UPSC Prelims 1997 — solved PYQs

General Henry Prendergast is associated with the Third Anglo-Burmese War and the annexation of Upper Burma, not with the suppression of Thugs.

Alexander Burnes was a British political officer and explorer in Afghanistan and Central Asia, assassinated in Kabul in 1841 during the First Anglo-Afghan War.

Captain Robert Pemberton was associated with diplomatic missions to Bhutan and the northeastern frontier, not with the anti-Thug campaign.

Madan Mohan Malaviya was associated with founding Banaras Hindu University and was a Congress president, but the specific career trajectory described does not match his biography.

M.G. Ranade was a social reformer and judge associated with the Sarvajanik Sabha, but the full biographical description — especially Gandhi regarding him as his 'master' — points to Gokhale.

Tilak was also from Maharashtra and connected to Sarvajanik Sabha, but Gandhi did not regard Tilak as his 'master' — that distinction belongs to Gokhale.

Teak is a tropical deciduous species found in central and peninsular India; it does not grow in the cold climate of Jammu and Kashmir.

Deodar is a coniferous species of the western Himalayas; it is not found in the tropical climate of Madhya Pradesh.

While sandalwood does grow in parts of Kerala, it is most characteristically associated with Karnataka. This pairing is not the best match.

GDP per head in nominal US dollars does not account for differences in price levels across countries. The HDI uses a purchasing power parity (PPP) adjusted measure to enable meaningful cross-country comparisons of living standards.

GNP in nominal US dollars does not adjust for price level differences across countries. The HDI requires a PPP-adjusted income measure for accurate cross-country comparison.

National income per head in nominal US dollars suffers from the same limitation — it does not account for differences in the cost of living across countries, which the PPP adjustment corrects for.

Sesamum is the least produced among these oilseeds, not the most.

This order is incorrect. Soyabean and groundnut lead Indian oilseed production.

Soyabean production exceeds mustard in India, making this sequence incorrect.

Incorrect. A is false — reserving seats in Parliament and legislatures requires a constitutional amendment to alter the electoral framework.

Incorrect. A is false, so this combination is not possible.

Incorrect. A is false; constitutional seat reservation mandates a constitutional amendment.

1987-92 is incorrect; the Seventh Plan started in 1985.

1986-91 is off by one year on both ends.

1988-94 does not match any Five Year Plan period.

Malik Muhammad Jayasi was the author of Padmavat and wrote primarily about romance and Sufi themes; he did not reference the discovery of America.

Amir Khusrau lived in the 13th-14th century, well before Columbus's voyage of 1492, so he could not have referred to the discovery of America.

Raskhan was a devotional poet of the Bhakti movement who wrote about Krishna; geographical discoveries were not part of his literary concerns.

Choropleth maps use shading or colouring of administrative areas to represent data values. Isobars are lines, not shaded areas.

Chorochromatic maps use colours to represent qualitative area data such as land use types, not quantitative contour lines.

Choroschematic maps use symbols distributed across areas to represent data, not continuous contour lines.

The Diwan (also called Wazir) was the head of the revenue and finance department, not the military department, under Akbar's centralised administration.

The Mir Saman was the officer in charge of the royal household and karkhanas (imperial workshops), not the military department.

While 'Bakshi' is a related term, the specific designation for the head of the central military department was Mir Bakshi, not simply Bakshi. Provincial bakhshis existed at lower levels.

This is incorrect. The 1991-92 Budget was associated with broad macroeconomic reforms, but MAT was not introduced then.

This is incorrect because MAT was not introduced in the 1992-93 Budget.

This is incorrect. Although tax reforms were underway in the mid-1990s, MAT was not introduced in 1995-96.

This matching is incorrect. The Butler Committee examined the relationship with Indian States (B), not the working of Dyarchy (C).

This matching is incorrect. The Butler Committee dealt with Indian States (B), not Jallianwala Bagh (A).

This matching is incorrect. The Hurtog Committee dealt with education (D), not Jallianwala Bagh (A).

