UPPCS Prelims 2019: questions with answers

Maquis – Mediterranean coast, Fynbos – South Africa, Chaparral – California, Matorral – Chile. All are Mediterranean-type scrub vegetation. So A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4.

Uzbekistan – Tashkent, Tajikistan – Dushanbe, Kyrgyzstan – Bishkek, Turkmenistan – Ashgabat. So A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4.

Per the official key: epiphytes – equatorial forests, acacia – Sahara (desert margins), baobab – savanna, cedars – Mediterranean. So A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1.

The Kirghiz are pastoral nomads of the Tian Shan/Pamir region of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan), not Sudan. Pygmies (Congo Basin), Angami (Nagaland) and Ainu (Japan) are correct.

Per the official key, both are true but R is not the correct explanation: big powers have bases in the Indian Ocean for strategic and sea-lane interests of their own. R speaks of benefits to the adjacent countries.

West to east across Central India: Satpura → Mahadeo hills → Maikal range → Chhotanagpur plateau.

Both true and R explains A: the Himalaya has many longitudinal thrust faults (MCT, MBT, HFT) from the ongoing India–Eurasia collision, making it India's most seismically active zone (Zones IV–V).

The Imphal basin was once occupied by a lake (Loktak is its remnant). Its plain formed from lake-bed deposits, so it is a lacustrine plain.

The Damodar flows through a rift (fault) valley between the Chotanagpur plateau blocks, which holds Gondwana coal deposits.

The tropical savanna (e.g. East African grasslands) is called the 'Land of Big Games' because of its large herbivores (zebra, antelope) and predators (lion, cheetah).

Per the official key all three are correct: the Greater Himalaya's crystalline rocks are largely unfossiliferous, the Lesser Himalaya's sedimentary rocks yield marine fossils, and the Siwaliks have remains of early man and Stone Age tools.

Both are true but R does not explain A. Akbar, like Sher Shah, standardised the coinage (A). That the copper dam was the chief copper coin, as in Sher Shah's time, is a separate fact.

Bilgram/Kannauj (1540, Sher Shah defeats Humayun) → Sarnal (1572–73, Akbar's Gujarat campaign) → Dharmat (1658, war of succession) → Jajau (1707, Bahadur Shah I defeats Azam). So II, I, III, IV.

Hatha Yoga was practised by the Nathpanthis (Gorakhnath), and Sufis (e.g. in Amrit Kund translations, Shattari order) also adopted its breathing techniques. Both statements are correct.

Iqta revenue was collected and used by the muqti (iqtadar) to maintain troops; only the surplus (fawazil) went to the Sultan. Revenue was not deposited directly in the Sultan's account.

The Tughlaqnama was written by Amir Khusrau, not Ibn Battuta (who wrote the Rihla). Tabaqat-i-Nasiri (Minhaj-us-Siraj), Tarikh-i-Firozshahi (Shams-i-Siraj Afif) and Humayunnama (Gulbadan Begum) are correct.

The Native Marriage Act (Special Marriage Act) of 1872, promoted by Keshab Chandra Sen and the Brahmo Samaj, legalised Brahmo and inter-caste marriages and set minimum marriage ages.

Pabna peasant revolt – 1873–85, Eka movement – 1922, Santhal rebellion – 1855–56, Tana Bhagat movement – 1914. So A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4.

The Communal Award was announced by Ramsay MacDonald in August 1932, not 1933. The Indian Navy (Discipline) Act 1927, Civil Disobedience 1930 and Second RTC 1931 are correct.

Death of Pherozeshah Mehta (1915) → Jallianwala Bagh (1919) → Simon Commission appointed (1927) → Dandi March (1930). So IV, II, I, III.

The INA trials (Shah Nawaz Khan, P.K. Sahgal, G.S. Dhillon) were held at the Red Fort, Delhi in 1945–46.

Per the official key, both are true but R is not the correct explanation. Hastings patronised oriental learning, but that does not explain why he declined the presidency in favour of Sir William Jones.

Neither is correct. India's National Calendar is based on the Saka era (not Vikram Samvat) and was adopted from 22 March 1957 (Chaitra 1, 1879 Saka), not 26 January 1950.

In 1976 the accounting function of the Union Government was separated from audit (departmentalisation of accounts), leaving the CAG mainly with auditing.

Gandhi favoured decentralised, village-based development (gram swaraj, cottage industries) and opposed centralised, heavy-industry-led planning.

Both are true but R does not explain A. Article 30 does not define 'minority' (A). That the Constitution recognises only religious and linguistic minorities (Arts 29–30) is a separate fact, not the reason for the lack of a definition.

