Indian History, Culture and Current Affairs - Comprehensive Quiz

The 1984 Hindi film 'Utsav', directed by Girish Karnad, is based on the ancient Sanskrit play 'Mrichhkatika' (The Little Clay Cart) by Shudraka.

Tribal movements made demands for formation of a separate state, greater autonomy, and development of a script and for independent identity. Such movements were related to cultural and political revivalism. However, the main demand of these movements was to accept their rights over the forest i.e.autonomy over use of forest resources.

The Chipko movement was a non-violent social and ecological movement in the Himalayas (then Uttar Pradesh, now Uttarakhand) aimed at preventing the felling of trees by hugging them.

Interest groups are organizations formed by people who share common interests and work together to influence government policies to benefit their specific group.

Narmada Bachao Andolan is a social movement aimed at environmental and human rights issues regarding dam construction, classifying it as a movement group rather than a political party or interest group.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan founded the Aligarh Movement to promote modern education and social reform among Muslims in India. The other figures listed were political leaders involved in different movements or eras.

The Consolidated Fund of India is the primary account for government revenue and expenditure. Under constitutional provisions, certain expenditures charged to this fund are non-votable and thus cannot be discussed or voted upon on the floor of the house.

New Mangaluru Port is the only largest port in Karnataka and it is 7th largest port in India

Mahamastakabhisheka is a significant Jain festival involving the anointing of the statue of Bahubali (Gommateshwara) at Shravanabelagola. It occurs once every twelve years.

Peddana wrote Manucharitam, Madaya wrote Raja Shekarcharitam, Surona wrote Prabhavati Pradyuman, and Rama Raja Bhushan wrote Kavyalankora Sangrahamu. All pairings in option A are correct.

Option C states that Mahatma Gandhi did not address a single election meeting during the 1937 provincial elections, which is actually correct (making the 'not incorrect' phrasing valid). Gandhi did not directly campaign but offered guidance. Options A and B are incorrect (the whole Congress participated, and the manifesto was about using the Act for welfare, not 'maximum possible welfare'). Option D is incorrect because Congress won 7 out of 11 provinces, not half.

The events mentioned (Kashmir conflict, Sri Lanka intervention, Rajiv Gandhi assassination) highlight the persistent regional, ethnic, and political tensions that have defined South Asian geopolitics.

In Hindu law, persons are related by 'half blood' when they are descended from a common ancestor but have different mothers. 'Full blood' requires the same parents.

Sunderlal Bahuguna was a prominent leader and activist of the Chipko Movement, which focused on the conservation of forests in the Himalayas.

According to the principle given here, adoption of Tarim by Manoj is valid because all the conditions required to be fulfilled in accordance with the provisions of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act 1956 are completed. So, the adoption is valid.

According to principle given here, Michael's exercise in making a street directory is sufficient to justify in making claim to copyright in that work, because the principle clearly states that, a literary work need not be of literary quality.
Even so prosaic a work as an index of railway stations or a railway guide or a list of stock exchange qualifies as a literary work if sufficient work has been expended in compiling it to give it a new and original character.

According to the principle given here and the provisions of the Special MarriageAct 1954, essential condition for a marriage between any two persons is that at the time of the marriage the male has completed the age of 21 yr and female the age of 18 yr. However, in this case, the marriage is null and void because the female is 16 yr old, so the marriage cannot be legally solemnized.

According to the provisions of Hindu marriage Act 1955, either party can file a petition for a decree of divorce on the ground of desertion provided that desertion has been committed for a period of not less than 2 yr and without the consent of the other party. In the given case Rohan's stay in US for three years cannot amount to a ground of desertion for divorce because he went to US with the consent of his wife.

Amitabh Kant served as the CEO of NITI Aayog for several years. The other names listed were earlier officials or members.

Justice Altamas Kabir was the Chairperson of the 20th Law Commission of India. He also served as the Chief Justice of India.

In Indian legal practice, a 'John Doe' order, which targets unidentified defendants to prevent infringement, is commonly referred to as an 'Ashok Kumar' order.

India's first court-annexed mediation center was established in Delhi at the Tis Hazari Courts complex.

Telangana established its first child-friendly court in Hyderabad, following the examples set by Delhi and Goa.

Several states have reservation quotas exceeding the 50 percent cap set by the Supreme Court, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha, often protected by inclusion in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.

