For all West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC) exams including WBCS, JE, AE, and other state-level competitive examinations.
UPDATED ON 18TH NOVEMBER,2025 2:00 PM
1.Consider the following varieties of mangoes with states where they are produced:
Khirsapati – West Bengal
Gir Kesar – Gujarat
Totapuri – Andhra Pradesh
Which of the above is/are correct?
[A] 1 & 2 Only
[B] 3 Only
[C] 1 & 2 Only
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Correct Answer: D [ 1, 2 & 3 ]
Notes:
Totapuri Mango is found primarily in Andhra Pradesh, but it is also grown in the Indian States of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Gir Kesar mango is largely grown around the foothills of Girnar Mountains in Gujarat’s Junagadh district. Himsagar or Khirsapati mango is found in West Bengal.
2. Consider the following pairs of Handicrafts with states where they are produced:
Mangalagiri Sarees – Andhra Pradesh
Baluchari Sari – West Bengal
Molakalmuru Sari – Karnataka
Which of the above is/are correct?
[A] 1 & 2 Only
[B] 3 Only
[C] 2 & 3 Only
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Correct Answer: D [1, 2 & 3]
Notes:
Mangalagiri Sarees and Fabrics are produced by performing handicraft weaving in Mangalagiri, a small town in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. Baluchari Sari is particular type of sari originated in Bengal and is known for depictions of mythological scenes on the pallu of the sari. Molakalmuru Sari is the traditional silk sari that is weaved in the Molakalmuru, Karnataka. It received GI Status in 2011.
3.Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?
Chakrata – Jammu & Kashmir
Haflong – Assam
Kalimpong – West Bengal
Kufri – Himachal Pradesh
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 2 & 3
[C] Only 2, 3 & 4
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Correct Answer: C [Only 2, 3 & 4]
Notes:
Chakrata is a hill station in Uttarakhand, not Jammu & Kashmir. Haflong is indeed in Assam, commonly known for its scenic beauty. Kalimpong is a town in West Bengal, famous for its cultural heritage and monasteries. Kufri is a well-known hill station in Himachal Pradesh, known for its skiing activities. Hence, the correct answer is option [C] as only pairs 2, 3, and 4 are correctly matched.
4.Who first described Harshavardhana as Shaivite?
[A] Bana
[B] Mana
[C] Banabhatta
[D] Hiuen Tsang
Correct Answer: A [Bana]
Notes:
Harshavardhana’s seals describe his ancestors as sun-worshippers, his elder brother as a Buddhist, and himself as a Shaivite. His court poet Bana describes him as a Shaivite.
5.What was the five gems in the court of Lakshmana Sena called?
[A] Panchalipurams
[B] Pancharatnas
[C] Panchatantras
[D] Panchumanandas
Correct Answer: B [Pancharatnas ]
Notes:
The Sena rulers were additionally extraordinary benefactors of writing. Some Bengali creators trust that Jayadeva, the acclaimed Sanskrit writer and writer of Gita Govinda, was one of the Pancharatnas (five gems) in the court of Lakshman Sen.
6.What was the earliest capital of Shunga Dynasty?
[A] Malwa
[B] Bhagabhadra
[C] Magadha
[D] Pataliputra
Correct Answer: D [Pataliputra]
Notes:
The capital of Shunga Dynasty was Pataliputra, but later emperors such as Bhagabhadra also held court at Besnagar (modern Vidisha) in eastern Malwa.
7.Kanva kings were originally–
[A] Vaishya
[B] Brahmins
[C] Kshatriya
[D] Kurus
Correct Answer: B [Brahmins]
Notes:
The Kanva kings were Brahmins. They were descendants of Sage Saubhari. Vasudeva Kanva killed Devabhuti of Shunga dynasty and established the rule of Kanva dynasty.
8.Who wrote Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi?