States have no right to secede, so 1 is correct. Advocating secession is not protected: the 16th Amendment (1963) allows reasonable restrictions on free speech in the interest of sovereignty and integrity. So only 1.

Allocation of Rajya Sabha seats to States/UTs is in the Fourth Schedule, not the Second. Public health and sanitation (State List), Census (Union List) and Anti-defection (Tenth Schedule) are correct.

The Eleventh Schedule (73rd Amendment, 1992) lists 29 subjects for Panchayats. The Twelfth Schedule lists 18 for Municipalities.

The PM's Secretariat (1947) was renamed the Prime Minister's Office in 1977, so 1 is correct. The PMO is headed by the Principal Secretary to the PM, not the Cabinet Secretary (who heads the Cabinet Secretariat). So only 1.

The Sixth Schedule applies to tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. Sikkim and Nagaland are not covered (Nagaland has Article 371A).

Prohibition means 'to forbid'; 'to be certified' is the meaning of Certiorari. The other meanings are correct.

Article 110 defines a Money Bill. Article 109 gives the special procedure for Money Bills, 111 covers assent and 112 the Annual Financial Statement.

The Motihari (Bihar)–Amlekhganj (Nepal) petroleum pipeline, South Asia's first cross-border oil pipeline, was inaugurated by PM Modi and PM Oli on 10 September 2019.

Jaipur was inscribed on the World Heritage List at the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee in Baku, Azerbaijan (July 2019).

Kristalina Georgieva (Bulgaria) became IMF Managing Director on 1 October 2019, succeeding Christine Lagarde.

DHRUV (Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme) was launched by the HRD Ministry from ISRO headquarters, Bengaluru, on 10 October 2019 to nurture talented students in science and arts.

Thomas Cook – British travel company (collapsed Sept 2019), Greta Thunberg – environmental activist, Dr. Usha Kiran Khan – Bharat Bharati Samman, Carrie Lam – Hong Kong leader. So A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2.

Esther Duflo (2019) was the second woman to win the Economics Nobel. The first was Elinor Ostrom (2009, economic governance of the commons).

The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (Jal Shakti) released a 10-year Rural Sanitation Strategy (2019–2029) in September 2019 to sustain ODF status (ODF Plus).

The Central Institute of Indian Languages (est. 1969) is in Mysuru (Mysore), Karnataka.

At UNCCD COP14 (New Delhi, September 2019), India pledged to achieve land degradation neutrality and restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.

Chandrayaan-2 was launched on 22 July 2019 by GSLV Mk III-M1 from Sriharikota.

India's largest charkha, made from about 1,250 kg of used plastic waste, was inaugurated in Noida in October 2019. Both statements are true.

Insects such as the cockroach have colourless (white) haemolymph because it lacks haemoglobin.

Rhizobium bacteria form symbiotic nodules on the roots of leguminous plants (pulses) and fix atmospheric nitrogen.

Charge spreads over the bubble's surface, and the mutual repulsion creates an outward electrostatic pressure, so the radius increases.

Rayon is regenerated (modified) cellulose, not modified starch. Oxytocin is a hormone, aspartame an artificial sweetener and neoprene a synthetic rubber.

Cotton is almost pure cellulose (a carbohydrate). Hair and hooves are keratin, and spider silk is the protein spidroin.

A vacuum flask's double wall with a vacuum stops conduction and convection, and the silvered surfaces cut radiation. So heat is not gained or lost by either (a) or (b).

The pancreas is both exocrine (secretes digestive pancreatic juice into the duodenum) and endocrine (islets of Langerhans secrete insulin and glucagon).

Gypsum is hydrated calcium sulphate (CaSO4·2H2O). China clay is kaolinite (aluminium silicate), corundum is Al2O3 and talc is magnesium silicate.

Silver bromide is used in photography (light-sensitive film), not artificial photosynthesis. Silver iodide is used for cloud seeding, lithium salts for rheumatism/gout, and milk of magnesia as an antacid.

Tulsi's medicinal (antioxidant, antimicrobial) properties come from phenolic compounds such as eugenol and rosmarinic acid, and flavonoids such as orientin and vicenin.

In a typical ecosystem the pyramid of numbers is upright: producers outnumber primary consumers, which outnumber secondary consumers. Primary consumers depend entirely on producers.

Eutrophication is nutrient (N, P) enrichment of a water body causing algal blooms. Their decomposition depletes dissolved oxygen. Both statements are correct.

An environment modified by human activities is called the anthropogenic (man-made) environment.

