Political Science Mock Test - 6

The correct answer is Little Boy.

Key Points

• On August 6, 1945, during World War II, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan.
• The bomb was known as "Little Boy", a uranium gun-type bomb that exploded with about thirteen kilotons of force.
• The bombing of Hiroshima, codenamed Operation Centerboard I, was approved by Curtis LeMay on August 4, 1945.
• The B-29 plane carried Little Boy.

Important Points

• Three days after the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.
  • A 21-kiloton plutonium device known as "Fat Man”.
• The B-29 "Bockscar", piloted Major Charles Sweeney, was assigned to deliver the "Fat Man".

Key Points

• On 16 July 1945, U.S. scientists working on the 'Manhatten Project' successfully detonated the first-ever nuclear explosion in the ‘Trinity’ test at Alamogordo, New Mexico.

The foreign policy of non-alignment was formed with the idea of remaining neutral with the USA and the USSR to continue diplomatic relations with both countries.

Important PointsFor India, the concept of non-alignment began as a policy of non-participation in the military affairs of a bipolar world and in the context of colonialism aimed towards optimum involvement through multi-polar participation towards peace and security.

• It was established in 1961 in Belgrade, former Yugoslavia under the leadership of the then Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
• PM Jawahar Lal Nehru who was also foreign minister of newly independent India, Developed free India's foreign policy.
• India's foreign policy is based on NAM neutral with the USA and the USSR to continue diplomatic relations with both countries.
• It also adopted Pnachsheel Principle in Indian foreign policy. 

President George W. Bush first used the phrase 'axis of evil' in his State of the Union address on January 29, 2002.

Key Points

• It was frequently used throughout his presidency to describe foreign governments that allegedly sponsored terrorism and sought weapons of mass destruction during his administration. 
• The concept of such an axis was utilized to identify these common enemies of the United States and to generate support for the War on Terror among the American people.
• The term "axis of evil" was used in the early twenty-first century to depict Iran's, North Korea's, and Iraq's belligerent tendencies. 
• The reasons behind the term to frame these as state axil of evil for global peace. 
• The phrase was widely panned both internationally and domestically. 
• The phrase was invented by David Frum, a Canadian-born presidential speechwriter and Michael Gerson, a presidential adviser.

Thus, In January 2002, North Korea, Iran and Iraq countries were described as the 'axis of evil' by the US President.

Additional Information

• Critics claimed that the three countries named were not sufficiently linked to justify the formation of an "axis," a word that evokes World War II's Axis powers—Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, and imperial Japan.
• Ronald Regan use the term 'Evil Empire' to depict the USSR.   

the correct answer is Option 1.

Key Points

• The surgical strike was  carried out to avenge Pakistan's attack on Uri that killed 19 Indian Army Soldiers  2016.
• It was given the name surgical strike.It was sanctioned by the Indian Government and no international organisation was a part of it.

The correct answer is Option 3, i.e Syria.

• Idlib is a city in northwestern Syria, 59 kilometers southwest of Aleppo, which is the capital of the Idlib Governorate.
• It has an elevation of nearly 500 meters above sea level.
• Syrian and Russian planes have carried out deadly aerial strikes on schools, hospitals and markets in Idlib province.
• UN investigators have termed these attacks as war crimes.

The correct answer is China.

• The OBOR initiative has also been referred to as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which was announced in 2013 by China’s President Xi Jinping.
• The ‘Belt’ also refers to the ‘Silk Road Economic Belt’.
• The main objective of the Initiative is to improve sub-regional and regional cooperation.
• It aims to connect the East Asian economic region with the European economic circle and runs across the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa.

The correct answer is Jeddah.

Key Points

• It was founded in 1969.
• It has 57 members from the Muslim world.
• India is not part of the OIC.
• OIC calls itself the "collective voice of the Islamic/Muslim World".
• The aim of the organization is to protect the interest of the Muslim World with the spirit of promotion of international peace and harmony.
• The OIC has permanent delegations to the European Union and the United Nations.
• Its permanent secretariat is located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

WTO stands for World Trade Organisation.

Key Points

• It was founded on 1^st January 1995
• It was set up under the Marrakesh Agreement.
• The agreement was signed in Marrakesh, Morocco, by 124 nations on 15 April 1994
• It replaced the General Agreement on Trade and Tariff (GATT).
• It is headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland.
• The current total members of  WTO is 164 

The correct answer is Option 2.

Key Points

• 1st BRIC summit took place in Yekaterinburg, Russia on June 16, 2009.
• BRIC is four big countries Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
• In their second summit in 2010, they South Africa join with them as 5th country and they five in together is known as BRICS.

The correct answer is International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

• In News:
  • ​The European Union and the U.S. have urged Iran to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to access a nuclear site, while Tehran argued the facility was exempt from a recent agreement with the UN watchdog.

Key Points

• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA):
  • Set up as the world’s “Atoms for Peace” organization in 1957 within the United Nations family.
  • Reports to both the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
  • Headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
• Functions:
  • Works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies.
  • Seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons.
• Programs:
  • Program of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT).
  • Human Health Program.
  • Water Availability Enhancement Project.
  • International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles, 2000.

The correct answer is India.

• In News:​
  • The recently held North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit for the first time has explicitly described China as a security risk.
  • The other two threats identified by the NATO declaration are Russia and terrorism.

