TGPSC Group-I Prelims 1987

140 questions from the 1987 papers, each with the official answer and an explanation.

A question repeated across years is listed once, under one of the years it appeared.

1. Q1Vedic Age and the Mahajanapadas

   The Nanda dynasty were followers of which dynasty?

   • aShishunaga dynastyAnswer
   • bHaryanka dynasty
   • cAchaemenid dynasty
   • dMaurya dynasty
   ›Explanation

   Option A is correct because the Nanda dynasty succeeded the Shishunaga dynasty to rule the Magadha Empire, meaning they came chronologically after the Shishunagas. Haryanka dynasty came first in Magadha. Shishunaga dynasty succeeded the Haryankas. Nanda dynasty succeeded the Shishunagas. Maurya dynasty succeeded the Nandas. Option B: The Haryanka dynasty preceded the Shishunaga dynasty, not immediately prior to the Nandas. Option C: The Achaemenid dynasty ruled in Persia, not in the imperial succession line of Magadha. Option D: The Maurya dynasty succeeded the Nanda dynasty rather than preceding it.

2. Q2Vedic Age and the Mahajanapadas

   Pratityasamutpada (Law of causation) is whose philosophical contribution?

   • aGautama BuddhaAnswer
   • bMahavira
   • cAdi Shankara
   • dAjita Kesakambalin
   ›Explanation

   Option A is correct because Pratityasamutpada, or dependent origination, is the core causal theory of Buddhism formulated by Gautama Buddha to explain the origin of suffering. Option B: Mahavira was the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism and propounded Anekantavada and Syadvada, not Pratityasamutpada. Option C: Adi Shankara was an exponent of Advaita Vedanta philosophy, not the Buddhist law of causation. Option D: Ajita Kesakambalin was an ancient materialist philosopher of the Charvaka or Lokayata school who rejected karmic causality.

3. Q3Gupta and post-Gupta India

   Where are the achievements of Samudragupta mentioned?

   • aHathigumpha rock inscriptions
   • bAllahabad pillar inscriptionsAnswer
   • cGirnar rock inscriptions
   • dSarnath rock inscriptions
   ›Explanation

   Option B is correct because the Allahabad Pillar inscription (Prayag Prashasti), composed in classical Sanskrit by court poet Harishena, provides an official and exhaustive panegyric of Samudragupta's military expeditions and personal qualities. Option A: Hathigumpha rock inscription at Udayagiri records the biographical achievements of King Kharavela of Kalinga. Option C: Girnar rock inscriptions preserve records of the Maurya emperor Ashoka, Western Satrap Rudradaman I, and Gupta ruler Skandagupta. Option D: Sarnath rock and pillar inscriptions belong primarily to the reign of Ashoka and later Buddhist monastic records.

4. Q4Early medieval South Indian dynasties

   Where are Navabrahma temples situated at?

   • aDraksharam
   • bSrisailam
   • cAlampuramAnswer
   • dTirupati
   ›Explanation

   Option C is correct because the group of nine Shiva temples known as the Navabrahma temples was constructed by the Western Chalukyas of Badami at Alampuram. Option A: Draksharam is one of the five sacred Pancharama sites built by the Eastern Chalukyas, not the site of the Navabrahma shrines. Option B: Srisailam is celebrated for the Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga and Bhramaramba Shakti Peetha. Option D: Tirupati is known for the Lord Venkateswara temple atop the Tirumala hills.

5. Q5Early medieval South Indian dynasties

   Whose contemporary was Pampakavi

   • aVishnu Gopudu
   • bIndra Bhattaraka Varma
   • cKubja Vishnuvardhana
   • dImmadi ArikesariAnswer
   ›Explanation

   Option D is correct because Adikavi Pampa, the celebrated classical Kannada poet who authored Vikramarjuna Vijaya, was the court poet and commander of Immadi Arikesari, the ruler of the Vemulawada Chalukya dynasty. Option A: Vishnu Gopudu was an early Pallava monarch who lived centuries before Pampa. Option B: Indra Bhattaraka Varma was a Vishnukundina king from the sixth century CE, long preceding Pampa. Option C: Kubja Vishnuvardhana was the seventh-century founder of the Eastern Chalukya dynasty, centuries before the tenth-century poet.

