Previous Year UPSC Questions

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: Both plants and animals contain eukaryotic cells, their cell structures are quite similar. The plasma membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm, ribosomes, and mitochondria in general make up each eukaryotic cell. The plant cell differs significantly from other cells in that it has a hard cell wall surrounding it. While the cells of other species are surrounded by a cell wall, cellulose and proteins are present in plant cells.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Both plant and animal cells have a plasma membrane that surrounds the cytoplasm and regulates the movement of substances in and out of the cell. The plasma membrane is essential for maintaining homeostasis and facilitating communication between the cell and its environment in both plant and animal cells.

Statement 3 is correct: A mature plant cell typically contains a single, large central vacuole, which can occupy up to 90% of the cell’s volume. This vacuole stores water, nutrients, and waste products and helps maintain turgor pressure, providing structural support to the plant. Animal cells often have multiple small vacuoles scattered throughout the cytoplasm. These vacuoles perform similar storage and waste-management functions but are smaller and less prominent than those in plant cells. Animal Cell Plant Cell

Explanation

Pronuclear transfer is an advanced reproductive technique primarily utilized to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial diseases from mother to offspring. Mitochondrial diseases are genetic disorders caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is inherited exclusively from the mother. These disorders can lead to severe health issues, affecting organs with high energy demands, such as the brain, heart, and muscles.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: Solar power is capable of operating both surface and submersible pumps. Surface Pumps are installed above the water surface and are suitable for applications where water is drawn from shallow sources. They can be effectively powered by solar energy. Submersible pumps are designed to operate underwater. These pumps are ideal for deep wells or boreholes. Solar-powered submersible pumps are widely used for extracting water from significant depths.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Solar power can be utilized to run both centrifugal and piston (positive displacement) pumps. Centrifugal Pumps are commonly used in solar applications for higher flow rates with lower lift. They are efficient when adequate solar power is available. Piston Pumps also known as positive displacement pumps, piston pumps are suitable for applications requiring high lift with lower flow rates. Their ability to maintain efficiency under varying conditions makes them well-suited for solar-powered systems.

Explanation

Tissue culture (TC) is the cultivation of plant cells, tissues, or organs on specially formulated nutrient media. Under the right conditions, an entire plant can be regenerated from a single cell. Commercial planting of sugarcane uses setts (cuttings that can form roots) at a rate of 6 to 8 tonnes per hectare, or around 10% of total production.

Statement 1 is correct: Due to its bulky attire and physical restrictions, the tissue culture method is becoming uneconomical. Planting excised axillary canestalk buds, sometimes referred to as budchips, would help reduce the mass and enhance the quality of the seed cane. After four to five weeks, healthy settlings are transplanted on a well-prepared field with a row spacing of 90 cm and a gap of 30 cm between each settling (small setts).

Statement 2 is incorrect: Due to moisture loss from the other cut end, the germination percentage of a single bud sett is extremely low. Numerous studies and trials demonstrate that the germination rate of 3 bud sets is higher than the setts having more or less than three buds. Additionally, even if the entire can stem is planted without being trimmed, only the top end will sprout, resulting in a poor germination percentage.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Under bad weather conditions, larger setts (multi-budded) generally have better survival rates compared to single-budded setts. This is because they store more nutrients and moisture, which helps them withstand adverse conditions better than single-budded setts.

Statement 4 is correct: The most crucial and labour-intensive step in sugarcane agriculture is planting. Supplying disease-free seed cane of current commercial types quickly is an innovative new technique, called tissue culture. It employs meristems to clone the mother plant. Tissue culture plants’ cane and sugar yields are comparable to those of plants grown using traditional methods.

Explanation

Desert National Park is one of the biggest national parks in the country. The environment of the Thar Desert is well-illustrated by the Desert National Park. The main landform is made up of permanent dunes, jagged boulders, and compact salt lake bottoms.

Statement 1 is correct: Desert National Park, one of India’s largest, showcases the Thar Desert’s unique environment, featuring permanent dunes, jagged boulders, and salt lake bottoms. Located in Rajasthan, it spans the districts of Jaisalmer and Barmer.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Human activities are not allowed in National Park yet many villagers live inside Desert National park. There are several villages inside and outside the Desert National Park. The primary occupation of the villagers inside the Desert National Park is animal husbandry like goat, sheep, cattle, camel, donkey and followed by agriculture.

Statement 3 is correct: The Thar desert harbours a wide array of flora and faunal species. Desert National Park is one of the primary habitats of the Great Indian Bustard, a critically endangered bird species. The park is an important conservation area for this bird, which is native to the arid regions of Rajasthan.

