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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 1–40 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. Researchers simulated street lighting on artificial grassland plots containing pea-aphids, sap-sucking insects, at night. These were exposed to two different types of light — a white light similar to newer commercial LED lights and an amber light similar to sodium street lamps. The low intensity amber light was shown to inhibit, rather than induce, flowering in a wild plant of the pea family which is a source of food for the pea-aphids in grasslands. The number of aphids was also significantly suppressed under the light treatment due to the limited amount of food available.
    Which one of the following statements best reflects the most critical inference that can be made from the passage given above ?
    1. Low intensity light has more adverse effect on the plants as compared to high intensity light.
    2. Light pollution can have a permanent adverse impact on an ecosystem.
    3. White light is better for the flowering of plants as compared to the light of other colours.
    4. Proper intensity of light in an ecosystem is important not only for plants but for animals too.

  2. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. Approximately 80 percent of all flowering plant species are pollinated by animals, including birds and mammals, but the main pollinators are insects. Pollination is responsible for providing us with a wide variety of food, as well as many plant-derived medicines. At least one-third of the world’s agricultural crops depend upon pollination. Bees are the most dominant taxa when it comes to pollination and they are crucial to more than four hundred crops. Pollination is an essential service that is the result of intricate relationships between plants and animals, and the reduction or loss of either affects the survival of both. Effective pollination requires resources, such as refuges of pristine natural vegetation.
    On the basis of the passage given above, the following assumptions have been made : 1. Sustainable production of India’s cereal food grains is impossible without the diversity of pollinating animals. 2. Monoculture of horticultural crops hampers the survival of insects. 3. Pollinators become scarce in cultivated areas devoid of natural vegetation. 4. Diversity in insects induces diversity of plants. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid ?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2, 3 and 4 only
    3. 1 and 2 only
    4. 3 and 4 only

  3. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. A study conducted on the impacts of climate change over the Cauvery basin of Tamil Nadu using regional climate models showed an increasing trend for maximum and minimum temperatures, and a decrease in the number of rainy days. These climatic shifts will have an impact on the hydrological cycles in the region, lead to more run-off and less recharge, and affect the groundwater tables. Further, there has been an increase in the frequency of droughts in the State. This has driven farmers to increase dependency on groundwater resources to secure their crops.
    Which one of the following statements best reflects the crux of the passage given above ?
    1. Development of regional climate models helps in choosing climate-smart agricultural practices.
    2. Heavy dependence on groundwater resources can be reduced by adopting dry-land cropping systems.
    3. Climate changes increase the criticality of water resources while simultaneously threatening it.
    4. Climate changes cause the farmers to adopt unsustainable livelihoods and risky coping strategies.

  4. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. Researchers were able to use stem cells to gauge the neurotoxic effects of the environmental pollutant Bisphenol A (BPA). They used a combination of biochemical and cell-based assays to examine the gene expression profile during the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells upon treatment with BPA, a compound known to cause heart diseases, diabetes, and developmental abnormalities in humans. They were able to detect and measure BPA toxicity towards the proper specification of primary germ layers, such as endoderm and ectoderm, and the establishment of neural progenitor cells.
    On the basis of the passage given above, the following assumptions have been made : 1. BPA may alter embryonic development in vivo. 2. Biochemical and cell-based assays are useful in finding out treatments for pollution-induced diseases. 3. Embryonic stem cells could serve as a model to evaluate the physiological effects of environmental pollutants. Which of the above assumptions are valid ?
    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
  5. If 3²⁰¹⁹ is divided by 10, then what is the remainder?
    1. 1
    2. 3
    3. 7
    4. 9
  6. The number 3798125P369 is divisible by 7. What is the value of the digit P ?
    1. 1
    2. 6
    3. 7
    4. 9
  7. From January 1, 2021, the price of petrol (in Rupees per litre) on mth day of the year is 80 + 0.1m, where m = 1, 2, 3, …, 100 and thereafter remains constant. On the other hand, the price of diesel (in Rupees per litre) on nth day of 2021 is 69 + 0.15n for any n. On which date in the year 2021 are the prices of these two fuels equal?
    1. 21st May
    2. 20th May
    3. 19th May
    4. 18th May
  8. A biology class at high school predicted that a local population of animals will double in size every 12 years. The population at the beginning of the year 2021 was estimated to be 50 animals. If P represents the population after n years, then which one of the following equations represents the model of the class for the population ?
    1. P = 12 + 50n
    2. P = 50 + 12n
    3. P = 50 × 2^(12n)
    4. P = 50 × 2^(n/12)
  9. In a class, 60% of students are from India and 50% of the students are girls. If 30% of the Indian students are girls, then what percentage of foreign students are boys ?
    1. 45%
    2. 40%
    3. 30%
    4. 20%
  10. A Statement followed by Conclusion-I and Conclusion-II is given below. You have to take the Statement to be true even if it seems 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 Statement, disregarding the commonly known facts. Statement : Some radios are mobiles. All mobiles are computers. Some computers are watches. Conclusion-I: Certainly some radios are watches. Conclusion-II: Certainly some mobiles are watches. Which one of the following is correct ?
    1. Only Conclusion-I
    2. Only Conclusion-II
    3. Both Conclusion-I and Conclusion-II
    4. Neither Conclusion-I nor Conclusion-II

