Explore topic-wise InterviewSolutions in Current Affairs.

Classification of communication services in two categories:

(i) Personal communication

(ii) Mass Communication

Features:

(i) Personal communication

(a) Communication between two or more persons at personal level.

(b) The Indian postal network handles parcels as well as personal written communication.

(c) Cards and envelops posts and telegraph email.

(d) Telephone service like STD, ISD provide easy and comfortable network to a large number of people.

(ii) Mass communication:

(a) It is the communication through which one can communicate with several people at the same time.

(b) It provides the entertainment and creates awareness among people about various National programmes and policies.

Transport and communication are the basic arteries of a nation’s economy because:

(i) Economic development of a region or a country very largely depends upon the dense network of transport and communication.

(ii) They link areas of production with consumption, agriculture with industry and village with towns and cities.

(iii) They help the industry by providing raw materials and distribution of finished goods.

(iv) They help in the development of all the three sectors: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary.

(v) They help in the balanced regional development.

(i) Roadways (ii) Railway

The Sultanate rule of Delhi was based on the strength of the army. The Sultans always paid attention to maintain a wellequipped army. Market regulation of Alauddin Khalji was a reform implemented with the intention of maintaining a large army with less expenditure. It was necessary to control the prices of essential commodities to reduce the military expenditure. As part of this, the government fixed the prices of essential commodities.

Hence the merchants were forced to sell their products at the fixed price. Black marketers and hoarders were strictly punished. The weights and measures were unified. The government established granaries to store the grains bought from the peasants. The corns were distributed during the time of famines at a moderate price. As a result, the soldiers were able to purchase commodities at a moderate price. Hence there was no need to pay them high salaries. Through these acts, the Sultan curtailed the military expenditure and the amount thus saved was utilized to enhance the strength of the army.

Maratha kingdom ruled in India in the 17^th century. Maratha king was the supreme authority with powers over the legislature, executive, judiciary and military. Maratha’s ruler, Shivaji was assisted by the Ashtapradhan in his administration. Ashtapradhan was the council of ministers. Let us see the functions of ministers in the Ashtapradhan.

• Peshwa – Prime Minister
• Nyayadhyaksh – Chief Judicial officer
• Amatya – Finance officer
• Sachiv – Royal correspondence
• Mantrin – Private secretary of the king
• Pandila Rao – Religious and charitable activities
• Sumant – Foreign affairs
• Senapathy – Military

Means of transport and communication.

Haldia seaport was Set-up as a subsidiary port to relieve growing pressure on Kolkata port.

Answer is A. Pakistan

The Sultanas implemented centralized rule in the administrative system. Let’s examine its important features.

• The influence of Turkish tradition
• The Sultan was the head of administration, military, and judiciary.
• There were different ministers and officers to assist the king in administration.
• An exact law of succession was absent.
• The leadership of the Caliphate of Baghdad was accepted.
• A strong army was maintained to defend the country from the threat of invasions and for the expansion of the empire.
• The vast country was divided into different regions for the convenience of administration.
• Regional laws prevailed at the village level.

1. Mamluk dynasty 

2. Khalji dynasty 

3. Thuglaq dynasty 

4. Sayyid dynasty 

5. Lodi dynasty

Central administration:

The Sultanas implemented centralized rule in the administrative system. Let’s examine its important features.

• The influence of Turkish tradition
• The Sultan was the head of administration, military, and judiciary.
• There were different ministers and officers to assist the king in administration.
• An exact law of succession was absent.
• The leadership of the Caliphate of Baghdad was accepted.
• A strong army was maintained to defend the country from the threat of invasions and for the expansion of the empire.
• The vast country was divided into different regions for the convenience of administration.
• Regional laws prevailed at the village level.

• For the convenience of administration, the empire was divided into provisions, shiqs, Parganas, and villages.
• Separate officers were appointed for each division. Their authority was not hereditary. The maintenance law and order, judicial administration, collection of taxes and organization of the army were the chief duties of these officers.
• They were under the direct control of the Sultan. But the Sultan did not directly intervene in the administration of the villages.

• Sultan’s authority was not hereditary.
• The position of local officers was also not hereditary.

• Sultan was the head of the military force. The country was divided into different parts and these were entrusted with the nobles who were also the military commanders. These divisions were known as ‘Iqtas’ and their holders were known in different names as Iqtadar, Muqti, and Wali.
• The revenue collection and judicial administration of these divisions were the main duties of these Iqtadars.
• They were also duty-bound to maintain an army of their own.

The influence of Turkish tradition, the desire for expanding kingdom, need for maintaining military force were the circumstances that prompted the sultans of Delhi to establish a centralized system of administration in India.

Answer is Delhi

The Maratha kingdom was divided into many parts for the convenience of administration. These divisions were provinces, districts (paranthas), Parganas and villages. 

The officers were directly appointed by the king. The country was further divided into two: 

‘Swarajya’ and ‘Mogalai’. The Swarajya was the territories of the Marathas whereas the Mogalai was the regions annexed to the kingdom.

