Previous Year UPSC Questions

Explanation

Sarosh Zaiwalla is a renowned international legal expert and the founder of Zaiwalla & Co., a London-based law firm. He handled well-known international arbitration and litigation issues and was the first lawyer of Indian descent to open a practice in the United Kingdom. Russian corporations, Middle Eastern organisations, and the Indian government are just a few of the world leaders he has represented. His contributions to arbitration and international law are well known.

Explanation

Bengali is the most spoken in the world after Hindi and ranks seventh among the world’s most-spoken languages, making it the most widely spoken Indian language after Hindi.

Explanation

Pair 1 is incorrect: The National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) is located in Pune, Maharashtra. Established in 1986 under the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, it specializes in cell biology, molecular biology, microbiology, genetic engineering, and stem cell research.

Pair 2 is correct: The Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) is an autonomous organization funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. CDFD is located in Hyderabad.

Pair 3 is correct: The National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), located in the Aravalli foothills, Manesar, Gurugram, is India’s premier institute for neuroscience research and education. An autonomous institute under the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, it is also a Deemed-to-be University and an Institution of Excellence.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Constitution of India provides under Article 170 that the Legislative Assembly of a State shall consist of not more than 500 members and not less than 60 members. However, there are exceptions for smaller states like Sikkim, Mizoram, and Goa. The limit mentioned in the statement (450 members) is incorrect.

Statement 2 is correct: As per Article 173 of the Constitution of India, a person is eligible to be a member of the Legislative Assembly only if they are at least 25 years of age. This is a constitutional requirement for candidacy in the Legislative Assembly elections.

Explanation

Lal Bahadur Shastri (1904-1966), India’s 2nd Prime Minister (1964-1966), led the nation during the 1965 Indo-Pak War and coined the iconic slogan "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan." He played a pivotal role in promoting the Green Revolution and translated Madame Curie’s Autobiography into Hindi, reflecting his passion for science and education.

Explanation

Elizabeth Hawley (1923-2018) was an American journalist and historian renowned for documenting Himalayan expeditions, particularly mountaineering in Nepal. She meticulously recorded details of Mount Everest and other Himalayan climbs, making her one of the most trusted sources on Himalayan mountaineering history. She maintained a comprehensive database of Himalayan expeditions for over five decades, authoring The Himalayan Database, a key reference for mountaineers. Though never climbing herself, her records were considered authoritative.

Explanation

Gopal Krishna Gokhale (1866-1915) was a moderate nationalist, social reformer, and one of the founding leaders of the Indian National Movement. He was a mentor to Mahatma Gandhi and played a key role in influencing early nationalist politics. The British government offered Gokhale the title of Knighthood and a position in the Council of the Secretary of State for India but he chose to decline both honors. His refusal was based on his commitment to India’s self-governance, as he believed accepting such honors would mean complicity with colonial rule. He was a strong advocate of constitutional reforms and gradual political progress, promoting Swaraj (self-rule) within the British Empire.

Explanation

During World War II, Subhas Chandra Bose (1897-1945) raised an army called the Free Indian Legion (Azad Hind Legion) with the help of Nazi Germany. This was part of his efforts to liberate India from British rule by seeking foreign assistance. In 1941 he escaped from British house arrest in India and reached Germany via Afghanistan and the Soviet Union. In 1942, he formed the Free Indian Legion (also called the "Legion Freies Indien" in German) composed of Indian prisoners of war (POWs) captured by German forces in North Africa. This legion was trained by the Nazis and was intended to be deployed in British India through Afghanistan. However, as the war situation changed he shifted his base to Japan in 1943, where he took charge of the Indian National Army (INA), which had been established earlier by Rashbehari Bose.

Explanation

Aurobindo Ghosh, a prominent figure in the Indian independence movement, provided a scathing critique of the moderate politics of the Indian National Congress in his series of articles titled New Lamps for Old. In these articles, he argued that the moderate approach of relying on petitions, prayers, and constitutional reforms was ineffective in achieving India’s independence. He advocated for a more aggressive and militant approach, including boycotts, strikes, and civil disobedience.

Explanation

Naoroji, the ‘Grand Old Man of India,’ pioneered the analysis of British rule’s economic impact in his work Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (1901). His theory of economic drain exposed the exploitation of India’s resources by the British, fueling nationalist sentiment. By calling British rule "Un-British," Naoroji critiqued the hypocrisy of colonial claims, challenging the narrative of British benevolence. His critique laid the foundation for future debates on colonial exploitation and inspired future leaders advocating for India’s self-rule.