  11. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. Fig trees (genus Ficus) are considered sacred in India, East Asia and Africa and are common in agricultural and urban landscapes where other large trees are absent. In natural forests, fig trees provide food for wildlife when other resources are scarce and support a high density and diversity of frugivores (fruit-eating animals). If frugivorous birds and bats continue to visit fig trees located in sites with high human disturbance, sacred fig trees may promote frugivore abundance. Under favourable microclimate, plenty of seedlings of other tree species would grow around fig trees.
    On the basis of the passage given above, the following assumptions have been made : 1. Fig trees can often be keystone species in natural forests. 2. Fig trees can grow where other large woody species cannot grow. 3. Sacred trees can have a role in biodiversity conservation. 4. Fig trees have a role in the seed dispersal of other tree species. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid ?
    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 3 only
    3. 2 and 4 only
    4. 1, 3 and 4 only

  12. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. At the heart of agroecology is the idea that agroecosystems should mimic the biodiversity levels and functioning of natural ecosystems. Such agricultural mimics, like their natural models, can be productive, pest-resistant, nutrient conserving, and resilient to shocks and stresses. In ecosystems there is no ‘waste’, nutrients are recycled indefinitely. Agroecology aims at closing nutrient loops, i.e., returning all nutrients that come out of the soil back to the soil such as through application of farmyard manure. It also harnesses natural processes to control pests and build soil fertility ie, through intercropping. Agroecological practices include integrating trees with livestock and crops.
    Consider the following : 1. Cover crops 2. Fertigation 3. Hydroponics 4. Mixed farming 5. Polyculture 6. Vertical farming Which of the above farming practices can be compatible with agroecology, as implied by the passage ?
    1. 1, 4 and 5 only
    2. 2, 3, 4 and 5 only
    3. 1, 2, 3 and 6 only
    4. 4 and 6 only

  13. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. Computers increasingly deal not just with abstract data like credit card details and databases, but also with the real world of physical objects and vulnerable human bodies. A modern car is a computer on wheels; an aeroplane is a computer on wings. The arrival of the “Internet of Things” will see computers baked into everything from road signs and MRI scanners to prosthetics and insulin pumps. There is little evidence that these gadgets will be any more trustworthy than their desktop counterparts. Hackers have already proved that they can take remote control of internet connected cars and pacemakers.
    Which one of the following statements best reflects the most critical inference that can be made from the passage given above ?
    1. Computers are not completely safe.
    2. Companies producing the software do not take cyber security seriously.
    3. Stringent data security laws are needed.
    4. The present trend of communication technologies will affect our lives in future.

