UPSC IAS Prelims 2013 Previous Papers

What will follow if money bill is substantially amended by Rajya Sabha?

Which of the following statements is correct?

Which one of the following pairs a correctly matched?

Geographical feature and region

With reference to history of Indian rock-cut architecture, consider the following statements:

1. Caves at Badami are oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India
2. Barabar caves were originally made from Ajivikas by Emperor Chandragupta Maurya.
3. At Ellora, caves were made for different faiths .

Which statements are correct?

Recombinant DNA technology (Genetic Engineering) allows genes to be transferred

1. across different species of plants
2. across plants to animals
3. from microorganisms to higher microorganisms

Which statement is correct?

Chinese traveller Yuan Chwang (Huang Tsang) who visited India recorded the general conditions and culture of India at that time. In this context, which statements are correct?

1. The roads and river-routes were completely immune to robbery
2. As regards punishment for offenses, ordeals by fire, water and poisons were instruments in determining innocence or guilt of person
3. Tradesman had to pay duties at the ferries and barrier stations

Which statement is correct?

Consider the following:

1. Star Tortoise
2. Monitor Lizard
3. Pygmy Hog
4. Spider Monkey.

Which of the above are naturally found in India?

Which of the following can be found as pollutant in drinking water in some parts of India?

1. Arsenic
2. Sorbitol
3. Fluoride
4. Formaldehyde
5. Uranium

Which statement is correct?

With reference to Indian history, members of the Constituent assembly from Provinces were:

Consider the following animals:

1. Sea cow
2. Sea horse
3. Sea lion

Which of the above is/are mammals?

Consider the following statements

1. An amendment to Constitution of India can be initiated by introduction of a bill in Lok Sabha only
2. If such an amendment seeks to make changes in the federal characteristics of constitution, the amendment also requires to be rectified by legislature of all states in India.

Which statements is/are correct?

Consider the following statements:
Attorney general of India can

1. take part in proceedings of Lok Sabha
2. be a member of committee of Lok Sabha
3. speak in Lok Sabha
4. vote in Lok Sabha.

Which statements is/are correct?

With reference to usefulness of sugar industry in India, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Bagasse can be used a biofuel for generation of energy
2. Molasses can be used as one of the feedstocks for production of synthetic chemical fertilizers
3. Molasses can be used for production of ethanol.

Variations in the length of day and night time from season to season are due to

Narmada river flows to the west while most other peninsular river flows to east. Why?

1. It occupies a linear rift
2. It flows between Vindhyas and Satpuras
3. Land slops to the west from Central India

Which statements is/are correct?

On planet earth, most fresh water exists as ice caps and glaciers. Out of the remaining freshwater, the largest proportion

Consider the following pairs

1. Nokrek bioreserves: Garo Hills
2. Loktak Lake: Barail Range
3. Namdapha National Park: Dafla Hills

Which statements is/are correct?

Consider the following

1. Electromagnetic radiation
2. Geothermal energy
3. Gravitational forces
4. Plate Tectonics
5. Rotation of earth
6. Revolution of earth.

Which of the above are responsible for bringing dynamic changes to surface of earth?

Which of the following bodies does not or do not find mention in constitution?

1. National Development Council
2. Planning Commission
3. Zonal Councils.

Which statements is/are correct?

The demand for Tebhanga Peasant Movement in Bengal was for

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

In the grasslands, trees do not replace the grasses as a part of an ecological succession because of

Which one of the following is the correct sequence of ecosystems in the order of decreasing productivity?

Contour bunding is a method of soil conservation used in

The Government enacted the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act in 1996. Which one of the following is not identified as its objective?

Under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, who shall be the authority to initiate the process for determining the nature and extent of individual or community forest rights or both?

Improper handling and storage of cereal grains and oilseeds result in the production of toxins known as aflatoxins which are not generally destroyed by normal cooking process. Aflatoxins are produced by

‘Economic Justice’ the objectives of Constitution has been as one of the Indian provided in

Due to improper/indiscriminate disposal of old and used computers or their parts, which of the following are released into the environment as e-waste?

1. Beryllium
2. Cadmium
3. Chromium
4. Heptachlor
5. Mercury
6. Lead
7. Plutonium.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Acid rain is caused by the pollution of environment by

With reference to food chains in ecosystems, consider the following statements:

1. A food chain illustrates the order in which a chain of organisms feed upon each other.
2. Food chains are found within the populations of a species.
3. A food chain illustrates the numbers of each organism which are eaten by others.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following pairs National Park: River flowing through the Park

1. Corbett National Park : Ganga
2. Kaziranga National Park : Manas
3. Silent Valley National Park : Kaveri

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

Consider the following organisms

1. Agaricus
2. Nostoc
3. Spirogyra

Which of the above is/are used as biofertilizer/biofertilizers

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

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

In which of the following States is lion-tailed macaque found in its natural habitat?

