1B) Indian Culture and Heritage (Prelims PYQs)

Last Updated on November 5, 2025 by Admin

2025 Prelims PYQs

1] Who amongst the following are members of the Jury to select the recipient of ‘Gandhi Peace Prize’? [2025/A-93]

I. The President of India
II. The Prime Minister of India
III. The Chief Justice of India
IV. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

a) II and IV only
b) I, II and III
c) II, III and IV
d) I and III only

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Ans: c) II, III and IV

2021 Prelims PYQs

1] With reference to India, the terms ‘Halbi Ho’ and ‘Kui’ pertain to [2021]

a) Dance forms of Northwest India
b) Musical instruments
c) Pre-historic cave paintings
d) Tribal languages

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Ans: d) Tribal languages

2] Consider the following statements in respect of Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards: [2021]

1) Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are titles under the Article 18(1) of the Constitution of India.
2) Padma Awards, which were instituted in the year 1954, were suspended only once.
3) The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of five in a particular year.
Which of the above statements are not correct?

a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

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Ans: d) 1, 2 and 3

3] Consider the following statements: [2021]

1) 21st February is declared to be the International Mother Language Day by UNICEF.
2) The demand that Bangla has to be one of the national languages was raised in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

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Ans: b) 2 only 

2017 Prelims PYQs

1] Consider the following pairs: [2017]

Traditions	Communities
1. Chaliha Sahib Festival	Sindhis
2. Nanda Raj Jaat Yatra	Gonds
3. Wari-Warkari	Santhals

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
a) 1 only
b) 2 &3 only
c) 1 & 3 only
d) None of the above

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Ans: a) 1 only

2014 Prelims PYQs

1] Every year, a month-long ecologically important campaign/festival is held during which certain communities/tribes plant samplings of fruit-bearing trees. Which of the following are such communities/tribes? [2014]

a) Bhutia and Lepcha
b) Gond and Korku
c) Irula and Toda
d) Sahariya and Agariya

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Ans: b) Gond and Korku

2] With reference to the ‘Changpa’ community of India, consider the following statements: [2014]

1. They live mainly in the State of Uttarakhand
2. They rear the Pashmina goats that yield a fine wool
3. They are kept in the category of Scheduled Tribes

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Show Answer

 Ans: b) 2 and 3 only

3] Chaitra 1 of the national calendar based on the Saka Era corresponds to which one of the following dates of the Gregorian calendar in a normal year of 365 days? [2014]

a) 22nd March (or 21st March)
b) 15th May (or 16th May)
c) 21st March (or 30th March)
d) 21st April (or 20th April)

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Ans: a) 22nd March (or 21st March)

4] A community of people called Manganiyars is well-known for their: [2014]

a) Martial arts in North-East India
b) Musical tradition in North-West India
c) Classical vocal music in South India|
d) Pictra dura tradition in Central India.

Show Answer

b) Musical tradition in North-West India

5]  With reference to the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), consider the following statements: [2014]

1. It is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
2. It strives to conserve nature through action-based research, education and public awareness.
3. It organizes and conducts nature trails and camps for the general public.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 and 3 only
b) 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Show Answer

Ans: c) 2 and 3 only

6]  Consider the following languages: [2014]

1. Gujarati
2. Kannada
3. Telugu

Which of the above has/have been declared as ‘Classical Language/Languages’ by the Government? [2014]
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 3 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

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Ans: c) 2 and 3 only

7] With reference to the cultural history of India, the term ‘Panchayatan’ refers to: [2014]

a) An assembly of village elders
b) A religious sect
c) A style of temple construction
d) An administrative functionary

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Ans: c) A style of temple construction

8] The national motto of India, ‘Satyameva Jayate’ inscribed below the Emblem of India is taken from: [2014]

a) Katha Upanishad
b) Chandogra Upanishad
c) Aitareya Upanishad
d) Mundaka Upanishad

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Ans: d) Mundaka Upanishad

2013 Prelims PYQs

1] Consider the following pairs: [2013]

Tribes:	State
1. Limbo (Limbu):	Sikkim
2. Karbi:	Himachal Pradesh
3. Dongaria Kondh:	Odisha
4. Bonda:	Tamil Nadu

Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?
a) 1 and 3 only
b) 2 and 4 only
c) 1, 3 and 4 only
d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Show Answer

Ans: a) 1 and 3 only

2012 Prelims PYQs

1] With reference to the scientific progress of ancient India, which of the statements given below are correct? [2012]

1. Different kinds of specialised surgical instruments were in common use by the 1st century AD.
2. Transplant of internal organs in the human body had begun by the beginning of 3rd century AD.
3. The concept of sine of an angle was known in 5th century AD.
4. The concept of cyclic quadrilaterals was known in the 7th century AD.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
a) 1 and 2 only                  b) 3 and 4 only
c) 1,3 & 4 only                   d) 1,2,3,4

Show Answer

Ans: c) 1,3 & 4 only     

2010-1995 Prelims PYQs

1] Among the following, who are the Agaria community? [2009]

a) Traditional toddy tappers community of Andhra Pradesh
b) Traditional fishing community of Maharashtra
c) Traditional silk-weaving community of Karnataka
d) Traditional salt pan workers community of Gujarat