The Delhi High Court, in the context of data privacy and child safety, has discussed the age of 13 as the standard threshold for social media account creation, aligning with international norms like COPPA.

Estonia is globally recognized as the first country to implement and allow mobile-based voting (i-voting) in national elections.

The Allahabad High Court ruled that a married daughter is eligible for compassionate appointment, overturning previous restrictions that excluded them based on marital status.

The government established Commercial Divisions in High Courts to expedite the resolution of high-value commercial disputes and improve the ease of doing business.

The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is located in Shamshabad, which is in the city of Hyderabad, Telangana.

The term 'billet-doux' is of French origin and literally translates to 'sweet note', commonly used to refer to a love letter.

The idiom is 'An idle man's brain is the devil's workshop,' meaning that when people have no productive work to do, they tend to think negative or harmful thoughts. The correct word is 'idle' (not busy), not ideal, ignorant, or intelligent. Option D is correct.

The Madras Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act was enacted in 1948 to abolish the Zamindari system in the Madras Presidency, which included parts of modern-day Tamil Nadu.

The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 and officially entered into force on June 23, 1961.

Rationalism, as championed by various social reformers, challenged the traditional and irrational justifications for the caste system, serving as a primary intellectual driver for its elimination.

The Government of India Act 1935 provided for the separation of Burma from British India. This separation officially took effect on April 1, 1937.

Modern democratic states are characterized by their focus on the social and economic well-being of their citizens. This concept of a welfare state contrasts with the limited role of a laissez-faire state.

The Indian Contract Act, 1872, was enacted by the British Raj and came into force on September 1, 1872.

India Gate, located in New Delhi, is a war memorial dedicated to soldiers of the British Indian Army and is widely recognized as the National Monument of India.

The 4th Buddhist Council was held at Kashmir during the rule of Kanishka. At this Council, Buddhists again broke into two schools i.e Theravadi became Hinayana and Sarvastivadin or Mahasanghik became Mahayana schools. Hinayana school saw Buddha as a great soul but not God. They did not believe in Bhakti and idol worship. Mahayana school attaches importance to the role of Bodhisattvas who delay their own salvation in order to help others to its path.

Permanent settlement was introduced in 1793 by Lord Cornwallis in provinces of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Varanasi. It was an agreement between the British East India Company and the Landlords of Bengal to settle the Land Revenue to be raised. The Zamindars were made hereditary owners of the land under their possession. If they were unable to pay their taxes to British, then their land was sold out in auction.

Jainism believe in Triratnas i.e. Right Knowledge, Right faith and Right action. Jains texts condemn the sanctity of Vedas and were against animal sacrifices in yagyas, etc. Jainism recognized the existence of the gods but placed them lower than the Jina and did not condemn the Varna system as Buddhism did. Jainism principally aims at the attainment of freedom from worldly bonds. Jain monks and nuns practiced Sallekhana i.e fasting until death.

Vedanta means the end of Veda. The Brahmasutra of Badarayana compiled in the second century B.C. formed its basic text. Later famous commentaries were written on it, one by Shankara in the ninth century and the other by Ramanuja in the twelfth. Shankara considers brahma to be without any attributes but Ramanuja’s brahma had attributes. It propounded the theory of karma and the theory of rebirth.

Some of the important taxes during the Mauryan period were:

Terai pillar is located in Nigali Sagar and Rummindei (birth place of Buddha). The inscriptions explain Ashoka’s respect for earlier Buddhas. Ashokan pillars are broad at base and taper towards the top but this one is of uniform girth from top to bottom and is without the bell shaped top.

Khajuraho temple complex consists of Hindu and Jain temples.They were built by the Chandellas in the 900-1130 A.D. They are famous for their Panchayatana style of architecture and their erotic sculptures. They are one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.

Yoga : Its foundation is based upon the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali which date from the first half of the 1st millennium A.D. Practice and control over pleasure, senses and bodily organs is central to this system. Exercises include physical and breathing exercises called asanas and pranayam.

Samudragupta was the second emperor of the Gupta dynasty. His gold coins and inscriptions suggest that he was an accomplished poet, and also played music. He was also shown playing a veena on his coins. He performed the Ashvamedha sacrifice to prove his imperial sovereignty, and according to his coins, remained undefeated.

Mohiniattam is a classical solo dance form that developed in the state of Kerala. It borrows heavily from both Kathakali and Bharatanatyam. Movement technique includes feminine movements, hand gestures and soft footwork and is performed only by women. Famous proponents of this dance form are Sunanda Nair, Madhuri amma, Jayaprabha Menon.