1. Tamil Nadu
2. Kerala
3. Karnataka
4. Andhra Pradesh.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Some Buddhist rock-cut caves are called Chaityas, while the others are called Viharas. What is the difference between the two?

Which one of the following describes best the concept of Nirvana in Buddhism?

According to the Constitution of India, which of the following are fundamental for the governance of the country?

The people of India agitated against the arrival of Simon Commission because

Quit India Movement was launched in response to

The balance of payments of a country is a systematic record of

The Reserve Bank of India regulates the commercial banks in matters of

1. liquidity of assets
2. branch expansion
3. merger of banks
4. winding-up of banks.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

An increase in the Bank Rate generally indicates that the

In India, deficit financing is used for raising resources for

Which of the following characterizes/characterize the people of Indus Civilization?

1. They possessed great palaces and temples.
2. They worshipped both male and female deities.
3. They employed horse-drawn chariots in warfare.

Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given below:

Which of the following diseases can be transmitted from one person to another through tattooing?

1. Chikungunya
2. Hepatitis B
3. HIV-AIDS

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Which of the following statements is/are applicable to Jain doctrine?

1. The surest way of annihilating Karma is to practice penance.
2. Every object, even the smallest particle has a soul.
3. Karma is the bane of the soul and must be ended.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Which one of the following terms describes not only the physical space occupied by an organism, but also its functional role in the community of organisms?

Photochemical smog is a resultant of the reaction among

Consider the following minerals

1. Calcium
2. Iron
3. Sodium

Which of the minerals given above is/are required by human body for the contraction of muscles?

Consider the following statements: The Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts

1. consists of not more than 25 Members of the Lok Sabha
2. scrutinizes appropriation finance accounts of Government
3. of the Auditor examines the report Comptroller and General of India

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following Bhakti Saints:

1. Dadu Dayal
2. Guru Nanak
3. Tyagaraja

Who among the above was/were preaching when the Lodi dynasty fell and Babur took over?

With reference to the food chains in ecosystems, which of the following kinds of organism is/are known as decomposer organism/organisms?#

1. Virus
2. Fungi
3. Bacteria

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

The most important fishing grounds of the world are found in the regions where

Which of the following is/are unique characteristic/characteristics of equatorial forests?

1. Presence of tall, closely set trees with crowns forming a continuous canopy
2. Coexistence of a large number of species
3. Presence of numerous varieties of epiphytes

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Which of the following constitute Capital Account?

1. Foreign Loans
2. Foreign Direct Investment
3. Private Remittances
4. Portfolio Investment

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Consider the following historical places:

1. Ajanta Caves
2. Lepakshi Temple
3. Sanchi Stupa

Which of the above places is/are also known for mural paintings?

With reference to the history of philosophical thought in India, consider the following statements regarding Sankhya school:

1. Sankhya does not accept the theory of rebirth or transmigration of soul.
2. Sankhya holds that it is the self-knowledge that leads to liberation and not any exterior influence or agent.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

In the context of India, which of the following principles is/are implied institutionally in the parliamentary government?

1. Members of the Cabinet are Members of the Parliament.
2. Ministers hold the office till they enjoy confidence in the Parliament.
3. Cabinet is headed by the Head of the State.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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. Thermal difference between land and water
2. Variation in altitude between continents and oceans
3. Presence of strong winds in the interior
4. Heavy rains in the interior as compared to coasts

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Which of the following is/are the characteristic/characteristics of Indian coal?

1. High ash content
2. Low sulphur content
3. Low ash fusion temperature

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Which of the following statements regarding laterite soils of India are correct?

1. They are generally red in colour.
2. They are rich in nitrogen and potash.
3. Tiley are well-developed in Rajasthan and UP.
4. Tapioca and cashew nuts grow well on these soils.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Consider the following statements:

1. Natural gas occurs in the Gondwana beds.
2. Mica occurs in abundance in Kodarma.
3. Dharwars are famous for petroleum.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following crops

1. Cotton
2. Groundnut
3. Rice
4. Wheat

Which of these are Kharif crops?

“Climate is extreme, rainfall is scanty and the people used to be nomadic herders.” The above statement best describes which of the following regions?

