UPSC IAS Prelims 2014 Previous Papers

With reference to Union Budget, which of the following, is/are covered under Non-Plan Expenditure? 

1. Defence-expenditure 
2. Interest payments 
3. Salaries and pensions 
4.  Subsidies 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Which of the following organizations brings out the publication known as ‘World Economic Outlook’?

There is some concern regarding the nanoparticles of some chemical elements that are used by the industry in the manufacture of various products. Why? 

1. They can accumulate in the environment, and contaminate water and soil. 
2. They can enter the food chains. 
3. They can trigger the production of free radicals. 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Consider the following pairs: (Vitamin Deficiency – Disease)

1. Vitamin C – Scurvy
2. Vitamin D – Rickets
3. Vitamin E – Night blindness

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

Consider the following statements: 

1. Animal Welfare Board of India is established under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. 
2. National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body. 
3. National Ganga River Basin Authority is chaired by the Prime Minister. 

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

With reference to ‘Eco-Sensitive Zones’, which of the following statements is/are correct? 

1. Eco-Sensitive Zones are the areas that are declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 . 
2. The purpose of the declaration of Eco-Sensitive Zones is to prohibit all kinds of human activities, in those zones except agriculture. 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

In the context of food and nutritional security of India, enhancing the ‘Seed Replacement Rates’ of various crops helps in achieving the food production targets of the future. But what is/are the constraint/ constraints in its wider / greater implementation? 

1. There is no National Seeds Policy in place. 
2. There is no participation of private sector seed companies in the supply of quality seeds of vegetables and planting materials of horticultural crops. 
3. There is a demand-supply gap regarding quality seeds in case of low value and high volume crops. 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri was

What was/were the object/objects of Queen Victoria’s Proclamation (1858)? 

1. To disclaim any intention to annex Indian States 
2. To place the Indian administration under the British Crown 
3. To regulate East India Company’s trade with India 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

A community of people called Manganiyars is well-known for their

Consider the following statements: 

1. ‘Bijak’ is a composition of the teachings of Saint Dadu Dayal.
2. The Philosophy of Pushti Marg was propounded by Madhvacharya. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to Buddhist history, tradition and culture in India, consider the following pairs: (Famous Shrine – Location)

1. Tabo monastery and temple complex – Spiti Valley
2. Lhotsava Lhakhang temple, Nako – Zanskar Valley
3. Alchi temple complex – Ladakh

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

Consider the following pairs:

1. Garba – Gujarat
2. Mohiniattam – Odisha
3. Yakshagana – Karnataka

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

With reference to India’s cultureand tradition, what is ‘Kalaripayattu’?

The Ghadr (Ghadar) was a

With reference to the Indian history of art and culture, consider the following pairs: (Famous work of sculpture – Site)

1. A grand image of Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana with numerous celestial musicians above and the sorrowful figures of his followers below – Ajanta
2. A huge image of Varaha Avatar (boar incarnation) of Vishnu, as he rescues Goddess Earth from the deep and chaotic waters, sculpted on rock – Mount Abu
3. “Arjuna’s Penance”/”Descent of Ganga” sculpted on the surface of huge boulders – Mamallapuram

Which of the pairs given above is/ are correctly matched?

Chaitra 1 of the national calendar based on the Saka Era corresponds to which one of the following dates of the Gregorian calendar in a normal year of 365 days?

With reference to the famous Sattriya dance, consider the following statements: 

1. Sattriya is a combination of music, dance and drama. 
2. It is a centuries-old living tradition of Vaishnavites of Assam. 
3. It is based on classical Ragas and Talas of devotional songs composed by Tulsidas, Kabir and Mirabai. 

Which of the statements given above is /are correct?

The 1929 Session of Indian National Congress is of significance in the history of the Freedom Movement because the

The Partition of Bengal made by Lord Curzon in 1905 lasted until

Which one of the following is the correct sequence of a food chain?

Consider the following statements regarding ‘Earth Hour’:

1. It is an initiative of UNEP and UNESCO. 
2. It is a movement in which the participants switch off the lights for one hour on a certain day every year. 
3. It is a movement to raise the awareness about the climate change and the need to save the planet. 

Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

Consider the following international agreements: 

1. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture 
2. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification 
3. The World Heritage Convention 

Which of the above has / have a bearing on the biodiversity?

