UPSC Prelims 2013 Previous Year Questions with Answers and Explanations

100 questions from the UPSC Prelims 2013 General Studies Paper I, each with the correct answer, a full explanation, why every option is right or wrong, and named sources.

Q1 · Indian Polity: What will follow if a Money Bill is substantially amended by the Rajya Sabha?
Q2 · Indian Polity: Which one of the following statements is correct?
Q3 · Geography: Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched? Geographical Feature : Region
Q4 · Art & Culture: With reference to the history of Indian rock - cut architecture, consider the following statements: 1. The caves at Badami are the oldest…
Q5 · Science & Technology: Recombinant DNA technology (Genetic Engineering) allows genes to be transferred 1. Across different species of plants 2. From animals to…
Q6 · Ancient History: The Chinese traveller Yuan Chwang (Hiuen Tsang) who visited India recorded the general conditions and culture of India at that time. In…
Q7 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following: 1. Star tortoise 2. Monitor lizard 3. Pygmy hog 4. Spider monkey Which of the above are naturally found in India?
Q8 · Environment & Ecology: Which of the following can be found as pollutants in the drinking water in some parts of India? 1. Arsenic 2. Sorbitol 3. Fluoride 4.…
Q9 · Modern History: With reference to Indian History, the Members of the Constituent Assembly from the Provinces were
Q10 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following animals: 1. Sea cow 2. Sea horse 3. Sea lion Which of the above is/are mammal/mammals?
Q11 · Indian Polity: Consider the following statements: 1. An amendment to the Constitution of India can be initiated by an introduction of a Bill in the Lok…
Q12 · Indian Polity: Consider the following statements. The Attorney - General of India can: 1. Take part in the proceedings of the Lok Sabha 2. Be a member of…
Q13 · Indian Economy: With reference to the usefulness of the by - products of the sugar industry, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Bagasse…
Q14 · Geography: Variations in the length of daytime and night - time from season to season are due to
Q15 · Geography: The Narmada river flows to the west, while most other large peninsular rivers flow to the east. Why? 1. It occupies a linear rift valley.…
Q16 · Geography: On the planet Earth, most of the freshwater exists as ice caps and glaciers. Out of the remaining freshwater, the largest proportion
Q17 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following pairs: 1. Nokrek Biosphere Reserve : Garo Hills 2. Loktak Lake : Barail Range 3. Namdapha National Park : Dafla…
Q18 · Geography: Consider the following: 1. Electromagnetic radiation 2. Geothermal energy 3. Gravitational force 4. Plate movements 5. Rotation of the…
Q19 · Indian Polity: Which of the following bodies does not/do not find mention in the Constitution? 1. National Development Council 2. Planning Commission 3.…
Q20 · Modern History: The demand for the Tebhaga Peasant Movement in Bengal was for
Q21 · Indian Polity: The Parliament can make any law for whole or any part of India for implementing international treaties
Q22 · Environment & Ecology: In the grasslands, trees do not replace the grasses as a part of an ecological succession because of
Q23 · Environment & Ecology: Which one of the following is the correct sequence of ecosystems in the order of decreasing productivity?
Q24 · Geography: Contour bunding is a method of soil conservation used in
Q25 · Indian Polity: The Government enacted the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act in 1996. Which one of the following is NOT identified as its…
Q26 · Indian Polity: Under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, who shall be the authority to…
Q27 · Science & Technology: Improper handling and storage of cereal grains and oilseeds result in the production of toxins known as aflatoxins which are not generally…
Q28 · Indian Polity: 'Economic Justice' as one of the objectives of the Indian Constitution has been provided in
Q29 · Environment & Ecology: Due to improper/indiscriminate disposal of old and used computers or their parts, which of the following are released into the environment…
Q30 · Environment & Ecology: Acid rain is caused by the pollution of environment by
Q31 · Environment & Ecology: With reference to food chains in ecosystems, consider the following statements: 1. A food chain illustrates the order in which a chain of…
Q32 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following pairs: National Park : River flowing through the Park 1. Corbett National Park : Ganga 2. Kaziranga National Park :…
Q33 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following organisms: 1. Agaricus 2. Nostoc 3. Spirogyra Which of the above is/are used as biofertilizer/biofertilizers?
