UPSC Prelims 2015 Question Paper with Answers & Explanations

Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana' has been launched for

With reference to the Fourteenth Finance Commission, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. It has increased the share of States in the central divisible pool from 32 percent to 42 percent.

2. It has made recommendations concerning sector-specific grants.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The 'Fortaleza Declaration', recently in the news, is related to the affairs of

A decrease in tax to GDP ratio of a country indicates which of the following?

1. Slowing economic growth rate
2. Less equitable distribution of national income

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In the South Atlantic and South-Eastern Pacific regions in tropical latitudes, cyclones does not originate. What is the reason?

Which one of the following pairs of States of India indicates the easternmost and westernmost State?

Consider the following statements regarding the Directive Principles of State Policy:

1. The Principles spell out the socio-economic democracy in the country.

2. The provisions contained in these Principles are not enforceable by any court.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

In the 'Index of Eight Core Industries', which one of the following is given the highest weight?

Which of the following National Parks is unique in being a swamp with floating vegetation that supports a rich biodiversity?

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding National Innovation Foundation-India (NIF)?

1. NIF is an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology under the Central Government.

2. NIF is an initiative to strengthen the highly advanced scientific research in India's premier scientific institutions in collaboration with highly advanced foreign scientific institutions.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

What can be the impact of excessive/inappropriate use of nitrogenous fertilizers in agriculture?

1. Proliferation of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in soil can occur.

2. Increase in the acidity of soil can take place.

3. Leaching of nitrate to the ground water can occur.

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With reference to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resource (IUCN) and the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. IUCN is an organ of the United Nations and CITES is an international agreement between governments.

2. IUCN runs thousands of field projects around the world to better manage natural environments.

3. CITES is legally binding on the States that have joined it, but this Convention does not take the place of national laws.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

The Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane is approved by the

What explains the eastward flow of the equatorial counter-current?

Consider the following pairs:

Place of Pilgrimage - Location

1. Srisailam - Nallamala Hills
2. Omkareshwar - Satmala Hills
3. Pushkar - Mahadeo Hills

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

With reference to Rowlatt Satyagraha, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. The Rowlatt Act was based on the recommendations of the 'Sedition Committee'.

2. In Rowlatt Satyagraha, Gandhiji tried to utilize the Home Rule League.

3. Demonstrations against the arrival of Simon Commission coincided with Rowlatt Satyagraha.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

Among the following, which were frequently mentioned in the news for the outbreak of Ebola virus recently?

With reference to fly ash produced by the power plants using coal as fuel, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Fly ash can be used in the production of bricks for building construction.

2. Fly ash can be used as a replacement for some of the Portland cement contents of concrete.

3. Fly ash is made up of silicon dioxide and calcium oxide only, and does not contain any toxic elements.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

With reference to 'dugong', a mammal found in India, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. It is a herbivorous marine animal.
2. It is found along the entire coast of India.
3. It is given legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

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Who of the following was/were economic critic/critics of colonialism in India?

1. Dadabhai Naoroji

2. G. Subramania Iyer

3. R.C. Dutt

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Which one of the following issues the 'Global Economic Prospects' report periodically?

When the Reserve Bank of India reduces the Statutory Liquidity Ratio by 50 basis points, which of the following is likely to happen?

With reference to the use of nanotechnology in health sector, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Targeted drug delivery is made possible by nanotechnology.
2. Nanotechnology can largely contribute to gene therapy.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

In India, markets in agricultural products are regulated under the

Which one of the following is the national aquatic animal of India?

With reference to Congress Socialist Party, consider the following statements:

1. It advocated the boycott of British goods and evasion of taxes.

2. It wanted to establish the dictatorship of proletariat.

3. It advocated separate electorate for minorities and oppressed classes.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements:

1. The Rajya Sabha has no power either to reject or to amend a Money Bill.

2. The Rajya Sabha cannot vote on the Demands for Grants.

3. The Rajya Sabha cannot discuss the Annual Financial Statement.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The Government of India Act of 1919 clearly defined

Which of the following brings out the 'Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Workers'?

In the context of modern scientific research, consider the following statements about 'IceCube', a particle detector located at South Pole, which was recently in the news:

1. It is the world's largest neutrino detector, encompassing a cubic kilometre of ice.

2. It is a powerful telescope to search for dark matter.

3. It is buried deep in the ice.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The terms 'Agreement on Agriculture', Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measure' and 'Peace Clause' appear in the news frequently in the context of the affairs of the

With reference to 'Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology', which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. It is a contactless communication technology that uses electromagnetic radio fields.

2. NFC is designed for use by devices which can be at a distance of even a metre from each other.

3. NFC can use encryption when sending sensitive information.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The area known as 'Golan Heights' sometimes appears in the news in the context of the events related to

Convertibility of rupee implies

Consider the following pairs:

Medieval Indian State - Present Region

1. Champaka - Central India
2. Durgara - Jammu
3. Kuluta - Malabar

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

Consider the following rivers:

1. Vamsadhara
2. Indravati
3. Pranhita
4. Pennar

Which of the above are tributaries of Godavari?

When a bill is referred to a joint sitting of both the Houses of the Parliament, it has to be passed by

Which one of the following regions of India has a combination of mangrove forest, evergreen forest and deciduous forest?

Which one of the following is associated with the issue of control and phasing out of the use of ozone-depleting substances?

Consider the following: The arrival of Babur into India led to the

1. introduction of gunpowder in the subcontinent

2. introduction of the arch and dome in the region's architecture

3. establishment of Timurid dynasty in the region

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

The Government of India has established NITI Aayog to replace the

What is the Rio+20 Conference, often mentioned in the news?

Consider the following statements:

1. The Executive Power of the Union of India is vested in the Prime Minister.

2. The Prime Minister is the ex officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The term 'Goldilocks Zone' is often seen in the news in the context of

Who among the following organized a march on the Tanjore coast to break the Salt Law in April 1930?

Who of the following founded a new city on the south bank of a tributary to river Krishna and undertook to rule his new kingdom as the agent of a deity to whom all the land south of the river Krishna was supposed to belong?

Consider the following statements:

1. The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was Sarojini Naidu.

2. The first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress was Badruddin Tyabji.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which of the following statements regarding 'Green Climate Fund' is/are correct?

1. It is intended to assist the developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change.

2. It is founded under the aegis of UNEP, OECD, Asian Development Bank and World Bank.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2014 was given to which one of the following?

With reference to the Cabinet Mission, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. It recommended a federal government.
2. It enlarged the powers of the Indian courts.
3. It provided for more Indians in the ICS.

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Which one of the following National Parks has a climate that varies from tropical to subtropical, temperate and arctic?

Amnesty International is

With reference to the art and archaeological history of India, which one among the following was made earliest?

With reference to Indian history, which of the following is/are the essential element/elements of the feudal system?

1. A very strong centralized political authority and very weak provincial or local political authority

2. Emergence of administrative structure based on control and possession of land

3. Creation of lord-vassal relationship between the feudal lord and his overlord

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BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes' is managed by the

India is member of which among the following?

1. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

2. Association of South-East Asian Nations

3. East Asia Summit

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

In India, the steel production industry requires the import of

The provisions in Fifth Schedule and Sixth Schedule in the Constitution of India are made in order to

With reference to the Union Government, consider the following statements:

1. The Department of Revenue is responsible for the preparation of Union Budget that is presented to the Parliament.

2. No amount can be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund of India without the authorization from the Parliament of India.

3. All the disbursements made from Public Account also need the authorization from the Parliament of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Who/Which of the following is the custodian of the Constitution of India?