Sangeet Natak Academy has given status of classical dance to eight dances viz. Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Odissi, Manipuri, Sattriya, Mohiniattam and Kuchipudi. Natyshastra written by Bharat Muni defines principles of Indian classical dance. It includes two basic aspects i.e. Tandava which is male characteristic of power and strength and Lasya which comprises of feminine grace, bhava, rasa and abhinaya.

Kathak developed during the Bhakti movement. Golden age of Kathak began under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah (last Nawab of Oudh). Three gharanas are more well known and studied - Jaipur, Banaras and Lucknow.  Kathak dance can be performed by both men and women. Birju Maharaj, Lacchu Maharaj, Sitara Devi, Damayanti Joshi are some of the famous Kathak dancers.

The tribhanga posture is innate to Odissi dance. It is a standing body position which means three parts break, consisting of three bends in the body - at the neck, waist and knee and hence the body curves into a gentle "S" shape. It is considered the most graceful and sensual of the Odissi positions.

Mughal school of painting began with Akbar under whose rule an atelier of painting was established under the supervision of two Persian masters, Mir Sayyed Ali and Abdul Samad Khan. Under Akbar, European painting was introduced at the court by the Portuguese priests. Under their influence, the principles of fore-shortening, whereby near and distant people and things could be placed in perspective was quietly adopted.

The Ellora caves are a group of 34 caves. The caves are datable from circa 6th - 7th century A.D. to 11th - 12th century A.D. These caves dedicated to Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina faith. The Hindu caves are the most dramatic in design, and the Buddhist caves contain the simplest ornamentation. Ellora served as a group of monasteries (viharas) and temples (chaityas).

Mudiyettu is a theatre form found in Kerala. It is celebrated in the month of Vrischikam (November-December) and is usually performed only in Kali temples. It depicts the triumph of goddess Bhadrakali over asura Darika.

Tholu Bommalata is the shadow puppet theatre tradition of the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. The puppets are large in size and have joints. They are coloured on both sides. The music is dominantly influenced by the classical music of the region and the theme of the puppet plays are drawn from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas.

A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin (e.g. a town, region or a country) and possess qualities, attributes or a reputation that are due to that origin. A GI right enables those who have the right to use the indication to prevent its use by a third party whose product does not conform to the applicable standards. Darjeeling Tea was the first Indian product to get the geographical indication tag. In 2004, the famous beverage got the recognition.

The earliest reference to the art of puppetry is found in Tamil classic Silappadikaaram written around the 1st or 2nd cent B.C. It was written by Jain-poet, Ilango Adigal. The excavation sites at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro have yielded puppets with sockets attached to them, which suggest the presence of puppetry as an art form then.

The Kalpasutra and Kalakacharya –Katha are two popular Jaina texts illustrated with paintings. Kalpasutra is a manual of Hindu religious practice, a number of which emerged within the different schools of the Veda. It mainly explains in detail the varied rituals, sacrifices, judicial laws and the religious and cultural obligations.

Pankhida - sung by peasants in Rajasthan.

Musti Yundha is unarmed martial art of the oldest city of India “Varanasi“. Techniques used in this martial art are punches, kicks, knees and elbow strikes. The martial art is related to other forms of martial arts found in other parts of the Indian cultural sphere including Muay Thai in Thailand, Muay Lao in Laos, Pradal Serey in Cambodia and Lethwei in Myanmar.

The Sun temple at Konark was built by NarasimhadevaI, the Eastern Ganga ruler in the 13th century A.D. It is also known as Black Pagoda. In the temple, a large sculpture of a female Jhanj player is found. The temple is an example of Nagara style of temple architecture.

The Bahamini Kingdom was founded by Allaudin Bahman Shah with its capital at Gulbarga. Mahmud Gawan divided the kingdom into eight provinces or tarafs. By the year 1526, the Bahamini kingdom got divided into Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, Berar, Golkonda and Bidar.

The ancient Tamils of south India developed a highly evolved system of music. The members of Carnatic music trinity are Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri. They were born at Tiruvarur between the years 1750 A.D. to 1850 A.D. is an era of dynamic development in Carnatic music. They were contemporaries of Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner and Haydn.

Alauddin Khilji created Diwan-i-Riyasat and Shabha-i-Mandi to regulate fixed market prices. Muhammad Bin Tughlaq set up an agricultural department Diwan-i-amir-i-kohi to improve cultivation. 