[A] Al-Sadr
[B] Muhammad Kaina Nawaz
[C] Sheikh Al-Hussaini
[D] Yahya bin Ahmad
Correct Answer: D [Yahya bin Ahmad]
Notes:
Yahya bin Ahmad in his Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi mentioned that Dasharathadeva (referred as Danuj Rai of Sonargaon by Yahya) made an alliance with Ghiyas-ud-Din Balban in 1281.
9.Upon Turks invasion in Bengal, Gaur was renamed as–
[A] Murshidganj
[B] Gaurangazi
[C] Moradabad
[D] Lakhnauti
Correct Answer: D [Lakhnauti]
Notes:
After establishing Muslim suzerainty over Gaur (which was given the name of Lakhnauti) and adjacent territories, Bakhtiyar, established better administration of his possession.
10.After whose name was Pratapgarh named?
[A] Pratap Chandra
[B] Pratap Singh
[C] Pratap Shankar Vardhan
[D] Pratapinjara
Correct Answer: B [Pratap Singh]
Notes:
Chatra Singh’s territory stretched from Karimganj up to parts of the Lushai Hills and had its capital in Kanakpur, named after his son Kanak Singh. The latter’s own son, Pratap Singh, later founded a new town which he named Pratapgarh after himself
11.Nripati Tilak was the title of–
[A] Alibardi Khan
[B] Alauddin Hussain Shah
[C] Muhammad Bin Tughlaq
[D] Bakhtiyar Khilji
Correct Answer: B [Alauddin Hussain Shah ]
Notes:
Alauddin Hussain Shah was a prominent personality of Bengali literature. The
Hindus honoured him as an avatar of Krishna, ‘Nripati Tilak’(Crown of Kings) and
‘Jagat Bhushan’ (Adornment of the Universe).
12.Who wrote Parijathapaharanam?
[A] Nirkumbha
[B] Nandi Thimmana
[C] Hatimara Kamudi
[D] None of the above
Correct Answer: B [Nandi Thimmana]
Notes:
Nandi Thimmana (15th and 16th centuries CE) was a poet and one of the Astadiggajas in the court of the king Krishnadevaraya. He is often called Mukku Thimmana (Thimmana of the nose) after his celebrated poem on a woman’s nose. He wrote Parijathapaharanam.
13.Whose version was the first most Bangla version of
Mahabharata?
[A] Gyanendra Chakraborty
[B] Paramnath Mairaaj
[C] Kavindra Parameshwar
[D] Brihanmukhi Tarkalankar
Correct Answer: C [Kavindra Parameshwar]
Notes:
Kavindra Parameshwar’s Mahabharta (1525) was the first Bangla version of
Mahabharta. The most important and popular Bangla Mahabharta was composed by Kashiram Das, an eminent poet of medieval Bengali literature, around 1602 – 1610. The final version of the Bangla Mahabharta was printed at Serampore Press in 1801- 1803. This version became more popular than other Bangla versions because of its refined language.
14.What was called Magadhi Apabhramsa?
[A] Common language spoken in many places
[B] One common misconception about Magadhi language
[C] Twisted form of Magadhi language
[D] None of the above
Correct Answer: A [Common language spoken in many places]
Notes:
Slowly but surely, a lingua franca took shape that was common to Bengal, Assam, Nepal, Orissa and north Bihar. Hiuen-Tsang’s travelogue in the seventh century suggests that
there was one common language spoken in Bihar, Bengal and western NAssam. This has been loosely called Magadhi Apabhramsa.
15.Who established a gun factory in Munger?
[A] Mir Ali
[B] Mir Qasim
[C] Shah Shuja Khan
[D] Mir Bahadur
Correct Answer: B [Mir Qasim]
Notes:
The moving of capital from Murshidabad to Munger in 1762 by Mir Qasim marked as the beginning of the conflict between the Company and Nawab. He also established a gun factory.
16.In which year Bengal was brought under British power?
[A] 1771
[B] 1770
[C] 1770
[D] 1772
Correct Answer: D [1772]
Notes:
Under the administration system in Bengal, the administration was divided between the
Company and the Nawab, but the whole power was actually concentrated in the hands of the Company. In 1772, the system was abolished and Bengal was brought under the direct control of the British.
