UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — HC judges inspect Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula complex

Q1. The May 2026 judgment declaring the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex at Dhar to be a temple of Goddess Vagdevi was delivered exclusively by which one of the following?

  • A. The Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court
  • B. The Jabalpur (Principal Seat) of the Madhya Pradesh High Court
  • C. The Gwalior Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court
  • D. The Supreme Court of India

Q2. With reference to the change brought about by the May 2026 Madhya Pradesh High Court verdict on the Bhojshala complex as compared with the earlier 2003 ASI arrangement, consider the following statements: 1. The 2003 ASI order had permitted Muslims to offer namaz at the site on Fridays, a permission that the 2026 verdict quashed. 2. Whereas the 2003 arrangement provided only regulated access, after the 2026 verdict the ASI granted Hindus unrestricted access to the monument. 3. The 2026 verdict transferred the administration and management of the complex from the ASI to the Madhya Pradesh State Government. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The 2003 ASI order had permitted Muslims to offer namaz at the site on Fridays, a permission that the 2026 verdict quashed.
  2. Whereas the 2003 arrangement provided only regulated access, after the 2026 verdict the ASI granted Hindus unrestricted access to the monument.
  3. The 2026 verdict transferred the administration and management of the complex from the ASI to the Madhya Pradesh State Government.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. In the Bhojshala dispute culminating in the 2026 verdict, the Hindu side principally reveres the site as the temple of which one of the following deities?

  • A. Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati)
  • B. Goddess Durga
  • C. Goddess Lakshmi
  • D. Goddess Kali

Q4. With reference to the May 2026 Bhojshala verdict and its immediate aftermath, consider the following: 1. The complex is located in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. 2. The order quashed by the High Court was the ASI order dated 7 April 2003. 3. The administration and management of the complex were handed to the ASI and the Union Government. 4. The High Court ruling was upheld on appeal by the Supreme Court within the same month. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The complex is located in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
  2. The order quashed by the High Court was the ASI order dated 7 April 2003.
  3. The administration and management of the complex were handed to the ASI and the Union Government.
  4. The High Court ruling was upheld on appeal by the Supreme Court within the same month.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q5. The May 2026 Madhya Pradesh High Court verdict on the Bhojshala complex relied heavily on an ASI scientific survey that lasted for how many days?

  • A. 45 days
  • B. 76 days
  • C. 98 days
  • D. 120 days