BPSC Prelims (Combined Competitive Exam)
60th–62nd BPSC Prelims 2016: Previous-Year Questions
84 questions from this paper, sorted by subject, with their options. Each one opens to its answer and explanation.
Modern History 21 questions
Which among the following viceroy’s period the title of ‘Rai Bahadur’ and ‘Khan Bahadur’ began to confer to Indian?
- ALord Ripon
- BLord Lytton
- CLord Mayo
- DLord Dufferin
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
“In my belief, Congress is too tottering to its fall and one of my great ambitions while in India is to assist it to a peaceful demise.” Who wrote it?
- ALord Lytton
- BLord Dufferin
- CLord Curzon
- DLord Minto
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
The Chittagong Armoury Raid had been planned by:
- ASurya Sen
- BChandan Dutta
- CVidhan Ghosh
- DJatin Das
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Who is regarded as the “Mother of Indian Revolution”:
- AAnnie Besant
- BMadam Sarojini Naidu
- CRamabai
- DMadam Bhikaji Rustam Cama
Sir Michael O'Dwyer was shot dead on 13th March, 1940 in London by:
- AMadan Lal Dhingra
- BM.P.T. Acharya
- CV.D. Savarkar
- DUdham Singh
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Who drew Mahatma Gandhi's attention towards the exploitation of the peasants by the European indigo planters?
- ABaba Ram Chandra
- BRaj Kumar Shukla
- CSwami Sahajananda Saraswati
- DSri Krishna Sinha
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Congress was founded in:
- A1936 AD
- B1939 AD
- C1942 AD
- D1945 AD
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above.
Who was elected the first President of All India Kisan Sabha at Lucknow in 1936?
- AN.G. Ranga
- BE.M.S. Namboodripad
- CSwami Sahajanand Saraswati
- DAcharya Narendra Dev
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above.
Which one of the following Congress leaders participated in the first All India Kisan Sabha?
- AJawaharlal Nehru
- BM.K. Gandhi
- CSubhas Chandra Bose
- DRajendra Prasad
Swaraj Party was formed following the failure of:
- ANon-Cooperation Movement
- BCivil Disobedience Movement
- CRowlatt Bill Satyagraha
- DChamparan Satyagraha
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Who organized the 'Khudai Khidmatgar' in 1929?
- AAbdul Ghaffar Khan
- BAli Brothers
- CAnsari Brothers
- DMaulana Abul Kalam Azad
- ENone of the above
Who organised the 'Khudai Khidmatgar' in 1929?
- AAbdul Ghaffar Khan
- BAli Brothers
- CAnsari Brothers
- DMaulana Abul Kalam Azad
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
“The Muslims, if contented and satisfied, would become the greatest bulwark of British power in India.” Who wrote it?
- AHerbert Risley
- BLord Lytton
- CW.W. Hunter
- DH.N. Brailsford
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
The Cabinet Mission came to India in:
- AFebruary 1942
- BMarch 1942
- CApril 1942
- DMay 1942
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above.
Who was the President of Indian National Congress at the time of Partition of India?
- AJ. B. Kriplani
- BJawaharlal Nehru
- CMaulana Abul Kalam Azad
- DC. Rajagopalachari
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Who was the Prime Minister of England when the Montagu-Chelmsford Act was passed in 1919?
- ALloyd George
- BGeorge Hamilton
- CSir Samuel Hoare
- DLord Salisbury
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Which among the following year Surendra Nath Banerjee was eliminated from Indian Civil Services?
- A1874 AD
- B1877 AD
- C1885 AD
- D1892 AD
- ENone of the above/ More than one of the above
Who became champion of socialism and wanted to overthrow British rule, Princely states, landlordism and Capitalism in 1933?
- ARajendra Prasad
- BJawaharlal Nehru
- CBhulabhai Desai
- DSardar Patel
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
First Indian elected to the British House of Commons was Dadabhai Naoroji who contested on the ticket of:
- ALiberal Party
- BLabour Party
- CConservative Party
- DCommunist Party
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Which journal was not associated with revolutionary activities?
- ASandhya
- BYugantar
- CGhadar
- DYoung India
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
The author of ‘Udwant Prakash’ is—
- AMauli Kavi
- BBodhraj
- CParmal
- DVidyapati
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
Ancient History 7 questions
At which of the following Harappan sites was a terracotta 'plough' found?
- ADholavira
- BBanawali
- CKalibangan
- DLothal
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
The Chinese traveler 'Sung yun' visited India in -
- A515 AD to 520 AD
- B525 AD to 529 AD
- C545 AD to 552 AD
- D592 AD to 597 AD
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Kaling king Kharavel was related to-
- AMahameghavahan Dynasty
- BChedi Dynasty
- CSatavahan Dynasty
- DRath-Bhojak Dynasty
- ENone of the above/ More than one of the above
What type of land was called ‘Aprahata’?
