The Prelims for the India quiz, (Indi-Genius quiz) held at UTPT 2020, the annual quizzing fest of RV QuizCorp.

2. Q1
In an attempt to solve the ever persistent problem of a choked
bottleneck in Bengaluru’s network of roads, about a couple of
months back, the local transport authorities implemented a
plan of carving out a priority lane for the BMTC buses on an
12km stretch. In order to let people (and the cops) identify the
buses that would use this lane, the buses using this lane were
branded X. X sounds to be very second person in contrast to Y
which has a first person ring to it. Y a never ending project in
our city is expected to extend its network to this stretch too and
hopefully is an end to the never ending traffic woes. ID X and Y

3. X - Nimbus - Nimma Bus
Y - Namma Metro
ANSWER

4. Q2
Y has had a huge affect on the Indian society, with regard to national
integration, identity, globalisation, women, ethics and social issues in rural
areas. The first Y, X, began as a family planning program, and although it
quickly turned its focus to entertainment, it continued to embed pro-
development messages which provided a model of utilizing the Y as an
"edutainment" method that was followed by countries around the world. A
2007 study of cable coming to rural India showed that it led to "significant
decreases in the reported acceptability of domestic violence towards
women and son preference, as well as increases in women's autonomy and
decreases in fertility". It also "found suggestive evidence that exposure to
cable increases school enrollment for younger children, perhaps through
increased participation of women in household decision-making."
ID X and Y

5. Y - soap operas
X - Hum Log
ANSWER

6. Q3
Oral folklore traces ‘X’ back several thousand years to the sage Agasthya. While on his way to
Vellimalai , Agastya discussed Hindu philosophy with an old man he met,who is said to be
Lord Murugan in disguise. The old man taught him of Kundalini Yoga and to focus prana
through the body's nadi (channels).
Agastya practiced this method of meditation and eventually compiled three texts on palm
leaves based on the lord's teachings. One of these texts was the Kampu Sutra (Staff Classic)
which was said to record advanced fighting theories in verse. These poems and the art they
described were allegedly passed on to the other Siddha of the Agastya school and eventually
formed the basis of ‘X’ , Siddha medicine , and the southern style of ‘Y’ .
In quite a number of his movies in the 1950s and 1960s, M.G. Ramachandran had
incorporated ‘X’ fighting scenes, to popularize this ancient martial arts in the 20th century in
movies like Thaikkupin Tharam, Periya Idathu Penn, Mugaraasi and Thanipiravi.
What’s X and Y?

7. X- Silambam
Y- Kalaripayattu
ANSWER

8. Q4
Id this cricketer turned
politician
who was elected to the Bihar
Legislative Assembly
from the Raghopur
constituency in 2015.

9. Tejashwi Yadav -younger son of Lalu Prasad Yadav
ANSWER

10. Q5
X is a singer-songwriter, producer and actress from Mumbai, India. She moved to New
York City in the 70s and took her talents into the Jazz world. In 1973 she released her
first self-titled album and in 1978 she released her second album titled, "The Devil is
Loose," which The New York Times dubbed "an instant classic". Her song "Space Talk"
has been sampled by the likes of The Notorious B.I.G., 50 Cent, P. Diddy, and Redman.
She was dressed by the top designers and was even photographed by Andy Warhol.
She then went on to star in films, her film "Savages" was banned in India due to its
racy outfits. Identify this performer.

12. Asha Puthli
ANSWER

13. Q6
‘X’ crafts date back to the 15th and 16th century during which time it was patronized
by the rich kings of the Vijayanagara empire and then later by the nawab of Koppal.
The exquisite carvings on the Hampi chariot as well as the famous mural paintings in
the Pampapateshwara temple are all believed to be the artwork of the ‘X’ craftsmen.
There are close to 25 families in ‘X’ today who are into this handicraft and are actively
involved in making these idols.The artisans remain quite busy during the Dasara
season as well as during the times the nearby villages host local festivals. ‘X’ idols
known for their bright paint and vibrant colours are usually in the form of Gods,
animals, wooden panels, murals and even masks. The wood used in making the idols
is of a tree locally known as “Ponki marra” that grows in and around ‘X’. The
characteristic feature of this wood is that it is soft and light weight and hence
amenable to sculpting. While the commonly used colours are red, green, blue and
yellow, Kinhal toys also have a signature gold and silver colour. Artists use a special
technique called “Lajawara” method to achieve this colour that is obtained from
melting pieces of metal.
ID ‘X’ , an art form that shares its name with a village. (images next slide)

