Pariksha SaathiPedagogy
CTET Social Studies (SST) MCQ with Answers, Paper 2
756 practice questions on Social Studies and its Pedagogy (Paper II) for CTET Paper II (Social Studies/Social Science), with answers; most also have an explanation or a worked solution. Try each one before you open its answer.
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Q.601
In India, people do not take every decision themselves; instead, they elect representatives who take decisions and run the government on their behalf. This form of democracy is called:
- A Direct democracy
- B Monarchy
- C Representative democracy
- D Dictatorship
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Representative democracy
In a representative democracy, citizens choose their leaders through elections, and these representatives govern on their behalf and are answerable to them. In a direct democracy, citizens would decide every issue themselves.
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Q.602
In October and November, the monsoon winds move back from the mainland towards the Bay of Bengal. Which part of India receives good rainfall in this season of the retreating monsoon?
- A Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the south
- B The Thar desert in western Rajasthan
- C Ladakh in the Great Himalayas
- D The Konkan coast of Maharashtra on the Arabian Sea
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the south
In the season of the retreating monsoon, the southern parts of India, particularly Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, receive rainfall. The Konkan coast gets most of its rain from the south-west monsoon between June and September.
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Q.603
Consider the following statements about indigo cultivation in colonial Bengal: 1. Under nij cultivation, ryots grew indigo on their own land under contracts with the planters. 2. Under the ryoti system, planters forced ryots to sign a contract (satta) and gave them cash advances to grow indigo. Which of these is/are correct?
- A Only 1
- B Only 2
- C Both 1 and 2
- D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Only 2
Under nij cultivation the planter grew indigo on land he directly controlled, so statement 1 is wrong. Under the ryoti system, ryots who took advances had to grow indigo on at least a quarter of their holding; such pressure led to the indigo rebellion of 1859.
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Q.604
From about 3000 years ago, people in the Deccan, south India, the north-east and Kashmir marked some burial sites with big stones (megaliths). A distinctive kind of pottery often buried with the dead in them is called:
- A Painted Grey Ware
- B Northern Black Polished Ware
- C Black and Red Ware
- D Red pottery with black designs
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Black and Red Ware
Megalithic burials often contain Black and Red Ware, along with iron tools and weapons and sometimes skeletons of horses, horse equipment and ornaments of stone and gold. Painted Grey Ware is linked with janapada sites of the north, and red pottery with black designs with the Harappans.
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Q.605
The civilisation of the Indus region is often called 'Harappan' because:
- A Harappa was its capital city, from where a single emperor ruled all of it
- B Harappa was the first site of this civilisation to be discovered
- C Harappa was the only city where seals have been found
- D the word 'Harappa' is written on all its seals
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Harappa was the first site of this civilisation to be discovered
Harappa was the first site of this civilisation to be found, so all sites with similar buildings and objects are called Harappan. There is no evidence of a single emperor, and seals have been found at many sites.
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Q.606
A type of commercial farming in which a single crop such as tea, coffee or rubber is grown on a large estate, using much labour and capital, with the produce often processed on the farm itself, is called:
- A mixed farming
- B plantation agriculture
- C nomadic herding
- D intensive subsistence farming
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) plantation agriculture
Plantations grow a single crop such as tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton for sale, using large amounts of labour and capital; the produce may be processed on the estate or in nearby factories. Subsistence farming meets the needs of the farmer's family, and mixed farming combines crops with livestock.
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Q.607
The first High Courts in India were set up in 1862 in three Presidency cities. Which were they?
- A Delhi, Allahabad and Patna
- B Calcutta, Bombay and Madras
- C Calcutta, Delhi and Lahore
- D Bombay, Lucknow and Hyderabad
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Calcutta, Bombay and Madras
High Courts were first established in 1862 in the Presidency cities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. Today the High Courts stand below the Supreme Court in the judicial hierarchy.
