Important Days & Static GK: previous-year questions

Answer: (C) Numismatics

Numismatics is the study and collection of coins, paper money and medals. Epigraphy is the study of inscriptions, calligraphy is the art of beautiful handwriting, and 'coinography' is not an accepted term. Related studies: palaeography (old scripts), philately (postage stamps), sigillography (seals) and archaeology (material remains). Coin facts for Indian history: the earliest coins were punch-marked silver coins (about 6th century BCE); the Indo-Greeks issued the first coins with rulers' names and portraits; the Kushanas issued gold coins on a large scale; the Guptas issued the largest number of gold coins; Sher Shah introduced the silver rupiya.

Answer: (A) Survey of India

The Survey of India, founded in 1767 and headquartered at Dehradun under the Department of Science and Technology, is the national mapping agency; it prepares the topographical sheets (toposheets) on scales such as 1:50,000 and 1:25,000. It carried out the Great Trigonometrical Survey under Lambton and George Everest, during which the Bengali mathematician Radhanath Sikdar computed the height of Mount Everest. The Geological Survey of India (1851), headquartered in Kolkata, makes geological maps and explores minerals; ISRO supplies satellite imagery; the UGC regulates universities. Also note NATMO, Kolkata, which publishes thematic maps and the National Atlas.

Answer: (B) M S Swaminathan

M S Swaminathan led the introduction of high-yielding wheat and rice varieties in the 1960s and is called the Father of the Green Revolution in India. Verghese Kurien is linked with the White Revolution (milk), Dhyan Chand with hockey and Vikram Sarabhai with the space programme.

Answer: (A) David Butler

The British political scientist David Butler pioneered the systematic study of elections (psephology) and is called the father of election science. T. N. Seshan is remembered for electoral reforms as Chief Election Commissioner, and Sukumar Sen was India's first Chief Election Commissioner, but neither founded the discipline.

Answer: (A) Patna

The National Inland Navigation Institute, set up by the Inland Waterways Authority of India to train inland-vessel crews, is at Gaighat in Patna, Bihar, on National Waterway 1 (the Ganga). Balasore, Bangalore and Dehradun do not host it.

Answer: (B) 22nd April

Earth Day has been observed on 22 April every year since 1970. 20 March is the International Day of Happiness and 28 February is National Science Day in India, so the other dates are wrong.

Answer: (B) Vaishali

Vajji (Vrijji), a confederacy of clans led by the Licchavis, had its capital at Vaishali in north Bihar. Kushinara and Pava were the centres of the Mallas, and Shuktimati was the capital of Chedi.

Answer: (B) April 26

World Intellectual Property Day is observed on 26 April, the date in 1970 when the convention establishing WIPO came into force. The other April dates are not linked to it.

Answer: (B) Odisha

Taptapani, known for its sulphur hot springs, is in Ganjam district of Odisha. It is not in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh or Jharkhand.

Answer: (C) Kollam beach

Kollam beach in Kerala is officially also called Mahatma Gandhi Beach. Marari beach is near Alappuzha, Cherai beach is near Kochi, and Kannur has Payyambalam beach, none of which carries that name.

Answer: (D) 1943

Subhas Chandra Bose took over the Indian Independence League and the INA from Rash Behari Bose in Singapore in July 1943, becoming its Supreme Commander, and formed the Azad Hind government that October. 1945 is when the INA surrendered, and 1932 and 1935 predate the INA.

Answer: (A) Godavari

The Jayakwadi dam at Paithan in Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, is built on the Godavari, and its hydro-electric unit was set up with Japanese assistance. The Narmada, Cauvery and Ganga do not flow through Paithan.

No option is correct as printed — this question is disputed. WBPSC awarded the mark to all candidates: no clearly correct option — Madhya Pradesh leads by bamboo area (ISFR) and is not listed, and sources differ between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

Sources disagree on this: the India State of Forest Report puts Madhya Pradesh first by bamboo-bearing area, which is not an option, while Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are each cited as leading producers in different sources. With no clearly correct option, the Commission awarded the mark to all candidates.

Answer: (C) Colaba

Old Woman's Island, also called Little Colaba, was one of the seven islands of Bombay and is now part of the Colaba area. Parel, Worli and Mazagaon were separate islands of the original seven.

Answer: (D) uranium deposits.

Jaduguda in East Singhbhum, Jharkhand, has India's first uranium mine, run by the Uranium Corporation of India since 1967. Jharkhand also has iron ore, mica and some gold, but Jaduguda is known for uranium.

No option is correct as printed — this question is disputed. WBPSC awarded the mark to all candidates: ambiguous — sources date India's first paper mill to Serampore (1812/1830s) or Bally (1867), so no option is clearly correct.

The date depends on what counts as the 'first' mill: William Carey's mission at Serampore began making paper around 1812 and installed a steam-driven machine in the 1830s, while the first modern paper mill is usually dated to Bally, near Calcutta, in 1867. Since no option is unambiguously correct, the Commission awarded the mark to all candidates.

Answer: (A) Digha

The noon sun is overhead twice a year only at places between the Tropics, and Digha (about 21.6° N) lies south of the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N). Patna, Kanpur and Delhi are all north of the Tropic, so the noon sun is never directly overhead there.

Answer: (D) Arunachal Pradesh

Among the states listed, Arunachal Pradesh has by far the longest border with China, about 1,126 km along the McMahon Line. Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have much shorter China borders. (The Union Territory of Ladakh, not a state, has the longest stretch overall.)

Answer: (B) UK

Big Ben is the great bell (and popularly the clock tower, now the Elizabeth Tower) of the Palace of Westminster in London, United Kingdom. It is not in the USA, Australia or France.

Answer: (B) Bhotia

The Bhotias of the high Himalayan valleys of Uttarakhand are traditionally transhumant sheep and goat herders and wool traders. The Tharus and Bokshas are agriculturists of the Terai, and the Rajis are forest dwellers.