ExamSpark CUET UG
Mock Test 05 Performance Solutions
Subject: Political Science
Q1. A political analyst observes that a powerful nation is influencing global trade rules through its dominance in the WTO and World Bank, and its currency is the primary medium for international transactions. This nation is not using military force but its economic structure to maintain its dominance. Which form of hegemony, as described by Antonio Gramsci's framework applied to international relations, is being demonstrated?
Correct Answer: Option B (Hegemony as Soft Power)
Explanation: This captures the essence of the 'ASEAN Way' – sovereignty, consensus, and non-interference, which is fundamentally different from the EU's legally integrated, supranational structure.
* Important Concept: ASEAN Way, Supranationalism.
* Type: Conceptual/Comparative.
Q2. The 'ASEAN Way' is often contrasted with the model of the European Union. Which of the following statements best captures the core difference in their approach to regional cooperation?
Correct Answer: Option C (ASEAN has a common currency and parliament, which the EU has failed to achieve.)
Explanation: The Bombay Plan, created by leading industrialists, did not advocate for socialism but for a 'planned' capitalist economy where the state plays a crucial role, a model distinct from both pure socialism and laissez-faire.
* Important Concept: Politics of Planned Development, Bombay Plan.
* Type: Conceptual.
Q3. In the context of India's planned development, the "Bombay Plan" (1944) was a significant proposal. Which of the following ideologies is most accurately reflected in the core tenets of the Bombay Plan?
Correct Answer: Option C (A state-led, interventionist approach to capitalism, where the state would make major investments and regulate the economy for planned growth.)
Explanation: Human Security focuses on threats to individuals – 'freedom from fear' and 'freedom from want'. A pandemic is a direct threat to human well-being, while the other options are classic examples of Traditional Security concerns (state vs. state).
* Important Concept: Human Security vs. Traditional Security.
* Type: Application-based.
Q4. The concept of 'Human Security' broadens the traditional definition of security. Which of the following scenarios would be the primary concern of a 'Human Security' approach, but not necessarily a 'Traditional Security' approach?
Correct Answer: Option C (A global pandemic leading to the collapse of healthcare systems and widespread unemployment.)
Explanation: The 52nd Amendment introduced the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution, popularly known as the Anti-Defection Law, to stop the practice of legislators changing parties ('Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram').
* Important Concept: Anti-Defection Law, Political Defection.
* Type: Factual/Conceptual.
Q5. The term 'Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram' became symbolic of a major political challenge in India during the 1960s and 70s. The 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985, was enacted to address this issue. What was the primary objective of this amendment?
Correct Answer: Option B (To introduce reservations for OBCs in government jobs.)
Explanation: The Shah Commission's report was a comprehensive indictment of the Emergency period, documenting arbitrary arrests, abuse of power, and subversion of democratic processes.
* Important Concept: Crisis of Democratic Order, Shah Commission.
* Type: PYQ-based concept.
Q6. The Shah Commission was appointed in 1977 by the Janata Party government. What was its primary mandate?
Correct Answer: Option D (To review the framework of Centre-State relations and suggest reforms.)
Explanation: 'Shock Therapy' was the model of rapid transition from communism to capitalism, involving immediate privatization and deregulation. The scenario describes its key negative outcome: the "largest garage sale in history" and the rise of oligarchs.
* Important Concept: Shock Therapy.
* Type: Application-based.
Q7. Imagine a scenario in post-Soviet Russia where a large, state-owned steel factory is sold to a private corporation at a fraction of its actual value. This leads to mass layoffs and the new owners accumulating immense wealth. This event is a classic example of the consequences of:
Correct Answer: Option C (Perestroika)
Explanation: This is the core of 'differentiated responsibilities'. While the responsibility is 'common' to all, the historical context of industrialization in the Global North places a greater burden on them.
* Important Concept: Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR).
* Type: Conceptual.
Q8. The principle of 'Common but Differentiated Responsibilities' (CBDR) is a cornerstone of international environmental negotiations. Which of the following statements best explains the 'differentiated' aspect of this principle?
Correct Answer: Option C (Developed countries, having contributed more historically to environmental degradation, should bear a greater responsibility in addressing it.)
Explanation: Kanshi Ram's political genius was in redefining the political landscape by uniting various marginalized groups under the single umbrella of 'Bahujan' (the majority people), turning a numerical majority into political power.
* Important Concept: Rise of Popular Movements, Bahujan Politics.
* Type: Conceptual.
Q9. The rise of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) under Kanshi Ram represented a significant shift in Indian politics. What was the core political strategy employed by Kanshi Ram to mobilize support?
Correct Answer: Option A (Focusing exclusively on the economic grievances of the urban working class.)
Explanation: The primary raison d'être of NAM was to navigate the Cold War's bipolarity. With the collapse of one pole (USSR), its original purpose became less clear, leading to a period of questioning its relevance.
* Important Concept: Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), End of Bipolarity.
* Type: Assertion-Reason (Expected Type).
Q10. Assertion (A): The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) lost some of its relevance after the end of the Cold War.
Reason (R): NAM was primarily formed to maintain a policy of non-alignment from the two superpower blocs, the USA and the USSR, and this bipolar world order ceased to exist.
Correct Answer: Option C ((A) is true, but (R) is false.)
Explanation: The Dravidian Movement was staunchly anti-Hindi imposition, viewing it as a tool of North Indian cultural and political domination. Promoting Hindi is the exact opposite of its stance.
* Important Concept: Regional Aspirations, Dravidian Movement.
* Type: Conceptual (Negative Identification).
