ExamSpark CUET UG
Mock Test 01 Performance Solutions
Subject: Political Science
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the logic of deterrence during the Cold War:
Assertion (A): The Cold War, despite its intense rivalry, did not escalate into a 'hot' or full-scale war between the two superpowers.
Reason (R): Both the USA and the USSR understood that a nuclear war would result in Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), where neither side could emerge as a victor.
Correct Answer: Option B (Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).)
Explanation: The collapse of the USSR removed the only rival superpower, leaving the US in an unparalleled position of dominance, often termed the 'unipolar moment'. A stable multipolar world took much longer to emerge.
* Important Concept: Unipolarity, End of Bipolarity.
* Question Type: Analytical.
Q2. The disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 led to a significant structural change in the international system. Which of the following most accurately describes the immediate aftermath?
Correct Answer: Option B (A 'unipolar moment' where the USA's power—hard, structural, and soft—was left without a serious challenger.)
Explanation: Hegemony as structural power refers to the ability to shape the global economic and social structures to one's advantage. The dominance of US universities and the MBA degree as a global standard is a prime example of this structural influence.
* Important Concept: US Hegemony (Structural Power).
* Question Type: Application-based.
Q3. A student from India aspiring to get an MBA degree chooses to apply primarily to universities in the USA, believing them to offer the best quality of education and future career prospects. This preference is a manifestation of which form of US hegemony?
Correct Answer: Option D (Hegemony as an institutional power through the WTO.)
Explanation: The three pillars of the ASEAN Community are the Security Community, Economic Community, and Socio-Cultural Community. A 'Political-Governance Community' is not one of the officially named pillars.
* Important Concept: ASEAN Community Pillars.
* Question Type: Factual (Tricky).
Q4. The ASEAN Community, established in 2015, is based on three pillars. Which of the following is NOT one of these pillars?
Correct Answer: Option A (ASEAN Security Community)
Explanation: Tashkent Agreement (1966), Garibi Hatao slogan (1971 elections), First non-Congress govt (1977), Mandal Commission implementation (1990).
* Important Concept: Chronology of Indian Politics.
* Question Type: Chronological Order (High Difficulty).
Q5. Arrange the following events in the timeline of Indian politics in the correct chronological order:
I. The "Garibi Hatao" slogan's popularization during an election campaign.
II. The signing of the Tashkent Agreement between India and Pakistan.
III. The implementation of the recommendations of the Mandal Commission.
IV. The formation of the first non-Congress government at the Centre.
Correct Answer: Option B (I, II, IV, III)
Explanation: CBDR is the principle that while all countries share a common responsibility to protect the environment, the developed nations have a differentiated (greater) responsibility due to their historical emissions and greater financial/technological capacity.
* Important Concept: Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR).
* Question Type: Conceptual Application.
Q6. Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of 'Common But Differentiated Responsibilities' (CBDR) in global environmental politics?
Correct Answer: Option C (An international treaty that mandates the transfer of green technology from private corporations to all nations free of cost.)
Explanation: The controversy in Manipur arose because the Maharaja signed the accession agreement under pressure, without getting the consent of the state's elected legislature, which had been established in 1948.
* Important Concept: Integration of Princely States.
* Question Type: Nuanced Factual (Expected Type).
Q7. The accession of the princely state of Manipur to India was contentious. What was the primary source of the controversy?
Correct Answer: Option B (The Government of India used military force to annex the state without any prior negotiation.)
Explanation: The 1967 elections were a watershed moment where the Congress party's dominance was severely challenged for the first time. It lost power in several states and saw its majority in the Lok Sabha significantly reduced.
* Important Concept: One-Party Dominance, 1967 Election.
* Question Type: Terminology-based.
Q8. The term 'political earthquake' is often used by political analysts to describe the outcome of which Indian General Election?
Correct Answer: Option B (1967, due to the significant losses of the Congress party at the state level and reduced majority at the Centre.)
Explanation: The Bombay Plan, created by leading Indian industrialists, was not a call for free-market capitalism but for a planned economy where the state would play a crucial role in investing in and developing heavy industries.
* Important Concept: Planned Development, Bombay Plan.
* Question Type: Conceptual.
Q9. The 'Bombay Plan' of 1944 was a significant proposal for India's economic future. What was its central argument?
Correct Answer: Option C (India should follow a laissez-faire policy, giving complete freedom to private industrialists.)
Explanation: With the end of the Cold War and the bipolar structure, NAM's original purpose of maintaining strategic autonomy from the two superpowers became obsolete. Critics argue it has struggled to find a new, coherent purpose.
* Important Concept: Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
* Question Type: Analytical/Critical Evaluation.
Q10. In the context of the post-Cold War era, what is the most prominent critique levelled against the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)?
Correct Answer: Option A (It has become too focused on advocating for human rights.)
Explanation: The phrase was coined after a legislator from Haryana, Gaya Lal, changed his party three times in a single day in 1967. It became a symbol for the politics of defection.
