UPSC 2008 Prelims – all questions

In the series AABABCABCDABCDE... which letter occupies the 100th position?

What is the number of terms in the series 117, 120, 123, 126, ..., 333?

In how many different ways can four books A, B, C and D be arranged one above another in a vertical order such that the books A and B are never in continuous position?

Carpenter A can make a chair in 6 hours, carpenter B in 7 hours and carpenter C in 8 hours. If each carpenter works for 8 hours per day, how many chairs will be made in 21 days?

A person purchases 100 pens at a discount of 10%. The net amount of money spent by the person to purchase the pens is Rs 600. The selling expenses incurred by the person are 15% on the net cost price. What should be the selling price for 100 pens in order to earn a profit of 25%?

A schoolteacher has to select the maximum possible number of different groups of 3 students out of a total of 6 students. In how many groups any particular student will be included?

In an examination, 70% of the students passed in the Paper I, and 60% of the students passed in the Paper II. 15% of the students failed in both the papers while 270 students passed in both the papers. What is the total number of students?

What is Bisphenol A (BPA)?

Which of the following pairs about India's economic indicator and agricultural production (all in rounded figures) are correctly matched?

1. GDP per capita (current prices) : Rs 37,000
2. Rice : 180 million tons
3. Wheat : 75 million tons

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

March 1, 2008 was Saturday. Which day was it on March 1, 2002?

In August 2006, the Government of India notified the Rural Electrification Policy. This policy aims at provision of access to all households by which year?

As per India's National Population Policy, 2000,

by which one of the following years is it our long-term objective to achieve population stabilization?

Which one of the following Union Ministries is implementing the Biodiesel Mission (as Nodal Ministry)?

Consider the following statements with reference to Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS):

1. All persons of 60 years or above belonging to the households below poverty line in rural areas are eligible.
2. The Central Assistance under this Scheme is at the rate of Rs 300 per month per beneficiary. Under the Scheme, States have been urged to give matching amounts.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

What is the name of the scheme which provides training and skills to women in traditional and non-traditional trades?

Consider the following statements:

1. Orange Prize is awarded to a work of published fiction in English by a woman.
2. Pulitzer Prize is awarded by the Commonwealth Foundation to a citizen of any Commonwealth country for any literary work in English.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Recently, the manuscripts

of which one of the following have been included in the UNESCO's Memory of World Register?

Selene-1, the lunar orbiter mission belongs to which one of the following?

From which one of the following did India buy the Barak anti-missile defence systems?

Consider the following:

1. Rice fields
2. Coal mining
3. Domestic animals
4. Wetlands

Which of the above are sources of methane, a major greenhouse gas?

What is the number of spokes in the Dharmachakra in the National Flag of India?

Which one of the following is not essentially a species of the Himalayan vegetation?

Which of the following hills are found where the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats meet?

Consider the following pairs: Tributary River – Main River

1. Chambal : Narmada
2. Sone : Yamuna
3. Manas : Brahmaputra

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

Consider the following statements:

1. Salt-water crocodile is found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
2. Shrew and tapir are found in the Western Ghats of the Malabar region.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which one amongst the following has the largest livestock population in the world?

How many High Courts in India have jurisdiction over more than one State (Union Territories not included)?

In which one of the following kinds of organisms is the phenomenon found wherein the female kills the male after copulation?

For which one of the following snakes is the diet mainly composed of other snakes?

Which one of the following is an insectivorous plant?

Starting with the Australian Open Lawn Tennis Tournament, which one of the following is the correct chronological order of the other three major Lawn Tennis Tournaments?

In which one of the following is Malta located?

ISRO successfully conducted a rocket test using cryogenic engines in the year 2007. Where is the test-stand used for the purpose, located?

Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists:

1. Israel
2. Britain
3. China
4. Russia

List-I (Service/Agency) A. Foreign Intelligence Service B. Ministry of State Security C. Secret Intelligence Service D. The Mossad

List-II (Country)

Code:

C. Rangarajan has been actively involved in the Pan-Asian Commission addressing to which one of the following issues?

What is the pH level of blood of a normal person?

Who among the following have held the office of the Vice-President of India?

1. Mohammad Hidayatullah
2. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
3. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
4. Shankar Dayal Sharma

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Which was the Capital of Andhra State when it was made a separate State in the year 1953?

Which one of the following is correct in respect of Indian football team's performance in the Olympic Games?

In which one of the following States are Namchik-Namphuk Coalfields located?

Norman Ernest Borlaug who is regarded as the father of the Green Revolution in India is from which country?

Yom Kippur War was fought between which sides/countries?

Consider the following statements about probiotic food:

1. Probiotic food contains live bacteria which are considered beneficial to humans.
2. Probiotic food helps in maintaining gut flora.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements:

1. The albedo of an object determines its visual brightness when viewed with reflected light.
2. The albedo of Mercury is much greater than the albedo of the Earth.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists:

1. Chief Election Commissioner of India
2. President, International Court of Justice
3. Chief Justice of India
4. Attorney General of India

List-I (Person) A. Nagender Singh B. A. N. Ray C. R. K. Trivedi D. Ashok Desai

List-II (Position)

Code:

What does Baudhayana theorem (Baudhayana Sulva Sutra) relate to?

Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched? Theory/Law — Associated Scientist

1. Continental Drift : Edwin Hubble
2. Expansion of Universe : Alfred Wegener
3. Photoelectric Effect : Albert Einstein

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Which of the following minerals are found in a natural way in the State of Chhattisgarh?

1. Bauxite
2. Dolomite
3. Iron ore
4. Tin

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

On which one of the following rivers is the Tehri Hydropower Complex located?

Which one of the following cities is nearest to the equator?