UPPCS Prelims 2020: questions with answers

The National Clean Air Programme was launched by the MoEFCC in January 2019 to cut PM2.5/PM10 levels by 20–30% by 2024 (base year 2017) in 102 (now 131) non-attainment cities.

The Puranas call the Ikshvakus of the Krishna–Guntur region (successors of the Satavahanas) 'Shriparvatiya' (of Sriparvata, i.e. Nagarjunakonda).

The Y.K. Alagh Task Force (1979) defined the poverty line purely by calorie norms: 2,400 kcal (rural) and 2,100 kcal (urban) per person per day.

Megasthenes says the agronomoi were rural officials in charge of rivers, land measurement, irrigation and roads (including milestones). The key links them to road construction.

HDI combines life expectancy (health), education (mean and expected years of schooling) and GNI per capita (income). Social inequality is not a component (it is captured separately in IHDI/GII).

Matsya – Viratnagar, Kuru – Indraprastha, Surasena – Mathura, Ashmaka – Potana. So A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2.

Anthropologist Oscar Lewis proposed the 'culture of poverty' (1959, 'Five Families'): poverty creates a self-perpetuating subculture.

Both true and R explains A: Chola kings (from Rajaraja I) had long historical prashastis (meykkirtis) engraved on temple walls, giving rich information about their reigns.

The mid-1980s debate on the negative side of development (Brundtland era) focused on resource degradation, pollution and displacement/rehabilitation (e.g. big dams). 'Politics and development' was not one of those core concerns.

V.S. Wakankar discovered the Bhimbetka rock shelters (near Bhopal) in 1957 and established their prehistoric significance. They became a UNESCO site in 2003.

Ten UP cities are under the Smart Cities Mission: Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Aligarh, Jhansi, Moradabad, Bareilly and Saharanpur.

Balu – Haryana, Manda – Jammu & Kashmir, Padri – Gujarat, Hulas – Uttar Pradesh. So A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1.

'Our Common Future' (1987), the Brundtland Commission report, popularised the definition of sustainable development.

The Multan Sun temple is described by Hiuen Tsang, Abu Zaid, Al-Masudi and Al-Biruni. Pilgrimage to Sambapura (Multan, linked to Samba, son of Krishna) was associated with Sun worship. Both are correct.

The Atal Innovation Mission (2016) is NITI Aayog's flagship initiative to promote innovation and entrepreneurship (Atal Tinkering Labs, Atal Incubation Centres).

The official (provisional) key gives V.P. (B.P.) Wadia, founder of the Madras Labour Union (1918), as the answer. Note: most standard sources name N.M. Joshi as the workers' delegate nominated to the 1919 ILO conference in Washington, so check this against UPPSC's final key.

'Silent Spring' (1962) by American biologist Rachel Carson exposed the harm of DDT and other pesticides and helped launch the modern environmental movement.

The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) ended the War of Austrian Succession and with it the First Carnatic War, and Madras was restored to the English. Both are correct.

ICDS provides supplementary nutrition, immunisation, health check-ups, referral services, pre-school education, and nutrition and health education. Family planning is not one of its services.

Indian Arms Act – 1878, Royal Titles Act – 1876, Indian High Courts Act – 1861, Indian Divorce Act – 1869. So A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3.

Indus Valley Civilization – urban, Later Vedic society – agrarian, Rigvedic society – pastoral, Medieval period – landlordism. So A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2.

Per the official key: under Lord Dalhousie (1849–50), after the detention of British officials, the British annexed Sikkim's Terai (Morang) and Darjeeling areas. (Sikkim itself merged with India only in 1975 as the 22nd State.)

Kanpur crossed one million in the 1971 Census and Lucknow in the 1981 Census.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad did not attend the Second Round Table Conference (1931). Gandhi (sole Congress representative), Sarojini Naidu and Madan Mohan Malaviya attended.

Per the official key: Jajmani – North India, Bara Balute – Maharashtra, Mirasi – Karnataka, Adade – Tamil Nadu (regional names of traditional village service systems). So A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4.

The Story of My Deportation – Lala Lajpat Rai, Gita Rahasya – Tilak, A Nation in Making – Surendranath Banerjee, India Wins Freedom – Maulana Azad. So A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2.

Robert E. Park (Chicago School) proposed the 'marginal man' concept (1928): a person living in two cultures without fully belonging to either.

Haidar Ali, then faujdar of Dindigul, set up a modern arsenal there in 1755 with French help.

Per the official key, rapid population growth is not counted as a direct major cause of wildlife extinction. The direct causes are habitat loss, forest fires and illegal wildlife trade (population growth works indirectly through these).

