefore, (c) is the correct answer.

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 85)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 85)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 85)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 85)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 85)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 84)

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