Miscellaneous: UPSC Previous Year Questions (International Relations and Current Affairs)
43 previous year UPSC Prelims questions here cover topics that sit outside the main chapters, from 2011 to 2023. They include government schemes such as Janani Suraksha Yojana and the Soil Health Card, digital public platforms, sports awards and bodies such as the Tea Board and the Labour Bureau. The explanations state what each scheme or body does.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 21–30 of 43 questions
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UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q21. With reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, consider the following statements: 1. It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Labour and Employment. 2. It, among other things, will also impart training in soft skills, entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy. 3. It aims to align the competencies of the unregulated workforce of the country to the National Qualification Skill Framework. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is a flagship skill development pro-gram aimed at enhancing employability among youth. It is implemented by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), not the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Statement 2 is correct: The scheme imparts training in soft skills, entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy, improving employment readiness.
Statement 3 is correct: It aligns competencies of informal sector workers with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) to standardize skill assessment.
UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q22. With reference to solar power production in India, consider the following statements: 1. India is the third largest in the world in the manufacture of silicon wafers used in photovoltaic units. 2. The solar power tariffs are determined by the Solar Energy Corporation of India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: India does not rank third in silicon wafer manufacturing. The top three manufacturers are China, Taiwan, and South Korea. India still imports most of its solar photovoltaic (PV) wafers.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Solar tariffs in India are not determined by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), but by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and state electricity regulatory commissions (SERCs) through competitive bidding.
UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q23. With reference to the provisions made under the National Food Security Act, 2013, consider the following statements: 1. The families coming under the category of ‘below poverty line (BPL)’ only are eligible to receive subsidised food grains. 2. The eldest woman in a household, of age 18 years or above, shall be the head of the household for the purpose of issuance of a ration card. 3. Pregnant women and lactating mothers are entitled to a ‘take-home ration’ of 1600 calories per day during pregnancy and for six months thereafter. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect:The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 aims to provide food and nutritional security to the population through subsidized food grains. The NFSA covers up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population, not just BPL families. It includes Priority House-holds and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries.
Statement 2 is correct: As per Section 13 of the NFSA, the eldest woman (18 years or above) is mandated to be the head of the household for the purpose of ration card issuance.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Pregnant women and lactating mothers receive free meals under the Integrated Child Devel-opment Services (ICDS) scheme, but no fixed calorie intake of 1600 kcal per day is prescribed in the NFSA.
UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q24. The identity platform ‘Aadhaar’ provides open "Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)". What does it imply? 1. It can be integrated into any electronic device. 2. Online authentication using iris is possible. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: Aadhaar APIs can be integrated into multiple electronic devices such as biometric scanners, mobile phones, and ATMs to enable identity verification and digital transactions.
Statement 2 is correct: Aadhaar authentication supports irisbased verification, which is more secure and accurate than fingerprint-based authentication, especially for elderly individuals and those engaged in manual labor. The Aadhaar identity platform enables seamless authentication and integration with various applications through open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), facilitating secure digital identity verification.
UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q25. Consider the following statements: 1. Aadhaar card can be used as a proof of citizenship or domicile. 2. Once issued, Aadhaar number cannot be deactivated or omitted by the Issuing Authority. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number issued by UIDAI to Indian residents based on biometric and demographic data. However, it does not serve as proof of citizenship or domicile, as it is issued to all residents, including foreign nationals residing in India.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Aadhaar numbers can be deactivated or omitted by UIDAI in cases of fraud, duplication, or non-use for an extended period, as per Section 23 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016.
UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q26. As per the NSSO 70th Round "Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households" Consider the following statements: 1. Rajasthan has the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its rural households. 2. Out of the total agricultural households in the country, a little over 60 percent belong to OBCs. 3. In Kerala, a little over 60 percent of agricultural households reported to have received maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
The NSSO 70th Round (2012-13) "Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households" provides crucial data on the socio-economic conditions of Indian farmers.
Statement 1 is correct: Rajasthan had the highest percent-age of agricultural households (78.4 percent) among its rural households followed by Uttar Pradesh (74.8 percent) and Madhya Pradesh (70.8 percent).
Statement 2 is incorrect: As per the survey, about 45 percent out of the total agricultural households in the country belonged to Other Backward Classes (OBC). About 16% of agricultural households were from Scheduled Castes (SC) and 13 percent were from Scheduled Tribes (ST).
Statement 3 is correct: In Kerala, over 60% of agricultural households derive their main income from non-agricultur-al sources such as services, remittances, and trade due to the state’s economic structure.
UPSC 2017International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q27. What is the aim of the programme ‘Unnat Bharat Abhiyan’?
