Model questions NCET Part 3 – Political science
Section 1: Politics in India Since Independence
1. The 'Bifurcation of Bombay' in 1960 led to the creation of which two states?
Options: (A) Gujarat and Maharashtra, (B) Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, (C) Gujarat and Rajasthan, (D) Maharashtra and Goa
Answer: A
Rationale: The bilingual Bombay state was divided following the Samyukta Maharashtra and Maha Gujarat movements.
2. Which plan is known as the 'Industrial and Transport Plan'?
Options: (A) First Five-Year Plan, (B) Second Five-Year Plan, (C) Third Five-Year Plan, (D) Fourth Five-Year Plan
Answer: B
Rationale: The Second Plan (Mahalanobis model) shifted focus toward heavy industries and infrastructure.
3. The 'Grand Alliance' of 1971 was formed by:
Options: (A) All non-Congress and non-Communist opposition parties, (B) Congress (O) and the Communist Party, (C) Indira Gandhi and the regional parties, (D) The Left Front and the Jan Sangh
Answer: A
Rationale: It was a coalition of opposition parties whose primary goal was 'Indira Hatao'.
4. The 'National Fishworkers Forum' is an example of:
Options: (A) A political party, (B) A pressure group/social movement, (C) A government department, (D) A religious organization
Answer: B
Rationale: It represents the interests of traditional fishing communities against deep-sea trawlers.
5. Which Prime Minister initiated the 'Look East Policy'?
Options: (A) Rajiv Gandhi, (B) P.V. Narasimha Rao, (C) Atal Bihari Vajpayee, (D) Manmohan Singh
Answer: B
Rationale: Launched in 1991, it aimed to increase economic and strategic ties with Southeast Asia.
6. The 'Bodo Movement' in Assam demanded:
Options: (A) Total independence from India, (B) Merger with Bangladesh, (C) A separate state within India, (D) Implementation of the ILP
Answer: C
Rationale: The movement sought a separate 'Bodoland' state for the Bodo community.
7. Who was the first non-Congress Prime Minister to complete a full five-year term?
Options: (A) Morarji Desai, (B) V.P. Singh, (C) Atal Bihari Vajpayee, (D) Narendra Modi
Answer: C
Rationale: Vajpayee served a full term from 1999 to 2004 under the NDA banner.
8. The 'Harsud' town is associated with the protest against which dam?
Options: (A) Bhakra Nangal, (B) Narmada Sagar, (C) Tehri Dam, (D) Hirakud Dam
Answer: B
Rationale: The town was submerged due to the construction of the Indira Sagar (Narmada) project.
9. The 'United Peoples Alliance' (UPA) was formed in which year?
Options: (A) 1999, (B) 2004, (C) 2009, (D) 2014
Answer: B
Rationale: It was formed after the 2004 elections to lead the coalition government under Dr. Manmohan Singh.
10. Which state was carved out of Bihar in the year 2000?
Options: (A) Uttarakhand, (B) Chhattisgarh, (C) Jharkhand, (D) Telangana
Answer: C
Rationale: Jharkhand was created to fulfill the long-standing demand of the tribal population in the region.
Section 2: Contemporary World Politics
11. The 'Marshall Plan' was intended to:
Options: (A) Rebuild Western Europe after WWII, (B) Support the Soviet Union's economy, (C) Stop the spread of Capitalism, (D) Form a military alliance against China
Answer: A
Rationale: It was a US initiative to provide economic aid to Western European countries to prevent the spread of Communism.
12. The term 'Third World' originally referred to:
Options: (A) Communist countries, (B) Non-aligned and developing countries, (C) Latin American countries only, (D) The poorest countries in Africa
Answer: B
Rationale: These were countries that did not align with either the US or the Soviet bloc during the Cold War.
13. Which agreement ended the Bosnian War in 1995?
Options: (A) Dayton Accords, (B) Oslo Accords, (C) Camp David Accords, (D) Geneva Convention
Answer: A
Rationale: It brought peace to Bosnia and Herzegovina after years of ethnic conflict.
14. 'Operation Infinite Reach' was a response to:
Options: (A) The 9/11 attacks, (B) Bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, (C) The invasion of Kuwait, (D) Piracy in the Indian Ocean
Answer: B
Rationale: Ordered by President Clinton, it involved cruise missile strikes against Al-Qaeda targets.
15. The 'Maastricht Treaty' established:
Options: (A) NATO, (B) The European Union, (C) The World Bank, (D) The Warsaw Pact
Answer: B
Rationale: Signed in 1992, it created the EU and paved the way for the Euro currency.
