UPSC Civil Services Prelims — 2014

What was/were the object/objects of Queen Victoria’s Proclamation (1858)? 1. To disclaim any intention to annex the Indian States 2. To place the Indian administration under the British Crown 3. To regulate East India Company’s trade with India Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The Partition of Bengal made by Lord Curzon in 1905 lasted until:

The Ghadr (Ghadar) was a:

The 1929 Session of Indian National Congress is of significance in the history of the Freedom Movement because the:

The Radcliffe Committee was appointed to:

Which one of the following is considered a non-debt creating capital flow for India?

Which of the following are included in the current account of India’s Balance of Payments? 1. Merchandise trade 2. Services 3. Income receipts and payments 4. Capital transfers Select the correct answer using the code given below:

What does the term ‘base effect’ in inflation refer to?

Which one of the following is the most appropriate description of ‘Call Money’?

Which among the following are likely to be directly affected by a depreciation of the rupee? 1. Import bill 2. External debt servicing in foreign currency 3. Export competitiveness Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Which one of the following best describes ‘stagflation’?

Which of the following activities belong to the real sector of the economy? 1. Farmers harvesting crops 2. Textile mills converting cotton into fabric 3. A bank lending money to a business firm 4. A company issuing bonds in the market Select the correct answer using the code given below:

If the Reserve Bank of India adopts an expansionary monetary policy, which one of the following is it most likely to do?

Which part of the Constitution of India reflects the mind and ideals of its makers?

Which one of the following is the correct sequence of constitutional development in India? 1. Regulating Act 2. Pitt’s India Act 3. Charter Act of 1833 4. Government of India Act 1858 Select the correct answer using the code given below:

The distribution of powers between the Union and the States in the Constitution of India is based on the scheme provided in the

The Parliament can make any law for whole or any part of India for implementing international treaties

Which of the following can be said to be the reason(s) for providing the Right to Constitutional Remedies in the Constitution of India? 1. It serves as a check against the tyranny of the executive. 2. It safeguards the fundamental rights of the citizens. 3. It enables the Supreme Court and High Courts to issue writs for the enforcement of the fundamental rights. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Which one of the following statements about the President of India is correct?

Under the Constitution of India, which one of the following is not a Fundamental Right?

Which one of the following statements best reflects the principle of collective responsibility in the Indian parliamentary system?

The seasonal reversal of winds is the typical characteristic of

Which of the following phenomena might have influenced the evolution of organisms? 1. Continental drift 2. Glacial cycles Select the correct answer using the code given below.

In India, the problem of soil erosion is associated with which of the following? 1. Terrace cultivation 2. Deforestation 3. Tropical climate Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Consider the following pairs: Region — Well-known for the production of 1. Kinnaur — Areca nut 2. Mewat — Mango 3. Coromandel — Soya bean Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

Consider the following towns of India: 1. Bhadrachalam 2. Chanderi 3. Kancheepuram 4. Karnal Which of the above are famous for the production of traditional sarees/fabric?

If you travel through the Himalayas, you are likely to see which of the following plants are naturally growing there? 1. Oak 2. Rhododendron 3. Sandalwood Select the correct answer using the code given below.

With reference to ‘Changpa’ community of India, consider the following statements: 1. They live mainly in the State of Uttarakhand. 2. They rear the Pashmina goats that yield fine wool. 3. They are kept in the category of Scheduled tribes. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which of the following have coral reefs? 1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands 2. Gulf of Kachchh 3. Gulf of Mannar 4. Sunderbans Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Consider the following pairs: National Highway — Cities Connected 1. NH4 — Chennai and Hyderabad 2. NH6 — Mumbai and Kolkata 3. NH15 — Ahmedabad and Jodhpur Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated from each other by the ‘Ten Degree Channel’?

Consider the following rivers: 1. Barak 2. Lohit 3. Subansiri Which of the above flows/flow through Arunachal Pradesh?