Incorrect. State Election Commissions were introduced by the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, not by the Goswami Committee recommendations.

Incorrect. The Committee did not recommend replacing the FPTP system with a list system for Lok Sabha elections.

Incorrect. The Committee did not recommend banning independent candidates from parliamentary elections.

Substances that lower body temperature are called antipyretics (e.g., paracetamol), not antigens.

Antibodies and antibiotics destroy bacteria; antigens are the foreign substances that provoke immune responses.

Antidotes neutralise poisons; antigens are substances recognised as foreign by the immune system.

The 1991 Census figures were not used because of the population-freeze regime in force, which kept presidential vote values tied to the 1971 Census.

The 1981 Census figures were not adopted for presidential election vote calculations due to the constitutional freeze on population figures for this purpose.

The 1961 Census predates the relevant constitutional provisions that fixed the population basis at the 1971 Census.

Protein analysis lacks the specificity needed for individual identification as proteins are shared widely among unrelated individuals.

Chromosome counting reveals ploidy and gross abnormalities but cannot distinguish between individuals of the same species.

Quantitative DNA analysis measures total DNA amount, not the unique sequence patterns needed for individual identification.

300 would result from an incorrect subtraction rather than the addition required when converting from Saka to Vikrama Samvat.

330 does not correspond to any valid conversion formula between the Saka and Vikrama eras.

407 would result from subtracting 58 from 465, which confuses the direction of the conversion.

Nordic Aryans are characterised by tall stature, fair complexion, long heads and abundant hair, which does not match the description given.

Austrics (Proto-Australoid) are characterised by dark skin, wavy hair and broad noses, which does not match this description.

Negroids are characterised by dark skin, curly hair, broad noses and thick lips, which is distinctly different from the description provided.

Tute-i-Hind ('Parrot of India') was a title associated with Amir Khusrau, the famous poet, not with Balban.

Kaisr-i-Hind was a later British-era title and was never assumed by any Delhi Sultan.

Din-i-Ilahi was Akbar's syncretic religious order from the late 16th century, not a title used by Balban in the 13th century.

R is factually incorrect. The Chishti order takes its name from the town of Chisht in Afghanistan (near Herat), not from a village in Ajmer. Therefore R cannot be a correct explanation.

R is not true. The name Chishti derives from Chisht in Afghanistan, not from Ajmer.

A is not false. Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is universally recognised as the principal figure who established the Chishti Sufi order in India.

Bharatanatyam can be performed solo but historically evolved from the devadasi tradition of ensemble performance and is not exclusively a solo form.

Kuchipudi originated as a dance-drama tradition with multiple performers and still includes group formats, though solo recitals are common today.

Odissi can be performed solo or in groups and is not exclusively a solo form.

Ashokan pillars are indeed famous for their high burnished polish achieved by Mauryan craftsmen, so this statement is correct.

The pillars are monolithic — each shaft is carved from a single piece of stone — which is a remarkable feat of ancient engineering. This is correct.

The shafts of Ashokan pillars are indeed slightly tapering (wider at the base, narrower at the top), which is correct.

This places the Sargeant Report (1944) before the Hunter Commission (1882), which is incorrect.

This places Wood's Despatch (1854) before Macaulay's Minute (1835), which is chronologically wrong.

This sequence is entirely reversed and does not match the historical timeline of these education landmarks.

While both statements may be considered true, R is not the correct explanation for A. The contempt power exists to protect the administration of justice, not to facilitate judicial activism specifically.

R is not necessarily false as the judiciary does need enforcement mechanisms, but its characterisation as an explanation for A is what is incorrect.

A is not false. Willful disobedience of court orders and derogatory language about judicial behaviour are well-recognised grounds for contempt proceedings.

While atmosphere matters, the presence of water (even frozen) is considered the most critical indicator of potential habitability.

Temperature is important but secondary to water availability for life as we know it.

Ozone protects against UV radiation but is not as fundamental as water for the existence of life.