Species diversity decreases, not increases, from the equator towards the poles (latitudinal diversity gradient). The other statements are true; the Amazon rainforest has the greatest biodiversity.

Lichens are highly sensitive to SO2 and are a well-known bioindicator of air pollution: they disappear from polluted areas.

Pasteurisation is mainly associated with milk (heating to kill pathogens), not tea. Desalination – sea water, reverse osmosis – potable water and denaturation – proteins are correct.

Sodium chlorate (NaClO3) is a non-selective herbicide (weedkiller). Potassium permanganate and bleaching powder are disinfectants/oxidisers.

Flooded paddy fields release methane through anaerobic decomposition, and methane is a potent greenhouse gas.

The International Solar Alliance (launched 2015 by India and France) has its secretariat at Gurugram, Haryana (NISE campus).

Diu became India's first UT to run 100% on solar power during daytime (2017), with about 9 MW of solar capacity.

Per the official key, both are true and R explains A: SDG targets build on health and education (also HDI dimensions), so states with high HDI tend to rank higher on the SDG India Index.

The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (UNDP–OPHI) has three dimensions: health, education and standard of living (10 indicators).

Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 → Project Tiger 1973 → Project Elephant 1992 → Biological Diversity Act 2002. So I, III, IV, II.

Under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (CRS), births and deaths must be reported within 21 days of occurrence.

Per the official key, NFHS-5 (2019–21) did not include HIV testing, which NFHS-4 had. It added new components such as registration of deaths, and covered blood pressure and diabetes (blood sugar).

The Environmental Kuznets Curve is an inverted U: environmental degradation first rises with per-capita income, then falls after a turning point.

Both true and R explains A: sustainable development (Brundtland definition) meets present needs without compromising future generations, which is why it is important for human well-being.

PAHAL (DBT for LPG) was recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records (2015) as the world's largest cash transfer programme.

NFSA 2013 covers up to 75% of the rural and 50% of the urban population, has special nutritional support for women and children, and makes the eldest woman (18+) head of household for ration cards. All three are correct.

Tenancy reforms had three aims: regulation of rent, security of tenure, and conferment of ownership rights on tenants.

The public sector was meant to provide public utilities, build social and economic overheads (infrastructure), ensure balanced regional and sectoral development, and pursue egalitarian goals. All four are correct.

From north (Port Said) to south (Suez): Lake Manzala → Lake Timsah → Great Bitter Lake → Little Bitter Lake.

The Telegraphic Plateau, the submarine rise on which the first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid, is part of the North Atlantic (Mid-Atlantic) Ridge.

Willy-willies – Australia, Taifu (typhoon) – Japan, Baguio – Philippines, Hurricanes – USA. So A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4.

Sochi is a Black Sea resort in southern Russia, not on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Kazan (on the northern variant via Yekaterinburg), Omsk and Chita lie on the route.

The Mistral is a cold northerly wind of southern France (Rhône valley), not Australia. Santa Ana (California), Haboob (Sudan) and Yamo (Japan) are correct.

Talcher – Mahanadi valley, Karanpura – Damodar valley, Singrauli – Son valley, Singareni – Godavari valley. So A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3.

Per the official key, Gurla Mandhata (7,694 m) lies in Tibet near Lake Mansarovar. Kamet (Uttarakhand) and Nanga Parbat (claimed as part of J&K/Ladakh) are treated as Indian. (Namcha Barwa is also in Tibet, but the official key gives Gurla Mandhata.)

Western disturbances enter from the west, so winter rainfall in the north-western plains is highest in Punjab and decreases eastwards (West to East).

The Luni rises near Ajmer with fresh water, but becomes saline below Balotra as it crosses salt-bearing soils before ending in the Rann of Kutch.

The Bengal (Ganga) delta is divided into the moribund (dying, north-western, Nadia–Murshidabad), mature and active (south-eastern) deltas.

Both are true but R does not explain A. UP's lower sugarcane productivity (yield and recovery) is due to agro-climatic factors, varieties and irrigation, not the co-operative structure of Maharashtra's mills.

A jarib was a measuring rod/chain used for land survey (introduced in bamboo with iron rings by Akbar), not a tax. Dam (copper coin), Desai (revenue officer) and Diwan (provincial revenue chief) are correct.

Mulla Daud – Chandayan, Damodar Kavi – Padmavati Katha, Somnath – Raga Vibodha, Amir Khusrau – Ashiqa. So A-1, B-3, C-4, D-2.

Before joining Akbar's court (1562), Tansen was patronised by Raja Ramchandra Singh (Baghela) of Bandhavgarh/Rewa ('Bhatha').

