UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2024 - General Studies Paper II (CSAT) — question paper

Passage:
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally. Food is lost or wasted throughout the supply chain, from initial agricultural production to final household consumption. The increasing wastage also results in land degradation by about 45%, mainly due to deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices, and excessive groundwater extraction. The energy spent over wasted food results in about 3.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide production every year. Decay also leads to harmful emissions of other gases in the atmosphere. Addressing the loss and wastage of food in all forms is critical to complete the cycle of food sufficiency and food sustainability.

Which of the following statements best reflect the most logical and rational inferences that can be made from the passage?

1. The current methods of food distribution are solely responsible for the loss and wastage of food.
2. Land productivity is adversely affected by the prevailing trend of food loss and wastage.
3. Reduction in the loss and wastage of food results in lesser carbon footprint.
4. Post-harvest technologies to prevent or reduce the loss and wastage of food are not available.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Passage:
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally. Food is lost or wasted throughout the supply chain, from initial agricultural production to final household consumption. The increasing wastage also results in land degradation by about 45%, mainly due to deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices, and excessive groundwater extraction. The energy spent over wasted food results in about 3.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide production every year. Decay also leads to harmful emissions of other gases in the atmosphere. Addressing the loss and wastage of food in all forms is critical to complete the cycle of food sufficiency and food sustainability.

Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1. The food distribution mechanism needs to be reimagined and made effective to reduce the loss and wastage of food.
2. Ensuring the reduction of wastage and loss of food is a social and moral responsibility of all citizens.

Which of the assumptions given above is/are valid?

Passage:
As inflation rises, even governments previously committed to budget discipline are spending freely to help households. Higher interest rates announced by central banks are supposed to help produce modest fiscal austerity, because to maintain stable debts while paying more to borrow, governments must cut spending or raise taxes. Without the fiscal backup, monetary policy eventually loses traction. Higher interest rates become inflationary, not disinflationary, because they simply lead governments to borrow more to pay rising debt-service costs. The risk of monetary unmooring is greater when public debt rises, because interest rates become more important to budget deficits.

Which of the following statements best reflects/reflect the most logical and rational inference/inferences that can be made from the passage?

1. Central banks cannot bring down inflation without budgetary backing.
2. The effects of monetary policy depend on the fiscal policies pursued by the government.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Passage:
As inflation rises, even governments previously committed to budget discipline are spending freely to help households. Higher interest rates announced by central banks are supposed to help produce modest fiscal austerity, because to maintain stable debts while paying more to borrow, governments must cut spending or raise taxes. Without the fiscal backup, monetary policy eventually loses traction. Higher interest rates become inflationary, not disinflationary, because they simply lead governments to borrow more to pay rising debt-service costs. The risk of monetary unmooring is greater when public debt rises, because interest rates become more important to budget deficits.

Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1. Fiscal policies of governments are solely responsible for higher prices.
2. Higher prices do not affect the long-term government bonds.

Which of the assumptions given above is/are valid?

A cube is to be divided into 64 identical smaller cubes using straight cuts. Pieces cannot be stacked or reassembled between cuts. What is the least number of cuts required?

Replace each of the four asterisks in 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 with one of +, −, or ×, using each operator no more than twice. Using standard order of operations, what is the smallest possible non-negative value?

How many consecutive zeros are at the end of the integer product 1² × 2⁴ × 3⁶ × 4⁸ × ⋯ × 25⁵⁰?

A person saves ₹1 on January 1, 2023. On each following day, the amount saved is ₹2 more than on the previous day. What is the first date after January 1 on which the cumulative savings are both a perfect square and a perfect cube?

Passage:
Today, if we consider cities such as New York, London and Paris as some of the most iconic cities in the world, it is because plans carrying a heavy systems approach were imposed on their precincts. The backbone of the systems theory is the process of translating social, spatial and cultural desirables into mathematical models using computing, statistics, optimization and an algorithmic way of formulating and solving problems. The early universities of the West which began to train professionals in planning, spawned some of the most ingenious planners, who were experts in these domains. This was because these very subjects were absorbed into the planning curriculum that had its roots in the social sciences, geography and architecture. Planning in India, and its education differ from the West.

Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage?

Passage:
Today, if we consider cities such as New York, London and Paris as some of the most iconic cities in the world, it is because plans carrying a heavy systems approach were imposed on their precincts. The backbone of the systems theory is the process of translating social, spatial and cultural desirables into mathematical models using computing, statistics, optimization and an algorithmic way of formulating and solving problems. The early universities of the West which began to train professionals in planning, spawned some of the most ingenious planners, who were experts in these domains. This was because these very subjects were absorbed into the planning curriculum that had its roots in the social sciences, geography and architecture. Planning in India, and its education differ from the West.

Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1. India needs a new generation of urban professionals with knowledge relevant to modern urban practice.
2. Indian universities at present have no capacity or potential to impart training in systems approach.

Which of the assumptions given above is/are correct?

Passage:
Not every voice on the internet commands the same kind of audience. When anonymous private entities with high capital can pay for more space for their opinions, they are effectively buying a louder voice. If political discourse in the digital sphere is a matter of outshining one's opponent till the election is won, then the quality of politics suffers. The focus of social media is restricted to the promotion of content that generates more user engagement, regardless of how inflammatory the content may be.

Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea of the above passage?

Passage:
Not every voice on the internet commands the same kind of audience. When anonymous private entities with high capital can pay for more space for their opinions, they are effectively buying a louder voice. If political discourse in the digital sphere is a matter of outshining one's opponent till the election is won, then the quality of politics suffers. The focus of social media is restricted to the promotion of content that generates more user engagement, regardless of how inflammatory the content may be.

Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1. Internet is not inclusive enough.
2. Internet can adversely affect the quality of politics in a country.

Which of the assumptions given above is/are valid?

Which of the following numbers divide 222³³³ + 333²²²?

Water is added to honey, and the mixture is sold at the cost price per unit of honey. What quantity of water, expressed as a percentage of the quantity of honey, must be added to earn a 20% profit? Assume water is free.

What is the last non-zero digit of 30³⁰?

When 421 and 427 are each divided by the same integer greater than 1, they leave a remainder of 1. How many possible divisors are there?

One container holds 399 litres of petrol and another holds 532 litres of diesel. Both liquids are to be bottled separately in bottles of the same whole-number capacity, with no liquid left over. How many different bottle capacities are possible?

Passage:
By the time children reach class 8, the bulk of them tend to be in the age range of 13 years to 15 years. But in our country, about a quarter of all children in class 8 struggle with reading simple texts and more than half are still unable to do basic arithmetic operations like division. Every year about 25 million young boys and girls from elementary school move into the life that lies for them beyond compulsory schooling. They cannot enter the workforce at least in the organized sector till they are 18. For many families, these children are the first from their families ever to get this far in school. Parents and children expect that such 'graduates' from school will go on to high school and college. Hardly anyone wants to go back to agriculture. On the other hand, abilities in terms of academic competencies are far lower than they should be even based on curricular expectations of class 8.

Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1. For effective school education, parents have greater role than the governments.
2. School curriculum that conforms to today's requirements and is uniform for the entire country may address the issues brought out.

Which of the assumptions given above is/are valid?

A number is divided by 4 instead of being multiplied by 4. Compared with the correct result, by what percentage is the mistaken result lower?

In an examination, 80% of students passed in English, 70% of students passed in Hindi and 15% failed in both the subjects. What is the percentage of students who failed in only one subject?

A father says to his son: “n years ago, my age was equal to your present age. My present age is four times your age n years ago.” The sum of their present ages is 130 years. What is the difference between their present ages?

Passage:
'The history of science is the real history of mankind.' In this striking epigram, a nineteenth-century writer links science with its background. Like most epigrams, its power lies in emphasizing by contrast an aspect of truth which may be easily overlooked. In this case, it is easy to overlook the relations between science and mankind, and to treat the former as some abstract third party, which can sometimes be praised for its beneficial influences, but frequently and conveniently blamed for the horrors of war. Science and mankind cannot be divorced from time to time at men's convenience. Yet we have seen that, in spite of countless opportunities of improvement, the opening years of the present period of civilization have been dominated by international conflict. Is this the inevitable result of the progress of science or does the fault lie elsewhere?

Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1. The horrors of modern life are the inevitable result of the progress of science.
2. The aspect of truth likely to be overlooked is that science is what man has made it.

Which of the assumptions given above is/are correct?

The calendar for the year 2025 is same for

Passage:
Conventional classrooms, by emphasizing fixed duration over learning effectiveness, resign themselves to variable outcomes. The tyranny of the classroom is that every learner is subjected to the same set of lectures in the same way for the same duration. In the end, a few learners shine, some survive, and the rest are left behind. After the fixed duration, the classroom model moves on, with not a thought spared for those left behind. This is how we end up with 10 percent employability in our graduates after a decade and half of formal education. Repeating the same ineffectual script in the realm of skill education will not produce different results.

Which of the following statements best reflects the most logical and rational inference(s) that can be made from the passage?

1. In conventional classroom learning, the central goal is duration of learning rather than attainment of competency.
2. Conventional classrooms encourage a one-size-fits-all approach and stamp out all differentiation.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Passage:
Conventional classrooms, by emphasizing fixed duration over learning effectiveness, resign themselves to variable outcomes. The tyranny of the classroom is that every learner is subjected to the same set of lectures in the same way for the same duration. In the end, a few learners shine, some survive, and the rest are left behind. After the fixed duration, the classroom model moves on, with not a thought spared for those left behind. This is how we end up with 10 percent employability in our graduates after a decade and half of formal education. Repeating the same ineffectual script in the realm of skill education will not produce different results.