Key Points

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization:
  •  It is an intergovernmental military alliance.
  • Established by the Washington treaty.
  • Treaty that was signed on 4 April 1949.
  • Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.
  • Headquarters of Allied Command Operations - Mons, Belgium. 

The correct answer is National League for Democracy.

Key Points

• Aung San Suu Kyi
  • She is a politician, diplomat, author, and Nobel laureate from Myanmar.
  • She worked at the United Nations for three years on budget matters.
  • She founded the National League for Democracy on 27 September 1988.
  • The National League for Democracy won the 2015 Myanmar General elections and She holds multiple government posts ( State Counsellor, Foreign Minister).
  • She won Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.
  • She was detained by Myanmar's military in connection to 2020 Myanmar general elections fraud on 1 February 2021.

Additional Information

• Myanmar
  • Capital: Naypyitaw.
  • Currency: Myanmar Kyat.
  • President: Myint Swe.
  • Major Political Parties in Myanmar: Union Solidarity and Development Party, National League for Democracy, The National Unity Party, The National Democratic Force.
  • The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw is the national-level bicameral Legislature of Myanmar.
  • The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw is composed of two houses: the Amoyatha Hluttaw ( Upper House) and the Pyithu Hluttaw( Lower House).

The correct answer is Option 2.

Key Points

• The Tejas LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) was made by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
• It is India's first fully indigenous aircraft and is meant to replace the old MiG-21 fighters.
• It was finally ready for combat on February 21, 2019, as it got final clearance from the aviation agency.

Concept:

Ozone Layer: 

• Ozone (O3) is a molecule formed by three atoms of oxygen. Ozone is a deadly poison.
• Ozone is found in the stratosphere layer of the atmosphere.
• However, at the higher levels of the atmosphere, ozone performs an essential function. It shields the surface of the earth from ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun.
• This radiation is highly damaging to organisms, for example, it is known to cause skin cancer in human beings or can split the DNA.
• It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell.
• Ozone is an excellent oxidizing agent as it breaks down into oxygen gas and nascent oxygen. { O3 → O2 + [O] }
• It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope O2, breaking down in the lower atmosphere to O2 or di-oxygen

Its depletion:

• The amount of ozone in the atmosphere began to drop sharply in the 1980s.
• This decrease has been linked to synthetic chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are used as refrigerants and in fire extinguishers.
• The government bans those products which contain CFCs.

• Ozone is thermodynamically unstable and decomposes to molecular oxygen. Thus, a dynamic equilibrium exists between the production and decomposition of ozone molecules

Explanation:​.

• In recent years, there have been reports of the depletion of this protective ozone layer because of the presence of certain chemicals in the stratosphere.
• The main reason for ozone layer depletion is believed to be the release of chlorofluorocarbon compounds (CFCs), also known as Freons.
• These compounds are non-reactive, non-flammable, non-toxic organic molecules and therefore used in refrigerators, air conditioners, in the production of plastic foam and by the electronic industry for cleaning computer parts etc.
• Once CFCs are released in the atmosphere, they mix with the normal atmospheric gases and eventually reach the stratosphere. Hence option 3 is correct.
• In the 1980s, for the first time, atmospheric scientists working in Antarctica reported about the depletion of the ozone layer commonly known as ozone hole over the South Pole.

Additional Information

• Greenhouse effect:
  • The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon that warms the surface of the Earth.
  •  As the Sun's energy enters the Earth's atmosphere, part of it is reflected back in space and the remainder is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases.  
  • The radiation consumed warms the atmosphere and the Earth's surface.
• Acid Rain:
  • As the name suggests, acid rain may be said to be the easiest way to precipitate acid in the form of rain.
  • This results in acid rain as air contaminants such as nitrogen oxides and sulphur react with rainwater and come down with the rain.
• Smog:
  • The term smog means a mixture of fog and smoke.
  • ​It is a type of air pollution that occurs in many cities worldwide.

The correct answer is the Carbon footprint.

Key Points

• The total amount of green-house gases produced, to, directly and indirectly, support human activities, is referred to as Carbon Footprint.

Additional Information 

• ​Carbon dioxide emission index
  • Carbon dioxide emission index, defined as the amount of CO₂ released per unit of energy value, was used to rate gaseous, liquid and solid fuels.
• Carbon Footprint
  • A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent. 
• Carbon Sequestration
  • Carbon sequestration or carbon dioxide removal is the long-term removal, capture or sequestration of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to slow or reverse atmospheric CO2 pollution and to mitigate or reverse global warming.
• Carbon Capture 
  • Carbon capture and storage, or carbon capture and sequestration and carbon control and sequestration, is the process of capturing waste carbon dioxide, transporting it to a storage site, and depositing it where it will not enter the atmosphere.

The correct answer is the United States of America.

Key Points

• The United States of America, in June 2017, announced that it will withdraw from the Paris climate change accord.
• It formally withdrew from the accord in November 2020.
  • The then US President Donald Trump cited the reason that the agreement undermines the economy of the US and puts the US at a permanent disadvantage.

