The 2014 Codex
Questions 91 to 100 (Set A)
A community of people called Manganiyars is well-known for their
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Official Key: (b) musical tradition in North-West India
The Manganiyars (along with the Langa community) are a famous hereditary community of Muslim folk musicians.
They reside primarily in the vast desert regions of Rajasthan (North-West India), specifically in the districts of Barmer and Jaisalmer. For generations, they have been sustained by the patronage of local Rajput rulers, singing traditional folk songs and playing unique indigenous instruments like the Kamaicha and Khartal. They have absolutely nothing to do with martial arts or South Indian classical music.
Route: [REALM 29: Folk Music & Traditional Communities]The Desert Melody
The Magna Carta of India
What was/were the object/objects of Queen Victoria's Proclamation (1858)?
1. To disclaim any intention to annex Indian States
2. To place the Indian administration under the British Crown
3. To regulate East India Company's trade with India
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
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Official Key: (a) 1 and 2 only
Issued immediately after the brutal suppression of the 1857 Revolt, Queen Victoria’s Proclamation (often called the Magna Carta of the people of India) fundamentally restructured British rule.
- 1 is True: The British realized that Dalhousie's aggressive annexation policies (like the Doctrine of Lapse) had enraged the royalty. Thus, the Queen explicitly promised to respect the dignity and territory of native princes and abandoned all future territorial annexations.
- 2 is True: The proclamation formally transferred the supreme governing authority of India from the East India Company directly to the British Crown.
- 3 is False: This is a massive chronological trap. The East India Company's commercial trade monopoly had already been abolished completely by the Charter Act of 1833. By 1858, the EIC was entirely abolished as a political entity as well, so there was no "trade" left to regulate.
Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri was
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Official Key: (c) the hall in which Akbar held discussions with scholars of various religions
The Ibadat Khana (literally "House of Worship") was a revolutionary meeting house built in 1575 CE by the Mughal Emperor Akbar at Fatehpur Sikri.
It was neither a mosque nor a private prayer room. It was exclusively constructed as a debate hall. Initially restricted to Sunni Muslims, Akbar soon threw the doors open to scholars of all religions—Hindus, Christians (Jesuits), Zoroastrians, Jains, and atheists. Here, Akbar personally presided over intense theological and philosophical discussions to understand the common truths of all faiths (which eventually led him to formulate the syncretic Din-i-Ilahi).
Route: [REALM 35: Mughal Empire (Akbar's Religious Policies)]The Hall of Debate
The Seed Gap
In the context of food and nutritional security of India, enhancing the 'Seed Replacement Rates' of various crops helps in achieving the food production targets of the future. But what is/are the constraint/constraints in its wider/greater implementation?
1. There is no National Seeds Policy in place.
2. There is no participation of private sector seed companies in the supply of quality seeds of vegetables and planting materials of horticultural crops.
3. There is a demand-supply gap regarding quality seeds in case of low value and high volume crops.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
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Official Key: (b) 3 only
Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) measures how much of the total cropped area is sown with fresh, certified quality seeds rather than farm-saved seeds.
- Statement 1 is False: India definitively has a National Seeds Policy, which was enacted in 2002.
- Statement 2 is False: The word "no participation" is an extreme trap. The private sector is massively involved and actually dominates the high-margin market for hybrid vegetable seeds, Bt Cotton, and horticultural planting materials.
- Statement 3 is True: The genuine constraint lies in "low value, high volume" crops (like self-pollinating wheat, rice, and pulses). Because profit margins are thin and farmers need massive volumes, private companies don't invest heavily in producing them, leading to a huge demand-supply gap for quality certified seeds in these staple crops.
With reference to 'Eco-Sensitive Zones', which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Eco-Sensitive Zones are the areas that are declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
2. The purpose of the declaration of Eco-Sensitive Zones is to prohibit all kinds of human activities in those zones except agriculture.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
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Official Key: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) act as a "shock absorber" transition area around protected National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
Statement 1 is False: This is a classic statutory trap. While ESZs surround wildlife parks, the word "Eco-Sensitive Zone" is nowhere mentioned in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. They are actually notified under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Statement 2 is False: The purpose of an ESZ is NOT to unconditionally prohibit "all" human activities except agriculture. Instead, activities are categorized into three lists: Prohibited (commercial mining, polluting industries), Regulated (felling of trees, resorts), and Permitted (ongoing agriculture, rainwater harvesting). The goal is regulation and transition, not total prohibition.
