UPSC Indian Art and Culture – Chapter 16: Languages, Scripts and Classical Languages (23 MCQs)

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UPSC Indian Art and Culture – Chapter 16: Languages, Scripts and Classical Languages (23 MCQs) – 23 questions, subject: History. Every question has the correct answer with a one-line explanation; tap "Show Answer". Free practice for TNPSC, UPSC, SSC, Bank and RRB exams – Shanmugam IAS Academy, Coimbatore.

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1.  

Santali belongs to which language family?

Correct Answer: D [Austro-Asiatic]

Explanation:

Santali belongs to the Munda branch of the Austro-Asiatic family, along with Ho and Mundari.

2.  

Kurukh (Oraon) belongs to the:

Correct Answer: D [Dravidian family]

Explanation:

Kurukh (Oraon) is a Dravidian language spoken in central and eastern India, like Gondi and Kui.

3.  

Which Article provides for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage?

Correct Answer: A [Article 350A]

Explanation:

Article 350A asks every State to provide instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage for linguistic-minority children.

4.  

Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santali were added to the Eighth Schedule by the:

Correct Answer: C [92nd Amendment]

Explanation:

The 92nd Amendment (2003) added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santali, raising the Eighth Schedule to 22 languages.

5.  

The first language to be declared a classical language of India was:

Correct Answer: A [Tamil]

Explanation:

2004.

6.  

Malayalam was declared a classical language in:

Correct Answer: B [2013]

Explanation:

Malayalam was declared a classical language in 2013, after Telugu and Kannada (2008) and before Odia (2014).

7.  

Which one of the following was not among the languages declared classical in 2024?

Correct Answer: B [Gujarati]

Explanation:

The 2024 list was Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali; Gujarati has not been declared classical.

8.  

The Brahmi script was deciphered by:

Correct Answer: D [James Prinsep]

Explanation:

James Prinsep of the Asiatic Society of Bengal deciphered the Brahmi script in 1837.

9.  

Ashoka's major rock edicts were written in the Kharosthi script at which one of the following sites?

Correct Answer: C [Shahbazgarhi]

Explanation:

Shahbazgarhi, with Mansehra, in the north-west has Ashoka's edicts in Kharosthi.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. Ol Chiki is the script of Santali.
2. Gurmukhi is used to write Punjabi.
3. Modi is a script used for Tamil.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

Ol Chiki is the Santali script and Gurmukhi the Punjabi script; statement 3 fails because Modi was used for Marathi.

11.  

Assertion (A): Most Indian scripts share many common features.

Reason (R): Most Indian scripts developed from Brahmi.

Correct Answer: A [Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A]

Explanation:

Both are true, and common descent from Brahmi explains why Indian scripts share structure and letter order.

12.  

The Grantha script was mainly used to write:

Correct Answer: C [Sanskrit in the Tamil country]

Explanation:

Grantha was developed to write Sanskrit in the Tamil country and later gave rise to the Malayalam script.

13.  

Kui is the language of the:

Correct Answer: B [Kandhas of Odisha]

Explanation:

Kui is the Dravidian language of the Kandha (Khond) people of Odisha.

14.  

The Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities is provided for under:

Correct Answer: D [Article 350B]

Explanation:

Article 350B provides for a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities, appointed by the President.

15.  

The States Reorganisation Commission of 1953 was headed by:

Correct Answer: C [Fazl Ali]

Explanation:

Justice Fazl Ali chaired the States Reorganisation Commission; K. M. Panikkar and H. N. Kunzru were its members.

16.  

Hindi Diwas is observed on:

Correct Answer: D [14 September]

Explanation:

Hindi Diwas falls on 14 September, the day in 1949 when the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi in Devanagari.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. Classical status for Odia
2. Classical status for Tamil
3. States Reorganisation Act
4. Official Languages Act

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: C [3-4-2-1]

Explanation:

1956, 1963, 2004, 2014.

18.  

The Ho language has its own script called:

Correct Answer: D [Warang Citi]

Explanation:

Warang Citi is the script devised for the Ho language of Jharkhand and Odisha.

19.  

International Mother Language Day recalls the language movement of 1952 in:

Correct Answer: C [Dhaka]

Explanation:

The Day recalls the 1952 Bangla Language Movement in Dhaka, when protesters were killed on 21 February.

20.  

How many languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule at present?

Correct Answer: B [22]

Explanation:

The Eighth Schedule lists 22 languages: 14 original plus 8 added by the 21st, 71st and 92nd Amendments.

21.  
UPSC Prelims 2014

Consider the following languages:

1. Gujarati
2. Kannada
3. Telugu

Which of the above has/have been declared as 'Classical Language / Languages' by the Government?

Correct Answer: C [2 and 3 only]

Explanation:

Kannada and Telugu were declared in 2008; the 2024 additions do not include Gujarati.

22.  
UPSC Prelims 2021

With reference to India, the terms 'Halbi, Ho and Kui' pertain to

Correct Answer: D [tribal languages]

Explanation:

Halbi (Indo-Aryan), Ho (Austro-Asiatic) and Kui (Dravidian).

23.  
UPSC Prelims 2021

Consider the following statements:

1. 21st February is declared to be the International Mother Language Day by UNICEF.
2. The demand that Bangla has to be one of the national languages was raised in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [2 only]

Explanation:

Dhirendranath Datta raised the demand in 1948.

➤ Full notes, maps, tables, a reason for every option and Mains PYQs – U06 · Indian Art and Culture (UPSC book, ₹249): www.shanmugamiasacademy.in/study-materials/upsc-indian-art-culture

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