UPSC Prelims 2010 Previous Year Questions with Answers and Explanations

148 questions from the UPSC Prelims 2010 General Studies Paper I, each with the correct answer, a full explanation, why every option is right or wrong, and named sources. The other 2 questions of this paper are in the practice app while their explanations are checked.

Q1 · Geography: A geographic area with an altitude of 400 metres has following characteristics: Month J F M A M J J A S O N D Average maximum temp. °C 31…
Q2 · Science & Technology: If a potato is placed on a pure paper plate which is white and unprinted and put in a microwave oven, the potato heats up but the paper…
Q3 · Indian Polity: With reference to the Constitution of India, consider the following: 1. Fundamental Rights 2. Fundamental Duties 3. Directive Principles…
Q4 · Environment & Ecology: A new type of El Nino called El Nino Modoki appeared in the news. In this context, consider the following statements: 1. Normal El Nino…
Q5 · Science & Technology: Mon 863 is a variety of maize. It was in the news for the following reason
Q6 · Science & Technology: A cuboid has six sides of different colours. The red side is opposite to black. The blue side is adjacent to white. The brown side is…
Q7 · Science & Technology: Consider the following statements: The satellite Oceansat - 2 launched by India helps in 1. Estimating the water vapour content in the…
Q8 · Science & Technology: Genetically modified “golden rice” has been engineered to meet human nutritional requirements. Which one of the following statements best…
Q9 · Science & Technology: In a tournament 14 teams play league matches. If each team plays against every other team once only then how many matches are played?
Q11 · Science & Technology: Chlorination is a process used for water purification. The disinfecting action of chlorine is mainly due to
Q12 · Indian Polity: With reference to Lok Adalats, which of the following statements is correct ?
Q13 · Science & Technology: Consider the following : 1. Bluetooth device 2. Cordless phone 3. Microwave oven 4. Wi - Fi device Which of the above can operate between…
Q14 · Geography: Though coffee and tea both are cultivated on hill slopes, there is some difference between them regarding their cultivation. In this…
Q15 · Indian Economy: In the context of the affairs of which of the following is the phrase “Special Safeguard Mechanisms” mentioned in the news frequently ?
Q16 · Indian Economy: Which of the following terms indicates a mechanism used by commercial banks for providing credit to the government ?
Q17 · Indian Economy: In order to comply with TRIPS Agreement, India enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999. The…
Q18 · Indian Economy: The SEZ Act, 2005 which came into effect in February 2006 has certain objectives. In this context, consider the following : 1. Development…
Q19 · Indian Economy: Which one of the following statements is an appropriate description of deflation ?
Q20 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following statements : 1. Biodiversity hotspots are located only in tropical regions. 2. India has four biodiversity hotspots…
Q21 · Science & Technology: Widespread resistance of malarial parasite to drugs like chloroquine has prompted attempts to develop a malarial vaccine to combat…
Q22 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following statements: 1. The boundaries of a National Park are defined by legislation. 2. A Biosphere Reserve is declared to…
Q23 · Environment & Ecology: A pesticide which is a chlorinated hydrocarbon is sprayed on a food crop. The food chain is: Food crop - Rat - Snake - Hawk. In this food…
Q24 · Geography: With reference to soil conservation, consider the following practices: 1. Crop rotation 2. Sand fences 3. Terracing 4. Wind breaks Which…
Q25 · Indian Economy: With reference to the Non - banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in India, consider the following statements: 1. They cannot engage in the…
Q26 · Indian Economy: Which one of the following was NOT stipulated in the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003?
Q27 · Science & Technology: Two trains leave New Delhi at the same time. One travels north at 60 kmph and the other travels south at 40 kmph. After how many hours…
Q28 · Science & Technology: A question paper had ten questions. Each question could only be answered as True (T) or False (F). Each candidate answered all the…
Q29 · Indian Economy: In the parlance of financial investments, the term ‘bear’ denotes
Q30 · Indian Economy: A great deal of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to India comes from Mauritius than from many major and mature economies like UK and…
Q31 · Science & Technology: Six books A, B, C, D, E and F are placed side by side. B, C and E have blue cover and the other books have red cover. Only D and F are new…
Q32 · Geography: Following are the characteristics of an area in India: 1. Hot and humid climate 2. Annual rainfall 200 cm 3. Hill slopes up to an altitude…
Q33 · Science & Technology: Running at a speed of 60 km per hour, a train passed through a 1.5 km long tunnel in two minutes. What is the length of the train?
Q34 · Science & Technology: India - based Neutrino Observatory is included by the Planning Commission as a mega science project under the 11th Five - Year Plan. In…
Q35 · Indian Polity: The “Instrument of Instructions” contained in the Government of India Act 1935 have been incorporated in the Constitution of India in the…
Q36 · Science & Technology: Hydrogen fuel - cell vehicles produce one of the following as “exhaust”.
