← Group B (Gazetted)
Past Questions
The present Governor of the Reserve Bank of India is
A)
Urjit Patel
B)
Shaktikanta Das
C)
P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
D)
Arvind Subramaniam
Shaktikanta Das is the current and 25th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), having assumed office on December 12, 2018. Urjit Patel (Option a) is the former 24th Governor of the RBI who served prior to Shaktikanta Das. P. S. Sreedharan Pillai (Option c) is a prominent politician currently serving as the Governor of Goa. Arvind Subramanian (Option d) is an economist who previously served as the Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India.
Which of the following statement is incorrect about educational policy of “Wood Despatch”?
A)
Recommendation of Anglo-Vernacular Schools throughout the country
B)
To introduce only English as a medium of instruction
C)
Creation of universities on the model of the London University in all the Presidencies
D)
The Universities were set up at Bombay, Calcutta and Madras in 1857.
Option 'b' is the incorrect statement (and thus the correct answer) because Wood's Despatch (1854) did not recommend English as the sole medium of instruction. Instead, it proposed a bilingual approach: vernacular languages (mother tongue) were to be used as the medium of instruction at the school level, while English was recommended for higher education in colleges and universities.
Why other options are incorrect (as they are historically accurate statements about Wood's Despatch):
- Option 'a' is correct because the Despatch recommended a graded system of education, which included setting up Anglo-Vernacular Schools at the district level.
- Option 'c' is correct because it recommended establishing universities in the three Presidencies (Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras) modeled on the University of London.
- Option 'd' is correct because, as a direct result of this policy, the Universities of Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras were established in the year 1857.
Which of the following provisions are included under female infanticide act of 1870? I. Declared female infanticide illegal equivalent to murder II. Parents to register the birth of all babies compulsorily. III. Verification of female children after some years of birth particularly in areas where the custom is still prevalent.
A)
Only I
B)
All the above statement
C)
Only II and III
D)
Only I and II
All three statements are correct provisions under the Female Infanticide Prevention Act of 1870:
1. **Statement I is correct**: The Act reinforced the legal stance against female infanticide, treating it as a crime equivalent to murder (building upon the earlier Bengal Regulations of 1795 and 1804).
2. **Statement II is correct**: It made the registration of births and deaths of all babies compulsory to keep a strict record and prevent secret killings.
3. **Statement III is correct**: It authorized the police and local administration to verify the survival and well-being of female children for several years after birth, particularly in districts where the practice was traditionally prevalent.
Therefore, all the statements are correct, making option 'b' the right choice.
Which of the following Governor-General introduced the services of railway and telegraph systems?
A)
Lord Cornwallis
B)
Lord Dalhousie
C)
Lord Wellesley
D)
Lord Bentinck
Lord Dalhousie, who served as the Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856, introduced both the railway and telegraph systems in India. Under his tenure, the first passenger train ran between Bombay and Thane in 1853, and the first telegraph line was opened between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour in 1851. Other options are incorrect because: Lord Cornwallis (a) is known for the Permanent Settlement of Bengal and civil services reforms; Lord Wellesley (c) is famous for the Subsidiary Alliance system; and Lord Bentinck (d) is renowned for social reforms like the abolition of Sati.
Who among the following published first newspaper in India?
A)
James Augustus Hickey
B)
Lord William Bentinck
C)
Lord Cornwallis
D)
Sir Thomas Munro
James Augustus Hickey is credited with publishing the first newspaper in India, 'Hickey's Bengal Gazette' (also known as the Original Calcutta General Advertiser), in January 1780. Lord William Bentinck (option b) was a Governor-General known for social reforms like the abolition of Sati. Lord Cornwallis (option c) is famous for introducing the Permanent Settlement of Bengal in 1793. Sir Thomas Munro (option d) was a British administrator who introduced the Ryotwari system of land revenue in Madras.
Who among the following founded the Depressed Classes Mission of India?
A)
Dr. B.R Ambedkar
B)
Vitthal Ramji Shinde
C)
Annabhau Sathe
D)
Shantabai Kamble
The Depressed Classes Mission of India was founded by Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde on October 18, 1906, in Bombay (now Mumbai) to work against untouchability and provide educational and social opportunities to the depressed classes.
