139 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on the UPSC 2003 Prelims. Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 131–139 of 139 questions
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UPSC 2003Geography · Places and Locations: World Geography
Q131. Israel has common borders with:
Explanation
Israel shares its borders with four neighboring countries: Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the southwest. These borders have evolved significantly since Israel’s establishment in 1948, influenced by various geopolitical events and agreements.
Additional insight:
Lebanon: The border with Lebanon is defined by the Blue Line, established by the United Nations in 2000 to confirm Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon. This line closely approximates the Green Line set under the 1949 armistice agreement between Lebanon and Israel. The area east of the Hasbani River is considered part of Syria and included in the Golan Heights. Syria: The border with Syria includes the Golan Heights, a strategically significant region that Israel captured during the 1967 Six-Day War. Jordan: The border with Jordan was established following the 1994 peace treaty between the two nations. This agreement marked the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab country, leading to the normalization of diplomatic and economic relations. Egypt: The border with Egypt was defined by the 1979 peace agreement, which resulted in Israel returning the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt and dismantling all settlements there. This agreement was the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab country, leading to the normalization of diplomatic and economic relations.
UPSC 2003Geography · Places and Locations: World Geography
Q132. Which one of the following countries is landlocked?
Explanation
Option (a) is correct: Bolivia, situated in South America, is the only landlocked nation among the listed countries. It shares borders with Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina to the south, and Chile and Peru to the west. Options (b), (c) and (d) are incorrect:
Peru: Located on the western coast of South America, Peru has an extensive Pacific Ocean shoreline, facilitating significant maritime trade. Suriname: Situated on the northeastern coast of South America, Suriname borders the Atlantic Ocean, providing it with access to international shipping routes. Uruguay: Located in the southeastern part of the continent, Uruguay has coastlines along both the Atlantic Ocean and the Rio de la Plata estuary, enhancing its maritime connectivity.
UPSC 2003Geography · Places and Locations: World Geography
Q133. Which one of the following countries does not border the Caspian Sea?
Explanation
The Caspian Sea, the world’s largest enclosed inland body of water, is bordered by five countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan. Armenia, however, is not among these nations. Situated in the South Caucasus region, Armenia is a landlocked country bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, and Azerbaijan to the east and southwest.
Option (a) is correct: Armenia’s geographical location places it to the southeast of the Caspian Sea, but it does not share a coastline with it. Instead, Armenia is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, and Azerbaijan to the east and south-west.
UPSC 2003General Knowledge · Sports and Games
Q134. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer:
List-I (Cricketers)
List-II (Country)
A. Barry Richards
1. England
B. Tex Dexter
2. West Indies
C. Alan Davidson
3. South Africa
D. Charlie Griffith
4. New Zealand
5. Australia
Explanation
Barry Richards was a legendary South African batsman. Tex Dexter was a well-known cricketer from England. Alan Davidson was a famous Australian left-arm fast bowler and all-rounder. Charlie Griffith was a feared fast bowler from the West Indies.
Additional insight:
Famous Cricketer of New Zealand Richard Hadlee Martin Crowe Glenn Turner John R. Reid Stephen Fleming
UPSC 2003General Knowledge · Sports and Games
Q135. The sportsperson Soma Biswas is associated with:
Explanation
Soma Biswas is associated with Athletics. She’s a renowned Indian athlete from West Bengal who specialized in the heptathlon, winning silver medals at the 2002 and 2006 Asian Games.
Additional insight:
Some notable Indian athletes:
Milkha Singh (Track and Field) P.T. Usha (Track and Field) Varsha Gautham (Sailing) Vishnu Saravanan (Sailing) P. R. Sreejesh (Hockey) Aditi Ashok (Golf) Neeraj Chopra (Javelin Throw) Hima Das (Sprint) Dutee Chand (Sprint) Seema Punia (Discus Throw)
UPSC 2003General Knowledge · Sports and Games
Q136. Time Montgomery set a new world record at the IAAF Grand Prix final in the year 2002 in:
Explanation
In the 2002 IAAF Grand Prix Final, Tim Montgomery set a new world record in the 100 m Dash, with a time of 9.78 seconds. This performance broke the previous world record of 9.79 seconds, which was held by Maurice Greene (USA).
UPSC 2003General Knowledge · Sports and Games
Q137. Whom did Mahesh Bhupati and Max Mirnyi beat in the US Open Men’s Doubles Tennis Championship in the year 2002 to win the title?
Explanation
In the 2002 US Open Men’s Doubles final, Mahesh Bhupathi (India) and Max Mirnyi (Belarus) won the title by defeating the pair of Jiri Novak and Radek Stepanek.
Additional insight:
In the 2024 US Open Men’s Doubles Tennis Championship, the Australian duo of Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson clinched the title by defeating Germany’s Kevin Krawietz and Tim Putz with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (4).
UPSC 2003General Knowledge · Sports and Games
Q138. Who won the title in the finals of French Open Men’s Singles Tennis Championship in the year 2002?
Explanation
In the 2002 French Open Men’s Singles final, Albert Costa of Spain won the title. He defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero, also from Spain, in the final with a score of 6-1, 6-0, 4-6, 6-2. This victory marked Costa’s first and only Grand Slam title in his career.
UPSC 2003General Knowledge · Sports and Games
Q139. In the FIFA World Cup Football event in the year 2002, the number of goals scored by Ronaldo of Brazil was:
Explanation
In the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo of Brazil was the top scorer of the tournament. He scored 8 goals in total and was awarded the Golden Boot for being the highest goal scorer of the tournament. His goals played a crucial role in helping Brazil win their fifth World Cup title.
Additional insight:
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar, France’s Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot award by scoring 8 goals, including a historic hat-trick in the final against Argentina. This achievement made him the tournament’s top scorer.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
131
2003
(a) Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt
132
2003
(a) Bolivia
133
2003
(a) Armenia
134
2003
(c) A-3; B-1; C-5; D-2
135
2003
(d) athletics
136
2003
(c) 100 m Dash
137
2003
(d) Jiri Novak and Radek Stepanek
138
2003
(a) Albert Costa
139
2003
(c) 8
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on all subjects?
This page covers 139 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on the UPSC 2003 Prelims, asked from 1995 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for all subjects?
Questions on the UPSC 2003 Prelims are available for 31 years, from 1995 to 2025. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
