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UPSC Prelims 2016 question paper

UPSC held the 2016 Preliminary examination on 7 August 2016 — GS Paper I from 9:30 to 11:30 am and CSAT from 2:30 to 4:30 pm. 180 questions from that day are below, each with the Commission's official answer and our explanation of why the other three options fail.

General Studies Paper I

100 questions

Economy 33 · Environment & Ecology 22 · History 16 · General Science 9 · Current Events 9 · Polity & Governance 6 · Geography 5

  1. Q1 Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. A Bill pending in the Lok Sabha lapses on its prorogation. 2. A Bill pending in the Rajya Sabha, which has not been passed by…
  2. Q2 Which of the following is/are the indicator/indicators used by IFPRI to compute the Global Hunger Index Report? 1. Undernourishment 2. Child stunting 3. Child mortality Select the…
  3. Q3 There has been a persistent deficit budget year after year. Which action/actions of the following can be taken by the Government to reduce the deficit? 1. Reducing revenue…
  4. Q4 The establishment of ‘Payment Banks’ is being allowed in India to promote financial inclusion. Which of the following statements is/are correct in this context? 1. Mobile…
  5. Q5 With reference to ‘LiFi’, recently in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. It uses light as the medium for high-speed data transmission. 2. It is a…
  6. Q6 The term ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of
  7. Q7 Which one of the following is a purpose of ‘UDAY’, a scheme of the Government?
  8. Q8 With reference to ‘IFC Masala Bonds’, sometimes seen in the news, which of the statements given below is/are correct? 1. The International Finance Corporation, which offers these…
  9. Q9 Regarding the taxation system of Krishna Deva, the ruler of Vijayanagar, consider the following statements : 1. The tax rate on land was fixed depending on the quality of the…
  10. Q10 Which one of the following books of ancient India has the love story of the son of the founder of Sunga dynasty?
  11. Q11 In the context of which of the following do you sometimes find the terms ‘amber box, blue box and green box’ in the news?
  12. Q12 Which of the following is/are included in the capital budget of the Government of India? 1. Expenditure on acquisition of assets like roads, buildings, machinery, etc. 2. Loans…
  13. Q13 What is/are the importance/importances of the ‘United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’? 1. It aims to promote effective action through innovative national programmes…
  14. Q14 Recently, which one of the following currencies has been proposed to be added to the basket of IMF's SDR?
  15. Q15 With reference to the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), consider the following statements : 1. IMFC discusses matters of concern affecting the global economy…
  16. Q16 ‘Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan’ is a national campaign to
  17. Q17 With reference to the cultural history of medieval India, consider the following statements : 1. Siddhas (Sittars) of Tamil region were monotheistic and condemned idolatry. 2…
  18. Q18 Which of the following best describes the term ‘import cover’, sometimes seen in the news?
  19. Q19 Consider the following pairs : Community sometimes mentioned in the news : In the affairs of 1. Kurd : Bangladesh 2. Madhesi : Nepal 3. Rohingya : Myanmar Which of the pairs given…
  20. Q20 With reference to ‘Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)’, consider the following statements : 1. It is an organization of European Union in working relation…
  21. Q21 With reference to ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’, consider the following statements : 1. Under this scheme, farmers will have to pay a uniform premium of two percent for any…
  22. Q22 In which of the following regions of India are you most likely to come across the ‘Great Indian Hornbill’ in its natural habitat?
  23. Q23 Which of the following are the key features of ‘National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)’? 1. River basin is the unit of planning and management. 2. It spearheads the river…
  24. Q24 Why does the Government of India promote the use of ‘Neem-coated Urea’ in agriculture?
  25. Q25 Consider the following statements : 1. The Chief Secretary in a State is appointed by the Governor of that State. 2. The Chief Secretary in a State has a fixed tenure. Which of…
  26. Q26 With reference to ‘Stand Up India Scheme’, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Its purpose is to promote entrepreneurship among SC/ST and women entrepreneurs. 2…
  27. Q27 The FAO accords the status of ‘Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS)’ to traditional agricultural systems. What is the overall goal of this initiative? 1. To…
  28. Q28 Which of the following is/are tributary/tributaries of Brahmaputra? 1. Dibang 2. Kameng 3. Lohit Select the correct answer using the code given below.
  29. Q29 The term ‘Core Banking Solutions’ is sometimes seen in the news. Which of the following statements best describes/describe this term? 1. It is a networking of a bank's branches…
