originally run for the Delhi Quiz Club, on 01.09.
2024, at the Indraprastha Institute of Technology, Delhi
Basic
Structure an India Quiz
Researched, Compiled, and Conducted by Amlan Sarkar
NOTES
The quiz consists of three rounds: two dries of 12 Qs each, with a themed written round
of 4Qs in the middle.
The original run of this quiz was in IIIT Delhi on 1st September, 2024. For questions where
framing around time and/or space is in relative terms, remember to calculate keeping
these bases in mind.
Please feel free to send feedback at amlansarkr@[Link].
DRY 1
12 questions on Infinite Bounce (+10/0) and Pounce (+10/-5), moving from Teams 1-8.
Blanks are indicative of length throughout the quiz, unless mentioned otherwise.
If a question goes unanswered, the next question will begin from the next team.
Please refrain from using any unfair means.
1.
The primary airports in Peshawar in Pakistan, Praia in Cape Verde, and Tirana in
Albania are all named after different Bharat Ratna recipients.
Identify these Bharat Ratna recipients. [3 + 3 + 3 (+ 1)]
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan; Nelson Mandela;
Mother Teresa;
2.
The ______ Prize is a British Award conferred upon political writing in the form of
fiction and non-fiction books and journalism. It seeks to recognize work that “make(s)
political writing into an art.” What is this award called? (5)
One of the entries for its 2024 non-fiction shortlist is an investigative and
documentative piece on the lives of a set of 16 against whom the state has waged a
war since 2018, by planting false evidence, repeatedly denying bail, and simply
refusing to begin a trial even after almost seven years since the first arrest was made.
Which group of persons, one of whom already died in police custody, is this book
about? (5)
Orwell Prize; BK-16
3.
In several cultures, especially those not influenced heavily by the church, it is called a
runner or a shooter.
Some others associate it with animals, although there are cultural variations on the
choice of the animal. An association with the horse, though rare, is not unheard of.
What, part of something that originated in India?
Bishop in Chess
4.
100 Women of the Year is a project by Time Magazine that reimagines 89 alternative
covers for the magazine during the period of 1920-2019, with every one of them
now featuring a woman who made international headlines in every respective year.
Two Indian women – both from the same profession – feature in this series, in the
years 1947 and 1976. While the first is primarily remembered for her contribution to
public healthcare in newly Independent India, the second is commemorated in an
establishment that stands less than 20 kms away from here.
Name both the women.
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur; Indira Gandhi
5.
S. Sadhu Singh Thind is an Indian scholar and politician. In 1974, while serving as an
MLA in the Punjab Assembly, Singh undertook a mission to retrieve a then 34-year-
old relic. After bringing it back to India, traditional rituals were conducted and the
resultant residues were divided into seven containers. What filled up these
containers?
One of them, very fittingly, lies sealed in a location which once used to be an area for
rest and recreation for visitors to a nearby religious landmark, but which over the last
century has come to be associated with a different memory. Which location is this?
Ashes of Udham Singh; Jalianwala Bagh
6.
The _______-________ Bhupen Hazarika is a piece on Sentinel that explores how the
singer-songwriter’s time in Columbia University ended up shaping his views and
influencing his music for life.
During his PhD in the States, Hazarika came into contact with the likes of Paul
Robeson and Lead Belly, whose tunes and words he would later adapt to his own
local contexts. Hazarika would also go on to mention, in several of his writings,
folklore figures such as John Henry, and experiences such as racism and slavery.
FITB with a demonym to complete the name of the article.
African American
7.
____ ___ ____ and ___ __ _____ is a movement by the Internet Freedom Foundation
aimed asking the Government to terminate a proposed legislation to regulate content
on “Broadcasting Services,” so that citizens consuming content on the internet can
relax. For the campaing title, the IFF took inspiration from a blockbuster duology from
the 2000s, as well as an informal keyword associated with one particular platform.
