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UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2021 - General Studies Paper II (CSAT) — question paper

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UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2021 - General Studies Paper II (CSAT)

Paper #3243 · 2021 · General Studies Paper II (CSAT) · 80 reviewed questions · Showing 41–80 of 80

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2021 General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A: 80 questions with 80 final-key answer dispositions and concise KSLC explanations. Reading-comprehension answers are based on the accompanying passages. 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 source: https://www.upsc.gov.in/examinations/previous-question-papers/archives 1 item(s) accept alternative answers; all accepted choices are explained, but these items are excluded from single-answer automatic scoring.

  1. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. Nothing can exist in a natural state which can be called good or bad by common assent, since every man who is in a natural state consults only his own advantage, and determines what is good or bad according to his own fancy and insofar as he has regard for his own advantage alone, and holds himself responsible to no one save himself by any law; and therefore sin cannot be conceived in a natural state, but only in a civil state, which is decreed by common consent what is good or bad, and each one holds himself responsible to the state.
    Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea of the passage given above ?
    1. The conceptions of what is right or wrong exist due to the formation of a state.
    2. Unless a ruling authority decides as to what is right or wrong, no man would be morally right.
    3. Man is inherently immoral and selfish in a natural state.
    4. The idea of what is right or wrong is necessary for the survival of human species.

  2. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. In the immediate future, we will see the increasing commodification of many new technologies — artificial intelligence and robotics, 3D manufacturing, custom made biological and pharmaceutical products, lethal autonomous weapons and driverless cars. This will pose conundrums. The moral question of how a driverless car will decide between hitting a jaywalker and swerving and damaging the car has often been debated. The answer is both simple — save the human life — and complex. At which angle should the car swerve — just enough to save the jaywalker or more than enough ? If the driverless car is in Dublin, who would take the decision ? The Irish Government, or the car’s original code writer in California, or a software programmer in Hyderabad to whom maintenance is outsourced ? If different national jurisdictions have different fine print on prioritising a human life, how will it affect insurance and investment decisions, including transnational ones ?
    Which of the following statements best reflect the rational, plausible and practical implications that can be derived from the passage given above ? 1. Too much globalization is not in the best interests of any country. 2. Modern technologies are increasingly blurring the economic borders. 3. Innovation and capital have impinged on the domain of the State. 4. Public policy of every country should focus on developing its own supply chains. 5. Geopolitics will have to reconcile to many ambiguities and uncertainties. Select the correct answer using the code given below :
    1. 1, 4 and 5 only
    2. 1, 2, 3 and 4 only
    3. 2, 3 and 5 only
    4. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

  3. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. The resolution of bankruptcy cases of Indian banks under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code should help bring non-performing assets (NPA) situation under some control. Despite the slow pace of resolutions by the National Company Law Tribunal, the Code can be helpful in cleaning up bank books in future credit cycles. The recapitalisation of public sector banks too can help increase the capital cushion of banks and induce them to lend more and boost economic activity. But bad debt resolution and recapitalisation are only a part of the solution as they, by themselves, can do very little to rein in reckless lending that has pushed the Indian banking system to its current sorry state. Unless there are systemic reforms that address the problem of unsustainable lending, future credit cycles will continue to stress the banking system.
    Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical, rational and practical suggestion implied by the passage given above ?
    1. Lending by the banks should be closely monitored and regulated by the Central Government.
    2. Interest rates should be kept low so as to induce banks to lend more, promote credit growth and thereby boost economic activity.
    3. Merger of many banks into a few large banks alone is the long-term solution to make them viable and prevent their bad performance.
    4. Indian banking system requires structural reforms as a long-term solution for bad loans problem.

