UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The forgotten villages at the heart of Delhi’s urban history

Q1. With reference to the Lal Dora system in Delhi's villages, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It marked off the inhabited area of a village from the agricultural land lying around it.
  2. Properties inside the Lal Dora line were entered in the same revenue record of rights that covered the village's agricultural holdings.
  3. The absence of documented title inside such areas has hindered owners in obtaining bank loans and building plan approvals.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q2. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Owners of houses in the Lal Dora abadi areas of Delhi's villages have long found it difficult to use their property as collateral for institutional credit.
  2. Land surveys and records of rights in Delhi, both colonial and post-Independence, concentrated on agricultural land and left the inhabited village areas without formal ownership records.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q3. With reference to the SVAMITVA scheme, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. It seeks to demarcate the inhabited (abadi) parts of villages rather than to re-survey agricultural holdings.
  2. It relies on drone-based surveying to produce the maps from which property cards are prepared.
  3. It is executed entirely by the Union Government, with State revenue departments having no role in it.
  4. The property cards it issues are intended to let owners use their property to raise bank loans.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 4 only

Q4. A household living in the abadi of a Lal Dora village in Delhi is issued a property card under the SVAMITVA scheme. Which one of the following outcomes does the design of the scheme most directly intend?

  • A. The plot can be offered as security for institutional credit as a titled asset.
  • B. The title passes to the Gram Panchayat, which leases the plot back to the household.
  • C. The plot is automatically reclassified as urban and brought into land pooling.
  • D. The plot is converted into assessed farmland and becomes liable to land revenue.

Q5. With reference to Delhi's land pooling policy as distinct from compulsory land acquisition, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Under the modified policy, title to the pooled land continues to vest in the original landowners and is not transferred to the DDA.
  2. Participating landowners receive a share of developed land or built-up space instead of only a one-time monetary compensation.
  3. Like compulsory acquisition, land pooling rests on the State's power of eminent domain to take private land for a public purpose.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q6. With reference to the alluvial tracts of the northern plains, such as those found around Delhi, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Moving upstream along the major rivers, the area under khadar increases relative to the area under bhangar.
  2. Khadar is newer alluvium on the low-lying floodplain and is renewed by fresh deposits.
  3. Bhangar occupies slightly elevated terraces of older alluvium, parts of which carry alkaline efflorescences that make the land infertile.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 2 only

Q7. Before 1803, the riverine tract along the Yamuna in Delhi was among the most fertile parts of the region. Which one of the following best explains its fertility relative to the older alluvial plains nearby?

  • A. It is formed from weathered Aravalli bedrock instead of river-borne sediment.
  • B. It receives fresh sediment from periodic inundation, which renews its soil.
  • C. It lies on raised terraces beyond flood reach, so its topsoil is not stripped.
  • D. It accumulates alkaline salts that raise soil pH and favour cereal crops.

Q8. With reference to the British capture of Delhi in 1803 and the Second Anglo-Maratha War, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. The war followed the Peshwa's acceptance of a British subsidiary force under a treaty concluded after he sought British help.
  2. Under the subsidiary arrangement, the Indian ruler agreed to conduct his foreign relations in consultation with the British.
  3. In the settlement that followed Lord Lake's campaign in upper India, the Mughal emperor passed under British protection.
  4. The British victory at Delhi in 1803 ended an uprising that had been carried on in the city in the name of the Mughal emperor.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2 and 3 only