UPSC CAPF Archives

31. Which of the following statements about India’s Independence is/are co

Which of the following statements about India’s Independence is/are correct?

1. The formal transfer of power on 15th August, 1947 heralding India’s Independence was announced by Lord Mountbatten.
2. Mahatma Gandhi was not present at the festivities in the capital on 15th August, 1947.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 only

2 only

Both 1 and 2

Neither 1 nor 2

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

The correct answer is C) Both 1 and 2.

– Statement 1: Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, presided over the transfer of power ceremony on August 15, 1947. He administered the oath of office to Jawaharlal Nehru as the first Prime Minister of independent India and read out messages including that from the King. The formal transfer of power involved these events announced and overseen by Mountbatten. This statement is correct.
– Statement 2: Mahatma Gandhi was not present in Delhi for the Independence Day celebrations on August 15, 1947. He was in Calcutta (now Kolkata) at that time, engaged in efforts to control communal violence. This statement is correct.

While the capital was celebrating independence, Gandhi was fasting and praying in Calcutta, trying to bring peace between Hindus and Muslims in the wake of Partition-related violence.

Join Our Telegram Channel

32. Which of the following statements about town planning in British India

Which of the following statements about town planning in British India in early 19th century is/are correct?

1. The funds for town improvement were also raised through public lotteries.
2. The threats of epidemics gave an impetus to town planning in the early decades of 19th century.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Join Our Telegram Channel

1 only

2 only

Both 1 and 2

Neither 1 nor 2

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

The correct answer is C) Both 1 and 2.

– Statement 1: During the early 19th century in British India, especially in Presidency towns like Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras, funds for urban development and improvement projects were indeed raised through public lotteries. The Lottery Committee in Calcutta (1817-1836) is a significant example, using lottery funds for projects like road construction, bridge building, and tank excavation. This statement is correct.
– Statement 2: The frequent outbreaks of devastating epidemics, such as cholera and plague, in Indian cities highlighted poor sanitation and overcrowding. These health crises prompted the British authorities to implement sanitary measures, improve drainage, and consider aspects of town planning to prevent future epidemics, particularly in the early 19th century, although more systematic town planning policies emerged later. This statement is correct.

Town planning efforts in British India evolved throughout the colonial period, driven by various factors including defense needs, commercial interests, administrative requirements, and public health concerns highlighted by epidemics. Early measures often focused on sanitation and infrastructure within limited areas.

33. Directions : The following eight (8) items consist of two statements,

Directions :
The following eight (8) items consist of two statements, Statement I and Statement II. Examine these two statements carefully and select the correct answer using the code given below.
Code :
Statement I : A compass needle placed near a current-carrying wire will get deflected.
Statement II : A current-carrying wire creates magnetic field around it.

Both the statements are individually true and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I

Both the statements are individually true but Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I

Statement I is true but Statement II is false

Statement I is false but Statement II is true

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

The correct answer is A) Both the statements are individually true and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I.

– Statement I: A compass needle is a small magnet. It aligns itself with the local magnetic field. If a compass needle is placed near a current-carrying wire, it will experience a force due to the magnetic field produced by the current, causing it to deflect. This statement is true.
– Statement II: A current-carrying wire produces a magnetic field around it. This phenomenon was discovered by Hans Christian Ørsted and is a fundamental principle of electromagnetism, described by laws like Ampère’s law. This statement is true.
– Statement II provides the reason why the compass needle in Statement I gets deflected. The magnetic field created by the current-carrying wire (Statement II) is what causes the deflection of the compass needle (Statement I).

The direction and strength of the magnetic field around a straight current-carrying wire can be determined using the right-hand rule and the Biot-Savart Law or Ampère’s Law. The deflection of the compass needle demonstrates the presence and direction of this magnetic field.

Join Our Telegram Channel

34. Directions : The following eight (8) items consist of two statements,

Directions :
The following eight (8) items consist of two statements, Statement I and Statement II. Examine these two statements carefully and select the correct answer using the code given below.
Code :
Statement I : Sound waves can travel through vacuum.
Statement II : Light is an electromagnetic wave and can travel through vacuum.

