BPSC Prelims (Combined Competitive Exam)
68th BPSC Prelims 2023: Previous-Year Questions
100 questions from this paper, sorted by subject, with their options. Each one opens to its answer and explanation.
Modern History 16 questions
Who introduced the system of Mahalwari Settlement in Bengal?
- ALord Hastings
- BLord Cornwallis
- CHolt Mackenzie
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The Congress took a critical stand over the Montford Reforms in 1918, which led to break up with the old moderate remnants (Sapru, Jayakar and Chintamani) who formed the
- AIndian National Liberal Federation
- BServants of India Society
- CSwaraj Party
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The Swadeshi and Boycott were adopted as the methods of struggle for the first time during the
- AHome Rule Movement
- Bvisit of the Simon Commission to India
- CPartition of Bengal
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
At the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress (INC) held in 1906, the Flag of Swaraj for India was unfurled by
- AG. K. Gokhale
- BA. O. Hume
- CDadabhai Naoroji
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Who was the founder of All India Harijan Sangh in 1932?
- ADr. B. R. Ambedkar
- BJagjivan Ram
- CMahatma Gandhi
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
"A Sannyasi who came to that district after a spell as an indentured labourer in Fiji, carrying a copy of Tulsidas Ramayana on his back from which he would recite verses to rural audience." The peasant leader referred to here is
- ABaba Ram Chandra
- BJhinguri Singh
- CYadunandan Sharma
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Regarding the Non-Cooperation Movement in towns, which of the following statements are NOT correct?
- (1) Only the upper castes and the rich participated in the movement.
- (2) The Justice Party of Madras also boycotted the council elections.
- (3) Thousands of students left government-controlled schools; headmasters and teachers resigned; and lawyers gave up their practice.
- AOnly (1) and (2)
- BOnly (1) and (3)
- COnly (2) and (3)
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which of the following statements regarding the Indian freedom struggle is not correct?
- AMahatma Gandhi was arrested in the year 1921.
- BGandhiji withdrew from the Non-Cooperation Movement due to the Chauri-Chaura Incident.
- CGandhiji gave his first major public speech at Banaras Hindu University.
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
During the freedom struggle, a parallel movement launched in the Indian States (in the States ruled by the Indian rulers such as Kashmir, Nizam's Hyderabad, Travancore, etc.) was
- ASwaraj Movement
- BState People's Movement
- CPraja Mandal Movement
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
In 1940, where did Vinoba Bhave start the Individual Satyagraha?
- APunnapra-Vayalar, Kerala
- BNadiad in Kheda district, Gujarat
- CPaunar, Maharashtra
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The Cabinet Mission was sent to India for which of the following?
- 1. To establish a national government
- 2. To work out a constitutional arrangement for the transfer of power
- 3. To work out the details of Jinnah's demand for Pakistan
- A3 only
- B1 only
- C2 only
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
On February 20, 1947, Prime Minister Attlee announced the British Government's decision to withdraw from India latest by
- AJune 1948
- BAugust 1947
- CJanuary 1948
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Who among these headed the two boundary commissions established in 1947 to draw the international borders between India and Pakistan?
- ACyril Radcliffe
- BA.P. Moon
- CA.V. Alexander
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
How did the study of history help in creating a feeling of nationalism in India towards the end of the 19th century?
- AUrging people to change the miserable conditions under British rule and to struggle
- BBy reinterpreting history and refuting the British portrayal of Indians as backward, primitive, and incapable of governing themselves
- CBy writing about India's glorious past and urging people to be proud of their achievements
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which one of the following was a journal brought out by Abul Kalam Azad?
- AZamindar
- BThe Comrade
- CAl-Hilal
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Who was the author of Mahatma Gandhi and Bihar, Some Reminiscences?
- ADr. Rajendra Prasad
- BJ.P. Narayan
- CKarpuri Thakur
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Ancient History 5 questions
When did the use of iron begin in the Indian subcontinent?
- AAround 9000 years ago
- BAround 12000 years ago
- CAround 6000 years ago
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
In ancient times, the area to the south of the Ganga was known as
- AAnarta
- BTakshashila
- CChola
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
According to the rock inscription in Sanskrit, composed around the second century CE, Sudarshan Lake, an artificial reservoir, was repaired by
- AHarsha
- BKanishka
- CRudradaman
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The temple of Deogarh near Jhansi and the sculptures in the temple at Garwha near Allahabad (Prayagraj) are the important remains of the which art?
- AMauryan Art
- BGupta Art
- CRashtrakuta Art
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Vikramshila University was established by whom?
