General Awareness: India: UPSC Previous Year Questions (General Knowledge)
138 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on Indian general awareness make this the largest General Knowledge chapter, from 1996 to 2009. UPSC asked about books and authors, institutions and their locations, national symbols, artists and personalities. The explanations give the fact and its context, as of the year the question was set.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 21–30 of 138 questions
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UPSC 2008General Knowledge · General Awareness: India
Q21. What is the number of spokes in the Dharmachakra in the National Flag of India?
Explanation
The Dharmachakra (Wheel of Dharma) in the center of the Indian National Flag is known as the Ashoka Chakra. It has 24 spokes, symbolizing righteousness, progress, and perpetual motion. The Ashoka Chakra is derived from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, which is India’s national emblem. The 24 spokes represent the 24 virtues that guide life, such as truth, justice, compassion, and perseverance.
UPSC 2008General Knowledge · General Awareness: India
Q22. Which was the Capital of Andhra State when it was made a separate State in the year 1953?
Explanation
The first linguistic state in India, Andhra State, was established on October 1, 1953, after being separated from the Madras Presidency. From 1953 until 1956, Kurnool served as the capital of Andhra State. Hyderabad became the capital after Andhra Pradesh was formed in 1956 (after Telangana and Hyderabad State merged).
UPSC 2008General Knowledge · General Awareness: India
Q23. Which one of the following is the largest (area-wise) Lok Sabha constituency?
Explanation
Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency is the largest parliamentary constituency in India by area. It covers the entire Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir (now a Union Territory since 2019), spanning over 173,266 square kilometers. Despite being the largest in area, it has one of the lowest populations among Lok Sabha constituencies due to its harsh terrain and sparse settlements.
UPSC 2008General Knowledge · General Awareness: India
Q24. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists:
List-I (Board)
List-II (Headquarters)
A. Coffee Board
1. Bengaluru
B. Rubber Board
2. Guntur
C. Tea Board
3. Kottayam
D. Tobacco Board
4. Kolkata
Explanation
Coffee Board Establishment: Created in accordance with the 1942 Coffee Act. Bengaluru, Karnataka, is the headquarters. Functions: Research, extension, development, market intelligence, internal and external promotion, and welfare initiatives are the main areas of concentration for the Coffee Board, which supports coffee production in India. Rubber Board Establishment: Constituted under the Rubber Act, 1947. Headquarters: Kottayam, Kerala. Functions: The Rubber Board is responsible for the overall development of the rubber industry in India, including research, extension, and market development activities. Tea Board Establishment: Constituted under the Tea Act, 1953. Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal. Functions: The Tea Board promotes the cultivation, processing, domestic trade, and export of tea from India. It also oversees research and development activities to improve tea quality and production. Tobacco Board Establishment: Constituted under the Tobacco Board Act, 1975. Headquarters: Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. Functions: The Tobacco Board regulates the production and marketing of tobacco in India, promoting exports and ensuring fair trade practices.
UPSC 2008General Knowledge · General Awareness: India
Q25. How can the height of a person who is six feet tall be expressed (approximately) in nanometers?
Explanation
Convert feet to centimetres: 1 foot = 30.48 cm 6 feet = 6 × 30.48 = 182.88 cm Convert centimeters to nanometers: 1 cm = 10 nanometers 182.88 cm = 182.88 × 10 nm 183 × 10 nm
UPSC 2008General Knowledge · General Awareness: India
Q26. Ebraham Alkazi is an eminent personality in which one of the following areas?
Explanation
In India, Ebrahim Alkazi was a well-known theatre director, acting instructor, and art enthusiast. From 1962 until 1977, he was the Director of the National School of Drama (NSD), where he transformed Indian theatre education. By fusing Indian customs with Western methods, Alkazi significantly contributed to the modernisation of Indian theatre. He also served as a tutor to Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri, among other well-known performers. For his services to Indian theatre, he received the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan.
