Civil Service Exam's Resource Center

Designations

2008-02-18T17:38:00.000+05:30

Officers in the IAS join in the Junior Time Scale. After 4 years of service they are promoted to the Senior Time Scale which is equivalent to an Under Secretary of Govt of India, after 9 years they are promoted to the Junior Administrative Grade when they can be placed as Deputy Secretaries to Govt of India. After completing 13 years of service, they are granted the Selection Grade when they can be placed as Directors in Govt of India. The ranks after that are - Joint Secretary (GOI), Additional Secretary (GOI) and Secretary (GOI) which is the highest rank carrying the basic pay of Rs 26,000. Then there is the Cabinet Secretary (only one in India) who carries a basic pay of Rs 30,000. The State Governments however have a kind of a leverage to post these officers. Normally when an IAS officer joins the State, he is placed as a Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM). Ideally he is to be made in charge of a District after completing 9 years of service and entering the Junior Administrative Grade but in certain States, even younger IAS officers are made in charge of Districts (Known as District Magistrates (DM), Deputy Commissioners (DCs) or Collectors).

UPSC Civil Services Exam Interview - II

2008-02-04T10:59:00.000+05:30

The Kothari Committee of the UPSC, has listed the qualities that should be rated in the interview as, ''clarity of expression, grasp of narrative and argument, reasoning ability, appreciation of different points of view, awareness and concern for socio-economic problems, ranges and depth of interests and personal attributes relevant to interaction with people.''

The Interview for the civil services examination also known as the Personality Test is exactly that. It is aimed at assessing the candidate’s personality, whether he is suitable to be a competent administrator or not. The candidate is tested not only for his/her intelligence but also for his/her overall personality development, his/her attentiveness, balance of judgement and qualities of honesty, integrity and leadership. Therefore preparation for the Interview requires proper planning.

The selectors look out for some attributes in the candidate and decide whether he/she is suited for a career in civil services or not. For this,the candidate should have a positive attitude, should have an alert mind with quick reflexes, should be free from any sort of prejudice, should be good at making quick decisions and should have the ability to act under stress and to handle difficult situations.

Preparation for the Interview is a continuous process.

This involves a wide reading of books, journals, magazines and at least two newspapers. One should try to improve his/her conversational skills with the right pronunciation. The candidate should be prepared to answer questions on his background, hobbies and extra curricular activities. It is a good idea to discuss current affairs and recent issues with friends. One good way of rehearsing possible questions would be to have mock interviews and discussion groups. The candidate should make a self analysis of his strengths and weaknesses and make a conscious effort to play on his strengths.

Some useful tips for a successful interview at UPSC are:

To have a positive body language
To have a good personal turnout and ensuring the right posture
To answer questions clearly and confidently
Try to remain calm and composed even when faced with provocative questions
Try not getting into long winded explanations and answer to the point.

Things To Be Avoided at the UPSC Interview

Avoid the expression, 'I am sorry.'
Avoid conversational cliches, like: 'as you know', 'that's correct', 'of course', 'indeed', 'obviously', etc.
Avoid technical jargon. However, if a member continues to probe you in any technical field, you can use technical expressions.
Maintain a cheerful disposition. Now and then you can appear serious; but most of the time keep smiling or look cheerful and composed. One caution here: if the board laughs, you should only smile. It is only when you maintain some amount of distance that the board begins to wonder about the depth of your personality.
Do not give long introductions. Come straight to the heart of the matter.
Show human concern whenever possible in your answers.
You should be logically consistent and analyse things rationally while talking. You are supposed to defend what you say, but with due respect to the views of the board. Stop trying to defend an answer if it becomes difficult to do so logically and fairly.
Do not make hasty or sweeping generalisations.

According to UPSC report, it has been observed that from 1979 onwards, 90 percent of the candidates who qualify for interview hover around the minimal percentage of 55 percent that is prescribed for the test. However to be assured of a Class I service, one has to generally obtain about 58 percent marks. It has been noticed that only those, securing 60 percent and above are sure of getting a service of their own choice. The figures clearly reveal that the marks in the interview test play a determining role in final selection of candidates.

Types of questions asked at the UPSC interview.

Relating to your name. Any famous personality who has a similar or same name or surname.
Your career choice. Why you want to opt for the civilservices.
Your Hobbies. Why you pursue such a hobby or questions related to your hobby. So reasearch well on your hobby.
Hot topics of recent days like the Bird Flu and Tamiflu, Office of Profit, Sahara airlines deal and the growing airlines,Terror attacks in India, India US Nuclear deal, Commonwealth games, Saurav Ganguly etc. Keep reading and watching the news. If the recent headlines have something to do with your subject then specially revise those portions. For example if you are a veterinary doctor, Bird flu may go on to other animal diseases that can infect men. If you are an MBBS, then you might be asked about human to human spread of epidemics or any other epidemics and precautions etc. You may even be asked about the influence of MNC or drug manufacturers responsible for the spread of fear etc. If you are from an economy background, the same topic will veer towards the economic implications of the Bird flu.
How you are going to use your specific knowledge(like if you are a doctor, lawyer, engineer etc) in the services.
Situational questions. Like If you were the collector/SP of Varanasi, what would you do after the Bomb Blast?
Choice of services. The order of your choice of services can raise questions too.
About your institution and related.If you have studies at IIM you may be asked about the rising salaries, if from IGNOU then even about Indira Gandhi and so on.
From your form. You must go through the form you have filled because most questions will arise from there. If you have changed subjects, mentioned anything out of the way, watch out for questions on them. Interviewers take cue from the form you have filled.

Some actual questions asked of UPSC candidates.

Don't you think you can serve your country better by remaining a doctor and treating poor patients? Why do you want to be a civil servant?"
It would be best to answer this question very practically rather than emotionally saying you want to serve the country, because even a doctor serves the people. A doctor from Kerala was asked this Question and her reply was - "Because I want to treat the primary malady that afflicts our country, that creates so many poor in India. As a doctor I can treat only secondary maladies." She even came up with exact statistics and suggestions on a rubber plantation for poverty alleviation indicating that she had spent considerable time and thoughts on her future plans. She was awarded a score of 85 per cent.
"What are the problems faced by wheat cultivators in your state?" an M.Sc. (Agriculture) student from Palanpur was once asked. "The problem is not so much to do with agronomy but with the lack of a seed bank in Palanpur," came the reply and the candidate walked away with an 80 per cent score.
"Is there a law in physics, which is relevant to administration?" a law graduate was prompted. "Yes. Newton's third law of motion: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." He scored a cool 80 per cent.
The above questions can give you an idea of how relevant questions are asked from your subjects even as they are not directly from the syllabus.

UPSC Civil Services Exam Interview - I

2008-02-04T10:57:00.000+05:30

Even though the interview carries 300 marks with no minimum qualifying marks, it is the deciding factor at many times of your being within the services or out of it and in the least matters in which service you get. However since the interview is so personal and variable it is most desirable to do very well in the written mains. But an Interview can make or break you so take your personality development rather seriously and make sure to attend some mock interviews at leading institutes.

UPSC Interview Questions

UPSC Interview questions range from questions about your choice of subject to why you want to join the civil services. It is good to answer honestly but at the same time avoid cliches like wanting to do service to the nation etc. Questions on your hobbies are imperative so prepare well as they expect some indepth knowledge on that. Questions relating to your name, your college or school name are also a big posibility. If someone well-know shares one of these names please also prepare on that. Also learn up about important events on the year or date of your birth. As you can see, UPSC Interview questions are mainly from what you have filled in your form including your subject but here it is more a test of logic and presentation and awareness rather than pure subject knowledge. In the UPSC interview many questions are situational like what will you do if a Tsunami strikes your district and you are the DM/Collector/SP. Questions on your choice of service preference also need to be prepared. Current affairs analysis is important too.

Tips to improve your performance at the UPSC Interview

There are generally 5 members at the board with the Chairperson seated at the center. Enter confidently and greet the Chairperson, who will probably welcome you, and pleasantly nod at other members. Wait till you are asked to sit.
Intelligent listing is the mantra, and for this maintaining eye contact is very important. You should not glare but all the same appear attentive and do not glance at other members, it can be very distracting for the interviewer. However if some other member asks you anything, look at that member and answer and turn back to the first - this is what we do in normal attentive listening.
Do not fidget or throw your hands around, or shake your head. Less amount of movement does not mean you should sit unnaturally stiff. Your posture should be attentive and relaxed at the same time. Do not crouch/bend forward or place your hands on the table.
Cut your answer short to the required patience shown by the member talking to you. They usually like to talk more, so listen carefully and think for a few seconds before you start answering the question. This will show that you are organising your thoughts in mind before starting to speak.
Leave some room for difference in opinion. Do take a stand, but do not look adamant or unwilling to appreciate the board's opinion.
Use couple of words from the question while answering any question. It shows you have listened to the question carefully. But at the same time limit the use the technical jargon.
Listen very carefully. Come to the central issue of the enquiry immediately. Wild guessing or speculation are a complete no no.
Do not start evaluating your performance while still inthe interview. Even if you have committed mistakes in the beginning, do not think that you have already lost the game. They are looking for warm, sensitive respectful and attentive youngsters. They know you are good or you would not have come so far.
Talk humbly about your achievements and hobbies. You may have mentioned some hobbies in the form without serious background in them, but before the interview it would be useful to pick up some basic info on the hobby.
Say less to convey more. Less is more these days as per the minimalist creed. Argue logically and generalise correctly. Do not try to read too much between the lines.
Remember, while answering any question, what is easy to see is easy to miss. We often tend to miss the obvious and go for some non-crucial aspect of the subject.
Get up to leave only when the chairperson asks you to, not because you think everyone has asked a question. Similarly, even if someone has not asked a question and the chairperson asks you to leave then please leave. Some members do not ask questions at all, due to various reasons like limited time.
Before leaving politely thank the chairperson and nod at the others politely. Avoid saying "Have a good day sir". A "Thank you Sir/Madam" is enough.

Question Paper:CSE MAINS 2007 Essay and General Studies I & II

2008-02-02T11:23:00.000+05:30

UPSC: IAS 2007 – ESSAY (Question Paper)

ESSAY (Compulsory)

Time Allowed: Three Hours Max. Marks: 200

Instruction: The Essay must be written in the medium specified in the admission certificate issue to you. The name of medium must be stated clearly on the cover of the answer-book in the space provided for the purpose. No credit will be given to the essay written in a medium other than that specified in the admission certificate.

(Examiner will pay special attention to the candidate’s grasp of his material, it’s relevant to the subject chosen and to his ability to think constructed and present his ideas concisely, logically and effectively.

Write an Essay on any one of the following topics:

(I). Independent thinking should be encouraged right form the childhood.

(II). Evaluation of Panchayati Raj System in India from the point of view of eradication of power to people.

(III). Attitude makes, habit makes character and character makes a man.

(IV). Is Autonomy the best answer to combat balkanization?

(V). How has satellite television brought about cultural change in Indian mindsets.

(VI). BPO boom in India.

UPSC: IAS MAIN - 2007

GENERAL STUDIES
Paper- I
Time Allowed: Three Hours Maximum Marks: 300

INSTRUCTIONS

Candidates should attempt all question strictly in accordance with the instructions given under each questions. The

number of marks carried by each question is indicated at the end of the question.

1. Answer anyone of the following questions (in about 250 words): 30

(a) What was the character of social religious reforms in the 19th Century and how did they contribute to the national

awakening in India?

(b) The crisis of the colonial order during 1919 and 1939 was directly linked to the constitutional reforms,

disillusionment and militant anti-colonial struggles. Elucidate.

2. Answer any two of the following questions (in about 150 words each) : 15x2 = 30

(a) What are the salient features of the Government of India Acts of 1858 and 1909?

(b) Do you think Mahatma Gandhi's support to Khilafat Movement had diluted his secular credentials? Give your

argument based on the assessment of events.

independence.

3. Write about the following (not 20 words each) : 2x15 = 30

(a) Age of Sangam Literature

(b) Bhakti

(d) Charvakas

(e) Ajivikas

(f) Gandhara Art

(g) Mlechchas

(h) Lingayats

(i) Megasthenes

(j) R. C. Dutt

(k) Nagarjunakonda

(1) Pastoralism

(m) Rudramadevi

(n) Sati

(0) Ramanuja

4. Answer any two of the following questions (in about 125 words each) : l0x2=20

(a) Explain how the Himalayan and the Tibetan highlands play an important role in the development of the South West

monsoon.

(b) Technological changes have brought in a major shift in the use of roads as transport corridors in India. How far do

you agree with this view?

5. Write notes on the following (in about 20 words each): 2 x 5= 10

(a) Special Economic Zone (SEZ)

(b) Inceptisol

(d) Indira Point

(e) Causes of Chambal Ravines

6. Answer anyone of the following questions (in about 250 words) : 30

(a) What is a Constitution? What are the main sources of the Indian Constitution?

(b) Bring out the differences between the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy. Discuss some

of the measures taken by the Union and State Governments for the implementation of the Directive Principles of State

Policy.

7. Answer anyone of the following questions (in about 250 words): 30

(a). What is regionalism ? In which way regionalism has affected the Indian Polity.

(b). what are the Main determination of voting behavior in India?

8. Answer any two of the following questions (in about 150 words each): 15x2 = 30

(a) What are the exceptions when the President of India is not bound by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers?

(b) What is pro tem Speaker?

(e) Under what circumstances, Parliament may legislate on State subjects?

9. Answer the following questions (in about 20 words each): 2 x 5 = 10

(a). What is criminalization of politics?

(b). How president of India elected?

(c). what is casting vote?

(d). what is the difference between council of Minister and Cabinet?

(e). what is the importance of Right to constitutional remedies?

10. Answer anyone of the following questions (in about 250 words): 30

(a). what were the main recommendations of the Platform for Action (PFA) adopted at the Beijing Women Conference

1995?

(b) Discuss the steps to get rid of child labour in India.

11. Answer any two of the following questions (in about 125 words each): l0x2=20

(a) What is stealth technology?

(b) Differentiate between Natural and Cultural heritage.

12. Write notes on any two of the following (in about 125 words each) : I0x2=20

(a) Integrated Child Services (lCDS) Development

(b) Prime Minister's 5-point agenda for India's development as a knowledge society

13. Write short notes on the following ( in about 20 words each ) 2 x 5 = 10

(a) Yakshagana

(h) PACE.

(d) The Statue of Liberty

(e) Genome

GENERAL STUDIES
Paper- II
Time Allowed: Three Hours Maximum Marks: 300

INSTRUCTIONS

Candidates should attempt all question strictly in accordance with the instructions given under each questions. The

number of marks carried by each question is indicated at the end of the question

1. Answer any two of the following (answer to each question should be in about 150 words): 15x2=30

(a) Indo-Russian Defence Co-operation

(b) India's response, to political crisis In Bangladesh

2. Write about the following (answer to each question should be in about 20 wordS): 2x5= I 0

(a) SAFTA

(b) India and East Asia Summit (EAS)

(d) Panchsheel in India's Foreign Policy

(e) Relevance of NAM

3. Write about the following (answer to each question should be in about 20 words) : 2x5=10

(a) Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojana, 2006

(b) Indian All-Women Contingent to Liberia

(d) Know India Programme (KIP)

(e) Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs

4. Answer anyone of the following (in about 250 words): 30

(a). What is Dumping? Evaluate the remedial measures taken by Government of India vis-à-vis WTO provisions

regarding dumping.

(b) Comment on the relationship between credit availability and agricultural growth in India.

5. Answer any two of the following (answer to each question should be in about 150 words )

(a). What is the meaning and aim of social forestry ? What are the main weakness noticed in social forestry

programme?

(b). Bring out the main objective of Rastriya Krishi Bima Yojana. The scheme is being implemented by which agency.

(c). Explain Mega Food park Scheme of Government of India.

6. Write about the following (answer to each question should be in about 20 words ) : 2x15 = 30

(a) Explain the term Merit Goods

(b) What is Cheap Money?

(d) What is Hot Money?

(e). Explain the Concept Trickle Down Theory

(f) What is Stagflation?

(g) What is Engel's Law?

(h) Meaning of CCIL

(i) What is Administered Price?

(j) What is Venture Capital?

(k) Explain the term Balance on Current Account

(I) What is Consolidated Fund?

(m) What is Budget Deficit?

(n) Explain the term Most Favored Nations

(0) Meaning of Capital- Output Ratio

7. Write about any two of the following (in about 150 words each): 15x2=30

(a) Impact of globalization on state system and its institutions

(b) SAARC Summit 2007

8. Write about the following (in about 20 words each): 2x5 = 10

(a) G-8 Summit 2007

(b) Hyde Act of 2006

(d) Operation Silence

(e) SAARC Human Rights Report 2006

9. Write about the following by expanding and explaining the objectives (in about 20 Words each): 2x5=10

(a) ICT4D

(b) BEMs

(d) BIMSTEC

(e) ECJ

10. Answer any one of the following in about 250 words: 30

(a). Explain the phenomenon of ozone depletion, its cause and effects . What efforts are needed to reduce it.

(b). what do you understanding by the term ‘biodiversity’? Examine the cause and consequence of degeneration of

biodiversity?

11. Answer any two of the following (answer for each question should be in about 150 words) : 15x2=30

(a) What are the alterative fuels available for the transport sector? Discuss their characteristics, advantages 'and

disadvantages in their utilization.

(b) Explain the objectives and the current achievements of human genome project.

12. Answer all the five (in about 20 words each) : 2x5=10

(a) What is firewall ? (b) What is mal ware ?

(i) MPEG (ii) ISP

(iii) HTML (iv) ASCII

(d) What is Root kit?

(e) What is computer architecture?

13. (a) In the year 2000 out of a total 1750 workers of a factory 1200 workers were members of a union. The number of

women employed was 200 of which 175 did not belong to the union. In 2005 , the number of union workers increased to

1510 of which 1290 were men . On the other hand the number of non union workers fell down to 208 of which 180 were

men. 8

(i) Put the above information in a proper table with title.

(ii) Calculate the increase in the percentage of the female workers belonging to the union in that five year period.

(b) The marks obtained by 20 students in a subject are given: 8

32, 62, 72, 46, 52, 74, 53, 42, 58, 61, 59, 46, 36, 76, 58, 77, 62, 48, 36, 39.

Form a frequency distribution table with class interval 10. Also Draw the Histogram.

14. (a) For the following distribution of statistics test grades, construct a frequency polygon and answer the following: 8

(i) How many test grades are greater than 87 ?

(ii) What percentage of test grades are greater than 83?

(iii) What percentage of test grades are lower than72? '

(iv) What percentage of test grades are between 72 and 79 (inclusive )

Test Grades:

73, 92, 57, 89, 70, 95, 75, 80, 47, 88, 47, 48, 64, 86, 79, 72, 71, 77, 93, 55, 75, 50, 53, 75, 85, 50, 82, 45, 40, 82,

60, 89, 79, 65, 54, 93, 60, 83, 59

(b). Construct an appropriate diagram to show the following data of a university: 8

Course No. of Students

Engineering 440

Arts 220

Agriculture 120

Home Science 80

Economic 60

Total = 920

15. (a) What do you understand by 2

(i) Primary and secondary data

(ii) Data classification

(iii) Measures of central tendency

(iv) Characteristics of good average

(b) The mean wage of 100 laborers working in a factory running two shifts of 60 and 40 workers respectively is Rs. 38.

The mean wage of 60 labourers working in the morning shift is Rs 40. Find the mean wage of 40 Labourers working in

the evening shift. 2

(c) The mean age of a group of 5 boys is 16 years. Another boy joins the group and then the mean age of the group

becomes 18 years. How old is the newcomer? 2

(d) Arithmetic means of two completely different sets of values may be same. When extreme values are taken into

consideration, the arithmetic mean is largely affected. Is it merit or demerit of arithmetic mean and give reasons for your statement? 2

UPSC: How to read Newspapers

2007-04-16T23:19:00.000+05:30

HOW TO READ A NEWSPAPER?
Introduction: The current Affairs are an important and interesting part in every one’s life. Starting from Gossiping about Film Industry to latest Political development, every one has some interest in it. Newspapers fulfills the basic requirement of the above needs.Starting from ordinary clerical examination to the to the top most Competitive exams like Civil Services, there are questions on Current Affairs. Normal Current Affairs questions are on PERSONALITIES, PLACES AND NEWS ANALYSIS. One has to follow at least one newspaper to keep abreast of National and International developments. But most of the students don’t know, how to read a newspaper or Read and memorize for their exams. The following write up gives an idea to follow the same for better understanding of Newspapers, which will further improve student’s approach towards newspaper reading.
“ALL THE BEST”
Newspaper reading is an art in itself. It is always advisable to get hooked on to newspaper reading very early in the school days. Before familiarizing yourself with reading a newspaper, it is advisable to get acquainted with the broad contours and some technical terms related to the newspaper.Front page: As the name indicates, is the first, or the front page of the newspaper. The top left hand and the right hand corners on the front page are known as the ‘Ear Panels’. The ‘Ear Panels’ contain advertisements in small boxes. The name of the newspaper, along with the date, place of publication and the ear panels are known as the ‘Masthead’.Lead Story: The lead story of the newspaper is the main, first, or the most prominent story on the front page. It is given in bold letters with big fonts and is the most important story of the day. ‘Banner headline’ - Often in the case of a major natural disaster, or death of a head of State or Government, a ‘banner headline’ is given. Banner headline means a headline spread across the top of the front page.Columns – Every newspaper and every page of a newspaper has eight columns – from left to right. That is, the first column on the left and the eight column on the right.Pages – The number of pages in a newspaper varies from one to another. Leading dailies have between 16-24 pages on weekdays and 32-48 pages on weekends.Supplements – Supplements are also known as magazines. These are separate from the main newspaper. Each day, newspapers have supplements, or magazines. These supplements cover special issues such as fashion, health, cuisine and other material for light reading over the weekend.Layout of the newspaper – This again varies from newspaper to newspaper. But in a standard format, the first page of the newspaper is known as Front page. A front page normally has five-six prominent news stories on issues of national and international importance. Pages second to fourth page are normally reserved for local news stories, though it depends upon each newspaper. If the newspaper is published from Delhi, the local pages would have news reports about Delhi (or any other city) if a newspaper is published from that city. Pages fifth to seventh contain news from various States. Pages eight and nine, are normally the most important pages of the newspaper. These two pages combined form the ‘heart and soul’ of the newspaper and are together known as ‘Centrespread’. These contain, most importantly, editorials (usually two in number), two edit page articles and Letters to the Editor. The page on the left is the ‘Editorial page’ and the one on the right is now known as the ‘Op-ed’ (Opinion-cum-editorial pages) and contains columns written by well-known commentators, analysts, opinion-makers and experts on a particular issue. The editorial page conveys the broad policy of the newspaper management – i.e whether the newspaper is pro-government, anti-government or neutral in the coverage of the news and views that it carries.Pages 10 and 11 are often reserved for international news. The next three-four pages are for news related to Business, stock market and share prices. After these, three-four pages are dedicated to coverage of various national and international sporting events. The last page is often kept for important national and international human-interest stories, that is, stories that would interest any reader. HOW TO READ A NEWSPAPER: Readers and reading are of two broad types: skimming (scanning) and reading. There are different styles of reading for different situations. The technique of reading depends on the purpose of reading. So first of all, you should have the purpose of reading very clear in your mind. For example, one might be reading for enjoyment, information, or to finish a task. If you are researching or reviewing, you might skim through a document. Reading speed depends on the purpose of reading. Skimming is usually done four-five times faster than normal reading. Many people consider skimming and scanning to be search techniques, rather than reading strategies. Skimming is usually resorted for quick identification of the main contents of any given material. Some people read the first and last paragraphs using headlines, sub-headings, summaries, searching for keywords. But while scanning, it is advisable to read the first sentence, for it gives a fair and a broad idea of the contents of that paragraph. Newspaper reading can be easily compared to long-distance running. You should start jogging in the beginning, let the muscles warm up and accelerate a little bit at the halfway mark and sprint only at the last lap of the race. It is thus, strongly advised that if you are a beginner at serious reading of a newspaper, do not skim, or scan to start with. Skimming requires trained movement of eyes from one word, sentence, or paragraph to another. This will come with sustained practice and one must increase the speed of reading gradually. Reading requires careful attention to every word and detail. However, anyone can increase the speed of reading while maintaining equal, or even higher comprehension. If you subscribe to a particular newspaper, slow reading in the beginning is a must to train the eyes for the type and size of the font. There are three factors which can help in enhancing reading speed: (1) willingness to improve, (2) keenness to try out new techniques and (3) motivation levels to practice reading regularly. With practice – and gradually, try to develop a wider and broader eye-span. This will help in reading more words and later on, even sentences, at one glance. Try to increase the eye-span from one sentence to two, then to three, four and then the whole paragraph. For, even physiologically, the movement of the eye is amongst the fastest movements of our body. Hence, it is of utmost importance to control eye movement while reading, for eyes have a peculiar habit of not being fixed at one place and the gaze just keeps shifting to see and visualize more and more.One major difficulty in reading, or even scanning, is that the eyesight, if not trained, has the habit of jumping and skipping words that are difficult to read, or not familiar to the eye. This leads to problems in reading and retention. Often one may misread, or misunderstand a word while reading fast. Thus it is all the more important to read slowly and at a comfortable pace and increase the speed only when the eyesight is properly trained. Certain write-ups like editorials, main stories of the day have to be read carefully. Skimming can be practiced in cases where one is reading for leisure on a weekend, or vacation and perfect it before applying to daily reading. One can of course, formulate own reading techniques for speed-reading with practice.Therefore, start reading by applying these techniques, for being a prospective mass communicator, you will be required to read/scan tonnes of material. However, one major must for reading is that you must not take it as a burden and have to enjoy the entire process. For, as they say – “Bon Chance” (Wish you all the best). CIVIL SERVICES PREPARATION: Civil Services preparation point of view is important in this place, when an aspirant reads a newspaper. If one goes through the previous years questions of Current Affairs, it will give broad idea about the pattern. Normally asked questions are about Personalities, Places, News of National and International importance. Bilateral issues relating to India and other Nations, Visit of Head of the States of other Countries, Visit of Indian President and Prime Minister to other Countries, Important agreements etc. One should concentrate on above items and avoid every day politics, gossip news, crime reports, unimportant corporate news, local issues etc. One should concentrate on the first page for Latest development, Edit page for Editorial and analysis, ‘Op-ed’ (Opinion-cum-editorial pages) for the views of commentators, analysts, opinion-makers on a particular issue.

UPSC interview of Mr. Gugan

2007-04-16T23:18:00.001+05:30

In my post last I had discussed about the 13th of April, the day that was fixed for my interview. First, I was thinking if I should sit here in front of the computer and type the entire details about it. Then for the sake of record I decided to do that. Here’s the transcript. (please leave your comments)

I was put under Dr. Bhure Lal’s panel. And I was the third person to go in the group of 5 candidates. I was waiting for my turn outside when the second candidate was being interviewed. He was out and said the panel members were very cordial. He wished me best of luck and left. I asked the attendant for some water before I was to go in. As luck would have it, there was no water there and he had to go to fill the bottle. Meanwhile the door was opened for me by another attendant there. I did not wait for the water and delay the process that was to begin. So I entered the room with mouth almost run dry.
There was a lady member among the 5 panel members,including the chairman.
First I wished the lady member and then others.
I was asked to take the seat by the chairman.

