Answer: (B)

Explanation:

• Basavanna was a 12th-century philosopher, statesman, Kannada poet and a social reformer during the reign of the Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I in Karnataka, India. Basavanna rejected gender or social discrimination, superstitions and rituals. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• He introduced new public institutions such as the Anubhava Mantapa (or, the “hall of spiritual experience”), which welcomed men and women from all socio-economic backgrounds to discuss spiritual and mundane questions of life, in open. Basavanna championed devotional worship that rejected temple worship and rituals led by Brahmins, and replaced it with personalized direct worship of Shiva through practices such as individually worn icons and symbols like a small linga. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Basavanna spread social awareness through his poetry, popularly known as Vachanaas. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

Answer: (A)

Explanation:

Different festivals being celebrated in several parts of country:

• Vaisakhi- Spring harvest festival celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs. The day marks the formation of Khalsa Panth of warriors under Guru Gobind Singh. It is celebrated as the first day of the month of Vaisakha according to Hindu calendar.
• Vishu- It is a Malayali festival celebrated in the South Indian state of Kerala, Tulu Nadu region in Karnataka, bordering areas of Tamil Nadu and their diaspora communities. The festival marks the first day of Medam, the ninth month in the solar calendar followed in Kerala.
• Rongali Bihu- Celebrated in Assam. It marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year.
• Naba Barsha- Bengali New Year according to the Gregorian Calendar.
• Puthandu – It is celebrated on the first day of the Tamil month – Chithirai – and marks the beginning of the Tamil New Year.

Hence, option (a) is correct.

Answer: (A)

Explanation: The moderate phase of the national movement had a narrow social base and the masses played a passive role. This was because the early nationalists lacked political faith in the masses. Because of the lack of mass participation, the Moderates could not take militant political positions against the authorities. The Moderates campaigned for Indianisation of government services on the economic, political and moral grounds. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

Answer: (D)

Explanation: Madhyamaka and Yogācāra are the two main philosophical trajectories associated with the Mahāyāna stream of Buddhist thought. Madhyamaka refers to a tradition of Buddhist philosophy and practice founded by the Indian philosopher Nāgārjuna (150-250 CE). The foundational text of the Mādhyamaka tradition is Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā. Madhyamaka thought had a major influence on the subsequent development of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. It is the dominant interpretation of Buddhist philosophy in Tibetan Buddhism and has also been influential in East Asian Buddhist thought. Yogacara is an influential tradition of Buddhist philosophy and psychology emphasizing the study of cognition, perception, and consciousness through the interior lens of meditative and yogic practices. Hence, option (d) is correct.

Answer: (B)

Explanation: The founder of the Satavahana dynasty was Simuka. He was succeeded by Krishna, who extended the kingdom up to Nasik in the west. The third king was Sri Satakarni. He conquered western Malwa and Berar. He also performed asvamedha sacrifices. The seventeenth king of the Satavahana dynasty was Hala. He reigned for a period of five years. Hala became famous for his book Gathasaptasati, also called Sattasai. It contains 700 verses in Prakrit language. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.