6. Q6Early medieval South Indian dynasties

   Navabrahma Mandiram is located in.

   • aDraksharama
   • bSrisailam
   • cAlampurAnswer
   • dTirupati
   ›Explanation

   Option C is correct because the Navabrahma temples, a cluster of nine magnificent seventh-century Shiva temples built by the Badami Chalukyas, are situated at Alampur on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. Option A: Draksharama houses the Bhimeswara Swamy temple, an Eastern Chalukyan Pancharama shrine, not the Navabrahma complex. Option B: Srisailam is famous for the Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga temple, not the nine Chalukyan Brahma shrines. Option D: Tirupati is the site of the Venkateswara temple in the Seshachalam hills and has no connection with the Navabrahma group.

7. Q7Early medieval South Indian dynasties

   Panchakavi was a contemporary of whom?

   • aVishnu Gopa
   • bIndra Bhattaraka Varma
   • cKubja Vishnuvardhana
   • dJammadi ArakesariAnswer
   ›Explanation

   Option D is correct because the question refers to Adikavi Pampa, who lived in the court of Arikesari II, also known as Immadi or Jammadi Arikesari, of the Vemulawada Chalukyas. Option A: Vishnu Gopa was a fourth-century Pallava king mentioned in the Allahabad pillar inscription, centuries before the poet. Option B: Indra Bhattaraka Varma was a sixth-century Vishnukundina monarch with no temporal overlap with Pampa. Option C: Kubja Vishnuvardhana established the Eastern Chalukya line in the early seventh century, centuries prior to Pampa.

8. Q8Early medieval South Indian dynasties

   Who built the Thousand Pillar Temple in Hanamkonda?

   • aKakati
   • bRudradevaAnswer
   • cGanapati Deva
   • dPrataparudra
   ›Explanation

   Option B is correct because the Thousand Pillar Temple (Rudreswara Swamy Temple) at Hanamkonda was built by the Kakatiya ruler Rudradeva (Prataparudra I) in 1163 AD. Option A: Kakati refers to the mythical progenitor or the goddess associated with the dynasty, not the ruler who constructed the temple. Option C: Ganapati Deva ruled later, from 1199 to 1262 AD, and was famous for shifting the capital to Warangal. Option D: Prataparudra (Prataparudra II) was the last major ruler of the Kakatiya dynasty and did not build this 12th-century monument.

9. Q9Vijayanagara and the Deccan Sultanates

   The Portuguese traveler who wrote about the Vijayanagara Empire

   • aAbdur Razzaq
   • bFa Hien
   • cNiccolò de' Conti
   • dFernãoAnswer
   ›Explanation

   Option D is correct because Fernao Nuniz was a Portuguese traveler and horse trader who spent several years in the Vijayanagara Empire during the reign of Achyuta Devaraya and chronicled its history. Option A: Abdur Razzaq was a Persian ambassador sent by the Timurid ruler Shah Rukh, not a Portuguese traveler. Option B: Fa Hien was a Chinese Buddhist monk who visited northern India during the Gupta period. Option C: Niccolo de Conti was an Italian merchant from Venice, not Portuguese.

10. Q10Vijayanagara and the Deccan Sultanates

    Capital of Aravidu dynasty

    • aVijayanagaram
    • bAddanki
    • cAnantapuram
    • dPenukondaAnswer
    ›Explanation

    Option D is correct because following the destruction of Hampi after the Battle of Talikota in 1565, Tirumala Raya shifted the seat of power to Penukonda, making it the primary capital of the newly founded Aravidu dynasty. Option A: Vijayanagaram is a city in northern Andhra Pradesh and was never an imperial seat of the Aravidu kings. Option B: Addanki served historically as a capital for the Reddi dynasty, not the Aravidu dynasty. Option C: Anantapuram is a district and town in the region, but Penukonda was the specific fortified royal capital chosen by Tirumala Raya.

