ExamSpark CUET UG
Mock Test 11 Performance Solutions
Subject: Political Science
Q1. A political analyst argues that the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was not about "isolationism" but "active participation" in world politics to soften Cold War rivalries. Which of the following statements fundamentally misrepresents the core philosophy of NAM during the Cold War?
Correct Answer: Option C (NAM advocated for its members to form a third military bloc to counter NATO and the Warsaw Pact.)
Explanation: Shock Therapy refers to the sudden and radical transition from a communist/state-controlled economy to a capitalist market economy, as was implemented in post-Soviet Russia and other Eastern European nations.
* Highlighted Concept: Shock Therapy
* Question Type: Application-based
Q2. Imagine a newly independent state, 'Equatoria', which has just overthrown a communist regime. Its new government decides to rapidly privatise all state-owned industries, deregulate the economy, and open its markets to foreign trade and investment, leading to initial economic collapse and high social costs. This economic transition model is best described as:
Correct Answer: Option A (Gandhian Economics)
Explanation: The correct order is: Tashkent Agreement (1966), Shimla Agreement (1972), Pokhran-II tests (1998), and Lahore Yatra (1999).
* Highlighted Concept: India's Foreign Policy Milestones
* Question Type: Chronology-based
Q3. Arrange the following events related to India's foreign and nuclear policy in the correct chronological order:
I. The Lahore Bus Yatra by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
II. The signing of the Shimla Agreement between Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
III. The Pokhran-II nuclear tests
IV. The signing of the Tashkent Agreement following the 1965 war
Correct Answer: Option B (II, IV, I, III)
Explanation: Structural power is the ability to shape the structures of the global economy, such as determining norms for business (MBA) or controlling vital trade routes (SLOCs), compelling others to operate within that framework.
* Highlighted Concept: Hegemony (Structural Power)
* Question Type: Conceptual Application
Q4. The ability of a dominant state to shape the global economic order to its advantage, making others desire and operate within that system (e.g., through promoting the MBA degree as a standard for business leadership or controlling Sea Lanes of Communication - SLOCs), is an example of US hegemony as:
Correct Answer: Option A (Hard Power)
Explanation: The government officially used the constitutional provision of 'internal disturbance' to declare the Emergency. The events mentioned in Reason (R) were the primary political context and justification used by the government to argue that such a disturbance existed.
* Highlighted Concept: National Emergency (1975)
* Question Type: Assertion-Reason
Q5. Consider the following statements regarding the imposition of the National Emergency in 1975:
Assertion (A): The official reason cited by the government for proclaiming the Emergency was a threat of 'internal disturbance'.
Reason (R): The call for 'Total Revolution' by Jayaprakash Narayan and the nationwide railway strike were perceived by the government as attempts to destabilise its functioning.
Correct Answer: Option C (A is true, but R is false.)
Explanation: While the Maharaja had initially agreed to an Instrument of Accession, the final integration was secured through a 'Merger Agreement' which he signed under considerable pressure, a fact that caused resentment in Manipur.
* Highlighted Concept: Integration of Princely States
* Question Type: Factual (High Detail)
Q6. While the 'Instrument of Accession' was the standard document for princely states to join India, the final integration of Manipur faced unique challenges. What was the specific legal instrument through which the Maharaja of Manipur, Bodhachandra Singh, ceded the state to the Government of India in September 1949, leading to public anger?
Correct Answer: Option C (A Merger Agreement signed under pressure)
Explanation: The defining feature of the coalition era was the *absence* of single-party majorities, leading to hung parliaments and the necessity of forming multi-party coalition governments.
* Highlighted Concept: Coalition Politics
* Question Type: Conceptual (Negative Framing)
Q7. The period from 1989 to 2014 in Indian politics is often termed the 'Era of Coalitions'. Which of the following was NOT a defining characteristic of this political phase?
Correct Answer: Option B (The increased significance of the President's role in government formation.)
Explanation: The 'ASEAN Way' is a well-known diplomatic methodology characterized by consensus-building, non-interference, and informal dialogue.
* Highlighted Concept: ASEAN
* Question Type: Terminology-based
Q8. The diplomatic style of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which emphasizes informal, non-confrontationist, and cooperative interaction among its members, is popularly known as:
Correct Answer: Option B (The ASEAN Way)
Explanation: The implementation of the Mandal report was a watershed moment that led to the political assertion of OBCs, with many parties championing their cause, thus creating a new and powerful vote bank.
* Highlighted Concept: Mandal Commission
* Question Type: Application/Consequence-based
Q9. The implementation of the Mandal Commission's recommendations in 1990 had a profound and lasting impact on Indian politics. Which of the following best describes its most significant political outcome?
Correct Answer: Option C (It resulted in the unanimous acceptance of reservation policies by all sections of society.)
Explanation: The core argument is that the UNSC's permanent membership reflects the power structure of 1945. Emerging powers argue that for the Council to be legitimate and effective, it must represent the world of the 21st century.
* Highlighted Concept: UN Reforms
* Question Type: Conceptual (Expected Type)
Q10. The debate over the reform of the UN Security Council often involves the demand for an increase in its permanent and non-permanent membership. What is the primary argument put forward by developing countries like India, Brazil, and South Africa for their inclusion as permanent members?
Correct Answer: Option D (The UN Charter explicitly mandates a rotational system for permanent membership, which has not been followed.)
