UPSC Prelims 2013 — solved PYQs

Question 1

Which one of the following statements about Indian coal is correct? (A) It generally has high ash content and low sulphur content (B) It generally has low ash and very high sulphur content (C) It is entirely anthracite grade (D) It is unsuitable for thermal power generation

Accepted Answer

(A) It generally has high ash content and low sulphur content — Correct. Indian coal is characteristically known for relatively high ash and comparatively low sulphur content.

Question 2

Contour bunding is a method of soil conservation used in: (A) Desert margins, liable to strong wind action (B) Low flat plains, close to stream courses, liable to flooding (C) Scrublands, liable to spread of weed growth (D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

(D) None of the above — Correct. Contour bunding is used on sloping agricultural land to prevent sheet and rill erosion by constructing small embankments along contour lines. None of the listed options correctly describes its application — it is used on hill slopes and undulating terrain.

Question 3

According to the Constitution of India, which of the following are fundamental for the governance of the country? (A) Fundamental Rights (B) Fundamental Duties (C) Directive Principles of State Policy (D) Fundamental Rights and Fundamental Duties

Accepted Answer

(C) Directive Principles of State Policy — Correct. Article 37 expressly states that the Directive Principles 'shall not be enforceable by any court, but the principles therein laid down are nevertheless fundamental in the governance of the country.'

Question 4

Due to improper/indiscriminate disposal of old and used computers or their parts, which of the following are released into the environment as e-waste and areknown to causepollution?
1. Beryllium
2. Cadmium
3. Chromium
4. Mercury
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (A) 1, 3 and 4 only (B) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (C) 2 and 4 only (D) 2, 3 and 4 only

Accepted Answer

(B) 1, 2, 3 and 4 — Correct. All four are present in e-waste: beryllium in motherboards and connectors, cadmium in batteries and chip resistors, chromium in metal housings, and mercury in flat screens and switches.

Question 5

Which one of the following describes best the concept of Nirvana in Buddhism? (A) The extinction of the flame of desire (B) The complete annihilation of self (C) A state of bliss and rest (D) A mental stage beyond all comprehension

Accepted Answer

(A) The extinction of the flame of desire — Correct. Nirvana literally means 'blowing out' or 'extinguishing', referring to the extinguishing of the fires of desire (tanha), aversion, and ignorance that cause suffering and rebirth.

Question 6

Consider the following crops:
1. Cotton
2. Groundnut
3. Rice
4. Wheat
Which of these are Kharif crops? (A) 1 and 4 (B) 2 and 3 only (C) 1, 2 and 3 (D) 2, 3 and 4

Accepted Answer

(C) 1, 2 and 3 — Correct. Cotton, groundnut and rice are all kharif crops sown during the monsoon season (June-July) and harvested in autumn (October-November). Wheat is a rabi crop sown in winter.

Question 7

Which one of the following industries is generally considered the largest consumer of water in India among the options usually discussed in UPSC economy questions? (A) Textile industry (B) Cement industry (C) Automobile industry (D) Thermal power industry

Accepted Answer

(D) Thermal power industry — Correct. Thermal power generation is widely recognized as a major industrial consumer of water.

Question 8

Consider the following statements about Annie Besant:
1. She founded the Home Rule League.
2. She was the founder of the Theosophical Society.
3. She was once the President of the Indian National Congress.
Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given below. (A) 1 only (B) 2 and 3 only (C) 1 and 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(C) 1 and 3 only — Correct. Annie Besant started the Home Rule League in India in 1916 and became Congress President at the Calcutta session in 1917. She did not found the Theosophical Society — it was founded by Blavatsky and Olcott.

Question 9

Open Market Operations (OMOs) of the Reserve Bank of India refer to: (A) The buying and selling of government securities in the open market (B) The fixing of equity prices by stock exchanges (C) Direct lending by commercial banks to the public (D) Government purchase of goods and services through e-marketplaces

Accepted Answer

(A) The buying and selling of government securities in the open market — Correct. OMOs are purchases or sales of government securities by the RBI to manage liquidity and influence interest rates.

