All 180 questions from the UPSC Prelims 2017 paper — tap an option on any question to try it, then read the detailed explanation — just like a textbook.
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Q1
Passage summary:
One undeniable effect of climate change is that it will trigger or worsen events that speed up the loss of resources. Scarcity will then spark contests over what remains, erupting as political or even violent clashes. Such resource conflicts rarely appear openly and are therefore hard to pin down; instead they adopt disguises that seem more politically acceptable. Fights over resources such as water are often hidden behind the outward show of identity or ideology.
Endless dithering between two courses of action leaves a person achieving neither. Likewise, someone who makes up his mind but lets the first objection from a friend overturn it — drifting from opinion to opinion and plan to plan — can never accomplish anything, and will at best stagnate or even move backward. Only the person who deliberates carefully, then commits firmly, and then executes with unbending persistence — unshaken by the minor obstacles that daunt a weaker spirit — can rise to distinction in any pursuit. The emerging keynote is that one should consult wisely first and then resolve firmly.
The keynote that seems to be emerging from the passage is that
In the Arctic Ocean, summer sea ice has begun melting earlier and faster, while the winter freeze sets in later. Over the past three decades, the summer ice extent has shrunk by roughly 30 percent. This lengthening melt season threatens to undermine the whole Arctic food web, with polar bears at its apex. The passage's most crucial message is that climate change endangers the survival of polar bears.
Which among the following is the most crucial message conveyed by the above passage?
Recent research identifies two reasons people prefer open defecation and shun toilets — or use them only occasionally: notions of purity and pollution, and the unwillingness to let pits or septic tanks fill up since they must then be emptied. Nobody likes talking about these issues, yet eradicating open defecation demands that they be faced and dealt with properly. The crucial message is that people must come to see toilet use and pit-emptying as clean rather than contaminating. Deeper attitudes are not portrayed as unchangeable, and the passage does not blame a lack of civic sense.
Which among the following is the most crucial message conveyed by the above passage?
Over the last twenty years, world GDP expanded by 50 percent while inclusive wealth grew by a mere 6 percent. GDP-driven performance has damaged inclusive wealth — both human capital and natural capital such as forests, land and water. Human capital, accounting for 57 percent of total inclusive wealth, grew only 8 percent, while natural capital, 23 percent of the total, fell by 30 percent worldwide in two decades. The crucial inference is that growth driven by GDP alone is neither desirable nor sustainable.
Which of the following is the most crucial inference from the above passage?
By 2020 the world economy was expected to face a shortage of 56 million young people, against which India's surplus of 47 million could fill the gap. Labour reforms are often cited as the route to unlocking double-digit growth in India. Yet in 2014 only about 40 percent of Indians were in the labour force, and 93 percent of that workforce was in the unorganized sector. Employment growth has crawled at a compound annual rate of 0.5 percent: roughly 14 million jobs were created in the last year while the labour force grew by about 15 million. The rational inference is that India needs labour reforms to put its vast labour force to productive use.
Which of the following is the most rational inference from the above passage?
The first lesson to impart, once people are mature enough to grasp it, is that complete freedom from the duty of work is unnatural and ought to be unlawful — escaping one's share of labour only dumps it on someone else's shoulders. Nature has decreed that humanity would perish of famine if it ceased working; there is no escape from this compulsion. The question to settle is how much leisure we can afford to grant ourselves. The passage's main idea is that work is essential for human beings.
With reference to the difference between the culture of Rigvedic Aryans and Indus Valley people, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in warfare, whereas the people of the Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them.
2Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, silver, and copper, whereas Indus Valley people knew only copper and iron.
3Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the horse, whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people having been aware of this animal.
If second and fourth Saturdays and all the Sundays are taken as only holidays for an office, what would be the minimum number of possible working days of any month of any year?
If there is a policy that 1/3rd of a population of a community has migrated every year from one place to some other place, what is the leftover population of that community after the sixth year, if there is no further growth in the population during this period?
Four tests - Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology are to be conducted on four consecutive days, not necessarily in the same order. The Physics test is held before the test which is conducted after Biology. Chemistry is conducted exactly after two tests are held. Which is the last test held?
The sum of income of A and B is more than that of C and D taken together. The sum of income of A and C is the same as that of B and D taken together. Moreover, A earns half as much as the sum of the income of B and D. Whose income is the highest?
Consider the following: Statement: Good voice is a natural gift but one has to keep practising to improve and excel well in the field of music. Conclusions:
INatural gifts need nurturing and care.
IIEven though one's voice is not good, one can keep practising.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statement and conclusions?
