UPSC 2003 Prelims Questions with Answers

Explanation

Mughal Emperor Shahjahan’s failing health set off the war of succession among his four sons Shuja, Murad, Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb in 1657.

Option (c) is correct: The Battle of Dharmat was fought between Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh on April 30, 1658, who were both vying for the Mughal throne. Aurangzeb emerged victorious in the battle.

Explanation

Jahandar Shah (1661-1713) was the 9th Mughal Emperor who reigned from 1712 to 1713 and he was the son of Bahadur Shah. After the death of Bahadur Shah, a new element entered Mughals’ political arena, in which nobles were ‘king makers,’ and rulers were only ‘puppets’ in their hands. Jahandar Shah was considered as the first Mughal India puppet ruler as he won the seat of throne with the support of Zulfiqar Khan, the most powerful noble of the time. Jahandar Shah’s reign came to an early end in January 1713. He was defeated in the battle at Samugarh (a city near Agra) by his nephew Farrukhsiyar on 10th January 1713 with the help of Sayyid Brothers. Farrukshiyar proclaimed himself the Mughal emperor after the battle.

Explanation

Mughal Emperor Akbar (1556-1605) used diplomacy and military campaigns to expand the Mughal Empire. Assertion (A) is correct: In 1580s, Akbar led his army to Kabul and defeated Hakim Mirza, the king of Kabul. When Hakim Mirza died, the territory of Kabul was annexed to the Mughal Empire. Reason (R) is incorrect: Akbar marched towards Afghanistan in 1580s to create a safety valve to this empire but not to reclaim his ancestral country of Ferghana in Central Asia.

Explanation

/(c) Shah Alam II (1728-1806) was the Mughal Emperor, ruling from 1759 to 1806. His reign marked a period of decline for the Mughal Empire, as it faced significant challenges, including invasions and internal rebellions. Assertion (A) is Correct: Shah Alam II spent his early years away from Delhi, primarily in Bihar and Allahabad, due to political instability, including internal rivalries and external threats, such as Ahmed Shah Durrani’s invasions. Reason (R) is correct: During Shah Alam II’s reign, invasions from the northwest, especially by Ahmed Shah Durrani, posed significant threats to the Mughal Empire. The primary reason for Shah Alam II’s absence was internal threats and the dominance of nobles like Najib-ud-Daula in Delhi, rather than solely the danger of foreign invasions. Hence Reason (R) does not explain Assertion (A). Hence, Option (b) is the correct answer.

Explanation

East Timor (Timor-Leste), a Southeast Asian nation with Dili as its capital, was a Portuguese colony for over 400 years before Indonesia occupied it in 1975. Following a UN-sponsored referendum in 1999, where the majority voted for independence, violent clashes erupted. The UN Transitional Administration (UNTAET) took control to restore peace and oversee governance, leading to East Timor’s full independence in 2002. Portugal did not "hand over" the territory to Indonesia in 1975 - instead, Indonesia invaded and annexed East Timor following a power vacuum created by the impending withdrawal of Portugal, leading to a civil war within East Timor between political factions. East Timor declared its independence on May 20, 2002.

Explanation

Seychelles is the country where Rupee is used as its currency. Bhutan uses the Ngulturn, Malaysia uses the Malaysian Ringgit and Maldives uses the Maldivian Rufiyaa.

Explanation

With respect to the year when this was asked, Bengali has largest number of speakers in the world i.e. 207 million, French - 79 million speakers, Japanese - 125 million speakers, Portuguese - 176 milion speakers.

Explanation

Option (a) is correct: The Abid Hussain Committee (1997) recommended the abolition of the reservation of items for the small-scale sector in industry. This recommendation was made to enhance the competitiveness of small-scale industries (SSIs) by opening up reserved items to medium and large-scale industries and promoting efficiency and modernization. Options (b) is incorrect: Narasimham Committee (1991 & 1998) focused on banking sector reforms to enhance financial stability and improve banking efficiency. Some of its recommendations include:

Reducing Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR). Recommended the establishment of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) to address Non-Performing Assets (NPAs). Proposed the autonomy of public sector banks and the establishment of a stronger regulatory framework under RBI. Options (c) is incorrect: Nayak Committee (1992) focused on improving credit availability for small-scale industries (SSIs). Key Recommendations:

Banks should provide working capital equivalent to 20% of the annual turnover of SSIs. Simplify loan procedures and reduce collateral requirements for SSIs. Establish specialized branches for SSI lending. Recommended the formation of a dedicated financial institution to cater to small-scale industries. Options (d) is incorrect: Rakesh Mohan Committee (2004) analyzed small savings schemes and suggested reforms to align them with market rates. It recommended rationalization of interest rates on schemes like National Savings Certificates (NSCs) and Post Office Deposits. It proposed that small savings schemes should no longer distort the financial market and advocated better financial literacy for savers.

Explanation

New Zealand was the first country in the world to grant women the right to vote in 1893. The USA gave women full voting rights at the federal level in 1920 with the 19th Amendment. India granted women voting rights in 1950 when India adopted its constitution. Iceland gave women full voting rights in 1915, though initially limited to women over 40.

Explanation

Option (a) is incorrect: Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) was India’s largest petrochemical company and not Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited (IPCL). RIL had established itself as a dominant player in the petrochemical sector, with significant market shares in various products. Specifically, RIL was the largest manufacturer of monoethylene glycol, puri-fied terephthalic acid, and paraxylene, holding an 80% market share in these products. Additionally, the company had a 50% market share in polymers such as polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, and polyethylene.

Option (b) is correct: Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is the largest private sector company in India by market capitalization and revenue. It has diversified interests in petrochemicals, refining, oil, telecommunications, and retail.

Option (c) is correct: MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited) was listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Option (d) is correct: BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) was the first telecom service organization in India to launch nationwide mobile services. It was formed by separating the telecom services division from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Note: Currently India is second largest producer of steel and coal both.