Union Public Service Commission(UPSC) Previous Years Questions and Answers

1 .

With reference to ‘palm oil’, consider the following statements:

(1) The palm oil tree is native to Southeast Asia.

(2) The palm oil is a raw material for some industries producing lipstick and perfumes.

(3) The palm oil can be used to produce biodiesel.

Which of the statements given above 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 (B) - 2 and 3 only

Note :

• Palm oil is derived from the oil palm tree, which is native to West Africa and grows best in tropical climates with abundant water. It was imported into SE Asia in the mid 19th century. Oil palm flourishes in the humid tropics and produces high yield when grown 10 degrees north and south of the equator. So, statement (1) is not correct.

• Palm Sludge Oil (PSO) is the floating residual oil that separated during the initial stage of POME discharge to the pond. The PSO is currently being categorised under sludge oil as it exhibits high Free Fatty Acids (FFA) and very low Deterioration of Bleachability Index (DOBI) values. Due to the inferior quality of PSO, this residu al oil cannot be used directly as food source but normally being used for low-grade laundry soap formulation to substitute palm fatty acids distillate.

• Conventionally, Volatile short chain fatty Acid (VSCFA) has been widely used as raw material in the fragrant industry for the production of perfume via esterification process. So, statement (2) is correct.

If refined, the PSO can be applied directly as boiler fuel, raw material for biodiesel production So, statement (3) is correct.

Year : 2021

Category : General Studies

2 .

With reference to the Indus river system of the following four rivers, three of them pour into one of them, which joins the Indus direct. Among the following, which one is such river that joins the Indus direct?

A)

Chenab

B)

Jhelum

C)

Ravi

D)

Sutlej

Correct Answer : Chenab

Note : Chenab is the only river in which “three” of them pour
Chenab River

Year : 2021

Category : General Studies

3 .

With reference to India, Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol and Khatu are the names of

A)

Glaciers

B)

Mangrove areas

C)

Ramsar sites

D)

Saline lakes

Correct Answer : Saline lakes

Note :

Saline lakes Playas are small lakes with flat floors and undrained basins in which water collects after rains and evaporates quickly are called playas.

• Didwana is a playa. Other such playas are the Kuchaman, the Sargol and the Khatu lakes.

• Didwana is a town in the Nagaur district of Rajasthan. It also has a famous Didwana salt-water lake of Rajasthan. The lake is about 4 km in length and with 3 km breadth, The depression is surrounded on all sides by sandhills, except to the west. The depression bed shows the presence of black clay and in appearance is similar to that of the Sambhar lake

• Kuchaman lake is a continental saline lake located around Kuchaman city, Nagaur District, Rajasthan

Year : 2021

Category : General Studies

4 .

Consider the following rivers :

(1) Brahmani

(2) Nagavali

(3) Subarnarekha

(4) Vamsadhara

Which of the above rise from the Eastern Ghats?

A)

1 and 2

B)

2 and 4

C)

3 and 4

D)

1 and 3

Correct Answer : Option (B) - 2 and 4

Note : Subarnarekha and Brahmani doesn’t rise from Eastern Ghats

Year : 2021

Category : General Studies

5 .

Consider the following statements:

(1) The Global Ocean Commission grants licences for seabed exploration and mining in international waters.

(2) India has received licences for seabed mineral exploration in international waters.

(3) ‘Rare earth minerals’ are present on seafloor in international waters.

Which of the statements given above 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 (B) - 2 and 3 only

Note :

Global Ocean Commission was an international initiative between 2013 and 2016 to raise awareness, and promote action to address the degradation of the ocean and help restore it to full health and productivity. Its focus was on the high seas, the vast ocean areas that lie beyond the Exclusive Economic Zones of individual states.

International Sea bed Authority’s mandate is to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep-seabed related activities.

• States Parties to UNCLOS organize and control all mineral-resources-related activities through ISA. So, statement (1) is not correct.

• India has been allotted a site of 75,000 square kilometres in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for the exploitation of Polymetallic Nodules (PMN).

• The Ministry of Earth Sciences is carrying out exploration activities for Poly-metallic Nodules (PMN) in the CIOB and for Poly-metallic Sulphides (PMS) in parts of Central and South-West Indian ridges.

