Indian Panorama (UPSC) Part-IV

Total Questions: 23

1. With reference to the famous Sattriya dance, consider the following statements: [2014-I]

1. Sattriya is a combination of music, dance and drama.

2. It is a centuries-old living tradition of Vaishnavites of Assam.

3. It is based on classical Ragas and Talas of devotional songs composed by Tulsidas, Kabir and Mirabai.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Solution:Sattriya dance form was introduced in the 15th century A.D by the great Vaishnava saint and reformer of Assam, Mahapurusha Sankaradeva as a powerful medium for propagation of the Vaishnava faith. It is a neo-Vaishnava treasure of Assamese music,dance and drama. Music of Sattriya dance comprises of classical ragas (melodies), talas (rhythms) and traditional songs. Tulsidas, Kabir and Mira were Vaishnavite.

2. With reference to India's culture and tradition, what is 'Kalaripayattu? [2014-I]

Correct Answer: (d) It is an ancient martial art and a living tradition in some parts of South India
Solution:

About Kalaripayattu:
• It is one of the oldest and most scientific martial art forms in the world, aimed at mind and body coordination.
• It originated and is widely practiced in Kerala. The term “Kalari” in Malayalam refers to a traditional gymnasium where this martial art, known as Payattu, is taught.
• According to mythology, the warrior sage Parasurama is credited with establishing Kalaripayattu.
The four stages of Kalaripayattu are:
• Maipayattu : It is the body conditioning phase where the person is schooled to prepare their body for a fight. Only after qualifying this stage can the practitioner proceed to the next phase of training.
• Kolthari : In this stage, a person is taught attack and self-defense with the help of wooden weapons such as short sticks, and long sticks.
• Angathari : Once the person overcomes the fear of fighting with wooden weapons, sharp metal objects are introduced — in the third stage.
• Verumkai : This stage includes research-based bare-hand fighting. Students are taught body anatomy so that they know what points they can hit and what they cannot

3. Consider the following pairs : [2014-I]

1. Garba : Gujarat

2. Mohiniattam : Odisha

3. Yakshagana :  Karnataka

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

Correct Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
Solution:Yakshgana is a theatre form of Karnataka. Mohiniattam is from Kerala and Garba is a dance form from Gujarat.

4. Consider the following statements: [2014-I]

1. 'Bijak' is a composition of the teachings of Saint Dadu Dayal.

2. The Philosophy of Pushti Marg was propounded by Madhvacharya.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Solution:Statement 1 is wrong because Kabir founded a community - Kabirpnathi, who consider Bijak, a collection of his verses, as their scripture. Statement 2 is wrong because Vallabhacharya's philosophy came to be known as Pushtimarga (the path of grace).

5. With reference to the cultural history of India, the term 'Panchayatan' refers to [2015-I]

Correct Answer: (c) a style of temple construction
Solution:

• Panchayatana” literally translates to “five shrines” in Sanskrit, In the Panchayatana style of temple architecture, the main shrine is surrounded by four subsidiary shrines at four different corners, making it total of five shrines.
• In the Panchayatana style of temple architecture, the main shrine is built on a rectangular plinth.
• Kandariya Mahadeva Temple in Khajuraho, Lingaraja Temple in Bhubaneswar, Dashavatara Temple in Deogarh, Uttar Pradesh are the famous examples of this style of architecture.
• This architectural style reflects the concept of worshipping multiple deities as different aspects of the same divine reality, a core tenet of the Smarta sect of Hinduism.

6. Which of the following organizations brings out the publication known as 'World Economic Outlook'? [ [2014-I]

Correct Answer: (a) The International Monetary Fund
Solution:The World Economic Outlook (WEO) database contains selected macroeconomic data series from the statistical appendix of the World Economic Outlook report prepared by IMF,
About International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the principal International Monetary Institution established to promote a cooperative and stable global monetary framework.
• It was created to establish a framework for economic cooperation and to prevent a relapse into protectionism and autarky after the Great Depression of the 1930s.
• It acts as a “lender of last resort”.
• It is a United Nations specialised agency.

7. Kalamkari painting refers to [2015-I]

Correct Answer: (a) a hand-painted cotton textile in South India
Solution:Kalamkari painting is a type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile which are produced in parts of India and in Iran. The Machilipatnam Kalamkari craft made at Pedana nearby Machilipatnam in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. It evolved with patronage of the Mughals and the Golconda sultanate.

8. India is a member of which among the following? [2015- I]

1. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

2. Association of South-East Asian Nations

3. East Asia Summit

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Correct Answer: (b) 3 only
Solution:At present, India is not a member of APEC and ASEAN. The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a forum held annually by leaders of 16 countries in the East Asian region. The first summit was held in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) on 14 December 2005. India is the member of this forum.

9. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding National Innovation Foundation-India (NIF)? [2015-I]

1. NIF is an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology under the Central Government.

2. NIF is an initiative to strengthen the highly advanced scientific research in India's premier scientific institutions in collaboration with highly advanced foreign scientific institutions.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Correct Answer: (a) 1 only
Solution:National Innovation Foundation India (NIF) is an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. It was set up in February 2000 at Ahmadabad, Gujarat, India to provide institutional support for scouting, spawning, sustaining and scaling up the grassroots innovations across the country.

10. Consider the following pairs: [2015-I]

Place of PilgrimageLocation
(1) SrisailamNallamala Hills
(2) OmkareshwarSatmala Hills
(3) PushkarMahadeo Hills

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

Correct Answer: (a) 1 only
Solution:The town of Srisailam is reputed for the shrine of Lord Mallikarjuna on the flat top of Nallamala Hills. Omkareshwar is one of the Dwadasa jyotirlingas situated on the Mandhata hills in Vindhya Mountains of Madhya Pradesh. Pushkar is located along Ratnagiri Hills in Rajasthan.