Static GK: History & Polity
Static GK: History & Polity is a frequently tested area in CUET General Test. Work through these free NTA-style sample questions with full answers and explanations, then attempt all 40 in a timed practice test to build exam-day speed.
Snapshot
- Static history and polity GK is the "who, when, which article" part of the General Test: dynasties, freedom movement milestones, Constitution articles, institutions and first-of-their-kind facts.
- Questions are almost always one-line recall or a short match the column, so the winning method is a timeline you can recite plus an article table you can scan.
- The one idea that cracks it: attach every fact to a hook (a number, a place or a person) and revise the same short tables repeatedly.
- This page covers ancient, medieval and modern India in tables, the freedom struggle timeline, the Constitution (making, parts, schedules, rights, institutions), traps and a rapid-fire quiz.
Part 1 — How CUET asks history and polity
Written and reviewed by Devendra Dubey, Mathematics & Commerce faculty at UniDrill (M.Sc. Mathematics, Osmania University · 10 years teaching). Prepared for the CUET UG General Test.
History and polity GK looks huge, but the questions that actually appear are narrow. They test whether you can connect a name with a period, a person with a work or movement, and an article number with its subject. You do not need essay-level understanding; you need clean, correct associations.
This page is written neutrally and factually: events are stated as they happened, and the Constitution is described the way the document itself describes it.
| Pattern | Typical stem | Best approach |
|---|---|---|
| Founder or builder | "Who began the construction of the Qutb Minar?" | Learn dynasty → ruler → monument as a chain |
| Chronology | "Arrange in order: Plassey, Buxar, Panipat I" | Use the timeline table in Part 4 |
| Author and work | "Arthashastra was written by…" | See the books table in Part 6 |
| Article number | "Which article abolishes untouchability?" | Article table in Part 8 |
| Institution | "Which body conducts elections to Parliament?" | Institution table in Part 10 |
| Statement based | "Which statements about the Rajya Sabha are correct?" | Test each statement; watch words like "only", "always" |
| Firsts | "Who was the first woman President of India?" | Firsts table in Part 11 |
Pause and predict: A student confuses the Preamble with Article 1. Which one begins "We, the people of India", and which says "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States"?
Check your answer: The Preamble begins with "We, the people of India". Article 1 is the sentence that describes India as a Union of States. Preamble is not an article.
Part 2 — Ancient India in tables
| Period | Key facts |
|---|---|
| Indus (Harappan) civilisation | Mature phase about 2600–1900 BCE. Planned cities with drains and grid streets. Sites: Harappa, Mohenjo-daro (Great Bath), Lothal (dockyard), Dholavira (water conservation), Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi |
| Vedic age | Rigveda is the oldest Veda. The four Vedas are Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva |
| Sixteen Mahajanapadas | Early states of the 6th century BCE; Magadha became the most powerful |
| Buddhism | Gautama Buddha: born at Lumbini, enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, first sermon at Sarnath, passed away at Kushinagar |
| Jainism | Mahavira was the 24th Tirthankara; Rishabhanatha was the first |
| Maurya Empire | Founded by Chandragupta Maurya (about 321 BCE); Bindusara; Ashoka. Capital Pataliputra |
| Ashoka | Kalinga war (about 261 BCE), then Dhamma. Edicts on rocks and pillars in Brahmi script. Lion Capital at Sarnath is the national emblem |
| Gupta Empire | Chandragupta I, Samudragupta (Allahabad Pillar inscription by Harishena), Chandragupta II Vikramaditya. Called a golden age for art and science |
| Harsha | Ruled from Kannauj in the 7th century; Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang visited his court |
| South India | Cholas (Rajaraja I built the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur), Pallavas (Mamallapuram shore temples), Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas (Kailasa temple at Ellora), Pandyas, Cheras |
| Foreign visitors | Came from | Wrote or noted |
|---|---|---|
| Megasthenes | Greece (Seleucid ambassador) | Indica, on the Mauryan court |
| Fa-Hien | China | Visited in Chandragupta II's time |
| Hiuen Tsang | China | Visited during Harsha's rule, studied at Nalanda |
| Al-Biruni | Central Asia | Kitab-ul-Hind, on India in the 11th century |
| Ibn Battuta | Morocco | Visited during Muhammad bin Tughlaq's reign |
Memory hook: "Chandra-Bindu-Ashoka" is the Maurya line (grandfather, father, grandson). "Samudra then Vikramaditya" is the Gupta peak.
