UPSC Prelims 2017 — Every Question with Answer and Explanation

Which of the following is/are famous for Sun temples? 1. Arasavalli 2. Amarkantak 3. Omkareshwar Select the correct answer using the code given below:

With reference to Indian freedom struggle, consider the following events: 1. Mutiny in Royal Indian Navy 2. Quit India Movement launched 3. Second Round Table Conference What is the correct chronological sequence of the above events?

Which of the following is geographically closest to Great Nicobar?

At one of the place in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, ‘you will find that the sea water recedes from the shore line a few kilometres and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the seafloor when the water recedes.’ This unique phenomenon is seen at

Consider the following statements: 1. In the election for Lok Sabha or State Assembly, the winning candidate must get at least 50 percent of the votes polled, to be declared elected. 2. According to the provisions laid down in the Constitution of India, in Lok Sabha, the Speaker’s post goes to the majority party and the Deputy Speaker’s to the Opposition. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

In the context of solving pollution problems, what is/are the advantage/advantages of bioremediation technique? 1. It is a technique for cleaning up pollution by enhancing the same biodegradation process that occurs in nature. 2. Any contaminant with heavy metals such as cadmium and lead can be readily and completely treated by bioremediation using microorganisms. 3. Genetic engineering can be used to create microorganisms specifically designed for bioremediation. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Which of the following statements can help in water conservation in agriculture? 1. Reduced or zero tillage of the land 2. Applying gypsum before irrigating the field 3. Allowing crop residue to remain in the field Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Consider the following statements: 1. Tax revenue as a percent of GDP of India has steadily increased in the last decade. 2. Fiscal deficit as a percent of GDP of India has steadily increased in the last decade. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements: 1. In India, the Himalayas are spread over five states only. 2. Western Ghats are spread over five states only. 3. Pulicat Lake is spread over two States only. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the Parliament of India, consider the following statements: 1. A private member’s bill is a bill presented by a Member of Parliament who is not elected but only nominated by the President of India. 2. Recently, a private member’s bill has been passed in the Parliament of India for the first time in its history. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries? 1. Jordan 2. Iraq 3. Lebanon 4. Syria Select the correct answer using the code given below:

With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements: 1. Sautrantika and Sammitiya were the sects of Jainism. 2. Sarvastivadin held that the constituents of phenomena were not wholly momentary, but existed forever in a latent form. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which of the following are not necessarily the consequences of the proclamation of the President’s rule in a State? 1. Dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly 2. Removal of the Council of Ministers in the State 3. Dissolution of the local bodies Select the correct answer using the code given below:

The object of the Butler Committee of 1927 was to:

From the ecological point of view, which one of the following assumes importance in being a good link between the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats?

With reference to ‘Global Climate Change Alliance’, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. It is an initiative of the European Union. 2. It provides technical and financial support to targeted developing countries to integrate climate change into their development policies and budgets. 3. It is coordinated by World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Select the correct answer using the code given below:

The main advantage of the parliamentary form of governments is that:

If you want to see gharials in their natural habitat, which one of the following is the best place to visit?

Consider the following pairs: Commonly used/ - Unwanted or consumed materials controversial chemicals likely to be found in them 1. Lipstick - Lead 2. Soft drinks - Brominated vegetable oils 3. Chinese fast - Monosodium food glutamate Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

In the context of mitigating the impending global warming due to anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide, which of the following can be potential sites for carbon sequestration? 1. Abandoned and uneconomic coal seams 2. Depleted oil and gas reservoirs 3. Subterranean deep saline formations Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Which one of the following statements is correct?

Right to vote and to be elected in India is a

Which one of the following objectives is not embodied in the Preamble to the Constitution of India?

Which principle among the following was added to the Directive Principles of State Policy by the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution?

With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean. 2. An IOD phenomenon can influence an El Nino’s impact on the monsoon. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

The painting of Bodhisattva Padmapani is one of the most famous for illustrated paintings at:

Consider the following pairs: Traditions: Communities 1. Chaliha Sahib Festival: Sindhis 2. Nanda Raj Jaat Yatra: Gonds 3. Wari -Warkari: Santhals Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements: 1. The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim. 2. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta. 3. River Teesta flows into Bay of Bengal on the border of India and Bangladesh. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The term ‘M-STrIPES’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of

Who among the following was/were associated with the introduction of Ryotwari Settlement in India during the British Rule? 1. Lord Cornwallis 2. Alexander Read 3. Thomas Munro Select the correct answer using the code given below:

With reference to the ‘National Intellectual Property Rights Policy’, consider the following statements: 1. It reiterates India’s commitment to the Doha Development Agenda and the TRIPS Agreement. 2. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion is the nodal agency for regulating intellectual property rights in India. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

Which one of the following was a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom?

