79 previous year questions from the 1996 UPSC Prelims paper, organised by subject — each solved with option-by-option explanations.
A selection of 25 solved questions — sign up free to practise all 79.
Fat present below the skin surface in our body acts as a barrier against:
Explanation
Correct. Subcutaneous fat acts as an insulating layer that prevents excessive heat loss from the body, helping to maintain body temperature.
Consider the following statements: No one can be compelled to sing the National Anthem since: 1. It will be violative of the Right to freedom of speech and expression. 2. It will be violative of the Right to freedom of conscience and practise and propagation of religion. 3. There is no legal provision obliging any one to sing the National Anthem. Of these statements:
Explanation
Correct. The Supreme Court in Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala held that compulsion to sing the National Anthem violates both freedom of expression and freedom of conscience, and there is no statutory provision mandating singing.
According to ancient Indian cosmogonic ideas the sequential order of the cycle of four aeons (Yugas) is:
Explanation
Correct. The four Yugas in their correct cyclical order are: Krita (Satya) Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga. Each successive age represents a decline in dharma, with Krita being the golden age and Kali the age of strife.
Domestic electrical wiring is basically a:
Explanation
Correct. Household electrical wiring uses parallel connections so that each appliance receives the full mains voltage independently and can be switched on or off without affecting other devices.
"You might see a few curious Danes around, but that is because ..... used to be a Danish outpost. This quaint town with its fort and a beautiful church, the New Jerusalem, empty streets and deserted beach front is a quaint gem." The place referred to in this quotation lies on the:
Explanation
Correct. The description refers to Tranquebar (Tharangambadi) on the Tamil Nadu coast, which was a Danish colonial settlement from 1620 to 1845, featuring Fort Dansborg and the New Jerusalem Church.
Consider the following statements about Jawaharlal Nehru: 1. He was the President of the Congress Party in 1947. 2. He presided over the Constituent Assembly. 3. He formed the first Congress Ministry in United Province before India's independence. Of these statements:
Explanation
Correct. In 1947, J.B. Kripalani was the Congress President, not Nehru. The Constituent Assembly was presided over by Dr. Rajendra Prasad. The first Congress Ministry in United Province was formed by G.B. Pant, not Nehru.
B.R. Ambedkar was elected to the Constituent Assembly from:
Explanation
Correct. B.R. Ambedkar was elected to the Constituent Assembly from West Bengal. After losing his seat from Bombay due to the partition-related reorganisation, he was elected from Bengal with the help of Jogendra Nath Mandal.
Which one of the following is not a part of early Jaina literature?
Explanation
Correct. Therigatha ('Verses of the Elder Nuns') is a Buddhist Pali text forming part of the Khuddaka Nikaya in the Sutta Pitaka. It is not a Jain text.
Consider the following landmarks in Indian education: I) Hindu College, Calcutta II) University of Calcutta III) Adam's Report IV) Wood's Despatch The correct chronological order of these landmarks is:
Explanation
Correct. Hindu College was founded in 1817, Adam's Reports on education were submitted in the 1830s, Wood's Despatch came in 1854, and the University of Calcutta was established in 1857. The sequence I, III, IV, II is chronologically correct.
The river most mentioned in early Vedic literature is:
Explanation
Correct. The Sindhu (Indus) is the most frequently mentioned river in the Rig Veda. The very name 'India' and 'Hindu' derive from the word Sindhu, underscoring its centrality in early Vedic geography.
Which one of the following sculptures invariably used green schist as the medium?
Explanation
Correct. Gandhara sculptures from the northwest frontier region (modern Pakistan-Afghanistan) characteristically used grey-green schist (a metamorphic stone) to carve their Hellenistic-influenced Buddhist imagery.
The revenue expenditure distribution pattern in the 1990s indicated the Indian economy was under stress primarily because the government had to:
Explanation
Correct. Rising interest payments on accumulated public debt consumed a growing share of revenue expenditure, crowding out developmental spending.
Of the four landmarks in medical history given below, which one was the first to take place?
Explanation
Correct. Plastic surgery has ancient origins — Sushruta in India performed rhinoplasty around 600 BCE, making it the earliest of these medical landmarks by far.
'Saddle Peak', the highest peak of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is located in:
Explanation
Correct. Saddle Peak (732 m) is located on North Andaman Island and is the highest point in the entire Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.
Which one of the following is an important historical novel written during the latter half of the nineteenth century? [1996]
Explanation
Correct. Durgesh Nandini (1865) by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee is considered the first major Bengali historical novel, set during the Mughal-Afghan period.
Total internal reflection can take place when light travels from:
Explanation
Correct. Total internal reflection occurs only when light travels from a denser medium (e.g., glass or water) to a rarer medium (e.g., air) and strikes the boundary at an angle greater than the critical angle.
Assertion (A): Mangroves are very specialised forest ecosystems of tropical and subtropical regions bordering certain sea coasts. Reason (R): They stabilise the shoreline and act as a bulwark against encroachments by sea. In the context of the above two statements, which one of the following is correct?
Explanation
Correct. Mangroves are indeed specialised coastal forest ecosystems of the tropics and subtropics, and their ability to stabilise shorelines through sediment trapping and wave attenuation is a key reason for their existence in these coastal zones.
Which one of the following correctly distinguishes stabilization from structural adjustment in the context of the 1991 reforms?
Explanation
Correct. Stabilization aimed at immediate macroeconomic correction, while structural adjustment referred to medium- to long-term institutional and policy reforms.
Which one of the following is not correct about the Cabinet Mission Plan?
Explanation
Correct. The Cabinet Mission Plan explicitly rejected the demand for a separate Pakistan. It proposed a united India with a loose federal structure and provincial groupings as an alternative to partition.
Income redistribution in a country can be best achieved through:
Explanation
Correct. Progressive taxation means the rich pay a higher proportion of their income in taxes, while progressive spending means government expenditure disproportionately benefits the poor (e.g., subsidies, welfare schemes). Together, they most effectively redistribute income from the wealthy to the less well-off.
Who among the following was a prominent leader of the Congress Socialist Party?
Explanation
Correct. Acharya Narendra Dev was a co-founder and prominent leader of the Congress Socialist Party, established in 1934 along with Jayaprakash Narayan.
The Sufi saint who maintained that devotional music was one way of coming close to God was:
Explanation
Correct. Muin-ud-din Chishti, the founder of the Chishti order in India, strongly advocated sama (devotional music assemblies) as a means of spiritual elevation and coming closer to God.
Which of the following were common to both Buddhism and Jainism? 1. Avoidance of extremities of penance and enjoyment 2. Indifference to the authority of the Vedas 3. Denial of efficacy of rituals 4. Non-injury to animal life Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Explanation
Correct. Both Buddhism and Jainism rejected Vedic authority (2), denied the efficacy of Vedic rituals and sacrifices (3), and upheld non-injury to animal life (4). However, avoidance of extremities of penance is a Buddhist concept; Jainism embraces rigorous asceticism.
What is the system of governance in the Panchayati Raj setup?
Explanation
Correct. Panchayati Raj is organised as a three-tier system: Gram Panchayat at the village level, Panchayat Samiti at the intermediate or block level, and Zila Parishad at the district level. This structure was recommended by the Balwantrai Mehta Committee and later constitutionalised.
In the context of ancient Indian society, which one of the following terms does not belong to the category of the other three?
Explanation
Correct. Kosa means treasury or storehouse, which is a term related to state administration and finance. The other three — Kula (family), Vamsa (lineage), and Gotra (clan) — are all kinship and lineage terms.
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