The home rule leagues were based on Irish Home Rule Leagues which represented a new trend of aggressive politics. Its pioneers were Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant. Besant’s home rule league began in 1916, Arundale, C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar, and B.P. Wadia were her lieutenants who carried out most of the work.

Vasco De Gama was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea. It was under King Emmanuel, Vasco de Gama started his expedition in 1497 and landed on the Indian soil (Calicut) in May 1498. He received a hero’s welcome back in Portugal, and was sent on a second expedition to India in 1502, during which he brutally clashed with Muslim traders in the region.

Mullah Shah Badakhshi was a famous  17th-century Muslim Sufi. He belonged to Qadriya order of Sufism. He was the spiritual mentor of the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh Qadri (1615 – 1659) and his sister Princess Jahanara Begum. 

Khudkasht - Peasant who owned the land and paid revenue at customary rates.

With respect to Mughal administration "Ahadis" were gentlemen troopers. They were directly recruited by the Mughal emperor himself, mainly from the emperor's own blood relatives and tribesmen. They had their own pay roll and pay master, and were better paid than regular hormen sowars.

Iltutmish created a group of forty of his close associates known as Turk-e-chahalgani, group of Turkish noble. However, after Iltutmish’s death, the group of powerful Turkish nobles (sometimes called ‘the forty’ or the Chahalgani) ignored his will and ensured that Ruknuddin Firoz, another son of the Sultan, occupied the throne. Nizam-ul-Mulk-Junaidi was the wazir of Muhammad bin Tughluq.

Sayyid brothers referred to Syed Abdullah Khan and Syed Hassan Ali Khan, who were powerful Mughal Army generals during the early 18th century, and had overpowering control over the state of affairs. They became highly influential in the Mughal Court after Aurangzeb's death and became king makers during the anarchy following the death of emperor Aurangzeb in 1707.

The state of Hyderabad was founded by Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah in 1724 A.D., during the reign of Muhammad Shah Rangila, the 12th Mughal emperor (1719 A.D.-1748 A.D.). He waged wars, concluded peace, conferred titles and gave Jagirs and offices without reference to Delhi. He never openly declared his independence from the Central government but in practice he acted like an independent ruler.

Ibrahim Adil Shah II was deeply interested in music, and composed a book called Kitab-i-Nauras in which songs were set to various musical modes or ragas. He was very solicitous of the poor, and had the title of ‘Abla Baba’ or friend of the poor. He built a new capital, Nauraspur, in which a large number of musicians were invited to settle.

The Third Anglo-Maratha war came about because of conflict between the British and the Pindaris. There was an ongoing tussle between the British and Pindaris who were irregular horsemen that plundered and foraged in central India during the 18th century. The war was fought between 1817-1818. In this battle the British won and British victory resulted in the breakup of the Maratha Empire.

Ali Adil Shah, the ruler of Bijapur, had an excellent library to which he appointed the well-known Sanskrit scholar, Waman Pandit. Ibrahim Adil Shah II accorded patronage to all, including Hindu saints and temples. Due to his syncretic approach he came to be called ‘Jagat Guru’.

The battle of Samugarh was fought between Aurangzeb and Dara Shukoh. It was a decisive battle in the struggle for the throne during the Mughal war of succession. In this battle, Dara was finally defeated by Aurangzeb. After that, Aurangzeb went on to rule the Mughal empire. 

Amir Khusro had become the disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi at the age of seven. Amir Khusro's major works include Qiran us Sa'adain, Miftahed Futuh, Khazainul Futuh, Dewal Rani, Khisly Khani, Nuh Sipir and Tughluq Nama. In Nuh Sipihr, he chronicled all the conquests and achievements that Sultan Qutbuddin Mubarak Shah Khilji had made in the early years of his reign.

Dara Shukoh wrote the remarkable work called “Majma-ul-Bahrain” or the “The confluence of two seas”. He promoted religious pluralism and syncretism. He dedicated himself to create a bridge of Hindu-Muslim Unity. The book was devoted to a revelation of the mystical and pluralistic affinities between Sufic and Vedantic speculation.

Firdausi order was influenced by Suhrawardi order. Suhrawardi order was brought to India by Bahauddin Zakaria who established this order in Multan. Firdausi order was popularised by Shaikh Sharfuddin Yahya who was a disciple of Khwaja Nizamuddin Firdausi.