- AGopal
- BDharmapala
- CDevapala
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Medieval History 5 questions
Who among the following famous rulers founded a suburban township of Nagalapuram, near Vijayanagara, after his mother's name?
- AKrishnadevaraya
- BHarihara
- CBukka
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
During the Delhi Sultanate, the designation 'Muqaddam or Chaudhari' was used for
- AVillage headman
- BRevenue officials
- CVillage accountant
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Who among the following made an offer to Humayun that he would surrender Bihar and pay an annual tribute of 10 lakh dinars if he was allowed to retain Bengal?
- ABahadur Shah
- BSher Khan
- CBairam Khan
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Tabaqat-i-Akbari, which has been sometimes considered more reliable than Abul Fazl's Akbarnama, was written by
- AGulbadan Begum
- BNizamuddin Ahmad
- CAbdul Hamid Lahori
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
In which of the following battles are the main opponents not correctly stated?
- ABattle of Haldighati-Maharana Pratap and Akbar
- BFirst Battle of Panipat-Babur and Ibrahim Lodi
- CSecond Battle of Panipat-Tipu Sultan and Marathas
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Bihar Special GK 20 questions
Who saved the life of Gandhiji during Champaran Satyagraha?
- ARavindra Pathak
- BBatak Miyan
- CHamid Ansari
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Who led the farmers in Bihar during the Non-Cooperation Movement?
- AShri Krishna Singh
- BSwami Vidyanand
- CRajkumar Shukla
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Who established Swaraj Dal in Bihar?
- ABankim Chandra Mitra
- BShri Krishna Singh
- CRamlal Shah
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
During the Salt Satyagraha, what tax did the people of Bihar choose to oppose against the government along with making salt?
- ADebris
- BElephant
- CDevelopment
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
In 1940, Patna Women's College was established by which of the following societies?
- ASisters of the Apostolic Carmel
- BSociety of Jesus
- CIrish Christian Brothers
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Who among the following was the first Governor of Bihar?
- ASir Maurice Garnier Hallett
- BSir James David Sifton
- CSir Hugh Dow
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
For what reason did the elected government of Bihar resign in February 1938?
- AIndia's involvement in the war
- BSatyagraha against the British at the call of Gandhi
- CHeavy taxes imposed by the British
- DReleasing political prisoners
- ENone of the above
According to Koppen's Climate Classification, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are in which climate Category?
- ADfc
- BCwg
- CAw
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
According to the Economic Survey for the year 2019-2020, which district has the lowest per capita income?
- ASitamarhi
- BSheohar
- CAraria
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
At what percentage has Bihar registered the lowest Female Workforce Participation Rate for the year 2020-2022?
- A7% in rural and 9.1% in urban areas
- B4% in rural and 6.5% in urban areas
- C6% in rural and 8.1% in urban areas
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
According to the National Family Health Survey-5 released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on November 24, 2021, there has been a significant improvement in the sex ratio of Bihar. It has increased from_________in 2015-2016 to________in 2020-2022.
- A1030, 1050
- B1062, 1090
- C1040, 1070
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
According to the Bihar Economic Survey (2021-2022), what was the rate of growth of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Bihar in 2020-2021?
- A2.5%
- B3%
- C2%
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which one of the following is correct for Bihar economy?
- AThe occupational structure of the economy is stagnant from above
- BThe growth rate is one of the lowest in India at 2.5%
- CBihar produces mostly primary goods
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
In Bihar, tea gardens were established for the first time in which of the following places?
- ASupaul
- BThakurganj
- CBahadurganj
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which food industry dominates among the agro-based industries in Bihar?
- ASugarcane industry
- BCereal-based industry
- CPulses industry
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
With reference to the mineral production in Bihar, consider the following statements:
- 1. Rohtas has the highest deposit of pyrites.
- 2. Limestone is found in Kaimur (Bhabhua), Munger and Rohtas districts.
- 3. Gold deposits are found in Jamui district.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A1 and 3 only
- B3 only
- C1 and 2 only
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Choose the correct order of the following districts of Bihar as per the ascending decadal population growth (2001-2011).
- AKishanganj < Madhepura < Siwan
- BSiwan < Kishanganj < Madhepura
- CMadhepura < Kishanganj < Siwan
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which is the oldest church in Bihar?
- APadri Ki Haveli
- BLuke's Church
- CStephen's Church
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Who was the author of 'Mahatma Gandhi and Bihar, Some Reminiscences'?
- ADr. Rajendra Prasad
- BJ. P. Narayan
- CKarpoori Thakur
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The late actor Kumudlal Ganguly, also known by his stage name Ashok Kumar, was born in which of the following cities of Bihar?
