Free Online Test Series for UPSC Prelims 2021

Q1. Consider the following statements about Feni River:
1. Feni River originates in Meghalaya and flows through Sabroom town and then enters Bangladesh.
2. The bridge ‘Maitri Setu’ has been built over the Feni river.
3. The 1.9 Km long bridge joins Sabroom in India with Ramgarh in Bangladesh.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

ans.b

• Feni River originates in the South Tripura district and flows through Sabroom town and then enters Bangladesh.
• India and Bangladesh recently inaugurated a bridge over the river Feni connecting Tripura to Bangladesh even as a new World Bank study said transport connectivity between the two South Asian neighbours would increase national income by as much as 17% in Bangladesh and 8% in India.

Q2. Consider the following statements about the constitution amendment:
1.The first type of amendments includes that can be passed by “simple majority” in each house of the Parliament of India.
2.The second type of amendments includes that can be effected by the parliament by a prescribed “special majority” in each house.
3.The third type of amendments includes those that require, in addition to such a “special majority” in each house of the parliament, ratification by at least one-half of the State Legislatures.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

ans.d

Amendments of the Indian Constitution
To define the constitutional amendment process, Article 368 of Part XX of the Indian Constitution provides for two types of amendments.

By a special majority of Parliament

• By a special majority of the Parliament with the ratification by half of the total states But, some other articles provide for the amendment of certain provisions of the Constitution by a simple majority of Parliament, that is, a majority of the members of each House present and voting (similar to the ordinary legislative process). Notably, these amendments are not deemed to be amendments of the Constitution for the purposes of Article 368.

Q3. The distribution of powers between the Centre and the States in the Indian Constitution is based on the scheme provided in the
(a) Morley-Minto Reforms, 1909
(b) Montagu-Chelmsford Act, 1919
(c) Government of India Act, 1935
(d) Indian Independence Act, 1947

ans.c

• The Government of India (GoI) Act of 1935 provided for a three-fold enumeration, viz., federal, provincial and concurrent.
• The present Constitution follows the scheme of this act for the distribution of powers between the Centre and States but with one difference, that is, under this act, the residuary powers were given neither to the federal legislature nor to the provincial legislature but to the governor-general of India. In this respect, India follows the Canadian precedent.

Q4. Regarding the Indus Valley Civilization, consider the following statements:

1. It was predominantly a secular civilization and the religious element, though present, did not dominate the scene,

2. During this period, cotton was used for manufacturing textiles in India.

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
Indus Valley Civilization

• The Indus Valley Civilization was established around 3300 BC. It flourished between 2600 BC and 1900 BC (Mature Indus Valley Civilization). It started declining around 1900 BC and disappeared around 1400 BC.
• This is also called Harappan Civilization after the first city to be excavated, Harappa (Punjab, Pakistan).
• Pre-Harappan civilization has been found at Mehrgarh, Pakistan which shows the first evidence of cotton cultivation.
  Geographically, this civilization covered Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Western Uttar Pradesh.
• It extended from Sutkagengor (in Baluchistan) in the West to Alamgirpur (Western UP) in the East; and from Mandu (Jammu) in the North to Daimabad (Ahmednagar, Maharashtra) in the South. Some Indus Valley sites have also been found in as far away as Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.  

Phases of Indus Valley Civilization
Three phases of IVC are: 

• the Early Harappan Phase from 3300 to 2600 BCE,
• the Mature Harappan Phase from 2600 to 1900 BCE, and
• the Late Harappan Phase from 1900 to 1300 BCE.

Q5. If the interest rate is decreased in an economy, it will
(a) decrease the consumption expenditure in the economy
(b) increase the tax collection of the Government
(c) increase the investment expenditure in the economy
(d) increase the total savings in the economy

ans.c
Interest rate cut makes investment (borrowing) cheaper which makes ‘investment expenditure’ in the economy go upward. 

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