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Q.608
Members of the Rajya Sabha, other than those nominated by the President, are elected by:
- A The people of each state directly, in the general elections
- B The elected members of the state Legislative Assemblies
- C The elected members of the Lok Sabha
- D The Governors of the states
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) The elected members of the state Legislative Assemblies
The Rajya Sabha mainly represents the states; its elected members are chosen by the elected members of the state Legislative Assemblies (and of the legislatures of some Union Territories). Lok Sabha members are elected directly by the people.
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Q.609
Nitrogen makes up the largest share of the air, yet plants cannot take it directly from the air. How do they obtain it?
- A Plants absorb it through their leaves during photosynthesis
- B Rainwater dissolves it and plants take it in as pure nitrogen gas
- C Bacteria in the soil and in roots of some plants change it into a usable form
- D Plants make it themselves from carbon dioxide
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Bacteria in the soil and in roots of some plants change it into a usable form
Bacteria that live in the soil and in the roots of some plants take nitrogen from the air and change its form so that plants can use it. Photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide, not nitrogen.
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Q.610
In Kalidasa's plays, the king and most brahmins speak Sanskrit, while women and men other than the king and brahmins speak Prakrit. What does this suggest about society at that time?
- A Prakrit had not yet developed as a spoken language
- B Language use reflected differences of status and gender
- C Kalidasa did not know Prakrit well enough to use it for kings
- D Sanskrit was the everyday language of ordinary villagers
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Language use reflected differences of status and gender
The way the characters speak shows that Sanskrit was linked with kings and brahmins, while women and other men were shown using Prakrit, reflecting social differences of status and gender. Prakrit was in fact the language of ordinary people.
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Q.611
For a project on local heritage, some families cannot afford printed photographs, chart paper or colours. The teacher should:
- A Give higher marks to the projects that are made with costly material
- B Excuse these students from doing the project at all
- C Plan it for low-cost local material and value ideas over decoration
- D Ask them to buy the material from the school shop
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Plan it for low-cost local material and value ideas over decoration
Projects must not disadvantage children from poorer homes. Designing them around ideas, enquiry and locally available material keeps them fair and keeps the focus on learning.
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Q.612
In 1929, under the presidentship of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress resolved to fight for Purna Swaraj (complete independence). As a result, 'Independence Day' was observed all over the country on:
- A 15 August 1929
- B 2 October 1929
- C 9 August 1942
- D 26 January 1930
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) 26 January 1930
After the Purna Swaraj resolution of 1929, Independence Day was observed on 26 January 1930; in its memory, 26 January was later chosen as the day the Constitution came into effect. 9 August 1942 is linked with the Quit India Movement.
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Q.613
In the thirteenth century, Minhaj-i Siraj, a chronicler who wrote in Persian, used the term 'Hindustan' to mean:
- A the whole subcontinent, from Kashmir in the north to Kanyakumari in the south
- B only the lands lying to the south of the river Narmada
- C Punjab, Haryana and the Ganga-Yamuna lands under the Delhi Sultan
- D the kingdoms of Rajasthan that were ruled by Rajput chiefs
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Punjab, Haryana and the Ganga-Yamuna lands under the Delhi Sultan
Minhaj used 'Hindustan' in a political sense for the lands that were part of the dominions of the Delhi Sultan. The meaning of such terms changed over time and was not the same as the present-day idea of India.
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Q.614
Before a lesson on the Harappan cities, a teacher shows a photograph of a Harappan seal and asks every student to write down any questions that come to mind about it. The main aim of this activity is to:
- A Check whether students have read the whole chapter at home before coming to class
- B Arouse curiosity and let students frame their own questions for enquiry
- C Keep students busy while the teacher prepares to deliver a lecture
- D Train students to copy the caption printed below the photograph
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Arouse curiosity and let students frame their own questions for enquiry
Starting from children's own questions about a source makes them active enquirers and shows the teacher their prior ideas. NCF 2005 values children's questions as a starting point of learning.