Consider the following pairs: (National Highway – Cities connected)

1. NH 4 – Chennai and Hyderabad
2. NH 6 – Mumbai and Kolkata
3. NH 15 – Ahmedabad and Jodhpur

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

Consider the following towns of India: 

1. Bhadrachalam 
2. Chanderi 
3. Kancheepuram 
4. Kamal 

Which of the above are famous for the production of traditional sarees / fabric?

The power to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court of India is vested in

Among the following organisms, which one does not belong to the class of other three?

Consider the following statements : 

1. Maize can be used for the production of starch. 
2. Oil extracted from maize can be a feedstock for biodiesel. 
3. Alcoholic beverages can be produced by using maize. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following techniques/phenomena: 

1. Budding and grafting in fruit plants 
2. Cytoplasmic male sterility 
3. Gene silencing 

Which of the above is/are used to create transgenic crops?

The power of the Supreme Court of India to decide disputes between the Centre and the States falls under its

Which of the following is/are the example/examples of chemical change? 

1. Crystallization of sodium chloride
2. Melting of ice
3. Souring of milk

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Consider the following pairs: (Region – Well known for the production of)

1. Kinnaur – Areca nut
2. Mewat – Mango
3. Coromandel – Soya bean

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

Which of the following pair is/are correctly matched?  (Spacecraft – Purpose)

1. Cassini-Huygens – Orbiting the Venus and transmitting data to Earth
2. Messenger – Mapping and investigating the Mercury
3. Voyager 1 & 2 – Exploring the outer solar system

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Which of the following statements is / are correct regarding vegetative propagation of plants? 

1. Vegetative propagation produces clonal population. 
2. Vegetative propagation helps in eliminating the virus. 
3. Vegetative propagation can be practiced most of the year. 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

In addition to fingerprint scanning, which of the following can be used in the biometric identification of a person? 

1. Iris scanning 
2. Retinal scanning 
3. Voice recognition 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Which one of the following is the process involved in photosynthesis?

With reference to Neem tree, consider the following statements: 

1. Neem oil can be used as a pesticide to control the proliferation of some species of insects and mites. 
2. Neem seeds are used in the manufacture of biofuels and hospital detergents. 
3. Neem oil has applications in pharmaceutical industry. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements regarding a No-Confidence Motion in India: 

1. There is no mention of a No-Confidence Motion in the Constitution of India. 
2. A Motion of No-Confidence can be introduced in the Lok Sabha only. 

Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

Consider the following statements: 

1. The President shall make rules for the more convenient transaction of the business of the Government of India, and for the allocation among Ministers of the said business. 
2. All executive actions of the Government of India shall be expressed to be taken in the name of the Prime Minister. 

Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

If the interest rate is decreased in an economy, it will

Which of the following are the discretionary powers given to the Governor of a State? 

1. Sending a report to the President of India for imposing the President’s rule
2. Appointing the Ministers 
3. Reserving certain bills passed by the State Legislature for consideration of the President of India 
4. Making the rules to conduct the business of the State Government 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Consider the following statements: 

A Constitutional Government is one which 

1. places effective restrictions on individual liberty in the interest of State Authority 
2. places effective restrictions on the Authority of the State in the interest of individual liberty 

Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

Which of the following is / are the function / functions of the Cabinet Secretariat? 

1. Preparation of agenda for Cabinet Meetings 
2. Secretarial assistance to Cabinet Committees 
3. Allocation of financial resources to the Ministries 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Which of the following are associated with ‘Planning’ in India?

1. The Finance Commission 
2. The National Development Council 
3. The Union Ministry of Rural Development 
4. The Union Ministry of Urban Development 
5. The Parliament 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

What are the benefits of implementing the ‘Integrated Watershed Development Programme’?

1. Prevention of soil runoff 
2. Linking the country’s perennial rivers with seasonal rivers
3. Rainwater harvesting and recharge of groundwater table 
4. Regeneration of natural vegetation 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

In the Constitution of India, promotion of international peace and security is included in the

The national motto of India, ‘Satyameva Jayate’ inscribed below the Emblem of India is taken from

The scientific view is that the increase in global temperature should not exceed 2 °C above pre-industrial level. If the global temperature increases beyond 3 °C above the pre-industrial level, what can be its possible impact/impacts on the world? 

