Previous Year UPSC Questions

Explanation

The new series of Wholesale Price Index (WPI) was introduced with 1993-94 as the base year, replacing the earlier 1981-82 base year. This revision was done to better reflect the changing structure of the economy and update the weightage of various commodities in the index. The new WPI series became effective from April 1998 and included 697 commodities compared to 447 in the earlier series.

Explanation

The Union Budget 2000 introduced a 10-year tax holiday for industries in the North-Eastern Region under the North East Industrial Policy (NEIP), 1997. Under this scheme, industries were exempted from income tax for 10 years from the date of commencement of production. Additionally, excise duty exemptions and capital investment subsidies were also provided to encourage economic growth in the region.

Explanation

Deep Sen Gupta: Won the Under-12 title in the World Youth Chess Festival, Oropesa, 2000. P. Harikrishna: Became India’s youngest International Master in the International Chess Tournament, 2000. Seema Antil: Became the first Indian to win a gold medal in discus throw at the World Junior Athletic Championship, Santiago, 2000. Tejas Bakre: Won the title in the Asian Junior Chess Tournament, Mumbai, 2000.

Explanation

Dr. K. Kasturirangan was the Chairman of ISRO when INSAT-3B was launched on March 22, 2000, aboard an Ariane-5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana. He served as ISRO Chairman from 1994 to 2003.

Explanation

The 88th Indian Science Congress (2001) was held at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, and the theme was "Food Nutrition and Environmental Security." The focus was on sustainable agricultural practices, food security, and environmental conservation.

Explanation

Santosh Yadav - An Indian mountaineer, she is the first woman to climb Mount Everest twice. Oprah Winfrey - A famous TV host, known for The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oscar Wilde - A renowned dramatist and author, famous for The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest. P. Sainath - An Indian journalist, known for his work on rural affairs and social issues.

Explanation

Between 1997 and 2000, the services sector attracted the largest share of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India. This includes telecommunications, banking, insurance, financial services, and IT.

Explanation

In eye donation, the part of the eye that is transplanted is the cornea. The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped front surface of the eye that allows light to enter and is responsible for focusing light onto the retina. It can become damaged due to injury, disease, or aging. A corneal transplant replaces the damaged cornea with healthy tissue from a deceased donor.

Option (b) is incorrect: The lens is located behind the cornea and focuses light onto the retina. It is not transplanted during eye donation, as it can be replaced with an artificial lens in procedures like cataract surgery.

Option (c) is incorrect: The retina is a sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye that converts light into neural signals. Retinal damage cannot currently be treated through transplantation during eye donation.

Option (d) is incorrect: The whole eye is not transplanted due to the complexity of the organ and the high risk of rejection.

Explanation

Option (a) is correct: O, Rh- blood group is known as the universal donor because it does not have A, B, or Rh antigens. If the patient’s blood type is not O, receiving blood with A or B antigens can trigger an immune response, leading to serious complications. If the patient is Rh-, receiving Rh+ blood can lead to the development of Rh antibodies, which can cause problems in future pregnancies or transfusions. Therefore, O, Rh- blood group will be safe for transfusion if the blood group of the patient is not known.

Option (b) is incorrect: If the recipient is Rh-negative, transfusion of Rh+ blood can cause an immune reaction, leading to complications like hemolysis or sensitization.

Option (c) is incorrect: AB, Rh- has both A and B antigens, which can trigger an immune response in individuals with A, B, or O blood groups.

Option (d) is incorrect: AB, Rh+ blood group is highly specific and can only be safely given to individuals with the AB, Rh+ blood group. It is not suitable for transfusion in emergencies where the recipient’s blood group is unknown.

Explanation

A is matched with 3: Lederberg discovered bacterial conjugation (exchange of genetic material between bacteria) and transduction (transfer of DNA between bacteria via viruses). B is matched with 4: Thomas Hunt Morgan’s work with fruit flies (Drosophila) provided strong evidence for the chromosomal theory of inheritance and firmly established the concept of sex-linked genes. C is matched with 2: Kornberg isolated DNA polymerase I from Escherichia coli, which was crucial for understanding DNA replication. D is matched with 1: Har Gobind Khorana played a significant role in deciphering the genetic code, which specifies how the sequence of nucleotides in DNA translates into the sequence of amino acids in proteins.