Subject: History

Question:1 Comment on any three of the following statements in about 200 words each:

(a) ‘Absentee landlordism was a consequential feature of Bengal’s Permanent land settlement.’

Answer: In Bengal the revenue had previously been collected through hereditary Zamindars. The Zamindars of Bengal were really the rural agent government. Below the Zamindars came the cultivating peasants. They were exposed to the rods of Zamindars as the Zamindars were liable to the rot the government officers, but like the Zamindars themselves they had a traditional hereditary right were rarely dispossessed. But in British period e right had been confiscated.

The great difficulty of the company was to know how much the countryside could safely pay. This the Zamindar’s secret which they were disinclined share since their living depended on its exploitation At first the company’s demand together with servants’ derangment of the local economy led to collection. Hastings made several attempts regularize the situation but he never succeeded penetrating the Zamindars’ secret. Due to settlements were made with the Zamindars for a of years, fixed at ten in 1789 and finally permanent. The Zamindars were looked as landlords. In England the central feagure in agriculture at the time was the landlord and the British officials made the mistake of thinking that the Zamindars their Indian counterpart. The landlord in Britain ii the owner of the land not only in relation to the term but also in relation to the state. But in Bengal x the zamindars were landlord over the tenants, he himself subordinated to the state. Intact he ii reduced virtually to the status of a tenant of (helm India Company.

The Zamindar was to make a fixed annual papa to the government. retarning one tenth of his collect as his fee. But at first the rates were high and pt did not rise, so that he could not even squeeze peasant. Then he was sold up instead of being but up but left where he was in the Mughal way .The result was a big change in Zamindari personnel and the appearance of new men from Calcutta who bought estates as financial speculations. The new landlord were often absentees with no local connection, 1, Bengal peasantry became a rustic proletariat.

(b) ‘India underwent suffering and mortality in the wake of recurring famines’ in the later half of the 19th century.

Answer : A major characteristic of British rule in India and the net result of British economic policies was the prevalence of extreme poverty among its people. The poverty of the people found its culmimation in a series of famines which ravaged all parts of India in the second half’ of the 19th century. The first of these famines occurred in western UP in 1960-61 and cost over 2 lakh of lives. In 1865-66 a famine engulfed Orissa, Bengal, Bihar and Madras and took a fall of nearly 20 lakhs of lives. Orissa alone losing 10 lakhs of people. More than 14 lakhs of persons died in the famine of 1868-70 in western U.P., Bombay and Punjab. Many states of Rajputana. another affected area, lost one fourth to one-third of their population. Perhaps the worst famine in Indian history till then occurred in 1876- 78 in Madras, Mysore, Hyderabad, Maharashtra, Western U.P., and the Punjab. Maharashtra cost 8 lakhs people, Madras nearly 35 lakhs. Mysore nearly 20% of its population and UP over 12 lakhs. Drought led to a countrywide famine in 1896-97 which affected over 9.5 crores of people of whom nearly 45 lakhs died. The famine of 1899-1900 followed quickly and caused widespread distress. In spite of official efforts to save lives through provision of famine relief, over 25 lakhs people died.

Apart from these major famines, many other local famines and scarcities occurred. William Digoy, a British writer has calculated that, in all, over 28,825,000 people died during famines from 1854 to 1901. India’s economic backwardness and poverty were not due to the niggardliness of nature. They were abundant and capable of yielding, if properly utilized, a high degree of prosperity to the people. But as a result of foreign rule and exploitation, and of a backward agrarian and industrial economic structure-in fact as the total outcome of its historical and social development India presented the paradox of a poor people living in a rich country.

(c) ‘In the summer of 1942 Gandhi was in a strange and uniquely militant mood.’

Answer: Britain and France joined together to placate Hider. The Government of India immediately joined the war without consulting the National Congress or the elected members of the central legislature. While Congress was in full sympathy with the victims of fascist aggression, and was willing to help the forces of democracy in their struggle against fascism. So congress demanded freedom to participate actively in the struggle. The British government refused to accept this demand and tried to pit the religious minorities and princes against the Congress. The Congress therefore  asked its ministers to resign.. In October. 1940 Gandhigave the call for a limited Satyagraha.

Subject: History

Question :1 Mark any fifteen of the following places on the map supplied to you and write short descriptive notes on the places plotted by you on the map

1. Ajanta

2. Bodh Gaya

3. Dholavira

4. Dwarka

5. Girnar

6. Hastinapur

7. Kanchipuram

8. Koshambi

9. Madurai

10. Malkhed

11. Mohanjodaro

12. Nalanda

13. Purushpur

14. Ropar

15. Sanchi

16. Sravanbelagola

17. Sravasti

18. Tanjore

19. Thaneshwar

20. Varanasi

1. Ajanta: The caves of Ajanta (listed on UNESCO’s world heritage sites) are situated on the northern fringe of the Maharashtra plateau in district of Aurangabad. They lie off one of the ancient arterial trade routes connecting Western India to North India through Mahbshmatb and Ujjabn. Extending over 550m, they are aligned in a horse-shoe form. The caves are a very fine combination of architectural and sculptural works and paintings, and were carved out for Buddhist monks to live a monastic life. These caves were excavated roughly, from about the second century BC to the seventh century AD. There are in all 30 caves (including the unfinished ones), out of which caves 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya grihas, while the rest of them are viharas.