1. Terrestrial biosphere tends toward a net carbon source 
2. Widespread coral mortality will occur. 
3. All the global wetlands will permanently disappear. 
4. Cultivation of cereals will not be possible anywhere in the world. 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

What is the correct sequence of occurrence of the following cities in South-East Asia as one proceeds from south to north? 

1. Bangkok 
2. Hanoi 
3. Jakarta 
4. Singapore 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Turkey is located between

The most important strategy for the conservation of biodiversity together with traditional human life is the establishment of

Which one of the following Schedules of the Constitution of India contains provisions regarding anti-defection?

Consider the following pairs: (Hills – Region)

1. Cardamom Hills- Coromandel Coast
2. Kaimur Hills – Konkan coast
3. Mahadeo Hills – Central India
4. Mikir Hills – North-East India

Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Which one of the following pairs does not form part of the six systems of Indian Philosophy?

Consider the following pairs: (Wetlands – Confluence of rivers)

1. Harike Wetlands – Confluence of Beas and Satluj/Sutlej
2. Keoladeo Ghana National Park – Confluence of Banas and Chambal
3. Kolleru Lake – Confluence of Musi and Krishna

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

Consider the following rivers: 

1. Barak 
2. Lohit 
3. Subansiri 

Which of the above flows / flow through Arunachal Pradesh?

With reference to the cultural history of India, the term ‘Panchayatan’ refers to

The seasonal reversal of winds is the typical characteristic of

In India, the problem of soil erosion is associated with which of the following? 

1. Terrace cultivation 
2. Deforestation 
3. Tropical climate’

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Which of the following have coral reefs? 

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Gulf of Kachchh
3. Gulf of Mannar
4. Sunderbans

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

In India, cluster bean (Guar) is traditionally used as a vegetable or animal feed, but recently the cultivation of this has assumed significance. Which one of the following statements is correct in this context?

With reference to ‘Changpa’ community of India, consider the following statement : 

1. They live mainly in the State of Uttarakhand. 
2. They rear the Pashmina goats that yield a fine wool. 
3. They are kept in the category of Scheduled Tribes. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to two non-conventional energy sources called ‘coalbed methane’ and ‘shale gas’, consider the following ‘statements:

1. Coalbed methane is the pure methane gas extracted from coal seams, while shale gas is a mixture of propane and butane  only that can be extracted from fine-grained sedimentary rocks. 
2. In India abundant coalbed methane sources exist, but so far no shale gas sources have been found. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which reference to Agni-IV Missile, which of the following statements is/are correct? 

1. It is a surface-to-surface missile. 
2. It is fuelled by liquid propellant only. 
3. It can deliver one-tonne nuclear warheads about 7500 km away. 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Consider the following pairs: (Region often in news – Country)

1. Chechnya – Russian Federation
2. Darfur – Mali
3. Swat Valley – Iraq

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

Consider the following countries : 

1. Denmark 
2. Japan 
3. Russian Federation 
4. United Kingdom 
5. United States of America 

Which of the above are the members of the ‘Arctic Council ‘?

Recently, a series of uprisings of people referred to as ‘Arab Spring’ originally started from

In the context of Indian economy; which of the following is/are the purpose/purposes of ‘Statutory Reserve Requirements’?

1. To enable the Central Bank to control the amount of advances the banks can create 
2. To make the people’s deposits with banks safe and liquid
3. To prevent the commercial banks from making excessive profits  (4). To force the banks to have sufficient vault cash to meet their day-today requirements 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

What is/are the facility/facilities the beneficiaries can get from the services of Business Correspondent (Bank Saathi) in branchless areas? 

1. It enables the beneficiaries to draw their subsidies and social security benefits in their villages. 
2. It enables the beneficiaries in the rural areas to make deposits and withdrawals. 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The terms ‘Marginal Standing Facility Rate’ and ‘Net Demand and Time Liabilities’, sometimes appearing in news, are used in relation to

With reference to Balance of Payments, which of the following constitutes/constitute the Current Account? 

1. Balance of trade 
2. Foreign assets 
3. Balance of invisibles 
4. Special Drawing Rights 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The main objective of the 12th Five-Year Plan is

What does venture capital mean?

The sales tax you pay while purchasing a toothpaste is a

Every year, a month long ecologically important campaign/festival is held during which certain communities/ tribes plant saplings of fruitbearing trees. Which of the following are such communities/tribes?

Which of the following Kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha? 

