GK: 2

The Asiatic Society was founded in 1784 by Sir William Jones, a prominent philologist and scholar, in Kolkata. William Carey was a missionary associated with Serampore College, David Hare was an educator, and Marshman was also a missionary associated with Serampore.

The Royal Commission on Public Services in India (1912) included prominent figures like Gopal Krishan Gokhale, Valentine Chirol, and Abdur Rahim. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was not a member of this commission. Tilak was a nationalist leader focused on the freedom movement.

The Treaty of Amritsar (1809) was negotiated between Charles T. Metcalfe (representing the British East India Company) and Maharaja Ranjit Singh. This treaty defined the boundaries of British and Sikh territories. Lord McCartney and Major Broodfoot are not associated with this treaty.

The Rashtrakuta dynasty (8th-10th century CE) patronized Shaivism and built many Shiva temples, including the Kailasa temple at Ellora. While they were religiously tolerant, Shaivism received particular royal patronage, as evidenced by their temple architecture and inscriptions.

Pushan is a Vedic deity associated with the sun and is often described as the sun's nourisher or protector. He is a solar deity who journeys across the sky. Ashvins are twin deities associated with dawn and healing (not directly the sun), Indra is the god of rain and thunder, and Aranyani is the goddess of forests.

The 13th Rock Edict of Ashoka contains his personal reflection on the Kalinga War, describing the immense suffering and death caused by the conquest. This edict marks Ashoka's transformation after witnessing the horrors of war and expresses his remorse and subsequent adoption of dhamma (righteousness). The other edicts listed are either different in content or location.

DLF Group was founded by Chaudhary Raghvendra Singh in 1946, not Karsanbhai Khodidas Patel (who founded Nirma). The other pairs are correctly matched: HCL was founded by Shiv Nadar, Ranbaxy by Bhai Mohan Singh, and Hero Group by Brijmohan Lal Munjal (BM Munjal). This question tests knowledge of Indian business founders.

The Santhal rebellion (1855-56) was led by four brothers from the Santhal tribal community: Sidhu, Kanhu, Chand, and Bhairav. The most prominent leaders were Sidhu and Kanhu, who mobilized the tribals against exploitative practices by moneylenders and colonial officials. The rebellion resulted in the creation of Santhal Parganas as a separate administrative region.

Sultan Zain-ul Abidin (1420-1470 CE) ruled Kashmir and is known as one of the most progressive rulers of the Kashmir Sultanate. He promoted learning, invited scholars from Persia, and is remembered for his tolerant policies and patronage of arts and crafts. His reign is considered a golden period in Kashmiri history.

The Lucknow Pact (December 1916) was an agreement between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League. Bal Gangadhar Tilak dominated the Congress negotiations, while Mazhar-ul-Haq led the Muslim League side. The pact made separate electorates permanent and included other political concessions.

CONCOR (Container Corporation of India Ltd) is a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Railways. It was established in 1988 to handle containerized cargo and operates container trains across the Indian Railways network. CONCOR plays a crucial role in logistics and freight transportation in India.

Article 61 of the Constitution of India provides for the impeachment of the President. The President can be impeached for 'violation of the Constitution' by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of the total membership of both Houses of Parliament. Article 75 deals with Council of Ministers, Article 76 with Attorney General, and Article 356 with President's Rule.

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) is a project management tool used for scheduling, organizing, and coordinating tasks within a project. It was developed by the US Navy in the 1950s for managing complex projects. PERT uses three time estimates (optimistic, most likely, pessimistic) to calculate expected completion time.

The Sarkaria Commission (1983-88) was appointed to review Centre-State relations and recommend changes. Inter-river disputes between states fall under Centre-State relations as they require central intervention for resolution. The Commission examined various aspects of federal structure including water disputes, though its terms of reference were broader.

The Saptanga Theory (seven limbs of the state) was propounded by Kautilya (also known as Chanakya) in his treatise Arthashastra. The seven elements are: Swamin (king), Amatya (ministers), Janapada (territory), Durga (fort), Kosha (treasury), Danda (army), and Mitra (ally). This theory outlines the essential components of a sovereign state.

The historic Peace Agreement of November 2006 in Nepal was signed between the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and the Maoists. This agreement ended the decade-long Maoist insurgency and led to the abolition of monarchy and establishment of a republic. King Gyanendra was not a signatory as the movement had already stripped him of power.

Challenger Deep is the deepest known point in the Earth's oceans, located in the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean. Its depth is approximately 10,928 meters (35,853 feet) below sea level. Milwaukee Deep is in the Atlantic Ocean, Java Trench (now Sunda Trench) is in the Indian Ocean, and Philippine Trench, while deep, is shallower than Challenger Deep.

The north-east and south-east trade winds converge near the equator, forming a belt of calm air. This region is called the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), also historically known as the Doldrums by sailors. Both terms refer to the same phenomenon of converging trade winds near the equator.

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed served as President of India from 1974 to 1977, which covers the Emergency period (1975-1977). The Emergency was declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in June 1975, and President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed signed the proclamation. V.V. Giri was the previous President, while Giani Zail Singh and Shankar Dayal Sharma served much later.

The Lokpal and Lokayukta institutions in India are modeled after the Scandinavian Ombudsman system. The Ombudsman is an independent official who investigates complaints against government authorities and public servants. This concept was adopted from countries like Sweden, Finland, and Denmark to create anti-corruption bodies in India.

Alauddin Khilji had several important nobles in his court, including Ain-ul-Mulk Multani, Zafar Khan, and Nusrat Khan, who were his trusted military commanders and administrators. Munim Khan, however, served under Mughal Emperor Akbar much later (16th century), not under Alauddin Khilji (13th-14th century).

The Asteroid Belt is located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It consists of numerous irregularly shaped bodies ranging from dust-sized particles to large dwarf planets like Ceres. This belt never coalesced into a planet due to Jupiter's strong gravitational influence.

Dinabandhu Mitra wrote the famous Bengali play 'Neel Darpan' (The Indigo Mirror) in 1860, which exposed the exploitation of indigo farmers by British planters. The play was a powerful critique of the indigo plantation system and played a significant role in building consciousness against colonial oppression in Bengal.

Professor Muhammad Yunus from Bangladesh pioneered the concept of microcredit - providing small loans to poor people, particularly women, to support entrepreneurship and alleviate poverty. He founded Grameen Bank and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his efforts to create economic and social development through microcredit.