Explanation

Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam is the largest tiger re-serve in India having a Core/ Critical Tiger Habitat of 2595.72 SqKm. The tiger reserve spans states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The reserve is home to the multifunctional reservoirs Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar. This reserve’s basin is bisected by the Krishna River. In addition to the Bengal Tiger, which serves as the area’s top predator, other species are also present here, including the leopard, rusty-spotted cat, pangolin, mugger crocodiles, Indian rock python, and countless different types of birds. A variety of wood-lands, from southern mixed deciduous tropical forest to southern thorn forest multiple types of hurbs and bamboo thickets also grow in this area.

Explanation

Kanha National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandla and Balaghat districts. It officially introduced a mascot, "Bhoorsingh the Barasingha". Kanha National Park (Mandla and Balaghat districts, Madhya Pradesh) is home to the Hard Ground Barasingha, also known as the Swamp Deer(Rucervus duvaucelii). They are exclusively graminivorous, meaning their diet consists solely of grasses. It is the state animal of Madhya Pradesh and is only found in the Kanha Tiger Reserve. Tiger, Leopard, Dhole, Bear, Gaur, and Indian Python are some of the other species discovered. Evergreen Sal forests are the most famous feature (Shorea Robusta) of Kanha National Park’s flora. The Indian Swamp Deer (Rucervus duvaucelii), also known as Barasingha, is a large herbivorous mammal primarily found in India, with some populations in Nepal and Bangladesh. It is known for its distinctive long, branched antlers and yellowish-brown coat. The species is graminivorous, thriving on grasses in wetlands, marshes, and floodplains. The Hard Ground Barasingha, a subspecies, is notably found in Kanha National Park, where successful conservation efforts have helped prevent its extinction. These deer are mostly solitary but gather during the breeding season, and their diet is primarily grass, which they graze in marshy areas. The species faces threats from habitat loss, hunting, and human encroachment, leading to its vulnerable status.

Explanation

Option 1 is correct: To safeguard the critically endangered Musk Deer and its environment, the Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary was established. The refuge is sometimes referred to as "Green Paradise on Earth." It is situated in Askot, a tiny village in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. Snow leopard, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan tahr, blue sheep, musk deer, loong, monal, kalij pheasant, and cheer pheasant are some examples of the local fauna.

Option 2 is correct: Gangotri National Park is located in Uttar-kashi, Uttrakhand, in the Bhagirathi River’s upper watershed. Gangotri Glacier is situated inside the park. The park is completely surrounded by temperate coniferous forests. The typical vegetation includes chirpine, deodar, fir, spruce, oak, and rhododendron. The park is home to a number of rare and endangered animals, including the snow leopard, musk deer, Himalayan monal, Himalayan snowcock, and blue sheep (also known as bharal). Options 3 and 4 are incorrect: Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary is home to Tigers, Leopards, Pythons, Barking Deer, Ghariyal, Wild Boar and Swamp Deers, not musk deer. It lies along the banks of the Sharada river. Manas National Park in Assam is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Project Tiger Reserve, an Elephant Re-serve as well as a Biosphere Reserve. Manas National Park is home to a varied species of Fauna of the likes of the Indian One Horned Rhinoceros, Asiatic Elephants, Indian Tigers, Clouded Leopards, Hoolock Gibbons, Barking Deer, etc.

Explanation

Asian Elephants come in three sub-species i.e. Indian, Sumatran, and Sri Lankan. The majority of the continent’s remaining elephants belong to the Indian subspecies, which has the largest range.

Statement 1 is correct: The leader of a group is the oldest female. She guides the herd in their search for food and water sources. These matriarchal units can occasionally divide into smaller, temporary groups.

Statement 2 is correct: The gestation period lasts for 22 months, yielding a single baby.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Although sexually mature in their early teens, elephants generally only start to mate at about 20 years and stop bearing calves at about 50.

Statement 4 is incorrect: Recent census showed Kerala as having 5,706 elephants, while Karnataka has 6049 elephants.

Explanation

The Ceylon frogmouth (Batrachostomus monilig-er), Coppersmith barbet (Megalaima haemacephala), Gray-chinned minivet (Pericrocotus solaris), and White-throated redstart (Myioborus albogularis) are all species of birds found in India. These birds are known for their unique characteristics and are an important part of India’s rich avifauna. The Ceylon frogmouth is a nocturnal bird, while the Coppersmith barbet is known for its distinctive call that sounds like a coppersmith at work.