There are three pillars X, Y and Z of different heights. Three spiders A, B and C start to climb on these pillars simultaneously. In one chance, A climbs on X by 6 cm but slips down 1 cm. B climbs on Y by 7 cm but slips down 3 cm. C climbs on Z by 6.5 cm but slips down 2 cm. If each of them requires 40 chances to reach the top of the pillars, what is the height of the shortest pillar?
"Rights are certain advantageous conditions of social well -being indispensable to the true development of the citizen." In the light of this statement, which one of the following is the correct understanding of rights?
15 students failed in a class of 52. After removing the names of failed students, a merit order list has been prepared in which the position of Ramesh is 22nd from the top. What is his position from the bottom?
Gopal bought a cell phone and sold it to Ram at 10% profit. Then Ram wanted to sell it back to Gopal at 10% loss. What will be Gopal's position if he agreed?
With reference to 'Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)' sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1The IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
2An IOD phenomenon can influence an El Nino's impact on the monsoon.
Hard work lies ahead, and none of us may rest until the pledge is redeemed in full and all Indians become what destiny intends them to be. As citizens of a great country poised for a bold advance, Indians must live up to that lofty standard. Whatever their religion, all are equally children of India, sharing equal rights, privileges and obligations. Communalism and narrow-mindedness must not be encouraged, for no nation whose people are narrow in thought or action can become great — the challenge thrown to the public is hard work, brotherhood and national unity.
The challenge the author of the above passage throws to the public is to achieve
If you travel by road from Kohima to Kottayam, what is the minimum number of States within India through which you can travel, including the origin and the destination?
According to Rousseau, each individual places his person and all his power in common under the supreme direction of the General Will. In their corporate capacity, the members receive one another as indivisible parts of the whole. The General Will is thus not the mere sum of private wills, nor what elected representatives voice, nor simply the community's material interests. Its nature is best described as the collective good, distinct from the private wills of individuals.
In the light of the above passage, the nature of General Will is best described as
At one of the places in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the seawater recedes from the shoreline a few kilometres and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the seafloor when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at
In a democratic state whose people possess a high degree of political maturity, clashes between the will of the sovereign law-making body and the organized will of the people rarely happen. The passage implies that force is not the main phenomenon in the actual exercise of sovereignty in such a democracy. Nor is force wholly irrelevant — the claim is subtler than that. In a mature democracy, force is narrowed down to a marginal phenomenon in the actual exercise of sovereignty.
A successful democracy rests on widespread interest and participation in politics, and voting is an essential part of that. Deliberately refusing such interest and abstaining from the vote amounts to a kind of implied anarchy. It means enjoying the benefits of a free political society while rejecting one's political responsibility. The passage therefore relates to the duty to vote, rather than merely a right or a freedom.
In a free country, the person who rises to leadership is usually one of outstanding character and ability, and his ascent can generally be foreseen early in life from his qualities. The same is not always true of a dictator, who often reaches power by chance — very often through the unhappy condition of his country. Leadership in a free society is thus rooted in character, while dictatorship can be an accident of national misfortune. The passage suggests that despair in a country sometimes paves the way to dictatorship.
Technological progress's greatest gift to humanity is not a pile of material possessions, since one person can effectively enjoy only so much in a lifetime. Leisure, by contrast, faces no such narrow limit on the possibilities of enjoyment. The gift of leisure can be misused by those with no experience of using it well. Yet the creative use of leisure by a minority in societies has been the driving force of all human progress beyond the primitive stage. It is therefore valid to assume that using leisure to create new and original things has been the chief source of human progress — but not that people always treat leisure as a gift for acquiring more possessions.
With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1People always see the leisure time as a gift and use it for acquiring more material possessions.
2Use of leisure by some people to produce new and original things has been the chief source of human progress.
There is more than a grain of truth in the claim that a working knowledge of ancient history is necessary for an intelligent reading of current events. The wise originator of that remark might well have added the special value of studying history's famous battles for the lessons they offer to present and aspiring leaders. Such study reveals the qualities and attributes that enabled victors to win, and the deficiencies that caused the defeated to lose. The student will find the same pattern repeating itself consistently across the centuries. Studying history is thus essential for anyone who aspires to lead — though the passage does not claim it teaches modern warfare.
With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1A study of the famous battles of history would help us understand the modern warfare.
2Studying the history is essential for anyone who aspires to be a leader.
