Bihar Judiciary — Prelims 2013

Correct answer: D

The Royal Indian Navy mutiny of February 1946 began aboard HMIS Talwar and spread among naval ratings at Bombay.

Correct answer: C

The Strachey Commission (Famine Commission of 1880), headed by Sir Richard Strachey, recommended the Famine Code for India.

Correct answer: B

The August Offer of 1940 (by Viceroy Linlithgow) offered Dominion Status to India after the war and expansion of the Governor-General's Executive Council.

Correct answer: A

Lord Macaulay's Minute on Education of 1835 (implemented from 1838) made English the medium of higher education in India.

Correct answer: B

The Interim Government formed on 2 September 1946 was headed by Jawaharlal Nehru as Vice-President of the Executive Council (de facto Prime Minister).

Correct answer: C

The Indian Association (founded by Surendranath Banerjee) convened the Indian National Conference (1883 and 1885), an important precursor to the Indian National Congress.

Correct answer: A

Raja Ram Mohan Roy edited the Bengali weekly Sambad Kaumudi, started in 1821.

Correct answer: C

The Satyashodhak Samaj was founded by Jyotiba (Jyotirao) Phule in 1873 in Pune.

Correct answer: A

The Rowlatt Act of 1919 allowed detention and arrest without trial, earning the name 'no dalil, no vakil, no appeal'.

Correct answer: A

The Santhal Rebellion (1855-56) was led by the brothers Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu.

Correct answer: D

V.D. Savarkar described the Revolt of 1857 as the 'First War of Indian Independence' in his 1909 book of that title.

Correct answer: A

The Home Rule Movement (Tilak and Annie Besant, 1916) borrowed the term 'Home Rule' from the Irish Home Rule movement.

Correct answer: A

Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood in 1919 in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Correct answer: A

The Anushilan Samiti in Bengal was founded by Pramatha Nath Mitra in 1902.

Correct answer: B

Annie Besant was the first woman President of the Indian National Congress (Calcutta session, 1917); Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman President (1925).

Correct answer: A

Romesh Chunder Dutt (R.C. Dutt) authored 'The Economic History of India' (1901-1904).

Correct answer: C

The first session of the All India Trade Union Congress (1920, Bombay) was presided over by Lala Lajpat Rai.

Correct answer: A

Hindu College, Calcutta (1817) was founded largely through the efforts of Raja Ram Mohan Roy along with David Hare and others; among the options he is the recognized founder figure.

Correct answer: A

Gandhi first applied Satyagraha in India at Champaran (Bihar) in 1917, supporting indigo cultivators.

Correct answer: A

Cowasjee Nanabhoy Davar established India's first cotton textile mill in Bombay in 1854.

Correct answer: A

Abdus Samad (Khwaja Abd-us-Samad) was a celebrated painter in Akbar's court; Mansur and Abul Hasan belonged to Jahangir's court.

Correct answer: B

The Asiatic Society of Bengal was founded by Sir William Jones in 1784.

Correct answer: C

Fergusson College, Pune (1885) was started by the Deccan Education Society, founded by Tilak, Agarkar, Chiplunkar and others.

Correct answer: B

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar started the Marathi fortnightly 'Bahishkrit Bharat' on 3 April 1927.

Correct answer: C

'Dharmachakra Pravartana' (turning of the wheel of law) refers to the Buddha's first sermon at Sarnath.

Correct answer: C

The Standing Buddha from Mathura belongs to the Kushana/Gupta period (Mathura school), not the Mauryan period; the Sarnath lion capital, Dhauli elephant and Rampurva bull are all Mauryan sculptures.

Correct answer: B

The Alai Darwaza (1311), built by Alauddin Khalji, was the first structure in India to use the squinch (corner-arch) system to support a true dome.

Correct answer: D

Samudragupta's military victories are recorded in the Allahabad Pillar (Prayag Prashasti) Inscription composed by his court poet Harisena.

Correct answer: A

Abhijnanasakuntalam was written by Kalidasa, the celebrated Sanskrit poet and dramatist of the Gupta age.

Correct answer: B

The Third Buddhist Council was held at Pataliputra under the patronage of Emperor Ashoka, presided over by Moggaliputta Tissa.

Correct answer: A

Perundevanar composed the Mahabharata (Bharatam) in Tamil during the Sangam age.