- Option 'a' (Dr. B.R. Ambedkar) is incorrect because he founded organizations like the Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha (1924) and the Scheduled Castes Federation (1942).
- Option 'c' (Annabhau Sathe) is incorrect as he was a renowned social reformer, folk poet, and writer associated with the progressive writers' movement and Dalit literature.
- Option 'd' (Shantabai Kamble) is incorrect as she was a pioneering Dalit woman writer and educator, famous for writing the first Dalit woman's autobiography.
India’s rank in the Global Peace Index released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) on June 2019 was
A)
121st
B)
131st
C)
141st
D)
151st
In the 13th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI) released by the Australian think-tank Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) in June 2019, India was ranked 141st out of 163 countries. This was a drop of five places from its 2018 rank of 136th. Iceland maintained its position as the most peaceful country in the world, while Afghanistan was ranked the least peaceful. Therefore, options a (121st), b (131st), and d (151st) are incorrect.
Which Bank has won the Best Performing Public Sector Bank Award for the Financial Year 2017-18 from the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)?
A)
Dena Bank
B)
Vijaya Bank
C)
Axis Bank
D)
Bank of Maharashtra
Vijaya Bank was awarded the 'Best Performing Public Sector Bank' for the Financial Year 2017-18 by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) for its outstanding performance in implementing the Atal Pension Yojana (APY). Axis Bank (option c) is a private sector bank and thus ineligible for this specific public sector category, while Dena Bank (option a) and Bank of Maharashtra (option d) did not achieve the top performance ranking for this award during the specified financial year.
Which of the following Government of India Act introduced the diarchy system in the provinces of India?
A)
Government of India Act, 1909
B)
Government of India Act, 1919
C)
Government of India Act, 1935
D)
None of these
The Government of India Act, 1919 (also known as the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms) introduced the system of 'diarchy' (dual rule) in the provinces of India. Under this system, provincial subjects were divided into two categories: 'Transferred' subjects (administered by the Governor with the help of ministers responsible to the Legislative Council) and 'Reserved' subjects (administered by the Governor and his executive council without responsibility to the legislature).
- Option 'a' (Government of India Act, 1909) is incorrect because it is primarily known for introducing separate electorates for Muslims (Morley-Minto Reforms).
- Option 'c' (Government of India Act, 1935) is incorrect because it abolished diarchy in the provinces, introduced provincial autonomy, and proposed diarchy at the Centre instead.
Which of the following statement is not true about the Indian National Congress?
A)
It was formed in 1885
B)
W.C. Bannerjee was the first president of congress.
C)
It was formed when 72 delegates from all the presidencies and provinces of India met at Bombay.
D)
Its founder, A.O.Hume, was a retired British professor in India
Option 'd' is the correct answer because the statement is incorrect. Allan Octavian Hume (A.O. Hume), the founder of the Indian National Congress, was a retired British Civil Servant (Imperial Civil Service officer), not a retired British professor.
The other options are true statements about the Indian National Congress:
- Option 'a' is true as the INC was indeed founded in December 1885.
- Option 'b' is true because Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W.C. Bannerjee) was elected as the first president of the Congress.
- Option 'c' is true because the first session of the INC was held at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay and was attended by 72 delegates from various presidencies and provinces.
Which is not the approach of the Economic Survey 2018-19
A)
Shifting Gears
B)
Policy for Real People, Not Robots
C)
Nourishing Dwarfs to become Giants
D)
Data Revolution
The Economic Survey 2018-19, presented by the Chief Economic Adviser Krishnamurthy Subramanian, outlined a blueprint to achieve a $5 trillion economy.
1. **Why Option 'd' is correct (Not the approach):** The Economic Survey 2018-19 did not use the term 'Data Revolution' as an official theme or approach. Instead, Chapter 4 of the survey focused on treating data as a public good under the heading **'Data Of the People, By the People, For the People'**.
2. **Why other options are incorrect (They are actual approaches/themes):**
- **Option 'a' (Shifting Gears):** This was the core theme of Chapter 1, focusing on private investment as the key driver of growth, jobs, exports, and demand.
- **Option 'b' (Policy for Real People, Not Robots):** This refers to Chapter 2, titled *'Policy for Homo Sapiens, Not Homo Economicus'*, which advocates leveraging behavioral economics ('nudge' theory) for real people rather than assuming purely rational economic agents (robots).