Explanation: The Green Revolution disproportionately benefited wheat and rice-growing areas with good irrigation, leading to increased regional disparities. This discontent gave rise to powerful farmers' organisations like the BKU.
* Highlighted Concept: Green Revolution (Political Impact)
* Question Type: Critical Analysis
Q11. While the Green Revolution significantly increased food grain production, it also had unintended negative political consequences. Which of the following was a major political fallout of the Green Revolution?
Correct Answer: Option A (It reduced the influence of all political parties in rural areas.)
Explanation: The matching is straightforward: Dalit Panthers (militant Dalit youth), Chipko (environment/forests), BKU (farmers' economic demands), Anti-Arrack (women's movement against liquor).
* Highlighted Concept: Popular Movements
* Question Type: Match the Following
Q12. Match the popular movement with its primary demand or characteristic:
| List I (Movement) | List II (Primary Demand/Characteristic) |
|------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| (a) Dalit Panthers | (i) Protest against deforestation and commercial logging by villagers |
| (b) Chipko Movement | (ii) A militant organisation of Dalit youth fighting against caste atrocities |
| (c) Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) | (iii) A spontaneous women's movement against the sale of illicit liquor |
| (d) Anti-Arrack Movement | (iv) Demanded higher crop prices, lower electricity rates, and loan waivers |
Correct Answer: Option D (a-ii, b-iv, c-i, d-iii)
Explanation: This principle acknowledges that while environmental protection is a common goal, developed nations bear a greater historical responsibility for emissions and have more resources to combat them.
* Highlighted Concept: Common but Differentiated Responsibilities
* Question Type: Conceptual (PYQ-based)
Q13. During the negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol (1997), developing countries like India and China were exempted from the binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This was based on which core principle of international environmental law?
Correct Answer: Option B (Polluter Pays Principle)
Explanation: The 'Permit-License Raj' was a pejorative term for the complex system of licenses, regulations, and permits required to set up and run businesses in India, which was seen as stifling economic growth and promoting corruption.
* Highlighted Concept: Politics of Planned Development
* Question Type: Conceptual/Historical
Q14. Veteran leader C. Rajagopalachari's critique of the Congress government's economic policies, which he termed the 'Permit-License Raj', was primarily an attack on:
Correct Answer: Option C (The linguistic reorganisation of states.)
Explanation: The Maastricht Treaty (signed Feb 1992, effective 1993) was a step in the long process of European integration that ran parallel to the collapse of the USSR, but it was not a direct consequence of it. The other options are all direct results.
* Highlighted Concept: End of Bipolarity
* Question Type: Analytical/Differentiating
Q15. Which of the following was a parallel development rather than a direct and immediate consequence of the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991?
Correct Answer: Option B (The end of the ideological confrontation between communism and capitalism.)
Explanation: The resolution's language about the "pre-eminence of the Khalsa" was interpreted by radical elements as a justification for demanding a separate nation, 'Khalistan', which became the central point of controversy.
* Highlighted Concept: Regional Aspirations (Punjab Crisis)
* Question Type: Nuance-based
Q16. The Anandpur Sahib Resolution of 1973 became highly controversial in the context of the Punjab crisis. While its moderate proponents saw it as a plea for greater state autonomy, its most contentious interpretation by extremists was as a:
Correct Answer: Option C (Proposal for adopting a presidential form of government in Punjab.)
Explanation: This phrase accurately reflects the dual nature of the relationship: they are rivals for global influence (strategic rivalry) but their economies are so intertwined that a complete split is difficult (economic interdependence).
* Highlighted Concept: Contemporary International Relations
* Question Type: Analytical (Expected Type)
Q17. The contemporary relationship between the United States and China is complex, marked by both intense competition and significant economic ties. Which phrase best captures this multifaceted dynamic?
Correct Answer: Option B (Strategic Partnership)
Explanation: NITI Aayog was designed to be a policy advisory body (think tank) that works with states in a collaborative spirit (cooperative federalism), unlike the Planning Commission which used a top-down model and had powers of financial allocation.
* Highlighted Concept: NITI Aayog vs. Planning Commission
* Question Type: Comparative/Conceptual
Q18. The replacement of the Planning Commission with the NITI Aayog in 2015 signified a major shift in India's approach to development. The fundamental difference lies in NITI Aayog's role as:
Correct Answer: Option D (A constitutional body with powers to overrule state government decisions.)
Explanation: Non-traditional security threats are those that endanger human security rather than just the state's military security. They include terrorism, health epidemics, climate change, and human rights violations.
* Highlighted Concept: Security in the Contemporary World
* Question Type: Application-based
Q19. A country's national security agenda is increasingly focused on tackling cross-border terrorism, managing the influx of refugees due to climate change, and protecting its critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks. This approach to security is best defined as:
Correct Answer: Option C (Balance of Power)
Explanation: The verdict was a judicial balancing act. It upheld the rule of law by condemning the demolition but used its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to provide what it deemed a "complete justice" to end a long-standing dispute, considering faith and the need for closure.
* Highlighted Concept: Recent Developments in Indian Politics
* Question Type: High-level Conceptual/Legal Analysis
Q20. The 2019 Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya dispute was a landmark judgment. While it termed the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid an "egregious violation of the rule of law," it ultimately granted the disputed land for the construction of a Ram temple. This complex decision was an attempt to:
Correct Answer: Option A (Prioritize the faith of the majority community over all legal principles.)
Explanation: Detailed explanation will be updated shortly.