  30. Q30 Consider the following pairs : Terms sometimes seen in the news : Their origin 1. Annex–I Countries : Cartagena Protocol 2. Certified Emissions Reductions : Nagoya Protocol 3…
  31. Q31 In the context of the developments in Bioinformatics, the term ‘transcriptome’, sometimes seen in the news, refers to
  32. Q32 ‘Mission Indradhanush’ launched by the Government of India pertains to
  33. Q33 Which of the following best describes/describe the aim of ‘Green India Mission’ of the Government of India? 1. Incorporating environmental benefits and costs into the Union and…
  34. Q34 With reference to pre-packaged items in India, it is mandatory to the manufacturer to put which of the following information on the main label, as per the Food Safety and…
  35. Q35 ‘Project Loon’, sometimes seen in the news, is related to
  36. Q36 ‘Net metering’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of promoting the
  37. Q37 India's ranking in the ‘Ease of Doing Business Index’ is sometimes seen in the news. Which of the following has declared that ranking?
  38. Q38 Banjaras during the medieval period of Indian history were generally
  39. Q39 Who of the following had first deciphered the edicts of Emperor Ashoka?
  40. Q40 With reference to the ‘Gram Nyayalaya Act’, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. As per the Act, Gram Nyayalayas can hear only civil cases and not criminal cases…
  41. Q41 With reference to the ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership’, consider the following statements : 1. It is an agreement among all the Pacific Rim countries except China and Russia. 2. It is…
  42. Q42 Consider the following statements : The India-Africa Summit 1. held in 2015 was the third such Summit 2. was actually initiated by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951 Which of the statements…
  43. Q43 What is/are the purpose/purposes of the ‘Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR)’ announced by RBI? 1. These guidelines help improve the transparency in the methodology…
  44. Q44 What is/are unique about ‘Kharai camel’, a breed found in India? 1. It is capable of swimming up to three kilometres in seawater. 2. It survives by grazing on mangroves. 3. It…
  45. Q45 Recently, our scientists have discovered a new and distinct species of banana plant which attains a height of about 11 metres and has orange-coloured fruit pulp. In which part of…
  46. Q46 Which one of the following is the best description of ‘INS Astradharini’, that was in the news recently?
  47. Q47 What is ‘Greased Lightning–10 (GL–10)’, recently in the news?
  48. Q48 With reference to ‘Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion’, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. This initiative aims to…
  49. Q49 The ‘Swadeshi’ and ‘Boycott’ were adopted as methods of struggle for the first time during the
  50. Q50 With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements : 1. The concept of Bodhisattva is central to Hinayana sect of Buddhism. 2. Bodhisattva is a…
  51. Q51 ‘Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres)’, often in the news, is
  52. Q52 With reference to an initiative called ‘The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)’, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. It is an initiative hosted by…
  53. Q53 With reference to ‘Red Sanders’, sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements : 1. It is a tree species found in a part of South India. 2. It is one of the most…
  54. Q54 Which of the following statements is/are correct? Proper design and effective implementation of UN-REDD+ Programme can significantly contribute to 1. protection of biodiversity 2…
  55. Q55 What is ‘Greenhouse Gas Protocol’?
  56. Q56 With reference to ‘Financial Stability and Development Council’, consider the following statements : 1. It is an organ of NITI Aayog. 2. It is headed by the Union Finance…
  57. Q57 With reference to ‘Agenda 21’, sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements : 1. It is a global action plan for sustainable development. 2. It originated in the…
  58. Q58 Satya Shodhak Samaj organized
  59. Q59 Which of the following statements is/are correct? Viruses can infect 1. bacteria 2. fungi 3. plants Select the correct answer using the code given below.
  60. Q60 The term ‘Base Erosion and Profit Shifting’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of
  61. Q61 Recently, India's first ‘National Investment and Manufacturing Zone’ was proposed to be set up in
  62. Q62 What is/are the purpose/purposes of ‘District Mineral Foundations’ in India? 1. Promoting mineral exploration activities in mineral-rich districts 2. Protecting the interests of…
  63. Q63 ‘SWAYAM’, an initiative of the Government of India, aims at
  64. Q64 The Montague-Chelmsford Proposals were related to
  65. Q65 What is/are common to the two historical places known as Ajanta and Mahabalipuram? 1. Both were built in the same period. 2. Both belong to the same religious denomination. 3…
  66. Q66 With reference to ‘Bitcoins’, sometimes seen in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Bitcoins are tracked by the Central Banks of the countries. 2…
