UPSC CAPF Archives

21. Which of the following are examples of carnivorous plants?

Which of the following are examples of carnivorous plants?

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Sundew Venus fly trap, Pitcher plant

Cuscuta, Rafflesia, Mistletoe

Sandalwood tree, Broom rape, Pitcher plant

Cuscuta, Bladderwort, Mistletoe

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UPSC CAPF – 2016

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Sundew, Venus fly trap, and Pitcher plant are all well-known examples of carnivorous plants.

– Carnivorous plants have adapted to grow in nutrient-poor environments (especially lacking nitrogen) by trapping and digesting animals, typically insects, to supplement their nutrient intake.
– Sundews have sticky glands on their leaves to trap insects.
– Venus fly traps have hinged leaves that snap shut to capture prey.
– Pitcher plants have modified leaves forming pitfall traps, often containing digestive enzymes or bacteria.
– Cuscuta (dodder) and Mistletoe are parasitic plants, obtaining nutrients from host plants.
– Rafflesia is a parasitic flowering plant.
– Sandalwood tree can be hemiparasitic.
– Broom rape is a parasitic plant.
– Bladderwort is a carnivorous plant (Option D has one correct example).

Carnivorous plants use various trapping mechanisms, including pitfall traps (Pitcher plants), sticky traps (Sundews), snap traps (Venus flytraps), bladder traps (Bladderworts), and lobster-pot traps. They are typically found in bogs, fens, and other wetlands with acidic, nutrient-deficient soils.

22. Vaccination involves :

Vaccination involves :

injecting the body with materials that stimulate the body to produce antibodies

injecting the body with materials that stimulate the body to produce antigens

the use of monoclonal antibodies to cure a disease

use of antibiotics to cure diseases

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UPSC CAPF – 2016

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Vaccination involves introducing materials into the body that stimulate the immune system to produce specific antibodies, thereby providing immunity against a particular disease.

– The material injected during vaccination (vaccine) contains antigens from a pathogen (either weakened/inactivated forms, parts of the pathogen, or genetic material).
– The presence of these antigens triggers an immune response, including the production of antibodies and the formation of memory cells.
– This prepares the body to mount a rapid and effective immune response if it encounters the actual, live pathogen later.
– Vaccination prevents disease, while antibiotics (Option D) treat bacterial infections once they occur. Monoclonal antibodies (Option C) are specific antibodies used for therapeutic purposes, different from the principle of vaccination. Option B is incorrect as vaccination stimulates the body *against* antigens, not to produce them.

Vaccines are one of the most effective public health interventions, having significantly reduced the incidence and mortality of many infectious diseases worldwide. They work by leveraging the body’s natural adaptive immune system.

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23. How is the rate of transpiration affected by decreasing humidity and b

How is the rate of transpiration affected by decreasing humidity and by decreasing light intensity ?

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Decreasing humidity: Decreases, Decreasing light intensity: Decreases

Decreasing humidity: Increases, Decreasing light intensity: Decreases

Decreasing humidity: Increases, Decreasing light intensity: Increases

Decreasing humidity: Decreases, Decreasing light intensity: Increases

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UPSC CAPF – 2016

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Decreasing humidity increases the rate of transpiration, while decreasing light intensity decreases the rate of transpiration.

– Transpiration is the loss of water vapor from plants, primarily through stomata on leaves.
– Humidity affects the water potential gradient: Lower humidity in the air increases the difference in water potential between the leaf’s interior and the surrounding air, driving water vapor out faster.
– Light intensity affects stomatal opening: Generally, stomata open in the light to allow CO2 intake for photosynthesis. Reduced light intensity causes stomata to close, reducing water loss through transpiration.

Other factors affecting transpiration rate include temperature (higher temperature increases evaporation), wind speed (moderate wind increases, strong wind can decrease by drying the leaf surface and causing stomatal closure), and soil water availability (low water availability leads to stomatal closure).

24. The process of using microbes to treat areas of land or sea that have

The process of using microbes to treat areas of land or sea that have been contaminated by pesticides, oil or solvents is known as :

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Eutrophication

Nitrification

Ammonification

Bioremediation

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UPSC CAPF – 2016

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The process of using microbes (or other biological agents) to remove pollutants from contaminated areas is known as bioremediation.

– Bioremediation utilizes the natural metabolic capabilities of microorganisms to degrade, transform, or immobilize contaminants in soil, water, or air.
– It is an environmentally friendly approach compared to some physical or chemical cleanup methods.
– Examples include using bacteria to break down oil spills or industrial solvents.

– Eutrophication is the process of nutrient enrichment in a water body, leading to excessive algal growth.
– Nitrification is the biological oxidation of ammonia to nitrite and then nitrate, performed by specific bacteria in the nitrogen cycle.
– Ammonification is the process by which organic nitrogen compounds are decomposed to produce ammonia or ammonium ions, also part of the nitrogen cycle.

25. The subunits of DNA are known as :

The subunits of DNA are known as :

Nucleotide

Nucleosome

Nucleoside

Polypeptide

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UPSC CAPF – 2016

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The subunits (monomers) of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) are called nucleotides.

– A nucleotide consists of three components: a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base (Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, or Thymine).
– DNA is a polymer formed by linking many nucleotides together through phosphodiester bonds, creating a polynucleotide chain.
– Two such chains typically form a double helix structure, held together by hydrogen bonds between the bases.