15. Kinhala . the kinhala art form
ANSWER

16. Q7
The picture happens to be a snap from one of
SNL’s (Saturday Night Live) Parodies featuring
Bill Hader who is most popularly known for
playing Stefon in The Weekend Update
segment along with Seth Meyers.
This SNL skit is based on a viral video entitled
X from the 1990 Kollywood movie Athisaya
Piravi which became very popular on the
internet many years after the release of the
film. The clip features the scene with Y (played
by Bill Hader in the SNL Parody) watching
dwarf Indian actor Z dancing to "Holiday Rap"
by MC Miker G & DJ Sven.
Identify X,Y and Z

17. X - Little Superstar, Y - Rajinikanth and Z - King Kong
ANSWER

18. Q8
Laal Singh Chaddha is an upcoming Indian
Hindi-language comedy-drama film directed
by Advait Chandan and produced by Aamir
Khan and Kiran Rao.Events in India's history
unfold through the perspective of Laal Singh
Chadda (Aamir Khan), a man with a low IQ.
This plot might remind you of another movie
and rightly so, for “Laal Singh Chadha” is a
remake of _______ ____.
What inspired“Laal Singh Chadha” / What is it
a remake of?

19. Forrest Gump
ANSWER

20. Q9
Beluṛ Maṭh is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission. It is located
on the west bank of Hooghly River, Belur, West Bengal, India and is one of the
significant institutions in Kolkata. The main entrance of the temple, has a facade
influenced by styles in the ______ stupa at Sanchi & the main entrance of the Ajanta
Caves. The central dome is derived from the Renaissance architecture of the
Duomo of Florence. he pillars in a line on its both sides are according to Doric or
Greek style. The beam above is held by decorative brackets similar to the Meenakshi
Temple at Madurai in Tamil Nadu.The elaborate designs on the pillars resemble the
Orissa style
Who founded Belur Math? What is so unique about Belur math’s architecture?

21. Vivekamaan, Religious unity
ANSWER

22. Q10
Often recognised as India’s ‘_____ ____’, is one of
the nation’s most celebrated female modern
artists. Heavily influenced by Realism, ____
strived to portray the lives of people living within
her local community. Being a woman who came
from an affluent and upper-middle class strata,
she encouraged a spirit of defiance against social
norms and encouraged women to play a more
prominent role within the field of art. It was
during her stay at Saraya that she painted the
Village Scene, In the Ladies' Enclosure and Siesta
all of which portray the leisurely rhythms of life in
rural India.
Who am I talking about? Who is she compared
to?

23. Amrita Sher –
Gil and Frida kahlo
ANSWER

24. Q11
Iniavan,a Chennai based artist carved the faces
of Modi and president Trump on X that
weighed 107 kg. He carved their faces after X
solidified from its liquid form. Two years back,
another artist had created ex TN Cm
jayalalitha’s face on the same item to
celebrate her birthday.
What’s the item that he carved upon?

