This page lists 97 previous year UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination (General Studies Paper-I) questions on the UPSC 2017 Prelims. Choose an option to see the correct answer and the full explanation on the same page.
Explanations state facts as they stood in the year each question was asked, so words like “recently” or “currently” refer to that year, not today. For the present position, check the latest Current Affairs.
Showing 41–50 of 97 questions
UPSC 2017Science and Technology · Information and Communication Technology
Q41. In India, it is legally mandatory for which of the following to report on cyber security incidents? 1. Service providers2. Data centres3. Body corporate Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
It is legally mandatory for service providers, data centres, and body corporate to report cybersecurity incidents to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). Under the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, and the Information Technology (The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team and Manner of Performing Functions and Duties) Rules, 2013. CERT-In is the national nodal agency for responding to cybersecurity incidents and ensuring the security of India’s cyber infrastructure.
Additional insight:
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) imposes rules on service providers, intermediaries, data centres, body corporate or persons who provide the information called for or comply with the direction of CERT. They need to report cyber incidents within a reasonable time so that CERT-In may have scope for timely action.
UPSC 2017Environment and Ecology · Pollution
Q42. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a standard criterion for:
Explanation
BOD measures the amount of dissolved oxygen required by microorganisms to break down organic material in water over a specific time. BOD is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by bacteria in decomposing the organic wastes present in water. It is measured in milligrammes per litre of water of oxygen. The higher value of BOD indicates low (Dissolved Oxygen) DO content of water. BOD is not a reliable method for assessing water pollution because it only includes biodegradable elements.
Additional insight:
Standard Method 5210B is the most widely used method for determining Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD). It measures the difference in dissolved oxygen (DO) over a five-day incubation period at 20°C. The initial DO is recorded, and after incubation, the final DO is measured. The BOD value is then calculated based on oxygen depletion. Higher BOD indicates poor water quality due to higher oxygen demand, while lower BOD suggests purer water with less oxygen consumption. DO levels are lower in summer as warm water holds less oxygen.
UPSC 2017Environment and Ecology · Pollution
Q43. In the context of solving pollution problems, what is/are the advantage/advantages of bioremediation techniques? 1. It is a technique for cleaning up pollution by enhancing the same biodegradation process that occurs in nature. 2. Any contaminant with heavy metals such as cadmium and lead can be readily and completely treated by bioremediation using microorganisms. 3. Genetic engineering can be used to create microorganisms specifically designed for bioremediation. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Bioremediation is a branch of biotechnology that employs the use of living organisms in the removal of contaminants, pollutants, and toxins from soil, water, and other environments. These organisms can include microbes and bacteria. As a result, compared to other cleanup techniques, bioremediation causes less disruption to the neighbourhood communities.
Statement 1 is correct: Bioremediation uses naturally occurring organisms to break down hazardous substances into less toxic or non-toxic substances.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Not all contaminants are easily treated by bioremediation using microorganisms. For eg. Heavy metals such as cadmium and lead are not readily absorbed or captured by microorganisms.
Statement 3 is correct: The use of genetic engineering to create organisms specifically designed for bioremediation has great potential. For e.g. Alcanivorax, a bacteria with oil-eating abilities, can be used to create species that are much more capable of cleaning oil spills.
Additional insight:
Types of Bioremediation:
Aerobic Bioremediation: Requires oxygen for microbial reactions, where bacteria use a carbon substrate as an electron donor and oxygen as the electron acceptor to break down contaminants. Anaerobic Bioremediation: Occurs in the absence of oxygen, using alternatives like nitrate, sulfate, or carbon dioxide as electron acceptors. Processes include fermentation, methanogenesis, and reductive dechlorination to degrade pollutants. Cometabolic Bioremediation: Microbes degrade contaminants without gaining energy or carbon from them, breaking down pollutants as a side reaction while metabolizing other substances.
Exam tip:
For S2, "Readily and Completely" treated- it is Clearly an extreme phrase, hence very unlikely to be true. If this would have been true, water and soil pollution would have been talk of past, but that’s not the case, hence likely false. Eliminating options B and D.
