[Answers with Explanation] UPSC prelims GS1 paper 2022

Q91. Consider the following pairs :

Site of Ashoka’s major rock edicts	Location in the State of
1. Dhauli	Odisha
2. Erragudi	Andhra Pradesh
3. Jaugada	Madhya Pradesh
4. Kalsi	Karnataka

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pair
(b) Only two pairs
(c) Only three pairs
(d) All four pairs

Solution B

Q92. Consider the following pairs:

King	Dynasty
1. Nannuka	Chandela
2. Jayashakti	Paramara
3. Nagabhata II	Gurjara-Pratihara
4. Bhoja	Rashtrakuta

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pair
(b) Only two pairs
(c) Only three pairs
(d) All four pairs

Solution B

Gurjara Pratiharas
(1) The Gurjara Pratihara dynasty was founded by Nagabhatta I in the region of Malwa in the 8th century AD. Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty ruled much of Northern India from the mid-8th to the 11th century.
(2) The Pratiharas derived their name from the Sanskrit meaning doorkeeper, are seen as a tribal group or a clan of the Gurjaras.Nagabhata I, Nagabhata Il, Mihir Bhoj or Bhoja and Mahendrapala were the other important rulers of the dynasty.
(3) The expansion of the Gurjara-Pratihara kingdom involved constant conflicts with other contemporary powers such as the Palas and the Rashtrakutas known as the tripartite struggle over the city of Kannauj.

Rashtrakutas
Dantidurga was the founder of the dynasty called, Rashtrakuta dynasty (8th century AD). The capital of the Rastrakutas was Manyakheta or Malkhed near Sholapur. Dhruva-I, Krishna-I and Amoghavarsha were the other important rulers of this dynasty.

Chandelas or Jejakabhukti dynasty
The Chandela or Chandel was Indian Rajput clan of Central India. They were popularly termed as Chandelas or Jejakabhukti dynasty in Indian history. Nannuk, a ruler of small kingdom was the founder of Chandela Dynasty. Khajuraho was a strong hold of Nannuk who was considered as the chief of his clan. Vakapati succeeded his father in the first quarter of tenth century. Vakapati had to often assist Pratiharas in the battle field, as he was a liegeman of them. Some inscriptions prove that his territory extended till Vindhya hills.

Jaishakti, the elder son, succeeded the throne and was successful in extending his empire. Jaishakti, the elder brother who ruled first, was also called Jai Jak and from this name the region ruled by the Chandelas acquired the name of Jaijikbhukti. He was succeeded on the throne by his younger brother, Vijayshakti.

Q93. Which one of the following statements about Sangam literature in ancient South India is correct ?

(a) Sangam poems are devoid of any reference to material culture.
(b) The social classification of Varna was known to Sangam poets.
(c) Sangam poems have no references to warrior ethic.
(d) Sangam literature refers to magical forces as irrational.

Solution B

The Sangam age refers to that period in the early history of south India when large numbers of poems in Tamil were composed by a number of authors. . The term Sangam refers to an assembly or “meeting together” of Tamil poets. Traditionally, three Sangams or assemblies are believed to have been convened one after the other. All the three Sangams took place at different places under the patronage of the Pandya kings of Madurai.

Women in the Sangam period appear to have been educated. This is testified by many poems contributed by women poets to the Sangam literature. Women are also described as engaged in various economic activities such as paddy plantation, cattle rearing, basket-making, spinning, etc.
However, the cruel practice of Sati was also prevalent in Tamil society, and it was known as tippayadal. But it was not obligatory as there are references to widows present in society. However, their position was miserable as they were prohibited to decorate themselves or participate in any form of amusement.

The class of warriors was an important element in society during the Sangam age. Captains of the army were invested with the title of enadi at a formal ceremony. Civil and military officers were held under both the Cholas and the Pandyas by vellalas or rich peasants. The ruling class was called arasar and its members had marriage relations with the vellalas. Hence option (b) is the correct answer.
The rich did not plough land themselves but employed labourers for this purpose. Agricultural operations were generally carried on by the members of the lowest class known as kadaisiyar.

We notice sharp social inequalities in the Sangam age. The rich lived in houses of brick and mortar and the poor in huts and humbler structures. In the cities, the rich lived in the upper storey of their house. The Sangam texts refer to many settlements including Kaveripattanam whose flourishing existence is now attested archaeologically. They also speak of the Yavanas (foreigners) coming in theri own vessels purchasing pepper with gold and supplying wine and women slaves to the natives. This trade is not known only from Latin and Greek writings but also from archaeological records. The Sangam literature is a very major source of our information for the social, economic and political life of the people living in deltaic Tamil Nadu in the early Christian centuries.

Aṇaṅku is a phenomenon of sacred power described in ancient Tamil literature such as the Sangam literature. This sacred magical forces were supposed to inhabit various objects, which eventually determined there association with the society.