11. Q11Vijayanagara and the Deccan Sultanates

    Addanki Gangadhara was a poet of which dynasty?

    • aSingabhupala
    • bIbrahim QutbshahAnswer
    • cAbul Hasan Tanisha
    • dPrataparudra of Kakati
    ›Explanation

    Option B is correct because Addanki Gangadhara was a court poet of Ibrahim Qutb Shah, dedicating his famous Telugu work Tapati Samvaranopadhyanamu to the ruler. Option A: Singabhupala was a medieval patron and ruler of the Recherla Velama kingdom, unrelated to Gangadhara. Option C: Abul Hasan Tanisha was the final Qutb Shahi king who ruled over a century after Gangadhara's literary period. Option D: Prataparudra of Kakati ruled in Warangal in the early fourteenth century, long before the Qutb Shahi literary era.

12. Q12Vijayanagara and the Deccan Sultanates

    Founder of the Qutb Shahi dynasty

    • aMuhammad Qutb Shah
    • bQuli Qutb ShahAnswer
    • cMahmud Gawan
    • dIbrahim Qutb Shah
    ›Explanation

    Option B is correct because Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk, a Turkmen noble who served as governor of Telangana under the Bahmanis, declared independence in 1512 and established the Qutb Shahi dynasty with Golconda as its capital. Option A: Muhammad Qutb Shah was the sixth ruler of the dynasty, reigning from 1612 to 1626. Option C: Mahmud Gawan was the famous prime minister of the Bahmani Sultanate, not a Qutb Shahi ruler. Option D: Ibrahim Qutb Shah was the fourth sultan of the dynasty and reigned between 1550 and 1580.

13. Q13Vijayanagara and the Deccan Sultanates

    'Tavernier', who visited during the time of Abdullah Qutb Shahi kings, was a traveler from where?

    • aPortugal
    • bFranceAnswer
    • cEngland
    • dItaly
    ›Explanation

    Option B is correct because Jean-Baptiste Tavernier was a seventeenth-century French gem merchant and traveler who made multiple voyages to India, documenting the diamond mines and Golconda under Abdullah Qutb Shah. Option A: Portugal was the origin of earlier travelers such as Duarte Barbosa and Domingo Paes, not Tavernier. Option C: England was represented by other prominent seventeenth-century visitors like William Hawkins and Thomas Roe. Option D: Italy was represented by travelers such as Pietro Della Valle and Niccolao Manucci.

14. Q14Advent of the Europeans and the struggle for supremacy

    The year the Battle of Chandurti took place

    • a1657
    • b1750
    • c1758Answer
    • d1792
    ›Explanation

    Option C is correct because the Battle of Chandurti (or Condore) was fought on 9 December 1758 between the British forces under Colonel Francis Forde and the French troops under Marquis de Conflans. Battle of Chandurti date: 9 December 1758 Opposing commanders: Colonel Forde (British) and Marquis de Conflans (French) Option A: 1657 predates the presence of significant European rivalries and military campaigns in coastal Andhra. Option B: 1750 was during the Second Carnatic War, long before Forde's Northern Circars expedition. Option D: 1792 was the year of the Treaty of Seringapatam in the Third Anglo-Mysore War.