• India was the first country to receive the status of a ‘Pioneer Investor’ in 1987 and was given an area of about 1.5 lakh sq km in the CIOB for nodule exploration. In 2002, India signed a contract with the ISA and after complete resource analysis of the seabed 50 per cent was surrendered and the country retained an area of 75,000 sq km. So, statement (2) is correct.

• It has been estimated that 380 million metric tonnes of PMN and rare earth minerals are available at the bottom of the seas in the Central Indian Ocean. So, statement (3) is correct.

Year : 2021

Category : General Studies

6 .

Among the following which one is the least water-efficient crop?

A)

Sugarcane

B)

Sunflower

C)

Pearl millet

D)

Red gram

Correct Answer : Sugarcane

Note :

Oil seed and coarse cereals are produced mostly cultivated in dry land areas. That automatically eliminated the three options.

Table INDICATIVE VALUES OF CROP WATER NEEDS AND SENSITIVITY TO DROUGHT

Crop	Crop water need (mm/total growing period)	Sensitivity to drought
Sugarcane	1500-2500	High
Sunflower	600-1000	low-medium

Year : 2021

Category : General Studies

7 .

Consider the following statements :

(1) In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eastern sections owing to the influence of trade winds.

(2) In the temperate zone, westerlies make the eastern sections of oceans warmer than the western sections.

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 (C) - Both 1 and 2

Note :

Trade winds : When trade winds move over warm tropical waters, they pick up moisture bring heavy rainfall to the windward-facing slopes of mountainous areas, contrasting with the downward motion dry air that creates desert areas on land.

• In tropical zone, western section of oceans are warmer. So, statement (1) is correct.

Westerlies :

• In temprate zones , eastern sections of oceans are warmer. So, statement (2) is correct.

Year : 2021

Category : General Studies

8 .

In the context of India’s preparation for Climate-Smart Agriculture, consider the following statements:

(1) The ‘Climate-Smart Village’ approach in India is a part of a project led by the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), an international research programme.

(2) The project of CCAFS is carried out under Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) headquartered in France.

(3) The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India is one of the CGIAR’s research centres.

Which of the statements given above 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 (D) - 1, 2 and 3

Note :

The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) envisions the Climate-Smart Village project to not only be long-term, but also participatory and relevant to the local context. Women farmers are encouraged to weigh in on all the discussions and take the lead in prioritizing what activities should be implemented in their villages. This is to make sure the climate-smart farming practices stick on long after the project has been phased out. So, statement (1) is correct.

CGIAR to play a major role in bringing to scale practices, technologies and institutions that enable agriculture to meet triple goals of food security, adaptation and mitigation. All CGIAR Research Centers have a stake in CCAFS, and numerous Research Centers have considerable climate change expertise and activities. CCAFS is made up of the following bodies, each playing a specific governance role :

• Independent Steering Committee (ISC), with both scientific and development expertise

• Lead Center, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and its Board

• Program Director and a Program Management Committee

• A Program Management Unit, based at Wageningen University & Research and CIAT

• Flagship Leaders and Regional Program Leaders, who are responsible for aspects of CCAFS implementation

• CGIAR Climate Change Contact Points at each CGIAR Research Center, will help ensure CCAFS is appropriately linked to all Centers and CRPs. So, statement (2) is correct.

ICRISAT is one of the very few CGIAR Centers to have a structured and executed outreach and scaling program. The breadth of ICRISAT’s partnerships shows that currently about half of our partnership funding went to CGIAR Centers, and the other half to non-governmental organizations, the private sector, universities and national partners. So, statement (3) is correct.

Year : 2021

Category : General Studies

9 .

'Leaf litter decomposes faster than in any other biome and as a result te soil surface is often almost bare. Apart from trees, the vegetation is largely composed of plant forms that reach up into the canopy vicariously, by climbing the trees or growing as epiphytes, rooted on the upper branches of trees.' This is the most likely description of

A)

Coniferous forest

B)

Dry deciduous forest

C)

Mangrove forest

D)

Tropical rain forest

Correct Answer : Tropical rain forest

Note : The hot and humid conditions make tropical rainforests an ideal environment for bacteria and other microorganisms. Because these organisms remain active throughout the year, they quickly decompose matter on the forest floor.

Year : 2021

Category : General Studies

10 .

Under the Indian Constitution, concentration of wealth violates

A)

The Right to Equality

B)

The Directive Principles of State Policy

C)

Te Right to Freedom

D)

The Concept of Welfare

Correct Answer : 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