What rhyming slogan did IFF come up with for the movement? (5)
Just before the Government decided to withdraw the latest draft of the new law,
people noticed a key difference between it and the version tabled in the parliament
last December. They noted that while the previous iteration explicitly mentioned
people residing in India, the current version maintained a degree of ambiguity about
the geography, thereby widening the legislation’s reach to the entire world. This,
many believed and joked, was done primarily to target one specific creator. Who? (5)
Kill the Bill and Let us Chill; Dhruv Rathee
8.
Abhishek Chaudhary is a digital artist who frequently posts portraits as well as iconic
artworks done in his personal style. What early 20th century masterpiece is he
reimagining in the image on the next slide? (image follows) (4)
In his Instagram, over the years, Chaudhary has posted three different iterations of an
Indian work of literature, which was also made into a critically acclaimed film. Which
literary/cinematic piece is this? What motif (of another artist) is he borrowing in the
image on the last slide for one such iteration? (3 + 3)
The Dream (1910); Sooraj ka Saatvaan Ghoda, MF Hussain’s Horses
9.
In May this year, media critic Rajesh Rajamani on Twitter reshared one of his older
articles to comment on reactions and counter-reactions to a decision of the Madras
Music Academy. Rajamani highlights how rejecting caste by upper castes is often a
performance that ultimately only helps them accumulate more privilege, while people
from lower castes are actively discouraged. This is illustrated through an account of
how while Pa. Ranjith was chastised for bringing caste into music by starting the
Casteless Collective, an Iyengar Brahmin had received platitudes for starting a
Carnatic Music Festival among the fisherfolk. Who is this Iyengar Brahmin? (5)
While resharing his piece, Rajamani accompanied it with a sketch of the
aforementioned person. Reflecting the title of his piece, The Double Dhamaka of Being
a Brahmin Revolutionary, Rajamani decided to add a small addition to the upper
portion of the face that perfectly encapsulated this duality. What did he add? (5)
TM Krishna, A “Communist” Tilak on his
Forehead
10.
A little over two decades after his pioneering achievement, he became the sirdar or
guide of the first American tourist troupe allowed into Bhutan.
While descending to India, he took them to another Himalayan kingdom, and
introduced them to someone would become the last emperor of the region.
A few years after this, he opened his own tours and travels company aimed at
providing trekking experiences to clients.
Who is this? Which erstwhile Himalayan kingdom did he bring the Americans to
during their descent?
Tenzing Norgay; Sikkim
11.
There exist no records of this event when it happened, but there is general
agreement among scholars that it was likely ordered by Nadir Shah, either out of the
displeasure of having a Hindu monument inside an Islamic complex, or out of the
greed of finding jewels and gems in the top portion.
That there is evidence of only this one particular blemish on the structure, combined
with the fact that the surrounding area saw damage around the same time, also
suggest that the result of Shah’s efforts were counter-productive, and led to him
abandoning this target after only one attempt.
What is Nadir Shah believed to have ordered, but later abandoned?
Firing a Canon onto the Iron Pillar
12.
Jaunpur-based Gulamnvi anjana describes himself as a folk writer, singer, politician,
and strategist in his YouTube channel. Having a following of 1.7k subscribers, anjana
has been posting songs dedicated to someone’s much awaited return since 2020.
While most of his songs have posited a viewership in the range of 500-2000, one
piece has touched almost a million. Around three months back, there was a surge of
comments under this song, with one user writing, “Top 10 Anime Comebacks.”
What song is this?
Kab Aaoge Mere Akhilesh
THEMED WRITTEN ROUND
4 questions on the Constitution of India and Constitutional Amendments.
+10 for every correct answer. No negative marking in this round.
In questions with multiple parts, points for getting the specific part are mentioned in
the question.
Please refrain from using any unfair means.
13.
The First Constitutional Amendment introduced, among other things, reasonable
restrictions to the Freedom of Expression. It also diluted and weakened provisons in
the Right to Property to discourage zamindars and other large landowners from
exploiting people belonging to the backward classes and the Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes.