Part 3 — Medieval India in tables
Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526) and regional powers
| Dynasty | Key rulers | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Slave (Mamluk) | Qutb ud din Aibak, Iltutmish, Razia Sultan | Qutb Minar begun by Aibak and completed by Iltutmish; Razia was the first woman ruler of Delhi |
| Khalji | Alauddin Khalji | Market control policy, standing army |
| Tughlaq | Muhammad bin Tughlaq, Firoz Shah Tughlaq | Token currency, shifting capital to Daulatabad; Firoz built canals |
| Sayyid and Lodi | Ibrahim Lodi was the last Sultan | Defeated at the First Battle of Panipat, 1526 |
| Vijayanagara | Krishnadevaraya | Hampi was the capital; a great empire in the south |
The Mughals
| Ruler | Key fact |
|---|---|
| Babur | Founded the empire after the First Battle of Panipat (1526); wrote the Baburnama |
| Humayun | Lost the throne to Sher Shah Suri, later regained it; Humayun's Tomb in Delhi |
| Sher Shah Suri | Rupiya as a silver coin, Grand Trunk Road repaired and extended, land revenue system |
| Akbar | Second Battle of Panipat (1556); Fatehpur Sikri, Buland Darwaza; Ain-i-Akbari written by Abul Fazl |
| Jahangir | Known for painting and gardens |
| Shah Jahan | Taj Mahal (Agra), Red Fort and Jama Masjid (Delhi) |
| Aurangzeb | Last of the "Great Mughals"; died in 1707 |
Other medieval facts
| Topic | Fact |
|---|---|
| Bhakti and Sufi saints | Kabir, Guru Nanak, Mirabai, Tulsidas, Chaitanya; Sufi saints like Moinuddin Chishti and Nizamuddin Auliya |
| Shivaji | Crowned Chhatrapati in 1674 at Raigad; founder of the Maratha state |
| Rajatarangini | Chronicle of Kashmir, written by Kalhana |
| Gita Govinda | Composed by Jayadeva |
Part 4 — Modern India: from the Europeans to Independence
How the British gained control
| Year | Event | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| 1498 | Vasco da Gama reaches Calicut | Sea route from Europe to India |
| 1600 | East India Company founded by charter | Beginning of British trade in India |
| 1757 | Battle of Plassey | Company gains control in Bengal |
| 1764 | Battle of Buxar | Company gets the Diwani (revenue rights) in 1765 |
| 1853 | First railway line, Bombay to Thane | Start of railways |
| 1856 | Widow Remarriage Act | Social reform legislation |
| 1857 | Revolt, starting at Meerut | Largest challenge to Company rule |
| 1858 | Government of India Act | Rule passes from the Company to the Crown |
The national movement timeline
| Year | Event | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| 1885 | Indian National Congress founded; W.C. Bonnerjee first president | Platform for national politics |
| 1905 | Partition of Bengal; Swadeshi movement | Boycott and Swadeshi spread |
| 1906 | All India Muslim League founded | A new political organisation |
| 1911 | Capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi announced; partition of Bengal annulled | Change of capital |
| 1915 | Gandhi returns to India | Leadership of the movement |
| 1916 | Lucknow Pact | Congress and Muslim League cooperation |
| 1917–18 | Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda | Gandhi's early movements |
| 1919 | Rowlatt Act; Jallianwala Bagh (13 April) | Protests and a turning point |
| 1920–22 | Non-Cooperation Movement | Withdrawn after Chauri Chaura in 1922 |
| 1927 | Simon Commission appointed | All-white commission, boycotted |
| 1929 | Lahore Congress demands Poorna Swaraj | Complete independence goal |
| 1930 | Dandi March (12 March); Civil Disobedience | Salt law broken |
| 1931 | Gandhi–Irwin Pact | Truce in civil disobedience |
| 1935 | Government of India Act | Provincial autonomy |
| 1942 | Quit India Movement (8 August) | "Do or die" call, mass movement |
| 1946 | Cabinet Mission | Plan for transfer of power |
| 1947 | 15 August | India becomes independent |
| 1948 | Mahatma Gandhi dies on 30 January | Day of mourning |
Key personalities in brief: Dadabhai Naoroji (drain of wealth theory), Bal Gangadhar Tilak ("Swaraj is my birthright"), Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal (Lal-Bal-Pal), Subhas Chandra Bose (Azad Hind Fauj / INA), Bhagat Singh, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (integration of princely states), Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, B.R. Ambedkar, Sarojini Naidu and Rani Lakshmibai (1857 revolt).
