RAS Prelims MCQ Practice

Explanation

The Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) was a pioneering project led by Vikram Sarabhai to use satellite technology for mass education. Conducted in the mid-1970s, it broadcast educational programs to thousands of Indian villages. This experiment demonstrated that satellites could effectively deliver information on health, agriculture, and family planning to remote areas, proving the societal value of space technology.

Explanation

Amber was first held by the Meenas and then conquered by the Kachwahas, so I is correct. The Diwan-e-Aam mixes Hindu and Mughal elements, so III is correct. The Sheesh Mahal is lit by natural light as well as mirror work, so II is wrong.

Explanation

‘Sist’ was the term used for the standard land revenue assessment in the Vijayanagar Empire. It represented the state’s share of agricultural produce and was the primary pillar of the imperial economy. The assessment was based on detailed land surveys that accounted for soil fertility and irrigation facilities. This systematic taxation provided the necessary funds for maintaining the large military and financing grand architectural projects.

Explanation

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme, now rebranded as PM POSHAN, is a centrally sponsored initiative aiming to improve child nutrition in government schools. Contrary to being excluded, the new guidelines specifically include children studying in pre-primary or Balvatika classes. The scheme provides hot cooked meals and encourages community participation through local groups, ensuring that nutritional support starts from the earliest stages.

Explanation

Vikram Sarabhai founded the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad in 1947. Initially focusing on cosmic rays and the properties of the upper atmosphere, PRL became the foundational institute where India’s space program was conceived. It provided the intellectual and technical environment necessary to train the first generation of space scientists, earning it the nickname "cradle of space science.

Explanation

A Jauhar Kund is the site where Rajput women performed jauhar, mass self-immolation, to protect their honour when a fort was about to fall. Several hill forts, including Chittorgarh, have such places.

Explanation

The Vijayanagar state practiced a policy of religious pluralism and generally did not impose the Jizya, which was a specific tax levied on non-Muslims in Islamic states. Instead, the empire’s revenue was derived from land taxes, professional taxes on various trades, customs duties at maritime ports, and social taxes such as those on marriages. This diverse tax base supported the complex needs of the vast imperial administration.

Explanation

The Governor appoints members of the State Public Service Commission, while the President appoints those of the Union Commission. Crucially, the removal of members from both the State and Union Commissions is the exclusive power of the President, ensuring that state-level commissions remain independent of local political pressure during disciplinary actions. This constitutional arrangement provides a uniform standard of protection for all public service commissioners in the country. By vesting the removal power in the President, even for state-level bodies, the Constitution ensures that members cannot be easily intimidated or dismissed by state governments for making unpopular but principled decisions.

Explanation

The Integrated Child Development Services scheme provides a package of services to specific target groups. Supplementary nutrition is for children under six and mothers, while non-formal preschool education targets children aged three to six. Immunization services are prioritized for infants and pregnant women. Additionally, nutrition and health education is primarily directed at women in the fifteen to forty-five age group.

Explanation

Vikram Sarabhai was a prolific institution builder who founded the Physical Research Laboratory, IIM Ahmedabad, and the National Institute of Design. He also established the Community Science Centre to promote scientific awareness. However, the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre in Kolkata is a research unit focused on nuclear physics and was not among the primary institutions established by Sarabhai.