Show Answer

Ans: d) Traditional salt pan workers community of Gujarat  

2] In which one of the following places is the Shompen tribe found? [2009]

a) Nilgiri Hills     b) Nicobar Islands
c) Spiti Valley     d) Lakshadweep Islands

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Ans: b) Nicobar Islands    

3] What does Baudhayan theorem (Baudhayan Sulva Sautra) related to? [2008]

a) Lengths of sides of a right-angled triangle
b) Calculation of the value of pi
c) Logarithmic calculations
d) Normal distribution curve

Show Answer

Ans: a) Lengths of sides of a right-angled triangle    

4] Among the Indian languages, which one is spoken maximum in the world after Hindi? [2008]

a) Telugu                           b) Tamil 
c) Bengali                           d) Malayalam

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Ans: c) Bengali 

5] What is the number of spokes in the Dharma chakra in the National Flag of India? [2008]

a) 16              b) 18              c) 22             d) 24

Show Answer

Ans: d) 24     

6] Indian Airlines (new name: Indian) have redesigned their logo, which is a graphic wheel. This logo has been inspired by which one of the following? [2006]

a) Hampi Temples
b) Mamallapuram Temples
c) Sun Temple, Konark
d) Khajuraho Temple

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Ans: c) Sun Temple, Konark   

7] Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists: [2006]

List. I  (Finding / Invention/ Calculation)	List. II   (Ancient Indian Scholar)
A. Time Taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun	1. Aryabhatta
B. Calculation of the value of (.pi.)	2. Bhaskaracharya
C. Invention of the digit zero	3. Budhayana
D. The game of snakes and ladders	4. Gyandev

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

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Ans: b) 2    3    1    4

8] Which of the following is not correctly matched? [2006]

Prominent Writer            
a) Raja Rao:                                     
b) Gobind Trimbuk Deshpande:
c) Subramaniyam Bharati:          
d) Tara Shankar Joshi:

Indian Language 
a) Telugu 
b) Marathi  
c) Tamil
d) Gujarati          

Show Answer

Ans: a) Raja Rao: Telugu 

9] In which one of the following union territories do the people of the Onge tribe live? [2004]

a) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
b) Dadra and Nagar Haveli
c) Daman and Diu
d) Lakshadweep

Show Answer

Ans: a) Andaman and Nicobar Islands   

10] Which one of the following statements is correct? [2003]

a) The National Song Vande Mataram was composed by Bankimchandra Chatterji originally in Bengali
b) The National Calendar of India based on Saka era has its 1st Chaitra on 22nd March normally and 21st March in a
leap year
c) The design of the National Flag of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 22nd July 1947
d) The song ‘Jana Gana Mana’, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly on 24th January 1950 as the National Anthem of India

Show Answer

Ans: a) The National Song Vande Mataram was composed by Bankimchandra Chatterji originally in Bengali

11] Chapchar Kut is a festival celebrated in the state of: [2002]

a) Arunachal Pradesh                   
b) Assam
c) Mizoram                                       
d) Sikkim

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Ans: c) Mizoram 

12] Which one of the following pairs of primitive tribes and places of their inhabitation is not correctly matched. [2000]

a) Buksa:             Pauri­Garhwal
b) Kol:                  Jabalpur
c) Munda:            Chhotanagpur
d) Korba:             Kodagu

Show Answer

Ans: d) Korba:             Kodagu

13] Which one of the following languages belongs to the Austric group? [1998]

a) Marathi                          b) Ladakhi  
 c) Khasi                              d) Tamil

Show Answer

Ans: c) Khasi 

14] The Badami rock inscription of Pulakesin I is dated in the Saka year 465. If the same were to be dated in Vikrama Samvat, the year would be: [1997]

a) 601         b) 300         c) 330         d) 407

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Ans: a) 601 

15] Match List I with List II and select the correct answer by using the codes given below the lists: [1996]

List I	List II
I. Visakhadatta	A) Medicine
II. Varahamihira	B) Drama
III. Charaka	C) Astronomy
IV. Brahmagupta	D) Mathematics

Codes:
a) I ­ A, II ­ C, III ­ D, IV ­ B
b) I ­ B, II ­ A, III ­ C, IV ­ D
c) I ­ B, II ­ C, III ­ A, IV ­ D
d) I ­ C, II ­ B, III ­ A, IV – B

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Ans: c) I ­ B, II ­ C, III ­ A, IV ­ D

16] Match List I with List II and select the correct answer by using the codes given below the lists. [1995]

List I  (Eras)	List II (Reckoned from)
I. Vikrama era	A) 3102 B.C.
II. Saka era	B) 320 A.D.
III. Gupta era	C) 78 A.D.
IV. Kali era	D) 58 B.C.
	E) 248 A.D.

Codes:
a) I­B, II­D, III­E, IV­A
b) I­A, II­C, III­B, IV­D
c) I­D, II­E, III­B, IV­C
d) I­D, II­C, III­B, IV­A

Show Answer

Ans: d) I­D, II­C, III­B, IV­A

17] Zero was invented by: [1995]

a) Aryabhata
b) Varahamihira
c) Bhaskara I
d) An unknown India

Show Answer

Ans: a) Aryabhata