In 1857, he gave his public support to the rebellion of Sepoy mutiny. When British officials led by Major William Hodson discovered his hiding place and forced him to surrender in September 1857. He was the last Mughal emperor of India who reigned from 1837 to 1857 for a period of 20 years. Also, he was a prolific Urdu poet and calligrapher.

Eka Movement, 1921-22 was basically against the oppression by the thekedars and higher rent, generally higher than 50% of the recorded rent. The peasants of regions Hardoi, Sitapur and Bahraich were involved in the movement. It was led by Madari Pasi at the end of 1921.

Government of India Act of 1858 ended the dual government system by abolishing Board of Control and Court of Directors. A new office of Secretary of State was created. The designation of Governor General was now called Viceroy (Lord Canning was the first viceroy) who was the direct representative of British crown.

Rajendra Prasad was the Indian politician, lawyer, and journalist and he became the first president of the Republic of India. He became an active journalist in the national interest, he wrote for Searchlight in English and founded the Hindi weekly Desh. He was elected President of INC for a second time in 1939 when Subhash Chandra Bose resigned from the post.

Paika Rebellion took place when the British East India company wrested the rent-free land that had been given to the Paiks for their military service to the Kingdom of Khurda. This rebellion briefly shook the foundations of British rule in the eastern part of India (Odisha). In this rebellion, Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar, the military chief of the King of Khurda, led his army of Paikas forcing the British East India Company forces to retreat.

The Government of India Act 1935 divided powers between the centre and its units in terms of three lists Federal, Provincial and Concurrent. Residuary powers were held by the Viceroy. It act also provided for the establishment of Reserve Bank of India and a Federal Court in 1937. It abolished diarchy and introduced provincial autonomy and introduced bicameralism in six out of eleven provinces.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu established Gaudiya Vaishnava dharma in Bengal and believed in advaita or non-dualism. He was a contemporary of Vallabhacharya. He was among the few saints who did not oppose idol worship. He popularized the medium of Kirtana in Bhakti.

The idea of protection of monuments, places and objects of national importance is enshrined in the Directive Principles of State Policy. They are enumerated in Part IV of the Constitution from Article 36 to Article 51. Art 49 of the Indian Constitution deals with protection of monuments and places of national importance.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill amends the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship. Under the Act, one of the requirements for citizenship by naturalisation is that the applicant must have resided in India during the last 12 months, and for 11 of the previous 14 years. The Bill relaxes this 11 years’ requirement to six years for persons belonging to the same six religions and three countries.

January 26th commemorates the date in 1950 when the Constitution of India came into effect, replacing the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document of India.

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. While the question mentions switching off appliances, this is a common symbolic gesture associated with Earth Hour, but Earth Day is the date-specific answer provided.

Lewis Edson Waterman is credited with inventing the practical fountain pen with a reliable ink-feed system.

All India Trade Union Congress was India’s second largest trade union federation after the Indian National Trade Union Congress. The AITUC was formed by the Narayan Malhar Joshi and Lala Lajpat Rai in 1920 to represent India at the International Labour Organisation of the League of Nations. The first session of the All India Trade Union Congress was held at Bombay under Lala Lajpat Rai.

The Harappans had commercial links with Afghanistan and Iran. They set up a trading colony in northern Afghanistan which evidently facilitated trade with Central Asia. The Harappans carried on long-distance trade in lapis lazuli, lapis objects may have contributed to the social prestige of the ruling class.

Ashoka is referred to as Devanam Piyadasi in his edicts. Ashokan edicts were composed in Prakrit, they were written in Brahmi script in the greater part of the Indian subcontinent. Ashoka Chakra, a wheel made of 24 spokes is part of our national flag. It is so called because it appears on a number of edicts of Ashoka, most prominent among which is the Lion Capital of Ashoka.

Hindustani Classical music is influenced by ancient Hindu musical traditions, Vedic philosophy (Rigveda, Yajurvedic chants), Natya Shastra (gives information on scales, melodic forms, tala and musical instruments) and also by the Persian elements. The major vocal forms associated with Hindustani classical music are the dhrupad, khayal, thumri, tappa, and tarana. Important Gharanas are Gwalior Gharana (oldest), Agra Gharana (founded by Khuda Baksh) and Jaipur Gharana (directly took off from Dhrupad), Rampur Saheswan Gharana (Uttar Pradesh).