Pallava – Kanchi, Pandya – Madurai, Yadava – Devagiri, Kakatiya – Warangal. So A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1.

Atala Masjid, Jaunpur (1408) → Sher Shah's tomb, Sasaram (1545) → Humayun's tomb, Delhi (1570) → Rabia-ud-Daurani's tomb (Bibi ka Maqbara), Aurangabad (1660). So IV, II, III, I.

The mansabdari system, introduced by Akbar, was the official nobility/ranking system of the state (1 correct). Mansabs were not hereditary; they were granted and could be withdrawn (2 wrong).

Treaty of Allahabad – 1765, Mangalore – 1784, Salbai – 1782, Madras – 1769. So A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3.

Civil Disobedience (1930) → Gandhi–Irwin Pact (March 1931) → Poona Pact (September 1932) → Cripps Mission (1942). So IV, II, I, III.

In 1905 Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal by redrawing provincial boundaries, creating the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam (capital Dacca). Both are correct.

The C.R. (Rajagopalachari) Formula (1944) proposed a post-war plebiscite in Muslim-majority areas to break the Congress–League deadlock.

'The Rise and Growth of Economic Nationalism in India' (1966) was written by historian Bipan Chandra.

Article 48A (DPSP, added by the 42nd Amendment) directs the State to protect the environment, forests and wildlife, and Article 51A(g) (Fundamental Duties) asks citizens to do the same. So both.

Only 3 is correct: Article 243B provides Panchayats at the intermediate level (except States under 20 lakh population). One-third (not 50%) of seats are reserved for women under the Constitution, and the Gram Sabha consists of persons on the village electoral roll, not all residents.

The MKSS (Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey, Shanker Singh; Rajasthan, 1990) led the grassroots campaign that resulted in the Right to Information Act, 2005.

NSAP covers old-age, widow and disability pensions (IGNOAPS, IGNWPS, IGNDPS), the National Family Benefit Scheme and Annapurna. Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana is under DAY-NRLM, not NSAP.

K.C. Wheare described the Indian Constitution as 'quasi-federal': a unitary state with subsidiary federal features rather than a federal state with unitary features.

Instrument of Accession signed (26 October 1947) → Constitution of India in force (26 January 1950) → J&K Constituent Assembly ratifies accession (February 1954) → J&K Constitution in force (26 January 1957). So I, II, III, IV.

Per the official key, both are true and R explains A: as guardian and final interpreter of the Constitution, the Supreme Court decides on the constitutional validity of Central laws (the exclusive jurisdiction given by the 42nd Amendment's Art. 32A was later removed, but the key treats A as true).

National Panchayati Raj Day is observed on 24 April, the date the 73rd Constitutional Amendment came into force (1993).

Article 43A (participation of workers in management of industries) was inserted by the 42nd Amendment, 1976. The 42nd Amendment also added 39A (free legal aid).

The Preamble is part of the Constitution (Kesavananda Bharati, 1973) but is not enforceable in a court of law. It is not a source of power or a limitation.

Article 162 is titled 'Extent of executive power of State'. Article 154 covers the executive power of the State, 158 the conditions of the Governor's office and 156 the term of office.

The Markandeshwar (Markanda Deo) temple complex in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, with its rich Nagara sculpture, is called the 'Khajuraho of Vidarbha'.

Dorian – Bahamas, Hagibis – Japan, Lekima – China, Mitag – Jeju/South Korea (Aug–Sept 2019). So A-1, B-4, C-2, D-3.

Per the official key, in October 2019 (Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu's visit) India announced it would open a High Commission in Sierra Leone, part of its plan to open 18 new missions in Africa.

Karnataka topped NITI Aayog's first India Innovation Index (October 2019) among major states, followed by Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

The 2019 Booker Prize was jointly awarded to Bernardine Evaristo ('Girl, Woman, Other') and Margaret Atwood ('The Testaments'). Evaristo wrote 'Girl, Woman, Other'.

P.V. Sindhu beat Nozomi Okuhara of Japan 21-7, 21-7 in the 2019 BWF World Championships final (Basel), becoming India's first badminton world champion.

PM Modi and Bhutan PM Lotay Tshering inaugurated the 720 MW Mangdechhu hydroelectric project in August 2019.

Sikkim was declared the world's first fully organic state in 2016 and won FAO's Future Policy Gold Award in 2018.

Upendra Maharathi's 'Venushilpa' is a treatise on bamboo craft ('venu' = bamboo). He founded the Upendra Maharathi Shilp Anusandhan Sansthan in Patna.

Deepa Malik won silver in shot put (F53) at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic medal, and received the Khel Ratna in 2019.