Memory hook: "Congress 1885, Bengal split 1905, Gandhi's Dandi 1930, Quit India 1942, freedom 1947": five dates, each separated by roughly 20 to 25 years at the start and then closer together.
Beyond the textbook. For the exam: the Revolt of 1857 is "the first war of independence" in some textbook titles and "the Revolt of 1857" or "the Great Rebellion" in others. In reality: historians use several names and interpretations for 1857; for CUET, learn the year, its start at Meerut on 10 May, and its main centres (Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi).
Governors-General and Viceroys
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| First Governor-General of Bengal | Warren Hastings |
| First Governor-General of India | William Bentinck (under the Charter Act of 1833) |
| First Viceroy of India | Lord Canning (1858) |
| Last Viceroy and first Governor-General of free India | Lord Mountbatten |
| First and only Indian Governor-General | C. Rajagopalachari |
Part 5 — Social reform and landmark acts
| Reformer | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Raja Ram Mohan Roy | Brahmo Samaj; campaigned against sati (banned in 1829) |
| Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar | Widow Remarriage Act, 1856 |
| Dayananda Saraswati | Arya Samaj, 1875 |
| Swami Vivekananda | Ramakrishna Mission, 1897 |
| Jyotirao Phule | Satyashodhak Samaj, 1873; education for girls and lower castes |
| Sir Syed Ahmad Khan | Aligarh movement; modern education |
| Annie Besant | Home Rule League; Theosophical Society |
| Act | What it did |
|---|---|
| Regulating Act, 1773 | First step to regulate the Company's rule |
| Charter Act, 1833 | Governor-General of India created |
| Indian Councils Act, 1909 (Morley–Minto) | Separate electorates introduced |
| Government of India Act, 1919 | Dyarchy in the provinces |
| Government of India Act, 1935 | Provincial autonomy; a federal court |
| Indian Independence Act, 1947 | Ended British rule and created two dominions |
Part 6 — Famous books, authors and monuments
| Work | Author |
|---|---|
| Arthashastra | Kautilya (Chanakya) |
| Indica | Megasthenes |
| Abhijnanashakuntalam, Meghaduta | Kalidasa |
| Harshacharita, Kadambari | Banabhatta |
| Mudrarakshasa | Vishakhadatta |
| Rajatarangini | Kalhana |
| Baburnama | Babur |
| Ain-i-Akbari | Abul Fazl |
| Anandamath (includes Vande Mataram) | Bankim Chandra Chatterjee |
| Hind Swaraj, My Experiments with Truth | M.K. Gandhi |
| The Discovery of India | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Gitanjali | Rabindranath Tagore |
| Monument | Place | Associated with |
|---|---|---|
| Sanchi Stupa | Madhya Pradesh | Ashoka |
| Ajanta caves | Maharashtra | Buddhist paintings |
| Ellora (Kailasa temple) | Maharashtra | Rashtrakuta rulers |
| Konark Sun Temple | Odisha | Eastern Ganga dynasty |
| Khajuraho temples | Madhya Pradesh | Chandela dynasty |
| Qutb Minar | Delhi | Begun by Qutb ud din Aibak |
| Taj Mahal | Agra | Shah Jahan |
| Charminar | Hyderabad | Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, 1591 |
| Victoria Memorial | Kolkata | Built in the early 20th century |
| Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) | Amritsar | Sikh shrine |
| India Gate | New Delhi | War memorial designed by Lutyens |
Part 7 — Making of the Constitution
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First meeting of the Constituent Assembly | 9 December 1946 |
| President of the Constituent Assembly | Dr Rajendra Prasad |
| Drafting Committee | Chairman Dr B.R. Ambedkar |
| Time taken | 2 years 11 months 18 days |
| Constitution adopted | 26 November 1949 (Constitution Day) |
| Constitution came into force | 26 January 1950 (Republic Day) |
| Original structure | 395 articles, 22 parts, 8 schedules |
| Present structure | About 450 articles, 25 parts, 12 schedules (grows with amendments) |
| Preamble | Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, Republic; Justice, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity |
| "Socialist" and "Secular" | Added by the 42nd Amendment, 1976 |
Why 26 January? The Congress had declared Poorna Swaraj on 26 January 1930, and the date was kept as the day the Constitution would start working.