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Q.615
The Chalukya kingdom, in which Aihole was an important trading and religious centre, was centred around the Raichur Doab. This doab lies between the rivers:
- A Krishna and Tungabhadra
- B Ganga and Yamuna
- C Narmada and Tapi
- D Kaveri and Vaigai
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Krishna and Tungabhadra
The Chalukya kingdom was centred around the Raichur Doab, between the Krishna and the Tungabhadra. In Pulakeshin II's time the Chalukya capital was Vatapi (Badami), though NCERT's Our Pasts I calls Aihole the capital. The Pallava kingdom spread from the region around its capital, Kanchipuram, to the Kaveri delta.
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Q.616
Why does the Constitution divide the work of the State among the legislature, the executive and the judiciary?
- A To make sure that laws are passed faster
- B So that the judiciary can make laws when Parliament is not in session
- C So that no organ misuses power, as each acts as a check on the others
- D So that the executive need not follow court orders
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) So that no organ misuses power, as each acts as a check on the others
Separation of powers keeps power from being concentrated in one organ; each exercises different powers and acts as a check on the others, which protects democracy. It neither lets courts make laws nor frees the executive from court orders.
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Q.617
Which test item is most in line with the competency-based assessment recommended by NEP 2020?
- A Define the term 'climate'.
- B Name two crops grown in the kharif season.
- C Fill in the blank: Cotton grows well in ___ soil.
- D Given rainfall and temperature data of an unfamiliar place, suggest crops that may suit it, with reasons.
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Given rainfall and temperature data of an unfamiliar place, suggest crops that may suit it, with reasons.
Competency-based items ask students to apply knowledge and skills to a new situation; the other items only test the recall of definitions and facts.
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Q.618
The midday meal programme in government schools was first introduced in which state, before the Supreme Court in 2001 asked all state governments to start it in their schools?
- A Tamil Nadu
- B Kerala
- C Gujarat
- D West Bengal
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu was the first state to introduce the midday meal programme, and in 2001 the Supreme Court asked all state governments to begin it in their schools within six months. It raised the enrolment and attendance of poor children and, as children ate together, helped reduce caste prejudice.
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Q.619
A contractor forces a family to work at his brick kiln without wages to repay an old loan. Which Fundamental Right is most directly violated?
- A Right to Freedom of Religion
- B Cultural and Educational Rights
- C Right against Exploitation
- D Right to Constitutional Remedies
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Right against Exploitation
The Right against Exploitation prohibits forced labour (begar) and trafficking in human beings, and bars children below 14 from work in factories, mines and other hazardous employment. The family can use the Right to Constitutional Remedies to have it enforced, but that right is not the one violated.
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Q.620
Match the parts of an early Hindu temple with their descriptions: A. Garbhagriha B. Shikhara C. Mandapa; 1. A tower built on top of the main shrine 2. The room where the image of the chief deity was placed 3. A hall where people could assemble
- A A-1, B-2, C-3
- B A-3, B-1, C-2
- C A-2, B-3, C-1
- D A-2, B-1, C-3
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) A-2, B-1, C-3
The garbhagriha was the most important part, where the image of the chief deity was placed and priests performed rituals; a tower called the shikhara was built over it, and the mandapa was a hall where people assembled. The brick temple at Bhitargaon is an early example with a shikhara.
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Q.621
After the school gets a smart classroom, a teacher plans to replace all field visits and class discussions with videos. From the viewpoint of sound pedagogy:
- A ICT should supplement, not replace, first-hand experience and dialogue
- B Videos are always better than real experiences, whatever the topic may be
- C Smart classrooms make the role of the teacher unnecessary
- D Field visits have become outdated in the digital age
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) ICT should supplement, not replace, first-hand experience and dialogue
ICT can widen access to places, sources and data, but learning in social science also needs direct observation, interaction and discussion. Technology works best when combined with these, not as a substitute.