Important Points ​

• Paris Agreement
  • It is a legally binding international treaty on climate change.
  • It was adopted by 196 countries in Paris in December 2015.
  • It aims to limit global warming to below 2° Celsius, and if possible limit it to 1.5° Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.​
  • The Climate Ambition Summit of the Paris climate accord was held in Glasgow, Scotland on 12^th December 2020.
    • It provided a platform for government and non-governmental leaders to demonstrate their commitment to the Paris Agreement and the multilateral process. 

​ 

The correct answer is the Republican party.

Key Points

• Donald Trump has been a presidential candidate three times, in 2000, 2016, and 2020.
  • He also "unofficially" campaigned in 2012 and mulled a run in 2004.
  • His second formal presidential campaign in 2016 was successful.
  • He was elected the 45th president of the United States on November 8, 2016, and inaugurated on January 20, 2017.
  • He sought reelection in the 2020 United States presidential election but lost to Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
• The Republican Party also referred to as the GOP, is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with its main historic rival, the Democratic Party. 

Additional Information

• The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. It was founded in 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party. Since the 1860s, its main political rival has been the Republican Party.
• A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism, and nonviolence.
  • Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation for world peace.
  • Green party platforms typically embrace social-democratic economic policies and form coalitions with other left-wing parties.
• The Constitution Party, formerly the U.S. Taxpayers' Party until 1999, is a political party in the United States that promotes a religious conservative view of the principles and intents of the United States Constitution. 

The correct answer is Antonio Guterres.

Key Points

• Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres has been appointed as the next UN secretary-general.
• He became the world's top diplomat on 1 January when Ban Ki-moon's second five-year term ends.

Additional Information

•  Kofi Annan:
  • Kofi A. Annan was the 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations and was the founder and chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation.
  • In 2001, he and the United Nations were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. Kofi Annan was praised for being “pre-eminent in bringing new life to the organization.” (Norwegian Nobel Committee, October 2001).
  • He died in 2018 after a short illness.
• Ban Ki-moon:
  • Ban Ki-moon, born June 13, 1944, is a South Korean diplomat who was the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 2007 to December 2016.
  • Before becoming Secretary-General, Mr. Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations.
  • As the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon´s priorities were to mobilize world leaders around a set of new global challenges, from climate change and economic upheaval to pandemics and increasing pressures involving food, energy, and water.
  • He was a bridge-builder, giving a voice to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people, and strengthening the Organization itself.
• Donald Trump:
  • ​Donald John Trump is the 45th President of the USA, who took over office on January 20, 2017.
  • He is also an American businessman, television personality, and author.
  • Born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York, Donald is the fourth of five children of Frederick C. and Mary MacLeod Trump. ​

The correct answer is Mohan Bhagwat.

Key Points

• Mohan Bhagwat is the Chief of the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) based in India.
• He was chosen as the successor to K. S. Sudarshan in March 2009. 
• After working underground during the Emergency, Bhagwat became the 'Pracharak' of Akola in Maharashtra in 1977 and rose within the organization responsible for Nagpur and Vidarbha regions.
• Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS):
  • The headquarters of RSS is in Nagpur.
  • RSS was founded on 27 September 1925, Nagpur.
  • The founder of RSS was K. B. Hedgewar.
  • The General Secretary of RSS is Dattatreya Hosabale. 

Additional Information

• L K Advani:
  • He served as the 7th Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004 under Atal Bihari Vajpayee.  
  • He is one of the co-founders and a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party. 
• Pramod Muthalik is the chief of the Rashtriya Hindu Sena, the parent organization of Sri Ram Sena.
• Baba Ramdev is a Hindu Swami and is particularly well known for his efforts to popularize yoga.

• John Mathai was an economist who served as India's first Railway Minister from 1947 to1948.
• He held Railway and Transport Portfolio in the first cabinet formed after Independence on 15 August, 1947.
• He then served as Indian Finance Minister from 1949 to 1950. 
• R. K. Shanmukham Chetty was India 's first Finance Minister after Independence from 1947 to 1949.

The correct answer is J.B. Kripalani.

Key Points

• Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party:
  • ​Post-independence, J.B. Kripalani left the Congress and became one of the founders of the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (KMPP). 
  • The party was formed mostly with Indian National Congress dissidents. Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu and Dr Prafulla Chandra Ghosh, two of the most prominent members of the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (KMPP) had served as the chief ministers of Andhra state and West Bengal respectively.
  • This party subsequently merged with the Socialist Party of India to form the Praja Socialist Party (PSP).
  • J.B. Kripalani also served as the chairman of the Praja Socialist Party (PSP).

Important Points

• J.B. Kripalani:
  • ​Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani (1888 – 1982), popularly known as Acharya Kripalani, was an independence activist, Indian politician and an Educationist.
  • Kripalani was also well-known for his work in the field of education. From 1912 to 1927, he taught at various places before becoming wholly involved in the freedom movement.
  • He earned the moniker ‘Acharya’ around 1922 when he was teaching at the Gujarat Vidyapith, founded by the Mahatma a couple of years before.
  • He was the President of the Indian National Congress (INC) at the time of independence.
  • He served in the Interim Government of India (1946–1947) and the Constituent Assembly of India.​
  • His autobiography ‘My Times’ was released 22 years after his death in 2004.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.

Key Points

• The two-nation theory is the basis of the creation of Pakistan.
• The two-nation theory advocated by the All India Muslim League is the founding principle of the Pakistan Movement.
• Syed Ahmad Khan is considered the Architect of the two-nation theory.
• The state of India officially rejected the two-nation theory and chose to be a secular state.

