UPSC Prelims Question Paper Discussion & Answer Key 2024

1. Jhelum River passed through Wular Lake.
2. Krishna River directly feeds Kolleru Lake.
3. Meandering of Gandak River formed Kanwar Lake

How many of the statements given above are correct

Correct Answer : B

1. Kamarajar Port : First major port in India registered as a company
2. Mundra Port : Largest privately owned port in India
3. Visakahpatnam : Largest container ports in India

How many of the above pairs are correct matched?

Correct Answer : B

1. Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
2. Mahua (Madhuca indica)
3. Teak (Tectona grandis)

How many of the above are deciduous trees?

Correct Answer : B

1. India has more arable area than China.
2. The proportion of irrigated area is more in India as compared to China.
3. The average productivity per hectare in India agriculture is higher than that in China.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : B

Correct Answer : D

Correct Answer : D

Correct Answer : C

Correct Answer : A

1. Amarkantak Hillas are at the confluence of Vindhya and Sahyadri Ranges.
2. Biligirirangan Hills constitute the easternmost part of Satpura Range.
3. Seshachalam Hills constitute the southernmost part of Western Ghats.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

Correct Answer : D

1. East-West Corridor under Golden Quadrilateral Project connects Dibrugarh and Surat.
2. Trilateral Highway connects Moreh in Manipur and Chiand Mai in Thailand via Myanmar.
3. Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor connects Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with Kunming in China.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : D

1. Statement – I : India, despite having uranium deposits, depends on coal for most of its electricity production.
2. Statement – II : Uranium, enriched to the extent of at least 60%, is required for the production of electricity.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : C

1. Statement-I :Marsupials are not naturally found in India.
2. Statement-II : Marsupials can thrive only in montane grasslands with no predators.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : C

Correct Answer : A

1. Lion-tailed Macaque
2. Malabar Civet
3. Sambar Deer

How many of the above are generally nocturnal or most active after sunset?

Correct Answer : B

Correct Answer : C

1. Some mushrooms have medical properties.
2. Some mushrooms have psychoactive properties.
3. Some mushrooms have insecticidal properties.
4. Some mushrooms have bioluminescent properties.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : D

1. They build nests by making burrows in the ground.
2. The store their food materials like nuts and seeds in the ground.
3. They are omnivorous.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : B

1. Some microorganism can grow in environments with temperature above the boiling point of water.
2. Some microorganisms can grow in environments with temperature below the freezing point of water.
3. Some microorganisms can grow in highly acidic environment with a pH below 3.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : C

Correct Answer : B

1. Aerosols
2. Foam agents
3. Fire retardants
4. Lubricants

In the making of how many of the above are hydro fluorocarbons used?

Correct Answer : C

1. Statement-I : Interest income from the deposits in Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) distributed to their investors is exempted from tax, but the dividend is taxable.
2. Statement-II : InvITs are recognized as borrowers under the ‘Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002’.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : D

1. Statement-I : In the post-pandemic recent past, many Central Banks worldwide had carried out interest rate hikes.
2. Statement-II : Central Banks generally assume that they have the ability to counteract the rising consumer prices via monetary policy means.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : A

1. Statement-I : Carbon markets are likely to be one of the most widespread tools in the fight against climate change.
2. Statement-II : Carbon markets transfer resources from the private sector to the State.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : C

Correct Answer : A

1. Government Bond Market
2. Call Money Market
3. Treasury Bill Market
4. Stock Market

How many of the above are included in capital markets?

Correct Answer : B

Correct Answer : B

1. The Government of India provides Minimum Support Price for niger (Guizotia abyssinica) seeds.
2. Niger is cultivated as a Kharif crop.
3. Some tribal people in India use niger seed oil for cooking.
4. How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : C

1. Brand recognition
2. Inventory
3. Intellectual property
4. Mailing list of clients

How many of the above are considered intangible investments?

Correct Answer : C

1. Forest and ecology
2. Governance reforms
3. Stable government
4. Tax and fiscal efforts
5. Demographic performance

For the horizontal tax devolution, the Fifteenth Finance Commission used how many of the above as criteria other than population area and income distance?

Correct Answer : B

1. Affordable housing
2. Mass rapid transport
3. Health care
4. Renewable energy

On how many of the above does UNOPS Sustainable Investments in Infrastructure and Innovation (S3i) initiative focus for its investments?

Correct Answer : D

Correct Answer : C

1. Statement-I : In India, prisons are managed by state Governments with their own rules and regulations for the day-to-day administration of prisons.
2. Statement-II: In India, prisons are governed by the Prisons Act, 1894 which expressly kept the subject of prisons in the control of Provincial Governments.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : C

Correct Answer : C

Correct Answer : A

1. The National Commission for Backward Classes.
2. The National Human Rights Commission
3. The National Law Commission
4.   The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

How many of the above are constitutional bodies?

