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 61–70 of 138 questions
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black). It is a subtractive color model used in color printing, especially in offset printing and digital printing. Offset printing is widely used for printing newspapers, magazines, brochures, and packaging materials.
| List-I (Place of Archaeological Monument) | List-II (State) |
|---|---|
| A. Sisupalgarh | 1. Assam |
| B. Piprahwa | 2. Manipur |
| C. Goalpara | 3. Orissa |
| D. Bishnupur | 4. Uttar Pradesh |
A-3: Sisupalgarh is an ancient archaeological site in Odisha that dates back to the 7th to 6th centuries BCE. It was the capital of the ancient Kalinga kingdom and is considered one of the largest and best-preserved ancient fortifications in India. B-4: Piprahwa is a village near Siddharthnagar city in Siddharthnagar district in Uttar Pradesh is a significant archaeological site related to the early life of Buddha. It is believed to be the location of the ancient city of Kapilavastu, the birthplace of Buddha. C-1: Goalpara is an archaeological site in Assam. It has many archaeological sites, including Sri Surya Pahar, Dadan Hill and Pir Majhar. D-2: Bishnupur is located in Manipur. Here stands the conical temple of Lord Vishnu built in 1467 during the reign of King Kyamba. It is interesting because of its antiquity and architectural design which was influenced by Chinese style. Bishnupur is also known for its stoneware production.
The Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) located in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu is an Institution of National Importance by the Act of Parliament set up in 1993. It functions as an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. It serves as an apex body for youth development, training, research, and policy formulation in India.
| Enterprise | Industrial Group |
|---|---|
| 1. VSNL | Bharati Group |
| 2. Mundra SEZ | Adani Group |
| 3. CMC Ltd | Tata Group |
| 4. IPCL | Reliance Group |
Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: VSNL was originally a government-owned telecom company and was later acquired by the Tata Group (not Bharti Group) in 2002. It was later renamed Tata Communications in 2008.
Pair 2 is correctly matched: Mundra SEZ (Special Economic Zone) is developed by the Adani Group in Gujarat. It is one of India’s largest commercial and industrial hubs.
Pair 3 is correctly matched: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) acquired a majority stake in CMC Ltd in 2001 and fully merged it into TCS in 2015.
Pair 4 is correctly matched: IPCL was originally a public sector company but was acquired by Reliance Industries in 2002. Later, in 2007 it was merged with Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).
| List-I (Businesswoman) | List-II (Company) |
|---|---|
| A. Zia Mody | 1. Venkateshwara Hatcheries |
| B. Anuradha J. Desai | 2. AZB and Partners |
| C. Villoo Morawala Patel | 3. Quantum Market Research |
| D. Meena Kaushik | 4. Avestha Gangraine Technologies |
| 5. Biacon India |
A-2: Zia Mody is a prominent corporate lawyer in India and the founder of AZB & Partners, one of India’s leading law firms specializing in corporate law, mergers, acquisitions, and financial advisory. B-1: Anuradha J. Desai is the Chairperson of Venkateshwara Hatcheries (VH Group), one of India’s largest poultry businesses. The company is well known for "Venky’s" poultry products. C-4: Villoo Morawala Patel is the founder of Avesthagen Limited, a biotechnology company working in the fields of genetics, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals. D-3: Meena Kaushik is a leading expert in market research and the founder of Quantum Market Research, which specializes in consumer insights and brand strategies.
The Armoured Corps Centre and School (ACC&S) is located in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, not Jabalpur. It is the primary training institute for the Indian Army’s armored corps and tank operations.
Option (a), (b) and (d) are correct:
The Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force is headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It was established in 1984 to enhance air defense capabilities over peninsular India. The Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy is headquartered in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It is responsible for naval operations in the Bay of Bengal and the eastern seaboard. The Army Medical Corps Centre and School is located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Satara in Maharashtra is renowned for its wind energy plants, particularly the Chalkewadi Wind Energy Project. Its hilly terrain and strong wind currents make it an ideal location for wind power generation, contributing significantly to renewable energy production.
Statement 1 is correct: India has the largest postal network in the world, with more than 1.5 lakh post offices. A majority of these are in rural areas, providing essential postal and banking services.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) was incorporated in September, 2000 under the Indian Companies Act, 1956 with the objective to take over the business of providing telecom services and network of the erstwhile Department of Communications with effect from 1st October, 2000. Before that, telecom services were directly managed by the Department of Telecommunications.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was, thus, established with effect from 20th February 1997 by an Act of Parliament, called the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997, to regulate telecom services, including fixation/revision of tariffs for telecom services which were earlier vested in the Central Government.
Pair 1 is correctly matched: Champadevi Shukla along with Rashida Bee, won the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2004 for their activism related to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
Pair 2 is correctly matched: Dr. P. Sri Ramach-andrudu received the Vachaspati Puraskar which is awarded for outstanding contributions to Sanskrit literature.
Pair 3 is correctly matched: Ela Bhatt, founder of SEWA was honored with the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academics, and Management.
Pair 4 is incorrectly matched: Upamanyu Chatterjee is a well-known Indian author and civil servant. In 2004, he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for "The Mammaries of the Welfare State". However, he was never awarded the Lalit Kala Ratna Award, which is given for excellence in visual arts.
| Publication | Group |
|---|---|
| 1. Sportstar | The Hindu Publication Group |
| 2. Business-World | ABP Group |
| 3. The Week | Malayala Manorama Publication Group |
| 4. Reader’s Digest | Indian Express Publication Group |
Pair 1 and 3 are correctly matched:
Sportstar is an Indian sports magazine published by the Hindu Group. The Week is an Indian news magazine published by the Malayala Manorama Group.
Pair 2 and 4 are incorrectly matched:
BusinessWorld is one of India’s leading business magazines but it is not published by the ABP Group. It was initially part of the Ananda bazar Patrika (ABP) Group, but later ownership changed. Reader’s Digest (India) is published by the India Today group not Indian Express Group.
| Q | UPSC year | Correct answer |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | 2006 | (c) Offset printing |
| 62 | 2006 | (c) A-3; B-4; C-1; D-2 |
| 63 | 2006 | (a) Tamil Nadu |
| 64 | 2005 | (d) 2, 3 and 4 |
| 65 | 2005 | (d) A-2; B-1; C-4; D-3 |
| 66 | 2005 | (c) Armoured corps centre and school: Jabalpur |
| 67 | 2005 | (b) Wind Energy Plant |
| 68 | 2005 | (c) 1 only |
| 69 | 2005 | (b) 1, 2 and 3 |
| 70 | 2005 | (d) 1 and 3 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
