UPSC Prelims 2021 Previous Year Questions with Answers and Explanations
99 questions from the UPSC Prelims 2021 General Studies Paper I, each with the correct answer, a full explanation, why every option is right or wrong, and named sources. The other 1 questions of this paper are in the practice app while their explanations are checked.
- Q1 · Indian Economy: Consider the following statements : 1. The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is appointed by the Central Government. 2. Certain…
- Q2 · Indian Economy: With reference to casual workers employed in India, consider the following statements: 1. All casual workers are entitled for Employees…
- Q3 · Indian Economy: Which among the following steps is most likely to be taken at the time of an economic recession?
- Q4 · Indian Economy: Consider the following statements : Other things remaining unchanged, market demand for a good might increase if 1. Price of its…
- Q5 · Indian Economy: With reference to 'Urban Cooperative Banks' in India, consider the following statements : 1. They are supervised and regulated by local…
- Q6 · Indian Economy: Indian Government Bond Yields are influenced by which of the following? 1. Actions of the United States Federal Reserve 2. Actions of the…
- Q7 · Indian Economy: Consider the following : 1. Foreign currency convertible bonds 2. Foreign institutional investment with certain conditions 3. Global…
- Q8 · Indian Economy: Consider the following statements: The effect of devaluation of a currency is that it necessarily 1. improves the competitiveness of the…
- Q9 · Indian Economy: Which one of the following effects of creation of black money in India has been the main cause of worry to the Government of India?
- Q10 · Indian Economy: Which one of the following is likely to be the most inflationary in its effects?
- Q11 · Indian Economy: The money multiplier in an economy increases with which one of the following?
- Q12 · Indian Economy: With reference to Indian economy, demand - pull inflation can be caused/increased by which of the following? 1. Expansionary policies 2.…
- Q13 · Indian Economy: With reference to India, consider the following statements : 1. Retail investors through demat account can invest in 'Treasury Bills' and…
- Q14 · Indian Economy: With reference to ‘WaterCredit’, consider the following statements : 1. It puts microfinance tools to work in the water and sanitation…
- Q15 · Indian Economy: In India, the central bank’s function as the ‘lender of last resort’ usually refers to which of the following? 1. Lending to trade and…
- Q16 · Environment & Ecology: ‘R2 Code of Practices’ constitutes a tool available for promoting the adoption of
- Q17 · Environment & Ecology: Why is there a concern about copper smelting plants? 1. They may release lethal quantities of carbon monoxide into environment. 2. The…
- Q18 · Environment & Ecology: With reference to furnace oil, consider the following statements: 1. It is a product of oil refineries. 2. Some industries use it to…
- Q19 · Environment & Ecology: What is blue carbon?
- Q20 · Environment & Ecology: In the nature, which of the following is/are most likely to be found surviving on a surface without soil? 1. Fern 2. Lichen 3. Moss 4.…
- Q21 · Environment & Ecology: Which one of the following is used in preparing a natural mosquito repellent?
- Q22 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following kinds of organisms: 1. Copepods 2. Cyanobacteria 3. Diatoms 4. Foraminifera Which of the above are primary…
- Q23 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following animals: 1. Hedgehog 2. Marmot 3. Pangolin To reduce the chance of being captured by predators, which of the above…
- Q24 · Environment & Ecology: With reference to the ‘New York Declaration on Forests’, which of the following statements are correct? 1. It was first endorsed at the…
- Q25 · Environment & Ecology: Magnetite particles, suspected to cause neurodegenerative problems, are generated as environmental pollutants from which of the following?…
- Q26 · Environment & Ecology: Which one of the following is a filter feeder?
