Previous Year UPSC Questions

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: Charter of the United Nations was adopted in San Francisco, California, USA, on June 26, 1945.

Statement 2 is correct: India was admitted to the United Nations Organization in 1945, becoming one of the original member states.

Statement 3 is correct: The Trusteeship Council was established to oversee the administration of trust territories, which were former colonies or territories detached from nations like Japan and Italy after World War II. The Trusteeship Council is made up of the five permanent members of the Security Council China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Explanation

Pair (c) is incorrectly matched: Ghana, an African country, was formerly known as the Gold Coast. Dutch Guiana is the old name for Suriname, a country in South America. Pairs (a), (b) and (d) are correctly matched:

Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, was formerly known as Salisbury during the colonial era. Ethiopia was historically known as Abyssinia. Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was formerly known as Leopoldville during the colonial period.

Explanation

Milinda’s period is separated by centuries with other given personalities. Bimbisara (approx. 558-491 BCE) was the ruler of Magadha and a contemporary of Gautama Buddha (c. 563-483 BCE). Prasenjit (6th century BCE) was the king of Kosala and also lived during the time of Buddha. Milinda (Greek king Menander I) ruled much later, in the 2nd century BCE. He was not a contemporary of the other three, making him the correct answer.

Explanation

Bandung is a city in Indonesia, where the historic Bandung Conference was held in 1955. This conference brought together leaders from African and Asian nations to promote economic and cultural cooperation and oppose colonialism or neocolonialism by any nation. It laid the foundation for the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in 1961. Sukarno (Indonesia), Jawaharlal Nehru (India), Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt), Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana) and Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) aware its main leaders along with few others.The XIX Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement was held on January 15-20, 2024 in Kampala.

Explanation

Tamil is a major language in Singapore. It is one of the four official languages of Singapore, alongside English, Malay, and Mandarin. The Tamil-speaking community in Singapore is significant, and Tamil is used in education, media, and government. Malaya in roman script is Singapore’s National Language.

Explanation

Brisbane has never been the capital of Australia.

Melbourne was the capital of Australia from 1901 until 1927, when Canberra became the capital.

Explanation

Option (a) is incorrectly matched: Seikan Rail Tunnel is located in Japan and not China. It is one of the longest railway tunnels in the world, connecting the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. The world’s longest railway tunnel is the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland. Options (b), (c) and (d) are correctly matched:

The Petronas Towers are iconic skyscrapers located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Appalachian Trail is a long-distance hiking trail in the eastern United States. The Rogun Dam is a hydroelectric dam under construction in Tajikistan.

Explanation

The official language of the Republic of Congo is French. It has four national languages: Swahili, Tshiluba (Kiluba), Lingala, and Kongo. French is the official language and the language of instruction, business, administration, and international communications. The Republic of Congo, like many countries in Africa, was colonized by European powers. Specifically, it was a French colony, and as a result, French became the official language. Thus, Spanish is not an official language in the Republic of Congo due to its colonial history with France.

Explanation

The Komagata Maru was a Japanese steamship that gained historical significance due to an incident in 1914 involving Indian immigrants attempting to immigrate to Canada. The ship carried 376 passengers, mostly Sikhs, Punjabis, and other Indians, who were seeking a new life in Canada. Upon arrival in Vancouver, the passengers were denied entry due to Canada’s discriminatory Continuous Journey Regulation, which aimed to restrict immigration. After being stranded for two months, the ship was forced to return to India. Upon arrival in Calcutta, the passengers faced arrest and violence from British colonial authorities.

Explanation

Harold Wilson served as the Prime Minister of the UK (1964-1970 and 1974-1976) and was a member of the Labour Party. John Major served as the Prime Minister of the UK from 1990 to 1997 and was a member of the Conservative Party. James Callaghan served as the Prime Minister of the UK from 1976 to 1979 and was a member of the Labour Party. Margaret Thatcher served as the Prime Minister of the UK from 1979 to 1990 and was a member of the Conservative Party.