The correct answer is option (2) i.e. Hyderabad. 

Key Points

• Operation Polo was the code name of the "Police action" against the Hyderabad State to restore law and order in 1948.
• Mir Osman Ali Khan was the last Nizam of Hyderabad State he wanted complete independence.
• In 1947, the Nizam of Hyderabad signed a standstill agreement with the dominion of India with a condition that he won't allow Indian troops in Hyderabad.
• The name of the irregular army of the Nizam was Razakars.
• At present Hyderabad is the capital of Indian State Telangana.

The correct answer is Option 2.

Key Points

• On 11^th August 1947, the Maharaja of Manipur, Bodhachandra Singh, signed the Instrument of Accession with the Government of India.
• Under this agreement, Manipur became a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and the power of defence and external affairs and communication for the State was given to India.
• The rest of the power was with the state but on the lines of shared sovereignty.

The correct answer is 2^nd Five Year Plan.

• The 2nd Five Year Plan emphasized the need for establishing a "Socialist Pattern of Society" in India.
• According to the planning Commission "Socialist pattern of society" means, "that the basic criterion for determining the lines of advance must not be private profit but social gain, and that the pattern of development and the structure of socio-economic relations should be so planned that they result not only in appreciable increases in national income and employment but also in greater equality in incomes and wealth". 

• The second five-year plan is based on the so-called Mahalanobis model.
  • This was the USSR model Indianized by PC Mahalanobis, the founder of Indian Statistical Institute and a close aide of Nehru.
• The second five-year plan laid emphasis on industry, particularly heavy industry.
• The second five-year plan, based on socialistic pattern, had targeted increase of 25% in National Income by Rapid industrialization, however, the achieved target was of only 20%. 

The correct answer is Milk.

Key Points

• White Revolution contributed to a large extent to alleviating poverty in India.
• Gujarat-based co-operation “Anand Milk Union Limited” (Amul) was the engine behind the success of the programme.
• Operation Flood is called the White Revolution in India.
• The program to increase the production of milk is called White Revolution.
• Father of White Revolution in India - Verghese Kurien.
• Milkman of India - Verghese Kurien.
• Indian Dairy Association decided to observe the birthday of Verghese Kurien as National Milk Day.
• National Milk Day - November 26.
• 'Unfinished Dream' is a book written by Verghese Kurien.
• National Dairy Development Board - Anand (Gujarat).
• National Dairy Research Institute - Karnal (Haryana).
• The largest producer of Milk and Milk Products in the World - India.

Additional Information

• "Operation Flood" is a mission to increase the performance of the dairy sector.
• Operation Flood was launched in 1970 by National Dairy Development Board during the time of the Fourth Five Year Plan.
• Operation flood was the world's biggest dairy development program which gave a major thrust to the milk production of the nation.
• It aimed at helping the dairy industry sustain itself economically while providing employment to poor farmers.
• The result was that India became the largest producer of Milk and Milk Products.

The correct answer is National Development Council.

Key Points

• National Development Council:
  • National Development Council (NDC) is the apex body for decision-making and deliberations on development matters in India presided over by the Prime Minister.
  • National Development Council was set up on August 6, 1952, to strengthen and mobilize the effort and resources of the nation in support of the Plan, to promote common economic policies in all vital spheres, and to ensure the balanced and rapid development of all parts of the country.
  • National Development Council functions as a coordinator between the Planning Commission and State Governments.
  • The National Development Council is one of the key organizations of the planning system in India.
  • It symbolizes the federal approach to planning and is the instrument for ensuring that the planning system adopts a truly national perspective.
  • The NDC has experienced numerous ups and downs in its fortunes.
  • Its status has been determined by the prevailing political climate and the support provided to it by the government in power at the center and the effectiveness of the pressures exerted by state governments.

Additional Information

• National Integration Council:
  • It is an extra-constitutional body.
  • Chaired by: Prime Minister of India.
  • Composition:-
    • Council members include Cabinet ministers, Chief Ministers of states, political leaders, Chairman of the University Grants Commission, Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, representatives of industry, business, and trade unions.
  • Background:-
    • The NIC was constituted to combat the evils of communalism, casteism, regionalism, and linguism as a follow to the National Integration Conference held under the chairmanship of the then Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru in 1961.
  • The main task of the council is to examine the problem of national integration in all its aspects and make necessary recommendations to deal with it.
• Finance Commission:
  • The Finance Commission is a constitutional body, that determines the method and formula for distributing the tax proceeds between the Centre and states, and among the states as per the constitutional arrangement and present requirements.
  • Under Article 280 of the Constitution, the President of India is required to constitute a Finance Commission at an interval of five years or earlier.
  • The 15th Finance Commission was constituted by the President of India in November 2017, under the chairmanship of NK Singh.
  • Its recommendations will cover a period of five years from the year 2021-22 to 2025-26.

The correct answer is Tibet.

Key Points

• Dalai Lama was born in the Wood-Pig Year, 5th month, 5th day of the Tibetan Calendar, on 6 July 1935.
• He is known as Gyalwa Rinpoche to the Tibetan people, he is the current Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader of Tibet, and the retired political leader of Tibet.