  14. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. A social and physical environment riddled with poverty, inequities, unhygienic and insanitary conditions generates the risk of infectious diseases. Hygiene has different levels : personal, domestic and community hygiene. There is no doubt that personal cleanliness brings down the rate of infectious diseases. But the entry of the market into this domain has created a false sense of security that gets conditioned and reinforced by the onslaught of advertisements. Experience in Western Europe shows that along with personal hygiene, general improvements in environmental conditions and components like clean water, sanitation and food security have brought down infant/child death/infection rates considerably. The obsession with hand hygiene also brings in the persisting influence of the market on personal health, overriding or marginalising the negative impact on ecology and the emergence of resistant germs.
    On the basis of the passage given above, the following assumptions have been made : 1. People who are obsessed with personal hygiene tend to ignore the community hygiene. 2. Emergence of multi-drug resistant germs can be prevented by personal cleanliness. 3. Entry of the market in the domain of hygiene increases the risk of infectious diseases. 4. Scientific and micro-level interventions are not sufficient to bring down the burden of infectious diseases. 5. It is community hygiene implemented through public health measures that is really effective in the battle against infectious diseases. Which of the above assumptions are valid ?
    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 3 and 4 only
    3. 4 and 5 only
    4. 1, 2 and 4 only
  15. A Statement followed by Conclusion-I and Conclusion-II is given below. You have to take the Statement to be true even if it seems 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 Statement, disregarding the commonly known facts. Statement : Some cats are almirahs. Some almirahs are chairs. All chairs are tables. Conclusion-I: Certainly some almirahs are tables. Conclusion-II: Some cats may not be chairs. Which one of the following is correct ?
    1. Only Conclusion-I
    2. Only Conclusion-II
    3. Both Conclusion-I and Conclusion-II
    4. Neither Conclusion-I nor Conclusion-II
  16. A boy plays with a ball and he drops it from a height of 1.5 m. Every time the ball hits the ground, it bounces back to attain a height 4/5th of the previous height. The ball does not bounce further if the previous height is less than 50 cm. What is the number of times the ball hits the ground before the ball stops bouncing?
    1. 4
    2. 5
    3. 6
    4. 7
  17. Images of consonants of the English alphabet (Capitals) are observed in a mirror. What is the number of images of these which do not look like their original shapes ?
    1. 13
    2. 14
    3. 15
    4. 16
  18. A bank employee drives 10 km towards South from her house and turns to her left and drives another 20 km. She again turns left and drives 40 km, then she turns to her right and drives for another 5 km. She again turns to her right and drives another 30 km to reach her bank where she works. What is the shortest distance between her bank and her house ?
    1. 20km
    2. 25km
    3. 30km
    4. 35km
  19. Integers are listed from 700 to 1000. In how many integers is the sum of the digits 10 ?
    1. 6
    2. 7
    3. 8
    4. 9
  20. A woman runs 12 km towards her North, then 6 km towards her South and then 8 km towards her East. In which direction is she from her starting point ?
    1. An angle less than 45° South of East
    2. An angle less than 45° North of East
    3. An angle more than 45° South of East
    4. An angle more than 45° North of East

  21. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. India faces a challenging immediate future in energy and climate policy-making. The problems are multiple : sputtering fossil fuel production capabilities; limited access to electricity and modern cooking fuel for the poorest; rising fuel imports in an unstable global energy context; continued electricity pricing and governance challenges leading to its costly deficits or surplus supply; and not least, growing environmental contestation around land, water and air. But all is not bleak: growing energy efficiency programmes; integrated urbanisation and transport policy discussions; inroads to enhancing energy access and security; and bold renewable energy initiatives, even if not fully conceptualised, suggest the promise of transformation.
    Which one of the following statements best reflects the critical message conveyed by the passage given above ?
    1. India’s energy decision-making process is ever more complex and interconnected.
    2. India’s energy and climate policy is heavily tuned to sustainable development goals.
    3. India’s energy and climate actions are not compatible with its broader social, economic and environmental goals.
    4. India’s energy decision-making process is straightforward supply-oriented and ignores the demand side.

  22. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. There are reports that some of the antibiotics sold in the market are fed to poultry and other livestock as growth promoters. Overusing these substances can create superbugs, pathogens that are resistant to multiple drugs and could be passed along humans. Mindful of that, some farming companies have stopped using the drugs to make chickens gain weight faster. Since Denmark banned antibiotic growth promoters in the 1990s, the major pork exporter says it is producing more pigs — and the animals get fewer diseases.
    Which one of the following statements best reflects the critical message conveyed by the passage given above ?
    1. People should avoid consuming the products of animal farming.
    2. Foods of animal origin should be replaced with foods of plant origin.
    3. Using antibiotics on animals should be banned.
    4. Antibiotics should only be used to treat diseases.

