UPSC Prelims 2000 — solved PYQs

Disease-free conditions are maintained in tissue culture labs; a phytotron provides broader environmental control.

Conservation of endangered species is done through seed banks and botanical gardens, not phytotrons.

Mutation induction uses mutagens or radiation; a phytotron is for controlled-environment plant growth studies.

This incorrectly matches revenue farmers with the Mahalwari System. Mahalwari involved village-level settlements, not revenue farming.

This reverses multiple pairs. The Jagirdari System involved feudal landlords, not Mahalwari.

This incorrectly associates feudal landlords with Ryotwari. Ryotwari was a direct peasant-state settlement, not a feudal arrangement.

Total internal reflection is the exact mechanism that causes the beads to retroreflect light, so R is the correct explanation.

The reason is true; total internal reflection is the operating principle of retroreflective beads.

The assertion is also true; glass beads on traffic signs do glow brightly when illuminated by headlights.

The threshold of hearing is about 0 dB; 100 dB is far louder than just audible.

Ordinary conversation is around 60 dB, much lower than 100 dB.

A whisper is about 20-30 dB, far quieter than 100 dB.

The All India Federation was indeed a feature of the 1935 Act, though it never came into operation.

Dyarchy at the centre was introduced by the 1935 Act, where certain subjects at the federal level were reserved for the Governor-General.

Provincial autonomy was a key feature of the 1935 Act, replacing the earlier dyarchy system in provinces.

The kings of Tripura were not consistently anti-British. Their involvement in the freedom movement was not the primary reason for Tripura's engagement.

While some Bengali revolutionaries may have had connections to Tripura, this was not the primary reason for Tripura's early involvement in the freedom movement.

The tribal populations of Tripura had their own grievances, but the question refers specifically to involvement in the broader nationalist freedom movement.

This is incorrect because the Japanese Yen was not one of the denominations used.

This is incorrect because the Euro had not yet been introduced as a physical currency when these bonds were issued.

This is incorrect because the French Franc was not one of the denominations chosen.

R does explain A. The classification as Post-Sangam works is precisely why they are considered a continuation of the Sangam tradition rather than part of it.

R is not false. The Padinen Kilukanakku texts are indeed classified under Post-Sangam works.

A is not false. The Aham and Puram poems of this group did continue the thematic and stylistic traditions of Sangam literature.

The Maurya dynasty was founded by Chandragupta Maurya around 321 BCE, after Alexander's invasion and the overthrow of the Nandas.

The Sunga dynasty came to power around 185 BCE after Pushyamitra Sunga assassinated the last Mauryan ruler, well over a century after Alexander's invasion.

The Kanva dynasty succeeded the Sungas around 73 BCE, nearly 250 years after Alexander's invasion of India.

Sodium acetate is a soluble salt used in food preservation and heating pads, not found in kidney stones.

Magnesium sulphate (Epsom salt) is soluble and used as a laxative; it does not form kidney stones.

While calcium carbonate stones exist, they are far less common than calcium oxalate stones.

Allopatric species are populations separated by geographic barriers — a concept from speciation theory, not community ecology.

Sympatric species are those occurring in the same geographic area. The term describes distribution, not functional importance in a community.

Threatened species are those at risk of extinction; the term does not describe their ecological role in sustaining other species.

The South Sandwich Trench is in the South Atlantic Ocean, not the South Pacific.

The Aleutian Trench is in the North Pacific Ocean, not the Indian Ocean.

Multiple mismatches. The Aleutian Trench is in the North Pacific, not the Indian Ocean.

Kakinada is on the east coast, and Tuticorin is on the southeast coast, not the west coast.

Kakinada is on the east coast and Tuticorin is on the southeast coast.

Veraval in Gujarat is also on the west coast.

Mahe and Yanam are also part of the Union Territory and are coastal towns.

Karaikal and Pondicherry are also part of the Union Territory with port facilities.

Mahe, located on the Malabar Coast in Kerala, is also a port town of the Union Territory.

Malaria is caused by Plasmodium (protozoan), not a virus, making this matching incorrect.

Malaria is protozoan not helminthic, and filariasis is helminthic not protozoan.

Poliomyelitis is viral not fungal, and filariasis is helminthic not viral.

This incorrectly assigns growth hormone to gonads and progesterone to pituitary; gonads secrete progesterone and pituitary secretes growth hormone.

This incorrectly pairs pancreas with cortisone and adrenal with insulin; pancreas secretes insulin and adrenal cortex secretes cortisone.

This incorrectly assigns growth hormone to gonads and progesterone to pituitary, reversing their correct glands.

Uttar Pradesh has historically been the largest sugarcane-producing state, not Maharashtra.

U.P. is the largest producer, not Maharashtra. Tamil Nadu produces more than Andhra Pradesh.

Tamil Nadu traditionally produces more sugarcane than Andhra Pradesh.

Balaji Vishwanath became Peshwa in 1713 and played a crucial role in strengthening Maratha administration, but this was after Raja Ram's initial reorganisation.

While Tarabai (sometimes conflated with Ganga Bai) played a role in Maratha resistance, the streamlining of administration after Sambhaji is attributed to Raja Ram.

Nanaji Deshmukh is a modern figure associated with the RSS and rural development, not with the seventeenth-century Maratha administration.

Decorum refers to general standards of dignified conduct expected in the House; it does not specifically describe one member giving way to another.

Crossing the floor refers to a legislator switching party allegiance by physically moving to the opposite side of the House, not to speaking order.

Interpellation is a formal process of questioning the government, prevalent in some continental European parliaments, and does not describe the act of one member yielding to another.

Computers use the binary system, not the decimal system, for data storage. A byte is 8 binary digits.

Two binary digits form only 2 bits, not a byte. A byte requires 8 bits.

Computer memory is based on the binary number system; a byte is 8 binary digits, not 2 decimal digits.

R does explain A because controlling the trade routes to South India was a major strategic reason for the Mauryan annexation of Kalinga.

R is not false. Kalinga's position on the eastern seaboard indeed gave it control over both overland and coastal trade routes linking northern and southern India.

A is not false. The Kalinga War under Ashoka (mentioned in Rock Edict XIII) is one of the best-documented military campaigns of ancient India.

Capital account convertibility has not been fully implemented in India.

Customs duties were reduced, not abolished altogether.

No such institutional replacement occurred.

M. G. Ranade was an important economist and social reformer, but he did not make this particular calculation of per capita income.

Sir W. W. Hunter was a British civil servant known for compiling the Imperial Gazetteer of India, not for per capita income calculations.

R. C. Dutt wrote extensively on British economic exploitation of India but the specific per capita income calculation was by Dadabhai Naoroji.

This is incorrect because the recommendation predated the eventual rollout of VAT and specifically dealt with harmonizing sales tax rates.

This is incorrect because the committee was not dealing with stamp duty and registration rates in this question.

This is incorrect because agricultural income tax was not the subject of that recommendation.

West Bengal was not the first Indian state to publish an HDR. Although Amartya Sen has Bengali roots, Madhya Pradesh took the initiative first.

Kerala, despite having the best human development indicators among Indian states, was not the first to publish a state-level Human Development Report.

Andhra Pradesh published its Human Development Report later. Madhya Pradesh holds the distinction of being the first Indian state to do so.