17.Who became Majnu Shah’s Lieutenant in 1785?
[A] Mija Khan
[B] Musa Khan
[C] Mir Ali
[D] Muhammad Abib
Correct Answer: B [Musa Khan]
Notes:
In the following year of 1785, Majnu Shah planned simultaneous attack in Eastern Bengal under himself and in North Bengal area under his his nephew Musa Shah who became his Lieutenant as well.
18.Who founded Tattwabodhini Sabha in 1839?
[A] Dwarkanath Tagore
[B] Debendranath Tagore
[C] Jatirindranath Tagore
[D] Abanindranath Tagore
Correct Answer: B [Debendranath Tagore]
Notes:
The founding member of Tattwabodhini Sabha was Debendranath Tagore, previously of the Brahmo Samaj, eldest son of influential entrepreneur Dwarkanath Tagore,
19.In 1919, Surendranath Banerjee founded–
[A] Indian National Liberation Federation
[B] Indian National Congress
[C] All of the above
[D] None of the above
Correct Answer: A [Indian National Liberation Federation]
Notes:
Surendranath repudiated Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms, unlike Congress, and with many liberal leaders he left Congress and founded a new organisation named Indian National Liberation Federation in 1919.
20.Which Bengali persona discovered manuscript of Skanda Purana?
[A] Rajendralal Mitra
[B] Hara Prasad Shashtri
[C] Bir Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana
[D] None of the above
Correct Answer: B [Hara Prasad Shashtri ]
Notes:
Hara Prasad Shashtri also discovered an old palm-leaf manuscript of Skanda Purana, which is the largest Mahapurana, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts, in a Kathmandu library in Nepal, written in Gupta script.
21.What is the Aesop’s fables named in Bengali?
[A] Thakumar Jhuli
[B] Nitikatha
[C] Betaal Panchobingshati
[D] Jataker Golpo
Correct Answer: B [Nitikatha]
Notes:
Radhakanta Deb and Ram Comul Sen collaborated with Tarini Charan Mitra to produce a translation of Aesop’s fables, titled Nitikatha, into Bengali.
22.Who is titled as “father of Bengali prose”?
[A] Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
[B] Iswar Chandra Bidyasagar
[C] Rabindranath Tagore
[D] Saratchandra Chattopadhyay
Correct Answer: B [Iswar Chandra Bidyasagar ]
Notes:
Vidyasagar’s efforts to simplify and modernise Bengali prose were so significant that he is considered the “father of Bengali prose”. He wrote many books in both Sanskrit and Bengali and wrote books for toddlers.
23.Abalabandhab was launched by–
[A] Abanindranath Tagore
[B] Dwarkanath Ganguly
[C] Surendranath Banerjee
[D] None of the above
Correct Answer: B [Dwarkanath Ganguly ]
Notes:
In May 1869, Dwarkanath Ganguly launched a weekly journal named ‘Abalabandhab’ (the ‘bandhab’ of ‘abala’ which means ‘the friend’ of ‘the weaker sex’), from Lonsing, a village in Faridpur, Dhaka.
24.Which was the first aircraft to land in Netaji Subhash International airport of Calcutta?
[A] Air India Flight 986687
[B] Dakota 3
[C] Bharat Jung 12
[D] None of the above
Correct Answer: B [Dakota 3]
Notes:
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport was founded in the early 1900s as the Calcutta Aerodrome. The airport traditionally served as a strategic stopover on the air route from North America and Europe to Indochina and Australia. Dakota 3 was the first aircraft to land in the airport. In 1924, a Royal Air Force aircraft landed in Calcutta as part of the first round-the-world expedition by any air force.