- APatna
- BMunger
- CBhagalpur
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Indian Polity 12 questions
What was the duration in the making of the Indian Constitution?
- A2 years, 11 months and 18 days
- B1 year, 10 months and 12 days
- C2 years, 10 months and 5 days
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The phrase 'equality before law' used in Article 14 of the Indian Constitution has been borrowed from the Constitution of
- AFrance
- BBritain
- CUSA
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Arrange the following words in a logical and meaningful order:
- 1. Vice President
- 2. President
- 3. Speaker
- 4. Prime Minister
- 5. Member of Parliament
- A5, 1, 2, 3, 4
- B4, 2, 1, 3, 5
- C2, 1, 4, 3, 5
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The representation in the Rajya Sabha includes
- Amembers nominated by the President of India
- Bmembers directly elected by citizens
- Cmembers indirectly elected by citizens through their representatives
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
With reference to the Consumer Disputes Redressal at the district level in India, which one of the following statements is not correct?
- AThe District Forum entertains the complaints where the value of goods or services does not exceed rupees fifty lakhs
- BThe State Government can establish more than one District Forum in a district if it deems fit
- COne of the members of the District Forum shall be a woman
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which of the following is concerned with the Supreme Court of India?
- ACollegium system
- BAppellate jurisdiction
- COriginal jurisdiction
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which of the following is related to the Supreme Court of India?
- ACollegium system
- BAppellate jurisdiction
- COriginal Jurisdiction
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
To whom the State Council of Ministers collectively responsible?
- ALegislative Assembly
- BChief Minister
- CGovernor
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The minimum age for contesting elections to the Panchayati Raj Institutions should be how many years according to the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act?
- A18 years
- B21 years
- C25 years
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Consider the following statements—
After the 73rd Amendment, decentralization was carried out of—
- 1. Decision-making powers
- 2. The entire system
- 3. Judicial powers
- 4. Administrative powers
Which of the above statements are correct?
- AOnly 2, 3 and 4
- BOnly 1, 2 and 3
- COnly 1, 2 and 4
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
At what level does a Panchayat Samiti operate a Panchayati Raj structure?
- ABlock-level body
- BDistrict level
- CGram Panchayat level
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which one of the following was established as the first programme of community development?
- ACooperation Movement
- BNational Extension Service
- CIntegrated Rural Development Programme
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Geography 12 questions
Which states of India have common borders with Myanmar?
- AManipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura
- BArunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram
- CArunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
India’s territorial limit extends towards the sea up to how many nautical miles/km from the coast?
- A10 nautical miles (about 19.9 km)
- B16 nautical miles (about 25.9 km)
- C12 nautical miles (about 21.9 km)
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Towards the end of summer, there are pre-monsoon showers which are a common phenomenon in Kerala and coastal areas of Karnataka. Locally, they are known as
- AMango showers
- BBlossom showers
- CNorwesters
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Match List-I with List-II: List-I List-II a. Grey Revolution 1. Production of onion b. Pink Revolution 2. Production of tomato and meat c. Silver Revolution 3. Production of eggs d. Red Revolution 4. Fertilizer Code:
- A1 4 2 3
- B4 1 3 2
- C3 1 4 2
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which of the following river valleys is rich in coal reserves in India?
- AMahanadi River Valley
- BDamodar River Valley
- CSon River Valley
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which of the following statements about the sugar industry in India is correct?
- AUttar Pradesh is the second largest producer of sugar
- BIt is a weight-losing industry
- CMaharashtra has emerged as the leading sugar producing state in the country
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The southern continent broken from Pangaea is called
- APacific Ocean
- BLaurasia
- CGondwanaland
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which of the following is the world’s largest volcano, which erupted for the first time in 38 years?
- AHaleakala
- BMount St. Helens
- CMauna Loa
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The Arctic region and the Antarctica continent are situated near
- AAmazon Basin
- BSahara Desert
- CNorth and South Poles
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
At the end of its mountainous journey near Attock, the Indus River meets which river of Afghanistan?
- AHelmand River
- BAmu Darya
- CKabul River
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The atmosphere is mainly heated by:
- ALong-wave terrestrial radiation
- BShort-wave solar radiation
- CReflected solar radiation
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which gas contributes to global warming through its greenhouse effect?
- ACarbon dioxide
- BNitrous oxide
- CMethane
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Biology 10 questions
Which among the following is a character of chloroplast which makes them qualified to self-replication?
- APresence of both DNA and RNA
- BPresence of DNA only
- CAbsence of RNA
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
In lichen, a chlorophyll-containing partner, _______ live together.
