← SI (Excise)
Past Questions — 2014
If the cost price of 6 mangoes is equal to the selling price of 5 mangoes, then the profit percent is
A)
20%
B)
16%
C)
10%
D)
30%
If CP of 6 equals SP of 5, SP/CP=6/5, giving a 20% profit.
What will come in place of the question mark (?) in the following series of numbers? 1024, 256, 64, 16, ?
A)
8
B)
4
C)
9
D)
6
Each term is one-fourth of the previous term: 16÷4=4.
The book entitled ‘A Grammar and Dictionary of the Lushai Language’ published in 1898 was written by –
A)
Peri Sap (N.E.Parry)
B)
Tarmita (Col. J.Shakespear)
C)
Zosapthara (Rev. Edwin Rowlands)
D)
Pu Buanga (J.H.Lorrain)
The 1898 work is associated with J. Herbert Lorrain (Pu Buanga) and Fred W. Savidge.
Pharmacology is the science that deals with
A)
The knowledge of treatment of diseases
B)
The knowledge of drugs and preparation of medicines
C)
The knowledge of physical operation to diseases
D)
The knowledge of blood typing, DNA technique and identification of narcotic etc.
Pharmacology studies drugs and their effects, including the preparation/use of medicines.
From the linguistic point of view, the Mizo language belongs to the –
A)
Tibeto-Burman family
B)
The Mongoloid family
C)
Dravidians family
D)
Aryan family
Mizo belongs to the Tibeto-Burman branch; this repeats the preceding question.
What will come in place of the question mark (?) in the following series of numbers? 21, 25, 33, 49, 81, ?
A)
174
B)
136
C)
204
D)
145
The differences double: +4,+8,+16,+32,+64, so 81+64=145.
During the 19th Century, the English invested most of their money in India through
A)
Plantation
B)
Iron and steel
C)
Textiles
D)
None of these
During the 19th century, British capital investment in India was concentrated mainly in plantation industries, especially tea, coffee, and indigo. These were profitable export-oriented sectors under colonial rule. Iron and steel industries developed much later, and textiles were not the main area of English investment in India during that period.
In Assam, Shifting cultivation is known as
A)
Onam
B)
Jhoom
C)
Bewar
D)
Penda
Shifting cultivation in Assam is commonly called Jhoom (or Jhum). It is a traditional slash-and-burn method practiced in the hill areas of Northeast India. The other terms are used in different regions: Bewar in Madhya Pradesh/central India, Penda in parts of Odisha, and Onam is not related to shifting cultivation.
Under the provisions of the Indian Constitution a community can be declared a minority on the basis of-
A)
Religion only
B)
Either religion or language
C)
Either language or caste
D)
Either religion or race
Under the Indian Constitution, minorities are recognized on the basis of either religion or language. This is reflected in Articles 29 and 30, which protect the interests of minorities and grant them cultural and educational rights. A community is not declared a minority on the basis of caste or race under these provisions. Hence, option (b) is correct.
What is the system of governance in the Panchayati Raj set-up?
A)
Single tier structure of local self-government at the village level
B)
Two tier system of local self-government at the village and block levels
C)
Three tier structure of local self-government, at the village, block and district levels
D)
Four tier system of local self-government at the village, block and state district levels
Panchayati Raj in India is a three-tier system of local self-government: Gram Panchayat at the village level, Panchayat Samiti at the block/intermediate level, and Zila Parishad at the district level. Therefore, option (c) is correct. Options (a) and (b) describe incomplete structures, and (d) is incorrect because there is no separate 'state district' tier in the Panchayati Raj system.
Indian economy is regarded as underdeveloped due to -
A)
high proportion of people below poverty line
B)
imbalance between heavy industry and wage goods
C)
instability of agricultural output and its related sectors
D)
all of these
An underdeveloped economy is typically characterized by widespread poverty, structural imbalance in production, and instability in agriculture and allied sectors. India has historically shown all these features: a high proportion of people below the poverty line, imbalance between heavy industry and wage-goods production, and unstable agricultural output affecting related sectors. Therefore, the correct answer is 'all of these'.
According to Foreign Trade Statistics (2010-11), the top trading partners of India are -
A)
Japan, S. Korea and China
B)
Japan, UAE and USA
C)
China, Kuwait and S. Korea
D)
China, UAE and USA
According to India’s Foreign Trade Statistics for 2010-11, the major trading partners among the given choices were China, UAE and USA. Hence option (d) is correct. The other options include countries like Japan, South Korea, and Kuwait, which were not the top trio in that year.
Which Act allowed the Christian Missionaries to proselytise their religion?
A)
Charter Act of 1813
B)
The Rowlatt Act of 1919
C)
Charter Act of 1793
D)
Government of India Act 1833
The Charter Act of 1813 is the correct answer because it officially allowed Christian missionaries to enter British India and carry out missionary work, including proselytisation. Before this, missionary activity was restricted. The other options are incorrect: the Rowlatt Act (1919) dealt with repressive wartime powers, the Charter Act of 1793 renewed Company privileges without opening India to missionaries, and the Government of India Act 1833 mainly ended the East India Company's trade monopoly and further opened administration, but the first legal permission for missionaries came in 1813.
What does Downward Filtration Theory mean?
A)
Grass root level reforms
B)
Caste filtration education
C)
Modern education
D)
Knowledge from a few educated upper classes would filter down to the masses
The Downward Filtration Theory in modern Indian education policy meant that education should first be given to the upper and middle classes, and then it would gradually spread to the lower classes. So the idea was that knowledge from a few educated upper classes would filter down to the masses. The other options do not describe this theory.
Consider the following statements with regard to the powers enjoyed by the Governor of a state of India: 1. He addresses the Legislative Assembly of the State at the commencement of the first session of each year 2. He can send message to the Legislative Assembly at that time 3. He can summon, prorogue and dissolve the Legislative Assembly of the State 4. He can give Assent to Bill to curtail the power of the State High Court Which of these are correct?
A)
1 and 4
B)
3 and 4
C)
1 and 2
D)
1, 2 and 3
Statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct. Under Article 176, the Governor addresses the Legislative Assembly at the commencement of the first session after each general election and at the first session of each year, and he may send messages to the House. Under Article 174, he can summon, prorogue and dissolve the Legislative Assembly. Statement 4 is incorrect because a Governor cannot assent to a Bill that curtails the powers of the State High Court as such matters fall within constitutional limits and may require Presidential/constitutional consideration; the statement is not a general power of the Governor.
The famous Asiatic Society of India was founded by
A)
William Jones
B)
Lord Cornwallis
C)
Lord Wellesley
D)
Lord Dalhousie
The Asiatic Society of India was founded in 1784 by Sir William Jones in Calcutta. He was a noted orientalist and judge who initiated the society to promote studies in Asian languages, history, and culture. The other options are incorrect because Cornwallis, Wellesley, and Dalhousie were British governors-general, not the founder of the Asiatic Society.
Indian economy is most appropriately described as a
A)
capitalist economy
B)
mixed economy
C)
socialist economy
D)
None of these
Indian economy is most appropriately described as a mixed economy because both the public sector and the private sector coexist and play important roles. The government controls and regulates key industries and welfare activities, while private enterprise operates in many other areas. It is not purely capitalist, since the state intervenes significantly, and not purely socialist, since private ownership and market forces are also present.
Who among the following is not considered the member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)?
A)
chairman of the National Commission for Minorities
B)
chairman of the National Commission for the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes
C)
chairman of the National Commission for Women
D)
chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the NHRC consists of the Chairperson, members, and certain ex officio members. The ex officio members include the chairpersons of the National Commission for Minorities, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, and the National Commission for Backward Classes, along with the chairperson of the National Commission for Women was not made an NHRC member in the original composition asked in such exam contexts. The UPSC chairman is also not an NHRC member. Among the given options, the one not considered a member is the chairman of the National Commission for Women.
The Indian national movement upto 1905 was dominated by leaders who are often described as
A)
Militants
B)
Extremists
C)
Conservative groups
D)
Moderates
The Indian national movement up to 1905 was mainly led by the early Congress leaders such as Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Pherozeshah Mehta. They believed in constitutional methods, petitions, prayers, and peaceful reforms, so they are known as the Moderates. The Extremists became prominent only after 1905, especially during the Swadeshi movement.
The RBI was nationalised on -
A)
1st January,1949
B)
1st March, 1949
C)
1st January, 1950
D)
1st March 1950
The Reserve Bank of India was nationalised with effect from 1 January 1949, when it was taken over by the Government of India under the Reserve Bank (Transfer to Public Ownership) Act, 1948. Hence option (a) is correct. The other dates are incorrect because RBI’s transfer to public ownership did not occur in 1950.
In the strategy of development adopted, the responsibility for the development of heavy capital goods industries was placed largely on
A)
private sector
B)
public sector
C)
joint sector
D)
cooperative sector
In India’s planned development strategy, heavy capital goods industries were considered strategic and required huge investment, long gestation periods, and strong state control. Therefore, their development was placed largely on the public sector. The private sector was mainly expected to handle consumer goods and lighter industries. Joint and cooperative sectors were not the primary responsibility for heavy capital goods industries.
Who was the founder of Brahmo Samaj?
A)
Swami Dayananda Saraswati
B)
Devedranath Tagore
C)
Mahatma Gandhi
D)
Raja Rammohan Roy
Brahmo Samaj was founded by Raja Rammohan Roy in 1828. He is regarded as the father of the Brahmo movement. Swami Dayananda Saraswati founded Arya Samaj, Debendranath Tagore was an important leader of Brahmo Samaj but not its founder, and Mahatma Gandhi was associated with the Indian freedom movement, not the founding of Brahmo Samaj.
Who was the founder of Forward Block?
A)
Mahatma Gandhi
B)
P.C.Joshi
C)
Subhash Chandra Bose
D)
Jayprakash Narayan
The Forward Bloc was founded by Subhash Chandra Bose in 1939 after he resigned from the Indian National Congress. It was formed to consolidate the left-wing and nationalist forces within the freedom movement. The other options are incorrect: Mahatma Gandhi founded the Indian National Congress's non-violent movement, P.C. Joshi was a communist leader, and Jayprakash Narayan was a socialist leader associated with later movements.
The trade monopoly of the East India Company was ended and India was thrown open to a system of free trade by the
A)
Charter Act of 1813
B)
Regulating Act of 1772
C)
Pitt’s India Act of 1884
D)
Government of India Act of 1858
The Charter Act of 1813 ended the East India Company’s trade monopoly in India, except for tea and trade with China for some time, and opened India to free trade by other British merchants. The Regulating Act of 1772 dealt with administration, not trade monopoly. Pitt’s India Act of 1784 (not 1884) was about dual control of Company affairs. The Government of India Act of 1858 transferred power from the Company to the Crown, but did not end the trade monopoly in the way asked here.
What was the work of the Shudhi movement started by the Arya Samaj?
A)
To protect Hindus from Islam and Christianity
B)
To convert non-Hindus to Hinduism
C)
To promote patriotism
D)
To spread the practice of Yoga
The Shuddhi movement was launched by the Arya Samaj to reconvert people who had left Hinduism or to bring non-Hindus into the Hindu fold. Hence, its main work was conversion to Hinduism. Option (a) is related more to defensive religious reform, while (c) and (d) are unrelated to the Shuddhi movement.