CHANAKYA PRELIMS TEST SERIES

CPTS-2023
Medieval History
(TEST-2)
Answer with Explanation
1. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
• Statement 1 is incorrect as Bhakt Tukaram
(1608 -1649AD) was contemporary of Jahangir
(1605 – 1627 AD). Reign of Emperor Akbar
lasted till 1605 AD.
• Statement 2 is incorrect as Shaikh Ahmad
Sirhindi (1564 -1624 AD) was born after Saint
Kabir (1398 – 1518AD).
• Statement 3 is correct as Sri
Ramanandacharya was a 14th-century
Vaishnava devotional poet saint, who lived in
the Gangetic basin of northern India. Born in a
Brahman family, Ramananda for the most part
of his life lived in the holy city of Varanasi. He
was one of the earliest saints and a pioneering
figure of the Bhakti movement as it rapidly grew
in North India, sometime between the 14th
and mid-15th century during its Islamic rule
period. Ramananda developed his philosophy
and devotional themes inspired by the south
Indian Vedanta philosopher Ramanuja.
• An early social reformer, Ramananda accepted
disciples without discriminating anyone by
gender, class. Traditional scholarship holds that
his disciples included later Bhakti movement
saints such as Kabir, Ravidas, Bhagat Pipa
and others. Ramananda was known for
composing his works and discussing
spiritual themes in vernacular Hindi, stating
that this makes knowledge accessible to the
masses
2. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• Like the earlier Sultans, the Khilji and
Tughluq monarchs appointed military
commanders as governors of territories
of varying sizes. These lands were called
iqta and their holders was called Iqtadar or
Muqti. The duty of the Muqtis was to lead
military campaigns and maintain law and
order in their Iqtas. In exchange for their
military services, the Muqtis collected the
revenues of their assignments as salary. They
also paid their soldiers from these revenues.
Control over Muqtis was most effective if their
office was not inheritable and if they were
assigned Iqtas for a short period of time before
being shifted. These harsh conditions of service
were rigorously imposed during the reigns
of Alauddin Khilji and Muhammad Tughluq.
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Accountants were appointed by the state to
check the amount of revenue collected by the
Muqtis. Care was taken that the Muqti collected
only the taxes prescribed by the state and that
he kept the required number of soldiers.
3. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
• Statement 1 is incorrect as Ibn Battuta’s
book of travels, called Rihla, written in
Arabic, provides extremely rich and interesting
details about the social and cultural life in the
subcontinent in the fourteenth century.
• Statement 2 is correct as travelling overland
through Central Asia, Ibn Battuta reached Sind
in 1333. He had heard about Muhammad bin
Tughlaq, the Sultan of Delhi, and lured by
his reputation as a generous patron of arts
and letters, set off for Delhi, passing through
Multan and Uch. The Sultan was impressed
by his scholarship, and appointed him the
Qazi or judge of Delhi.
• Statement 3 is correct as Ibn Battuta was
also amazed by the efficiency of the postal
system which allowed merchants to not
only send information and remit credit
across long distances, but also to dispatch
goods required at short notice. The postal
system was so efficient that while it took fifty
days to reach Delhi from Sind, the news reports
of spies would reach the Sultan through the
postal system in just five days.
4. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• Statement 1 is correct as Lingayats continue
to be an important community in the region to
date. They worship Shiva in his manifestation
as a linga, and men usually wear a small linga
in a silver case on a loop strung over the left
shoulder. Those who are revered include the
jangama or wandering monks. Lingayats
believe that on death the devotee will be
united with Shiva and will not return to this
world. Therefore, they do not practise funerary
rites such as cremation, prescribed in the
Dharmashastras. Instead, they ceremonially
bury their dead.
• Statement 2 is correct as the real development
of Bhakti took place in south India between
the seventh and the twelfth century. Here the
Shaiva nayanars and the Vaishnavite alvars
disregarded the austerities preached by
the Jains and the Buddhists and preached
 personal devotion to God as a means of
salvation. They disregarded the rigidities of the
caste system and carried their message of love
and personal devotion to God to various parts
of south India by using the local languages.
5. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• Statement 1 is incorrect as The Vijayanagara
Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was
a Hindu empire based in the region of South
India, which consisted the modern states
of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and
Maharashtra. It was established in 1336 by
the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the
Sangama dynasty.
• Statement 2 is correct as Niccolò de’ Conti,
Italian traveller visited during the reign of Dev
Rai I and mentioned about the celebration of
Deepawali and Navratri.
• Statement 3 is correct as Deva Raya II (1425-
1446) is considered as the greatest ruler of the
Vijaynagar Dynasty. Nuniz, a Portuguese writer,
tells us that the kings of Quilon, Sri Lanka, and
Tenasserim paid tribute to king Deva Raya II.
6. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• The mansabdari system, introduced by Akbar
with certain changes and modifications, was
the basis of civil and military administrations
under the Mughals. The word mansab means
a place or position. The mansab awarded to an
individual fixed both his status in the official
hierarchy and also his salary. It also fixed the
number of armed retainers the holders of
mansab was to maintain. Hence statement 1
is correct.
• The Zat rank denoted personal rank of an
official and the Sawar rank indicated the size
of contingents maintained by the mansabdars.
Hence statement 2 is not correct.
• The mansabdar’s position in the official
hierarchy was decided by the Zat rank. For
example, a mansabdar with 4000 Zat and 2000
Sawar was higher in rank than a Mansabdar of
3000 Zat and 3000 Sawar. Hence statement 3
is not correct.
7. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
• Allaudin Khilji was the first Sultan to introduced
revenue system based on land measurement.
3
He introduced the Masahat system by doing
away with Batai system. The revenue was fixed
at 1/3rdrate. He even created a new department
for revenue collection , known was Diwan-i-
mustakharaj. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• Masahat System- was a system based on
survey and measurement. The tax/revenue
to be collected wasn’t fixed arbitrarily but
total production was estimated with help of
sample cutting and the share of state was fixed
accordingly.
• Batai or Galla-bakhshi was a very old system
this was a simple method of crop-sharing in
which the produce was arranged into heaps
and divided into three shares, one of which
was taken by the state. Under this system the
peasant had the choice to pay in cash or kind.
• In Khet Batai standing crop was shared.
• In Lank Batai- Harvested crop was shared.
• In Ras Batai- Grains were taken out and shared.
• Allaudin Khilji also undertook market reform.
He controlled the price of all the commodities
in the areas around the capital. Different
markets for commodities, slaves and horses
were started. Hence statement 2 is not
correct.
8. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• To deal with internal and external disturbance,
Balban reorganized the military department
called Diwan – i – Arz and pensioned off those
soldiers and troopers who were no longer
fit for the service. He also appointed spies in
every department and also organized a strong
centralised army.
9. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• Yadavas – Devagiri
• Hoyaslas – Dwarasamudra
10. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Muhammad Bin Tughlaq introduced advanced
agricultural loans, called Sondhar, to dig wells
and to buy seed and implements. This was
done to compensate the losses of farmers
caused due to the experiment of taxation
increase in Doab region.
11. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Qutub-ud-din Aibak who was the first ruler of
Delhi Sultanate(1206-10) , who was succeeded
 by Aram Shah who was killed by his son
Iltutmish to capture the throne(1211-1236).
Iltutmish nominated his daughter Raziya as
his successor thus the hereditary succession
was initiated.Here after Balban(1266-87)
made an attempt to make the succession
hereditary by appointing his grandson
Muizud-Din Qaiqabad but he was assassinated
after 3 years of coming into power. Succession
toDelhi Sultanate was initiated by Iltutmish.
Hence Statement 1 is correct.
• After the death of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq
in 1351, Firoz Tughlaq had the unique
distinction of being chosen as sultan by the
nobles. He appointed Khan-i-JahanMaqbal,
a Telugu Brahmin convert as wazir (prime
minister). The wazir helped the Sultan in his
administration and maintained the prestige
of the Sultanate during this period. Hence
Statement 2 is incorrect.
• Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1325-1351)
He was a very attractive character in the
history of medieval India owing to his
ambitious schemes and novel experiments.
His enterprises and novel experiments ended
in miserable failures because they were all far
ahead of their time. He was very tolerant in
religious matters
Muhammad bin Tughlaq was the Delhi Sultan
who had received a comprehensive literary,
religious and philosophical education. Hence
Statement 3 is incorrect.
12. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• The Muslim kingdom of Bahmani was
established by some nobles of the Deccan
who revolted against the repressive policies of
Sultan Muhammed Tughlaq.
• In 1347, Hasan became the king under the title
Abdul Muzaffar Ala-Ud-Din Bahman Shah and
founded the Bahmani dynasty. This dynasty
lasted for about 175 years and had 18 rulers. At
the height of its glory, the Bahmani kingdom
extended from north of Krishna river up to the
Narmada, and stretched east-west from the
coasts of the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea.
• The rulers of Bahmani were often at war with
the neighboring Hindu kingdom Vijayanagar
(which held sway over the entire territory
between the rivers, Krishna, in the north and
Cauveri in the south).