UPSC 2017Environment and Ecology · Pollution
Q44. It is possible to produce algae based biofuels, but what is/are the likely limitation(s) of developing countries in promoting this industry? 1. Production of algae based biofuels is possible in seas only and not on continents. 2. Setting up and engineering the algae based biofuels production requires high level of expertise/ technology until the construction is complete. 3. Economically viable production necessitates the setting up of large scale facilities which may raise ecological and social concerns. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Biofuels are hydrocarbon fuel that is created in a short amount of time--days, weeks, or even months--from organic matter (living or once-living material). Biofuels may be solid, liquid or gaseous in nature:
Solid: Wood, dried plant material, and manure Liquid: Bioethanol and Biodiesel Gaseous: Biogas
Statement 1 is incorrect: Algaculture (farming algae) can be initiated on land unsuitable for agriculture or saline water or wastewater. Statements 2 and 3 are correct: Producing algae for biofuels (excluding simple seaweed production) requires significant capital investments, which may be a significant barrier in developing countries that have a weak investment climate. Also during the setup stage, the production of algae- based biofuels will necessitate expertise in advanced technology.
Exam tip:
For S1, "seas ONLY" is an extreme absolute phrase and hence unlikely to be true. Thus eliminate options A and D. In contrast, S 2 and S3 are too general and practical to be false, hence more likely to be true.
UPSC 2017Polity · Fundamental Duties
Q45. Which of the following statements is/are true of the Fundamental Duties of an Indian citizen? 1. A legislative process has been provided to enforce these duties. 2. They are correlative to legal duties. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Fundamental Duties are enumerated in Part IV-A and consists of single Article 51A with 11 sub-articles.
Statement 1 is incorrect: Fundamental Duties in the Indian Constitution are outlined in Article 51A (Part IVA) and were added by the 42nd Amendment in 1976. These duties aim to promote a sense of responsibility, unity, and patriotism among Indian citizens. They serve as guidelines for citizens to contribute to the welfare of the nation. But no legislative process has been provided to enforce these duties. These duties are thus non-enforceable and non-justiciable in nature. However, courts have interpreted them as complementary to Fundamental Rights, and certain laws indirectly enforce them. Example: The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 penalizes disrespect to the National Flag and National Anthem, indirectly enforcing Article 51A(a). Example: The Environment Protection Act, 1986 enforces Article 51A(g) (duty to protect the environment).
Statement 2 is incorrect: Fundamental Duties are not legally enforceable duties like legal obligations. They are moral obligations intended to promote civic responsibility and national consciousness, but there are no direct legal consequences for their violation.
Exam tip:
For S2, "Correlative" means they go hand-in-hand -- if you have a legal duty, then you also have a constitutional duty, and vice versa. But that’s not necessarily true. Many legal duties (e.g. paying taxes, obeying traffic laws) exist regardless of Fundamental Duties. And many Fundamental Duties (like developing scientific temper or promoting harmony) are moral/ethical, not legal mandates. Hence S2 likely false.
UPSC 2017Environment and Ecology · Climate Change
Q46. In the context of mitigating the impending global warming due to anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide, which of the following can be potential sites for carbon sequestration? 1. Abandoned and uneconomic coal seams 2. Depleted oil and gas reservoirs 3. Subterranean deep saline formations Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Carbon Sequestration is a process to capture and store CO to curb global warming. It is captured from the air, industries or power stations and stored permanently underground. Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration is the process through which CO from the atmosphere is absorbed by trees and plants through photosynthesis and stored as carbon in soils and biomass (tree trunks, branches, foliage, and roots). In Geologic Carbon Sequestration CO can be stored in oil reservoirs, gas reservoirs, unmineable coal seams, saline formations and shale formations with high organic content.
Statement 1 is correct: Uneconomic coal seams can be used to store CO because the CO molecules attach to the surface of coal.
Statement 2 is correct: CO is sometimes injected into declining oil fields to increase oil recovery.
Statement 3 is correct: Other potential sites are gas reservoirs, saline formations and shale formations with high organic content.
