UPSC Prelims 2016 — solved PYQs

Question 1

With reference to the economic history of medieval India, the term 'Araghatta' refers to (A) Bonded labour (B) Land grants made to military officers (C) Waterwheel used in the irrigation of land (D) Wasteland converted to cultivated land

Accepted Answer

(C) Waterwheel used in the irrigation of land — Correct. Araghatta was a mechanical water-lifting device, essentially a waterwheel with attached pots used for irrigation. It is mentioned in various medieval Indian texts on agriculture and technology.

Question 2

Payment Banks differ from conventional commercial banks because they: (A) Can accept small deposits and provide payments/remittance services but cannot undertake regular lending (B) Issue currency notes in digital form (C) Are allowed to operate only in metropolitan cities (D) Can hold unlimited current account balances without regulation

Accepted Answer

(A) Can accept small deposits and provide payments/remittance services but cannot undertake regular lending — Correct. Payment Banks are designed for deposits and payments, not full-scale credit creation through lending.

Question 3

Regarding the taxation system of Krishna Deva, the ruler of Vijayanagar, consider the following statements:
1. The tax rate on land was fixed depending on the quality of the land.
2. Private owners of workshops paid an industries tax.
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

(C) Both 1 and 2 — Correct. Under Krishna Deva Raya, land tax rates varied according to the quality of the land (wet, dry, garden), and private workshop owners paid an industries tax. Both features reflect the sophisticated fiscal administration of the Vijayanagara Empire.

Question 4

The Parliament of India acquires the power to legislate on any item in the State List in the national interest if a resolution to that effect is passed by the: (A) Lok Sabha by a simple majority of its total membership (B) Lok Sabha by a majority of not less than two-thirds of its total membership (C) Rajya Sabha by a simple majority of its total membership (D) Rajya Sabha by a majority of not less than two-thirds of its members present and voting

Accepted Answer

(D) Rajya Sabha by a majority of not less than two-thirds of its members present and voting — Correct. Under Article 249, the Rajya Sabha can pass a resolution by a majority of not less than two-thirds of its members present and voting, declaring that it is necessary in the national interest for Parliament to legislate on a State List matter.

Question 5

Masala Bonds are best described as: (A) Rupee-denominated bonds issued overseas (B) Dollar bonds issued only by oil companies (C) Equity shares issued through ADR route (D) Gold-backed retail savings certificates

Accepted Answer

(A) Rupee-denominated bonds issued overseas — Correct. Masala Bonds are rupee-denominated debt instruments issued in offshore markets.

Question 6

Which of the following is/are tributary/tributaries of Brahmaputra?
1. Dibang
2. Kameng
3. Lohit
Select the correct answer using the code given below. (A) 1 only (B) 2 and 3 only (C) 1 and 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(D) 1, 2 and 3 — Correct. The Dibang, Kameng and Lohit are all major right-bank tributaries of the Brahmaputra, joining it in Arunachal Pradesh/Assam. They originate in the eastern Himalayas and are important rivers of the northeast.

Question 7

Which of the following appliances is/are covered under the BEE star-labelling programme?
1. Ceiling fans
2. Electric geysers
3. Tubular fluorescent lamps
Select the correct answer using the code given below. (A) 1 and 2 only (B) 3 only (C) 2 and 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(D) 1, 2 and 3 — Correct. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency's star-labelling programme covers ceiling fans, electric geysers and tubular fluorescent lamps among other appliances.

Question 8

The Global Hunger Index uses which of the following indicators?
1. Proportion of undernourished in the population
2. Proportion of children under five who are stunted
3. Under-five mortality rate (A) 1 only (B) 2 and 3 only (C) 1, 2 and 3 (D) 1 and 3 only

Accepted Answer

(C) 1, 2 and 3 — Correct. The GHI is computed using four indicators: undernourishment, child wasting, child stunting and child mortality. All three listed indicators are part of the index.

Question 9

Belt and Road Initiative is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of: (A) African Union (B) Brazil (C) European Union (D) China

Accepted Answer

(D) China — Correct. The Belt and Road Initiative is a major Chinese connectivity and infrastructure strategy launched by President Xi Jinping in 2013, involving land and maritime routes across Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Question 10

The New Development Bank (NDB) was established by which of the following groups of countries? (A) G7 (B) BRICS (C) ASEAN (D) OECD

Accepted Answer

(B) BRICS — Correct. The NDB was established by the BRICS countries and is headquartered in Shanghai.

Question 11

With reference to 'Li-Fi', recently in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It uses light as the medium for high-speed data transmission.
2. It is a wireless technology and is several times faster than 'Wi-Fi'.
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (A) 1 only (B) 2 only (C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2

Accepted Answer

(C) Both 1 and 2 — Correct. Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) uses visible light for wireless data transmission and can achieve speeds over 100 Gbps, making it significantly faster than Wi-Fi.

Question 12

The Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) in India is associated with: (A) Overall macro-prudential financial sector coordination (B) Setting minimum support prices for crops (C) Managing the Public Distribution System (D) Approving Five Year Plans

Accepted Answer

(A) Overall macro-prudential financial sector coordination — Correct. The FSDC is a high-level coordination body for financial stability, inter-regulatory coordination and development of the financial sector.

Question 13

'Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres)', often in the news, is: (A) A division of World Health Organization (B) A non-governmental international organization (C) An inter-governmental agency sponsored by European Union (D) A specialized agency of the United Nations

Accepted Answer

(B) A non-governmental international organization — Correct. Medecins Sans Frontieres is an independent international humanitarian NGO that provides medical aid in conflict zones and emergencies.

