The 2018 Codex
Questions 71 to 80 (Set A)
With reference to the religious practices in India, the "Sthanakvasi" sect belongs to
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) Jainism
The Sthanakvasi is a famous sub-sect of Svetambara Jainism. It was founded in the 17th century by a merchant named Lavaji. The defining feature of the Sthanakvasi sect is that they strongly reject idol worship (murti-puja). Instead of praying in elaborate temples, they gather in simple, austere prayer halls called Sthanaks.
Route: [REALM 70: Jainism]The Formless Hall
The Stone & The Plaster
With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following statements:
1. White marble was used in making Buland Darwaza and Khankah at Fatehpur Sikri.
2. Red sandstone and marble were used in making Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza at Lucknow.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Statement 1 is False: Akbar's magnificent Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri is primarily constructed using red and buff sandstone. White marble was used sparingly, mostly for inlay work and outlining, but it is entirely incorrect to say it was "used in making" it in the structural sense (unlike the Taj Mahal).
Statement 2 is False: The Nawabs of Awadh faced a shortage of stone. Therefore, the stunning Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza in Lucknow were constructed exclusively out of lakhauri bricks and stucco (lime plaster). They used absolutely no red sandstone or marble, allowing them to construct massive vaulted ceilings without the heavy weight of stone.
Route: [REALM 30: Mughal Architecture] & [REALM 29: Provincial Indo-Islamic]Which one of the following foreign travellers elaborately discussed about diamonds and diamond mines of India?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) Jean-Baptiste Tavernier
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier was a 17th-century French gem merchant. He made six massive voyages to India (during the reign of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb) and became famous for dealing with the legendary Hope Diamond (Tavernier Blue). In his published work "The Six Voyages", he provided incredibly detailed, technical, and elaborate accounts of the diamond trade and the famous Kollur mines of Golconda.
Note: Francois Bernier was a French physician (travelled heavily in Mughal courts), while Thevenot and Carre were general explorers/clerics.
Route: [REALM 44: Medieval Travellers]The French Jeweler
The Bodhisattva's Return
With reference to Indian history, who among the following is a future Buddha, yet to come to save the world?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) Maitreya
In Buddhist eschatology, Maitreya is prophesied to be the future Buddha of this world. According to scriptures, he currently resides in the Tushita heaven and will descend to Earth when the Dharma (teachings) of Gautama Buddha has been completely forgotten, to achieve complete enlightenment and teach the pure dharma.
Avalokiteshvara (also known as Padmapani, holding the lotus) is the Bodhisattva of infinite compassion, but not the designated "future Buddha".
Route: [REALM 16: Jainism & Buddhism]Which one of the following statements does not apply to the system of Subsidiary Alliance introduced by Lord Wellesley?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) To secure a fixed income for the Company
Lord Wellesley's Subsidiary Alliance (1798) was a masterstroke of military blackmail. Indian kings were forced to disband their armies and pay for a "standing British army" stationed in their territory (A). By surrounding Indian states with British troops, it established paramountcy (D) and blocked any French (Napoleonic) influence from entering royal courts (B).
However, securing a "fixed income" for the company was the fundamental goal of Lord Cornwallis's Permanent Settlement (1793) in Bengal, not the Subsidiary Alliance. The Alliance was about military and political control, not revenue fixing.
Route: [REALM 10: British Expansion Policies]The Imperial Leash
The Path to English
Which of the following led to the introduction of English Education in India?
1. Charter Act of 1813
2. General Committee of Public Instruction, 1823
3. Orientalist and Anglicist Controversy
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) 1, 2 and 3
This is a linear historical chain of events.
1: The Charter Act of 1813 was the very first step, allocating ₹1 lakh annually for the "revival and improvement of literature" in India.
2: However, the money sat unused. To figure out how to spend it, the General Committee of Public Instruction was formed in 1823.
3: Within this committee, a fierce debate erupted—the Orientalist and Anglicist Controversy. Orientalists wanted to spend it on Sanskrit and Arabic, while Anglicists wanted Western sciences taught in English. Lord Macaulay resolved this debate in 1835 with his famous Minute, officially sealing the introduction of English education in India.
Route: [REALM 60: Press & Education]Which one of the following is an artificial lake?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu)
Kodaikanal Lake is a stunning, star-shaped man-made (artificial) lake created in 1863 by Sir Vere Henry Levinge, the then Collector of Madurai, by damming three streams.
Kolleru is a natural shallow freshwater lake situated between Krishna and Godavari deltas. Nainital is a natural freshwater lake formed by tectonic depression. Renuka is a natural lake (and the largest) in Himachal Pradesh, associated with the goddess Renuka.
Route: [REALM 23: Lakes & Inland Drainage]The Star of the Palani Hills
The Skill Gear
With reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, consider the following statements:
1. It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
2. It, among other things, will also impart training in soft skills, entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy.
3. It aims to align the competencies of the unregulated workforce of the country to the National Skill Qualification Framework.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 2 and 3 only
Statement 1 is False: PMKVY is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), which was specifically created to handle this, taking it away from the Ministry of Labour.
Statement 2 is True: The scheme's curriculum explicitly includes modules on soft skills, digital literacy, and financial literacy to make youth job-ready.
Statement 3 is True: A major component of PMKVY is the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), which assesses and certifies individuals with prior learning experience or skills (the unregulated/informal workforce) and aligns them to the standardized National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF).
Route: [REALM 74: PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana]In 1920, which of the following changed its name to "Swarajya Sabha"?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) All India Home Rule League
Founded by Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the All India Home Rule League dominated Indian politics during WWI. By 1920, the political landscape had shifted toward Mahatma Gandhi's mass movements. In October 1920, Gandhi was elected the president of the All India Home Rule League. Under his leadership, the organization merged its goals with the broader Non-Cooperation Movement and officially changed its name to Swarajya Sabha.
Route: [REALM 28: Home Rule League Movement]The Transformation
The Timeline of Awakening
Which among the following events happened earliest?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan.
This requires pure chronological anchoring. Let's trace the timeline:
- 1858-1859 (Published 1860): Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan, a highly influential play exposing the atrocities committed by British indigo planters during the Indigo Revolt. (This is the earliest).
- 1863: Satyendranath Tagore (Rabindranath's older brother) became the first Indian to pass the ICS.
- 1875: Swami Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj in Bombay.
- 1882: Bankim Chandra published the iconic novel Anandmath (which contained Vande Mataram), set against the backdrop of the Sannyasi Rebellion.