UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — 50 years ago: Apples instead of garlands
Q1. The 1976 decision of the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet barring Ministers from accepting garlands while on official tour was first put to the test during the Chief Minister's visit to which one of the following districts?
- A. Krishna district, where the Ministers were instead given bouquets and new clothes
- B. Guntur district, where the Ministers were instead given bouquets and new clothes
- C. East Godavari district, where the Ministers were instead given bouquets and new clothes
- D. Nalgonda district, where the Ministers were instead given bouquets and new clothes
Q2. Consider the following statements comparing the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet's garland order of 1976 as originally adopted with the extension of it announced later by the Chief Minister:
1. As originally adopted, the order covered only the acceptance of garlands, so that bouquets, processions and crackers continued at Ministers' receptions.
2. The proposed extension announced at Nandigama was to bring bouquets, processions and crackers also within the prohibition.
3. Unlike the proposed extension, the original order was to come into force only from the beginning of the following financial year.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- As originally adopted, the order covered only the acceptance of garlands, so that bouquets, processions and crackers continued at Ministers' receptions.
- The proposed extension announced at Nandigama was to bring bouquets, processions and crackers also within the prohibition.
- Unlike the proposed extension, the original order was to come into force only from the beginning of the following financial year.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q3. A decision of the kind taken by the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet headed by Mr. J. Vengal Rao in 1976 is carried into execution through executive action expressed in the name of which one of the following authorities?
- A. The Governor of the State, in whose name all executive action of a State Government is expressed
- B. The Chief Minister of the State, in whose name all executive action of a State Government is expressed
- C. The President of India, in whose name all executive action of a State Government is expressed
- D. The Chief Secretary of the State, in whose name all executive action of a State Government is expressed
Q4. With reference to the offices held in Andhra Pradesh at the time of the 1976 garland order, consider the following pairs of person and office:
1. J. Vengal Rao — Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
2. Dr. D. Rama Rao — Minister for Roads and Buildings
3. Ch. Hanumaiah — Minister for Transport
4. K.P.V. Raghava Rao — Minister for Home Affairs
Which of the above pairs is/are NOT correctly matched?
- J. Vengal Rao — Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
- Dr. D. Rama Rao — Minister for Roads and Buildings
- Ch. Hanumaiah — Minister for Transport
- K.P.V. Raghava Rao — Minister for Home Affairs
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 4 only
Q5. Which one of the following was announced by Indira Gandhi as the principal economic programme of her government soon after the proclamation of Emergency in June 1975?
- A. The Twenty-Point Programme, most of whose points were directed at curbing inflation and acting against tax evaders and black marketeers
- B. The Five-Point Programme, most of whose points were directed at family planning, tree planting and the spread of adult literacy
- C. The Ten-Point Programme, most of whose points were directed at bank nationalisation and the abolition of the privy purses of former rulers
- D. The Garibi Hatao Programme, most of whose points were directed at rural employment guarantees and the redistribution of ceiling-surplus land
Q6. In the context of the Proclamation issued on 25 June 1975, the expression 'internal disturbance' is best described as which one of the following?
- A. A ground on which a Proclamation of Emergency could then be issued under Article 352, later substituted by the expression 'armed rebellion'
- B. The only ground on which a Proclamation of Emergency could ever be issued under Article 352, and one that continues unaltered to this day
- C. A ground whose invocation necessarily and automatically extinguishes all the fundamental rights conferred by Part III of the Constitution
- D. A ground for the imposition of President's rule in a State, which invariably requires the prior consent of the entire Council of States
Q7. Consider the following statements comparing Vijayawada with Machilipatnam:
1. It was Machilipatnam, and not Vijayawada, that served as the headquarters of Krishna district.
2. Vijayawada stands on the Krishna River, whereas Machilipatnam is a seaport on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal.
3. Machilipatnam is linked to Vijayawada by the Buckingham Canal.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- It was Machilipatnam, and not Vijayawada, that served as the headquarters of Krishna district.
- Vijayawada stands on the Krishna River, whereas Machilipatnam is a seaport on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal.
- Machilipatnam is linked to Vijayawada by the Buckingham Canal.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q8. With reference to the geography of the Krishna basin in Andhra Pradesh, consider the following:
1. Vijayawada — a major road and rail junction situated on the Krishna River in east-central Andhra Pradesh
2. Prakasam Barrage — an irrigation work across the Krishna River, completed in 1959
3. Krishna River — a river of south-central India with a total course of about 1,290 km
4. Gudivada — the seaport of Krishna district on the Bay of Bengal, also known as Bandar
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Vijayawada — a major road and rail junction situated on the Krishna River in east-central Andhra Pradesh
- Prakasam Barrage — an irrigation work across the Krishna River, completed in 1959
- Krishna River — a river of south-central India with a total course of about 1,290 km
- Gudivada — the seaport of Krishna district on the Bay of Bengal, also known as Bandar
- A. 1 and 4
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1, 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q9. The '50 Years Ago' column appears in a newspaper brought out by the Hindu Group Publications. Consider the following as publications of that group:
1. The Hindu, an English-language daily published from Chennai
2. The Hindu BusinessLine, a daily business newspaper
3. Frontline, an English-language news magazine
4. The Indian Express, an English-language daily brought out by the group from Chennai
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified?
- The Hindu, an English-language daily published from Chennai
- The Hindu BusinessLine, a daily business newspaper
- Frontline, an English-language news magazine
- The Indian Express, an English-language daily brought out by the group from Chennai
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 3 and 4
- D. 4 only
Q10. Which one of the following correctly describes the earliest form in which The Hindu, the newspaper carrying the '50 Years Ago' column, was published?
- A. It first appeared as a weekly and was converted into a daily about a decade later
- B. It first appeared as a weekly and has remained exclusively a weekly publication ever since
- C. It first appeared as a daily, the very first daily newspaper ever published anywhere in India
- D. It first appeared as an evening daily and was the only English newspaper ever published from Chennai
Q11. Consider the following statements comparing Andhra state with Andhra Pradesh as it existed in 1976:
1. Andhra state, carved out of the Telugu-speaking districts of the former Madras state, had its capital at Kurnool, whereas the capital of Andhra Pradesh was Hyderabad.
2. Andhra Pradesh came into being on 1 November 1956 when the Telugu-speaking Telangana districts of the erstwhile Hyderabad state were joined to Andhra state.
3. Andhra state was created on 1 October 1953, following the fast unto death of Potti Sreeramulu, with Amaravati as its capital.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Andhra state, carved out of the Telugu-speaking districts of the former Madras state, had its capital at Kurnool, whereas the capital of Andhra Pradesh was Hyderabad.
- Andhra Pradesh came into being on 1 November 1956 when the Telugu-speaking Telangana districts of the erstwhile Hyderabad state were joined to Andhra state.
- Andhra state was created on 1 October 1953, following the fast unto death of Potti Sreeramulu, with Amaravati as its capital.
- A. 1 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 2 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q12. The joining of the Telugu-speaking Telangana districts of the erstwhile Hyderabad state to Andhra state was carried into effect through which one of the following instruments?
- A. The States Reorganisation Act, enacted by Parliament, which effected a general reorganisation of States
- B. The Andhra State Act, enacted by Parliament, which effected a general reorganisation of States
- C. The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, enacted by Parliament, which effected a general reorganisation of States
- D. An order of the President under Article 3, issued on the recommendation of the Governor concerned