Join Our Telegram Channel

Both the statements are individually true and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I

Both the statements are individually true but Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I

Statement I is true but Statement II is false

Statement I is false but Statement II is true

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

The correct answer is D) Statement I is false but Statement II is true.

– Statement I: Sound waves are mechanical waves. They require a medium (solid, liquid, or gas) for propagation because they travel through the vibration of particles in the medium. Vacuum is devoid of such particles, hence sound cannot travel through vacuum. This statement is false.
– Statement II: Light waves are electromagnetic waves. Electromagnetic waves do not require a material medium for propagation; they can travel through vacuum. This is why light from the Sun reaches the Earth through the vacuum of space. This statement is true.

Electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light ($c$) in vacuum. Sound waves travel at much slower speeds, which depend on the properties of the medium.

35. Two pillars are placed vertically 8 feet apart. The height difference

Two pillars are placed vertically 8 feet apart. The height difference of the two pillars is 6 feet. The two ends of a rope of length 15 feet are tied to the tips of the two pillars. The portion of the length of the taller pillar that can be brought in contact with the rope without detaching the rope from the pillars is

less than 6 feet

more than 6 feet but less than 7 feet

more than 7 feet but less than 8 feet

more than 8 feet

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

The correct answer is B) more than 6 feet but less than 7 feet.

Let the height of the shorter pillar be $h_1$ and the taller pillar be $h_2$. The distance between the pillars is 8 feet. The height difference is $h_2 – h_1 = 6$ feet. The rope length is 15 feet. The rope is tied to the tips of the pillars.
Let the tip of the shorter pillar be A and the tip of the taller pillar be B. Let C be the point on the taller pillar where the rope segment from A first touches the pillar, and the segment from C to B is along the pillar. We are looking for the length of the segment CB, let’s call it $x$.
The coordinates can be set up as A at $(0, h_1)$ and B at $(8, h_2)$. C is on the taller pillar at $(8, y_C)$, where $y_C = h_2 – x$.
The total rope length is the sum of the length of the segment AC and the segment CB.
Length of AC = $\sqrt{(8-0)^2 + (y_C – h_1)^2} = \sqrt{64 + (h_2 – x – h_1)^2}$.
Since $h_2 – h_1 = 6$, this is $\sqrt{64 + (6 – x)^2}$.
Length of CB = $h_2 – y_C = x$.
Total rope length = $\sqrt{64 + (6 – x)^2} + x = 15$.
Rearranging the equation: $\sqrt{64 + (6 – x)^2} = 15 – x$.
Squaring both sides: $64 + (6 – x)^2 = (15 – x)^2$
$64 + 36 – 12x + x^2 = 225 – 30x + x^2$
$100 – 12x = 225 – 30x$
$30x – 12x = 225 – 100$
$18x = 125$
$x = 125 / 18$.
Calculating the value: $125 \div 18 \approx 6.944$ feet.
This value is greater than 6 and less than 7.

The model assumes the rope is pulled taut along the vertical segment of the taller pillar from the tip downwards. The point C can be at any height on the taller pillar. If $y_C < h_1$, the vertical difference is $h_1 - y_C$. Let $y_C = h_1 - \Delta y$ where $\Delta y > 0$. Then $x = h_2 – y_C = h_2 – (h_1 – \Delta y) = (h_2 – h_1) + \Delta y = 6 + \Delta y$. The segment AC length is $\sqrt{64 + (h_1 – \Delta y – h_1)^2} = \sqrt{64 + (-\Delta y)^2} = \sqrt{64 + (\Delta y)^2}$. The total length is $\sqrt{64 + (\Delta y)^2} + 6 + \Delta y = 15$. $\sqrt{64 + (\Delta y)^2} = 9 – \Delta y$. Squaring: $64 + (\Delta y)^2 = 81 – 18\Delta y + (\Delta y)^2$. $64 = 81 – 18\Delta y$. $18\Delta y = 17$, $\Delta y = 17/18$. Then $x = 6 + \Delta y = 6 + 17/18 = (108+17)/18 = 125/18$. The result is consistent regardless of whether the point C is above or below the height of the shorter pillar’s tip. The length of contact is approximately 6.944 feet.