Per the official key, both are true and R explains A: the Permanent, Ryotwari and Mahalwari settlements in different regions produced distinct agrarian classes (zamindars, ryots, tenants, landless labourers).

A Railway Museum at Hubballi (South Western Railway) was dedicated to the nation by the Railway Minister in August 2020.

Kitab-ul-Hind (Al-Biruni, c. 1030) → Prithviraj Raso (Chand Bardai, traditionally late 12th century) → Tabaqat-i-Nasiri (Minhaj, 1260) → Fatawa-i-Jahandari (Barani, 14th century). So 3, 2, 4, 1.

The UAE's Hope (Al-Amal) probe launched on 20 July 2020 from Japan, making it the first Arab nation to launch a Mars mission.

Abul Hasan Qutb Shah (Tana Shah) was the last Qutb Shahi ruler when Aurangzeb took Golconda in 1687.

Per the official key: in July 2020 Bangladesh's telecom regulator moved to stop free internet access to social media in mobile data packages.

Akbar tried to fix the minimum marriage age (16 for boys, 14 for girls) and stressed the consent of bride and groom. Both are correct.

The India Ideas Summit 2020 was organised virtually by the US-India Business Council (21–22 July 2020), so 1 is correct. Its theme was 'Building a Better Future', not 'Empowering India'. So only 1.

Diwan-i-Tan – jagirs and salaries, Mustaufi – auditor of state income and expenditure, Mushrif – office/accounts in charge, Waqia-navis – news-writer recording events and farmans. So A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2.

On 29 July 2020 the UP Cabinet approved a National Law University at Prayagraj (Dr. Rajendra Prasad National Law University).

Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya's dargah is in Delhi, not Multan (Multan was the Suhrawardi centre of Bahauddin Zakariya). The other pairs are correct.

On 25 July 2020 Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju announced that Haryana (Panchkula) would host the 4th Khelo India Youth Games in 2021.

Shah Jahan's engineers (Ali Mardan Khan) restored Firuz Shah's Rajabwah canal as the Shahab Nahr (part of the Western Yamuna Canal system), which fed Shahjahanabad (Faiz Nahr).

On Mohun Bagan Day (29 July 2020) the club became the first Indian football club to appear on the NASDAQ billboard in Times Square, New York.

'Kitab-i-Nauras', a collection of songs in Dakhni on music, was written by Ibrahim Adil Shah II of Bijapur (1580–1627).

India's first Kisan Rail ran from Devlali (Nashik, Maharashtra) to Danapur (Bihar) on 7–8 August 2020, carrying perishables.

In March 2018, PM Modi and French President Macron inaugurated UP's largest (75 MW) solar plant at Dadar Kalan, Mirzapur, built by French firm ENGIE.

The 2020 East Asia Summit was hosted (virtually) by Vietnam, not Singapore. G-20 2019 (Osaka), G-7 2019 (Biarritz) and EAS 2019 (Bangkok) are correct.

In January 2020, 10 Indian wetlands were added to the Ramsar list, 6 of them in UP: Nawabganj, Parvati Agra, Saman, Samaspur, Sandi and Sarsai Nawar.

Chhattisgarh High Court held India's first-ever e-Lok Adalat on 11 July 2020 during the COVID-19 period.

The Rengma are a Naga tribe of Nagaland/Assam. Halchu (Nicobarese subgroup), Onge and Shompen are native to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The Status of Tigers 2018 report (July 2020) said India holds about 70% of the world's wild tigers (2,967), and nearly 30% of them live outside tiger reserves. Both are correct.

The Sutlej rises near Mansarovar–Rakas Tal in Tibet, north of the Great Himalaya, so it is a trans-Himalayan (antecedent) river like the Indus and Brahmaputra.

The UK hosted the virtual Global Vaccine Summit on 4 June 2020, raising $8.8 billion for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

The Khas are a hill community of Uttarakhand/Himachal (Jaunsar–Bawar) and Nepal, not Arunachal Pradesh. Angami (Nagaland), Birhor (Jharkhand) and Toda (Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu) are correct.

ICGS Sarthak, the fourth of five Offshore Patrol Vessels built by Goa Shipyard for the Indian Coast Guard, was launched in August 2020.

Sela (Sala) Lake – Arunachal Pradesh, Badkhal Lake – Haryana (Faridabad), Loktak – Manipur, Kaliveli – Tamil Nadu. So A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4.

Haryana launched the Pashu Kisan Credit Card scheme in 2020 to give livestock owners credit for cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats and poultry.

