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UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2016 - General Studies Paper II (CSAT) — question paper

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UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2016 - General Studies Paper II (CSAT)

Paper #3253 · 2016 · General Studies Paper II (CSAT) · 80 reviewed questions · Showing 1–40 of 80

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2016 General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A: 80 questions with 80 final-key answers 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. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the question(s) based only on the passage. Accountability, or the lack of it, in governance generally, and civil services, in particular, is a major factor underlying the deficiencies in governance and public administration. Designing an effective framework for accountability has been a key element of the reform agenda. A fundamental issue is whether civil services should be accountable to the political executive of the day or to society at large. In other words, how should internal and external accountability be reconciled ? Internal accountability is sought to be achieved by internal performance monitoring, official supervision by bodies like the Central Vigilance Commission and Comptroller and Auditor General, and judicial review of executive decisions. Articles 311 and 312 of the Indian Constitution provide job security and safeguards to the civil services, especially the All India Services. The framers of the Constitution had envisaged that provision of these safeguards would result in a civil service that is not totally subservient to the political executive but will have the strength to function in larger public interest. The need to balance internal and external accountability is thus built into the Constitution. The issue is where to draw the line. Over the years, the emphasis seems to have tilted in favour of greater internal accountability of the civil services to the political leaders of the day who in turn are expected to be externally accountable to the society at large through the election process. This system for seeking accountability to society has not worked out, and has led to several adverse consequences for governance. Some special measures can be considered for improving accountability in civil services. Provisions of articles 311 and 312 should be reviewed and laws and regulations framed to ensure external accountability of civil services. The proposed Civil Services Bill seeks to address some of these requirements. The respective roles of professional civil services and the political executive should be defined so that professional managerial functions and management of civil services are depoliticized. For this purpose, effective statutory civil service boards should be created at the centre and in the states. Decentralization and devolution of authority to bring government and decision making closer to the people also helps to enhance accountability.
    According to the passage, which of the following factor/factors led to the adverse consequences for governance/public administration? 1. Inability of civil services to strike a balance between internal and external accountabilities 2. Lack of sufficient professional training to the officers of All India Services 3. Lack of proper service benefits in civil services 4. Lack of Constitutional provisions to define the respective roles of professional civil services vis-à-vis political executive in this context Select the correct answer using the code given below :
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 4 only
    4. 2, 3 and 4

  2. Reading passage

    With reference to the passage, the following assumptions have been made : 1. Political executive is an obstacle to the accountability of the civil services to the society 2. In the present framework of Indian polity, the political executive is no longer accountable to the society Which of these assumptions is/are valid?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2

  3. Reading passage

    Which one of the following is the essential message implied by this passage?
    1. Civil services are not accountable to the society they are serving
    2. Educated and enlightened persons are not taking up political leadership
    3. The framers of the Constitution did not envisage the problems being encountered by the civil services
    4. There is a need and scope for reforms to improve the accountability of civil services

  4. Reading passage

    According to the passage, which one of the following is not a means of enhancing internal accountability of civil services?
    1. Better job security and safeguards
    2. Supervision by Central Vigilance Commission
    3. Judicial review of executive decisions
    4. Seeking accountability through enhanced participation by people in decision making process

  5. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the question(s) based only on the passage. In general, religious traditions stress our duty to god, or to some universal ethical principle. Our duties to one another derive from these. The religious concept of rights is primarily derived from our relationship to this divinity or principle and the implication it has on our other relationships. This correspondence between rights and duties is critical to any further understanding of justice. But, for justice to be practiced; virtue, rights and duties cannot remain formal abstractions. They must be grounded in a community (common unity) bound together by a sense of common union (communion). Even as a personal virtue, this solidarity is essential to the practice and understanding of justice.
    With reference to the passage, the following assumptions have been made : 1. Human relationships are derived from their religious traditions 2. Human beings can be duty bound only if they believe in god 3. Religious traditions are essential to practice and understand justice Which of these assumption(s) is/are valid?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3

