[Answerkey] CDS(II)2013: Polity, International Affairs, Misc.GK, PIN, Books, Sports: MCQs analysis & answers with explanations

1. Prologue
2. Polity in CDS
   1. Basics (Preamble, FR, DPSP, FD)
   2. Emergency related
   3. Judiciary related
   4. Union related
   5. Non-Constitutional bodies
   6. Misc./current
3. International Affairs+defense related
4. Misc.GK/Persons in News
   1. Music/Movies (4)
   2. Dead(2)
   3. Books Authors(1)

Prologue

so far in the analysis and answerkey of of Combine Defense service 2013 exam:

Topic	2013(II)
Geography+Environment	23+6	done click me
Polity	11	done in the present article
International affairs	6
Defense related	1
Sports, Books, Awards	11
Economy	16	coming soon.
History n Culture	26
Science	23
Total	120

Polity in CDS

Topic	2012(I)	2012(II)	2013(I)	2013(II)
Polity	11	20	14	11
total	120	120	120	120

Although number of questions declined over the recent years, but cost: benefit continues to remain high because all of these were pretty easy MCQs (compared to the difficultly level of geography section in the same paper.)

vs CAPF and CSAT

CDS(II)2013	CAPF2013	CSAT2013
11 out of 120	14 out of 125	18  out of 100
one statement 4 options=easy	in most MCQs, 2-3-4 statements given and you had to find the correct or incorrect ones. Some even trap questions.
just one MCQ outside M.Laxmikanth		2-3 questions outside M.Laxmikanth
only one from current affair (riot inquiry/minority related commissions). not so difficult.	one moderately tough MCQ from current (J. S. Verma Committee)	nothing from current

Within CDS(II)2013: polity internal breakup

basics	2
emergency	2
judiciary	3
union executive and parliament	2
non-Constitutional bodies	1
misc.	1
total out of 120 MCQs	11

let’s solve.

Basics (Preamble, FR, DPSP, FD)

1. Which of the following freedoms is not specifically mentioned in the Constitution of India as a fundamental right but has been subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court as such?

1. Freedom of trade, occupation and business
2. Freedom to reside and settle in any part of the country
3. Freedom of association and union
4. Freedom of the press

M.Laxmikanth chapter 7 on fundamental rights. Topic: Freedom of speech and expression

Supreme court has held that freedom of speech and expression includes following…. Freedom of the press. Hence answer (D)

2. Among the following ideals and philosophy, identify those enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution of India.

1. Sovereign democratic republic
2. Socialism and secularism
3. Capitalism and free trade

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1. and 3 only
3. 1, 2 and 3
4. 2 and 3 only

Capitalism and free trade is not included in the preamble. so eliminate all choices involving #3, and we’re left with answer (A) only 1 and 2.

Alternatively, you can check preamble in chapter 4 of M.Laxmikanth

Emergency related

1. The Governor may recommend the imposition of the President’s rule in the State:

1. on the recommendation of the State legislature
2. on the recommendation of the President
3. on the recommendation of the Chief Minister
4. if he is convinced that the government of the State cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of India

M.Laxmikanth chapter on emergency provisions: topic “President’s rule”=>grounds of imposition.

Article 356 empowers president to issue a proclamation, if he is satisfied that a situation has arisen in which government of the state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. Notably, the president can act either on the report of the governor of the state, or otherwise too. (i.e. even without governor’s report)

Hence answer (D)

2. In the S R Bommai v. Union of India case, which one among the following features of the Constitution of India was upheld by the Supreme Court as a basic structure ?

1. Liberalism
2. Secularism
3. Dignity of the human person
4. Freedom of religion

M.Laxmikanth chapter 15 on Emergency provisions=>topic “Scope of judicial review”

In the Bommai case (1994)….(point no. 7) Secularism is one of the basic features of the constitution. Hence a state government pursuing anti-secular politics is liable to action under Art. 356

Hence answer (B)

Judiciary related

1. The Judge of the High Courts in India is administered oath of office by:

1. The Chief Justice of the High Court
2. The Governor of the State
3. The President of India
4. The Chief Justice of India

Before the governor. answer (B)

M.Laxmikanth chapter on High courts. “A person appointed as judge of a high court, before entering upon his office, has to make and subscribe an oath or affirmation before governor of the state or some person appointed by him for this purpose.”

