Contemporary Events: India: UPSC Previous Year Questions (General Knowledge)
14 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 11–14 of 14 questions
UPSC 2004General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q11. INSAT-3E, India’s communication satellite, was launched in 2003 from:
Explanation
INSAT-3E, a communication satellite operated by ISRO, was launched on 28 September 2003 from Kourou, French Guiana, using the Ariane-5 rocket. Designed to enhance telecommunications, television broadcasting, and meteorological services, it played a crucial role in strengthening India’s satellite communication infrastructure.
Additional insight:
INSAT (Indian National Satellite System) is India’s largest civilian communication satellite network, operated by ISRO since 1983. It supports telecommunications, television broadcasting, meteorology, disaster warning, and search-and-rescue operations. The system consists of multiple generations, including INSAT-1, INSAT-2, INSAT-3, and GSAT series. GSAT-N2 (GSAT-20), a communication satellite by ISRO, was launched in November 2024 via SpaceX Falcon 9 to enhance broadband services across India.
UPSC 2004General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q12. Match List-I (Person) with List-II (Position) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List-I
List-II
A. Anil Kokodar
1. Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff
B. Raman Puri
2. Chairman, 17th Law Commission
C. M. Jagannatha Rao
3. Chairman, ISRO
D. G. Madhavan Nair
4. Chairman Atomic Energy
Explanation
(A-4) Anil Kakodkar - He was the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India and the Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy in 2004. Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty is the current chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India. (B-1) Raman Puri - He served as the Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (CIDS) in 2004, responsible for coordinating India’s three armed forces. Lt General Johnson P Mathew is the current CIDS. (C-2) M. Jagannatha Rao - He was appointed as the Chairman of the 17th Law Commission of India, which was tasked with legal reforms. The 23rd Law Commission was recently announced. The Chairman of 22nd Law Commission is Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi. (D-3) G. Madhavan Nair - He was the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from 2003 to 2009 and led key space missions, including the Chandrayaan-1 mission. Dr. V. Narayanan is the current chairman of ISRO.
UPSC 2004General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q13. Which one of the following statements is correct? Deccan Odyssey’ is
Explanation
The Deccan Odyssey is a luxury tourist train in India that was launched in 2004 by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) in collaboration with the Indian Railways. It is often called the "Palace on Wheels of Maharashtra" and provides a journey through various destinations in Maharashtra.
UPSC 2004General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q14. Consider the following statements: 1. Hema Malini is the Chairperson of the Children’s Film Society India 2. Yash Chopra is the Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification of India 3. Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand have all been recipients of Dada Saheb Phalke Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: Hema Malini served as the Chairperson of the Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI) from 1999 to 2002.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Yash Chopra was never appointed as the Chairman of the CBFC in India. Prasoon Joshi is the current Chairman of the CBFC of India.
Statement 3 is correct: Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and Dev Anand have all been recipients of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Dilip Kumar received it in 1994, Raj Kapoor in 1987, and Dev Anand in 2002.
Additional insight:
Prasoon Joshi is the current Chairman of the CBFC of India. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India’s highest cinematic honour, presented annually by the Government of India for lifetime contributions to Indian cinema. The 2024 award was conferred upon Mithun Chakraborty for his outstanding lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
11
2004
(a) French Guiana
12
2004
(d) A-4; B-1; C-2; D-3
13
2004
(d) a luxury train which travels through Maharashtra and includes Goa in its journey
14
2004
(d) 3 only
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Contemporary Events: India?
This page covers 14 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.
