The correct answer is ​Firoz Shah Tughlaq.

Key Points

• Firoz Shah Tughlaq:
  • He was the third ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty that ruled over Delhi from 1351 to 1388 AD.
  • He established the Diwan-i-Khairat --to take care of orphans and widows. 
  • He established the Diwan-i-Bundagan -- department of a slave.
  • He is known to establish four new towns, Firozabad, Fatehabad, Jaunpur and Hissar.
  • He appointed Khan-i-Jahan Maqbal, a Telugu Brahmin convert as wazir (prime minister).
    • The wazir helped the Sultan in his administration and maintained the prestige of the Sultanate during this period.
  • Free hospitals and marriage bureaus for poor Muslims were also established. Firoz patronized scholars like Barani and Afif.
  • He also developed royal factories called karkhanas in which thousands of slaves were employed.

The correct answer is option 4

In News

• PIB NEWS: India’s national accreditation system under the Quality Council of India (QCI) has been ranked 5th in the world in the recent Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) 2021.

Key Points

Global Quality Infrastructure Index(GQII):

• The program is an initiative of the independent consulting firms Mesopartner and Analyticar to research and disseminate data on Quality Infrastructure. Hence option 4 is correct.
• The data collection and analysis is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) as well as by numerous QI experts worldwide. The Chair of Innovation Economics supports the dissemination and further development of the GQII and use of the data for research.
• Quality Infrastructure refers to the international system of metrology, standardization, accreditation, and quality-related services (testing, calibration, inspection, verification, training and awareness building) that creates confidence in international trade and contributes to the protection of consumers and the environment.
• The Global Quality Infrastructure Index is a database and ranking that allows interested persons to compare the quality infrastructure of different countries, providing an overview of the development of QI worldwide.
• India’s national accreditation system under the Quality Council of India (QCI) has been ranked 5th in the world.
• The GQII ranks the 184 economies in the world on the basis of the quality infrastructure (QI).
• India’s overall QI system ranking continues to be in the Top 10 at the 10th position, with the standardization system (under BIS) at 9th and the metrology system (under NPL-CSIR) at 21st position in the world.

The correct answer is 985.

Key Points:

• Rajaraja I, a Chola emperor, ruled between 985 and 1014 CE.
• He is known for restoring the Chola hegemony and securing its dominance throughout the Indian Ocean during his time as the most powerful Tamil king in South India.
• He ruled over a sizable portion of northern Sri Lanka, the Chera country, and the Pandya country.
• Also, he bought Lakshadweep, the Thiladhunmadulu atoll, and a portion of the Maldives' northernmost islands in the Indian Ocean.

Additional Information:

Pallava:

• ​Around the fourth century AD, the South saw the rise of the Pallavas, who reached the pinnacle of their supremacy in the seventh century AD.
• For over 500 years, they were able to maintain their hegemony.

Pandya:

• ​The Pandyan dynasty, commonly known as the Pandyas of Madurai, was one of the three major kingdoms of Tamilakam, or South India, together with the Chera and Chola dynasties.

Chalukya:

• ​During the sixth through the twelfth centuries, the Chalukya dynasty, a Classical Indian monarchy, ruled over a sizable portion of southern and central India.
• They held power as three interconnected but separate dynasties during this time.

The correct answer is SSLV-D2.

In News

• ISRO launches Small Satellite Launch Vehicle SSLV-D2 from Sriharikota.

Key Points

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 10 February 2023, successfully launched the second edition of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D2) at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
• SSLV-D2 is 34 metres in length while 2 metres in width.
• It can fly with a load of about 120 tonnes.
• ISRO's smallest new rocket SSLV-D2 works on the technology of launch on deman

Additional Information

• ISRO:
  • Headquarters: Bengaluru
  • Founded: 15 August 1969
  • Founder: Vikram Sarabhai
  • Parent organization: Space Commission
  • Subsidiary: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
  • Officeholder: S. Somanath (Chairperson)

The correct answer is Higher.

Key Points

• The premium paid for Whole-Life Assurance is higher than the premium paid for Term Assurance. 
• Whole-Life Assurance
  • ​It is a type of permanent life insurance.
  • It means the insured person is covered for the duration of their life as long as premiums are paid on time.
  • It offers the dual benefit of life cover and bonus.
  • The life insurance plans provide death benefits along with maturity and survival benefit to the policyholder.
  • The premium is paid only for a limited duration and therefore, it is high.
  • Every year, the insured pays a premium. Out of this, a portion is used for providing protection, and the remaining stays invested in the company.
  • If a profit is earned, the policyholder is entitled to get a bonus on the invested amount.
• Term Assurance
  • It is a type of life insurance policy that provides coverage for a certain period of time.​
  • If the insured dies during the time period specified and the policy is active, or “in force,” then a death benefit will be paid.
  • The premium paid is lesser than the Whole-Life Assurance.
  • There is no savings/profits component in the Term Assurance.

Additional Information 

• Factors that can define Insurance Premium Rate-
  • Age (Mortality)
  • Gender
  • Medical history
  • Smoking habits
  • Marital status
  • Occupation
  • Policy Term
  • Mode of buying the policy
  • Premium Payment Frequency

The correct answer is Kolkata.

