BPSC Screening Test key terms

Guidelines in Part IV of the Indian Constitution that direct governments to pursue social and economic welfare goals. They are not enforceable in courts but are fundamental in governance and law-making.

Basic rights guaranteed in Part III of the Indian Constitution, such as equality, freedom of speech, and life and liberty. They are enforceable through writ petitions in courts.

A formal application asking a High Court or the Supreme Court to enforce a fundamental right or correct unlawful action by an authority. Common writs include habeas corpus and mandamus.

The power of courts to examine laws and executive actions and declare them invalid if they violate the Constitution. It is exercised by the Supreme Court and High Courts.

A principle holding that Parliament cannot amend the Constitution in ways that destroy its essential features, such as democracy and judicial review. It emerged from Supreme Court judgments.

The process under Article 368 for changing the Constitution. Some amendments need a special majority in Parliament, and federal provisions also require ratification by state legislatures.

A system where power is divided between a central government and constituent states, each supreme in its own sphere. The Indian model is often described as quasi-federal due to strong central features.

The constitutional list dividing subjects between the Union, states, and both. It contains the Union List, State List, and Concurrent List, which determine legislative competence.

A constitutional provision allowing the President to impose President's Rule in a state when its government cannot function according to the Constitution. Parliament must approve the proclamation.

A land revenue system introduced by the British in 1793 in Bengal and Bihar, making zamindars permanent owners who paid fixed revenue. It reshaped rural land relations and peasant conditions.

A 1917 movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in Bihar against oppressive indigo cultivation practices imposed on peasants. It marked an early success of nonviolent mass agitation in India.

Post-independence land reform that removed intermediary landlords between the state and cultivators. Bihar enacted such laws in the 1950s, though implementation varied and faced legal delays.

A legal limit on the maximum agricultural land an individual or family may own, with surplus land redistributed. It was a key land reform tool in Bihar and other states.

A seasonal reversal of wind direction bringing heavy rainfall, central to Indian agriculture. The southwest monsoon from June to September delivers most of the country's annual precipitation.

A dry area on the leeward side of a mountain range because moisture-bearing winds lose rain while rising over the barrier. It explains low rainfall in regions like interior Deccan.

A Himalayan river in Bihar known for shifting course and severe floods, often called the sorrow of Bihar. Its heavy silt load causes frequent channel changes on the plains.

Fertile sediment deposited by rivers, forming the Indo-Gangetic plains. Bihar's agriculture depends heavily on alluvial soils brought by the Ganga and its tributaries.

The interest rate at which the central bank lends short-term funds to commercial banks against securities. Changes in it influence borrowing costs, credit growth, and inflation.

A sustained rise in the general price level, reducing the purchasing power of money. It is commonly measured by consumer and wholesale price indices and influenced by monetary policy.

The gap between a government's total expenditure and its total receipts excluding borrowings. It indicates how much the government must borrow to fund its spending.

The total market value of final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. It is a standard measure of economic size and growth.

A composite measure combining life expectancy, education, and income to rank countries by human development. It was developed by the United Nations Development Programme.

The process by which green plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce glucose and release oxygen. Chlorophyll in chloroplasts captures light energy for the reaction.

The movement of water molecules across a semi-permeable membrane from a region of lower solute concentration to higher solute concentration. It is vital for water absorption in plant roots.

Membrane-bound cell organelles that generate most of the cell's energy as ATP through respiration. They are often called the powerhouse of the cell.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, acting on different bodies. It explains phenomena such as rocket propulsion and recoil of a gun.

The current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across them, at constant temperature. The constant of proportionality is resistance.

A way of expressing a number as a fraction of one hundred, useful for comparing quantities. To convert a fraction to a percentage, multiply by 100.

A ratio compares two quantities of the same kind, while a proportion states that two ratios are equal. These concepts underpin many aptitude problems on mixtures and partnerships.

The sum of a set of values divided by the number of values. It is used to solve problems involving mean speed, scores, and combined groups.

Interest calculated only on the original principal for the given period, using the formula principal times rate times time divided by 100. It does not compound.

Interest calculated on both the principal and accumulated interest from earlier periods. It grows faster than simple interest and is common in savings and loans.

A form of logical reasoning where a conclusion is drawn from two or more given statements assumed true. Questions test whether a conclusion necessarily follows.

Reasoning problems that describe family relationships and ask the candidate to identify how two people are related. Drawing a family tree helps avoid confusion.

Puzzles requiring candidates to place people in rows or around tables based on clues about their positions. They test logical deduction and spatial organisation.

Reasoning tasks where words or numbers are transformed by a rule, and the candidate must apply or discover that rule. They test pattern recognition and logic.

The state day celebrated on 22 March, marking the separation of Bihar from Bengal in 1912. It is observed with cultural programmes and official events across the state.

An ancient centre of learning in present-day Bihar that attracted scholars from across Asia. It flourished between the fifth and twelfth centuries and is a symbol of Bihar's heritage.

A pilgrimage site in Bihar where Gautama Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. It houses the Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.