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• The process of decile started with death
of Mahmud Gawan which came to an end
with the death of its last king Kalimullah in
1527. Thereafter, the Bahmani Empire was
disintegrated into five regional independent
principalities - Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, Berar,
Bidar, and Golkonda.
13. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• The provinces were divided into shiqsand
the next division was pargana. The shiqwas
under the control of shiqdar. The pargana
comprising a number of villages was headed
by amil. The village remained the basic unit
of the administration. The village headman
was known as muqaddam or chaudhri. The
village accountant was called patwari. Hence,
statement 1 is not correct.
• Khalisa land – land under the direct control of
the Sultan and the revenues collected were
spent for the maintenance of royal court
and royal household. Hence, statement 2 is
correct.
• Turkani -i- ChihalganiakaChalisawas a group of
40 meritorious slaves instituted to improve the
efficiency of the administration by occupying
important civil and military posts. It was
instituted by Iltutmish and was disbanded by
Balban. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
14. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• All the above personalities have visited
Vijayanagar Kingdom. Many foreign
travelers visited the Vijayanagar Empire
and their accounts are also valuable. The
Moroccan traveler, Ibn Battuta, Venetian
traveler Nicolo de Conti, Persian traveler
Abdur Razzak and the Portuguese traveler
Domingo Paes were among them who left
valuable accounts on the socio-economic
conditions of the Vijayanagar Empire.
15. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Firoz Shah Tughlaq adopted a liberal approach
in revenue matters and ordered a survey to
understand the total income of the state. The
revenue survey was carried out by Khwaja-
hisam -ud-din and was finally fixed at 6cr 75
lakhs in perpetuity. He adopted this system
of revenue farming to ease the pressure on
farmers but since the collection was placed in
hand of Zamindars , farmers were left at their
mercy. Hence statement 1 is correct.
 • Shershah is known to have made a systematic
survey and measurement of the entire
cultivable land of his empire using a unit called
SikandariGaj. {SikandariGaj was introduced
by Sikandar Lodi and it was equivalent to 39
inches). He introduced the so called Patta
and Kabuliyat (or Qabuliyat) system of land
deeds.UnderPatta system, the area sown,
types of crops cultivated and revenue share
was duly written on paper. The Qabuliyat
system involved a deed agreement between
the peasant and the government. Qabuliyat
system aimed at discouraging the Jagir system.
Hence statement 2 is not correct.
• With the help of Raja Todar Mal, Akbar
experimented on the land revenue
administration, which was completed in 1580.
The land revenue system was called Zabti
or Bandobast system or DahsalaSystem.The
revenue was fixed on the average yield of land
measured on the basis of previous ten years.
The land was divided into four categories :
Polaj (cultivated every year) ;Parauti (once in
two years) ;Chachar (once in three or four years);
Banjar (once in five or more years). Payment of
revenue was made generally in cash
16. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Vijayalaya was the founder of Chola Empire.
Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• The Chola empire divided into
Mandalam(provinces), which was further
divided into Valnadu(Commissionary),
Nadu(District) and Kurram(group of villages).
Hence statement 2 is correct.
• Kamban, Kuttana and Pugalendi considered as
three gems of Tamil poetry during the Chola
period. Kamban wrote Ramavatharam and
Kambaramayanam. Hence statement 3 is
correct.
17. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
The regular army of Shivaji consisted of 30000
to 40000 cavalry soldiers who were given fixed
salaries. Shivaji also maintained a navy.
18. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Qarachil expedition (1330) was undertaken
by Mohd. Bin Tughlaq in Himachal Pradesh
to subjugate a small kingdom on the border
5
with Chine. Khurasan expedition (1329)was
undertaken in Central Asia. Hence statement
1 not correct.
• To improve cultivation in the Doab (1330),
Muhammad bin Tughlaq set up a separate
agriculture department called Diwan-i-amir
kohi. The department divided the Doab into
development blocs headed by an official who
would give loans to farmers and engage them
in the cultivation of superior crops. Hence
statement 2 is correct.
• He also shifted his captila from Delhi
to Daulatabad /Devagiri (1327) but this
experiment failed and the capital to be shifted
back to Delhi.
• He introduced a token currency (1329) of
bronze and copper to ensure that state treasury
is full with gold and silver but this experiment
failed as people started making token currency
at home.
19. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
In the third battle of Panipat Sadashiv Rao Bhau
Vishwasrao Malharrao Holkar Mahadji Shinde
Jankoji Shinde and Ibrahim Khan Gardi were
commanders of Marathas while Ahmad Shah
Durrani was commander of Afghans.
20. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
• Sources of the seventeenth century refer to
two kinds of peasants – khud-kashta and
pahi-kashta. The former were residents of the
village in which they held their lands. The latter
were non-resident cultivators who belonged
to some other village, but cultivated lands
elsewhere on a contractual basis. Lava was
the lowest class of agricultural labour.Hence
option (d) is the correct answer.
21. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• Sikandar Lodhi (AD 1489-1517) was the ablest
of the three Lodhi rulers. He conquered Bihar
and Raja of Tirhut and concluded a friendship
treaty with the Alauddin Hussain Shah of
Bengal. Dariya Khan was appointed as the
Governor of Bengal. He set up an efficient
espionage system and introduced the system
of auditing the accounts.He relaxed restrictions
on trade, which greatly promoted the economic
prosperity of the people. He introduced
“Gaz-i-Sikandari” (Sikandar’s yard) of 39
 digits or 32 inches, for the measurement of
agricultural land. He transferred his capital
from Delhi to Agra, a city which was founded
by him. The village of Sikandara, near Agra,
where the tomb of Akbar stands, was named
after Sikandar.
• Sarai i Adal was the cloth market introduced by
Alauddin Khilji as part of his market reforms.
• Sajdah and Paibos were introduced by Balban
of slave dynasty. Sijdah means bending in front
of King and worshipping him while paibos
means kissing the feet of the king.
22. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
• Ibn Battuta was a Moroccan traveller. He
was born in Tangier into one of the most
respectable and educated families. Ibn Battuta
considered experience gained through travels
to be more important sources of knowledge
than books. Before he come to India, he
had made pilgrimage trips to Mecca, and
had already travelled extensively in Syria,
Iraq, Persia, Yemen, Oman and a few trading
ports on the coast of East Africa. Ibn Battuta
reached Sind in 1333. He had heard about
Muhammad bin Tughlaq, the Sultan of Delhi.
The Sultan of Delhi. The Sultan was impressed
by his scholarship, and appointed him the
qazi or judge of Delhi. He remained in that
position for several years, until he fell out of
favour and was thrown into prison. Once the
misunderstanding between him and the Sultan
was cleared, he was restored to imperial service
and was ordered in 1342 to proceed to China
as the Sultan’s envoy to the Mongol ruler.Ibn
Battuta’s book of travels, called Rihla, written
in Arabic. His account is often compared with
that of Marco Polo, who visited China (and also
India) from his home base in Venice in the late
thirteenth century.
23. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Mughal Suzerainty was a relationship between
the Mughal Empire and neighboring Rajput
kingdoms. This allowed Mughal emperor to
control the polity and foreign policy of a Rajput
state, while allowing the Rajput state to have
internal autonomy. Most Rajput rulers entered
into policy of suzerainty with Akbar. But the
state of Mewar was the only state that refused
to accept the Mughal Suzerainty offered by the
6
Mughal Emperor. Hence Statement 1 is not
correct.
• The Battle of Haldighati was fought in 1576
between Maharana Pratap, the ruler of Mewar
and the forces of Akbar led by Man Singh of
Amber. The Mughal reinforcements turned the
battle against Rajputs. But the Mughals failed
to capture Maharana Pratap Singh. Hence
Statement 2 is correct.
24. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
• During the Vijayanagar Empire, the Amaram
lands were the lands granted to armed officers
in-lieu of their services. The Vijayanagar army
was well-organized and efficient. It consisted
of the cavalry, infantry, artillery and elephants.
The top-grade officers of the army were known
as Nayaks or Poligars. They were granted land
in lieu of their services. These lands were called
Amaram. Soldiers were usually paid in cash.
25. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Akbar was the first ruler to carry the Mughal
flag into Deccan his policies were influenced
by a number of political strategic economic
and cultural factors:
• After conquering Gujarat Akbar demanded the
ceremonial rights enjoyed by Rulers of Gujarat
over Deccani States to be given to Mughal
Rulers as well which the DeccaniSultan’s were
refusing to accept.
• Growing Portuguese political power in
western India was another source of trouble.
Portuguese captured Goa in 1510 from Bijapur
and their territorial ambitions were increasing
rapidly. Hence statement 1 is not true.
• Ports located on the West coast were actively
involved in external trade and has control over
them was necessary for expanding the Mughal
economy.
• Anumber of Gujarati rebels had taken shelter
which states of Khandesh and Ahmednagar
after the conquest of Gujarat .These rebels
were posing a serious challenge to Mughal rule
in Gujarat and had to be wiped out.
