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

1 .

The economic cost of food grains to the Food Corporation of India is Minimum Support Price and bonus (if any) paid to the farmers plus

A)

transportation cost only

B)

interest cost only

C)

procurement incidentals and distribution cost

D)

procurement incidentals and charges for godowns

Correct Answer : procurement incidentals and distribution cost

Note : The economic cost of food grains procured by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is a total of Minimum Support Price and bonus (if any) paid to the farmers plus the procurement incidentals and distribution cost. The economic cost has three main components - procurement cost, procurement price, and distribution cost. The procurement incidentals are the initial costs incurred during procurement of foodgrains. The FCI buys foodgrains from the farmers at the pre-announced Minimum Support Price. The distribution costs include freight, handling charges, storage charges, losses during trasit and establishment cost.

Year : 2019

Category : Economy

2 .

Consider the following statements:

1. Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) exchange rates are calculated by comparing the prices of the same basket of goods and services in different countries.

2. In terms of PPP dollars, India is the sixth largest economy in the world.

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 (A) - 1 only

Note : Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) is an economic theory that compares different countries' currencies through a "basket of goods" approach. According to this concept, two currencies are in equilibrium—known as the currencies being at par—when a basket of goods is priced the same in both countries, taking into account the exchange rates. terms of PPP dollars, India is the third largest economy in the world.

Year : 2019

Category : Economy

3 .

Which one of the following is not the most likely measure the Government/RBI takes to stop the slide of Indian rupee?

A)

Curbing imports of non-essential goods and promoting exports

B)

Encouraging Indian borrowers to issue rupee denominated Masala

C)

Easing conditions relating to external commercial borrowing

D)

Following an expansionary monetary policy

Correct Answer : Following an expansionary monetary policy

Note : Expansionary monetary policy is hen a central bank uses its tools to stimulate the economy. That increases the Money supply, lowers the interest rate and increases the aggregate demand. It boost the growth as measured by GDP. It lowers the value of the currency, thereby decreasing the exchange rate.

Year : 2019

Category : Economy

4 .

Consider the following statements :

The Reserve Bank of India's recent directives relating to 'Storage of Payment System Data', popularly known as data diktat, command the payment system providers that

1. they shall ensure that entire data relating to payment systems operated by them are stored in a system only in India

2. they shall ensure that the systems are owned and operated by public sector enterprises

3. they shall submit the consolidated system audit report to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India by the end of the calendar year

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A)

1 only

B)

1 and 2 only

C)

3 only

D)

1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer : Option (A) - 1 only

Note :

The RBI has given the following directives relating to Storage of Payment System Data :

i. All system providers shall ensure that the entire data relating to payment systems operated by them are stored in a system only in India. This data should include the full end-to-end transaction details / information collected / carried / processed as part of the message / payment instruction. For the foreign leg of the transaction, if any, the data can also be stored in the foreign country, if required.

ii. System providers shall ensure compliance of (i) above within a period of six months and report compliance of the same to the Reserve Bank latest by October 15, 2018.

iii. System providers shall submit the System Audit Report (SAR) on completion of the requirement at (i) above. The audit should be conducted by CERT-IN empaneled auditors certifying completion of activity at (i) above. The SAR duly approved by the Board of the system providers should be submitted to the Reserve Bank not later than December 31, 2018.

So Option A gives the right answer.

Year : 2019

Category : Economy

5 .

The Service Area Approach was implemented under the purview of

A)

Integrated Rural Development Programme

B)

Lead Bank Scheme

C)

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme

D)

National Skill Development Mission

Correct Answer : Lead Bank Scheme

Note : The lead bank scheme was established in 1969 with the adoption of an area approach for bridging the spatial and structural credit gaps. The basic idea was to have an â€•area approachâ€– for targeted and focused banking. The banker‘s committee, headed by S. Nariman, concluded that districts would be the units for area approach and each district could be allotted to a particular bank which will perform the role of a Lead Bank.

Year : 2019

Category : Economy

6 .

Consider the following statements:

1. According to the Indian Patents Act, a biological process to create a seed can be patented in India.

2. In India, there is no Intellectual Property Appellate Board.

3. Plant varieties are not eligible to be patented in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A)

1 and 3 only

B)

2 and 3 only

C)

3 only

D)

1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer : Option (C) - 3 only

Note :

Article 3(j) excludes from patentability “plants and animals in whole or in any part thereof other than microorganisms but including seeds, varieties, and species, and essentially biological processes for production or propagation of plants and animals”. Hence, Statement 1 is not correct.

The Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) was constituted on September 15, 2003 by the Indian Government to hear and resolve the appeals against the decisions of the registrar under the Indian Trademarks Act, 1999 and the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Year : 2019

Category : Science and Technology

7 .

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 30.

2. LTE is data-only technology and VoLTE is voice-only technology.

Which of the 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 :

VoLTE is a technology update to the LTE protocol used by mobile phone networks. Under LTE, the infrastructure of telecom players only allows transmission of data while voice calls are routed to their older 2G or 3G networks. This is why, under LTE, you cannot access your 4G data services while on a call. This leads to problems such as slow internet speeds and poor voice clarity. VoLTE allows voice calls to be â€—packaged‘ and carried through LTE networks. This would mean 4G data accessibility even during calls. VoLTE is an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) specification which enables a variety of services to operate seamlessly on the network rather than having to switch to different applications for voice or video.

Year : 2019

Category : Science and Technology

8 .

Recently, India signed a deal known as 'Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Cooperation Areas in the Nuclear Field' with which of the following countries?

A)

Japan

B)

Russia

C)

The United Kingdom

D)

The United States of America

Correct Answer : Russia

Note : During the visit of H. E. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation to India, Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Co-operation Areas in the Nuclear Field Identified Jointly by India and Russia was signed on 5th October, 2018 in New Delhi. The two countries intent to develop a project of six nuclear power units of Russian design at a new site in India, further enhance cooperation in the third countries and bring in new perspective nuclear technologies together with joint construction of nuclear power plants.

Year : 2019

Category : Science and Technology

9 .

In the context of digital technologies for entertainment consider the following statements:

1. ln Augmented Reality (AR), a simulated environment is created and the physical world is completely shut out.

2. In Virtual Reality (VR), images generated from a computer are projected onto real-life objects or surroundings.

3. AR allows individuals to be present in the world and improves the experience using the camera of smart-phone or PC.

4. VR closes the world, and transposes an individual, providing complete immersion experience.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A)

1 and 2 only

B)

3 and 4

C)

1, 2 and 3

D)

4 only

Correct Answer : Option (B) - 3 and 4

Note :

Virtual reality (VR) is an artificial, computer-generated simulation or recreation of a real life environment or situation. It immerses the user by making them feel like they are experiencing the simulated reality first-hand, primarily by stimulating their vision and hearing. Hence statement 2 is not correct but 4 is correct.

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that layers computer-generated enhancements atop an existing reality in order to make it more meaningful through the ability to interact with it. AR is developed into appsand used on mobile devices to blend digital components into the real world in such a way that they enhance one another, but can also be told apart easily. Hence statement 1 is not correct but 3 is correct.

Year : 2019

Category : Science and Technology

10 .

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

Correct Answer : an early human species

Note : Scientists sifting through the genomes of people scattered across the islands of south-east Asia have found echoes of ancient pairings with not just one, but three separate populations of the archaic hominins known as Denisovans. First discovered in 2010, the Denisovans are a relatively recent addition to the human family tree.

Year : 2019

Category : Science and Technology