2. Bodh Gaya: Located on the banks of Phalgu River in the state of Bihar, Bodh Gaya is seen as the most important of Buddhist pilgrimage centres. This is the place where Lord Sakyamuni (Gautama Buddha) entered into meditation after being moved by the sufferings of mankind. The giant Bodhi tree (a peepal) that we find there today is believed to have grown from the original Bodhi tree under which Prince Siddhartha meditated and finally attained nirvana. The Maha Bodhi temple in Bodh Gaya is an architectural amalgamation of many cultures. The temple bears the stamp of architecture of the Gupta dynasty and subsequent ages. On the walls of the temple,  one can see the image of Buddha carved in different aspects and in the sanctum sanctorum, a colossal Buddha is seen touching the ground, which has mythological significance in Buddhist lores. The famous Chinese travellers, Fa-Hsien and Hsuan Tsang visited Bodh Gaya.

3. Dholavira: Dholavira, known for its large Indus Valley Civilisation settlement, lies in the north-west corner of Khadir, a large island in the Rann of Kutchch in the state of Gujarat. It was discovered in 1967 and was excavated by R.S. Bisht. Dholavira was settled by the Indus Valley people around 5000 years ago. Dholavira is divided into three main parts: the citadel, the middle town, and the lower town. The most special feature of Dholavira is its watershed management system, with huge water reservoirs and check dams. The largest water reservoir measures 80.4m x 12m x 7.5m. The most interesting discovery at Dholavira is a large inscription comprising ten letters in the Indus Valley script, each letter engraved on a slice of crystalline material.

4. Dwarka: An ancient town with great historic importance, Dwaraka is a small town located on the north-western tip of the Kathiawar (Saurashtra) peninsula in Jamnagar district of Gujarat. Dwaraka, the name derived from the Sanskrit word Dvara meaning door, was the ‘Gateway of India’ in ancient times, an entrepot for ships engaged in overseas trade with Egypt, Arabia and Mesopotamia. The earliest reference to Dwaraka is found in a maritime geography of trade between India and the Roman empire, The Periplus of the Erythrean Sea, dating to the period AD 80-115. The Periplus refers to Dwaraka as the Gulf of Baraco, while mentioning the location of Bharukachchha. The Mahabharata refers to Dwaraka; Shankaracharya in early medieval times founded a matha, a great Hindu religious centre, at Dwaraka.

1. Consider the following statements about Android.
(1) Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes on a operating system
(2) Android mobile operating system is based on the Linux Dercit.
(3) The main hardware platform for Android is the ARM architecture.
(4) Google Inc. purchased the initial developer of the software, Android in 2005.

Which of the statement given above is/are correct?

(a) 1,2,3 are true
(b) 1,3,4 are true
(c) 1,2,4 are true
(d) 1&2 are true

2. What is Near Field Communication?
(a) Near field communication is a Bluetooth technology that concepts two Bluetooth devices.
(b) It is a technology that connects two mobile phones without Bluetooth technology.
(c) It is a variation of other short range wireless technologies, which can quickly swap information between devices when they are touched together.
(d) It is a technology that root out the problem of interference in C band mobile network.

3. Consider the following statements about HYLAS.
(1) It is a advanced communication satellite built by ISRO.
(2) It is a joint effort of ISRO & NASA.
(3) It is being develop in Partnership with EADA-Astrium of Europe.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 is true
(b) 1 & 2 are true
(c) All are the true
(d) 1 & 3 true.

4. Consider the following statements.
(1) The Government is setting up the National Environmental Appraisal and monitoring Authority.
(2) This will be professional, science-based autonomous body environmental appraisals and monitoring of compliance conditions.
(3) Once appraised by NEAMA Projects would be given final Environment clearance.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 & 2 are true
(b) All are true
(c) 1 & 3 are true
(d) None of these are true.

5. Consider the finding of “Climate change and India: A 4 × 4 Assessment” that is a government report on climate change.
(1) It provides an assessment of impact of climate change in 2030 on four key sectors of the Indian economy in four climate sensitive regions of India.
(2) There are Agriculture, Water, Natural Ecosystems and Biodiversity.
(3) These regions are Himalaya, Western Ghats, Coastal area & the North-East region.
(4) The Report has been prepared by MOEF led Indian Network for climate change Assessment.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 as true
(b) Only 1 and 2 are true
(c) All are true
(d) 1, 2 & 3 are true

6. Where is National centre for Marine Biodiversity Located?
(a) Ratnagiri
(b) Paradip
(c) Jamnagar
(d) Lakshadweep

7. Nagoya Protocal is related with?
(a) Conservation of Glaciers.
(b) Promote the use of recycled paper.
(c) Access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits.
(d) Discouraging the use of Polythine.

8. Consider the following statements.
(1) About 69% of India dry land – arid semi - arid and dry sub-humid
(2) An estimated 32% of India total area is affected by land degradation
(3) 81.45% million hectares, or 24.8 percent of the country25 geographic area is undergoing desertification.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 is true
(b) Only 2 is true
(c) Only 1 & 3 true
(d) All are true

9. Consider the following statements.
(1) Rare earth elements are a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table.
(2) Rare earth elements are a set of fifteen chemical elements in the periodic table.
(3) Despite their name, rare earth elements are relatively plentiful in the Earth15 crust.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) Only 1 is true
(b) Only 1 & 2 are true
(c) Only 1 & 3 are true
(d) All are true