WBPSC Clerkship 2024: West Bengal and General Knowledge Mixed Quiz (20 Questions)
A little practice. A step forward.
20 mixed questions on West Bengal, history, geography, the Constitution and science for WBPSC Clerkship 2024 Part-I.
Which is the highest peak of West Bengal?
Sandakphu (about 3,636 m) in the Singalila range is the highest point of West Bengal. Phalut (about 3,600 m) is very close in height, which is why students confuse them. Tiger Hill is the Darjeeling sunrise point and is much lower.
- Sandakphu is in Darjeeling district on the India–Nepal border
- Phalut is the second highest peak of the state
- Tiger Hill is about 2,590 m
- Phalut and Sandakphu are almost equal in height, but Sandakphu is slightly higher
- Sandakphu is on top, Phalut one step below
| Place | Height (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Sandakphu | 3,636 m |
| Phalut | 3,600 m |
| Tiger Hill | 2,590 m |
Which two rivers join near Nabadwip in Nadia to form the Hooghly?
The Bhagirathi and the Jalangi meet near Nabadwip in Nadia and flow on as the Hooghly. The Damodar and the Rupnarayan are separate rivers that fall into the Hooghly later. The Ajay is a tributary of the Bhagirathi, not a source of the Hooghly.
- The Bhagirathi is a distributary of the Ganga
- The Hooghly falls into the Bay of Bengal
- Kolkata port is on the Hooghly
- The Hooghly is not the main stream of the Ganga; the main stream continues as the Padma in Bangladesh
- Bhagirathi + Jalangi = Hooghly
In which year was the Battle of Plassey fought?
The Battle of Plassey was fought on 23 June 1757 on the bank of the Bhagirathi. The East India Company under Robert Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal. The battle of 1764 was Buxar, not Plassey.
- Date: 23.06.1757
- Company commander: Robert Clive
- Mir Jafar's betrayal played a role
- Mixing up Plassey (1757) with Buxar (1764)
- Plassey 1757, Buxar 1764: seven years apart
| Battle | Year |
|---|---|
| Plassey | 1757 |
| Buxar | 1764 |
Under which Viceroy was the Partition of Bengal carried out in 1905?
The Partition of Bengal took effect on 16 October 1905 under Viceroy Lord Curzon. It led to the Swadeshi and Boycott movements. Dalhousie (Doctrine of Lapse) and Bentinck (abolition of sati) ruled at other times.
- Effective from 16.10.1905
- The partition was annulled in 1911
- It sparked the Swadeshi movement
- Students often pick Dalhousie by mistake
- Curzon cut Bengal
In which year was the shifting of the capital of British India from Calcutta to Delhi announced?
At the Delhi Durbar of 1911 King George V announced that the capital would move from Calcutta to Delhi. 1905 is the year of the Partition of Bengal, 1919 of the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh. India became independent in 1947.
- Delhi Durbar: 1911
- Calcutta had been the capital before
- The partition of Bengal was annulled the same year
- Mixing 1905 (partition) with 1911
- Partition annulled and capital shifted, both in 1911
Who wrote the song "Vande Mataram"?
"Vande Mataram" was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and appears in his novel "Anandamath" (1882). Rabindranath Tagore wrote "Jana Gana Mana", and Nazrul wrote the poem "Bidrohi" and many songs.
- Novel: Anandamath, 1882
- Author: Bankim Chandra
- "Jana Gana Mana" was written by Tagore
- Mixing up the national anthem and the national song
- Anandamath = Vande Mataram = Bankim
In which year did Rabindranath Tagore win the Nobel Prize?
Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. He was the first Indian and first Asian Nobel laureate. The prize was for the English Song Offerings, based on his Gitanjali.
- Year: 1913
- First Asian Nobel laureate
- Song Offerings is the English form of Gitanjali
- 1921 is the year of Visva-Bharati, not the Nobel
- Nobel in 1913
In which year was Visva-Bharati established at Santiniketan?