UPSC 2017International Relations and Current Affairs · Current Affairs
Q47. With reference to ‘National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’, which of the following statements is/ are correct? 1. It is an organ of NITI Aayog. 2. It has a corpus of ‘ 4,00,000 crore at present. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: NIIF is not an organ of NITI Aayog. It is an independent investment fund set up by the Indian government under the Ministry of Finance. While NITI Aayog plays a role in policy-making, it is not directly involved in managing the NIIF.
Statement 2 is incorrect: NIIF does not have a corpus of ‘4,00,000 crore. The fund was initially set up with a corpus of ‘40,000 crore. The target corpus has been planned to increase over time, but it currently stands much lower than ‘4,00,000 crore.
UPSC 2017Polity · Emergency Provisions
Q48. Which of the following are not necessarily the consequences of the proclamation of the President’s rule in a State? 1. Dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly 2. Removal of the Council of Ministers in the State 3. Dissolution of the local bodies Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: As per article 356 of the Constitution of India, the president has the authority to declare if he is satisfied that the state government cannot function in accordance with the Constitution’s provisions. (The President can act on the report of the governor or otherwise). But the ground for Dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly is not necessarily the consequence of proclamation.
Statement 2 is incorrect: When the President’s Rule is imposed in a state, the President dismisses the state council of ministers headed by the chief minister.
Statement 3 is correct: There is no mention of Dissolution of the local bodies during the proclamation of President’s Rule.
UPSC 2017Science and Technology · Space and Space Technology
Q49. The terms ‘Event Horizon’, ‘Singularity’, ‘String Theory’ and ‘Standard Model’ are sometimes seen in the news in the context of
Explanation
The terms ‘Event Horizon’, ‘Singularity’, ‘String Theory’, and ‘Standard Model’ are primarily associated with the observation and understanding of the Universe. Event Horizon is the boundary of a black hole where escape velocity exceeds the speed of light and thus nothing, including light, can escape once crossed. A gravitational singularity is a region in space where matter is infinitely dense, and gravitational forces become infinite. It is found at the center of black holes, where spacetime curvature becomes infinite, and the equations of general relativity fail to provide a meaningful description. String Theory is a theoretical framework in physics that attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity by positing that fundamental particles are not point-like but rather one-dimensional "strings." It is a candidate for a theory of everything, aiming to explain all fundamental forces and particles in the Universe. Standard Model is the theory in particle physics that describes three of the four known fundamental forces (electromagnetic, weak, and strong interactions) and classifies all known elementary particles. It is a cornerstone of modern physics and helps explain the behavior of matter and energy in the Universe.
UPSC 2017Science and Technology · Space and Space Technology
Q50. What is the purpose of the ‘evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA)’ project?
Explanation
The evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA) is a mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA) to detect and measure gravitational waves. Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime caused by massive cosmic events, such as merging black holes or neutron stars. eLISA aims to provide a new way of observing the universe by directly measuring these waves which are otherwise invisible to traditional telescopes. Unlike ground-based detectors like LIGO, eLISA will operate in space, allowing it to observe lower-frequency gravitational waves that cannot be detected on Earth.
Additional insight:
Other Projects to Measure The Gravitational Waves Project Country (Locations) Remarks LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) Observatories in the USA and Italy Made the first direct detection of gravitational waves in 2015. LIGO-India India, Planned Ground-based interferometer that collaborates with LIGO to detect gravitational waves. Virgo Italy Virgo collaborates with LIGO and KAGRA to pinpoint the origins of these waves. KAGRA (Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector) Japan Designed to detect gravitational waves and contribute to the global network of detectors Pulsar Timing Arrays (PTAs) Australia, China, India, South Africa, and the United States. These are networks of millisecond pulsars used to detect low-frequency gravitational waves.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
41
2017
(d) 1, 2 and 3
42
2017
(c) Pollution assay in aquatic ecosystems
43
2017
(c) 1 and 3 only
44
2017
(b) 2 and 3 only
45
2017
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
46
2017
(d) 1, 2 and 3
47
2017
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
48
2017
(b) 1 and 3 only
49
2017
(a) Observation and understanding of the Universe
50
2017
(b) To detect gravitational waves
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on all subjects?
This page covers 97 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on the UPSC 2017 Prelims, asked between 1995 to 2024. 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 2017 Prelims are available for 30 years, from 1995 to 2024. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