Correct answer: B

Muhammad bin Tughlaq established a separate department of agriculture (Diwan-i-Amir-Kohi) to promote agricultural development.

Correct answer: C

Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara (Tuluva dynasty) made the greatest contribution to Telugu and Sanskrit literature; his court hosted the Ashtadiggajas and he authored the Telugu work Amuktamalyada.

Correct answer: B

Yahya bin Ahmad Sirhindi, author of Tarikh-i-Mubarakshahi, lived during the period of the Sayyid dynasty (the work is named after Mubarak Shah Sayyid).

Correct answer: A

The Satnamis of Narnaul, who revolted against Aurangzeb (1672), were followers of the teachings of Kabir.

Correct answer: B

The Dandakaranya region (eastern peninsular plateau) receives its maximum rainfall from the retreating (northeast) monsoon.

Correct answer: C

Small rills or clefts found in the lower Ganga delta are locally called 'khari'.

Correct answer: B

The Narmada river, through the Sardar Sarovar project supplying water and power, is called the 'Hope (lifeline) of Gujarat'.

Correct answer: B

The Indo-Brahma (Shiwalik) river is regarded as the oldest drainage system, a mighty river hypothesized to have flowed across the Himalayan foreland in the Tertiary period.

Correct answer: A

Among the listed public-sector refineries (Koyali, Trombay, Barauni, Mathura), the Koyali (Gujarat) refinery has the maximum capacity (~13.7 MMTPA).

Correct answer: B

NH 7 (Varanasi to Kanyakumari, ~2369 km) was India's longest national highway and passed through Jabalpur.

Correct answer: C

The Kaveri river's total length is about 800-805 km, so 802 km is the closest option.

Correct answer: A

Amarkantak, the source of the Son, Narmada and (nearby) Mahanadi, lies on the Maikal range of the Satpura system.

Correct answer: C

Flagged: geographically the 82.5°E IST meridian passes through Singrauli (not in the options); Mandla is the conventional answer in MP-exam keys for this defective question, so given as best guess.

Correct answer: D

The Bhakra dam is built on the Sutlej (Satluj) river in Himachal Pradesh/Punjab.

Correct answer: D

The Kosi plain, part of the low-lying north Bihar alluvial flats, has an average elevation of about 30 m above mean sea level.

Correct answer: A

Among the options, the Tropic of Cancer passes through Meghalaya; it does not pass through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar or Orissa.

Correct answer: A

Lumding, a major railway junction, is situated in Assam (Nagaon/Hojai district).

Correct answer: A

Kerala, with its long low-lying coastline subject to heavy wave action, experiences the maximum marine (sea) erosion among Indian states.

Correct answer: A

Among the options, Manasarovar is a glacial lake; Dal and Wular are tectonic/oxbow lakes and Siachen is a glacier, not a lake.

Correct answer: A

Norman Borlaug, the American agronomist whose high-yield wheat varieties drove the global Green Revolution, is universally called the Father of the International Green Revolution (M.S. Swaminathan is called the father of the Green Revolution in India).

Correct answer: D

World Earth Day is observed annually on 22 April.

Correct answer: D

Dr. S. (Subbanna) Ayyappan was the Director General of ICAR and Secretary, DARE from January 2010 to February 2016, and hence was the DG at the time of this 2013 paper.

Correct answer: B

Som Mittal served as President of NASSCOM from 2008 until he retired on 3 January 2014, so he was President when this 2013 paper was set.

Correct answer: C

In 2013 the Eurozone had exactly 17 member states (Latvia became the 18th member only in January 2014).

Correct answer: A

OCR-broken: the stem cuts off at 'for the year' and the intended answer 'Mo Yan' (2012 Nobel Literature laureate) is not among the listed options b/c/d; the year token '2012?' was mis-parsed into option 'a'.

Correct answer: A

Sir Philip Craven was President of the International Paralympic Committee from 2001 to 2017 and thus held the post in 2013.

Correct answer: B

The Janata Government terminated the Fifth Plan early and introduced the concept of a 'Rolling Plan' for 1978-1980, which is identified with the Sixth Five-Year Plan period.

Correct answer: A

The 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement was held in Tehran, Iran, from 26-31 August 2012.

Correct answer: A

Liaoning is the first aircraft carrier of the People's Republic of China, commissioned in September 2012.

Correct answer: B

Actress Vidya Balan was the brand ambassador of the Nirmal Bharat Yatra / Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan sanitation campaign launched in 2012.

