An India Quiz held at St.Stephen's College conducted by Apratim Chandra Singh for Civil Services Forum in collaboration with The Quiz Club. Quiz created by Apratim Chandra Singh with inputs from Raghav Talwar, Asitang Srivastava, Arunansh Goswami.

1. India Quiz
Prelims
(with Answers)
Quiz made by Apratim Chandra Singh with inputs from
Raghav Talwar, Asitang Srivastava and Arunansh Goswami.

2. Rules
• 20 questions in the prelims
• Names, mobile phone numbers, course, team name on the answer
sheet
• Marked questions are used for resolving ties. (*)
• 5 teams qualify for the finals
• Anyone found using mobile phones/googling during the quiz will
be made to watch sermons of Radhe Maa

3. Q1
• Chilla is a census town located in East Delhi. It has a population of
around 65,000, and the average literacy rate is 70%.
• The facts given above aren’t very important. What matters is
something recently commissioned by the Delhi Jal Board in the
area. What is this?

4. • First Hydro-Electric Plant in Delhi

5. *Q2
• X is a proposed financial institution set up to promote
infrastructural development in the Asia Pacific Region. It was
initiated by PR China, and of its 57 prospective founding members,
51 have signed the Articles of Agreement that form the legal basis
for the proposed bank. This act was carried out on 30 June this
year. The bank is considered a potential rival of the US dominated
IMF, World Bank and Asian Development Bank. ID X.

6. • Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

7. Q3
• X was born in 1974, and joined the Communist Youth of his
country in his mid to late teens. He is a civil engineer by
profession, and despite leaving the Communist Party, has stayed
firmly on the left wing throughout his political career. He rose to
significance this year, when he gained and resigned from an
important office of state.
• About a month and a half before his resignation, Fidel Castro
wrote a letter to X, saying that his country’s vote of “Ohi” was an
inspiration to the people of Latin America.
• ID X.

8. • Alexis Tsipras

9. Q4
• Mr. Ajay Singh is a co-founder of Indian low cost airline Spicejet.
He was in news recently for infusing Rs.500 crore in the low-cost
airlines and giving it a new lease of life. However he was in news
an year back for a creation of his which created ripples in the
country. What is his ‘creation’ we are talking about ?

10. • Ab Ki Baar Modi Sarkar

11. Q5
• X is a satellite and UN Driven initiative to share information on
Disaster Risk Reduction. X has been in the news this month, due to
it being renamed.
• After whom is it being renamed?

12. • APJ Abdul Kalam

13. Q6
• The national motto of India ,’Satyameva Jayate’, inscribed below
the emblem of India is taken from which Upanishad ?

14. • Mundaka Upanishad

15. *Q7
• The scheme introduced by the Government of Rajasthan in 2014
to transfer financial and non-financial benefits of governmental
schemes directly to recipients is named after which famous person
? This person is said to have built the Dilwara Temples near Mount
Abu.

16. • Bhamashah

17. Q8
• Which temple complex, rediscovered by the British engineer T. S.
Burt in the 19th century, is named for the golden date palms that
adorned its entrance in ancient times?

18. • Khajuraho Temple

19. Q9
• What was the infamous term given to elaborate system of licences,
regulations and accompanying red tape that were required to set
up and run businesses in India between 1947 and 1990 ?

20. • License Raj

21. Q10
• Name of the painting.

22. • Bani Thani

23. *Q11
• X meaning abode of springs and lakes, also called Islamabad, is a
city in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The name X is
thought to be derived from the Sanskrit term for "Land of
countless springs”. According to a well known archaeologist, Sir A.
Stein, the name of the city comes from the great spring X issuing at
the centre of the city. Mehbooba Mufti represents X constituency
in Lok Sabha. Identify X.