25.Visva Bharati Viswavidyalaya of Bolpur, Birbhum was established in–
[A] 1919
[B] 1920
[C] 1921
[D] 1922
Correct Answer: C [1921]
Notes:
Bolpur is a city and a municipality in Birbhum district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bolpur subdivision. Rabindranath Tagore established Visva Bharati Viswavidyalaya in 1921. This was the main reasons for the huge extension, development and popularity of Bolpur.
26.The stream of Ganga between Khiderpore and Sankrail is known as–
[A] Prayashti KatiGanga
[B] KatiGanga
[C] Pushyati KatiGanga
[D] KataiGange
Correct Answer: B [KatiGanga]
Notes:
From Kolkata the main flow of the Ganga used to run along the side of the Kalighat temple, Baruipur, Jaynagar, Chhatrabhog and Hatiagarh. At that time, between Khiderpore and Sankrail no flow existed. Presently, the stream between Khiderpore and Sankrail became known as KatiGanga.
27.Which animals is often found in hilly regions but Sunderbans is the only place where they are surviving in mangroves?
[A] One-horned Rhinoceros
[B] Bengal Tiger
[C] Bengal Cobra
[D] Giant Bengal Alligator
Correct Answer: B [Bengal Tiger]
Notes:
The Bengal tiger ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world’s charismatic megafauna. The tigers in the Sundarbans in India and Bangladesh are the only ones in the world inhabiting mangrove forests. The population in the Indian Sundarbans was estimated as 86-90 individuals in 2018.
28.In Bengal, there are steel plants at–
[A] Durgapur
[B] Rishra
[C] Rabangla
[D] Nadia
Correct Answer: A [Durgapur ]
Notes:
In Bengal, there are steel plants at Durgapur and Burnpur and a locomotive plant at Chittaranjan. Haldia, the terminus of an oil pipeline from Assam and the site of a large oil refinery, also has a petrochemical industry.
29.Which city in Bengal has a dry rock?
[A] Kharagpur
[B] Asansol
[C] Durgapur
[D] Hooghly
Correct Answer: C [Durgapur ]
Notes:
A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, and repair of ships, boats, and other watercraft. Durgapur is the only city in eastern India to have an operational dry dock.
30.Two industrial corridors will merge upto how many states for coal importation?
[A] 4
[B] 5
[C] 6
[D] 7
Correct Answer: D [7]
Notes:
Amritsar-Delhi-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (ADKIC) to be aligned to the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC), spanning across 20 cities in the seven states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
31.How many paintings of Tagore National
Gallery of Modern Art has in their collection?
[A] More than 100
[B] 76
[C] 51
[D] 24
Correct Answer: A [More than 100]
Notes:
32.Who was the first Bengali publisher in Bengal
[A] Iswar Chandra Gupta
[B] Ganga Kishore Bhattacharya
[C] Surendranath Banerjee
[D] Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
Correct Answer: B [Ganga Kishore Bhattacharya ]
Notes:
Ganga Kishore Bhattacharya was the first Bengali Publisher in Bengal. Bengal, especially Kolkata was the cradle of journalism in India. The year 1818 marks the beginning of Bengali journalism. Samachar Darpan, is regarded as the first newspaper in Bengali language. But prior to that, Ganga Kishore Bhattacharya started publishing the Bengali weekly, Bengal Gazetti or Vangal Gazette.
33.In which regions of West Bengal Bhawaiya songs are sung?
[A] Birbhum
[B] Medinipur
[C] Jalpaiguri
[D] Alipurduar
Correct Answer: C [Jalpaiguri ]
Notes:
The Bhawaiya songs has two forms, one sung in depressed notes and the other in a skipping tone. It is popular in Rangpur district (Bangladesh), Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and North Dinajpur of West Bengal.
34.The another name for Madol, a widely popular instrument used in folk songs, is–
[A] Namdak
[B] Tumdak
[C] Bajna
[D] Dhol
Correct Answer: B [Tumdak]
Notes:
Tumdak is also known as madol. It is a two faced drum with a body brunt clay. Both heads the left one broader than the right are covered by bullock hide and are beaten by the left and right hand. It is mostly used by the tribal people of the state.
