UPSC GS PYQs

Explanation: Lala Lajpat Rai (1865–1928) was one of the most prominent leaders of the Indian freedom struggle and was reverently called “Punjab Kesari” or the “Lion of Punjab” because of his fierce patriotism and organisational work in Punjab. He was part of the famous Lal-Bal-Pal triumvirate (along with Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal). On 30 October 1928, the all-British Simon Commission arrived in Lahore. Lala Lajpat Rai led a massive, peaceful protest march against it under the slogan “Simon Go Back”. The police, under Superintendent James A. Scott, launched a brutal lathi charge. Lala Lajpat Rai was struck on the head and chest; he never recovered and died on 17 November 1928. His last words were: “Every blow aimed at me is a nail in the coffin of British rule in India.” His martyrdom became a turning point and directly inspired the revolutionary actions of Bhagat Singh and his comrades.

Sachindra Nath Sanyal: He was a prominent revolutionary leader who established a branch of the secret revolutionary organization Anushilan Samiti in Patna in 1913 to spread revolutionary ideas and train youths. Mazharul Haque: A prominent nationalist leader from Bihar who played a pivotal role during the Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movements. He established the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna and started the newspaper The Motherland. Rajendra Prasad: A key leader of the Indian National Movement from Bihar who went on to become the first President of independent India. He actively led the Champaran Satyagraha and Salt Satyagraha in Bihar. Deep Narayan Singh: A nationalist leader from Bihar who was highly instrumental in the Bihar provincial politics and played a key role in organizing the Bihar Provincial Congress Committee

Answer: D. It became a major nationalist rallying cry during opposition to Bengal’s partition During the Swadeshi Movement (1905–1911), which arose directly to protest Lord Curzon's partition of Bengal, Vande Mataram transcended its origins as a literary poem and officially transformed into a powerful political slogan and anti-colonial rallying cry [0.6.1, 0.6.10]. Singing the song in public spaces or raising the slogan became the ultimate act of defiance, leading the British government to ban its public performance. The Har Ghar Tiranga campaign of 2026 heavily intersected with the concluding phase of the government's year-long nationwide 150th-anniversary commemorations of Vande Mataram (marking 150 years since Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay composed the verses on November 7, 1875). Why Other Options Are Incorrect: • A. It was first used during the Champaran Satyagraha (Incorrect): The Champaran Satyagraha took place much later, in 1917, and focused on peasant issues against indigo planters. Vande Mataram was already established as India's premier political war-cry a decade prior. • B. It was composed specifically for the Lahore Congress of 1929 (Incorrect): The song was composed in 1875 and first sung at an INC platform way back at the 1896 Calcutta Session by Rabindranath Tagore. • C. It originated as the slogan of the Quit India Movement (Incorrect): The signature slogan of the 1942 Quit India Movement was "Do or Die" (Karo ya Maro).

Statement 1: Incorrect. Mansabs were not hereditary in nature. The Mansabdari system, introduced by Akbar, was designed to prevent the formation of a feudal aristocracy. Ranks were granted by the emperor, were non-hereditary, and often involved frequent transfers or resumption of jagirs upon the mansabdar's death to ensure loyalty to the central authority. This is consistently described in historical sources as a key feature to maintain imperial control. Statement 2: Correct. The Zat rank fixed the personal status (position in the official hierarchy) of the mansabdar and also determined his salary/pay. Statement 3: Correct. The Sawar rank determined the number of cavalrymen (horsemen/sawars) the mansabdar was required to maintain and bring to service.

Q35

Option (A) - Carbonation - Incorrect Carbonation occurs when carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or soil dissolves in water and forms carbonic acid (H₂CO₃). This weak acid reacts particularly with carbonate minerals such as limestone (calcium carbonate) and helps dissolve them. Carbonation is therefore an important process in the chemical weathering of limestone, but it is not the process described in the question, where water becomes incorporated into the mineral structure during the transformation of feldspar into clay. Hence, A is incorrect. Option (B) - Oxidation - Incorrect Oxidation involves the reaction of minerals with oxygen. It is especially important in the weathering of minerals containing iron, producing iron oxides and hydroxides that often give rocks a characteristic reddish or yellowish colour. For example, iron-bearing minerals such as ferrous compounds can be oxidised to ferric compounds. Since the question is specifically referring to the addition/incorporation of water into the mineral during weathering, oxidation is not the appropriate process. Therefore, B is incorrect. Option (C) - Hydration - Correct Hydration is a chemical weathering process in which water molecules become incorporated into a mineral's structure, causing the mineral to change chemically and often physically. In the weathering of feldspar, water participates in reactions that can transform feldspar into clay minerals such as kaolinite. The key clue in the question is the addition of water to the mineral, which points directly to hydration. Therefore, C is the correct answer. Option (D) - Solution - Incorrect Solution occurs when minerals dissolve directly in water and are carried away in dissolved form. Water is particularly effective at dissolving minerals that are soluble or have been made more soluble through chemical reactions. However, in the process described in the question, the important feature is water becoming chemically incorporated into the mineral and contributing to the formation of clay, rather than simply dissolving the mineral and removing it. Therefore, D is incorrect.

Statement I - True Metamorphism is the process by which an existing rock changes because of factors such as heat, pressure and chemically active fluids, without the rock completely melting. During this process, the minerals present in the original rock may become unstable under the new conditions and undergo recrystallization or reorganize into new mineral arrangements. Importantly, the rock generally remains in the solid state. For example, limestone can recrystallize to form marble, while shale can undergo metamorphism to form rocks such as slate and schist. Therefore, Statement I is correct. Statement II - True Pressure, particularly directed pressure, can cause minerals within a metamorphic rock to become arranged in a preferred orientation. This alignment produces a planar or layered structure called foliation. With increasing metamorphic grade, minerals can also separate into distinct light and dark layers, producing banding, which is especially characteristic of rocks such as gneiss. Therefore, the statement that pressure can align minerals and produce foliation and banding is correct. Statement III - False Syenite is an igneous rock, not a metamorphic rock. It is a generally coarse-grained, intrusive igneous rock that forms when magma cools and crystallizes slowly beneath the Earth's surface. Its composition is broadly similar to granite, but syenite contains much less quartz. Therefore, it should not be classified as a metamorphic rock. Hence, Statement III is incorrect.