Art & Culture MCQs for UPSC Prelims — May 2026
Q1. With reference to the two chief disciples of the Buddha, which of the following statements is/are correctly identified?
- Sariputra was renowned as foremost in wisdom among the Buddha's disciples.
- Mahamoggallana was renowned for his psychic and supernatural (iddhi) powers.
- Sariputra was reputed as a master of the Abhidhamma.
- Mahamoggallana served as the Buddha's personal attendant.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1 and 4
- D. 3 and 4 only
Q2. In the Buddhist tradition, which one of the Buddha's disciples is regarded as foremost in wisdom and is traditionally titled the 'General of the Dharma'?
- A. Sariputra
- B. Mahamoggallana
- C. Ananda
- D. Mahakasyapa
Q3. In the context of the relics preserved at Sanchi, a 'stupa' is best defined as which one of the following?
- A. A domed, mound-like commemorative structure that enshrines sacred relics and serves as a place of veneration
- B. A rock-cut congregational prayer hall culminating in an apse
- C. A residential complex of cells built for monks to dwell in
- D. An ornamental ceremonial gateway marking the entrance to a sacred precinct
Q4. With reference to Sanchi and the relics of Sariputra and Mahamoggallana, which of the following statements is/are correctly identified?
- The relics of Sariputra and Mahamoggallana were preserved for centuries in the stupas of Sanchi.
- Alexander Cunningham excavated Sanchi in the year 1850.
- Cunningham documented his findings in the volume 'The Bhilsa Topes' (1854).
- The Great Stupa at Sanchi was originally constructed during the reign of Emperor Harshavardhana.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q5. The 2026 exposition and enshrinement of the sacred relics of Arhat Sariputra and Arhat Mahamoggallana at Ulaanbaatar was operationalised on the Indian side by which one of the following as the nodal ministry?
- A. Ministry of Culture
- B. Ministry of External Affairs
- C. Ministry of Minority Affairs
- D. Ministry of Tourism
Q6. With reference to the history and geography of Ningbo and Ashokan heritage in China, consider the following statements:
1. Ningbo is a port city located in Zhejiang province.
2. Ningbo carried on trade as far back as the Tang dynasty.
3. Ashokan stupas in China have been reported at sites including Xian and Nanjing.
4. Ningbo served as the Southern Song imperial capital from 1127.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- Ningbo is a port city located in Zhejiang province.
- Ningbo carried on trade as far back as the Tang dynasty.
- Ashokan stupas in China have been reported at sites including Xian and Nanjing.
- Ningbo served as the Southern Song imperial capital from 1127.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 2 and 4 only
- C. 1 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q7. In the context of the Ashokan stupas reported in China, the term 'stupa' is best described as which one of the following?
- A. A commemorative burial mound, several of which are believed to enshrine relics of the Buddha
- B. A free-standing polished stone pillar bearing royal edicts
- C. A rock-cut hall used as a monastic residence for monks
- D. An ornamental ceremonial gateway marking a sacred precinct
Q8. Under the long-term agreement concluded with Saudi Arabia's Ma'aden, Indian companies (IPL, KRIBHCO and CIL) are to receive approximately how many million metric tonnes (MMT) of Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) annually for five years from FY 2025-26?
- A. 1.5 MMT
- B. 3.1 MMT
- C. 6.5 MMT
- D. 8.6 MMT
Q9. With reference to the geography of tea production in India in 2025, consider the following statements. Which of the above statements is/are correctly identified?
- Assam was the largest producer of tea in India.
- West Bengal was the second-largest producer of tea.
- Assam and West Bengal together accounted for more than 80% of national tea output.
- Kerala produced more tea than Tamil Nadu.
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 3 and 4 only
- C. 1 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q10. With reference to India's tea sector in 2025 as compared with earlier years, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- India's total tea production in 2025 was higher than in 2024.
- India's tea exports in 2025 were lower than in 2024.