Suppose the average weight of 9 persons is 50 kg. The average weight of the first 5 persons is 45 kg, whereas the average weight of the last 5 persons is 55 kg. Then the weight of the 5th person will be
In a group of six women, there are four tennis players, four postgraduates in Sociology, one postgraduate in Commerce and three bank employees. Vimala and Kamla are the bank employees while Amala and Komala are unemployed. Komala and Nirmala are among the tennis players. Amala, Kamla, Komala and Nirmala are postgraduates in Sociology of whom two are bank employees. If Shyamala is a postgraduate in Commerce, who among the following is both a tennis player and a bank employee?
A watch loses 2 minutes in every 24 hours while another watch gains 2 minutes in every 24 hours. At a particular instant, the two watches showed an identical time. Which of the following statements is correct if 24 hour clock is followed?
According to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which of the following animals cannot be hunted by any person except under some provisions provided by law?
1Gharial
2Indian wild ass
3Wild buffalo
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
I na city, 1 2% of households earn less than Rs. 30,000 per year, 6% households earn more than Rs. 2,00,000 per year, 22% households earn more than Rs. 1,00,000 per year and 990 households earn between Rs. 30,000 and Rs. 1,00,000 per year. How many households earn between Rs. 1,00,000 and Rs. 2,00,000 per year?
A clock strikes once at 1 o'clock, twice at 2 o'clock and thrice at 3 o'clock, and so on. If it takes 12 seconds to strike at 5 o'clock, what is the time taken by it to strike at 10 o'clock?
In the context of mitigating the impending global warming due to anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide, which of the following can be potential sites for carbon sequestration?
1Abandoned and uneconomic coal seams
2Depleted oil and gas reservoirs
3Subterranean deep saline formations
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
There are thirteen 2 -digit consecutive odd numbers. If 39 is the mean of the first five such numbers, then what is the mean of all the thirteen numbers?
Six boys A, B, C, D, E and F play a game of cards. Each has a pack of 10 cards. F borrows 2 cards from A and gives away 5 to C who in turn gives 3 to B while B gives 6 to D who passes on 1 to E. Then the number of cards possessed by D and E is equal to the number of cards possessed by
There is a milk sample with 50% water in it. If 1/3rd of this milk is added to equal amount of pure milk, then water in the new mixture will fall down to
There are 4 horizontal and 4 vertical lines, parallel and equidistant to one another on a board. What is the maximum number of rectangles and squares that can be formed?
A freight train left Delhi for Mumbai at an average speed of 40 km/hr. Two hours later, an express train left Delhi for Mumbai, following the freight train on a parallel track at an average speed of 60 km/hr. How far from Delhi would the express train meet the freight train?
In a test, Randhir obtained more marks than the total marks obtained by Kunal and Debu. The total marks obtained by Kunal and Shankar are more than those of Randhir. Sonal obtained more marks than Shankar. Neha obtained more marks than Randhir. Who amongst them obtained highest marks?
The disruption of traditional institutions, identifications and loyalties is likely to produce ambivalent situations. Some people may renew their attachment to traditional groups, while others align themselves with new groups and symbols thrown up by political development. Political development also tends to sharpen group awareness along many lines — class, tribe, region, clan, language, religion, occupation and others. The best explanation of the passage is that political development is not a one-directional process: it involves both growth and decay.
Which one of the following is the best explanation of the above passage?
Since the 1990s there has been a significant worldwide shift toward regionalism in government, with powers moving downward to regions and communities. This process — creating new political bodies at the subnational level and enlarging their scope and powers — is known as devolution. Devolution rests on three factors: political legitimacy, decentralization of authority, and decentralization of resources. Political legitimacy means a mass demand from below for decentralization, strong enough to create a political force behind it. In many cases, though, decentralization is launched by the upper tier of government without sufficient grassroots mobilization, and then it often fails to achieve its objectives. The critical inference is that successful devolution needs a democracy in which people's will finds free expression at lower levels and they take active part at the grassroots.
Which among the following is the most logical, rational and critical inference that can be made from the above passage?
We live in digital times, and the digital is not merely something we deploy strategically for a handful of tasks. Our very sense of who we are, how we connect with the world around us, and how we mark out the domains of life, labour and language are profoundly structured by digital technologies. The digital is everywhere and, like air, invisible: we dwell inside digital systems, live with intimate gadgets, and interact through digital media. The sheer presence and imagination of the digital has dramatically reshaped our lives. Far from being a mere tool, the digital is a condition and context that defines the contours of our understanding of the self, society and the structure of governance. The essential message is that to speak of digital technologies is to speak of our life and living.
Which among the following is the most logical and essential message conveyed by the above passage?
