UPSC Prelims 2021 Question Paper with Answers & Explanations

Consider the following statements:

1. The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is appointed by the Central Government.

2. Certain provisions in the Constitution of India give the Central Government the right to issue directions to the RBI in public interest.

3. The Governor of the RBI draws his power from the RBI Act.

Which of the above statements are correct?

With reference to casual workers employed in India, consider the following statements:

1. All casual workers are entitled for Employees Provident Fund coverage.

2. All casual workers are entitled for regular working hours and overtime payment.

3. The government can by a notification specify that an establishment or industry shall pay wages only through its bank account.

Which of the above statements are correct?

Which among the following steps is most likely to be taken at the time of an economic recession?

Other things remaining unchanged, market demand for a good might increase if:

1. price of its substitute increases

2. price of its complement increases

3. the good is an inferior good and income of the consumers increases

4. its price falls

Which of the above statements are correct?

With reference to 'Urban Cooperative banks' in India, consider the following statements:

1. They are supervised and regulated by local boards set up by the State Governments.

2. They can issue equity shares and preference shares.

3. They were brought under the purview of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 through an Amendment in 1966.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Indian Government Bond Yields are influenced by which of the following?

1. Actions of the United States Federal Reserve

2. Actions of the Reserve bank of India

3. Inflation and short-term interest rates

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Consider the following:

1. Foreign currency convertible bonds

2. Foreign institutional investment with certain conditions

3. Global depository receipts

4. Non-resident external deposits

Which of the above can be included in Foreign Direct Investments?

Consider the following statements:

The effect of devaluation of a currency is that it necessarily:

1. improves the competitiveness of the domestic exports in the foreign markets.

2. increases the foreign value of domestic currency.

3. improves the trade balance.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

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?

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

The money multiplier in an economy increases with which one of the following?

With reference to Indian economy, demand-pull inflation can be caused/increased by which of the following?

1. Expansionary policies

2. Fiscal stimulus

3. Inflation-indexing wages

4. Higher purchasing power

5. Rising interest rates

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

With reference to India, consider the following statements:

1. Retail investors through demat account can invest in 'Treasury Bills' and 'Government of India Debt Bonds' in primary market.

2. The 'Negotiated Dealing System-Order Matching' is a government securities trading platform of the Reserve Bank of India.

3. The 'Central Depository Services Ltd' is jointly promoted by the Reserve Bank of India and the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to 'Water Credit', consider the following statements:

1. It puts microfinance tools to work in the water and sanitation sector.

2. It is a global initiative launched under the aegis of the World Health Organization and the World Bank.

3. It aims to enable the poor people to meet their water need without depending on subsidies.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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 industry bodies when they fail to borrow from other sources

2. Providing liquidity to the banks having a temporary crisis

3. Lending to governments to finance budgetary deficits

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

R2 Code of Practices' constitutes a tool available for promoting the adoption of:

Why is there a concern about copper smelting plants?

1. They may release lethal quantities of carbon monoxide into environment.

2. The copper slag can cause the leaching of some heavy metals into environment.

3. They may release sulphur dioxide as a pollutant.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

With reference to furnace oil, consider the following statements:

1. It is a product of oil refineries.

2. Some industries use it to generate power.

3. Its use causes sulphur emissions into environment.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

What is blue carbon?

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. Mushroom

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Which one of the following is used in preparing a natural mosquito repellent?

Consider the following kinds of organisms:

1. Copepods

2. Cyanobacteria

3. Diatoms

4. Foraminifera

Which of the above are primary producers in the food chains of oceans?

Consider the following animals:

1. Hedgehog

2. Marmot

3. Pangolin

To reduce the chance of being captured by predators, which of the above organisms rolls up/roll up and protects/protect its/their vulnerable parts?

With reference to the 'New York Declaration on Forests', which of the following statements are correct?

1. It was first endorsed at the United Nations Climate Summit in 2014.

2. It endorses a global timeline to end the loss of forests.

3. It is a legally binding international declaration.

4. It is endorsed by governments, big companies and indigenous communities.

5. India was one of the signatories at its inception.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Magnetite particles, suspected to cause neurodegenerative problems, are generated as environmental pollutants from which of the following?

1. Brakes of motor vehicles

2. Engines of motor vehicles

3. Microwave stoves within homes

4. Power plants

5. Telephone lines

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Which one of the following is a filter feeder?

In case of which one of the following biogeochemical cycles, the weathering of rocks is the main source of release of nutrient to enter the cycle?

Which of the following are detritivores?

1. Earthworms

2. Jellyfish

3. Millipedes

4. Seahorses

5. Woodlice

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The 'Common Carbon Metric', supported by UNEP, has been developed for

Which of the following have species that can establish symbiotic relationship with other organisms?

1. Cnidarians

2. Fungi

3. Protozoa

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

With reference to Chausath Yogini Temple situated near Morena, consider the following statements:

1. It is a circular temple built during the reign of Kachchhapaghata Dynasty.

2. It is the only circular temple built in India.

3. It was meant to promote the Vaishnava cult in the region.

4. Its design has given rise to a popular belief that it was the inspiration behind the Indian Parliament building.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Which one of the following ancient towns is well-known for its elaborate system of water harvesting and management by building a series of dams and channelizing water into connected reservoirs?

