JPSC GS Paper 2 Mock Test 2027: Jharkhand GK Series

1. Land Laws: CNT Act 1908, SPT Act 1949 and Other Acts (Section H: 12 Questions – 24 Marks)

This section is the main legal block tested in Paper 2 and requires an understanding of specific sections, the years of amendment, and the definitions of tenancy:

• Chotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908 (5 Questions): Drafted by Father John Baptist Hoffmann and came into effect on 11 November 1908. It has 19 chapters and 271 sections. It defines the different classes of tenancy (Raiyats, Mundari Khunt-Kattidars, Bhuihars, and Non-Occupancy Raiyats). Key provisions include:
  • Section 46: Limits the transfer of occupancy rights by tribal cultivators. An ST member can only transfer land to another ST member who lives within the same police station area, with the prior written approval of the Deputy Commissioner (DC).
  • Section 49: Allows tribal members to transfer land for educational, charitable, industrial, or mining purposes, but only with strict prior approval from the DC.
  • Section 71A: Gives the Deputy Commissioner the authority to return illegally transferred tribal lands to their original raiyats or legal heirs.
  • Korkar Rights (Sections 64 to 67): Regulates the conversion of wasteland, jungle, or marshy land into cultivated paddy terraces.
• Santhal Pargana Tenancy (Supplementary Provisions) Act, 1949 (5 Questions): Enacted on 13 April 1949. It consists of 9 chapters and 72 sections and applies to the six districts of the Santhal Pargana division (Dumka, Deoghar, Godda, Jamtara, Sahibganj, Pakur):
  • Section 20: States that a raiyat’s rights are not transferable by sale, gift, mortgage, or lease, unless the customary rights of transfer are specifically recorded in the settlement record of rights.
  • Section 21: Outlines the rights of a raiyat in relation to trees, ponds, and brick production on their landholding.
  • Village Headman (Pradhan / Mustajir): Oversees the appointment, removal, and land management duties of the traditional village headmen.
• Other State Land Acts (2 Questions): Covers the Bihar Land Reforms Act 1950 (which abolished zamindari), the Jharkhand Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Rules, and the guidelines for leasing government wastelands.

2. Traditional tribal administration systems (Section A: 8 questions – 16 marks)

The section looks at the traditional methods of governance used by the indigenous groups in Jharkhand. If you want to get a full understanding of the administrative positions, the duties of the village level, and the responsibilities of the clusters, see the comparison table in Section 5 concerning the Munda, Nagvanshi, Oraon, Santhal, Ho, and Kharia communities.

3. The Jharkhand Movement and the Process of State Formation (Section B: 7 questions – 14 marks)

This section outlines the political and historical path that led to statehood:

• Rebellions and uprisings by tribal groups: the Dhal Rebellion (1767), the Chuar Revolt (1769), Tilka Manjhi's revolt in Bhagalpur (1784), the Kol Uprising led by Buddhu Bhagat (1831–32), the Bhumij Revolt (1832), the Santhal Hool carried out by Sido, Kanhu, Chand and Bhairav (1855), the 1857 Uprising headed by Vishwanath Shahdeo, Nilambar-Pitambar and Tikait Umrao Singh, and Birsa Munda's Ulgulan (1895–1900).
• The term Sadan Identity applies to indigenous groups who are not tribal and who speak Indo-Aryan languages (for example, Khortha, Nagpuri, Panchpargania, and Kurmali), having lived alongside tribal communities for centuries.
• The campaign for the establishment of state status includes the Christian Student Organisation founded by J. Bartholmen in 1912, the Chotanagpur Unnati Samaj (1915), the Adivasi Mahasabha under the leadership of Jaipal Singh Munda (1938), the Jharkhand Party (1949), the All Jharkhand Students Union (established in 1986), the Jharkhand Coordination Committee (1987), the Jharkhand Area Autonomous Council (JAAC) in 1995, and finally the passage of the Bihar Reorganization Act on 15 November 2000, which resulted in Jharkhand becoming the 28th state of India.

