UPSC 2023 Prelims Analysis, UPSC Prelims Question Paper With Answer Key 2023

1 .

Consider the following statements in relation to Janani Suraksha Yojana :

1. It is a safe motherhood intervention of the State Health Departments.
2. Its objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality among poor pregnant women.
3. It aims to promote institutional delivery among poor pregnant women.
4. Its objective includes providing public health facilities to sick infants up to one year of age.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

A)

Only one

B)

Only two

C)

Only three

D)

All four

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Only two

Note :

Janani Suraksha Yojana:

* The Yojana, launched on 12th April 2005, is being implemented in all states and UTs with special focus on low performing states.
* It is a safe motherhood intervention under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
* It was implemented with the objective of reducing maternal and neo-natal mortality by promoting institutional delivery among the poor pregnant women. Hence, statements 2 and 3 are correct.
* Providing public health facilities to sick infants up to one year of age is not an objective of the scheme. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

Category : General Studies

2 .

Consider the following statements in the context interventions being undertaken under Anaemin Mukt Bharat Strategy :

1. It provides prophylactic calcium supplementation for pre-school children, adolescents and pregnant women.
2. It runs a campaign for delayed cord clamping at the time of child-birth.
3. It provides for periodic deworming to children and adolescents.
4. It addresses non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets with special focus on malaria, hemoglobinopathies and fluorosis.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

A)

Only one

B)

Only two

C)

Only three

D)

All four

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Only three

Note : * Not Prophylactic calcium supplementation but Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation is provided to children, adolescents and women of reproductive age and pregnant women irrespective of anemia. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

* Appropriate Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) with emphasis on adequate and age-appropriate complementary foods for children 6 months and above.

* Increase intake of iron-rich, protein-rich and vitamin C-rich foods through dietary diversification/quantity/frequency and food fortification

* Promoting practice of delayed cord clamping (by atleast 3 minutes or until cord pulsations cease) in all health facility deliveries followed by early initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

* Bi-annual mass deworming for children in the age groups between 1-19 years is carried out every year under National Deworming Day (NDD) programme. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

* The Anemia Mukt Bharat, also integrates deworming of women of reproductive age and for pregnant women as part of the NDD strategy.

* Addressing non-nutritional causes of anemia in endemic pockets, with special focus on malaria, haemoglobinopathies and fluorosis.

Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Category : General Studies

3 .

Consider the following statements :

1. Carbon fibres are used in the manufacture of components used in automobiles and aircraftes.
2. Carbon fibres once used cannot be recycled.

Which of the statements give above is/are correct?

A)

1 only

B)

2 only

C)

Both 1 and 2

D)

Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : Option (A) - 1 only

Note :

Carbon Fibre :

Carbon fiber is composed of carbon atoms bonded together to form a long chain. The fibers are extremely stiff, strong, and light, and are used in many processes to create excellent building materials.

Characteristics and Applications of Carbon Fibers
1. Physical strength, specific toughness, light weight	Aerospace, road and marine transport, sporting goods
2. High dimensional stability, low coefficient of thermal expansion, and low abrasion	Missiles, aircraft brakes, aerospace antenna and support structure, large telescopes, optical benches, waveguides for stable highfrequency (GHz) precision measurement frames
3. Good vibration damping, strength, and toughness	Audio equipment, loudspeakers for Hi-fi equipment, pickup arms, robot arms
4. Electrical conductivity	Automobile hoods, novel tooling, casings and bases for electronic equipments, EMI and RF shielding, brushes
5. Biological inertness and x-ray permeability	Medical applications in prostheses, surgery and x-ray equipment, implants, tendon/ligament repair
6. Fatigue resistance, self- lubrication, high damping	Textile machinery, genera engineering
7. Chemical inertness, high corrosion resistance	Chemical industry: nuclear field; valves, seals, and pump components in process plants
8. Electromagnetic properties	Large generator retaining rings, radiological equipment

* Hence, statement 1 is correct.

* Carbon fibre is environmentally friendly and exhibits a longer life cycle. However, carbon fibre consumes almost 14 times more energy in its creation compared with steel. This significant energy intensiveness has led to huge emissions of greenhouse gases.

* Therefore, the recycling process could be one of the best ways to reduce this environmental impact while meeting global demand for this material in industrial applications.

* Currently, carbon fibre waste or other fibre composites can be recycled using four types of technologies. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Category : General Studies

4 .

Consider the following actions :

1. Detection of car crash/collision which results in the deployment of airbags almost instantaneously.
2. Detection of accidental free fall of a laptop towards the ground which results in the immediate turning off of the hard drive
3. Detection of the tit of smartphone which results in the rotation of display between portrait and landscape mode

In how many of the above action is the function of accelerometer required?

A)

Only one

B)

Only two

C)

All three

D)

None

Correct Answer : Option (C) - All three

Note :

Functions of Accelerometer :

* The accelerometer detects signals that are used to identify major vehicle crash/collisions. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
* The application of accelerometers extends to multiple disciplines, both academic and consumer-driven.

* For example, accelerometers in laptops protect hard drives from damage. If the laptop were to suddenly drop while in use, the accelerometer would detect the sudden free fall and immediately turn off the hard drive to avoid hitting the reading heads into the hard drive platter. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

* Accelerometers allow the user to understand the surroundings of an item better.

* For example, smartphones rotate their display between portrait and landscape mode depending on how you tilt the phone. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Category : General Studies

5 .