35.Utpalendu Chakrabarty won Berlin International Film Festival Award in–
[A] 1980
[B] 1981
[C] 1982
[D] 1983
Correct Answer: D [1983]
Notes:
Utpalendu Chakrabarty was born in 1948 in Kolkata. He made a number of fine documentries along with feature films. Some of his famous feature films are Chokh, Maina
Tadanta, Debshishu, Phaansi etc, and documentary films are the Music of Satyajit Ray, Debabrata Biswas, Sunilo Sagore, etc. He got Berlin International Film Festival Award in 1983 for Chokh.
36.Which was the first film that holds songs composed by SD Burman, for the first time as a musician?
[A] Nirbashan
[B] Rajgee
[C] Bandi
[D] Pathik
Correct Answer: B [Rajgee]
Notes:
SD Burman’s career as a music composer began in the mid 1930’s. Initially he composed music for Bengali theatre. His first compositions made their way into the films with ‘Rajgee’ (1937), and his first hit movie as a film director came in ‘Nirbashan’ (1940). After that, he was the music director for a string of successful Bengali films.
37.Which tourist spot is built where river Hooghly where the river enters the Bay of Bengal?
[A] Digha
[B] Bakkhali
[C] Diamond Harbor
[D] Mandarmani
Correct Answer: C [Diamond Harbor ]
Notes:
Diamond Harbour is situated in South 24 Parganas on the banks of river Hooghly where the river enters the Bay of Bengal. It is a picturesque beach and also an important harbour for
shipping activity.
38.In which month Ahare Bangla Food Festival takes place in general?
[A] July
[B] May
[C] August
[D] December
Correct Answer: D [December ]
Notes:
The Ahare Bangla Food Festival generally takes place in the month of December. Many small food festivals are also arranged in different districts of West Bengal. People participate largely in these local food festivals.
39.What is the other name for Bengali mishti pulao?
[A] Khichuri
[B] Tirpam
[C] Bashil
[D] Kanika
Correct Answer: D [Kanika]
Notes:
Many of Kolkata’s classic dishes were originally from Odisha but were refined in Kolkata kitchens by Odia cooks. In fact some researchers say that dishes like kanika (Bengali mishti pulao) were first introduced to Kolkata kitchens by Odia cooks although this is contested by other researchers.
40.Which district of Bengal has the highest population?
[A] South Dinajpur
[B] North 24 Pargana
[C] Kolkata
[D] Medinipur
Correct Answer: B [North 24 Pargana]
Notes:
The state of Bengal is currently having ving 7.54% population of the country. As per Census 2011, North 24 Parganas has the highest population of 1,00,09,781 whereas South Dinajpur has the least population of 16,27,276.
41.Who started Rangakarmee?
[A] Urbashi Mukherjee
[B] Ushashi Sen
[C] Usha Ganguly
[D] None of the above
Correct Answer: C [Usha Ganguly]
Notes:
Rangakarmee was started in 1976 by theatre activist Usha Ganguly. Since 1976, Rangakarmee is one of the pioneer theatre groups in Kolkata. Even though they have produced a few Bengali plays, but they are mainly known for taking forward Hindi theatre in the city. The main theme of Rangakarmee plays is based on social issues, oppressions and
evil.
42.Swapnasandhani was started in 1992 by–
[A] Charulata Bandopadhyay
[B] Gautam Ghosh
[C] Mihir Mukherjee
[D] Koushik Sen
Correct Answer: D [Koushik Sen]
Notes:
Swapnasandhani was started in 1992 by Koushik Sen. With more than 12 full length plays and 14 short, this group has made an impressive place for itself in the Kolkata theatre circuit.
43.Which of these is considered as Scheduled Caste people?