Per the official key, A is false and R is true. Ahmedabad lies in a major cotton belt (Gujarat), but by the key's reckoning it is not the largest cotton textile centre (Mumbai has traditionally been treated as the largest, with Ahmedabad second).

On 27 July 2020 PM Modi virtually inaugurated high-throughput ICMR COVID-19 testing labs at Kolkata, Noida and Mumbai.

The Himadri (Great Himalaya), formed in the Tertiary orogeny, is India's youngest range. The Aravalli is among the oldest fold mountains in the world.

On 24 June 2020 the Union Cabinet approved declaring Kushinagar Airport (Buddhist circuit) an international airport.

Indravati – Chhattisgarh, Mollem – Goa, Kalesar – Haryana, Betla – Jharkhand. So A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1.

In June 2020 India, Ireland, Mexico and Norway (plus Kenya) were elected non-permanent UNSC members for 2021–22. Canada lost the contest.

Per the official key, pairs 1 and 3 are wrong. Manganese is not mined at Bhilwara (which is known for mica and lead-zinc), so pair 3 is clearly wrong. Ballari (iron ore) and Katni (bauxite) are correct. (Copper does occur at Ingaldhal, Chitradurga, but the key treats pair 1 as incorrect.)

NEP 2020 was drafted by the committee under Dr. K. Kasturirangan (1 correct). It replaced the 1986 policy (modified 1992), i.e. after 34 years, not 38 (2 incorrect).

The Kashmir Valley lies between the Pir Panjal range (south-west) and the Great Himalaya/Himadri (Zanskar side, north-east).

Delhi notified its Electric Vehicle Policy on 7 August 2020, targeting 25% of new vehicle registrations to be EVs by 2024.

West to east, the right-bank tributaries of the Yamuna are Chambal → Sindh → Betwa → Ken. So 4, 3, 1, 2.

Hyderabad-based Naandi Foundation (Araku coffee/tribal farming model) was among the top visionaries of the Rockefeller Foundation's Food System Vision 2050 Prize (August 2020).

Normandy (Caen iron ore) is in France, not Germany. Karaganda (Kazakhstan) and Krivoy Rog (Ukraine) are correct, and the key treats France – Pyrenees as correct too.

In July 2020 the first trial container ship from Kolkata to Agartala moved via Chattogram (Chittagong) port in Bangladesh, under the agreement on the use of Chattogram and Mongla ports.

Mediterranean regions (dry warm summers, mild wet winters) are famous for citrus fruits: oranges, lemons, grapefruit.

On its foundation day (27 July 2020), the Ministry of Earth Sciences gave the Lifetime Excellence Award in Earth System Science to palaeontologist Prof. Ashok Sahni.

Baguios – Philippines, Hurricanes – USA, Typhoons – China (and Japan), Willy-willies – Australia. So A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1.

Eutrophication is nutrient enrichment of a water body. The resulting algal blooms decompose and deplete dissolved oxygen. Both are correct.

The Darling Range (Darling Scarp) runs parallel to the coast near Perth in south-western Western Australia.

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

The Agulhas Current is a warm current flowing south along Africa's east coast in the Indian Ocean. Florida and Canary are Atlantic currents; the Kurile (Oyashio) is Pacific.

The cycling of nutrients (C, N, P, S) between living organisms and the physical environment is called the biogeochemical cycle.

Jews – Israel, Teda (Toubou) – Libya/Chad, Beja – Egypt/Sudan, Lur – Iran. So A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2.

The Mitti Bachao Abhiyan began in 1977 in Hoshangabad (Madhya Pradesh) against waterlogging and salinity caused by the Tawa dam command area.

The capital of Cape Verde is Praia. Bamako is the capital of Mali. Rabat, Tunis and Algiers are correct.

Without the natural greenhouse effect, Earth's average surface temperature would be about −18°C instead of about +15°C.

Postmasburg–Kuruman (Kalahari manganese field, Northern Cape) is one of the world's largest manganese producing areas.

The whole series of communities that replace one another in an area during ecological succession is called a sere; each stage is a seral stage.

Atlas – Morocco, Kilimanjaro – Tanzania, Chimborazo – Ecuador, Pyrenees – France/Spain. So A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1.

Myoglobin (the muscle oxygen-storing protein) has an iron-containing haem group. Chlorophyll contains magnesium; collagen and keratin have no iron.

The Kinta Valley (Perak, Malaysia) was historically one of the world's richest tin-mining areas (Ipoh).

A heritable change in the nucleotide (base) sequence of a gene is called a mutation.

