SOLVED PAPER 2021 (CDS) (II) (General Studies)

Total Questions: 120

1. Who among the following ancient Indian kings was praised in glowing terms in the Prayaga Prashasti?

Correct Answer: (c) Samudragupta
Solution:

Samudragupta was the Ancient Indian king who was praised in glowing terms in the Prayaga Prashasti.In Prayaga Prashasti the poet Harishena mentions the victories of Samudragupta. The inscription is a panegyric praising Samudragupta and lists the political and military achievements of his reign including his expeditions to the South.

2. The Self-Respect Movement was initiated by

Correct Answer: (c) E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker
Solution:

The Self-Respect Movement was initiated by E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker in 1925 in Tamil Nadu. Self-Respect Movement was a dynamic social movement aimed at destroying the contemporary Hindu social order in its totality and creating a new, rational society without caste, religion and God.

3. The location of the ancient city of Taxila (Takshshila), mentioned in ancient Indian texts, was identified by

Correct Answer: (a) Alexander Cunningham
Solution:

Alexander Cunningham identified the location of the ancient city of Taxil as mentioned in the Ancient Indian Text. Alexander Cunningham was keen admirer of heritage, sculptures, antiquities and numismatics. He laid the foundation of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1861. He also became its first Director-General.

4. Who among the following was not a Jain Acharya?

Correct Answer: (b) Khema
Solution:

Khema is not a jain Acharya.Khema was a Buddhist bhikkhuni or nun, who was one of the top female disciples of the Buddha. She is considered the first of the Buddha’s two chief female disciples, along with Uppalavanna.

5. In India, the first major public appearance of Mahatma Gandhi was in

Correct Answer: (c) Inauguration of Banaras Hindu University (1916)
Solution:

Gandhi’s first major public appearance was during the inauguration of Banaras Hindu University in 1916.Banaras Hindu University is an internationally reputed temple of learning, situated in the holy city of Varanasi.

6. Consider the following statements about Patanjali’s Mahabhashya

1. It makes a mention of Kautilya.
2. It is a book on grammar and refers to historical personalities only incidentally.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (b) Only 2
Solution:

Statement 2 is correct. The Mahabhasya, attributed to Patanjali, is a commentary on selected rules of Sanskrit grammar from Panini’s treatise, the Astadhyayi, as well as Katyayana’s Varttika-sutra, an elaboration of Panini’s grammar. It is dated to the 2nd century BCE.

7. Which one of the following may lead to movement along the demand curve of a commodity ?

Correct Answer: (a) Change in its price
Solution:

The demand curve is a graphical representation of the relationship between the price of a good or service and the quantity demanded for a given period of time. Thus change in a price of commodity may lead to the movement along the demand curve of a commodity.

8. Which one of the following is the opportunity cost of a chosen activity ?

Correct Answer: (d) Value of next best alternative that is given up
Solution:

In microeconomic theory, the opportunity cost of a particular activity option is the loss of value or benefit that would be incurred by engaging in that activity, relative to engaging in an alternative activity offering a higher return in value or benefit. Thus, opportunity cost of a chosen activity is the value of next best alternative that is given up. For example-Someone gives up going to see a movie to study for a test in order to get a good grade. The opportunity cost is the cost of the movie and the enjoyment of seeing it.

9. Which one of the following statements in the context of social sector spending in India during 2014 - 19 (both States and the Union Government together) is true?

Correct Answer: (c) There was a stagnation in the spending on education as a percent of GDP.
Solution:

There was a stagnation in the spending on education as a percent of GDP in the context of special sector spending in India during 2014-19 as the education expenditure has grown only to 3.1% of GDP in 2019 from 2.8% in 2014.

10. According to UNDP’s Human Development Report - 2020, in which of the HDI components has India improved in recent years?

1. Life expectancy at birth
2. Expected years of schooling
3. GNI per capita
4. Mean years of schooling

Select the correct using the codes given below:

Correct Answer: (d) 1,2,3 and 4
Solution:

All 1,2,3 and 4 are correct. According to UNDP’s HDI Report, 2020,HDI value of India has increased to 0.645 from 0.429, registering an increase of over 50%. Life expectancy at birth in India rose by nearly 12 years. Mean years of schooling witnessed an increase of 3.5 years. The expected years of schooling also rose by 4.5 years. GNI per capita of India also increased, registering a rise of nearly 274%.