10 February 2024

Q1. Consider the following pairs:

1. Basohli Pashmina: Jammu and Kashmir
2. Kalari Cuisine: Gujarat
3. Kari Ishad mango: Bihar

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Context: Basohli Pashmina and Udhampur’s Kalari, a popular Dogra cuisine, have been awarded the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag
• Basohli Pashmina- Origin Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir
• Kalari Cuisine- Udhampur district, Jammu and Kashmir
• The Kari Ishad mango prominently grown in Ankola taluk of Uttara Kannada has bagged the Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the Geographical Indications Registry under the Union Government.

Q2. She was the ruling Queen of Gondwana from 1550 until 1564 and chiefly remembered for defending her kingdom against the Mughal Empire. She is

(a) Rani Durgavati

(b) Rani Bhabani

(c) Rani Chennamma

(d) Rani Padmavati

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Rani Durgavati was the ruling Queen of Gondwana from 1550 until 1564 and chiefly remembered for defending her kingdom against the Mughal Empire.

Q3. He had organized a revolutionary center in “India House” at London and propagated the cause of India’s independence through his writings in his publication journal called The “Indian Sociologist”. He was

(a) Ullaskar Dutta

(b) Rajendra Lahiri

(c) Bhagwati Charan Vohra

(d) Shyamji Krishna Varma

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Context: On the occasion of Shyamji Krishna Varma’s Jayanti, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the great revolutionary and freedom fighter.

About Shyamji Krishna Varma:

• Shyamji Krishna Varma was an Indian revolutionary fighter, patriot, lawyer, and journalist. He was born in Mandvi, Gujarat on October 4, 1857
• He was the first Indian M.A. and a scholar in Sanskrit and English
• He founded the Indian Home Rule Society, India House, and The Indian Sociologist in London
• He moved his base from England to Paris after criticism by the British. After the outbreak of the First World War (1914-18), he moved to Geneva in Switzerland and spent the rest of his life there. He died on March 30, 1930
• Became the first President of Bombay Arya Samaj.

Q4. With reference to Project Veer Gatha, consider the following statements:

1. It was instituted under Gallantry Awards Portal (GAP) in 2021.
2. It aims to disseminate the details of acts of bravery of the Gallantry Awardees.
3. The project has been coterminous with Republic Day Celebrations each year.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Project Veer Gatha was instituted under Gallantry Awards Portal (GAP) in 2021 with the aim to disseminate the details of acts of bravery of the Gallantry Awardees and the life stories of these brave hearts among the students so as to raise the spirit of patriotism and instill amongst them values of civic consciousness. Project Veer Gatha deepened this noble aim by providing a platform to the school students to do creative projects/activities based on gallantry award winners. As part of this, the students framed different projects through various media like art, poems, essays and multimedia on these gallantry award winners and best projects were awarded at national level by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education.
• The project has been coterminous with Republic Day Celebrations each year. Veer Gatha has been a phenomenal success with 8 lakhs participation in Veer Gatha 1.0 conducted in 2021-22 and 19.5 lakhs in Veer Gatha 2.0.conducted in 2022-23. Hon’ble Raksha Mantri and Hon’ble Minister of Education have commended Veer Gatha as ‘heralding of a revolution amongst the students of India’.
• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE) has now decided to launch Project Veer Gatha 3.0 in the current year 2023-24.

Q5. Consider the following statements:

1. Bekal Fort is a medieval fort built by the Dutch.
2. The Bekal Fort is known as the largest fort in Kerala.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Context: Kerala Tourism Development Corporation’s (KTDC) plan to develop a caravan park and camp shelter at Bekal Fort, situated in the Kasargod district of Kerala.
• Bekal Fort, dating back to 1650 AD and constructed by Shivappa Nayaka of the Keladi dynasty, is known as the largest fort in Kerala. Throughout its history, the fort has witnessed the rise and fall of various dynasties and eventually came under the control of the Kingdom of Mysore.
• Bekal Fort’s unique structure, seemingly emerging from the sea, features a water tank, an observation tower attributed to Tipu Sultan, a zigzag entrance, defensive trenches, and strategically placed holes in its outer walls for naval defence. Its solid construction is reminiscent of forts like Thalassery Fort and St. Angelo Fort in Kannur, both built by the Dutch.