UPSC PRELIMS 2023 – GS PAPER 1 – ANSWER SOLUTIONS
1. Consider the following statements with reference to India:
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?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWER: OPTION (b) 2 only
EXPLANATION:
Statement 1: The Central Government vide notification S.O. 1702(E). exercising the powers conferred to it under by sub-section (1) and sub-section (9) of section 7 of the ‘Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 (27 of 2006) notified the following criteria for classification of micro, small and medium enterprises, namely:—
(i) a micro enterprise, where the investment in Plant and Machinery or Equipment does not exceed one crore rupees and turnover does not exceed five crore rupees;
(ii) a small enterprise, where the investment in Plant and Machinery or Equipment does not exceed ten crore rupees and turnover does not exceed fifty crore rupees;
(iii) a medium enterprise, where the investment in Plant and Machinery or Equipment does not exceed fifty crore rupees and turnover does not exceed two hundred and fifty crore rupees.
This notification came into effect from 01.07.2020.
Statement 2: Priority Sector Lending Guidelines: In terms of Master Direction on ‘Priority Sector Lending (PSL) – Targets and Classification’ dated September 4, 2020, all bank loans to MSMEs conforming to the conditions prescribed therein qualify for classification under priority sector lending.
SOURCE:
2. With reference to Central Bank digital currencies, consider the following statements:
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?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWER: OPTION (c) Both 1 and 2
3. In the context of finance the term ‘beta’ refers to
(a) the process of simultaneous buying and selling of an asset from different platforms.
(b) an investment strategy of a portfolio manager to balance risk versus reward.
(c) a type of systematic risk that arises where perfect hedging is not possible.
(d) a numeric value that measures the fluctuations of a stock to changes in the overall stock market.
ANSWER: OPTION (d) a numeric value that measures the fluctuations of a stock to changes in the overall stock market.
4. Consider the following statements:
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?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
ANSWER: OPTION (b) Only two
5. Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: India’s public sector health care system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care.
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?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-l and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
ANSWER: OPTION (b) Both Statement-l and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
6. Consider the following statements:
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.
Statement-ll: 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?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-ll are correct and Statement-ll is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-1 is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
(c) Statement-I is correct Statement-II is incorrect
(d) Statement-I is incorrect Statement-II is correct
ANSWER: OPTION (c) Statement-I is correct Statement-II is incorrect
7. Consider the following statements:
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?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
ANSWER: OPTION (b) Only two
8. Which one of the following countries been suffering from decades of civil strife and food shortages and was in news in the recent past for its very severe famine?
(a) Angola
(b) Costa Rica
(c) Ecuador
(d) Somalia
ANSWER: OPTION (d) Somalia
Civil war is going on in Somalia since 2009.
Due to drought in the country for last few years, Somalia is also facing the challenge of famine and acute hunger.
Source –
9. Consider the following statements:
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 levy collection fees on the access of biological resources within its jurisdiction.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWER: OPTION (c) Both 1 and 2
10. Consider the following statements in respect of election to the President of India:
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?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
ANSWER: OPTION (a) Only one
11.Consider the following countries:
1. Bulgaria
2. Czech Republic
3. Hungary
4. Latvia
5. Lithuania
6. Romania
How many of the above-mentioned countries share a land border with Ukraine?
(a) Only two
(b) Only three
(c) Only four
(d) Only five
ANSWER: OPTION (a) Only two
12. With reference to the Earth’s atmosphere, which one of the following statements is correct?
(a) The total amount of insolation received at the equator is roughly about 10 times of that received at the poles.
(b) The Infrared rays constitute roughly two-thirds of isolation.
(c) Infrared waves are largely absorbed by water vapour that is concentrated in the lower atmosphere.
(d) Infrared waves are a part of visible spectrum of electromagnetic waves of solar radiation.
ANSWER: OPTION (c) Infrared waves are largely absorbed by water vapour that is concentrated in the lower atmosphere.
13. Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The soil in tropical rain forests is rich in nutrients
Statement-II: The high temperature and moisture of tropical rainforests causes dead organic matter in the soil to decompose quickly.
Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
ANSWER: OPTION (d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
14. Consider the following statements:
Statement-1: The temperature contrast between continents and oceans is greater during summer than in winter.
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?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-ll are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
(d) Statement-I in incorrect but Statement-Il is correct
ANSWER: OPTION (b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
15. Consider the following statements
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 following statements is/are correct?
(a) 1only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWER: OPTION (c) Both 1 and 2
16. With reference to coal based thermal plant, power plants in India, consider the following statements:
1.None of them uses sea water.