- **Option 'c' (Nourishing Dwarfs to become Giants):** This was the theme of Chapter 3, which focused on reorienting MSME policies to help small firms grow into large, productive enterprises rather than remaining perpetually small ('dwarfs').
The Economic Survey 2018-19 projected the Indian Economy a 5 Trillion Dollar by
A)
2022-23
B)
2024-25
C)
2030-31
D)
2032-33
The Economic Survey 2018-19, tabled by the Government of India, outlined a strategic blueprint to achieve the vision of making India a USD 5 trillion economy by the financial year 2024-25. To accomplish this milestone, the survey projected that India needed to sustain a real GDP growth rate of 8% per annum. Option 'a' (2022-23) was the target year associated with doubling farmers' income, while options 'c' (2030-31) and 'd' (2032-33) represent much later timelines and were not the targets projected in this specific survey.
Which of the following market indices is related to National Stock Exchange?
A)
SENSEX
B)
NIFTY
C)
NCDEX
D)
MCX
NIFTY (specifically NIFTY 50) is the benchmark stock market index for the National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India, representing the weighted average of 50 of the largest Indian companies listed on the exchange.
- SENSEX (Option a) is the benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
- MCX (Option d) stands for Multi Commodity Exchange, which is an independent commodity exchange.
- NCDEX (Option c) stands for National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange, which is an online multi-commodity agricultural exchange.
Which among the following cities will host the 2028 Summer Olympic?
A)
Berlin
B)
Brussels
C)
Rome
D)
Los Angeles
The correct option is 'd' (Los Angeles). The International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially announced that Los Angeles, California, USA will host the 2028 Summer Olympic Games (officially known as the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad) from July 14 to July 30, 2028.
- Option 'a' (Berlin) is incorrect as Berlin hosted the Summer Olympics in 1936.
- Option 'b' (Brussels) is incorrect as Brussels has never hosted the Summer Olympics (though Antwerp, Belgium hosted them in 1920).
- Option 'c' (Rome) is incorrect as Rome hosted the Summer Olympics in 1960.
Who introduced the Ryotwari System in India?
A)
Munro and Charles Reed
B)
Lord Cornwallis
C)
John shore
D)
None of these
The Ryotwari System was introduced in India by Sir Thomas Munro and Captain Alexander Read (often referred to as Charles Reed) in 1820, primarily in the Madras and Bombay Presidencies. Under this system, the land revenue was paid directly by the peasants (ryots) to the state. Lord Cornwallis (Option b) and John Shore (Option c) are associated with the introduction and planning of the Permanent Settlement (Zamindari System) in Bengal in 1793.
The custom of Sati was abolished by Lord William Bentinck in the year:
A)
1823
B)
1825
C)
1826
D)
1829
The correct option is 'd' (1829). The custom of Sati was formally abolished on December 4, 1829, by the Governor-General of India, Lord William Bentinck, through the Bengal Sati Regulation XVII of 1829. This landmark social reform was achieved with the active support of Indian reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy. Options 'a' (1823), 'b' (1825), and 'c' (1826) are incorrect as the practice remained legal and prevalent during those years before the official ban in 1829.
The Reserve Bank of India reduced the repo rate by 25 basis points in June 2019. The repo rate after this announcement is ___
A)
6%
B)
5.75%
C)
5.5%
D)
5.25%
In its second bi-monthly monetary policy review for 2019-20 in June 2019, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced the policy repo rate by 25 basis points (0.25%) from 6.00% to 5.75%. Therefore, the repo rate after this announcement became 5.75%. Option 'a' (6%) was the rate prior to this cut, while options 'c' (5.5%) and 'd' (5.25%) represent rates reached after subsequent rate cuts in later policy reviews of 2019.
Which date is observed as “Hindi Diwas”?
A)
14th September
B)
20th September
C)
23rd September
D)
25th September
Hindi Diwas is celebrated annually on 14th September in India. On this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the official language of the Republic of India under Article 343. The other dates (20th, 23rd, and 25th September) do not have any historical association with the adoption of Hindi as the official language.
