UPSC Prelims 2019 — solved PYQs

Question 1

Which of the following are the reasons for the occurrence of multi-drug resistance in microbial pathogens in India?
1. Genetic predisposition of some people
2. Taking incorrect doses of antibiotics to cure diseases
3. Using antibiotics in livestock farming
4. Multiple chronic diseases in some people
Select the correct answer using the code given below. (A) 1 and 2 (B) 2 and 3 only (C) 1, 3 and 4 (D) 2, 3 and 4

Accepted Answer

(B) 2 and 3 only — Correct. Incorrect antibiotic dosing creates selective pressure favouring resistant strains, and widespread antibiotic use in livestock farming accelerates resistance gene spread in microbial populations.

Question 2

With reference to the Constitution of India, consider the following statements:
1. No High Court has jurisdiction to declare any Central law constitutionally invalid.
2. An amendment to the Constitution cannot be called into question by the Supreme Court of India.
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

(D) Neither 1 nor 2 — Correct. High Courts can review the constitutional validity of Central laws within their jurisdiction under Article 226, and constitutional amendments are subject to judicial review on the basic-structure test.

Question 3

With reference to the RBI's data localization norms for payment systems, consider the following statements:
1. All payment system operators must store the entire data relating to payment systems operated by them only in India.
2. Only payment systems owned by public sector enterprises are covered under this requirement.
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

(A) 1 only — Correct. RBI mandated that all payment system data must be stored exclusively in India, but the requirement applies to all payment system operators, not only public sector ones.

Question 4

Consider the following pairs:
Movement or Organization : Leader
1. All India Anti-Untouchability League : Mahatma Gandhi
2. All India Kisan Sabha : Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
3. Self-Respect Movement : Naicker E.V. Ramaswami
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched? (A) 1 only (B) 1 and 2 only (C) 2 and 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(D) 1, 2 and 3 — Correct. All three pairs are correctly matched: Gandhi founded the Anti-Untouchability League in 1932, Swami Sahajanand Saraswati founded the All India Kisan Sabha in 1936, and E.V. Ramaswami Naicker (Periyar) launched the Self-Respect Movement in 1925.

Question 5

Consider the following statements:
1. Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.
2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.
3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (A) 1 only (B) 2 only (C) 1 and 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(A) 1 only — Correct. The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) survives in the wild only in the Gir Forest of Gujarat, India. The double-humped Bactrian camel is native to Central Asia (Mongolia, China), and the one-horned rhinoceros is also found in Nepal.

Question 6

Consider the following statements:
1. As per recent amendment to the Indian Forest Act, 1927, forest dwellers have the right to fell bamboos grown in forest areas.
2. Under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, bamboo is a minor forest produce.
3. The Forest Rights Act, 2006 allows ownership of minor forest produce to forest dwellers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (A) 1 and 2 only (B) 2 and 3 only (C) 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(B) 2 and 3 only — Correct. The Forest Rights Act, 2006 includes bamboo in the definition of minor forest produce, and the Act recognizes the right of forest-dwelling communities to own, collect, use, and dispose of minor forest produce, including bamboo.

Question 7

Consider the following statements about Indian Government Bond Yields:
1. They are influenced by the actions of the US Federal Reserve.
2. They are influenced by the actions of the Reserve Bank of India.
3. They are influenced by inflation and short-term interest rates.
Which of the statements given above are correct? (A) 1 and 2 only (B) 2 only (C) 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(D) 1, 2 and 3 — Correct. Indian government bond yields are influenced by global factors such as US Fed policy, domestic monetary policy actions by the RBI, and prevailing inflation and interest rate conditions.

Question 8

In which of the following relief sculpture inscriptions is 'Ranyo Ashoka' (King Ashoka) mentioned along with the stone portrait of Ashoka? (A) Kanganahalli (B) Sanchi (C) Shahbazgarhi (D) Sohgaura

Accepted Answer

(A) Kanganahalli — Correct. The Buddhist site of Kanganahalli in Karnataka's Kalaburagi district yielded a unique sculptural panel with the Prakrit inscription 'Ranyo Ashoka' alongside a carved portrait of the emperor, the only known contemporaneous portrait of Ashoka.