In the first quarter of seventeenth century, in which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the English East India Company located?

1. Broach

2. Chicacole

3. Trichinopoly

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

From the decline of Guptas until the rise of Harshavardhana in the early seventh century, which of the following kingdoms were holding power in Northern India?

1. The Guptas of Magadha

2. The Paramaras of Malwa

3. The Pushyabhutis of Thanesar

4. The Maukharis of Kanauj

5. The Yadavas of Devagiri

6. The Maitrakas of Valabhi

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

According to Portuguese writer Nuniz, the women in Vijayanagara Empire were expert in which of the following areas?

1. Wrestling

2. Astrology

3. Accounting

4. Soothsaying

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

With reference to Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh, which one of the following statements is correct?

Consider the following pairs:

Historical place : Well-known for

1. Burzahom : Rock-cut shrines

2. Chandra-ketugarh : Terracotta art

3. Ganeshwar : Copper artefacts

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

Consider the following statements:

1. It was during the reign of Iltutmish that Chengiz Khan reached the Indus in pursuit of the fugitive Khwarezm prince.

2. It was during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughluq that Taimur occupied Multan and crossed the Indus.

3. It was during the reign of Deva Raya II of Vijayanagara Empire that Vasco da Gama reached the coast of Kerala.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements:

1. St. Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Jesuit Order.

2. St. Francis Xavier died in Goa and a church is dedicated to him there.

3. The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated in Goa each year.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

With reference to the history of ancient India, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Mitakshara was the civil law for upper castes and Dayabhaga was the civil law for lower castes.

2. In the Mitakshara system, the sons can claim right to the property during the lifetime of the father, whereas in the Dayabhaga system, it is only after the death of the father that the sons can claim right to the property.

3. The Mitakshara system deals with the matters related to the property held by male members only of a family, whereas the Dayabhaga system deals with the matters related to the property held by both male and female members of a family.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

With reference to the history of ancient India, Bhavabhuti, Hastimalla and Kshemeshvara were famous

Consider the following statements:

1. The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 recommended granting voting rights to all the women above the age of 21.

2. The Government of India Act of 1935 gave women reserved seats in legislature.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to 8th August, 1942 in Indian history, which one of the following statements is correct?

Who among the following is associated with 'Song from Prison', a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics in English?

With reference to medieval India, which one of the following is the correct sequence in ascending order in terms of size?

Who among the following was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Female School?

In the context of Colonial India, Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sehgal and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon are remembered as

With reference to Indian history, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. The Nizamat of Arcot emerged out of Hyderabad State.

2. The Mysore Kingdom emerged out of Vijayanagara Empire.

3. Rohilkhand Kingdom was formed out of the territories occupied by Ahmad Shah Durrani.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Which one of the following statements is correct?

Consider the following statements:

1. 21st February is declared to be the International Mother Language Day by UNICEF.

2. The demand that Bangla has to be one of the national languages was raised in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

How is the permaculture farming different from conventional chemical farming?

1. Permaculture farming discourages monocultural practices but in conventional chemical farming, monoculture practices are predominant.

2. Conventional chemical farming can cause increase in soil salinity but the occurrence of such phenomenon is not observed in permaculture farming.

3. Conventional chemical farming is easily possibly in semi-arid regions but permaculture farming is not so easily possible in such regions.

4. Practice of mulching is very important in permaculture farming but not necessarily so in conventional chemical farming.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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 raw material for some industries producing lipstick and perfumes.

3. The palm oil can be used to produce biodiesel.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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. Among the following, which one is such river that joins the Indus direct?

With reference to India, Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol and Khatu are the names of

Consider the following rivers:

1. Brahmani

2. Nagavali

3. Subarnarekha

4. Vamsadhara

Which of the above rise from the Eastern Ghats?

Consider the following statements:

1. The Global Ocean Commission grants licences for seabed exploration and mining in international waters.

2. India has received licences for seabed mineral exploration in international waters.

3. 'Rare earth minerals' are present on seafloor in international waters.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Among the following, which one is the least water-efficient crop?

Consider the following statements:

1. In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eastern sections owing to the influence of trade winds.

2. In the temperate zone, westerlies make the eastern sections of oceans warmer than the western sections.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

In the context of India's preparation for Climate-Smart Agriculture, consider the following statements:

1. The 'Climate-Smart Village' approach in India is a part of a project led by the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), an international research programme.

2. The project of CCAFS is carried out under Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) headquartered in France.

3. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India is one of the CGIAR's research centres.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

"Leaf litter decomposes faster than in any other biome and as a result the soil surface is often almost bare. Apart from trees, the vegetation is largely composed of plant forms that reach up into the canopy vicariously, by climbing the trees or growing as epiphytes, rooted on the upper branches of trees."

This is the most likely description of