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 211–220 of 505 questions
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is an autonomous research and development organization in India. As per its organizational structure, the Prime Minister of India serves as the President of CSIR. This role includes overseeing the council’s activities and providing guidance on scientific and industrial research policies.
In 2005, Indian Airlines introduced a new logo inspired by the Sun Temple at Konark in Odisha. The logo featured a stylized representation of the temple’s iconic wheel, known as the Konark Chakra, symbolizing movement and progress. The temple was built in the 13th century by King Narasimha Deva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Hampi Temple (Karnataka): Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for the ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire. The Stone Chariot in the Vittala Temple Complex is an iconic structure resembling a ratha (chariot) and is a major attraction of Hampi. Mamallapuram Temple (Tamil Nadu): Mamallapuram (also called Mahabalipuram) is famous for its rock-cut temples built by the Pallava dynasty in the 7th-8th century. The site is also known for Pancha Rathas, monolithic rock-cut temples named after the Pandavas from the Mahabharata. Khajuraho Temple (Madhya Pradesh): The Khajuraho Group of Monuments, built by the Chandela dynasty between the 9th and 12th centuries, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temples are known for their intricate carvings and sculptures.
In 2005, the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Ken-Betwa Link Project, aiming to transfer surplus water from the Ken River in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa River in Uttar Pradesh. This initiative is part of India’s National Perspective Plan for interlinking rivers to address water scarcity and enhance irrigation in drought-prone regions.
Chandralekha, the renowned Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer, was honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Award (Fellowship) in 2005 for her lifetime achievement in dance. She was known for her unique approach to Bharatanatyam, blending it with elements of martial arts and yoga.
In January 2005, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Stock Exchanges (FISE), launched BSE IndoNext, an alternative trading platform aimed at enhancing liquidity and visibility for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) listed on regional stock exchanges. This initiative was designed to integrate these SMEs into the broader capital market by providing a unified trading system. The platform operates under the existing BSE Online Trading (BOLT) system, allowing SMEs to raise capital, list their shares, and trade through BSE’s extensive network.
Statement 1 is incorrect: In India, during the financial year 2004-2005, the value of exports saw a substantial increase, exceeding 10% compared to the previous financial year.
Statement 2 is incorrect: According to WTO data, India’s share in world merchandise exports in 2005 remained below 2%.
The Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) is an incentive scheme launched by the Government of India in October 2003 under the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC). The primary objective of this award is to promote rural sanitation and hygiene by recognizing and rewarding Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)--including Gram Panchayats, Blocks, and Districts--that have achieved full sanitation coverage and are open defecation-free.
Statement 1 is correct: As per the 2001 Census, Kerala had the smallest gender literacy gap among the 28 states (excluding Delhi and Pondicherry), with male and female literacy rates of 94.24% and 87.72%, respectively, resulting in a 6.52% gap, the lowest in the country.
Statement 2 is incorrect: as the national average literacy rate in Census 2001 was 64.83%, while Rajasthan’s literacy rate was 60.41%, which was below the national average, making the statement incorrect.
Statement 1 is incorrect: SAFTA agreement was signed on 6th January 2004 during the 12th SAARC Summit in Islamabad and came into effect on 1st January 2006, not 1st December 2005.
Statement 2 is correct: SAFTA required India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to reduce customs duties to 0-5% by 2013, while Least Developed Countries (LDCs) like Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives were given additional time for compliance.
SAFTA includes the following eight member countries from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC):
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Grand Slam tournaments, also called majors, are the four most important annual tennis events. The Grand Slam tennis tournaments consist of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. Wimbledon (1877) was the oldest Grand Slam, played on grass in London from late June to early July. US Open (1881) was held on hard courts in New York from late August to early September. French Open (1891) was played on clay in Paris from late May to early June. Australian Open (1905) was held on hard courts in Melbourne in January.
The Australian Open and US Open are played on hard courts, the French Open on clay, and Wimbledon on grass.
| Q | UPSC year | Correct answer |
|---|---|---|
| 211 | 2006 | (c) Prime Minister of India |
| 212 | 2006 | (c) Sun Temple of Konark |
| 213 | 2006 | (b) Betwa and Ken |
| 214 | 2006 | (a) Chandralekha |
| 215 | 2006 | (d) An alternative trading platform being promoted by the Mumbai Stock Exchange and Regional Stock Exchanges. |
| 216 | 2006 | (d) Neither 1 nor 2 |
| 217 | 2006 | (d) It is an incentive scheme for Panchayati Raj Institutions. |
| 218 | 2006 | (a) 1 only |
| 219 | 2006 | (b) 2 only |
| 220 | 2006 | (b) French Open - Wimbledon - US Open |
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.
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.
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.
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.