Question 9

Why is there a great concern about the 'microbeads' that are released into the environment? (A) They arebelieved to betoxic to marine organisms (B) They arebelieved to causeskin cancer in children (C) They aresmall enough to beabsorbed by crop plants and enter the food chain (D) They areoftenfound to blocktheintestines offarm animals

Accepted Answer

(A) They arebelieved to betoxic to marine organisms — Correct. Microbeads are tiny plastic particles from personal care products that enter waterways, are ingested by marine organisms, and carry adsorbed toxins up the food chain, making them toxic to marine ecosystems.

Question 10

What is the most appropriate objective of land ceiling laws in post-independence India? (A) To increase concentration of agricultural land in a few hands (B) To impose an upper limit on landholdings and redistribute surplus land to the landless or marginal farmers (C) To prohibit all tenancy arrangements forever (D) To replace land records with only oral customary evidence

Accepted Answer

(B) To impose an upper limit on landholdings and redistribute surplus land to the landless or marginal farmers — Correct. Ceiling laws aimed at equity by limiting very large holdings and redistributing declared surplus land.

Question 11

Which one of the following is least likely to prevent rupee depreciation? (A) Attracting capital inflows (B) Pursuing expansionary monetary policy amid inflation pressure (C) Maintaining adequate foreign exchange reserves (D) Improving export earnings

Accepted Answer

(B) Pursuing expansionary monetary policy amid inflation pressure — Correct. Expansionary monetary policy can weaken interest-rate support for the currency and aggravate depreciation pressure.

Question 12

With reference to communication technologies, what is/are the difference/differences between LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and VoLTE (Voice over Long-Term Evolution)?
1. LTE is commonly marketed as 3G and VoLTE is commonly marketed as advanced 3G.
2. LTE is data-only technology and VoLTE is voice-only technology.
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

(D) Neither 1 nor 2 — Correct. LTE is a 4G (not 3G) standard, and VoLTE enables voice calls over the LTE data network rather than being voice-only. Both statements are incorrect.

Question 13

With reference to forced labour (Vishti) in India during the Gupta period, which one of the following statements is correct? (A) It was considered a source of income for the State, a sort of tax paid by the people. (B) It was totally absent in the Madhya Pradesh and Kathiawar regions of the Gupta Empire. (C) The forced labourer was entitled to weekly wages. (D) The eldest son of the labourer was sent as the forced labourer.

Accepted Answer

(A) It was considered a source of income for the State, a sort of tax paid by the people. — Correct. Vishti was a form of compulsory unpaid labour that the state could demand from subjects. Gupta inscriptions mention it alongside other revenue obligations, treating it as a form of tax paid through labour rather than money or produce.

Question 14

Consider the following statements:
1. A motion to impeach a Judge of the Supreme Court cannot be rejected by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
2. The Constitution defines and gives details of what constitutes 'incapacity and proved misbehaviour' of Supreme Court judges.
3. Details of the impeachment process are given in the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
4. If the motion is taken up for voting, it must be supported in each House by a majority of the total membership and by not less than two-thirds of members present and voting.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (A) 1 and 2 (B) 3 only (C) 3 and 4 only (D) 1, 3 and 4

Accepted Answer

(C) 3 and 4 only — Correct. Statement 3 is correct because the statutory procedure is laid down in the Judges (Inquiry) Act, and Statement 4 correctly states the special majority requirement under Article 124(4).

Question 15

In the context of polity, which one of the following would you accept as the most appropriate definition of liberty? (A) Protection against the tyranny of political rulers (B) Absence of restraint (C) Opportunity to do whatever one likes (D) Opportunity to develop oneself fully

Accepted Answer

(D) Opportunity to develop oneself fully — Correct. Liberty in constitutional and political theory is best understood as the condition in which individuals can fully develop their personality and potential within a framework of just laws. This reflects the positive conception of liberty.

Question 16

The 'Global Competitiveness Report' is published by: (A) International Monetary Fund (B) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (C) World Economic Forum (D) World Bank

Accepted Answer

(C) World Economic Forum — Correct. The World Economic Forum publishes the Global Competitiveness Report, which benchmarks national competitiveness across various indicators.