Key Points 

• Indian Museum, Kolkata is the largest Museum in India.
• It is also referred to as the "Imperial Museum at Calcutta".
• It has collections of Antiques, Armour, and Ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies and Mughal paintings.
• It was founded by the Asiatic Society of Bengal in Kolkata.
• It is under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
• The Museum Directorate has eight coordinating services units.
• These are Education, Preservation, Publication, Presentation, Photography, Medical, Modelling, and Library.
• Established in 1814.
• It has a collection of 102,646 artifacts.

Option 3 is correct, i.e. Maharashtra.

Key Points

Ajanta and Ellora caves are located in Maharashtra.

• Ellora caves-
  • The Ellora caves, locally known as 'Verul Leni' is located on the Aurangabad - Chalisgaon road at a distance of 30 km north - northwest of Aurangabad, in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
  • Ellora is one of the largest rock-cut monastery - temple caves complexes in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • During the regime of the Rashtrakuta were the famous Ellora caves of Maharashtra built.
• Ajanta Caves-
  • The Ajanta Caves are a series of 29 Buddhist cave temples in Ajanta, India, some of which date from the 2nd century BC. Encompassing both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist traditions, the Ajanta caves preserve some of the best masterpieces of Buddhist art in India.
• The Ajanta Caves were carved in the 2nd century BC out of a horseshoe-shaped cliff along the Waghora River.

Additional Information

Extra facts:

• Madhya Pradesh- Bagh Caves
• Maharashtra - Ajanta Caves, Bhaja Caves, Elephanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Kanheri Caves
• Karnataka- Badami Caves
• Bihar - Barabar Caves
• Odisha - Udaygiri Caves
• Andhra Pradesh - Borra Caves
• Tamilnadu - Varah Caves

The correct answer is Both I and II.

Key Points

• Penalty kick:-
  • The penalty as a format of punishment for an infringement of the rules of the game was introduced for the first time in 1891.
  • Players other than the goalkeeper that handled the ball within twelve yards of the goal line, or who committed foul play at the same distance, would have a penalty kick given against them.
  • A penalty kick in football:​
    • The penalty-kick shootout to decide a match consists of a minimum of 5 penalty kicks.
    • It is to be taken by each of the two teams from the penalty spot (8 yards from the goal line in the case of half-pitch play, 10 yards in the case of a full-pitch play).
    • The referee decides by the flip of a coin which team begins. (Hence pair I is incorrect)
• Handball:-
  • Fieldball or handball is, a game played between two teams.
  • The game has 7 or 11 players who try to throw or hit an inflated ball into a goal at either end of a rectangular playing area while preventing their opponents from doing so.
• Boxing:-
  • Boxing is a combat sport in which two people wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time in a boxing ring.
  • Depiction of boxing comes from a Sumerian relief in Iraq from the 3rd millennium BC.
  • Boxers are prohibited from hitting below the belt, holding, tripping, pushing, biting, or spitting.
• Greco-Roman Wrestling
  • Greco-Roman wrestling is an older style of wrestling that prohibits the use of the legs in offense and defense.
  • Greco-Roman wrestling has been an Olympic sport since 1896.  (Hence pair II is incorrect)

Additional Information

• Terms related to boxing:-

The correct answer is option 1, i.e  Alkali Metals.

EXPLANATION:

• The elements in the first group of s-block are also known as Alkali Metals. These have only one electron in their outermost shell and hence are quite reactive as they easily lose their electron to form bonds with non-metals.

Important Points

• The elements in the second group of s-block are also known as Alkaline Earth Metals. These have two electrons in their outermost shell and are less reactive than Alkali metals.
• Halogens are the group 17 elements and are placed in the p-block.
• Noble gases are the group 18 elements and are placed in the p-block. These are the least reactive amongst all the elements found in the periodic table as they have a stable configuration.

The correct answer is high, 210.

Key Points

• Cotton thrives in high temperatures, which promotes optimal growth and development.
• It requires light rainfall or proper irrigation to provide the necessary moisture for its growth.
• Cotton cultivation requires a significant number of frost-free days, typically around 210, to ensure the plant's survival and uninterrupted growth.
• Bright sunshine is crucial for cotton plants as they require ample sunlight for photosynthesis, which is essential for their growth and the production of cotton fibres.

Additional Information

• Kharif crops
  • Kharif Crops are planted at the onset of the South-West monsoon, primarily in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, during the rainy season. 
  • The sowing of these crops takes place between the months of June and July. 
  • Upon reaching maturity, typically in October, these crops are harvested in the Autumn season. 
  • Examples of Kharif crops include rice, cotton, corn, sugarcane, turmeric, pigeon pea, and more.
• Rabi crops
  • Rabi Crops are cultivated during the winter season in regions with a subtropical climate.
  • They include important crops like wheat, barley, oats, chickpeas, and peas.
  • The Sowing of Rabi crops takes place between October and December.
  • These crops require cooler temperatures and lesser rainfall compared to Kharif crops.
  • Rabi crops play a crucial role in ensuring food security and contribute significantly to the agricultural economy.
• Zaid crops
  • Zaid Crops are grown during the summer season in regions with a tropical climate.
  • These crops are typically cultivated between the months of March and June.
  • Zaid crops are known for their quick growth and shorter duration compared to Kharif and Rabi crops.
  • Examples of Zaid crops include cucumber, watermelon, bitter gourd, maize, and cowpea.
  • These crops are often irrigated using modern techniques and are harvested before the onset of the monsoon season.