• Imperialist outlook of Akbar also played a role.
26. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• The construction of the Agra fort was started
around 1565, when the initial structures were
built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, and
subsequently taken over by his grandson Shah
 Jahan, who added most of the marble creations
to the fort.
• Fatehpur Sikri was made the political capital of
the Mughal Empire by Emperor Akbar from the
period of 1571 to 1585. The capital was later
shifted to the city of Agra. There are majestic
buildings built by Akbar in Fatehpur Sikri.
27. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
• True arches and true domes started to appear
with construction of Alai Darwaza by the side of
QutubMinar (By AllaudinKhilji). It has reached
India even before Babur. Hence, statement 1
is not correct
• Akbar followed the policy of sulh-i-kull. Hence,
statement 2 is not correct.
• Tuzak-i-Babri is written by BABUR himself,
which literally means book of BABUR or letters
of BABUR. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
28. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Jahangir was a great patron of arts, especially
painting. He employed Mansur and Bisandas in
his court. Mughal paintings reached its zenith
under Jahangir. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• Pahari painting (literally meaning a painting
from the mountainous regions: pahar means
a mountain in Hindi) is an umbrella term used
for a form of Indian painting, done mostly in
miniature forms, originating from Himalayan
hill kingdoms of North India, during 17th-19th
century, notably Basohli, Kangra, Mandi, and
Garhwal. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
• Akbar ordered the preparation of a lavishly
illustrated manuscript of the Persian translation
of the Hamzanama. Hence statement 3 is not
correct.
29. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• The seventh to ninth centuries saw the
emergence of new religious movements, led
by the Nayanars (saints devoted to Shiva) and
Alvars (saints devoted to Vishnu) who came
from all castes including those considered
untouchable like the Pulaiyar and the Panars.
They were sharply critical of the Buddhists and
Jainas and preached ardent love of Shiva or
Vishnu as the path to salvation.
• There were 63 Nayanars, who belonged to
different caste backgrounds such as potters,
untouchable workers, peasants, hunters,
7
soldiers, Brahmanas, and chiefs. The best
known among them were Appar, Sambandar,
Sundarar, and Manikkavasagar. There are two
sets of compilations of their songs – Tevaram
and Tiruvacakam.
• There were 12 Alvars, who came from equally
divergent backgrounds, the best known being
Periyalvar, his daughter Andal, Tondaradippodi
Alvar, and Nammalvar. Their songs were
compiled in the Divya Prabandham.
30. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
• Under the Mughals trade and commerce
made great progress in India. First, demand
for various luxury goods by the nobles led to
expansion of handicraft production. Second,
expansion of trade was also noticeable in
the growth of towns. Foreign travelers made
particular mention of various towns during the
Mughal days.
• There were various reasons for this. Firstly, the
political integration of the country under the
Mughals facilitated improvement in trade and
commerce. Secondly, as a result of the political
integration law and order was established
in the extensive areas of the empire. Thirdly,
the Mughal authority paid attention to the
improvement of roads. Sarais also helped
communication which in turn helped trade
and commerce. Fourthly, that the Mughal
government was sympathetic towards trade
and commerce and this is noticeable from the
uniform tax levied on goods at the point of
their entry.
31. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• Rajatarangini is a metrical legendary and
historical chronicle of the north-western Indian
subcontinent, particularly the kings of Kashmir.
It was written in Sanskrit by Kashmiri historian
Kalhana in the 12th century CE. The work
consists of 7826 verses, which are divided into
eight books called Tarangas.
32. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
The most important feature of the Chola
administration was the local administration at
districts, towns and villages level. Uttaramerur
inscriptions speak much about the Chola
administration. Village autonomy was the most
unique feature of the Chola administrative system.
33. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• The Chisti silsila or order was the first of the four
main Sufi orders (Chishti, Qadiri, Suhrawardi
and Naqshbandi) to be established in this
region. Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti introduced
the Chishti Order in Ajmer (Rajasthan, India)
sometime in the middle of the 12th century.
The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on
love, tolerance, and openness.
• They believed in the teachings of the Quran.
34. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Sher Shah Suri measured and classified the
land in terms of the produce and introduced
Kabuliyat and Patta as instruments of
settlement.
• It was Sher Shah only who built the Purana Qila
in Delhi in its present form.
35. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Abu’l Fazl placed Mughal kingship as the highest
station in the hierarchy of objects receiving light
emanating from God (farr-i izadi ). According to this
idea, there was a hierarchy in which the Divine Light
was transmitted to the king who then became the
source of spiritual guidance for his subjects.
36. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Ghala Bakhsi, Kankut, Nasaq and Zabti were
different forms of revenue collection methods
employed by the Mughals during the Medieval
period.
• Ghala Bakshi was a simple method of crop
sharing in which the produce was shared
between the peasant and the state.The
produce was arranged into different heaps and
one which was taken by the state.
• Kankut: Under the Kankut system instead of
dividing the grain(kan) an estimate(Kut)was
made on the basis of an actual inspection on
the spot.One third of the estimated produce
was fixed as the state demand.
• Nasaq was widely prevalent in the Mughal
empire.In this systeme a rough calculation
was made on the past revenue receipts
of the peasants and there was no actual
measurement.
• The Balutedari system was a system of
exchange of goods and services between
village artisans and the wider village
8
community in the villages of Deccan during
Medieval India.
◊ The artisans provided services to the
villages and in return were paid through
the share in agricultural produce by the
village community.
• The village servants were primarily artisans
and formed an important section of the rural
society in Deccan. They were called balutedars
and their income, which was a share in the
agricultural produce, was known as balutas.
◊ The Kamin System was similar to the
balutedari and was prevalent in north
India during the medieval rule. Thus,
the Balutedari and Kamin system did
not denote a arrangement between the
state and peasants rather these were
arrangements within the community.
37. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
• The decline of Delhi Sultanate during the late
14th and early 15th century paved the way
for the emergence of regional kingdoms in
different parts of India.
• Malik Sarwar who was conferred title of Sultan-
us Sharq, who had been then the governor of
the Jaunpur declared independence from
the Delhi Sultanate and founded the Sharqi
sultanate at Jaunpur in eastern UP in 1394.
◊ Under the Sharqi sultans the city prospered,
and they carried out ambitious building
activities to embellish their capital with a
distinct architectural programme.
• The decline of the Sultanate paved the way for
the emergence of the independent kingdom
of Malwa. Dilawar Khan Ghori, (d. 1406),
the Tughlaq governor of Malwa, assumed
independence in the year 1401-2 and
declared himself king of Malwa. He extended
the boundaries of his kingdom by occupying
Nimar, Sauyar, Damoh and Chanderi.
• In 1407, Zafar khan (who later assumed the
title of Muzaffar Shah), the then Governor
of Gujarat, established an independent
kingdom in Gujarat.
◊ The Kingdom of Gujarat since its incep~ion
had been constantly clashing with its
neighbouring territories-Malwa, Rajputana,
Khandesh and the Bahmarii kingdoms.
• The Lodi dynasty was an Afghan dynasty
that ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1451 to
 1526. It was the fifth and final dynasty of the
Delhi Sultanate.
◊ It was founded by Bahlul Khan Lodi in
1451. The last Lodi Sultan of Delhi was
Ibrahim Lodi (r. 1517–1526) who was
defeated by Battle of Panipat at Panipat in
1526.
38. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Shaikh Bahauddin Zakariya (1182-1262) was
the founder of the Suhrawardi silsilah in India.
• He was a Khurasani and was Sufi Tradition a
disciple of Shaikh Shihabuddin Suhrawardi
who had initiated the silsilah in Baghdad and
was directed by the latter to proceed to India.
• He made Multan and Sind the centres of his
activity.
• Thus, one of the oldest khanqahs in India
was established by him at Multan.
• Iltutmish was the Sultan of Delhi at that
time, but Multan was under the control of his
rival, Qubacha.
• Shaikh Bahauddin Zakariya as critical of
Qubacha’s administration and openly sided
with Iltutmish in his conflict against the
Multan ruler’s overthrow. Bahauddin Zakariya
received from lltutmish the title of Shaikh-ul
Islam (Leader of Islam) and endowment.
• Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (d. 1236) was the
founder of the Chisti Silsila in India. He came
to India at the time of the Ghori conquest. He
finally settled in Ajmer about 1206 and won
the respect of both Muslims and non-Muslims.
• Baba Farid was the disciple of Chisti saint
Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki. He left Delhi
for Ajodhan in Punjab and lived in his khanqah
there. The saints of the chisti order led a simple
life and did not accept the state patronage and
kept themselves away from the royal authority.
39. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
• Bakhar is a form of historical biographies
written in Marathi prose.
• Bakhars are one of the earliest genres of
medieval Marathi literature.
• Bakhars serve as an important source to study
the Maratha history.
• Sabhasad Bakhar, is a Marathi biography
of King Shivaji written by Krishnaji Anant
Sabhasad in the 1690s.