Chairman (CM): hello! Guganesan. How are you??
Me: I am very fine, sir.
CM: (he looks at the form again) G ganesan (and just moved his body forward)
(I sensed here that he was in a good mood)
Me: ( I just smile at him) yes sir, Guganesan.
CM: So, you are a chartered Accountant.
Me: yes sir!!
CM :why do you want to come to civil service after CA?
Me: sir, I had decided to join civil service even before doing CA. In fact after clearing my CA I came for civil services preparation immediately.
CM: What is money laundering?
I explain that to him
CM: What is the link between terrorism and money laundering?
I tell him about how terrorism is funded ,about drug deal and all that.
CM : what are the three stages involved in money laundering???
I started explaining. There he stopped me and asked “ do u know the stages or not”
Me: No sir. This is all I know
Then he explained me the stages with its specific names (this was moreover close to what I said, except for the jargons he used)
CM: What are the duties of CA under prevention of money laundering Act?
Me: sir, I’m not aware of any provisions under the Act.
CM: oh, I though they’ll teach u all that in CA.
CM: how much is our Forex reserve?
Me: sir, its 199 billion dollars.
CM: ok, that’s fairly 200 billion dollars. Do you think we are secured?
Me: yes sir. It is said we have so much of reserve that it can fund 13 months of our imports.
CM : I don’t feel secured.
Me: (after giving serious thought) May I ask you why,sir.
(Both the chairman and the lady member bursted in to laughter )
CM: Yes. You have every right to ask me.
( He explained me the reason to which I almost agreed)
CM: How do you manipulate stock market?
I explained him about insider trading, one of the manipulative practices.
CM: why there’s so much of volatility in the stock market now?
I gave two reasons and explained them.1. hike in interest rate. 2. Appreciation of Japanese yen.
Then the chairman showed sign for the lady member to ask questions.

Member 2 (M2): Guganesan, explain over invoicing and under invoicing in foreign trade.
I explained her about that transfer pricing practices which related companies follow.
M2: ok. That relates to transfer pricing . Tell me in general. Suppose I’m an exporter in Tiruppur and you’re my client. I’m billing you at a price less that what it actually is.
I explained how it affects India and said the balance proceeds can be siphoned off to someother countries ( I guess she was looking for that word ‘siphon off’. After I said that she seemed more convinced)
M2: do you think India should accept foreign aid? I want your opinion on that.
Me: Yes Ma’am. I feel India should accept foreign aid. Although India is a developing country and sitting on huge forex reserve it needs so much of fund to finance our infrastructure needs.
M2: Ok. What is the legislation that regulates foreign aid.
Me: (think for a while) Ma’am ,its foreign contribution regulations Act.
M2: that’s. right. But do you think we need such kind of legislation. You know, NGO’s accept lots of foreign aid . do you think it needs to be regulated?
Me:Ma’am I’m not aware of the detailed provisions under the Act. But I know that NGO’s are under an obligation to file some kind of return with RBI after the receipt of the aid. I feel we should have these kind of regulations. B’coz some accountability is ensured on that part of NGO’s . It ensures that money is spent for the said purpose.
M2: But that’s between NGO and the foreign agency why should govt get involved.
Me: yes ma’am. Its true that its only between NGO and foreign agency .but NGO’s involve in social sector projects. So I think that it concern the government. So there is need for regulation.
M2: Ok.what are the preferences u’ve given?
Me: Ma’am I’ve given IAS as my first preference and IFS -2nd, 3rd-IPS and 4Th IRS.
M2: (she just smiled and nodded her head )ok, thank you. (she showed her hand to the third member) I just thanked her and looked in to the eyes of the third member.

M3: who are mafia?
I just gave an vague explanation.
M3: can we call phoolan Devi mafia?
Me: No sir. Mafia operate as network. They are widespread. Whereas Phoolan Devi just had a set of people.
M3: tell me who are the constituents of this Mafia.
Me; (I think for a while. Couldn’t really make out where the discussion is heading) sir, mafia would have set of musclemen.
M3: ok. They’re field staff. But what it takes to organize a crime?
Me: they need a proper plan before anytning is to be committed. And they collude with people on the other side.
M3: who are this people on the other side?
Me: sir, it’s the officials of the government.
M3: do you know chartered accountants play a major part in legalizing their money?
(here I realized why he started this discussion. So much of grudges against CAs, I thought)
Me: sir, there would be very few chartered accountants who are involved in such activities.
M3:Very few? (he looks at the papers in front of him) u’ve given reading as your hobby. What kind of books you read?
I answer that .(both fiction and non fiction)
M3: Have you read this book called “ Sacred game” by Vikram Chandra.?
Me: No sir, I haven’t read that.
M3: Read that book. It talks about how chartered accountants involve in legalizing the mafia’s money. They’re even called counselors.
Me: ok sir I’ll read that.
M3: what is the legislation that exclusively covers organized crime?
Me: no sir, I’m not aware of any specific legislation.
M3: ok. Blogging is your other hobby. On what kind of issues you write.
Me: sir, I have not restricted myself to any field. I write on anything that is interesting . It could be something interesting that happened in my life.
M4:like?
Me: once I wrote about the rag picker boy in my street. (I explained what I wrote in that post. The lady member seemed to be interested too although I dint make any eye contact with her)
M3: So you are interested in human behaviour?
Me: yes sir, u can say that.
M3:ok, now looking at the psyche of Indian people. Why there’s so much of adulteration in our country. Its not found much in other countries. Why only this subcontinent?u know, law allows some qty of stone in rice. There’s adulteration in drugs. Why is it so.
Me: sir, its because of the erosion of values among people in our country. India is a country where so many movies made every year. I think people pick such things from these movies.
M3: but adulteration has been there even before the movies came.
Me: yes sir. That’s true. But after movies these things increased in numbers.
M3: but where do we learn all this. Does historical books and religious books teach us?
Me: no sir. Our religious books and historical book don’t teach us these practices. I think its people’s desire to make easy money. They come out with new ideas and get involved in such things. I think its all about money, sir,
M3: suppose there’s a shop keeper who mixes stones in rice. One day his son falls sick. He buys medicine which is adulterated and his son dies. Do you think he’ll change.
Me: sir, it depends on the person. If he’s really learnt a lesson from this incidence I think he’d change.
M3: I don’t think he’ll change.
(he thanked me and put me onto the 4th member)

M4: so you are from kancheepuram. What’s the name of the famous temple in your town.
Me: sir, its kamakshi amman temple.
M4: what is the name of the legendary who laid the statue there?
Me: I’m sorry sir. I’m not sure of the name.
M4: its adi shankara. How far is that temple from your house.
Me: sir, its 2-3 kms from my house.
M4: oh, so close and still u haven’t bothered to find out that. What is the relationship between culture and reading?
Me: sir , If one person had been unaware of his culture, he can know them by reading any books. That way one can come to know about one’s culture and get them imbibed in his life.
M4: what is culture?
Me: sir, culture is one’s way of life. One’s way of dressing, food habits. It covers these many things.
M4: why do we have so many myths in our life?
I explain him something.
M4:no,,no. u have not really understood what is myth. U know we celebrate diwali.someone killed someone.
Me: (having got the flash in mind)yes sir. We have these kind of festival in life. Although they are based on myths they bring our families together. We celebrate and stay happy. It even disciplines our lives.
M4: “churning milk out of sea” what do you interpret on this.
Me: (almost puzzled) its like getting the best out of something which is in abundance.
M4: how education has churned u?
ME: (having no clue how to address) sir, eduction has helped to meet people from different background. I have learnt to interact with them. And also I;ve been able to understand the values in their life and tried to take it if they are good.
M4: why filmstars are raised to the level of god in tamilnadu?
(M3 interrupts and says even temples have been built)
I explain something .
M4: that’s there’s everywhere. There’s one particular reason. What is it?
Me:no sir. I can’t think of any particular reason.
M4: ok, think on ur way back u;ll get it.
(he thanked me and passed onto the 5th person)

M5:I’ll just ask you few questions. (I was happy to hear tht)
How do you classify land?
Me: sir, agricultural land and non-agricultural land.
M5:ok. That’s one way of saying. U know , u can classify it as mainland and hinterland. (I uttered the word ‘hinterland “along with him, as he was very slowly talking)
And we have islands. Tell me the name of an island in Arabian sea.
Me: sir. Its lakshadweep.
M5: what is the total surface area?
Me:no sir, I’m not aware of that.
M5:ok, I thought since u were staying close to that place u might know that. Ok. Why British came to India, first?
Me: Sir, they came for trade.
M5: but there’s one incidence that prompted them to rule India. What is it?
(Here this member was very vague in framing this question. Then the M3 explained it in a better way for me.)
Me(after serioulsly thinking) no sir, I have never come across any such incidence.
M5: now I’ll give u a topic. I want you to deliberate on this and speak for and against. “All people who come for civil service preparation should not do that”
(I know it sounds confusing)
I spoke about why people want to come to civil service. Reasons like public service, improving the functions of govt. For against the topic I said there;’s so much o f corruption and abuse of power.Said “ civil service is even considered first resort of scoundrel “
(only after coming home I realized that what I spoke under :For” was actually “against” and vice versa. )
M5: do you really think people come for service?
Me: yes sir. There are many people who come for preparation with the public services in mind. In fact, I’m one such person myself.
(then M5 looked at the chairman. )
CM: guganesan, you interview is over . you can leave.

I thanked everyone and left the room. Wow. What a relief when I came out. Now I have to wait for the results. That could be anytime during the second week of May.

UPSC interview of Mr. Vikas Singh

2007-04-16T23:13:00.000+05:30

My interview was scheduled in the fore noon session of 3rd of April 2007. I was interviewed by the board of Prof. D.P Agrawal, an ex dean of IIT, Delhi. The other members were M1, M2, M3 and M4.

The conversation started with Prof. D.P. Agrawal

DPA (Work related)

Vikas tell me about your present company?

How many years weather data you take?

Where did you do your pilot projects for weather insurance?

Is it for rain fed areas or irrigated areas?

So you collect weather data from the field?

Does Hardoi have a weather statation?

Do you think the farmers will understand your questionnaire?

What questions do you ask?

How many questions are there in the questionnaire?

Tell me the important questions?

So, on a 10 point scale how do you rate plant growth?

What discussion do you have with the district officials?

What is a crop cutting experiment?

M1 (IRMA)

What is PRM?
Why rural management? I never heard of Urban Management

Why so many IIMs and so few Rural management? Should the government not open many rural management institutes?

Is the government doing enough for rural sector?

What is the concept of PURA?

Did you ever live in rural areas?

What did you do in Kutch?

DPA:What subjects you had at IRMA? How were they different from normal B-schools?

Did you study about health sector?

What is the health structure in India?

Do you know of any health schemes?

Do you know of any education schemes?

What earlier schemes have been merged in Sarva Siksha Abhiyan?

M2 (Literature)

Who has got the Nobel Prize in literature from India? What was his contribution?

Have you heard of Osama bin Laden? why is he so antagonistic to America?

How are you creative in your writing?

What knowledge do you have about painting styles?

DPA: Don’t you know of any painting styles? Name famous Indian painters

What was Raja Ravi Verma’s painting style?

What is SUPW? Isn’t it compulsory in schools? How is it extra curricular activity?

M3 (Administration)

What is the reason of backwardness of Jharkhand despite rich resource endowment?

But what about corruption? What is the definition of corruption?

What is the effect of corruption?

Who is a public servant? Is he a servant of the people?

If a person from public comes and directs you to allocate resources what will be your response?

Suppose he is an MLA/MP?

What if a cabinet minister of a different ministry asks you to transfer people of your department?

What if your senior officer orders you to do something which your conscience does not allow?

Why do you want to join IAS?

You can have diverse experience elsewhere also, why specifically IAS?

What posts will you get as an IAS officer?

What role will you have as an SDM?

M4
Which two nations are the most recent members to join Eurpean Union?

What problems did you come across in your study in Kutch?

How are these problems being overcome?

Do you think blogs will replace mainstream media?

What do you blog about?

DPA

Tell us one personal experience of yours which can motivate the youth to come forward for rural development?

Why did you criticize the relief and rehabilitation work of Kutch as a reflex action?

What disaster has been predicted by India’s disaster management cell?

If you can not predict a disaster, won't relief always be a reflex action?

Which agency re-built the houses in kutch? I think it was a successful example of Rehabilitation, wasn't it?
What will you do if you don’t get into administrative services?

Will you be able to contribute to rural development if you are placed in some department other than the rural development department?

DPA:Vikas, Your interview is over.

UPSC interview of Mr. Vivek Kumar

2007-04-16T23:10:00.000+05:30

Lets put the promised review on the backburner for a while.

The latest UPSC Mains results are out and the interview process starts in a few days. My days of UPSC glory are finally over. New winners will emerge in a few days and the flood of marriage proposals (which my family had to tide over) will dry up. So, time to go back to my own interview one last time (first time on the blog though).

My interview was taken by the panel of Ms. Arundhati Ghose. Yes, the same Arundhati Ghose of the “Not Now, Not Ever” fame. On August 8, 1996, she made this statement and became a hero of the nation. I remember reading about her then and wondering about diplomats for the first time. Needless to say, ever since I found out that she is a member of the UPSC, I was praying to clear the mains and be interviewed by her panel. The intensity of my prayers increased once I actually cleared the mains. All this despite the fact that she had the most fearsome reputation for stress interviews and at times, of virtually throwing out the candidates if they did not meet her standards. She doesn’t waste time, I was told. Here is one such horror story that was narrated to me:

The candidate had put “gardening” as one of his hobbies. The first question was to name the botanical names of 5 plans in his garden. He couldn’t. Ms. Ghose took him out of the room to the potted plants outside and told him their botanical names. Then, she told him that the interview was over.

I don’t know if this was true or not. But I know of other people (first hand accounts) who actually trembled in front of her. One candidate was so nervous that he picked up papers from the table (which did not belong to him, but to Ms. Ghose) while leaving when the interview got over. There are lots and lots of such stories.

While my sympathies were with these victims, in my heart I knew that these people really did not deserve good marks. If you can’t stand pressure in an interview, how will you take it when you are posted as a senior police officer or a district magistrate or an ambassador later in your life? Anyway, I wanted her panel. No matter what the marks. If the circumstances were any different, I could even have asked for her autograph!!!

Anyway, the day of my interview arrived. I was at the UPSC waiting hall and was informed that the table at which I was designated to wait belonged to some other panel in the morning session. My heart sank. There were 3 other people with me for the same panel. I was going to be the third candidate to be interviewed. Later, only 2 of us cleared. One lady was already in some other service and she continued with it. One person probably went back to prepare for next attempt (he was the first to be interviewed).

The interviews were to start at 2:00 PM. At 1:55 PM, a peon came to our table and said, “madam ka panel hai” (You are with The Madam’s panel). There was no mistaking who The Madam was. You can’t imagine the number of heartbeats my heart skipped. Wow! All the other people waiting at other tables heaved a collective sigh of relief. Apparantly, nobody wanted this panel. Except me.

First man went in at 2:00 sharp and came out sweating at 2:30. He made a mess of it. Ms. Ghose was very unhappy with him. The reputation was coming true. The lady candidate was next in. She went in at 2:35 and came out at 3:05. She spent half her interview trying to justify some triviality in her form. I was next at 3:10 PM.

There were 5 people on the panel. Lets call the members M1, M2, M3 and M4. Sitting right in the middle was Ms. Arundhati Ghose (AG), smoking a cigarette (Marlborough Lights, my guess). I wished her first (being the chairperson, as well as the only lady member there) according to protocol and then the other members collectively. I waited to be asked to be seated and took my seat when she asked me to.

She put out the cigarette and scanned my resume form (standardised UPSC format).

AG: Mr. Kumar, you passed out of IIT recently.. oh no, in 2002. This is April 2004. What have you been doing all this time?

VK: Ma’am, till November 2003, I had been preparing and appearing for the successive stages of the civil services examination. After that, I joined a telecom software startup started by some of my friends from IIT Bombay here in Delhi. I am there in an..

AG: Wait. Why are you speaking so quickly? Are you nervous? Just relax and take it easy. Speak slowly.

VK: Yes ma’am, I am nervous. This is my first, and hopefully the last, interview (smiles, trembles inwardly but doesn’t show it).

AG: Good, so proceed. What did you do at this startup?

VK: Ma’am, I am there in an informal capacity and do not draw any salary except the expenses and I help them out in any way possible. But by and large I deal with initiating contact with foreign telecom companies who might be interested in buying our software. I find out the companies, look for a key person, initiate contact, see if they would be willing to buy something. Once I get something positive, I hand it over to my Boss.

AG: So, you actually talk to these companies.. the foreigners?

VK: Yes.

AG: Have you succeeded somewhere? Which country?

VK: Ma’am I initiated the first deal that we made, in Brunei.

AG: Okay. You have given IFS as your first preference, despite your father being in the Police. Why?

VK: There are 2 reasons ma’am. Firstly, I have always wanted to represent India. To have that India tag on me. There is this feeling of pride I can’t explain. And secondly, I see more and more challenges ahead for the IFS in an increasingly globalised world. It seems exciting and I want to be where the action is.

AG: What is the biggest issue in the US presidential elections?

VK: Lots of them actually. Afghanistan, Outsourcing…

AG: No, the biggest issue.

VK: The Iraq War?

AG: Yes. Now, can you update me on the Indo-US relations?

(VK launches into an answer explaining things and bringing the Indo-Pak-US triangle into focus).

AG: You were talking about pride. But this is the government, you would have to do as your boss tell you to. Right?

VK: Yes, ma’am.

AG: Now, suppose you are in an Indian Embassy in some capacity below the rank of Ambassador. You get a direct order from Delhi, which you think is contary to our National Interests. Would you still carry it out?

VK: As you said ma’am, I probably would have to.

AG: (adopts a very nice tone) No! You must never do that. You should try and talk to the Ambassador and get him on your side. Once that is done, you can negotiate with New Delhi.

VK: But ma’am I was assuming that all this had been tried before. The order can not come out of the blue. The matter must have been under consideration for some time and I would have discussed it with the Ambassador already.

AG: Even then, you must not give up. The only guiding principle for you would be India’s National Interest. Nothing else. If you think something is wrong, refuse to carry out the order. The national interest must never be compromised.

VK: Yes ma’am. I’ll try my best to do that.

AG: Okay, you mentiom science fiction as your hobby. Name a few writers.

(VK names a few)

AG: All this fiction is fine, but has any of it ever come to reality?

(VK says yes and names a few things)

AG: Do you stay updated with science facts as well?

VK: Yes.

AG: Tell me about the Mars Mission.

(VK proceeds to talk about it. Can not name the vehicle. Discussion ensues around the table on the name and ends when Ms. Ghose brings it to an end)

AG: Okay, enough. Now the others can ask questions.

M1: You say listening to music in one of your hobbies. What kind of music?

VK: All kinds, Sir. Depends on my mood. I listen to pretty much everything.

M1: Even classical?

VK: Yes.

M1: Name some kinds of music.

(VK names 12-13 genres or so and is interrupted mid-sentence)

M1: The criminalization of politics is such a big problem. Why do criminals win elections?

VK: Because the elections are never fought on those lines. No matter what the national media says, down in the constituency, the issues are extremely local and mostly based on caste equations and local politics. So, unless there is a big wave, everything national is actually very local. Criminal backgrounds do not decide voters’ choices. Except perhaps the urban few, who do not vote anyway.

M1: So, what is the solution?

VK: Perhaps to stop them from contesting. Stricter legislation to prevent them from contesting and a more transparent information system. At the same time, efforts need to be continued to educate the people about the importance of these reforms.

M2: Mr. Kumar, what is this BPO thing? How does it work?

VK: Business Process Outsourcing Sir. (explains the BPO phenomena)

M2: Do you thing it will last?

VK: For the short-term, yes. But other developing countries will start catching up. Besides, there is the issue of growth of the BPO company and the professional growth of people working there.

M2: Meaning?

VK: An individual whose only skill is to answer calls would probably find it hard to find another job 5-6 years down the line. Not all of them can become managers. Besides, there are pressures of the lifestyle.

M2: You mean the health hazards of people in call centres. Elaborate.

VK: Only yesterday, there was a report in newspapers about a study that found the incidence of stress related disorders, drinking and (pauses, looks at Ms. Ghose, who had lit a cigarette a few minutes ago, and smiles)… smoking.

AG: (burtsts out laughing).. what did you say?

VK: Smoking ma’am. People working in call centres have been found to be more prone to smoking and they obviously expose themselves to the related health hazards.

(AG laughs some more and puts the cigarette out in an ash-tray which resembles an agricultural field growing cigarettes)

M3: You are a chemical engineer from IIT Bombay. Why did you opt for Philosophy and Public Administration?

VK: Philosophy because I have always been interested in the subject matter. My father named me after Swami Vivekanand and I have been reading material on Indian Philosophy ever since I started reading. Public Administration because I thought that if I have to do administration in life, I might as well learn something about it. Plus, the guidance was easily available.

M3: If a foreigner, during your posting abroad, asks you about the sociological impact of schools of Indian philosphy on life in India, what would you say?

VK: I’m sorry Sir, but my study has been restricted to the content of these philosphies. I have’t studied their impact.

M3: But you are interested in the subject. Would you continue reading more on the subject?

VK: Of course Sir. I find the subject fascinating.

M4: Mr. Kumar, a little while ago, while discussing Indo-Pak relations, you mentioned that India need not comment on every little thing that happens in the world. I say, we have no need to even talk to Pakistan. Do we have something in common with them. I say nothing. Nothing at all. Do you think there is anything we have in common with them?

VK: At least 2 things Sir. Firstly, the common history we share. We were practically one country barely 50 years ago. And… (interrupted by M4)

M4: No. We have no need to talk to them.. (repeats the same question again after a long monologue)

(VK starts answering again, and is interrupted again, M4 starts the same monologue)

AG: (sounds very angry and upset with M4) Enough M4! This is his interview. Why don’t you shut up and let him speak? Vivek, you answer the same question to me and ignore him completely.

VK: As I was saying ma’am, firstly there is the shared history and heritage. And secondly, both countries have claims on Kashmir. And no matter what we say, it keeps coming up again and again everywhere. It is an issue that we do share, though uncomfortably.

AG: You have held several positions at IITB.. Election Officer, Placement Representative etc. You have also won a few awards from your hostel for “organisation”. What is all this?

(VK explains the positions held at IITB and the awards from Hostel-3).

AG: Any last questions (looks around at all members)?

M4: May I ask one last question?

AG: Sure. Go ahead.

M4: You played hockey for your hostel for a while. What is the future of India hockey.

VK: Looks reasonably bright to me, Sir. At least the prospects are good. Youngsters are coming up, sponsors are also pitching in. Coaching seems to have improved.

M4: Do you think Dhanraj Pillay is good enough for the Indian team. Should he play?

VK: Well Sir, he is the most experienced and he is absolutely fit. He is the best player we have…

M4: No no.. just say Yes or No. Should he be in the team?

VK: Yes.

AG: Okay. The interview is over. You may leave Mr. Kumar. Thank you.

(VK thanks her and all the members and walks out without turning back)

I went straight to the waiting room and sipped some cold water. Phew! Time? 4:05 PM. I had lasted over 50 minutes!!! Incredible!

The conversation is more or less exact. But of course, some approximations have been made. I have also forgotten a few points. The highlight of the interview for me was the fact that she actually asked a member to shut up and let me speak. And the fact that she could understand the joke I tried about smoking being bad for health.

It was such a relief to know that it was over. I was swamped in the waiting hall by other people and the next candidate.

I came out of the UPSC campus and walked to Rajasthan House where my uncle was staying.

I analysed my performance to be worth atleast 200 marks (out of 300). This was one hell of a satisfying interview. I didn’t sweat. My voice didn’t shake. I made Ms. Ghose laugh several times. She asked a member to shut up for me. And… she was explaining things to me as if I was already in the IFS. Surely, that couldn’t be a bad sign.

As it happened, I got 225 in the interview :)

She has retired now. I am in the service. A lot of my prayers were answered around that time. Thank God. Thanks Ms. Ghose

UPSC interview: Bhurelal,Paul roy and D P Agarwal board

2007-04-16T22:59:00.000+05:30

Interview with Dr. Bhurelals Board
Interview date: 2nd April '07
Optionals. Geog & Psycho
Dr. Bhurelal
Q1. In a pre-war situation how will u defeat the opponent without using arms and ammunitions(related to computer engg.)
supp Q: Name of the 17 yr boy who hacked pentagon?
Q2. What is the economy of ur place(U.T. of D&N H )
supp Q: What all crops?
supp Q: What is accessibility to this place?
Q3. How will knowledge of psychology help u in administration?
Member 1
Q4: What are deccan traps?
supp Q: how many flows of lava?
supp Q: how will u find water in deccan trap region?
supp Q: Imp mineral industry of pune?
Q5. How will remote sensing help u in administration?
Q6. What r flash floods? how r they caused? where does the water go?
Member 2
Q7. What is money laundering?
supp Q: what r the sources of black money?
Member 3
Q8. Name the tribal communities and tell about their culture?
supp Q: how r these tribes diff from mainstream?
supp Q: what is EDP programme for tribals?
Q9. Rajsing Dungarpur made a statement that no indian is fit to coach the indian team... ur views?
supp Q: whats wrong with Indian cricket?
supp Q: whats wrong with indian sports?
Member 4
Q10. How will u handle a potential communal situation as an IPS in ur district?
supp Q: what if ur seniors orders are contrary to what u think is right?

Mr. paul roy's board: The board members were very very cordial and accomodating..i was most pleasantly surprised...
the chairperson began by asking me which is the *last book i read? and *two latest economic developments...which brought sensex's fall in to pic and he asked me *what i thought brought about the sudden fall? he further asked me to explain the *repo rate and *the reasons for the inflationary trends
the next board member asked me if i followed any sports? then asked me to *explain the foreign ploicy of india and *what makes india a candidate for permanent seat for UN security council?
*and if we should consider permanent membership without veto?

the next board person asked me * what problems does a common man face while dealing with govt. servants and sarkari babus...* whther it was justifies to grease the palm to get a work done?
he asked me *if i knew who moily was? and what were the recommendations of *the administrative reform committee, and *police reform committee...

the next board member asked me to name *some german literary figures and if i have read faust of goethe? and asked me why i want to switch over to civil services from teaching?

the last board member asked me *if india is justified in spending so much money on having a nuclear programme when millions go foodless and *whats the rationale behind having a space programme...*and how can we call india developed when so many people are below the poverty line??

in the end the chairperson showed me a painting with mother teresa's silhouette drawn and asked me to identify the figure...and asked me if i could guess who the painter was?

