UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of subject-wise quizzes. UPSC Daily Subject Quiz will cover all topics under UPSC Civil Services syllabus like Polity, History, Geography, Economics, Environment, Science and Technology, International Relations, and more. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Each day, we will cover one new subject. Attempt today’s subject quiz on History, Culture and Social Issues to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the MCQs on Environment, Geography, Science and Technology. Don’t miss checking the answers and explanations at the end of the quiz. QUESTION 1 With reference to the Sanchi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, consider the following statements: 1. It enshrines religious relics of the Buddha and his revered disciples. 2. The toranas were added to the Stupa in the Gupta period. 3. A replica of the East Gate of Sanchi has been crafted and placed in front of the reconstructed baroque façade of the Berlin Palace. How many of the above statements are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None QUESTION 2 Which of the following states has got Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Manamadurai Pottery? (a) Tamil Nadu (b) Kerala (c) Andhra Pradesh (d) Karnataka QUESTION 3 With reference to the National Health Account Estimates 2019-20, consider the following statements: 1. It describes the country’s total expenditure on healthcare only by the government sector. 2. The money spent by the government on healthcare as a percentage of GDP has increased from FY 2015 to FY 2020. 3. The Highest share of the government’s health spending was done in the primary sector. How many of the above statements are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None QUESTION 4 Consider the pairs: (Tribe) (Region in news) 1. Hakki Pikki Sudan 2. Swahili people Somalia and Tanzania 3. Amhara Ethiopia How many of the above pairs are correctly matched? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None QUESTION 5 He was an economist and social reformer and also served as the first Law Minister of Independent India. He worked for the upliftment of the Dalit community and published the book Annihilation of Caste in 1936 which spoke against the caste system and Hindu orthodox religious leaders. He also formed the Independent Labour Party and contested the Bombay election to Central Legislative Assembly in 1937. The above-mentioned lines refer to which of the following personalities? (a) Mahatma Gandhi (b) Jyotiba Phule (c) Dhono Keshav Karve (d) B R Ambedkar ANSWERS TO MCQs 1. (b) FYI: — A replica of the famous East Gate of Sanchi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been meticulously crafted and placed in front of the reconstructed baroque façade of the Berlin Palace, which houses the Ethnological Museum of Berlin and the Museum of Asian Art. Hence, statement 3 is correct. — It’s not the first time Berlin is exhibiting a replica of this famous gate. Another plaster cast of the original gate was previously on display in what was then known as the Royal Museum of Ethnology in Berlin in 1886. Sanchi Stupa — It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1989, Sanchi attracts tourists from all over the world. The Buddhist complex is one of India's oldest, most significant and most well-preserved Buddhist sanctuaries. Hence, statement 1 is correct. — The Great Stupa was built by Ashoka in the third century BC. It enshrines religious relics or remains of the Buddha and his most revered disciples. — During the Shunga period, the original brick structure was enlarged to twice its size and the mound was covered in sandstone slabs. — The most elaborate additions to the stupa were made during the Satavahana period from the first century BC to the second century AD. Four stone gateways or toranas were added to the stupa in the four cardinal directions. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. — A Buddhist temple and a lion pillar were added to Sanchi during the Gupta period. Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer. Other Source: (indianculture.gov.in) 2. (a) FYI: — Manamadurai, in Sivagangai (Tamil Nadu), is famous for pottery because of the unique and special quality of clay from Water Bodies (Kanmais) like Nedunkulam, Nathapurakki, Sundaranadappu, Seikalathur. — Manamadurai Pottery is an art representing all the Panchamahabhutas i.e. five basic elements in nature-earth (prithvi), water (jalam), air (vayu), fire (agni), and space (akasha). — The basic material for pottery is mud which represents the holy earth. Mud is mixed with water, another element of nature. It is then baked in fire adding the third element. The air percolates through the pores in the clay. The cavity enclosed by the pot or any related article represents space. Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer. Other Source: (search.ipindia.gov.in) 3. (b) FYI: — There has been a consistent increase in government spending, coupled with declining out-of-pocket expenditure by people on their healthcare needs, shows the National Health Account Estimates 2019-20. — The government spent 1.35% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (total value of the final goods and services in a year indicative of a country’s economy) on healthcare during the year, bouncing back from a slight drop seen in 2018-19 as per the report. — The health account estimates describe the country’s total expenditure on healthcare – whether by the government, private sector, NGOs, or individuals – and the flow of these funds. Hence, statement 1 is not correct. Main Findings of the Report — Government spending on healthcare has been on the rise. The money spent by the government on healthcare as a percentage of GDP has increased from 1.13% in FY 2015 to 1.35% in FY 2020. Hence, statement 2 is correct. — The money people spend from their own pocket on healthcare has been decreasing. The report shows that 47.1% of the total spending on healthcare in FY2020 came directly out of people’s pockets. But this is actually a 15.5 percentage point drop from 62.6% of the spending coming out-of-pocket in FY 2015. — A major chunk of the government’s health spend was in the primary sector. Out of the total spending by the government on healthcare in FY 2020, 55.9% went to primary care, 29.6% went to secondary care, and 6.4% went to tertiary care. Hence, statement 3 is correct. — The union health secretary pointed out that there has been a consistent increase in social security expenditure by the government, which increased from 5.7% of the total spending on health in FY 2015 to 9.3% in FY 2020. Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer. 4. (c) FYI: Hakki Pikki — The Hakki Pikki is a tribe that lives in several states in west and south India, especially near forest areas. Hakki Pikkis (Hakki in Kannada means ‘bird’ and Pikki means ‘catchers’) are a semi-nomadic tribe, traditionally of bird catchers and hunters. — More than 181 members of the Hakki Pikki tribal community from Karnataka are stuck in violence-hit Sudan. Swahili people — The Swahili coast region stretches roughly from the Somali capital Mogadishu at the north to Tanzania’s Kilwa island at the south and also includes parts of Kenya and Malawi and the Indian Ocean archipelagoes of Zanzibar and Comoros. Amhara — It is an indigenous group that belongs to Ethiopia. Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer. 5. (d) FYI: — Bhirao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb, was the chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee and a champion of the Dalit and minority rights movement in India. — He was an economist and social reformer and also served as the first Law Minister of Independent India. — In his political career and public life, Ambedkar worked for the upliftment of the Dalit (untouchable) community. — He published the book Annihilation of Caste in 1936 which spoke against the caste system and Hindu orthodox religious leaders. He also formed the Independent Labour Party and contested the Bombay election to Central Legislative Assembly in 1937. — He opposed the special status being granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and supported Uniform Civil Code. — In 1956, he converted to Buddhism along with 500,000 Dalit followers. He was posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour in 1990. Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer. New initiative for UPSC Mains UPSC CSE Mains 2023 season has begun. Are you ready for it? UPSC Essentials brings to you its new initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. Mains Answer Writing will cover essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Try it out! UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 1) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 1) UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 2) The UPSC Essentials Indian Express is now on Telegram- Indian Express UPSC Hub. Click here to join our YouTube channel and stay updated with the latest updates. Note: Catch the UPSC Weekly Quiz every Saturday evening and brush up on your current affairs knowledge.