9
40. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect:
• Abdur Razzaq(1443-1444 A.D.),Persian
traveller, Ambassador of Shahrukh of Timurid
dynasty Came during the rule of Devraya II of
Sangam dynasty of Vijaynagar Empire.
• He Came in India at Zamorin’s Calicut. He wrote
a 45-page narrative of this mission to India.
It appears as a chapter in his book Matla-us-
Sadain wa Majma-ul-Bahrain..
• Razzaq’s narrative of his visit to India includes
describing the life and events in Calicut under
the Zamorin and also of the Ancient City of
Vijayanagara at Hampi, describing their
wealth and immense grandeur.
• He also left accounts of the shipping trade in
the Indian Ocean during the 15th century.
• Given a brief account of this countryside, in his
Matla us Saddin wa Majuma ul Baharain.
Statement 2 is incorrect:
• Nikitin (1470- 1474 A.D.), Russian merchant
Visited South India in 1470.
• He described the condition of the Bahmani
kingdom.
• Nikitin wrote in his accounts that ‘The land
is overstocked with people, but those in the
country are very miserable while the nobles are
extremely affluent and delight in luxury.’
Statement 3 is correct:
• William Hawkins (1608-1611 A.D.),
Ambassador of James I, king of England Came
in India at the reign of Jahangir,the great
Mughal Emperor. William finch came with
him.
• Sir William Hawkins was a representative of the
English East India Company notable for being
the commander of Hector, the first company
ship to anchor at Surat in India on 24 August
1608. Hawkins travelled to Agra to negotiate
consent for a factory from Emperor Jahangir in
1609.
41. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Pair 1 is incorrect:
• Mofussils were Small/ Subdivisional towns
during Medieval India.
• The Mansabdars who were paid in cash were
called as Nakdi Mansabdars.
Pair 2 is correct:
• Ahadis were the special imperial troopers
during the Mughal rule.
 • During the Mughal times,the mir bakhshi was
assisted by other bakhshis at central level.
There were separate bakhshis for the ahadis
(special imperial troopers).
Pair 3 is incorrect:
• Dadani were the Merchants during the
Medieval India who procured goods by paying
advances to primary producers.
• Revenue collecting right during the medieval
India was called Diwani.
42. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect:
• Tabaqat-i Nasiri, named for Sultan Nasir-ud-
Din (son of litutmish) was written in Persian
by Minhaj-i-Siraj Juzjani and completed in
1260.
• Minhaj-i- Siraj accompanied Iltutmish to Delhi
and was patronized by him. He served as a
chief Qazi under Sultan litutmish and Sultan
Nasiruddin Mahmud (1246-46)
• Minhaj Siraj was an historian par excellence.
Tabagat-i Nasiri starts with the prophets and
explains their plety and morality.
• Hasan Nizami was a Persian language poet
and historian, who lived in the 12th and 13th
centuries. He migrated from Nishapur to Delhi
in India, where he wrote Tajul-Ma’asir, the first
official history of the Delhi Sultanate.
Statement 2 is correct:
• The Tabaqat Nasiri is the only source for
the Khaljis rebellion in Bengal against the
sultan of Delhi. Book contains the blographical
sketches of the eminent courtiers, military
generals, provincial governors and other men
of repute of the sultanate period, ending with
the early history of Balban.
• Within his Tabagat i Nasiri, he tells of his
religious views and his historiographical
approach to Islam and Muslim rulers.
Statement 3 is correct:
• Tabaqat-i-Nasiri preserves a valuable record
of the Mongol menace in central Asia,
including India; it makes references to Chengiz
Khan and his descendants.
• Tabaqat-i-Nasiri is written in a simple, straight
forward and accurate language.
43. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• During the Medieval period the Pala rulers
of Bengal were great patrons of Budhism and
the Buddhist scholars. During the Pala rule
10
Santarakshita and Dipankara (called Atisa) were
the prominent Buddhist scholars patronised by
the Pala rulers
• Santarakshita and Dipankara (called Atisa),
were invited to Tibet, and they introduced a
new form of Buddhism there. As a result, many
Tibetan Buddhists flocked to the universities
of Nalanda and Vikramasila for study. Thus,
these scholars contributed to the spread of
Budhism outside India.
• Ponna was a noted Kannada poet in the court
of Rashtrakuta Dynasty king Krishna III.
◊ The emperor honoured Ponna with
the title “emperor among poets” for his
domination of the Kannada literary circles
of the time, and the title “imperial poet
of two languages” for his command over
Sanskrit as well. He contributed to the
development of Jain literature.
• Rajashekhar was a great Sanskrit poet of
Gurjara Pratiharas during the medieval
period. He lived at the court of Pratihara
Mahipala, a grandson of Bhoja.He was not
associated to the spread of Buddhism
44. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct:
• The Kakatiya dynasty emerged around
at Warangal during the 12th and the 13th
centuries
• The Kakatiyas were at first the feudatories of
the Western Chalukyas of Kalyana, ruling
over a small territory near Warangal.
Statement 2 is incorrect:
• Queen Rudramadevi was the ruler of the
Kakatiya Kingdom during the 13th century.
• The Italian traveller Marco Polo visited
the Kakatiya Kingdom sometime during
Rudramadevi’s tenure as the ruler of
the Kakatiya Dynasty and made note of
her administrative style; admiring her
extensively.
• Marco Polo mentions that the people of Gujarat
made beautiful leather mats in red and blue
which were skilfully embroidered with figures
of birds and animals.
• Niccolo de Conti was an Italian merchant,
explorer, and writer. Born in Chioggia, he
traveled to India and Southeast Asia, and
possibly to Southern China, during the early
15th century.
 Statement 3 is incorrect:
• Motupalli was the famous trading seaport
of the Kakatiyas.
• The Machilipatnam port served as the principal
seaport of the Golconda Kingdom.
45. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Statement 1 but statement 3 is incorrect:
• King Shivaji efficiently organised the the
Maratha administration.
• To assist the king, there was a council of state
ministers known as ashtapradhan Mandal.
• These included:
i) Pesbwa(Prime Minister) : He was the head
of both civil and military affairs.
ii) Mazumdar (auditor) : He looked into the
income and expenditure of the state.
iii) Waknis : He was the incharge of king’s
private affairs.
iv) Dabir : Foreign secretary
v) Surnis (superintendent) : He used to take
care of all the oficial correspondences.
vi) Pandit Rao : Ecclesiastical head
vii) Senapati : Commander in chief
viii) Nyayadhish : Chief Justice
• However none of the officers was permanefit
and hereditary. All officers were liable to
frequent transfers. This rule was also applicable
to the officials at the provincial and district
level.
Statement 2 is correct:
• The Maratha Empire was divided into mauzas,
tarfs and prants.
• Mauza was the lowest unit.
• Then were the tarfs headed by a havaldar,
karkunoa paripatyagar. The provinces were
known as prants under subedar, karkun (or
mukhya desbadhikari).
• Over a number of prants there was the
sarsubedar to control and supervise the
work of subedars.
46. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
The Tuluva dynasty was founded by Vira Narasimha.
Krishna Deva Raya himself authored a Telugu work
Amukthamalyadha and Sanskrit works Jambavati
Kalyanam and Ushaparinayam. The administration
under the Vijayanagar Empire was well organized.
He became the dominant ruler of the peninsula of
India by defeating the Sultans of Bijapur, Golconda,
the Bahmani Sultanate and the Gajapatis of Odisha,
and was one of the most powerful Hindu rulers in
India.
11
47. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Muhammad Bin Tughlaq launched a scheme by
which takkavi loans (loans for cultivation) were
given to the farmers to buy seed and to extend
cultivation. A separate department for agriculture
Diwan- i- Kohi was established.
48. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• A Muslim Judge- Qazi
• A Spiritual Guide- Pir
• An Accountant for all Provinces- “Mushrif-i-
Mamalik”
• The officer appointed to maintain regulations
in Municipality - Muhtasib
49. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
• Firoz Tughlaq had a large number of slaves
and thus set up a separate department of
slaves known as ‘Diwan-i-Bandagan’.
• AlauddinKhalji introduced the branding
system of horses in his military known as Dagh
and Chehra.
• MuhammadBin Tughlaq believed in principal
of merit while fulfilling state offices and
created a heterogenous nobility to use one
group to counterbalance the other groups.He
appointed Turks, Indian Muslims, Non- Muslims
in his nobility. He also believed in complete
subjugation of nobility in front of Sultan.
• Balban came to power when the authority of
the throne was facing serious challenges. He
took many steps to resolve this problem , on
of such steps was creation of a department of
military called Diwan -e- Arz/Ariz
• Khizr Kahn (1414-21) was the first ruler of
Sayyid dynasty to rule over Delhi. AlamShah
was the last Sayyid king who descended in
favour of Bahlol Lodhi and retired.
50. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Option a is Correct.
• Abaul Hamid Lahori was court Historian of
Shah Jahan who wrote Padshahnama, while
Chronicles of Aurangzeb rule (Alamgirnama)
was written by Munshi Mohd. Kazim.