Section I: 10 questions in the area of economic geography, minerals and rivers – 20 marks

This section assesses knowledge of the physical landscape, river drainage basins, and mineral resources:

• The river systems include the Damodar River, which is the longest river in Jharkhand and starts at Tori in Latehar, the Subarnarekha River that originates at Nagri in Ranchi and is known for being the only river in Jharkhand which flows directly into the Bay of Bengal thereby forming the Hundru Falls, the Barakar River which has the Tilaiya and Maithon dams under the DVC, together with the North Koel, the South Koel, the Sankh and the Ajay rivers.
• Jharkhand has about 27 percent of India's total mineral reserves and attention should be paid to several important areas: the coal reserves in Jharia, Bokaro and North Karanpura; the iron ore (hematite) in the Singhbhum belt and in Noamundi; the copper deposits in Ghatshila and Mosabani; the bauxite in Lohardaga and Gumla; the mica deposits in Koderma (which has historically been known as the mica capital of India); and the uranium deposits in Jaduguda and Narwapahar.
• The forest coverage accounts for about 29.76% of the total geographical area of the state (according to the India State of Forest Report). The Saranda Forest in West Singhbhum is referred to as the "land of seven hundred hills" and is renowned for the large number of Sal trees (Shorea robusta, which is the state tree of Jharkhand).

5. Environmental facts, forest management and disaster management (Sections M, N and O: 17 questions combined)

These three sections together account for 17% of Paper 2:

• The forest and wildlife management sector includes Betla National Park (which was designated in 1986 in Latehar), the Palamau Tiger Reserve (established as part of Project Tiger in 1973), Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary (famous for its wild elephants), Topchanchi Sanctuary in Dhanbad, Udhwa Lake Bird Sanctuary in Sahibganj, and the social forestry initiatives carried out by the state.
• The topic of Climate Change and Environmental Adaptation (seven questions) focuses on the Jharkhand State Climate Change Action Plan, the annual variations in temperature, the irregularity of monsoon patterns, the depletion of groundwater on the Ranchi plateau, the trends in deforestation, and the adaptation programmes supported by the UNDP.
• The Disaster Management programme deals with the specific hazards of the region, such as lightning strikes (known as Vajrapat), which result in a large number of deaths each year; underground coal seam fires in the Jharia coalfield; flash floods in the Subarnarekha and Damodar river basins; forest fires in Saranda and Parasnath; and the drought relief schemes administered by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).

6. Industrial policies, the main industries and resettlement (the 11 questions in sections J and K combined)

This section evaluates the development of industry and the government's welfare policies:

• The Industrial Policy and Rehabilitation (6 Questions) refers to the Jharkhand Industrial Policy of 2001, which was revised in 2012, 2016, and 2021; the Jharkhand Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (JIIPP 2021); and the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy of 2008, which mandates land-for-land compensation, housing compensation, and employment allowances for families that have been displaced.
• The major industrial establishments (five questions): this includes the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO, which is now called Tata Steel), set up by Jamsetji Tata at Sakchi in Jamshedpur in 1907 (steel production beginning in 1912); the Bokaro Steel Plant, which was established in 1964 with the help of the Soviet Union at Marafarhi; the Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC), established in 1958 at Dhurwa in Ranchi with assistance from Czechoslovakia and Russia; the Fertilizer Corporation of India at Sindri (1951); and the Indian Copper Corporation at Ghatshila.

7. Art, folk culture, literature, sports and government schemes (questions from sections C, D, E, F, G and L and P: 40 questions in total)

These sections test knowledge of cultural heritage, public welfare initiatives, and current state affairs:

• The following list includes folk dances such as Chhau (specifically the Seraikela Chhau style, which is recognised by UNESCO for the expressive masks it uses), Paika, Jhumar, Domkach, and Karma; traditional tribal paintings such as Sohrai, Kohbar, and Jadopatua; musical instruments including the Mandar, Nagara, Dhamsa, Bansi, and Kendra; the main folk festivals such as Sarhul (a festival celebrating the blooming of Sal flowers), Karma, Sohrai, Tusu, and Mage; and also pilgrimage sites such as Baba Baidyanath Dham (located in Deoghar) and Parasnath Hill (the sacred Jain pilgrimage site known as Shikharji).
• The subject matter includes regional literature in Santali (which uses the Ol Chiki script created by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in 1925), Mundari, Ho (written in the Varang Kshiti script), and Nagpuri; and also the various institutions such as Ranchi University (founded in 1960), Birsa Agricultural University (set up in 1981), the National Institute of Technology (NIT Jamshedpur), IIT-ISM Dhanbad (established in 1926), the Central University of Jharkhand (located in Brambe), and RIMS Ranchi.
• The text covers notable athletes such as Jaipal Singh Munda (he was the captain of the Indian hockey team that won the gold medal at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics), Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Deepika Kumari (in the field of archery), and Nikki Pradhan (in hockey); includes state sports stadiums like the Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium and the JSCA International Stadium; mentions major welfare schemes such as the Mukhya Mantri Maiyan Samman Yojana, the Birsa Awas Yojana, and the Guruji Credit Card Scheme; and also refers to state appointments, literary awards, and regional news from last year.