24. • Anantnag

25. Q12
• TADA, was an anti-terrorism law which was in force between
1985 and 1995 (modified in 1987) under the background of
Punjab insurgency and was applied to whole of India. It came into
effect on 23 May 1985. It was renewed in 1989, 1991 and 1993
before being allowed to lapse in 1995 due to increasing
unpopularity due to widespread allegations of abuse. It was the
first anti-terrorism law legislated by the government to define and
counter terrorist activities. It recently came into public’s eye due
to Yakub Memon’s hanging episode. What does TADA stand for ?

26. • Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act

27. *Q13
• The term has evolved to mean a plot device whereby a seemingly
unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly resolved by the
contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event,
character, ability or object. Depending on how it is done, it can be
intended to move the story forward when the writer has "painted
himself into a corner" and sees no other way out, to surprise the
audience, to bring the tale to a happy ending, or as a comedic
device. Which plot device am I talking about ?

28. • Deus Ex Machina

29. Q14
• Kundal Lal Gujral is said to be the founder and inventor of which
extremely famous food item in India ?

30. • Tandoori Chicken

31. Q15
• Sitter. Identify
the Indian city
from this map.

32. • Chandigarh

33. Q16
• In which internationally famed weekly magazine will you find the
following words printed in its every edition :-
“to take part in a severe contest between intelligence, which presses
forward , and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress”
The HQ of this magazine is at 25, St. James’s Street, London. Identify
the magazine.

34. • The Economist

35. Q17
• Founded by Lala Sukh Lal Jain in 1790 in Chandni Chowk, this
legendary sweet shop was one of the oldest halwais (traditional
sweet shop) in India. It has catered to Mughal Emperors,
Presidents and Prime Ministers of India, from Nehru to his
grandson Rajiv Gandhi. Over the years, it has also remained a
popular visitors attraction in Old Delhi area and was known for its
Sohan Halwa. Identify this sweet shop which was in news recently
for shutting down its shutters forever.

36. • Ghantewala

37. Q18
• X is an international humanitarian-aid non-governmental
organization and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, best known for its
projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing
endemic diseases. It was founded in France. The organization is
known in most of the world by its localized name, in Canada and
the United States the name _________ is commonly used. X was
created in 1971, in the aftermath of the Biafra secession, by a small
group of French doctors and journalists who believed that all
people have the right to medical care regardless of race, religion,
creed or political affiliation. Identify X (give either the original
name or the one used in USA and Canada)
• Hint – Campus Placement Cell sent a mail yesterday pertaining to
internship opportunity in the aforementioned organization.

38. • Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders

39. Q19
• What is the name given to the headquarters of Central Vigilance
Commission ?

40. • Satarkta Bhawan

41. Q20
• Started in 1907 by an eminent personality who was fondly
remembered as ‘Deenabandhu’. It is registered with the office of
the Registrar of Newspapers for India and has been in print since
its inception. Now in its 122nd volume, it has English, Hindi,
Sanskrit and Urdu sections. Identify this literary annual which has
been one of the oldest privately circulated literary annual in the
country.

42. • The Stephanian

43. Finals

44. Rules
• Infinite Bounce
• Infinite Pounce
• +10/0 on bounce
• +10/-10 on pounce
• This quiz is made with love, a can of RedBull and a pack of
Marlboros
• “Never irritate a sleep deprived quizmaster.”

45. My friend’s reaction when I asked them to
rate the quiz.

46. Q1
• According to the Prisoners Act of 1913 if a person was on hunger
strike and fell ill, s/he would be released, only to be re-arrested
when the prisoner recuperated. Due to this, this act acquired a
rather different name by which it was known among the masses.
What is that ‘other’ name ?

48. • Cat and Mouse Act

49. Q2
• Whom did Indira Gandhi defeat in 1971 elections who later
accused her of indulging in corrupt electoral practices and filed an
election petition against her, due to which she was disqualified
from contesting Lok Sabha seat for 6 years and in turn declared
Emergency in the country. The Allahabad High court delivered a
landmark judgement on this case which was known as State of UP
vs __________. (Blank is the name of the person)

51. • Raj Narain

52. Q3
• With a dimension of 9.7 by 6.3 centimetres, it is made of 100 per
cent cotton rags. It will weigh 90 grams per square metre and have
thickness of 110 microns. It will have the bilingual signature of
Rajiv Mehrishi. After a gap of 20 years, what is being re-introduced
again in the year 2015? What are we talking about ?

