Previous Year UPSC Questions

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The Indian government includes niger seeds in its Minimum Support Price (MSP) pro-gram for Kharif crops. The MSP for niger seeds was set at 7,734 per quintal for the 2023-24 season reflecting an increase from previous years.

Statement 2 is correct: Niger is primarily cultivated as a Kharif crop in India. It is sown during the monsoon season (June-July) and harvested in the post-monsoon period (September-October). It is grown mainly in states like Odisha, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.

Statement 3 is correct: Niger seed oil is traditionally used by various tribal communities in India for cooking purposes. The oil which is extracted from niger seeds is valued for its nutritional properties and forms an integral part of the diet in several tribal regions.

Explanation

About the Wolbachia Method Wolbachia is a type of bacterium, that can be introduced into mosquitoes to diminish their capacity for transmitting diseases. Fig: Wolbachia method Wolbachia method is used to control the population of mosquitoes and thus helps in controlling viral diseases such as zika, dengue, and chikungunya spread by the mosquitoes. In this method, the male Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes with Wolbachia mate with wild female mosquitoes that do not have Wolbachia, the eggs will not hatch and thus leads to sterilisation.

Explanation

Vijayanagar was founded in 1336 by Harihara and Bukka of the Sangama dynasty. Four dynasties - Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva and Aravidu - ruled Vijayanagar from A.D. 1336 to 1672. Deva Raya I (c.1406-1422 CE) of the Sangama dynasty was a very capable ruler noted for his military exploits and his support to irrigation works in his kingdom. He constructed a dam across the river Tungabhadra to bring canals into the city to relieve the shortage of water. He also built a dam on the river Haridra for irrigation purposes. Many foreign travelers also visited the Vijayanagar Empire and their accounts are also valuable. Portuguese writer Duarte Barbosa - Krishna Deva Raya. Venetian traveller Nicolo de Conti - Dev Raya II. Persian traveller Abdur Razzak - Dev Raya II. Portuguese traveller Domingo Paes - Krishna Dev Raya.

Explanation

Statement-I is correct: The Government of India decided to designate the 7th August every year as the National Handloom Day, and it was inaugurated on 7 August 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai.

Statement II is correct: The Swadeshi Movement was launched on 7th August 1905. It had encouraged indigenous industries (in particular handloom weavers). Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I: As 7th August was the day when movements to promote indigenous industries (in particular handloom weavers) were brought into the country. Hence, the Government of India decided to designate the 7th of August every year as the National Handloom Day.

Explanation

Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: Devichandragupta is a Sanskrit play attributed to Vishakhadatta, not Bilhana. The play is based on the historical events surrounding the Gupta king Chandragupta II and his queen Dhruvadevi. Vishakhadatta also authored Mudrarakshasa. Bilhana was an 11th-century Kashmiri poet known for his works like Vikramankadevacharita (a biography of the Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI) and Chaurapanchasika (a collection of love poems).

Pair 2 is correctly matched: Hammira-Mahakavya is a Sanskrit epic poem written by Nayachandra Suri, a Jain scholar. The text narrates the life and exploits of Hammira, a 13th-century Chauhan king of Ranthambor and his resistance against the Delhi Sultanate.

Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Milinda-panha (Questions of King Milinda) is a Buddhist text that records a dialogue between the Indo-Greek king Menander I (Milinda) and the Buddhist monk Nagasena. The text is attributed to Nagasena, not Nagarjuna. Nagarjuna was a 2nd-century CE philosopher and founder of the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhism and is known for works like Mulamadhyamakakarika.

Pair 4 is correctly matched: Nitivakyamrita is a treatise on ethics and polity written by Somadeva Suri, a 10th-century Jain scholar. The text provides guidance on governance, morality, and statecraft, reflecting the Jain emphasis on non-violence and ethical conduct.

Explanation

Hoysala Dynasty: Originating from the Indian subcontinent, the Hoysala Empire held sway over a significant portion of present-day Karnataka from the 10th to the 14th centuries. While the Hoysalas initially established their capital at Belur, it was later relocated to Halebidu. Gahadavala Dynasty: Following the dissolution of the Pratihara empire, several Rajput states emerged in northern India. Among these, the Gahadavalas of Kanauj (12th to 13th century), the Paramaras of Malwa, and the Chauhans of Ajmer were the most prominent. Kakatiya Dynasty: The Kakatiya dynasty ruled the region comprising present day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh during the 12th and 14th centuries. Their capital was Warangal in Telangana. The distinct style of Kakatiya-era architecture is seen in the Thousand Pillar Temple and Ramappa Temple near Warangal. Yadava Dynasty: The Yadava dynasty ruled in the 12th-14th -century and comprised the Hindu kingdom of central India in what is now the Indian state of Maharashtra. Originally a feudatory of the Western Chalukyas of Kalyani, the dynasty became paramount in the Deccan under Bhillama (c. 1187-91), who founded Devagiri (later Daulatabad) as his capital.

Explanation

Dhanyakataka (also spelled Dharanikota or Dharanikonda) was an ancient city located in the present-day Andhra Pradesh region of India. It flourished as a major Buddhist center, particularly under the Mahasanghika school of Buddhism. The city is closely associated with the Amaravati Stupa, one of the most significant Buddhist monuments in India. It was a hub of Buddhist learning and practice during the Satavahana period (2nd century BCE to 2nd century CE) and continued to be important under the Ikshvaku dynasty (3rd-4th century CE). Excavations have revealed Buddhist relic caskets, stupas, and monasteries, confirming its association with Buddhism.

Explanation

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are a climate "Super-Pollutant" - Greenhouse gases with hundreds to thousands of times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide (CO₂). HFCs are synthetic gases used in air conditioning systems, aerosol propellants, foam- blowing agents, solvents, and flame retardants. These gases were first developed as alternatives to ozone- depleting chemicals, but after their rollout, it was learned that their release to the atmosphere during manufacturing processes and leakage during use, servicing, and retirement/replacement of equipment poses a grave threat to our climate. Lubricants are typically based on oils and synthetic esters, not HFCs.

Explanation

The core principle of Jainism revolves around non-violence, with no other religion placing as great an emphasis on this value. Jains hold the belief that souls inhabit plants, animals, and even certain non-living entities such as air and water, similar to humans. The doctrine of non-violence encompasses refraining from causing harm to humans, plants, animals, and the natural world.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: Mercury is used in Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM). The majority of the mercury emissions associated with the ASGM sector come from the burning of mercury-gold amalgam, which is responsible for 38% of all anthropogenic mercury emissions to the atmosphere.

Statement 2 is correct: Mercury is released into the atmosphere via the burning of coal and other fossil fuels. Because coal has far higher mercury content than other fossil fuels, coal-fired power stations frequently produce more mercury pollution than power plants that burn other fossil fuels.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) considers mercury vapor concentrations above 0.01 mg/m³ hazardous for prolonged exposure, with an acceptable limit of 0.1 mg/m³ based on an 8-hour time-weighted average. Both American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommend even lower exposure levels to minimize health risks.