Additional Information

• The spiritual name of the present Dalai Lama is Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso.
• He is also known as Tenzin Gyatso.
• He is the14th Dalai Lama.
• The 14th Dalai Lama was born in Taktser (Hongya in Chinese), in the east of Qinghai province (Amdo in Tibetan). 

The Correct Answer is Option 3 i.e Karakoram Highway.

• Karakoram Highway connects China to Pakistan.
• Karakoram Highway also called the Zhongba Gonglu roadway that connects Kashgar in the western Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China with Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
• Milford Raod or State Highway 94 is a New Zealand state highway that connects the large Southland town of Gore with New Zealand's most popular destinations Milford Sound.
• The Cabot Trail is the highway in northern Victoria County of Canada.
• Jebel Hafeet - It is One of the best driving roads in the world located in the United Arab Emirates.

The correct answer is Operation Searchlight.

Key Points

Oppression of Bengalis and Bangladesh Liberation War: 

• The Language Movement in East Pakistan was started in 1948.
  • It aimed to advocate the rights of the Bengali-speaking population of East Pakistan.
  • It also fought for the equal status of Bengali with Urdu. 
• In the 1970 General Elections, although, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Awami League won with a majority yet, the Pakistani military establishment opposed him from becoming the head of government in East Pakistan.
• This opposes was followed by serious human rights violations and cruelty by the Pakistani Army.
• In order to crush the Bengali resistance, the Pakistani Army launched Operation Searchlight on the night of 25th March 1971 and killed an enormous number of people including students, intellectuals and civilians in East Pakistan. Thousands of Bengali women were raped by the Pakistani army.  
• On 26th March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the country independent.
• Mukti Vahini was established by the Bangladeshi liberation forces. It was joined by Bengali speaking soldiers of the Pakistan Army.
• On 3rd December 1971, Pakistan Air Force launched Operation Chengiz Khan and attacked 11 Indian Air Force stations in Western Command and Northern Command.
• After this attack, the Indian Army under the leadership of General Sam Manekshaw started to supply arms to Mukti Vahini and launched an attack on the Pakistani Army in East Pakistan.
• Pakistani Armed forces after heavy damages surrendered to Indian forces on 16th December 1971 under the Indian Army's G.O.C-in-C Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Arora.
• On 17th December, the formation of Bangladesh was declared. 
• Bangladesh celebrates the 26th of March as its independence day.

The correct answer is 1971.

Key Points

• Privy purse conferred ‘special status’ to the ruling class, which continued the British practice of ruler and ruled.
• ‘Privy purse’ was an added economic pressure on a newly born independent nation, that was ridden with poverty, hunger and security challenges.
• Therefore, the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, argued the case for the abolition of the privy purse. So, by the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India in 1971, ‘privy purse’ was abolished. The amendment leads to the omission of Articles 291 and 362.
• The payments of ‘privy purse’ were made to the former rulers under the constitutional provisions of Article 291 and Article 362.

Additional Information

• Article 291 dealt with Privy purse sums of Rulers and was repealed by the Constitution in (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1971.
• Article 362 dealt with Rights and privileges of Rulers of Indian States and was repealed by the Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1971 

The correct answer is Amenability of the Preamble.

• The famous Kesavananda Bharati (1973) case was associated with Amenability of the Preamble.

Key Points

•  Kesavananda Bharati Sripadagalvaru and Ors v State of Kerala Case, 1973:
  •  Kesavananda Bharati challenged the Kerala land reforms legislation in 1970.
  • The land reforms case imposed restrictions on the management of religious property.
  •  Under Article 26 the case was challenged.
• The verdict:
  •  Any provision of the Indian Constitution can be amended by the Parliament in order to accomplish its socio-economic obligations that were guaranteed to the citizens as mentioned in the Preamble, provided that such amendment did not change the basic structure of the constitution.
  • The preamble is a part of the constitution and can be amended by the Parliament under Article 368.

Additional Information

• Golaknath Case, 1967:
  • The preamble was not a part of the constitution.
• The Preamble:
  • It is a borrowed feature from the Constitution of the USA.
  • The Preamble to the Indian Constitution is based on the Objectives Resolution drafted and moved by Pandit Nehru and adopted by the Constituent Assembly.
  • The Preamble has been amended only once, in 1976, by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, which added three new words Socialist, Secular, and Integrity.
  • The Preamble is not enforceable in a court of law.

The correct answer is Option 3.

Key Points

• Omar Abdullah led Jammu& Kashmir National Conference.
• Omar is the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Sheikh Abdullah founded this political party. This party had advocated for the autonomy of the former Jammu and Kashmir state.
• Farooq Abdullah (father of Omar) succeeded Sheikh Abdullah. 
• The party won the maximum number of seats and formed a coalition government with the Congress party in the 2008 elections. 
• However, Congress broke its alliance with JKNC during the 2014 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election and the party lost.

The correct answer is Rajiv Gandhi.

Key Points

• Rajiv Gandhi had signed the Assam Accord with the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad in 1985.
• The Assam Accord agreed to protect Assamese cultural, economic, and political rights.
• It was signed after six years of the Assam Movement.

Additional Information

• Assam Accord was a tripartite accord signed between the Government of India, the State Government of Assam, and the leaders of the Assam Movement in 1985.
• The Assam Accord, signed between the then Rajiv Gandhi-led central government and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), had fixed March 24, 1971, as the cutoff date for foreign immigrants.
• Those illegally entering Assam after this date were to be detected and deported, irrespective of their religion.
• NRC exercise was a culmination of the Assam Accord of 1985 signed between the Centre and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) for the detection, disenfranchisement, and deportation of foreigners.