  23. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. Policy makers and media have placed the blame for skyrocketing food prices on a variety of factors, including high fuel prices, bad weather in key food producing countries, and the diversion of land to non-food production. Increased emphasis, however, has been placed on a surge in demand for food from the most populous emerging economies. It seems highly probable that mass consumption in these countries could be well poised to create a food crisis.
    With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made : 1. Oil producing countries are one of the reasons for high food prices. 2. If there is a food crisis in the world in the near future, it will be in the emerging economies. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid ?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2

  24. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. A central message of modern development economics is the importance of income growth, by which is meant growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In theory, rising GDP creates employment and investment opportunities. As incomes grow in a country where the level of GDP was once low, households, communities, and governments are increasingly able to set aside some funds for the production of things that make for a good life. Today GDP has assumed such a significant place in the development lexicon, that if someone mentions “economic growth”, we know they mean growth in GDP.
    With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made : 1. Rising GDP is essential for a country to be a developed country. 2. Rising GDP guarantees a reasonable distribution of income to all households. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid ?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
  25. Seven books P, Q, R, S, T, U and V are placed side by side. R, Q and T have blue covers and other books have red covers. Only S and U are new books and the rest are old. P, R and S are law reports; the rest are Gazetteers. Books of old Gazetteers with blue covers are
    1. Q and R
    2. Q and U
    3. Q and T
    4. T and U
  26. Replace the incorrect term by the correct term in the given sequence 3, 2, 7, 4, 13, 10, 21, 18, 31, 28, 43, 40 where odd terms and even terms follow the same pattern.
    1. 0
    2. 1
    3. 3
    4. 6
  27. Following is a matrix of certain entries. The entries follow a certain trend row-wise. Choose the missing entry (?) accordingly.
    7B | 10A | 3C
    3C | 9B | 6A
    10A | 13C | ?
    1. 9B
    2. 3A
    3. 3B
    4. 3C
  28. You are given two identical sequences in two rows:
    Sequence-I: 8 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 52.5 | 236.25
    Sequence-II: 5 | A | B | C | D | E
    What is the entry in the place of C for Sequence-II?
    1. 2.5
    2. 5
    3. 9.375
    4. 32.8125
  29. A person X from a place A and another person Y from a place B set out at the same time to walk towards each other. The places are separated by a distance of 15 km. X walks with a uniform speed of 1.5 km/hr and Y walks with a uniform speed of 1 km/hr in the first hour, with a uniform speed of 1.25 km/hr in the second hour and with a uniform speed of 1.5 km/hr in the third hour and so on. Which of the following is/are correct? 1. They take 5 hours to meet. 2. They meet midway between A and B. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
  30. A student appeared in 6 papers. The maximum marks are the same for each paper. His marks in these papers are in the proportion of 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10. Overall he scored 60%. In how many number of papers did he score less than 60% of the maximum marks ?
    1. 2
    2. 3
    3. 4
    4. 5

  31. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. With respect to what are called denominations of religion, if everyone is left to be a judge of his own religion, there is no such thing as religion that is wrong; but if they are to be a judge of each other’s religion, there is no such thing as a religion that is right, and therefore all the world is right or all the world is wrong in the matter of religion.
    What is the most logical assumption that can be made from the passage given above ?
    1. No man can live without adhering to some religious denomination.
    2. It is the duty of everyone to propagate one’s religious denomination.
    3. Religious denominations tend to ignore the unity of man.
    4. Men do not understand their own religious denomination.

  32. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. It is certain, that seditions, wars, and contempt or breach of the laws are not so much to be imputed to the wickedness of the subjects, as to the bad state of a dominion. For men are not born fit for citizenship, but must be made so. Besides, men’s natural passions are everywhere the same; and if wickedness more prevails, and more offences are committed in one commonwealth than in another, it is certain that the former has neither enough pursued the end of unity, nor framed its laws with sufficient forethought; and that, therefore, it has failed in making quite good its right as a commonwealth.
    Which among the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the passage given above ?
    1. Seditions, wars and breach of the laws are inevitable in every dominion.
    2. It is not the people, but the sovereign who is responsible for all the problems of any dominion.
    3. That dominion is the best which pursues the aim of unity and has laws for good citizenship.
    4. It is impossible for men to establish a good dominion.