  4. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. In India, the objective of macroeconomic policy is to enhance the economic welfare of the people, and any one wing of such macro policy, monetary or fiscal, cannot independently work without active support of another.
    Which one of the following statements best reflects the corollary to the passage given above ?
    1. The central bank cannot work independently of the Government.
    2. Government should regulate financial markets and institutions closely.
    3. Market economy is not compatible with the socialist policies of the Government.
    4. Financial sector reforms are required for enhancing the economic welfare of the people.
  5. Consider the following Table:
    Player | First innings runs | First innings balls | Second innings runs | Second innings balls
    A | 61 | 99 | 14 | 76
    B | 05 | 12 | 50 | 85
    C | 15 | 75 | 20 | 50
    D | 13 | 55 | 12 | 50
    Who is the fastest run scorer in the Test Match?
    1. A
    2. B
    3. C
    4. D
  6. Half of the villagers of a certain village have their own houses. One-fifth of the villagers cultivate paddy. One-third of the villagers are literate. Four-fifth of the villagers are under 25 years of age. Which one of the following statements is certainly correct ?
    1. All the villagers who have their own houses are literate.
    2. Some villagers under 25 years of age are literate.
    3. Only half of the villagers who cultivate paddy are literate.
    4. No villager under 25 years of age has his own house.
  7. Consider two Statements and a Question : Statement-1:The last day of the month is a Wednesday. Statement-2 : The third Saturday of the month was the seventeenth day. Question: What day is the fourteenth of the given month ? Which one of the following is correct in respect of the Statements and the Question ?
    1. Statement-1 alone is sufficient to answer the Question
    2. Statement-2 alone is sufficient to answer the Question
    3. Both Statement-1 and Statement-2 are required to answer the Question
    4. Neither Statement-1 alone nor Statement-2 alone is sufficient to answer the Question
  8. Which day is 10 October, 2027 ?
    1. Sunday
    2. Monday
    3. Tuesday
    4. Saturday
  9. Consider two Statements and four Conclusions given below. You have to take the Statements to be true even if they seem to be at variance from the commonly known facts. Read all Conclusions and then decide which of the given Conclusion(s) logically follows/follow from the Statements, disregarding the commonly known facts. Statement-1: Some greens are blues. Statement-2: Some blues are blacks. Conclusion-1 : Some greens are blacks. Conclusion-2 : No green is black. Conclusion-3: All greens are blacks. Conclusion-4: All blacks are greens. Which one of the following is correct ?
    1. Conclusion-1 and Conclusion-2 only
    2. Conclusion-2 and Conclusion-3 only
    3. Conclusion-3 and Conclusion-4 only
    4. Neither Conclusion 1 nor 2 nor 3 nor 4
  10. What is the value of ‘X’ in the sequence 2, 7, 22, 67, 202, X, 1822 ?
    1. 603
    2. 605
    3. 607
    4. 608

  11. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. The best universities like Harvard and MIT, despite having the luxury of having some truly excellent teachers on their payroll, are increasingly embracing the “flipped classroom” format, where students listen to video lectures at home, and spend class time applying their knowledge, solving problems, discussing examples, etc. Professors guide that discussion and fill in wherever necessary, explaining those bits that seem to be eluding the students and throwing in advanced ideas that happen to be topical. These universities have made their video lectures available free for anyone in the world. They are also encouraging colleges and universities all over the world to integrate these online courses into their own pedagogy, picking the pieces that are appropriate for their needs and building a package around them.
    Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea of the passage given above ?
    1. Efficacy of universities would be better in online mode of conducting classroom tuition as compared to conventional method.
    2. Availability of higher education can be made easier and cheaper without diluting the content.
    3. We need not invest much in infrastructure related to higher education and yet develop better human and social capital.
    4. Private sector institutions in higher education as well as coaching institutes can take advantage of this opportunity and thrive well.

