1. The powers of Attorney General of India includes
1. right to speak in Parliament
2. right to vote in Parliament
3. right to become member of Parliamentary committees
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
a) 1 and 2
b) 1 and 3
c) only 1
d) 1,2 and 3
Answer & Explanation
b) 1 and 3. AG does not have the power to vote in parliament.
2. Which of the following actions can the President perform on a money bill presented to him/her ?
1. pass it
2. reject it
3. return it once, but if it comes bacl he/she has to give assent
4. pocket veto it
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1 and 4 only
Answer & Explanation
a) 1 and 2 only. President cannot return or pocket veto a money bill. He/She can either pass it or reject it.
3. Mughal paintings were characterised by :
1. depiction of themes of court life and landscapes
2. representation of women.
3. religious in content.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) 3 only
d) None
Answer & Explanation
a) 1 only. Women representation was very low in Mughal paintings. Further, any religious depiction was totally prohibited. The Mughal paintings of India revolved around themes, like battles, court scenes, receptions, legendary stories, hunting scenes, wildlife, portraits, etc.
4. What is CA-MRSA ?
a) missile system developed by Israel.
b) computer worm designed to attack industrial programmable logic controllers.
c) bacteria resistant to certain antibiotics
d) California based exploration project of Mars.
Answer & Explanation
c) bacteria resistant to certain antibiotics. Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). When MRSA bacteria cause infection in people who have not been hospitalized nor had a medical procedure within the last year, it is called CA-MRSA.CA-MRSA is usually spread through direct physical contact or through contact with objects contaminated with infected bodily fluids.
5. Indian farmers avail the facility of short term loans, the duration of which is :
a) 6 months
b) 9 months
c) 12 months
d) 15 months
Answer & Explanation
d) 15 months. Finance required for production can be divided broadly into : (a) short-term (for periods up to 15 months) ; ( and ) medium-term (from 15 months up to 5 years) and (c) long-term (above 5 years). Short-term loans are required for purchasing seeds, manures and fertilizers or for meeting labour charges, etc.
6. The official rate of interest charged by the Reserved Bank of India on loans to other banks is called :
a) Repo Rate
b) Reverse Repo Rate
c) Bank Rate
d) Prime Lending Rate
Answer & Explanation
c) Bank Rate. The interest rate at which a nation’s central bank ( RBI is India ) lends money to domestic banks is called bank rate. Repo rate is the rate at which the central bank of a country (RBI in India) lends money to commercial banks in the event of any shortfall of funds. The reverse repo rate is the rate at which banks can park surplus funds with RBI. The interest rate charged by banks to their largest, most secure, and most creditworthy customers on short-term loans is called prime lending rate.
7. Consider the following statements :
1. Sholas are patches of deciduous forests in Nilgiri Hills.
2. Sholas are characterized by the presence of dense forests.
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 & Explanation
d) Neither 1 nor 2. Sholas are evergreen forests, but because of high-altitude location they are not dense and are separated from each other by grasslands. The Sholas are a mosaic of mountane evergreen forests and grasslands. They are found only in high altitude (>1500 metres asl) regions within the tropics, and are limited to the southern part of the western ghats. They are characterised by undulating grassland patches, interspersed with thickets of stunted evergreen tree species, and are home to a host of endemic and endangered plants and animals
8. What is “Surface Computing” ?
a) It is computing without storing any data in the computer so as to improve security.
b) It is a computer network in which users can access a shared pool of resources.
c) It is the use of specialised Graphical User Interface like touchscreen to interact.
d) None of the above is a correct description of Surface Computing.
Answer & Explanation
c) It is the use of specialised Graphical User Interface like touchscreen to interact. Surface computing is the use of a specialized computer GUI in which traditional GUI elements are replaced by intuitive, everyday objects. Instead of a keyboard and mouse, the user interacts directly with a touch-sensitive screen. It has been said that this more closely replicates the familiar hands-on experience of everyday object manipulation.
9. Consider the following statements :
1. Modern Kuchipudi is considerably different than its ancient original form.
2. Use of speech is not allowed during Kuchipudi’s presentation.
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 & Explanation
a) 1 only. The use of speech during the presentation of Kuchipudi is its distinguishing feature. Like other classical dances, Kuchipudi also comprises pure dance, mime and histrionics but it is the use of speech that distinguishes Kuchipudi’s presentation as dance drama.
10. Red Data books by IUCN contains the list of:
1. wetlands
2. endemic plants and animal
3. threatened plants and animals
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
a) 1 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 3 only
d) None
Answer & Explanation
c) 3 only. The IUCN Red list is set upon precise criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies.Now this is how MCQs could be a bit confusing and difficult. If I ask you what does IUCN red list contains, you will straight away say – threatened species. But if the same questions is asked with multiple choice with close options like endemic species as given above, people start to re-think whether that should be included too. UPSC often does this to check confidence of candidates, so be prepared for these type of questions.
1000 Prelims MCQs with answer & detailed explanation @ Rs 350. Click here for more information.
Please read these important articles about prelims preparation
1. How UPSC asks current affairs in GS Prelims
2. How to practice prelims MCQs for UPSC
3. Applying logic in UPSC General Studies Prelims
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