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Quiz: India

Test your understanding of Chapter 17. Choose the best answer, then click Show Answer to check.

Question 1

As of 2026, how is India divided?

  1. 29 states and 7 union territories
  2. 28 states and 8 union territories
  3. 36 states and no union territories
  4. 22 states, one for each scheduled language
Show Answer

The correct answer is B. India has 28 states and 8 union territories, according to the National Portal of India. The count of 29 states and 7 union territories was correct before 2019, when Jammu and Kashmir became a union territory and Ladakh was separated from it.

Concept Tested: States and Union Territories Bloom's Level: Remember

Question 2

When did the Constitution of India come into effect?

  1. 15 August 1947
  2. 26 November 1949
  3. 1 November 1956
  4. 26 January 1950
Show Answer

The correct answer is D. The constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950, now celebrated as Republic Day. It was adopted on 26 November 1949, which is why option B is tempting, and 15 August 1947 is Independence Day.

Concept Tested: Constitution of India Bloom's Level: Remember

Question 3

What did ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission achieve on 23 August 2023?

  1. It made India the first country to land near the Moon's south pole.
  2. It made India the first country ever to land on the Moon.
  3. It put the first Indian astronaut on the Moon.
  4. It sent India's first spacecraft into orbit around Mars.
Show Answer

The correct answer is A. Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander touched down near the lunar south pole, making India the fourth country to land softly on the Moon and the first near the south pole. It was not the first Moon landing overall: the Soviet Union, the United States and China landed first, and the mission carried no astronauts.

Concept Tested: ISRO Bloom's Level: Remember

Question 4

Which statement best explains what a linguistic state is?

  1. A state where English is banned from government use
  2. A state where everyone must learn Hindi first
  3. A state whose borders were drawn so that most people share one main language
  4. A state created for people who speak more than three languages
Show Answer

The correct answer is C. Linguistic states were drawn around a shared language, which usually became the state's official language, starting with Andhra State in 1953. They do not require Hindi; in fact, many linguistic states have non-Hindi official languages such as Telugu, Tamil or Marathi.

Concept Tested: Linguistic States Bloom's Level: Understand

Question 5

Why do Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh use English as their official language?

  1. Because English is the only language taught in their schools
  2. Because each is home to many peoples with different languages and no single shared local language
  3. Because they were British colonies until 2000
  4. Because the constitution requires all northeastern states to use English
Show Answer

The correct answer is B. These states are home to many communities speaking many languages, mostly Tibeto-Burman, so English works as a neutral common language. The constitution does not require it; each state chooses its own official language under Article 345.

Concept Tested: Northeast India Bloom's Level: Understand

Question 6

Which statement about Hindi in India is accurate?

  1. In the 2011 census, about 44% of Indians named Hindi as their mother tongue, so most Indians grow up speaking another language.
  2. Hindi is the mother tongue of almost every Indian.
  3. Hindi is the only official language of India's national government.
  4. Hindi belongs to the Dravidian language family.
Show Answer

The correct answer is A. Hindi is the largest single language, but about 43.6% of Indians named it as their mother tongue in 2011. English continues alongside Hindi for national official use under the Official Languages Act of 1963, and Hindi is Indo-Aryan, not Dravidian.

Concept Tested: Unity in Diversity Bloom's Level: Understand

Question 7

A new classmate tells you her family is from Chennai and speaks Tamil at home. Using the chapter, which description fits her family's home region?

  1. Northeast India, where most languages are Tibeto-Burman
  2. A union territory governed directly from New Delhi
  3. The capital region, where Hindi and English are the official languages
  4. South India, where the main languages belong to the Dravidian family
Show Answer

The correct answer is D. Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu, a state in South India, and Tamil is a Dravidian language. Tamil Nadu is a state, not a union territory, so option B does not fit.

Concept Tested: South India Bloom's Level: Apply

Question 8

Your club is making a poster about India's government. Which pair correctly describes India's leaders as of October 2026?

  1. President Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Droupadi Murmu
  2. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari
  3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu
  4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Rabindranath Tagore
Show Answer

The correct answer is C. Narendra Modi is prime minister (in his third term) and Droupadi Murmu has been president since 2022. Option A swaps their offices, and option B names Pakistan's leaders.

Concept Tested: Parliament of India Bloom's Level: Apply

Question 9

Telangana was split from Andhra Pradesh in 2014, even though both states mainly speak Telugu. What does this case show?

  1. Language matters, but regional history and identity can also shape how states are drawn.
  2. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 required every state to split in two.
  3. Telugu speakers do not live in Telangana.
  4. Linguistic states were abolished in 2014.
Show Answer

The correct answer is A. Telangana's movement was about regional history and needs, not a different language, so it shows that language is only one reason states form. Linguistic states were not abolished, and Telugu is Telangana's official language.

Concept Tested: Linguistic States Bloom's Level: Analyze

Question 10

The India Explorer MicroSim draws Goa and Rajasthan as tiles of the same size. What is the best reason a tile cartogram is used instead of a traced map?

  1. Goa and Rajasthan really are the same size.
  2. Equal tiles make every state and territory easy to see and compare, and avoid drawing disputed borders.
  3. Tile cartograms show each state's exact population.
  4. Traced maps of India are not allowed to show capitals.
Show Answer

The correct answer is B. Equal tiles let tiny places like Goa or Chandigarh be seen and tapped as easily as big ones, and a schematic layout avoids drawing official borders, including the disputed Kashmir region. Goa is actually India's smallest state by area, and Rajasthan its largest.

Concept Tested: States and Union Territories Bloom's Level: Analyze