With reference to the role of biofilters in Recirculating Aquaculture System, consider the following statements :

1. Biofilters provide waste treatment by removing uneaten fish feed.
2. Biofilters convert ammonia present in fish waste to nitrate.
3. Biofilters increase phosphorus as nutrient for fish in water.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

A)

Only one

B)

Only two

C)

All three

D)

None

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Only two

Note :

Role of Biofilters in Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) :

* RAS biofilters act to remove nitrogenous waste byproducts generated by fish protein catabolism and oxidation processes. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
* RAS typically employ a biofilter to control ammonia levels produced as a byproduct of fish protein catabolism.

* Ammonia is removed from an aquarium system through the use of a biofilter. The biofilter provides a substrate on which nitrifying bacteria grow. These nitrifying bacteria consume ammonia and produce nitrite, which is also toxic to fish.

* Other nitrifying bacteria in the biofilter consume nitrite and produce nitrate. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

* The biofilter system reduces the concentration of nitrite, nitrate, phosphorus, and ammonium ions from the synthetic water. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Category : General Studies

6 .

Consider the following pairs :

Objects in space	Description
1. Cepheids	Giant clouds of dust and gas in space
2. Nebulae	Stars which brighten and dim periodically
3. Pulsars	Neutron stars that are formed when massive stars run out of fuel and collapse

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

A)

Only one

B)

Only two

C)

All three

D)

None

Correct Answer : Option (A) - Only one

Note : * Cepheids, also called Cepheid Variables, are stars which brigthen and dim periodically. This behavior allows them to be used as cosmic yardsticks out to distances of a few tens of millions of light-years. Hence, pair 1 is not correctly matched.

* Cepheids, also called Cepheid Variables, are stars which brigthen and dim periodically. This behavior allows them to be used as cosmic yardsticks out to distances of a few tens of millions of light-years.

* A nebula is a giant cloud of dust and gas in space. Some nebulae (more than one nebula) come from the gas and dust thrown out by the explosion of a dying star, such as a supernova. Hence, pair 2 is not correctly matched.

* According to NASA, a pulsar is a rapidly rotating neutron star with a strong magnetic field. Pulsars are the result of a massive star running out of fuel, collapsing under its own weight, and exploding as a supernova. Hence, pair 3 is correctly matched.

Category : General Studies

7 .

Which one of the following countries has its own Satellite Navigation System?

A)

Australia

B)

Canada

C)

Israel

D)

Japan

Correct Answer : Japan

Note : Navigation Systems Operational in the World :

* GPS from the U.S.
* GLONASS from Russia.
* Galileo from European Union
* BeiDou from China.
* NavIC from India
* QZSS from Japan.

Hence, option D is correct.

Category : General Studies

8 .

Consider the following statements :

1. Ballistic missiles are jet-propelled at subsonic speeds throughout their flights, while cruise missiles are rocketpowered only in the initial phase of flight.
2. Agni-V is a medium-range supersonic cruise missile, while BrahMos is a solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile.

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

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

Note : Cruise missiles are jet-propelled at subsonic speeds throughout their flights, while ballistic missiles are rocket-powered only in the initial (boost) phase of flight, after which they follow an arcing trajectory to the target. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

Agni V is India’s long-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile, which can hit a target with a precision that is 5,000 km away. The BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile, developed by the joint Russian-Indian BrahMos Aerospace company. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Category : General Studies

9 .

Consider the following statements regarding mercury pollution :

1. Gold mining activity is a source of mercury pollution in the world.
2. Coal-based thermal power plants cause mercury pollution.
3. There is no known safe level of exposure to mercury.

How many of the above statements are correct?

A)

Only one

B)

Only two

C)

All three

D)

None

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Only two

Note : * Gold mining can have devastating effects on nearby water resources. Toxic mine waste contains as many as three dozen dangerous chemicals including:

* Arsenic

* Lead

* Mercury

* Petroleum byproducts

* Acids

* Cyanide

Hence, statement 1 is correct.

* Most mercury pollution is produced by coal fired thermal power plants and other industrial processes. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

* The contribution of coal fired thermal power plants for mercury emissions works out to 70.7 % of total emission from coal combustion.

According to the WHO and other sources, there is no known safe level ofexposure to mercury.

* However, some sources such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that methylmercury (a form of organic mercury) levels up to 5.8 micrograms (mcg) per liter (L) of blood are "safe".

* As per Health Canada. blood mercury levels below 20 pg/L are considered to be in the normal acceptable range for the general adult population. and below 8 pg/L for children (under 18 years of age), pregnant people. and people of childbearing age (under 50 years of age) who may become pregnant.

* Therefore, the commission might have considered statement 3 as incorrect.

Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Category : General Studies

10 .

With reference to green hydrogen, consider the following statements :

1. It can be used directly as a fuel for internal combustion.
2. It can be blended with natural gas and used as fuel for heat or power generation.
3. It can be used in the hydrogen fuel cell to run vehicles.

How many of the above statements are correct?

A)

Only one

B)

Only two

C)

All three

D)

None

Correct Answer : Option (C) - All three

Note : Green Hydrogen :

Green hydrogen is a type of hydrogen that is produced through the electrolysis of water using renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power.

Green hydrogen can be used directly as a fuel for internal combustion. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Hydrogen produced through clean pathways can be injected into natural gas pipelines, and the resulting blends can be used to generate heat and power with lower emissions than using natural gas alone. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Hydrogen can be used in two kinds of vehicles: those with internal combustion engines (ICEs) and those with fuel cells. For example, Germany’s hydrogen-powered passenger train. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Category : General Studies

UPSC 2023 (Prelims) Questions (Set B)

Janani Suraksha Yojana:

Carbon Fibre :

Functions of Accelerometer :

Role of Biofilters in Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) :