- In 2025, Assam accounted for a larger share of national tea production than West Bengal.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q11. With reference to the history of the Bhojshala complex, consider the following:
1. Dhar served as a capital of the Paramara dynasty.
2. Raja Bhoja is believed to have installed the Vagdevi (Saraswati) statue there in 1034 AD.
3. Hindu groups hold that the Vagdevi statue was taken to London in 1875.
4. The complex was originally constructed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Dhar served as a capital of the Paramara dynasty.
- Raja Bhoja is believed to have installed the Vagdevi (Saraswati) statue there in 1034 AD.
- Hindu groups hold that the Vagdevi statue was taken to London in 1875.
- The complex was originally constructed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q12. With reference to the regime governing centrally protected monuments, consider the following statements:
1. An 'ancient monument' under the AMASR Act, 1958 must have been in existence for not less than 100 years.
2. The area up to 100 metres around a protected monument is designated the 'prohibited area'.
3. The area beyond the prohibited area up to a further 200 metres is designated the 'regulated area'.
4. The National Monuments Authority was established under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- An 'ancient monument' under the AMASR Act, 1958 must have been in existence for not less than 100 years.
- The area up to 100 metres around a protected monument is designated the 'prohibited area'.
- The area beyond the prohibited area up to a further 200 metres is designated the 'regulated area'.
- The National Monuments Authority was established under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
- A. 4 only
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 3 and 4
- D. 1 and 3
Q13. With reference to heritage-site disputes comparable to Bhojshala, consider the following statements:
1. The Gyanvapi mosque is located in Varanasi, adjoining the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
2. The Shahi Idgah dispute concerns a site in Mathura associated with the Krishna Janmabhoomi.
3. The Bhojshala complex is located in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Gyanvapi mosque is located in Varanasi, adjoining the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
- The Shahi Idgah dispute concerns a site in Mathura associated with the Krishna Janmabhoomi.
- The Bhojshala complex is located in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q14. Among the following contested structures, which one is itself a centrally protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India?
- A. Qutub Minar complex
- B. Gyanvapi mosque, Varanasi
- C. Shahi Idgah, Mathura
- D. Kashi Vishwanath temple
Q15. In the context of the Bhojshala complex, the deity 'Vagdevi' is a form of which goddess?
- A. Saraswati
- B. Durga
- C. Lakshmi
- D. Parvati
Q16. Being a centrally protected monument, custodianship and day-to-day management of the Bhojshala complex vests in which body?
- A. Archaeological Survey of India
- B. National Monuments Authority
- C. Madhya Pradesh State Department of Archaeology
- D. Central Wakf Council
Q17. The 'prohibited area' (100 m) and 'regulated area' (further 200 m) regime around centrally protected monuments was formally introduced through which enactment?
- A. The AMASR (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010
- B. The Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904
- C. The AMASR Act, 1958 as originally enacted
- D. The AMASR (Amendment) Bill, 2017
Q18. Who was the first Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India, the statutory custodian body under the AMASR Act, 1958?
- A. Alexander Cunningham
- B. John Marshall
- C. Mortimer Wheeler
- D. James Prinsep
Q19. Under which Chola monarch was the principal royal charter (the so-called 'Larger Leiden Plates'), restituted by the Leiden University Library to the Government of India in May 2026, physically executed?
- A. Rajaraja I
- B. Rajendra Chola I
- C. Kulottunga Chola I
- D. Vijayalaya Chola
Q20. Consider the following techniques:
1. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
2. Global Positioning System (GPS)
3. Carbon dating
4. Airborne LiDAR mapping
Which of the above is/are correctly identified as methods used in the ASI scientific survey of the Bhojshala complex?
- Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
- Global Positioning System (GPS)
- Carbon dating
- Airborne LiDAR mapping
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 1, 2 and 3
- C. 2 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q21. The Archaeological Survey of India's scientific survey report on the Bhojshala complex, handed to the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, ran to approximately how many pages?
- A. More than 500
- B. More than 1,000
- C. More than 1,500
- D. More than 2,000
Q22. In the Madhya Pradesh High Court's 2026 Bhojshala judgment, the site was declared a temple of the deity 'Vagdevi'. Vagdevi is identified with which goddess?
