Previous Year UPSC Questions

Explanation

Pair 1 is correctly matched: Nokrek Biosphere Re-serve is located in the Garo Hills district of Meghalaya. The biosphere reserve’s name comes from Nokrek Hill, the highest peak of the Garo Hills. It was designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2009 and is home to the red panda and a rich variety of flora and fauna. The reserve is also a significant part of the Western Meghalaya Elephant Landscape and contains the Nokrek National Park.

Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: The Loktak Lake is a freshwater lake in Manipur and is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India. It is not located in the Barail Range, which is a mountain range in Assam and Nagaland. It is well-known for the phumdis that float above it. Keibul Lamjao National Park, the only floating national park in the world is located in this lake.

Pair 3 is incorrectly matched:: Namdapha National Park is situated in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. It is part of the Patkai Range, not the Dafla Hills. The Noa Dihing River runs east to west through the national park. The Dafla Hills are located on the Arunachal Pradesh-Assam border, near Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary.

Explanation

Disguised unemployment occurs when more workers are employed than necessary, contributing little to no additional output. In such cases, removing some workers would not impact overall productivity. This condition is commonly observed in the agricultural sector of developing countries, where labor redundancy is prevalent. The defining characteristic of disguised unemployment is zero marginal productivity of labor, meaning additional workers do not increase output.

Explanation

Economic growth refers to an increase in a country’s output of goods and services over time, typically measured by the rise in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Capital formation, also known as investment, is a crucial driver of economic growth. It involves increasing the stock of capital goods (machinery, equipment, infrastructure) that are used to produce other goods and services. Capital formation necessarily leads to economic growth as:

Increased Productivity: Capital goods enhance the productivity of labor. For example, a worker with a machine can produce more than a worker without one. Increased capital stock enables workers to produce more output, leading to economic growth. Expansion of Production Capacity: Investment in capital goods expands the economy’s ability to produce goods and services. New factories, equipment, and infrastructure allow for greater output, contributing to economic growth. Technological Progress: Capital formation is often associated with technological progress. New capital goods often embody newer, more efficient technologies, which further boost productivity and growth.

Explanation

National income is a comprehensive measure of a country’s economic performance over a specific period, typically a year. It encompasses the total monetary value of all final goods and services produced within a nation’s economy. This measure ensures that only the value of end products is counted, avoiding double counting of intermediate goods.

Option (a), (b) and (c) are incorrect:

Gross National Product (GNP) includes the total value of goods and services produced by a country’s residents, both domestically and abroad. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) under the expenditure approach includes consumption, investment, government spending, and net exports. However, national income is more accurately captured by the income approach, which sums up wages, rents, interest, and profits. Personal income includes all income received by individuals, including transfer payments, and is not limited to income generated from production activities. Therefore, it doesn’t fully represent national income.

Explanation

The balance of payments (BoP) records the transactions in goods, services and assets between residents of a coun-try with the rest of the world for a specified time period typically a year. The balance of payments (BOP) also known as balance of international payments, summarises all transactions that a country’s individuals, companies, and government bodies complete with individuals, companies, and government bodies outside the country. These transactions consist of imports and ex-ports of goods, services, and capital, as well as transfer payments, such as foreign aid and remittances.

Explanation

Bank rate refers to the rate at which the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) gives loans to banks. An increase in this rate means that RBI is following a tight monetary policy as an increase in rates will lead to decrease in money circulation leading to a decrease in inflation.

Option (a), (b) and (c) are incorrect:

Market interest rates usually rise, not fall, when the bank rate is increased. The Central Bank continues to provide loans, albeit at a higher interest rate. An easy money policy involves lowering the bank rate to encourage borrowing and investment.

Explanation

Deficit financing refers to the practice of funding government expenditure by borrowing or creating money, usually by printing currency. It involves a budget deficit, where expenditure exceeds revenue. In a developing country like India, there is a need for heavy public investment in infrastructure, social welfare schemes, and industrial devel-opment. Deficit financing helps the government to mobilize additional resources for large-scale development projects such as roads, dams, power plants, and education systems when tax revenues fall short. During periods of recession, deficit financing can stimulate demand in the economy by increasing public expenditure.

Explanation

Option (b) is correct:

Atlas Mountain: The Maghreb, often referred to as Northwest Africa, the Greater Maghreb, and historically as the Barbary Coast, is where the Atlas Mountains is situated. The Atlas Mountains divide the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. The highest point of this mountain range, Toubkal (4167 m), is found in Morocco. The mountains are found in Algeria and Tunisia in addition to Morocco. The Atlas Mountains are home to populations of Berber people.

Option (a), (c) and (d) are incorrect:

Abyssinian Plateau: The Ethiopian Plateau is also referred to as Altipiano Etiopico, Amhara Plateau, Ethiopian Massif, and Ethiopian Plateau. The Abyssinian Plateau was formerly known as Ethiopia, hence the name. The Blue Nile, which emerges from Lake Tana, is the most notable river to cross the plateau. Okavango Basin: The Okavango Basin is situated in southwest Africa comprising Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, and other countries. Whilst, Patagonia refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. Guiana Highlands: In South America, the Guiana Highlands are situated in the south of the Orinoco River and north of the Amazon River. Parts of Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil, and Colombia are included in the Guiana Highlands. Mount Roraima, located in the Guiana Highlands, has the highest elevation (2772 m).

Explanation

The distribution of powers between the Centre and the States in the Indian Constitution is primarily based on the Government of India Act, 1935. This Act introduced a three-list system (Federal, Provincial, and Concurrent Lists), which was later adopted in the Indian Constitution with some modifications as the Union List, State List, and Concurrent List under the Seventh Schedule(under Article 246).

Explanation

Ancient India made significant contributions to science, particularly in mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. Achievements include the concept of zero and the decimal system, advancements in surgery and the accurate calculations of the Earth’s circumference.

Statement 1 is correct: Ancient Indian texts like the Sushruta Samhita (6th century BC) describe specialized surgical instruments for procedures such as surgery, eye treatments, and plastic surgery, indicating well-developed surgical knowledge by the 1st century AD.

Statement 2 is incorrect: There has been no documented proof of organ transplants in the 3rd century AD. The concept of organ transplantation is much more modern, developing in the 20th century.

Statement 3 is correct: Aryabhata, in the 5th century AD, improvised the concept of sine (jya in Sanskrit) in his book and used it in astronomical calculations. Aryabhata’s work in trigonometry laid the foundation for later developments in mathematics.

Statement 4 is correct: The concept of cyclic quadrilaterals, where a quadrilateral can be inscribed in a circle, was known to Brahmagupta in the 7th century AD, who also provided a formula for their area.