- AUnploughed wild land
- BIrrigated land
- CLand with dense forests
- DPloughed/cultivated land
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
During whose reign did the Persian traveller ‘Abdur Razzaq’ come to India?
- ADevaraya I
- BKrishnadevaraya I
- CDevaraya II
- DKrishnaraya II
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Who was the last king of the Karnata dynasty?
- AHarisimha
- BRamsimha
- CMatisimha
- DShyamsimha
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
‘Odantapura’ educational center was located in which state?
- ABengal
- BBihar
- CGujarat
- DTamil Nadu
- ENone of these/More than one of the above
Medieval History 4 questions
Which among the following King's reign did Persian traveller 'Abdur Razzaq' come to India?
- ADev Rai I
- BKrishnadeva Raya I
- CDev Rai II
- DKrishna Rai II
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
'Diwan-i-Arz' department was associated with:
- ARoyal correspondence
- BForeign
- CDefence
- DFinance
Who was the founder of the Bahamani Kingdom?
- AAlauddin Hasan
- BFiruz Shah
- CMahmud Gawan
- DAsaf Khan
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
'Daswant and Basawan' the famous painters were courtiers of Mughal emperor :
- AAkbar
- BJahangir
- CShah Jahan
- DAurangzeb
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Bihar Special GK 21 questions
Who was the first Muslim conqueror of Bihar?
- AMalik Ibrahim
- BIltutmish
- CBakhtiyar Khalji
- DAli Mardan Khalji
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
Nalanda Vihar was destroyed by :
- ABakhtiyar Khalji
- BQutbuddin Aibak
- CMuhammad Bin Tughlaq
- DAlauddin Khalji
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
Which among the following year ‘Santhal revolt’ occurred?
- A1831-32 AD
- B1844-46 AD
- C1851-52 AD
- D1855-56 AD
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
Birsa was captured, while asleep on :
- A1 February, 1900
- B2 February, 1900
- C3 February, 1900
- D4 February, 1900
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
Which lawyer from Bihar gave up his lucrative legal practice during the Non-Cooperation Movement?
- AJayaprakash Narayan
- BRajendra Prasad
- CSahajanand Saraswati
- DRajkumar Shukla
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
Who left Patna College with just 20 days remaining for his examination during....... the Non-Cooperation Movement?
- ARajendra Prasad
- BBraj Kishore
- CJai Prakash Narayan
- DSri Krishna Sinha
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
Who joined Subhas Chandra Bose to found the All India Forward Bloc and actively associated with the INA movement?
- AJay Prakash Narayan
- BBaikunth Shukla
- CSheel Bhadra Yajee
- DRam Narain Prasad
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
Which of the following landforms occupy the North-Western parts of Bihar state?
- ASomeshwar Hilly Range
- BKaimur Plateau
- CNawada Hilly Region
- DRajgir Hilly Region
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
In Bihar which sector recorded the highest growth during 2005-06 to 2014-15?
- AAgriculture
- BBanking
- CRegistered Manufacturing
- DTransport
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
Which district in Bihar is the poorest according to per capita income criteria?
- ABegusarai
- BMadhepura
- CSupaul
- DSheohar
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
'JEEViKA' is an initiative of Bihar Govt. for:
- AEmployment Generation
- BFinancial Inclusion
- CPoverty Attenuation
- DPublic Distribution
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
'SPUR' project in Bihar relates to :
- AHealth
- BPoverty
- CBanking
- DMunicipal Finances
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
From which of the following canal systems is irrigation done in the area of Bihar?
- AUpper Ganga Canal
- BTriveni Canal
- CSharda Canal
- DEastern Yamuna Canal
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
According to the Census 2011, in terms of population, Bihar State stands at which position in the country?
- AFirst
- BSecond
- CThird
- DFourth
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
Which of the following districts recorded the highest growth of population during 2001-11?
- AKishanganj
- BAraria
- CMadhepura
- DKhagaria
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
From which of the following canal systems is irrigation done in Bihar?
- AUpper Ganga Canal
- BTriveni Canal
- CSharda Canal
- DEastern Yamuna Canal
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
The total length of National Highways in Bihar is:
- A3410 km
- B3587 km
- C4595 km
- D4707 km
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
Which of the following National Highways connects Chhapra and Gopalganj?
- ANational Highway No. 77
- BNational Highway No. 84
- CNational Highway No. 85
- DNational Highway No. 80
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
The author of 'Rajneeti Ratnakar' is:
- AChandeshwar
- BVidyapati
- CJyotirishwar
- DHaribrahma Dev
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
Which of the following is a silk textile producing centre in Bihar?
- AMotipur
- BBajari
- CBhagalpur
- DDalmianagar
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
Per capita energy consumption of the state of Bihar is :
- A203 kWh
- B187 kWh
- C161 kWh
- D145 kWh
- ENone of the above / More than one of the above
Indian Polity 12 questions
Constitution Day of India is celebrated on
- A26th October
- B26th November
- C26th January
- D15th August
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Match the following:
List-I List-II I. Union List A. 97 entries II. State List B. 47 entries III. Concurrent List C. 66 entries Select the correct answer using the codes given below (in the order I II III):
- AA B C
- BA C B
- CA A B
- DC B A
- ENone of the above/ More than one of the above
In the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, under which amendment was the word ‘Socialist’ added?
