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 411–420 of 505 questions
Browse General Knowledge chaptersBrowse by year
UPSC 2001General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q411. The new series of Wholesale Price Index (WPI) released by the Government of India is with reference to the base prices of:
Explanation
The new series of Wholesale Price Index (WPI) was introduced with 1993-94 as the base year, replacing the earlier 1981-82 base year. This revision was done to better reflect the changing structure of the economy and update the weightage of various commodities in the index. The new WPI series became effective from April 1998 and included 697 commodities compared to 447 in the earlier series.
Additional insight:
The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) is a key economic indicator in India that measures the average change in prices of goods at the wholesale level. The current base year for WPI calculations is 2011-12, implemented to align with other major economic indicators. The WPI is compiled and published by the Office of the Economic Adviser, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
UPSC 2001General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q412. The Union Budget 2000 awarded a Tax Holiday for the North-Eastern Region to promote industrialisation for:
Explanation
The Union Budget 2000 introduced a 10-year tax holiday for industries in the North-Eastern Region under the North East Industrial Policy (NEIP), 1997. Under this scheme, industries were exempted from income tax for 10 years from the date of commencement of production. Additionally, excise duty exemptions and capital investment subsidies were also provided to encourage economic growth in the region.
Additional insight:
In the Union Budget 2025, the Finance Minister extended the tax holiday for startups by five years. Previously, startups had to be incorporated by April 1, 2025, to qualify; now, those registered until April 1, 2030, can benefit. This aims to boost startups through financial support and innovation incentives. Units established in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) can enjoy a 10-year tax exemption on specified income within their first 15 years of operation.
UPSC 2001General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q413. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the given below the lists:
List-I (Person)
List-II (Achievement)
A. Deep Sen Gupta
1. India’s youngest International Master in the International Chess Tournament 2000
B. P. Harikrishna
2. The first Indian ever to win a gold in discuss in the World Junior Athletic Championship it Santiago, 2000
C. Seema Anti
3. Won the title in the Asian Junior Chess Tournament in Mumbai 2000
D. Tejas Bakre
4. Won the under 12 title in the World Youth Chess Festival in Oropesa, 2000
Explanation
Deep Sen Gupta: Won the Under-12 title in the World Youth Chess Festival, Oropesa, 2000. P. Harikrishna: Became India’s youngest International Master in the International Chess Tournament, 2000. Seema Antil: Became the first Indian to win a gold medal in discus throw at the World Junior Athletic Championship, Santiago, 2000. Tejas Bakre: Won the title in the Asian Junior Chess Tournament, Mumbai, 2000.
Additional insight:
In December 2024, Gukesh Dommaraju, at 18, became the youngest World Chess Champion, surpassing Garry Kasparov’s record. In September 2024, India clinched its first Chess Olympiad gold in both the Open and Women’s categories. Anish Sarkar, at three years and eight months, became the youngest-rated chess player globally. GM Aleksey Grebnev and WIM Anna Shukhman (both FIDE) emerged as the winners of the 2024 Asian Junior Chess Championship in the open and girls sections, respectively.
UPSC 2001General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q414. Who amongst the following was the Chairman of I.S.R.O. when INSAT-3B was launched?
Explanation
Dr. K. Kasturirangan was the Chairman of ISRO when INSAT-3B was launched on March 22, 2000, aboard an Ariane-5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana. He served as ISRO Chairman from 1994 to 2003.
Additional insight:
ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) originated as the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), established in 1962 under Dr. Vikram Sarabhai’s vision. It was restructured as ISRO on August 15, 1969, with an expanded mandate to advance space technology. Headquartered in Bengaluru, its current Chairman is V. Narayanan.
UPSC 2001General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q415. The theme of Indian Science Congress 2001 was:
Explanation
The 88th Indian Science Congress (2001) was held at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, and the theme was "Food Nutrition and Environmental Security." The focus was on sustainable agricultural practices, food security, and environmental conservation.
Additional insight:
The 108th Indian Science Congress (2023) was inaugurated in Nagpur, focusing on sustainable development with the inclusive participation of all sections of society, including women. The theme was "Science & Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment." A new event, the "Tribal Science Congress," was introduced.
UPSC 2001General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q416. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List-I (Person)
List-II (Distinguished as)
A. Santosh Yadav
1. T.V. host
B. Oprah Winfrey
2. Journalist
C. Oscar Wilde
3. Mountaineer
D. P. Sainath
4. Dramatist and Author
Explanation
Santosh Yadav - An Indian mountaineer, she is the first woman to climb Mount Everest twice. Oprah Winfrey - A famous TV host, known for The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oscar Wilde - A renowned dramatist and author, famous for The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest. P. Sainath - An Indian journalist, known for his work on rural affairs and social issues.
UPSC 2001General Knowledge · Contemporary Events: India
Q417. The largest share of Foreign Direct Investment (1997-2000) went to:
Explanation
Between 1997 and 2000, the services sector attracted the largest share of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India. This includes telecommunications, banking, insurance, financial services, and IT.
Additional insight:
India’s services sector attracts the largest share of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), encompassing finance, banking, insurance, IT, and consultancy. Between 2000 and 2024, this sector received the highest FDI equity inflow, totalling US$ 115.18 billion.
UPSC 2001General Knowledge · Sports and Games
Q418. The Chess player Alexi Shirov represents:
Explanation
Alexei Shirov is a Latvian-born Spanish chess grandmaster. He has represented Spain in international competitions since 1996.
Additional insight:
Some notable chess players:
Magnus Carlsen (Norway) Fabiano Caruana (USA) Liren Ding (China) Viswanathan Anand (India) Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) D. Gukesh became the youngest ever chess world champion at the age of 18, defeating China’s Ding Liren (2023 World Chess Champion) in the 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship held in Singapore. Gukesh is only the third Asian to win the World championship after Viswanathan Anand (India) and Ding Liren (China).
UPSC 2001General Knowledge · Sports and Games
Q419. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List-I (Sports women)
List-II (Sport)
A. Anjali Vedpathak
1. Athletics
B. Mouma Das
2. Gymnastics
C. Neelam Singh
3. Rifle Shooting
D. Tumpa Debnath
4. Table Tennis
5. Chess
Explanation
Anjali Vedpathak (Rifle Shooting): A top Indian rifle shooter, was ranked world No. 1 in the 10m air rifle event, with multiple international medals. Mouma Das (Table Tennis): A prominent Indian table tennis player, representing India in the Commonwealth Games and Olympics. Neelam Singh (Athletics): An Indian discus thrower, who competed in international events like the Asian and Commonwealth Games. Tumpa Debnath (Gymnastics): An Indian gymnast known for her performances in national and international gymnastics competitions.
UPSC 2000General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q420. Which one of the following is known as the "Coffee port" of the world?
Explanation
Santos is the outer port of Sao Paulo in Brazil and is known as the Coffee port of the world.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
411
2001
(c) 1993-94
412
2001
(d) 10 years
413
2001
(c) A-4; B-1; C-2; D-3
414
2001
(c) K. Kasturirangan
415
2001
(a) "Food nutrition and environmental security"
416
2001
(a) A - 3; B - 1; C - 4; D - 2
417
2001
(d) services sector
418
2001
(d) Spain
419
2001
(a) A-3; B-4; C-1; D-2
420
2000
(b) Santos
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.