1. Avanti 
2. Gandhara 
3. Kosala 
4. Magadha 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Which of the following are some important pollutants released by steel industry in India

1. Oxides of sulphur 
2. Oxides of nitrogen 
3. Carbon monoxide 
4. Carbon dioxide 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

If you travel through the Himalayas, you are likely to see which of the following plants naturally growing there? 

1. Oak 
2. Rhododendron 
3. Sandalwood 

Select the correct answer using the code given below

Lichens, which are capable of initiating ecological succession even on a bare rock, are actually a symbiotic association of

In medieval India, the designations ‘Mahattara’ and ‘Pattakila’ were used for

If you walk through countryside, you are likely to see some birds stalking alongside the cattle to seize the insects, disturbed by their movement through grasses. Which of the following is/are such bird/birds? 

1. Painted Stork 
2. Common Myna 
3. Black-necked Crane 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Which of the following adds/add carbon dioxide to the carbon cycle on the planet Earth?

1. Volcanic action 
2. Respiration 
3. Photosynthesis 
4. Decay of organic matter 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Which one of the following is the largest Committee of the Parliament?

Consider the following : 

1. Bats 
2. Bears 
3. Rodents 

The phenomenon of hibernation can be observed in which of the above kinds of animals?

Brominated flame retardants are used in many household products like mattresses and upholstery. Why is there some concern about their use? 

1. They are highly resistant to degradation in the environment. 
2. They are able to accumulate in humans and animals. 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The Radcliffe Committee was appointed to

Other than poaching, what are the possible reasons for the decline in the population of Ganges River Dolphins? 

1. Construction of dams and barrages on rivers 
2. Increase in the population of crocodiles in rivers 
3. Getting trapped in fishing nets accidentally 
4. Use of synthetic fertilizers and other agricultural chemicals in cropfields in the vicinity of rivers 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Which of the following phenomena might have influenced the evolution of organisms? 

1. Continental drift 
2. Glacial cycles 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Consider the following diseases 

1. Diphtheria 
2. Chickenpox 
3. Smallpox 

Which of the above diseases has/have been eradicated in India?

With reference to a grouping of countries known as BRICS, consider the following statements: 

1. The First Summit of BRICS was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2009. 
2. South Africa was the last to join the BRICS grouping. 

Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

With reference to a conservation organization called Wetlands International’, which of the following statements is/are correct? 

1. It is an intergovernmental organization formed by the countries which are signatories to Ramsar Convention. 
2. It works at the field level to develop and mobilize knowledge, and use the practical experience to advocate for better policies. 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Consider the following pairs 

1. Dampa Tiger Reserve – Mizoram
2. Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary – Sikkim
3. Saramati Peak – Nagaland

Which of the above pairs is / are correctly matched?

Consider the following languages : 

1. Gujarati 
2. Kannada 
3. Telugu 

Which of the above has/have been declared as ‘Classical Language / Languages’ by the Government?

With reference to technologies for solar power production, consider the following statements: 

1. ‘Photovoltaics’ is a technology that generates electricity by direct conversion of light into electricity, while ‘Solar Thermal’ is a technology that utilizes the Sun’s rays to generate heat which is further used in electricity generation process. 
2. Photovoltaics generate Alternating Current (AC), while Solar Thermal generates Direct Current (DC). 
3. India has manufacturing base for Solar Thermal technology, but not for Photovoltaics. 

Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

With reference to ‘Global Environment Facility’, which of the following statements is/are correct?

With reference to Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), consider the following statements : 

1. It is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Environment and Forests. 
2. It strives to conserve nature through action-based research, education and public awareness. 
3. It organizes and conducts nature trails and camps for the general public. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following pairs: (Programme – Project Ministry)

1. Drought-Prone Area Programme – Ministry of Agriculture
2. Desert Development Programme – Ministry of Environment and Forests
3. National Watershed Development Projects for Rainfed Area – Ministry of Rural Development

Which of the above pairs

Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated from each other by the ‘Ten Degree Channel’?

If a wetland of international importance is brought under the ‘Montreux Record’, what does it imply?

What are the significances of a practical approach to sugarcane production known as ‘Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative’?

1. Seed cost is very low in this compared to the conventional method of cultivation. 
2. Drip irrigation can be practiced very effectively in this. 
3. There is no application of chemical/ inorganic fertilizers at all in this.  (4). The scope for intercropping is more in this compared to the conventional method of cultivation. 

Select the correct answer using the code given below.