  67. Q67 Consider the following statements : 1. New Development Bank has been set up by APEC. 2. The headquarters of New Development Bank is in Shanghai. Which of the statements given…
  68. Q68 ‘Gadgil Committee Report’ and ‘Kasturirangan Committee Report’, sometimes seen in the news, are related to
  69. Q69 Consider the following : 1. Calcutta Unitarian Committee 2. Tabernacle of New Dispensation 3. Indian Reform Association Keshab Chandra Sen is associated with the establishment of…
  70. Q70 Which of the following is not a member of ‘Gulf Cooperation Council’?
  71. Q71 What is/are the purpose/purposes of Government's ‘Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme’ and ‘Gold Monetization Scheme’? 1. To bring the idle gold lying with Indian households into the…
  72. Q72 ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of
  73. Q73 Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana is aimed at
  74. Q74 In which of the following regions of India are shale gas resources found? 1. Cambay Basin 2. Cauvery Basin 3. Krishna-Godavari Basin Select the correct answer using the code given…
  75. Q75 ‘Global Financial Stability Report’ is prepared by the
  76. Q76 Regarding ‘Atal Pension Yojana’, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. It is a minimum guaranteed pension scheme mainly targeted at unorganized sector workers. 2…
  77. Q77 The term ‘Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership’ often appears in the news in the context of the affairs of a group of countries known as
  78. Q78 On which of the following can you find the Bureau of Energy Efficiency Star Label? 1. Ceiling fans 2. Electric geysers 3. Tubular fluorescent lamps Select the correct answer using…
  79. Q79 India is an important member of the ‘International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor’. If this experiment succeeds, what is the immediate advantage for India?
  80. Q80 In the context of the history of India, consider the following pairs : Term Description 1. Eripatti : Land, revenue from which was set apart for the maintenance of the village…
  81. Q81 Consider the following statements : 1. The International Solar Alliance was launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2015. 2. The Alliance includes all the…
  82. Q82 ‘European Stability Mechanism’, sometimes seen in the news, is an
  83. Q83 Which of the following is/are the advantage/advantages of practising drip irrigation? 1. Reduction in weed 2. Reduction in soil salinity 3. Reduction in soil erosion Select the…
  84. Q84 Regarding ‘DigiLocker’, sometimes seen in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. It is a digital locker system offered by the Government under Digital…
  85. Q85 Recently, linking of which of the following rivers was undertaken?
  86. Q86 In the cities of our country, which among the following atmospheric gases are normally considered in calculating the value of Air Quality Index? 1. Carbon dioxide 2. Carbon…
  87. Q87 With reference to ‘Astrosat’, the astronomical observatory launched by India, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Other than USA and Russia, India is the only…
  88. Q88 With reference to the economic history of medieval India, the term ‘Araghatta’ refers to
  89. Q89 With reference to the cultural history of India, the memorizing of chronicles, dynastic histories and epic tales was the profession of who of the following?
  90. Q90 Recently, for the first time in our country, which of the following States has declared a particular butterfly as ‘State Butterfly’?
  91. Q91 Consider the following statements : The Mangalyaan launched by ISRO 1. is also called the Mars Orbiter Mission 2. made India the second country to have a spacecraft orbit the Mars…
  92. Q92 What was the main reason for the split in the Indian National Congress at Surat in 1907?
  93. Q93 The plan of Sir Stafford Cripps envisaged that after the Second World War
  94. Q94 Consider the following pairs : Famous place : Region 1. Bodhgaya : Baghelkhand 2. Khajuraho : Bundelkhand 3. Shirdi : Vidarbha 4. Nasik (Nashik) : Malwa 5. Tirupati : Rayalaseema…
  95. Q95 The Parliament of India acquires the power to legislate on any item in the State List in the national interest if a resolution to that effect is passed by the
  96. Q96 Recently, which of the following States has explored the possibility of constructing an artificial inland port to be connected to sea by a long navigational channel?
  97. Q97 With reference to the Agreement at the UNFCCC Meeting in Paris in 2015, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The Agreement was signed by all the member countries…
  98. Q98 Consider the following statements : 1. The Sustainable Development Goals were first proposed in 1972 by a global think tank called the ‘Club of Rome’. 2. The Sustainable…
  99. Q99 A recent movie titled The Man Who Knew Infinity is based on the biography of
  100. Q100 Consider the following statements : 1. The minimum age prescribed for any person to be a member of Panchayat is 25 years. 2. A Panchayat reconstituted after premature dissolution…

