UPSC CIVIL SERVICES PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
UPSC Prelims 2018— Question 72
Q72
Question
With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following statements : 1. White marble was used in making Buland Darwaza and Khankah at Fatehpur Sikri. 2. Red sandstone and marble were used in making Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza at Lucknow. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
AnswerOption D
Explanation
**Concept and analysis:** Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri is chiefly associated with red sandstone with marble details, not simply white marble as stated. Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza at Lucknow are associated with Awadhi architecture and materials including brick/lime plaster rather than the red-sandstone-and-marble combination stated. Thus neither statement is correct. The question is testing precise UPSC-level identification rather than a broad association. The key is to distinguish the exact institutional, constitutional, historical, geographical, economic or scientific feature being asked.
**Option-wise evaluation**
**Option A:** Incorrect. It selects 1 only, but that combination does not match the verified statement-level assessment; it either includes a false statement or omits a true one.
**Option B:** Incorrect. It selects 2 only, but that combination does not match the verified statement-level assessment; it either includes a false statement or omits a true one.
**Option C:** Incorrect. It selects Both 1 and 2, but that combination does not match the verified statement-level assessment; it either includes a false statement or omits a true one.
**Option D:** Correct. It selects statements 1, 2; these are the statements supported by the relevant constitutional, economic, historical, scientific or geographical facts.
**UPSC takeaway:** The safest way to solve this type of question is to anchor the answer in the defining feature of the concept and then test every option against that feature. Closely related institutions or terms are often used as distractors. In statement-based questions, do not judge the option as a whole before checking each statement independently. In factual questions, compare the wording of each option with the exact definition, location, institutional role, chronology or scientific property. The correct answer follows from that verification rather than from familiarity with a keyword.
Question Classification
SubjectArt & Culture
TopicArt & Culture
SubtopicArchitecture
Question TypeStatement-based MCQ
Difficultymoderate
VerificationVerified