Visva-Bharati was founded in 1921 on Tagore's initiative. Before that, in 1901, he had started the Brahmacharyashram at Santiniketan, which is the tempting wrong answer. In 1913 he won the Nobel Prize.
- Visva-Bharati: 1921
- Brahmacharyashram: 1901
- It became a central university in 1951
- The 1901 ashram and the 1921 university are different
- Ashram 1901, Visva-Bharati 1921: twenty years later
With the help of which country was the Durgapur Steel Plant set up?
The Durgapur Steel Plant was set up with technical help from the United Kingdom. Bhilai and Bokaro came with Soviet help, and Rourkela with West German help. All were public-sector plants of the Five-Year Plan period.
- Durgapur is in Paschim Bardhaman district
- It lies in the Damodar valley industrial belt
- It is a public-sector plant
- Attaching the Soviet link of Bhilai to Durgapur
- Durgapur–Britain, Rourkela–Germany, Bhilai–Russia
| Steel plant | State | Helping country |
|---|---|---|
| Durgapur | West Bengal | United Kingdom |
| Rourkela | Odisha | West Germany |
| Bhilai | Chhattisgarh | Soviet Union |
| Bokaro | Jharkhand | Soviet Union |
In which year was the Sundarbans National Park inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list?
The Sundarbans National Park was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It is among the largest mangrove forests in the world and the home of the Royal Bengal Tiger. Most of the forest lies in Bangladesh; the Indian part is in West Bengal.
- UNESCO listing: 1987
- Home of the Royal Bengal Tiger
- A mangrove forest in the Ganga–Brahmaputra delta
- Project Tiger began in 1973; the World Heritage listing came in 1987
- Sundarbans is named after the sundari tree
Which Article did Dr. Ambedkar call "the heart and soul of the Constitution"?
Ambedkar called the Right to Constitutional Remedies, Article 32, the heart and soul of the Constitution. Through it a citizen can approach the Supreme Court directly for fundamental rights. Article 14 is equality, Article 21 is life and personal liberty, and Article 25 is freedom of religion.
- Article 32 = constitutional remedies
- The Supreme Court can issue writs
- Writs include habeas corpus and mandamus
- Choosing Article 21 because it is discussed so often
- Thirty-two: the tool to defend your rights in court
| Right | Articles |
|---|---|
| Right to Equality | 14–18 |
| Right to Freedom | 19–22 |
| Right against Exploitation | 23–24 |
| Right to Freedom of Religion | 25–28 |
| Cultural and Educational Rights | 29–30 |
| Right to Constitutional Remedies | 32 |
On which date did the Constitution of India come into force?
The Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950, which is Republic Day. It had been adopted earlier, on 26 November 1949. On 26 January 1930 Purna Swaraj Day was observed.
- Adopted: 26.11.1949
- In force: 26.01.1950
- Chairman of the Drafting Committee: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
- Adoption and commencement are different dates
- Adopted in November, in force in January
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Purna Swaraj Day | 26.01.1930 |
| Independence | 15.08.1947 |
| Constitution adopted | 26.11.1949 |
| Constitution in force | 26.01.1950 |
Which gas is present in the largest amount in the atmosphere?
About 78% of the atmosphere is nitrogen. Oxygen is about 21%, so it is second, not first. Argon is about 0.93% and carbon dioxide only about 0.04%.
- Nitrogen is about 78%
- Oxygen is about 21%
- Argon is the third largest component
- Thinking oxygen is the most because we need it to live
- 78 + 21 = 99: two gases make nearly all of it
Composition of air
Vitamin C deficiency causes which disease?
A lack of vitamin C causes scurvy, with swollen, bleeding gums. Beriberi is due to vitamin B1, rickets to vitamin D and night blindness to vitamin A. Lemon, amla and orange are rich in vitamin C.