Q37 · Science & Technology: Recently, LASIK (Laser Assisted In - Situ Keratomileusis) procedure is being made popular for vision correction. Which one of the…
Q38 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following: 1. Oxides of Hydrogen 2. Oxides of Nitrogen 3. Oxides of Sulphur Which of the above causes/cause acid rain?
Q39 · Science & Technology: Six persons M, N, O, P, Q and R are sitting in two rows, three in each. Q is not at the end of any row. P is second to the left of R. O is…
Q40 · Science & Technology: A person X has four notes of Rupee 1, 2, 5 and 10 denomination. The number of different sums of money she can form from them is
Q41 · Indian Economy: Consider the following countries: 1. Brazil 2. Mexico 3. South Africa According to UNCTAD, which of the above is/are categorized as…
Q42 · Indian Economy: Which one of the following is not related to United Nations?
Q43 · Indian Economy: In the context of Indian economy, consider the following pairs: Term - Most appropriate description 1. Melt down - Fall in stock prices 2.…
Q44 · Indian Economy: With reference to BRIC countries, consider the following statements: 1. At present, China’s GDP is more than the combined GDP of all the…
Q45 · Indian Economy: Which of the following is/are treated as artificial currency?
Q46 · Current Affairs: Stiglitz Commission established by the President of the United Nations General Assembly was in the international news. The commission was…
Q47 · Geography: With reference to the mineral resources of India, consider the following pairs: Mineral - 90% Natural sources in 1. Copper - Jharkhand 2.…
Q48 · Indian Economy: As regards the use of international food safety standards as reference point for the dispute settlements, which one of the following does…
Q50 · Indian Economy: In India, the interest rate on savings accounts in all the nationalized commercial banks is fixed by
Q51 · Modern History: With reference to Simon Commission’s recommendations, which one of the following statements is correct?
Q52 · Modern History: Four resolutions were passed at the famous Calcutta session of Indian National Congress in 1906. The question of either retention OR of…
Q53 · Science & Technology: Two numbers X and Y are respectively 20% and 28% less than a third number Z. By what percentage is the number Y less than the number X?
Q54 · Modern History: After Quit India Movement, C. Rajagopalachari issued a pamphlet entitled "The Way Out". Which one of the following was a proposal in this…
Q55 · Art & Culture: There are only two known examples of cave paintings of the Gupta period in ancient India. One of these is paintings of Ajanta caves. Where…
Q56 · Environment & Ecology: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international treaty drawn at
Q57 · Science & Technology: Which bacterial strain, developed from natural isolates by genetic manipulations, can be used for treating oil spills ?
Q58 · Science & Technology: Which feature of some species of blue - green algae helps promote them as bio - fertilizers ?
Q59 · Environment & Ecology: India is a party to the Ramsar Convention and has declared many areas as Ramsar Sites. Which of the following statements best describes…
Q60 · Environment & Ecology: Other than Jatropha curcas, why is Pongamia pinnata also considered a good option for the production of bio - diesel in India? 1. Pongamia…
Q61 · Environment & Ecology: Due to their extensive rice cultivation, some regions may be contributing to global warming. To what possible reason/reasons is this…
Q62 · Environment & Ecology: Sustainable development is described as the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future…
Q63 · Environment & Ecology: Given below are the names of four energy crops. Which one of them can be cultivated for ethanol ?
Q64 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following pairs: Protected area - Well - known for 1. Bhitarkanika, Orissa - Salt Water Crocodile 2. Desert National Park,…
Q65 · Environment & Ecology: Some species of plants are insectivorous. Why ?
Q66 · Science & Technology: A person travelled a distance of 50 km in 8 hours. He covered a part of the distance on foot at the rate of 4 km per hour and a part on a…
Q67 · Indian Economy: In the context of governance, consider the following : 1. Encouraging Foreign Direct Investment inflows 2. Privatization of higher…
Q68 · Geography: As per the UN - Habitat's Global Report on Human Settlements 2009, which one among the following regions has shown the fastest growth rate…
Q69 · Environment & Ecology: In India, which type of forest among the following occupies the largest area?
Q70 · Indian Economy: Inclusive growth as enunciated in the Eleventh Five Year Plan does NOT include one of the following:
Q71 · Science & Technology: How many numbers from 0 to 999 are NOT divisible by either 5 or 7?
Q72 · Geography: Tamil Nadu is a leading producer of mill - made cotton yarn in the country. What could be the reason? 1. Black cotton soil is the…
Q73 · Geography: Consider the following statements: 1. On the planet Earth, the fresh water available for use amounts to about less than 1% of the total…
Q74 · Environment & Ecology: Which one of the following reflects back more sunlight as compared to the other three?