UPSC 2008General Knowledge · General Awareness: India
Q27. India is a member of which of the following? 1. Asian Development Bank 2. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 3. Colombo Plan 4. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Select the correct answer using the code given below: Codes:
Explanation
Asian Development Bank (ADB)- India is a founding member of ADB (established in 1966) and one of its largest borrowers. It has 69 members, 49 of whom are from Asia and the Pacific and 20 of whom are from outside, up from its founding in 1966 with 31 members. Owners of shares: The People’s Republic of China (6.4%), India (6.3%), Australia (5.7%), and Japan and the United States (each holding 15.6% of the total shares) are the top five shareholders of ADB as of December 31, 2019. Its headquarters is in Manila, Philippines. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)- In 1989, the Asia-Pacific Economic Community (APEC) was founded as a regional economic forum to capitalize on the region’s increasing interconnectedness. Through speeding regional economic integration and encouraging balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative, and secure growth, APEC seeks to increase prosperity for the people of the area. The APEC process is supported by a permanent secretariat based in Singapore. India is not a member of APEC. Colombo Plan-The Colombo Process is a regional consultative body with 12 Asian member states. It seeks to encourage South and Southeast Asian nations that send migrant workers outside to share best practices in this area. India is a founding member of the Colombo Plan (established in 1950) for economic and social development in Asia-Pacific. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) provides technical and administrative support to the Colombo Process. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)- It is an international organisation of 38 countries committed to democracy and the market economy. OECD members are typically democratic countries that support free-market economies. The OECD was established on December 14, 1960, by 18 European nations, plus the United States and Canada. Headquarters: Paris, France. India is not a full member of the OECD but participates as a key partner in some OECD initiatives.
UPSC 2008General Knowledge · General Awareness: India
Q28. Bimbavati Devi is a well-known dancer of which type of dance?
Explanation
Bimbavati Devi is a renowned Manipuri classical dancer. She is the daughter of Kalavati Devi and Guru Bipin Singh, two renowned Manipuri dancers. She has promoted Raas Leela and other traditional Manipuri dance styles through her numerous performances in India and overseas. The traditional Vaishnavite ceremonial motions of ancient Manipuri form and delicate developments for her modern productions are expertly balanced in Bimbavati Devi’s present style.
UPSC 2008General Knowledge · General Awareness: India
Q29. How is Sarosh Zaiwalla well-known as?
Explanation
Sarosh Zaiwalla is a renowned international legal expert and the founder of Zaiwalla & Co., a London-based law firm. He handled well-known international arbitration and litigation issues and was the first lawyer of Indian descent to open a practice in the United Kingdom. Russian corporations, Middle Eastern organisations, and the Indian government are just a few of the world leaders he has represented. His contributions to arbitration and international law are well known.
UPSC 2008General Knowledge · General Awareness: India
Q30. Among the Indian languages, which one is spoken maximum in the world after Hindi?
Explanation
Bengali is the most spoken in the world after Hindi and ranks seventh among the world’s most-spoken languages, making it the most widely spoken Indian language after Hindi.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
21
2008
(d) 24
22
2008
(b) Kurnool
23
2008
(b) Ladakh
24
2008
(b) A-1; B-3; C-4; D-2
25
2008
(c) 183 × 107 nanometres
26
2008
(c) Theatre training
27
2008
(a) 1 and 3 only
28
2008
(a) Manipuri
29
2008
(c) A leading international legal expert
30
2008
(c) Bengali
What UPSC has tested in General Awareness: India
The Dharmachakra in the National Flag of India has 24 spokes.
V. P. Menon wrote The Story of the Integration of the Indian States.
Ladakh was the largest Lok Sabha constituency by area.
Raghuram Rajan served as Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund.
Sarojini Naidu wrote the collection of poems The Golden Threshold; the Gundecha brothers are Dhrupad vocalists.
The Palitana temples are near Bhavnagar.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on General Awareness: India?
This page covers 138 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on General Awareness: India (General Knowledge), asked from 1996 to 2009. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How many spokes are there in the Ashoka Chakra on the National Flag?
Twenty-four. The Dharmachakra, in navy blue on the white band, is taken from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, and each spoke is said to stand for a principle or an hour of the day.
Who wrote The Story of the Integration of the Indian States?
V. P. Menon, who as Secretary of the States Department worked with Sardar Patel to integrate the princely states into India after Independence. Its account of that process remains a standard source.
Who are the Gundecha brothers?
Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha, well-known vocalists of Dhrupad, the oldest form of Hindustani classical music. They trained under the Dagar tradition, perform at festivals across the world and were awarded the Padma Shri.