The IMF has warned that Asia's fast-growing economies face the risk of the "middle-income trap": average incomes that have been rising rapidly could stop growing at a point well below developed Western levels. The IMF lists several causes — from infrastructure to weak institutions to unfavourable macroeconomic conditions — none of them surprising. But the broad, overarching cause identified by the IMF is a collapse in the growth of productivity. A country reaching middle-income status thus runs the risk of faltering productivity and stagnant incomes. The passage does not suggest that all fast-growing economies inevitably fall in, or that Asian economies have no hope of sustaining momentum.
Which among the following is the most logical, rational and critical inference that can be made from the above passage?
An innovative India must be both inclusive and technologically advanced, bettering the lives of all Indians. Innovation and R&D can ease the rise in social inequality and relieve the strains of rapid urbanization. The widening productivity gap between knowledge-intensive manufacturing and services on one side and agriculture on the other threatens to deepen income inequality. Steering India's R&D labs and universities toward the needs of the poor, and helping informal firms absorb knowledge, can counteract this divergence. Inclusive innovation can bring down the cost of goods and services and open income-earning opportunities for poor people. The rational assumption is that inclusive innovation and R&D can help build a more egalitarian society.
Which among the following is the most logical and rational assumption that can be made from the above passage?
Climate change is likely to expose large numbers of people to mounting environmental risks, compelling them to migrate. The international community has yet to recognize this new category of migrants, and there is no consensus on the definition or legal status of climate refugees, given the special meaning "refugee" carries in international law. Understanding of how climate change acts as a root cause of migration is still incomplete. Even if climate refugees were recognized, the question of who would protect them remains unanswered. While international climate migration has received more attention, migration within countries also needs recognition so that its problems can be properly addressed. The most rational inference is that the link between climate change and migration is not yet properly understood.
Which of the following is the most rational inference from the above passage?
Many farmers rely on synthetic pesticides to kill infesting insects, with consumption in some developed countries reaching 3,000 grams per hectare. These compounds carry inherent toxicities that endanger farm operators, consumers and the environment, and they generally persist in the environment. Entering the food chain, they destroy microbial diversity and cause ecological imbalance, while indiscriminate use has bred insect resistance to insecticides, disturbed nature's balance, and triggered resurgence of treated pest populations. Botanical pesticides, by contrast, are safer for users and the environment because sunlight breaks them down into harmless compounds within hours or days. Plants with pesticidal properties have existed for millions of years without harming ecosystems; soil microbes decompose them readily, and they sustain biological diversity and predators while reducing contamination and health hazards. Formulated from plants and biodegradable, botanical pesticides are a practical, sustainable alternative for crop protection. It follows that minimizing ecological imbalance is a valid aim of sustainable agriculture — though the passage neither bans synthetics outright nor claims botanicals are more effective.
On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1Synthetic pesticides should never be used in modern agriculture.
2One of the aims of sustainable agriculture is to ensure minimal ecological imbalance.
3Botanical pesticides are more effective as compared to synthetic pesticides.
Which of the assumptions given above is/are correct?
1In the election for Lok Sabha or State Assembly, the winning candidate must get at least 50 per cent of the votes polled to be declared elected.
2According to the provisions laid down in the Constitution of India, in Lok Sabha, the Speaker's post goes to the majority party and the Deputy Speaker's to the Opposition.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The age of Mr. X last year was the square of a number and it would be the cube of a number next year. What is the least number of years he must wait for his age to become the cube of a number again?
P works thrice as fast as Q, whereas P and Q together can work four times as fast as R. If P, Q and R together work on a job, in what ratio should they share the earnings?
A bag contains 20 balls. 8 balls are green, 7 are white and 5 are red. What is the minimum number of balls that must be picked up from the bag blindfolded (without replacing any of it) to be assured of picking at least one ball of each colour?
The outer surface of a 4 cm × 4 cm × 4 cm cube is painted completely in red. It is sliced parallel to the faces to yield sixty four 1 cm × 1 cm × 1 cm small cubes. How many small cubes do not have painted faces?
Consider the following: A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H are standing in a row facing North. B is not neighbour of G. F is to the immediate right of G and neighbour of E. G is not at the e xtreme end. A is sixth to the left of E. H is sixth to the right of C. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above?