15. Q15Advent of the Europeans and the struggle for supremacy

    The military leader who stabilized French power in Hyderabad from 1751 to 1758

    • aFrench
    • bLally
    • cFord
    • dBussyAnswer
    ›Explanation

    Option D is correct because the French commander Bussy remained stationed at Hyderabad from 1751 to 1758 to protect Nizam Salabat Jang, during which he established French supremacy in the Deccan and acquired the Northern Circars. 1751: Bussy escorted Salabat Jang to Hyderabad and established French military presence 1753: Bussy secured the cession of the Northern Circars to pay for French troops 1758: Count de Lally recalled Bussy from Hyderabad to assist at Madras Option A: French is a collective national term rather than the specific name of the military commander. Option B: Lally was the French governor-general who arrived in 1758 and undermined French power by recalling Bussy from Hyderabad. Option C: Ford refers to Colonel Francis Forde, an English officer dispatched by Robert Clive to capture the Northern Circars from the French in 1758.

16. Q16Advent of the Europeans and the struggle for supremacy

    The last Governor General under East India Company rule

    • aCanningAnswer
    • bDalhousie
    • cWarren Hastings
    • dRipon
    ›Explanation

    Option A is correct because Lord Canning assumed office as the Governor-General of India in 1856 under the East India Company and remained in that role until the Government of India Act 1858 ended Company rule, making him the last Governor-General under the Company and the first Viceroy under the British Crown. Option B: Dalhousie served until 1856 and handed over the administration to Lord Canning prior to the 1857 revolt. Option C: Warren Hastings was the very first Governor-General of Bengal under the Regulating Act of 1773. Option D: Ripon served as Crown Viceroy decades later, from 1880 to 1884, long after the East India Company was dissolved.

17. Q17The Indian National Movement

    First President of Indian National Congress

    • aA.O. Hume
    • bW.C. BanerjeeAnswer
    • cSurendranath Banerjee
    • dPherozeshah Mehta
    ›Explanation

    Option B is correct because Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee presided over the inaugural session of the Indian National Congress held at Bombay in December 1885. Option A: Allan Octavian Hume was the founder and General Secretary of the Congress, not its first President. Option C: Surendranath Banerjee did not attend the first session due to the concurrent Indian National Conference, and presided later in 1895 and 1902. Option D: Pherozeshah Mehta presided over the 6th session of the Congress in 1890, not the first.

18. Q18The Indian National Movement

    When did the Partition of Bengal take place?

    • a1911
    • b1904
    • c19.5Answer
    • d1906

    Explanation coming soon.

19. Q19The Indian National Movement

    The person who designed the tricolor flag for the Indian National Congress

    • aDuggirala Gopalakrishnayya
    • bBhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya
    • cPingali VenkayyaAnswer
    • dMahatma Gandhi
    ›Explanation

    Option C is correct because Pingali Venkayya, an educationalist and freedom fighter from Andhra Pradesh, designed the tricolor flag with the spinning wheel that was presented to Mahatma Gandhi at the 1921 Vijayawada Congress session. Option A: Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya was famous for leading the Chirala-Perala struggle and the Ramadandu cadre, not for flag design. Option B: Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya was a prominent Congress historian and founder of Andhra Bank, not the designer of the flag. Option D: Mahatma Gandhi suggested adding the white stripe and charkha to the design, but he was not the flag designer.

20. Q20The Indian National Movement

    Stanam Narasimha Rao is a famous Telugu

    • aThe poet
    • bPainter
    • cA stage actorAnswer
    • dSocial reformer
    ›Explanation

    Option C is correct because Sthanam Narasimha Rao was an iconic Telugu stage actor renowned for his portrayal of female characters such as Satyabhama, Chintamani, and Chandramati in theatrical plays. Option A: He did not establish his fame as a poet but as a versatile dramatist and actor. Option B: He was not a painter; his primary artistic medium was theatre. Option D: Though theatre often aided social reform themes, he is specifically remembered as a legendary stage actor.

21. Q21The Indian National Movement

    Gudavalli Ramabraham is famous

    • aPeasant leader
    • bMusician
    • cTelugu film directorAnswer
    • dEntrepreneur
    ›Explanation

    Option C is correct because Gudavalli Ramabrahmam was a prominent Telugu filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer who directed landmark socially conscious Telugu movies such as Malapilla (1938) and Raithu Bidda (1939). Option A: Peasant leader misidentifies him; though his film Raithu Bidda championed farmers' causes, he was not a political peasant leader. Option B: Musician is incorrect because he did not achieve prominence as a musical artist or composer. Option D: Entrepreneur is incorrect as his historical acclaim rests firmly on his pioneering contributions to Telugu realistic cinema.

