UPSC 2004 General Knowledge Questions with Answers

Explanation

Tawang Monastery, India’s largest and the world’s second-largest Buddhist monastery, is in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district near the Tibet and Bhutan borders. Founded in 1680-81 by Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso under the 5th Dalai Lama’s guidance, it remains a key center of Tibetan Buddhism, preserving monastic traditions and spiritual heritage.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The Islamic (Hijri) Calendar is a lunar calendar and consists of 354 or 355 days, while the Gregorian Calendar is a solar calendar with 365 or 366 days. As a result, the Islamic calendar is shorter by approximately 11-12 days compared to the Gregorian calendar each year. The Islamic calendar is based on 12 lunar months, a new month begins when a new moon is sighted.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Islamic calendar began in 622 AD not 632 AD, the year of the Hijra, when Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The Gregorian Calendar is a solar calendar i.e. it is based on the Earth’s revolution around the Sun (365.24 days per year). It is not a lunar calendar.

Explanation

A-2: Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (Mumbai, Maharashtra) - Research in geomagnetism and space physics. It is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and technology. B-4: ARCI (Hyderabad, Telangana) - Focus on advanced materials and powder metallurgy. It was established in 1997, is an Autonomous Research and Development Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST). C-1: Salim Ali Centre (Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu) - Bird research and natural history. Salim Ali, who was known as the father of Indian Ornithology. D-3: TFRI (Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh) - Tropical forest research and conservation. It is one of the nine regional institutes under the Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education. The Institute came into existence in April 1988, although its origin goes back to 1973 when a Regional Centre of FRI, Dehradun was established at Jabalpur.

Explanation

Pair (b) is incorrectly matched: Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE) was set up in 1979, with headquarters at Prayagraj. Pairs (a), (c) and (d) are correctly matched:

The Railway Staff College is located in Vadodara, Gujarat. It is responsible for training senior railway officers and enhancing the administrative and managerial capabilities of the Indian Railways. The Wheel and Axle plant of the Indian Railways, also known as the Rail Wheel Factory (RWF), is situated in Yelahanka, Bangalore, Karnataka. The Rail Coach Factory is located in Kapurthala, Punjab. It is one of the premier manufacturers of railway coaches in India.

Explanation

G. S. Dhillon: A member of the Indian National Congress, he served as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha during the 4th and 5th Lok Sabha from August 8, 1969, to March 19, 1971, and again from March 22, 1971, to December 1, 1975. Baliram Bhagat: Representing the Indian National Congress, he served as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha during the 5th Lok Sabha from January 15, 1976, to March 25, 1977. Hukum Singh: A member of the Indian National Congress, he held the position of Speaker of the Lok Sabha during the 3rd Lok Sabha from April 17, 1962, to March 16, 1967. K.V.K. Sundaram: He was never the Speaker of the Lok Sabha but was a distinguished lawyer, judge, and the 2nd Chief Election Commissioner of India after Sukumar Sen.

Explanation

Pair 1 is incorrect: The Department of Women and Child Development was initially under the Ministry of Human Resource Development. In 2006, it became a separate Ministry known as the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Pair 2 is incorrect: The Department of Official Language is under the Ministry of Home Affairs, & implements the Official Languages Act, 1963.

Pair 3 is incorrect: The Department of Drinking Water Supply was a department under the Ministry of Rural Development.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: India formally established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992 under the leadership of Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. Prior to this, India had recognized Israel in 1950 but had limited diplomatic engagement due to its support for the Palestinian cause.

Statement 2 is correct: The first Israeli Prime Minister to visit India was Yitzhak Rabin, but this visit was not a state visit. Ariel Sharon officially visited India in 2003.

Explanation

Voltas is a leading manufacturer of air conditioning and cooling technology. It was established in 1954 as a collaboration between Tata Sons and Volkart Brothers. Titan Industries was founded in 1984 as a joint venture between the Tata Group and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO). Rallis India is a subsidiary of Tata Chemicals. Rallis India is a leading agrochemicals company within the Tata Group. Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), which owns and operates the Taj Hotels, is a part of the Tata Group and was established in 1903 by Jamsetji Tata.

Explanation

A-2: Jhumpa Lahiri is a renowned author known for her works like Interpreter of Maladies (which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2000) and The Namesake (2003). She is widely recognized for her contributions to literature and novel-writing. B-1: Sunita Narain is an environmentalist and activist working on climate change, water management, and sustainable development. She is associated with the Centre for Science and Environment and has been a strong advocate for environmental policies in India. She received Padma Shri award in 2005. C-4: Naina Lal Kidwai is a banker and business executive, known for her leadership in HSBC India and being the first Indian woman to graduate from Harvard Business School. She has played a significant role in the financial and banking sector. D-5: Ravina Raj Kohli is a media executive and journalist. She has been involved in television media and has held leadership roles at channels like Star News and Sony Entertainment Television.

Explanation

Tarun Bharat Sangh, led by Rajendra Singh, is an Indian NGO known for water conservation efforts in Alwar, Rajasthan. Since 1975, it has revived traditional rainwater harvesting methods like Johads, restoring rivers such as Arvari and improving groundwater, irrigation, and drought resilience. It also promotes sustainable agriculture and rural development to combat climate change.