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a standard criterion for:

Consider the following statements: With reference to the Constitution of India, the Directive Principles of State Policy constitute limitations upon 1. legislative function. 2. executive function. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

With reference to agriculture in India, how can the technique of ‘genome sequencing’, often seen in the news, be used in the immediate future? 1. Genome sequencing can be used to identify genetic markers for disease resistance and drought tolerance in various crop plants. 2. This technique helps in reducing the time required to develop new varieties of crop plants. 3. It can be used to decipher the host pathogen relation- ships in crops. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

If you travel by road from Kohima to Kottayam, what is the minimum number of States within India through which you can travel, including the origin and the destination?

Which of the following has/have occurred in India after its liberalisation of economic policies in 1991? 1. Share of agriculture in GDP increased enormously. 2. Share of India’s exports in world trade increased. 3. FDI inflows increased. 4. India’s foreign exchange reserves increased enormously. Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Due to some reasons, if there is a huge fall in the population of species of butterflies, what could be its likely consequence/consequences? 1. Pollination of some plants could be adversely affected. 2. There could be a drastic increase in the fungal infections of some cultivated plants. 3. It could lead to a fall in the population of some species of wasps, spiders and birds. Select the correct using the code given below:

In the context of India, which one of the following is the correct relationship between Rights and Duties?

What is/are the advantage/advantages of implementing the ‘National Agriculture Market’ scheme? 1. It is a pan-India electronic trading portal for agricultural commodities. 2. It provides the farmers access to nationwide markets, with prices commensurate with the quality of their produce. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

The Trade Disputes Act of 1929 provided for:

Out of the following statements, choose the one that brings out the principle underlying the Cabinet form of Government:

In India, if a species of tortoise is declared protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, what does it imply?

One of the implications of equality in society is the absence of:

With reference to the difference between the culture of Rigvedic Aryans and Indus Valley people, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of the Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them. 2. Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, silver and copper whereas Indus Valley people knew only copper and iron. 3. Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people having been aware of this animal. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Consider the following statements in respect of Trade Related Analysis of Fauna and Flora in Commerce (TRAFFIC): 1. TRAFFIC is a bureau under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 2. The mission of TRAFFIC is to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

In the context of Indian history, the principle of ‘dyarchy (diarchy)’ refers to:

Consider the following pairs: 1. Radhakanta Deb – first President of the British Indian Association 2. Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty – founder of the Madras Mahajan Sabha 3. Surendranath Banerjee – Founder of the Indian Association Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the ‘Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)? 1. It decides the RBI’s benchmark interest rates. 2. It is a 12-member body including the Governor of RBI and is reconstituted every year. 3. It functions under the chairmanship of the Union Finance Minister. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

What is/are the most likely advantages of implementing ‘Goods and Services Tax’ (GST)? 1. It will replace multiple taxes collected by multiple authorities and will thus create a single market in India. 2. It will drastically reduce the ‘Current Account Deficit’ of India and will enable it to increase its foreign exchange reserves. 3. It will enormously increase the growth and size of the economy of India and will enable it to overtake China in the near future. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Democracy’s superior virtue lies in the fact that it calls into activity

Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) are used to create digital displays in many devices. What are the advantages of OLED displays over Liquid Crystal displays? 1. OLED displays can be fabricated on flexible plastic substrates. 2. Roll-up displays embedded in clothing can be made using OLEDs. 3. Transparent displays are possible using OLEDs. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

According to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which of the following animals cannot be hunted by any person except under some provisions provided by law? 1. Gharial 2. Indian wild ass 3. Wild buffalo Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Consider the following statements: 1. The Factories Act, 1881 was passed with a view to fix the wages of industrial workers and to allow the workers to form trade unions. 2. N. M. Lokhande was a pioneer in organizing the labour movement in British India. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

It is possible to produce algae-based biofuels, but what is/are the likely limitation(s) of developing countries in promoting this industry? 1. Production of algae-based biofuels is possible in seas only and not on continents. 2. Setting up and engineering the algae-based biofuels production requires high level of expertise/technology until the construction is complete. 3. Economically viable production necessitates the setting up of large-scale facilities which may raise ecological and social concerns. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

The mind of the makers of the Constitution of India is reflected in which of the following?

In India, Judicial Review implies:

Which of the following are envisaged by the Right against Exploitation in the Constitution of India? 1. Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour 2. Abolition of untouchability 3. Protection of the interests of minorities 4. Prohibition of employment of children in factories and mines Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Consider the following statements: 1. Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short Lived Climate Pollutants is a unique initiative of G2O group of countries. 2. The CCAC focuses on methane, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which of the following statements is/are true of the Fundamental Duties of an Indian citizen? 1. A legislative process has been provided to enforce these duties. 2. They are correlative to legal duties. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

What is the application of Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Technology?

Local self-government can be best explained as an exercise in

The Parliament of India exercises control over the functions of the Council of Ministers through 1. Adjournment motion 2. Questions hour 3. Supplementary questions Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Which one of the following is not a feature to Indian federalism?

For election to the Lok Sabha, a nomination paper can be filed by:

With reference to Manipuri Sankirtana, consider the following statements: 1. It is a song and dance performance. 2. Cymbals are the only musical instruments used in the performance. 3. It is performed to narrate the life and deeds of Lord Krishna. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?