CSAT Paper II

80 questions

Comprehension 38 · Basic Numeracy 27 · Logical Reasoning 12 · Mental Ability 3

  1. Q1 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…
  2. Q2 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…
  3. Q3 Which one of the following is the essential message implied by this passage ?
  4. Q4 According to the passage, which one of the following is not a means of enhancing internal accountability of civil services ?
  5. Q5 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…
  6. Q6 Which one of the following is the crux of this passage ?
  7. Q7 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…
  8. Q8 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…
  9. Q9 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…
  10. Q10 Consider the following statement : “We shall go either for a picnic or for trekking”. Which of the following, if true, would falsify this claim ?
  11. Q11 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…
  12. Q12 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…
  13. Q13 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…
  14. Q14 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…
  15. Q15 Who is the doctor ?
  16. Q16 Who is the artist ?
  17. Q17 Who is the spouse of R ?
  18. Q18 Who is the lawyer ?
  19. Q19 Who of the following is definitely a man ?
  20. Q20 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…
  21. Q21 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…
  22. Q22 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…
  23. Q23 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…
  24. Q24 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…
  25. Q25 Which among the following is the most logical and critical inference that can be made from the above passage ?
  26. Q26 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…
  27. Q27 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…
  28. Q28 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…
  29. Q29 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…
  30. Q30 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…
  31. Q31 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…
  32. Q32 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…
  33. Q33 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…
  34. Q34 Which one of the following boxes contains the golf ball ?
  35. Q35 Which of the following statements is/are correct ?
  36. Q36 The football is in the box of which colour ?
  37. Q37 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 ?
  38. Q38 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…
  39. Q39 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 :
  40. Q40 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…
  41. Q41 Which among the following is the most logical corollary to the above passage ?
  42. Q42 What is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage ?
  43. Q43 Which among the following is the most critical inference that can be made from the above passage ?
  44. Q44 Which one of the following is the message that is essentially implied in the above passage ?
  45. Q45 With reference to the above passage, consider the following statements : 1. Urban sanitation problems can be fully solved by the abolition of manual scavenging only 2. There is a…
  46. Q46 Which among the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage ?
  47. Q47 The statement refers to :
  48. Q48 Which among the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage ?
  49. Q49 A person climbs a hill in a straight path from point ‘O’ on the ground in the direction of north-east and reaches a point ‘A’ after travelling a distance of 5 km. Then, from the…
  50. Q50 An agricultural field is in the form of a rectangle having length X₁ meters and breadth X₂ meters (X₁ and X₂ are variable). If X₁ + X₂ = 40 meters, then the area of the…
  51. Q51 The sum of the ages of 5 members comprising a family, 3 years ago was 80 years. The average age of the family today is the same as it was 3 years ago, because of an addition of a…
  52. Q52 The total emoluments of two persons are the same, but one gets allowances to the extent of 65% of his basic pay and the other gets allowances to the extent of 80% of his basic…
