UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Don’t succumb to bullying, Muslim side tells M.P. govt. in SC

Q1. Consider the following statements about the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex: 1. It is situated in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. 2. It is a centrally protected monument in the charge of the Archaeological Survey of India. 3. Hindu claimants revere it as a temple of Goddess Vagdevi, identified with Saraswati. 4. It is described in the record of the dispute as a fourteenth-century structure raised by Raja Bhoj. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It is situated in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
  2. It is a centrally protected monument in the charge of the Archaeological Survey of India.
  3. Hindu claimants revere it as a temple of Goddess Vagdevi, identified with Saraswati.
  4. It is described in the record of the dispute as a fourteenth-century structure raised by Raja Bhoj.
  • A. 4 only
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 2 and 3

Q2. Bhojshala is repeatedly described in the litigation as a 'centrally protected monument'. In Indian heritage law, that description means which one of the following?

  • A. A monument notified and maintained by the State Directorate of Archaeology under the relevant State monuments legislation
  • B. A monument inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on a nomination routed through the Ministry of Culture
  • C. A monument declared to be of national importance and protected by the Archaeological Survey of India under the AMASR Act, 1958
  • D. A monument owned by a religious endowment whose upkeep is financed by a central grant-in-aid

Q3. Under the worship-sharing arrangement made at Bhojshala in 2003, which one of the following was the longest single worship window granted to either community?

  • A. Namaz by the Muslim side on Fridays, permitted from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
  • B. Puja by the Hindu side on Basant Panchami, permitted from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
  • C. Namaz by the Muslim side on Tuesdays, permitted from sunrise to sunset
  • D. Puja by the Hindu side on Tuesdays, permitted from sunrise to sunset

Q4. Under the ASI order of 7 April 2003 governing the Bhojshala complex, on how many days of an ordinary week was each of the two communities permitted to worship at the site?

  • A. One day for each community, on two different days of the week
  • B. Two days for the Hindu side and one day for the Muslim side
  • C. All days of the week for the Hindu side and one day for the Muslim side
  • D. One day for the Hindu side and all days of the week for the Muslim side

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding the 2026 developments in the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula dispute: 1. The Madhya Pradesh High Court held the complex to be a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. 2. The High Court quashed the ASI order that had permitted Friday namaz at the site. 3. The High Court observed that the Muslim side may seek an alternative site for a mosque from the State government. 4. The Supreme Court stayed the High Court's declaration and restored the 2003 ASI worship-sharing arrangement. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The Madhya Pradesh High Court held the complex to be a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati.
  2. The High Court quashed the ASI order that had permitted Friday namaz at the site.
  3. The High Court observed that the Muslim side may seek an alternative site for a mosque from the State government.
  4. The Supreme Court stayed the High Court's declaration and restored the 2003 ASI worship-sharing arrangement.
  • A. 2 only
  • B. 4 only
  • C. 1 and 3
  • D. 3 and 4

Q6. With reference to the Supreme Court's proceedings in the Bhojshala matter in July 2026, consider the following: 1. The Court was seized of a batch of appeals directed against an order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. 2. The Court stated that it was willing to take up the matter on a day-to-day basis. 3. The Court referred the dispute to a five-judge Constitution Bench for final adjudication. 4. The Court asked both sides to exercise patience, describing Bhojshala as a sensitive matter. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The Court was seized of a batch of appeals directed against an order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
  2. The Court stated that it was willing to take up the matter on a day-to-day basis.
  3. The Court referred the dispute to a five-judge Constitution Bench for final adjudication.
  4. The Court asked both sides to exercise patience, describing Bhojshala as a sensitive matter.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q7. With reference to the scientific survey of the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex whose report went on the court record, consider the following: 1. The survey was ordered on a petition filed by the Hindu Front for Justice. 2. The High Court required the exercise to be completed within six weeks of its direction. 3. The surveying agency sought additional time beyond the original deadline before finalising its report. 4. The survey was executed by the National Monuments Authority, with the Archaeological Survey of India acting only as observer. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The survey was ordered on a petition filed by the Hindu Front for Justice.
  2. The High Court required the exercise to be completed within six weeks of its direction.
  3. The surveying agency sought additional time beyond the original deadline before finalising its report.
  4. The survey was executed by the National Monuments Authority, with the Archaeological Survey of India acting only as observer.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4

Q8. The scientific survey report of the Bhojshala complex that was weighed along with archaeological and historical material in the 2026 verdict was prepared by which agency, and on whose direction?

  • A. The National Monuments Authority, on the direction of the Madhya Pradesh High Court
  • B. The Archaeological Survey of India, on the direction of the Supreme Court of India
  • C. The Archaeological Survey of India, on the direction of the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court
  • D. The Madhya Pradesh Directorate of Archaeology, on the direction of the Union Ministry of Culture

Q9. Around a centrally protected monument such as Bhojshala, how far do the prohibited area and the regulated area extend under the AMASR Act, 1958?

  • A. 200 metres of prohibited area, and 100 metres beyond it as regulated area
  • B. 100 metres of prohibited area, and 200 metres beyond it as regulated area
  • C. 50 metres of prohibited area, and 250 metres beyond it as regulated area
  • D. 100 metres of prohibited area, and 300 metres beyond it as regulated area

Q10. Under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, the religious character of a place of worship is to be maintained as it stood on which date, and which site stands expressly excluded from the Act's operation?

  • A. 26 January 1950; the Ram Janma Bhumi-Babri Masjid site at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh
  • B. 15 August 1947; the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi site at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh
  • C. 11 July 1991; the Krishna Janmasthan-Shahi Idgah site at Mathura in Uttar Pradesh
  • D. 15 August 1947; the Ram Janma Bhumi-Babri Masjid site at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh

Q11. Of the temple-mosque title disputes in India, the Ayodhya matter remains the only one finally decided by the Supreme Court. Which one of the following correctly states the bench strength and the land relief in that decision?

  • A. A three-judge bench; 2.77 acres of the disputed land to the Hindu party and 5 acres at another site to the Sunni Waqf Board
  • B. A five-judge Constitution Bench; 2.77 acres of the disputed land to the Hindu party and 5 acres at another site to the Sunni Waqf Board
  • C. A five-judge Constitution Bench; 5 acres of the disputed land to the Hindu party and 2.77 acres at another site to the Sunni Waqf Board
  • D. A seven-judge Constitution Bench; the whole of the disputed land to a statutory trust, with no alternative land to any other party

Q12. With reference to the execution of court-fixed worship arrangements at the Bhojshala complex, consider the following: 1. For Basant Panchami in January 2026 the Supreme Court itself fixed the timings at the site, allowing Hindu prayers from sunrise to sunset and namaz from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the same day. 2. The 2026 High Court verdict directed the State government to allot an alternative mosque site within six weeks. 3. Once the High Court declared the complex a temple, the Supreme Court ceased to have any power to regulate worship at the site. 4. The Muslim side's grievance before the Supreme Court is that the State authorities have not implemented the prayer arrangement at the site. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. For Basant Panchami in January 2026 the Supreme Court itself fixed the timings at the site, allowing Hindu prayers from sunrise to sunset and namaz from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the same day.
  2. The 2026 High Court verdict directed the State government to allot an alternative mosque site within six weeks.
  3. Once the High Court declared the complex a temple, the Supreme Court ceased to have any power to regulate worship at the site.
  4. The Muslim side's grievance before the Supreme Court is that the State authorities have not implemented the prayer arrangement at the site.
  • A. 1 and 4 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 4
  • C. 2 and 3
  • D. 1, 3 and 4