General Knowledge: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Prelims)
505 previous year UPSC Prelims General Knowledge questions are on this page, from 1996 to 2010, in 5 chapters. In those years UPSC tested general awareness directly: people, books, institutions, places and events of the time. General Awareness: India is the largest chapter, followed by Contemporary Events: India and General Awareness: World. Every explanation states facts as they 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 11–20 of 505 questions
Browse General Knowledge chaptersBrowse by year
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q11. Consider the following pairs:
Famous Place
Country
1. Cannes
France
2. Davos
Denmark
3. Roland Garros
The Netherlands
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Explanation
Pair 1 is correct: Cannes, on the French Riviera, is famous for its luxury lifestyle and the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, where films compete for the Palme d’Or.
Pair 2 is incorrect: Davos is in Switzerland, not Denmark. It hosts the World Economic Forum (WEF), where global leaders discuss economic and political issues.
Pair 3 is incorrect: Roland Garros is in Paris, France, not the Netherlands. It is the official name of the French Open, a Grand Slam tennis tournament played on clay courts.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q12. The Security Council of UN consists of 5 permanent members, and the remaining 10 members are elected by the General Assembly for a term of
Explanation
The UNSC, a key UN body for maintaining global peace, consists of 15 members. The five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US) hold veto power. The ten non-permanent members, elected by the UNGA for two-year terms, have no veto power and cannot be re-elected immediately. Elections are held annually, with five new members joining each year to ensure global representation.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q13. Who of the following is the author of the book "Them Audacity of Hope"?
Explanation
Option (b) is correct: "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" is a book written by Barack Obama, published in 2006. It is a political and personal memoir in which he discusses his vision for the United States, including themes of unity, political bipartisanship, and social justice. The title was inspired by a sermon given by Reverend Jeremiah Wright, which also influenced Obama’s 2004 Democratic National Convention speech. It explores Obama’s political philosophy, personal experiences, and hopes for the future of America. It was a bestseller, significantly boosting Obama’s national political profile before he ran for President in 2008.
Option (a) is incorrect: Al Gore - Former US Vice President and environmental activist; author of "An Inconvenient Truth", which discusses climate change.
Option (c) is incorrect: Bill Clinton - Former US President; wrote "My Life", a memoir about his personal and political journey.
Option (d) is incorrect: Hillary Clinton - Former US Secretary of State; authored "Living History", a memoir about her life in politics.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q14. A present group of nations known as G-8 started first as G-7. Which one among the following was not one of them?
Explanation
The Group of Seven (G-7) was originally formed in 1975 as an informal forum for the world’s largest advanced economies to discuss economic and financial policies. The founding members of G-7 were:
1. United States 2. United Kingdom3.Germany
4. France 5. Italy6.Japan
7. Canada (joined in 1976, making it G-7) Russia was not one of the original members. It was later invited in 1997, expanding the group to G-8. However, due to its annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia was suspended, and the group returned to being G-7.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q15. Consider the following countries: 1. Switzerland 2. Malta 3. Bulgaria Which of the above are members of European Union?
Explanation
Option 1 is incorrect: Switzerland is not a member of the EU. It has signed various agreements with the EU and is part of the Schengen Area, but it has chosen to stay out of the EU through multiple referendums.
Option 2 is correct: Malta is an EU Member - Malta officially joined the European Union on 1st May 2004 as part of the largest expansion of the EU.
Option 3 is correct: Bulgaria is a EU Member - Bulgaria became a member of the European Union on 1st January 2007, along with Romania.
Additional insight:
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 countries, established by the Maastricht Treaty (1993). It has a single market, common policies, and the Euro () as its currency in 20 nations. The EU promotes free trade, movement, and regional cooperation, but faces challenges like Brexit, economic disparities, and geopolitical tensions.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q16. Consider the following pairs:
Organization
Location of Headquarters
1. Asian Development Bank
Tokyo
2. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Singapore
3. Association of South East Asian Nations
Bangkok
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
Explanation
Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: Asian Development Bank (ADB) - Headquarters in Mandaluyong, Manila, Philippines (Not Tokyo). Established in 1966, ADB aims to promote economic and social development in Asia.
