Previous Year UPSC Questions

Explanation

The ‘Dancing Girl’ is a renowned artifact from the Indus Valley Civilization, specifically discovered at Mohenjo-daro. It is a bronze statue, about 10.5 cm tall, and represents advanced metal casting skills (lost-wax casting technique) of the Harappan people. The figurine is notable for its naturalistic posture, with one hand on the hip and bangles on the arms, showcasing the aesthetic and artistic sensibilities of the time.

Explanation

After the Chauri Chaura incident in 1922, where a mob set fire to a police station killing 22 policemen, many people were arrested and faced trial, with several sentenced to death. Madan Mohan Malaviya, a respected lawyer and freedom fighter, along with Krishna Kant, provided legal defence to these accused individuals. Malaviya’s defence efforts succeeded in getting the death sentences of many of them commuted.

Explanation

After the Poona Pact of 1932, Mahatma Gandhi intensified his campaign against untouchability and formally included the upliftment of ‘Harijans’ (a term he used for the so-called untouchables) in his political and social programme. The Poona Pact was an agreement between Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar regarding the separate electorates for the depressed classes proposed in the Communal Award of 1932. Gandhi, opposing the idea of separate electorates for untouchables (as it would, in his view, divide Hindu society), undertook a fast unto death. The eventual compromise, the Poona Pact, provided for reserved seats for the depressed classes in provincial legislatures within the general Hindu electorate. Post this, Gandhi launched a countrywide movement for Harijan upliftment, including campaigns for temple entry, access to public utilities, and the eradication of untouchability from Hindu society.

Explanation

The Portuguese introduced several fruits and crops to India during the 16th and 17th centuries, and among them were: 1. Papaya -- Introduced by the Portuguese from the Americas (specifically from the Caribbean/Central America region). 2. Pineapple -- Also brought by the Portuguese from the Americas, where it is native. 3. Guava -- Native to tropical America, it too was introduced to India by the Portuguese. So, all three fruits -- Papaya, Pineapple, and Guava -- were introduced in India by the Portuguese during the colonial era.

Explanation

United Kingdom: The UK (including its overseas territories) has a substantial number of time zones. Sources indicate the UK has 9 time zones, ranging from UTC-8 (Pitcairn Islands) to UTC+6 (British Indian Ocean Territory), plus its own GMT/BST. Denmark: Denmark, primarily due to Greenland and the Faroe Islands, has multiple time zones. Sources indicate Denmark (including its constituent countries) has 5 time zones, ranging from UTC-4 (parts of Greenland) to UTC+1 (mainland Denmark). New Zealand: New Zealand’s main islands use one time zone (NZST/NZDT), but its associated states and dependencies spread across different longitudes. Sources indicate New Zealand (including its territories like the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, and Chatham Islands) has 5 time zones, ranging from UTC-11 (Niue) to UTC+13 (Tokelau, main islands with DST). Australia: Australia, a large continent, has several time zones on its mainland an d additional ones for its external territories. Sources indicate Australia (including its mainland and external territories like Heard and McDonald Islands, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island, Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island) has 9 time zones, ranging from UTC+5 to UTC+11 or UTC+12 with DST. Brazil: Brazil is a large country but has fewer time zones than the others on this list with significant overseas territories. Brazil has 4 time zones, ranging from UTC-5 (Acre Time) to UTC-2 (Fernando de Noronha Time). This is not more than four.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: Anadyr in Siberia (Russia) and Nome in Alaska are geographically close, separated by the Bering Strait and the International Date Line (IDL). Because of the IDL, even though the two cities are near each other, they fall on different calendar days. So, when people are waking up for breakfast in these cities, it would indeed be different days.

Statement 2 is incorrect: When it is Monday in Anadyr, it is actually Sunday in Nome, not Tuesday. Anadyr is ahead of Nome by about 21 hours due to its position relative to the International Date Line. So the claim that it would be Tuesday in Nome when it’s Monday in Anadyr is wrong -- it’s still the previous day in Nome.

Explanation

The Self-Respect Movement was founded by E. V.

Ramaswamy Naicker, popularly known as Periyar, in 1925 in Tamil Nadu. The movement aimed to promote:

Rationalism Equality Annihilation of caste Upliftment of the oppressed sections, especially the non-Brahmin communities in South India. It challenged the social inequalities of the caste system, advocated for women’s rights, and encouraged people to question religious superstitions and blind beliefs. Periyar became a central figure in Tamil social reform and political activism through this movement.

Explanation

Pair 1 is Correct: Botswana is one of the world’s largest producers of diamonds. The diamond industry is a major contributor to the country’s GDP and has played a central role in its economic growth since the 1970s.

Pair 2 is Correct: Chile is one of the top producers of lithium globally, particularly from its salt flats (like Salar de Atacama). It’s part of the famous "Lithium Triangle" along with Argentina and Bolivia.

Pair 3 is Correct: Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of nickel, a key metal for stainless steel production and increasingly important for electric vehicle battery manufacturing. The country has significant reserves and has implemented policies to control and benefit from its nickel resources.

Explanation

Pair I is Incorrect: Mallorca (also spelled Majorca) is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are an autonomous community of Spain located in the western Mediterranean Sea. Despite its Mediterranean location, it is not part of Italy.

Pair II is Incorrect: Normandy is a historic and cultural region in northern France, famous for the D-Day landings during World War II. It lies along the English Channel and has no association with Spain.

Pair III is Incorrect: Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily) and is an autonomous region of Italy. Though it is located relatively close to French territory (like Corsica), it is not part of France. v v v

Explanation

The Constituent Assembly convened its inaugural meeting on December 9, 1946. In accordance with French tradition, Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha, the eldest member, was chosen as the interim President of the Assembly. Subsequently, Dr Rajendra Prasad was elected as the Assembly’s President.