Join Our Telegram Channel

36. The ratio of ages of a man and his son is 3 : 1. After 15 years, the a

The ratio of ages of a man and his son is 3 : 1. After 15 years, the age ratio will be 2 : 1. What is the age of the man?

Join Our Telegram Channel

45 years

40 years

35 years

30 years

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

Let the current age of the man be M years and the current age of the son be S years. The given ratio of their ages is M : S = 3 : 1, which can be written as M = 3S. After 15 years, the man’s age will be M + 15 and the son’s age will be S + 15. The new ratio of their ages is given as (M + 15) : (S + 15) = 2 : 1. This can be written as the equation (M + 15) / (S + 15) = 2. Cross-multiplying gives M + 15 = 2(S + 15), which simplifies to M + 15 = 2S + 30. Now substitute M = 3S into this equation: 3S + 15 = 2S + 30. Subtracting 2S from both sides gives S + 15 = 30. Subtracting 15 from both sides gives S = 15. The son’s current age is 15 years. The man’s current age is M = 3S = 3 * 15 = 45 years. To verify, after 15 years, the man will be 45 + 15 = 60 years old, and the son will be 15 + 15 = 30 years old. The ratio 60:30 simplifies to 2:1, which matches the condition given in the problem.

Set up algebraic equations based on the given ratios and conditions at different time points. Solve the system of equations to find the unknown ages.

Age problems often involve setting up linear equations. Care must be taken to add/subtract the correct number of years from the ages of all involved parties when considering a future or past time point.

37. The number of ways in which 3 boys and 2 girls can be arranged in a qu

The number of ways in which 3 boys and 2 girls can be arranged in a queue, given that the 2 girls have to be next to each other, is

Join Our Telegram Channel

120

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

We have 3 boys (B) and 2 girls (G). The constraint is that the 2 girls must be next to each other. We can treat the 2 girls as a single combined unit. Now we have 3 boys and this one ‘girl unit’, totaling 4 items to arrange in a queue: B, B, B, (GG). The number of ways to arrange these 4 distinct items (treating the boys as distinct for now, although the problem doesn’t specify, in permutations, items are usually treated as distinct unless stated otherwise) is 4! = 24. However, within the ‘girl unit’ (GG), the two girls can swap positions (G1G2 or G2G1). There are 2! = 2 ways to arrange the 2 girls within their unit. The total number of ways to arrange the 3 boys and 2 girls with the girls together is the product of the number of ways to arrange the 4 items and the number of ways to arrange the girls within their unit. Total ways = 4! * 2! = 24 * 2 = 48.

To solve permutation problems with a constraint that a group of items must stay together, treat the constrained group as a single unit. Calculate the permutations of the units, and then multiply by the permutations within the constrained unit.

If the 3 boys were identical and the 2 girls were identical, the approach would be different (involving combinations or partitions), but standard queue arrangement problems typically assume distinct individuals unless otherwise specified.

38. Consider an equilateral triangle ABC as given in the following diagram

Consider an equilateral triangle ABC as given in the following diagram :
Two people start at the same time from points A and B with speeds 30 km per hour and 20 km per hour respectively, and move on the sides of the triangle in the clockwise direction. They meet each other for the first time at