Correct answer: C

Christine Lagarde became Managing Director of the IMF in July 2011 and was the head of the IMF at the time of this 2013 paper (Strauss-Kahn was her predecessor; Zoellick headed the World Bank; Ban Ki-moon was UN Secretary-General).

Correct answer: D

Indian Railways launched 'Rail Radar' (with Google) to track the real-time location of trains on a map; the question and option stem were split during OCR but the service is Rail Radar.

Correct answer: D

HTC Corporation is a Taiwanese consumer-electronics company headquartered in Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Correct answer: C

Serena Williams won the 2013 Family Circle Cup women's singles title, defeating Jelena Jankovic in the final.

Correct answer: B

Reporting indicates Rupesh Shah took gold and Alok Kumar the silver at the 2013 Asian Billiards Championship in Indore, so best guess is Rupesh Shah, but I could not obtain two fully independent confirmations naming the '12th' Indore edition champion.

Correct answer: C

The Expert Committee on GAAR (General Anti-Avoidance Rules) constituted in July 2012 was chaired by Dr. Parthasarathi Shome.

Correct answer: B

Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana, a social security insurance scheme for rural landless households, is administered by the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).

Correct answer: A

'Dans le Harem de Kadhafi' (Gaddafi's Harem) was written by French journalist Annick Cojean.

Correct answer: C

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is headquartered in Rome, Italy.

Correct answer: B

Fermentation is an anaerobic process occurring in the ABSENCE of oxygen; therefore the statement that it 'occurs in presence of oxygen' is wrong.

Correct answer: C

Chlorophyll absorbs light most strongly in the blue-violet and red regions; among the given choices the red-orange combination is the one chlorophyll absorbs maximally (green is reflected, hence plants look green).

Correct answer: D

Among the options the rat is omnivorous (eats both plant and animal matter); rabbit and deer are herbivores and the tiger is a carnivore.

Correct answer: D

Most absorption of digested food occurs through the wall of the small intestine, of which the ileum is the principal absorptive part with its villi.

Correct answer: C

The liver is an accessory digestive gland in humans (along with the pancreas and salivary glands); the buccal cavity and stomach are parts of the alimentary canal, not accessory glands. The liver is the largest such gland and the best single answer.

Correct answer: A

Photophosphorylation is the light-driven synthesis of ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate in the chloroplast thylakoid membrane.

Correct answer: A

The ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation; its depletion allows more harmful UV rays to reach the earth's surface.

Correct answer: C

In the Watson-Crick B-DNA model, one complete helical turn (pitch) spans 34 A, comprising 10 base pairs spaced 3.4 A apart.

Correct answer: A

The standard NCERT figure for average human gene size (~3000 bp) is not among the printed options, which appear OCR-corrupted; of the available choices 1000 bp is the closest order-of-magnitude best guess.

Correct answer: C

Stem is OCR-split (option 'a' is the spilled-over word 'vegetarians?'); the question asks which carbohydrate is most abundant in a strict vegetarian diet, and cellulose (plant fibre) is the standard answer among the remaining real options.

Correct answer: B

At the critical angle of incidence, the refracted ray grazes along the interface, i.e. the angle of refraction is 90 degrees.

Correct answer: B

The speed of light in vacuum is approximately 3 x 10^8 m/s.

Correct answer: C

Violet light has the shortest wavelength and highest refractive index, so it bends (deviates) the most when dispersed through a prism.

Correct answer: A

The SI unit of electric potential is the volt (option 'Volte' is an OCR misspelling of volt).

Correct answer: B

Inside a long solenoid the magnetic field is uniform and maximum along its central axis (interior), being half as strong at the ends.

Correct answer: A

Geothermal energy is a renewable/alternative (optional) source of energy, unlike fossil fuels such as natural gas and petroleum.

Correct answer: C

Geothermal energy in India is harnessed at sites such as the Tattapani/Tapovan hot springs; among the options Maharashtra (Unkeshwar region) is the intended answer.

Correct answer: C

Nuclear (atomic) energy derives from the nucleus of heavy atoms and is not derived from the sun, whereas hydel, petroleum and biogas all trace back to solar energy.

Correct answer: D

Stars shine because of nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium in their cores, which releases enormous energy.

Correct answer: B

The Haber process for NH3 synthesis is carried out in a closed system to maintain the high pressure needed and let the reaction reach equilibrium.

