Previous Year UPSC Questions

Explanation

Pair (1) is incorrectly matched: Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia, not Slovenia. Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia.

Pair (2) is correctly matched: Seychelles, an archipelago of islands in the Indian Ocean, has Victoria as its capital. Victoria, located on the island of Mahé, is the smallest capital city in the world.

Option C:

Pair (3) is correctly matched: Sierra Leone, a country located on the west coast of Africa, has Freetown as its capital. Freetown, a port city with a rich history, serves as the major urban center and administrative hub of Sierra Leone.Option D:

Pair (4) is correctly matched: Uzbekistan, a country located in Central Asia, has Tashkent as its capital. Tashkent, a major city with a long history, serves as the political, economic, and cultural center of Uzbekistan.

Explanation

The Universal Product Code (UPC) is adopted for Bar code. It’s the most common type of barcode used in North America and other parts of the world for tracking trade items in stores. It is a specific type of barcode widely used for tracking trade items in retail settings. It consists of a series of black bars and spaces of varying widths that represent a unique numerical code. This code identifies the product and its manufacturer, enabling efficient scanning at the point of sale and inventory management.

Explanation

The new administrative capital proposed for Myanmar is Pyinmana. It was officially moved there in 2005, though some government functions remained in Yangon for a period afterward. Pyinmana is now called Naypyidaw.

Explanation

Statement (1) is incorrect: Kofi Annan was born in Kumasi, Ghana, not Nigeria.

Statement (2) is correct: Annan was the first UN Secretary-General appointed from within the organization’s staff, having had a long career in various UN roles.

Statement (3) is correct: He served two terms from January 1997 to December 2006, leading the UN through major global challenges.

Explanation

The Angkor Vat Temple, located in modern-day Cambodia, was built under the reign of King Suryavarman II (reigned 1113-c. 1150) of the Khmer empire. Originally dedicated to Lord Vishnu, it later became a major Buddhist center. The temple complex is a prime example of Khmer architecture and is one of the largest religious monuments in the world. Fig: Angkor Vat Temple

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony is an annual event held on December 10th, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896. This date is significant as it commemorates the individual who established the prizes through his will. It takes place in Stockholm, Sweden, with the exception of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, which is held in Oslo, Norway.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Nobel Prizes were initially established in five categories: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace. These were the areas specifically designated by Alfred Nobel in his will. It is important to note that Literature was among these original five, not a later addition. The Sveriges Riksbank (the central bank of Sweden) established the Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in 1968.

Explanation

Raja Wodeyar established the Wodeyar dynasty in Mysore, around the late 14th century. During this period, Venkata II (1586 to 1614) was one of the rulers of the Vijayanagar Empire (1336 A.D to 1646 A.D.), which, despite being in decline, continued to wield influence over southern India.

Explanation

Pearl S. Buck collaborated on the screenplay for the film Guide. The film is based on the novel of the same name by R.K. Narayan, but Buck was involved in adapting it for the screen.

Explanation

"Lectures from Colombo to Almora" is a compilation of lectures delivered by Swami Vivekananda during his travels across India after his return from the West, where he had participated in the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago. These lectures, delivered between 1897 and 1899, document his observations of Indian society, his call for social reform, and his spiritual teachings. They provide valuable insights into his vision for India’s future and his emphasis on strength, self-reliance, and spiritual awakening. The book serves as a significant record of his teachings and his profound influence on Indian thought and culture.

Explanation

Friedrich Engels, a German philosopher, social scientist, and journalist, is best known for his close collaboration with Karl Marx. Their intellectual partnership resulted in the development of what is known as Marxism, a social, political, and economic philosophy. Engels’s contributions were substantial, providing both intellectual and financial support to Marx. He co-authored several key works with Marx, most notably "The Communist Manifesto" (1848), which laid out the principles of communism and called for a revolutionary overthrow of capitalism. Engels’s own works, such as "The Condition of the Working Class in England," also provided critical insights into the social and economic realities of industrial capitalism.