22. Q22The Indian National Movement

    The director of the 'Tamas' story series on Doordarshan

    • aBhisham Sahni
    • bManohar S. Joshi
    • cGovind NihalaniAnswer
    • dRamanand Sagar
    ›Explanation

    Option C is correct because Govind Nihalani directed and shot the critically acclaimed 1987-1988 Doordarshan television series Tamas, based on the partition of India. Option A: Bhisham Sahni was the author who wrote the original Sahitya Akademi Award-winning novel Tamas, not the director. Option B: Manohar Shyam Joshi was a prominent television writer who scripted Hum Log and Buniyaad, not the director of Tamas. Option D: Ramanand Sagar was the producer and director of the epic television serial Ramayan.

23. Q23World history: revolutions, the world wars and the modern world

    Perestroika means

    • aFree trade sector
    • bSocialist trade sector
    • cCooperative effort
    • dReconstructionAnswer
    ›Explanation

    Option D is correct because Perestroika is a Russian term meaning reconstruction or restructuring, which referred to the reform program launched by Mikhail Gorbachev to decentralize and modernize the Soviet political and economic system. Option A: Free trade sector is incorrect because the term signifies overall restructuring rather than just a free trade zone. Option B: Socialist trade sector describes a commercial category rather than the reform concept of system overhaul. Option C: Cooperative effort misstates the definition; the complementary policy of openness and transparency was known as glasnost.

24. Q24World history: revolutions, the world wars and the modern world

    Arab Gulf War means

    • aWar between Iran and Saudi Arabia
    • bWar between Israel and Syria
    • cWar between Iran and IraqAnswer
    • dNone of the above
    ›Explanation

    Option C is correct because the prolonged conflict between Iran and Iraq fought from September 1980 to August 1988 over territorial disputes and regional dominance in the Persian Gulf is historically known as the Iran-Iraq War or the First Persian Gulf War. Option A: War between Iran and Saudi Arabia has never taken place as an open direct military confrontation termed the Arab Gulf War. Option B: War between Israel and Syria forms part of the Arab-Israeli conflicts, including the 1967 Six-Day War and 1973 Yom Kippur War, not the Gulf wars. Option D: None of the above is incorrect because the 1980 to 1988 war between Iran and Iraq is widely referenced by this designation.

25. Q25World history: revolutions, the world wars and the modern world

    The term Iran Gate means

    • aA sea route to Iran
    • bAn alleged rumor that weapons were secretly supplied to IranAnswer
    • cA peace zone between Iran and Iraq
    • dNone of the above
    ›Explanation

    Option B is correct because the term Iran-Gate refers to the political scandal in the 1980s involving secret US government arrangements that facilitated the sale of arms to Iran while it was subject to an arms embargo. Option A: It does not denote a geographical waterway or nautical transit route. Option C: It was not a demilitarized or peace zone between Iran and Iraq. Option D: It is incorrect because option B accurately describes the event.

26. Q26Post-independence consolidation and reorganisation

    Expedition India is

    • aA program designed for tourism development in India
    • bA program undertaken to promote Indian unity
    • cSunil Dutt's foot march
    • dA program designed for the development of Indian trade and tourism in the United States of AmericaAnswer
    ›Explanation

    Option D is correct because Expedition India was a specific promotional initiative organized to foster Indian trade, business partnerships, and tourism outreach directly in the United States of America. Option A: This option is incomplete as it misses the core aspect of targeting American markets and bilateral trade. Option B: Indian unity promotion relates to domestic integration initiatives rather than the trade-focused Expedition India campaign. Option C: Sunil Dutt's famous foot march was the Mahashanti Padyatra for communal harmony, entirely unrelated to Expedition India.