A primary catalyst for the Amendment was the state’s handling of communal tensions
in Bengal, which included banning a mouthpiece, which the court had ultimately
overturned. Hence, when the amendment was brought in to prevent such a situation
in the future, the government’s fiercest critic was the MP from Calcutta South East,
who had previously opposed the Quit India movement. Who was this MP?
14.
In 2004, the Government of India set up a National Advisory Council, comprising of
politicians, bureaucrats, activists, and academics to guide it on legislation and
policymaking. The body played a key role in drafting several bills, including one that
was framed around the Right to Work. How do we know this legislation today?
Following the 93rd Amendment in 2006 that introduced reservations for the Other
Backward Classes, Andre Betelie along with another colleague resigned from a
related body, the National Knowledge Commission, in protest. Betelie’s colleague
went on to become one of the guiding academics at an anti-reservations private
university, from where he was unceremoniously let go of a few years ago. Even
today, the person is a staunch critic of social justice along caste lines. Who is this?
15.
While the 1956 States Reorganisation Act came as a consequence of nationwide
movements to redraw internal boundaries on the basis of language, there were
movements earlier too for such a rejig. The first purely linguistic province had come
up in the country during British rule, following a bifurcation in the then Bihar and
______ (6) provinces after sustained movements dating back to 1895. FITB to answer
what province was thus created? (5)
In 2011, the 96th amendment to the constitution was brought in to make changes to
the Eighth schedule. Specifically, this was a change of two letters (one omission and
one replacement) made to one particular entry in the schedule. What change was
this? (5)
16.
Pathalgadi was a self-rule movement that originated from the Khunti district in
protest of the local government’s decision to dilute several laws that safeguarded the
rights of tribal people to their land and make it easier for industrialists to gain control.
The name of the movement comes from the locals’ act of carving in stone several
provisions of the Constitution that allowed for self-rule in protected areas, such as
the Provisions to Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1966.
The movement eventually was quelled with violent repression by the state. However,
the physical relics of the movement have survived. These inadvertantly made their
way into a late 2023 production.
Where were these relics spotted? Which revolutionary figure’s home district is
Khunti?
ANSWERS
13.
The First Constitutional Amendment introduced, among other things, “reasonable
restrictions” to the Freedom of Expression. It also diluted and weakened provisons in
the Right to Property to discourage zamindars and other large landowners from
exploiting people belonging to the backward classes and the Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes.
A primary catalyst for the Amendment was the state’s handling of communal tensions
in Bengal. This included banning a mouthpiece, that the court had ultimately
overturned. Hence, when the amendment was brought in to prevent such a situation
in the future, the government’s fiercest critic was the MP from Calcutta South East,
who had previously opposed the Quit India movement. Who was this MP?
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
14.
In 2004, the Government of India set up a National Advisory Council, comprising of
politicians, bureaucrats, activists, and academics to guide it on legislation and
policymaking. The body played a key role in drafting several bills, including one that
was framed around the Right to Work. How do we know this legislation today?
Following the 93rd Amendment in 2006 that introduced reservations for the Other
Backward Classes, Andre Betelie along with another colleague resigned from a
related body, the National Knowledge Commission, in protest. Betelie’s colleague
went on to become one of the guiding academics at an anti-reservations private
university, from where he was unceremoniously let go of a few years ago. Even
today, the person is a staunch critic of social justice along caste lines. Who is this?
MGNREGA; Pratap Bhanu Mehta
15.
While the 1956 States Reorganisation Act came as a consequence of nationwide
movements to redraw internal boundaries on the basis of language, there were
movements earlier too for such a rejig. The first purely linguistic province had come
up in the country during British rule, following a bifurcation in the then Bihar and
______ (6) provinces after sustained movements dating back to 1895. FITB to answer
what province was thus created? (5)
In 2011, the 96th amendment to the constitution was brought in to make changes to
the Eighth schedule. Specifically, this was a change of two letters (one omission and
one replacement) made to one particular entry in the schedule. What change was
this? (5)
Orissa/Odisha; Oriya changed to Odia
16.
Pathalgadi was a self-rule movement that originated from the Khunti district in
protest of the local government’s decision to dilute several laws that safeguarded the
rights of tribal people to their land and make it easier for industrialists to gain control.