Correct answer: A

Increasing pressure (for gaseous reactants) raises concentration and collision frequency, increasing the rate of reaction; lowering temperature or pressure or collisions would decrease it.

Correct answer: A

Brine is a concentrated aqueous solution of common salt (NaCl).

Correct answer: D

Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) is used in soda-acid fire extinguishers, releasing CO2 that smothers the fire.

Correct answer: A

Dead burnt plaster is anhydrous calcium sulphate (CaSO4), formed when gypsum is heated above ~200 C so it can no longer set with water.

Correct answer: B

Pyrex (borosilicate) glass has a low coefficient of thermal expansion and high heat resistance, making it ideal for laboratory glassware.

Correct answer: B

Stainless steel is an alloy of iron with chromium (which gives corrosion resistance) and nickel.

Correct answer: A

NaBH4 (sodium borohydride) is a reducing agent, whereas KMnO4, CrO3 and Fehling's solution are oxidising agents.

Correct answer: B

Gallium has a melting point of about 30 C, so it melts (turns liquid) just above room temperature / in the hand, unlike the other listed metals.

Correct answer: A

In the reactivity series, magnesium is less reactive than the alkali metals potassium and sodium and less reactive than calcium, making it the least reactive of the four.

Correct answer: B

Zymase, an enzyme from yeast, catalyses the conversion of glucose into ethanol and carbon dioxide during fermentation.

Correct answer: C

Under Section 11(iv) of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, where a female is adopted by a male, the age difference must be at least 21 years; here it is only 15 years (28-13), so the adoption is void.

Correct answer: A

The primary sources of Muslim law are the Quran, Sunna, Ijma and Qiyas; Custom (along with legislation, judicial decisions and equity) is a secondary source.

Correct answer: D

The Shariat Act 1937, the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act 1939, and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act 1986 all modify the application of Muslim personal law, so all of the above are correct.

Correct answer: A

Imam Abu Hanifa, founder of the Hanafi school, was the first to systematically apply Qiyas (analogical deduction) as a source of Muslim law.

Correct answer: D

Consanguinity (blood relationship), affinity (relationship by marriage) and fosterage (milk relationship) are all absolute impediments to a Muslim marriage, rendering it void.

Correct answer: C

Under Sunni (Hanafi) law a marriage with a fifth wife while four subsist is irregular (fasid), not void, and can be regularised on death or divorce of one of the existing wives.

Correct answer: C

A divorced Muslim woman must observe the period of iddat before she can lawfully remarry; she may marry only after its completion.

Correct answer: C

Under Shia law no witnesses are required at the time of marriage (nikah); the presence of two witnesses is required only under Sunni law.

Correct answer: D

On non-payment of dower the wife may refuse consummation, sue to recover the dower, and (as an unpaid creditor) retain possession of the husband's property until the dower is paid, so all of the above are her rights.

Correct answer: B

The right of pre-emption (shufaa) is the right of a person to acquire/purchase immovable property in preference to and to the exclusion of other intending purchasers.

Correct answer: A

Under Muslim law the custody (hizanat) of an illegitimate child belongs to the mother and her relations.

Correct answer: D

Section 5 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 defines 'transfer of property' as an act by which a living person conveys property to one or more living persons.

Correct answer: A

The Transfer of Property Act, 1882 came into force on 1st July 1882.

Correct answer: C

Under Section 6(a) read with the scheme of the TP Act, a gift/transfer of future (non-existent) property is void; the chance of an heir or a mere possibility cannot be transferred.

Correct answer: B

Acceptance during the lifetime of the donee is essential; if the donee dies before acceptance the gift is void (Section 122 read with 123, TP Act).

Correct answer: A

Under Section 20 of the TP Act, an unborn person for whose benefit an interest is created acquires a vested interest upon his birth, even though he may not be entitled to immediate enjoyment.

Correct answer: D

A mortgage by deposit of title deeds (equitable mortgage) under Section 58(f) of the TP Act does not require a written instrument or registration; the other mortgages require a registered instrument.

Correct answer: B

The rule against perpetuity is contained in Section 14 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882.

Correct answer: B

The doctrine of lis pendens under Section 52 of the TP Act is founded on public policy (and necessity), to prevent transfer of disputed property pending litigation.

Correct answer: A

The explanation to Section 5 of the TP Act provides that 'living person' includes a company or association or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not.