  6. Reading passage

    Which one of the following is the crux of this passage?
    1. Our duties to one another derive from our religious traditions
    2. Having relationship to the divine principle is a great virtue
    3. Balance between rights and duties is crucial to the delivery of justice in a society
    4. Religious concept of rights is primarily derived from our relationship to god
  7. A ate grapes and pineapple; B ate grapes and oranges; C ate oranges, pineapple and apple; D ate grapes, apple and pineapple. After taking fruits, B and C fell sick. In the light of the above facts, it can be said that the cause of sickness was :
    1. Apple
    2. Pineapple
    3. Grapes
    4. Oranges
  8. Consider the following statements : 1. The rate of population growth is increasing in the country 2. The death rate is declining faster in the country compared to birth rate 3. The birth rate is declining faster in the country compared to death rate 4. Rural-urban migration is taking place regularly in the country Which one of the following conclusions may be true in the light of the above facts?
    1. The rate of population growth is increasing due to rural-urban migration
    2. The rate of population growth is increasing due to decline in death rate only
    3. The rate of population growth is increasing due to increase in birth rate only
    4. The rate of population growth is increasing due to faster decline in death rate than in birth rate
  9. A person X was driving in a place where all roads ran either north-south or east-west, forming a grid. Roads are at a distance of 1 km from each other in a parallel. He started at the intersection of two roads, drove 3 km north, 3 km west and 4 km south. Which further route could bring him back to his starting point, if the same route is not repeated?
    1. 3 km east, then 2 km south
    2. 3 km east, then 1 km north
    3. 1 km north, then 2 km west
    4. 3 km south, then 1 km north
  10. Consider the following statement : “We shall go either for a picnic or for trekking”. Which of the following, if true, would falsify this claim?
    1. We go for a picnic but not for trekking
    2. Activities such as picnic and trekking are encouraged by the health authorities
    3. We go for trekking and not for picnic
    4. We do not go either for picnic or for trekking
  11. There were 50 faculty members comprising 30 males and the rest females. No male faculty member knew music, but many of the female faculty members did. The Head of the institution invited six faculty members to a tea party by draw of lots. At the party it was discovered that no member knew music. The conclusion is that :
    1. the party comprised male faculty members only
    2. the party comprised only those female faculty members who could not give renderings in music
    3. the party comprised both male and female faculty members
    4. nothing can be said about the gender composition of the party
  12. Five people A, B, C, D and E are seated about a round table. Every chair is spaced equidistant from adjacent chairs. (i) C is seated next to A (ii) A is seated two seats from D (iii) B is not seated next to A On the basis of above information, which of the following must be true? 1. D is seated next to B 2. E is seated next to A 3. D and C are separated by two seats Select the correct answer using the code given below :
    1. 1 only
    2. 1 and 2 only
    3. 3 only
    4. Neither 1 nor 2 nor 3
  13. There are five hobby clubs in a college—photography, yachting, chess, electronics and gardening. The gardening group meets every second day, the electronics group meets every third day, the chess group meets every fourth day, the yachting group meets every fifth day and the photography group meets every sixth day. How many times do all the five groups meet on the same day within 180 days?
    1. 5
    2. 18
    3. 10
    4. 3
  14. There are some nectar-filled flowers on a tree and some bees are hovering on it. If one bee lands on each flower, one bee will be left out. If two bees land on each flower, one flower will be left out. The number of flowers and bees respectively are :
    1. 2 and 4
    2. 3 and 2
    3. 3 and 4
    4. 4 and 3

  15. Reading passage

    Read the information and answer the question(s). There are five persons in a group — P, Q, R, S and T. The group has one doctor, one lawyer and one artist. P and S are unmarried students. T is a man married to one of the group members. Q is the brother of P and is neither doctor nor artist. R is not doctor.
    Who is the doctor?
    1. T
    2. P
    3. Q
    4. R

  16. Reading passage

    Who is the artist?
    1. P
    2. Q
    3. R
    4. T

  17. Reading passage

    Who is the spouse of R?
    1. P
    2. T
    3. Q
    4. S

  18. Reading passage

    Who is the lawyer?
    1. P
    2. Q
    3. R
    4. S

  19. Reading passage

    Who of the following is definitely a man?
    1. P
    2. S
    3. Q
    4. None of the above
  20. There is an order of 19000 quantity of a particular product from a customer. The firm produces 1000 quantity of that product per day out of which 5% are unfit for sale. In how many days will the order be completed?
    1. 18
    2. 19
    3. 20
    4. 22