- Vitamin C = ascorbic acid
- Sources: lemon, amla, guava
- Scurvy causes bleeding gums
- Mixing scurvy with rickets because both affect bones and teeth
- C for Citrus, lack gives Scurvy
| Vitamin | Deficiency disease |
|---|---|
| A | Night blindness |
| B1 | Beriberi |
| C | Scurvy |
| D | Rickets |
| K | Delayed blood clotting |
The Tropic of Cancer does NOT pass through which of the following states?
The Tropic of Cancer does not pass through Odisha. Gujarat, Jharkhand and Tripura all lie on that line. In West Bengal it crosses districts such as Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Bardhaman and Nadia.
- Tropic of Cancer is 23½° N
- It crosses 8 Indian states
- West Bengal is one of the eight
- Odisha is in east India, so students assume it is on the line
- Gujarat to Mizoram: eight states from west to east
| Order (west to east) | State |
|---|---|
| 1 | Gujarat |
| 2 | Rajasthan |
| 3 | Madhya Pradesh |
| 4 | Chhattisgarh |
| 5 | Jharkhand |
| 6 | West Bengal |
| 7 | Tripura |
| 8 | Mizoram |
Which Mauryan emperor adopted Buddhism after the Kalinga War?
Shaken by the bloodshed of the Kalinga War, Emperor Ashoka gave up conquest for dhamma and embraced Buddhism. Chandragupta and Bindusara were his predecessors. Samudragupta was a Gupta ruler, not a Mauryan.
- Kalinga War: about 261 BCE
- Kalinga is roughly modern Odisha
- Described in Rock Edict XIII
- Samudragupta belongs to the Gupta dynasty, not the Mauryan
- Ashoka: grief after war, so he chose peace
In which year was the First Battle of Panipat fought?
The First Battle of Panipat was fought in 1526, when Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi and laid the foundation of the Mughal Empire in India. In 1556 Akbar defeated Hemu in the second battle. The third battle, in 1761, was between the Marathas and Ahmad Shah Abdali.
- First Panipat: 1526
- Babur won, Ibrahim Lodi lost
- Artillery was used
- 1192 is the Second Battle of Tarain, not Panipat
- Three Panipats: 1526, 1556, 1761
| Battle | Year | Sides |
|---|---|---|
| First Panipat | 1526 | Babur vs Ibrahim Lodi |
| Second Panipat | 1556 | Akbar (Bairam Khan) vs Hemu |
| Third Panipat | 1761 | Marathas vs Ahmad Shah Abdali |
Which is the largest state of India by area?
Rajasthan is the largest Indian state by area (about 3.42 lakh sq km), followed by Madhya Pradesh and then Maharashtra. Uttar Pradesh is the largest by population, not by area.
- Largest by area: Rajasthan
- Largest by population: Uttar Pradesh
- Smallest state by area: Goa
- Largest by population and by area are different states
- Rajasthan is the king of area
| Rank by area | State |
|---|---|
| 1 | Rajasthan |
| 2 | Madhya Pradesh |
| 3 | Maharashtra |
On which river is the Farakka Barrage in Murshidabad built?
The Farakka Barrage is built on the Ganga in Murshidabad district and was commissioned in 1975. Its feeder canal diverts Ganga water into the Bhagirathi–Hooghly to help flush silt from the Kolkata port. The Damodar, Teesta and Mahananda are different rivers.
- Farakka Barrage is on the Ganga
- Purpose: to save Kolkata port
- A water-sharing treaty exists between India and Bangladesh
- Mixing up the Teesta barrage (Gazoldoba) with Farakka
- Farakka–Ganga; Gazoldoba barrage–Teesta
Which is the state flower of West Bengal?
The state flower of West Bengal is the Shiuli (Parijat). It blooms in autumn and is tied to Durga Puja. The lotus is the national flower of India, not of the state.
- Scientific name: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis
- It blooms in autumn
- The lotus is the national flower
- Taking the national flower, lotus, for the state flower
- Autumn morning = Shiuli
📊 Topic Analysis
20 mixed questions on West Bengal, history, geography, the Constitution and science for WBPSC Clerkship 2024 Part-I.
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