The correct answer is Trygve Lie.

• Trygve Lie was the first Secretary General of the United Nations.

Key Points

• Mr Trygve Lie was elected the first Secretary-General of the United Nations
• Trygve Lie was a Norwegian politician, labour leader, government official, and author.

Additional Information

• U Thant: 
  • He was the first non-European secretary-general of the United Nations.
  • He served as the third Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1961 to 1971.
• ​Ban Ki - ­Moon:
  • He is a South Korean politician and diplomat.
  • He served as the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations.
• Kofi Annan:
  • He was the first black African who served two terms as U.N. Secretary-General in New York from 1997-2006.

Important Points

• Secretary ­General:
  • The Secretary-General is the most prominent officer of the United Nations.
  • It is appointed for 5 years by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council.
  • The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945.

The correct answer is Rajkumari Amrit Kaur.

Key Points

• Rajkumari Amrit Kaur was an Indian activist and politician.
• She was the first Health Minister of India.
• Mayawati was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
• Sucheta Kriplani was the first woman Chief Minister of India.
• She was the head of Uttar Pradesh from 1963 to 1967.
• Sheila Dixit was the Chief Minister of Delhi.

 Thus, we can say that Rajkumari Amrit Kaur has never been the chief minister of any state in India.

The correct answer is 17th Lok Sabha.

Key Points

• 17th Lok Sabha
  • The elections to the Lower House of the Parliament of India, held in 2019, constituted the 17th Lok Sabha. Hence, Option 4 is correct.
  • Elections were conducted in 7 phases from 11 April 2019 to 19 May 2019 by the Election Commission of India.
  • About 900 million people were eligible to vote and turnout was over 67 per cent – the highest ever as well as the highest participation by women voters.
  • 10 lakh polling stations were set up this time as against about nine lakhs in 2014.
  • The ‘voter-verifiable paper audit trail’ (VVPAT) was used in all polling stations for the first time.
  • The results of EVMs and VVPATs are matched in one polling station per constituency.
  • The Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and postal ballot papers would for the first time carry the photograph of all the candidates to help voters identify the political leaders in the fray.
  • For the first time in India’s electoral history, in the 2019 Parliamentary elections, the voter turnout for men and women was almost equal.
  • 66.79% of Men voted and 66.68% of women voted in these elections.
  • After Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, Narendra Modi is the third prime minister of the country who has been able to retain power for a second term with a full majority in Lok Sabha.
  • The BJP's total vote share stood at 37.4 per cent, an increase of over 6 percentage points from 31.34 per cent in 2014.
  • The National Democratic Alliance secured a vote share of 45 per cent, compared to 38 per cent in 2014.

Additional Information

• 14th Lok Sabha	2004-2009
  15th Lok Sabha	2009-2014
  16th Lok Sabha	2014-2019

• The sub-prime crisis was an economic situation started in 2008 that had severely affected the mortgage industry after the borrowers could not able to afford the repayment of loan they had been approved.
• This economic crisis leads to the collapse of many prominent financial institutions and hedge funds in the USA.
• It also affected the global credit market resulting in higher interest rates and reduced availability of credit.
• This economic crisis is also known as the "Global Downturn".

The correct answer is November 2016.

Key Points

• In November 2016, the decision of Demonetisation was taken by the Government of India.
• Demonetization means is the act of stripping a currency unit of its status as legal tender.
  • ​ It occurs whenever there is a change of national currency.
• In the current form or forms of money is pulled from circulation and retired, often to be replaced with new notes or coins.
• On 8th November 2016 Government of India announced the demonetization of all 500 and 1000 banknotes.
• The purpose of demonetization was to move India from a tax noncompliant society to a compliant society.

Important Points

The correct answer is Siliguri.

• Siliguri is situated at the base of the Himalaya mountains in the plains of Darjeeling District by the side of River Mahananda.
• It is the 2^nd largest city in West Bengal and known as the Gateway of North-Eastern India.
• Siliguri is also the Commercial capital of the region. The whole region is popularly famous for three(3) T's - Tea, Timber & Tourism.
• The Siliguri Corridor 60-kilometre long and 22-kilometer wide, also known as the “Chicken's Neck”, connects India's north-eastern states with the rest of the country.

​Additional Information

The correct answer is Option 1.

Key Points

• The non-aligned countries were more than merely mediators during the’ Cold War.
• The challenge for most of the non-aligned countries a majority of them were categorized as the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) was to be more developed economically and to lift their people out of poverty.
• Economic development was also vital for the independence of the new countries.
• Without sustained development, a country could not be truly free.
• It would remain dependent on the richer countries including the colonial powers from which political freedom had been achieved.
• The idea of a New International Economic Order (NIEO) originated with this realization.
• The UNCTAD brought out a report in 1972 entitled Towards a New Trade Policy for Development. Hence Option 1 is correct.
• The report proposed a reform of the global trading system so as to: 
  • give the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) control over their natural resources exploited by the developed western countries. 
  • obtain access to western markets so that LDCs would sell their products and, therefore, make trade more beneficial for the poorer countries. 
  • reduce the cost of technology from the western countries
  • provide the LDCs with a greater role in international economic institutions.

