Human and Economic Geography: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Geography)
2 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on Human and Economic Geography (Geography). 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 1–2 of 2 questions
UPSC 2019Geography · Human and Economic Geography
Q1. With reference to the management of minor minerals in India, consider the following statements: 1. Sand is a ‘minor mineral’ according to the prevailing law in the country. 2. State Governments have the power to grant mining leases of minor minerals, but the powers regarding the formation of rules related to the grant of minor minerals lie with the Central Government. 3. The State Government has the power to frame rules to prevent illegal mining of minor minerals. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: According to Section 3(e) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act), ‘minor minerals’ include building stones, gravel, ordinary clay, ordinary sand, and other minerals that the Central Government may declare as minor minerals.
Statement 2 is incorrect: State Governments have the power to grant mining leases for minor minerals under Section 15 of the MMDR Act. The Central Government does not have the power to frame rules related to the grant of minor minerals. The power to frame rules for minor minerals lies with the State Governments under Section 15(1A) of the MMDR Act.
Statement 3 is correct: Section 23C of the MMDR Act empowers State Governments to make rules for preventing illegal mining, transportation, and storage of minerals, including minor minerals.
UPSC 2019Geography · Human and Economic Geography
Q2. With reference to the cultivation of Kharif crops in which in the last five years, consider the following statements: 1. Area under rice cultivation is the highest. 2. Area under cultivation of jowar is more than that of oilseeds. 3. Area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane. 4. Area under sugarcane cultivation has steadily decreased. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: The area under rice cultivation in India, in 2019-20 was 43.7 million hectares while in 2023-24, it became 47.6 million hectares and is highest amongst all.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The annual area under Jowar ranges between 4 and 5 million hectares while the oilseed area is 27.1 million hectares (2019-20) i.e area under the cultivation of Jowar is less than that of oilseeds.
Statement 3 is correct: The area under sugarcane cultivation is 4.6 million hectares (2019-20), 4.9 million hectares (2020-21), 5.2 million hectares (2021-22). The area under cotton cultivation is 13.5 million hectares (2019-20), 13.3 million hectares (2020-21), and 12.4 million hectares (2021-22). Hence the area under cotton cultivation is more than sugar cultivation.
Statement 4 is incorrect: With respect to the year in which the question is asked The area under sugarcane cultivation does not seem to be steadily decreasing. The area under sugarcane cultivation is 4.99 million hectares (2013-14), 5.066 million hectares (2014-15), 4.953 million hectares (2015-16). Addition Information:
As per the Economic Survey 2023-24 Statistics, the area under cultivation (in million hectares) for the above crops over the past five year is:
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Human and Economic Geography?
This page covers 2 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Human and Economic Geography (Geography), asked from 1996 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
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.
Which years are covered for Human and Economic Geography?
Questions on Human and Economic Geography (Geography) are available for 27 years, from 1996 to 2025. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
