UPSC 2008 Prelims Questions with Answers

Explanation

During World War II, Subhas Chandra Bose (1897-1945) raised an army called the Free Indian Legion (Azad Hind Legion) with the help of Nazi Germany. This was part of his efforts to liberate India from British rule by seeking foreign assistance. In 1941 he escaped from British house arrest in India and reached Germany via Afghanistan and the Soviet Union. In 1942, he formed the Free Indian Legion (also called the "Legion Freies Indien" in German) composed of Indian prisoners of war (POWs) captured by German forces in North Africa. This legion was trained by the Nazis and was intended to be deployed in British India through Afghanistan. However, as the war situation changed he shifted his base to Japan in 1943, where he took charge of the Indian National Army (INA), which had been established earlier by Rashbehari Bose.

Explanation

Aurobindo Ghosh, a prominent figure in the Indian independence movement, provided a scathing critique of the moderate politics of the Indian National Congress in his series of articles titled New Lamps for Old. In these articles, he argued that the moderate approach of relying on petitions, prayers, and constitutional reforms was ineffective in achieving India’s independence. He advocated for a more aggressive and militant approach, including boycotts, strikes, and civil disobedience.

Explanation

Naoroji, the ‘Grand Old Man of India,’ pioneered the analysis of British rule’s economic impact in his work Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (1901). His theory of economic drain exposed the exploitation of India’s resources by the British, fueling nationalist sentiment. By calling British rule "Un-British," Naoroji critiqued the hypocrisy of colonial claims, challenging the narrative of British benevolence. His critique laid the foundation for future debates on colonial exploitation and inspired future leaders advocating for India’s self-rule.

Explanation

J B Kripalani started his career as a teacher and later became the principal of the Gujarat Vidyapith, a university established by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920. He was deeply influenced by Gandhi’s ideas and played a significant role in the freedom movement. He was the president of the Indian National Congress during the crucial phase of Indian independence in 1947.

Explanation

With reference to the year in which this has been asked, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have the maximum number of National Parks among the given states/UTs:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands: 9 National Parks Assam: 7 National Parks Arunachal Pradesh: 2 National Parks Meghalaya: 2 National Parks Currently, Madhya Pradesh has the maximum number (12) of National Parks.

Explanation

A is correctly matched with 2: Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay is known for writing the novel Debi Chaudhurani, which depicts the story of a woman’s empowerment and resistance. B is correctly matched with 3: Nil-Darpan is a famous play written by Dinabandhu Mitra, which highlights the plight of indigo farmers in Bengal under British rule. C is correctly matched with 1: Shatranj ke Khilari (The Chess Players) is a story written by Premchand that critiques the indifference of Indian rulers during the British colonial period.

Explanation

Abul Kalam Azad, a prominent freedom fighter and scholar, brought out the journal Al-Hilal in 1912. It was a weekly published in Urdu, aimed at promoting political consciousness among Muslims and opposing British colonial rule. Other works of Abul Kalam Azad were Al-Balagh, Gubhar-e-Khatir, and India wins Freedom.

Option (b),(c) and (d) are incorrect:

Muhammad Ali Jauhar published and edited the weekly English-language newspaper "The Comrade." The newspaper was banned in 1914 under the Press Act. Shyamji Krishna Verma served as the editor of "The Indian Sociologist" journal. The Zamindar newspaper was edited by Zafar Ali Khan but started by his father, Maulvi Sirajuddin Ahmad, in Sialkot as a farmer’s paper.

Explanation

Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984) was one of the most celebrated Urdu poets of the 20th century. He was a prominent figure in progressive literature and a vocal advocate for social justice, human rights, and anti-imperialism. The poem "Subh-e-Azadi" (Dawn of Freedom) was written by Faiz in 1947 which reflects on the partition of India and the bittersweet nature of independence. The poem captures the disillusionment and pain of partition, juxtaposing the joy of freedom with the tragedy of communal violence and displacement. The opening lines of the poem, "Ye daagh daagh ujala, ye shab-gazida sahar" (This stained light, this night-bitten dawn), are iconic and encapsulate the mixed emotions of the time.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: A jet engine relies on the oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere for combustion. In space, where there is no atmosphere, a jet engine cannot function because it cannot obtain the necessary oxygen for burning fuel.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Rockets do carry their own supply of oxygen, but typically, the oxygen is not in gas form. It is usually stored as a liquid oxidizer (e.g., liquid oxygen, LOX) along with the fuel.

Explanation

Option (b) is correct: The Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution deals with the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes, excluding the states of Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram (ATMM). Options (a), (c) and (d) are incorrect:

The Third Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists the forms of oaths and affirmations for various constitutional posts and offices. The Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution outlines the distribution of powers and responsibilities between the Union and State governments through three lists: the Union List, the State List, and the Concurrent List. The Ninth Schedule of the Indian Constitution contains laws that are exempt from judicial review to protect them from being challenged in court.However, the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973) and later the I.R. Coelho case (2007) clarified that laws in the Ninth Schedule are not completely exempt from judicial review if they violate the basic structure of the Constitution.