2. Power of the Supreme Court of India to decide the dispute between Centre and State falls under:

1. Advisory jurisdiction
2. Original jurisdiction
3. Appellate jurisdiction
4. Constitutional jurisdiction

M.Laxmikanth chapter 23 on Supreme Court=>Topic Original jurisdiction- any dispute between center and one or more states. Hence answer (B)

3. Electoral disputes arising out of Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections are settled by:

1. Election Commission of India
2. Joint Committee of Parliament
3. Supreme Court of India
4. Speaker of LokSabha

M.Laxmikanth chapter 23 on Supreme Court=>Other powers: Supreme court decides the disputes regarding the election of the president and vice –president. Hence answer “C”.

Union related

1. Which of the following statements is not correct?

1. A money bill shall not be introduced in the Council of States
2. The Council of States has no power to reject or amend a money bill
3. The Council of Ministers is responsible to the House of the People and not to the Council of States
4. The House of the People has special powers with respect to the State List compared to the Council of States

Council of states=Rajya Sabha

now let’s check M.Laxmikanth chapter 22 on Parliament=>subtopic unequal status with Lok Sabha.

A money bill shall not be introduced in the Council of States	correct (point 1)
The Council of States has no power to reject or amend a money bill	correct (point 2)
The Council of Ministers is responsible to the House of the People and not to the Council of States	correct (point 10)

So automatically answer is (D).

Alternative approach:

Rajya Sabha can authorize parliament to make law on a subject enumerated in the state list (Art.249)= Lok Sabha doesn’t have this special power. Hence D is incorrect. Therefore answer is (D)

2. Which of the following pairs of Constitutional authority and procedure of appointment is/are correctly matched?

1. President: Elected by an electoral college consisting of elected MLAs and MPs
2. Vice-President : Elected by an electoral college consisting of MLAs and MPs
3. Speaker: The House of People chooses after its first sitting

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1, 2 and 3
2. 1 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 2 and 3 only

M.Laxmikanth chapter 19 on VP: topic election=>it doesn’t include the members of the state legislative assemblies (MLA)= meaning statement #2 is wrong. this eliminates (A) and (D)

Chapter 22 on parliament=>speaker of loksabha=>election and tenure=>the speaker is elected by the lok sabha from amongst its members (As soon as may be , after its first sitting)=meaning statement #3 is correct.

Eliminate choices accordingly

1. 1, 2 and 3
2. 1 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 2 and 3 only

You’re left with answer (C) only 1 and 3.

Reason for this “elimination- approach”?  if you jump the gun quickly, it might be a trap question. Because first statement is partially correct: president is elected by elected members of both house + elected MLAs of States + elected MLAs from Union territories of Delhi and Pondicherry.

Non-Constitutional bodies

1. The Planning Commission of India has been constituted:

1. under constitutional provision with specific mention for it
2. through an Act of Parliament
3. through a cabinet decision in this regard
4. through constitutional amendment

M.Laxmikanth chapter 44 on Planning commission

The Planning commission was established in March 1950 by an executive resolution of the government of India (i.e. Union cabinet). Hence answer “C”.

Misc./current

1. Match the following:

Sachar	Anti Sikh Riots 1984
Srikrishna	Socio-economic conditions of Muslims in India
Ranganath Misra	Bombay communal riots 1992
Nanavati	Linguistic and religious minorities in India

Answer choice:

codes	A	B	C	D
(a)	2	3	4	1
(b)	2	4	3	1
(c)	1	4	3	2
(d)	1	3	4	2

Nanavati=Sikh riots (D1) and Srikrishna=Bombay riots (B3).