16. The 'Tiananmen Square' protests of 1989 took place in:
Options: (A) Tokyo, (B) Seoul, (C) Beijing, (D) Taipei
Answer: C
Rationale: The student-led pro-democracy protests were suppressed by the Chinese government.
17. The 'New International Economic Order' (NIEO) was a demand of:
Options: (A) Developed nations, (B) UN Security Council, (C) Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) members, (D) The European Union
Answer: C
Rationale: It sought a fairer economic system for developing nations.
18. What is 'Agenda 21'?
Options: (A) A military strategy, (B) A list of human rights, (C) A non-binding action plan for sustainable development, (D) A trade agreement
Answer: C
Rationale: It was adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
19. The 'Saddam Hussein' regime in Iraq was toppled in 2003 by:
Options: (A) Operation Desert Storm, (B) Operation Iraqi Freedom, (C) Operation Enduring Freedom, (D) Operation Blue Star
Answer: B
Rationale: This was the US-led invasion of Iraq based on the (later disproven) claim of WMDs.
20. Which country is a 'Net Contributor' to the UN budget?
Options: (A) India, (B) Brazil, (C) Japan, (D) South Africa
Answer: C
Rationale: Japan and Germany are among the highest contributors to the UN budget.
Section 3: Political Theory
21. Who said, "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains"?
Options: (A) John Locke, (B) J.J. Rousseau, (C) Thomas Hobbes, (D) Karl Marx
Answer: B
Rationale: This is the opening line of his work 'The Social Contract'.
22. 'Positive Liberty' emphasizes:
Options: (A) Removal of all laws, (B) The capacity to act and achieve self-realization, (C) Freedom from government interference, (D) Right to carry weapons
Answer: B
Rationale: It focuses on the presence of conditions that allow individuals to be their own masters.
23. The 'Communist Manifesto' was co-authored by Karl Marx and:
Options: (A) Vladimir Lenin, (B) Friedrich Engels, (C) Leon Trotsky, (D) Joseph Stalin
Answer: B
Rationale: Marx and Engels published it in 1848 as a critique of capitalism.
24. 'Distributive Justice' primarily focuses on:
Options: (A) Punishing criminals, (B) Fair allocation of resources and honors, (C) Protecting historical monuments, (D) Strengthening the military
Answer: B
Rationale: It deals with how society should distribute benefits and burdens fairly.
25. Who is associated with the 'Capability Approach' to welfare?
Options: (A) Milton Friedman, (B) Amartya Sen, (C) Adam Smith, (D) Robert Nozick
Answer: B
Rationale: Sen argues that poverty is the deprivation of basic capabilities rather than just low income.
Section 4: The Indian Constitution
26. The 'Procedure Established by Law' in India is taken from:
Options: (A) British Constitution, (B) Japanese Constitution, (C) US Constitution, (D) French Constitution
Answer: B
Rationale: Article 21 uses this phrase, which differs from the US 'Due Process of Law'.
27. The 9th Schedule was added to protect laws from:
Options: (A) Foreign invasion, (B) Judicial Review, (C) President's veto, (D) Public protests
Answer: B
Rationale: It was added by the 1st Amendment (1951) to protect land reform laws.
28. Which Article empowers the President to declare a Financial Emergency?
Options: (A) Article 352, (B) Article 356, (C) Article 360, (D) Article 368
Answer: C
Rationale: Though never used in India, Article 360 provides for a Financial Emergency.
29. The 'Joint Sitting' of both Houses is presided over by:
Options: (A) The President, (B) The Vice-President, (C) The Speaker of Lok Sabha, (D) The Prime Minister
Answer: C
Rationale: Under Article 108, the Speaker (or Deputy Speaker) presides over joint sittings.
30. The 'Preamble' of the Indian Constitution was amended only once, in:
Options: (A) 1951, (B) 1971, (C) 1976, (D) 1991
Answer: C
Rationale: The 42nd Amendment added the words 'Socialist', 'Secular', and 'Integrity'.
Section 5: High-Yield Mixed Practice
31. The 'Narmada Bachao Andolan' was led by:
Options: (A) Sunderlal Bahuguna, (B) Medha Patkar, (C) Anna Hazare, (D) Aruna Roy
Answer: B
Rationale: Patkar has been the face of the movement against large dams on the Narmada River.
32. 'Panchayati Raj Day' is celebrated on:
Options: (A) October 2nd, (B) January 26th, (C) April 24th, (D) August 15th
Answer: C
Rationale: It marks the day the 73rd Constitutional Amendment came into force in 1993.