Correct answer: B

'Sale' is defined in Section 54 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882.

Correct answer: D

Equity is grounded in natural justice, honesty and good conscience; its primary source is conscience, not custom or written law.

Correct answer: A

The English rules of equity have been substantially incorporated into Indian statutes such as the Transfer of Property Act, Specific Relief Act, Indian Trusts Act and Contract Act.

Correct answer: B

Where equity conflicts with the express text of a statute, the court must follow the law; equity supplements but cannot override the written law (equity follows the law).

Correct answer: A

Equitable remedies (such as specific performance and injunction) are discretionary and cannot be claimed as a matter of right; they are granted at the discretion of the court.

Correct answer: C

The concept of trusts originated in England, developed by the Court of Chancery out of the medieval doctrine of 'uses'.

Correct answer: C

Under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882, the three persons essential to a trust are the author (settlor), the trustee and the beneficiary; a legal representative is not necessary for its creation.

Correct answer: C

Section 78, Indian Trusts Act, 1882 allows a testamentary trust to be revoked at the testator's pleasure; a will (and hence the trust created by it) is revocable by a subsequent will under the law of wills. Marriage revokes a will only for persons under the Indian Succession Act, not the Hindu Marriage Act, so (d) is wrong.

Correct answer: D

Section 77, Indian Trusts Act, 1882 extinguishes a trust when its purpose is fulfilled, becomes unlawful or impossible, or is revoked; mere transfer of the trustees' interest is not a ground of extinction.

Correct answer: A

Section 10 of the Specific Relief Act enforces specific performance where there is no standard for ascertaining damages or where money is not adequate relief; a concluded contract is a precondition, so specific performance cannot be granted if there is no concluded contract.

Correct answer: A

Specific performance means the actual carrying out of the contract according to its stipulations, as distinct from awarding damages for non-performance.

Correct answer: A

Under Section 2(b) of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, a proposal when accepted becomes a promise.

Correct answer: D

An agreement enforceable at the option of one party but not the other is a voidable contract under Section 2(i) of the Indian Contract Act, 1872.

Correct answer: C

Mohori Bibee v. Dharmodas Ghose (1903) laid down that a minor's agreement is void ab initio.

Correct answer: D

Under Section 29 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, agreements the meaning of which is uncertain or not capable of being made certain are void.

Correct answer: B

Goods displayed in a showcase with a price tag are an invitation to offer (invitation to treat), not an offer; the customer makes the offer.

Correct answer: D

Section 30 of the Indian Contract Act exempts certain horse-racing subscription/prize agreements from the rule voiding wagers, so such an agreement is valid.

Correct answer: B

An agreement in restraint of marriage (to remain unmarried) is void under Section 26 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872.

Correct answer: B

Under Section 56 of the Indian Contract Act, an agreement to do an act impossible or unlawful is void (and a contract becomes void when performance later becomes unlawful or impossible).

Correct answer: A

Under the Indian Majority Act, 1875, the age of majority for the purpose of the Contract Act is 18 years.

Correct answer: A

A sum fixed beforehand as the compensation payable on breach is called liquidated damages (Section 74 of the Indian Contract Act).

Correct answer: B

An agreement made without consideration is void under Section 25 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 (subject to its exceptions).

Correct answer: B

When consent is caused by coercion, the contract is voidable at the option of the party whose consent was so caused (Section 19 of the Indian Contract Act).

Correct answer: D

Where both parties are under a mistake as to a matter of fact essential to the agreement, the agreement is void under Section 20 of the Indian Contract Act.

Correct answer: A

An agreement to trace out secret money by magic is void for uncertainty/impossibility of object under Sections 29/56 of the Indian Contract Act (illustration to Section 29).

Correct answer: C

Where consent is obtained by fraud, the party defrauded may rescind the contract and is also entitled to claim compensation for any loss suffered.

Correct answer: D

This classic definition of tort as 'a civil wrong for which the remedy is a common law action for unliquidated damages' is given by Salmond.

Correct answer: C

Unlike contract, the duty under the law of torts is owed towards persons generally, i.e., the world at large.

Correct answer: D

To constitute a tort there must be an act or omission by the defendant and that act must result in violation of a legal right vested in the plaintiff, i.e., both (A) and (B).

Correct answer: B

An inevitable accident is an unexpected injury which could not have been foreseen and avoided by the exercise of reasonable care; it is wider than and distinct from an act of God.