UPSC Prelims 2021 GS Paper I · Q95 of 98 History easy

With reference to India, the terms 'Halbi, Ho and Kui' pertain to

  1. (a) dance forms of Northwest India
  2. (b) musical instruments
  3. (c) pre-historic cave paintings
  4. (d) tribal languages ✓ UPSC's answer

Why the answer is (d)

• Halbi, Ho and Kui are tribal languages of central and eastern India — option (d).

• Halbi is an Indo-Aryan language of the Halba tribe in Bastar (Chhattisgarh); Ho is an Austroasiatic (Munda) language of the Ho people of Jharkhand and Odisha; Kui is a Dravidian language of the Kandha (Khond) tribe of Odisha.

• Together they illustrate the three major language families among India's tribes.

• They are not dance forms (a), instruments (b) or cave paintings (c).

• Hence option (d).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) dance forms of Northwest India
They are languages, not dances.
(b) musical instruments
They are languages, not musical instruments.
(c) pre-historic cave paintings
They are languages, not cave paintings.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2021, held on 10 October 2021. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

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