Q11. The Dravidian Movement in South India, led by E.V. Ramaswamy 'Periyar', was initially a radical social reform movement. Which of the following was NOT a central demand or feature of the early Dravidian Movement?
Correct Answer: Option C (Promotion of the Hindi language as a unifying link for all of India.)
Explanation: 'Credible Minimum Deterrence' is not about having the most weapons, but having a sufficient and survivable arsenal to ensure that any nuclear attack on India would result in a devastating retaliatory strike.
* Important Concept: India's Nuclear Policy, Credible Minimum Deterrence.
* Type: Conceptual.
Q12. India's nuclear policy is characterized by the doctrine of 'No First Use' (NFU) and 'Credible Minimum Deterrence'. What is the most accurate implication of 'Credible Minimum Deterrence'?
Correct Answer: Option D (India will dismantle its nuclear weapons if other countries do the same.)
Explanation: While the movement eventually led to the abolition of the monarchy (in 2008), its immediate and key success in 2006 was forcing King Gyanendra to relinquish direct rule and reinstate the parliament.
* Important Concept: Contemporary South Asia (Politics in Nepal).
* Type: Factual/Conceptual.
Q13. The political transformation in Nepal from a monarchy to a democratic republic was a long and arduous process. A key milestone in this journey was the 2006 'Loktantra Andolan' (Democracy Movement). What was the immediate outcome of this movement?
Correct Answer: Option A (The establishment of a multi-party democracy under a constitutional monarchy.)
Explanation: Mandalisation (a-ii) is about OBC politics. Congress System (b-iv) is about its catch-all dominance. 'Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram' (c-i) refers to defections. The New BJP System (d-iii) describes post-2014 politics.
* Important Concept: Key terms in Indian Politics.
* Type: Match the Following (Expected Type).
Q14. Match the following political phenomena with their most appropriate descriptions:
| List I (Phenomenon) | List II (Description) |
| :--- | :--- |
| a) Mandalisation | i) A period of intense political instability marked by frequent floor-crossing by legislators. |
| b) Congress System | ii) The process of political and social mobilization based on caste identity, particularly OBCs, following the implementation of reservation recommendations. |
| c) Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram | iii) A shift in Indian politics post-2014, characterized by the dominance of one party along with a strong nationalist-developmentalist narrative. |
| d) New BJP System | iv) The dominance of one party in a democratic setup, characterized by its ability to accommodate various factions and interests. |
Correct Answer: Option C (a-ii, b-i, c-iv, d-iii)
Explanation: Heterogenization is the opposite of homogenization (uniformity). It argues that globalization leads to a creative mixing (e.g., 'Bhangra pop', 'Masala Dosa Burger'), not just a one-way imposition of Western culture.
* Important Concept: Cultural Consequences of Globalisation.
* Type: Conceptual.
Q15. Critics of globalization often argue that it leads to 'cultural heterogenization' rather than 'homogenization'. What does 'cultural heterogenization' imply in this context?
Correct Answer: Option C (The process where global culture is modified and adapted by local cultures, creating new, hybrid cultural forms.)
Explanation: The Telangana movement was not based on language (both regions spoke Telugu) but on a deep-seated grievance regarding the distribution of water, funds, and jobs, leading to a demand for regional autonomy and statehood.
* Important Concept: Regional Aspirations, Formation of Telangana.
* Type: Factual/Conceptual.
Q16. The formation of the State of Telangana in 2014 was the culmination of a long-standing movement for a separate state. The demand was primarily based on which of the following grounds?
Correct Answer: Option B (Religious incompatibility with the coastal Andhra region.)
Explanation: This is the fundamental structural difference. Kyoto imposed binding targets on developed countries (top-down), while Paris uses a bottom-up approach where each nation submits its own climate action plan (NDC).
* Important Concept: International Environmental Agreements.
* Type: Comparative/Conceptual.
Q17. The Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement are two landmark international treaties on climate change. A key difference between them is:
Correct Answer: Option A (The Kyoto Protocol included developing countries in its binding emission reduction targets, while the Paris Agreement exempts them.)
Explanation: The correct order is: Panchsheel Agreement (1954), Tashkent Agreement (1966), Pokhran-I (1974), and Look East Policy (1991).
* Important Concept: Chronology of Indian Foreign Policy.
* Type: Chronological (Expected Type).
Q18. Arrange the following events in the history of Indian foreign policy in chronological order:
I. The signing of the Tashkent Agreement.
II. India's first peaceful nuclear explosion at Pokhran.
III. The launch of the 'Look East Policy'.
IV. The signing of the Panchsheel Agreement with China.
Correct Answer: Option B (I, IV, II, III)
Explanation: The 'Syndicate', including leaders like K. Kamaraj and S. K. Patil, were party veterans who initially helped Indira Gandhi become PM but later came into conflict with her over control of the party and government.
* Important Concept: Challenges to the Congress System, The Syndicate.
* Type: PYQ-based concept.
Q19. The term 'Syndicate' within the Congress party during the 1960s referred to:
Correct Answer: Option D (The faction of the party that broke away to form the Congress (O).)
Explanation: The G4 consists of Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan. They mutually support each other's bids for permanent seats on the UN Security Council. South Africa is a key contender from Africa but is not part of the G4 grouping.
* Important Concept: International Organisations (UN Reforms), G4 Nations.
* Type: Factual.
Q20. In the post-Cold War era, there has been a debate on UN Security Council reforms. The 'G4 nations' is a prominent group advocating for these reforms. Which of the following countries is NOT a member of the G4?
Correct Answer: Option A (Germany)
Explanation: Detailed explanation will be updated shortly.