The correct answer is Option 1.

Key Points

• Chechens are an ethnic minority living primarily in Russia’s North Caucasus region. Hence Option 1 is correct. 
• The Chechens are a largely Muslim ethnic group that has lived for centuries in the mountainous North Caucasus region. 
• During World War II, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin accused the Chechens of cooperating with the Nazis and forcibly deported the entire population to Kazakhstan and Siberia.
• The Chechens, historically also known as Kisti and Durdzuks,are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group of the Nakh peoples native to the North Caucasus in Eastern Europe.
• The main language of the Chechen people is Chechen. 
• From 1994 to 1996, Russia fought Chechen guerillas in a conflict that became known as the First Chechen War.
• The First Chechen War began in 1994, when Russian forces entered Chechnya to "restore constitutional order".
• Tens of thousands of civilians died, but Russia failed to win control of Chechnya's mountainous terrain, giving Chechnya de facto independence.
• 1992 Chechnya declares independence from Russia a year after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
• 1994 Russian troops invade Chechnya to crush the independence movement.
• The war, which kills up to 100,000 people, starts in December and lasts 20 months.
• During the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Chechnya declared independence.

The correct answer is Iraq.

Key Points

• Iraq War (1991)
  • Known by many names, Persian Gulf War, Gulf War, Gulf War and Kuwait War, the war was sparked by the actions of Saddam Hussein, President of Iraq.
  • The Gulf War was an armed campaign waged by a United States-led coalition of 35 countries against Iraq in response to the Iraqi invasion and annexation of Kuwait.
  • During the War, Iraq was attacked by United States in the year 1991. Hence Option 3 is correct.
  • The justification of this war was the development of alleged chemical weapons for the mass destruction and Saddam Hussain’s government was supporting the terrorist organization Al Qaeda.
  • United States, British and allied planes launched a massive campaign of bombing and missile strikes on targets across Iraq on 16 January 1991.
  • It marked the end of five months of diplomacy and military build-up in response to Iraq's invasion of neighbouring Kuwait on 2 August 1990.

The correct answer is Sri Lanka.

Key Points

• Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was the Indian military contingent performing a peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990.
• It was formed under the mandate of the 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan Accord that aimed to end the Sri Lankan Civil War between Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups such as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan military.
• The main task of the IPKF was to disarm the different militant groups, not just the LTTE.
• It was to be quickly followed by the formation of an Interim Administrative Council.
• These were the tasks as per the terms of the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord, signed at the behest of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
• The IPKF was inducted into Sri Lanka on the request of Sri Lankan President J. R. Jayewardene under the terms of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord.
• The force was initially not expected to be involved in any significant combat by the Indian High Command.
• However, within a few months, the IPKF became embroiled in battle with the LTTE to enforce peace.
• The war erupted following the death of 17 LTTE prisoners, including two areas commanders in the custody of the Sri Lankan Army, which the LTTE blamed the IPKF for allowing to happen.
• Numerous civilian massacres and rapes were committed by the IPKF during the conflict.
• Numerous soldiers of IPKF were killed by LTTE.
• The IPKF was pulled out  from Sri Lanka in 1989, on the orders of the newly elected Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa and following the election of the V. P. Singh government in India. Hence Option 3 is correct.
• The last IPKF contingents left Sri Lanka in March 1990.

The correct answer is 2006.

Key Points

• The South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) is the free trade arrangement of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
• SAFTA signatory countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• The Agreement was signed in 2004 and came into effect on 1 January 2006, with the desire of the member states of the SAARC to promote and sustain mutual trade and economic cooperation within the SAARC region. Hence Option 1 is correct.
• The agreement was reached on 6 January 2004, at the 12th SAARC summit.
• The SAFTA agreement came into force on 1 January 2006 and is operational following the ratification of the agreement by the eight governments.
• The basic principles underlying the SAFTA are as follows:
  • overall reciprocity and mutuality of advantages so as to benefit equitably all Contracting States, taking into account their respective level of economic and industrial development, the pattern of their external trade, and trade and tariff policies and systems
  • negotiation of tariff reform step by step, improved and extended in successive stages through periodic reviews
  • recognition of the special needs of the Least Developed Contracting States and agreement on concrete preferential measures in their favour
  • inclusion of all products, manufactures and commodities in their raw, semi-processed and processed forms.
• The purpose of the SAFTA is to encourage and elevate common contract among the countries such as medium and long-term contracts. 
• The main objective of the agreement is to promote competition in the area and to provide equitable benefits to the countries involved. It aims to benefit the people of the countries by bringing transparency and integrity among the nations.
• SAARC also maintain free trade agreement among member nations.

The correct answer is Option 3.

Key Points

• The opposition parties of congress come together to form anti-congress fronts in the fourth general elections.
• The strategy of Non-Congressism is associated with Ram Manohar Lohia.
• This coming together of anti-congress opposition parties is called the strategy of non-congressism.
• The parties opposed to the congress realized that the division of their votes kept the congress in power.
• Thus, parties that were enetirely different and desperate in their programmes and ideology got together to form anti-congress fronts in some states and entered into electoral adjustment of sharing seats in others. 
• Congress has been a single dominant party since the up to  1960s
• In the 1967 assembly elections, it was defeated by non-Congress parties in eight states.
• Non-Congress parties have formed governments in the centre and several states since then in addition to the Congress.
• It signalled the presence of India's multi-party system.