- Q27 · Environment & Ecology: In case of which one of the following biogeochemical cycles, the weathering of rocks is the main source of release of nutrient to enter…
- Q28 · Environment & Ecology: Which of the following are detritivores? 1. Earthworms 2. Jellyfish 3. Millipedes 4. Seahorses 5. Woodlice Select the correct answer using…
- Q29 · Environment & Ecology: The ‘Common Carbon Metric’, supported by UNEP, has been developed for
- Q30 · Science & Technology: Which of the following have species that can establish symbiotic relationship with other organisms? 1. Cnidarians 2. Fungi 3. Protozoa…
- Q31 · Art & Culture: With reference to the Chausath Yogini Temple situated near Mitaoli (Morena), consider the following statements: 1. It is a circular temple…
- Q32 · Ancient History: Which one of the following ancient towns is well - known for its elaborate system of water harvesting and management where a series of…
- Q33 · Modern History: During the first half of the 17th century, at which of the following places was/were the English East India Company factory/factories…
- Q34 · Ancient History: From the decline of Guptas until the rise of Harshavardhana in the early seventh century, which of the following kingdoms were holding…
- Q35 · Medieval History: According to Portuguese writer Nuniz, the women in Vijayanagara Empire were expert in which of the following areas? 1. Wrestling 2.…
- Q36 · Modern History: With reference to Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh, which one of the following statements is correct?
- Q37 · Ancient History: Consider the following pairs: (Historical place) : (Well - known for) 1. Burzahom : Rock - cut shrines 2. Chandraketugarh : Terracotta art…
- Q38 · Medieval History: Consider the following statements: 1. It was during the reign of Iltutmish that Chengiz Khan reached the Indus in pursuit of the fugitive…
- Q39 · Art & Culture: Consider the following statements : 1. St. Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Jesuit Order. 2. St. Francis Xavier died…
- Q40 · Ancient History: With reference to the history of ancient India, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Mitakshara was the civil law for…
- Q41 · Art & Culture: With reference to the history of ancient India, Bhavabhuti, Hastimalla and Kshemeshvara were famous
- Q42 · Modern History: Consider the following statements : 1. The Montagu - Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 recommended granting voting. rights to all the women above…
- Q43 · Modern History: With reference to 8th August, 1942 in Indian history, which one of the following statements is correct?
- Q44 · Modern History: Who among the following is associated with 'Songs from Prison', a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics in English?
- Q45 · Medieval History: With reference to medieval India, which one of the following is the correct sequence in ascending order in terms of size?
- Q46 · Modern History: Who among the following was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Female School?
- Q47 · Modern History: In the context of Colonial India, Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sehgal and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon are remembered as
- Q48 · Modern History: With reference to Indian history, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The Nizamat of Arcot emerged out of Hyderabad…
- Q49 · Art & Culture: Which one of the following statements is correct?
- Q50 · Current Affairs: Consider the following statements: 1. 21st February is declared to be the International Mother Language Day by UNICEF. 2. The demand that…
- Q51 · Environment & Ecology: How is permaculture farming different from conventional chemical farming? 1. Permaculture farming discourages monocultural practices but…
- Q52 · Environment & Ecology: With reference to ‘palm oil’, consider the following statements : 1. The palm oil tree is native to Southeast Asia. 2. The palm oil is a…
- Q53 · Geography: With reference to the Indus river system, of the following four rivers, three of them pour into one of them which joins the Indus direct.…
- Q54 · Geography: With reference to India, Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol and Khatu are the names of
- Q55 · Geography: Consider the following rivers : 1. Brahmani 2. Nagavali 3. Subarnarekha 4. Vamsadhara Which of the above rise from the Eastern Ghats?
- Q56 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following statements: 1. The Global Ocean Commission grants licences for seabed exploration and mining in international…
- Q57 · Geography: Among the following, which one is the least water - efficient crop?
- Q58 · Geography: Consider the following statements: 1. In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eastern sections owing…
- Q59 · Environment & Ecology: In the context of India’s preparation for Climate - Smart Agriculture, consider the following statements: 1. The ‘Climate - Smart Village’…
- Q60 · Environment & Ecology: "Leaf litter decomposes faster than in any other biome and as a result the soil surface is often almost bare. Apart from trees, the…
- Q61 · Environment & Ecology: The vegetation of savannah consists of grassland with scattered small trees, but extensive areas have no trees. The forest development in…
- Q62 · Geography: With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the following statements: 1. The amount of water in the rivers and lakes is more…
- Q63 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following statements: 1. Moringa (drumstick tree) is a leguminous evergreen tree. 2. Tamarind tree is endemic to South Asia.…
- Q64 · Geography: The black cotton soil of India has been formed due to the weathering of
- Q65 · Science & Technology: With reference to recent developments regarding 'Recombinant Vector Vaccines', consider the following statements: 1. Genetic engineering…
- Q66 · Science & Technology: In the context of hereditary diseases, consider the following statements: 1. Passing on mitochondrial diseases from parent to child can be…
- Q67 · Science & Technology: Bollgard I and Bollgard II technologies are mentioned in the context of
- Q68 · Science & Technology: In a pressure cooker, the temperature at which the food is cooked depends mainly upon which of the following? 1. Area of the hole in the…
- Q69 · Science & Technology: Consider the following: 1. Bacteria 2. Fungi 3. Virus Which of the above can be cultured in artificial/synthetic medium?