27. Q27Firsts in India: the first university, bank, dam, railway and budget

    The newspaper that celebrated its centenary in 1988

    • aHitavada
    • bMalayala ManoramaAnswer
    • cTimes of India
    • dAnandabazar Patrika
    ›Explanation

    Option B is correct because the Malayalam-language daily Malayala Manorama was founded in 1888 by Kandathil Varghese Mappillai, completing its 100 years of publication in 1988. Option A: Hitavada was founded in 1911 by Gopal Krishna Gokhale and marked its centenary in 2011. Option C: Times of India was founded in 1838 and celebrated its sesquicentennial (150 years) in 1988, not its centenary. Option D: Anandabazar Patrika was founded in 1922 and reached its centenary in 2022.

28. Q28History of science, mathematics and medicine in India

    Baudhayana's teachings are found in what?

    • aDance
    • bTheatre
    • cMedicine
    • dMathematicsAnswer
    ›Explanation

    Option D is correct because Baudhayana was an ancient Indian mathematician and Vedic priest whose Baudhayana Sulbasutra contains foundational geometric principles, square root approximations, and early statements of the Pythagorean theorem. Option A: Ancient Indian dance traditions are codified in texts such as the Natyashastra, not the Sulbasutras of Baudhayana. Option B: Classical theatrical treatises stem from dramatic traditions established by scholars like Bharata Muni. Option C: Ancient Indian medical knowledge is compiled in foundational Ayurvedic texts by Charaka and Sushruta.

29. Q29Telangana: the Nizam's state, the armed struggle and statehood

    Between whom was the 'Warga' agreement made?

    • aNizam and the ruler of Mysore
    • bNizam and PeshwaAnswer
    • cPeshwa and Mughals
    • dMughals and Marathas
    ›Explanation

    Option B is correct because the Warga agreement was a revenue-sharing treaty concluded between the Nizam and the Peshwa to divide chauth and sardeshmukhi collections in the contested border territories. Option A: The rulers of Mysore engaged in military pacts and hostilities with the Nizam, but this revenue settlement was not with them. Option C: The Mughal-Maratha treaties of the early eighteenth century were broad imperial sanctions rather than the specific Nizam-Peshwa Warga agreement. Option D: The Marathas secured their imperial rights from the Mughal Emperor, whereas the local shared collections known under the Warga agreement were directly negotiated with the Nizam.

30. Q30Telangana: the Nizam's state, the armed struggle and statehood

    Name of the revenue system introduced by Salar Jung

    • aRyotwari system
    • bZamindari system
    • cZillabandiAnswer
    • dPermanent fallow lands
    ›Explanation

    Option C is correct because Salar Jung I introduced the comprehensive administrative and revenue restructuring known as the Zillabandi system in 1865, under which the state was demarcated into distinct districts and taluks with salaried revenue officials, replacing the exploitative revenue-farming system. Zillabandi system launched: 1865 Administrative units formed: Subahs, Zillas, and Taluks Key objective: Abolishing the taluqdari farming system and collecting tax directly Option A: Ryotwari was the British system created by Thomas Munro, and though Salar Jung adopted individual cultivator settlements, his scheme was officially designated Zillabandi. Option B: The Zamindari system was the Permanent Settlement mechanism of British Bengal, which Salar Jung worked to dismantle in Hyderabad. Option D: Permanent fallow lands is a category of land classification, not an administrative taxation reform.

31. Q31Telangana: the Nizam's state, the armed struggle and statehood

    The dynasty that ruled Hyderabad from 1724 to 1948

    • aNizam Shahi
    • bQutb Shahi
    • cAsaf JahiAnswer
    • dImad Shahi
    ›Explanation

    Option C is correct because the Asaf Jahi dynasty governed the princely state of Hyderabad from the victory of Nizam-ul-Mulk at the Battle of Shakar Kheda in 1724 until Operation Polo in 1948. Option A: Nizam Shahi was one of the Deccan Sultanates that ruled Ahmadnagar from 1490 to 1636. Option B: The Qutb Shahi dynasty ruled the Golconda kingdom from 1518 until its conquest by Aurangzeb in 1687. Option D: Imad Shahi was the ruling dynasty of the Berar Sultanate, annexed by Ahmadnagar in 1574.