Q34 · Environment & Ecology: Which of the following adds/add nitrogen to the soil? 1. Excretion of urea by animals 2. Burning of coal by man 3. Death of vegetation…
Q35 · Environment & Ecology: In which of the following States is lion - tailed macaque found in its natural habitat? 1. Tamil Nadu 2. Kerala 3. Karnataka 4. Andhra…
Q36 · Art & Culture: Some Buddhist rock - cut caves are called Chaityas, while the others are called Viharas. What is the difference between the two?
Q37 · Art & Culture: Which one of the following describes best the concept of Nirvana in Buddhism?
Q38 · Indian Polity: According to the Constitution of India, which of the following are fundamental for the governance of the country?
Q39 · Modern History: The people of India agitated against the arrival of Simon Commission because
Q40 · Modern History: Quit India Movement was launched in response to
Q41 · Indian Economy: The balance of payments of a country is a systematic record of
Q42 · Indian Economy: The Reserve Bank of India regulates the commercial banks in matters of 1. Liquidity of assets 2. Branch expansion 3. Merger of banks 4.…
Q43 · Indian Economy: An increase in the Bank Rate generally indicates that the
Q44 · Indian Economy: In India, deficit financing is used for raising resources for
Q45 · Ancient History: Which of the following characterizes/characterize the people of Indus Civilization? 1. They possessed great palaces and temples. 2. They…
Q46 · Science & Technology: Which of the following diseases can be transmitted from one person to another through tattooing? 1. Chikungunya 2. Hepatitis B 3. HIV -…
Q47 · Art & Culture: Which of the following statements is/are applicable to Jain doctrine? 1. The surest way of annihilating Karma is to practice penance. 2.…
Q48 · Environment & Ecology: Which one of the following terms describes not only the physical space occupied by an organism, but also its functional role in the…
Q49 · Environment & Ecology: Photochemical smog is a resultant of the reaction among
Q50 · Science & Technology: Consider the following minerals: 1. Calcium 2. Iron 3. Sodium Which of the minerals given above is/are required by human body for the…
Q51 · Indian Polity: Consider the following statements : The Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts 1. Consists of not more than 25 Members of the Lok…
Q52 · Medieval History: Consider the following Bhakti Saints : 1. Dadu Dayal 2. Guru Nanak 3. Tyagaraja Who among the above was/were preaching when the Lodi…
Q53 · Environment & Ecology: With reference to the food chains in ecosystems, which of the following kinds of organism is/are known as decomposer organism/organisms?…
Q54 · Geography: The most important fishing grounds of the world are found in the regions where
Q55 · Environment & Ecology: Which of the following is/are unique characteristic/characteristics of equatorial forests? 1. Presence of tall, closely set trees with…
Q56 · Indian Economy: Which of the following constitute Capital Account? 1. Foreign Loans 2. Foreign Direct Investment 3. Private Remittances 4. Portfolio…
Q57 · Art & Culture: Consider the following historical places : 1. Ajanta Caves 2. Lepakshi Temple 3. Sanchi Stupa Which of the above places is/are also known…
Q58 · Art & Culture: With reference to the history of philosophical thought in India, consider the following statements regarding Sankhya school : 1. Sankhya…
Q59 · Indian Polity: In the context of India, which of the following principles is/are implied institutionally in the parliamentary government? 1. Members of…
Q60 · Geography: The annual range of temperature in the interior of the continents is high as compared to coastal areas. What is/are the reason/reasons? 1.…
Q61 · Geography: Which of the following is/are the characteristic/characteristics of Indian coal? 1. High ash content 2. Low sulphur content 3. Low ash…
Q62 · Geography: Which of the following statements regarding laterite soils of India are correct? 1. They are generally red in colour. 2. They are rich in…
Q63 · Geography: Consider the following statements : 1. Natural gas occurs in the Gondwana beds. 2. Mica occurs in abundance in Kodarma. 3. Dharwars are…
Q64 · Geography: Consider the following crops : 1. Cotton 2. Groundnut 3. Rice 4. Wheat Which of these are Kharif crops?