25. Amrita Sher –
Gil and Frida kahlo
ANSWER

26. Q12
The Valley of ___ River abounds in caves which were the earliest dwellings of the
primeval inhabitants. This area had been the centre of activities of pre-historic man
which is evident from the rock paintings (pre-historic cave art) found in abundance in
this region.
Based on evidence from religious and cultural perspectives of Ramayana and the
Mahabharat, Huyen found here is the cultural symbol. By Jarasandh many rulers in the
Mahabharat were was maintained prisoner here.
This place was recently in news because of “large amounts of ____” found in this area.
Something quite apt, given that its name is related to recent events.
Identify the Place

27. Sonbhadra
ANSWER

28. Q13
X is a bread pudding royal dessert which was conceived during the Mughal era and has
its roots in Awadhi cuisine. It is made by frying small pieces of bread and dipping them
in condensed milk followed by garnishing with dry fruits and cardamom powder.
Y is a bread pudding Indian sweet of fried bread slices soaked in hot milk with spices
(like saffron and cardamom). This sweet is the Hyderabadi version of X. It gets its name
from the milk bread used in its preparation which swells up to almost twice its original
size after baking. Id X and Y.

29. X - Shahi tukda
Y - Double ka meetha
ANSWER

30. Q14
This feat, having a success rate of 0.01%, was almost unachievable during the British
Era in India, because it was held in London and it required a lot of European-based
knowledge.
Nevertheless, Satyendranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore’s sibling, accomplished it in
1864 and was posted to Bombay presidency for after his probationary training.
What is Satyendranath Tagore’s claim to fame?

31. He was the first ICS/IAS Officer from India
ANSWER

32. Q15
On November 13th, 2014, it was nothing short
of celebration time from 7 to 10 p.m. at
Mumbai renowned Rose The Watch Bar when
Aldo Magada, CEO Zenith Swiss Watch
Manufacture & Biren Vaidya, MD of The Rose
Group together unveiled and showcased the
Historic X Pocket Watch Series for the first
ever time in India. The Historic Pocket Watch
Series was one rare object cherished by one of
the great spiritual leaders of our time: X and
one of the only two remaining examples of
this legendary pocket watch in the world. The
watch was supposedly a gift from Y, X’s
“namesake”.
ID X and Y. (image of the watch follows)

33. X is Gandhi,
Y is indira Gandhi.
ANSWER

34. Q16
A copper statue of X is being built at Hampi at a whopping 215 feet. It is being made
10 ft lesser than another statue being built elsewhere in India. The statues will be
inaugurated on the same day.
This was to show the inseparability of these two personalities. The state government
has also sanctioned funds to make Hampi a major tourist attraction. They also
intend to add Hampi to the list of places in an initiative taken by the Ministry Of
Tourism and Indian Railways under Swadeshi Darshan.
ID X and why is the statue being built at Hampi? What is the ministry’s initiative.

35. X - Hanuman*
The other statue is of Lord Ram at Ayodhya
It's being built at Hampi, since Hampi is said to be the mythical
Kishkinda (from Ramayana), the birthplace of Hanuman
The initiative by the Ministry is the Ramayana Circuit (train that travels
to major places included in the Ramayana)
ANSWER

36. Q17
X was an asura who fought with Shumbha and Nishumbha against Goddess Parvati
and Goddess Kali. He got his name from his boon: "he for whom each drop of blood
is a seed", i.e, whenever a drop of his blood fell on the ground, a duplicate X would
be born at that spot.
The eighth chapter of the Devi Mahatmya focuses on Ambika's battle with X as part
of her battle against the asuras Shumbha and Nishumbha, who had disenfranchised
the gods from heaven. X was wounded, but drops of blood falling on the ground
created innumerable other Xs, and Ambika and the Matrikas were in difficulty. At
this point, the Goddess Kali joined the battle, who stretched her tongue over the
earth and licked up each drop of blood pouring from X's body while other goddesses
wounded him. Kali devoured his duplicates into her gaping mouth. Ultimately, X was
annihilated.

37. Raktabija
ANSWER

38. Q18
X, is an Indian cyclist from Andaman and
Nicobar islands. At the tender age of 18, X
catapulted Indian cycling into the
international spotlight when he had bagged a
silver medal in the men’s keirin event at the
2018 UCI Junior Track Cycling World
Championship held at Switzerland.X also
went onto win 2019 UCI Junior Track Cycling
World Championship held at Germany,
helping India win a historic gold medal in the
men’s team sprint. X is a natural
showman,known for his attacking style and
showboating. A young lad with Paris 2024 in
sights, name this athelete.