In addition to the land tax collected from the Maratha country (Swarajya) two kinds of taxes, Chauth and Sardeshmukhi, were collected form the annexed regions. During the medieval period, many fundamental changes occurred in the administrative system of The administrative system implemented by the medieval rulers influenced the later administrative systems considerably.

The features of the Mughal administration are pointed out below:

• Divine Right of Kingship
• The influence of Turkish and Mongal traditions.
• Powers centralized in the king. Based on military power
• Assistance of ministers and officials in the administration
• Existence of local administration.

(b) Sher Shah Suri Marg.

For the sake of administration, the Chola kings divided the country into Mandalams, Valanadus, Nadus, and Kottams. A group of autonomous villages formed a Kottam. All the responsibilities and authorities relating to the administration of the villages were vested with the people of the villages. Two councils known as the Ur and the Sabha functioned for the purpose of village administration.

The people of the whole village was included in the Ur, whereas the Sabha was only a Council of the Brahmins. This system of administration has some similarities with the local self-government system of present Kerala. The center of authority in our system is Grama Sabha.

(b) Local trade

The Mughal administration attained strength during the time of Akbar. As a ruler, his aim was to win the support of all sections of people. The policies adopted by Akbar for the same are given below:

• Adopted the title of Badsha-i-Hind (the Emperor of India)
• To maintain religious harmony he formulated a new faith Earned Din-illahi by inculcating the ideas of all religions.
• The Rajputs such as Raja Todarma, Birbal, Mansingh, etc. were appointed as high officials.
• Akbar and his relatives married Rajput ladies.
• The army was strengthened by including different sections.

The central administration of the Vijayanagara empire was called Nayankara system and the local administration was called the Ayyagar system. The features of both these systems are discussed below. 

(i) The Navankara system: The king was the head of the central administration of the Vijayanagara Empire. There were ministers and royal officers to assist the king in administration. There was only a small army under the direct control of the king. The provincial governors maintained fixed number of soldiers of their own. They provided the service of the army to the king whenever necessary. As they were also military heads, the king awarded them with the title of ‘Nayak’ along with a specific area of land. This system that prevailed at the center was known as the Nayankara system.

(ii) The Avvaaar System: For the convenience of administration, the empire was divided into provinces, nadus, and villages. Village was the basic unit. The village assemblies functioned in the same way as it did during the period of the Cholas. The day-to-day administration of the village was done by the officers known as ‘Ayyagars’ who inherited the post. This administrative system was known as Ayyangar System. The position of Ayyagars in the village administration was equal to that of the Nayaks in the central administration.

Jagirdari system was introduced by Mughal emperors to make the administration more effective. It was a higher form of the Iqta system of the Sultanate period. The following table explains the similarities and dissimilarities between the two systems.

The base of Mughal administration was a strong military system. Instead of the military strength, the emperors needed the support of the nobles and officials for the maintenance and expansion of the empire. For this, Akbar adopted the Manasbdari system. The term ‘Mansab’ denotes the rank or position of Mughal military officer.

Those who held this position were called Mansabdars.

The position of the officers, their salary and military responsibilities were categorically determined through the Mansabdari system. The rank of a Mansabdar was determined by the number of horses and cavalrymen he maintained. There were more than 30 ranks in the army of Akbar, ranging from mansabdars of 10 horses to 10,000 horses. Each Mansab had 2 subdivisions called the ‘Zat’ and the ‘Sawar’ ‘Zat’ fixes the rank and salary of a person in the army while ‘Sawar’ refers to the number of horses a Mansabdar had to maintain

Export and import are the components of trade. Difference between export and import gives the trade balance of a country. Exports greater than imports result in a positive balance of trade and vice versa.

A well is a hole or shaft in the earth dug or drilled to tap an underground supply of water. 

Persian Wheel, inclined plane method, power driven pumps, Lever method.

1. The ground water table must be high. 

2. The underlying rocks must be soft, porous and permeable. 

1. There should be a natural depression. 

2. The underlying rock should be non-porous. 

A tank is a natural or artificial pool or pond used for water storage. 

1. It is the cheapest source of irrigation. 

2. It can be dug at any convenient place, regardless of topography. 

3. It is an independent source of irrigation.

This is used for fisheries, production of some certain type of rice and is also used for irrigation of coconut.

Correct Answer is: (a) Evergreen

1869 cubic m water.

The four major sources of water on the earth surface are – rivers, lakes, tanks and ponds

89% groundwater is used in agricultural work, 9% in domestic work and 2% in industrial work.

Correct Answer is: (b) Desert

Correct Answer is: (a) Iron ore

In India Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus river basin area is developed on one-third area which has 60% of the total surface water resources.

It depends on size factor of its catchment area.

(a) Saurashtra coast

(a) Hematite

Correct Answer is: (a) Mizoram

Only 3% part.

It is used in making electrical appliances because it has excellent electrical resistance and high voltage tolerance.

(a) Andhra Pradesh

Correct Answer is: (b) Ganga

(b) Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan

Correct Answer is: (b) 21.34%

(d) Karnataka