Q65 · Geography: “Climate is extreme, rainfall is scanty and the people used to be nomadic herders.” The above statement best describes which of the…
Q66 · Indian Economy: Consider the following statements : 1. Inflation benefits the debtors. 2. Inflation benefits the bond - holders. Which of the statements…
Q67 · Indian Economy: Disguised unemployment generally means
Q68 · Indian Polity: Consider the following statements : 1. The Council of Ministers in the Centre shall be collectively responsible to the Parliament. 2. The…
Q69 · Indian Polity: Consider the following statements: 1. National Development Council is an organ of the Planning Commission. 2. The Economic and Social…
Q70 · Indian Polity: Consider the following statements: 1. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha are not the members of that House. 2. While…
Q71 · Indian Polity: With reference to National Legal Services Authority, consider the following statements: 1. Its objective is to provide free and competent…
Q72 · Geography: During a thunderstorm, the thunder in the skies is produced by the 1. Meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky 2. Lightning that…
Q73 · Art & Culture: Consider the following pairs: Tribe State 1. Limboo (Limbu) : Sikkim 2. Karbi : Himachal Pradesh 3. Dongaria Kondh : Odisha 4. Bonda :…
Q74 · Indian Economy: Consider the following liquid assets: 1. Demand deposits with the banks 2. Time deposits with the banks 3. Savings deposits with the banks…
Q75 · Indian Economy: In the context of Indian economy, ‘Open Market Operations’ refers to
Q76 · Indian Economy: Priority Sector Lending by banks in India constitutes the lending to
Q77 · Geography: Which one among the following industries is the maximum consumer of water in India?
Q78 · Indian Economy: To obtain full benefits of demographic dividend, what should India do?
Q79 · Art & Culture: In the context of cultural history of India, a pose in dance and dramatics called ‘Tribhanga’ has been a favourite of Indian artists from…
Q80 · Modern History: Annie Besant was 1. Responsible for starting the Home Rule Movement 2. The founder of the Theosophical Society 3. Once the President of…
Q81 · Modern History: The Ilbert Bill controversy was related to the
Q82 · Indian Economy: A rise in general level of prices may be caused by 1. An increase in the money supply 2. A decrease in the aggregate level of output 3. An…
Q83 · Indian Economy: Which one of the following groups of items is included in India’s foreign - exchange reserves?
Q84 · Indian Economy: Which one of the following is likely to be the most inflationary in its effect?
Q85 · Indian Economy: Supply of money remaining the same when there is an increase in demand for money, there will be
Q86 · Science & Technology: Fruits stored in a cold chamber exhibit longer storage life because
Q87 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following fauna of India: 1. Gharial 2. Leatherback turtle 3. Swamp deer Which of the above is/are endangered?
Q88 · Science & Technology: Ball bearings are used in bicycles, cars, etc., because
Q89 · Science & Technology: Consider the following phenomena: 1. Size of the sun at dusk 2. Colour of the sun at dawn 3. Moon being visible at dawn 4. Twinkle of…
Q90 · Science & Technology: Rainbow is produced when sunlight falls on drops of rain. Which of the following physical phenomena are responsible for this? 1.…
Q91 · Science & Technology: Many transplanted seedlings do not grow because
Q92 · Indian Economy: Economic growth in country X will necessarily have to occur if
Q93 · Science & Technology: Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Viruses lack enzymes necessary for the generation of energy. 2. Viruses can be…
Q94 · Environment & Ecology: Which of the following leaf modifications occurs/occur in desert areas to inhibit water loss? 1. Hard and waxy leaves 2. Tiny leaves or no…
Q95 · Science & Technology: The known forces of nature can be divided into four classes, viz., gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force.…
Q96 · Science & Technology: The efforts to detect the existence of Higgs boson particle have become frequent news in the recent past. What is/are the importance/…
Q97 · Environment & Ecology: Mycorrhizal biotechnology has been used in rehabilitating degraded sites because mycorrhiza enables the plants to 1. Resist drought and…
Q98 · Indian Polity: Who among the following constitute the National Development Council? 1. The Prime Minister 2. The Chairman, Finance Commission 3.…
Q99 · Indian Economy: The national income of a country for a given period is equal to the
Q100 · Indian Economy: Which of the following grants/grant direct credit assistance to rural households? 1. Regional Rural Banks 2. National Bank for Agriculture…

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