point C

a point between C and A

a point between A and B

point A

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

Let the side length of the equilateral triangle be L. The total perimeter is 3L. Person 1 starts at A (speed 30 km/h) and Person 2 starts at B (speed 20 km/h), both moving clockwise. Person 1 moves along A->B->C->A… and Person 2 moves along B->C->A->B… The initial distance between them along the clockwise path from A’s perspective to B’s position is L. Their relative speed when moving towards each other along the perimeter is the sum of their speeds: 30 + 20 = 50 km/h. The time taken for them to cover the initial distance L and meet for the first time is Time = Distance / Relative Speed = L / 50 hours. In this time, Person 1 travels a distance of 30 * (L/50) = 3L/5 km from A. Person 2 travels a distance of 20 * (L/50) = 2L/5 km from B. Let’s track their positions: Person 1 starts at A (position 0), moves 3L/5 along A->B. This point is along AB. Person 2 starts at B (position L from A along A->B->C), moves 2L/5 along B->C. This point is along BC. This initial distance calculation (L) only considers the segment AB. A better approach for motion on a closed loop is relative speed on the entire loop. The relative speed is 50 km/h. They will meet when the difference in the total distance covered by them is a multiple of the perimeter (3L), or when their positions modulo 3L are the same. Let P1’s position be d1 and P2’s position be d2, measured from A clockwise. d1 = 30t mod 3L. P2 starts at B (distance L from A), so d2 = (L + 20t) mod 3L. They meet when 30t = L + 20t (mod 3L), which means 10t = L (mod 3L). The smallest positive t occurs when 10t = L, so t = L/10. At this time, P1 has traveled 30 * (L/10) = 3L km. Starting from A, traveling 3L km clockwise along the perimeter A->B->C->A means P1 is back at A. At this time, P2 has traveled 20 * (L/10) = 2L km. Starting from B, traveling 2L km clockwise along B->C->A->B means P2 travels B->C (L) then C->A (L), ending up at A. Thus, they meet for the first time at point A.

For objects moving on a closed track, they meet when the difference in the distances they have traveled is a multiple of the track length, or by considering their positions modulo the track length. Relative speed can be the sum or difference of speeds depending on direction.

In this case, although they start at different points, their movement along the perimeter means they will meet when their relative displacement along the perimeter is a multiple of the perimeter length. The equation 10t = L (mod 3L) correctly captures this for their first meeting.

Join Our Telegram Channel

39. Which one of the following rivers is west-flowing?

Which one of the following rivers is west-flowing?

Join Our Telegram Channel

Godavari

Periyar

Tungabhadra

Cauvery

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

Most major rivers in the Deccan Plateau region of India flow eastward into the Bay of Bengal. This is due to the general eastward slope of the peninsular plateau. However, some significant rivers flow westward into the Arabian Sea. Among the given options, Godavari, Tungabhadra (a tributary of the eastward-flowing Krishna), and Cauvery (Kaveri) are all east-flowing rivers. Periyar is a major river in Kerala that flows westward into the Arabian Sea.

Indian rivers primarily flow either east into the Bay of Bengal or west into the Arabian Sea. The general slope of the peninsular plateau dictates the eastward flow of most major rivers.

Other important west-flowing rivers in peninsular India include the Narmada, Tapti (Tapi), Mahi, Sabarmati, Netravati, Bharathpuzha, and Mandovi.

40. Which one of the following is not an igneous rock?

Which one of the following is not an igneous rock?

Granite

Gneiss

Pumice

Basalt

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2018

Download PDF Attempt Online

Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of molten rock (magma or lava). Granite, pumice, and basalt are all types of igneous rocks: Granite is an intrusive igneous rock formed from slow cooling magma; Basalt is an extrusive igneous rock formed from rapidly cooling lava; Pumice is a highly porous extrusive igneous rock (volcanic glass). Gneiss, however, is a metamorphic rock formed from pre-existing rocks (like granite, shale, or volcanic rocks) that have been subjected to high temperature and pressure, resulting in recrystallization and often a banded appearance (foliation).

Igneous rocks form from molten rock. Metamorphic rocks form from pre-existing rocks altered by heat and pressure.

The three main rock types are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are classified based on their composition and texture (which depends on cooling rate). Gneiss is a common high-grade metamorphic rock.

Join Our Telegram Channel