Miscellaneous (Indian Polity and Governance) Part-III

Total Questions: 34

21. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is organized in India to connect with a large number of Pravasis. This Convention began in the year - [U.P.P.S.C. (R.I.) 2014]

Correct Answer: (c) 2003
Solution:The former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 8 January, 2002 on the basis of the report of Lakshmimal Singhvi Committee declared that 'Pravasi Bharitya Divas' will be celebrated on January 9, to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa. This convention is organized every year in India since 2003 to 2015 and after 2015 it became biennale. Pravasi Bharitya Diwas was organised at Indore in the year 2023.

22. Which date is observed as the Good Governance Day in India? [Jharkhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2023]

Correct Answer: (b) 25th December
Solution:To mark and celebrate in the honour of the Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birthday, India observes "Good Governance Day" on 25th December, every year since.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

  • Birth: Born on 25th December, 1924, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, he was a poet and politician.
  • Political Career: He served as India's Prime Minister three times: briefly in 1996, for 13 months in 1998 and 1999, and full-time from 1999 to 2004.
  • Recognition: In 2015, he was conferred India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. He received Padma Vibhushan in 1994.

23. Who has started the Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan on the occasion of India's 75th Independence Day? [67th B.P.S.C. (Pre) (Re-Exam), 2022]

Correct Answer: (d) Central Government
Solution:On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the country Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan was launched by the Central Government under the aegis of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.
The official journey of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commenced on 12th March, 2021 which started a 75-week countdown to our 75th anniversary of independence and will end post a year on 15th August, 2023.

24. Consider the following pairs: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2014]

Region often in newsCountry
1. ChechnyaRussian Federation
2. DarfurMali
3. Swat ValleyIraq

 

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

Correct Answer: (a) 1 only
Solution:Chechnya is located in the North Caucasus Russia, situated in the most southern part of Eastern Europe, and 100 kilometers away from the Caspian Sea. Darfur is a region situated in Western Sudan. Therefore pair (2) is not correctly matched.

Swat is a river valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It is the upper valley of the Swat River, which rises in the Hindu Kush range. Therefore, pair (3) is also not correctly matched.

25. The Berber-speaking community which often happens to be in the limelight, lives in – [I.A.S. (Pre) 2002]

Correct Answer: (b) Algeria
Solution:The Berber-speaking community speaks a completely different language than Arabic. They live in North African countries like Morocco and Algeria. They are also known as Amazigh, original inhabitants of the region.

Berber languages are part of the Berber branch of the Afro-Asiatic family
Arabic is a Semitic language, a different branch of the Afro-Asiatic family.
Berber languages do not have pharyngeal fricatives like // and /h/, which are common in Arabic,
They also do not have pharyngealized consonants like /s/ as found in Arabic.
Berber languages contain a large number of Arabic loanwords due to historical contact and the influence of Islam and Arabization. Despite these borrowings, Berber languages maintain their distinct core vocabulary and structure.

26. Consider the following countries: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2014]

1. Denmark
2. Japan
3. Russian Federation
4. United Kingdom
5. United States of America
Which of the above are the members of the 'Arctic Council'?
Correct Answer: (d) 1, 3 and 5
Solution:The Arctic Council was established by Ottawa Declaration in 1996. The Arctic Council is the pre-eminent inter-governmental forum for addressing issues related to the Arctic Region. The members of the Arctic Council include eight countries, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Russian Federation, and the United States.
The Council provides a means for promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, with the involvement of the Arctic indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. India and Japan are also included in 12 permanent supervisors of this Council. The chairmanship of this council changes after every two years. Iceland is the chairman of the council from 2019 to 2021.

27. Which of the following was not included in India-Sri Lanka Accord - [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1990]

Correct Answer: (c) Complete Freedom
Solution:Maintenance of the integrity of Sri Lanka was a part of India-Sri Lanka Accord, 1987. Complete freedom for Tamil-State was not mentioned in the accord.
  • According to the terms of the accord, Sri Lankan forces would withdraw from the north and the Tamil rebels would disarm. This also saw the introduction of the IPKF in Sri Lanka.
  • When Rajiv Gandhi was in Colombo to sign the accord, during the Guard of Honour, he was assaulted by a Sri Lankan sailor.
    The IPKF was to oversee the LTTE's surrender but it ended up fighting the LTTE
  • It was withdrawn from Sri Lanka in 1990 and then fighting continued between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan forces.
    Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the LTTE in 1991.
  • Fighting continued between the Sri Lankan and Tamil forces until 2009 when the LTTE suffered a thorough defeat and their leader Prabhakaran was killed.

28. Who was the first woman to become the Prime Minister of any country? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2013]

Correct Answer: (a) Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Solution:Sirimavo Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the first woman to become the Prime Minister of any Country. She became the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 1960. She was sworn in as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka three times, 1960-65, 1970-77, and 1994-2000.

Smt. Indira Gandhi is the first woman prime minister of India. On her father's death, she was drafted into the Union Cabinet by Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri as a reluctant Minister for Information and Broadcasting. Shri Shastri died in January 1966 and Smt. Indira Gandhi became his successor as Prime Minister of india. She held the office of Prime Minister of India from January 1966 to March 1977 and from January 1980 to October 1984.

29. Which among the following European Union countries is the first to officially recognize the State of Palestine? [56th to 59th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2015]

Correct Answer: (a) Sweden
Solution:Sweden is the first European Union country which officially recognized the State of Palestine in October, 2014. On 30 September 2015, the Palestinian Flag was raised outside the UN Headquarters for the first time.

European Union is an international organisation consisting of European Countries, which was formed in 1993. It came into force after the signing of the Maastricht Treaty by 28 countries. The Maastricht Treaty is also known as the Treaty of the European Union (TEU). Maastricht is a city located in the Netherlands. The Maastricht Treaty was amended thrice. The amendments are listed below.
1. Treaty of Amsterdam (1997)
2. Treaty of Nice (2001)
3. Treaty of Lisbon (2007)

30. UN observed ____________ as International Year for Women. [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2013]

Correct Answer: (a) 1975
Solution:The United Nations declared 1975 as the International Women's Year (IWY), which was a significant event for women's rights globally, highlighting persistent discrimination and the need for greater equality. This designation led to the first UN World Conference on Women in Mexico City and the establishment of the United Nations Decade for Women (1976-1985). International Women's Day has been observed on March 8th since 1975.