Previous Year UPSC Questions

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The salt-water crocodile, the largest living reptile, is found in coastal regions of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These islands provide a suitable habitat for the species, including mangrove swamps and estuarine areas, which are ideal for the crocodile’s nesting and hunting.

Statement 2 is correct: The shrew is a small mammal found in the forested areas of the Western Ghats, including the Malabar region. The most common is Malabar Shrew. The tapir, specifically the Malayan tapir, is found in the rainforests of the Western Ghats. Tapirs are herbivorous mammals that are adapted to the dense forests and are native to parts of South and Southeast Asia, including the Western Ghats.

Explanation

Albedo is the measure of a surface’s reflectivity, with higher albedo indicating greater reflection of sunlight, influencing Earth’s temperature and climate.

Statement 1 is correct: Albedo refers to the reflectivity of a surface, or the fraction of light that a surface reflects. A higher albedo means more reflection of light, which causes an object to appear brighter when viewed with reflected light. This is why snowy surfaces (with high albedo) appear brighter than forests or oceans (with low albedo).

Statement 2 is incorrect: Mercury actually has a much lower albedo than Earth. Mercury’s rocky and heavily cratered surface reflects only about 12 to 14% of sunlight, meaning it absorbs the vast majority of incoming sunlight and appears relatively dark. On the other hand, Earth has a higher albedo due to its cloud cover, oceans, and ice caps, which reflect a significant portion of sunlight back into space. Earth’s average albedo is around 0.30 to 0.35.

Explanation

Pair 1 is correct: According to the "Press Note on Advance Estimates of National Income, 2008-09" released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the per capita income at current prices during 2008-09 was estimated to be 38,084. Therefore, the figure of 37,000 is approximately correct.

Pair 2 is incorrect: As per the "Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2008" published by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, the production of rice during the 2006-07 crop year was approximately 93.35 million tons. Thus, the figure of 180 million tons is significantly higher than the actual production during that period.

Pair 3 is correct: As per the "Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2008" published by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, wheat production during the 2006-07 crop year was around 75.80 million tons. Therefore, the figure of 75 million tons is approximately correct.

Explanation

The English East India Company established its first factory in India in 1613 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir (1605-1627). This historic milestone was achieved when Jahangir granted the Company permission to set up a trading post in Surat, following diplomatic efforts by Sir Thomas Roe. The factory in Surat marked the beginning of a sustained British commercial presence in India and was crucial for accessing the lucrative Indian spice and textile markets. Surat, being a major port city, was central to maritime trade in the Arabian Sea, attracting not only the British but also the Portuguese, Dutch, and other European powers.

Explanation

The Rowlatt Act was passed in 1919 during the viceroyalty of Lord Chelmsford (1916-1921). Officially known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, 1919, it aimed to curb revolutionary activities by allowing imprisonment without trial for up to two years, essentially denying people their basic civil rights.

Explanation

Statement 1 is Incorrect: The prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour is covered under Article 23, which is part of the Fundamental Rights, not the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP).

Statement 2 is correct: The prohibition of intoxicating drinks and drugs which are injurious to health, except for medicinal purposes, is included in the Directive Principles of State Policy under Article 47, which directs the state to improve public health and to prohibit harmful substances.

Explanation

The Baudhayan Sulva Sutras contain one of the earliest known statements of the Pythagorean theorem, relating to the lengths of the sides of a right-angled triangle. This ancient Indian text provided a geometric construction method for determining the length of the hypotenuse based on the other sides of the right-angled triangle. It predates the work of Pythagoras. The theorem is significant in the history of Indian mathematics and geometry.

Explanation

The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists the officially recognized languages of India. This schedule was expanded in 2003 through the Constitution (Ninety-second Amendment) Act, which added four additional languages: Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali. This amendment increased the total number of languages in the Eighth Schedule from 18 to 22. The 93rd Constitutional Amendment Act enables reservations for socially and educationally backward classes in admission to educational institutions including private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the State, other than the minority educational institutions. The 91st Constitutional Amendment Act limits the number of ministers in the Council of Ministers, including the Prime Minister, to a maximum of 15% of the total members of the Lok Sabha (House of the People)(Similarly it applies to State CoM also.) 90th Constitutional Amendment Act provided for maintaining the erstwhile representation of the Scheduled Tribes in the Assam legislative assembly from the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (Article-332 (6))

Explanation

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the UNFCCC enables developing countries to receive funds from developed nations for adopting technologies that reduce green-house gas emissions. It allows developed countries to invest in emission-reduction projects in developing countries. In return, these developed countries earn carbon credits while promoting sustainable development.

Statement 1 is correct. CDM is indeed one of the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms designed to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by allowing developed countries to invest in emission-re-duction projects in developing countries.

Statement 2 is incorrect. CDM projects are implemented in developing countries, not in Annex I countries (which are mostly developed nations). The idea is that developed countries (Annex I) can earn carbon credits by funding emission-reducing projects in developing countries (non-Annex I).

Explanation

Selene-1 also known as Kaguya is a lunar orbiter mission launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) using the H-IIA rocket. Its primary objectives were to study the Moon’s origin, evolution, and surface features with unprecedented detail. It mapped the Moon’s mineral composition and gravity anomalies which provided crucial data about its internal structure and geology. As one of the most advanced lunar exploration missions of its time contributing significantly to understanding the Moon’s evolution and mineral distribution.