Contemporary Events: India: UPSC Previous Year Questions (General Knowledge)
10 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on Contemporary Events: India (General Knowledge). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 1–10 of 10 questions
UPSC 2006General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q1. Which one among the following was awarded the CSIR. Diamond Jubilee Technology Award-2004 in September, 2005 by the Prime Minister of India?
Explanation
In September 2005, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) awarded the CSIR Diamond Jubilee Technology Award for 2004 to Midas Communication Technologies Pvt. Ltd. This recognition was bestowed for their innovative work in designing, developing, and commercializing the corDECT Wireless in Local Loop (WLL) access system and optiMA Fiber-in-Local Loop (FLL) access system.
UPSC 2006General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q2. Who is the President of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research?
Explanation
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is an autonomous research and development organization in India. As per its organizational structure, the Prime Minister of India serves as the President of CSIR. This role includes overseeing the council’s activities and providing guidance on scientific and industrial research policies.
UPSC 2006General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q3. Indian Airlines have redesigned their logo which is a graphic wheel. This logo has been inspired from which one of the following?
Explanation
In 2005, Indian Airlines introduced a new logo inspired by the Sun Temple at Konark in Odisha. The logo featured a stylized representation of the temple’s iconic wheel, known as the Konark Chakra, symbolizing movement and progress. The temple was built in the 13th century by King Narasimha Deva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Additional insight:
Hampi Temple (Karnataka): Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for the ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire. The Stone Chariot in the Vittala Temple Complex is an iconic structure resembling a ratha (chariot) and is a major attraction of Hampi. Mamallapuram Temple (Tamil Nadu): Mamallapuram (also called Mahabalipuram) is famous for its rock-cut temples built by the Pallava dynasty in the 7th-8th century. The site is also known for Pancha Rathas, monolithic rock-cut temples named after the Pandavas from the Mahabharata. Khajuraho Temple (Madhya Pradesh): The Khajuraho Group of Monuments, built by the Chandela dynasty between the 9th and 12th centuries, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temples are known for their intricate carvings and sculptures.
UPSC 2006General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q4. Recently Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh governments signed a Memorandum of Under-standing for the linking of two rivers as a link project. Which are these two rivers?
Explanation
In 2005, the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Ken-Betwa Link Project, aiming to transfer surplus water from the Ken River in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa River in Uttar Pradesh. This initiative is part of India’s National Perspective Plan for interlinking rivers to address water scarcity and enhance irrigation in drought-prone regions.
UPSC 2006General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q5. Who among the following was presented with the Sangeet Natak Academic Ratna Award, 2005 for her lifetime achievement in dance?
Explanation
Chandralekha, the renowned Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer, was honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Award (Fellowship) in 2005 for her lifetime achievement in dance. She was known for her unique approach to Bharatanatyam, blending it with elements of martial arts and yoga.
UPSC 2006General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q6. What is IndoNext which was launched in January, 2005?
Explanation
In January 2005, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Stock Exchanges (FISE), launched BSE IndoNext, an alternative trading platform aimed at enhancing liquidity and visibility for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) listed on regional stock exchanges. This initiative was designed to integrate these SMEs into the broader capital market by providing a unified trading system. The platform operates under the existing BSE Online Trading (BOLT) system, allowing SMEs to raise capital, list their shares, and trade through BSE’s extensive network.
UPSC 2006General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q7. Consider the following statements: 1. In India, during the financial year 2004-2005 an increase of below 10% over the value of exports (in rupee terms) in the financial year 2003-2004 was reported. 2. According to the WTO, India’s share in the world merchandise exports crossed 2% in the year 2005. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: In India, during the financial year 2004-2005, the value of exports saw a substantial increase, exceeding 10% compared to the previous financial year.
Statement 2 is incorrect: According to WTO data, India’s share in world merchandise exports in 2005 remained below 2%.
UPSC 2006General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q8. With reference to the Government of India various programmes, what is Nirmal Gram Puraskar?
Explanation
The Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) is an incentive scheme launched by the Government of India in October 2003 under the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC). The primary objective of this award is to promote rural sanitation and hygiene by recognizing and rewarding Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)--including Gram Panchayats, Blocks, and Districts--that have achieved full sanitation coverage and are open defecation-free.
UPSC 2006General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q9. Consider the following statements: 1. According to the census 2001, Kerala has the smallest gap in male and female literacy rates among the 28 states of India (Delhi and Pondicherry not included). 2. According to the Census 2001, Rajasthan has a literacy rate above the national average literacy rate. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: As per the 2001 Census, Kerala had the smallest gender literacy gap among the 28 states (excluding Delhi and Pondicherry), with male and female literacy rates of 94.24% and 87.72%, respectively, resulting in a 6.52% gap, the lowest in the country.
Statement 2 is incorrect: as the national average literacy rate in Census 2001 was 64.83%, while Rajasthan’s literacy rate was 60.41%, which was below the national average, making the statement incorrect.
UPSC 2006General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q10. Consider the following statements: 1. The agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) came into effect from 1st December, 2005. 2. As per SAFTA agreement terms, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have to decrease their custom duties to the level of 0 to 5 per cent by the year 2013. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: SAFTA agreement was signed on 6th January 2004 during the 12th SAARC Summit in Islamabad and came into effect on 1st January 2006, not 1st December 2005.
Statement 2 is correct: SAFTA required India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to reduce customs duties to 0-5% by 2013, while Least Developed Countries (LDCs) like Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives were given additional time for compliance.
Additional insight:
SAFTA includes the following eight member countries from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC):
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2006
(b) Midas Communication Technologies
2
2006
(c) Prime Minister of India
3
2006
(c) Sun Temple of Konark
4
2006
(b) Betwa and Ken
5
2006
(a) Chandralekha
6
2006
(d) An alternative trading platform being promoted by the Mumbai Stock Exchange and Regional Stock Exchanges.
7
2006
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
8
2006
(d) It is an incentive scheme for Panchayati Raj Institutions.
9
2006
(a) 1 only
10
2006
(b) 2 only
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Contemporary Events: India?
This page covers 10 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Contemporary Events: India (General Knowledge), asked from 1996 to 2010. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for Contemporary Events: India?
Questions on Contemporary Events: India (General Knowledge) are available for 14 years, from 1996 to 2010. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
