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UPSC 2021 (Prelims & Mains) Questions
1 .
Consider the following statements in respect of the ICC World Test Championship:

  (1) The finalists were decided by the number of matches they won.
  (2) New Zealand was ranked ahead of England because it won more matches than England. 

Which of the above statements is/are correct?
A)
1 only
B)
2 only
C)
Both 1 and 2
D)
Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : Option (D) - Neither 1 nor 2

Note :

Point scoring was based on the matches played and their outcome. Each series was awarded a score and this was divided into number of matches played. So, the number of matches won by the team not the sole criteria. It was the total number of points scored in all the series played by an individual team that mattered. So, Statement 1 is not correct.

The ICC decided that the same number of points would be available from each series, regardless of series length, so that countries that played fewer Tests were not disadvantaged. It also decided that points would not be awarded for series results, but for match results only. These would be split equally between all the matches in the series, regardless of whether or not a match was a dead rubber,[14] so that every match counted.[15] In a five-match series, therefore, 20% of the points would be available each match, while in a two-match series, 50% of the points would be available each match.
     
Therefore, depending on whether the series is 2, 3, 4 or 5 matches long, the number of points awarded for a single match win would be a half, a third, a quarter, or a fifth of the maximum possible from the series. The ICC also decided that a tie should be worth half of a win and that a draw should be worth a third of a win.[16] This all meant that after each match, a side could be awarded a half, a third, a quarter, a fifth, a sixth, an eighth, a ninth, a tenth, a twelfth or a fifteenth of the total points available from the series, depending on the result and how many matches the series happened to consist of. Ultimately, this meant a figure for the total points available from the series needs to be picked very carefully, as not many numbers give all integers when split into all these different fractions (360 does). Being a highly composite number, when 120 was split into all these fractions, an integer was obtained in all cases except one – the points awarded for a draw in a 3-match series should be 131⁄3 (a third of a third of 120), but the 1⁄3 had been dropped.

England won more matches than New Zealand from 2019 to 2011. So, Statement 2 is not correct. 

Year : 2021
Category : General Studies
2 .
Consider the following statements in respect of the 32nd Summer Olympics :

  (1) The official motto for this Olympics is “A New World”.
  (2) Sport Climbing, Surfing, Skateboarding, Karate and Baseball are included in this Olympics.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?
A)
1 only
B)
2 only
C)
Both 1 and 2
D)
Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : Option (B) - 2 only

Note :

The Motto was ‘United by Emotions’. So, statement 1 is not correct.
 
All these sports were included in Olympics. So, statement 2 is correct. 

Year : 2021
Category : General Studies
3 .
Consider the following statements in respect of the Laureus World Sports Award which was instituted in the year 2000 :

  (1) American golfer tiger Woods was the first winner of this award.
  (2) The award was received mostly by ‘Formula One’ players so far.
  (3) Roger Federer received this award maximum number of times compared to others. 

Which of the above statements are correct?
A)
1 and 2 only
B)
2 and 3 only
C)
1 and 3 only
D)
1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer : Option (C) - 1 and 3 only

Note :

Awarded to Tiger Woods. So, statement 1 is correct.
 
Mostly received by Lawn Tennis players. 10 times by Lawn Tennis players while only 4 times by F1 players. So, Statement 2 is not correct.

Roger Federer has received it 5 times till now. So, statement 3 is correct. 

Year : 2021
Category : General Studies
4 .
Consider the following statements:

Statement 1: The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Arbor Day Foundation have recently recognized Hyderabad as 2020 Tree City of the World.
Statement 2: Hyderabad was selected for the recognition for a year following its commitment to grow and maintain the urban forests.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements:?
A)
Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is the correct explanation for Statement 1.
B)
Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct but Statement 2 is not the correct explanation for Statement 1.
C)
Statement 1 is correct but Statement 2 is not correct.
D)
Statement 1 is not correct but Statement 2 is correct.

Correct Answer : Option (D) - Statement 1 is not correct but Statement 2 is correct.

Note :

Hyderabad was declared as Tree City of the World by FAO and Arbor Day Foundation. So, the option is not correct as it says UNCFD and not FAO. So, Statement 1 is not correct.
 
The recognition includes 5 standards to grow and maintain urban forests.So, statement 2 is correct. 