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Q.622
Section 29 of the RTE Act, 2009 lays down that the curriculum and evaluation procedure should ensure, among other things:
- A Learning through activities, discovery and exploration
- B A board examination at the end of every class from Class 1 to Class 8
- C Completion of the whole textbook before any activity is attempted
- D Weekly written tests that rank all children in order of merit
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Learning through activities, discovery and exploration
Section 29(2) asks that curriculum and evaluation provide for learning through activities, discovery and exploration in a child-friendly and child-centred manner, freedom from fear, trauma and anxiety, and comprehensive and continuous evaluation.
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Q.623
Class 7 students have visited a weekly haat and noted what is sold, by whom and at what price. Which follow-up activity is the most useful?
- A A quick written test on the names of all the shops they saw at the haat
- B A general essay on 'My visit to the market' to be written for homework
- C Groups share findings and link them to traders, prices and market chains
- D Moving to the next chapter, as the visit itself was enough
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Groups share findings and link them to traders, prices and market chains
Post-visit discussion helps students organise what they observed and connect it with concepts in the lesson; without it, a field visit risks becoming just an outing.
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Q.624
At Brahmagiri, in present-day Karnataka, one skeleton was buried with 33 gold beads, 2 stone beads, 4 copper bangles and a conch shell, while other skeletons had only a few pots. Archaeologists infer that:
- A the people of Brahmagiri all worked as goldsmiths and coppersmiths
- B there were differences in status among the people buried there
- C gold was so common there that it had no value for the people
- D these burials belong to one of the Harappan cities of the north
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) there were differences in status among the people buried there
Objects buried with the dead hint at their status, so a much richer burial suggests some differences in status among the people. Brahmagiri is in present-day Karnataka in south India; it is not a Harappan city.
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Q.625
A Class 6 class includes children of migrant workers from several states. While teaching about diversity, the teacher invites them to share the food, festivals and languages of their home regions. This approach:
- A Marks the migrant children out as outsiders who are different from all the others
- B Treats children's varied experiences as a learning resource and builds respect
- C Wastes time that should be spent completing the textbook chapter
- D Is unfair to local children, whose own culture gets less attention
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Treats children's varied experiences as a learning resource and builds respect
NCF 2005 treats children's experiences and backgrounds as resources. Inviting migrant children to share, with respect, makes diversity concrete and helps them feel valued rather than excluded.
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Q.626
Manipravalam, literally 'diamonds and corals', was a style of writing that combined:
- A Persian and the regional language
- B Tamil and the Telugu language
- C Arabic and the regional language
- D Sanskrit and the regional language
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Sanskrit and the regional language
Manipravalam referred to two languages, Sanskrit and the regional language. The fourteenth-century Lilatilakam, a text on grammar and poetics from Kerala, was composed in it.
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Q.627
Assertion (A): Jainism was supported mainly by traders. Reason (R): Farmers had to kill insects to protect their crops, so they found the strict Jaina rules of ahimsa difficult to follow.
- A Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
- B Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
- C A is true, but R is false
- D A is false, but R is true
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
Both are true and R explains A: Jainism required that even insects should not be harmed, which was very hard for farmers, so its main supporters were traders.
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Q.628
Dr B.R. Ambedkar described which Fundamental Right as the 'heart and soul' of the Constitution, because it allows citizens to go to court if their rights are violated?
- A Right to Constitutional Remedies
- B Right to Equality
- C Right to Freedom
- D Cultural and Educational Rights
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Right to Constitutional Remedies
The Right to Constitutional Remedies (Article 32) lets citizens approach the Supreme Court if any Fundamental Right is violated. Without it the other rights could not be enforced, which is why Ambedkar called it the heart and soul of the Constitution.
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Q.629
People are often called a nation's greatest resource. Which statement best explains this view?
- A A larger population always makes a country richer
- B People are counted as a resource only when they live in large cities
- C People's skills turn natural substances into useful resources
- D People are a natural resource found only in some places
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) People's skills turn natural substances into useful resources
Nature's gifts become resources only when people find them useful, so it is people, with their needs, knowledge and skills, who create resources. That is why investing in their education and health (human resource development) matters; numbers alone do not make a country rich.