- A42nd Amendment
- B44th Amendment
- C46th Amendment
- D74th Amendment
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Choose the fundamental rights available to Indian Citizen but not to aliens:
I. Freedom of Speech and Expression
II. Equality Before the Law
III. Right of Minorities
IV. Protection of Life and Liberty- AI and III
- BI and IV
- CII and IV
- DII and III
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
The Supreme Court has held that hoisting the National Flag atop the private buildings is a fundamental right of every citizen under:
- AArticle 14 of the Constitution
- BArticle 19(1)
- CArticle 21 of the Constitution
- DArticle 25 of the Constitution
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Which of the following is/are listed among the Directive Principles in Part-IV of the Constitution of India?
I. Equal Pay for Equal Work
II. Uniform Civil Code
III. Small family norm
IV. Education through mother tongue at primary level.- AI, II and III
- BI and II
- CII and III
- DI, II and IV
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
President of India exercises his powers –
- AEither directly or through officers subordinate to him
- BThrough Ministers
- CThrough Prime Minister
- DThrough Cabinet
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Which officer of the Government of India has the right to take part in the proceedings of Parliament of India even though he is not a member?
- AVice-President
- BAttorney-General of India
- CComptroller and Auditor-General
- DElection Commissioner
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
A seat of an M.P. can be declared vacant if he absents himself from the house for a continuous period of –
- ASix months
- BTwo months
- CThree months
- DOne year
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Vote on Account is meant for -
- AVote on the report of CAG
- BTo meet unforeseen expenditure
- CAppropriating funds pending passing of budget
- DFor Budget
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Creation of a new state requires a ....... majority for Constitutional Amendment.
- ASimple
- BTwo-third
- CThree-fourth
- DTwo-third plus ratification by half of all states
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
A Panchayat Samiti at the block level is –
- AAn advisory body
- BAn administrative authority
- CAn advisory committee
- DA supervisory authority
Geography 19 questions
At which of the following hills do the Eastern Ghats join the Western Ghats?
- APalani Hills
- BAnamudi Hills
- CNilgiri Hills
- DShevaroy Hills
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
The Dravidian races are mainly confined at which of the following parts of India?
- ASouth India
- BNorth-Western India
- CNorth-Eastern India
- DNorth India
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
At which of the following towns the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi combine to form River Ganga?
- AHaridwar
- BRishikesh
- CRudraprayag
- DDevprayag
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
River Tel is a tributary of which of the following rivers?
- ABagmati
- BGhaghara
- CGandak
- DKamla
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Which of the following is not a cash crop?
- AJute
- BGroundnut
- CJowar
- DSugarcane
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Which of the following Iron ores is mined at Bailadila?
- AHematite
- BSiderite
- CLimonite
- DMagnetite
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
At which of the following places the Copper Industry is located?
- ATarapur
- BTitagarh
- CRanchi
- DKhetri
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
In which state of India are the maximum cotton mills located?
- AMadhya Pradesh
- BMaharashtra
- CGujarat
- DWest Bengal
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Match the following places with industries and select the correct answer using the codes given below: List-I List-II (Place) (Industry) A. Bengaluru 1. Iron & Steel B. Korba 2. Copper C. Jamshedpur 3. Aircraft D. Malanjkhand 4. Aluminium Code : A B C D
- A1 2 3 4
- B2 1 4 3
- C4 3 2 1
- D3 4 1 2
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
What is the Golden Quadrilateral?
- ARail lines joining metros
- BMajor Air Routes
- CNational Highway Project
- DCold Trade Routes
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
The Black Revolution is related to the
- AFish production
- BCoal production
- CCrude oil production
- DMustard production
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
The Great Victoria Desert is located at –
- AAustralia
- BIndia
- CEgypt
- DNorth Africa
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
What is the name of mid-latitude grassland in South America?
- APrairie
- BPampas
- CVeld
- DSteppes
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Which of the following seas has the highest average salinity?
- ABlack Sea
- BYellow Sea
- CMediterranean Sea
- DDead Sea
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Which of the following activities is performed at Coolgardie?
- ACoal mining
- BCopper mining
- CGold mining
- DForestry
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
Which country has the largest reserves of oil?
- AUnited States
- BChina
- CRussia
- DVenezuela
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
In acid rain, which is present in the maximum amount?
- AHCl
- BHNO3
- CH2SO4
- DH2CO3
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
What is particulate matter?
- ASolid waste
- BAir pollutant
- CWater pollutant
- DSoil pollutant
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is related to—
- AReduction in the use of fossil fuels
- BReduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
- CReduction in uranium production
- DReduction in emissions of greenhouse gases
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above