Eliminate choices accordingly:

codes	A	B	C	D
(a)	2	3	4	1
(b)	2	4	3	1
(c)	1	4	3	2
(d)	1	3	4	2

Thus we’re left with answer (A). let’s cross check

• C:Ranganath=4: linguistic and religious minorities? yes according to Minority affairs ministry.
• A: Sachar=conditions of Muslims in India? yes, It was also in news because government made another committee under JNU Prof. Amitabh Kundu to study its report Aug2013

International Affairs+defense related

in 2013, CAPF barely 4 questions on IR and in CSAT- nothing. let’s check how IR fares in CDS?

Topic	2012(I)	2012(II)	2013(I)	2013(II)
International affairs	6	6	10	6
defense	8	7	0	1
total	120	120	120	120

• Weightage to IR topics remains more or less the same.
• Exam held in Nov2013 and Most of these  IR news happened around April 2013
• Most of these can be solved through regular newspaper reading. (Hindu is not a ‘must’ for CDS, you can get these answers even in Indianexpress.)
• Only one MCQ from IR theory/static portion (UN related)
• defense hardly gets any attention (just one MCQ and that too can be classified as a bilateral relation). However, defense related current affairs still important from interview/GD point of view.

1. The Saudi Arabia Government has recently decided to strictly implement a law called Nitaqat law. As a result:

1. 10% jobs in Saudi should be reserved for Saudi nationals
2. 50% jobs in Saudi should be reserved for Saudi nationals
3. A foreigner will be allowed to work in Saudi Arabia for a maximum period of 10 years
4. Foreigners’ job contracts in Saudi Arabia will be on year to year basis

Hindu April News: Nitaqat (naturalisation) law, reserving 10 per cent private jobs for the locals, could affect many semi-skilled workers belonging to India.

Hence answer (A)

2. Which one among the following was a major decision taken at the fifth BRICS summit held recently?

1. Establishment of a new development bank
2. Reformation of the United Nations
3. Common military exercise
4. Cultural exchange among the BRICS countries

from my PIN-2013 compilation: BRIC-2013 summit: to create an infrastructure focused “development bank”

Answer (A) btw, this news happened in March 2013.

3. With which one among the following countries, did India sign a Memorandum of nderstanding on Co-operation in the field of Election Management and Administration (on 12 April 2013 in New Delhi) ?

1. Japan
2. Mauritius
3. Thailand
4. Sri Lanka

TheHindu April News: India and Mauritius on signed an agreement for cooperation in the field of election management and administration.

Hence Answer (B)

4. Which one among the following was the main demand of the ‘2013 ShahbagProtests’ ?

1. Employment for all above eighteen years
2. Equal rights for men and women
3. Capital punishment for those convicted of crimes against humanity during 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War
4. Introduction of Urdu and Arabic languages as compulsory subjects in primary education

Hindu February News: This unique non-violent movement began on February 5, soon after a war crimes tribunal sentenced Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah to life term in prison for crimes against humanity during the 1971 war. The protest was initiated by Bloggers and Online Activist Network, but it soon turned into a mass movement. It has already spread to many parts of the country. Hence answer (C)

5. Consider the following statements about the UNO :

1. The creation of the UNO was a reflection of the ongoing quest for international peace during the Second World War
2. The Charter of the UN explicitly mentions two vital objectives of the organization (i) the quest for international peace and (ii) all round welfare of the people of the world
3. The UN has resolved all the major global disputes including the Palestine dispute

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct ?

1. 1 and 2
2. 1 and 3
3. 2 and 3
4. 1 only

Statement#3 is incorrect because of the word “all” major global disputes. Palestine was admitted as Non-Member Observer State’ Status in United Nations. But the dispute with Israel is not yet entirely solved. =>B and C incorrect.

Statement#1: is correct.Even before the complete defeat of the enemy countries (viz. Germany , Japan, and Italy)

in the Second  World  War, the allied  powers led by the USA, former Soviet Union and the

UK started planning an organization in place of the League of Nations (Ref. NIOS Political science course chapter 30: page 320)

Statement#2: NIOS Political science course chapter 30:

The Charter indicates, at the very beginning, four broad objectives of the United Nations.