Where the Constitution borrowed features from
| Source | Feature |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Parliamentary system, rule of law, single citizenship, bicameral Parliament |
| United States | Fundamental rights, judicial review, independent judiciary, Vice-President as ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha |
| Ireland | Directive Principles of State Policy |
| Canada | Federation with a strong Centre, residuary powers with the Centre |
| Australia | Concurrent List, freedom of trade |
| Germany (Weimar) | Emergency provisions |
| Soviet Union | Fundamental duties |
| France | Republic; ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity |
| South Africa | Procedure for amending the Constitution |
Memory hook: "Directive Principles are Irish" (Directive, Ireland) and "Duties are Soviet" (Duties, Soviet).
The Schedules
| Schedule | Subject |
|---|---|
| 1 | Names of States and Union Territories |
| 2 | Salaries of President, Governors, judges and others |
| 3 | Forms of oaths |
| 4 | Allocation of Rajya Sabha seats |
| 5 | Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes |
| 6 | Tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram |
| 7 | Union, State and Concurrent Lists |
| 8 | Languages (22) |
| 9 | Certain laws related to land reforms and others |
| 10 | Anti-defection |
| 11 | Panchayats |
| 12 | Municipalities |
Part 8 — Rights, duties and key articles
Fundamental rights (Part III, Articles 12 to 35)
| Right | Articles | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Right to Equality | 14–18 | Equality before law; no discrimination; equal opportunity in jobs; untouchability abolished (17); titles abolished (18) |
| Right to Freedom | 19–22 | Six freedoms in Article 19; life and personal liberty (21); education 6–14 years (21A); protection on arrest (22) |
| Right against Exploitation | 23–24 | No forced labour or trafficking; no child labour in hazardous work under age 14 |
| Right to Freedom of Religion | 25–28 | Conscience, practise and propagate religion; manage religious affairs |
| Cultural and Educational Rights | 29–30 | Protect language, script, culture; minorities can run educational institutions |
| Right to Constitutional Remedies | 32 | Move the Supreme Court; writs |
Memory hook: "Equal Freedom Ends Religious Cultural Remedies": E, F, E (exploitation), R, C, R.
The right to property was removed from the fundamental rights by the 44th Amendment (1978) and is now a legal right under Article 300A.
The five writs are habeas corpus (produce the person), mandamus (we command), prohibition (stop a lower court), certiorari (quash an order) and quo warranto (by what authority). Dr Ambedkar called Article 32 "the heart and soul" of the Constitution.
Directive Principles and duties
Directive Principles are in Part IV (Articles 36 to 51) and are not enforceable in court, but are "fundamental in the governance of the country". Examples: Article 40 (village panchayats), Article 44 (uniform civil code), Article 48A (protect the environment), Article 50 (separate judiciary from executive) and Article 51 (promote international peace). Fundamental duties are in Part IVA (Article 51A), added by the 42nd Amendment in 1976; there are 11 duties, the 11th (education for children aged 6 to 14) added in 2002.
Article quick reference
| Article | Subject |
|---|---|
| 1 | India, that is Bharat, is a Union of States |
| 14 | Equality before law |
| 17 | Abolition of untouchability |
| 19 | Six freedoms (speech, assembly, association, movement, residence, profession) |
| 21 | Protection of life and personal liberty |
| 21A | Right to education (6 to 14 years) |
| 32 | Right to constitutional remedies |
| 52 | There shall be a President of India |
| 61 | Impeachment of the President |
| 63 | There shall be a Vice-President |
| 72 | President's power to pardon |
| 74 | Council of Ministers to aid and advise the President |
| 76 | Attorney General of India |
| 79 | Parliament of the Union |
| 110 | Money Bill defined |
| 123 | President's power to issue ordinances |
| 124 | Establishment of the Supreme Court |
| 148 | Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) |
| 153 | Governor of a State |
| 164 | Appointment and tenure of ministers (State) |
| 226 | Power of High Courts to issue writs |
| 243 | Panchayats (Part IX) |
| 280 | Finance Commission |
| 300A | Right to property |
| 315 | Public Service Commissions |
| 324 | Election Commission |
| 352 | National emergency |
| 356 | President's rule in a State |
| 360 | Financial emergency |