Question 10

Which of the following diseases can be transmitted from one person to another through transfusion of blood?
1. Chikungunya
2. Hepatitis B
3. HIV-AIDS
Select the correct answer using the codes given below. (A) 1 only (B) 2 and 3 only (C) 1 and 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(B) 2 and 3 only — Correct. Hepatitis B and HIV are well-known blood-borne infections that can transmit through transfusion; chikungunya, though a viraemic infection, is not a standard transfusion-transmitted disease.

Question 11

If demand for money increases while the money supply is unchanged, the immediate tendency is for: (A) Interest rates to rise (B) Interest rates to fall (C) Inflation to disappear instantly (D) Foreign exchange reserves to double

Accepted Answer

(A) Interest rates to rise — Correct. Higher demand for money, with supply unchanged, tends to put upward pressure on interest rates.

Question 12

With reference to the food chains in ecosystems, which of the following kinds of organism is/are known as decomposer organism/organisms?
1. Virus
2. Fungi
3. Bacteria
Select the correct answer using the codes given below. (A) 1 only (B) 2 and 3 only (C) 1 and 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(B) 2 and 3 only — Correct. Fungi and bacteria are the principal decomposers in ecosystems. They secrete enzymes that break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients back into the soil.

Question 13

With reference to food chains in ecosystems, consider the following statements:
1. A food chain illustrates the order in which a chain of organisms feed upon each other.
2. Food chains are found within the population of a species.
3. A food chain illustrates the numbers of each organism which are eaten by others.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (A) 1 only (B) 1 and 2 only (C) 1, 2 and 3 (D) None

Accepted Answer

(A) 1 only — Correct. A food chain shows the sequential feeding relationships among different species. Statement 2 is wrong because food chains span multiple species, not a single population. Statement 3 is wrong because food chains show who eats whom, not quantities.

Question 14

Disguised unemployment exists when: (A) Workers are paid very high wages for scarce skills (B) The marginal productivity of some workers is close to zero (C) Every worker is fully employed at market wages (D) Only seasonal migration takes place

Accepted Answer

(B) The marginal productivity of some workers is close to zero — Correct. In disguised unemployment, more workers are engaged than necessary, so removing some may not reduce output.

Question 15

Consider the following pairs:
1. Nokrek Biosphere Reserve : Garo Hills
2. Loktak Lake : Barail Range
3. Namdapha National Park : Dafla Hills
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched? (A) 1 only (B) 2 and 3 only (C) 1, 2 and 3 (D) None

Accepted Answer

(A) 1 only — Correct. Nokrek Biosphere Reserve is indeed in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya. Loktak Lake is in the Manipur valley (not the Barail Range), and Namdapha is in the Mishmi Hills of Arunachal Pradesh (not Dafla Hills).

Question 16

Consider the following statements:
1. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha are not members of that House.
2. While the nominated members of the two Houses of Parliament have no voting right in the presidential election, they have the right to vote in the election of the Vice-President.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (A) 1 only (B) 2 only (C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2

Accepted Answer

(B) 2 only — Correct. The Vice-President (who is Chairman of Rajya Sabha) is not a member of the House, but the Deputy Chairman is. Nominated MPs do not vote in presidential elections (which involve elected members of Parliament and State legislatures) but do vote in the vice-presidential election (which involves all members of both Houses).

Question 17

Which of the following pairs is correctly matched?
(a) Abyssinian Plateau — Arabia
(b) Atlas Mountains — North-Western Africa
(c) Guiana Highlands — South-Western Africa
(d) Okavango Basin — Patagonia (A) Abyssinian Plateau — Arabia (B) Atlas Mountains — North-Western Africa (C) Guiana Highlands — South-Western Africa (D) Okavango Basin — Patagonia

Accepted Answer

(B) Atlas Mountains — North-Western Africa — Correct. The Atlas Mountains extend across Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in North-Western Africa.

Question 18

Which of the following leaf modifications occurs/occur in desert areas to inhibit water loss?
1. Hard and waxy leaves
2. Tiny leaves or no leaves
3. Thorns instead of leaves
Select the correct answer using the codes given below. (A) 1 and 2 only (B) 2 only (C) 1 and 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(D) 1, 2 and 3 — Correct. All three are standard xerophytic adaptations: waxy cuticles prevent cuticular transpiration, reduced leaf size lowers surface area, and thorns eliminate leaf transpiration entirely.

