118 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on Indian contemporary events are listed here, from 1996 to 2010. UPSC asked about committees and their subjects, government policies and schemes, scientific missions, evacuation operations and international agreements. Each explanation describes the event as it stood in the year of the question.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 61–70 of 118 questions
Shanta Sinha, an anti-child labour activist, founded the MV (Mamidipudi Venkatarangaiya) Foundation to eliminate child labour and promote education. She won the 2003 Ramon Magsaysay Award and served as NCPCR Chairperson, advocating children’s rights.
Statement (1) is correct: Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, Chennai: Recognized for its significant role in promoting Hindi language in southern India.
Statement (2) is correct: National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali: Established to provide leadership in pharmaceutical sciences and related areas.
Statement (3) is correct: Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram:
Known for advanced medical research and technology development. Statement (4) is incorrect: However, the Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior, was not designated as an Institute of National Importance by an Act of Parliament as of 2004.
Max Mirnyi, the doubles partner of Mahesh Bhupathi, is from Belarus. He won multiple Grand Slam doubles titles and was a former world No. 1 in doubles.
Guided missile frigate (F43), acquired by the Indian Navy in 2003, was built by Russia. It is a Talwar-class stealth frigate, which is a modified version of the Russian Krivak III-class frigates. It is equipped with advanced stealth features and modern weaponry, including the Club-N missile system. It has a displacement capacity of 4,000 tons and can achieve a speed of 30 knots, making it capable of undertaking a wide range of naval missions with efficiency.
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.
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.
| 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 |
(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.
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.
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.
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.
In the fiscal year 2000-01, India’s GDP at factor cost (constant prices) was approximately 11,93,922 crore. The sectoral contributions were Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (24.7%), Trade, Hotels, Transport, and Communication (18.9%), Manufacturing (15.7%), and Financing, Insurance, Real Estate, and Business Services (13.1%), reflecting the dominance of agriculture and services in the economy during that period.
According to the Provisional Estimates of Annual GDP for 2023-24 released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in May 2024, India’s Gross Value Added (GVA) at constant prices was primarily driven by the services sector, which contributed 52.1% to the total GVA. The industrial sector accounted for 29.6%, with manufacturing alone contributing 17.4%. Agriculture, forestry, and fishing contributed 18.3%.
Assertion (A) is False: India’s exports during 2001-02 experienced a marginal growth rather than a decline. Specifically, during the period of April-November 2001-02, exports recorded a meager growth of 0.64%, amounting to $32.57 billion, compared to $32.36 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year. Reason (R) is true: The global economic slowdown, particularly the recession in the United States, adversely affected India’s export sectors, including textiles and other commodities. For Example:
In the period April-September 2001-02, textile exports were valued at $534.64 million, down from $623.71 million in the same period the previous year.
| Q | UPSC year | Correct answer |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | 2004 | (b) an anti-child labour activist |
| 62 | 2004 | (a) 1, 2 and 3 |
| 63 | 2004 | (c) Belarus |
| 64 | 2004 | (c) Russia |
| 65 | 2004 | (a) French Guiana |
| 66 | 2004 | (d) A-4; B-1; C-2; D-3 |
| 67 | 2004 | (d) a luxury train which travels through Maharashtra and includes Goa in its journey |
| 68 | 2004 | (d) 3 only |
| 69 | 2003 | (d) 1, 3, 2, 4 |
| 70 | 2003 | (d) A is false but R is true |
This page covers 118 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.
An operation launched by the Government of India in 2006 to evacuate Indian nationals from Lebanon during the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The Navy and the Air India fleet helped to move thousands of people to safety.
Fuller capital account convertibility of the rupee. The committee proposed a road map in 1997, recommending a phased move towards free movement of capital if certain conditions on inflation and fiscal deficit were met.
The Prime Minister of India. The Council, set up in 1983, has Chief Ministers and Union ministers as members and reviews the National Water Policy and water resource planning.
