Previous Year UPSC Questions

Explanation

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier was a French traveler and gem merchant who traveled extensively in India during the 17th century. He was an independent traveller and trader who, between the years of 1630 and 1668, made travels to Persia and India in the courts of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. He is well-known for his detailed accounts of the diamonds and diamond mines of India, particularly the famous Golconda mines. Tavernier provided extensive information on the diamond trade, the mines in places like Golconda, and the prized diamonds, such as the Koh-i-Noor.

Explanation

Pair 1 is correctly matched: Puthukkuli shawls are a traditional craft of the Toda tribe in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu. The shawls are adorned with intricate Toda embroidery, locally called "Pugur," meaning flower. This craft has been granted Geographical Indication (GI) status and is a significant cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu.

Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: Sujni embroidery originates from Bihar, not Maharashtra. It is a traditional form of embroidery from the Bhusura village in Bihar, often used to create quilts and other textile products. It has also received a GI tag.

Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Uppada Jamdani saris are woven in Uppada, East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, not Karnataka. These saris are known for their fine silk and intricate weaving patterns and have been granted a GI tag.

Explanation

The "Sixth mass extinction" refers to the ongoing, human-driven loss of biodiversity, characterized by a rapid decline in species across the planet. This extinction event is primarily driven by human activities such as over-exploitation of resources, habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change.

Explanation

The terms WannaCry, Petya, and EternalBlue are associated with cyber attacks. These are names of malware and exploits that have caused significant global cybersecurity breach-es.

Option (c) is correct: Wanna Cry (2017) and Petya (2016) are types of ransomware attacks that exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, with EternalBlue being the exploit used in these attacks. These cyber attacks caused widespread disruption across businesses and governments globally by encrypting data and demanding ransom. Options (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect:

Exoplanets refer to planets located outside our solar system and have no relation with WannaCry, Petya, or EternalBlue. Cryptocurrency involves digital currencies like Bitcoin, and while cyber attacks can target cryptocurrency platforms, the mentioned terms are directly associated with malicious software, not digital currencies. Mini satellites are small satellites used in space technology, and are unrelated to these cybersecurity threats.

Explanation

Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is an American anti-missile system developed by the U.S. to intercept and destroy short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during their terminal phase of flight.

Option (a) is incorrect: An Israeli radar system refers to systems like the Iron Dome, which is developed by Israel for intercepting short-range threats, but THAAD is an American system.

Option (b) is incorrect: India’s indigenous anti-missile programme refers to systems like the Aakash missile system, but THAAD is a U.S.-developed system, not an Indian one.

Option (c) is correct: THAAD is designed to counter missile threats and is part of the U.S. missile defense strategy. It works by using powerful radar systems to detect and track incoming missiles and then using interceptors to destroy them mid-flight.

Option (d) is incorrect: A defence collaboration between Japan and South Korea refers to missile defense collaborations, but THAAD is specifically an American-developed system, not a bilateral project between Japan and South Korea.

Explanation

General theory of relativity, is a geometric theory related to gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1915 and currently defines gravitation in modern physics. A coherent account of gravity as a geometric property of space and time, or four-dimensional spacetime, is provided by general relativity, which generalises special relativity and improves Newton’s law of universal gravitation. In particular, the energy and momentum of all matter and radiation present have a direct relationship to the curvature of spacetime.

Statement 1 is correct: According to General Relativity, light travels along the curved spacetime shaped by the gravity of massive objects. This phenomenon, known as gravitational lensing, has been observed in effects such as Einstein’s Cross and the bending of starlight around the Sun.

Statement 2 is correct: General Theory of Relativity showed that space and time are malleable or flexible, and predicted that our universe was ever expanding.

Statement 3 is correct: The theory of relativity states that massive objects distort spacetime around it. And since photons travel the shortest distance between two points, light appears to be bent when it travels through the distorted spacetime of a massive object.

Explanation

Option (1) is incorrect: The Digital India plan does not focus on forming India’s own internet companies like China did. Instead, it is more about enhancing infrastructure and accessibility to digital services across India.

Option (2) is incorrect: While data sovereignty is a key issue, the Digital India initiative does not specifically aim to encourage multinational corporations to build large data centers within In-dia’s boundaries. However, it does encourage data protection and localization policies.

Option (3) is correct: Connecting villages to the Internet and bringing Wi-Fi to schools, public places, and tourist centers is a major goal of the Digital India plan. This includes providing broadband connectivity to rural areas and ensuring access to government services through digital platforms.

Option (c) is incorrect: because while option 3 is correct, options 1 and 2 are not part of the Digital India goals.

Explanation

Option (a) is incorrect: The State Assembly is not automatically dissolved. It can either be dissolved or placed under suspension by the President.

Option (b) is correct: The proclamation of the President’s Rule is also known as ‘State Emergency’ or ‘Constitutional Emergency’. When the President’s Rule is imposed in a state, the President dismisses the state council of ministers headed by the chief minister and parliament passes the state bills and budgets.

Option (c) is incorrect: Article 19 is not automatically suspended in a state under President’s Rule. Suspension of Article 19 can only occur during a national emergency (Article 352).

Option (d) is incorrect: The President cannot make laws for the state. Law-making power during the President’s Rule is vested in the Parliament or those authorized by it.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is primarily used to place satellites in Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbits (SSO), which are ideal for Earth observation, remote sensing, and resource monitoring. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) is used to place communication satellites into Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), from where they move into Geostationary Orbit (GEO) for telecom and broadcasting services.

Statement 2 is incorrect:

Geostationary satellites (which remain fixed over a location) are launched into Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at 35,786 km altitude, usually by GSLV, not PSLV. PSLV typically places satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) or Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO), where they move relative to the Earth’s surface.

Statement 3 is incorrect:

GSLV Mk III (now LVM3) is actually a three-stage launch vehicle:

First stage: Two solid rocket boosters (S200) Second stage: A liquid-fueled core stage (L110) Third stage: A cryogenic stage (C25) There is no fourth stage in GSLV Mk III, making the statement incorrect.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: Critical Wildlife Habitats (CWH) are defined under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.. These are areas within wildlife sanctuaries and national parks that are critical for the survival of wildlife species and where human activities may be restricted.

Statement 2 is correct: The Baiga tribe in Madhya Pradesh was one of the first communities in India to be granted Habitat Rights under the Forest Rights Act, 2006. This recognition ensures their right to live in and sustainably use forest resources in their traditional habitats.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The declaration of Habitat Rights is the responsibility of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and state-level authorities under the framework of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.