UPSC Civil Service Prelims Paper I 2021 (General Studies) | UPSC Civil Service Year Wise Previous Years Questions

Current Affairs

1. Consider the following statements in respect of the Laureus World Sports Award which was instituted in the year 2000: 1 2. Consider the following statements in respect to the 32nd Summer Olympics: 1. The official motto for this Olympics 3. Consider the following statements in respect of the ICC World Test Championship 2019–2021 1. The finalists were decided 4. Among the following, which one is the least water-efficient crop?

Ecology and Environment

1. Consider the following statements: Statement 1: The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Arbor Day 2. ‘Triclosan’, considered harmful when exposed to high levels for a long time, is most likely present in which of the foll 3. How is permaculture farming different from conventional chemical farming? 1. Permaculture farming discourages monocultu 4. With reference to ‘palm oil’, consider the following statements: 1. The palm oil tree is native to Southeast Asia. 2. 5. Consider the following statements : 1. The Global Ocean Commission grants licenses for seabed exploration and mining in 6. “Leaf litter decomposes faster than in any other biome and as a result the soil surface is often almost bare. Apart from 7. In the nature, which of the following is/are most likely to be found surviving on a surface without soil? 1. 8. What is blue carbon? 9. With reference to furnace oil, consider the following statements: 1. It is a product of oil refineries. 2. S 10. Why is there a concern about copper smelting plants? 1. They may release lethal quantities of carbon monoxide into 11. 'R2 Code of Practices’ constitutes a tool available for promoting the adoption of 12. Which of the following have species that can establish symbiotic relationship with other organisms? 1. Cnidarians 2. F 13. The ‘Common Carbon Metric’, supported by UNEP, has been developed for 14. Which of the following are detritivores? 1. Earthworms 2. Jellyfish 3. Millipedes 4. Seahorses 5. Woodlice Select 15. In case of which one of the following biogeochemical cycles, the weathering of rocks is the main source of release of nu 16. Which one of the following is a filter feeder? 17. With reference to the New York Declaration on Forests, which of the following statements are correct? 1. It was fi 18. Consider the following animals: 1. Hedgehog 2. Marmot 3. Pangolin To reduce the chance of being captured by predator 19. Consider the following kinds of organisms: 1. Copepods 2. Cyanobacteria 3. Diatoms 4. Foraminifera Which of the abo 20. Which one of the following is used in preparing a natural mosquito repellent?

Economy

1. Which one of the following is likely to be the most inflationary in its effects? 2. Which one of the following effects of creation of black money in India has been the main cause of worry to the 3. Consider the following statements : The effect of devaluation of a currency is that it necessarily 1. improv 4. Consider the following : 1. Foreign currency convertible bonds 2. Foreign institutional investment with cert 5. Indian Government Bond Yields are influenced by which of the following? 1. Actions of the United States Feder 6. Consider the following statements : Other things remaining unchanged, market demand for a good might increase 7. Which among the following steps is most likely to be taken at the time of an economic recession? 8. In India, the central bank’s function as the ‘lender of last resort’ usually refers to which of the following? 1.  9. With reference to ‘WaterCredit’, consider the following statements : 1. It puts microfinance tools to work in the 10. With reference to India, consider the following statements : 1. Retail investors through demat account can invest 11. With reference to the Indian economy, demand-pull inflation can be caused/increased by which of the following? 1.& 12. The money multiplier in an economy increases with which one of the following?

Geography

1. The vegetation of savannah consists of grassland with scattered small trees, but extensive areas have no trees. The fore 2. With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the following statements : 1. The amount of water in the rive 3. Consider the following statements : 1. Moringa (drumstick tree) is a leguminous evergreen tree. 2. Tamarind tree is en 4. The black cotton soil of India has been formed due to the weathering of 5. With reference to the Indus river system, of the following four rivers, three of them pour into one of them which joins 6. With reference to India, Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol and Khatu are the names of 7. Consider the following rivers : 1. Brahmani 2. Nagavali 3. Subarnarekha 4. Vamsadhara Which of the above rise from 8. Consider the following statements : 1. In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eas