Pair 2 is correctly matched: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) - Headquarters in Singapore. APEC is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to promote trade and economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - Headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia (Not Bangkok). ASEAN was established in 1967 to promote political, economic, and security cooperation in Southeast Asia.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q17. With reference to the United Nations, consider the following statements: 1. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN consists of 24 member States. 2. It is elected by a 2/3rd majority of the General Assembly for a 3-year term. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: ECOSOC consists of 54 member states, not 24. These members are elected by the General Assembly, and the body works to advance sustainable development, economic growth, and social issues globally.
Statement 2 is correct: ECOSOC members are elected by the UN General Assembly with a two-thirds majority vote with a duration of 3 years, with staggered elections to ensure continuity.
Additional insight:
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) was established in 1945 as one of the six principal UN organs. It coordinates economic, social, and development policies of the UN system. ECOSOC has 54 member states, elected by the UN General Assembly for three-year terms. It oversees specialized agencies like WHO, UNESCO, and IMF.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q18. Which one of the following pairs of countries fought wars over a region called Ogaden?
Explanation
The Ogaden War (1977-1978) was fought between Ethiopia and Somalia over control of the Ogaden region. Somalia, under President Siad Barre, attempted to annex the region, which was home to ethnic Somalis but controlled by Ethiopia. Ethiopia, with support from the Soviet Union and Cuba, successfully repelled the Somali forces.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q19. Consider the following countries: 1. Brunei Darussalam 2.East Timor3.Laos Which of the above is/are member/members of ASEAN?
Explanation
Option 1 is correct: Brunei Darussalam - Member of ASEAN: Brunei joined ASEAN in 1984, shortly after gaining independence from British rule. It is one of the wealthiest ASEAN nations due to its oil and gas reserves.
Option 2 is incorrect: East Timor - Not a Member of ASEAN:
East Timor (Timor-Leste) is not a full member of ASEAN but has applied for membership. It gained independence from Indonesia in 2002, making it one of the newest sovereign nations in the world. Option 3 is correct: Laos - Member of ASEAN: Laos joined ASEAN in 1997 as part of ASEAN’s expansion in the 1990s. It is the only landlocked country in ASEAN.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q20. Other than Venezuela, which one among the following from South America is a member of OPEC?
Explanation
Ecuador was a member of OPEC from 1973 to 1992 and rejoined in 2007 before leaving again in 2020 due to economic reasons.
Additional insight:
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates oil production to ensure stable prices and supply. Founded in 1960, it has 12 member nations, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and UAE. OPEC+ includes non-OPEC producers like Russia to coordinate global oil policies. It faces challenges from geopolitical tensions, renewable energy shifts, and competition from non-OPEC oil producers.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
11
2009
(a) 1 only
12
2009
(b) 2 years
13
2009
(b) Barack Obama
14
2009
(d) Russia
15
2009
(b) 2 and 3 only
16
2009
(b) 2 only
17
2009
(b) 2 only
18
2009
(b) Ethiopia and Somalia
19
2009
(c) 1 and 3 only
20
2009
(c) Ecuador
What UPSC has tested in General Knowledge
These are single-fact questions: who wrote a book, where an organisation is headquartered, which country hosted an event.
Contemporary-events questions refer to the news of their year, so answers describe the position then, not today.
The chapters split by world and India, and by general awareness and current events, plus sports and games.
Later years’ questions sit under the other subjects on this site and lean toward analytical, statement-based formats.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on General Knowledge?
This page covers 505 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on General Knowledge, asked from 1996 to 2010. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
Which General Knowledge chapters have the most questions?
General Awareness: India has the most with 138 questions, followed by Contemporary Events: India with 118, General Awareness: World with 110, Contemporary Events: World with 99 and Sports and Games with 40.
Are General Knowledge facts still current?
Many remain true, such as authorship and headquarters, but contemporary-events answers describe the position in the year each question was asked. Always check a recent source for the present position before relying on an item.
Why practise these older questions?
They show the style of general-awareness questions UPSC used and the breadth of topics it covered, from literature and institutions to sports. The explanations also build a base of facts that still helps with current affairs.