| 368 | Amendment of the Constitution |
Part 9 — Union, State and local government
Parliament
| Topic | Fact |
|---|---|
| Houses | President, Lok Sabha (House of the People), Rajya Sabha (Council of States) |
| Lok Sabha | Lower House; 543 elected seats; term 5 years; presided by the Speaker |
| Rajya Sabha | Upper House; maximum 250 members (238 elected plus 12 nominated); permanent, one third retire every two years; Vice-President is the ex-officio chairman |
| Minimum age | Lok Sabha 25 years; Rajya Sabha 30 years; President 35 years; Vice-President 35 years; Governor 35 years |
| Voting age | 18 years (61st Amendment, 1988) |
| Money Bill | Introduced only in the Lok Sabha; Rajya Sabha can only recommend changes |
| Joint sitting | Presided by the Speaker; called when the Houses disagree on an ordinary bill |
| No-confidence motion | Moved in the Lok Sabha; Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha |
| Sessions | Budget, Monsoon and Winter |
Executive and judiciary
| Topic | Fact |
|---|---|
| President | Nominal head; elected indirectly by an electoral college; term 5 years |
| Prime Minister | Real executive head; leader of the majority in the Lok Sabha |
| Governor | Appointed by the President; head of the State |
| Chief Minister | Real head of the State executive |
| Supreme Court | Apex court; Chief Justice plus judges; retirement age 65; enforces fundamental rights |
| High Courts | Retirement age 62; Article 226 writ power |
| Doctrine of basic structure | Kesavananda Bharati case, 1973 |
| Lok Adalat | People's court for quick settlement of disputes |
Federalism and local government
| Topic | Fact |
|---|---|
| Union List, State List, Concurrent List | Seventh Schedule; Defence is Union, Police is State, Education is Concurrent |
| Residuary powers | With the Union |
| 73rd Amendment (1992) | Panchayati Raj, three tiers; at least one third seats for women |
| 74th Amendment (1992) | Urban local bodies (municipalities) |
| GST | Introduced by the 101st Amendment; started on 1 July 2017 |
| Finance Commission | Constituted every five years (Article 280) |
Part 10 — Important institutions and Acts
| Institution | Fact |
|---|---|
| Election Commission of India | Constitutional body (Article 324), set up 25 January 1950 (celebrated as National Voters' Day) |
| UPSC | Union Public Service Commission recruits for the Centre's services |
| CAG | Audits government accounts, Article 148 |
| NITI Aayog | Replaced the Planning Commission on 1 January 2015 |
| National Human Rights Commission | Set up in 1993 |
| National Green Tribunal | Established in 2010 |
| Right to Information Act | Passed in 2005 |
| Right to Education Act | 2009; follows Article 21A |
| Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act | 2013 |
Part 11 — Firsts and Constitutional amendments
| First | Person |
|---|---|
| President of India | Dr Rajendra Prasad |
| Prime Minister | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Vice-President | Dr S. Radhakrishnan |
| Chief Justice of India | H.J. Kania |
| Speaker of Lok Sabha | G.V. Mavalankar |
| Chief Election Commissioner | Sukumar Sen |
| Woman President | Pratibha Patil |
| Woman Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi |
| Woman Governor | Sarojini Naidu |
| Muslim President | Dr Zakir Husain |
| Woman judge of the Supreme Court | M. Fathima Beevi |
| Amendment | Subject |
|---|---|
| 1st (1951) | Restrictions on freedom, land reform protection |
| 42nd (1976) | "Mini-Constitution": socialist, secular, integrity; fundamental duties |
| 44th (1978) | Removed the right to property as a fundamental right |
| 52nd (1985) | Anti-defection law (Tenth Schedule) |
| 61st (1988) | Voting age lowered to 18 |
| 73rd and 74th (1992) | Panchayats and municipalities |
| 86th (2002) | Right to education added as Article 21A |
| 101st (2016) | Goods and Services Tax |
| 103rd (2019) | 10 percent reservation for economically weaker sections in the general category |
| 106th (2023) | One third reservation for women in Lok Sabha and Assemblies |
Beyond the textbook. For the exam: Parliament amends the Constitution under Article 368. In reality: in Kesavananda Bharati (1973) the Supreme Court held that Parliament cannot alter the "basic structure" of the Constitution, which is why the question "can Parliament amend anything?" has the answer "not the basic structure".
Pause and predict: Which amendment made the voting age 18, and what was it before?
Check your answer: The 61st Amendment (1988); it was earlier 21 years.
