Art & Culture MCQs for UPSC Prelims — July 2026

Q1. Consider the following statements about Ayurveda and its classical texts. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Charaka Samhita is a foundational treatise chiefly on internal medicine.
  2. The Sushruta Samhita is a principal ancient source of knowledge on surgery.
  3. The word 'Ayurveda' means 'science of life'.
  4. The Sushruta Samhita is primarily a treatise on statecraft and administration.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q2. The classical Ayurvedic treatise Charaka Samhita, dealing chiefly with internal medicine, is organised into how many sthanas (sections)?

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

Q3. Which one of the following statements correctly describes the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE)?

  • A. It is a department within the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (created in 1973) that provides the government interface for ICAR and handles international cooperation in agricultural research and education
  • B. It is an autonomous society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, headquartered at Pusa, New Delhi
  • C. It is the apex research council that directly runs 113 institutes and 74 agricultural universities
  • D. It is a specialised agency of the United Nations coordinating global agricultural research

Q4. ICAR functions as an autonomous body under which of the following, which provides its government interface?

  • A. Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
  • B. Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
  • C. Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology
  • D. Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying

Q5. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) directly administers a nationwide network of research institutes and national research centres. As per ICAR, approximately how many such institutes does it comprise?

  • A. 63
  • B. 88
  • C. 113
  • D. 141

Q6. The Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur, part of the UNESCO 'Great Living Chola Temples' World Heritage Site, was commissioned by which ruler?

  • A. Raja Raja Chola I
  • B. Rajendra Chola I
  • C. Rajaraja Chola II
  • D. Kulottunga Chola I

Q7. Among the manuscripts held at the Saraswathi Mahal Library, the largest share by language is in which language?

  • A. Sanskrit
  • B. Tamil
  • C. Telugu
  • D. Marathi

Q8. In which year was the maintenance of the Thanjavur Palace transferred to the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology, following a report on its weak structural condition?

  • A. 1955
  • B. 1966
  • C. 1972
  • D. 1987

Q9. The large-scale enrichment of the Saraswathi Mahal Library, through the collection and copying of a vast number of manuscripts, is most closely associated with which ruler?

  • A. Serfoji II, the Maratha scholar-king (1798–1832)
  • B. Sevappa Nayak, who single-handedly assembled the entire collection
  • C. Ekoji I, the first Maratha ruler of Thanjavur
  • D. Raja Raja Chola I, patron of the Brihadeeswarar Temple

Q10. The Saraswathi Mahal Library, housed within the Thanjavur Palace, holds a manuscript and book collection of approximately how many volumes?

  • A. About 3,500 volumes
  • B. About 39,300 volumes
  • C. About 49,000 volumes
  • D. About 5,000 volumes

Q11. With reference to the building history of the Thanjavur Palace, consider the following statements: 1. Construction of the palace was begun during Nayak rule in the 16th century. 2. After 1674, the Thanjavur Marathas expanded the palace over roughly two centuries. 3. The palace was originally built by the Maratha ruler Ekoji I and only later expanded by the Nayaks. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Construction of the palace was begun during Nayak rule in the 16th century.
  2. After 1674, the Thanjavur Marathas expanded the palace over roughly two centuries.
  3. The palace was originally built by the Maratha ruler Ekoji I and only later expanded by the Nayaks.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q12. The architectural character of the Thanjavur Palace is often described as a 'Nayak–Maratha fusion.' Which one of the following best describes what this term denotes?

  • A. A Dravidian Nayak substructure of the 16th century later expanded with Maratha architectural elements
  • B. A structure built entirely by the Bhonsle Marathas with no earlier Nayak core
  • C. An Indo-Saracenic complex introduced by the British after their capture of Thanjavur
  • D. A Chola-period temple complex subsequently converted into a royal palace by the Nayaks
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