Consider the following pairs: Hills — Region 1. Cardamom Hills — Coromandel Coast 2. Kaimur Hills — Konkan Coast 3. Mahadeo Hills — Central India 4. Mikir Hills — North-East India Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Turkey is located between:

What is the correct sequence of occurrences of the following cities in South-East Asia as one proceeds from south to north? 1. Bangkok 2. Hanoi 3. Jakarta 4. Singapore

Which of the following are some important pollutants released by steel industry in India? 1. Oxides of sulphur 2. Oxides of nitrogen 3. Carbon monoxide 4. Carbon dioxide

There is some concern regarding the nanoparticles of some chemical elements that are used by the industry in the manufacture of various products. Why? 1. They can accumulate in the environment and contaminate water and soil. 2. They can enter the food chains. 3. They can trigger the production of free radicals.

Brominated flame retardants are used in many household products like mattresses and upholstery. Why is there some concern about their use? 1. They are highly resistant to degradation in the environment. 2. They are able to accumulate in humans and animals.

The scientific view is that the increase in global temperature should not exceed 2°C above the pre-industrial level. If the global temperature increases beyond 3°C above the pre-industrial level, what can be its possible impact/impacts on the world? 1. Terrestrial biosphere tends toward a net carbon source. 2. Widespread coral mortality will occur. 3. All the global wetlands will permanently disappear. 4. Cultivation of cereals will not be possible anywhere in the world.

What are the significances of a practical approach to sugarcane production known as ‘Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative’? 1. Seed cost is very low in this compared to the conventional method of cultivation. 2. Drip irrigation can be practised very effectively in this. 3. There is no application of chemical/inorganic fertilizers at all in this. 4. The scope for intercropping is more in this compared to the conventional method of cultivation.

Consider the following international agreements: 1. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. 2. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 3. The World Heritage Convention. Which of the above has/have a bearing on biodiversity?

Consider the following statements regarding ‘Earth Hour’: 1. It is an initiative of UNEP and UNESCO. 2. It is a movement in which the participants switch off the lights for one hour on a certain day every year. 3. It is a movement to raise awareness about climate change and the need to save the planet. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

If a wetland of international importance is brought under the ‘Montreux Record’, what does it imply?

With reference to a conservation organisation called ‘Wetlands International’, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. It is an intergovernmental organisation formed by the countries which are signatories to the Ramsar Convention. 2. It works at the field level to develop and mobilise knowledge, and use the practical experience to advocate for better policies.

Consider the following pairs: 1. Harike Wetlands : Confluence of Beas and Sutlej 2. Keoladeo Ghana National Park : Confluence of Banas and Chambal 3. Kolleru Lake : Confluence of Musi and Krishna Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

With reference to ‘Global Environment Facility’, which of the following statements is/are correct?

Consider the following statements: 1. Animal Welfare Board of India was established under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. 2. The National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body. 3. The National Ganga River Basin Authority is chaired by the Prime Minister. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), consider the following statements: 1. It is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Environment and Forests. 2. It strives to conserve nature through action-based research, education and public awareness. 3. It organises and conducts nature trails and camps for the general public. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to ‘Eco-Sensitive Zones’, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Eco-Sensitive Zones are the areas that are declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. 2. The purpose of the declaration of Eco-Sensitive Zones is to prohibit all kinds of human activities in those zones except agriculture.

The most important strategy for the conservation of biodiversity together with traditional human life is the establishment of:

With reference to Neem tree, consider the following statements: 1. Neem oil can be used as a pesticide to control the proliferation of some species of insects and mites. 2. Neem seeds are used in the manufacture of biofuels and hospital detergents. 3. Neem oil has applications in the pharmaceutical industry. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Other than poaching, what are the possible reasons for the decline in the population of Ganges River Dolphins? 1. Construction of dams and barrages on rivers 2. An increase in the population of crocodiles in rivers 3. Getting trapped in fishing nets accidentally 4. Use of synthetic fertilisers and other agricultural chemicals in crop-fields in the vicinity of rivers.

If you walk through countryside, you are likely to see some birds stalking alongside the cattle to seize the insects disturbed by their movement through grasses. Which one of the following is/are such bird/birds? 1. Painted Stork 2. Common Myna 3. Black-necked Crane