Route: [REALM 194: Environment Protection Act (ESZs)]The Shock Absorber
The Statutory Lineup
Consider the following statements:
1. Animal Welfare Board of India is established under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
2. National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body.
3. National Ganga River Basin Authority is chaired by the Prime Minister.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Official Key: (b) 2 and 3 only
This tests your precise knowledge of the parent Acts for major environmental bodies.
- Statement 1 is False: The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) was the first of its kind, established way back in 1962. It was constituted under Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, not the EPA of 1986.
- Statement 2 is True: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a highly powerful statutory body constituted under an amendment (2006) to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Statement 3 is True: The National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) was constituted in 2009 under the EPA 1986. Given the massive national importance of the Ganga, it is directly chaired by the Prime Minister of India (it has since been replaced by the National Ganga Council, which is also chaired by the PM).
Consider the following pairs: Vitamin : Deficiency disease
| 1. Vitamin C | Scurvy |
| 2. Vitamin D | Rickets |
| 3. Vitamin E | Night blindness |
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
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Official Key: (a) 1 and 2 only
This is a straightforward mapping of essential vitamins to their classic deficiency syndromes.
- 1. Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): True. A deficiency leads to Scurvy (bleeding gums, weakness). Famously cured in sailors by eating citrus fruits.
- 2. Vitamin D (Calciferol): True. A deficiency leads to Rickets in children (soft, deformed bones) due to the inability to absorb calcium.
- 3. Vitamin E (Tocopherol): False. A deficiency in Vitamin E causes neurological problems and mild hemolytic anemia, but NOT Night Blindness. Night Blindness (Nyctalopia) is strictly caused by a severe deficiency of Vitamin A (Retinol).
The Nutrient Maps
The Invisible Threat
There is some concern regarding the nanoparticles of some chemical elements that are used by the industry in the manufacture of various products. Why?
1. They can accumulate in the environment, and contaminate water and soil.
2. They can enter the food chains.
3. They can trigger the production of free radicals.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
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Official Key: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Nanoparticles (particles between 1 and 100 nanometers) are increasingly used in sunscreens, cosmetics, textiles, and electronics. However, their ultra-small size creates "nano-toxicity" concerns.
- 1 and 2 are True: Because they are so incredibly small, engineered nanoparticles easily escape filtration systems. They heavily accumulate in the environment, contaminating water and soil. From there, they are absorbed by microorganisms and filter-feeders, bio-accumulating and successfully entering the human food chain.
- 3 is True: On a cellular level, metallic nanoparticles (like nano-silver or titanium dioxide) are highly reactive. Once inside biological tissue, they can cause severe oxidative stress by triggering the massive production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) / free radicals, which causes DNA damage and cell death.
Which of the following organizations brings out the publication known as World Economic Outlook?
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Official Key: (a) The International Monetary Fund
This is a classic, direct factual question on global reports. The World Economic Outlook (WEO) is a massive, highly influential survey published twice a year (in April and October) exclusively by the staff of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
It presents the IMF's rigorous analysis of global macroeconomic developments during the near and medium term. (Do not confuse it with the "Global Economic Prospects" report, which is published by the World Bank—a distinction UPSC tested in Q21 of this exact same paper!).
Route: [REALM 184: Global Economic Organizations & Reports (IMF)]The Bretton Woods Twins
The Operational Cost
With reference to Union Budget, which of the following is/are covered under Non-Plan Expenditure?
1. Defence expenditure
2. Interest payments
3. Salaries and pensions
4. Subsidies
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
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Official Key: (c) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Context Note: The artificial distinction between "Plan" and "Non-Plan" expenditure was abolished in the Union Budget of 2017-18 in favor of Revenue vs. Capital expenditure. However, in 2014, it was highly relevant.
Non-Plan Expenditure essentially represented the everyday running, operational, and maintenance costs of the government (money that didn't create new long-term economic assets like dams or railways). Therefore, all four options fell squarely under Non-Plan expenditure:
- Defence (1): Both revenue and capital defense outlays were kept strictly outside the Five-Year Plans.
- Interest Payments (2): Servicing past national debt.
- Salaries & Pensions (3): The massive daily wage bill of government employees.
- Subsidies (4): Welfare outlays on food, fuel, and fertilizer.