  21. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the question(s) based only on the passage. Biomass as fuel for power, heat, and transport has the highest mitigation potential of all renewable sources. It comes from agriculture and forest residues as well as from energy crops. The biggest challenge in using biomass residues is a long-term reliable supply delivered to the power plant at reasonable costs; the key problems are logistical constraints and the costs of fuel collection. Energy crops, if not managed properly, compete with food production and may have undesirable impacts on food prices. Biomass production is also sensitive to the physical impacts of a changing climate. Projections of the future role of biomass are probably overestimated, given the limits to the sustainable biomass supply, unless breakthrough technologies substantially increase productivity. Climate-energy models project that biomass use could increase nearly four-fold to around 150 - 200 exajoules, almost a quarter of world primary energy in 2050. However the maximum sustainable technical potential of biomass resources (both residues and energy crops) without disruption of food and forest resources ranges from 80 — 170 exajoules a year by 2050, and only part of this is realistically and economically feasible. In addition, some climate models rely on biomass-based carbon capture and storage, an unproven technology, to achieve negative emissions and to buy some time during the first half of the century. Some liquid biofuels such as corn-based ethanol, mainly for transport, may aggravate rather than ameliorate carbon emissions on a life-cycle basis. Second generation biofuels, based on ligno-cellulosic feedstocks — such as straw, bagasse, grass and wood — hold the promise of sustainable production that is high-yielding and emit low levels of greenhouse gases, but these are still in the R & D stage.
    What is/are the present constraint/constraints in using biomass as fuel for power generation? 1. Lack of sustainable supply of biomass 2. Biomass production competes with food production 3. Bio-energy may not always be low carbon on a life-cycle basis Select the correct answer using the code given below :
    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 3 only
    3. 2 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3

  22. Reading passage

    Which of the following can lead to food security problem? 1. Using agricultural and forest residues as feedstock for power generation 2. Using biomass for carbon capture and storage 3. Promoting the cultivation of energy crops Select the correct answer using the code given below :
    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 3 only
    3. 2 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3

  23. Reading passage

    In the context of using biomass, which of the following is/are the characteristic/characteristics of the sustainable production of biofuel? 1. Biomass as a fuel for power generation could meet all the primary energy requirements of the world by 2050 2. Biomass as a fuel for power generation does not necessarily disrupt food and forest resources 3. Biomass as a fuel for power generation could help in achieving negative emissions, given certain nascent technologies Select the correct answer using the code given below :
    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 3 only
    3. 2 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3

  24. Reading passage

    With reference to the passage, following assumptions have been made : 1. Some climate-energy models suggest that the use of biomass as a fuel for power generation helps in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions 2. It is not possible to use biomass as a fuel for power generation without disrupting food and forest resources Which of these assumptions is/are valid?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2