The name of the movement comes from the locals’ act of carving in stone several
provisions of the Constitution that allowed for self-rule in protected areas, such as
the Provisions to Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1966.
The movement eventually was quelled with violent repression by the state. However,
the physical relics of the movement have survived. These inadvertantly made their
way into a late 2023 production.
Where were these relics spotted? Which revolutionary figure’s home district is
Khunti?
Joram; Birsa Munda
DRY 2
12 questions on Infinite Bounce (+10/0) and Pounce (+10/-5), moving from Teams 8-1.
Blanks are indicative of length throughout the quiz, unless mentioned otherwise.
If a question goes unanswered, the next question will begin from the next team.
Please refrain from using any unfair means.
17.
The middle-to-late monsoon is regarded as the best season for this item.
Traditionally, this has been the time when its at the finest in terms of quality, while
also being more affordable due to relative abundance. Both are caused by a change in
travel patterns brought about by the rains.
This year, however, despite it being the season, the more premium, international
variety of the product has struggled to reach the country, ending up causing
emotional distress to one community in particular. For those who are residing away
from their homeland, this has also made a dent in finances since they’ve had to shell
out higher sums in the black market to be able to consume it.
What product is this? (5) What has caused this sudden scarcity? (5)
Hilsa from the Padma; Bangladesh Turmoil
18.
Super Deluxe (2019) weaves together four different, interconnected narratives. Along
with the humans in the cast, a decade-and-a-half old event plays a key role in a
couple of the narratives. Which event is this? (5)
The event’s centrality to the film is expressed by including its depiction it all the
theatrical posters, where it is represented using an instantly recognizable imagery
from a different geography. What imagery thus finds its place in the Super Deluxe
posters? (5)
The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami;
Great Wave Off Kanagawa
19.
Manu Parekh is a painter and multimedia artist
who has had a career of over sixty years. Apart
from painting, he has also experimented with using
found objects as a medium. Look carefully at the
painting and tell who is the subject of this found-
objects piece by Parekh? (5)
Parekh is primarily known for his series of
paintings of one particular city. In his work, one
can see a fascination towards a northern cutural
city. In his own words, he “can never got bored” of
the city, and “it’s full of energy where you can
witness life and death together. Which city is this?
(images follow) (5)
Kali; Banaras
20.
The Delhi Ridge, often regarded as the lungs of Dehi, is shrinking rapidly. This,
doubled with the fact that most of the vegetation in the ridge comprises of Vilayati
Kikar, an invasive non-fruit species, has aggravated and intensified inter-species
conflict in the city. Thus, human residents face increasing violent attacks from
historically coexisting members. What inter-species conflict has the depletion of the
ridge thus intensified? (3)
A similar problem is faced in the mountain state of Himachal Pradesh, where it’s
attached to poor ecosystem management. Development activity in the state resulted
in the felling of diverse trees such as deodhar and chestnut. Though the
administration tried to make up for this by compensatory afforestation, it only made
the problem worse, causing overcrowding near the Jakhu Mandir at Shimla. How did
afforestation contribute to the problem? What makes the Jakhu Mandir an
attractive location? (3 + 3)
Human-Monkey conflict; Pine (non-fruit)
Monocultures; Fruits offered as prasad
21.
Sports journalist Sundip Mishra identifies the period between 1982 and 1987 as that
of The Switch. To him, this period, bookended by two different events held in the
country, marked a collective transition of the Indian population’s interests and
devotion.
What Switch is Mishra talking about? What two events mark the commencement
and conclusion of this period of transition? (5 + 5)
Moving away from Hockey to Cricket; 1982 Delhi Asian Games
and 1987 Reliance Cricket World Cup
22.