54. • One Rupee Note

55. Q4
• X’s real name is Sukhvinder Kaur. She was born on 3 March 1965
in Dorangala village of Gurdaspur district in Punjab. X studied till
Class X, she married Mohan Singh at age 17.She used to stitch
clothes to supplement her husband's small income. After her
husband left for Doha (Qatar) in search of a better job, X embraced
a total new outlook and became known to the world by a different
name altogether. How do we better know X ?

57. • Radhe Maa

58. Q5
• Which derogatory term was coined by the Indian Economist Raj
Krishna to refer to the GDP growth rate of India before 1991
liberalisation ?

60. • Hindu Rate of Growth

61. Q6
* HE Hon Aloun Ndombet Assamba - Jamaican lawyer, politician &
diplomat, Jamaica's High Commissioner to UK since 2012
* Dr George Ayittey - Ghanaian economist & author, founder/President of
Free Africa Foundation
* _______________________________________
* Sir Richard Ottaway - British politician, formerly Chair of Foreign
Affairs Committee
* William Roger Louis CBE FBA - American historian of British Empire,
editor-in-chief of The Oxford History of The British Empire
* Prof John M MacKenzie - British historian, editor of Manchester
University Press 'Studies in Imperialism' series
• Who is the missing person in the list ?

63. • Shashi Tharoor (from the Oxford Reparations Debate)

64. Q7
• If Prime Minister of India lives at 7, Race Course Road and the
President lives at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Who lives at 32, Prithviraj
Road ?

66. • Cabinet Secretary of India

67. Q8
• X is a saffron-flavored traditional flatbread made in Iran,
Bangladesh, Pakistan, Lucknow region and Hyderabad, India,
probably from Persian influences. It is a mildly sweet naan made
out of maida, leavened with yeast, baked in a tandoor or oven. X
was traditionally made like roti. Today, X is prepared like naan. The
warm water in the recipe for roti was replaced with warm milk
sweetened with sugar and flavored with saffron. The final product
resembles Danish pastry. Identify X which is a rare delicacy in
India.

69. • Sheermal

70. Q9
• The X effect is an economic occurrence where income is
redistributed so that economic inequality is reduced. A X effect can
be caused by a large number of different policies or economic
decisions, not all of which are specifically aimed at reducing
inequality. Identify X, which is named after a folk hero.

72. • Robin Hood Effect

73. Q10
• A X is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal or turret-shaped,
often built in a park, garden or spacious public area. X are
freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed, and open on all
sides. They provide shade, shelter, ornamental features in a
landscape, and a place to rest. Some X in public parks are large
enough to serve as bandstands or rain shelters. The word origin is
unknown and has no cognates in other European languages. False
etymologies are proposed, such as the French Que c'est beau
("How beautiful") and the Macaronic Latin X ("I shall gaze"). What
is X ?

75. • Gazebo

76. Q11
• About what did Mark Twain said the following ?
“It is wonderful, the power of a faith like that, that can make
multitudes upon multitudes of the old and weak and the young
and frail enter without hesitation or complaint upon such
incredible journeys and endure the resultant miseries without
repining. It is done in love, or it is done in fear; I do not know
which it is. No matter what the impulse is, the act born of it is
beyond imagination, marvellous to our kind of people, the cold
whites.”

78. • Kumbh Mela

79. Q12
• Which place in Delhi gets its name from the fact that a deranged
Iranian Sufi Mystic named Abdullah used to meditate perched
upon a hill in that location ?

81. • Majnu ka Tilla

82. Q13
• J&K CM Omar Abdullah recently commented on the purpose of
this ubiquitous government office artefact asking “Are the _____ not
clean? Do they have stains?” By one account, it was a hand me
down from WWII days when British soldiers or American GIs had
it in their cars, while others say it was used by British colonials in
the Raj who couldn’t handle the sub-continental climate. A third
theory has it that it’s an invisible screen that separates the ruler
from the ruled, a new identity maker in the strict hierarchy of
Indian power politics, but protocol lists for officials show no sign
of what size or colour it should be or how much it should weigh.
What are we talking about?