- Q70 · Science & Technology: Consider the following statements: 1. Adenoviruses have single - stranded DNA genomes whereas retroviruses have double - stranded DNA…
- Q71 · Science & Technology: Water can dissolve more substances than any other liquid because
- Q72 · Science & Technology: With reference to street - lighting, how do sodium lamps differ from LED lamps? 1. Sodium lamps produce light in 360 degrees but it is not…
- Q73 · Science & Technology: The term 'ACE2' is talked about in the context of
- Q74 · Environment & Ecology: Bisphenol A (BPA), a cause of concern, is a structural/key component in the manufacture of which of the following kinds of plastics?
- Q75 · Science & Technology: 'Triclosan', considered harmful when exposed to high levels for a long time, is most likely present in which of the following?
- Q76 · Science & Technology: Which one of the following is a reason why astronomical distances are measured in light - years?
- Q77 · Indian Polity: We adopted parliamentary democracy based on the British model, but how does our model differ from that model? 1. As regards legislation,…
- Q78 · Indian Polity: With reference to the Union Government, consider the following statements: 1. N. Gopalaswamy Iyengar Committee suggested that a minister…
- Q79 · Indian Polity: 'Right to Privacy' is protected under which Article of the Constitution of India?
- Q80 · Indian Polity: Consider the following statements: 1. In India, there is no law restricting the candidates from contesting in one Lok Sabha election from…
- Q81 · Current Affairs: Consider the following statements : 1. 'Right to the City' is an agreed human right and the UN - Habitat monitors the commitments made by…
- Q82 · Indian Polity: With reference to India, consider the following statements : 1. Judicial custody means an accused is in the custody of the concerned…
- Q83 · Indian Polity: With reference to India, consider the following statements : 1. When a prisoner makes out a sufficient case, parole cannot be denied to…
- Q84 · Environment & Ecology: At the national level, which ministry is the nodal agency to ensure effective implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional…
- Q85 · Indian Polity: A legislation which confers on the executive or administrative authority an unguided and uncontrolled discretionary power in the matter of…
- Q86 · Indian Polity: Which one of the following in Indian polity is an essential feature that indicates that it is federal in character?
- Q87 · Indian Polity: Which one of the following best defines the term ‘State’?
- Q88 · Indian Polity: With reference to Indian judiciary, consider the following statements: 1. Any retired judge of the Supreme Court of India can be called…
- Q89 · Indian Polity: With reference to India, consider the following statements: 1. There is only one citizenship and one domicile. 2. A citizen by birth only…
- Q90 · Indian Polity: Which one of the following factors constitutes the best safeguard of liberty in a liberal democracy?
- Q91 · Indian Polity: Under the Indian Constitution, concentration of wealth violates
- Q92 · Indian Polity: What is the position of the Right to Property in India?
- Q93 · Indian Polity: What was the exact constitutional status of India on 26th January, 1950?
- Q94 · Indian Polity: Constitutional government means
- Q95 · Art & Culture: With reference to India, the terms ‘Halbi, Ho and Kui’ pertain to
- Q96 · Indian Polity: Consider the following statements in respect of Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards : 1. Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are titles under the…
- Q97 · Environment & Ecology: Consider the following statements: Statement 1: The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Arbor Day Foundation have…
- Q99 · Current Affairs: Consider the following statements in respect of the 32nd Summer Olympics: 1. The official motto for this Olympics is 'A New World'. 2.…
- Q100 · Current Affairs: Consider the following statements in respect of the ICC World Test Championship: 1. The finalists were decided by the number of matches…
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