The name of Cryptocurrency to be launched by Facebook in 2020 is
A)
Crypt
B)
Encrypt
C)
Libra
D)
Lila
The correct option is 'c' (Libra). In June 2019, Facebook (now Meta) announced its plans to launch a global cryptocurrency named 'Libra' in 2020, managed by the Libra Association. The project was later rebranded to 'Diem' in late 2020 before eventually being wound down and its assets sold in 2022. The other options—'Crypt', 'Encrypt', and 'Lila'—are incorrect as they were never the names of Facebook's proposed digital currency.
Who ordered the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?
A)
Michael O’Dwyer
B)
Nigel Collett
C)
Reginald Dyer
D)
Saifuddin Kitchlew
Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer was the military commander who ordered the British Indian Army troops to open fire on the unarmed gathering of civilians at Jallianwala Bagh on April 13, 1919.
- **Michael O’Dwyer (Option a):** He was the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab at the time who approved of Dyer's actions post-facto, but he did not directly order the firing.
- **Nigel Collett (Option b):** He is a modern historian and author who wrote 'The Butcher of Amritsar', a biography of Reginald Dyer.
- **Saifuddin Kitchlew (Option d):** He was a prominent Indian nationalist leader whose arrest, along with Dr. Satyapal, triggered the protests that led to the gathering at Jallianwala Bagh.
The East India Company was established in :
A)
1600 AD
B)
1601AD
C)
1602 AD
D)
1603 AD
The East India Company (specifically the English East India Company) was established on December 31, 1600, when Queen Elizabeth I granted a Royal Charter to 'The Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies'. Therefore, 1600 AD is the correct year of establishment. Option b (1601 AD) is incorrect, although the company's first voyage sailed in this year. Option c (1602 AD) is incorrect as it marks the establishment of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Option d (1603 AD) is incorrect as the company had already been functioning for three years by this time.
Who is the author of the book “The First Indian War of Independence- 1857-59”?
A)
Karl Marx
B)
Syed Ahmad Khan
C)
R. C. Mazumdar
D)
S. N. Sen
The correct option is 'a' (Karl Marx). 'The First Indian War of Independence 1857-59' is a compilation of articles written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels for the New York Daily Tribune during the 1857 uprising, analyzing the rebellion from a Marxist perspective. Other options are incorrect because: Syed Ahmad Khan (Option b) wrote 'Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind' (The Causes of the Indian Revolt); R. C. Mazumdar (Option c) authored 'The Sepoy Mutiny and the Revolt of 1857'; and S. N. Sen (Option d) wrote 'Eighteen Fifty-Seven' (1857), which was commissioned by the Government of India.
The Omani author Jokha Al Harthi won the Man Booker International Prize 2019 for her novel
A)
Celestial Bodies
B)
Man in the Universe
C)
Galaxy
D)
No Man Land
The correct option is 'a' because Jokha Alharthi won the Man Booker International Prize in 2019 for her novel 'Celestial Bodies' (originally written in Arabic as 'Sayyidat al-Qamar'), translated into English by Marilyn Booth. She made history as the first Arabic-language writer to win this prestigious award. The other options ('Man in the Universe', 'Galaxy', and 'No Man Land') are incorrect as they are not the titles of the award-winning novel by Jokha Alharthi.
Indigo manufacture was introduced in India at the end of the 18th century and flourished in:
A)
Bengal and Bihar
B)
Delhi and UP
C)
Bengal and Orissa
D)
Bengal and Bombay
Indigo manufacture was introduced in Bengal in 1777 by the French planter Louis Bonnaud. It rapidly expanded and flourished primarily in the fertile regions of Bengal and Bihar due to highly favorable soil and climatic conditions, coupled with the high demand for natural blue dye in the European textile industry. While indigo was grown in small quantities elsewhere, Bengal and Bihar remained the undisputed hubs of commercial indigo production in British India, leading to historical events like the Indigo Revolt in Bengal and the Champaran Satyagraha in Bihar.
When is the International Day of Democracy celebrated?
A)
15 September
B)
15 October
C)
15 August
D)
15 December
The International Day of Democracy is celebrated around the world on 15 September each year. It was established by a resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007 to promote and uphold the principles of democracy.
- 15 October (Option b) is celebrated as World Students' Day (birth anniversary of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam) and Global Handwashing Day.
- 15 August (Option c) is celebrated as Independence Day in India.
- 15 December (Option d) is celebrated as International Tea Day in several tea-producing countries.