Q94. “Yogavasistha” was translated into Persian by Nizamuddin Panipati during the reign of :

(a) Akbar
(b) Humayun
(c) Shahjahan
(d) Aurangzeb

Solution A

Yoga Vasistha (also known as Vasistha’s Yoga) is a Hindu spiritual text traditionally attributed to Valmiki. It recounts a discourse of the sage Vasistha to a young Prince Rama, during a period when the latter is in a dejected state. The contents of Vasistha’s teaching to Rama is associated with Advaita Vedanta, the illusory nature of the manifest world and the principle of nonduality. The book has been dated between the 11th and 14th century AD) and is generally regarded as one of the longest texts in Sanskrit (after the Mahabharata) and an important text of Yoga. The book consists of about 32,000 shlokas (lines), including numerous short stories and anecdotes used to help illustrate its content.

Originally written in Sanskrit, the Yoga Vasistha has been translated into most Indian languages, and the stories are told to children in various forms. The number of Muslim scholars who collaborated with Hindu pandits in making Sanskrit works available was considerable. During the Moghul Dynasty the text was translated into Persian several times, as ordered by Akbar, Jahangir and Darah Shikoh.

Nizam al-Din Panipati rendered the widely influential Yoga Vasistha into Persian late in the sixteenth century at the behest of the Mughal ruler Jahangir while he was still a crown prince. The translation, known as the Jug Basisht, has since became popular in Persia among intellectuals interested in Indo-Persian culture. Hence option (a) is the correct answer.

Q95. The world’s second tallest statue in sitting pose of Ramanuja was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India at Hyderabad recently. Which one of the following statements correctly represents the, teachings of Ramanuja?

(a) The best means of salvation was devotion.
(b) Vedas are eternal, self-existent and wholly authoritative.
(c) Logical arguments were essential means for the highest bliss.
(d) Salvation was to be obtained through meditation.

Solution A

216-feet tall ‘Statue of Equality commemorating Sri Ramanujacharya was recently dedicated to the nation. The statue has been inaugurated at Hyderabad in the backdrop of celebrations of the ‘Festival of equality’, marking the 1000th birth anniversary of the Saint Ramanujacharya .

The statue has been conceptualized by Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami of Sri Ramanujacharya Ashram. It is made of ‘panchaloha’, a combination of five metals: gold, silver, copper, brass, and zinc and is among one of the tallest metallic statues in sitting position, in the world.

About Sri Ramanujacharya

(1)Born in Tamil Nadu in the 11th century, Ramanujacharya is revered as a Vedic philosopher and social reformer. He was deeply influenced by the Alvars (Vishnu worshippers) and according to him the best means of attaining salvation was through intense devotion to Vishnu.
(2)He propounded the doctrine of Vishishtadvaita or qualified oneness.
(3)He spoke of universal salvation through devotion to God, compassion, humility, equality, and mutual respect, which is known as Sri Vaishnavam (4)Sampradaya. He is considered to be the inspiration for Bhakti poets like Annamacharya, Ramdas, Thyagaraja, Kabir, and Meerabai.

Q96. The Prime Minister recently inaugurated the new Circuit House near Somnath Temple at Veraval. Which of the following statements are correct regarding Somnath Temple ?

1. Somnath Temple is one of the Jyotirlinga shrines.
2. A description of Somnath Temple was given by Al-Biruni.
3. Pran Pratishtha of Somnath Temple (installation of the present day temple) was done by President S. Radhakrishnan.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Solution A

Somnath is a magnificent temple the location of Somanatha was earlier referred to as Prathasa Pattana, a well known Tirtha or place of pilgrimage in Saurashtra. It is situated on the west coast of Kathiawar and is at present under Junagadh. It was associated with the nearby confluence of three rivers and it adjoined the port of Veraval. One of the 12 holy Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva is in Jyotirlinga here in Somnath. Hence statement 1 is correct.

Somnath mean “the protector of moon god”. It is known as the “shrine external” as although the temple has been destroyed six times it has been rebuilt every single time.

Somnath is also mentioned in Rigveda. This temple of Somnath has been very attractive in front of many destructive foreign invaders who want to lure and convert to the temple glory. Whenever the temple has tried to destroy it, then it has been built again.

Mahmud Ghazni began series of seventeen invasions into northwestern India at the end of the 10th century his 16th expedition was the plunder of Somnath temple (dedicated to Shiva) in 1025 A.D. Mahmud of Ghazni plundered the Somanath temple and there are multiple versions of the event in Turko-Persian sources.

AlBeruni writes that the temple was built of stone and ‘constructed about 100 years prior to Mahmud’s attack (which would date it to the 10th century) that it was set in a fortress surrounded by the sea on 3 sides – presumably; its wealth had to be guarded. Mahmud’s raids caused economic devastation and the Turks were hated among the people who suffered because of these raids. Hence statement 2 is correct.

India’s Iron Man and First Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on November 13, 1947 promised to rebuild the temple. Today’s Somnath Temple is built on its original place in seventh place. In 1951, India’s first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad proposed to purify Jyotirling, he said, “This temple of Somnath is a symbol of victory over construction on destruction”. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

The temple is built under Shri Somnath Trust And this trust is now monitoring the temple, Sardar Patel was the first chairman of this trust.