39. Esow Alben
ANSWER

40. Q19
Felice X was an Italian businessman, inventor and chemist. He developed the fairly
successful "Ferro-China X", an amaro (Italian herbal liqueur) made as an alcohol
infusion of cinchona bark, herbs, and iron salts. His company also made the well
selling mineral water from the eponymous town Nocera Umbra, famed for its
Angelica mineral spring,as well as the Esanofele, a chemical based on quinine, iron
and arsenic to combat malaria. However, he is far more popular for selling of X to a
man named Akshara Chaougale.
What was Felice’s full name/ How do we know the sold product today?

41. Bisleri
ANSWER

42. Q20
X is believed to have originated among the Hela community of __________.
According to legend, _________ used the X in his devotions to Lord Shiva. According
to Ramayana, Hanuman returned to North India after the war with an X.
Throughout the history of medieval India, the kings were patrons of music which
helped in increasing the popularity of X among the royal families.
This resulted in X being the first musical instrument to be learned by the princes in
the north-western region of India.
ID X.

43. Ravanahatha
ANSWER

44. Q21
It is an official travel document required by non-natives to visit the four
Northeastern states, namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland.
Both the duration of stay and the areas allowed to be accessed for any non native
are determined by the document. Different types of permits are issued based on
the purpose of a visit.
It is an extension of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act 1873. The Britishers
framed regulations restricting entry in certain designated areas. This was done to
protect the Crown’s interest in certain states by preventing “British subjects”
(Indians) from trading within these regions. In 1950, the term ‘British subjects’ was
replaced with ‘Citizens of India’. Today, all non natives require the document. This
was done to protect the indigenous tribal communities of these states from
exploitation.
What are we talking about?

45. Inner Line Permit
ANSWER

46. Q22
Major General Ian Cardozo was born in Mumbai and served in the Indian army for
many years. Wanting to reflect how the Indian army thrives, he decided to author a
graphic novel under the title ______ ____ _______ in which he wrote about the
heroic tales of Major Somnath sharma and the others whose stories are one of the
most noble ones.
FITB.How do we better know Major Somnath Sharma as?

47. Param Vir chakra
Major SS is the first person to receive the PVC, coincidentally he is also
brother in law of the daughter of the designer of PVC Savitri Khanolkar.
ANSWER

48. Q23
X has worked as an strategist for both, BJP and Congress. His first major political
campaign was in 2011 to help Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat get re-
elected to the CM Office for a third time in the Gujarat Assembly Elections 2012.
However, he came to wider public attention when, his election-campaign group
Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG) helped the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) win an absolute majority in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
Since, then X has taken positions varying roles in a number of elections, the most
recent one being for Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi elections 2020. He was also behind the
“Lage Raho Kejriwal” slogan.

49. Prashant Kishor
ANSWER

50. Q24
Listen to this audio. This instrument played along with tabla as an accompaniment is
an ancient folklore instrument thought to have originated in Iran(Persia) from
where, according to the iranians made way to India. But ancient indian texts also
refer to a very similar instrument to that of veena, at a time when the word veena
did not refer to a specific instrument but was a generic term for all string instrument
and was classified as a zither rather than a lute. Which instrument is being played.
Also identify who are playing the instruments.

51. santoor, tabla played by zakhir hussain, santoor by shivakumar sharma
ANSWER

52. Q25
Da Da Ding is was an ad film as a part of Nike’s Just Do It campaign. It featured
bollywood actress Deepika padukone along with other famous Indian sportswomen.
The film was conceptualised by Wieden & Kennedy, and wanted to inspire young
women to take up sports.
Identify any four sportswomen shown from the video

53. • Joshna Chinappa, Shweta Hakke,
• Rani Rampal, Gabriella Demetriades,
• Ishita Malaviya, Jaie Bhadane,
• Naina Mansukhani, Swetha Subbiah,
• Jyoti Ann Burrett and Tanvie Hans.
ANSWER