70 previous year questions from the 2000 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 70.
Phytotron is a facility to:
Explanation
Correct. A phytotron is a controlled-environment facility where light, temperature, humidity and other factors are precisely regulated to study plant growth and responses.
Match List I with List II and select the correct answer: List I: I. Land allotted to big feudal landlords, II. Land allotted to revenue farmers or rent collectors, III. Land allotted to each peasant with the right to sublet, mortgage, transfer, gift or sell, IV. Revenue settlements made at village level List II: A. Jagirdari System, B. Ryotwari System, C. Mahalwari System, D. Zamindari System
Explanation
Correct. Jagirdari involved land grants to feudal lords (I-A), Zamindari was the system of revenue collection by intermediaries (II-D), Ryotwari gave individual peasant rights (III-B), and Mahalwari operated at the village level (IV-C).
Assertion (A): Small glass beads fixed on the back of traffic signs glow brightly when light falls on them. Reason (R): Light undergoes total internal reflection when it strikes such glass beads.
Explanation
Correct. The glass beads on retroreflective traffic signs work by total internal reflection. Light entering a bead refracts inward, undergoes total internal reflection at the curved back surface, and is sent back towards the source, making the sign appear bright.
A noise level of 100 decibels would correspond to:
Explanation
Correct. A noise level of 100 decibels corresponds to very loud sounds such as those from a machine shop, a loud approaching train, or a power lawn mower. Prolonged exposure at this level can cause hearing damage.
Which one of the following is not a feature of the Government of India Act of 1935?
Explanation
Correct. Dyarchy in the provinces was a feature of the Government of India Act of 1919, not 1935. The 1935 Act actually abolished provincial dyarchy and introduced provincial autonomy instead.
The native State of Tripura became involved in the Freedom Movement early in the 20th century because:
Explanation
Correct. Tripura's involvement in the freedom movement was driven by existing groups fighting against the local kingship and its British protectors, making it an early participant in anti-colonial resistance.
Resurgent India Bonds, issued in 1998, were denominated in US Dollar, Pound Sterling, and:
Explanation
Correct. Resurgent India Bonds were issued in three currencies: US Dollar, Pound Sterling, and Deutsche Mark.
Assertion (A): The Aham and Puram poems of the Padinen Kilukanakku group formed a continuation of the Sangam composition. Reason (R): They were included under the Post-Sangam works as against the Sangam works proper.
Explanation
Correct. The Padinen Kilukanakku (Eighteen Minor Works) continued the Sangam literary tradition in both Aham (love) and Puram (heroic) genres. They are classified as Post-Sangam works, which is why they formed a continuation rather than being part of the Sangam corpus proper. R correctly explains A.
Which one of the following dynasties was ruling over North India at the time of Alexander's invasion?
Explanation
Correct. When Alexander invaded India in 326 BCE, the Nanda dynasty under Dhana Nanda was ruling the Magadha region and much of North India. Greek sources refer to the powerful 'Gangaridai' and 'Prasii' whose large army deterred Alexander's troops.
The stones formed in human kidney consist mostly of:
Explanation
Correct. About 80% of kidney stones are composed of calcium oxalate, formed when calcium combines with oxalate in urine.
Within biological communities, some species are important in determining the ability of a large number of other species to persist in the community. Such species are called:
Explanation
Correct. Keystone species have a disproportionately large effect on their community relative to their abundance, and their removal causes significant changes in ecosystem structure.
Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists: List I (Oceanic Trench) — List II (Location) A. Aleutian — 1. Indian Ocean B. Kermadec — 2. North Pacific Ocean C. Sunda — 3. South Pacific Ocean D. S. Sandwich — 4. South Atlantic Ocean
Explanation
Correct. The Aleutian Trench is in the North Pacific, the Kermadec Trench is in the South Pacific near New Zealand, the Sunda Trench is in the Indian Ocean near Indonesia, and the South Sandwich Trench is in the South Atlantic.