Question 17

With reference to India's external debt, consider the following statements:
1. Most of India's external debt is owed by government entities.
2. All of India's external debt is denominated in US dollars.
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

(D) Neither 1 nor 2 — Correct. Private sector borrowing forms a substantial share of external debt, and it is denominated in various currencies, not exclusively US dollars.

Question 18

Among the following, which one is the largest exporter of rice in the world in the last five years? (A) China (B) India (C) Myanmar (D) Vietnam

Accepted Answer

(B) India — Correct. India has been the world's largest exporter of rice, accounting for about 25-40% of global rice exports in recent years, surpassing Thailand and Vietnam.

Question 19

The word 'Denisovan' is sometimes mentioned in media in reference to: (A) Fossils of a kind of dinosaurs (B) An early human species (C) A cave system found in North-East India (D) A geological period in the history of Indian subcontinent

Accepted Answer

(B) An early human species — Correct. Denisovans are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans identified from DNA extracted from a finger bone found in Denisova Cave, Siberia. They interbred with both Neanderthals and modern humans.

Question 20

Recently, scientists observed the merger of giant black holes billions of light-years away from the Earth. What is the significance of this observation? (A) 'Higgs boson particles' were detected (B) 'Gravitational waves' were detected (C) Possibility of inter-galactic space travel through 'wormhole' was confirmed (D) It enabled the scientists to understand 'singularity'

Accepted Answer

(B) 'Gravitational waves' were detected — Correct. The LIGO and Virgo observatories detected gravitational waves produced by the merger of black holes, confirming a key prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity.

Question 21

Consider the following statements:
1. Retail investors through a demat account can invest in Treasury Bills and Government Debt Bonds in the primary market.
2. The Negotiated Dealing System-Order Matching (NDS-OM) is a government securities trading platform of the RBI.
3. The Central Depository Services Limited (CDSL) is jointly promoted by the RBI and BSE.
Which of the statements given above are correct? (A) 1 only (B) 1 and 2 only (C) 3 only (D) 2 and 3 only

Accepted Answer

(B) 1 and 2 only — Correct. Retail investors can participate in T-bill and G-Sec auctions through their demat accounts, and the NDS-OM is the RBI's order-matching platform for government securities. CDSL was promoted by BSE along with certain banks, not by the RBI.

Question 22

Consider the following statements:
1. Agricultural soils release nitrogen oxides into the environment.
2. Cattle release ammonia into the environment.
3. Poultry industry releases reactive nitrogen compounds into the environment.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (A) 1 and 3 only (B) 2 and 3 only (C) 2 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(D) 1, 2 and 3 — Correct. Agricultural soils emit NOₓ through microbial nitrification-denitrification, cattle emit ammonia from urine and manure, and poultry operations release ammonia and other reactive nitrogen compounds.

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT a likely measure to stop the slide of the Indian rupee? (A) Curbing non-essential imports and promoting exports (B) Encouraging the issuance of Masala bonds (C) Easing conditions for external commercial borrowings (D) Following an expansionary monetary policy

Accepted Answer

(D) Following an expansionary monetary policy — Correct. Expansionary monetary policy involves lowering interest rates and increasing money supply, which typically weakens the currency rather than supporting it.

Question 24

India is the largest exporter of which of the following agricultural commodities globally? (A) Soybean (B) Rice (C) Wheat (D) Maize

Accepted Answer

(B) Rice — Correct. India has been the largest exporter of rice in the world in recent years.

Question 25

Which one of the following statements is not correct? (A) Hepatitis B virus is transmitted much like HIV. (B) Hepatitis B, unlike Hepatitis C, does not have a vaccine. (C) Globally, the number of people infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses are several times more than those infected with HIV. (D) Some of those infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses do not show the symptoms for many years.

Accepted Answer

(B) Hepatitis B, unlike Hepatitis C, does not have a vaccine. — Correct (not correct statement). Hepatitis B does have a highly effective vaccine; it is Hepatitis C that currently lacks a vaccine.

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