Mr. DP Agrawal's Board
In my Board, there were all 5 male members and the questions were:
1. Do you think if one is coming for an IAS interview the person shd be wearing a tie (as I wasn't wearing)
2. My prior work experience and the work profile
3. What is governance and e-governance
4. Give any practical example of e-gov
5. use of e-gov
5. what is e-business
6. urban problems
7. how you will solve the problems of traffic and civil amenities
8. Views on the company mergers and effects on Indian economy...
9. problem of global warming, causes and consequences
10. ozone delpetion
11. Alternative sources of energy
12. diff beween IT and Computer science
13. Can you recite any peom and explain the meaning ( poetry is not my hobby)
14. Can you explain the meaning of Jana-gana-mana
15. what all places you have visited
16. Diff between 2-stroke and 4-stroke engine
17 Favourite singers

I found Mr. Agrawal bit rude and unsatisfied sometime but I am not sure whether it was with me or he reacts the same way with others .. Please let me know the experience of others who were interviewed by the same board...

IAS interviews from Subir Datta and Parveen Talha board

2007-04-16T22:55:00.000+05:30

subir dutta's board. here were the ques...
what do you like to read?(i had reading as a hobby)
what is the last book u read?
why have you chosen psycho and socio?
how do you rate your interview skills?
why have you chosen IFS as your second preference?
which foreign lang would you like to learn?
what should be done in iraq?
what is the difference between shias and sunnis?
what is sociology?
what is anthropology?
how does one study sociology?
what is the problem in sri lanka?
do u think india has been consistent in its policy towards sri lanka?
what is co-ordinated patrolling?
what steps have been taken to curb inflation?
what is transparency international?
what is non-practising allowance for doctors?
why do doctors only get it?
what are the problems facing the rural health sector?
how will you rectify them?
what should be done against govt doctors found indulging in pvt practice?
what was green revolution?
which came first: HYV of rice/wheat?
how will you eliminate malaria?
name the country that has made significant strides in this respect.
what has been done in the insurance sector?
what is the criminal justice system?what are its problems?
how can they be rectified?
how can tax compliance be increased?
do you think the EC is acting as a parallel power centre in UP?
........

parveen talha's board
questions i was asked....
1>do u support the killing of street dogs and why?
2>whats ur academic background?why do u want 2 join the civil services?dont u think u'll waste ur knowledge?
3>which part of tea is plucked?what do u know about tea processing?
4>from ur studies in school level only can u tell the results of world war 2?
5>wats "struggle for existence" how do u justify your statement that animalsshould be protected not killed as we are the most superior and the inferior animals thus have failed in the struggle.
6>wats ur mental state after india's early exit frm the world cup?
7>dont u think harbhajan singh should retire?
8>when did india win the last gold in football in asian games?
9>wats d capital of canada?
10>wats ur daily routine?why do u sleep so much?
11>which tv programmes u like and why?
12>what is a "song"?
13>whats is the function of EU?
14>why do u eat fish or chicken when u r yourself against killing of animals?
15>why did u go 4 veterinary sciences in your academics?
16>after completion of education what did u do in the last 3 years?
17>wat should b our reaction to the indian cricket team......

General Studies-06(Indian History Questions only)

2007-02-14T13:58:00.000+05:30

GENERAL STUDIES – 2005

Previous year questions (Solved)
General Studies ( Indian History Questions only)

INDIAN HISTORY

1) Consider the following statements :-
1. The Charter Act 1853 abolished East India Company's monopoly of Indian trade.
2. Under the Government of India Act 1858, the British Parliament abolished the East India Company altogether and undertook the responsibility of the ruling India directly

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
Ans:- (b)
Expl:- The Monopoly trading rights of East India Company was abolished by the
Charter of 1813.

2) When Raja Wodeyar founded the Kingdom of Mysore, who was the ruler of the
Vijayanagar Empire?

(a) Sadasiva
(b) Tirumala
(c) Ranga II
(d) Venkata II
Ans:- (d)
Expl:- Venkata II was the last great ruler of Aravindu dynasty with his Permission
Raja Wodeyar founded Mysore.

3) Between which of the following was the ancient town of Takshasila located?

(a) Indus and Jhelum
(b) Jhelum and Chenab
(c) Chenab and Rave
(d) Rave and Beas
Ans:- (a)
Expl:- Taxila was one of the ancient learning centres. Chandragupta Maurya studied
here. It was also a Buddhist site.

4) Withe reference to the invaders in ancient India, which one of the following is the
correct chronological order?

(a) Greeks - Sakas - Kushans
(b) Greeks - Kushans - Sakas
(c) Sakes - Greeks - Kushans
(d) Sakas - Kushans - Greeks
Ans:- (a)
Expl:- In Post Mauryan Peroids, there were three important foreign dynasties to
rule India. They were Greeks (200BC), Sakas(100 BC) and Kushanas(50AD).

5) Consider the following statements :?
1. The Ikshvaku rulers of Southern India were antagonistic towards Buddhism.
2. The Pala rulers of Eastern India were Patrons of Buddhism.

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
Ans:- (b)
Expl:- The Ikshvaku rulers Patronised Buddhism. They Renovated the famous Buddhist
chaityas of Nagarjuna Konda and Amaravati.

6) Which one of the following revolts was made famous by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
in his novel Anand Math

(a) Bhil uprising
(b) Rangpur and Dinapur uprising
(c) Bishnupur and Birbhum rebellion
(d) Sanyasi rebellion
Ans:- (d)
Expl:- 'Bande Matram' song of 'Anand Math' was based on Sanyasi rebellion.

7) In the year 1613, where was the English East India Company given permission to set
up a factory(trading post)?

(a) Bangalore
(b) Madras
(c) Masulipattam
(d) Surat
Ans: (d)
Expl:- The first settlement of English was Masulipattam(1611).

8) With reference to the revolt of the year 1857, who of the following was betrayed by a
friend; captured and put to death by the British?

(a) Nana Sahib
(b) Kunwar Singh
(c) Khan Bahadur Khan
(d) Tantia Tope
Ans:- (d)
Expl:- Tantia Tope , the famous Gurellia warfare expert was betrayed by the Zamindari
friend Mansingh.

9) Under whose presidency was the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress held
in the year 1929 wherein a resolution was adopted to gain complete independence from the British?

(a) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(b) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
(c) Jawaharlal Nehru
(d) Motilal Nehru
Ans:- (c)

10) "Lectures from Colombo to Almora" is based on the experience of which one of the following?

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2 and 3, only
(c) 1 and 2, only
(d) 3 only
Ans:- (d)

11) Consider the following statements about Madam Bhikaji Cama :

(1) Madam cama unfurled the National Flag at the International
Socialist Conference in Paris in the year 1907.
(2) Madam cama served as private secretary to Dadabhai Naoroji.
(3) Madam cama wasorn to Parsi parents

(a) 1,2 and 3.
(b) 2 and 3 only.
(c) 1 and 2 only.
(d) 3 only.

Ans:- (b)
Expl:- Madam Cama unfurled the National Flag at 'Stuttgart' in Germany.

12) Who was the Governor-General of India during the Sepoy Mutiny ?

(a) Lord Canning
(b) Lord Dalhousie
(c) Lord Hardinge
(d) Lord Lytton
Ans:- (a) Expl:

- Expl:- Lord Canning was the last Governor - General and first Viceroy of India.
His tenure : 1856 - 1862.

13) In Indian history, who was Abdul Hamid Lahori ?

(a) An important military commander during Akbar's reign
(b) An official historian of the reign of Shah Jahan
(c) An important noble and confidant of Aurangzeb
(d) A chronicler and poet during the reign of Muhammad Shah
Ans:- (b)
Expl:- Lahori wrote 'Badshah - Nama' in Persian.

14) Bhakta Tukaram was a contemporary of which Mughal Emperor ?

(a) Babar
(b) Akbar
(c) Jahangir
(d) Aurangzeb
Ans:- (c)
Expl:- Bhakta Tukaram was the contemporary of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir and
Prince Aurangazeb.

15)Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of the Afghan rulers to
the throne of Delhi ?

(a) Sikandar Shah - Ibrahim Lodi - Bahlol Khan Lodi
(b) Sikandar Shah - Bahlol Khan Lodi - Ibrahim Lodi
(c) Bahlol Khan Lodi - Sikandar Shah - Ibrahim Lodi
(d) Bahlol Khan Lodi - Ibrahim Lodi - Sikandar Shah
Ans:- (c)
Expl:- Founder : Bahlol Lodi; Last Ruler : Ibrahim Lodi.

16) Who among the following laid the foundation of Rashtrakuta Empire ?

(a) Amoghavarsha I
(b) Dantidurga
(c) Dhruva
(d) Krishna I
Ans:- (b)
Expl:- Founder of Rastrakuda dynasty. Fuedatory of Chalukyas of Bhadami.
Performed Hiranya Garpa ceremony.

17) Match List I (Finding/Invention/Calculation) with
List II (Ancient Indian Scholar) and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists :

List I List II
(Finding/Invention/ (Ancient
Calculation) Indian Scholar)

A. Time taken by the Earth 1. Aryabhatta
to orbit the Sun

B. Calculation of the value of 2. Bhaskaracharya
('pi')

C. Invention of the digit zero 3. Budhayana

D. The game of snakes and 4. Gyandev
ladders

Code : A B C D

(a) 2 4 1 3
(b) 1 3 2 4
(c) 2 3 1 4
(d) 1 4 2 3
Ans:- (?)
Expl:- A) Time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun - Bhaskara Charya
B) Calculation of the value of (pi) - Aryabhatta
C) Invention of the digit zero. It was first mentioned in Aryabattam. But,
it existed before
D) The game of Snakes and Ladders - Budhayama

18) Which one of the following is not correctly matched ?

Prominent Indian Writer Language

(a) Raja Rao : Telugu
(b) Gobind Trimbuk Deshpande : Marathi
(c) Subramaniyam Bharati : Tamil
(d) Tara Shankar Joshi : Gujarati
Ans:- (a)
Expl:- Raja Rao wrote in English, He wrote KantaPuma. The serpent and the Rope,
The Cat and Shakespeare.

19) Match List I (Place of Archaeological Monument) with List II (State) and
select the correct answer using the code given below the lists :

List I List II
(Place of Archaeological (State)
Monument)

A. Sisupalgarh 1. Assam
B. Piprahwa 2. Manipur
C. Goalpara 3. Orissa
D. Bishnupur 4. Uttar Pradesh

Code :
A B C D

(a) 2 4 1 3
(b) 1 3 2 4
(c) 3 4 1 2
(d) 1 4 2 3
Ans:- (c)

20) Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched ?

(a) Vikramsila Monastery : Uttar Pradesh
(b) Hemkund Gurudwara : Himachal Pradesh
(c) Udhayagiri Caves : Maharashtra
(d) Amaravati : Andhra Pradesh Buddhist Stupa

Ans:- (d)
Expl:- (a) Vikramsila Monastery : Bengal
(b) Hemkund Gurudwara : Punjab
(c) Udhayagiri Caves : Orissa

21) The Allahabad Pillar inscription is associated with which one of the following ?

(a) Mahapadma Nanda
(b) Chandragupta maurya
(c) Ahoka
(d) Samudragupta
Ans:- (d)
Expl:-Allahabad Pillar inscription of Samudragupta was written by his court poet
and Commander-in-chief Harisena in Sanskrit.

22) Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ?

(a) State Recorganization Act : Andhra Pradesh
(b) Treaty of Yandabu : Assam
(c) State of Bilaspur : Himachal Pradesh
(d) Year 1966 : Gujarat becomes a state

Ans:- (d)
Expl:- The state of Gujarat was created in 1960.

23) The initial design and construction of whih massive temple took place during the
reign of Suryavarman II ?

(a)Sri Mariamman Temple
(b) Angkor Vat
(c) Batu Caves Temple
(d) Kumakhya Temple

Ans:- (b)
Expl:- Angkor Vat, a Vishnu temple was built by Suryavarman II.

24) Assertion (A) :

Muhammad bin Tughluq Issued a new gold
coin which was called Dinar by Ibn Batutah.

Reason (R) :
Muhammad bin Tughluq wanted to issue token
currency in gold coin to promote trade with
West Asian and North African countries

Ans:- (c)

Model Question paper of Indian History (Pre)

2007-02-14T13:55:00.000+05:30

Model Questions
1.Match List I ( Wars ) with List II ( Governor Generals) and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists ;
LIST-I LIST-II
(Wars) (Governor Generals)
A. The first Mysore war 1 Lord Cornwalis
B. The second Mysore war 2 Lord Hasting
C. The Third Mysore war 3 Lord Wellesley
D. The fourth Mysore war 4 Lord Waren hastings
5.Lord Smith

Codes:-
A B C D
a) 5 4 1 3
b) 1 2 3 4
c) 5 4 3 2
d) 4 3 2 1
2) The original cannon of the Jain’s is believed to have consisted of

a) 6 Angas b) 8 Angas c) 12 Purvas d) 14 Purvas
3) The Jaina system of thought closely resembles

a) Vedenta b) Samkhya c) Yogachara d) Rigveda
4) Aranyayi, Goddess of the Forest is first mentioned in the

a) Rig Veda b) Atharvaveda c) Aranayakas d) Upanishadas
5) Adaryu mentioned in the Vedas is

a) Vedic Rajan b) Vedic Queen c) A Type of Chariot d) A Category Sacrifices Priest
6) Match List I (Goods ) with List II ( Places) and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists ;
List I List II
(Goods) (Places)
A. Copper 1. Deccan
B. Shell 2. Rajasthan
C. Lapis Lazuli 3. Kutch
D. Gold 4. Afganisthan

Codes:-
A B C D
a) 3 4 1 2
b) 1 3 2 4
c) 2 3 1 4
d) 2 3 4 1
7) Match List I ( Tribal Revolts ) with List II ( Years) and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists ;
List I List II
(Tribal Revolts) (Years)
A. Khods 1.1913
B. Santhals 2.1846-1848
C. Bhils 3.1855-1856
D. Mundas 4.1899
Codes:-
A B C D
a) 3 1 2 4
b) 2 3 1 4
c) 2 1 4 3
d) 1 4 2 3
8) Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?

a) C.R.Reddi - Praja Mithra Madali
b) Jotiba Phule - Satya Shodak Samaj
c) B.R.Ambedkar - All India Depressed Classes Mission
d) Rajaram Mohan Roy – Prathana Samaj
9) The system of competitive examination for civil service was accepted in principle in the year

a) 1833 b) 1853 c) 1858 d) 1882
10) Monopoly of the East India Company to trade with china was abolished by the Charter Act of

a)1793 b) 1813 c) 1833 d) 1853
11) Which one of the following Act created the post of Lt.Governor of Bengal

a) 1773 Act b) 1784 Act c) 1858 Act d) 1853 Act
12) The main feature of 1919 Act was

a) Diarchy b) Federation c) Communal Representation d) Provincial autonomy
13) The Philosophy of Upanishad emphasis on

a) Bakti b) Gyan c) Karma d) Tapas
14) Match List I (Journals ) with List II ( Founders) and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists ;
List I List II
(Journals) (Founders)
A. TatwaBodhini Sabha 1. Rajarammohan Roy
B Bharat Bhrama Samaj 2. G.K..Gohale
C. Bhrama Sabha 3. K.C.Sen
D. Servants of Indian society 4. D.N.Tagore

Codes:-
A B C D
a) 4 3 2 1
b) 4 3 2 1
c) 4 3 2 3
d) 1 2 3 4
15) Which of the following is not correct regarding Gupta and Post Gupta Age

a) First capital of Harsha was Thaneswar then Second capital was Kannauj
b) Chandra Gupta II’s reign , Ujjain was the Second capital
c) The Pallavas shifted the capital to Tanjore, due to threat of Pulukesin II
d) Huen - Tsang visited Harsha-Pulkesin II - Narshima Pallava I - court
16) Ayodhya is on the River bank of

a) Chambel b) Ganga c) Yamuna d) Sarayu
17) “Raja Vyavahar Kosh’ was complied during Sivaji’s reign, the book deals with

a) Chronicles of Maratha dynasty b) Polity c) Treasury d) Lexicography
18) When was the Calcutta Hindu College started?

a) 1815 b) 1829 c) 1830 d) 1817
19) When were Bethune schools for girls started?

a) 1845 b) 1849 c) 1850 d) 1833
20) “Suniyavada” philosophy was expounded by

a) Nagarjuna b) Nagasena c) Asvagosha d) Ananda
21) Which one of the following is not true of prehistoric of India?

a) Rock paintings belonged to Upper Paleolithic age
b) Chopani-mando provides the evidence of pottery
c) Manufacturing of pottery was developed in Mesolithic age
d) Mehragarh provides the earliest evidence of cotton
22) Match List I (Sites) with List II (Periods) and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists;
LIST I LIST II
(Sites) (Periods)
A. Adamgarh 1. Upper Paleolithic
B. Adirambakkam 2. Neolithic
C. Burzaham 3. Mesolithic
D. Bimbetaka 4. Lower Paleolithic

Codes:-
A B C D
a) 3 4 1 2
b) 2 4 1 2
c) 4 2 3 1
d) 3 4 2 1
23) How many seasons were mentioned in Rig Veda

a) 4 b) 5 c) 3 d) 1
24) According to the Buddhist tradition, the order of Varna system was

a) Brahmans, Kshatriyas,Vyshaiyas, Sudras
b) Kshatriyas, Brahamans, Vyshiayas,Sudras
c) Vaishiayas, Brahamans, Ksatriayas, Sudras
d) Sudras, Vyshaiyas, Kshatriyas, Brahamans
25) Who founded young Bengal movement

a) C.R.Das b) D.N.Tagore c) H.V.Derozio d) David Hare
Directions : The following seven items consist of two statements, one labeled as the ‘Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R) ‘. You are to examine these two statements carefully and select the answers to these items using the codes given below :
Codes:
a) Both A and R is true. R is correct explanation of A
b) A and R is individually correct. But R is not correct explanation for A.
c) A is true but R is false
d) A is false but R is true

26) Assertion (A) : The main problem of Nawab of Bengal equal treatment of European
and Indian in trade concerned are

Reason ( R ) : East India Company’s servants misused trade pass

27) Assertion (A) : Firoz Tughlaq followed vigorous policies against Non Muslims
subject

Reason ( R ) : He imposed Jiziya tax on Non-Muslim in first time

28) Assertion (A) : Akbar founded new religion “Din-i-illahi” in 1580 A.D

Reason ( R ) : He was influenced by the philosophy of Monotheism

29) Assertion (A) : Battle of Plassey laid the foundation for British rule in Bengal

Reason ( R ) : The British received Diwani rights over Bengal after Plassey

30) Assertion (A) : Partition of India was accepted by Gandhiji in 1947

Reason ( R ) : He felt that it was only way to avoid communal riots

31) Assertion(A) : Vedic literature is the only major source to construct history of
Vedic culture

Reason ( R ) : There was no material source for that

32) Assertion(A) : The English introduced western education in India

Reason ( R ) : They wanted to make Indians aware of scientific and rational
advancement

33) Dual system was abolished by

a) Lord Warren Hasting b) Lord Wellesley c) Lord Robert Clive
d) Lord William Ben tick
34) Who founded “Veda Samaj”?

a) Doriaswamy Iyengar b)Sree Ramulu c) D.N.. Tagore d) a and b
35) who was the first English ambassador to Mughal court?

a) Hawkins b) Sir Thomas Rae c) William Norris d) Hudson
36) The first viceroy of India was

a) Lord canning b) Lord Dalhousie c) Lord William Bentick d) Lord Mountbatten
37) Lord Clive defeated Siraj-ud-duallah in the battle of

a) Battle of Plassey b) Battle of Panipat III c) Battle of Buxar d) Battle of Wandiwash
38) ‘Dipavasma’ was written in

a) Pratrit b) Pali c) Tamil d) Sanskrit
39) Who attended all the three round table conferences in London?

a) Gandhi b) Sarojini Naidu c) Jinnah d) Ambedkar
40) Under which of the following sets of ruler were organized the first three Buddhist councils

a) Bimbisara, Ashoka, Dasratha
b) Prasanajit, Bimbisara, Ajathasatru
c) Ajathatsatru, Kalakosa, Ashoka
d) Ajathatsatru, Kalakosa, Kanishka
41) Who was against the abolition of Sati

a) Rajaram Mohan Roy b) Tilak c) Gohale d) Radha Kant Deb
42) When did the east India Company established?

a) 1600 b) 1602 c) 1608 d) 1610
43) Which of the following was absent in Rig Vedic period?

a) Child marriage
b) Varna system based on occupation
c) Widow remarriage
c) Polygamy
44) “Vyakarana” is

a) Grammar b) Astronomy c) Ritual d) Jyothita

45) Who was the first to start caste movement in Maharashtra?

a) Jyothiba Phule b) B.R,Ambedkar c) Tilak d) Atmaram Pandurang
46) Which of the following was not responsible for the spread of Buddhism?

a) Language of the people was used
b) No caste barrier
c) No sacrifice
d) Too much stress on morality
47) Rivers familiar to Rig Vedic people are
!) Ganga 2) Yamuna 3) Saraswati 4) Sindhu

a) 1 & 2 b) 3&4 c) 2,3&4 d) 1,2,3 & 4
48) Give the correct order

a) Rishaba, Parsava, Mahavira, Bhadrabahu
b) Rishaba, Mahavira, Parsava, Bhadrababu
c) Rishaba, Parsava, Bhadrababu, Mahavira
d) Mahavira, Parasava, Rishaba and Badrabahu
49) Which of the following was added by Mahavira

a) Non -injury b) Non-possession c) Non-stealing d) continuance
50) Who presided over the Calcutta session of congress, when AITUC was founded?

a) Vijayaragavachari b) Lalalajpat Rai c) N.M..Joshi d) Gandhiji
51) Who started Doctrine of Lapse?

a) Warren Hasting b) Curzon c) Wellesley d) Dalhousie
52) Who among the following was not a leader of Revolt of 1857?

a) Nana sahib b) Rani Lakshmi Bai c) Kunwar singh d) Man singh
53) Awadh was annexed in 1856 who was the Nawab of Awadh at the time?

a) Begum of Awadh b) Maulvi Ahamaduallah c) Wajid Ali Shah d) Birjis Cadir
54) Who propounded the theory of “ Drain of Wealth”?

a) Dada Bai Naoroji b) Gandhi c) Nehru d) Tilak
55) Theosophical society was founded by

a) Madam H.P. Blavasky and Col H.S. Olcott
b) Madam cama
c) Annie Besant
d) Margret Nobel
56) Which freedom fighter did not accept “Drain theory”?

a) M.G.Ranade b) R.C.Dutt c).G.K.Gohale d) R.P.Dutt
57) Primary worship of Indus valley people was

a) Mother Goddess b) Pasupati Mahadeva c) Natural Worship d) Animal Worship
58) The battle of ten kings was fought on the bank of

a) River Parushni b) River Ganga c) River Saraswati d) River Yamuna
59) The oldest Sanskrit Grammar book is

a) Nirukta b) Astadhyayi c) Kalpa d) Silpasutra
60) Boghaz koi inscription refers to

a) Indra, Varuna,
b) Indra, Varuna, Mitra
c) Indra, Agni, Varuna
d) Indra,Varuna, Mitra,Nasatyas
61) The first fort the British constructed in India was the fort of

a) St.George b) St.William c) St.David d) St.Santhome
62) In 1856, which act, was passed by the British after prolonged efforts were made by Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidiyasagar

a) Abolition of sati b) Abolition Of Pardah System c) Promotion of Vedic education
e) Widow Re-marriage
63) Rule of East India Company in India ended in

a) 1833 b) 1813 c) 1853d) 1857
64). Who was the Governor General for the Introduction of Permanent Settlement in Bengal?

a) Lord corn Wallis b) Lord Bentinck c) Lord Wellesey d) Lord Canning
65) “ The aim of English Education in India was produced a class of persons who would be Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, opinions morals and intellect”, who said this

a) Charles Trevelyan b) Lord Macaulay c) Lord William Bentinck d) Lord Canning
66) The Battle of Buxar was fought between

a) Mir qasim and The English
b) Mir qasim, Nawab Of Oudh and The Mughal Emperor ShahAlamII one party against the English
c) Mir Jafar and The English
d) Mir Quasim and The Dutch
67) Which European community established first trade link with India

a) Portuguese b) Dutch c) French d) British
68) Alauddin Khalji, Sikander Lodi, Shershah Suri and Akbar - they were well known in Medieval History of India for their contribution in the field of
1) Secular policy on state affairs
2) Land revenue system
3) Market reforms system
4) Military reforms system

select the correct code
a) 2 alone
b) 2 & 3
c) 1,2 &4
d) 2,3 &4
69)It is stated that one of the four veda contains a collection of sacrifices formulas what is the name of that veda

a) Rigveda b) Atharva Veda c) Sama Veda d) Yajur veda
70) who was / were the Guru’s of Buddha

a) Rudraka Ramputra
b) Arala Kalama
c) Raghula
d) a&b
71) It is stated that all the Monks(Bhikkhus) living in a monastery were expected to attend an assembly held

a) Every day
b) Every week
c) Every fortnight
d) Every month

72) Gautama Buddha developed the idea of renunciation by seeing person in different stages which one of the following stages was not included among them

a) An Old Man
b) A Grahastha
c) A Patient
d) An Ascetic
73) The fateful Battle of Plassey was fought on the

a) 23rd April 1757
b) 19th May 1757
c) 13th June 1757
d) 23rd June 1757
74) The recapture of Delhi by the East India Company broke the mutineers when did it take place?

a) 5th June 1857
b) 20th Sep 1857
c) 2nd Aug 1858
d) 17th June 1858
75)Who founded the Gurukulkangri at Haridwar

a) Dayanand
b) Lajpat Rai
c) Shradhanandha
d) Lal Hanjraj
76) Match List-I with List-II
List-I List-II
(Books) (Authors)
A) Nibandha Mala 1) Dayanand Saraswati
B) Pecepts Of The Jesus 2) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
C) Gita Rahasya 3)Tilak
D) Satyartha Prakash 4) Vishnu Krishna Chiplukar

Codes:
A B C D
a) 4 2 3 1
b) 4 2 1 3
c) 4 1 3 2
d) 3 1 4 2
77) Match List I With List II
List-I List-II
(Associations) (Founders)
A) Satya Mahima Dharma 1)Tulsi Ram
B) Social Service League 2) N.M.Joshi.
C) Dharma Sabha 3)Radha Kant Deb
D) Radha Swami Movement 4) Mukund Das

Codes:
A B C D
a) 4 2 1 3
b) 1 4 3 2
c) 4 2 3 1
d) 2 1 3 4
78) The basic aim of Akali Movement in Punjab was

a) Protest against Hindhu rivalism
b) To spread modern education to the Sikhs
c) To liberate the Sikh Gurudawaars from the control of Mahantas
d) None of the above
79) Match List-I with List-II
List-I List-II
(Acts) (Governor Generals)
A) Age of consent bill 1) Landsdowne
B) Abolition Of Sati 2) North Brooke
C) Widow Remarriage Act 3) Dalhousie
D) Native Marriage Act 4) William Bentick

Codes:
A B C D
a) 1 4 2 3
b) 1 4 3 2
c) 2 4 3 1
d) 2 4 1 3
80) Founder of Swami Narain Sect was

a) Tulsidas
b) Jambekar
c) Sahajanand
d) Dayanand
81) Match List-I with List-II
List-I List-II
(Associations) (Founders)
A) Sangat Sabha 1) Dr.Ambedkar
B) Vedanta College 2) K.C.Sen
C) Vedanta Societies 3) Vivekanda
D) Bahishkrit Hitkarni Sabha 4) Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Codes:
A B C D
a) 4 2 3 1
b) 2 3 4 1
c) 2 4 3 1
d) 4 3 2 1
82) Chola Empire was known for their art and their architecture . among the four statements which one is not correct?

a) Lord Natraraja Statue is one of the magnificient work of the Cholas
b) “Oothuvars” were appointed in temples to enchant “Thevaram”
c) Dravida Style of architecture was originated during Chola period
d) 12th Tirumalai “Periapuranam” was compiled during Chola period
83) Battle of Takkolam was between

a) Rajaraja-I and Western Chalukyas
b) Rajendra-I and Western Chalukyas
c) Parantakai-I and Rashtrakutas
d) Aditya Chola and Pallavas
84) Which one of the state was not an ally of Bahmini Kingdom in the Battle of Talaikotta?

a) Bedar
b) Berar
c) Ahmednagar
d) Bijapur
85) Match list-I with list-II
List-I List-II
(Literary Works) (Authors)
A) Vinaya Patrika 1) Miruturya
B) Gauda Vaho 2) Sandhiya Karanandi
C) Rama Charita 3) Thulsidas
D) Prabandha sidhanata 4) Vakpati

Codes:
A B C D
a) 4 3 1 2
b) 3 4 2 1
c) 4 3 2 1
d) 3 4 1 2
86) Malik Muhammad Jayasi, a court poet of Shershah Suri wrote Padmavati,. It deals with Alauddin Khalji’s love affair with Rani Padmini of Chittor. The literary work is in

a) Arabic
b) Persian
c) Urdu
d) Hindi
87) “Mahabasya” was written by Patanjali. He was the contemporary of

a) Chandra Gupta II
b) Ashoka
c) Pushyamitra Sunga
d) Vasudeva Kanva

88) Indo-Greeks, who ruled India in Post Maurayan period. They were well known for

a) Patronizing Buddhism
b) Issuing Gold Coins
c) Developing Music
d) Patronizing Bhagavatism
89) who was the founder of “Bharat Pur” city?

a) Gokla
b) Rajaram
c) Badan Singh
d) Surajmal
90) In which Nizam period Hyderabad was annexed with Union Of India

a) Nizam Ali
b) Wazir Ali
c) Osman Ali Khan
d) Salabat Jang
91) Rajendra Chola-I had war with Sailendra Dynasty , what was the primary motive for that?

a) To capture spice island
b) To influence over Bay Of Bengal
c) To display theirs navy power
d) To monopolise trade over china
92) Amerikkan Modal- Arabiyan Katalil ( throw the American model in to the Arabian sea) slogan was raised by the communist in the event of

a) Moplah Rebellion In 1921
b) Telengana Movement In 1946
c) August Offer In 1940
d) Punnapar-Vayalar Movement In 1946
93) Bijolia Peasant Movement took place in

a) Gujurat
b) Rajasthan
c) Central Province
d) Telengana
94) Who started Ahmedabad Textile labour association?

a) Gandhi
b) Lala lajpatrai
c) Tilak
d) Nehru
95) In which session of congress adopted “ Go Back to Simon” resolution?

a) Calcutta 1928
b) Madras 1927
c) Lahore 1929
d) Karachi 1931
96) Match List-I with List-II
List-I List-II
(Secret Societies) (Founders)
A) Abinav Bharat 1) Bhagat Singh
B) Decca Anusleen Samriti 2) Vanji Iyer
C) Bharat Matha Association 3) V.D.Savarkar
D) Navjevan Sabha 4) Pulin Das

Codes:
A B C D
a) 4 3 2 1
b) 3 4 1 2
c) 4 3 1 2
d) 3 4 2 1
97) Which pair is not correct?

a) Jinnah - Home Rule Movement
b) Gandhi - Khada Satyagraha
c) Tilak - Non Cooperation Movement
d) Motilal Nehru - Swaraj Party
98) Match List-I with List-II
List-I List-II
(Nationalist) (Journalist)
A) Thiru Vi Ka 1) Kudi Arasu
B) S.A.Dange 2) Common Wheel
C) Annie Besant 3) Nav India
D) E.V.Ramaswamy Naicker 4) Indian Express

Codes:
A B C D
a) 3 4 1 2
b) 4 1 2 3
c) 3 4 2 1
d) 4 2 3 1
99) Who was the leader of “Ulgulan Movement”?

a) Ramsingh
b) Velu Thambi
c) Birsa Munda
d) Kitur Rayappa
100) Which pair is correct?

a) Fragment of Woven Cloth - Amri
b) Evidence of Lipstick - Harappa
c) Evidence of Chess Board - Lothal
d) Fire Altars- Chanhudara
101) Which one is the largest in Mohanjodara

a) Great Bath
b) Granary
c) Assembly Hall
d) Pasupati Mahadeva Statue
102) Match List-I with List-II
List-I List-II
(Adhayakshas) (Department)
A) Akara 1) Comerece
B) Sutra 2) Accounts
C) Aksha Patala 3) Textiles
D) Panya 4) Mines

Codes:
A B C D
a) 4 3 2 1
b) 2 3 1 4
c) 4 3 1 2
d) 2 3 1 4
103) Which Rashtrakuta rulers associated with Jainism?
1) Krishna I
2) Govinda III
3) Amoghavarsha I
4) Krishna II

choose the correct code:
a) 2,3
b) 3 only
c) 3& 4
d) 1& 3
104) During (800 AD –1200AD) four major kingdom ruled India, they were known for better military system. Read the statement about them
1) Rashtrakuta maintained forts in good conditions
2) Pratiharas had good cavalry
3) Good quality of elephants were used in warfare by the Palas
4) Cholas had strong navy power

Choose the Correct Code
a) 2,3 & 4
b) 1 & 4
c) 4 only
d) 1,2,3 & 4
105) The first translator of Vyasa’s Mahabharata into Tamil was

a) Perun Devanar
b) Villiputhur Alvar
c) Kamban
d) Jayandontar
106) Which of the following statements are correct about Sangam Age of Tamil?

1) Kings had matrimonial relationship with Vellalas
2) Brahmanas were Non-Vegetarians
3) Chief revenue of the state was Trade and Commerce
4) The status of women was undermined

select the correct answer using the code given below
a) 1 alone
b) 1,3
c) 1,2,3
d) 1,2,4
107) what is the correct chronological sequence of the Governor Generals of British India
1) Lord Curzon
2) Lord Lansdowne
3) Lord Chemlsford
4)Lord Minto-II

select the correct answer using the code below
a) 2-1-3-4
b) 2-1-4-3
c) 1-2-3-4
d) 1-2-4-3
108) Who was the Chief Architect of 2nd Five Year Plans?

a) Harod-Domar
b) Mahalanobis
c) John Mathai
d) Gadgil
109) What is the correct chronological order
1) Federal Bank was renamed as Reserve Bank of India
2) First Five Year Plan was drafted
3) Imperial Bank was renamed as State Bank of India
4)Economic Resolution of Karachi Session of Congress

select the answer from the code given below
a) 1-2-3-4
b) 2-1-3-4
c) 4-1-2-3
d) 4-1-3-2
110) Which Sikh Guru popularized Gurumukhi scripts

a) Guru Nanak
b) Guru Ramdas
c) Guru Angad
d) Guru Tej Bahadur
111) Dahsala system of land revenue was introduced by Akbar?

a) 1580
b) 1575
c) 1590
d) 1602
112) According to Barani, how many provinces were during Alauddin khaljis’ reign?

a) 10
b) 12
c) 15
d) 20
113) Match List-I with List-II
List-I List-II
(Departments) (Sultans)
A) Diwan-i - kohi 1) Firoz Tughlaq
B) Diwan-i - mushtakharaj 2) Balban
C) Diwan-i - arz 3) Alauddin Khalji
D) Diwan-i - kairat 4) Mohamad Tughlaq

Codes:
A B C D
a) 3 4 1 2
b) 4 3 2 1
c) 4 3 1 2
d) 3 4 2 1
114) Which Mughal Emperor introduced du-aspa-sih-aspa method in Mansabdari system?

a) Akbar
b) Shahjahan
c) Aurangzeb
d) Jahangir
115) Which pair is not correct

a) Revolt of Salim-1605 AD
b) Revolt of Khusurav-1606 AD
c) Death of Abul Faizi-1595 AD
d) Death of Birbal-1580 AD
116) Which Bundela Chief murdered Abul Fazl in 1602 AD?

a) Jujhar Singh
b) Gokla
c) Badan Singh
d) Bir Singh
117) which is considered true ach in early Delhi Sultanate period?

a) Ali Darwaz
b) Iltumish Tomb
c) Balban’s Tomb
d) Qudub Minar
118) Give the correct order

a) Belgum Session of Congress - foundation of Swaraj Party - Chauri Churra Incidence - Nehru Report
b) Nehru Report - Chauri Churra Incident - Belgum Session of Congress - Foundation of Swaraj Party
c) Foundation of Swaraj Party - Belgum Session - Chauri Churra Incidence - Nehru Report
d) Chauri Churra Incidence - Foundation of Swaraj Party - Belgum Session of Congress - Nehru Report
119) In modern Indian history, Lucknow Pact 1916 is significance. which one of the
following statement is not correct regarding Lucknow Pact?

a) Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Annie Besant, Tilak were back bone of the pact
b) First Time Congress accepted communal representation for Muslims
c) Later Tilak critised the pact because of accepting communal representation
d) Congress and Muslim league agreed to stand on common platform to fight against British Imperialism
120) Last Ruler of Mauriya Dynasty was murdered by Pushya Mitra Sunga, which one is not
acceptable reason for the incident according to Historical evidence?

a) Anti Dhamma policy of the King
b) Anti Brahmin policy of the King
c) Fear of Foreign Invasion
d) Anti-People policy

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answers:

1) a 2) d 3) b 4) a 5) d 6) d 7) b 8) d 9) b 10) c 11) d 12) a 13) c 14) b 15) c 16) d 17) d 18) d 19) b 20) a 21) c 22) d 23) b 24) b 25) c 26) a 27) c 28) d 29) c 30) a 31) a 32) c 33) a 34) b 35) a 36) a 37) a 38) b 39) d 40) c 41) d 42) a 43) a 44) a 45) a 46) d 47) d 48) a 49) d 50) b 51) d 52) d 53) c 54) a 55) a 56) c 57) a 58) a 59) b 60)d 61) a 62) c 63) d 64) a 65) b 66) b 67) a 68) a 69) d 70) d 71) c 72) b 73) d 74) b 75) c 76) a 77) c 78) c 79) b 80) c 81) c 82) c 83) c 84) b 85) b 86) d 87) c 88) b 89) c 90) c 91) d 92) d 93) b 94) a 95) b 96) d 97) c 98) c 99) c 100) c 101) b 102) a 103) c 104) d 105) a 106) d 107) b 108) b 109)c 110)c 111) a 112) b 113) b 114) d 115) d 116) d 117) c 118) d 119) c 120) a

C.S.E. INDIAN HISTORY - 2005(pre)

2007-02-14T13:49:00.000+05:30

C.S.E. INDIAN HISTORY - 2005
(PRELIMINARY) .
Time Allowed : Two Hours Maximum Marks: 300
1. An early translation of Bhagavat into Bengali was commissioned by Husain
Shah. Who undertook the translation work?
(a) Kavindra Parameswar (b) Maladhar Vasu
(c) Srikarana Nandi (d) Vidyapati
2. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given
below the lists:
List-I (Terms) List-II (Usage)
A. Dal al-shifa 1. Open area for equestrian exercises
B. Furusiyya 2. A hospital
C. Maydan 3. Imperial camp
D. Urdu-i Mualla 4. Open area for military parade
A B C D A B C D
(a) 4 1 2 3 (b) 2 3 4 1
(c) 4 3 2 1 (d) 2 1 4 3
3. With reference to the Medieval period match List-I with List-II and select
the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List-I (Places) List-II (Production)
A. Alwar 1. Oil and Perfume
B. Jaunpur 2. Sugar Candy
C. Kalpi 3. Glass
D. Lander 4. Woollen carpets
A B C D A B C D
(a) 2 1 3 4 (b) 3 4 2 1
(c) 2 4 3 1 (d) 3 1 2 4
4. What did Nania and Malangi castes specialize in?
(a) Medium-distance trade in foodgrains
(b) Leather tann work
(c) Iron smelting and charcoal production
(d) Salt and saltpetre production
5. The rulers of Deccan adopted istava measures in the medieval period.
What did it mean?
(a) Grant of loans with no interest
(b) Concessional assessment of land revenue
(c) Cesses imposed for enlarging the army
(d) Actual collection of land revenue
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
6. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given
below the lists:
List-I (Terms) List-II (Meanings)
A Ayagars 1. Village servants
B. Karnam 2. Policeman
C. Maniyam 3. Accountaint
D. Talaiyari 4. Headman
A B C D A B C D
(a) 4 2 1 3 (b) 1 3 4 2
(c) 4 3 1 2 (d) 1 2 4 3
7. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given
below the lists:
List-I (Terms) List-II (Meanings)
A Haqq-i Shurb 1. Loans to peasants
B. Qismat 2. Water tax
C. Taqavi 3. Agrarian cesses
D. Uslub 4. Regulations
A B C D A B C D
(a) 4 3 1 2 (b) 2 1 3 4
(c) 4 1 3 2 (d) 2 3 1 4
8. Who among the following recognised the important role played by women in
family and society in his preachings?
(a) Guru Nanak (b) . Sant Ravidas
(c) Sant Gyaneshwar (d) Sant Tukaram
9. Consider the following statements:
1. Naval expeditions of Rajaraja - I occupied parts of Burma, Malaya and
Sumatra.
2. Rajendra I conquered Ceylon.
3. The Cholas held northern Ceylon until they were expelled by Vijayabahu I.
4. The Cholas fell in the 13th century when their territory was shared by the
Hoysalas and Pandyas.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 3 and 4
(c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) 4 only
10. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given
below the lists:
List-I (King) List-II (Dynasty)
A. Bhoja of Malwa 1. Chandela
B. Jayachandra 2. Gahadavala
C. Mihira Bhoja 3. Paramara
D. Paramardideva 4. Pratihara
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
A B C D A B C D
(a) 3 1 4 2 (b) 4 2 3 1
(c) 3 2 4 1 (d) 4 1 3 2
11. In which one of the following temples did Ramanuja teach?
(a) Madurai (b) Mamallapuram
(c) Somnathpur (d) Srirangam
12. Consider the following statements:
1. There are no remains of free-standing Hindu temples erected before the
Gupta period.
2. All the cave at Ellora are of Hindu gods and goddesses.
3. The great temple of Shiva at Tanjore was built by Rajaraja, the Great.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 2 (d) 3 only
13. Consider the following statements:
1. During the Mughal period Mysore was the premier centre of silk production
and supplied the demands of both European and Indian merchants.
2. There was no ship-building industry in India during the Mughal period as
Europeans supplied ships to the Indians.
3. During the Mughaf period, saltpetre was exported from India by Dutch and
English traders.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 3 only
14. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
(a) Ahmad Shah Bahamani : Hazrat Gesu Daraz
(b) Mahmud Begarha : Faizi Sarhindi
(c) Akbar : Abdur Rahim Khan-i Khanan
(d) Jahangir : Muhammad Salih
15. Which one of the following groups represents the correct composition of
Vijayanagar territory of Pondimandalam ?
(a) Madurai, Chindleput, South Arcot, Tirl.nelveli
(b) Chindleput, South Arcot, North Arcot, Tirunelveli
(c) Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari
(d) Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, North Arcot, Kanyakumari
16. Which one of the following statements is not correct?
(a) Chaitanya was a contemporary of Vallabhacharya
(b) Dadu Dayal started the practice of worship at the shrines of departed saints
(c) Tukaram was a contemporary of Shivaji
(d) Vallabhacharya advocated penance, self-mortification and renunciation of the
world
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
17. Which one of the following poets wrote poems hailing the Russian
Revolution of 1917 ?
(a) Subramanya Bharati (b) Muhammad Iqbal
(c) Sarojini Naidu (d) Rabindranath Tagore .
18. Consider the following statements:
1. Although the First Five-Year Plan gave priority to Agriculture but there was
hardly any increase in the agricultural production at the end of the Plan
period.
2. The iron and steel plants at Bhilai, Rourkela and Durgapur were set up during
the First Five-Year Plan.
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
19. Consider the following statements:
1. Though the Constitution of India states that India is a Union of States, the
terms 'federal' and 'federation' are used in reference to India at several places
in the Constitution of India.
2. The First Schedule as adopted by the Constituent Assembly and incorporated
in the Constitution of India mentioned three categories' of States and
Territories i.e., Princely States, British Indian Provinces, Andaman and
Nicobar Islands.
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
20. Consider the following statements:
1. Several of the Fundamental Rights incorporated in the Nehru Committee
Report appeared in the Constitution of India substantially 'unchanged.
20. Several of the social and economic rights mentioned in the 1931 Karachi
Resolution found expression in the Directive Principles of State Policy in the
Constitution of India.
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
21. Who of the following was not included in the first Interim National
Government announced in August, 1946?
(a) Dr. Rajendra Prasad (b) Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
(c) C. Rajagopalachari (d) Jagjivan Ram
22. With reference to the Home Rule Movement during the Indian freedom
struggle, consider the following statements:
1. In his Home Rule Movement, Tilak linked up the question of Swaraj with the
demand for the formation of linguistic States and education in the vernacular.
2. At Allahabad, Jawaharlal Nehru joined Annie Besan:'s Home Rule League.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
23. With reference to the Swadeshi Movement during the Indian freedom
struggle, which one of the following statements is not correct ?
(a) The theme song of the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal was Rabindranath's
'Amar Sonar Bangia'
(b) Syed Haider Raza led the Swadeshi Movement in India
(c) The Ganapati and Shivaji festivals became a medium for
(d) The Surat split of the Congress in 1907 weakened the Swadeshi Movement
24. In order to advance the cause of English education in India, who among the
following introduced the regulation that all public s'ervices were to be filled
by an open competitive examination held by the Council of Education,
preference being given to the knowledge of English?
(a) Lord Wellesley (b) Lord William Bentinck
(c) Lord Hardings (d) Lord Dalhousie
25. Consider the following statements :
1. As per the Indian High Courts Act, High Courts were created in Calcutta,
Bombay and Madras by the amalgamation of the I Supreme Court and the
Sadar Diwani Adalat in 1861.
2. A Code of Civil Procedure & a Code of Criminal Procedure were
promulgated in 1867.
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
26. Which one of the following Muslim leaders joined the Home Rule League
founded by Annie Besant ?
(a) Muhammad Iqbal (b) Muhammad Ali Jinnah
(c) Syed Ahmed Khan (d) Abul Kalam Azad
27. Who among the following introduced a scheme of administration which
centered around a class of officials called Commissioners, each of whom was
placed in charge of a division comprising several districts?
(a) Lord Cornwallis (b) Lord Warren Hastings
(c) Lord Wellesley (d) Lord William Bentinck
28. Which one of the following was not included in the terms of the Gandhi-
Irwin Pact?
(a) Immediate release of all political prisoners not convicted for violence
(b) Payment of suitable compensation to the released prisoners
(c) Return of confiscated land not yet sold to third parties
(d) Remission of all fines yet not collected
29. In February 1943, while in jail, why did Gandhiji declare 21 days' fast?
(a) He wanted the people to stop violence in the Quit India Movement
(b) He was forcing the Hindu and Muslim separatists to shun divisive policies
and to strive for united India
(c) This was his answer to the Government which had been constantly exhorting
him to condemn the violence of the people during the Quit India Movement
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
(d) This was a part. of his non-violence strategy of forcing the. British Government to
concede the Congress demand for complete independence of India
30. Which one of the following statements is not correct?
(a) Gandhiji suggested to the KhiIafat Committee that it should adopt a
programme of Non-Violent Non-Cooperation to protest against the
Government's unfavourable attitude
(b) In the Nagpur Session of the Congress in 1920, Motital Nehru moved the
resolution of Non-Cooperation
(c) The programme of Non-Cooperation included the surrender of honours and
titles
(c) After the Vijayawada Session of the Congress in 1921, charkhas were
popularized on a wide scale and Khadi became the uniform of the national
movement
31. Consider the following statements:
1. Sauraseni was the official language of the Mauryan court.
2. Apabhramsa was used in the Middle Ages by Jaina writers in Gujarat for
composing poetry.
3. Telugn was the court language of Vijayanagar under Krishna Devaraya.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
32. Agnimitra known from the Kalidasa's drama MaJavikagnimitra was a
king of which one of the following dynasties?
(a) Maurya (b) Sunga
(c) Saka (d) Gupta
33. What was upavasatha in the Buddhist order?
(a) It was the resting place of the Buddhist monks in caves or viharas during
rainy period
(b) It was an act of confession of Buddhist monks when they assembled every
fortnight on the evenings of full and new moons
(c) It was an act of fasting for a specified period of time by Buddhist monks as a
punishment for the offences committed by them in their conduct .
(d) It was the vow taken by the newly admitted monk into the Buddhist order
34. Consider the following Bhakti Saints:
1. Dadu Dayal 2. Guru Nanak
3. Tulsidas
Who among the above was/were preaching when the Lodi dynasty fell and Babur
took over?
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1 and 2
35. What is the ideological approach of Jainism ?
(a) Anekanta (b) Advaita
(c) Avagaman (d) Pancha-sheela
36. Who was Alara Kalama?
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
(a) A disciple of Buddha
(b) A prominent Buddhist monk
(c) A teacher of Buddha
(d) A ruler who renounced his throne for Buddhism
37. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
(a) Sravasti The capital of Kosala
(b) Rajgriha The capital of Magadha
(c) Vaishali The capital of Chedi
(d) Ujjain The capital of Avanti
38. Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
(a) Chanda Pradyota Mahasena King of Vatsna
(b) Darshaka Successor to Ajatashatru
(c) Ajatashatru Follower of Ajivikas
(d) Prasenji King of Vajji Confederation
39. Consider the following statements:
1. In Rig Vedic time, the purohita was the foremost among the functionaries of
a king.
2. In Rig Vedic time, the king was the absolute owner of the land.
3. The system of espionage was not known to the kings of the Rig Vedic time.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and.3
40. Which one of the following statements is not correct ?
(a) The Upanishads were compiled earlier than the Puranas
(b) The Upanishads believe in the transmigration of Soul
(c) The Upanishads contain instructive stories and conversations.
(d) There are no parables in the Upanishads
41. Which one of the following statements is correct?
(a) The grama of the Rig Vedic Aryans usually refers to a group of kinsfold and
not a village
(b) The Aryans of early Vedic times tamed elephants and used them in war along
with horses
(c) The Rig Veda mentions the svayamvara and marriage of widows
(d) The Rig Veda mentions Vindhya and Satpura mountains and Narmada river
42. Which one of the following texts contains the earliest evidence on Indian
mathematical writings?
(a) Aranyaka (b) Ka/pasutra
(c) Nirukta (d) Sulvasutra
43. Which Indus Valley site has yielded evidence of use of a wooden coffin in
burial?
(a) Harappa (b) Mohenjodaro
(c) Lothal (d) Kalibongan
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
44. Match list-I (Ancient Finding)with list-II (Place of Finding) and select the
correct answer using the codes given below:
list -I list-II
A. Bronze dancing girl 1. Harappa
B. Persian gulf seal 2. Lothal
C. Grey stone male dancing figure 3. Mohenjodaro
D. Rows of fire altars 4. Kalibangan
A B C D A B C D
(a) 4 2 1 3 (b) 4 1 2 3
(c) 3 1 2 4 (d) 3 2 1 4
45. Where has the prehistoric cultivated field been discovered in India?
(a) Lothal (b) Kalibangan
(c) Ropar (d) Dholavira
46. Which one of the following Harappan sites has yielded evidence of a
signboard inscription?
(a) Lothal (b) Mohenjodaro
(c) Dholavira (d) Rakhigarhi
47. Which one of the following denotes a garment not prevalent during the
medieval period?
(a) Pravara (b) Qaba
(c) Jama (d) Sari
48. What is the Mitakshara of Vijnaneswar?
(a) A treatise on the system of medicine
(b) An exposition of the contemporary theatre
(c) A commentary on Hindu law
(d) A treatise on the South, Indian music
49. Consider the following statements:
1. The earliest Persian work on Indian Music - Ghunyat-ul-Munya was written in
the Court of Akbar.
2. Sangitopanishad Sarodhara - a treatise on music and dance was written by a
Jain scholar of Gujarat.
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
50. What did the concept of Wahadat-al Wujud as supported by Akbar signify ?
(a) Purity of Islam (b) War against infidels
(c). Eradication of caste system (d) Unity of Being
51. Collection of which one of Man Kautuhal ?
(a) The portraits of Rajput rulers
(b) The musical melodies
(c) The technical contrivances of the Hindus
(d) Astronomical charts of Indian cities
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
52. Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of setting up of
English factories in India?
(a) Madras - Sutanuti - Surat – Hugli
(b) Madras - Surat - Sutanuti – Hugli
(c) Surat - Hugli - Madras – Sutanuti
(d) Surat - Madras - Hugli - Sutanuti
53. What was the main content of the Treaty of Deogaon concluded at the end of
1803 ?
(a) Bhonsle Raja of Berar ceded to the English the Province of Cuttack including
Balasore, and the whole of his territory west of the river Warda
(b) Sindhia ceded to the English all his territories between the Ganges and
Jamuna, and his first and territories to the north of the Rajput principalities,
Jaipur, Jodhpur and Gohad
(c) Holkar gave up all claims to Tonk, Rampura, Bundi, Kooch, Bundelkhand
and places north of the Chambal
(d) Baji Rao II renounced the post of Peshwa and the headship of the Maratha
confederacy
54. Consider' the following statements with reference to British rule in India:
1. In 1780, the manufacture of salt was directly taken up by the Government.
2. In 1786, the Collector in each District of Bengal was made responsible for
settling the revenue and collecting it
3. In 1790, the Decennial Settlement of land revenue was declared permanent.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
55. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?
1. Battle of Bedara : Rear Admiral Boscawen
2. Battle of Wandiwash : General Coote
3. Battle of Buxar : Major Hector Munro
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
56. Who among the following was India's Defence Minister when the Chinese
invaded the northern part of India in 1962 ?
(a) Morarji Desai (b) V K. Krishna Menon
(c) T. T. Krishnamachari (d) Jagjivan Ram
57. Consider the following statements:
1. In Bombay. S. A. Dange published a pamphlet 'Gandhi and Lenin' and started
the first socialist weekly 'The Socialist'.
2. In Bengal, Muzaffar Ahmed brought out 'Navyug' and later founded the
'Langal' with the cooperation of the poet Nazrul Islam. .
3. In Madras, M. Singaravelu founded the 'Labour-Kisan Gazette'. .
Which of the statements giver above are correct? :
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3 (d) I, 2 & 3
58. Which Session of tile Indian NationalCongress approved. the 'Gandhi-Irwin
Pact' ?
(a) Karachi Session (b) Lahore Session
(c) Calcutta Session (d) Tripura Session
59. Consider the following:
1. Asaf Ali 2. Bhulabhai Desai
3. Jawaharlal Nehru 4. Tej Bahadur Sapru
Who among the above took up the defence of the lNA prisoners in the court
at the Red Fort trials?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) I, 3 and 4 (d) I, 2, 3 and 4
60. Which one of the following statements is correct?
(a) When Portuguese landed at Calicut in 1498, Narasa Nayaka chastised
Zamorin and expelled the Portuguese from there
(b) Pedro Alvarez Cabral captured the port of Goa in 1510
(c) When Portuguese captured the port of Goa froll) the Bijapur Sultanate,
Vijayanagar rulers sided with Bijapur
(d) When Mughal forces laid siege to Sambhaji's Kalyan, Portuguese helped
Mughals with provisions
61. What was Ganj-i Sawai ?
(a) A manuscript containing astronomical observations of Sawai Jai Singh
(b) The chief market place in the town of Sawai Madhopur
(c) A large cannon fitted ship belonging to Aurangzeb
(d) The most important custom post near Surat managed by the Mughal rulers
62. Consider the following statements:
1. It was from Pala Empire that Buddhism was introduced into Tibet. .
2. The Senas of Bengal were anti-Buddhist.
3. The Solankis who ruled Gujarat, patronized Jainism.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3
(c) l and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
Directions: The following 10 (TEN) items consist of two statements: one labelled
as the 'Assertion (A)' and the other as 'Reason (R)'. You are to examine these two
statements carefully and select the answers to these items using the code given
below:
(a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A Both
A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
63. Assertion (A): The Tamil literary works had a prosperous period during the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Reason (R) : Vijayanagar rulers had a special preference for the Tamil language
and literature.
64. Assertion (A): Azam Shah requested Shahu to take charge of Narmada region
during his absence from Maharashtra.
Reason (R) : It was felt that Shahu's presence in the region would weaken
Tarabai and safeguard Mughal possessions during Azam's absence.
65. Assertion (A): In medieval India, screw making was undertaken by soldering a
piece of wire on an iron nail.
Reason (R) : The technology of lathe-work was not known to the Indians.
66. Assertion (A): Akbar removed Adham Khan from his office and appointed Pir
Muhammad in his place as Governor of Malwa.
Reason (R): Adham Khan did not send the spoils of the conquest to Akbar.
67. Assertion (A): Haji Iliyas of Bengal was defeated by Firuz Shah Tughlaq but the
Sultan returned to Delhi without annexing Bengal.
Reason (R): There was a sudden invasion of Mongols on the North-West
Frontier.
68. Assertion (A): The Cabinet Mission rejected the Muslim League's demand for a
separate State of Pakistan.
Reason (R):The Cabinet Mission felt that a separate State of Pakistan would
contain a large proportion of non-Muslim population, and a sizeable population
of Muslims would be left in India.
69. Assertion (A): On the death of Qutb-ud-din Aibak, Aram Shah proclaimed
himself as the Sultan of Delhi by suppressing the other contenders to the throne.
Reason (R): There were no fixed rules governing the succession to the Crown in
the Turkish system.
70. Assertion (A): At the height of the Swadeshi Movement, communal riots broke
out in Bengal
Reason (R): Nawab Salimullah of Decca led the Muslim' peasantry of Bengal
against the Hindu Zamindars.
71. Assertion (A): Within half a century of the Battle of Plassey, the phenomenal
prosperity of Bengal suffered a serious setback.
Reason (R): The manufacture of cotton goods, the most important commodity of
export from India, increased in other parts of India while it declined in Bengal.
72. Assertion (R): The English Company was granted Diwani Rights of Bengal,
Bihar and Orissa in 1765 but the actual collection of revenue for the first few
years was left in the hands of Indians.
Reason (R): The English lacked the knowledge of revenue matters in India.
73. Consider the following statements:
1. Brahman,;;Is were exempted from execution or death penalty in all the
ancient Indian scriptures, texts and law books.
2. Dayabhaga, a treatise on inheritance was writtett by Jimutavahana of 12th
century.
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
3. The Arthashastra deals with crime and punishment and suggests many forms
of execution.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
74. Gautamiputra Satakarni is known largely because of the inscriptions
recorded by his mother. Which one of the following is the associated place?
(a) Hathigumpha (b) Nanaghat
(c) Nasik (d) Kanheri
75. Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
(a) Rashtrakutas : Devagiri (b) Pallavas: Madurai
(c) Yadavas: Manyakheta (d) Satavahanas: Pratisthana
76. Which one of the following is the correct statement about the Sangam
society of ancient South India?
(a) Slavery was not known to them
(b) The practice of Sati did not exist there
(c) The saqed marital threat Tali was unknown to them
(d) The women had no claim to the royal throne there
77. Which one among the following is the oldest stupa ?
(a) Stupa of Sanchi (b) Stupa of Bharhut
(c) Stupa of Piprawah (d) Stupa of Amaravati
78. Who was the hero of the literary work Silappadikaram ?
(a) Karikala Chola (b) Senguttuvan Chera
(c) Nedunjeliyan (d) Segannan Chola
79. Kanishka convened the Fourth Buddhist Council which prepared an
encyclopaedia of the Buddhist philosophy. What was this known as?
(a) Mahavarya (b) Prajnaparamita Sutra
(c) Ariyasacca (d) Mahavibhasha
80. Who among the following left an inscription which records reconstruction of
a great artificial lake in Kathiawar?
(a) Gautamiputra Satakarni (b) Kanishka
(c) Nahapana (d) Rudradaman
81. Which Indo-Greek ruler is referred to in the Besanagar (Vidisha) Pillar
inscription?
(a) Antialcidas (b) Minander
(c) Demetrius. (d) Heliodorus
82. Who among the following was a renowned Pasupata Acharya ?
(a) Shantinatha (b) Sreekarapandita
(c) Udyotakara (d) Purnakashyapa
83. Which one of the following epigraphs is significant for the history of
Bhagavatism ?
(a) Mathura Pillar Inscription
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
(b) Besanagar Pillar Inscription
(c) Rumindei Pillar Inscription
(d) Talagunda Pillar Inscription
84. Which one of the following is the correct chronological sequence?
(a) Ashtadhyayi -. Buddhacharita - Kathasaritsagara Meghaduta
(b) Ashtadhyayi - Buddhacharita - Megfiaduta Kathasaritsagara
(c) Buddhacharita - Ashtadhyayi - Meghaduta Kathasaritsagara
(d) Buddhacharita - Ashtadhyayi - Kathasaritsayara Meghaduta
85. According to I-tsing, where did Sri Gupta construct a temple for the Chinese
Buddhist pilgrims?
(a) Purushapura (b) Mrigasikhavana
(c) Taxila (d) Lumbinivana
86. Which one of the following statements is not correct?
(a) The earliest Indian coins bore no inscriptions
(b) Satavahanas of Deccan made coins of lead
(c) Guptas issued rupakq, the silver coins
(d) Gold coinage in India was started by Harshavardhana
87. Consider the following:
1. Kalidasa, 2. Bharvi
3. Bhasa
Who among the above belong to gupta age?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
88. Consider the following statements:
1. Sikandar Lodi changed his residence from Delhi to Agra.
2. The personal retainers of the great Amirs were appointed by Sikandar Lodi
himself.
3. Sikandar Lodi abolished duties on crop of corn.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
89. Match List-I (Literary Work) with List-II (Scholar)and select the correct
answer using the codes given below the lists:
List-I. A Hammir Rasau
A. Hammir Rasau 1. Allasani Peddana
B. Pampa Ramayana 2. Jayadeva
C. Prasanna Raghava 3. Naga
D. Sarvochisa Mancharitra 4. Chandra Sarangadhara
A B C D A B C D
(a) 1 2 3 4 (b) 4 3 2 1
(c) 1 3 2 4 (d) 4 2 3 1
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
90. What was the duty assigned to Mustakharaj under Alaud-din Khalji ?
(a) To measure the land of peasants and to fix the revenue share of the State
(b) To collect the unrealised balance of land revenue from the peasants
(c) To punish the revenue officials indulging in corruption
(d) To spy on the merchants and traders and to ensure that prices fixed by the
State were followed
91. Match List-I (Officials of Delhi Sultanate) with List-II (Duties/Jobs) and
select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List-I List II
A Barid-i Mumalik 1. Dealing with royal correspondence
B. Dabir-i Khas 2. Commanding Sultan's bodyguards
C. Sar-i Jandar 3. Heading the State news and
Information agency
D. Wakil-I Dar 4. Controlling and supervising the royal
household
A B C D A B C D
(a) 2 4 3 1 (b) 3 1 2 4
(c) 2 1 3 4 (d) 3 4 2 1
92. Who among the following wrote the drama Usparinaya which describes the
marriage of Usha with Aniruddha?
(a) Ganga Devi (b) Madhava Vidyaranya
(c) Krishna Devaraya (d) AIlasani Peddana
93. With reference to the Mughal administration, which ('De of the following
statements is not correct ?
(a) The Mughal artillery was under the charge of Mir-i-Atish (b) Supervision
over the lands granted by the Emperors or
(b) Princes to pious men, scholars and monks was under the charge of the Chief
Sadr
(c) The imperial household was under the charge of Mir Manzil
(d) The censorship of public morals was under the charge of Muhtasib
94. Which one of the following buildings is not located in Fatehpur Sikri?
(a) Buland Darwaza (b) Anup Talao
(c) Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque (d) Panch Mahal
95. What was the function of the official called Karori under Akbar's
administration?
(a) Collection of revenue
(b) Maintaining royal treasury
(c) Maintaining the account of foreign. trade
(d) Working as scribe for royal correspondence
96. Through which one of the following, the king exercised his control over
villages in the Vijayanagar Empire?
(a) Dannayaka (b) Sumanta
(c) Nayaka (d) Mahanayakacharya
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
97. Which one of the following is not connected with the description of the
Vijayanagar Kingdom?
(a) Amuktamalyada (b) Manucharitam
(c) Prabodha Chandrodava (d) Rehla
98. Who among the following rulers of Gujarat was treacherously drowned by
the Portuguese when he was on board his ship?
(a) Mahmud Begarha (b) Muhammad Shah
(c) Bahadur Shah (d) Husain Shah
99. Who among the following founded the city of Jaunpur?
(a) Ala-ud-din Khalji (b) Muhammad Tughlaq
(c) Firuz Tughlaq (d) Khizr Khan Sayyid
100. Who among the following introduced the dahsaJa system of land revenue
collection for the first time?
(a) Babar (b) Humayun
(c) Akbar (d) Shahjahan
101. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given
below the lists:
List-I (Ancient Town) List-II (Modern State)
A. Ajayameru 1. Assam
B. Bhrigukaccha 2. Gujarat
C Pragjyotisa 3. Orissa
D. Sisupalgarh 4. Rajasthan
A B C D A B C D
(a) 1 2 4 3 (b) 4 3 1 2
(c) 1 3 4 2 (d) 4 2 1 3
102. Which one of the following deals with the schemes of Chanakya to foil the
designs of a minister of the last of the Nandas, and to place Chandragupta
Maurya on the throne?
(a) Mricchakatika (b) Mudrarakshasa
(c) Pratijnayaugandharayana (d) Vikramolvasiyam
103. What was the reason for Gandhiji to organize a Satyagraha on behalf of the
peasants of Kheda ?
(a) Non-suspension of land revenue collection in spite of a drought
(b) Enhancement of land revenue in spite of failure of crops
(c) Confiscation of the land of those who did not pay the land tax by the British
administration
(d) The proposal of the administration to introduce 'permanent settlement' in
Gujarat
104. Consider the following statements:
1. In 1918, Tilak and Gandhi toured villages to raise money and men for the
British World War effort.
2. By the Lucknow Pact, the Muslim leaders accepted under-representation in
Muslim majority areas in return for overrepresentation in some provinces.
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
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
105. With reference to the Indian Councils Act of 1909, Consider the following
statements:
1. The Act formally introduced for the first time the principle of elections to the
legislative councils.
2. The Government of India was given general power of disallowing
politically dangerous candidates.
3. The income qualifications for the Muslim voters were lower than those for
the Hindus.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
106. Which one of the following first suggested boycott of the British goods in
Bengal?
(a) Aurobindo Ghosh's journal 'Bande Mataram'
(b) Krishna Kumar Mitra's weekly 'Sanjivani'
(c) Motilal Ghosh's 'Amrit Bazar Patrika'
(d) Sat ish Chandra Mukherji's 'Dawn'
107. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
(a) Siraj-ud-din Ahmed: Zamindar
(b) Lal Chand: Self-abnegation in politics
(c) Tej Bahadur Sapru: Tribune
(d) Abul Kalam Azad: AI-Hilal
108. Consider the following statements: Count de Lally, the French commander
failed against the English in India because
1. the home authorities in France did not recognize the importance of securing
political power in India.
2. the French were inferior to the English in naval strength.
3. there was discord between the French commanders of land and sea forces.
4. the English heavily bribed some important French officers.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
109. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given
below the lists:
List-I (Monument) List-II (Builder)
A. Arhai-Din-Ka-Jhompro at Ajmer 1. Ala-ud-din Khalji
B. Hauz-i-Khas at Dehli 2. IItutmish
e. Fortress of Adilabad 3. Muhammad Tughlaq
D. Jami Masjid at Badaun 4. Qutb-ud-din Aibak
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
A B C D A B C D
(a) 4 2 3 1 (b) 3 1 4 2
(c) 4 1 3 2 (d) 3 2 4 1
110. In the context of 1857 Revolt, the causes that led to the Sepoy Mutiny were
1. the disparity in number of European and Indian troops in the British Indian
Forces.
2. the General Service Enlistment Act ordering all recruits to the Bengal Army
to be ready for service both within and outside India.
3. the introduction of the Enfield rifle.
Which of the above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
111. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given
below the lists:
List-I (Person) List-II (Work)
Madhusudan Dutt 1. Meghnad-badh Kavya
Bankim Chandra 2. Devi Chaudhurani
Dinabandhu Mitra 3. Neeldarpan
4. Grammar of Bengali Language
A B C A B C
(a) 4 2 1 (b) 1 2 3
(c) 4 3 1 (d) 1 3 2
112. Consider the following statements:
1. The cancellation of regulations concerning Indian Press by Sir Charles
Metcalfe liberated it from official control during the period 1835-1857.
2. Under the Newspaper Act of 1908, the District Magistrate was empowered to
confiscate the printing press where a newspaper containing an incitement to
violence was printed.
3. The Indian Press Act of 1910 was suspended by the Government of India
during the World War I, so as to seek cooperation of Indian nationalists for
war efforts.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
113. Who among the following was in the forefront of making efforts leading to
making the Age of Consent Act, 1891 ?
(a) Bal Gangadhar Tilak (b) Kesab Chandra Sen
(c) B. M. Malabari (d) Swami Vivekananda
114. Consider the following statements with reference to Wood's Despatch:
1. Institution of a regular system of scholarship to enable meritorious students
to pursue the higher courses of study.
2. Helping the educational institutions founded by private efforts to obtain
grants from government funds.
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
3. Provision of moral and religious education as an important component of
curriculum.
Which of the above were the features of Wood's Despatch?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
115. Who among the following was a founder of Widow Marriage Association in
1861 ?
(a) Devendranath Tagore
(b) Mahadev Govinda Ranade
(c) Surendranath Banerjee
(d) Swami Dayanand Saraswati
116. Match List-I (Commission/Act/Despatch) with List-II (Year) and select the
correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List-I List- II
A. Wood's Despatch 1. 1919
B. Hunter Commission 2. 1904
C Universities Act 3. 1882
D. Sadler Commission 4. 1854.
A B C D A B C D
(a) 4 3 2 1 (b) 2 1 4 3
(c) 4 1 2 3 (d) 2 3 4 1
117. Consider the following statements:
1. Raja Ram Mohan Roy opposed the Permanent Settlement in Bengal.
2. Raja Ram Mohan Roy advocated the substitution of Persian for English as
the official language of the courts of law.
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
118. Consider the following statements:
Under Todar Mal's bandobast in Akbar's administration
1. the State was to advance loans to the cultivators which could be paid in easy
annual installments.
2. remissions of revenue were granted in bad season.
3. the revenue collectors were required to write officially annual reports about
the work, character and integrity of their subordinates.
4. the accounts were to be kept in Hindi.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
119. Consider the following statements:
1. By Pitt's India Act, the members of the Governor-General's Council were
reduced to three.
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
2. Pitt's India Act abolished the monopoly of the Company's Indian trade.
3. By Pitt's India Act, through a supplementary Act, the Governor General was
empowered to hold the office of Commander-in Chief in special cases.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
120. Which one of the following is not correct regarding the chief clauses of the
Regulating Act of 1773 ?
(a) The civil and military government and the management of all territorial
acquisitions and revenues in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, were vested in the
Governor-General at Fort William, assisted by four Councilors
(b) The Governor-General in Council at Fort William was given the power of
superintending the administration of the Presidencies of Madras and Bombay
(c) The President of the Board of Control exercised all powers relating to
supervising the Indian colony and the Court of Directors merely retained the
right of making appointments
(d) A Supreme Court consisting of a Chief Justice and three Judges was set up at
Fort William to deal with all cases of crime
(ANSWERS - 2005)
1. (b) 2. (d) 3. (b) 4. (d) 5. (b) 6. (b)
7. (d) 8. (a) 9. (c) 10. (c) 11. (d) 12 (a)
13. (d) 14. (b) 15. (a) 16. (d) 17. (d) 18. (d)
19. (a) 20. (c) 21. (b) 22. (c) 23 (c) 24. (c)
25. (a) 26. (b) 27. (d) 28 (b) 29. (c) 30. (b)
31. (c) 32. (b) 33. (b) 34. (b) 35 (a) 36. (c)
37. (c) 38. (b) 39. (a) 40. (d) 41. (a) 42. (d)
43. (a) 44. (d) 45. (b) 46. (c) 47. (a) 48. (c)
49. (b) 50. (d) 51. (b) 52. (d) 53. (a) 54. (b)
55. (b) 56. (b) 57. (d) 58. (a) 59. (d) 60. (d)
61. (c) 62. (c) 63. (c) 64. (a) 65. (a) 66. (a)
67. (c) 68. (a) 69. (a) 70. (a) 71. (c) 72. (a)
73. (a) 74. (c) 75 (d) 76. (a) 77. (c) 78. (b)
79. (d) 80. (d) 81. (a) 82. (c) 83. (b) 84. (b)
85. (b) 86. (d) 87. (d) 88. (a) 89. (b) 90. (b)
91. (b) 92. (c) 93. (c) 94. (c) 95. (a) 96. (d)
97. (c) 98. (c) 99. (c) 100. (c) 101. (d) 102. (b)
103. (a) 104. (c) 105. (d) 106. (b) 107. (c) 108. (a)
109. (c) 110. (b) 111. (b) 112. (a) 113. (c) 114. (a)
115 (b) 116. (a) 117. (a) 118. (b) 119. (c) 120. (c)

Public Administration 2005 (pre) question paper

2007-02-14T13:45:00.000+05:30

C.S.E. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION - 2005
(PRELIMINARY)
Time Allowed: Two Hours Maximum Marks :300
1. Consider the following statements:
1. Shri Jagjivan Ram was appointed as the Chairman of the Central Social
Welfare Board when it was set up in 1953.
2. The National Commission for Women was set up as a national apex statutory
body in 1992.
3. The National Institute of Public Co-operation and Child Development is an
autonomous body and functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 only
(c) 3 only (d) 2 and 3
2. Which one among the following is associated with the, 'Report of Public
Administration' and the 'Report on Efficient Conduct of State Enterprise'?
(a) The Ayyangar Committee, 1949
(b) The Secretariat Reorganization Committee, 1947
(c) The Gorwala Report, 1951
(d) The Appleby Reports, 1953 and 1956
3. Whi~h one of the following is the correct chronological order of the
following Commissions/Committees in India during the British. Rule?
(a) The Aitchison Commission - The Tottenham Committee –
The Lee Commission - The Islington Commission
(b) The Lee Commission - The Islington Commission
The Aitchison Commission - The Tottenham Committee
(c) The Aitchison Commission -The Islington Commission
The Lee Commission - The Tottenham Committee
(d) The Lee Commission - The Tottenham Committee
The Aitchison Commission - The Islington Commission
4. Match items in the List I (Country) with those in the List II (Features of
Civil Service) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the
lists:
List I List II
A U.S.A. 1. Tradition of administrative centralization is
undergoing change
B Great Britain 2. The office of Personnel Management is an
independent agency under the President
C France 3. 'Next Steps' programmes sought to transform
structure of management of the civil service
D Japan 4. Bureaucratic elitism is reinforced by educational
and employment system
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
A B C D A B C D
(a) 2 3 1 4 (b) 4 1 3 2
(c) 2 1 3 4 (d) 4 3 1 2
5. Consider the following statements in respect of the civil services in the USA?
1. All Federal posts are recruited on the basis of merit.
2. Hatch Acts prohibited partisan political activities of civil servants.
3. There are short-term political appointments and permanent career services.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 and 3 (b) 1 only
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 2 only
6. Match items in the List I (Types of Training) with those in the List II
(Features) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the
lists:
List I List II
A Vestibule 1. It involves frequent re-assignment to training
different divisions of the organization
B. Retraining 2. It has a specific job - centred focus & includes
formal instructions
C. Circular training 3. It involves a series of introductory lectures
followed by inspection trips to the departments
and field stations to provide first-hand
knowledge
D. Induction training 4. It involves instruction in a new field of
specialization or an extensive training in the old
field of specialization
A B C D A B C D
(a) 3 4 1 2 (b) 1 2 3 4
(c) 3 2 1 4 (d) 1 4 3 2
7. Who among the following gave initial impetus, evolution of organizational
development (OD)?
(a) Robert Merton (b) David Hume
(c) Kurt Lewin (d) W. D. Ross
8. In which of the following countries does rank classification prevail?
1. France 2. England 3. Canada
4. USA 5, India
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 4 (b) 2, 3 and 5
(c) 1, 2, 3 and 5 (d) 1, 2 and 5
9. Which of the following are the functions of civil services in a developing
society?
1. Deciding policies 2. Drafting legislative bills
3. Pre-audit 4. Framing departmental legislation
5. Administration adjudication
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1, 3, 4 and 5 (b) 1 and 2
(c) 2, 3, 4 and 5 (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
10. In accordance with the managerial grid developed by Robert Blake and Jane
Mouton, which one of the following implies the leadership style that has a
high degree of concern for people and a low degree of concern for
production?
(a) Impoverished management
(b) Country club management
(c) Team management
(d) Middle of the road management
11. In the context of Likert's system of leadership styles in management, match
items in the List I (Approach) with List II (Attributes) and select the correct
answer using the codes given below the lists:
List I List II
Autocratic 1. Structured decisions
Benevolent 2. Team decisions
Consultative 3. Traditional decisions
Participative 4. Friendly climate for decisions
A B C D A B C D
(a) 1 3 4 2 (b) 3 1 2 4
(c) 1 3 2 4 (d) 3 1 4 2
12. Match items in the List I (Management Thinker) with those in the List II
(Concept) and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists:
List I List II
A Herbert Simon 1. Job enrichment
B. F.W. Taylor 2. Contribution – satisfaction equilibrium
C. Frederick Herzberg 3. Bounded rationality
D. C. I. Barnard 4. Functional foremanship
A B C D A B C D
(a) 3 1 4. 2 (b) 2 4 1 3
(c) 3 4 1 2 (d) 2 1 4 3
13. Which one of the following best describes the relationship between policies
and procedures in an organization?
(a) Policy and procedure offer equal discretion in decision making
(b) Procedures are laid down before the policies are adopted
(c) Policies are more stable than the procedures
(d) Procedures may be same for all departments within al organization while the
policies might differ
14. In a traditional autocratic system, the manager would specify both the
standards for performance and the methods for achieving them. In a
participative management system, which of the following is specified by a
manager?
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
(a) Only the methods for achieving the standards performance
(b) Neither the standards of performance nor the methods for achieving them
(c) Both the standards of performance and the methods for achieving them .
(d) Only the standards of performance
15. Consider the following statements:
Contractual employment in public employment has been advocated because:
1. it is a project work of a purely temporary nature to be completed in specified
time.
2. it requires specialised skills and inputs for short duration.
3. it is a legitimate and accepted form of employment.
4. it is required for purposes of lateral entry for various positions. at senior
level.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1, 3 and 4 (b) 2 and 4
(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (d) 1 and 2
16. Match List I (Terms) with List II (Defined by) and select the correct answer
using the codes given below the lists:
List I List II
Consolidated Fund of India 1. Article 110
Money Bill 2. Article 267
Annual Financial Statement 3. Article 266
Contingency Fund of India 4. Article 265
5. Article 112
A B C D A B C D
(a) 5 1 4 2 (b) 3 2 5 1
(c) 5 2 4 1 (d) 3 1 5 2
17. Consider the following statements:
1. The Constitution (74th Amendment) Act introduced a new part IX A in the
Constitution of India.
2. The provisions of the Constitution (74th Amendment) Act also apply to the
Scheduled Areas & Tribal Areas governed by Article 244 (1) and (2) of the
Constitution of India.
3. The Constitution (74th Amendment) Act specifies the manner and procedure
of election of the Chairperson of a Municipal Corporation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 2 (d) 1, 2 and 3
18. When were 17 Departmental Related Standing Committees set up in India
on the recommendations of the Rule Committee of the Lok Sabha?
(a) 1964 (b) 1977
(c) 1990 (d) 1993
19. In which one of the following countries is the 'Doctrine of Co-directorship'
prevalent as a method of control over administration?
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
(a) U.S.A. (b) France
(c) Switzerland (d) Germany
20. Which one of the following is the correct ascending order of the
administrative levels in a State?
(a) Secretariat - Directorate - Divisional – District
(b) Directorate - Secretariat - Divisional – District
(c) Secretariat - Divisional - District – Directorate
(d) District - Divisional - Directorate - Secretariat
21. Consider the following Committees appointed in India to examine and
report on local governments:
1. Balwant Rai Mehta Committee
2. Ashok Mehta Committee
3. Smt. Daya Choubey Committee
4. R.K. Khanna Committee
Which one of the following is the correct chronological sequence in which these
Committees were set up?
(a) 2 - 3 - 4 - 1 (b) 1 - 4 - 3 - 2
(c) 2 - 4 - 3 - 1 (d) 1 - 3 - 4 - 2
22. In the post-independence period the Government appointed several
committees and commissions to improve the urban local bodies. Some of
them are:
1. Rural-Urban Relationship Committee
2. Taxation Enquiry Commission
3. National Commission on Urbanization
4. Local Finance Enquiry Committee
Which one of the following is the correct chronological sequence in which the
above committees and commissions were set up?
(a) 1-2-4-3 (b) 4-3-1-2
(c) 1 - 3 - 4 - 2 (d) 4 - 2 - 1 - 3
23. When was the first municipal corporation in India at Madras set up?
(a) 1587 (b) 1687
(c) 1787 (d) 1887
24. Consider the following statements:
1. Game theory highlights the explicit role of human relationship and
interactions in decisions
2. Methods on decision making based on heuristic principles proceed along
empirical lines.
3. Dynamic nature of organizational objectives is one of the reasons for
decision making characterized by bounded rationality.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
Directions: The following 6 (SIX) items consist of two statements: one
labelled as the 'Assertion (A)' and the other III as 'Reason (R)'. You are to
examine these two statements carefully and select the answer to these items
using the codes given below:
(a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false (d) A is false but R is true
25. Assertion (a): In spite of changes having taken place in the administrative
scenario, heart burning between 'generalists' and 'specialists'
continues.
Reason (R) The requirements of economic and technological development
have drastically changed the ratio-relationship between
'generalists' and 'specialists'
26. Assertion (a): H.A. Simon was the first to give a meaningful analysis of the
decision making process.
Reason (R) Classical thinkers like Fayol and Urwick did not see decisionmaking
as an all-pervasive concept. .
27. Assertion (a): McGregor's Theory Y is based on the external control of
human behaviour.
Reason (R) Theory Y is characterized by decentralization of authority.
28. Assertion (a): State Five-Year plans and annual plans have to be approved by
the Planning Commission.
Reason (R) Membership of National Development Council consists of the
Prime Minister as the Chairman, all Union Cabinet Ministers,
Chief Ministers of all States and representatives of the Union
Territories.
29. Assertion (a): The Chief Secretary of a State acts as the ex-officio Secretary
to the Council of Ministers in the State.
Reason (R) The powers and functions of Chief Secretary of a State are
.listed in the Constitution of India.
30. Assertion (a): If in a cut motion during discussion of demands for grants In
the Annual Financial Statement, the reduction demanded is
either in the form of a lump sum or omission or reduction of an
item in the demand, the motion which enables such cut is
known as 'Economy Cut'.
Reason (R) The motion in the above case represents disapproval of the
policy underlying the demand.
31. Which one among the following is not a function of the State Secretariat?
(a) To assist a Minister in the formulation of policy
(b) To act as channel of communication.
(c) To prepare drafts of the legislation to be introduced in the Legislative
Assembly
(d) To assist the legislature In secretarial work
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
32. Which one of the following was recommended by the Administrative
Reforms Commission regarding Directorates?.
(a) The distinction between the Secretariat as the policy making body and the
Directorate as the executive agency should be abolished
(b) The Directors must be granted ex-officio status as Secretaries
(c) There should be liberal delegation of powers from the Secretariat to the
Directorate
(d) There should be uniformity in the powers delegated to all the Directorates
33. Consider the following statements: Lord Ripon's resolution of 1882 provided
new life to the local bodies, which were later hampered by several factors,
such as
1. hostile attitude of Lord Curzon towards local bodies.
2. obstructive tactics of the bureaucracy.
3. sudden expansion of elected non-officials.
4. reduction of official control of Deputy Commissioners.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1 and 3
(c) 2 and 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
34. Match List I (Institutions) with List U.(Articles of Constitution) and select
the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List I
A Comptroller & Auditor General of India
B. Finance Commission
C. Administrative Tribunals
D. Union Public Service Commission
list II
1. Article 315
2. Article 280
3. Article 148
4. Article 323 (A)
A B C D A B C D
(a) 3 4 2 1 (b) 1 2 4 3
(c) 3 2 4 1 (d) 1 4 2 3
35. Which of the following statements are correct about the post of Cabinet
Secretary?
1. He works under the direct control of Prima Minister.
2. He is usually the seniormost civil servant of the country.
3. The official warrant of precedence gives him the first place among the civil
servants.
4. He is the head of the Cabinet Secretariat.
5. This office was created in 1950.
Select the correct answer using the- codes gjven below:
(a) 1, 2 and 4 (b) 3 and 4
(c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
36. Which one of the following government documents first suggested for having
elections of Panchayati Raj Institutions on political party basis?
(a) Report of the Administrative Reforms Commission
(b) Ashok Mehta Committee Report
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
(c) Balwant Rai Mehta Committee Report
(d) Diwakar Committee Report
37. A metropolitan committee can be set up in an area having population
(a) 3 lac - 4.99 lac (b) 5 lac - 9.99 lac
(c) Up to 10 lac (d) Above 10 lac.
38. Which of the following functions are performed by a Gram Sabha?
1. All public problems are discussed.
2. Village budget and programmes are framed.
3. Beneficiaries of various government programmes are identified.
4. In order to keep a watch on the panchayats, a Vigilance Committee is
constituted.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2 and 4
39. Which of the following are included in the non-tax revenue of the municipal
bodies?.
1. Toll on new bridge.s 2. Fees and fines
3. Income from enterprises 4. Octroi
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 2 and 4 (d) 2 and 3
40. Which one of the following statements is not correct regarding the finances
of urban local government?
(a) They can apply for loans from State Government, Union Government, World
Bank or other international agencies
(b) Their borrowing powers are defined in the Municipal Act
(c) Most of the urban local bodies are dependent on finances provided by the
State Government
(d) State Government charges interest on loans and decides time limit for its
repayment
41. Consider the following with reference to 73rd Constitution Amendment in
respect of Panchayati Raj
1. Direct elections of members at all levels.
2. Direct elections of chairpersons at the village level.
3. Indirect election of chairpersons at the intermediate levels and district levels.
4. Mandatory provision for holding elections.
Which of the above are the provisions of the 73rd Constitution Amendment in
respect of Panchayati Raj?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 2 and 4 (d) 1, 3 and 4
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
42. Which of the following are the common compulsory provisions of the 73rd
and 74th Constitution Amendment Act?
1. Five yearly elections
2. Reservation for backward classes
3. Reservation for women 4. Nagar Panchayats
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 4
(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (d) 1 and 3
43. Which one of the following provisions has been left to the will of the State
Governments in the 73'd Constitution Amendment Act?
(a) Providing reservation to the Backward Classes
(b) All posts at all levels to be filled by direct elections
(c) Reservation. of seats for SC/ST in proportion to their population
(d) Reservation up to 1/3 seats for women in panchayats
44. 'Good Governance' and 'Participating Civil Society for Development' were
stressed in World Bank Report of
(a) 1992 (b) 1997
(c) 2000 (d) 2003
45. Which one of the following is not upheld by New Public Administration?
(a) Value based approach (b) Dogmas of efficiency and economy
(c) Social equity in service delivery (d) Relevant research
46. Which one of the following is mainly discussed in "The Next Society" by
Peter Drucker?
(a) Demographics' (b) New economy
(c) Knowledge society (d) Information techno-society
47. Consider the following statements:
Coordination in an organisation is necessary to
1. stop growing tendency towards empire building.
2. avoid conflicts or overlapping in the work of the employees.
3. concentrate on one aspect of work.
4. achieve the goals of an organisation effectively.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1, 2 and 4 (d) 1, 3 and 4
48. Consider the following statements:
1. Estimates of expenditure charged upon the Consolidated Fund of India are
not submitted to the vote of the Parliament and there can be no discussion on
the same in either House of the Parliament.
2. Vote of credit is a grant approved by the Parliament in advance of the
detailed examination of various demands presented to it.
3. Token grants do not involve additional expenditure.
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 3 only
(c) 2 only (d) 2 and 3
49. Match List I (Management Expert) with List II (Major Area) and select the
correct answer using the codes given below:
List I List II
A. Philip Kotler 1. Organizational change
B. Robert C Merton 2. Business process re-engineering
C. Michael Hammer 3. Derivative pricing formula
D. Peter M. Senge 4. Marketing Management
A B C D A B C D
(a) 1 2 3 4 (b) 4. 3 2 1
(c) 1 3 2 4 (d) 4 2 3 1
50. Consider the following statements:
1. There are 25 state cadres in all for the all-India services.
2. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions is the cadrecontrolling
authority for all the three all-India services.
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
51. Consider the following statements:
1. If the Rajya Sabha has declared by resolution supported by not less than twothirds
of the members present and voting that it is necessary or expedient in
the national interest to do so, Parliament may by law provide for the creation
of one or more all-India services.
2. Article 311 of the Constitution of India deals with the dismissal or removal of
a person who is a member of a civil service' of the Union or an all-India
service or a civil service of a State or holds a civil post under the Union or a
State.
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
52. Which of the following organizations are under the administrative control of
the Department of Personnel and Training, the Ministry of Personnel,
Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India?
1. Central Vigilance Commission 2. Central Administrative Tribunal
3. Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration
4. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy
5. Union Public Service Commission
6. Public Enterprises Selection Board
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 3, 4 and 5 (b) 5 and 6
(c) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 (d) 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
53. Match List I (Institute) with List II (Location) and select the correct answer
using the codes given below the lists:
List I
A Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of
Cooperative Management
B. Institute of Applied Manpower Research
C. National Institute of Rural Development
D. Defence Institute of Work Studies
List II
1. Hyderabad
2. Pune
3. Mussoorie
4. Kanpur
5. Delhi
A B C D A B C D
(a) 3 1 4 2 (b) 2 5 1 3
(c) 3 5 1 2 (d) 2 1 4 3
54. Who among the following studied the impact of computers on the
hierarchical pyramid of an organization?
(a) John Rawls (b) John Pfiffner
(c) Elton Mayo (d) David Rusk
55. Consider the following statements:
1. The universal design theory of organization emphasizes on informal structure
of organization
2. The situational design theory of organization views an organization as a
closed system.
3. The traditional approach favours a rigid hierarchical structure of
organization.
4. The system approach favours a flexible participative structure of
organization.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 3 only (b) 1,2 and 4
(c) 2 and 4 (d) 3 and 4
56. Which one of the following is not the characteristic of Max Weber's model of
bureaucracy?
(a) Offices are arranged in the form of a hierarchy
(b) All organizational members are to be selected on the basis of technical
qualifications
(c) Control in the bureaucratic organization is based on personally applied rules
(d) Officials pursue their careers within the organization
57. Consider the following stages:
1. Politics - administration dichotomy
2. The humanistic challenge
3. Search for universal principles
4. New Public Administration
5. Focus on inter-disciplinary studies
6. Paradigm shifts
Which one of the following is the correct sequence of the above stages of
historical evolution of Public Administration as a discipline?
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
(a) 1 - 3 - 2 - 5 - 4 - 6 (b) 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 - 6 - 5
(c) 1 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 4 - 6 (d) 4 - 3 - 5 - 1 - 6 - 2
58. Which one of the following statements is correct about the difference
between supervision and span of control?
(a) Supervision is directing and guiding the subordinates, while span of control is
the exercise of authority
(b) Supervision is directing and guiding the subordinates, while span of control
relates to the number of subordinates being directed
(c) Supervision relates to the number of subordinates being directed, while span
of control is directing and guiding the subordinates
(d) Supervisioin is the exercise of authority while span of control is taking
punitive action against the underperforming employees.
59. Which one of the following is not the characteristic of the classical approach
of Public Administration?
(a) Acceptance of politics - administration dichotomy
(b) The search for principles of administration through scientific analysis .
(c) An emphasis on the centralization of executive activities
(d) Focus on informal and socio-emotional aspects of organizations
60. Consider the following statements about the behavioural approach:
1. It is-concerned with the scientific study of human behaviour
2. It was started by Chester Barnard and later on developed by Herbert Simon.
3. "Its literature is mostly descriptive and not perspective.
4. It stresses on informal relations and communication patterns.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 1 and 2
61. Which one of the following is not correct about system approach?
(a) A system is more than sum of its parts
(b) A system can be considered to be either closed or open
(c) Boundaries in a system are not rigid, impenetrable, or closed
(d) If a system is to achieve dynamic equilibrium, it must not have interactions
with its environment
62. Consider the following statements in respect of bureaucratic form of
organizational design:
1. The primary strength of the bureaucracy lies in its ability to perform nonstandardized
activities in a highly efficient manner.
2. In bureaucracy, there is little need for innovative and experienced decision
makers below the level of senior executives;
3. The pervasiveness of rules and regulations substitutes for managerial
discretion.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 only (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
63. Which one of the following is not an essential feature of supervision?
(a) Development of agreed work standards between supervisor and subordinates
(b) Developing report forms for subordinates
(c) Resolving conflicts and misunderstanding among subordinates
(d) Fault finding and punishing subordinates
64. Which one of the following generalisations can be drawn from
decentralisation of powers?
(a) 'Planning from below' is a good illustration of this phenomenon
(b) Jurisdictional lines are to be identified
(c) Decisions will affect overall policies
(d) Local officers will report to more than one central agency
65. Match List I (Theory of Motivation) with List II (Premise) and select the
correct answer using the codes given below:
List I
A. Theory X
B. Theory Y
C. Two Factor theory of F. Herzberg
List II
1. Self-direction and self-control
2. Motivation is a product of anticipated worth of a goal and chances of
achieving that goal
3. Reliance on extemal control of human behaviour
4. Job enrichment instead of job enlargement as a motivation strategy
A B C A B C
(a) 2 1 4 (b) 3 4 1
(c) 2 4 1 (d) 3 1 4
66. Who was analysed leadership in termsof circular response?
(a) C.I.Barnard (b) Mooney
(c) M.P. Follett (d) Millet
67. Which of the following specific incentives for the satisfaction of an
individual have been identified by C.I. Barnard?
1. Material inducements
2. Personal non-material opportunities
3. Desirable physical conditions of work
4. Ideal benefactions ,
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 4 ,
(c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
68. Which of the following concepts are associated with M.P. Follet?
1. Functional authority 2. 'Bottom-up' authority
3. Conflict and integration 4. 'Power over' and 'Power with'
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (b) 2 and 4
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 3 and 4
69. Which of the following concepts are associated with C.I. Barnard? I~
1. Contribution - Satisfaction Equilibrium
2. Zone of Acceptance
3. Strategic Factors in Decision Making
4. Acceptance theory of Authority
5. Organisation as Cooperative System
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 2, 3, 4 and 5 (b) 1, 3, 4 and 5
(c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2 and 5
70. Which of the following are associated with Simon?
1. He equated administration with decision-making.
2. He did not stress upon decision-making as an alternative to the structural
approach.
3. He proposed a new concept of administration based up on logical positivism.
4. He distinguished between programmed & non-programme decisions.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) .1,2 and 3 (b) 1,3 and 4
(c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2 and 4
71. Which of the following factors are labelled as job dissatisfiers by F.
Herzberg?
1. Salary 2. Supervision
3. Responsibility 4. Work itself
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1 and 3
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 3 and 4
72. Who among the following writers concluded that 'people preferred jobs that
offered opportunities for recognition, achievement and responsibility'?
(a) A. Maslow (b) D. McGregor
(c) F. Herzberg (d) Rensis Likert
73. Consider the following statements:
1. Functional classification was recnlT1mended by the Fifth Central Pay
Commission.
2. Position classification results in uniform treatment for promotions.
3. For recruitment to the existing three All-India Services, the Union Public
Service Commission is involved only with the recruitment through open
competition examinations.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 2
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1 and 3
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
74. Consider the following statements in respect of the Contingency Theory of
Leadership:
1. In extreme unfavourable or extreme favourable situations, a human relation
oriented leader is more effective.
2. In a moderately unfavourable or moderately favourable situation, a taskoriented
leader is more effective.
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
75. Who among the following revised the Human Relations approach of Prof. E.
Mayo into a New Human Relations model of management?
(a) Fritz Roethlisberger (b) Rensis Likert
(c) James MacGregor (d) Mary Parker Follet
76. For every 'principle' of administration, there is a Counterprinciple, thus
rendering the whole idea of principles moot. Which one of the following
brought the above point of view?
(a) The Science of Public Administration by R. Dahl
(b) Administrative Behaviour by H. Simon
(c) Ventures in Public Policy by Y. Dror
(d) Administrative State by D. Waldo
77. Consider the following statements: According to Ferrel Heady, both
Comparative Public Administration and International Administration are
similar because
1. both avoid concentration on the administrative system of one single nation.
2. both disregard any administrative system as 'Ideal'.
3. both have a similar framework for analysis:
4. both believe in gradual convergence for mutual benefit.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 3 and 4
(c) 1, 2 and 4 (d) 2, 3 and 4
78. Which of the following are the motivating concerns which Comparative
Public Administration addresses as an intellectual enterprise?
1. The search for theory.
2. The urge for practical application.
3. The incidental contribution to the broader field of comparative politics.
4. The comparative analysis of ongoing problems of public administration.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1 and 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
79. Which one of the following statements is acceptable to the protagonists of
New Public Administration?
Rationality as a value
(a) leads to efficient performance
{b) causes flexibility problem in prioritisation
(c) is mere common sense
(d) is rooted in morality
80. Consider the following statements:
'The crisis of identity' in Public Administration in the seventies was
accentuated by
1. the demise of Wilsonian dichotomy
2. the protests made by post-behaviouralists .
3. the growth of Comparative Public Administration
4. the expansion of private administration and market debate Which of the
statements given above are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 2 and 4 (d) 1, 3 and 4
81. Which one of the following is a clear and distinct line of authority among the
positions in organisations?
(a) Organisational design (b) Chain of command
(c) Hierarchy (d) Departmentalisation
82. Task achievement and excellence of performance in accomplishing a task
are emphasized sometimes at the expense of obedience to one's superior.
Which one of the following has the above as a principal feature?
(a) Closed model organisation
(b) Open model organisation
(c) Bureaucratic organisation
(d) The newer tradition organisation
83. Which one of the following is not correct in relation to the meaning of
delegation?
(a) Entrustment of responsibility to another for performance (b)Entrustment of
powers and rights; or authority, to be exercised
(c) Creation of an obligation, or accountability, on the part of the person
accepting the delegation to perform in terms of the standards established
(d) Shifting of workload without transferring corresponding authority to make a
decision
84. Which of the following are provided for by the Constitution (74th
Amendment) Act in respect of planning of urban and rural local
governments?
1. Constitution of the District Planning Committee
2. Not less than 2/3'd of the District Planning Committee should be elected by,
from amongst, the elected members of district panchayats and municipalities.
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
3. All other details regarding the composition of the District Planning
Committee are left to the State Legislatures.
4. Constitution of the Metropolitan Planning Committee. Select the correct
answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1,2and3 (b) 2and4
(c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
85. Which one of the following is the main cause of the scalar system?
(a) Unity of command (b) Hierarchy
(c) Delegation (d) Coordination
86. Which one of the following statements illustrates the principle of span of
control?.
(a) The levels of management connote no inherent superiority and inferiority
(b) Automation, mechanisation and specialisation have brought about a sea
change in decision making
(c) The old concept of one single superior for each personis seldom found
(d) The ever increasing role of administration has focused attention on unity in
the administrative process
87. Match Ust I (Type of Delegation) with List II (Explanation) and select the
correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
List I
A Specific delegation
B. Accrued delegation
C. Unwritten delegation
D. Sideward delegation
List II
1. Subordinate can delegate his authority to his immediate superiors
2, Authority is delegated on the basis of custom or usage
3. A person delegates authority to another who is also in the same rank in the
organisation
4. Orders, instructions or directions are delegated to a particular person
A B C D A B C D
(a) 2 3 4 1 (b) 4 1 2 3
(c) 2 1 4 3 (d) 4 3 2 1
88. Consider the following statements:
1. The Estimates Committee of Parliament lacks the expert assistance of the
Comptroller & Auditor General of India which is available to the Public
Accounts Committee of Parliament.
2. All the Ministries / Departments of the Union Government are not taken up
for examination every year by the Estimates Committee, but only a few of
them are selected for this purpose. 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
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
89. Consider the following statements:
1. The Comptroller & Auditor General or India / the Chairman & the Members
of the Union Public Service Commission are appointed by the President if
India by warrant under his hand and seal and shall be removed from his
office in like manner & on the like grounds as a Judge of the Supreme Court.
2. A Judge of the Supreme Court can be removed from his office on grounds of
proved misbehaviour or incapacity after an address by each House of
Parliament is supported by a majority of total membership of that House.
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
90. Consider the following statements:
1. Since 1989, the responsibility for evaluation and processing of proposals
relating to the capital restructuring of various public sector undertakings of
the Union Government is entrusted to the Controller General of Accounts.
2. The Institute of Government Accounts and Finance is situated in Pune.
3. The Expenditure Reforms Committee which completed its term in
September, 2001 was set up under the Chairmanship of YV Reddy.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) 2 only
91. Consider the following statements:
1. The Central Government took the historical step of separating accounts from
the audit function in respect of various ministries and departments under the
Central Government in 1980.
2. Ashoka Chanda was the first Comptroller and Auditor General of India. .
3. Even after the separation of accounts function from the audit function, the
Comptroller and Auditor General of India certifies the Union Government
Finance Accounts and Appropriation Accounts prepared by the Controller
General of Accounts.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 3 only
92. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
Committee Subject
(a) L.M. Singhvi Committee, 1986 Constitutional Status for
Panchayati Raj
(b) Santhanam Committee, 1964 Prevention of corruption
(c) Satish Chandra Committee, 1988 Civil Services Examination, Union Public
Service Commission
(d) Gore Committee, 1974 Parliamentary control over public
expenditure
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
93. Which among the following are the features of participative management?
1. Overlapping structures
2. Cross-functional linkages
3. Multi-directional communication
4. Effective man-to-man relationship
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
(c.) 1, 2 and 3 (d) 1 and 4
94. Consider the following statements:
1. Auxiliary agencies have no execution or operative responsibilities.
2. Staff agencies are attached to the line agencies at different levels in the
hierarchy.
3. Line agencies provide channels of communication. Which of the statements
given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 2
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1 and 3
95. Consider the following statements:
The purpose of judicial control over administration is
1. to control the policy and expenditure of the government
2. to ensure the lagality of officials' acts and thereby to safeguard the rights of
the citizens.
3. to bring all officials under the control of the people.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 3 only
96. With regard to judicial control over administration what does 'malfeasance'
stand for?
(a) Error of procedure (b) Abuse of authority
(c) Error of fact (d) Error of law
97. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
(a) Management by exception: The concept of minimum intervention by
exception in operation, and then only when fall/
rise in performance exceeds acceptable
variations in results
(b) Management by objectives: A technique used in planning and controlling
(c) Managerial development: Formal programmes of training structured to
improve managerial skills
(d) Managerial grid: Also called project management
98. Which of the following are intrinsically linked with administrative
accountability?
1. Hierarchy 2. Span of control
3. Unity of command 4. 4. Orders
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
(a) 1, 2 and 4 (b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 3 and 4
99. Which one of the following is not a system of efficiency rating in the U.S.A.?
(a) Production record system (b) Graphic rating scale system
(c) Personality inventory system (d) Personnel appraisal system
100. Which one of the following is not correct in respect of the French Civil
Service?
(a) Civil Service comprises a large number of corps
(b) France upholds a vertical classification of Civil Service
(c) ENA does recruitment for the Civil Service
(d) Promotion is time-bound and based on seniority
101. Which among the following recommended the introduction of performance
budget in India?
(a) Estimates Committee
(b) Appleby Report
(c) Comptroller and Auditor General of India
(d) Administrative Reforms Commission
102. Which of the following is/are the provisions of Article 18 of the Constitution
of India which pertains to the Right to Equality to the citizens of India?
(a) No title, not being military or academic distinction, shall be conferred by the
State
(b) No citizen of India shall accept any title from any foreign State
(c) No person holding any office of profit or trust under the State, shall without
the consent of the President, accept any present, emolument or office of any
kind from or under any foreign State
(d) All of the above three
103. Which one of the following is not included in deficit financing in India?
(a) Withdrawal of past accumulated cash balance
(b) Borrowing from the Central bank
(c) Issue of new currency
(d) Borrowing from the people
104. Match List I (Grants) with List II (Explanation) and select the correct
answer using the codes given below the lists:
List I List II
A Vote on account 1. To make any grant in advance in respect of
estimated expenditure for a part of financial year
pending the completion of the procedure
prescribed in Article 113
B. Excess grant 2. To make a grant for meeting an unexpected
demand upon resources of India
C. Exceptional grant 3. To take approval for money spent during a
financial year in excess of amount granted for the
service
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
D. Supplementary 4. To take approval if the amount grantauthorized by
law for the current year is found insufficient
A B C D A B C D
(a) 1 3 2 4 (b) 2 4 1 3
(c) 1 4 2 3 (d) 2 3 1 4
105. Consider the following statements in respect of the National Personnel
Authority of Japan:
1. The National Personnel Authority of Japan was created by the National
Public Service Law.
2. It is responsible for education and training of the public servants.
3. President and Commissioners of the National Personnel Authority of Japan
are "appointed by the Cabinet.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 and 3 (b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 1 only (d) 1 and 3
106. Which of the following statements is not correct in respect of civil service in
Japan?
(a) Political activism is totally absent in the Japanese bureaucratic tradition.
(b) The lateral movement between ministries in the Japanese civil service is
limited.
(c) There is dominance of law background graduates in the Japanese civil
service.
(d) The National Personnel Authority has all the non-elective and non-political
appointments, excluding specified posts under its control.
107. Consider the following statements in respect of the civil service in France:
1. The French Civil Service is dominated by the law experts.
2. Ecole National de Administration conducts competitive examination for entry
into the Government service.
3. Ecole National de Administration is not responsible for providing training to
the civil servants.
4. French civil servants are in enjoyment of political rights to a far greater
extent, as compared to those of other countries.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2, 3 and 4 (b) 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 4 (d) 1 and 3
108. Under which provision does the Governor of a State constitute a State
Finance Commission to review the financial position of Panchayats?
(a) Under the discretionary powers of the Governor
(b) By a resolution passed in the Legislative Assembly
(c) In accordance with the Article 2431 of the Constitution of India
(d) In accordance with a resolution passed in the Rajya Sabha
109. Article 143 of the Constitution of India deals with the Governor for each
State. By which Amendment Act, has it been provided that the same person
can be appointed Governor for more than one State?
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
(a) Fifth (b) Seventh
(c) Ninth (d) Eleventh
110. In which one of the following methods of training, is a particular topic
chosen and specific groups are assigned the task of making an in-depth
'study of that subject under the guidance of an expert faculty?
(a) Case study method (b) Critical incident method
(c) Sensitivity method (d) Syndicate method
111. Which of the following Commissions I Reports recommended setting up of
Indian Institute of Public Administration?
(a) Union Public Service Commission
(b) Planning Commission
(c) A.D. Gorwala Report (d) Paul H. Appleby Report
112. Match items in the List I (Commission/Report) with those in List II
(Recommendation) and select the correct answer using the codes given
below the lists: .
List I List II
A Aitchison Commission 1. Increase of emoluments for the members
of the Civil Services in order to dissuade
the European Civil Servants from
returning home
B. Islington Commission 2. Proposed classification of all the services
into Imperial provincial and subordinate
services
C. Montague Chelmsford Report 3. Holding of simultaneous examinations in
India and England for ICS
D. Lee 4. To associate Indians with Commission
administration in every branch
A B C D A B C D
(a) 3 1 2 4 (b) 2 4 3 1
(c) 3 4 2 1 (d) 2 1 3 4
113. Which one of the following does not come in the ambit of recommendations
by the Finance Commission?
(a) The distribution of net proceeds of taxes between the Union and States
(b) The principles to be followed by the Centre while giving grants-in-aid to the
States out of .the Consolidated Fund of India
(c) The amount of money to be allocated to States from the Public Account of
India
(d) Any other matter referred to the Commission by the President in the interest
of sound finance
114. Consider the following statements in respect of the Prime Ministar's
Secretariate :
1. It enjoys the status of a Department of the Government of India under
allocation of business rules
2. It has a few attached and subordinate offices under it.
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
3. It came into existence immediately after independence replacing the
Secretary to the Governor General.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 only (d) 1 and 3
115. Consider the following statements in respect of the Central Secretariat in
India:
1. It assists the Council of Ministers in the fulfilment of its responsibilities and
duties.
2. It is based on the belief that policy-making must be separated from policy
execution.
3. Secretarial system in India is similar both to the British and the Swedish
systems.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1 and 2
116. Which are the functions of the attached offices to a ministry?
1. Providing execution direction required in the implementation of policies.
2. Serving as a repository of technical information.
3. Advising the concerned ministry on technical aspects of policies.
4. Detailed execution of the policies of the government.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 3 and 4
(c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
117. Match List I (Concept) with List II (Propunder) and select the correct
answer using the codes given below the lists:
List I List II
A. Daily balance chart 1. F.W. Taylor
B. Science of motion study 2. Emerson
C. Efficiency System 3. Gilberth
D. Shop floor activities 4. H.L.Gantt
A B C D A B C D
(a) 1 2 3 4 (b) 4 3 2 1
(c) 1 3 2 4 (d) 4 2 3 1
118. What is the purpose of issue of Mandamus?
(a) Directing an official for the performance of a duty
(b) Release of an illegally detained person
(c) Transferring of a case from an inferior court to a court of higher jurisdiction
(d) Calling upon one to show as to by what authority he holds or claims a
franchise or office
http://www.civilserviceindia.com
119. Which of the following opportunities is provided by the Appropriation Bill
to the legislature?
(a) To discuss the policy and other matters related to the expenditure of various
ministries
(b) To change amount of demands of various ministries
(c) To reallocate the grants of various ministries
(d) To vary the amount of expenditure charged upon the Consolidated Fund of
India
120. Consider the following statements:
1. There is provision under an Article of the Constitution of India, that
Parliament may by law provide for adjudication of disputes relating to waters
of inter-state rivers or river valleys.
2. Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 has been amended by the Centre to
empower States to abolish the State Administrative Tribunals, if they so
desire.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWERS
1. (b) 2. (c) 3. (c) 4. (a) 5. (a) 6. (a)
7. (c) 8. (d) 9. (c) 10. (b) 11. (d) 12. (c)
13. (c) 14. (b) 15. (c) 16. (d) 17. (a) 18. (d)
19. (a) 20. (d) 21. (b) 22. (d) 23. (b) 24. (d)
25. (b) 26. (b) 47. (d) 28. (c) 29. (c) 30. (c)
31. (d) 32. (c) 33. (a) 34. (c) 35. (d) 36. (b)
37. (d) 38. (a) 39. (c) 40. (a) 41. (d) 42. (d)
43. (a) 44. (a) 45. (b) 46. (d) 47. (c) 48. (b)
49. (d) 50. (d) 51. (c) 52. (d) 53. (b) 54. (b)
55. (d) 56. (c) 57. (a) 58. (b) 59. (d) 60. (c)
61. (d) 62. (d) 63. (d) 64. (a) 65. (d) 66. (c)
67. (d) 68. (d) 69. (b). 70. (b) 71. (a) 72. (c)
73. (b) 74. (d) 75. (b) 76. (b) 77. (c) 78. (d)
79. (d) 80. (c) 81. (c) 82. (b) 83. (d) 84. (c)
85. (a) 86. (b) 87. (b) 88. (c) 89. (b) 90. (b)
91. (d) 92. (d) 93. (b) 94. (c) 95. (b) 96. (b)
97. (d) 98. (b) 99. (d) 100. (d) 101. (d) 102. (d)
103.(d) 104. (a) 1 05.(d) 106. (a) 107. (c) 108. (c)
109. (b) 110. (d) 111. (d) 112. (d) 113. (c) 114. (d)
115. (d) 116. (d) 117. (b) 118. (a) 119. (a) 120. (c)

INDIA- US NUCLEAR DEAL -PART 2

2007-02-14T13:41:00.000+05:30

India-US Nuclear Deal
India -Usa Nuclear deal brought about lots of hopes and aspirations to the vast multitudes of energy starved people of India . The responses and reactions are myriad . Ranging from ultra nationalistic to neo- accomadative , the deal has brought forward various cerebral images and thought process to the fore .
The immediate reaction ,( few say it was knee jerk ) of the left parties was that its comprimising our national pride and our non aligned foreign policy .The right wing too had its own reservations about the July 18 Indo-Usa Nuclear deal .After nerve -wrecking bargaining , and ample number of assurances by our policy makers and clarifications to the Parliament by our Prime Minister , and taking into confidence our nuclear scientific community , India with a lofty vision , marched forward crossing the past non-productive ideologies , with a new pardigm shift in its approach towards relationships both in its extended neighbourhood and also at the broad world stage .It forged a new dynamic , vibrant , business relationship with the only super power of the planet ---The USA .
The outcome is two fold ... we gained the Indo- Usa nuclear deal ....but we lost few of our old friends viz Iran ...our friend from anceint civilsiations .By voting against it in the voting to refer it to the security council for sanctions , India was alleged of having become an hench man of USA. Reactions were sharp that it has lost its independednt foreign policy and that all its policies were being remote controlled by Usa . One thing should we all remember that when the path we embarked is new and the challenges mighty , mistakes do happen and with this spirit India acknowledged its blunder and corrected it by abstaining in the next vote !.
After the initial euphoria created by the july 18 deal , few of our intellectuals started dreaming ( rightly) that India is on the verge of becoming a superpower .They fell aghast when new conditions started creeping in . The MAY 2nd agreement attempeted to fix the goalposts and remove any kind of vague discrepancies . With vigilant media staring straight in the eyes , stiff oppostion from political parties and dynamic watchdog -nuclear scientific community puting forth periodic clarifications and suggestions , the whole of India was participating in this GREAT PUBLIC DEBATE ....should we have it or leave it . At this juncture credit is due to all the negotitators especially Mr. M.K . Narayan , principal advisor to the Govt. Of India .They have bargained hard , baragined tough and bragained right and sqeezed the deal right trough the nose of hardliners like Mr. NicholasBurns (under sec . foreign relations) and Ms Rice .
We were elated . Usa is treating us like " Partners ". We are getting Full Nuclear Co-operation. Full means Full Sir ! from technolgy transfers to recycling and reprecessing of spent fuels . our reactors were seperated intio civilian and military . this is the only thing we have to do ! Our fast breeder test reactors are safe , they will never enter into the magnifying glasses of the foriegn inspectors .
But all great things face stiff chalanges . the deal has to be endorsed by the Congress . In simple words I would like to put it in this way ---" A 3 page document became 60 pages legal book " ! It contains many passages , references and uncalled for conditions that has put a dampner on the deal .
India should not conduct a nuclear test ! if it does all the containers and material will be removed and shipped back to usa ! how is this possible even the experts dont know ! it ridicules our declaration on self-moratarium on further nuclear tests way back in 1998.
India does not have the right to recyle and reprocessing of the spent fuel . spent fuels are the waste fuels produced ina nuclear reactor rich in plutoium but not useful as it is mixed with other fissile material. India mastered the art of reprocessing in mid 80's. hence India did not sign the partial nor the complete test ban treaty . so why now ! and that too when we are equals ! A rational answer is awaited !
So with all the above due considerations to the Jack Hyde Indo - Usa nuclear act 2006 , one should be holistic in one s approch before we jump to any conclusions .Indian negotiators state that the Act is not binding on India as it is a American domestic law . So one should not attach much significance to it as all depends on the 123 document that we have to sign with USA.
Presently our scientists are against this new agreement . Former nuclear scientists numbering about 10 of them headed by Mr.Prasad had rejected the new form deal outrightly . Anil Kadodkar has his own serious reservations about the deal . There is total oppostion to it from our polity . The press and intelligentsia is voicing its own reservations . the future ahead is tough . Recently PM has announced that he will not allow foreign inspectors to "roam about " in our nuclear complexes .
So what we really lose if we dont get the deal . We lose energy . We lose time . We lose knowledge and expertise in becoming self - suffiecient in nuclear energy .
But all is not dark . There are many sliver linings only if we can search . We have to be determined in this pursuit . It is quite simple .Find alternative energy sources . WE have to harness solar , tidal , wind energies . Our President Shri Abdul kalam has set forth an beautiful example ....he installed solar cookers in his palace. and all his lights and air coolers run with solar energy . Why should we not at once follow the footsteps of this great man . Instead of debating and aping the west lets do our little bit in making India self-reliant and prosperous. An India that gives and only gives but never begs !
India is one of the counties that is part of the gobal endeavour to master nuclear fusion technologies . alongwith USA, Japan, S. korea , France , Germany and China , its part of a pioneering research in TOKMAK technolgies . Nuclear fusion energy is cheap and risk free, and enviornemental friendly .We are competent enough to achieve significant breakthroughs in any kind of technology if only given the Time and Money !
We have huge vast Thorium reserves . India has 85 % of world Thorium in its basket . Our scientists are on the doorstep in finding the required technology to convert this inert thoruim into fissile energy producing thorium. It will happen soon . Who dreamt at the stroke of the midnight hour that India would test its nuclear weapons in just a quarter century of time . So would we be Masters of our own fate and destiny . We would in due time be masters in using thorium reserves.The Fast Test Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam is the forerunner in this endeavour .
So arguments that we should still bargain for bargaining sake doesnt hold scientific rational reasoning .Already the goal posts are shifted . USA cannot and will not tresspass its Congress mandate in the Hyde Act to give further concessions to India . The writing is very clear on the wall . Its only a matter of time . If we still want we should lick our injured pride and be part of this unholy fearfull alliance or else leave it and come out unscatched with our Head held high !
Hope our responsible Policy makers take tough descions and one institute they can look for inspiration if they like to is --- THE USA CONGRESS . Be tough is indeed the message we have gained through all this melodrama .We can live without You ! Time for our own PARLIAMENT to THUNDER !
(With warm regards and platitudes to two gentleman who dared to break the routine path ---George Bush and Manmohan Singh --history will remember both of you for the right reasons !)

India-US nuclear deal.

2007-02-14T13:17:00.000+05:30

India's Nuclear Deal with USIndia is a developing economy and is being viewed as a key player in world affairs and politics. In this context, one of the major concerns for the Indian state is that of energy security. Patterns and trends in energy consumption have seen a day-night shift and the need of the hour is to address the issue with immediate focus on stabilizing the energy needs and to sustain them for our future generations. The current pattern of production clearly shows our dependence on coal (about 51%) and hydrocarbons (approximately 40%). The twofold problems we face in this aspect are- first, even with the most optimistic predictions, the coal reserves will not last for more than one to one and a half centuries. Secondly, the country is not self sufficient in hydrocarbon resources. In the light of this scenario, the Indo-US nuclear deal seems to come as a great relief for India.
Christened as "Henry J. Hyde United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Act of 2006", the deal ends thirty years of India's nuclear isolation. This is a great step forward in securing India's growing energy needs and to keep us on the path of economic growth. The US President George W. Bush, while signing the act, acknowledged the fact that India needed large amount of energy for its rapidly growing economy. First of all let us examine the provisions of the deal. The first steps in this aspect were the joint declarations of US and India made on July 18,2005 and March 2, 2006. Under these India was first to segregate its civilian and nuclear facilities and put the former under international inspections. In return the US assured, at least in principle, for "full civil nuclear energy cooperation". Other provisions said that India were to voluntarily maintain its unilateral moratorium on testing nuclear weapons and also work with the United States for a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty. Apparently the deal seemed to be pro-Indian. However, as Shashi Tharoor pointed out, there is always a give and take relationship in such commitments.
In purview of this I would like to pint out some of the causes of concern for India with respect to the clauses in the act. The major damper to the act is that it does not automatically permit civil nuclear trade but rather lays down the conditions India must satisfy in order to do so. A proposal that the US President has to submit annual reports to the Congress with regards to non-proliferation and commitments was objected to by the Indian Government. The outcome to this appeal was merely a change in the language from "certification" to "assessment". Secondly, one of the biggest loopholes is that India will not be allowed access to enrichment and reprocessing technologies. Thirdly, the deal also does not ensure lifetime fuel guarantee for the reactors. Moreover, it also does not allow the stockpiling of nuclear fuel beyond a certain limit. However, the most disturbing clause for which there has been much hue and cry and for which India's scientist community has been the most vocal is that the act seeks to end all such cooperation if India was to conduct a nuclear weapon test in future. In such a case India would also need to return all equipments received under the deal. Needless to say this would be a huge economic drain. In addition we have concerns over additional safeguard and verification measures other than that from the International Atomic Energy Agency. Much has been debated on the benefits from the bill and there have been speculations that it is a sort of backdoor being used to make India comply the CTBT without actually signing entering into it. These concerns have been put forward to the US and India is waiting for the final ratification of 123 Agreement. Without the appropriate addressing of these issues it would be suicidal for India to enter into the deal.
Of course we do have the silver lining in the form of assurances. Answering to the concerns in the Parliament, Dr. Manmohan Singh acknowledged that difficult negotiations were lying ahead but all care would be taken to protect the country's strategic programme, to protect the autonomy of the country's three stage nuclear programme and safeguarding rights to indigenous research and development. He assured that India would not settle for anything less than "full civil nuclear energy cooperation" including reprocessing the spent fuel. The Prime Minister Dr Singh also assured that Atomic Energy Commission chairman, Anil Kakodkar that he would be kept informed of all developments at all stages. In response, Mr. Kakodkar assured the citizens that the deal would be in India's interests. The Finance Minister also assured that India will not cede the right to conduct nuclear tests but shall stick to the voluntary unilateral moratorium. Finally the US President himself sought to allay some of India's concerns.
Whatever be the final outcome, none can deny the significance of the proceedings so far. First and foremost, it recognizes India as an emerging power to the extent that US laws have been subject to amendment. The rest of the world can no longer ignore India's role in world dynamics. It gives an entire new dimension to Indo-US relationship. It also recognizes India as a safe and responsible nuclear power. In terms of the US gains from the deal, the most significant is of geopolitical nature. US gains the confidence as a rising regional power in South Asia. As Mr. Bush himself pointed out that India and USA are "natural partners" and the "rivalries that once kept the two nations apart are no more".
The road ahead is not a very smooth one, but the beginning so far has been good. First India's concerns need to be addressed. And, secondly the Nuclear Suppliers Group i.e. NSG countries should also have similar confidence on India, so that we can enjoy long-term benefits. Only time will tell where we stand, but the act in itself can be seen as a strategic success for India. God forbid, if things go worse and we do not achieve the intended, we only loose something that we never had.

GS PRE Civil Services Examination 2003

2006-03-15T10:17:00.000+05:30

held on 18th May, 2003

Q1. The Basque people who are frequently in the news for their separatist activity live in:

(a) France (b) Italy

(C) Portugal (d) Spain

Q 2. Match List-I (High Officials) with List-II (Organisation) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:

List-I List-II

(High Officials) (Organisation)

A. C. P. Jain 1. Indian Airlines

B. S. Ramadoral 2. NTPC

C. Sunil Arora 3. TCS

D. Vivek Paul 4. Wipro Technologis

Codes:

A B C D

(a) 4 1 3 2

(b) 4 3 1 2

(c) 2 3 1 4

(d) 2 1 3 4

Q 3. Which one of the following statements if correct?

(a) Liquid Sodium is employed as a coolant in nuclear reactors

(b) Calcium carbonate is an ingredient of tooth paste

(c) Bordeaux mixture consists of Sodium sulphate and lime

(d) Zinc amalgams are used as a dental filling

Q 4. Consider the following statements:

1. The Cholas defeated Pandya and Chera rulers and established their domination over peninsular India in the early medieval times.
2. The Cholas sent an expedition against Sailendra empire of South East Asia and conquered some of the areas.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q 5. Diffusion of light in the atmosphere takes place due to:

(a) Carbon dioxide (b) Dust particles

(c) Helium (d) Water vapours

Q6. In India, the fist bank of limited liability managed by Indians and founded in 1881 was:

(a) Hindustan Commercial Bank

(b) Oudh Commercial Bank

(c) Punjab National Bank

(d) Punjab and Sind Bank

7. Which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) The Press Council of India is an autonomous quasijudicial body established under an Act of Parliament

(b) The Press Information Bureau provides accreditation to media persons so as to have easy access to information from government sources

(c) Among all the States of India, Maharashtra publishes the largest number of newspapers

(d) Press Trust of India is the largest news agency in the country.

8. The government holding in BPCL is:

(a) more than 70%

(b) between 60% and 70%

(c) between 50% and 60%

(d) less than 50%

9. Consider the following statements regarding the relations between India and Pakistan:

(1) During Shimla Agreement, Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Bhutto agreed to maintain the sanctity of LOC.

(2) Lahore Summit took place in the year 1997.

(3) Islamabad Summit was held between Rajiv Gandhi and Nawaz Sharif.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 3

(c) Only 2 (d) Only 1

10. During the year 2000-01, which one of the following industries recorded highest growth rate in India?

(a) Cement (b) Coal

(c) Electricity (d) Steel

11. An oil tanker is partially filled with oil and moves forward on a level road with uniform acceleration. The free surface of oil then:

(a) remains horizontal

(b) is inclined to the horizontal with smaller depth at the rear end.

(c) Is inclined to the horizontal with larger depth at the rear end

(d) Assumes parabolic curve

12. In which one of the following countries is Rupee its currency?

(a) Bhutan (b) Malaysia

(c) Maldives (d) Seychelles

13. Which one of the following countries is land locked?

(a) Bolivia (b) Peru

(c) Suriname (d) Uruguay

14. Which one of the following countries does NOT border the Caspian Sea?

(a) Armenia (b) Peru

(c) Kazakhstan (d) Turkmenistan

15. The sportsperson Soma Biswas is associated with:

(a) Sailing (b) Hockey

(c) Golf (d) Athletic

16. Which one of the following is produced during the formation of photochemical

smog?

(a) Hydrocarbons (b) Nitrogen Oxides

(c) Ozone (d) Methane

17. Consider the following statements:

1. Kitab-I-Nauras, a collection of songs in praise of Hindu deities and Muslim saints, was written by Ibrahim Adil Shah II.
2. Amir Khusrau was the originator in India of the early form of the musical style known as Qawali.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

18. Three bells toll at intervals of 9, 12 and 15 minutes respectively. All the three begin to toil at 8 a.m. At what time will they first toll together again?

(a) 8.45 a.m. (b) 10.30 a.m.

(c) 11.00 a.m. (d) 1.30 p.m.

19. Match List-I (Distinguished Lady) with List-II (Organisation/Industry) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:

List-I List-II

(Distinguished Lady) (Organisation/Industry)

A. Amrita Patel 1. National Dairy Development Board

B. Anu Aga 2. Park Hotels

C. Mallika Srinivasan 3. Pfizer Limited

D. Priya Paul 4. Thermax Limited

5. Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited

Codes:

A B C D

(a) 1 4 5 2

(b) 2 4 1 5

(c) 1 3 5 2

(d) 2 3 1 5

20. Consider the following statements:

In the Electoral College for Presidential Election in India,

1. the value of the vote of an elected Member of Legislative Assembly equals

State Population

Number of elected MLAs of the State x 100

2. the value of the vote of an elected Member of Parliament equals

Total value of the votes of all elected MLAs

Total number of elected MPs

3. there were more than 5000 members in the latest election.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2

(c) 1 and 3 (d) Only 3

21. Which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) Ali Mardan Khan introduced the system of revenue farming in Bengal

(b) Maharaja Ranjit Singh set up modern foundries to manufacture cannons at Lahore

(c) Sawai Jai Singh of Amber had Euclid’s ‘Elements of Geometry’ translated into Sanskrit

(d) Sultan Tipu of Mysore gave money for the construction of the idol of Goddess Sarda in the Shringeri temple

22. Which of the following Constitutional Amendments are related to raising the number of Members of Lok Sabha to be elected from the States?

(a) 6th and 22nd (b) 13th and 38th

(c) 7th and 31st (d) 11th and 42nd

23. How did Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibak die?

(a) He was treacherously stabbed to death by one of his ambitious nobles

(b) He was killed in a battle with Taj-u-din Yildiz, the ruler of Ghazni who entered into a contest with him over the capture of Punjab

(c) He sustained injuries while besieging the fortress of Kalinjar in Bundelkhand and succumbed to them later

(d) He died after a fall from his horse while playing Chaugan

24. Among the following which planet takes maximum time for one revolution around the Sun?

(a) Earth (b) Jupiter

(c) Japanese (d) Portuguese

26. Which one of the following provisions was NOT made in the Charter Act of 1833?

(a) The trading activities of the East India Company were to be abolished

(b) (b) The designation of the supreme authority was to be changed as the Governor-General of India in Council

(c) All law-making powers to be conferred on Governor-General in Council

(d) An Indian was to be appointed as a Law Member in the Governor-General’s Council

27. With reference to normal human beings, consider the following statements:

1. In response to the presence of HCL, secretin is produced from the duodenum.

2. Enterogastrone is produced in the small intestine in response to the presence of fatty acids.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2

(b) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

28. Survey of India is under the Ministry of:

(a) Defence (b) Environment and Forests

(c) Home Affairs (d) Science and Technology

29. Which among the following countries was the earliest to give women the right to vote?

(a) Iceland (b) India

(c) New Zealand (d) U.S.A.

30. Total time taken by a person in going to a place by walking and returning on cycle is 5 hours 45 minutes. He would have gained 2 hours by cycling both ways. The time taken by him to walk both ways is:

(a) 6 hours 45 minutes

(b) 7 hours 45 minutes

(c) 8 hours 15 minutes

(d) 8 hours 30 minutes

31. Sandeep Pandey, the winner of Ramon Magsaysay Award is mainly an activist in:

(a) prevention of child marriages

(b) promotion of communal harmony

(c) environmental protection

(d) education and livelihood projects for Dalits

32. What was the main reason for a great civil strife in Argentina recently?

(a) Ethnic conflict between the native Red Indian tribes and others

(b) Economic crisis due to huge public debt

(c) The issue of using native languages as medium of instruction in schools

(d) Clashes between government troops and secessionist groups

33. With reference to colonial rule in India, what was sought by the Ilbert Bill in 1883?

(a) To bring Indians and Europeans on par as far as the criminal jurisdiction of courts was concerned

(b) To impose severe restrictions on the freedom of the native press as it was perceived to be hostile to colonial rulers

(c) To encourage the native Indians to appear for civil service examinations by conducting them in India

(d) To allow native Indians to possess arms by amending the Arms Act.

34. An important aspect of the Cripps Mission of 1942 was:

(a) that all Indian States should join the Indian Union as a condition to consider any degree of autonomy for India

(b) the creation of an Indian Union with Dominion status very soon after the Second World War

(c) the active participation and cooperation of the Indian people, communities and political parties in the British war effort as a condition for granting independence with full sovereign status to India after war.

(d) The framing of a constitution for the entire Indian Union, with no separate constitution for any province, and a Union Constitution to be accepted by all provinces

35. When Congress leaders condemned the Montagu-Chelmsford Report, many moderates left the party to form the:

(a) Swarajya party

(b) Indian Freedom Party

(c) Independence Federation of India

(d) Indian Liberal Federation

36. In the FIFA World Cup Football event in the year 2002, the number of goals scored by Ronaldo of Brazil were:

(a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 8 (d) 9

37. Who won the title in the finals of French Open men’s singles tennis championship in the year 2002?

(a) Albert Costa (b) Juan Carlos Ferrero

(c) Andre Agassi (d) Pete Sampras

38. Consider the following statements:

The function(s) of the Finance Commission is/are

1. to allow the withdrawal of money out of the Consolidated Fund of India.

2. to allocate between the States the shares of proceeds of taxes.

3. to consider applications for grants-in-aid from States.

4. to supervise and report on whether the Union and State governments are levying taxes in accordance with the budgetary provisions.

39. Which one among the following States has the highest female literacy rate as per the Census 2001?

(a) Chattisgarh (b) Madhya Pradesh

(c) Orissa (d) Rajasthan

40. Which one among the following countries has the lowest GDP per capita?

(a) China

(b) India

(c) Indonesia

(d) Sri Lanka

41. Consider the following statements:

1. In Macedonia, ethnic Albanians are a minority.

2. 2. In Kosovo, Serbians area majority.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

42. Israel has common borders with:

(a) Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt

(b) Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Jordan

(c) Cyprus, Turkey, Jordon and Egypt

(d) Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Yemen

43. What is the correct sequence of the rivers – Godavari, Mahanadi, Narmada and Tapi in the descending order of their lengths?

(a) Godavari-Mahanadi-Narmada-Tapi

(b) Godavari-Narmada-Mahanadi-Tapi

(c) Narmada-Godavari-Tapi-Mahanadi

(d) Narmada-Tapi-Godavari-Mahanadi

44. If the radius of the earth were to shrink by one percent, its mass remaining the same, the value of ‘g’ on the earth’s surface would:

(a) increase by 0.5%

(b) increase by 2%

(c) decrease by 0.5%

(d) decrease by 2%

45. With reference to the entry of European powers into India, which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) The Portuguese captured Goa in 1499

(b) The English opened their first factory in South India at Masulipatam

(c) In Eastern India, the English Company opened its first factory in Orissa in 1633

(d) Under the leadership of Dupleix, the French occupied Madras in 1746

46. With reference to Indian freedom struggle, which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) The Rowlatt Act aroused a wave of popular indignation and led to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre

(b) Subhas Chandra Bose formed the Forward Bloc

(c) Bhagat Singh was one of the founders of Hindustan Republican Socialist Association

(d) In 1931, the Congress Session at Karachi opposed Gandhi_Irwin Pact

47. Consider the following statements:

1. In the last five years, Indian software exports have increased at a compound annual growth rate of about 60%

2. The software and service industry in India registered an overall growth of about 28% in rupee terms during the year 2001-2002.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

48. Which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) India is the second largest producer of nitrogenous fertilizers in the world

(b) India is the ninth largest steel producing country in the world

(c) India is the second largest producer of silk in the world

(d) India ranks third in the world in coal production

49. Which one of the following statements is correct?

(a) Only the Rajya Sabha and not the Lok Sabha can have nominated members

(b) There is a constitutional provision for nominating two members belonging to the Anglo-Indian community to the Rajya Sabha

(c) There is no constitutional bar for a nominated member to be appointed as a Union minister.

(d) A nominated member can vote both in the Presidential and Vice Presidential elections

50. With reference to Government of India’s decisions regarding Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during the year 2001-02, consider the following statements:

1. Out of the 100% FDI allowed by India in a tea sector, the foreign firm would have to disinvest 33% of the equity in favour of an Indian Partner within four years.

2. Regarding the FDI in print media in India, the single largest Indian shareholder should have a holding higher than 26%

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

51. Alam Khan, one of those who invited Babur to invade India was:

(a) an uncle of Ibrahim Lodi and a pretender to the throne of Delhi

(b) a cousin of Ibrahim Lodi who was illtreated and expelled from the country

(c) the father of Dilawar Khan to whom cruel treatment was meted out by Ibrahim Lodi

(d) a high official in Punjab province who was very much discontented with Ibrahim Lodi’s treatment to his tribe

52. The battle of Dharmat was fought between

(a) Muhammad Ghori and Jai Chand

(b) Babur and the Afghans

(c) Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh

(d) Ahmad Shah Durrani and the Marathas

53. Which one among the following has the largest shipyard in India?
(a) Kolkata (b) Kochi

(c) Mimbai (d) Visakhapatnam

54. Three flags, each of different colour, are available for a military exercise. Using these flags, different codes can be generated by waving

(1) single flag of different colours, or

(2) any two flags in a different sequence of colours, or

(3) three flags in a different sequence of colours

The maximum number of codes that can be generated is:

(a) 6 (b) 9

(c) 15 (d) 18

55. Match List-I (Organisation) with List-II (Location) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:

List-I List-II

(Organisation) (Location)

A. National Sugar Institute 1. Dehradun

B. Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited 2. Kamptee

C. Institute of Military Law 3. Pune

D. Institute of National Integration 4. Hyderabad

5. Kanpur

Codes

A B C D

(a) 3 1 4 2

(b) 5 1 4 3

(c) 3 4 5 2

(d) 5 4 2 3

56. Tim Montgomery set a new world record at the IAAF Grand Prix final in the year 2002 in:

(a) Long Jump

(b) 110 m Hurdle race

(c) 100 m Dash

(d) High Jump

57. With reference to the work of human kidney, consider the following statements:

1. After the waste is removed in the kidney, the cleaner blood is sent back through renal artery

2. From Bowman’s capsule, the filtered liquid passes through tiny tubes where much of the glucose is reabsorbed and sent back to the blood in the renal vein.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

58. A hydrogen-inflated polythene balloon is released from the surface of the earth. As the balloon rises to an altitude up in the atmosphere, it will:

(a) decrease in size

(b) flatten into a disc-like shape

(c) increase in size

(d) maintain the same size and shape

59. The power to enlarge the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of India with respect to any matter included in the Union List of Legislative Powers rests with:

(a) The President of India

(b) The Chief Justice of India

(c) The Parliament

(d) The Union Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs

60. Which one of the following High Courts has the Territorial Jurisdiction over Andaman and Nicobar Islands?

(a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Calcutta

(c) Madras (d) Orissa

61. Under which article of the Indian Constitution did the President make a reference to the Supreme Court to seek the Court’s opinion on the Constitutional validity of the Election Commission’s decision on deferring the Gujarat Assembly elections (in the year 2002)?

(a) Article 142

(b) Article 143

(c) Article 144

(d) Article 145

62. Consider the following statements:

1. India launched its first full-fledged meteorological satellite (METSAT) in September, 2002.

2. For the first time, the space vehicle PSLV-C4 carried a payload of more than 1000 kg into a geosynchronous orbit.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

63. Nanda Devi peak forms a part of:

(a) Assam Himalayas (b) Kumaon Himalayas

(c) Nepal Himalayas (d) Punjab Himalayas

64. Consider the following statements:

1. India is the original home of the cotton plant

2. India is the first country in the world to develop hybrid cotton variety leading to increased production

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

65. Who is the author of the book ‘New Dimensions of India’s Foreign Policy’?

(a) A. B. Vajpayee (b) Jaswant Singh

(c) P. C. Alexander (d) Yashwant Sinha

66. How did the Mughal Emperor Jahandar Shah’s reign come to an early end?

(a) He was deposed by his Wazir

(b) He died due to a slip while climbing down steps

(c) He was defeated by his nephew in a battle

(d) He died of sickness due to too much consumption of wine

67. In India, among the following locations, the Dutch established their earliest factor at:

(a) Surat (b) Pulicat

(c) Cochin (d) Cassimbazar

68. Consider the following statements:

1. While members of the Rajya Sabha are associated with Committees on Public Accounts and Public Undertakings, members of Committee on Estimates are drawn entirely from Lok Sabha.

2. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs works under the overall direction of Cabinet Committee on parliamentary Affairs

3. The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs nominates Members of parliament on Committees, Councils, Boards and Commissions etc. set up by the Government of India in the various ministries.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3

(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3

69. The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, whose permission is required for cultivation of any genetically modified crop such as Bt-Cotton in India, is under the Union Ministry of:

(a) Agriculture

(b) Environment and Forests

(c) Commerce and Industry

(d) Rural Development

70. As per Indian Protocol, who among the following ranks highest in the order of precedence?

(a) Deputy Prime Minister

(b) Former President

(c) Governor of a State within his State

(d) Speaker of Lok Sabha

71. Among the following cities, which one is at the highest altitude above mean sea level?

(a) Bangalore (b) Delhi

(c) Jodhpur (d) Nagpur

72. Consider the following statements:

1. Steam at 1000C and boiling water at 1000C contain same amount of heat.

2. Latent heat of fusion of ice is equal to the latent heat of vaporization of water

3. In an air-conditioner, heat is extracted from the room-air at the evaporator coils and is rejected out at the condenser coils.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3

(c) Only 2 (d) Only 3

73. Consider the following statements:

1. Molasses is a by-product of sugar production process.

2. Bagasse obtained in the sugar mills is used as a fuel in the boilers to generate steam for the sugar factories.

3. Sugar can only be produced from sugarcane as the raw material.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3

(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3

74. Consider the following statements:

1. Longitude of jabalpur’s location is between those of Indore and Bhopal

2. Latitude of Aurangabad’s location is between those of Vadodara and Pune

3. Bangalore is situated more southward than Chennai.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 (b) Only 2

(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3

75. Which one among the following States is smallest in area?

(a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Gujarat

(c) Karnataka (d) Tamil Nadu

76. Consider the following statements:

A4-wheel vehicle moving in a sharp circular path at high speed will:

1. overturn about its outer wheels.

2. overturn about its inner wheels

3. skid outwards

4. skid inwards

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 (b) 2 and 4

(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1 and 4

77. Which one of the following schedules of the Indian Constitution lists the names of States and specifies their territories?

(a) First (b) Second

(c) Third (d) Fourth

78. In the year 2002, the President of India presented the national award for excellence in public administration and management sciences to:

(a) Kumar Manglam Birla

(b) N. R. Narayana Murthy

(c) `Rahul Bajaj

(d) Ratan Tata

79. ‘A’ and ‘B’ are two fixed points in a field. A cyclist ‘C’ moves such that ACB is always a right angle. In this context, which one of the following statements is correct?

(a) The path followed by the cyclist is an ellipse

(b) The path followed by the cyclist is a circle

(c) The path followed by the cyclist is an exponential curve

(d) This type of motion is not possible

80. The thermal power plant of Bokaro is located in:

(a) Bihar (b) Chhattisgarh

(c) Jharkhand (d) Orissa

81. Among the following commodities imported by India during the year 2000-01, which one was the highest in terms of Rupee value?

(a) Edible oil

(b) Fertilizers

(c) Organic and inorganic chemicals

(d) Pearls, precious and semi-precious stones

82. With reference to ionic compounds, consider the following statements:

1. Ionic compounds are insoluble in alcohol.

2. Ionic compounds in the solid state are good conductors of electricity.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

83. Which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) The presence of NACI increases the rate of setting of Plaster of Paris

(b) Gypsum is added to the cement to slow down its rate of setting

(c) All alkaline earth metals form hydrated salts

(d) Barium and Strontium are found free in nature

84. With reference to India, which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) IPCL is India’s largest petrochemical company

(b) RIL is the largest private sector company in India

(c) MTNL is listed on NYSE

(d) BSNL is the first telecom service organization in India to launch a nationwide cellular service at one time

85. Which amongst the following States has the highest population density as per Census-2001?

(a) Kerala (b) Madhya Pradesh

(c) Uttar Pradesh (d) West Bengal

86. The Ninth Schedule to the Indian Constitution was added by:

(a) First Amendment

(b) Eighth Amendment

(c) Ninth Amendment

(d) Forty second Amendment

87. Who headed the Interim Cabinet formed in the year 1946?

(a) Rajendra Prasad

(b) Jawaharlal Nehru

(c) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

(d) Rajagopalachari

88. The waterfall’Victoria’ is associated with the river:

(a) Amazon (b) Missouri

(c) St. Lawrence (d) Zambeji

89. The leader of the Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) was:

(a) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

(b) Mahatma Gandhi

(c) Vithalbhai J. Patel

(d) Mahadev Desai

90. The Kelkar proposals which were in the news recently were the:

(a) recommendations for reforms in the power sector

(b) recommendations for tax reforms

(c) guidelines for the privatization of public sector undertakings

(d) guidelines for reducing vehicular pollution, and the promotion of CNG use

91. Consider the following statements:

1. The joint sitting of the two houses of the Parliament in India is sanctioned under Article 108 of the Constitution

2. The first joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha was held in the year 1961

3. The second joint sitting of the two Houses of Indian Parliament was held to pass the Banking Service Commission (Repeal) Bill.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3

(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3

92. Life expectancy is highest in the world in:

(a) Canada (b) Germany

(c) Japan (d) Norway

93. During the colonial period in India, what was the purpose of the Whitley Commission?

(a) To review the fitness of India for further political reforms

(b) To report on the existing conditions of labour and to make recommendations

(c) To draw up a plan for financial reforms for India

(d) To develop a comprehensive scheme for Civil Services in India

94. Octopus is:

(a) an arthropod

(b) an echinoderm

(c) a hemichordate

(d) a mollusk

95. Consider the following conditions of a sick human body:

1. Swollen lymph nodes

2. Sweating at night

3. Loss of memory

4. Loss of weight

Which of these are the symptoms of AIDS?

(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

96. Emperor Harsha’s southward march was stopped on the Narmada river by:

(a) Pulakesin-I (b) Pulakesin-II

(c) Vikramaditya-I (d) Vikramaditya-II

97. Under which Article of the Indian Constitution did the President give his assent to the ordinance on electoral reforms when it was sent back to him by the Union Cabinet without making any changes (in the year 2002)?

(a) Article 121 (b) Article 122

(c) Article 123 (d) Article 124

98. Dilip Kaur Tiwana is well known as a:

(a) literature (b) musician

(c) scientist (d) sportsperson

99. Consider the following statements:

1. The maximum limit of shareholding of Indian promoters in private sector banks in India is 49 percent of the paid up capital.

2. Foreign Direct Investment upto 49 percent from all sources is permitted in private sector banks in India under the automatic route.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

100. Match List-I (Cricketer) with List-II (Country) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:

List-I List-II

(Cricketer) (Country)

A. Barry Richards 1. England

B. Ted Dexter 2. West Indies

C. Alan Davidson 3. South Africa

D. Charlie Griffith 4. New Zealand

5. Australia

Codes:

A B C D

(a) 3 2 5 1

(b) 5 1 4 2

(c) 3 1 5 2

(d) 5 2 4 1

101. Regarding the atom of a chemical element, the magnetic quantum number refers to:

(a) orientation (b) shape

(c) size (d) spin

102. Consider the following statements:

1. The common blue green algae Spirogyra and Ulothrix are found in both fresh water ponds and oceans.

2. The chameleon can look ahead with one eye, and at the same time look behind with another.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

103. Which among the following countries has the largest population?

(a) Indonesia (b) Japan

(c) Pakistan (d) Sudan

Directions: The following fifteen (15) items consist of two statements: one labeled as the ‘Assertion (A)’ and the other as ‘Reason (R)’. You are to examine these two statements carefully and select the answers to these items using the codes given below:

Codes:

(a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A

(b) Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A

(c) A is true but R is false

(d) A is false but R is true

104. Assertion (A): Emperor Akbar marched towards Afghanistan in 1581 with a huge army.

Reason (R): He was on his way to reclaim his ancestral country of Ferghana in Central Asia.

105. Assertion (A): During the year 2001-02, the value of India’s total exports declined, registering a negative growth of 2.17%.

Reason (R): During the year 2001-02, negative growth in exports was witnessed in respect of iron and steel, coffee, textiles and marine products.

106. Assertion (A): The eastern coast of India produces more rice than the western coast.

Reason (R): The eastern coast receives more rainfall than the western coast.

107. Assertion (A): The new EXIM policy is liberal, market-oriented and favours global trade.

Reason (R): GATT has played a significant role in the libralisation of the economy.

108. Assertion (A): In the periodic table of chemical elements, electron affinity is always found to increase from top to bottom in a group.

Reason (R): In a group, the atomic radii generally increase from top to bottom.

109. Assertion (A): Coal-based thermal power stations contribute to acid-rain.

Reason (R): Oxides of carbon are emitted when coal burns.

110. Assertion (A): The weight of a body decreases with the increase of latitude on earth.

Reason (R): The earth is not a perfect sphere.

111. Assertion (A): Unsaturated fats are more reactive compared with the saturated fats.

Reason (R): Unsaturated fats have only single bonds in their structure.

112. Assertion (A): The amount of moisture in the atmosphere is related to latitude.

Reason (R): The capacity to hold moisture in the form of water vapour is related to temperature.

113. Assertion (A): Unlike temperate forests, the tropical rain forests, if cleared, can yield productive farmland that can support intensive agriculture for several years even without chemical fertilizers.

Reason (R): The primary productivity of the tropical rain forest is very high when compared to that of the temperate forests.

114. Assertion (A): In 1916, Maulana Mohammad Ali and Abul Kalam Azad resigned from the Legislative Council.

Reason (R): The Rowlatt Act was passed by the Government in spite of being opposed by all Indian members of the Legislative Council.

115. Assertion (A): Shah Alam Ii spent the initial years as an Emperor far away from his capital.

Reason (R): There was always a lurking danger of foreign invasion from the north-west frontier.

116. Assertion (A): Areas lying within five to eight degrees latitude on either side of the equator receive rainfall throughout the year.

Reason (R): High temperatures and high humidity cause convectional rain to fall mostly in the afternoons near the equator.

117. Assertion (A): Saluva Narasimha put an end to the old dynasty and assumed the royal title.

Reason (R): He wanted to save the kingdom from further degeneration and disintegration.

118. Assertion (A): Marathas emerged as the strongest native power in India after the decline of Mughal empire.

Reason (R): Marathas were the first to have a clear concept of a united Indian nation.

119. In December 2002, the prime Minister of India signed ‘Delhi declaration’ with the:

(a) President of Indonesia

(b) President of Russia

(c) Prime Minister of Cambodia

(d) Prime Minister of Laos

120. Among the following cities, which one is nearest to the Tropic of Cancer?

(a) Delhi (B) Kolkata

(c) Jodhpur (D) Nagpur

121. ‘Mrichchhakatika’ an ancient Indian book written by Shudraka deals with:

(a) the love affair of a rich merchant with the daughter of a courtesan

(b) the victory of Chandragupta II over the Shaka Kshatrapas of western India

(c) the military expeditions and exploits of Samudragupta

(d) the love affair between a Gupta King and a princess of Kamarupa

122. Consider the following statements:

1. Vardhamana Mahavira’s mother was the daughter of Lichchavi chief Chetaka.

2. Gautama Buddha’s mother was a princess from the Koshalan dynasty.

3. parshvanatha, the twenty-third Tirthankara, belonged to Banaras.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3

123. A car travels the first one-third of a certain distance with a speed of 10km/hr, the next one-third distance with a speed of 20 km/hr and the last one-third distance with a speed of 60 km/hr. The average speed of the car for the whole journey is:

(a) 18 km/hr (b) 24 km/hr

(c) 30 km/hr (d) 36 km/hr

124. Consider the following statements:

The purpose of adding sodium sulphate and sodium silicate to the detergent in a washing powder is:

1. to keep the washing powder dry.

2. to maintain the alkalinity of the powder

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

125. Debenture holders of a company are its:

(a) Shareholders (b) Creditrso

(c) Debtors (d) Directors

126. Which one of the following statements if NOT correct?

(a) The National Song Vande Mataram was composed by Bankimchandra Chatterji originally in Bengali

(b) The National Calendar of India based on Saka era has its 1st Chaitra on 22nd March normally and 21st March in a leap year

(c) The design of the National Flag of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 22nd July, 1947

(d) The song ‘Jana-gana-mana’, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly on 24th January, 1950 as the national Anthem of India

127. Which one of the following Articles of the Indian Constitution provides that ‘It shall be the duty of the Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance’?

(a) Article 215 (b) Article 275

(c) Article 325 (d) Article 355

128. ‘A’ walks around a circular field at the rate of one round per hour while ‘B’ runs around it at the rate of six rounds per hour. They start in the same direction from the same point at 7.30 a.m. They shall first cross each other at:

(a) 8.30 a.m. (b). 8.10 a.m.

(c) 7.48 a.m. (d) 7.42 a.m.

129. Consider the following statements:

In India, stamp duties on financial transactions are:

1. levied and collected by the State Government.

2. appropriated by the Union Government.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

130. Which one of the following statements is correct?

(a) East Timor was a British colony for four centuries

(b) The European colonial rulers handed over East Timor to Indonesia in 1975

(c) The United Nations took over East Timor in 1999 to prepare it for independence

(d) East Timor finally declared its independence in December 2001

131. Match List-I (Item in the Indian Constitution) with List-II (Country from which it was derived) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:

List-I List-II

(Item in the Indian Constitution) (Country from which it was derived)

A. Directive Principles Of State Policy 1. Australia

B. Fundamental Rights 2. Canada

C. Concurrent List in Union-State Relations 3. Ireland

D. India as a Union of States with greater 4. United Kingdom

powers to the Union 5. United States of America

Codes:

A B C D

(a) 5 4 1 2

(b) 3 5 2 1

(c) 5 4 2 1

(d) 3 5 1 2

132. With reference to Indian defence, which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) With the induction of Prithvi-II, the IAF is the only air force in the world with surface-to-surface ballistic missiles under its command.

(b) Sukhoi-30 MKI jet fighters can launch air-to-air and air-to-surface precision missiles

(c) Trishul is a supersonic surface-to-air missile with a range of 30 km

(d) The indigenously built INS Prabal can launch surface-to-surface missiles

133. The Indira Gandhi Peace Prize, 2002 was awarded to:

(a) John Hume

(b) Nelson Mandela

(c) Norodom Sihanouk

(d) Sadak Ogata

134. Match List-I (Name of the Person) with List-II (Associated with) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:

List-I List-II

(Name of the Person) (Associated with)

A. Brijmohan Lall Munjal 1. Biotechnology

B. Kiran Karnik 2. Automobile industry

C. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw 3. Software industry

D. Sunil Mittal 4. Telecom industry

5.Film industry

Codes:

A B C D

(a) 4 1 5 2

(b) 4 3 1 2

(c) 2 3 1 4

(d) 2 1 5 4

135. Whom did Mahesh Bhupati and Max Mirnyi beat in the US Open men’s doubles tennis championship in the year 2002 to win the title?

(a) Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett

(b) Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan

(c) Jonas Bjorkman and Todd Woodbridge

(d) Jiri Novak and Radek Stepanek

136. Four different candles, which can last for 5 hours, 4 hours, 3 hours, 2 hours of burning, respectively, are lit in a room at the same instant and allowed to burn till such time that the three candles in the room get extinguished. The cost of burning each one of these candles is 75 paise per hour. The cost involved is:

(a) Rs 2.75 (b) Rs. 3.75

(c) Rs. 9.75 (d) Rs. 12.50

137. Which one of the following statements is correct with reference to FEMA in India?

(a) The Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) was replaced by Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in the year 2001

(b) FERA was given a sunset clause of one year till 31st May, 2002 to enable Enforcement Directorate to complete the investigation of pending issues

(c) Under FEMA, violation of foreign exchange rules has ceased to be a criminal offence

(d) As per the new dispensation, enforcement Directorate can arrest and prosecute the people for the violation of foreign exchange rules

138. Consider the following statements:

1. India’s import of crude and petroleum products during the year 2001-02 accounted for about 27% of India’s total imports.

2. During the year 2001-02, India’s exports had increased by 10% as compared to the previous year.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

139. Who among the following was selected for the 2001 Dada Saheb Phalke Award?

(a) Dev Anand

(b) Lata Mangeshkar

(c) Ramanand Sagar

(d) Yash Chopra

140. Which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

(a) Milk contains none of the B-vitamins

(b) Vitamin-A (retinal) deficiency leads to dry and scaly skin

(c) One of the symptoms of scurvy is pain in the joints

(d) Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency can lead to heart failure

141. As per the Human Development Index given by UNDP, which one of the following sequences of South Asian countries is correct, in the order of higher to lower development?

(a) India-Sri Lanka-Pakistan-Maldives

(b) Maldives-Sri Lanka-India-Pakistan

(c) Sri Lanka-Maldives-India-Pakistan

(d) Maldives-India-Pakistan-Sri Lanka

142. Which one of the following statements if NOT correct?

(a) The velocity of sound in air increases with the increase of temperature

(b) The velocity of sound in air is independent of pressure

(c) The velocity of sound in air decreases as the humidity increases

(d) The velocity of sound in air is not affected by the change in amplitude and frequency

143. Consider the following statements:

1. India ranks first in the world in fruit production

2. India ranks second in the world in the export of tabacco

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

144. Which one of the following statements if correct?

(a) Alliance Air is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Indian Airlines

(b) The Airports Authority of India manages seven of the country’s international airports

(c) The Airports Authority of India is the regulatory organization for enforcing civil air regulations in India

(d) It is the function of Directorate General of Civil Aviation to plan and construct runways and terminal buildings and to provide air safety services

145. Which one of the following Bills must be passed by each House of the Indian Parliament separately, by special majority?

(a) Ordinary Bill

(b) Money Bill

(c) Finance Bill

(d) Constitution Amendment Bill

146. Consider the following animals of India:

1. Crocodile

2. Elephant

Which of these is/are endangered species?

(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

147. Which one among the following covers the highest percentage of forest area in the world?

(a) Temperate Coniferous forests

(b) Temperate Deciduous forests

(c) Tropical Monsoon forests

(d) Tropical Rain forests

148. A two member committee comprising of one male and one female member is to be constituted out of five males and three females. Amongst the females, Ms. A refuses to be a member of the committee in which Mr. B is taken as the member. In how many different ways can the committee be constituted?

(a) 11 (b) 12

(c) 13 (d) 14

149. Consider the following statements:

1. The last Mauryan ruler, Brihadratha was assassinated by his commander-in-chief, Pushyamitra Sunga.

2. The last Sunga king, Devabhuti was assassinated by his Brahmana minister Vasudeva Kanva who usurped the throne

3. The last ruler of the Kanva dynasty was deposed by the Andhras.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2
(c) Only 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3

150. The aim of education as stated by the Wood’s dispatch of 1854 was:

(a) the creation of employment opportunities for native Indians

(b) the spread of western culture in India

(c) the promotion of literacy among the people using English medium of language

(d) the introduction of scientific research and rationalism in the traditional Indian education

ANSWERS

1. (d) 2. (c) 3. (a) 4. (b) 5. (b)

6. (b) 7. (c) 8. (b) 9. (d) 10. (d)

11. (a) 12. (d) 13. (a) 14. (a) 15. (d)

16. (b) 17. (c) 18. (c) 19. (a) 20. (b)

21. (a) 22. (c) 23. (d) 24. (b) 25. (b)

26. (d) 27. (c) 28. (d) 29. (c) 30. (b)

31. (c) 32. (b) 33. (a) 34. (b) 35. (d)

36. (c) 37. (a) 38. (b) 39 (a) 40. (b)

41. (c) 42. (a) 43. (b) 44. (d) 45. (a)

46. (d) 47. (c) 48. (a) 49. (a) 50. (d)

51. (a) 52. (c) 53. (d) 54. (c) 55. (d)

56. (c) 57. (d) 58. (c) 59. (c) 60. (b)

61. (b) 62. (c) 63. (b) 64. (a) 65. (a)

66. (c) 67. (b) 68. (d) 69. (b) 70. (a)

71. (a) 72. (d) 73. (a) 74. (c) 75. (d)

76. (a) 77. (a) 78. (b) 79. (d) 80. (c)

81. (d) 82. (d) 83. (d) 84. (a) 85. (a)

86. (a) 87. (b) 88. (d) 89. (b) 90. (b)

91. (a) 92. (c) 93. (b) 94. (d) 95. (d)

96. (b) 97. (c) 98. (a) 99. (b) 100. (a)

101. (a) 102. (b) 103. (a) 104. (c) 105. (d)

106. (c) 107. (c) 108. (d) 109. (b) 110. (b)

111. (c) 112. (d) 113. (d) 114. (d) 115. (b)

116. (b) 117. (a) 118. (c) 119. (b) 120. (b)

121. (a) 122. (c) 123. (c) 124. (d) 125. (b)

126. (a) 127. (d) 128. (d) 129. (d) 130. (c)

131. (d) 132. (a) 133. (c) 134. (c) 135. (d)

136. (c) 137. (c) 138. (a) 139. (d) 140. (a)

141. (b) 142. (b) 143. (d) 144. (a) 145. (d)

146. (d) 147. (d) 148. (d) 149. (a) 150. (c)

Scope for GS (Mains) as stated by UPSC

2006-03-15T10:13:00.000+05:30

The nature and standard of questions in these papers will be such that a well-educated person will be able to answer them without any specialized study. The questions will be such as to test a candidate’s general awareness of a variety of subjects, which will have relevance for a career in Civil Services

PAPER 1 (a) History of Modern India and Indian Culture The History of Modern India will cover history of the Country from about the middle of nineteenth century and would also include questions on important personalities who shaped the Freedom Movement and Social reforms. The part relating to Indian Culture will cover all aspects of Indian Culture from the ancient to modern times.

(b) Geography of India In this part, questions will be on the physical, economic and social geography of India.

(c) Indian Polity This part will include questions on the Constitution of India, Political system and related matters.

(d) Current National issues and topics of social relevance This part is intended to test the Candidate’s awareness of current national issues and topics of social relevance in the present-day India, such as the following. Demography and Human Resource and related issues. Behavioral and Social issues, Social, Welfare problems, such as child labour, gender equality, adult literacy, rehabilitation of the handicapped and other deprived segments of the society, drug abuse, public health etc. Law enforcement issues, human rights, corruption in public life, communal harmony etc. internal Security and related issues. Environmental issues, ecological preservation, conservation of natural resources and national heritage. The role of national institutions, their relevance and need for change.

Do check references provided by Google on the page, .. they also provide useful supplements

PAPER-II (a) India and the World This part is intended to test candidate’s awareness of India’s relationship with the world in various spheres, such as the following:- Foreign Affairs External Security and related matters Nuclear Policy Indians abroad

(b) Indian Economy In this part, questions will be on the planning and economic development in India, economic and trade issues, Foreign Trade, the role and functions of I.M.F., World Band, W.T.O. etc.

(c) International Affairs and Institutions This part will include questions on important events in world affairs and on international institutions.

(d) Developments in the field of science and technology, communications and space In this part, questions will test the candidate’ s awareness of the developments in the field of science and technology, communications and space and also basic ideas so computers.

(e) Statistical analysis, graphs and diagrams This part will include exercise to test the candidate’s ability to draw common sense conclusions from information presented in statistical, graphical or diagrammatical from and to point out deficiencies, Limitations or inconsistencies therein.

Civil Services General Studies (M) 2005