Consider the following ports: 1. Kakinada 2. Karwar 3. Mangalore 4. Tuticorin 5. Veraval Which of the above are located on the west coast of India?
Explanation
Correct. Karwar (Karnataka), Mangalore (Karnataka) and Veraval (Gujarat) are all located on India's western coastline. Kakinada is on the Andhra Pradesh east coast and Tuticorin is on the Tamil Nadu southeast coast.
Consider the following list of ports associated with the Union Territory of Pondicherry: 1. Karaikal 2. Mahe 3. Pondicherry 4. Yanam Which of these are port towns of the Union Territory?
Explanation
Correct. Pondicherry (Puducherry) is a Union Territory comprising four geographically separate districts — Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam — all of which are coastal port towns inherited from French colonial enclaves.
Match List I (Diseases) with List II (Types of diseases): List I: I. Malaria, II. Poliomyelitis, III. Filariasis, IV. Ringworm List II: A. Protozoan infection, B. Viral infection, C. Helminthic (worm) infection, D. Fungal infection Codes:
Explanation
Correct. Malaria is a protozoan infection (Plasmodium), poliomyelitis is caused by poliovirus, filariasis is a helminthic worm infection (Wuchereria), and ringworm is a fungal infection (dermatophytes).
Match List I (Endocrine glands) with List II (Hormones secreted) and select the correct answer: I. Gonads — II. Pituitary — III. Pancreas — IV. Adrenal A) Insulin — B) Progesterone — C) Growth hormone — D) Cortisone
Explanation
Correct. Gonads secrete progesterone (B); pituitary secretes growth hormone (C); pancreas secretes insulin (A); adrenal glands secrete cortisone (D).
The correct sequence in decreasing order of the four sugarcane-producing States in India is:
Explanation
Correct. Uttar Pradesh leads sugarcane production in India, followed by Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh in that order.
Who among the following streamlined the Maratha administration after Sambhaji?
Explanation
Correct. Raja Ram, the younger son of Shivaji, took over the Maratha leadership after Sambhaji's execution by Aurangzeb in 1689 and reorganised the administration during a difficult period of Mughal siege.
Speaker can ask a member of the House to stop speaking and let another member speak. This phenomenon is known as:
Explanation
Correct. Yielding the floor is the parliamentary convention where a member stops speaking to allow another member to address the House, often at the direction of the Speaker.
The memory of a computer is commonly expressed in terms of Kilobytes or Megabytes. A byte is made up of:
Explanation
Correct. A byte consists of 8 bits (binary digits), where each bit can be either 0 or 1. One byte can represent 256 (2^8) different values.
Assertion (A): Ashoka annexed Kalinga to the Mauryan Empire. Reason (R): Kalinga controlled the land and sea routes to South India.
Explanation
Correct. Ashoka fought the bloody Kalinga War (c. 261 BCE) and annexed it. Kalinga's strategic location along the eastern coast gave it control over vital land and maritime trade routes to South India, which was a key motivation for the conquest.
Economic liberalization in India is generally considered to have begun with:
Explanation
Correct. The dismantling of industrial licensing under the New Industrial Policy, 1991 was a major marker of liberalization.
That the per capita income in India was Rs. 20 in 1867-68, was ascertained for the first time by:
Explanation
Correct. Dadabhai Naoroji, known as the 'Grand Old Man of India', first calculated India's per capita income at Rs. 20 for 1867-68 in his work on the 'drain of wealth' theory, presented to learned bodies in Britain.
A Standing Committee recommended uniform rates for:
Explanation
Correct. The recommendation was about uniform sales tax rates across States to reduce distortion and tax competition.
The first Indian state to publish a Human Development Report, prepared with the involvement of Amartya Kumar Sen, was:
Explanation
Correct. Madhya Pradesh was the first Indian state to publish a Human Development Report in 1995, prepared with the involvement of Nobel laureate Amartya Kumar Sen. This was a pioneering effort to assess sub-national human development and was subsequently followed by several other states.
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