• Khwaja Nizamuddin Ahmad wrote Tabaqat – i –
Akbari. ) In his Tabaqat-i-Akbari , he contained
the history of nine regions and the thirty eight
years of Akbar’s reign in three volumes.
51. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
• Nastaliq was a Persian script used in medieval
India during the Mughal period. The Mughal
emperor Aurangzeb was an expert in writing
Nastaliq script.
• Nastaliq: - Calligraphy is an art of handwriting.
It is considered as a skill of great importance.
• It was practised using different styles.
• Akbar’s favourite was the nastaliq, a fluid style
with long horizontal strokes.
55. Answer: (c)
• Muhammad Hussain from Kashmir was one of
super calligraphers of nastaliq style at Akbar’s
court.
• It is written using a piece of trimmed reed with
a tip of five to 10 mm called qalam, dipped in
carbon ink (siyahi).
• The nib of the qalam is usually split in the
middle to facilitate the absorption of ink.
52. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• Akbar gave him title Mian.
• Sufi saint Murshid Mohd. Ghaus influenced
him to adopt Islam. He composed Multain,
Bhairan&Todi (Sung in morning) Ragas, His
disciples were called Seniyas.
• His tomb was in Gwalior besides tomb of Sufi
Ghaus.
53. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Al Beruni - 973-1048 AD was also the court
Astrologer of Mohd. Ghaznavi.
• Brahmin Scholar respected him so much
that they called him Vidya sagar or Sea of
knowledge.
12
54. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Allasani Peddana(one of the Ashtadiggajas of
Krishna Dev Raya court) wrote Manucharitram
in Telugu.
• Kamban wrote Kamba Ramayana.
• Krishna Deva Raya also wrote Amuktamalyada
in Telugu.
• Ibrahim Adil Shah wrote the book Kitab –
E – Navras (Book of Nine Rasas) in Deccani
language.
Explanation:
Balban was a slave of Iltutmish and belonged to
the Illabari tribe of the Turks. Initially he got the
menial jobs but later on he progressed in his career
by becoming first the chief huntsman of Raziya.
He served under his sultan Nasir-ud-din Mahmud
as his right hand for 20 years and crushed all the
rebellions whether outside the court or inside
the court. Following his master’s death, Balban
ascended the throne in February 1265 AD
The following are the major achievements of
Balban’s reign:
• He was responsible for introducing Zaminbosi
or practice of Sijda. Under this, the people had
to kneel down and touch the ground with their
head while greeting the Sultan.
• He propagated the Iranian theory of Divine
Rights which said that Sultan was the
representative of God on Earth.
• He ended the influence of the Corp of Forty.
• He didn’t allow Ulemas to interfere into the
political affairs of the state.
• He didn’t allow Hindus entry in army or other
institutions of authority.
• He re-organized the army of Delhi Sultanate
to counter the threats of the Mongols. For
this, he created a new department of military
affairs known as Diwan-i-arz which was given
in charge of Ariz-i-Mumalik.
He built forts and established Afghan garrisons
to guard communications with Bengal. The titles
of Turkish Khans for vast estates were strictly
examined and he took back the lands from which
no adequate military service was received and thus,
reduced the power of the nobles. He maintained
pomp and dignity at his court.
• Balban was succeeded by his grandson
Kaikubad who was not competent enough to
maintain the empire intact.
56. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
‘Munhiyans’ were secret spies who were appointed
by Alauddin Khalji. Alauddin received daily reports
of the market from barids who were intelligence
officer and munhiyans. The superintendent of
market called Shahna-i- Mandi was assisted by an
intelligence officer.
57. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Qutab Minar- 1206—1236.
• Tughlaqabad fort is a ruined fort in Delhi, built
by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, the founder of
Tughlaq dynasty, of the Delhi Sultanate of India
in 1321.
Lodhi Garden 1451-1526.
• Fatehpur Sikri was constructed by Mughal
Emperor Akbar beginning in 1570.
58. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Sher Shah Suri was the founder of the suri
empire. The capital of the Suri empire is
Sasaram. Today it is in Bihar. Sher Shah was a
very capable administrator and general. The
Indian copper coin Dam was introduced by
Sher Shahin between 1540-1545.One rupee
was divided into 40 dams. The Gold coins
issued by Sher Shah were called Mohur and the
copper coins were called Dams.
• Malik Muhammad Jayasi completed his work
Padmavat during Sher Shah’s reign. He wrote it
in 1540 in the Hindustani language of Awadhi.
It relates a fictional story about the Delhi
Sultan Alauddin Khalji’s desire for the titular
Padmavati, the Queen of Chittor.
• Din-i-ilahi (Persian for religion of God) was
started by Mughal emperor Akbar and it never
had more than 19 followers.
59. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• Statement 1 is incorrect as its Iltutmish who
belonged to the Ilbari tribe and hence his
dynasty was named as Ilbari dynasty. Further
Iltutmish was slave of Qutubuddin Aibak who
was slave of Muhammad Ghori and thus he is
known as ‘slave of slave’.
• Statement 2 is correct as Iltutmish was a great
statesman. He received the Mansur, the letter
of recognition, from the Abbasid Caliph in
1229 by which he became the legal sovereign
ruler of India. Later he nominated his daughter
13
Raziya as his successor. Thus, the hereditary
succession to Delhi Sultanate was initiated
by Iltutmish.
• Statement 3 is incorrect as in 1398, Timur
invaded northern India, attacking the Delhi
Sultanate ruled by Sultan Nasir-ud-Din
Mahmud Shah Tughluq of the Tughlaq dynasty.
60. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
• Alauddin Khalji one of the greatest sultans
of Delhi Sultanate maintained a large
permanent standing army and paid them in
cash from the royal treasury. According the
Ferishta, he recruited 4, 75,000 cavalrymen. He
introduced the system of dagh (branding of
horses) and prepared huliya (descriptive list
of soldiers).
• Alauddin Khalji took important steps in the
land revenue administration. He was the
first Sultan of Delhi who ordered for the
measurement of land. Even the big landlords
could not escape from paying land tax. Land
revenue was collected in cash in order to
enable the Sultan to pay the soldiers in cash.
61. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• Statement 1 is correct as the land revenue
system of Akbar was called Zabti or Bandobast
system. It was further improved by Raja Todar
Mal. It was known as Dahsala System which
was completed in 1580. By this system, Todar
Mal introduced a uniform system of land
measurement. The revenue was fixed on the
average yield of land assessed on the basis
of past ten years. The land was also divided
into four categories – Polaj (cultivated every
year), Parauti (once in two years), Chachar
(once in three or four years) and Banjar (once
in five or more years). Payment of revenue was
made generally in cash.
• Statement 2 is correct as Akbar introduced
the Mansabdari system in his administration.
Under this system every officer was assigned
a rank (mansab). The lowest rank was 10 and
the highest was 5000 for the nobles. Princes
of royal blood received even higher ranks. The
ranks were divided into two – zat and sawar.
Zat means personal and it fixed the personal
status of a person. Sawar rank indicated the
number of cavalrymen of a person who was
required to maintain. Every sawar had to
maintain at least two horses. The mansab
rank was not hereditary. All appointments
and promotions as well as dismissals were
directly made by the emperor.
62. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• Statement 1 is incorrect as a separate
department for agriculture, Diwan- i-
Kohi was established by Muhammad Bin
Tughlaq. Model farm under the state was
created in an area of 64 square miles for which
the government spent seventy lakh tankas.
This experiment was further continued by Firoz
Tughlaq.
• Statement 2 is correct as the department
called Diwan-i-Khairat was created by Firoz
Tughlaq to take care of orphans and widows.
Free hospitals and marriage bureaus for poor
Muslims were also established. Firoz patronized
scholars like Barani and Afif. As he was guided
by the ulemas, he was intolerant towards Shia
Muslims and Sufis. He treated Hindus as second
grade citizens and imposed Jiziya.
• Statement 3 is incorrect as Alauddin Khalji
established four separate markets in Delhi,
one for grain; another for cloth, sugar, dried
fruits, butter and oil; a third for horses, slaves
and cattle; and a fourth for miscellaneous
commodities. Each market was under the
control of a high officer called Shahna-i-
Mandi. The supply of grain was ensured by
holding stocks in government store-houses.
Regulations were issued to fix the price of all
commodities.
63. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Abul Fazl was a great scholar and historian of
his period. He set a style of prose writing and
it was followed by many generations. Many
historical works were written during this period
which include Ain-i-Akbari and Akabar Nama.
• Shah Jahan also patronized many writers and
historians like Abdul Hamid Lahori, author of
Padshah Nama and Inayat Khan who wrote
Shah Jahan Nama.
• One of the leading poets of Mughal period was
Abul Faizi. The translation of Mahabharata
into the Persian language was done under
his supervision.
64. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Sikandar Butshikan built Jama Masjid in 1400
AD in Kashmir which was expanded by Zain-ul-
14
Abidin. The characteristics of Jama Masjid include
turret, the similarity with Buddhist pagodas and
Persian style. Hence, option (b) is the correct
answer.
65. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
• Statement 1 is correct as the Chalukya
administration was highly centralized
unlike that of the Pallavas and the Cholas.
Village autonomy was absent under the
Chalukyas. The Chalukyas had a great maritime
power. Pulakesin II had 100 ships in his navy.
They also had a small standing army.
• Statement 2 is correct as the Chalukyas were
great patrons of art. They developed the
vesara style in the building of structural
temples. However, the vesara style reached
its culmination only under the Rashtrakutas
and the Hoysalas. The structural temples of
the Chalukyas exist at Aihole, Badami and
Pattadakal. Cave temple architecture was
also famous under the Chalukyas. Their cave
temples are found in Ajanta, Ellora and Nasik.
The best specimens of Chalukya paintings can
be seen in the Badami cave temple and in the
Ajanta caves.
• Statement 3 is correct as one of the notable
achievements of Pulakesin II was the defeat
of Harshavardhana on the banks of the river
Narmada. He put a check to the ambition of
Harsha to conquer the south.
66. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Only statement 2 is correct. The idea of Global
Initiative for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)
campaign was introduced by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi during the 26th United Nations
Climate Change Conference of the Parties
(COP26) at Glasgow in 2021. The idea promotes
an environment-conscious lifestyle that focuses
on ‘mindful and deliberate utilisation’ instead
of ‘mindless and destructive consumption. It is
designed with the objective to mobilise at least
one billion Indians and other global citizens to
take individual and collective action for protecting
and preserving the environment in the period
2022 to 2027. It further aims to nudge individuals
and communities to practise a lifestyle that is
synchronous with nature and does not harm it.
Those who practice such a lifestyle are recognised
as ‘Pro Planet People’.
67. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
• Statement 1 is incorrect as Leaders in Climate
Change Management is a capacity-building
program that seeks to build a pool of leaders
to champion and lead climate action - across
sectors and geographies. The program has
been designed and implemented through core
partners, being, National Institute of Urban
Affairs (NIUA), World Resources Institute
(WRI) – India, United Nation Environment
Programme (UNEP), and Indian School of
Business (ISB).
• Statement 2 is incorrect as the
Commonwealth leaders have adopted
the Living Lands Charter at the 2022
Commonwealth Heads of Government
meeting in Kigali, Rwanda. It is a non-binding
agreement adopted by the Commonwealth
member countries. The charter mandates
member countries to safeguard global land
resources and arrest land degradation while
acting against climate change, biodiversity loss
and towards sustainable management.
68. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Statement 1 and 2 are correct.
• The government has issued Surrogacy
(Regulation) Rules, 2022 under Surrogacy
(Regulation) Act, 2021. These rules provide
form and manner for registration and fee
for a surrogacy clinic and the requirement,
and qualification for persons employed, at a
registered surrogacy clinic.
Key Highlights of the rules
• Number of attempts of any surrogacy
procedure on surrogate mother shall not be
more than 3 times.
• A surrogate mother may be allowed for
abortion during surrogacy in accordance with
the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act,
1971 as advised by the doctors.
• A surrogate mother has to give her consent
through an agreement for giving up all her
rights over the child and shall hand over the
child/children to:
◊ the intending couple, or
◊ A Person (appointed by the intending
couple) in case of their separation during
her pregnancy or in case of death of both,
or
15
◊ The survivor in case of the death of one of
intending couple during pregnancy.
• Intending couples will need to purchase a
general health insurance cover in favour of the
surrogate mother for a period of 36 months
from an insurance company/agent recognized
by the Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority of India (IRDAI).
• Statement 3 is not incorrect as the Surrogacy
(Regulation) Act, 2021 nor the Surrogacy
(Regulation) Rules promote commercial
surrogacy.
69. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Recently, the government has unveiled Agnipath
scheme for recruiting soldiers across the Three
services (Army, Navy and Airforce).
About the scheme:
• It allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve
in the Armed Forces for a period of four years.
Under this scheme, the youth joining the army
will be called Agniveer.
• Youth will be able to be recruited into the army
for a short duration.
• Under the new scheme, around 45,000 to
50,000 soldiers will be recruited annually, and
most will leave the service in just four years so
Statement I is correct.
• However, after four years, only 25 % of the batch
will be recruited back into their respective
services, for a period of 15 years, so statement
3 is wrong.
Eligibility Criteria:
• It is only for personnel below officer ranks (those
who do not join the forces as commissioned
officers). So statement 2 is wrong.
• Commissioned officers are the army’s highest
ranked officers.
• Commissioned officers hold an exclusive rank
in the Indian armed forces.
• They often hold a commission under the
president’s sovereign power and are officially
instructed to protect the country.
70. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
• A neobank is a kind of digital bank without any
branches.
• Rather than being physically present at a
specific location, neobanking is entirely online.
 • Neobanks are financial institutions that give
customers a cheaper alternative to traditional
banks. They leverage technology and artificial
intelligence to offer personalised services to
customers while minimising operating costs.
• Neobanks entered the financial system with
the tag of ‘challenger banks’ because they
challenged the complex infrastructure and
client onboarding process of traditional banks.
• In India, these firms don’t have a bank licence
of their own but rely on bank partners to
offer licensed services. That’s because the RBI
doesn’t allow banks to be 100% digital yet.
• The RBI remains resolute in prioritising banks’
physical presence, and has spoken about the
need for digital banking service providers to
have some physical presence as well.
• RazorpayX, Jupiter, Niyo, Open, etc are the
examples of top Neobanks of India.
71. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
• Statement 1 is incorrect as the scheme
SHRESHTA (Residential Education for
Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas)
has been launched for the purpose of providing
seats for the meritorious SC boys and girls in
the best private residential schools in the
country.
• Every year, it is expected that about 3000
students would be selected for admission in
Class 9 and Class 11 under the scheme. The
erstwhile Central Sector Scheme of “Grant-
in-Aid to Voluntary and other Organizations
working for Scheduled Castes” has been
revised w.e.f. 2021-22 as SHRESHTA.
• Statement 2 is incorrect as The Department
of Social Justice & Empowerment Ministry of
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is
responsible for its implementation.
Features of the scheme
1. The SHRESHTA (NETS) 2022 will be conducted
for admissions in classes 9th and 11th only for
SC candidates whose parental annual income
is up to Rs. 2.5 lacs.
2. Only those candidates who have passed or are
appearing in Class VIII/X in the given academic
session can apply for taking admission in Class
IX/XI.
3. Grants are directly disbursed to the schools
covering school fee and hostel fees for the
students, subject to a ceiling of Rs. 75,000/- per
annum per student of class 9 and 10 and Rs.
1,25,000/- per annum per student of class 11
and 12.
16
72. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D)
is released by The Department of School
Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of
Education to assesses the performance of school
education system at District level by formulating
an index for comprehensive analysis.
• The PGI-D structure comprises of total weight
age of 600 points across 83 indicators, which are
grouped under 6 categories viz., Outcomes,
Effective Classroom Transaction, Infrastructure
Facilities & Student’s Entitlements, School
Safety & Child Protection, Digital Learning and
Governance Process.
• PGI-D grades the districts into ten grades viz.,
Highest achievable Grade is Daksh, which is
for Districts scoring more than 90% of the total
points in that category or overall. The lowest
grade in PGI-D is called Akanshi-3 which is for
scores upto10% of the total points. Ultimate
objective of PGI-D is to help the districts to
priorities areas for intervention in school
education and thus improve to reach the
highest grade.
• The PGI-D 2020-21 is presently under
compilation. PGI-D 2018-19 and 2019-20
provides insight into intra State comparison of
progress of School education.
73. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
• First statement is correct as BRICS is an
informal group of states comprising the
Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian
Federation, the Republic of India, the People’s
Republic of China and the Republic of South
Africa.
• The term BRIC was originally developed in
the context of foreign investment strategies.
It was introduced in the 2001 publication,
Building Better Global Economic BRICs by
then-chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset
Management, Jim O›Neill. South Africa officially
became a member nation on 24 December
2010, and the group was renamed BRICS – with
the “S” standing for South Africa – to reflect the
group’s expanded membership.
• Second statement is correct as on the Russian
initiative on 16 June 2009, Yekaterinburg
hosted the first BRIC Summit. BRIC Leaders
issued a joint statement after the Summit.
The document set forth the goals of BRIC “to
 promote dialogue and cooperation among
our countries in an incremental, proactive,
pragmatic, open and transparent way.
• Third statement is incorrect as in the 6th
BRICS Summit (Fortaleza and Brasilia, 15-16
July 2014) produced a highly important result.
The sides signed the Agreement on the New
Development Bank and the Treaty for the
Establishment of a BRICS Contingent Reserve
Arrangement. These institutions will possess a
total of $200 billion.
74. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• The Artemis Accords are a series of non-
binding multilateral agreements between the
United States government and other world
governments participating in the Artemis
Program, an American-led effort to return
humans to the Moon by 2025, with the ultimate
goal of expanding space exploration to Mars
and beyond. As of July 21 ,2022 countries and
one territory have signed the accords, including
eight in Europe, seven in Asia, three in North
America, two in Oceania and two in South
America. However, India is not a member of
the Accord.