Standard 1: Establish Responsibility
Standard 2: Set the Rules 
Standard 3: Know What You Have
Standard 4: Allocate the Resources 
Standard 5: Celebrate Achievements 

Year : 2021
Category : General Studies
5 .
Consider the following statements in respect of Barat Ratna and Padma Awards:

(1) Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are titles under the Article 18(1) of the Constitution of India.
(2) Padma Awards, which were instituted in the year 1954, were suspended only once.
(3) The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of five in a particular year.

Which of the above statements are not correct?
A)
1 and 2 only
B)
2 and 3 only
C)
1 and 3 only
D)
1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer : Option (C) - 1 and 3 only

Note :

In the Balaji Raghvan Case,1996, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the National Awards–Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Sri. It ruled that these awards do not amount to ‘titles’ within the meaning of Article 18 that prohibits only hereditary titles of nobility. Therefore, they are not violative of Article 18 as the theory of equality does not mandate that merit should not be recognised. So, statement 1 is not correct.

Awards like Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri had been abolished by the Janata government in keeping with the spirit of the constitutional provision on titles and awards. They were reinstated later and never have been abolished leaving the one attempt by the Janata party government. So, statement 2 is correct.

In totality, not more than 120 Padma Awards should be handed out per year. The Padma Awards for the foreigners and posthumous awards aren’t counted under the 120 awards. All the names of the awardees are usually published in the Gazette of India. So, statement 3 is not correct. 

Year : 2021
Category : General Studies
A)
dance forms of Northwest India
B)
musical instruments
C)
pre-historic cave paintings
D)
tribal languages

Correct Answer : Option (D) - tribal languages

Note :

Halbi (also Bastari, Halba, Halvas, Halabi, Halvi) is an eastern Indo-Aryan language, transitional between Odia and Marathi. It is spoken by 500,000 people across the central part of india.
 
Ho is a Munda language of the Austroasiatic language family spoken primarily in India by about 1.04 million people (0.103% of India's population) per the 2001 census. Ho is a tribal language
 
Kui (also Kandh, Khondi, Khond, Khondo, Kanda, Kodu (Kōdu), Kodulu, Kuinga (Kūinga), Kuy) is a South-Eastern dravidian language spoken by the kandhas. It is mostly spoken in Odisha, and written in the odia script.

Year : 2021
Category : General Studies
A)
a representative government of a nation with federal structure
B)
a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
C)
a government whose Head enjoys real powers
D)
a government limited by the terms of the Constitution

Correct Answer : Option (D) - a government limited by the terms of the Constitution

Note : Constitutional government in essence is about constitutionalism which is about limited government. It is defined by the existence of a constitution—which may be a legal instrument or merely a set of fixed norms or principles generally accepted as the fundamental law of the polity— that effectively controls the exercise of political power. In many cases, constitutional government is used interchangeably with “constitutionally limited government” or “limited government”.

Year : 2021
Category : General Studies
A)
A Democratic Republic
B)
A Sovereign Democratic Republic
C)
A Sovereign Secular Democratic Republic
D)
A Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic

Correct Answer : Option (B) - A Sovereign Democratic Republic

Note :

The exact status of the India at the time of the commencement of its constitution on 26th January 1950, was a Sovereign, Democratic, Republic. It got constitutional status of being Socialist and Secular in the ideals stated in the preamble after the 42nd constitutional amendment act of 1976.

Year : 2021
Category : General Studies
A)
Legal right available to citizens only
B)
Legal rights available to any person
C)
Fundamental Right available to citizens only
D)
Neither Fundamental Right nor legal right

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Legal rights available to any person

Note : Article 300A states that - No person (not only limited to citizens) shall be deprived of his property save by the authority of law.

Therefore, the article protects an individual from interference by the State and dispossess a person of the property unless it is in accordance with the procedure established by law.
 
The question is vague, as legal right constitutes :
 
1. Fundamental rights
2. Other constitutional rights
3. and non-constitutional rights or other legal rights

Year : 2021
Category : General Studies
A)
The Right to Equality
B)
The Directive Principles of State Policy
C)
Te Right to Freedom
D)
The Concept of Welfare

Correct Answer : Option (B) - The Directive Principles of State Policy

Note :

Article 39 in the Constitution Of India states Certain principles of policy to be followed by the State : The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing :

• that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to sub-serve the common good;
• that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment;
 
Article 39 (b) and (c) are the two most important directive principles that pledge to minimize the concentration of wealth.

Year : 2021
Category : General Studies