46 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on General Knowledge in the UPSC 2005 Prelims. Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 31–40 of 46 questions
The Cochin International Airport in Kerala is the first airport in India to be owned by a public limited company. Established in 1999, it became India’s first greenfield airport developed under a PPP model. In 2015, it became the world’s first fully solar-powered airport.
Pair (b) is incorrectly matched: Phalcon is not a cruise missile. It is an Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) developed by Israel in collaboration with India. Pair (a), (c) and (d) are correctly matched:
Arjun MBT is India’s indigenously developed main battle tank, designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Saras is a light civilian aircraft designed by the National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore. It is India’s first indigenously built civil aircraft. Operation Seabird refers to the construction of the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka, aimed at reducing dependence on Mumbai and Visakhapatnam ports. INS Kadamba naval base in Karnataka is currently the third-largest Indian naval base, and is expected to become the largest naval base in the eastern hemisphere after completion of expansion Phase II.
Raj Kapoor is widely regarded as one of the greatest icons of Indian cinema. He was honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1987 for his outstanding contribution to Indian films. However, he did not receive the Bharat Ratna.
Ustad Bismillah Khan received Bharat Ratna in 2001, Satyajit ray in 1992 and Lata Mangeshkar in 2001. About Bharat Ratna:
Instituted in 1954, the Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian award, conferred on the recommendation of the Prime Minister to the President without formal nominations. A maximum of three awards can be given annually, with exceptions in 1999 and 2024, when four and five were awarded respectively. The award consists of a peepal leaf-shaped medallion, inscribed with "Bharat Ratna" on the front and the State Emblem of India with "Satyameva Jayate" on the reverse, along with a certificate (sanad). It is minted at the Alipore Mint, Kolkata. The first recipients in 1954 were C. Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and C. V. Raman. Initially, posthumous awards were not allowed, but this changed in 1966, with Lal Bahadur Shastri becoming the first posthumous recipient. The award is generally reserved for Indian citizens, but exceptions have been made for Mother Teresa, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, and Nelson Mandela in recognition of their contributions to humanity.
Statement 1 is incorrect: Global Trust Bank (GTB) was merged with Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) on 14th August 2004, not Punjab National Bank (PNB), after financial instability.
Statement 2 is correct: The 2003 Kelkar Committee report retained its tax reform recommendations, including abolishing housing loan tax exemptions. However they were not fully implemented due to opposition from various stakeholders.
In 2019, Bank of Baroda merged with Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank, forming India’s third-largest public sector bank. Post 2020, Canara Bank merged with Syndicate Bank, Union Bank merged with Andhra and Corporation Bank, and Indian Bank with Allahabad Bank. In July 2023, HDFC Bank completed its merger with HDFC Ltd.
The Investment Commission was formed in December 2004 by the Government of India to promote and facilitate investment in the country. It had three members Ratan Tata (Chairman), Deepak Parekh, Ashok Ganguly.
| List-I (Location) | List-II (Known for/ in News for) |
|---|---|
| A. Kakinada | 1. Sky Bus Metro rail test-run |
| B. Dundigal | 2. ITC paper board unit |
| C. Margao | 3. Biodiesel plant |
| D. Bhadrachalam | 4. Indian Air Force Academy |
Kakinada - Known for its biodiesel plant. In 2005, Naturol Bioenergy Limited announced plans to set up a 300 tons per day biodiesel plant in Kakinada. Dundigal - Home to the Indian Air Force Academy. The Air Force Academy is located in Dundigal, near Hyderabad. Margao - Associated with the Sky Bus Metro rail test-run. The Sky Bus Metro project was tested in Margao, Goa. Bhadrachalam - Location of an ITC paper board unit. ITC has a significant paperboard manufacturing facility in Bhadrachalam.
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Second World Buddhist Summit was held in in Lumbini, Nepal, from November 30 to December 2, 2004. The first summit was held in Thailand in November 2000.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The World Punjabi Conference in December 2004 was conducted in Haryana (Kurukshetra, Ambala, and Panipat) from December 11.
Statement 3 is correct: The 4th Meeting of the SAARC Trade Ministers was held in Islamabad in November 2004.
The Global Buddhist Summit 2023 concluded successfully in New Delhi with the New Delhi Declaration. There was a broad consensus on highlighting and advancing Buddha’s principles of peace, well-being, harmony, and compassion as guiding fundamentals for universal peace.
| List-I (Person) | List-II (Organization) |
|---|---|
| A. V.R. S. Natrajan | 1. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited |
| B. A.K. Puri | 2. Air India |
| C. V. Thulasidas | 3. Maruti Udyog Limited |
| D. Jagdish Khattar | 4. Bharat Earth Movers Limited |
| 5. Indian Space Research Organization |
A - 4 (V.R.S. Natrajan - Bharat Earth Movers Limited) V.R.S. Natrajan was the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of BEML. BEML is a public sector company that manufactures railway coaches, defense equipment, and heavy machinery for mining and construction. B - 1 (A.K. Puri - Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited) A.K. Puri served as the CMD of BHEL, India’s largest power generation equipment manufacturer. BHEL plays a key role in the energy sector, producing turbines, boilers, and transformers for thermal, hydro, and nuclear power plants. C - 2 (V. Thulasidas - Air India) V. Thulasidas was the CMD of Air India, India’s national airline. D - 3 (Jagdish Khattar - Maruti Udyog Limited) Jagdish Khattar was the Managing Director of Maruti Udyog Limited (now Maruti Suzuki), India’s leading car manufacturer. He played a crucial role in Maruti’s expansion, launching new models like the Swift, and improving customer service standards.
In 2005, Onkar S. Kanwar, Chairman of Apollo Tyres Ltd., served as the President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Harsha Vardhan Agarwal is the current President of FICCI.
Statement 1 is incorrect: India’s foreign exchange reserves did exceed the $125 billion mark during 2004. According to the Economic Survey 2004-2005, the reserves stood at $128.9 billion on February 4, 2005, indicating that they surpassed $125 billion in 2004.
Statement 2 is correct: The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) series with the base year 1993-94=100 was introduced in April 2000, replacing the previous 1981-82 base year series.
According to RBI, India’s forex reserves have risen to $630.607 billion (January 31, 2025).
| Q | UPSC year | Correct answer |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | 2005 | (b) Cochin airport |
| 32 | 2005 | (b) Phalcon: Cruise missile supplied by Russia to India. |
| 33 | 2005 | (d) Raj Kapoor |
| 34 | 2005 | (b) 2 only |
| 35 | 2005 | (d) Kumar Mangalam Birla |
| 36 | 2005 | (b) A-3; B-4; C-1; D-2 |
| 37 | 2005 | (a) 3 only |
| 38 | 2005 | (b) A - 4; B -1; C - 2; D - 3 |
| 39 | 2005 | (c) Onkar S. Kunwar |
| 40 | 2005 | (b) 2 only |
This page covers 46 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on General Knowledge in the UPSC 2005 Prelims, asked from 1996 to 2010. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Questions on General Knowledge in the UPSC 2005 Prelims are available for 15 years, from 1996 to 2010. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
