The correct answer is ​Article 17.

Key Points

• Abolition of Untouchability is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden.
• The enforcement of any disability arising out of untouchability shall be an offence punishable in accordance with the law.
• In order to end the caste system, the practice of untouchability, discrimination, and other types of practices that is prevalent in our society for centuries, Article 17 was given space in the Indian constitution.
• Article 17 is the only Absolute Article of all the rights articles written in the Constitution. That is, it is illegal to practice untouchability in any form.
• There is no definition of untouchability in the Indian Constitution and not in any act passed by the Parliament.
• But the Mysore High Court has clarified its meaning in one of its decisions. The court said that the subject matter of Article 17 is not untouchable in its literal or grammatical sense but the ‘practice as it had developed historically in the country. It refers to the social disabilities imposed on certain classes of persons because of their birth in certain cases. Hence, it does not cover the social boycott of a few individuals or their exclusion from religious services, etc.
• Due to the many verdict and instructions given by the court, some works will be treated as the observance of untouchability, for which a provision of punishment has also been made.
• As per Section 8 in The Representation of the People Act, 1951, a person convicted of the offence of untouchability is disqualified for election to the parliament or state legislature.

The correct answer is 1, 2 and 3.

Key Points

• The Vijayanagara Empire was named after its capital city, Vijayanagara, which is located in modern-day Karnataka, India. 
• Krishnadeva Raya (reigned 1509-1529) is considered by many to be the greatest of the Vijayanagara rulers.
• He was a skilled military leader and administrator, and he expanded the empire's territory and influence.
• He was also a patron of the arts and literature.
• The kings of Vijayanagara were Vaishnavites, but they also respected the Shaivite deity Virupaksha.
• The Virupaksha temple in Vijayanagara was one of the most important temples in the empire.
• The Vijayanagara Empire was not successful in resisting the march of the Delhi Sultans to the south.
• The empire's military strength and strategic location helped it to defend its territory from the Muslim sultanates.
• Statement 4 is incorrect, Vijayanagar empire was not successful in resisting the march of the Delhi Sultans to the south.
• It was a centre of Hindu culture and learning, and it played an important role in resisting the spread of Islam in the region.
• The empire's downfall came in the 17th century when it was weakened by internal conflict and by the rise of the Maratha Empire.

The correct answer is Mohan Singh.

Key Points

The Indian National Army (INA) was founded by Captain General Mohan Singh in Singapore on 17 February 1942.

• Singh was an officer in the British Indian Army who was captured early in the Malayan campaign.
• He was initially reluctant to join the INA, but he was eventually persuaded by the Japanese to do so.
• The INA was initially formed with the help of the Japanese, who were hoping to use it to fight against the British in Southeast Asia.
• However, the INA soon became a symbol of Indian nationalism, and it attracted many Indian POWs and civilians who were opposed to British rule.
• The INA fought alongside the Japanese in several battles, but it was never a major military force.
• However, it played an important role in the Indian independence movement, and it helped to raise awareness of the Indian cause among the international community.

The Indian National Army is a significant part of Indian history, and it played an important role in the independence movement. Mohan Singh was a key figure in the INA, and he is considered to be one of the founding fathers of the Indian National Army.

Additional Information

• After the war, the INA was disbanded, and its leaders were put on trial by the British.
• However, they were acquitted of all charges, and they were hailed as heroes by the Indian people.
• Mohan Singh was a complex and controversial figure.
  • He was a patriot who fought for Indian independence, but he was also a collaborator who worked with the Japanese.
  • However, there is no doubt that he played an important role in the Indian independence movement, and he is considered to be one of the founding fathers of the Indian National Army.

The correct answer is America.

Key Points

• The practice of a written constitution began in early colonial America.
• A constitution that is organized and carefully written and embodied in a document is known as a written constitution.
• The Constitution of the United States of America is considered the oldest written constitution, that is still in force. 
• It was drafted on 17 September 1787, ratified on 21 June 1788 and, came into effect on 4 March 1789. 
• James Madison, one of the founding fathers of the United States wrote the document that formed the model for the Constitution.

Additional Information 

• Some of the features borrowed from the USA are
  • Fundamental Rights, Six fundamental rights (Right to Equality, Right to Freedom, Right against Exploitation, Right to Freedom of Religion, Cultural and Educational Rights and Right to Constitutional Remedies) and Judicial Review.

The correct answer is Sishir Kumar Ghosh.

Key Points

• Sishir Kumar Ghosh:
  • Sishir Kumar Ghosh was a noted Indian journalist.
  • He was the founder of the Amrita Bazar Patrika, a noted Bengali language newspaper in 1868.
  • He was a freedom fighter from Bengal.
  • He started the India League in 1875 with the objective of stimulating the sense of nationalism amongst the people.

Additional Information

• Anand Mohan Bose:
  • The Indian Society (1872) was founded by Anand Mohan Bose in London.
  • The Indian National Association was established in 1876 by Surendranath Banerjee and Anand Mohan Bose in Calcutta now Kolkata.
  • The Indian National Association was initially established as Bharat Sabha and in 1885, it merged with the Indian National Congress (INC). 
• Dada Bhai Naoroji:
  • Dada Bhai Naoroji was born in 1825 AD.
  • In the year 1892, he was elected Member of Parliament for Central Finsbury, London.
  • Dada Bhai Naoroji was appointed a member of the Royal Commission on Indian Expenditure in 1895.
  • He also presided over several annual sessions of the Indian National Congress such as 1886, 1893, and 1906. 
  • Poverty and Unbritish Rule in India was written by great political leader Dadabhai Naoroji.
• SN Banerjee:
  • Surendranath Banerjee authored the book ‘A Nation in Making’.
  • He founded a nationalist organization named the Indian National Association, through which he, along with Anandamohan Bose, led two sessions of the Indian National Congress in 1883 and 1885.