Part 12 — Traps, hooks and rapid fire
Common traps
| Trap | Why it tempts | The truth |
|---|---|---|
| Preamble vs Article 1 | Both mention India early | Preamble is not an article |
| 26 Nov vs 26 Jan | Both are Constitution days | Adopted on 26 November 1949; in force on 26 January 1950 |
| Plassey vs Buxar | Both are Bengal battles | Plassey 1757; Buxar 1764 |
| Fa-Hien vs Hiuen Tsang | Both Chinese pilgrims | Fa-Hien in Gupta times; Hiuen Tsang with Harsha |
| Aibak vs Iltutmish at Qutb Minar | Both linked to the Minar | Aibak began it; Iltutmish completed it |
| Governor-General of Bengal vs India | Similar titles | Hastings was the first of Bengal; Bentinck the first of India |
| Lok Sabha vs Rajya Sabha | Both are in Parliament | Lok Sabha: Money Bills and no-confidence motion |
| Fundamental rights vs DPSP | Both are listed in the Constitution | Rights are enforceable in court; DPSPs are not |
| Right to property | Remembered as a fundamental right | Now legal right under Article 300A |
| Governor vs President elections | Both look like state or national heads | The President is elected indirectly; the Governor is appointed by the President |
Rapid-fire (answers shown)
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who founded the Mauryan empire? | Chandragupta Maurya |
| Where did Buddha give his first sermon? | Sarnath |
| Who wrote the Rajatarangini? | Kalhana |
| Who won the First Battle of Panipat (1526)? | Babur |
| Who built the Taj Mahal? | Shah Jahan |
| Which Act moved the Crown into control of India? | Government of India Act 1858 |
| When did Jallianwala Bagh happen? | 13 April 1919 |
| Who started the Salt Satyagraha? | Mahatma Gandhi (Dandi March, 1930) |
| What was the slogan of the Quit India Movement? | "Do or die" |
| Who chaired the Drafting Committee? | B.R. Ambedkar |
| Which article gives the right to constitutional remedies? | Article 32 |
| Which article deals with President's rule? | Article 356 |
| How many writs are there? | Five |
| Which amendment added the fundamental duties? | 42nd |
| Which schedule lists 22 languages? | Eighth Schedule |
| Who presides over the Rajya Sabha? | The Vice-President (ex-officio chairman) |
| Which body replaced the Planning Commission? | NITI Aayog |
| Which Act gives citizens the right to information? | RTI Act, 2005 |
Part 13 — Study routine
- Day 1: read Parts 2 and 3 and write the Maurya, Gupta and Mughal lines from memory.
- Day 2: learn the Part 4 timeline; cover the "event" column and recall it from the year.
- Day 3: learn the Part 7 and Part 8 tables; recite the six fundamental rights and their articles.
- Day 4: Parts 9 to 11 (institutions, firsts, amendments).
- Day 5 and beyond: daily five-minute recall of the rapid-fire table, then 20 timed questions from the question bank.
Part 14 — Where this connects
Deepen any topic with the full chapters.
Practice questions
Now test yourself. 8 free sample questions with explanations. 32 more in the timed practice test.
Q1. What is the maximum total strength of the Lok Sabha as provided in the Constitution?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: C
The Constitution provides for a maximum Lok Sabha strength of 552 members — up to 530 from states, 20 from Union Territories, and earlier 2 nominated Anglo-Indians.
Q2. The Qutub Minar in Delhi was begun by which ruler of the Delhi Sultanate?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
Qutub-ud-din Aibak, founder of the Slave (Mamluk) dynasty, began construction of the Qutub Minar; it was completed by his successor Iltutmish.
Q3. Who has the authority to grant pardons, reprieves and remissions of punishment under Article 72 of the Constitution?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
Article 72 vests the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment in the President of India.
Q4. The Directive Principles of State Policy, contained in Part IV of the Constitution, were inspired by the constitution of which country?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The Directive Principles of State Policy were borrowed from the Irish Constitution, which had in turn drawn from the Spanish Constitution.
Q5. The Bhakti saint and poet Kabir was a disciple of which Vaishnava teacher, according to tradition?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: A
Tradition holds that Kabir, the Bhakti poet who criticised ritualism, was a disciple of the Vaishnava saint Ramananda.
Q6. Subhas Chandra Bose reorganised the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj). With whose military support did the INA operate during the Second World War?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The Indian National Army, revived under Subhas Chandra Bose, operated with the support of Imperial Japan in Southeast Asia during World War II.
Q7. The partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon, which triggered the Swadeshi Movement, came into effect in which year?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
The partition of Bengal was announced in 1905 by Lord Curzon, sparking the Swadeshi Movement. It was annulled in 1911.
Q8. Who was the last Mughal emperor, proclaimed the symbolic leader during the Revolt of 1857?
▸ Show answer & explanation
Answer: B
Bahadur Shah Zafar II was the last Mughal emperor; rebels of 1857 declared him their leader, after which he was exiled to Rangoon.
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