Q97. Which one of the following statements best describes the role of B cells and T cells in the human body ?

(a) They protect the body from environmental allergens.
(b) They alleviate the body’s pain and inflammation
(c) They act as immunosuppressants in the body.
(d) They protect the body from diseases caused by pathogens.

Solution B

The overall ability of the body to fight the disease causing organisms (pathogens), conferred by the immune system is called immunity.

The primary and secondary immune responses are carried out with the help of two special types of lymphocytes present in our blood, i.e., B-lymphocytes (B-cells) and T-lymphocytes (T-cells). Thus, both B-cells and T-cells are responsible for acquired immunity.
B-cells are responsible for antibody-mediated immunity response.
T-cells are responsible for cell-mediated immunity response.
B-cells produce antibodies to fight with the pathogens into our blood.
The T-cells themselves do not secrete antibodies but help B cells produce them. Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

Q98. Consider the following statements:

1. Other than those made by humans, nanoparticles do not exist in nature.
2. Nanoparticles of some metallic oxides are used in the manufacture of some cosmetics.
3. Nanoparticles of some commercial products which enter the environment are unsafe for humans.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 2
(d) 2 and 3

Solution D

A nanoparticle is a small particle that ranges between 1 to 100 nanometres in size (diameter). Undetectable by the human eye, nanoparticles can exhibit significantly different physical and chemical properties to their larger material counterparts. Being much smaller than the wavelengths of visible light (400-700 nm), nanoparticles cannot be seen with ordinary optical microscopes, requiring the use of electron microscopes or microscopes with laser.

Nanoparticles occur widely in nature and are objects of study in many sciences such as chemistry, physics, geology and biology. A significant fraction (by number, if not by mass) of interplanetary dust, that is still falling on the Earth at the rate of thousands of tons per year, is in the nanoparticle range; and the same is true of atmospheric dust particles. Many viruses have diameters in the nanoparticle range. Iron oxides/sulfides, silver, and gold are some of the representative examples of naturally-occurring nanoparticles in the environment. Hence statement 1 is not correct.

Many cosmetic products used in our daily life are made with the assistance of nanotechnologies. Among metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) potentially present in cosmetics, those containing titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are common ingredients added to obtain a sufficient sun protection. The addition of silver and gold NPs is also mentioned to increase the antimicrobial and healing properties of some cosmetic formulations. Hence statement 2 is correct.

The exposure of nanoparticle to environment and human can be described through different mechanisms. Primarily occupational exposures occur to workers (including engineers, scientists, and technicians) during the research -scale synthesis and commercial production of nanomaterial-based products. This exposure mainly results from handling of raw materials while carrying out reactions through the equipment. Characterization of resulting material, packing, and transportation can be other sources of this type of exposure. At the second stage, consumers are exposed to such nanomaterial during usage and application and it may lead to harmful and toxic effects. Hence statement 3 is correct.

Q99. Consider the following statements:

DNA Barcoding can be a tool to :

1. assess the age of a plant or animal.
2. distinguish among species that look alike.
3. identify undesirable animal or plant materials in processed foods.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 2
(d) 2 and 3

Solution D

DNA barcoding is the identification of a species by the characteristic sequence of a standard short section of DNA in its genome. DNA barcoding is done by comparing an individual DNA sequence with a reference library of such DNA sections (called sequences).

The introduction of DNA barcoding represents a promising approach for food authentication, being broadly applied in fish species. DNA barcoding has been successful when applied to seafood because the number of species is high in comparison to other animal sources, such as cattle, sheep, goat, and horse, enhancing the effectiveness of the approach.

DNA barcoding techniques were used to explore the composition of roasted barley tea (Hordeum vulgare), which was exported to a certain country from China but then returned, due to the detection of other undesirable plant components present. Contaminants were found. Hence option 3 is correct.

DNA barcoding will allow users to efficiently recognize known species and speed the discovery of species yet to be found in nature. There have been reports of DNA barcodes used in distinguishing species of tropical Lepidoptera (an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths which are similar).
DNA barcodes effectively distinguish among species in three Lepidoptera families from Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica. Hence option 2 is correct.

However, DNA barcoding is not known to be used for the assessment of age of living organisms. Hence option 1 is not correct. Also option (d) is the correct answer.

Q100. Consider the following

(1) Carbon monoxide
(2) Nitrogen oxide
(3) Ozone
(4) Sulphur dioxide

Excess of which of the above in the environment is/are cause(s) of acid rain?

(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 4 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4

Solution B

Acid rain refers to the ways in which acid from the atmosphere is deposited on the earth’s surface. Oxides of nitrogen and sulphur which are acidic in nature can be blown by wind along with solid particles in the atmosphere and finally settle down either on the ground as dry deposition or in water, fog and snow as wet deposition.

Burning of fossil fuels (which contain sulphur and nitrogenous matter) such as coal and oil in power stations and furnaces or petrol and diesel in motor engines produce sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
SO2 and NO2 after oxidation and reaction with water are major contributors to acid rain, because polluted air usually contains particulate matter that catalyse the oxidation.