32. Q32Telangana: the Nizam's state, the armed struggle and statehood

    What was the name of the political movement started by Hindu students in Osmania University in 1938?

    • aQuit India Movement
    • bState Congress Satyagraha
    • cVande Mataram MovementAnswer
    • dMulki Agitation
    ›Explanation

    Option C is correct because the Vande Mataram Movement started in 1938 when Osmania University authorities prohibited Hindu students from singing the national song Vande Mataram in their hostel prayer halls. Option A: Quit India Movement was a pan-Indian mass movement launched in August 1942 under Mahatma Gandhi, not a student protest at Osmania University in 1938. Option B: State Congress Satyagraha was launched by political activists of the Hyderabad State Congress for civil liberties, which ran parallel to but was distinct from the student agitation. Option D: Mulki Agitation occurred in 1952 in Hyderabad State to demand employment safeguards for local residents against non-local appointees.

33. Q33Telugu language and literature, from the Kavitrayam to the moderns

    The first Andhra Pradesh poet to use colloquial Telugu in poetry ?

    • aUnava Lakshminarayana
    • bSri SriAnswer
    • cKandukuri Veereshalingam
    • dRallapalli Ananthakrishna Sharma
    ›Explanation

    Option B is correct because Sri Sri (Srirangam Srinivasa Rao) pioneered modern progressive and revolutionary poetry in Telugu by breaking away from rigid metrical conventions and using vigorous, colloquial language in his magnum opus Maha Prasthanam. Option A: Unnava Lakshminarayana was primarily a novelist and freedom fighter known for his prose work Malapalli rather than modern poetry. Option C: Kandukuri Veeresalingam modernised Telugu prose and essay writing, but he largely adhered to traditional metrics in his verse. Option D: Rallapalli Ananthakrishna Sharma was a classical scholar, musicologist, and literary critic who favoured traditional aesthetics.

34. Q34Telugu language and literature, from the Kavitrayam to the moderns

    The Telugu Novelist of Malapally?

    • aUnava LakshminarayanaAnswer
    • bGurujada Apparao
    • cJashuva
    • dP. Seetharamaiah
    ›Explanation

    Option A is correct because Unnava Lakshminarayana was the pioneer who authored Malapally in 1922, depicting rural socio-economic conditions and the freedom struggle. Option B: Gurujada Apparao was a playwright and poet renowned for the social drama Kanyasulkam. Option C: Jashuva was a celebrated Telugu poet famous for works such as Gabbilam and Firadausi. Option D: P. Seetharamaiah (Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya) was a freedom fighter and historian of the Indian National Congress.

35. Q35Telugu language and literature, from the Kavitrayam to the moderns

    Naukacharitra is a musical treatise written by?

    • aTalpaka Annamacharyas
    • bTyagarajaAnswer
    • cKshetraiah
    • dBhadrachalam Ramadasu
    ›Explanation

    Option B is correct because Tyagaraja, one of the Trinity of Carnatic music, composed the famous Telugu musical dance-drama (Geya Natakam) titled 'Nauka Charitram'. Option A: Tallapaka Annamacharya is renowned for his thousands of devotional Sankeertanas dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, not Nauka Charitram. Option C: Kshetrayya is celebrated for his Muvva Gopala Padas in the sringara bhakti tradition. Option D: Bhadrachalam Ramadasu composed devotional Keerthanas dedicated to Lord Rama and Dasarathi Satakam.

36. Q36Telugu language and literature, from the Kavitrayam to the moderns

    The Telugu novel ' Rajasekhara Charitra ' was written by ?