[A] Jagda
[B] Bilnari
[C] Chamar
[D] Neema
Correct Answer: C [Chamar]
Notes:
Bagdi, Pod, Bauri and Chamar each have more than 10 lakhs population. They along with Rajbanshi and Namasudra together constitute 73.9 per cent of the total SCs. The Jalia Kaibartta, Hari, Dhoba, Sunri (excluding Saha), Dom, Lohar, Mal, Kaora, and Tiyar have sizeable population.
44.Where is Ganga Sagar Mela held every year?
[A] Ganga Sagar
[B] Mukutmanipur
[C] Sagar Island
[D] Tarekeshwar
Correct Answer: C [Sagar Island ]
Notes:
Sagar Island Beach is situated at the mouth of the Hooghly. This island is considered to be the point where the Ganges joins the sea. A great three-day bathing festival (Ganga Sagar Mela) takes place here on the occasion of Makar Sankranti in mid-January. Pilgrims from all over India gather here for a holy dip, after that they offer puja at the Kapil Muni temple or Ashrama.
45.What is Kho Kho known as in Bengal?
[A] Chhu Kitkit
[B] Chhoomantar
[C] Daria Banda
[D] Burir Bari
Correct Answer: C [Daria Banda]
Notes:
Kho Kho was played in the simplest form with some basic rules which guided this
game. It was played at different places with different rules and names. In West Bengal it is known as Daria Banda. This is also gaining popularity in the state.
46.Apart from Mohan Bagan Club, who is a major opponent for East Bengal Club?
[A] Mohammedan SC
[B] Tollygunge Club
[C] Atletico De Kolkata
[D] All of the above
Correct Answer: A [Mohammedan SC]
Notes:
East Bengal Club is also known as Quess East Bengal Club. It was founded in 1920 in Kolkata. It is a football club and prepares players for national and international tournaments. The club has won 8 Federation Cups and 3 National Football Leagues. This club has rivalry with two other well known clubs i.e. Mohan Bagan Club and Mohammedan SC club. These clubs form healthy competition with each other.
47.In 2020, how many people fell under below poverty line?
[A] 20%
[B] 25%
[C] 30%
[D] 35%
Correct Answer: A [20%]
Notes:
According to a central government survey, 20 percent of the population of West Bengal is living in extreme poverty. 20 percent of the total population is under BPL category. This percentage is lower than the national average of 21.92 percent. BPL means below poverty line.
48.Name a site where Indo-Saracenic architectural style can be seen.
[A] Hazarduari Palace
[B] Kalikapura Temple
[C] Goddess Jagrata Mani Temple
[D] All of the above
Correct Answer: A [Hazarduari Palace ]
Notes:
The period of British rule saw wealthy Bengali families (especially zamindar estates) employing European firms to design houses and palaces. The Indo-Saracenic movement was strongly prevalent in the region. Indo-Saracenic architecture can be seen in the Ahsan Manzil and Curzon Hall in Dhaka, Chittagong Court Building in Chittagong, and Hazarduari Palace in Murshidabad. The Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, designed by Vincent Esch also has Indo-Saracenic features, possibly inspired from the Taj Mahal.
49.The species from Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests are used in which following industries?
[A] Rope making
[B] Silk production
[C] Paper mills
[D] All of the above
Correct Answer: D [All of the above ]
Notes:
The main species found in Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests are sal, peasal, kend, mahul, kusum, karam, asan, bahera, rahara, dhaw, mango, jam, etc. Forest products are used in timber, paper mills and matchbox, bidi, rope making, silk production factories.
50.Which park has the second largest population of Indian one-horned rhinoceros in the country?
[A] Gorumara National Park
[B] Jaldapara National Park
[C] Buxa National Park
[D] Chapramari National Park
Correct Answer: B [Jaldapara National Park]
Notes:
Jaldapara National Park is situated in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal. It spreads over an area of 216.51 sq km. In May 2012, it was declared a National Park. River Torsa runs along the park. It has the largest population of the Indian one-horned rhinoceros, after Kaziranga National Park in Assam. Other animals in the park include leopard, elephant, different species of deer wild pig and bison. The Bengal florican bird is also spotted here.
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