Consider the following statements:

1. Inflation benefits the debtors.
2. Inflation benefits the bond-holders.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Disguised unemployment generally means

Consider the following statements:

1. The Council of Ministers in the Centre shall be collectively responsible to the Parliament.
2. The Union Ministers shall hold the office during the pleasure of the President of India.
3. The Prime Minister shall communicate to the President about the proposals for Legislation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements

1. National Development Council is an organ of the Planning Commission
2. The Economic and Social Planning is kept in the Concurrent Last in the Constitution of India.
3. The Constitution of hid la prescribes that Panchayats should be assigned the task of preparation of plans and economic development social justice.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements:

1. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabba are not the members of that House.
2. While the nominated members of the two houses of the Parliament have no voting right in the presidential election, they have the right to vote in the election of the Vice President.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to National Legal Authority Service, consider the following statements

1. It is objective to provide free and competent legal service to weaker sections of society on basis of equal opportunities
2. It issues guidelines for state legal services authorities to implement legal programs and schemes throughout the country

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

During the thunderstorms, thunder in the skies is produced due to

1. meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky
2. lightning that separates the nimbus clouds
3. violent upward movement of air and water particles

Which statements is/are correct?

Consider the following pairs of tribe and state

1. Limboo: Sikkim
2. Karbi: Himachal Pradesh
3. Dongaria Khondh: Orissa
4. Bonda: Tamil Nadu

Which statements is/are correct?

Consider the following liquid assets:

1. Demand deposits with banks
2. Time savings with banks
3. Savings deposits with banks
4. Currency

The correct sequence is:

In context of Indian economy open market operations refers to

Priority sector lending by banks in India constitutes the lending to

Which of the following industries is maximum consumer of water in India?

To obtain full benefits of demographic dividends what should India do?

In the context of cultural history of India, a pose in dance and dramatics called Tribhanga’s has been a favourite of Indian artist from ancient times till today Which one of the following statements best describes this pose?

Anne Besant was

1. responsible for starting the Home Rule Movement
2. the founder of the Theosophical Society
3. once the President of the Indian National Congress

Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given below:

Ilbert bill controversy was related to

A rise in general level of prices may be caused by

1. increase in money supply
2. decrease in aggregate level of output
3. increase in effective demand

Which statements is/are correct?

Which of the following groups of items is included in India’s foreign exchange reserves?

Which of the following is likely to be most inflationary in its effect?

Supply of money remaining the same, where there is increase in the demand of money teher will be

Fruits stored in cold chamber exhibit longer shelf life because

Consider the following fauna of India

1. Gharial
2. Leatherback turtle
3. Swamp deer

Which of the following is endangered?

Ball bearings are used in cycles, cars etc. Because

Consider the following phenomena:

1. Size of sun at dusk
2. Color of sun at dusk
3. Moon being visible at dawn
4. Twinkle of stars in sky
5. Polestar being visible in sky

Which of the following are optical illusions?

Rainbow is produced when sunlight falls on drops of rain. Which of the following phenomena is responsible for this?

1. Dispersion
2. Refraction
3. Internal reflection

Select the correct answers

Many transplanted seeds do not grow because:

Economic growth in country X will have to necessarily occur if

Which statements is/are correct?

1. Viruses lacks enzymes necessary for generation of energy
2. Viruses can be cultured in any synthetic medium
3. Viruses are transmitted from one organism to another by biological vectors only

Select the correct answer

Which of the following leaf modifications occur in desert areas to inhibit water loss?

1. Hard and waxy leaves
2. Tiny or no leaves
3. Thorns instead of leaves

Which is correct?

Known forces of nature can be divided into 4 classes i.e., gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force. With reference to them which of the following statement is not correct?

Efforts to detect presence of Higgs boson have become frequent news in the recent past. What is the importance of discovering this particle

1. This will help to understand why elementary particles have mass
2. This will enable us in near future to develop technology of transferring at there from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them.
3. It will enable us to create better fuels for nuclear fission

Which is correct?

Mycorrhizal biotechnology has been used to rehabilitating degraded sites because mycorrhiza enables the plants to

1. resist droughts and increase absorption
2. tolerate extreme pH
3. resist disease infestation

Which statements is/are correct?

Who among the constitutes the National Development Council?

1. Prime Minister
2. Chairman, Finance Commission
3. Ministers of Union Cabinet
4. Chief ministers of States

Which statements is/are correct?

National income of a country for a given period is equal to

Which of the following grants direct credir assistance to rural households?

1. Regional rural banks
2. National bank for agriculture and rural development
3. Land development banks

Which statements is/are correct?