2.None of them is setup in water stressed district.
3.None of them is privately found.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(C) All three
(d) None
ANSWER: OPTION (d) None
17. Wolbachia method is sometimes talked about with reference to which one of the following?
(a) Controlling the viral diseases spread by mosquitoes
(b) Converting crop residues into packing material
(c) Producing biodegradable plastics
(d) Producing biochar from thermo-chemical conversion of biomass
ANSWER: OPTION (a) Controlling the viral diseases spread by mosquitoes
18.Consider the following activities:
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 the form of carbonated.
How many of the above activities are often considered and discussed for carbon capture and sequestration?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
ANSWER: OPTION (c) All three
19. Aerial metagenomics best refers to which one of the following situations?
(a) Collecting DNA samples from air in a habitat at one go
(b) Understanding the genetic makeup of avian species of a habitat
(c) Using air-borne devices to collect blood samples animals from moving
(d) Sending drones to inaccessible areas to collect plant and animal samples from land surfaces and water bodies
ANSWER: OPTION (a) Collecting DNA samples from air in a habitat at one go.
20. Microsatellite DNA is used in the case of which one of the following?
(a) Studying the evolutionary relationships among various species of fauna
(b) Stimulating stem cells transform into diverse functional tissues
(c) Promoting clonal propagation of horticultural plants
(d) Assessing the efficacy of drugs by conducting series of drug trials in a population
ANSWER: OPTION (b) Stimulating stem cells transform into diverse functional tissues.
21. With reference to the Indian history Alexander Rea, A. H Longhurst, Robert sewell, James Burgess and Walter Elliot were associated with
(a) archaeological excavation
(b) establishment of English press in colonial India
(c) establishment of churches in princely states
(d) construction of Railways in colonial India
ANSWER: OPTION (a) archaeological excavation
22. Consider the following pairs
Site Well known for
1.Besnagar : Shaivite cave shrine
2.Bhaja : Buddhist cave shrine
3.Sittanavasal : Jain cave Shrine
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
(a) only one
(b) only two
(c) All three
(d) None
ANSWER: OPTION (c) All three
23. Consider the following statements
Statement-I
7th August is declared as the National Handloom day
Statement-II
lt was in 1905 that the Swadeshi Movement was launched on the same day
Which one of the following is correct in respect to the above statement
(a) Both statement l and statement ll are correct and statement ll is the correct explanation of statement l
(b) Both statement l and statement ll are correct and statement ll is not the correct explanation of statement l
(c) Streatment l is correct but statement ll is incorrect
(d) statement is l incorrect but statement ll is correct
ANSWER: OPTION (a) Both statement l and statement ll are correct and statement ll is the correct explanation of statement l
24. Consider the following statements in respect of the National Flag of India according to the Flag Code of India, 2002:
Statement-I:
One of the standard sizes the National Flag of India of 600 mm x 400 mm
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?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-il are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-l
(c) Statement-1 is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
(d) Statement-1 is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
ANSWER: OPTION (d) Statement-1 is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
25. Consider the following statements respect of the Constitution Day:
Statement-1: The Constitution Day is celebrated on 26th November every year to promote constitutional values among citizens.
Statement-ll: On 26th November 1949 the the Constituent Assembly of India set up a Drafting Committee under 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?
(a) Both Statement-1 and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-1
(c) Statement-1 is correct but Statement-11 is incorrect
(d) Statement-1 is incorrect but Statement-11 is correct
ANSWER: OPTION (c) Statement-1 is correct but Statement-11 is incorrect
26. Consider the following statements
Statement l: Switzerland is one of the leading exporters of gold in terms of value.
Statement ll: Switzerland has the second largest gold reserve in the world.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statement
(a) Both statement l and statement ll are correct and statement ll is the correct explanation of statement l
(b) Both statement l and statement ll are correct and statement ll is not the correct explanation of statement l
(c) Statement l is correct but statement ll is incorrect
(d) statement is l incorrect but statement ll is correct
ANSWER: OPTION (c) Statement l is correct but statement ll is incorrect
Switzerland is a major exporter of gold because it refines gold in large quantity and not because it has large gold reserves.
27. Consider the following statement
Statement l:
Recently the United States of America and European Union have launched the trade and Technology Council.
Statement ll:
The USA and the EU claims that truth this they are trying to bring Technology progress and physical productivity under their control which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both statement l and statement ll are correct and statement ll is the correct explanation of statement l
(b) Both statement l and statement ll are correct and statement ll is not the correct explanation of statement l
(c) Statement l is correct but statement ll is incorrect
(d) Statement is l incorrect but statement ll is correct