  12. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. Our cities are extremely vulnerable to climate change because of large concentrations of populations and poor infrastructure. Moreover, population densities are increasing in them but we have not yet developed the systems to address climate change impacts. Our cities contribute to 65 per cent of the GDP, but there are not enough facilities to cater to the needs of the people. It is important to address the issues of air quality, transport, etc., that are vital to identifying sustainable solutions. We need to involve citizens in city planning and create an ecosystem that meets the needs of the people.
    Which among the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the passage given above ?
    1. Our cities need to have well-defined administrative set-up with sufficient autonomy.
    2. Ever increasing population densities is a hindrance in our efforts to achieve sustainable development.
    3. To maintain and develop our cities we need to adopt sustainability related interventions.
    4. Public-Private Partnership mode of development is the viable long-term solution for the infrastructure and sustainability problems of India.
  13. Jay and Vijay spent an equal amount of money to buy some pens and special pencils of the same quality from the same store. If Jay bought 3 pens and 5 pencils, and Vijay bought 2 pens and 7 pencils, then which one of the following is correct ?
    1. A pencil costs more than a pen
    2. The price of a pencil is equal to that of a pen
    3. The price of a pen is two times the price of a pencil
    4. The price of a pen is three times the price of a pencil
  14. P scored 40 marks more than Q in an examination. If Q scored 10% less marks than P, then how much did Q score ?
    1. 360
    2. 380
    3. 400
    4. 420
  15. A person P asks one of his three friends X as to how much money he had. X replied, “If Y gives me ₹40, then Y will have half of as much as Z, but if Z gives me ₹40, then three of us will have equal amount.” What is the total amount of money that X, Y and Z have ?
    1. ₹420
    2. ₹360
    3. ₹300
    4. ₹270
  16. In a code language ‘MATHEMATICS’ is written as ‘LBSIDNZUHDR’. How is ‘CHEMISTRY’ written in that code language ?
    1. DIDLHRSSX
    2. BIDNHTSSX
    3. BIDLHTSSX
    4. DGFLIRUQZ
  17. At which one of the following times, do the hour hand and the minute hand of the clock make an angle of 180° with each other ?
    1. At 7:00 hours
    2. Between 7:00 hours and 7:05 hours
    3. At 7:05 hours
    4. Between 7:05 hours and 7:10 hours
  18. In an objective type test of 90 questions, 5 marks are allotted for every correct answer and 2 marks are deducted for every wrong answer. After attempting all the 90 questions, a student got a total of 387 marks. What is the number of incorrect responses ?
    1. 9
    2. 13
    3. 27
    4. 43
  19. Consider the following addition problem : 3P + 4P + PP + PP = RQ2; where P, Q and R are different digits. What is the arithmetic mean of all such possible sums ?
    1. 102
    2. 120
    3. 202
    4. 220
  20. Consider the following multiplication problem: (PQ) × 3 = RQQ, where P, Q and R are different digits and R ≠ 0. What is the value of (P + R) ÷ Q?
    1. 1
    2. 2
    3. 5
    4. Cannot be determined due to insufficient data

  21. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. Can a democracy avoid being a welfare state for long ? Why cannot mass welfare be left entirely to the markets ? There is a built-in tension between markets and democracy. Markets do not work on a one-person-one-vote principle as democracies do. What one gets out of - the market place depends on one’s endowments, skills, purchasing power and the forces of demand and supply. Markets reward individual initiative and skill, and may also lift many from the bottom rungs of society, but some people never get the opportunity to develop skills that — markets demand; they are simply too poor and too handicapped; or skill formation takes too long. By creating jobs, markets may be able to help even unskilled people, but capitalism has always witnessed bursts of unemployment.
    With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made : 1. Modern democracies rely on the market forces to enable them to be welfare states. 2. Markets ensure sufficient economic growth necessary for democracies to be effective. 3. Government programmes are needed for those left behind in economic growth. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid ?
    1. 1 and 3 only
    2. 3 only
    3. 2 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3

  22. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. In our schools; we teach our children all that is there to know about physics, maths and history and what-have-you. But do we teach them about the bitter caste divide that plagues the country, about the spectre of famine that stalks large parts of our land, about gender sensitivity, about the possibility of atheism as a choice, etc. ? Equally important, do we teach them to ask questions, or do we teach them only to passively receive our wisdom ? From the cocooned world of school, suddenly, the adolescent finds himself/herself in the unfettered world of university. Here he/she is swept up in a turmoil of ideas, influences and ideologies. For someone who has been discouraged from asking questions and forming an opinion, this transition can be painful.
    Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea of the passage given above ?
    1. School curriculum is not compatible with the expectations of children and parents.
    2. Emphasis on academic achievements does give time for development of personality and skills.
    3. Preparing the children to be better citizens should be the responsibility of the education system.
    4. To be a better citizen, the present world order demands societal and life-coping skills in addition to academic content.
  23. There are three points P, Q and R on a straight line such that PQ : QR = 3 : 5. If n is the number of possible values of PQ : PR, then what is n equal to?
    1. 1
    2. 2
    3. 3
    4. 4
  24. On a chess board, in how many different ways can 6 consecutive squares be chosen on the diagonals along a straight path ?
    1. 4
    2. 6
    3. 8
    4. 12
  25. In the series _b_a_ba_b_abab_aab; fill in the six blanks (_) using one of the following given four choices such that the series follows a specific order.
    1. bababa
    2. baabba
    3. bbaabb
    4. ababab
  26. Using 2, 2, 3, 3, 3 as digits, how many distinct numbers greater than 30000 can be formed ?
    1. 3
    2. 6
    3. 9
    4. 12
  27. Consider the following statements : 1. The sum of 5 consecutive integers can be 100. 2. The product of three consecutive natural numbers can be equal to their sum. Which of the above statements is/are correct ?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
  28. A cubical vessel of side 1 m is filled completely with water. How many millilitres of water is contained in it (neglect thickness of the vessel) ?
    1. 1000
    2. 10000
    3. 100000
    4. 1000000
  29. There are 6 persons arranged in a row. Another person has to shake hands with 3 of them so that he should not shake hands with two consecutive persons. In how many distinct possible combinations can the handshakes take place ?
    1. 3
    2. 4
    3. 5
    4. 6
  30. An amount of money was distributed among A, B and C in the ratio p: q: r. Consider the following statements : 1. A gets the maximum share if p is greater than (q + r). 2. C gets the minimum share if r is less than (p + q). Which of the above statements is/are correct ?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2