Q75 · Geography: Rivers that pass through Himachal Pradesh are
Q76 · Indian Polity: Who of the following shall cause every recommendation made by the Finance Commission to be laid before each House of Parliament?
Q77 · Indian Economy: Which one of the following is responsible for the preparation and presentation of Union Budget to the Parliament?
Q78 · Science & Technology: In a group of five persons A, B, C, D and E, there is a professor, a doctor and a lawyer. A and D are unmarried ladies, and do not work.…
Q79 · Indian Economy: Consider the following actions by the Government: 1. Cutting the tax rates 2. Increasing the government spending 3. Abolishing the…
Q80 · Science & Technology: Half of the villagers of a certain village have their own houses. One - fifth of the villagers cultivate paddy. One - third of the…
Q81 · Indian Economy: When the Reserve Bank of India announces an increase of the Cash Reserve Ratio, what does it mean?
Q82 · Modern History: Who among the following Governor Generals created the Covenanted Civil Service of India which later came to be known as the Indian Civil…
Q83 · Modern History: What was the immediate cause for the launch of the Swadeshi movement?
Q84 · Modern History: Consider the following statements: 1. Dr. Rajendra Prasad persuaded Mahatma Gandhi to come to Champaran to investigate the problem of…
Q85 · Modern History: By a regulation in 1793, the District Collector was deprived of his judicial powers and made the collecting agent only. What was the…
Q86 · Indian Economy: With reference to India, consider the following statements: 1. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) in India is available on a monthly basis…
Q87 · Science & Technology: Each person's performance compared with all other persons is to be done to rank them subjectively. How many comparisons are needed in…
Q88 · Science & Technology: What is the principle by which a cooling system (Radiator) in a motor car works?
Q89 · Science & Technology: Which among the following do/does not belong/belongs to the GSM family of wireless technologies?
Q90 · Science & Technology: With reference to the treatment of cancerous tumours, a tool called cyberknife has been making the news. In this context, which one of the…
Q91 · Geography: When you travel in certain parts of India, you will notice red soil. What is the main reason for this colour?
Q92 · Geography: Which one of the following is the appropriate reason for considering the Gondwana rocks as most important of rock systems of India?
Q93 · Geography: Which one of the following can one come across if one travels through the Strait of Malacca?
Q94 · Geography: With reference to the river Luni, which one of the following statements is correct?
Q95 · Geography: Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched? Dam/Lake - River
Q96 · Geography: A geographic region has the following distinct characteristics: 1. Warm and dry climate 2. Mild and wet winter 3. Evergreen oak trees The…
Q97 · Indian Polity: With reference to the National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, 2007, consider the following statements: 1. This policy is…
Q98 · Indian Economy: In the context of India’s Five Year Plans, a shift in the pattern of industrialization, with lower emphasis on heavy industries and more…
Q99 · Indian Polity: Two of the schemes launched by the Government of India for Women’s development are Swadhar and Swayam Siddha. As regards the difference…
Q100 · Current Affairs: With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, consider the following: 1. The Right to Development 2. The…
Q101 · Science & Technology: Three men start together to travel the same way around a circular track of 11 km. Their speeds are 4, 5.5 and 8 kmph respectively. When…
Q102 · Indian Polity: With reference to the Consumer Disputes Redressal at district level in India, which one of the following statements is not correct?
Q103 · Environment & Ecology: King Cobra is the only snake that makes its own nest. Why does it make its nest?
Q104 · Environment & Ecology: As a result of their annual survey, the National Geographic Society and an international polling firm GlobeScan gave India top rank in…
Q105 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following statements: 1. The Taxus tree naturally found in the Himalayas. 2. The Taxus tree is listed in the Red Data Book.…
Q106 · Science & Technology: P, Q, R and S are four men. P is the oldest but not the poorest. R is the richest but not the oldest. Q is older than S but not than P or…
Q107 · Geography: What causes wind to deflect toward left in the Southern hemisphere?
Q108 · Science & Technology: Indiscriminate disposal of used fluorescent electric lamps causes mercury pollution in the environment. Why is mercury used in the…
Q109 · Geography: If there were no Himalayan ranges, what would have been the most likely geographical impact on India? 1. Much of the country would…
Q110 · Science & Technology: In the context of space technology, what is “Bhuvan”, recently in the news?
