General Awareness: World: UPSC Previous Year Questions (General Knowledge)
110 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on world general awareness are listed here, from 1996 to 2010. UPSC asked about international organisations and their headquarters, country groupings such as BRIC, books and authors, Nobel laureates and capitals. The explanations give the fact as it stood in 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 71–80 of 110 questions
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UPSC 2005General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q71. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
Explanation
Option (a) is incorrectly matched: Seikan Rail Tunnel is located in Japan and not China. It is one of the longest railway tunnels in the world, connecting the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. The world’s longest railway tunnel is the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland. Options (b), (c) and (d) are correctly matched:
The Petronas Towers are iconic skyscrapers located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Appalachian Trail is a long-distance hiking trail in the eastern United States. The Rogun Dam is a hydroelectric dam under construction in Tajikistan.
UPSC 2005General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q72. For which one of the following countries is Spanish not an official language?
Explanation
The official language of the Republic of Congo is French. It has four national languages: Swahili, Tshiluba (Kiluba), Lingala, and Kongo. French is the official language and the language of instruction, business, administration, and international communications. The Republic of Congo, like many countries in Africa, was colonized by European powers. Specifically, it was a French colony, and as a result, French became the official language. Thus, Spanish is not an official language in the Republic of Congo due to its colonial history with France.
UPSC 2005General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q73. What was Komagata Maru?
Explanation
The Komagata Maru was a Japanese steamship that gained historical significance due to an incident in 1914 involving Indian immigrants attempting to immigrate to Canada. The ship carried 376 passengers, mostly Sikhs, Punjabis, and other Indians, who were seeking a new life in Canada. Upon arrival in Vancouver, the passengers were denied entry due to Canada’s discriminatory Continuous Journey Regulation, which aimed to restrict immigration. After being stranded for two months, the ship was forced to return to India. Upon arrival in Calcutta, the passengers faced arrest and violence from British colonial authorities.
UPSC 2005General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q74. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched? British Prime Minister: Political Party
Explanation
Harold Wilson served as the Prime Minister of the UK (1964-1970 and 1974-1976) and was a member of the Labour Party. John Major served as the Prime Minister of the UK from 1990 to 1997 and was a member of the Conservative Party. James Callaghan served as the Prime Minister of the UK from 1976 to 1979 and was a member of the Labour Party. Margaret Thatcher served as the Prime Minister of the UK from 1979 to 1990 and was a member of the Conservative Party.
UPSC 2005General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q75. Which one of the following cities is the seat of Parliament of South Africa?
Explanation
The Parliament of South Africa is located in Cape Town. While South Africa has three capital cities, each serving a different purpose, Cape Town is the legislative capital and houses the Parliament. Pretoria is the Administrative capital (seat of the executive branch). Cape Town is the Legislative capital (seat of the Parliament). Bloemfontein is the Judicial capital (seat of the Supreme Court of Appeal).
UPSC 2004General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q76. Consider the following international language: 1. Arabic 2. French 3. Spanish The correct sequence of the language given above in the decreasing order of the number of their speakers is:
Explanation
Spanish has over 540 million native and second-language speakers worldwide. It is the second most spoken language by native speakers after Mandarin Chinese. Arabic has over 420 million native and second-language speakers worldwide. It is widely spoken in the Middle East and North Africa. French has over 300 million total speakers (including native and second-language speakers). It is spoken in France, parts of Africa, Canada, and other regions.
UPSC 2004General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q77. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
List-I (Agency)
List-II (Headquarters)
A. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
1. Nairobi
B. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
2. Vienna
C. United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
3. Berne
D. Universal Postal Union (UPU)
4. New York
Explanation
Agency Headquarter United Nations Development Programme (UNDP New York, USA United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Nairobi, Kenya United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Vienna, Austria Universal Postal Union (UPU) Berne, Switzerland
UPSC 2004General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q78. World’s longest ruling of government is from:
Explanation
Fidel Castro (1926-2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who ruled Cuba as Prime Minister (1959-1976) and President (1976-2008), totaling 49 years. He established a socialist state aligned with the Soviet Union. He handed over power to his brother in 2008.
UPSC 2004General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q79. Match List-I (State/Province/Overseas Territory) with List-II (Country) and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
List-I
List-II
A. British Colombia
1. USA
B. Bavaria
2. UK
C. Gibraltar
3. Canada
D. Rhode Island
4. Germany
5. Denmark
Explanation
British Columbia is a province in Canada.
Bavaria is a federal state in Germany.
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory of the UK. Rhode Island is a state in the USA.
UPSC 2004General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q80. Match List-I (New names of the Countries) with List-ll (Old names of the Countries) and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
List-I
List-II
A. Benin
1. Nyasaland
B. Belize
2. Basutoland
C. Botswana
3. Bechuanaland
D. Malawi
4. British Honduras
5. Dahomey
Explanation
Benin was formerly known as Dahomey.
Belize was formerly known as British Honduras.
Botswana was formerly known as Bechuanaland.
Malawi was formerly known as Nyasaland.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
71
2005
(a) Seikan Rail Tunnel: China
72
2005
(c) Republic of Congo
73
2005
(c) A naval ship on voyage to Canada.
74
2005
(c) Harold Wilson: Conservative Party
75
2005
(d) Cape Town
76
2004
(a) 3, 1, 2
77
2004
(b) A-4; B-1; C-2; D-3
78
2004
(b) Cuba
79
2004
(b) A-3; B-4; C-2; D-1
80
2004
(b) A-5; B-4; C-3; D-1
What UPSC has tested in General Awareness: World
Klaus Schwab is the founder of the World Economic Forum.
The headquarters of the Organization of the Islamic Conference are at Jeddah.
The first Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs was held at Nova Scotia, Canada.
William Henry Bragg shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with his son.
Barack Obama is the author of The Audacity of Hope.
BRIC stands for Brazil, Russia, India and China.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on General Awareness: World?
This page covers 110 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on General Awareness: World (General Knowledge), asked from 1996 to 2010. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
Who founded the World Economic Forum?
Klaus Schwab, a German economist, founded it in 1971 as the European Management Forum. It is best known for its annual meeting at Davos, Switzerland, and for reports such as the Global Competitiveness Report.
Where was the first Pugwash Conference held?
In Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1957. It brought together scientists to discuss the dangers of nuclear weapons, and the movement later shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995.
Which scientist shared a Nobel Prize in Physics with his son?
William Henry Bragg, who shared the 1915 prize with his son William Lawrence Bragg for their work on analysing crystal structure using X-rays. William Lawrence Bragg remains the youngest Nobel laureate in physics, at 25 years of age.