The Equator crosses Gabon and Somalia, but not mainland Equatorial Guinea (which lies about 1–2°N) or Rwanda (about 2°S). So 3 and 4.

Many fire alarms (optical smoke detectors) use a photocell: smoke scatters or blocks a light beam, changing the photocell output and triggering the alarm.

Part IX (Articles 243–243O), added by the 73rd Amendment (1992), deals with Panchayats. Part IXA covers Municipalities.

Neoprene (polychloroprene) is a synthetic rubber (elastomer), not a thermoplastic. Teflon, polystyrene and polythene are thermoplastics.

The 73rd and 74th Amendments, which added Panchayats and Municipalities as the third tier, were passed by Parliament in December 1992 (in force in 1993). The key takes 1992.

Protein digestion begins in the stomach, where pepsin (activated by HCl) breaks proteins into peptides. Saliva in the mouth digests only starch.

Admission of new States (e.g. Sikkim) is under Article 2. Article 3 covers formation of new States and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing States.

Polished rice lacks thiamine (vitamin B1) from the bran, and its deficiency causes beriberi.

Judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court and the CAG are removed through an address by both Houses of Parliament (special majority). The UPSC Chairman is removed by the President after a Supreme Court inquiry, with no role for Parliament. So only 3.

Vitamin K is needed to make clotting factors (prothrombin, factors VII, IX, X) in the liver, so it is essential for blood coagulation.

Article 243K vests superintendence, direction and control of Panchayat elections in the State Election Commission.

The brain controls both: the medulla oblongata regulates heartbeat (cardiac centre), and the cerebellum maintains balance and posture.

The official (provisional) key gives (c). Note: as printed, all four pairs appear correct; Article 323A does deal with administrative tribunals (Inter-State Council 263, Finance Commission 280, UPSC 315). Check this against UPPSC's final key.

Asafoetida (hing) is the dried resin from the roots/rhizome of Ferula plants. Bitumen (shilajit) is a mineral/organic exudate from rocks, and tincal (borax) is a mineral.

The Central Vigilance Commission is a statutory body (CVC Act, 2003; first set up in 1964 on the Santhanam Committee's recommendation). No Article of the Constitution describes it.

Per the official key, both are true but R does not explain A. Invert sugar (glucose + fructose from hydrolysis of sucrose) is sweeter because fructose is very sweet; hydrolysis alone does not explain the sweetness.

NCW chairpersons: Jayanti Patnaik (1992) → Dr. Poornima Advani (2002) → Dr. Girija Vyas (2005) → Mamta Sharma (2011). So 1, 4, 3, 2.

Sodium – soft, can be cut with a knife; Mercury – liquid at room temperature; Silver – best conductor of electricity; Lead – poor conductor of heat. So A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3.

Article 371J (98th Amendment, 2012) gives special provisions for the Hyderabad–Karnataka (Kalyana-Karnataka) region of Karnataka.

Fibroin is the natural protein of silk (and spider silk). Lexan (polycarbonate), neoprene and Teflon are synthetic polymers.

The Attorney General (Article 76) is in Part V (The Union), not Part XIII (trade and commerce). Fundamental Duties (IVA), The States (VI) and Services (XIV) are correct.

Blue vitriol (CuSO4) – fungicide (Bordeaux mixture), Eosin – red ink, Silver iodide – artificial rain, Zinc phosphide – rodenticide. So A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4.

The Estimates Committee, with 30 members, all from the Lok Sabha, is the largest committee of Parliament. The PAC has 22 members and the Committee on Public Undertakings 22.

In the SDG India Index 2019-20 (December 2019), Uttar Pradesh scored 55 and was in the 'Performer' category (50–64).

Citizenship is covered by Articles 5 to 11 in Part II of the Constitution.

Of the 12 HRIDAY cities, two are in UP: Varanasi and Mathura. Prayagraj and Ayodhya were not included.

Per the official key, both are true and R explains A: W.H. Morris-Jones described the Indian political system's 'modern', 'traditional' and 'saintly' idioms, a blend that embodies continuity and change.

Replacement-level fertility is a TFR of about 2.1 children per woman (the extra 0.1 offsets child mortality).

Article 164(1A) (91st Amendment, 2003): the Council of Ministers in a State, including the CM, cannot exceed 15% of the Assembly's strength but must be at least 12.

Per the official key: poverty in India has been estimated using the head count ratio, calorie intake norms and household consumption expenditure (NSSO). Per capita income is not used.

The Basic Structure doctrine was laid down in Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (24 April 1973) by a 13-judge bench (7:6).

