Ans: A

Exp:

Pair 1 is correctly matched: The civil and military offices were held under both the Cholas and Pandyas by vellalas, or rich peasants. The ruling class was called the arasar, and its members had marriage relations with the vellalas, who formed the fourth caste. They held the bulk of the land and thus constituted the cultivating class, divided into the rich and the poor. The rich did not plough the land themselves but employed labourers to undertake this. Agricultural operations were generally the task of members of the lowest class (Kadaisiyar), whose status appears to have differed little from that of slaves.

Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: The Sangam literature can roughly be divided into two groups, narrative and didactic. The narrative texts are called Melkannakku, or Eighteen Major Works. They comprise eighteen major works consisting of eight anthologies and ten idylls. The didactic works are called Kilkanakku, or Eighteen Minor Works.

Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Some artisans were not differentiated from agricultural labourers. The pariyars were agricultural labourers who also worked with animal skins and used them as mats. 

Reference: R.S.Sharma, Chapter 22

Ans: B

Exp:

Pair 1 is correctly matched: Manimekhalai deals with the adventures of the daughter born of the union of Kovalan and Madhavi. However, this epic is of greater religious than literary interest.

Pair 2 is correctly matched:  The Thirukkural, also known as the Kural, is a renowned Tamil literary work authored by Thiruvalluvar. This is divided into three sections, each focusing on fundamental aspects of life: Dharma (ethics and duty), Artha (wealth and success), and Kama (love and desire), aligning with Hindu philosophical concepts. The Thirukkural has achieved global recognition as one of the most widely translated non-religious texts in the world.

Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Silappatikaram is the first Tamil epic. In Tamil legend, Ilango Adigal is credited with creating Silappatikaram. The epic is the sad love story of Kannaki and her husband, Kovalan, two ordinary people. He is claimed to be a Jain monk and the younger brother of Chera King Senguttuvan.

Reference: R.S.Sharma, Chapter 22

Ans: B

Exp:

Statement 1 is incorrect: MSMEs contribute roughly 30 percent to the GDP (as per the Economic Survey 2020 – 21 ). They contribute to more than 40 percent of industrial production.  Their share of total exports is more than 50 percent.  They provide employment to more than 11 crore people. They play a vital role in the industrialisation of rural and backward areas

Statement 2 is correct: MSMEs often serve as suppliers of goods, components, and services to larger companies. They provide critical inputs required in the production processes of large industries. For example, a small machine shop might supply specialised parts to a larger automotive manufacturer.  They are complementary to large industries as ancillary units and form an integral part of the value chain.

Reference: Nitin Singhania,MSME, Chapter 12

Ans: B

Exp:

In India, the MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) sector consists of a diverse range of businesses, including both traditional and modern small industries. These enterprises play a crucial role in the country’s economic growth and employment generation.  This sector has eight subgroups.

• Handlooms
• Handicrafts 
• Coir
• Sericulture
• Khadi and village industries, 
• Small scale industries 
• Powerlooms.

Reference: NCERT, Class 11th Chapter 9

Ans: C

Exp:

The Udyam Registration (UR) Portal is an online portal introduced by the Indian government to simplify the process of registering micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in India.

Statement 1 is correct: It provides a faceless, fully online, paperless and transparent MSME registration process fully integrated with the Income Tax and GSTIN systems. 

Statement 2 is incorrect: It has notified that the exemption from the requirement of having GSTIN shall be as per the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (12 of 2017), which will let more and more MSMEs register on the Udyam Registration portal. 

Statement 3 is correct: With effect from 2nd July, 2021, the government has included retail and wholesale trades as MSMEs. They are allowed to be registered on the Udyam Registration Portal. Benefits to them are restricted to priority sector lending only. 

Reference: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1786356