In a certain code, '256' means 'red colour chalk', '589' means 'green colour flower' and '254' means 'white colour chalk'. The digit in the code that indicates 'white' is
An air quality index rolls measurements of several air pollutants into a single number or rating, ideally updated constantly and available at many locations. It is most useful where extensive pollution data exist and levels are normally — though not always — low: if pollution spikes for a few days, the public can swiftly take precautions such as staying indoors when a warning is issued. Unfortunately, urban India does not fit this picture — pollution in many large Indian cities stays far above any health or regulatory standard for much of the year. When the index lingers in the "Red/Dangerous" zone day after day, there is little anyone can do except grow accustomed to ignoring it. The rational inference is that the air quality index is of limited help to residents of many of India's large cities.
Which among the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage?
Productive jobs are vital for growth, and a good job is the finest form of inclusion. More than half of India's population depends on agriculture, yet the experience of other countries indicates that the farm-dependent population must shrink for per-capita agricultural incomes to rise substantially. Industry does create jobs, but too many are low-productivity, non-contractual positions in the unorganized sector, offering meagre incomes, scant protection and no benefits. Service-sector jobs are relatively high-productivity, but employment growth in services has been sluggish in recent years. The rational inference is to foster faster growth of productive jobs outside agriculture while simultaneously raising agricultural productivity.
Which among the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage?
A landscape-scale approach to land use can promote greater biodiversity beyond protected areas. When Hurricane Mitch struck in 1998, farms practising ecoagriculture suffered 58 percent, 70 percent and 99 percent less damage in Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala respectively than conventional farms. In Costa Rica, vegetative windbreaks and fencerows raised farmers' earnings from pasture and coffee while boosting bird diversity. Bee pollination is more effective when fields lie closer to natural or seminatural habitat — a finding that matters because 87 percent of the world's 107 leading crops depend on animal pollinators. In Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Colombia, silvopastoral systems that integrate trees with pastureland are making cattle production more sustainable and diversifying and increasing farm incomes. The rational inference is that biodiversity-enhancing farm practices can often raise output and cut vulnerability to disasters.
Which among the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage?
Indian manufacturing's medium-term challenge is to climb from lower to higher technology sectors, from lower to higher value-added sectors, and from lower to higher productivity sectors. Medium-tech industries are chiefly capital-intensive and resource-processing; high-tech industries are mainly capital- and technology-intensive. To lift manufacturing's share of GDP to the projected 25 percent, India needs to win global markets in sectors where demand is rising. Those sectors are largely high-technology and capital-intensive. The rational inference is that India should raise public investment and spur private investment in research and development, technology upgradation and skill development.
Which among the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage?
Over the past decade, Indian agriculture has grown more robust, posting record output of food grains and oilseeds. Higher procurement has piled huge grain stocks into granaries, and India ranks among the world's top producers of rice, wheat, milk, fruits and vegetables. Yet India remains home to the largest number of undernourished people in the world. On average, nearly half of a household's total expenditure goes on food. The logical corollary is that making the farm-to-fork value chain more efficient is necessary to cut poverty and malnutrition — higher production alone has not solved the problem.
Which among the following is the most logical corollary to the above passage?
The average rainfall in a city for the first four days was recorded to be 0.40 inch. The rainfall on the last two days was in the ratio of 4: 3. The average of six days was 0.50 inch. What was the rainfall on the fifth day?
In a school, there are five teachers A, B, C, D and E. A and B teach Hindi and English. C and B teach English and Geography. D and A teach Mathematics and Hindi. E and B teach History and French. Who teaches maximum number of subjects?
The monthly incomes of X and Y are in the ratio of 4: 3 and their monthly expenses are in the ratio of 3: 2. However, each saves Rs. 6,000 per month. What is their total monthly income?
Two walls and a ceiling of a room meet at right angles at a point P. A fly is in the air 1 m from one wall, 8 m from the other wall and 9 m from the point P. H ow many meters is the fly from the ceiling?
There are certain 2 -digit numbers. The difference between the number and the one obtained on reversing it is always 27. How many such maximum 2- digit numbers are there?
Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) are used to create digital displays in many devices. What is/are the advantage of OLED displays over Liquid Crystal displays?
1OLED displays can be fabricated on flexible plastic substrates.
2Roll-up displays embedded in clothing can be made using OLEDs.
1To enable the famous foreign educational institutions to open their campuses in India.
2To increase the quality of education provided in government schools by taking help from the private sector and the community.
3To encourage voluntary monetary contributions from private individuals and organisations so as to improve the infrastructure facilities for primary and secondary schools.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
With reference to the role of UN-Habitat in the United Nations Programme working towards a better urban future, which of the statements is/are correct?
1UN-Habitat has been mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities to provide adequate shelter for all.
2Its partners are either governments or local urban authorities only.
3UN-Habitat contributed to the overall objective of the United Nations system to reduce poverty and to promote access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