Q111 · Geography: The latitudes that pass through Sikkim also pass through
Q112 · Science & Technology: A man fills a basket with eggs in such a way that the number of eggs added on each successive day is the same as the number already…
Q113 · Science & Technology: The diameters of two circular coins are in the ratio of 1 : 3. The smaller coin is made to roll around the bigger coin till it returns to…
Q114 · Science & Technology: The difference between the simple interest received from two banks on Rs. 500 for two years is Rs. 2·50. What is the difference between…
Q115 · Science & Technology: When ten persons shake hands with one another, in how many ways is it possible?
Q116 · Science & Technology: A candidate attempted 12 questions and secured full marks in all of them. If he obtained 60% marks in the test and all questions carried…
Q117 · Science & Technology: In how many ways can four children be made to stand in a line such that two of them, A and B, are always together?
Q118 · Science & Technology: In a meeting, the map of a village was placed in such a manner that south - east becomes north, north - east becomes west and so on. What…
Q119 · Modern History: Consider the following statements: 1. The “Bombay Manifesto” signed in 1936 openly opposed the preaching of socialist ideals. 2. It evoked…
Q120 · Art & Culture: Among the following, who was not a proponent of bhakti cult ?
Q121 · Modern History: For the Karachi session of Indian National Congress in 1931 presided over by Sardar Patel, who drafted the Resolution on Fundamental…
Q122 · Modern History: Who among the following were official Congress negotiators with Cripps Mission ?
Q123 · Science & Technology: Which one of the following processes in the bodies of living organisms is a digestive process ?
Q124 · Science & Technology: From the point of view of evolution of living organisms, which one of the following is the correct sequence of evolution ?
Q125 · Science & Technology: Consider the following statements: 1. Hepatitis B is several times more infectious than HIV/AIDS 2. Hepatitis B can cause liver cancer…
Q126 · Science & Technology: Excessive release of the pollutant carbon monoxide (CO) into the air may produce a condition in which oxygen supply in the human body…
Q127 · Science & Technology: Consider the following statements: 1. Every individual in the population is equally susceptible host for Swine Flu. 2. Antibiotics have no…
Q128 · Science & Technology: With regard to the transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which one of the following statements is not correct ?
Q129 · Environment & Ecology: What are the possible limitations of India in mitigating the global warming at present and in the immediate future ? 1. Appropriate…
Q130 · Current Affairs: Consider the following statements: 1. The Commonwealth has no charter, treaty or constitution. 2. All the territories/countries once under…
Q131 · Science & Technology: Examine the following statements : 1. All colours are pleasant. 2. Some colours are pleasant. 3. No colour is pleasant. 4. Some colours…
Q132 · Current Affairs: In the context of bilateral trade negotiations between India and European Union, what is the difference between European Commission and…
Q133 · Geography: The approximate representation of land - use classification in India is
Q134 · Indian Economy: With reference to the National Investment Fund to which the disinvestment proceeds are routed, consider the following statements : 1. The…
Q135 · Indian Economy: In India, which of the following is regulated by the Forward Markets Commission ?
Q136 · Indian Economy: Which one of the following is not a feature of Limited Liability Partnership firm ?
Q137 · Indian Economy: With reference to the institution of Banking Ombudsman in India, which one of the statements is not correct ?
Q138 · Indian Economy: With reference to India, consider the following : 1. Nationalization of Banks 2. Formation of Regional Rural Banks 3. Adoption of villages…
Q139 · Modern History: What was the immediate reason for Ahmad Shah Abdali to invade India and fight the Third Battle of Panipat ?
Q140 · Modern History: With reference to Pondicherry (now Puducherry), consider the following statements : 1. The first European power to occupy Pondicherry were…
Q141 · Ancient History: Why did Buddhism start declining in India in the early medieval times ? 1. Buddha was by that time considered as one of the incarnations…
Q142 · Indian Economy: Consider the following statements : The functions of commercial banks in India include 1. Purchase and sale of shares and securities on…
Q143 · Indian Economy: In India, the tax proceeds of which one of the following as a percentage of gross tax revenue has significantly declined in the last five…
Q144 · Indian Polity: Which one of the following authorities makes recommendation to the Governor of a State as to the principles for determining the taxes and…
Q145 · Indian Economy: Consider the following statements : In India, taxes on transactions in Stock Exchanges and Futures Markets are 1. Levied by the Union 2.…
Q146 · Indian Economy: In India, during the last decade the total cultivated land for which one of the following crops has remained more or less stagnant ?
Q147 · Indian Economy: Consider the following statements : 1. The Union Government fixes the Statutory Minimum Price of sugarcane for each sugar season. 2. Sugar…
Q148 · Indian Economy: With reference to Indian economy, consider the following statements : 1. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased by four times in…
Q149 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following which can be found in the ambient atmosphere : 1. Soot 2. Sulphur hexafluoride 3. Water vapour Which of the above…
Q150 · Indian Economy: The International Development Association, a lending agency, is administered by the

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