The correct answer is Option 3.

Key Points

• The Grand Alliance of 1971 was a pre-poll alliance forged between Indian National Congress (Organisation), Samyukta Socialist Party, Praja Socialist Party, Swatantra party and Bharatiya Jana Sangh ahead of the 1971 Indian general election.
• The alliance was led by K. Kamaraj's INC (O) faction against Indira Gandhi's INC (R) faction.
• However, in the end INC (R) won the election.
• The rallying cry of the alliance was Indira Hatao (unseat Indira). Hence Option 3 is correct.
• Indira Gandhi's INC (R) came up with the slogan Garibi Hatao (eradicate poverty), in response to this.

Additional Information

• Lal Bahadur Shastri coined the slogan "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" in 1965.
• The slogan "Ek Sherni, Sau Langur, Chimkaglur, Chuimkaglur" was coined by Devraj Urs, a veteran Congress leader.
• Lalu Prasad Yadav made "Jab tak rahega samose mein aloo, tab tak rahega Bihar mein Lalu" his slogan.

The correct answer is Naxalism.

Key Points

• Charu Majumdar (15 May 1919 – 28 July 1972), popularly known as CM, was a Communist leader from India, and founder of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist).
• Born into a progressive landlord family in Siliguri in 1918, he became a Communist during the Indian Independence Movement, and later formed the militant Naxalite cause.
• During the mid-1960s Majumdar organized a leftist faction in Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) in northern Bengal.
• In 1967, a militant peasant uprising took place in Naxalbari, led by his comrade-in-arms Kanu Sanyal.
• The Naxalbari uprising was predominantly led by tribal leaders and communist leaders of Bengal.
• This group would later be known as the Naxalites, and eight articles written by him at this time—known as the Historic Eight Documents—have been seen as providing their ideological foundation: arguing that revolution must take the path of armed struggle on the pattern of the Chinese revolution.
• Naxalites are a group of insurgents who believe in a far-left communist ideology, most commonly known as Maoism.

• Naxalism, which is the most powerful armed struggle in the history of independent India, is heavily based on Marxism–Leninism and strategic alliance of Maoism as practised by him in Chinese context. Hence Option2 is correct.

Additional Information 

• Localism is an ideology that shows preference for your local community or area over anything else. It is a more narrowed-down version of nationalism where people frame their identities around their particular area of a country over and above their allegiance to the country as a whole.
• Autocracy- An autocratic society is one that is ruled and governed by one person. This one person has strong power over their political apparatus and is not constrained by checks and balances by police or the judiciary. An autocracy is usually also anti-democratic.
• Cooperative democracy is a left-wing ideology that advocates for collective ownership of the workplace and means of production. It is also often embraced on a smaller scale by anarchists.

The correct answer is Option 3.

Key Points

• The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a state political party in Jammu and Kashmir, India.
• The PDP was headed and founded by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. Hence Option 3 is correct.
• His daughter, Mehbooba Mufti, succeeded him as party leader and as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir following his death in January 2016.
• The PDP was founded in 1999 by the former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.
• It captured power in Jammu and Kashmir in October 2002 Assembly elections. 
• The PDP operates on the ideology of self-rule, as distinctly different from the issues of autonomy.
• Sayeed headed the PDP-Indian National Congress Coalition Government between October 2002 and November 2005, and he was the party's Patron until his death on 7 January 2016.
• The PDP is now headed by Mehbooba Mufti, Sayeed's daughter.

The correct answer is 

Key Points

• During the 1990s, with the introduction of policies of liberalization and privatization, the Government of India (Gol) offered incentives to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) in fisheries sector and issued licenses to joint-venture and foreign fishing vessels.
• These export-oriented joint- ventures are adversely affecting the inshore resources and are displacing fisher-folk from their secure source of livelihood. 
•  The deep-sea fishing (DSF) policy was announced by the Government of lndia in March 1991.
• The main components of the DSF policy are:
  • Leasing of foreign vessels for operation in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
  • Test fishing by engaging foreign fishing vessels
  • Joint ventures between Indian and foreign companies in deep-sea fishing (DSF), processing and marketing.
• Fish workers all over the country responded by spontaneous protests.
• They raised several questions regarding the impending impact of DSF on coastal resources and ecology
• By early 1994 these spontaneous and scattered protests culminated into the formation of the National Fish workers’ Forum (NFF) — a joint forum of small-scale artisanal fish worker unions from various parts of the country. 
• The NFF gave a call  to protest against the granting of license to joint ventures and MNCs.  Hence Option 1 is correct.
• The NFF joined hands with organisations all over the world for protecting ecology and for protecting lives of the fish workers.

Additional Information

•  National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF)
  • The National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF), registered under the Trade Union Act of India.
  • It is the only national federation of state level small and traditional fish workers’ unions of India.
  • NFF has affiliated organizations in all the coastal states and union territories of the Indian mainland.
  • NFF fights to protect the life and livelihood of the fishing communities and its basic source – fisheries resources, biodiversity and natural environment.
  • NFF, as a major partner, is associated with the international movement of the fishing communities led by World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP).