UPSC 2011 Prelims Questions with Answers

Explanation

Statement (a) is correct: Yukti Kalpataru, written by the Indian scholar Bhoja in the 11th century CE, is a work of great significance that discusses a wide range of topics, including shipbuilding. This text does provide evidence of the advanced shipbuilding techniques of the time, offering insight into how ships were constructed and used for trade and warfare. Indian maritime history of Shipbuilding dates back to the Harappan civilization. India had a well-developed maritime tradition, but other civilizations, like China, also had advanced shipbuilding. Statement (b) is correct: The South Indian rulers always patronized traders and monks due to their knowledge and wisdom. Heavy grants and lands were issued for their knowledge about the outside world. The Cholas, Pallavas, and Srivijaya kingdom had strong maritime links due to royal patronage of trade and cultural exchanges. Statement (c) is correct: Indians have been familiar with the monsoon winds since the Gupta era. Although the Bay of Bengal’s monsoon winds made sea travel easier, this was not the only factor in India’s early commerce and cultural connections with Southeast Asia. Note: Although all the statements seems correct but UPSC has given option (c) as the most convincing correct answer.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: Though the Constitution of India does not define the term ‘minorities’. Article 30 of the Constitution mandates that all minorities have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

Statement 2 is incorrect: As per the constitution, there is no provision of communal representation in Lok Sabha.

Statement 3 is correct: The objective of the Prime Minister’s 15-Point Programme is to enhance opportunities for education and ensure an equitable share for minorities in economic activities and employment, through existing and new schemes, enhanced credit support for self-employment, and recruitment to State and Central Government jobs in those districts which have substantial minority populations.

Explanation

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, enshrines several fundamental human rights. Let’s analyze each of the given rights:

Right to Education: Article 26 of UDHR explicitly recognizes the right to education. It states that education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages, and that higher education shall be equally accessible to all based on merit. Right to Equal Access to Public Service: Article 21(2) of UDHR guarantees that everyone has the right to equal access to public service in their country. This ensures that no one is discriminated against in accessing government-provided services. Right to Food: Article 25(1) of UDHR recognizes the right to an adequate standard of living, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care. This establishes food as a fundamental human right necessary for survival and well-being.

Explanation

Micro-irrigation is the slow distribution of water to the soil using surface drip and micro-sprinkler systems in the form of discrete or continuous drips, tiny streams, or miniature spray. Benefits of micro irrigation systems: Helps in water-saving and checking further depletion, Increased irrigation efficiency, Higher yields, Less water loss, Energy efficient, Lower consumption of fertilizers, Weed and disease reduction, Cost savings, Precision farming.

Statement 1 is correct: An efficient drip irrigation system reduces the consumption of fertiliser through fertigation.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Dryland farming is defined as the production of crops without irrigation in regions that receive rainfall of less than 500mm annually. Crop selection, Microcatchments and Runoff farming are some other methods of irrigation in dry-land farming.

Statement 3 is correct: Micro-irrigation helps in water-saving and checking further groundwater depletion.

Explanation

The Nehru Report, drafted in response to Lord Birkenhead’s challenge, was prepared by a committee led by Motilal Nehru. Key members included Tej Bahadur Sapru, M.S. Aney, Subhash Chandra Bose, and G.R. Pradhan.

Option (b) is correct: Recommendations were:

Dominion status on lines of self-governing dominions but not full independence. Rejection of separate electorates. Joint electorates with reservation of seats for Muslims at the Centre and in areas where they were in minority. Nineteen fundamental rights, including the rights to form unions, the right to equal treatment for women, and universal adult suffrage. Responsible government at the Centre and in provinces. Provisions to protect the cultural and religious rights of minorities.

Explanation

Jain’s philosophy holds that the world is created and maintained by Universal laws. Jainism does not support belief in the creator god. According to Jain doctrine, the universe and its constituents (soul, matter, space, time and motion) have always existed. Jainism believes in the theory of Karma. Both the idea of reincarnation and the universal soul are accepted in Jainism. To break free from the circle of karma and reach salvation, Jainism teaches that one must lead a life of extreme austerity and penance. Jainism theory of Anekantavada stresses that there are many different facets to the ultimate truth and reality, or the "theory of plurality."

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: La Niña is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific (not the Indian Ocean). In contrast, El Niño is associated with unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean.

Statement 2 is incorrect: El Niño events are associated with a weakening of the Indian monsoon leading to reduced rainfall and drought conditions in India. This occurs because the warming of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean alters atmospheric circulation patterns, which can suppress the monsoon rains over the Indian subcontinent. La Niña events typically have the opposite effect, strengthening the Indian monsoon and often resulting in above-average rainfall. The cooling of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean during La Niña enhances the monsoon circulation, leading to increased precipitation over India.

Explanation

New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is a bilateral nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, signed in 2010 and enforced from 2011. The treaty caps the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 per country and imposes limits on intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and heavy bombers. Serving as a successor to the original START I treaty (1991), it continued the nuclear arms control initiatives established during the Cold War. In 2021, the treaty was extended for an additional five years, remaining in effect until Feb 4th, 2026.

Option (b) is incorrect: The East Asia Summit deals with regional economic and security issues, but New START is unrelated to energy security or multilateral agreements.

Option (c) is incorrect: Russia and the EU have energy agreements, but New START is strictly a nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the USA.

Option (d) is incorrect: BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) focuses on economic cooperation, not nuclear arms reduction.

Explanation

Option (a) is correct: Bluetooth operates in the 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band. Wi-Fi, depending on the standard, operates in the 2.4 GHz and/or 5 GHz bands.

Option (b) is incorrect: Bluetooth is typically used for short-range communication, forming Personal Area Networks (PANs), such as connecting peripherals like headphones or keyboards to a computer. Wi-Fi is used for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), providing network connectivity within a local area like a home or office. Neither Bluetooth nor Wi-Fi is typically used for Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWANs), which cover broader areas and are usually associated with cellular networks.

Option (c) is incorrect: Bluetooth does not require a direct line of sight between devices as it can transmit data through obstacles like walls or furniture, though the presence of obstacles can affect the range and quality of the connection. Wi-Fi also does not require line of sight and can cover greater distances than Bluetooth, with its signals capable of passing through walls and other obstructions, though signal strength may degrade with obstacles.

Option (d) is incorrect: Since statement (b) is incorrect the fourth statement ("The statements (a) and (b) given above are correct in this context") is also incorrect.

Explanation

The most geostrategically significant factor about Southeast Asia is its location between the Pacific and Indian Oceans and its dominance in maritime trade routes, particularly through the Strait of Malacca, Sunda Strait, and Lombok Strait. The Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s most crucial maritime chokepoints, is vital for global shipping, making Southeast Asia central to global trade and security. Southeast Asia serves as a critical link between major global economies such as China, India, Japan, and the USA. It controls some of the world’s busiest sea lanes, with a significant portion of global trade and energy supplies passing through the region.