History of India

1. With reference to India, the terms ‘Halbi, Ho and Kui’ pertain to 2. With reference to the history of ancient India, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Mitakshara wa 3. Consider the following statements : 1. St. Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Jesuit Order. 2. 4. Consider the following statements : 1. It was during the reign of Iltutmish that Chengiz Khan reached the Indus i 5. Consider the following pairs: (Historical Place) : (Well known for) 1. Burzahom : Rock cut shrines 2. Chandra ketugar 6. With reference to Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh, which one of the following statements is correct? 7. According to Portuguese writer Nuniz, the women in Vijayanagara Empire were expert in which of the following a 8. From the decline of Guptas until the rise of Harshavardhana in the early seventh century, which of the following kingdom 9. In the first quarter of seventeenth century, in which of the following was/were the factory/factories of the&n 10. Which one of the following ancient towns is well known for its elaborate system of water harvesting and management by bu 11. With reference to Chausath Yogini Temple situated near Morena, consider the following statements : 1. It 12. Consider the following statements : 1. 21st February is declared to be the International Mother Language Day by UN 13. Which one of the following statements is correct? 14. Regarding Indian history, which of the following is/are correct? 1. Arcot Nizamat emerged from Hyderabad state. 2. The 15. In the context of Colonial India, Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sehgal and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon are remembered as 16. Who among the following was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which ‘later came to be known as Bethune Fe 17. With reference to medieval India, which one of the following is the correct sequence in ascending order in terms of size 18. Who among the following is associated with ‘Songs from Prison’, a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics in Engl 19. With reference to 8th August, 1942 in Indian history, which one of the following statements is correct? 20. With reference to the history of ancient India, Bhavabhuti, Hastimalla and Kshemeshvara were famous

Indian Polity and Governance

Science and Technology

1. Water can dissolve more substances than any other liquid because 2. With reference to street-lighting, how do sodium lamps differ from LED lamps? 1. Sodium lamps produce light in 360 3. The term ‘ACE2’ is talked about in the context of 4. Bisphenol A (BPA), a cause of concern, is a structural/key component in the manufacture of which of the following kinds 5. Which one of the following is a reason why astronomical distances are measured in light-years?  6. With reference to recent developments regarding ‘Recombinant Vector Vaccines’, consider the following statements : 1. G 7. In the context of hereditary diseases, consider the following statements : 1. Passing on mitochondrial diseases from pa 8. Bollgard I and Bollgard II technologies are mentioned in the context of 9. In a pressure cooker, the temperature at which the food is cooked depends mainly upon which of the following? 1. Area o 10. Consider the following : 1. Bacteria 2. Fungi 3. Virus Which of the above can be cultured in artificial/synthetic me 11. Consider the following statements : 1. Adenoviruses have single-stranded DNA genomes whereas retroviruses have double-s 12. Magnetite particles, suspected to cause neurodegenerative problems are generated as environmental pollutants from which

Current Affairs

Ecology and Environment

Economy

Geography

History of India

Indian Polity and Governance

Science and Technology

UPSC Civil Service Prelims Paper I 2021 (General Studies)

MCQ (Single Correct Answer)

-0.66

In a pressure cooker, the temperature at which the food is cooked depends mainly upon which of the following?

1. Area of the hole in the lid

2. Temperature of the flame

3. Weight of the lid

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 and 2 only

2 and 3 only

1 and 3 only

1, 2 and 3

UPSC Civil Service Prelims Paper I 2021 (General Studies)

MCQ (Single Correct Answer)

-0.66

Consider the following :

1. Bacteria

2. Fungi

3. Virus

Which of the above can be cultured in artificial/synthetic medium?

1 and 2 only

2 and 3 only

1 and 3 only

1, 2 and 3

UPSC Civil Service Prelims Paper I 2021 (General Studies)

MCQ (Single Correct Answer)

-0.66

Consider the following statements :

1. Adenoviruses have single-stranded DNA genomes whereas retroviruses have double-stranded DNA genomes.

2. Common cold is sometime caused by an adenovirus whereas AIDS is caused by a retrovirus.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only

2 only

Both 1 and 2

Neither 1 nor 2

UPSC Civil Service Prelims Paper I 2021 (General Studies)

MCQ (Single Correct Answer)

-0.66

Magnetite particles, suspected to cause neurodegenerative problems are generated as environmental pollutants from which of the following?

1. Brakes of motor vehicles

2. Engines of motor vehicles

3. Microwave ‘Stoves within homes

4. Power plants

5. Telephone lines

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1, 2, 3 and 5 only

1, 2 and 4 only

3, 4 and 5 only

1, 2, 3, 4 and 5