33. The 'Hegemony' of a state is often sustained by:
Options: (A) Military power only, (B) Economic power only, (C) Both 'Hard' and 'Soft' power, (D) Religious decrees
Answer: C
Rationale: A hegemon uses military force as well as cultural and ideological influence.
34. Which country left the 'European Union' in 2020?
Options: (A) Greece, (B) United Kingdom, (C) Switzerland, (D) Norway
Answer: B
Rationale: This process is famously known as 'Brexit'.
35. The 'National Emergency' (1975-77) was declared on the grounds of:
Options: (A) War, (B) External Aggression, (C) Internal Disturbance, (D) Armed Rebellion
Answer: C
Rationale: The term 'Internal Disturbance' was later replaced by 'Armed Rebellion' via the 44th Amendment.
36. The 'First Past the Post' (FPTP) system is also known as:
Options: (A) Simple Majority System, (B) Proportional Representation, (C) List System, (D) Preferential Voting
Answer: A
Rationale: The candidate with the most votes wins, even if they don't have a majority of the total votes.
37. 'Amnesty International' is an NGO that works for:
Options: (A) Environmental protection, (B) Human rights, (C) Global trade, (D) Animal welfare
Answer: B
Rationale: It is a global organization focused on preventing human rights abuses.
38. The 'Bamako Appeal' is associated with:
Options: (A) Environmental activists, (B) Anti-globalization movement, (C) Human rights lawyers, (D) Space scientists
Answer: B
Rationale: It was a manifesto against neoliberal globalization.
39. 'Electoral Bonds' in India were introduced to:
Options: (A) Increase voter turnout, (B) Cleanse political funding, (C) Ban political parties, (D) Tax the politicians
Answer: B
Rationale: (Note: Recently struck down by the SC, but still a key syllabus topic regarding political finance).
40. Which of these is a 'Statutory Body'?
Options: (A) Election Commission, (B) UPSC, (C) National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), (D) Finance Commission
Answer: C
Rationale: NHRC was created by an Act of Parliament, whereas the others are mentioned in the Constitution.
41. The 'Wall of Berlin' was demolished in which month of 1989?
Options: (A) August, (B) October, (C) November, (D) December
Answer: C
Rationale: The demolition began on November 9, 1989.
42. The 'Sarkaria Commission' (1983) was related to:
Options: (A) Bank reforms, (B) Centre-State relations, (C) Caste reservations, (D) River disputes
Answer: B
Rationale: It examined the distribution of power between the Union and the States.
43. Who is known as the 'Architect of Modern India's Planning'?
Options: (A) P.C. Mahalanobis, (B) Jawaharlal Nehru, (C) B.R. Ambedkar, (D) Dadabhai Naoroji
Answer: A
Rationale: Mahalanobis was the key figure behind the industrialization strategy of the Second Plan.
44. 'Global Warming' is primarily caused by the increase of:
Options: (A) Oxygen, (B) Nitrogen, (C) Greenhouse gases, (D) Helium
Answer: C
Rationale: Gases like $CO_2$ trap heat in the atmosphere.
45. Which of these countries has 'Veto Power' in the UN?
Options: (A) India, (B) Japan, (C) Russia, (D) Germany
Answer: C
Rationale: Russia is one of the five permanent members (P5) of the Security Council.
46. 'Right to Property' is currently a:
Options: (A) Fundamental Right, (B) Moral Right, (C) Legal/Constitutional Right, (D) Natural Right
Answer: C
Rationale: It was moved from Part III to Article 300A by the 44th Amendment.
47. The 'Bolshevik Revolution' (1917) led to the formation of:
Options: (A) USA, (B) USSR, (C) EU, (D) UN
Answer: B
Rationale: Led by Lenin, it created the first socialist state.
48. 'The End of the Cold War' is often associated with the year:
Options: (A) 1985, (B) 1989, (C) 1991, (D) 1993
Answer: C
Rationale: 1991 marked the official disintegration of the Soviet Union.
49. The 'Sachar Committee' (2005) was appointed to examine the status of:
Options: (A) Scheduled Castes, (B) Women, (C) Muslim Community in India, (D) Migrant laborers
Answer: C
Rationale: It studied the social, economic, and educational status of Muslims in India.
50. Which Indian leader is associated with the concept of 'Integral Humanism'?
Options: (A) Mahatma Gandhi, (B) Deendayal Upadhyaya, (C) Ram Manohar Lohia, (D) B.R. Ambedkar
Answer: B
Rationale: Integral Humanism is the official philosophy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (and formerly the Jan Sangh).
