UPSC 2010 Prelims – all questions

With reference to Simon Commission’s recommendations, which one of the following statements is correct?

Four resolutions were passed at the famous Calcutta session of Indian National Congress in 1906. The question of either retention OR of rejection of these four resolutions became the cause of a split in Congress at the next Congress session held in Surat in 1907.

Which one of the following was not one of those resolutions?

Two numbers X and Y are respectively 20% and 28% less than a third number Z. By what percentage is the number Y less than the number X?

After Quit India Movement,

C. Rajagopalachari issued a pamphlet entitled "The Way Out".

Which one of the following was a proposal in this pamphlet?

There are only two known examples of cave paintings of the Gupta period in ancient India. One of these is paintings of Ajanta caves. Where is the other surviving example of Gupta paintings?

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international treaty drawn at

Which bacterial strain, developed from natural isolates by genetic manipulations, can be used for treating oil spills ?

Which feature of some species of blue-green algae helps promote them as bio-fertilizers ?

India is a party to the Ramsar Convention and has declared many areas as Ramsar Sites.

Which of the following statements best describes how we should maintain these sites in the context of this Convention?

Other than Jatropha curcas, why is Pongamia pinnata also considered a good option for the production of bio-diesel in India?

1. Pongamia pinnata grows naturally in most of the arid regions of India.
2. The seeds of Pongamia pinnata are rich in lipid content of which nearly half is oleic acid.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Due to their extensive rice cultivation, some regions may be contributing to global warming. To what possible reason/reasons is this attributable?

1. The anaerobic conditions associated with rice cultivation cause the emission of methane.
2. When nitrogen based fertilizers are used, nitrous oxide is emitted from the cultivated soil.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Sustainable development is described as the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In this perspective, inherently the concept of sustainable development is intertwined with which of the following concepts ?

Given below are the names of four energy crops. Which one of them can be cultivated for ethanol ?

Consider the following pairs: Protected area — Well-known for

1. Bhitarkanika, Orissa — Salt Water Crocodile
2. Desert National Park, Rajasthan — Great Indian Bustard
3. Eravikulam, Kerala — Hoolak Gibbon

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

Some species of plants are insectivorous. Why ?

A person travelled a distance of 50 km in 8 hours. He covered a part of the distance on foot at the rate of 4 km per hour and a part on a bicycle at the rate of 10 km per hour. How much distance did he travel on foot ?

In the context of governance, consider the following :

1. Encouraging Foreign Direct Investment inflows
2. Privatization of higher educational Institutions
3. Down-sizing of bureaucracy
4. Selling/off-loading the shares of Public Sector Undertakings

Which of the above can be used as measures to control the fiscal deficit in India ?

As per the UN-Habitat's Global Report on Human Settlements 2009, which one among the following regions has shown the fastest growth rate of urbanization in the last three decades?

In India, which type of forest among the following occupies the largest area?

Inclusive growth as enunciated in the Eleventh Five Year Plan does NOT include one of the following:

How many numbers from 0 to 999 are NOT divisible by either 5 or 7?

Tamil Nadu is a leading producer of mill-made cotton yarn in the country. What could be the reason?

1. Black cotton soil is the predominant type of soil in the State.
2. Rich pool of skilled labour is available.

Which of the above is/are the correct reasons?

Consider the following statements:

1. On the planet Earth, the fresh water available for use amounts to about less than 1% of the total water found.
2. Of the total fresh water found on the planet Earth 95% is bound up in polar ice caps and glaciers.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which one of the following reflects back more sunlight as compared to the other three?

Rivers that pass through Himachal Pradesh are

Who of the following shall cause every recommendation made by the Finance Commission to be laid before each House of Parliament?

Which one of the following is responsible for the preparation and presentation of Union Budget to the Parliament?

In a group of five persons A, B, C, D and E, there is a professor, a doctor and a lawyer. A and D are unmarried ladies, and do not work. Of the married couple in the group, E is the husband. B is the brother of A and is neither a doctor nor a lawyer. Who is the professor?

Consider the following actions by the Government:

1. Cutting the tax rates
2. Increasing the government spending
3. Abolishing the subsidies In the context of economic recession, which of the above actions can be considered a part of the "fiscal stimulus" package?

Half of the villagers of a certain village have their own houses. One-fifth of the villagers cultivate paddy. One-third of the villagers are literate. Four-fifth of the villagers are below twenty-five. Then, which one of the following is certainly true?

When the Reserve Bank of India announces an increase of the Cash Reserve Ratio, what does it mean?

Who among the following Governor Generals created the Covenanted Civil Service of India which later came to be known as the Indian Civil Service?

What was the immediate cause for the launch of the Swadeshi movement?

Consider the following statements:

1. Dr. Rajendra Prasad persuaded Mahatma Gandhi to come to Champaran to investigate the problem of peasants.
2. Acharya J. B. Kripalani was one of Mahatma Gandhi's colleagues in his Champaran investigation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

By a regulation in 1793, the District Collector was deprived of his judicial powers and made the collecting agent only. What was the reason for such regulation?

With reference to India, consider the following statements:

1. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) in India is available on a monthly basis only.
2. As compared to Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI(IW)), the WPI gives less weight to food articles.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Each person's performance compared with all other persons is to be done to rank them subjectively. How many comparisons are needed in total, if there are 11 persons?

What is the principle by which a cooling system (Radiator) in a motor car works?

Which among the following do/does not belong/belongs to the GSM family of wireless technologies?

With reference to the treatment of cancerous tumours, a tool called cyberknife has been making the news. In this context, which one of the following statements is not correct?

When you travel in certain parts of India, you will notice red soil. What is the main reason for this colour?

Which one of the following is the appropriate reason for considering the Gondwana rocks as most important of rock systems of India?

Which one of the following can one come across if one travels through the Strait of Malacca?

With reference to the river Luni,

which one of the following statements is correct?

Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched? Dam/Lake — River

A geographic region has the following distinct characteristics:

1. Warm and dry climate
2. Mild and wet winter
3. Evergreen oak trees The above features are the distinct characteristics of which one of the following regions?

With reference to the National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, 2007, consider the following statements:

1. This policy is applicable only to the persons affected by the acquisition of land for projects and not to the involuntary displacement due to any other reason.
2. This policy has been formulated by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

In the context of India’s Five Year Plans, a shift in the pattern of industrialization, with lower emphasis on heavy industries and more on infrastructure begins in

Two of the schemes launched by the Government of India for Women’s development are Swadhar and Swayam Siddha. As regards the difference between them, consider the following statements:

1. Swayam Siddha is meant for those in difficult circumstances such as women survivors of natural disasters or terrorism, women prisoners released from jails, mentally challenged women etc., whereas Swadhar is meant for holistic empowerment of women through Self Help Groups.
2. Swayam Siddha is implemented through Local Self Government bodies or reputed Voluntary Organizations whereas Swadhar is implemented through the ICDS units set up in the states.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, consider the following:

1. The Right to Development
2. The Right to Expression
3. The Right to Recreation

Which of the above is/are the Rights of the child?