Art & Culture MCQs for UPSC Prelims — January 2026

Q1. In the context of the Supreme Court's recent order on VIP access at the Mahakaleshwar temple, the term 'garbhagriha', central to the dispute, refers to which one of the following?

  • A. The pillared assembly hall in front of the shrine where devotees congregate
  • B. The ornamental gateway tower marking the entrance to the temple complex
  • C. The innermost sanctum chamber housing the principal deity of the temple
  • D. The circumambulatory passage around the main shrine used for pradakshina

Q2. With reference to the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva — of which the Mahakaleshwar temple, recently in news over a Supreme Court ruling on 'VIP darshan', is one — consider the following pairings of Jyotirlinga and State: 1. Somnath — Gujarat 2. Mallikarjuna — Karnataka 3. Mahakaleshwar — Madhya Pradesh 4. Kedarnath — Himachal Pradesh Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

  1. Somnath — Gujarat
  2. Mallikarjuna — Karnataka
  3. Mahakaleshwar — Madhya Pradesh
  4. Kedarnath — Himachal Pradesh
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q3. Among the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva, the Mahakaleshwar shrine at Ujjain — at the centre of the recent Supreme Court VIP-darshan plea — is uniquely distinguished by which one of the following features?

  • A. It is the only Jyotirlinga whose lingam is south-facing (Dakshinamukhi)
  • B. It is the only Jyotirlinga located on the banks of the Ganga
  • C. It is the only Jyotirlinga whose principal deity is a Swayambhu Shakti Peetha
  • D. It is the only Jyotirlinga managed directly by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India

Q4. Which one of the following is traditionally regarded as the FIRST (foremost) among the six Arupadai Veedu of Lord Murugan, as celebrated in Nakkirar's 'Thirumurugatrupadai'?

  • A. Palani
  • B. Tiruchendur
  • C. Thiruparankundram
  • D. Swamimalai

Q5. How many sacred shrines constitute the Arupadai Veedu, the tradition to which the Thirupparankundram Subramania Swamy Temple — at the centre of the recent Madras High Court ruling — belongs?

  • A. Four
  • B. Five
  • C. Six
  • D. Eight

Q6. With reference to the Arupadai Veedu, the six sacred abodes of Lord Murugan in Tamil Nadu, consider the following temples: 1. Thiruparankundram 2. Palani 3. Madurai Meenakshi Sundareshwarar 4. Pazhamudircholai Which of the above is/are correctly identified as part of the Arupadai Veedu?

  1. Thiruparankundram
  2. Palani
  3. Madurai Meenakshi Sundareshwarar
  4. Pazhamudircholai
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q7. In the context of the recent Madras High Court ruling concerning Thirupparankundram, the term 'Deepathoon' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. An ancient stone pillar used as a lamp-post for lighting sacred fire
  • B. A processional palanquin used to carry the temple deity during Karthigai Deepam
  • C. A traditional bronze multi-tiered standing lamp placed inside the sanctum
  • D. A monolithic flag-staff (Dhwajasthambham) installed at the temple entrance

Q8. In the context of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, the term 'Urs' most accurately refers to which one of the following?

  • A. The annual congregation marking the birth anniversary of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
  • B. The death anniversary of a Sufi saint, celebrated as the saint's symbolic union with the Divine
  • C. The ceremonial offering of a chadar by visiting heads of state and government
  • D. A pilgrimage undertaken to a Sufi shrine specifically during the month of Ramzan

Q9. With reference to the exclusion criteria notified under the PM-KISAN scheme, consider the following categories of persons: 1. Serving or retired officers of Central or State Government in regular employment in Group A or Group B posts 2. All persons who paid income tax in the last assessment year 3. All small and marginal farmers holding cultivable land up to one hectare 4. Former and present holders of constitutional posts Which of the above are correctly identified as excluded categories under the PM-KISAN scheme?

  1. Serving or retired officers of Central or State Government in regular employment in Group A or Group B posts
  2. All persons who paid income tax in the last assessment year
  3. All small and marginal farmers holding cultivable land up to one hectare
  4. Former and present holders of constitutional posts
  • A. 1, 2 and 4
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q10. Which one of the following is the flagship Central Sector direct income support scheme for landholding farmer families in India under which ₹6,000 per year is transferred in three equal instalments through DBT?

  • A. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)
  • B. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY)
  • C. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
  • D. Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)

Q11. Which one of the following is the flagship network project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) dedicated specifically to district-level vulnerability assessment and on-farm demonstration of climate-resilient technologies?

  • A. National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA)
  • B. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
  • C. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)
  • D. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)

Q12. With reference to the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project as reported in the latest (2025) PIB update, consider the following: 1. NICRA was launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 2011. 2. Under NICRA's risk atlas, 310 of 651 predominantly agricultural districts are classified as climate-vulnerable. 3. The first Climate Resilient Villages under NICRA were established in 2008, ahead of the project's formal launch. 4. Of the vulnerable districts, 109 fall in the 'very high' vulnerability category. Which of the above are correctly identified?

  1. NICRA was launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 2011.
  2. Under NICRA's risk atlas, 310 of 651 predominantly agricultural districts are classified as climate-vulnerable.
  3. The first Climate Resilient Villages under NICRA were established in 2008, ahead of the project's formal launch.
  4. Of the vulnerable districts, 109 fall in the 'very high' vulnerability category.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1, 2 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4 only

Q13. Consider the following statements comparing the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) and the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA): 1. NMSA is one of the missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), whereas NICRA is a network research project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). 2. Both NMSA and NICRA were launched in the same year, namely 2011. 3. Unlike NMSA, NICRA undertakes district-level risk and vulnerability assessment of agriculture using IPCC protocols. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. NMSA is one of the missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), whereas NICRA is a network research project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
  2. Both NMSA and NICRA were launched in the same year, namely 2011.
  3. Unlike NMSA, NICRA undertakes district-level risk and vulnerability assessment of agriculture using IPCC protocols.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q14. Which one of the following best describes 'Climate-Resilient Agriculture' (CRA) as articulated in the recent (2025-26) Indian policy discourse?

  • A. A farming approach that integrates biotechnology, bio-inputs, soil-microbiome science and AI-driven analytics to sustain or improve productivity under climate stress.
  • B. A parametric crop-insurance regime that compensates farmers for yield losses attributable to extreme weather events.
  • C. An export-promotion strategy that channels traditional Indian millets into carbon-deficit international markets.
  • D. A statutory Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime confined to crops grown in notified rainfed districts.
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