Secretariat Assistant Mixed Practice Test #711

Question 1

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) vs FPI:‌​‍

Accepted Answer

FDI: long-term, control; FPI: portfolio, short-term investment — FDI creates lasting interest (10%+ voting shares). ‌​‍FPI is financial investment in securities. Both need regulatory compliance.

Answer

FDI only bonds

Answer

Same

Answer

FPI only stocks

Question 2

Shakespeare's 'seven ages of man' ends with the stage characterised by:

Accepted Answer

Second childhood (sans teeth, sans eyes…) — Final age: 'second childishness and mere oblivion / sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything'.

Answer

Infancy

Answer

Middle age

Answer

Youth

Question 3

What is hyperbole?‌​‍

Accepted Answer

Deliberate exaggeration — E.g., 'I've told you a million times'. ‌​‍Opposite: litotes (understatement via negation).

Answer

Understatement

Answer

Question

Answer

Literal

Question 4

Kudumbashree founded:‌​‍

Accepted Answer

1998 — 17 May 1998.‌​‍

Answer

1995

Answer

2005

Answer

2000

Question 5

Which of the following was a key reason for the Travancore-Kochi merger in 1949?

Accepted Answer

C. The recommendation of the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) to merge them for administrative efficiency — The merger of Travancore and Cochin was primarily recommended by the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) in 1956 to streamline administration and reduce fragmentation. While economic factors existed, the SRC's recommendation was the decisive factor. Distractors A and D reflect less critical factors, and B is incorrect as the merger was post-independence.

Answer

A. Economic disparities between Travancore and Kochi

Answer

B. Pressure from the British colonial administration to consolidate princely states

Answer

D. The demand from the Travancore people for annexation by Cochin

Question 6

Agniveer retention:‌​‍

Accepted Answer

25% retained — Up to 25% retained.‌​‍

Answer

50%

Answer

All

Answer

None

Question 7

The Ministry of Human Resource Development was created by:‌​‍

Accepted Answer

Rajiv Gandhi — Rajiv Gandhi created HRD Ministry in 1985 by combining Education + others.‌​‍

Answer

Indira Gandhi

Answer

Narasimha Rao

Answer

V.P. Singh

Question 8

Which Indian state was the first to establish a full-fledged university for women in 1916?

Accepted Answer

D. West Bengal — The first full-fledged women's university in India was the SNDT Women's University, established in 1916 in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra. Tamil Nadu and Kerala had women's colleges earlier, but not full universities. West Bengal's Bethune College (1879) was the first women's college, not a full university.

Answer

A. Tamil Nadu

Answer

B. Kerala

Answer

C. Maharashtra

Question 9

The procedure of amendment of the Constitution (Article 368) is borrowed from:‌​‍

Accepted Answer

South Africa — Amendment procedure was inspired by South Africa; some features from other constitutions too.‌​‍

Answer

USA

Answer

Japan

Answer

Australia

Question 10

The concept 'power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely' is from:‌​‍

Accepted Answer

Lord Acton — Lord John Acton (1887 letter): 'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. ‌​‍Great men are almost always bad men.'

Answer

Mill

Answer

Marx

Answer

Rousseau

Secretariat Assistant Mixed Practice Test #711