Question 14

The inclusion of Renminbi in the IMF's SDR basket implied that: (A) China replaced the IMF as a lender of last resort (B) Renminbi became one of the currencies used to determine the value of the Special Drawing Right (C) All trade with China had to be settled only in SDRs (D) Gold ceased to be part of global reserves

Accepted Answer

(B) Renminbi became one of the currencies used to determine the value of the Special Drawing Right — Correct. Once included, the Renminbi became one of the component currencies used in calculating the SDR value.

Question 15

Recently, for the first time in our country, which of the following States has declared a particular butterfly as 'State Butterfly'? (A) Arunachal Pradesh (B) Himachal Pradesh (C) Karnataka (D) Maharashtra

Accepted Answer

(D) Maharashtra — Correct. Maharashtra became the first Indian state to declare a state butterfly (the Blue Mormon, Papilio polymnestor).

Question 16

With reference to 'Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)', consider the following statements:
1. It is an organization of European Union in working relation with NATO and WHO.
2. It monitors chemical industry to prevent new weapons from emerging.
3. It provides assistance and protection to States (Parties) against chemical weapons threats.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (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. OPCW monitors chemical-industry compliance to prevent weapons proliferation and provides assistance and protection to member states against chemical threats.

Question 17

The MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency) scheme classifies loans into three categories. Which of the following is the correct ascending order of loan size? (A) Shishu, Kishore, Tarun (B) Kishore, Shishu, Tarun (C) Tarun, Kishore, Shishu (D) Shishu, Tarun, Kishore

Accepted Answer

(A) Shishu, Kishore, Tarun — Correct. Shishu covers loans up to Rs.50,000; Kishore covers Rs.50,000 to Rs.5 lakh; and Tarun covers Rs.5 lakh to Rs.10 lakh.

Question 18

In which of the following regions of India are shale gas resources found?
1. Cambay Basin
2. Cauvery Basin
3. Krishna-Godavari Basin
Select the correct answer using the code given below. (A) 1 and 2 only (B) 3 only (C) 2 and 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(D) 1, 2 and 3 — Correct. All three basins — Cambay, Cauvery, and Krishna-Godavari — have been identified as having significant shale gas resources by agencies such as the USGS and India's Directorate General of Hydrocarbons.

Question 19

The main objective of MUDRA Yojana was to: (A) Provide refinance and credit support to small and micro non-corporate enterprises (B) Recapitalize large public sector banks only (C) Finance only export-oriented technology parks (D) Provide direct budget subsidies to listed companies

Accepted Answer

(A) Provide refinance and credit support to small and micro non-corporate enterprises — Correct. MUDRA was launched to formalize and support micro units outside the large corporate segment.

Question 20

Consider the following statements about IFC (International Finance Corporation) Masala Bonds:
1. IFC is a member of the World Bank Group.
2. Masala Bonds are rupee-denominated bonds issued in overseas markets.
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

(C) Both 1 and 2 — Correct. IFC is part of the World Bank Group, and it issued rupee-denominated Masala Bonds to attract global investors to Indian rupee assets.

Question 21

With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements:
1. The concept of Bodhisattva is central to the Hinayana sect of Buddhism.
2. Bodhisattva is a compassionate one on his way to enlightenment.
3. Bodhisattva delays achieving his own salvation to help all sentient beings on their path to it.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (A) 1 only (B) 2 and 3 only (C) 2 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(B) 2 and 3 only — Correct. The Bodhisattva is indeed a being who compassionately seeks enlightenment (statement 2) and deliberately delays personal nirvana to help all sentient beings achieve liberation (statement 3). However, this concept is central to Mahayana, not Hinayana.

Question 22

Core Banking Solution allows a customer to: (A) Access banking services from any networked branch of the bank (B) Trade in derivatives without a demat account (C) Convert savings deposits into sovereign bonds automatically (D) Obtain tax exemption on all deposits

Accepted Answer

(A) Access banking services from any networked branch of the bank — Correct. CBS centralizes account information so the customer need not depend on the home branch.

Question 23

In the context of the developments in Bioinformatics, the term 'transcriptome', sometimes seen in the news, refers to: (A) A range of enzymes used in genome editing (B) The full range of mRNA molecules expressed by an organism (C) The description of the mechanism of gene expression (D) A mechanism of genetic mutations taking place in cells

Accepted Answer

(B) The full range of mRNA molecules expressed by an organism — Correct. The transcriptome is the complete set of all RNA transcripts (primarily mRNA) produced by the genome of an organism at a given time.

Question 24

Which one of the following is the best explanation for promoting millets in India? (A) They are only ornamental crops with no nutritional value (B) They are relatively hardy, climate-resilient and nutritionally valuable (C) They can be cultivated only under snow conditions (D) They require no land or water at all

Accepted Answer

(B) They are relatively hardy, climate-resilient and nutritionally valuable — Correct. Millets are valued for resilience, lower input requirements in many regions and nutritional benefits.

Question 25

What is 'Greenhouse Gas Protocol'? (A) It is an international accounting tool for government and business leaders to understand, quantify and manage greenhouse gas emissions (B) It is an initiative of the United Nations to offer financial incentives to developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adopt eco-friendly technologies (C) It is an intergovernmental agreement ratified by all the member countries of the United Nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to specified levels by the year 2022 (D) It is one of the multilateral REDD+ initiatives hosted by the World Bank

Accepted Answer

(A) It is an international accounting tool for government and business leaders to understand, quantify and manage greenhouse gas emissions — Correct. The GHG Protocol, developed by WRI and WBCSD, provides standardized frameworks for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions by businesses, governments and other entities.

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