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Q.630
Which feature distinguished Mahayana Buddhism from the earlier form of Buddhism?
- A The Buddha's presence was shown in sculpture only through signs such as the peepal tree
- B Statues of the Buddha were made, and belief in Bodhisattvas developed
- C Monks were forbidden to live in monasteries
- D Teachings were given only to kings, in Sanskrit
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Statues of the Buddha were made, and belief in Bodhisattvas developed
Earlier, the Buddha's presence was shown in sculpture only by signs, such as the peepal tree for his enlightenment. In Mahayana Buddhism, statues of the Buddha were made (many at Mathura and Taxila) and the idea of Bodhisattvas, enlightened persons who stayed in the world to help others, developed.
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Q.631
In Ladakh, the air temperature stays low even in summer, yet the heat of the Sun is felt very strongly. Why?
- A Ladakh lies on the Equator, so the Sun is overhead all year
- B Ladakh is close to the sea, which reflects sunlight on to it
- C At its high altitude the air is thin and blocks little of the Sun's heat
- D Dense forests in Ladakh trap the heat of the Sun
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) At its high altitude the air is thin and blocks little of the Sun's heat
Ladakh is very high, and the air there is so thin that the Sun's heat is felt intensely, even though the thin air itself holds little heat and air temperatures stay low. Ladakh is far from both the Equator and the sea and has scanty vegetation.
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Q.632
When fear, insecurity or discrimination leads members of a community to live largely in separate neighbourhoods of their own, which become cut off from the rest of the city, the process is called:
- A urbanisation
- B assimilation
- C migration
- D ghettoisation
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) ghettoisation
A ghetto is an area populated largely by one community, and ghettoisation is the process that leads to it. It can result from social, cultural and economic reasons, including fear or hostility, and it narrows a community's options and opportunities.
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Q.633
Raziyya, who became Sultan of Delhi in 1236, was the daughter of:
- A Iltutmish
- B Alauddin Khalji
- C Balban
- D Qutbuddin Aibak
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Iltutmish
Raziyya, the daughter of Iltutmish, became Sultan in 1236. Chroniclers recognised that she was more able and qualified than her brothers, but nobles were unhappy at her attempts to rule independently, and she was removed from the throne in 1240.
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Q.634
Why is the Battle of Plassey (1757) regarded as a turning point?
- A It ended Mughal rule in Delhi
- B It was fought between the British and the French for Bengal
- C In it Tipu Sultan was killed defending Srirangapatam
- D It was the first major victory the Company won in India
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) It was the first major victory the Company won in India
At Plassey, Robert Clive led the Company's army against Sirajuddaulah, and the forces led by Mir Jafar never fought; it was the first major victory the Company won in India. Tipu Sultan was killed in 1799, and the Mughal dynasty lasted until 1857.
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Q.635
In many Harappan cities, the western part was smaller but higher, and the eastern part was larger but lower. Archaeologists call these two parts:
- A the lower town and the citadel respectively
- B the granary and the dockyard respectively
- C the citadel and the lower town respectively
- D the palace and the market respectively
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) the citadel and the lower town respectively
The smaller but higher western part is called the citadel and the larger, lower eastern part is called the lower town. The first option reverses the two.
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Q.636
Match the eighteenth-century states with the Mughal officials under whom they became largely independent: A. Hyderabad B. Awadh C. Bengal; 1. Burhan-ul-Mulk Sa'adat Khan 2. Murshid Quli Khan 3. Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah
- A A-3, B-2, C-1
- B A-1, B-3, C-2
- C A-3, B-1, C-2
- D A-2, B-1, C-3
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) A-3, B-1, C-2
Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah founded the state of Hyderabad, Burhan-ul-Mulk Sa'adat Khan was appointed subadar of Awadh in 1722, and Bengal gradually broke away from Mughal control under Murshid Quli Khan, who had been appointed naib (deputy) to the governor of the province.
