UPSC 1997 Prelims Questions with Answers

Explanation

A is correctly matched with 2: Barley is a hardy crop that grows well in a cool climate and can tolerate poor soil fertility. It is commonly cultivated in temperate regions. It is rown in temperate regions like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh in India. B is correctly matched with 4: Rice is typically cultivated in areas with abundant rainfall and warm temperatures. It thrives in alluvial soils that are rich in nutrients, which is why the ideal condition is described as a hot and moist climate with rich soil. Major rice-producing states in India include West Bengal, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh. C is correctly matched with 1: Millets are drought-resistant crops that grow in areas with a hot and dry climate and can tolerate poor, sandy soils. They are commonly cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions. 2023 was declared the International Year of Millets by the UN to promote their cultivation. D is correctly matched with 3: Tea requires a warm and moist climate, well-drained soil, and grows best in high-altitude areas. Hill slopes in regions like Darjeeling and Assam are ideal.

Explanation

The descending order by production quantity is:

Groundnut (3) > Soyabean (4) > Mustard (2) > Sesamum (1) Groundnut is the largest produced oilseed in India. It is cultivated primarily in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, often in semi-arid regions. Soybean is the second largest oilseed crop, grown predominantly in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. Mustard ranks third in oilseed production and is grown widely in the north-western plains, particularly in Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Sesamum (or sesame) has a lower production compared to the others. It is cultivated in small quantities across Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Explanation

In Monaco, the Prime Minister (Minister of State) is not directly elected by the people but is instead appointed by the Prince of Monaco from a list of three candidates proposed by the President of France. This is because of Monaco’s close political ties with France, as established in the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1918. While Monaco is an independent country, France plays a significant role in its governance, especially in defence and foreign relations.

Explanation

As of December 1996, the world’s fastest computer was ASCI Red, developed by Intel and Sandia National Laboratories under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI). It was the first computer to break the 1 teraflop (10¹² floating point operations per second) barrier in December 1996. It had 9,298 Pentium Pro processors and achieved a sustained performance of 1.06 teraflops (1.06 × 10¹² operations per second) in 1997 on the LINPACK benchmark.

Explanation

As of 1997, the Basque separatist organization ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna) was still active in Spain, conducting violent attacks to push for an independent Basque state. The group, founded in 1959, intensified its activities in the 1980s and 1990s, targeting Spanish government officials, security forces, and civilians.

Explanation

The film "The Making of the Mahatma" was directed by Shyam Benegal. Released in 1996, the film is based on the book "The Apprenticeship of a Mahatma" by Fatima Meer and focuses on Mahatma Gandhi’s 21 years in South Africa (1893-1914), a crucial period that shaped his philosophy of non-violence (Satyagraha) and resistance against racial discrimination.

Explanation

Assertion (A) is false: The reservation of 33% seats for women in Parliament and State Assemblies does require a constitutional amendment. Recently, the 106th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2019 was made, which provides for 33% reservation of seats for women in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies (alongwith UTs with legislative assemblies). Reason (R) is true: Political parties can independently decide to allocate a certain percentage of tickets to women candidates and this is separate from constitutional reservation.

Explanation

In 1996, the Government of India launched the Pulse Polio Immunization (PPI) campaign as part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The program aimed to immunize all children under five years against polio through mass vaccination drives. It involved:

National Immunization Days (NIDs) to administer oral polio vaccine (OPV). Large-scale awareness campaigns and door-to-door vaccination efforts. Collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Rotary International.

Explanation

Statement (1) is correct: According to article 84 of the Constitution of India, the President is not a member of either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha, but he should be qualified for election as a member of the Lok Sabha.

Statement (2) is correct: As per article 79 of the Constitution, the Parliament of India consists of three components: the President, the Lok Sabha (House of the People), and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States).

Explanation

Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo and Jos Remos Horta were awarded the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in bringing peace and advocating self-determination for East Timor. They played a crucial role in the non-violent struggle against Indonesian occupation, raising international awareness about human rights violations in East Timor and advocating for its independence, which was eventually achieved in 2002.