• India, Iran and Russia had in September
2000 signed the International North-South
Transit Corridor (INSTC) agreement to build
a corridor to provide the shortest multi-model
transportation route linking the Indian Ocean
and the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea via Iran
and St Petersburg. It is a 7,200-km-long multi-
mode network of ship, rail, and road route for
moving freight.
• The Missile Technology Control Regime
(MTCR) is a multilateral export control regime.
It is an informal political understanding
among 35 member states that seek to limit the
proliferation of missiles and missile technology.
India applied for membership in June 2015
with support from Russia, France and the
United States, and became a member on 27
June 2016.
• Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC):
The OIC claims to be the “collective voice of
the Muslim world”. It was established at a
1969 summit in Rabat (Morocco) after what
it describes as the ‘criminal arson’ of Al-Aqsa
Mosque in Jerusalem. It has 57 member
Countries. India is not a Member of OIC.
17
75. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
All of the above are correctly matched.
• Nixtamalization: it is a method by which the
ancient peoples of Mesoamerica like the Maya
used to soak and cook their maize in an alkaline
Explanation and make it more palatable,
nutritious and non-toxic. The process ensures
that the maize contains amino acids, calcium
and Vitamin B2, which can be utilised by
the human body. It also eliminates certain
mycotoxins present in maize.
• Kodavas: Kodavas, also known as the people
of Coorg, is a small community mainly living
in Kodagu (Coorg) district in Karnataka. They
are a warlike tribe with three main groups as-
Kodava Mophlas or Kodava Mappilas, Kodagu
Gowdas and The Bearys. They have unique
customs and rituals such as no dowry system,
no role of priest in marriage etc. Language:
Kodava Takke, an endangered language
(by UNESCO) belonging to Dravidian Group
of Language. Recently a Cultural centre to
showcase unique culture of Kodavas is about
to be completed at Balugodu near Virajpet
• Recently NASA launched CAPSTONE, a CubeSat
that will fly in cislunar space, the orbital
space near and around the Moon.
76. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• Indian National Space Promotion and
Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) – It is an
autonomous, single window nodal agency;
formed to promote, authorise, monitor
and supervise the space activities of Non -
Governmental Private Entities (NGPEs) in India.
• Composition: IN-SPACe will have a chairman,
technical experts for space activities, Safety
expert, experts from Academia and Industries,
members from Prime Minister’s Office and
Ministry of External Affairs.
Mandate and Functions
• Sharing of space infrastructure and premises
under the control of ISRO.
• Establishment of temporary facilities within
premises under ISRO.
• Establishment of new space infrastructure and
facilities, by NGPEs.
• The decision of IN-SPACe shall be final and
binding on all stakeholders including ISRO.
NGPE
• Will not be required to seek separate permission
from ISRO.
77. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• Statement 1 is incorrect as the liquid nano
urea produced by Indian Farmers Fertiliser
Cooperative (IFFCO) Limited comes in a half-
litre bottle priced at Rs 240, and carries no
burden of subsidy currently. By contrast, a
farmer pays around Rs 300 for a 50-kg bag of
heavily subsidised urea.
• Statement 2 is correct as while conventional
urea has an efficiency of about 25 %, the
efficiency of liquid nano urea can be as high
as 85-90 %. Conventional urea fails to have the
desired impact on crops as it is often applied
incorrectly, and the nitrogen in it is vaporised
or lost as gas. A lot of nitrogen is also washed
away during irrigation
• Statement 3 is correct as Liquid nano urea
is sprayed directly on the leaves and gets
absorbed by the plant. Fertilisers in nano form
provide a targeted supply of nutrients to crops,
as they are absorbed by the stomata, pores
found on the epidermis of leaves.
78. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
• Statement 1 Correct- Red Sanders is a flora-
species that is endemic to a distinct tract of
forests in Eastern Ghats region of Andhra
Pradesh
• Statement 2 Incorrect- It falls under
‘endangered list’ in the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Red Sanders is also listed in Appendix-II of
the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wildlife Fauna and Flora
(CITES).
• Statement 3 Correct- The species is endemic
to a distinct tract of forests in Andhra Pradesh.
• Red Sanders usually grow in the rocky,
degraded and fallow lands with Red Soil and
hot and dry climate.
• Statement 4 Correct- Its rich hue and
therapeutic properties are responsible for its
high demand across Asia, particularly China,
for use in cosmetics, medicinal products and
high-end furniture/woodcraft. The export of
Red Sanders from India is prohibited as per the
Foreign Trade Policy.
79. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
NADI, meaning river, is an initiative to articulate
and activate a collective vision of sub-regional
18
cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region and with
South East Asia. It recognises the region south
of Himalayas from Ganga and Brahmaputra
to Mekong as a contiguity of river basins with
common challenges that require close cooperation
beyond their political borders. NADI is also aimed at
building confidence in the key role of India’s north-
eastern region taking forward strategic initiatives
for energy and water security in the neighborhood
and in the Bay of Bengal region, leading towards a
vibrant and secure Indo-Pacific.
80. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Statement 1- Correct
• Presently, fire prevention and firefighting
services are organized by the concerned states,
Union Territories (UTs) and Urban Local Bodies
(ULBs).
Statement 2- Incorrect
• Fire services in India come under the 12th
schedule of the Constitution under the
provisions of Article 243W of the Constitution,
the performance of functions listed in the
12th schedule comes under the domain of
municipalities.
Statement 3- Incorrect
• Part 4 of the National Building Code (NBC)
of India, 2016, is titled ‘Fire and Life Safety’. It
covers the requirements for fire prevention,
life safety in relation to fire and fire protection
of buildings. The NBC of India, 2016 specifies
occupancy-wise classification, constructional
aspects, egress requirements and protection
features that are necessary to minimize danger
to life and property from fire. 13th Finance
commission recommended on fire safety and
organization.
81. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
• Injeti Srinivas Committee was a High Level
Committee on CSR, formed in 2018 under the
Chairmanship of Injeti Srinivas.
• The main recommendations included making
CSR expenditure tax deductible, allowing
the carry-forward of unspent balance for a
period of 3-5 years, and aligning Schedule VII
of the Companies Act with the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals.
82. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
Agriculture land in Karnataka is the most expensive
followed by Telangana, according to a new Agri
 Land Price Index (ALPI) launched for six states,
including the two launched by the Indian Institute
of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A). The index is
aimed at removing uncertainty in the agricultural
land valuation.
83. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
‘No poverty’ and ‘Zero hunger’ are the first and
second SDGs. According to NITI Aayog (2020-21),
out of 100 points set for the grade of Achiever, India
scored 60 (Performer grade, score 50-64) for no
poverty and 47 (Aspirant grade, score 0-49) for zero
hunger, with wide State-level variations. India’s
score in the SDGs of 8, 9, and 12 (‘Decent work
and economic growth’; ‘Industry, Innovation and
Infrastructure’ and ‘Responsible Consumption and
Production’, respectively) — considered for working
out planetary pressure — are 61 (performer), 55
(performer) and 74 (front runner), respectively
84. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Google first announced LaMDA at its flagship
developer conference as its generative language
model for dialogue applications which can ensure
that the Assistant would be able to converse on
any topic. In simple terms, it means that LaMDA
can have discussions based on a user’s inputs. Its
language processing models have been trained on
large amounts of dialogue.
85. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
“Dark ships” are vessels with their Automatic
Identification System (AIS) - a transponder system
- switched off so as not to be detectable.
86. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Statement 1 Incorrect
• Garuda Shakti is a bilateral exercise between
Special Forces of armies of India and Indonesia.
Statement 2 Correct
• Sampriti Exercise is a bilateral defense
cooperation exercise between the armies of
India and Bangladesh.Context - As part of the
ongoing India Bangladesh bilateral defense
cooperation, a joint military training exercise
Ex SAMPRITI-X is being conducted.
Statement 3 Incorrect
• Exercise Mitra Shakti, based on counter
insurgency and counter terrorism operations
in semi urban terrain is the largest bilateral
exercise being undertaken by the Sri Lankan
19
Army and it forms a major part of India and Sri
Lanka’s growing defence partnership
Statement 4 Correct
• Exercise YudhAbhyas is the largest running
joint military training and defense cooperation
endeavor between India and USA.
87. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Statement 1- Correct
• It is a two stage surface to surface inter-
continental ballistic missile propelled by solid
fuel.
Statement 2- Incorrect
• The missile has an operational range of 3500 km
and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead
of one tonne. It is capable of striking targets in
nearly all of mainland China, if launched from
northeastern part of India.
Statement 3- Incorrect
• The missile is designed by the Defense
Research and Development Organization and
manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited.
88. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Recently, the Ministry of Defence has signed
a contract with the Hyderabad-based public
sector Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) for supply of
the Astra Mark-1.
