Deck 11: India

Question 1

During British rule, the competitive exam for becoming part of the Indian Civil Service was held in which city?

A) Bombay
B) Mumbai
C) Manchester
D) London
E) Calcutta

Answer 1

D

Question 2

All of the following are part of the caste system EXCEPT

A) Brahmins.
B) Kshatriyas.
C) Shia.
D) Dalits.
E) Vaisyas.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

India gaining its independence was the culmination of what Indian concept, endorsed by the Indian National Congress as early as 1985?

A) The rigidity of the caste system
B) The tax Raj
C) Non-violence
D) Swaraj
E) Jati

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Mohandas Gandhi helped gain independence for India by

A) encouraging business relationships between India and Britain.
B) demonstrating Indians' loyalty to the British monarch.
C) recruiting Indians to help Britain fight off the Axis powers in World War II.
D) inspiring broad, grassroots participation in the independence movement.
E) forging alliances with leaders of other former British colonies.

Question 5

Since independence, India has benefited from

A) growing loyalty to regions of the country.
B) a disappearance of caste allegiances.
C) general identification with India as a country.
D) increased religious fundamentalism.
E) high levels of foreign investment.

Question 6

The town of Annawadi is located near the airport of what major city?

A) London
B) Goa
C) Calcutta
D) Mumbai
E) Delhi

Question 7

The split of colonial India into two countries after receiving independence was largely the result of

A) religious differences between Hindus and Muslims.
B) political differences between political parties.
C) decisions made in London by the British government.
D) annexation of Indian territory by Pakistan.
E) peace agreements led by the United Nations.

Question 8

Indira Gandhi came to power in 1966 because

A) her father, Nehru, wanted her to do so.
B) her grandfather, Gandhi, wanted her to do so.
C) she was the choice of the Soviet leadership.
D) the Syndicate thought she would be malleable.
E) her husband's name drew so many votes.

Question 9

Castes are divided into subcastes know as __________.

A) Sikhs
B) Dalits
C) Jati
D) Brahmins
E) Swaraj

Question 10

The more powerful house of the Indian parliament is the __________.

A) Lok Sabha
B) Rajya Sabha
C) Akali Dal
D) Janata Dal
E) Meeting of Councilors

Question 11

Mohandas Gandhi's leadership solidified the independence movement as

A) being driven by educated elites.
B) broad based with support among the masses.
C) a regional struggle.
D) one based on religious identity.
E) one that drew support only from the lower castes.

Question 12

Hindus outside the caste system in India are known as ___________.

A) Sikh
B) Gowari
C) Jati
D) Brahmin
E) Untouchables

Question 13

India's constitution allows the prime minister to exercise unusually strong powers during a crisis, something known as

A) Martial Law.
B) Emergency Rule.
C) Crisis Government.
D) Security State.
E) Legal Lockdown.

Question 14

The three main religions in India are

A) Hindu, Muslim, and Catholic.
B) Muslim, Hindu, and Sikhs.
C) Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist.
D) Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist.
E) Muslim, Christian, and Sikhs.

Question 15

Signs of the legitimacy of India's regime include

A) voter turnout in national elections that is favorably comparable to turnout in the United States.
B) voting levels among the poor that are almost as high as the national average.
C) an absence of violent protest or civic conflict.
D) the stable coalition forming governments since independence.
E) the almost automatic reelection of incumbents.

Question 16

The initial motive for British colonization in India was __________.

A) profit
B) political conquest
C) religious evangelism
D) jihad
E) boredom

Question 17

Roughly what percentage of the Indian population is Hindu?

A) Twenty percent
B) Fifty percent
C) Eighty percent
D) Ninety five percent
E) Ninety nine percent

Question 18

In India, as in many countries in the Global South, linguistic diversity is overcome primarily by

A) teaching everyone multiple languages.
B) a corps of civil service translators.
C) the use of the former colonizer's language.
D) the official adoption of the most common language.
E) government-owned broadcast media using all spoken languages.

Question 19

Although most Indians are illiterate, they are able to easily identify the parties on the ballot because

A) the ballot has pictures that symbolize each party.
B) poll watchers tell voters which party is which.
C) people vote after listening to tape recordings.
D) party officials tell people who to vote for.
E) voting instructions are on videotape.

Question 20

All of the following describe the impact of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi EXCEPT

A) Congress ceased to be a consensus party.
B) power within the Congress Party was centralized.
C) opposition parties gained power.
D) corruption increased.
E) heredity of leadership was strongly resisted.

Question 21

In 1984, a radical group of Sikhs were killed when government forces attacked

A) the Lok Sabha.
B) the Taj Mahal.
C) the British embassy.
D) the Golden Temple.
E) Pakistan.

Question 22

The Indian constitution can be amended by

A) approval of a majority of the state legislatures.
B) majority votes in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
C) a majority vote in a national referendum.
D) a presidential decree.
E) an executive order from the prime minister.

Question 23

The "Permit Raj" refers to

A) the need for British permission for Indian legislation.
B) government control of economic activity through the granting of permits.
C) the continuing bias in favor of popularly permitted government programs.
D) frequent referenda on government policies.
E) the "empire" of huge companies that dominate the Indian economy.