Question 19

With reference to Indian History, the difference between a 'Chaitya' and a 'Vihara' is that: (A) Vihara is a place of worship, while Chaitya is the dwelling place of the monks (B) Chaitya is a place of worship, while Vihara is the dwelling place of the monks (C) Chaitya is the stupa at the far end of the cave, while Vihara is the hall axial to it (D) There is no material difference between the two

Accepted Answer

(B) Chaitya is a place of worship, while Vihara is the dwelling place of the monks — Correct. A Chaitya is a prayer hall, typically with a stupa at the apsidal end, used for congregational worship. A Vihara is a monastery — a residential complex with cells arranged around a central hall where monks lived.

Question 20

The known forces of nature can be divided into four classes, viz., gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force. With reference to them, which one of the following statements is not correct? (A) Gravity is the strongest of the four (B) Electromagnetism acts only on particles with an electric charge (C) Weak nuclear force causes radioactivity (D) Strong nuclear force holds protons and neutrons inside the nucleus of an atom

Accepted Answer

(A) Gravity is the strongest of the four — Correct. Gravity is actually the weakest of the four fundamental forces, not the strongest. The strong nuclear force is the strongest.

Question 21

Which of the following best explains deficit financing in the Indian context? (A) Raising resources for development by financing expenditure beyond normal receipts (B) Borrowing only from foreign governments for trade deficits (C) Using only tax increases to cover public expenditure (D) Reducing public debt through privatization receipts

Accepted Answer

(A) Raising resources for development by financing expenditure beyond normal receipts — Correct. In standard Indian public finance usage, deficit financing refers to financing budgetary gaps, historically including monetized deficit, to support development expenditure.

Question 22

The people of India agitated against the arrival of the Simon Commission because (A) Indians never wanted the review of the working of the Act of 1919 (B) Simon Commission recommended the abolition of Dyarchy (Diarchy) in the provinces (C) There was no Indian member in the Simon Commission (D) The Simon Commission suggested the partition of the country

Accepted Answer

(C) There was no Indian member in the Simon Commission — Correct. Indians opposed the Simon Commission because every member was British. The absence of any Indian representative turned the Commission into a symbol of imperial exclusion and triggered nationwide protests under the slogan 'Simon Go Back'.

Question 23

The Chinese traveller Yuan Chwang (Hiuen Tsang) who visited India recorded the general conditions and culture of India at that time. In this context, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. The roads and river-routes were completely immune from robbery.
2. As regards punishment for offences, ordeals by fire, water and poison were the instruments for determining the innocence or guilt of a person.
3. The tradesmen had to pay duties at ferries and barrier stations.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below. (A) 1 only (B) 2 and 3 only (C) 1 and 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(B) 2 and 3 only — Correct. Xuanzang's Si-Yu-Ki records that ordeals by fire, water, and poison were used in judicial proceedings (statement 2), and that traders paid transit duties at ferries and checkpoints (statement 3). However, he did not describe roads as completely safe from robbery.

Question 24

Variations in the length of daytime and night-time from season to season are due to: (A) The earth's rotation on its axis (B) The earth's revolution round the sun in an elliptical manner (C) Latitudinal position of the place (D) Revolution of the earth on a tilted axis

Accepted Answer

(D) Revolution of the earth on a tilted axis — Correct. The Earth's axis is tilted at 23.5° to the plane of its orbit. As the Earth revolves around the Sun, this tilt causes different hemispheres to receive varying amounts of sunlight, producing seasonal changes in day and night lengths.

Question 25

Many transplanted seedlings do not grow because: (A) The new soil does not contain favourable minerals (B) Most of the root hairs grip the new soil too hard (C) Most of the root hairs are lost during transplantation (D) Leaves get damaged during transplantation

Accepted Answer

(C) Most of the root hairs are lost during transplantation — Correct. Root hairs are delicate extensions of epidermal cells that are destroyed during uprooting; their loss severely reduces the plant's ability to absorb water and minerals, often causing transplant failure.

UPSC Prelims 2013 — solved PYQs

2013 PYQs by subject

Solved questions

Other years

Practise the full 2013 paper

UPSC Prelims 2013 — solved PYQs

2013 PYQs by subject

Solved questions

Other years

Practise the full 2013 paper