The missile has been developed by the Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
for deployment on fighter jets like Sukhoi-30 MKI
and Tejas of the IAF and the Mig-29K of the Navy.
Statement 1 is correct.
The Astra Mk-1 is a beyond visual range (BVR), air-
to-air missile (AAM). BVM missiles are capable of
engaging beyond the range of 20 nautical miles or
37 kilometres. Statement 2 is not correct.
The missile can travel at speeds more than four
times that of sound and can reach a maximum
altitude of 20km, making it extremely flexible for
air combat. Statement 3 is correct
89. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
About the 1972 United Nations Stockholm
Conference:
• It is the world’s first conference to make the
environment a major issue.
• The participants developed a series of principles
for sound management of the environment
including the Stockholm declaration and
Action Plan for the Human environment and
several reExplanations.
 • It has marked the start of a dialogue between
industrialized and developing countries on the
link between economic growth, the pollution
of the air, water, and oceans and the well-being
of the people around the world. Hence, the
statement 1 is correct.
• One of the major results of the Stockholm
conference was the creation of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• Indira Gandhi was the only head of government
other than that of the host country Sweden
to attend and speak at the meeting.in her
speech, she brought forward the connection
between ecological management and poverty
alleviation. Hence, the statement 3 is correct.
The ‘Earth Summit’ of 1991:
The following were formed at this conference-
• The Rio Declaration and its 27 universal
principles.
• The United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC). Hence, statement 2
is incorrect.
• The Convention on Biological Diversity
• The Declaration on the principles of forest
management
90. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
Recently, The Minister of Civil Aviation launched
the National Air Sports Policy 2022 (NASP 2022)
NASP 2022 lays out the vision of making India as
one of the top sports nations by 2030, by providing
a safe, accessible, affordable, enjoyable, and
sustainable air sports ecosystem in India.
• It has been drafted based on the inputs received
from policy makers, air sports practitioners and
public at large.
It covers the following:
• Aerobatics
• Aero modelling and model rocketry
• Ballooning
• Drones
• Amateur-built and experimental aircraft
• Gliding and powered gliding
• Hang gliding and powered hang gliding
• Paragliding and paramotoring
• Parachuting
• Powered aircraft
• Rotorcraft
91. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
Recently, “The World of Work Summit” was
organised by International Labour Organisation in
Geneva.
20
About International Labour Organisation:
• It is a specialised agency of the United Nations.
• It is the only tripartite United Nations agency
since 1919. This unique tripartite structure
brings together governments, employers,
and workers of 187 member states, to set
labour standards, develop policies, and devise
programmes promoting decent work for all
women and men.
• Its aim is to promote rights at work, encourage
decent employment opportunities, enhance
social protection and strengthen dialogues on
work-related issues.
• It was established in 1919 by the Treaty of
Versailles as an affiliated agency of the League
of Nations.
• India is a founder member of the ILO.
• It is headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland.
The flagship reports of ILO are:
• Global wage report
• World Employment and Social Outlook (WESO)
• World Social Protection Report
• World of Work Report
92. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
The Prime Minister of India would attend the first-
of-its-kind virtual summit of the I2U2 grouping in
July 2022.
About I2U2:
• The new I2U2 grouping of India, Israel, the UAE,
and the U.S. will hold its first virtual summit as
part of the Biden administration’s efforts to
re-energise and revitalise American alliances
across the world.
• It is focused on expanding economic and
political cooperation in the Middle East
and Asia, including through trade, energy
cooperation, combating climate change, and
coordination on other vital shared interests.
93. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
Alpide belt:
• Afghanistan is earthquake-prone because it’s
located in the mountainous Hindu Kush region,
which is part of the Alpide belt.
• This belt is the second most seismically active
region in the world after the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Hence, the statement 3 is correct.
• The Alpide belt runs about 15,000 kilometres,
from the southern part of Eurasia through
Himalayas and into the Atlantic. Hence, the
statement 2 is correct.
 • Along with the Hindu Kush, it includes a
number of mountain ranges, such as Alps,
Atlas Mountains and the Caucasus Mountains.
Hence, the statement is correct.
Mount Kilimanjaro:
Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano in United
Republic of Tanzania. It is not part of Alpide belt.
Hence, the statement is incorrect.
94. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
• Recently, India along with G7 countries and
four invited countries, signed the ‘2022
Resilient Democracies Statement’
• The countries resolved to “protecting the
freedom of expression and opinion online
and ensuring a free and independent media
landscape through our work with relevant
international initiatives”.
• Germany holds the presidency of the G7 in
2022.
• Germany has invited India, along with
Argentina, Indonesia, Senegal, and South
Africa to the 2022 Summit as partner countries.
• The members are France, Germany, United
Kingdom, Italy, United States of America,
Canada, and Japan.
• All the G7 countries and India are a part of G20.
95. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
About Eco-sensitive Zone (ESZ):
• The Eco-sensitive Zone (ESZ) are areas in India
notified by the Ministry of Environment. Forest,
and Climate Change (MoEFCC), GoI around
protected areas, national park and wildlife
sanctuaries.
• Prohibited activities: Activities like industries
that cause Pollution, commercial mining,
establishment of major hydroelectric projects
(HEP), saw mills, commercial use of mood,
tourism, discharge of effluents or any solid
waste or production of hazardous substances
are all prohibited.
• Regulated activities: Activities like feeling
of trees, commercial use of natural water,
establishment of hotels and resorts, erection of
electrical cables, drastic change of agriculture
system, e.g., adoption of heavy technology,
pesticides etc, widening of roads.
• Permitted activities: Activities like ongoing
agricultural or horticultural practices, rainwater
harvesting, use of renewable energy sources,
adoption of green technology for all activities
are permitted.
21
96. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
About the Santhal Tribe:
• The Santhal community is in the spotlight
after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
nominated one of the community leaders
Droupadi Murmu to the highest constitutional
position in the country.
• Santhal is the third largest scheduled tribe
community in the country after Gond and Bhil.
• The word “Santhal” is derived from two words;
‘santha’ meaning calm and peaceful and ‘ala’
meaning man.
• In the past, the Santhals were leading a
nomadic life.
• Gradually they came to settle down in the
Chota Nagpur plateau.
• Towards the end of the 18th century, they
migrated to the Santhal Paraganas of Bihar and
then they came to Odisha.
97. Answer: (c)
Explanation:
About NIPUN (National Initiative for Promoting
Upskilling of Nirman workers) scheme
• The project NIPUN is an initive of the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) under its
flagship scheme of the Deendayal Antyodaya
Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission
(DAY-NULM).
• The aim is to train over 1 lakh construction
workers, through fresh skilling and upskilling
programmes. It will also provide workers with
work opportunities even in foreign countries.
Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• The project is divided into three parts:
◊ Training through Recognition of Prior
Learning (RPL) at construction sites.
◊ Training through Fresh skilling by Plumbing
and Infrastructure SSC and
◊ International Placement through industries
or builders or contractors in countries such
as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE and
other GCC countries. Hence, statement 2 is
correct.
• It will provide trainees with “Kaushal Bima”,
three-year accidental insurance with coverage
of INR 2 lakhs. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
98. Answer: (a)
Explanation:
• Three out of every four river monitoring
stations in India posted alarming levels of
 heavy toxic metals such as lead, iron, nickel,
cadmium, arsenic, chromium and copper.
• State of Environment Report 2022 from the
environmental NGO, the Centre for Science
and Environment (CSE).
• The report is an annual compendium of
environment-development data and is derived
from public sources.India has 764 river quality
monitoring stations across 28 states. Of these,
the Central Water Commission tested water
samples from 688 stations for heavy metals
between August 2018 and December 2020.
Of the 588 water quality stations monitored
for pollution, total coliform and biochemical
oxygen demand were high in 239 and 88
stations across 21 States - an indicator of
poor wastewater treatment from industry,
agriculture and domestic households.
99. Answer: (b)
Explanation:
• The Commonwealth of Nations, simply
referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political
association of 54 member states, almost all
of which are former territories of the British
Empire.
• It was originally created as the British
Commonwealth of Nations through the Balfour
Declaration at the 1926 Imperial Conference,
and formalized by the United Kingdom through
the Statute of Westminster in 1931. The current
***
22
Commonwealth of Nations was formally
constituted by the London Declaration in
1949, which modernized the community and
established the member states as “free and
equal”.
• The head of the Commonwealth is currently
Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth II is the
longest-serving monarch in British history and
the year 2022 celebrates her 70th year on the
throne.
100. Answer: (d)
Explanation:
MoU would reinforce bilateral cooperation
between the two countries in the area of urban
water security. It would strengthen institutional
capacities at all levels for urban water management;
improve accessibility, affordability & quality of water
and sanitation services; promote circular economy
of water & water secure cities; encourage climate
resilient water management practices; enhance
community participation in water management
and improve social inclusion through initiatives for
accessible infrastructure.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi, was apprised the Memorandum of
Understanding between the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India
and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(DFAT), Government of Australia for Technical
Cooperation in urban water management.