Question 24

All of the following describe Nehruvian economic policy in India EXCEPT

A) it met initial goals of making India self sufficient.
B) it protected public and private firms.
C) it guaranteed a reasonable profit.
D) it prevented the spread of a culture of inefficiency and corruption.
E) it resulted in India falling behind other developing countries.

Question 25

In 1885, the Indian National __________, which was to lead the struggle for independence for nearly sixty years, was formed.

Question 26

Compared to the Soviet Union or Eastern European countries, India's government

A) has not been able to maintain legitimacy for its regime.
B) has been limited in the success of liberalization policies.
C) is not perceived to have been as effective.
D) is not the focus of repressed rage among its citizens.
E) has not been able to grow its economy in comparison to similar countries.

Question 27

India's constitution defines India as a __________ republic.

A) Hindu
B) Muslim
C) Buddhist
D) Communist
E) secular

Question 28

India differs from most other Third World countries in that its

A) economic performance has been dismal.
B) economic potential is higher than most.
C) regime has been notably ineffective.
D) people are more likely to question the regime's legitimacy.
E) ethnic divisions have caused frequent violent clashes.

Question 29

In spite of drawing state boundaries so that each state is dominated by one major linguistic or ethnic group,

A) the national government is dependent upon coalitions of states to maintain stability.
B) state governments are remarkably unstable.
C) the prime minister has to appoint state governors to avoid gridlock at the local level.
D) ideological parties overwhelm ethnic parties in most states.
E) popular governors can have greater influence than legislators because of their electoral mandates.

Question 30

Because India allows any group of seven or more people to form a labor union, about how many labor unions currently exist in India?

A) 500
B) 1,000
C) 5,000
D) 10,000
E) Over 25,000

Question 31

Business groups in India tend to associate themselves with which political party?

A) BJP
B) National Congress
C) Communists
D) Socialists
E) Greens

Question 32

The Hindu social group that separates people at birth by status and occupation is called __________.

Question 33

British rule in India began not with formal colonization by the government but by the gradual accumulation of power by a private company, the _________.

Question 34

Until Rajiv Gandhi took office, successive Indian prime ministers pursued a development strategy known as

A) structural adjustment.
B) market capitalism.
C) command economics.
D) import substitution.
E) economic liberalization.

Question 35

In 2014, BJP was able to triumph in the election because of its focus on which issue?

A) Relations with the United States
B) Stability
C) Pakistan
D) Terrorism
E) Economics and clean government

Question 36

The division at independence of the British colony into two countries, India and Pakistan, is known as __________.

Question 37

One comparison that can be made between the BJP party in India and the National Front Party in France is that they both have

A) won majorities in legislative elections.
B) succeeded in electing prime ministers.
C) campaigned on extreme positions with racist overtones.
D) governed more moderately than they have campaigned.
E) been strong supporters of globalization.

Question 38

About one-sixth of India's population lives in conditions in which their incomes fall more than 25 percent below the level needed to obtain basic food, clothing, or shelter, a condition known as

A) under-nourishment.
B) underemployment.
C) ultrapoverty.
D) extreme debt.
E) fatal poverty.

Question 39

Who plays the role of head of state in India?

A) The British monarch
B) The Indian monarch
C) The prime minister
D) The president
E) Nobody

Question 40

The territory that has been the source of direct conflict between India and Pakistan for several decades is known as ___________.

A) New Delhi
B) Sri Lanka
C) Kashmir
D) Kandahar
E) Sierra Leone

Question 41

The more powerful house of the Indian legislature is the _________.

Question 42

India is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse countries in the world. How has that affected Indian politics since independence?

Question 43

As the middle class grows in size, wealth, and global awareness in India, what kinds of policy demands will it make on Indian governments? How does this differ from the demands of middle class growth in other countries, such as China?

Question 44

On June 26, 1975, Indira Gandhi gained all but dictatorial power when she declared __________.

Question 45

Which political party won the 2014 Indian election A) BJP
B) Congress
C) RSS
D) NKVP
E) CPI(M)

Question 46

What has been the impact of poverty on India's public policy? Is poverty a problem that India will ever be able to "solve" permanently? Why or why not?

Question 47

India was one of the few Third World countries in which independence was gained through the efforts of a relatively large and relatively nonviolent movement. How has that affected Indian politics since then?

Question 48

Has globalization primarily benefited or harmed India? Why did you reach that conclusion?

Question 49

The Indian __________ Service sits atop the country's gigantic bureaucracy.

Question 50

The current prime minister of India is A) Narendra Modi
B) Rahul Gandhi
C) Manmohan Singh
D) Jawaharlal Nehru
E) CK Prahalad

Question 51

Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was the Sikh religious and political leader killed during the attack on the __________ Temple in 1984.

Question 52

Mahatma Gandhi advocated nonviolence as an integral part of the independence movement. Would he recognize the India of today? In your opinion, would he be supportive of what India has become?

Question 53

Do you think recent trends have made democracy in India more vulnerable? Why or why not?

Question 54

Congress dominated Indian politics since before independence. Yet, it seems to have lost that dominant position in the last thirty years and may well find itself permanently behind the BJP. How can you account for the decline of Congress and the rise of the BJP?

Question 55

Many __________ consider that they are an "oppressed majority" in India.

Question 56

Congress has been the most powerful institution in Indian politics. How has it been able to stay so strong, even in opposition?