- Aalgae and a fungus
- Bfungus and a bacterium
- Calga and a virus
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which of the following is not a correct match?
- APetiole: Attaches leaf to stem
- BThick, hard stem with branching near base: Tree
- CWeak stem which cannot stand upright: Creeper
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The stomata open or close due to change in the
- Aposition of nucleus in cells
- Bprotein composition of cells
- Camount of water in cells
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Chlorophyll absorbs _________ wavelengths of the sunlight.
- Ared and blue
- Bgreen and blue
- Cgreen and red
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Water reaches great heights in trees because of suction pull caused by
- Aevaporation
- Babsorption
- Ctranspiration
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Female Anopheles can be distinguished from female Culex because it sits
- Aat right angle to the surface of substratum
- Bat an angle with substratum
- Cparallel to the surface of substratum
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The parts of the skeleton that are not as hard as bones and which can be bent are called as
- Avertebrae
- Bcarpals
- Ccartilage
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which one of the following statements is incorrect about muscles in human body?
- AMuscles can only push the bone.
- BMuscles work in pairs.
- CMuscles become shorter, stiffer and thicker when contracted
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The most important cell type associated with the immunity of the body is
- ARBCs
- Bplatelets
- Clymphocytes
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Chemistry 9 questions
A form of matter has no fixed shape but it has a fixed volume. An example of this form of matter is
- ACarbon steel
- BKrypton
- CKerosene
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which of the following statements about diamond and graphite is true?
- AThey have same electrical conductivity.
- BThey have same crystal structure.
- CThey have same degree of hardness.
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Detect the odd one.
- ARipening of fruit
- BSetting of cement
- CBurning of coal
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Some metal oxides react with acid as well as a base to produce salt and water. They are known as amphoteric oxides. Examples of amphoteric oxides are
- ACuO and ZnO
- BAl2O3 and ZnO
- CAl2O3 and CuO
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Acids react with metal carbonates to liberate ______ gas.
- AH2
- BCO2
- CCO
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
You have been provided with three test tubes. One of them contains distilled water and the other two contain an acidic solution and a basic solution, respectively. Which of them will turn red litmus to blue?
- ADistilled water
- BAcid
- CBase
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Why does dry HCl gas not change the colour of dry litmus paper?
- AHCl gas acts as a dehydrating agent.
- BBlue litmus becomes dry in the presence of dry HCl gas.
- CNo H3O+ ions are present. Litmus changes colour only in the presence of H3O+ ions.
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which acid is described as HOOCCOOH?
- ACarbonic acid
- BOxalic acid
- CAcetic acid
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
The odour of acetic acid resembles that of
- Avinegar
- Btomato
- Ckerosene
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Physics 11 questions
Ball bearings are used to convert static friction into
- Arolling friction
- Bdrag
- Csliding friction
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
A goalkeeper in a game of football pulls his hands backwards after holding the ball shot at the goal. This enables the goalkeeper to
- Adecrease the rate of change of momentum
- Bexert large force on the ball
- Cincrease the force exerted by the ball on hands
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Centripetal force is responsible to
- Aindependent motion of the object in space
- Bkeep the body moving along the circular path
- Cfly the object along a straight line
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
A bus is moving along a straight path and takes a sharp turn to the right side suddenly. The passengers sitting on the bus will
- Abent towards right side
- Bfall in the forward direction
- Cbent towards left side
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which of the following energy changes involves frictional force?
- AKinetic energy to heat energy
- BPotential energy to sound energy
- CChemical energy to heat energy
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Shrillness of sound is determined by
- Avelocity of sound
- Bamplitude of sound
- Cwavelength of sound
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Before playing the orchestra in a musical concert, a sitarist tries to adjust the tension and pluck the string suitably. By doing so, he/she is adjusting
- Afrequency of the sitar string with the frequency of other musical instruments
- Bamplitude of sound
- Cintensity of sound
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Large number of thin strips of black paint are made on the surface of a convex lens of focal length 20 cm to catch the image of a white horse. The image will be
- Aa horse of less brightness
- Ba zebra of black stripes
- Ca horse of black stripes
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which of the following photoelectric devices is most suitable for digital applications?
- APhotodiode
- BPhotovoltaic cell
- CPhotoemitter
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which of the following laboratories claimed a historic nuclear fusion breakthrough in December 2022?
- ALos Alamos National Laboratory
- BLawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- COak Ridge National Laboratory
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above
Which among the following is a positively charged particle emitted by a radioactive element?
- ACathode ray
- BBeta ray
- CAlpha ray
- DMore than one of the above
- ENone of the above