In late April, 2017, Assamese filmmaker and actor Kenny Deori Basumatary took to
his social media to raise alarm about small regional films like his being brutally
displaced from movie halls to make way for a gigantic production. Elsewhere, in
Bengal, noted director Kaushik Ganguly raised a similar concern. Both Basumatary
and Ganguly’s films were removed forcibly from the theatres despite them having a
healthy run. Which powerful nationwide release were these movies replaced by? (5)
While posting his video message about his film being forcibly removed, Basumatary
appeared bald. He explained at the beginning of the video that this was because of
his involvement in a Tigmanshu Dhulia film set in mid-20th Century, where he played
an instrumental character. What character did Basumatary portray in this film?
(image follows) (5)
Baahubali 2; Subhash Chandra Bose (in Raag Desh)
23.
Whole Numbers and Half Truths, by data journalist Rukmini S. explores how the state
and its agencies often use incomplete and uncontextualized data to obfuscate facts
and hide truths from its citizens.
This point of the book is driven home through a stylistic choice on the cover as well,
with graphs arranged to resemble a 19th-century literary character.
Which character does the cover allude to?
Pinnocchio
24.
They are a loosely knit decentralised network, where marriage automatically makes a
woman a member. They have had a long history of collectivising and organising
dating back to the Kangleipak period.
They sprung into national consciousness following a mass protest against Central
Forces. Since then, they have frequently been seen as a symbol of powerful
grassroots feminist collectivisation.
However, in the last couple of years, their role in ethnic violence, and especially in
actively enabling and at times even perpetrating gender-based violence against
women from other communities, has forced new conversations about the hollowness
of feminism without intersectionality.
Who am I talking about? What incident brought them into national consciousness
two decades ago? (5+5)
The Meira Paibis; Naked march against AFSPA
after the death of Th. Manorama
25.
March 1988 saw two Dalit artists (in different fields) of this region being murdered in
a similar fashion within a span of 15 days. Both are today remembered in local
popular culture as fierce anti-establishment voices who defied societal norms and
broke the barriers they were born into.
The case of the first killing remains unsolved till date, with speculations over every
possibility, from jealousy to retribution to caste discrimination. In the last couple of
years, it came back into public memory following a much more recent incident,
though the latter was a clear case of a spill-off from gang violence. Which dazzling
personality, whose 1988 death remains unsolved? What recent incident got
compared to the 1988 assassination? (3 + 3)
The latter 1988 killing, on the other hand, was primarily carried out because of the
victim’s opposition to a religio-political figure, as well as due to their strong Maoist
leanings. Who was this victim, whose ideas and words may sprout up anywhere? (4)
Amar Singh Chamkila, The killing of Sidhu
Moosewaala; Pash
26.
Byadagi is a town in Northern Karnataka. It is home to a native variety of an
agricultural product that is marked by its mild flavor and strong color.
Due to its abundance and ease of access, the Byadagi variety is often used
commercially as a substitute for a similar variety from the other side of the country,
which grows in limited numbers in difficult terrain. This makes it much more feasible
for commercial players to use the Byadagi variety in their products, even as they
market it under the name of the other variety.
What does Byadagi thus act as a substitute of?
Kashmiri Chillis
27.
The Gur-i-Amir is a mausoleum in Samarkand that occupies an important place in the
history of Central Asian Architecture.
The building is seen as providing the blueprint for the design to multiple iconic
structures from South Asia. This parallels the relationship between the inhabitant of
the Samarkand construction, and those of the other buildings.
Whose resting place is it? (image follows)
Timur
28.
In his book on the Khairlanji Massacre and its aftermath, Prof. Anand Teltumbde
contends that one of the major crises gripping the movement is borne out of people
deciding to synomize a figure with his most famous work, and then centre the entire
movement only around the work.
Teltumbde comments that this limits people from either taking cognizance of the fact
that the work today remains under the control of oppressors, or from exploring other
avenues of achieving social and political justice. He especially highlights that the
figure himself, by the end of his life, had expressed resignations over the scope of this
work and the limitations of its radicality. His followers not doing the same, Teltumbde
laments, ultimately reduces the scope of the movement.
What is Teltumbde talking about?
Equating (and limiting) Dr. Ambedkar (and priniciples
of equality and social justice) to the Constitution