They are

1. to maintain international peace and security through collective measures for suppression of aggression and through peaceful settlement of disputes;
2. to develop friendly relations among countries based on full respect for the principle of equality and self-determination;
3. to achieve international cooperation in the economic, social, cultural or humanitarian fields.
4. to encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Thus “all round welfare of people” is not explicitly mentioned. Hence Statement #2 incorrect.

Answer (D) only 1; or debatable if you consider #2 to be correct.

6. Which of the following statements about India-China relations is/are correct?

1. ‘Look East’ policy is a vital part of the relationship
2. There is an active defense exchange programme
3. Institutional mechanism to share international waters is in place

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1, 2 and 3
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 1 only
4. 2 and 3 only

Debatable based on how you interpreted Statement #1: ‘Look East’ policy is a vital part of the relationship.

Approach #1: Statement 1 is wrong

Keystone of India’s Look East policy has been the country’s intense engagement with ASEAN countries. (i.e. South East Asian countries). Neither India nor China is a fulltime member of ASEAN. Hence statement #1 is incorrect. =>We’re left with Answer (D)

Approach #2: Statement  1 is right

Indian Foreign Policy: Challenges and Opportunities  edited by Atish Sinha et al Page 117

India’s relationship with China is a key component of our “Look East” Policy.=>#1 is right. This eliminates D

let’s check remaining statements

Statement #3 is incorrect because

India and China have an agreement on sharing the data of the Brahmaputra waters but do not have any treaty on sharing the river waters. (IndianExpress May 2013)

that eliminates A and D.

So far

1. 1, 2 and 3
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 1 only
4. 2 and 3 only

Statement #2 is correct because

In November 2013, we held third joint army counterterrorism exercise, codenamed “Hand-to-Hand”. =>Statement #2 is right.

overall 1 and 2 correct=>answer (B)

Defense related

1. In April 2013, an agreement was signed between India and a country which extends the use of training and exercise facilities in India to the army of that country for a further period of five years from August 2013. Sort out the country from among the following:

1. Malaysia
2. Singapore
3. Myanmar
4. Bangladesh

Hindu news report:  answer is Singapore. (B)

Misc.GK/Persons in News

In 2013, CAPF=only two MCQs, in CSAT=nothing. let’s see how this section fares under CDS?

Topic	2012(I)	2012(II)	2013(I)	2013(II)
Misc.GK, Sports, Awards etc.	7	6	14	11
	120	120	120	120

#Span of current affairs

CDS(I)2013	CDS(II)2013
held in Feb 2013	November 2013
By and large by and large most of the current affairs questions from September-November 2012 period.	most of the current affairs questions from around April 2013
asked about clichéd topic: Malala	Ravi Shankar’s Grammy award
asked about dead historian Hobsbawm	Dead noble prize winner and lady governor.

Within CDS(II)2013

• the oldest question is from late 2012 (Chitgong movie)
• latest question is from June 2013 (French Open)
• by and large most of these news happened during or before April 2013
• 7 PIN MCQs and 1 IR MCQ could be solved from my [PIN-2013] Collection alone. (which was released in October 2013). Point being: if you maintain an MS Word / Onenote file and keep updating It from magazines and newspapers, that’ll definitely help for the exam.

Misc.GK/PIN: Internal breakup in CDS(II)2013

music/movies	4
sports	3
dead	2
books and authors	1
award misc.	1
total	11

Music/Movies (4)

1. Which Indian musician has recently been awarded with lifetime achievement Grammy Award?

1. A R Rahman
2. Pt. Ravi Shankar
3. UstadAmjad Ali Khan
4. Lata Mangeshkar

from PIN-2012-13 collection, answer is B. Pt.RAVI SHANKAR. This happened in Feb.2013. Curiously, this was a too clichéd topic like Malala Yousufzai, yet UPSC asked.