Correct Answer : A

1. If the election of the President of India is declared void by the Supreme Court of India, all acts done by him/her in the performance of duties of his/her office of President before the date of decision become invalid.
2. Election for the post of the President of India can be postponed on the ground that some Legislative Assemblies have been dissolved and elections are yet to take place.
3. When a Bill is presented to the President of India, the Constitution prescribes time limits within which he/she has to declare his/her assent.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : D

1. When the Lok Sabha transmits Finance Bill to the Rajya Sabha, it can amend or reject the Bill.
2. When the Lok Sabha transmits Money Bill to the Lok Rajya Sabha, it cannot amend or reject the Bill, it can only make recommendations.
3. In the case of disagreement between the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, there is no joint sitting for Money Bill, but a joint sitting becomes necessary for Finance Bill.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : A

1. Once the Central Government notifies an area as ‘Community Reserve’
2.   The Chief Wildlife Warden of the State becomes the governing authority of such forest
3. Hunting is not allowed in such area
4. People of such area are allowed to collect non-timber forest produce

How many of the above statement are correct?

Correct Answer : B

1. Within a State, the notification of an area as Scheduled area takes place through an Order of the President.
2. The largest administrative unit forming the Scheduled Area is the District and the lowest is the cluster of villages in the Block.
3. The Chief Ministers of the concerned States are required to submit annual reports to the Union Home Ministry on the administration of Scheduled Areas in the States.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : B

1. Statement-I : The Supreme Court of India has held in some judgments that the reservation policies made under Article 16(4) of the Constitution of India would be limited by Article 335 for maintenance 1.0of efficiency of administration.
2. Statement-II : Article 335 of the Constitution of India defines the term ‘efficiency of administration’.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : C

Correct Answer : A

1. The concept of Stupa is Buddhist in origin.
2. Stupa was generally a repository of relics.
3. Stupa was a votive and commemorative structure in Buddhist tradition.

How many of the statement given above are correct?

Correct Answer : B

Correct Answer : B

Correct Answer : D

1. Hoysala
2. Gahadavala
3. Kakatiya
4. Yadava

How many of the above dynasties established their kingdoms in early eighth century AD?

Correct Answer : D

1. Devichandragupta : Bilhana
2. Hammira Mahakavya : Nayachandra Suri
3. Milinda-panya : Nagarjuna
4. Nitivakyamrita : Somadeva Suri

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Correct Answer : C

Correct Answer : B

Correct Answer : A

Correct Answer : C

Correct Answer : D

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?

Correct Answer : B

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 child birth.
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?

Correct Answer : D

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

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer : A

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 group which results in the immediate turning off of the hard drive
3. Detection of the tilt of the smart phone which results in the rotation of display between portrait and landscape mode

In how many of the above actions is the function of accelerometer required?

Correct Answer : C

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 nutrient for fish in water.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

Correct Answer : B

1. Cepheilds : Giant clouds of dust and gas in space
2. Nebulae : Stars which brighten and dim periodically
3. Pulsars : Neutron stars that are formed when massive stars run out of fuel and collapse

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Correct Answer : A

Correct Answer : D

1. Ballistic missiles are jet-propelled at subsonic speeds throughout their fights, which 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?

Correct Answer : D

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?

Correct Answer : C

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?

Correct Answer : C

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

How many of the above-mentioned countries share a land border with Ukraine?

Correct Answer : A

Correct Answer : C

1. Statement-I : The soil in tropical rain forests is rich in nutrients.
2. Statement-II : The high temperature and moisture of tropical rain forests cause dead organic matter in the soil to decompose quickly.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : D

1. Statement-I : The temperature contrast between continents and oceans is greater during summer than in winter.
2. 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?

Correct Answer : D

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?

Correct Answer : C

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

How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : D

Correct Answer : A

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 t he form of carbonated waters

How many of the above activities are often considered and discussed for carbon capture and sequestration?

Correct Answer : C

Correct Answer : A

Correct Answer : A

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?

Correct Answer : B

1. It is possible to make payments in a digital currency without using 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?

Correct Answer : C

Correct Answer : D

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?

Correct Answer : B

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

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : B

1. Statement-I : According to the United Nations’ ‘World Water Development Report, 2022’, India extracts more than a quarter of the world’s groundwater withdrawal each year.
2. Statement-II : India needs to extract more than a quarter of the world’s groundwater each year to satisfy the drinking water and sanitation needs of almost 18% of world’s population living in its territory.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : C

1. According to the Constitution of India, the Central Government has a duty to protect States from internal disturbances.
2. The Constitution of India exempts the States from providing legal counsel to a person being held for preventive detention.
3. According to the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002, confession of the accused before the police cannot be used as evidence.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : A

Correct Answer : D

1. In India, the Biodiversity Management Committees are key to the realization of the objectives of the Nagoya Protocol.
2. The Biodiversity Management Committees have important functions in determining access and benefit sharing, including the power to key collection fees on the access of biological resources within its jurisdiction.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer : C

1. The members nominated to either House of the Parliament or the Legislative Assemblies of States are also eligible to be included in the Electoral College.
2. Higher the number of elective Assembly seats, higher is the value of vote of each MLA of that State.
3. The value of vote of each MLA of Madhya Pradesh is greater than that of Kerala.
4. The value of vote of each MLA of Puducherry is higher than that of Arunachal Pradesh because the ratio of total population to total number of elective seats in Puducherry is greater as compared to Arunachal Pradesh.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : A

Correct Answer : A

1. Besnagar : Shaivite cave shrine
2. Bhaja : Buddhist cave shrine
3. Sittanavasal : Jain cave shrine

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Correct Answer : B

1. Statement-I : 7th August is declares as the National Handloom Day.
2. Statement-II : It was in 1905 that the Swadeshi Movement was launched on the same day.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : A

1. Statement-I : One of the standard sized of the National Flag of India is 600 mm x 400 mm.
2. Statement-II : The ratio of the length to the height (width) of the Flag shall be 3 : 2

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : D

1. Statement-I : The Constitution Day is celebrated on 26th November every year to promote constitutional values among citizen.
2. Statement-II : On 26th November, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India set up a Drafting Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar to prepare a Draft Constitution of India.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : C

1. Statement-I : Switzerland is one of the leading exporters of gold in terms of value.
2. Statement-II : Switzerland has the second largest gold reserve in the world.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : C

1. Statement-I : Recently, the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) have launched the Trade and Technology Council’.
2. Statement-II : The USA and the EU claim that through this they are trying to bring technological progress and physical productivity under their control.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : C

1. Statement-I : India accounts for 3.2% of global export of goods.
2. Statement-II : Many local companies and some foreign companies operating in India have taken advantage of India’s ‘Production-linked Incentive’ scheme.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : D

1. Limits the levels of the budgetary deficit of the countries of the European Union
2. Makes the countries of the European Union to share their infrastructure facilities
3. Enables the countries of the European Union to share their technologies

How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : A

1. Recently, all the countries of the United Nations have adopted the first-ever compact for international migration, the ‘Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM)’.
2. The objectives and commitments stated in the GCM are binding on the UN member countries.
3. The GCM addresses internal migration or internally displaced people also in its objectives and commitments.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : D

1. Home Guards are raised under the Home Guards Act and Rules of the Central Government.
2. The role of the Home Guards is to serve as an auxiliary force to the police in maintenance of internal security.
3. To prevent infiltration on the international border/coastal areas, the Border Wing Home Guards Battalions have been raised in some States. (d) None

How many of the above statements are correct?

Correct Answer : B

1. Unauthorized wearing : The Official Secrets of police or military Act, 1923 uniforms
2. Knowingly misleading : The Indian Evidence or otherwise inter- Act, 1872 fering with a police officer or military officer when engaged in their duties
3. Celebratory gunfire : The Arms (Amend- Which can endanger ment) Act, 2019 the personal safety of others

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Correct Answer : B

1. North Kivu and Ituri : War between America and Azerbaijan
2. Nagorno-Karabakh : Insurgency in Mozambique
3. Kherson and : Dispute between Zaporizhzhia Israel and Lebanon

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Correct Answer : D

1. Statement-I : Israel has established diplomatic relations with some Arab States.
2. Statement-II : The ‘Arab Peace Initiative’ mediated by Saudi Arabia was signed by Israel and Arab League.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Answer : C

1. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award : For the most spectacular and outstanding performance by a sportsperson over period of last four years
2. Arjuna Award : For the lifetime achievement by a sportsperson
3. Dronacharya Award : To honor eminent coaches who have successfully trained sportspersons or teams
4. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar : To recognize the contribution made by sportspersons even after their retirement

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Correct Answer : B

1. It was the first time that Chess Olympiad was held in India.
2. The official mascot was named ‘Thambi’.
3. The trophy for the winning team in the open section is the Vera Menchik Cup.
4. The trophy for the winning team in the women’s section is the Hamiltion-Russell Cup.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

Correct Answer : B

1. Donbas : Syria
2. Kachin : Ethiopia
3. Tigray : North Yemen

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Correct Answer : D

Correct Answer : D

1. Fertilizer plants
2. Oil refineries
3. Steel plants

Green hydrogen is expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing how many of the above industries?

Correct Answer : C

1. The G-20 group was originally established as a platform for the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to discuss the international economic and financial issues.
2. Digital public infrastructure is one of India’s G-20 priorities.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer : C