Kurkalang Skilling and Learning Center

UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2023 - General Studies Paper I — question paper

Source note: KSLC indexes previous-year papers for practice and revision. Copyright and official exam ownership remain with the respective examination authorities. When a record uses an official public source, use that authority's notice as final.

Historical paper · reviewed structured rendering

UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2023 - General Studies Paper I

Paper #3238 · 2023 · General Studies Paper I · 100 reviewed questions · Showing 41–80 of 100

Close paper

Accuracy note: This is a reviewed structured rendering of an official previous-year paper and may cover only part of it. Where available, explanatory notes describe unresolved source or answer issues without supplying a scoring answer. Official examination authority notices remain final.

KSLC structured study edition based on UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2023, General Studies Paper I, Series A: all 100 questions and 400 choices, 99 final-key answers and concise KSLC explanations for all 100 questions. Q34 was officially dropped and is explained without a scoring answer. Historical facts and rules are interpreted in the examination-year context; qualifications are disclosed where needed. Original questions and applicable copyright belong to UPSC and the respective rights holders. KSLC explanations are independent educational commentary. KSLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by UPSC. Official original: https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/QP_CS_Pre_Exam_2023_280523.pdf

  1. In which one of the following regions was Dhanyakataka, which flourished as a prominent Buddhist centre under the Mahasanghikas, located?
    1. Andhra
    2. Gandhara
    3. Kalinga
    4. Magadha
  2. With reference to ancient India, consider the following statements:
    1. The concept of Stupa is Buddhist in origin.
    2. Stupa was generally a repository of relics.
    3. Stupa was a votive and commemorative structure in Buddhist tradition. How many of the statements given above are correct?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
  3. With reference to ancient South India, Korkai, Poompuhar and Muchiri were well known as
    1. capital cities
    2. ports
    3. centres of iron-and-steel making
    4. shrines of Jain Tirthankaras
  4. Which one of the following explains the practice of 'Vattakirutal' as mentioned in Sangam poems?
    1. Kings employing women bodyguards
    2. Learned persons assembling in royal courts to discuss religious and philosophical matters
    3. Young girls keeping watch over agricultural fields and driving away birds and animals
    4. A king defeated in a battle committing ritual suicide by starving himself to death
  5. Consider the following dynasties:
    1. Hoysala
    2. Gahadavala
    3. Kakatiya
    4. Yadava How many of the above dynasties established their kingdoms in early eighth century AD?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. None
  6. With reference to ancient Indian History, consider the following pairs:
    Literary work — Author
    1. Devichandragupta — Bilhana
    2. Hammira-Mahakavya — Nayachandra Suri
    3. Milinda-panha — Nagarjuna
    4. Nitivakyamrita — Somadeva Suri
    How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. All four
  7. "Souls are not only the property of animal and plant life, but also of rocks, running water and many other natural objects not looked on as living by other religious sects." The above statement reflects one of the core beliefs of which one of the following religious sects of ancient India?
    1. Buddhism
    2. Jainism
    3. Shaivism
    4. Vaishnavism
  8. Who among the following rulers of Vijayanagara Empire constructed a large dam across Tungabhadra River and a canal-cum-aqueduct several kilometres long from the river to the capital city?
    1. Devaraya I
    2. Mallikarjuna
    3. Vira Vijaya
    4. Virupaksha
  9. Who among the following rulers of medieval Gujarat surrendered Diu to Portuguese?
    1. Ahmad Shah
    2. Mahmud Begarha
    3. Bahadur Shah
    4. Muhammad Shah
  10. By which one of the following Acts was the Governor General of Bengal designated as the Governor General of India?
    1. The Regulating Act
    2. The Pitt's India Act
    3. The Charter Act of 1793
    4. The Charter Act of 1833
  11. Consider the following statements in relation to Janani Suraksha Yojana:
    1. It is a safe motherhood intervention of the State Health Departments.
    2. Its objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality among poor pregnant women.
    3. It aims to promote institutional delivery among poor pregnant women.
    4. Its objective includes providing public health facilities to sick infants up to one year of age. How many of the statements given above are correct?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. All four
  12. Consider the following statements in the context of interventions being undertaken under Anaemia Mukt Bharat Strategy:
    1. It provides prophylactic calcium supplementation for pre-school children, adolescents and pregnant women.
    2. It runs a campaign for delayed cord clamping at the time of child-birth.
    3. It provides for periodic deworming to children and adolescents.
    4. It addresses non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets with special focus on malaria, hemoglobinopathies and fluorosis. How many of the statements given above are correct?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. All four
  13. Consider the following statements
    1. Carbon fibres are used in the manufacture of components used in automobiles and aircrafts.
    2. Carbon fibres once used cannot be recycled. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
  14. Consider the following actions:
    1. Detection of car crash/ collision which results in the deployment of airbags almost instantaneously
    2. Detection of accidental free fall of a laptop towards the ground which results in the immediate turning off of the hard drive
    3. Detection of the tilt of the smart phone which results in the rotation of display between portrait and landscape mode In how many of the above actions is the function of accelerometer required?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
  15. With reference to the role of biofilters in Recirculating Aquaculture System, consider the following statements:
    1. Biofilters provide waste treatment by removing uneaten fish feed.
    2. Biofilters convert ammonia present in fish waste to nitrate.
    3. Biofilters increase phosphorus as nutrient for fish in water. How many of the statements given above are correct?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
  16. Consider the following pairs:
    Objects in space — Description
    1. Cepheids — Giant clouds of dust and gas in space
    2. Nebulae — Stars which brighten and dim periodically
    3. Pulsars — Neutron stars that are formed when massive stars run out of fuel and collapse
    How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
  17. Which one of the following countries has its own Satellite Navigation System?
    1. Australia
    2. Canada
    3. Israel
    4. Japan
  18. Consider the following statements:
    1. Ballistic missiles are jet-propelled at subsonic speeds throughout their flights, while cruise missiles are rocket-powered only in the initial phase of flight.
    2. Agni-V is a medium-range supersonic cruise missile, while BrahMos is a solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
  19. Consider the following statements regarding mercury pollution:
    1. Gold mining activity is a source of mercury pollution in the world.
    2. Coal-based thermal power plants cause mercury pollution.
    3. There is no known safe level of exposure to mercury. How many of the above statements are correct?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
  20. With reference to green hydrogen, consider the following statements:
    1. It can be used directly as a fuel for internal combustion.
    2. It can be blended with natural gas and used as fuel for heat or power generation.
    3. It can be used in the hydrogen fuel cell to run vehicles. How many of the above statements are correct?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
  21. Consider the following countries:
    1. Bulgaria
    2. Czech Republic
    3. Hungary
    4. Latvia
    5. Lithuania
    6. Romania How many of the above-mentioned countries share a land border with Ukraine?
    1. Only two
    2. Only three
    3. Only four
    4. Only five
  22. With reference to the Earth's atmosphere, which one of the following statements is correct?
    1. The total amount of insolation received at the equator is roughly about 10 times of that received at the poles
    2. Infrared rays constitute roughly two-thirds of insolation
    3. Infrared waves are largely absorbed by water vapour that is concentrated in the lower atmosphere
    4. Infrared waves are a part of visible spectrum of electromagnetic waves of solar radiation
  23. Consider the following statements
    Statement-I: The soil in tropical rain forests is rich in nutrients.
    Statement-II: The high temperature and moisture of tropical rain forests cause dead organic matter in the soil to decompose quickly. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
    1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
    2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
    3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
    4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
  24. Consider the following statements:
    Statement-I: The temperature contrast between continents and oceans is greater during summer than in winter.
    Statement-II: The specific heat of water is more than that of land surface. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
    1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
    2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
    3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
    4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
  25. Consider the following statements:
    1. In a seismograph, P waves are recorded earlier than S waves.
    2. In P waves, the individual particles vibrate to and fro in the direction of wave propagation whereas in S waves, the particles vibrate up and down at right angles to the direction of wave propagation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
  26. With reference to coal-based thermal power plants in India, consider the following statements:
    1. None of them uses seawater.
    2. None of them is set up in water-stressed district.
    3. None of them is privately owned. How many of the above statements are correct?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
  27. 'Wolbachia method' is sometimes talked about.with reference to which one of the following?
    1. Controlling the viral diseases spread by mosquitoes
    2. Converting crop residues into packing material
    3. Producing biodegradable plastics
    4. Producing biochar from thermo-chemical conversion of biomass
  28. Consider the following activities:
    1. Spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmlands extensively
    2. Increasing the alkalinity of oceans by adding lime
    3. Capturing carbon dioxide released by various industries and pumping it into abandoned subterranean mines in the form of carbonated waters How many of the above activities are often considered and discussed for carbon capture and sequestration?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