  25. Reading passage

    Read the passage and answer the question(s) based only on the passage. We are witnessing a dangerous dwindling of biodiversity in our food supply. The green revolution is a mixed blessing. Over time farmers have come to rely heavily on broadly adapted, high yield crops to the exclusion of varieties adapted to the local conditions. Monocropping vast fields with the same genetically uniform seeds helps boost yield and meet immediate hunger needs. Yet high-yield varieties are also genetically weaker crops that require expensive chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides. In our focus on increasing the amount of food we produce today, we have accidentally put ourselves at risk for food shortages in future.
    Which among the following is the most logical and critical inference that can be made from the above passage?
    1. In our agricultural practices, we have become heavily dependent on expensive chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides only due to green revolution
    2. Monocropping vast fields with high-yield varieties is possible due to green revolution
    3. Monocropping with high-yield varieties is the only way to ensure food security to millions
    4. Green revolution can pose a threat to biodiversity in food supply and food security in the long run
  26. A class starts at 11:00 am and lasts till 2:27 pm. Four periods of equal duration are held during this interval. After every period, a rest of 5 minutes is given to the students. The exact duration of each period is :
    1. 48 minutes
    2. 50 minutes
    3. 51 minutes
    4. 53 minutes
  27. Four friends A, B, C and D need to cross a bridge. A maximum of two persons can cross it at a time. It is night and they just have one lamp. Persons that cross the bridge must carry the lamp to find the way. A pair must walk together at the speed of slower person. After crossing the bridge, the person having faster speed in the pair will return with the lamp each time to accompany another person in the group. Finally, the lamp has to be returned at the original place and the person who returns the lamp has to cross the bridge again without lamp. To cross the bridge, the time taken by them is as follows : A: 1 minute, B: 2 minutes, C: 7 minutes and D: 10 minutes. What is the total minimum time required by all the friends to cross the bridge?
    1. 23 minutes
    2. 22 minutes
    3. 21 minutes
    4. 20 minutes
  28. 30 g of sugar was mixed in 180 ml water in a vessel A, 40 g of sugar was mixed in 280 ml of water in vessel B and 20 g of sugar was mixed in 100 ml of water in vessel C. The solution in vessel B is :
    1. sweeter than that in C
    2. sweeter than that in A
    3. as sweet as that in C
    4. less sweet than that in C
  29. In aid of charity, every student in a class contributes as many rupees as the number of students in that class. With the additional contribution of Rs. 2 by one student only, the total collection is Rs. 443. Then how many students are there in the class?
    1. 12
    2. 21
    3. 43
    4. 45
  30. Anita’s mathematics test had 70 problems carrying equal marks i.e., 10 arithmetic, 30 algebra and 30 geometry. Although she answered 70% of the arithmetic, 40% of the algebra and 60% of the geometry problems correctly, she did not pass the test because she got less than 60% marks. The number of more questions she would have to answer correctly to earn a 60% passing marks is :
    1. 1
    2. 5
    3. 7
    4. 9
  31. In a class, there are 18 very tall boys. If these constitute three-fourths of the boys and the total number of boys is two-thirds of the total number of students in the class, what is the number of girls in the class?
    1. 6
    2. 12
    3. 18
    4. 21
  32. Consider the following statements : 1. Either A and B are of the same age or A is older than B 2. Either C and D are of the same age or D is older than C 3. B is older than C Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the above statements?
    1. A is older than B
    2. B and D are of the same age
    3. D is older than C
    4. A is older than C
  33. The monthly average salary paid to all the employees of a company was Rs. 5000. The monthly average salary paid to male and female employees was Rs. 5200 and Rs. 4200 respectively. Then the percentage of males employed in the company is :
    1. 75%
    2. 80%
    3. 85%
    4. 90%

  34. Reading passage

    Read the information and answer the question(s). Six boxes A, B, C, D, E and F have been painted with six different colours viz., violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow and orange and arranged from left to right (not necessarily either kept or painted with the colours in the same order). Each box contains a ball of any one of the following six games: cricket, hockey, tennis, golf, football and volleyball (not necessarily in the same order). The golf ball is in violet box and is not in the box D. The box A which contains tennis ball is orange in colour and is at the extreme right. The hockey ball is neither in box D nor in box E. The box C having cricket ball is painted green. The hockey ball is neither in the box painted blue nor in the box painted yellow. The box C is fifth from right and next to box B. The box B contains volleyball. The box containing the hockey ball is between the boxes containing golf ball and volleyball.
    Which one of the following boxes contains the golf ball?
    1. F
    2. E
    3. D
    4. None of the above

  35. Reading passage

    Which of the following statements is/are correct?
    1. D is painted yellow
    2. F is painted indigo
    3. B is painted blue
    4. All of the above

  36. Reading passage

    The football is in the box of which colour?
    1. Yellow
    2. Indigo
    3. Cannot be determined as data are inadequate
    4. Blue
  37. Two numbers X and Y are respectively 20% and 28% less than a third number Z. By what percentage is the number Y less than the number X?
    1. 12%
    2. 10%
    3. 9%
    4. 8%
  38. A daily train is to be introduced between station A and station B starting from each end at 6 AM and the journey is to be completed in 42 hours. What is the number of trains needed in order to maintain the shuttle service?
    1. 2
    2. 3
    3. 4
    4. 7
  39. A piece of tin is in the form of a rectangle having length 12 cm and width 8 cm. This is used to construct a closed cube. The side of the cube is :
    1. 2 cm
    2. 3 cm
    3. 4 cm
    4. 6 cm
  40. In a question paper there are five questions to be attempted and answer to each question has two choices—True (T) or False (F). It is given that no two candidates have given the answers to the five questions in an identical sequence. For this to happen the maximum number of candidates is :
    1. 10
    2. 18
    3. 26
    4. 32

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