  33. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. Inequality violates a basic democratic norm : the equal standing of citizens. Equality is a relation that obtains between persons in respect of some fundamental characteristic that they share in common. Equality is, morally speaking, a default principle. Therefore, persons should not be discriminated on grounds such as race, caste, gender, ethnicity, disability, or class. These features of human condition are morally irrelevant. The idea that one should treat persons with respect not only because some of these persons possess some special features or talent, for example skilled cricketers, gifted musicians, or literary giants, but because persons are human beings, is by now part of commonsense morality.
    With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made : 1. Equality is a prerequisite for people to participate in the multiple transactions of society from a position of confidence. 2. Occurrence of inequality is detrimental to the survival of democracy. 3. Equal standing of all citizens is an idea that cannot actually be realised even in a democracy. 4. Right to equality should be incorporated into our values and day-to-day political vocabulary. Which of the above assumptions are valid ?
    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 4 only
    4. 3 and 4 only

  34. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the following question(s) based only on the passage. Inequality violates a basic democratic norm : the equal standing of citizens. Equality is a relation that obtains between persons in respect of some fundamental characteristic that they share in common. Equality is, morally speaking, a default principle. Therefore, persons should not be discriminated on grounds such as race, caste, gender, ethnicity, disability, or class. These features of human condition are morally irrelevant. The idea that one should treat persons with respect not only because some of these persons possess some special features or talent, for example skilled cricketers, gifted musicians, or literary giants, but because persons are human beings, is by now part of commonsense morality.
    Which one of the following statements best reflects the crux of the passage given above ?
    1. Human societies experiment with different forms of governments.
    2. Any form of government tends to deteriorate by excess of its basic principle.
    3. Education of all citizens ensures a perfect, functional and sustainable democracy.
    4. Having a government is a necessary evil because tyranny is inherent in any form of government.
  35. In a group of 120 persons, 80 are Indians and rest are foreigners. Further, 70 persons in the group can speak English. The number of Indians who can speak English is
    1. 20
    2. 30
    3. 30 or less
    4. 30 or more
  36. Consider all 3-digit numbers (without repetition of digits) obtained using three non-zero digits which are multiples of 3. Let S be their sum. Which of the following is/are correct ? 1. S is always divisible by 74. 2. S is always divisible by 9. Select the correct answer using the code given below :
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
  37. There are two Classes A and B having 25 and 30 students respectively. In Class-A the highest score is 21 and lowest score is 17. In Class-B the highest score is 30 and lowest score is 22. Four students are shifted from Class-A to Class-B. Consider the following statements : 1. The average score of Class-B will definitely decrease. 2. The average score of Class-A will definitely increase. 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. Consider two Statements and a Question : Statement-1: Priya is 4 ranks below Seema and is 31st from the bottom. Statement-2: Ena is 2 ranks above Seema and is 37th from the bottom. Question: What is Seema’s rank from the top in the class of 40 students ? Which one of the following is correct in respect of the Statements and the Question ?
    1. Statement-1 alone is not sufficient to answer the Question
    2. Statement-2 alone is not sufficient to answer the Question
    3. Either Statement-1 alone or Statement-2 alone is sufficient to answer the Question
    4. Both Statement-1 and Statement-2 are required to answer the Question
  39. Consider two Statements and a Question : Statement-1: Each of A and D is heavier than each of B, E and F, but none of them is the heaviest. Statement-2: A is heavier than D, but is lighter than C. Question : Who is the heaviest among A,B,C, D and E? 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
  40. In the English alphabet, the first 4 letters are written in opposite order; and the next 4 letters are written in opposite order and so on; and at the end Y and Z are interchanged. Which will be the fourth letter to the right of the 13th letter ?
    1. N
    2. T
    3. H
    4. I

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