  31. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. Medieval merchants risked the hazards of the Silk Road to reach the markets of China; Portuguese caravels in the 15th century sailed beyond the bounds of the known world, searching less for knowledge than for gold and spices. Historically, the driver for opening frontiers has always been the search for resources. Science and curiosity are weaker drivers. The only way to open up space, whether the space of solar system or interstellar space is to create an economic engine and that engine is resource extraction.
    Which one of the following statements best sums up the passage given above ?
    1. Wealth generation is the primary motive for any human endeavour.
    2. Space, whether space in solar system or interstellar space, will govern our future economy.
    3. Human beings are motivated to explore new frontiers principally by economic considerations.
    4. Wealth generation is based on the risk-taking behaviour of some men.

  32. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. .... Most people would agree that telling deliberate lies is wrong, except perhaps in certain special situations where more harm will be done by telling the truth. Even the most truthful people probably tell a good many more lies that might be regarded as semantic lies; their use of words contains some measure of falsehood, more or less deliberate.”
    The idea which the first part of the passage mentions is
    1. agreement about telling lies.
    2. disagreement about telling lies.
    3. disagreement about telling the truth.
    4. disagreement about the harm in telling the truth.

  33. Reading passage

    Which one of the following habits is found more often in good people ?
    1. Mixing up the true and false
    2. Intentional mixing up of truth with the false
    3. Falsification of facts
    4. Complete concealment of truth
  34. A pie diagram shows the percentage distribution of proteins, water and other dry elements in the human body. Given that proteins correspond to 16% and water corresponds to 70%. If both proteins and the other dry elements correspond to p%, then what is the central angle of the sector representing p on the pie diagram ?
    1. 54°
    2. 96°
    3. 108°
    4. 120°
  35. Joseph visits the club on every 5th day, Harsh visits on every 24th day, while Sumit visits on every 9th day. If all three of them met at the club on a Sunday, then on which day will all three of them meet again ?
    1. Monday
    2. Wednesday
    3. Thursday
    4. Sunday
  36. The difference between a 2-digit number and the number obtained by interchanging the positions of the digits is 54. Consider the following statements : 1. The sum of the two digits of the number can be determined only if the product of the two digits is known. 2. The difference between the two digits of the number can be determined. Which of the above statements is/are correct ?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
  37. X said to Y, “At the time of your birth I was twice as old as you are at present.” If the present age of X is 42 years, then consider the following statements : 1. 8 years ago, the age of X was five times the age of Y. 2. After 14 years, the age of X would be two times the age of Y. Which of the above statements is/are correct ?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
  38. If the price of an article is decreased by 20% and then the new price is increased by 25%, then what is the net change in the price ?
    1. 0%
    2. 5% increase
    3. 5% decrease
    4. Cannot be determined due to insufficient data
  39. When a certain number is multiplied by 7, the product entirely comprises ones only (1111...). What is the smallest such number ?
    1. 15713
    2. 15723
    3. 15783
    4. 15873
  40. A man completes 7/8 of a job in 21 days. How many more days will it take him to finish the job if quantum of work is further increased by 50% ?
    1. 24
    2. 21
    3. 18
    4. 15

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