The correct answer is 1 only

Key Points

• In the North Western Provinces of the Bengal Presidency (most of this area is now in Uttar Pradesh), an Englishman called Holt Mackenzie devised the new system called mahalwari settlement which came into effect in 1822.
• Under this system, the estimated revenue of each plot within a village was added up to calculate the revenue that each village (mahal) had to pay.
• This demand was to be revised periodically, not permanently fixed.
• The charge of collecting the revenue and paying it to the Company was given to the village headman, rather than the zamindar. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
• In the British territories in the south there was a similar move away from the idea of Permanent Settlement.
• The new system that was devised came to be known as the ryotwari (or ryotwari ).
• Read and Munro felt that in the south there were no traditional zamindars.
• The settlement, they argued, had to be made directly with the cultivators (ryots) who had tilled the land for generations. Therefore, statement 1 is correct.
• Their fields had to be carefully and separately surveyed before the revenue assessment was made.

• Munro thought that the British should act as paternal father figures protecting the ryots under their charge.

The correct answer is Keshavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala.

Key Points

• Doctrine of Basic Structure
  • It is a judicial principle developed by the Supreme Court of India in 1973.
  • This principle emerged in the Keshavananda Bharati judgment.
  • The Parliament of India is vested with the power of amending the Constitution (Article 368). But, the doctrine of basic structure restricts the powers of the Parliament.
  • According to this, the Supreme Court has the power to declare any law void if it is found to be unconstitutional.
  • Any amendment that tries to change the basic structure of the constitution is considered unconstitutional, though the term 'basic structure' is not mentioned in the constitution and has evolved over time.
  • This principle thus helps to protect and preserve the spirit of the constitution document.
• According to the judgment, the following are taken as the basic structure of the Constitution:
  • The supremacy of the Constitution
  • Unity and sovereignty of India
  • A democratic and republican form of government
  • Federal character of the Constitution
  • Secular character of the Constitution
  • Separation of power
  • Individual freedom

Additional Information

• The features given below have been later added to the above list:
  • Rule of law
  • Judicial review
  • Parliamentary system
  • Rule of equality
  • Harmony and balance between the Fundamental Rights and DPSP
  • Free and fair elections
  • Limited power of the parliament to amend the Constitution
  • Power of the Supreme Court under Articles 32, 136, 142 and 147
  • Power of the High Court under Articles 226 and 227
• The judgment hence implied that the Parliament has the right to amend the Constitution and not rewrite or destroy it.

The correct anwer is 1828 AD.

Key Points

• Brahmo Samaj:-
  • It was a monotheistic reform movement within Hinduism founded in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1828 by Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
  • It was influenced by Islam and Christianity, and rejected polytheism, idol worship, and the caste system.
  • The Brahmo Samaj also advocated for social reforms such as the abolition of sati (the burning of widows), widow remarriage, and the education of women.
  • The Brahmo Samaj played a significant role in the Bengal Renaissance and the Indian independence movement.
  • It attracted many prominent intellectuals and reformers, including Debendranath Tagore (the father of Rabindranath Tagore), Keshub Chunder Sen, and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
  • Some of the key beliefs and practices of the Brahmo Samaj:-
    • Belief in one God who is omnipresent and omniscient.
    • Rejection of polytheism, idol worship, and the caste system.
    • Emphasis on the importance of reason and individual conscience in matters of faith.
    • Belief in the universal brotherhood of humanity.
    • Advocacy for social reforms such as the abolition of sati, widow remarriage, and the education of women.

The correct answer is 1, 2 and 3.

Key Points

• Vernacular Press Act
  • It was passed in 1878 during the time of Lord Lytton.
  • It was enacted to curb the highly critical nature of the vernacular press.
  • Vernacular Press Act of 1878, proposed by Lytton the then Viceroy of India (1876-80) was also known as the Gagging Act, and it was meant only for vernacular/ native language newspaper not for English ones.
  • The Act was repealed by Lord Ripon.

Hence all the statements are correct.

Additional Information

• Other important press-related acts during British time are as follows:
  • The Press act of 1799
  • Licensing Regulations of 1823
  • The Newspaper Act, 1908
  • Indian Press Act, 1931
  • Defence of India Rules

The correct answer is Duties and Powers of the CAG.

Key Points

• Article 149 deals with the duties and powers of the CAG.
• The CAG is responsible for auditing the accounts of the Union and State governments.
• The CAG has the power to audit all expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India and the Consolidated Fund of each State.
• The CAG also audits the accounts of bodies and authorities substantially financed from the Consolidated Fund of India and the Consolidated Fund of each State.

Additional Information

• CAG appointment, oath and conditions of service:
  • This is covered under Article 148 of the Indian Constitution.
  • Article 148 deals with the appointment and term of office of the CAG.
  • The oath and conditions of service of the CAG are mentioned in the CAG (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971.
• The form of accounts of the Union and of the States:
  • This is covered under Article 150 of the Indian Constitution.
  • Article 150 deals with the form in which accounts of the Union and State governments shall be kept.
• Audit Reports:
  • This is not covered under any specific article of the Indian Constitution.
  • Audit reports are prepared by the CAG based on their audit of the accounts of the Union and State governments and other bodies and authorities.