  29. 'Aerial metagenomics' best refers to which one of the following situations?
    1. Collecting DNA samples from air in a habitat at one go
    2. Understanding the genetic makeup of avian species of a habitat
    3. Using air-borne devices to collect blood samples from moving animals
    4. Sending drones to inaccessible areas to collect plant and animal samples from land surfaces and water bodies
  30. 'Microsatellite DNA' is used in the case of which one of the following?
    1. Studying the evolutionary relationships among various species of fauna
    2. Stimulating 'stem cells' to transform into diverse functional tissues
    3. Promoting clonal propagation of horticultural plants
    4. Assessing the efficacy of drugs by conducting series of drug trials in a population
  31. Consider the following statements with reference to India:
    1. According to the 'Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006', the 'medium enterprises' are those with investments in plant and machinery between ₹15 crore and ₹25 crore.
    2. All bank loans to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises qualify under the priority sector. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
  32. With reference to Central Bank digital currencies, consider the following statements:
    1. It is possible to make payments in a digital currency without using US dollar or SWIFT system.
    2. A digital currency can be distributed with a condition programmed into it such as a time-frame for spending it. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
  33. In the context of finance, the term 'beta' refers to
    1. the process of simultaneous buying and selling of an asset from different platforms
    2. an investment strategy of a portfolio manager to balance risk versus reward
    3. a type of systemic risk that arises where perfect hedging is not possible
    4. a numeric value that measures the fluctuations of a stock to changes in the overall stock market
  34. Consider the following statements:
    1. The Self-Help Group (SHG) programme was originally initiated by the State Bank of India by providing microcredit to the financially deprived.
    2. In an SHG, all members of a group take responsibility for a loan that an individual member takes.
    3. The Regional Rural Banks and Scheduled Commercial Banks support SHGs. How many of the above statements are correct?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
  35. Consider the following statements:
    Statement-I: India's public sector health care system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care.
    Statement-II: Under India's decentralized approach to health care delivery, the States are primarily responsible for organizing health services. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
    1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
    2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
    3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
    4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
  36. Consider the following statements:
    Statement-I: According to the United Nations 'World Water Development Report, 2022', India extracts more than a quarter of the world's groundwater withdrawal each year.
    Statement-II: India needs to extract more than a quarter of the world's groundwater each year to satisfy the drinking water and sanitation needs of almost 18% of world's population living in its territory. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
    1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
    2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
    3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
    4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
  37. Consider the following statements:
    1. According to the Constitution of India, the Central Government has a duty to protect States from internal disturbances.
    2. The Constitution of India exempts the States from providing legal counsel to a person being held for preventive detention.
    3. According to the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002, confession of the accused before the police cannot be used as evidence. How many of the above statements are correct?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
  38. Which one of the following countries has been suffering from decades of civil strife and food shortages and was in news in the recent past for its very severe famine?
    1. Angola
    2. Costa Rica
    3. Ecuador
    4. Somalia
  39. Consider the following statements:
    1. In India, the Biodiversity Management Committees are key to the realization of the objectives of the Nagoya Protocol.
    2. The Biodiversity Management Committees have important functions in determining access and benefit sharing, including the power to levy collection fees on the access of biological resources within its jurisdiction. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
  40. Consider the following statements in respect of election to the President of India:
    1. The members nominated to either House of the Parliament or the Legislative Assemblies of States are also eligible to be included in the Electoral College.
    2. Higher the number of elective Assembly seats, higher is the value of vote of each MLA of that State.
    3. The value of vote of each MLA of Madhya Pradesh is greater than that of Kerala.
    4. The value of vote of each MLA of Puducherry is higher than that of Arunachal Pradesh because the ratio of total population to total number of elective seats in Puducherry is greater as compared to Arunachal Pradesh. How many of the above statements are correct?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. All four

Browse all previous-year papers