  53. Q53 A person is standing on the first step from the bottom of a ladder. If he has to climb 4 more steps to reach exactly the middle step, how many steps does the ladder have ?
  54. Q54 What is C's surname ?
  55. Q55 What is the colour of the tie ?
  56. Q56 Who wore the sweater ?
  57. Q57 AB is a vertical trunk of a huge tree with A being the point where the base of the trunk touches the ground. Due to a cyclone, the trunk has been broken at C which is at a height…
  58. Q58 A person walks 12 km due north, then 15 km due east, after that 19 km due west and then 15 km due south. How far is he from the starting point ?
  59. Q59 A cube has all its faces painted with different colours. It is cut into smaller cubes of equal sizes such that the side of the small cube is one-fourth the big cube. The number of…
  60. Q60 Ram and Shyam work on a job together for four days and complete 60% of it. Ram takes leave then and Shyam works for eight more days to complete the job. How long would Ram take to…
  61. Q61 A military code writes SYSTEM as SYSMET and NEARER as AENRER. Using the same code, FRACTION can be written as :
  62. Q62 If R and S are different integers both divisible by 5, then which of the following is not necessarily true ?
  63. Q63 How many numbers are there between 100 and 300 which either begin with or end with 2 ?
  64. Q64 What is the critical message conveyed by the above passage ?
  65. Q65 Which among the following is the most logical assumption that can be made from the above passage ?
  66. Q66 In the above statement, the author implies that :
  67. Q67 Which among the following is the most logical corollary to the above passage ?
  68. Q68 According to the above passage, which of the following are the fundamental solutions for the world food security problem ? 1. Setting up more agro-based industries 2. Improving…
  69. Q69 According to the above passage, the biggest challenge to world agriculture is :
  70. Q70 According to the above passage, which of the following helps/help in reducing hunger and starvation in the developing economies ? 1. Balancing demand and supply of food 2…
  71. Q71 The issue of worldwide supply of food has gained importance mainly because of : 1. overgrowth of the population worldwide 2. sharp decline in the area of food production 3…
  72. Q72 Four-digit numbers are to be formed using the digits 1, 2, 3 and 4; and none of these four digits are repeated in any manner. Further, 1. 2 and 3 are not to immediately follow…
  73. Q73 A cylindrical overhead tank of radius 2 m and height 7 m is to be filled from an underground tank of size 5.5 m × 4 m × 6 m. How much portion of the underground tank is still…
  74. Q74 In a class of 60 students, where the number of girls is twice that of boys, Kamal, a boy, ranked seventeenth from the top. If there are 9 girls ahead of Kamal, the number of boys…
  75. Q75 A and B walk around a circular park. They start at 8 a.m. from the same point in the opposite directions. A and B walk at a speed of 2 rounds per hour and 3 rounds per hour…
  76. Q76 W can do 25% of a work in 30 days, X can do 1/4 of the work in 10 days, Y can do 40% of the work in 40 days and Z can do 1/3 of the work in 13 days. Who will complete the work…
  77. Q77 The average monthly income of a person in a certain family of 5 is Rs. 10,000. What will be the average monthly income of a person in the same family if the income of one person…
  78. Q78 In a race, a competitor has to collect 6 apples which are kept in a straight line on a track and a bucket is placed at the beginning of the track which is a starting point. The…
  79. Q79 A round archery target of diameter 1 m is marked with four scoring regions from the centre outwards as red, blue, yellow and white. The radius of the red band is 0.20 m. The width…
  80. Q80 A person allows a 10% discount for cash payment from the marked price of a toy and still he makes a 10% gain. What is the cost price of the toy which is marked Rs. 770 ?

Question papers and answer keys: Union Public Service Commission. Explanations: UPSC Answer Check.

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