– A nucleoside consists only of a sugar and a nitrogenous base, without the phosphate group.
– A nucleosome is a basic structural unit of DNA packaging in eukaryotes, consisting of a segment of DNA coiled around a core of histone proteins.
– A polypeptide is a linear organic polymer consisting of a large number of amino-acid residues bonded together in a chain, forming a protein.

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26. Which one of the following is the correct taxonomic hierarchy ?

Which one of the following is the correct taxonomic hierarchy ?

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Kingdom – phylum – order – genus – family – class – species

Kingdom – order – class – phylum – family – genus – species

Kingdom – class – order – phylum – family – species – genus

Kingdom – phylum – class – order – family – genus – species

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UPSC CAPF – 2016

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The correct taxonomic hierarchy in biology is Kingdom – Phylum – Class – Order – Family – Genus – Species.

– This system was largely developed by Carl Linnaeus.
– It is a hierarchical system used to classify organisms based on shared characteristics.
– ‘Kingdom’ is the broadest category, while ‘Species’ is the most specific.
– Organisms within a lower rank (e.g., Genus) are more closely related to each other than organisms in a higher rank (e.g., Family).

Sometimes, ranks higher than Kingdom (like Domain) and intermediate ranks (like Phylum, Superclass, Suborder, Tribe) are also used to provide finer classification details. A common mnemonic to remember the order is: King Philip Came Over For Good Soup.

27. Which one of the following rivers flows between Satpura and Vindhya ra

Which one of the following rivers flows between Satpura and Vindhya ranges ?

Tapi

Sabarmati

Narmada

Mahi

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UPSC CAPF – 2016

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The Narmada River flows through a rift valley located between the Vindhya Range in the north and the Satpura Range in the south.

– The Narmada is one of the major west-flowing rivers in India, originating near Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh and flowing through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat before draining into the Arabian Sea.
– It flows through a fault or rift valley formed due to geological processes.
– The Tapi (Tapti) River also flows westwards through a rift valley, but it is located south of the Satpura Range.
– The Vindhya and Satpura ranges are prominent mountain ranges in central India, running roughly parallel to each other.

The Narmada rift valley is a significant geological feature. Unlike most major Indian rivers (like Ganga, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery) which flow eastwards into the Bay of Bengal, the Narmada, Tapi, and Mahi flow westwards into the Arabian Sea. This westward flow is attributed to the rift valleys they occupy.

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28. Ramsar Convention, to which India is a signatory, is related to conser

Ramsar Convention, to which India is a signatory, is related to conservation and wise use of :

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wetlands

genetic resources

mines

forest lands

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UPSC CAPF – 2016

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The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty focused on the conservation and wise use of wetlands.

– The full name of the convention is “The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat”.
– It was signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971 and came into force in 1975.
– Its mission is “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world”.
– India is a signatory to this convention and has designated several sites as Ramsar Sites.

Wetlands include swamps, marshes, fens, peatlands or water; areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres; areas of karst, rivers, lakes and human-made wetlands such as dams, reservoirs, rice paddies, sewage treatment facilities and salt pans. Wise use is defined as “maintenance of their ecological character, achieved through the implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context of sustainable development”.

29. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code

Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below

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List I (Climate type in letter code)	List II (Major area)
A. Aw	1. Central California
B. Af	2. Indian Sub-Continent
C. Cs	3. North and South of Amazon Forests
D. Am	4. Western Equatorial Africa

Code :

3 1 4 2

2 4 1 3

3 4 1 2

2 1 4 3

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UPSC CAPF – 2016

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The correct match is A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2, which corresponds to option C.

– Aw climate (Tropical Savanna) is found poleward of the equatorial regions, often bordering rainforests, characterized by wet and dry seasons. Areas like the Cerrado region south of the Amazon fit this.
– Af climate (Tropical Rainforest) is characterized by high temperature and rainfall year-round, typical of equatorial regions. Western Equatorial Africa (Congo basin) is a major example.
– Cs climate (Mediterranean) has dry, hot summers and mild, wet winters, found on west coasts in mid-latitudes. Central California has this climate.
– Am climate (Tropical Monsoon) has a strong seasonal pattern of rainfall influenced by monsoon winds, with a distinct wet and dry season. The Indian Sub-Continent is a prime example.

The climate classifications used are based on the Köppen-Geiger system. Aw is specifically a tropical savanna climate with a dry winter (‘w’). Af is a tropical rainforest climate (‘f’ for fully humid). Cs is a Mediterranean climate with a dry summer (‘s’). Am is a tropical monsoon climate, often considered a transition between Af and Aw.

30. Which one of the following cities has greater annual range of temperat

Which one of the following cities has greater annual range of temperature ?

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Kuala Lumpur

New Delhi

Shanghai

Ulaanbaatar

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UPSC CAPF – 2016

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Ulaanbaatar has the greater annual range of temperature among the given cities.

Annual range of temperature is the difference between the average temperature of the warmest month and the coldest month. This range is typically largest in locations far from moderating influences like large bodies of water (continental effect) and at higher latitudes where seasonal differences in solar insolation are more pronounced.

– Kuala Lumpur is near the equator, experiencing a consistently tropical climate with a small annual temperature range.
– New Delhi is in a subtropical continental climate zone, experiencing hot summers and relatively cold winters, leading to a significant annual range.
– Shanghai is in a subtropical monsoon climate zone, also experiencing seasonal variations but its coastal location provides some moderation compared to inland areas.
– Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, is located deep inland in a high-latitude region (around 47°N). It experiences an extreme continental climate with very cold, long winters and relatively warm summers, resulting in one of the largest annual temperature ranges among capital cities worldwide.