* Important Concept: Defection, Coalition Politics.
* Question Type: PYQ-based/Terminology.
Q11. The phenomenon of 'Aya Ram, Gaya Ram' became symbolic of which political issue in India during the late 1960s and 1970s?
Correct Answer: Option C (The practice of dynasty politics within major political families.)
Explanation: The National Emergency was proclaimed under Article 352 of the Constitution. The 44th Amendment later changed the words 'internal disturbance' to 'armed rebellion' to prevent its misuse.
* Important Concept: National Emergency, Constitutional Provisions.
* Question Type: Factual (Precision-based).
Q12. The imposition of the National Emergency in June 1975 was justified by the government under which provision of the Indian Constitution, citing 'internal disturbances'?
Correct Answer: Option B (Article 356)
Explanation: The critique from the political Left focuses on the socio-economic consequences of globalization, arguing that it exacerbates inequality between the rich and poor and weakens the welfare functions of the state.
* Important Concept: Critiques of Globalization.
* Question Type: Ideology-based Analysis.
Q13. The critique of globalization from the political 'Left' primarily argues that:
Correct Answer: Option A (It leads to cultural homogenization and the loss of traditional values.)
Explanation: a) National Front - V. P. Singh (1989), b) UPA-I - Manmohan Singh (2004), c) United Front - H. D. Deve Gowda (1996), d) NDA-I - Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998/99).
* Important Concept: Coalition Era Politics.
* Question Type: Match the Following.
Q14. Match the following political formations/alliances with the Prime Minister who led them:
List I (Alliance/Formation)
a) National Front
b) United Progressive Alliance (UPA-I)
c) United Front
d) National Democratic Alliance (NDA-I)
List II (Prime Minister)
1. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
2. V. P. Singh
3. Manmohan Singh
4. H. D. Deve Gowda
Correct Answer: Option B (a-1, b-2, c-3, d-4)
Explanation: 'Shock Therapy' involved the dismantling of state-controlled systems, not strengthening them. It led to the withdrawal of state subsidies and welfare schemes, causing immense hardship for the general population.
* Important Concept: Shock Therapy.
* Question Type: Conceptual (Negative Question).
Q15. 'Shock Therapy' was the model of transition adopted in post-communist Russia and other states. Which of the following was NOT a characteristic feature of this model?
Correct Answer: Option C (Deregulation and the opening up of the economy to foreign trade and investment.)
Explanation: While often linked to separatism, the Anandpur Sahib Resolution itself was primarily a plea for strengthening federalism and granting significant political and economic autonomy to the state of Punjab.
* Important Concept: Regional Aspirations, Federalism.
* Question Type: Nuanced Analysis.
Q16. The Anandpur Sahib Resolution of 1973 is a key document in the study of regional aspirations in Punjab. A nuanced reading of the resolution shows that its primary demand was for:
Correct Answer: Option B (The declaration of Sikhism as the official state religion.)
Explanation: Human security broadens the scope of security from protecting the state (national security) to protecting people from a wider range of threats, including hunger, disease, and repression ('freedom from want' and 'freedom from fear').
* Important Concept: Human Security vs. Traditional Security.
* Question Type: Conceptual Differentiation.
Q17. What distinguishes 'Human Security' from the traditional notion of 'National Security'?
Correct Answer: Option B (Human security focuses on protecting individuals and communities from threats like poverty, disease, and environmental degradation, rather than just protecting the state from external aggression.)
Explanation: Post-1998, India formally adopted a doctrine of maintaining a 'credible minimum deterrent' (enough to inflict unacceptable damage) while pledging 'no first use' of nuclear weapons.
* Important Concept: India's Nuclear Doctrine.
* Question Type: Policy-based (Expected Type).
Q18. India's official nuclear policy, which crystallized after the 1998 nuclear tests, is based on the principle of:
Correct Answer: Option C (Immediate accession to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as a nuclear weapon state.)
Explanation: The 1989 election resulted in a hung parliament. The National Front, a coalition of parties with the Janata Dal as its core, formed the government under V. P. Singh with crucial 'outside support' from two ideologically opposed forces: the BJP and the Left.
* Important Concept: Era of Coalitions, 1989 Election.
* Question Type: Factual (Detailed).
Q19. A key outcome of the 1989 general election in India was the beginning of an 'era of coalitions'. What was the immediate political formation that came to power?
Correct Answer: Option B (The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forming its first government.)
Explanation: The power of a permanent member (P5) of the UN Security Council to unilaterally block any substantive resolution, regardless of the level of support from other members, is known as the veto power.
* Important Concept: UN Security Council, Veto Power.
* Question Type: Application-based.
Q20. A Security Council resolution condemning a country's actions fails to pass because a permanent member votes against it, even though all other 14 members (permanent and non-permanent) voted in favour. This is a direct exercise of:
Correct Answer: Option A (Collective Security)
Explanation: Detailed explanation will be updated shortly.