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Q.637
In 1785, Tipu Sultan stopped the export of sandalwood, pepper and cardamom through the ports of his kingdom and did not allow local merchants to trade with the Company. Why did this alarm the British?
- A Tipu had just signed an alliance with the Company against the French in India
- B Mysore controlled the profitable Malabar coast trade in pepper and cardamom
- C Sandalwood was the main export of the Company from Bengal
- D The Company depended on Mysore for all its supply of indigo
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Mysore controlled the profitable Malabar coast trade in pepper and cardamom
Mysore controlled the profitable Malabar coast trade, so Tipu's measures hurt the Company; he also built close ties with the French and modernised his army with their help. The Company fought four wars with Mysore, and Tipu was killed defending Srirangapatam in 1799.
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Q.638
Consider the following statements:
1. The Western Ghats are continuous.
2. The Eastern Ghats are broken and uneven.
Which of these is/are correct?
- A 1 only
- B 2 only
- C Both 1 and 2
- D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Both 1 and 2
The Western Ghats (Sahyadris) form an almost unbroken chain along the west coast, while the Eastern Ghats are broken and uneven, cut through by large east-flowing rivers.
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Q.639
What causes the regular rise and fall of ocean water known as tides?
- A Winds blowing over the surface of the ocean
- B Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions under the sea
- C Differences in the salt content of ocean water
- D The gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun on the Earth
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) The gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun on the Earth
Tides are caused by the strong gravitational pull exerted by the Moon and the Sun on the Earth's surface. Winds cause waves, and undersea earthquakes or eruptions can cause tsunamis.
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Q.640
The Northern Plains of India have been formed mainly by:
- A lava that flowed out of fissures in the Deccan region
- B sand blown in by winds from the Thar Desert
- C deposits left behind by retreating glaciers
- D alluvial deposits of the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) alluvial deposits of the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers
The Northern Plains, lying south of the Himalayas, are level, fertile plains built of alluvial deposits laid down by the Indus, the Ganga, the Brahmaputra and their tributaries. Lava flows built the Deccan traps, not these plains.
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Q.641
Large cities in India are looked after by a Municipal Corporation. The corresponding body in a smaller town is called the:
- A Panchayat Samiti
- B Zila Parishad
- C Legislative Council
- D Municipal Council
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Municipal Council
A big city has a Municipal Corporation, while a smaller town has a Municipal Council. The Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad are rural bodies, and a Legislative Council is part of the legislature in some states.
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Q.642
Why does February have 29 days once in every four years?
- A The Earth's rotation slows down by a whole day every fourth year
- B One revolution takes about 365¼ days, and four quarter-days make one day
- C The Moon takes one extra day to go round the Earth every fourth year
- D The tilt of the Earth's axis changes once in every four years
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) One revolution takes about 365¼ days, and four quarter-days make one day
A year is counted as 365 days, but one revolution round the Sun takes about 365¼ days. The six hours left over each year add up to 24 hours in four years, so that day is added to February.
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Q.643
A teacher realises that in discussions she mostly calls on boys, and girls rarely get a chance to speak. The best step for her to take is to:
- A Accept the pattern because boys are naturally more confident speakers in class
- B Consciously share out questions and roles so that girls participate equally
- C Ask girls only easy questions so that they do not feel embarrassed
- D Let boys lead all group activities while girls take down the notes
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Consciously share out questions and roles so that girls participate equally
Gender justice in social science includes the hidden curriculum of who gets to speak in class. Deliberately balancing questions and roles gives girls an equal voice; easy questions only for girls lowers expectations of them.
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Q.644
Which of the following statements about a First Information Report (FIR) is correct?
- A It can be filed only in writing, through a lawyer
- B It is filed directly before the judge in court
- C It means the police have found the accused guilty
- D The informant is entitled to a free copy of it
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) The informant is entitled to a free copy of it
Information about a cognisable offence can be given to the police orally or in writing; it is recorded as the FIR, which starts the police investigation, and the informant gets a free copy. An FIR only records a complaint; it does not decide guilt.