84. • Towels on Government Chairs

85. Q14
• Which eminent and noted parliamentarian, educationist, lawyer
and journalist was the interim President of the Constituent
Assembly of India in 1946 ?

87. • Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha

88. Q15
X was established in 2001 by Chandra Shekhar Ghosh as a non-
profit microfinance enterprise, primarily to alleviate impoverished
women. It later became a Non Banking Finance Company, or NBFC,
in 2006.
What is X? Why has X been in the news recently?

90. • Bandhan Bank

91. Q16
• Identify

93. • Saradha Group

94. Q17
In July 2015, the RBI decided to commemorate a special event by
minting coins of a certain kind. On the reverse side, these coins
would feature the inscription “ _____ for Peace and Harmony” along
with others. These coins are representative of an event that was
both controversial and garnered worldwide praise and attention.
What was the event in question?

96. • International Yoga Day

97. Q18
X was an ancient Semitic city. It dates back to the Neolithic era and
has been documented as a caravan stop for travellers through the
desert in the second millennium BC.
In May 2015, X came into the public eye, as it was now occupied for
the first time since 1932. The theatre was used in July 2015, and a
graphic video was released of the “performance”.
What is X?

99. • Palmyra

100. Q19
• The origin of the phrase is attributed to the founder of the Jesuits,
Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who intended it to serve as a cornerstone
sentiment of the society's religious philosophy. The full phrase
attributed to St. Ignatius is _____________ inque hominum salute. It
is a summary of the idea that any work that is not evil, even one
that would normally be considered inconsequential to the spiritual
life, can be spiritually meritorious if it is performed in order of
service of God. It is also used as the Latin motto of the Society of
Jesus (Jesuits), a religious order of the Catholic Church. Which
phrase ?

102. • Ad Dei Gloriam/Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam

103. Q20
• Which political party’s old logo is this ?

105. • Indian National Congress

106. Q21
• X was developed in Delhi by Hakeem Hafiz Abdul Majeed in 1906
as a refreshing herbal tonic. It’s translation means “nourishment
for the soul” in Urdu. It is manufactured by Hamdard Wakf
Laboratories in India. The specific Unani recipe of X combines
several ingredients with refreshing properties. Which iconic thing
are we talking about ?

108. • Rooh Afza

109. Q22
X is a village in Andhra Pradesh, famous for a second century BC
stupa built during the reign of Ashoka. It is based in Guntur district.
X is easy to identify. However, on top of its Wikipedia article, you’ll
see that in italics, the following is written: “Not to be confused
with_____.”
ID X, and this cause for confusion.

111. • Amravati.
Also the name of the proposed capital of Andhra Pradesh

112. Q23
• X-Y is an economic intelligence agency responsible for enforcing
economic laws and fighting economic crime in India. It is part of
the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. It comprises
officers of the Indian Revenue Service, Indian Police Service and
the Indian Administrative Service. The origin of this agency goes
back to 1st May, 1956, when X unit was formed in Department of
Economic Affairs, for handling Exchange Control Laws violations
under Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947. In the year 1957,
this Unit was renamed as X-Y. Presently it enforces two key acts of
G.O.I namely FEMA, 1999 and PMLA, 2002. It is also a member of
the Black Money SIT. Identify this agency which was in news a
couple of days back due to its Director being sacked.

114. • Enforcement Directorate/Directorate of Enforcement

115. Q24
• What title was created in 1578 by Mongol chieftain, Altan Khan
with an office/position which exists even today ? His intention was
to unite the Mongols and emulate Chengiz Khan. Which title ?

117. • The Dalai Lama

118. Q25
• What was invented by
the gentleman in the
picture which has led
to him being
immortalised in the
hearts of every DU
student during the
scorching summer heat
?