UPSC prelims question paper with answers

Q51. Consider the following statements in relation to Janani Suraksha Yojana:

1. It is a safe motherhood intervention of the State Health Departments.
2. Its objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality among poor pregnant women.
3. It aims to promote institutional delivery among poor pregnant women.
4. Its objective includes providing public health facilities to sick infants up to one year of age.

How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four

Q52. Consider the following statements in the context of interventions being undertaken under the Anaemia Mukt Bharat Strategy:

1. It provides prophylactic calcium supplementation for pre-school children, adolescents, and pregnant women.
2. It runs a campaign for delayed cord clamping at the time of childbirth.
3. It provides for periodic deworming to children and adolescents.
4. It addresses non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets with special focus on malaria, hemoglobinopathies, and fluorosis.

How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four

Q53. Consider the following statements:

1. Carbon fibres are used in the manufacture of components used in automobiles and aircraft.
2. Carbon fibres, once used, cannot be recycled.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q54. Consider the following actions:

1. Detection of car crash/collision, which results in the deployment of airbags almost instantaneously.
2. Detection of accidental free fall of a laptop towards the ground, which results in the immediate turning off of the hard drive.
3. Detection of the tilt of the smartphone, which results in the rotation of display between portrait and landscape mode.

In how many of the above actions is the function of an accelerometer required?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Q55. With reference to the role of biofilters in the Recirculating Aquaculture System, consider the following statements:

1. Biofilters provide waste treatment by removing uneaten fish feed.
2. Biofilters convert ammonia present in fish waste to nitrate.
3. Biofilters increase phosphorus as a nutrient for fish in water.

How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Q56. Consider the following pairs:

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Q57. Which one of the following countries has its own Satellite Navigation System?
(a) Australia
(b) Canada
(c) Israel
(d) Japan

Q58. Consider the following statements:

1. Ballistic missiles are jet-propelled at subsonic speeds throughout their flights, while cruise missiles are rocket-powered only in the initial phase of flight.
2. Agni-V is a medium-range supersonic cruise missile, while BrahMos is a solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q59. Consider the following statements regarding mercury pollution:

1. Gold mining activity is a source of mercury pollution in the world.
2. Coal-based thermal power plants cause mercury pollution.
3. There is no known safe level of exposure to mercury.

How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Q60. With reference to green hydrogen, consider the following statements:

1. It can be used directly as a fuel for internal combustion.
2. It can be blended with natural gas and used as fuel for heat or power generation.
3. It can be used in the hydrogen fuel cell to run vehicles.

How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

61. Consider the following countries:

1. Bulgaria
2. Czech Republic
3. Hungary
4. Latvia
5. Lithuania
6. Romania

How many of the above-mentioned countries share a land border with Ukraine?
(a) Only two
(b) Only three
(c) Only four
(d) Only five

62. With reference to the Earth’s atmosphere, which one of the following statements is correct?
(a) The total amount of insolation received at the equator is roughly about 10 times that received at the poles.
(b) Infrared rays constitute roughly two-thirds of insolation.
(c) Infrared waves are largely absorbed by water vapour that is concentrated in the lower atmosphere.
(d) Infrared waves are a part of the visible spectrum of electromagnetic waves of solar radiation.

63. Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The soil in tropical rainforests is rich in nutrients.
Statement-II: The high temperature and moisture of tropical rainforests cause dead organic matter in the soil to decompose quickly.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect.
(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

64. Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The temperature contrast between continents and oceans is greater during summer than in winter.
Statement-II: The specific heat of water is more than that of land surface.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect.
(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

65. Consider the following statements:

1. In a seismograph, P waves are recorded earlier than S waves.
2. In P waves, the individual particles vibrate to and fro in the direction of wave propagation, whereas in S waves, the particles vibrate up and down at right angles to the direction of wave propagation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

66. With reference to coal-based thermal power plants in India, consider the following statements:

1. None of them uses seawater.
2. None of them is set up in water-stressed districts.
3. None of them is privately owned.

How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

67. The ‘Wolbachia method’ is sometimes talked about with reference to which one of the following?
(a) Controlling the viral diseases spread by mosquitoes
(b) Converting crop residues into packing material
(c) Producing biodegradable plastics
(d) Producing biochar from thermochemical conversion of biomass

68. Consider the following activities:

1. Spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmlands extensively
2. Increasing the alkalinity of oceans by adding lime
3. Capturing carbon dioxide released by various industries and pumping it into abandoned subterranean mines in the form of carbonated waters

How many of the above activities are often considered and discussed for carbon capture and sequestration?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

69. ‘Aerial metagenomics’ best refers to which one of the following situations?
(a) Collecting DNA samples from air in a habitat at one go
(b) Understanding the genetic makeup of avian species of a habitat
(c) Using airborne devices to collect blood samples from moving animals
(d) Sending drones to inaccessible areas to collect plant and animal samples from land surfaces and water bodies

70. ‘Microsatellite DNA’ is used in the case of which one of the following?
(a) Studying the evolutionary relationships among various species of fauna
(b) Stimulating ‘stem cells’ to transform into diverse functional tissues
(c) Promoting clonal propagation of horticultural plants
(d) Assessing the efficacy of drugs by conducting series of drug trials in a population

71. Consider the following statements with reference to India:

1. According to the ‘Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006’, the ‘medium enterprises’ are those with investments in plant and machinery between ₹15 crore and ₹25 crore.
2. All bank loans to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises qualify under the priority sector.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

72. With reference to Central Bank digital currencies, consider the following statements:

1. It is possible to make payments in a digital currency without using the US dollar or SWIFT system.
2. A digital currency can be distributed with a condition programmed into it, such as a time-frame for spending it.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

73. In the context of finance, the term ‘beta’ refers to:
(a) The process of simultaneous buying and selling of an asset from different platforms
(b) An investment strategy of a portfolio manager to balance risk versus reward
(c) A type of systemic risk that arises where perfect hedging is not possible
(d) A numeric value that measures the fluctuations of a stock to changes in the overall stock market

74. Consider the following statements:

1. The Self-Help Group (SHG) programme was originally initiated by the State Bank of India by providing microcredit to the financially deprived.
2. In an SHG, all members of a group take responsibility for a loan that an individual member takes.
3. The Regional Rural Banks and Scheduled Commercial Banks support SHGs.

How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

75. Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: India’s public sector healthcare system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive, and rehabilitative care.
Statement-II: Under India’s decentralized approach to healthcare delivery, the States are primarily responsible for organizing health services.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect.
(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

Official Answer Key:

51. b

52. c

53. a

54. c

55. b

56. a

57. d

58. d

59. b

60. c

61. a

62. c

63. d

64. d

65. c

66. d

67. a

68. c

69. a

70. a

71. b

72. c

73. d

74. b

75. b