2009 General Studies, all questions
UPSC Prelims 2009 · General Studies
Question 12: History and Culture
The brothers Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha are
aDhrupad vocalists
bKathak dancers
cSarod maestros
dTabla players
AnswerThe answer is (a).
Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha, the Gundecha Brothers from Bhopal, are leading vocalists of Dhrupad, the oldest surviving form of Hindustani classical vocal music, known for slow alap and a restrained, meditative style. They were trained in the Dagar tradition and received the Padma Shri. They are neither dancers nor instrumentalists, so the Kathak, sarod and tabla options are wrong.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Right: they are Dhrupad vocalists.
- (b) Wrong: they are singers, not Kathak dancers.
- (c) Wrong: sarod is an instrument; they are known as vocalists.
- (d) Wrong: tabla is a percussion instrument; they sing.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2009, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.