PM-JAY gives health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year, not per person (1 wrong). Costs are shared 60:40 between Centre and States (90:10 for NE/Himalayan States) (2 correct). So only 2.

Separation of the judiciary from the executive is Article 50, not 48 (Article 48 is the organisation of agriculture and animal husbandry). Articles 39A, 40 and 44 are correctly matched.

Sustainable tourism manages tourism and the environment while preserving cultural integrity, biodiversity and ecological processes for present and future generations.

Under Article 76, the AG must be qualified to be a Supreme Court judge (1 correct). The AG's remuneration is determined by the President, not Parliament (2 wrong). So only 1.

HAUSLA 2018 was a national festival for children from Child Care Institutions, organised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in New Delhi (November 2018). Both are correct.

Both are true but R does not explain A. India is 'quasi-federal' (K.C. Wheare) because of strong unitary features: a strong Centre, single constitution, emergency powers and Governors. An independent judiciary is a federal feature and does not explain the 'quasi' label.

In 2019 the government set the goal of a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2024-25.

Under Article 108, a joint sitting can be held only for ordinary bills. There is none for Money Bills (Lok Sabha prevails) or Constitutional Amendment Bills (each House must pass separately).

The 2010 Human Development Report replaced the Human Poverty Index with the Multidimensional Poverty Index (UNDP–OPHI).

The COVID-19 lockdown powers came from the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (NDMA/MHA orders) and the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. So 2 and 4.

A is false: the National Infrastructure Pipeline covers 2019-20 to 2024-25 (about Rs 111 lakh crore), not 2020-30. R is true: it aims to provide world-class infrastructure accessible to all.

Article 61 – impeachment of the President, 67(b) – removal of the Vice-President, 94 – removal of the Speaker, 90 – removal of the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. So A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1.

The official (provisional) key gives (b) 'only 2'. Note: India ranked 63rd in Doing Business 2020 (October 2019) and 77th in Doing Business 2019 (October 2018), so both statements appear true. Check this against UPPSC's final key.

The Constituent Assembly adopted the National Flag on 22 July 1947.

Budget 2020-21 raised the FPI limit in corporate bonds from 9% to 15% of the outstanding stock of corporate bonds.

UP's Biotechnology Park is in Lucknow (Kursi Road), set up by the UP government with the Department of Biotechnology.

Per the official key: PM Jan Arogya (PM-JAY) – 2018, PM Vaya Vandana Yojana – 2017, PM Rojgar Protsahan Yojana – 2015 (per key; it was announced in 2016), Swachh Bharat Abhiyan – 2014. So A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4.

The Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), set up in 2015, is an attached office of NITI Aayog.

Per the official key, 'nitrogen oxide' (NOx, mainly from combustion) is not treated as a naturally occurring greenhouse gas. CO2, methane and ozone occur naturally. (Note: nitrous oxide, N2O, is a natural GHG.)

Under the NPS for Traders (PM-LVM, 2019), persons already covered by NPS, ESIC, EPFO or PM-SYM are NOT eligible. Age 18–40, turnover up to Rs 1.5 crore and an assured Rs 3,000 monthly pension are correct.

Per the official key, both are correct: DST's NIDHI (National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations) supports student and early-stage start-ups, including support for about 20 student start-ups each year (NIDHI-PRAYAS / student innovation component).

Environment is commonly classified as physical (abiotic), biological (biotic) and cultural (man-made). 'Operational environment' is not one of these categories.

Both true and R explains A: Budget 2020-21 announced a 16-point action plan centred on agriculture, irrigation and rural development to support doubling farmers' income by 2022.

The term 'ecological transition' was introduced by anthropologist John W. Bennett ('The Ecological Transition', 1976) for humanity's shift from living within nature towards dominating it.

The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index is published by the World Economic Forum (India ranked 34th in 2019).

Global warming causes sea-level rise, glacier melt, spread of vector-borne diseases and coral bleaching (from marine heatwaves). All four are impacts.

Regional Rural Banks (1975) → NABARD (1982) → SHG–Bank Linkage Programme (1992) → Kisan Credit Card (1998). So 4, 1, 2, 3.

'The Limits to Growth' (1972) → Brundtland Report (1987) → Montreal Protocol in force (1 January 1989) → Rio Earth Summit (1992). So 4, 2, 3, 1.

PM Modi launched the Skill India Mission on 15 July 2015 (World Youth Skills Day), so 1 is correct. Its aim is to skill youth across many sectors (target about 40 crore by 2022), not only in IT (2 wrong). So only 1.

The National Chambal Sanctuary (gharial, Ganges river dolphin) spreads across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, not Haryana.