Explanation
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) is a flagship initiative launched by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to bridge the gap between higher educational institutions and rural India by addressing developmental challenges through technology-driven solutions. It aims to leverage knowledge from premier educational institutions like IITs, NITs, and universities to enhance rural development and focuses on sustainable devel-opment, water management, energy, and organic farming. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi is the nodal agency for implementing the program.
UPSC 2017International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q28. What is the purpose of ‘Vidyanjali Yojana’? 1. To enable the famous foreign educational institutions to open their campuses in India. 2. To increase the quality of education provided in government schools by taking help from the private sector and the community. 3. To encourage voluntary monetary contributions from private individuals and organizations so as to improve the infrastructure facilities for primary and secondary schools. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
The Vidyanjali Yojana was launched by the Ministry of Education (formerly MHRD) in 2016 as an initiative to enhance the quality of education in government schools through community and private-sector participation.
Statement 1 is incorrect: The scheme does not allow foreign universities to set up campuses in India. It is focused on improving public education at the school level through volunteer participation rather than international collaborations.
Statement 2 is correct: The scheme seeks to give quality education in government schools by engaging volunteers from various fields, including retired professionals, working professionals, and college students, to contribute their knowledge and skills to students through non-teaching activities such as reading, mentoring, and extracurricular programs.
Statement 3 is incorrect: While Vidyanjali 2.0, launched in 2021, allows for voluntary donation of resources, the original Vidyanjali Yojana did not focus on monetary contributions or infrastructure development. The primary goal was community engagement rather than financial donations.
UPSC 2017International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q29. Consider the following statements: The nation-wide ‘Soil Health Card Scheme’ aims at: 1. Expanding the cultivable area under irrigation. 2. Enabling the banks to assess the quantum of loans to be granted to farmers on the basis of soil quality. 3. Checking the overuse of fertilizers in farmlands. Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Explanation
The Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme, launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, aims to provide farmers with soil health assessments to ensure optimal fertilizer usage and sustainable farming practices.
Statement 1 is incorrect: The scheme does not focus on expanding the cultivable area under irrigation. Instead, it aims to enhance soil fertility and productivity through soil analysis.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The scheme does not facilitate bank loan assessments for farmers. It primarily provides information on soil health to guide proper fertilizer use.
Statement 3 is correct: A key objective of the scheme is to check the overuse of fertilizers and promote balanced nutrient management to improve crop productivity and reduce soil degradation.
UPSC 2017International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q30. With reference to ‘National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), which of the statements given below is/are correct? 1. Under NSQF, a learner can acquire the certification for competency only through formal learning. 2. An outcome expected from the implementation of NSQF is the mobility between vocational and general education. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: NSQF allows certification through multiple pathways, including formal, non-formal, and informal learning, ensuring recognition of prior learning (RPL) for workers who acquire skills outside formal institutions.
Statement 2 is correct: One of the key goals of NSQF is to ensure mobility between vocational and general education, allowing students and workers to shift between academic and skill-based careers seamlessly.
Additional insight:
The National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) is a competency-based framework introduced in 2013 by the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) to standardize skill development, vocational education, and academic learning in India.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
21
2018
(c) 2 and 3 only
22
2018
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
23
2018
(b) 2 only
24
2018
(c) Both 1 and 2
25
2018
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
26
2018
(c) 1 and 3 only
27
2017
(b) Connecting institutions of higher education with local communities to address development challenges through appropriate technologies.
28
2017
(a) 2 only
29
2017
(b) 3 only
30
2017
(b) 2 only
What UPSC has tested in Miscellaneous
Aarogya Setu, CoWIN, DigiLocker and DIKSHA are all built on open-source digital platforms.
The Labour Bureau compiles information on industrial disputes, closures and retrenchments.
Public Key Infrastructure in India is used in the context of digital security infrastructure.
The Polar Code is the international code of safety for ships operating in polar waters.
Aadhaar cannot be used as a proof of citizenship or domicile.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Miscellaneous?
This page covers 43 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Miscellaneous (International Relations and Current Affairs), asked from 2011 to 2023. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
Can Aadhaar be used as proof of citizenship?
No. Aadhaar is an identity number given to residents and is not proof of citizenship, domicile or date of birth. A statement claiming that it proves citizenship or domicile is therefore incorrect.
What is the Polar Code?
The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters, adopted by the International Maritime Organization. It sets safety and environmental rules for ships in Arctic and Antarctic waters, and came into force in 2017.
Which body compiles data on industrial disputes in India?
The Labour Bureau, an attached office of the Ministry of Labour and Employment. It compiles statistics on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments, wages and the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers.