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Q.645
Forest laws made it hard for the Forest Department to find workers to cut trees and transport logs. In many regions it set up 'forest villages', where jhum cultivators were given small patches of forest land to cultivate on the condition that they:
- A paid twice the usual land revenue to the government in cash
- B converted to Christianity under the guidance of the missions
- C worked for the Forest Department and looked after the forests
- D gave up their own land to the European tea planters of Assam
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) worked for the Forest Department and looked after the forests
To ensure a regular supply of cheap labour, the Forest Department let jhum cultivators farm small patches in the forest if they worked for the department and looked after the forests. Their freedom to move about and practise jhum in reserved forests was still taken away.
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Q.646
On a cloudy day, students who have lost their way in a forest can still find the main directions with a compass, even without a map. This is because:
- A its needle always points towards the position of the Sun
- B it shows the distance to the nearest town or road
- C its magnetic needle always settles in the north-south direction
- D its needle points towards the nearest water body
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) its magnetic needle always settles in the north-south direction
A compass is used to find the main directions because its magnetic needle always comes to rest pointing north-south; once north is known, the other directions follow. It does not measure distance or follow the Sun.
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Q.647
As states came to be reorganised on the basis of language, the old state of Bombay was divided in 1960 into which two states?
- A Punjab and Haryana
- B Karnataka and Kerala
- C Andhra and Tamil Nadu
- D Maharashtra and Gujarat
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Maharashtra and Gujarat
In 1960 Bombay was divided into separate states for Marathi and Gujarati speakers, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Punjab was divided into Punjab and Haryana in 1966, for Punjabi and Hindi speakers.
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Q.648
Alauddin Khalji paid his large army in cash, and his soldiers bought their supplies from merchants in Delhi. To stop merchants from raising prices, he:
- A gave every soldier a village as an iqta in place of a cash salary
- B issued token coins of cheap metal to be used in place of silver
- C moved the army to Daulatabad in the south, where grain was cheaper
- D controlled prices in Delhi and punished merchants who overcharged
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Correct answer: (D) controlled prices in Delhi and punished merchants who overcharged
Alauddin controlled the prices of goods in Delhi; officers carefully surveyed prices, and merchants who did not sell at the prescribed rates were punished. Token currency and the move to Daulatabad were measures of Muhammad Tughluq.
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Q.649
Which statement about the Sufis is correct?
- A They rejected outward religiosity and emphasised love and devotion to God and compassion towards all
- B They insisted on the elaborate rituals and codes of behaviour laid down by orthodox religious scholars
- C They were the military commanders of the Delhi Sultans
- D They lived only in Arabia and never came to the subcontinent
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Correct answer: (A) They rejected outward religiosity and emphasised love and devotion to God and compassion towards all
Sufis were Muslim mystics who rejected outward religiosity and the rituals demanded by religious scholars, and emphasised love and devotion to God and compassion towards all. Sufi masters such as Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti of Ajmer and Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi held assemblies in their khanqahs.
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Q.650
In the Mauryan empire, Taxila and Ujjain were important provincial capitals. Which statement best explains their importance?
- A Taxila was the gateway to the northwest and Central Asia; Ujjain lay on the north-south route
- B Both were busy seaports through which the Mauryas traded with Rome and with Southeast Asia
- C Taxila was the birthplace of the Buddha, and Ujjain was the place where Ashoka was born and grew up
- D Both had been capitals of the Vajji sangha before the Mauryas conquered them
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Correct answer: (A) Taxila was the gateway to the northwest and Central Asia; Ujjain lay on the north-south route
Taxila was a gateway to the northwest, including Central Asia, while Ujjain lay on the route from north to south India. Royal princes were often sent to such provincial capitals as governors.
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How these questions were made
Authored by an AI assistant (Claude) from its own general knowledge of stable, well-established facts (no live lookup) - not reviewed by a subject-matter expert; verify against an official source before relying on any fact.