The UN Climate Action Summit was convened by Secretary-General António Guterres in New York on 23 September 2019.

Polishing removes the bran layer rich in thiamine (vitamin B1), so a diet of polished rice causes beriberi.

Cod-liver oil is a rich source of vitamins A and D, not vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Rice bran – B6, wheat germ oil – vitamin E and alfalfa – vitamin K are correct.

A is true: most vitamins must come from the diet. R is false: the body cannot synthesise essential micronutrients (that is why they are 'essential'). It makes only a few vitamins, such as D (skin) and some B and K via gut bacteria.

Kevlar – synthetic (aramid) fibre, Taxol – anticancer drug, Zinc phosphide – rodenticide, Nitrocellulose – explosive (guncotton). So A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1.

Sublimation is the direct change from solid to vapour without melting, as seen in camphor, naphthalene and dry ice (solid CO2).

Optical fibres guide light by repeated total internal reflection at the core–cladding boundary (core has the higher refractive index).

Per the official key, both are taken as correct: enzymes are biological catalysts, and the key accepts that they act at their site of production. Note that many enzymes (e.g. digestive enzymes) act away from where they are made.

Breast milk is low in iron (though well absorbed). Infants rely on iron stores from birth, so supplementation or complementary foods are needed after about 6 months.

Kevlar (1965, Stephanie Kwolek) → Fullerene (1985) → Graphene (isolated 2004) → 'Black gold' (nano-gold-based material, TIFR, 2017). So 4, 2, 3, 1.

Bibliometrics, the statistical analysis of publications and citations, is an information management tool used to evaluate research output and literature growth.

Albedo is the reflecting power of a surface: the fraction of incident solar radiation it reflects (fresh snow is high, oceans are low).

The Deep Carbon Observatory (2009–2019, Carnegie Institution/Sloan Foundation) was a global research programme on the quantities, movements, forms and origins of carbon inside Earth, including field studies of deep microbial life. Both are correct.

The Kyoto Protocol (1997) is about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, not water conservation. Cartagena – biosafety, Stockholm – persistent organic pollutants and Montreal – ozone layer are correct.

Per the official key, both are true and R explains A: butterflies are cold-blooded (ectothermic) and need warmth to be active, so their diversity peaks in the tropics.

Energy decreases at each trophic level. Only about 10% passes to the next level (Lindeman's 10% law); the rest is lost as heat in respiration.

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria, e.g. Anabaena and Nostoc, with heterocysts) fix atmospheric nitrogen and are used as biofertiliser in paddy fields.

Classical (London) smog comes from sulphur oxides with smoke and fog. Photochemical smog comes from nitrogen oxides reacting with hydrocarbons in sunlight. So oxides of nitrogen and sulphur.

UNEP's Global 500 Roll of Honour (1987–2003) recognised outstanding achievements in environmental protection and conservation.

A black hole forms when a massive star collapses under its own gravity into a region so dense that not even light can escape.

Among the options, the Western Ghats (a global biodiversity hotspot with very high endemism) is the most biodiversity-rich region of India.

NITI Aayog is the nodal body for overseeing implementation of the SDGs in India and publishes the SDG India Index. MoSPI handles the indicator framework.

The Karve Committee (1955) came first and the S.S. Kohli Committee (2000s) last. The official key's answer is IV, II, I, III, placing the Abid Hussain Committee before the Nayak Committee.

National Programme for Control of Blindness – 1976, ICDS – 1975, National Leprosy Eradication Programme – 1983, NRHM – 2005. So A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3.

Per the official key, both are true but R is not the (complete) explanation. Female labour force participation fell sharply, and rising education (enrolment) and household income are among several factors, along with lack of suitable jobs and social norms.

Dependency ratio = (0–14 + 60+) / (15–59). It is declining because the working-age (15–59) share is growing (demographic dividend).

SDG 6: ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030. SDG 7 is energy, 8 decent work and 9 industry/infrastructure.

'The Limits to Growth' (1972) was a report commissioned by the Club of Rome (Meadows et al.), warning that exponential growth would hit planetary resource limits.

Usual (principal) status unemployment counts persons unemployed for the major part of the reference year (365 days). It measures chronic unemployment.

Neither is correct: mandatory CSR came with Section 135 of the Companies Act 2013 (not 2014; rules effective April 2014), and eligible companies must spend at least 2% (not 1%) of average net profit of the preceding three years.

The Physical Quality of Life Index (1979) was developed by Morris David Morris. It combines literacy, infant mortality and life expectancy at age one.

In the Global Hunger Index 2017 (IFPRI), India ranked 100th of 119 countries ('serious' category).