    • aAdavi Bapi Raja
    • bViswanatha Satyanarayana
    • cKandukuri VeereshalingamAnswer
    • dNori Narasimhasastri
    ›Explanation

    Option C is correct because Kandukuri Veeresalingam wrote Rajasekhara Charitra, published in 1878, which is regarded as one of the earliest social novels in Telugu literature. Option A: Adavi Bapi Raju authored acclaimed historical and social novels like Himabindu, Narayana Rao, and Gonaganna Reddy. Option B: Viswanatha Satyanarayana wrote monumental works including Veyi Padagalu and Ramayana Kalpavrukshamu. Option D: Nori Narasimhasastri is recognized for historical novels like Rudramadevi and Kavi Sarvabhowma.

37. Q37Telugu language and literature, from the Kavitrayam to the moderns

    Palkuriki Somana's book ?

    • aManu Charitra
    • bAmuktamalyada
    • cPanditadhya CharitraAnswer
    • dKeyurabahu Charitra
    ›Explanation

    Option C is correct because Panditaradhya Charitra is a landmark dvipada kavya composed by the celebrated twelfth-century Veerashaiva poet Palkuriki Somana, detailing the life of Mallikarjuna Panditaradhya. Option A: Manu Charitra is a classical prabandha composed by the Ashtadiggaja poet Allasani Peddana. Option B: Amuktamalyada is an epic Telugu kavya composed by the Vijayanagara emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya. Option D: Keyurabahu Charitra is a poetic narrative composed by Manchana.

38. Q38Amendment and the basic structure

    The subject related to the 59th Constitutional Amendment

    • aFor the purpose of preventing unrest in the countryAnswer
    • bFor the purpose of amending the M.R.T.P. Act
    • cFor the purpose of the Benami Transactions Act
    • dFor the purpose of distribution of Central and State funds
    ›Explanation

    Option A is correct because the 59th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988 was enacted to curb severe internal unrest and terrorism in Punjab by enabling the declaration of Emergency on the ground of internal disturbance. Option B: regulating monopolies and restrictive trade practices was governed by ordinary statutory legislation, not by this constitutional amendment. Option C: prohibition of benami transactions was accomplished via an ordinary Act of Parliament in 1988, not a constitutional amendment. Option D: allocation of financial resources between the Union and the States falls under Articles 270 through 280, not the 59th Amendment.

39. Q39The Union executive

    The Vice-President of India is elected by

    • aMembers of the State Legislature
    • bMembers of both Houses of ParliamentAnswer
    • cThe people of India
    • dMembers of the Lok Sabha
    ›Explanation

    Option B is correct because under Article 66(1) of the Constitution of India, the Vice-President is elected by members of an electoral college consisting of all members of both Houses of Parliament, including nominated members. Option A: Includes state legislators who have no role in the Vice-Presidential electoral college. Option C: Asserts direct popular election, whereas the Vice-President is chosen indirectly through an electoral college. Option D: Omits the Rajya Sabha, whose members are an equal and integral component of the electoral college.

40. Q40Parliament and the state legislatures

    To be elected to the Lok Sabha, an Indian citizen must

    • abe over twenty-one years old
    • bbe a member of any political party
    • cbe a person over thirty-five years old
    • dbe twenty-five years of ageAnswer
    ›Explanation

    Option D is correct because Article 84(b) of the Constitution establishes that a person must be not less than twenty-five years of age to be eligible for election to the Lok Sabha. Article 84(b) sets minimum age limits for Parliament. Minimum age for Lok Sabha: 25 years Minimum age for Rajya Sabha: 30 years Minimum age for local bodies under Articles 243F and 243V: 21 years Option A: specifies 21 years, which qualifies an individual to contest Panchayat and Municipal elections, not Lok Sabha elections. Option B: requires party membership, whereas independent candidates are legally entitled to contest. Option C: specifies 35 years, which applies to elections for President and Vice-President.