Based on the passage, consider the following assumptions:

1. Because many workers in India are employed in the unorganised sector, India does not need to change its conventional classroom system of education.
2. Even with its present conventional classroom system, India produces enough skilled workers to fully realise the benefits of its demographic dividend.

Which of the assumptions above is/are valid?

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Passage:
When a child reaches adolescence, there is apt to be a conflict between the parents and the child, since the latter considers himself to be by now quite capable of managing his own affairs, while the former are filled with parental solicitude, which is often a disguise for love of power. Parents consider, usually, that the various moral problems which arise in adolescence are peculiarly their province. The opinions they express, however, are so dogmatic that the young seldom confide in them, and usually go their own way in secret.

Based on the passage, consider the following assumptions:

1. Adolescents may feel uncomfortable confiding in their parents because the parents can be dominating and assertive.
2. Adolescents in modern times do not have much respect for their parents.

Which of the assumptions above is/are valid?

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Passage:
When a child reaches adolescence, there is apt to be a conflict between the parents and the child, since the latter considers himself to be by now quite capable of managing his own affairs, while the former are filled with parental solicitude, which is often a disguise for love of power. Parents consider, usually, that the various moral problems which arise in adolescence are peculiarly their province. The opinions they express, however, are so dogmatic that the young seldom confide in them, and usually go their own way in secret.

Which statement best expresses the central idea of the passage?

Passage:
Geographers analyzed 175 satellite images of ocean colour, which is an indicator of phytoplankton productivity at the ocean’s surface, and found that giant icebergs are responsible for storing up to 20 percent of carbon in the Southern Ocean. The researchers discovered that melting water from giant icebergs which contains iron and other nutrients, supports hitherto unexpectedly high levels of phytoplankton growth.

Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: Giant icebergs have a bearing on primary productivity and food chains of the Southern Ocean. Melting of giant icebergs can produce climate change effects and impact world fisheries. Which of the assumptions given above is/are valid?

Passage:
Evolution has endowed caterpillars that feed on corn with a unique ability, they can induce the plant to turn off its defence against insect predators. This helps caterpillars to eat more and grow faster. The agent that causes this effect is the caterpillar’s faeces or frass. The find could throw new light on compounds associated with plant response to pathogens like fungi or bacteria.

Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical, rational and practical message conveyed by the passage?

32^5 + 2^27 is divisible by

Let p and q be positive integers satisfying p < q and p + q = k. What is the smallest value of k that does not determine p and q uniquely?

A person walks 100 m straight from his house, turns left and walks 100 m, again turns left and walks 300 m, then turns right and walks 100 m to reach his office. In which direction does he walk initially from his house if his office is exactly in the North-East direction?

A person walks 100 m Westward, then turns left and walks 100 m. He then takes 225 degrees turn clockwise. In which direction is he walking now?

A Statement is given followed by two Conclusions numbered I and II. Consider the Statement and the Conclusions. Statement: India is the world’s largest producer of milk. Conclusion-I: India is the world’s largest exporter of milk. Conclusion-II: India does not import milk. Which one of the following is correct?

A Question is given followed by two Statements I and II. Consider the Question and the Statements.

Question: What are the values of m and n, where m and n are natural numbers?

Statement-I: m + n > mn and m > n.
Statement-II: The product of m and n is 24.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above Question and the Statements?

A Question is given followed by two Statements I and II. Consider the Question and the Statements.

Question: What is the time required to download the software?

Statement-I: The size of the software is 12 megabytes.
Statement-II: The transfer rate is 2.4 kilobytes per second.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above Question and the Statements?

A Question is given followed by two Statements I and II. Consider the Question and the Statements.

Question: What are the unique values of x and y, where x and y are distinct natural numbers?

Statement-I: x/y is an odd integer.
Statement-II: xy = 12.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above Question and the Statements?

A certain amount was distributed among X, Y and Z, each of whom received a positive amount.

Question: Who received the least amount?

Statement I: X received 4/5 of the total amount received by Y and Z together.
Statement II: Y received 2/7 of the total amount received by X and Z together.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the question and the statements?

A question is given followed by two statements I and II. Consider the question and the statements.

Question: If the average mark in a class is 60, how many students are in the class?

Statement I: The highest mark is 70 and the lowest mark is 50.
Statement II: Excluding the highest and lowest marks does not change the class average.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the question and the statements?

Three distinct prime numbers have a prime sum.

Question: What are the three numbers?

Statement I: Their sum is less than 23.
Statement II: One of the numbers is 5.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the question and the statements?