- A. Saraswati
- B. Durga
- C. Lakshmi
- D. Parvati
Q23. With reference to Buddhism in Chola-period Tamil Nadu and the Chudamani vihara at Nagapattinam, consider the following statements:
1. The vihara is associated with the grant of the village of Anaimangalam recorded in Chola copper plates.
2. It was built by a Sailendra ruler of Srivijaya during the reign of Rajaraja Chola I.
3. The relevant copper-plate charters carry inscriptions in Tamil and Sanskrit.
4. The vihara was originally established by the Pallava king Mahendravarman I in the seventh century CE.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- The vihara is associated with the grant of the village of Anaimangalam recorded in Chola copper plates.
- It was built by a Sailendra ruler of Srivijaya during the reign of Rajaraja Chola I.
- The relevant copper-plate charters carry inscriptions in Tamil and Sanskrit.
- The vihara was originally established by the Pallava king Mahendravarman I in the seventh century CE.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 2 only
- C. 4 only
- D. 2 and 4 only
Q24. With reference to the Chudamani (Chulamanivarma) vihara at Nagapattinam, as documented in the Chola copper-plate charters recently restituted to India by Leiden University Library, consider the following statements:
1. The vihara was constructed by a Sailendra king of Srivijaya with the patronage of Rajaraja Chola I.
2. The Chola charters record the grant of the village of Anaimangalam in favour of this vihara.
3. The inscriptions on the copper plates are in Tamil and Sanskrit.
4. The vihara was a Jain monastic establishment.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- The vihara was constructed by a Sailendra king of Srivijaya with the patronage of Rajaraja Chola I.
- The Chola charters record the grant of the village of Anaimangalam in favour of this vihara.
- The inscriptions on the copper plates are in Tamil and Sanskrit.
- The vihara was a Jain monastic establishment.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1, 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q25. The Anaimangalam (Larger Leiden) copper-plate charter, restituted by Leiden University Library in May 2026, was issued under the reign of which Chola sovereign?
- A. Vijayalaya Chola
- B. Rajaraja I
- C. Kulottunga I
- D. Rajadhiraja II
Q26. In the context of Chola administration, the term 'tamra-sasana' (as exemplified by the Anaimangalam plates restituted from Leiden) refers to:
- A. A royal order recording a grant of land or privileges, engraved on copper plates
- B. A village assembly entrusted with the supervision of irrigation tanks
- C. A periodic land-revenue assessment carried out by temple authorities
- D. A guild of itinerant merchants conducting overseas trade with Srivijaya
Q27. In the bilingual Chola Copper Plates (Anaimangalam grant) restituted by the Leiden University Library, which language is used in the majority of the inscribed plates, recording the administrative and grant details?
- A. Sanskrit
- B. Tamil
- C. Prakrit
- D. Pali
Q28. The set of 11th-century Chola Copper Plates restituted to India by the Leiden University Library in May 2026 comprises how many large plates?
Q29. The Anaimangalam (Larger Leiden) copper plates, recently restituted by Leiden University to India, record a royal land grant made by which one of the following Chola rulers?
- A. Vijayalaya Chola
- B. Rajaraja Chola I
- C. Rajendra Chola I
- D. Kulottunga Chola I
Q30. With reference to the restitution of the 11th-century Chola Copper Plates to India in May 2026, consider the following statements:
1. The plates were formally restituted by the Leiden University Library of the Netherlands.
2. The handover took place in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
3. The Archaeological Survey of India, under the Union Ministry of Culture, is the Indian receiving authority for the plates.
4. The plates record the grant of Anaimangalam village to a Jain matha at Kanchipuram.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The plates were formally restituted by the Leiden University Library of the Netherlands.
- The handover took place in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
- The Archaeological Survey of India, under the Union Ministry of Culture, is the Indian receiving authority for the plates.
- The plates record the grant of Anaimangalam village to a Jain matha at Kanchipuram.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 3 and 4 only
- C. 1, 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4