2. Well known film ‘Chittagong’, directed by Bedabrata Pain, is mainly based on the life of :

1. Subodh Roy
2. Binod Bihari Chowdhury
3. Preetilata Wadedar
4. Ganesh Ghosh

NDTV Review: This movie was released in late 2012.

…The momentous events leading to the armoury attack on April 18, 1930, and culminating in the Tebhaga peasant uprising in the mid 1940s are seen through the eyes of a young rebel, Jhunku (Delzad Hiwale), who emerged on the post-Independence political stage as Communist Party ideologue and central committee member Subodh Roy.

Hence answer (A)

3. Which legendary actor has been awarded the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, 2012?

1. Shashi Kapoor
2. Pran Krishan Sikand
3. AnupamKher
4. Soumitra Chatterjee

From my [PIN-2013] Collection: Answer is B: Pran. Actually awarded in April 2013

4. On 8 March 2013 President of India has released a commemorative postage stamp on late SahirLudhianvi at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Ludhianvi was :

1. The translator of the Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat into Hindi
2. An eminent social activist of India
3. One of the top Urdu dramatists and actor
4. Widely acclaimed as a people’s poet

from March 2013 Pib release: answer is (D) and His stamp was released because of 100^th anniversary.

Sports(3)

1. Which one among the following countries has won the ICC Women’s World Cup, 2013 held in India?

1. India
2. West Indies
3. Australia
4. Sri Lanka

from my [PIN-2013] Collection: Answer is C: Australia defeated West Indies at Mumbai. News happened in February.

2. The ‘Thomas Cup’ is associated with :

1. Table Tennis
2. Lawn Tennis
3. Badminton
4. Billiards

Lucent’s General Knowledge Book, Page 641: Thomas Cup trophy named after Sir George Thomas, who was the first president of International Badminton federation (IBF) Answer C.

3. Consider the following statements :

1. Rafael Nadal won Men’s Singles French Open Tenths Tournament 2013 defeating Spanish compatriot David Ferrer
2. This is Nadal’s maiden French Open title

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

from my [PIN-2013] Collection:

French Open	Nadal. Became first player to win eight singles at the same grand slam tournament.	David Ferrer.
	Serena Williams, US	Sharapova.

Accordingly, statement 2 is w wrong and 1 is right. Hence answer (A). This news happened in June 2013

Dead(2)

1. British Scientist Robert Edwards, winner of Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine, passed away on 10 April 2013. What was so important about him?

1. He was the pioneer in the field of cloning
2. He led the human genome project
3. His pioneering works led to the birth of the first test tube baby
4. He discovered the artificial heart

from [PIN-2013] Collection: Dead: Robert Edwarsd, Father of IVF technology. Won noble. Hence answer (C)

2. V S Ramadevi, who died on 17 April, 2013, was the Governor of Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. She was the :

1. Governor of the two States simultaneously
2. Only female Chief Election Commissioner of India
3. Only female Indian High Commissioner to United Kingdom .
4. Governor of Reserve Bank of India

From [PIN-2013] Collection: VS Ramadevi: First woman Chief election Commissioner of India Hence Answer is (B)

Books Authors(1)

1. The Pulitzer Prize for. Fiction in the year 2013 has been announced for the book:

1. ‘The Orphan Master’s Son’ authored by Adam Johnson
2. ‘What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank’ authored by Nathan Englander
3. The Snow Child’ authored by Eowyn Ivey
4. None of the above

Hindu April News: answer is (A). by the way, in 2012 no Pulitzer prize for fiction category.

Award Misc.(1)

1. Which one among the following Indian scientists has been awarded the ‘2012 award for International Science Co-operation’ by Chinese Academy of Sciences ?

1. K S Srinivasan
2. Sreekumar Banerjee
3. D DBhawalkar
4. C N R Rao

from my [PIN-2013] Collection: CNR Rao: Got Chinese award for international cooperation in Science.

By the way, this news happened in January 2013.

Courtesy: Shalini Rai for Polity and IR; Ketankumar Patil for PIN/Sports/Awards.

Any correction / updates: do post in the comments.