UPSC 2017 Prelims Questions with Answers

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Factory Act of 1881, passed during Lord Ripon’s tenure, aimed to improve working conditions in factories using mechanical power and employing at least 100 workers. It prohibited the employment of children under 7, limited children aged 7-12 to 9-hour workdays, and required dangerous machinery to be properly fenced. However, it did not address the formation of trade unions.

Statement 2 is correct: Narayan Meghaji Lokhande (1848-1897) is regarded as the father of the trade union movement in India. He worked to improve the conditions of textile mill workers and took courageous stands on caste and communal issues. He played a key role in reducing daily working hours from 16 to 10 hours in mills.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Teesta River originates from the Tso Lhamo Lake in North Sikkim, near the Khangse Glacier. The Brahmaputra River originates from the Angsi Glacier in Tibet. Thus, their sources are not the same. The Teesta River flows through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh.

Statement 2 is correct: River Rangeet originates from the Himalayas in West Sikkim and is the largest tributary of Teesta River. It joins the Teesta at Melli near the border of Sikkim and West Bengal.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Teesta River does not flow directly into the Bay of Bengal. It joins the Brahmaputra River (called Jamuna in Bangladesh) before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. The Teesta meets the Jamuna near Fulchhari in Bangladesh and then the combined flow reaches the Bay of Bengal.

Explanation

Chandipur, located in Balasore district, Odisha is famous for its unique vanishing sea phenomenon where the sea recedes up to 5 km during low tide and returns during high tide, occurring twice a day. This hide-and-seek of the sea comes to play twice a day and seeing the sea disappear and then return is an unforgettable experience. Thus it is also called the ‘hide-and-seek’ beach. The Bay of Bengal coast experiences semi-diur-nal tides, meaning it has two high tides and two low tides each day. Chandipur beach has a shallow gradient which amplifies the tidal effect and causes the sea to retreat significantly. The gradual slope of the sea bed allows water to move far away and return cyclically. The beach is rich in biodiversity, including horseshoe crabs and red crabs, which become visible when the water recedes. Chandipur also has the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) Integrated Research Range. In this range ballistic missiles are test-fired.

Option (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect:

Bhavnagar is located in Saurashtra, Gujarat near the Gulf of Khambhat, which has one of the highest tidal ranges in India (up to 11 meters), but the sea does not recede as dramatically as in Chandipur. Bheemunipatnam is a coastal town near Visakhapatnam. It is known for its historical Dutch settlements, but does not exhibit this tidal phenomenon. Nagapattinam is a port town on the Coromandel Coast in Tamil Nadu. It is known for fishing and trade, but does not have the dramatic sea retreat seen in Chandipur.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: While there was some increase in tax revenue from 2014 to 2018, the growth was not always steady and was subject to fluctuations, especially due to changes in the economy and tax reforms like GST in 2017. Therefore, there was an overall increase, but it wasn’t a steady rise.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Fiscal deficit as a percent of GDP of India has not steadily increased in the last decade. Fig: Tax Revenue as a percentage of GDP.

Explanation

In general terms, judicial review refers to the power and ability of High Courts and Supreme Court to review laws or judgments to ensure that they do not violate constitutional or legal provisions.

Option (a) is correct: Primarily, Article 13, 32 and 226 forms the core of judicial review, of which Article 13 and 32 forms part of Fundamental Right. Thus, the Courts are empowered to declare a statute ultra vires the constitution and to nullify an executive action as unconstitutional if they violate constitutional provisions or alter fundamental rights. These powers of judicial review are given not to make the judiciary superior, but to ensure a system of checks and balances between the legislature and the executive on one hand, and the judiciary on the other.

Explanation

Pair 1 is correctly matched: Raja Radhakanta Deb was the first President of the British Indian Association while Debendranath Tagore was its secretary. The British Indian Association was one of the earliest political organizations in India, formed by merging the Landholders’ Society and the Bengal British India Society.

Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty (1806-1868) was a merchant, social reformer, and political leader from Madras. However, he did not found the Madras Mahajan Sabha. The Madras Mahajan Sabha (1884) was founded by M. Veeraraghavachari, P. Rangaiah Naidu, G. Subramania Iyer and others.

Pair 3 is correctly matched: Surendranath Banerjee (1848-1925) was a nationalist leader and one of the early political activists in India. He founded the Indian Association in 1876 in Calcutta. The Indian Association played a crucial role in mobilizing Indians against British policies and was a precursor to the Indian National Congress.

Explanation

The main idea behind the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) or Local Self-Government is to promote grass root democracy and development. The main aim is to evolve a system of democratic decentralisation and people’s participation with a view to ensure rapid socio-economic progress and provide adequate justice. The phrase to emphasise here is "Best". Democratic decentralisation is the best description of Local self-government. Balwant Rai Mehta committee (on Community Development Program) in 1957 recommended the establishment of a scheme of Democratic decentralisation with 3-tiered structure of PRI.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy of India, adopted in 2016, serves as a comprehensive vision document to guide the future development of IPRs in the country. The policy reaffirms India’s dedication to international agreements, including the Doha Development Agenda and the TRIPS Agreement. This commitment ensures that India’s IPR framework aligns with global standards and obligations.

Statement 2 is correct: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), formerly known as the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is designated as the nodal agency for regulating intellectual property rights in India. DPIIT is responsible for overseeing the implementation and enforcement of IPR laws and policies.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: Strength of ECI is not specified in the Constitution, and it is determined by the President. Currently, there are 3 Members.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The most important function of the commission is to decide the election schedules for the conduct of periodic and timely elections, whether general or bye-elections.

Statement 3 is correct: It grants recognition to political parties & allot election symbols to them along with settling disputes related to splits/mergers of recognized political parties.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: QCI was established jointly by the Government of India and Indian industry associations-- ASSOCHAM, CII, and FICCI--to set up a national accreditation structure and drive the National Quality Campaign.

Statement 2 is correct: The Chairman of QCI is appointed by the Prime Minister, based on recommendations from the industry to the government. The Council governing QCI consists of 38 members, equally representing the government, industry, and other stakeholders. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, serves as the nodal ministry for QCI.