UPSC CDS-2 Archives

1. M wants to visit a place in a Union Territory, which is located at 34°

M wants to visit a place in a Union Territory, which is located at 34° N and 77° E. Which one of the following Union Territories must he have planned to visit?

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Lakshadweep

Puducherry

Ladakh

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The correct answer is Ladakh.

The location specified is 34° N latitude and 77° E longitude. Let’s check the approximate locations of the given Union Territories:
– Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located in the Bay of Bengal, much further south (around 6°-14° N).
– Lakshadweep is located in the Arabian Sea, much further south (around 8°-12° N).
– Puducherry is located on the southern coast of India, much further south (around 11°-13° N).
– Ladakh is located in the northern part of India. The capital of Ladakh, Leh, is located at approximately 34° N and 77° E. These coordinates fall squarely within the geographical area of Ladakh.

Prior to August 2019, Ladakh was part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Following the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh was constituted as a separate Union Territory. It is known for its high altitude, mountainous terrain, and unique culture.

2. Identify the State on the basis of the following characteristics: T

Identify the State on the basis of the following characteristics:

Tropic of Cancer passes through the State.
The State has more north-south extension.
The State has international border with Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Tripura

Mizoram

Nagaland

Manipur

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The correct answer is Mizoram.

Let’s examine the characteristics for each state:
1. Tropic of Cancer passes through the State: The Tropic of Cancer passes through eight Indian states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, and Mizoram. This eliminates Nagaland and Manipur.
2. The State has more north-south extension: Comparing Tripura and Mizoram, Mizoram is elongated in a north-south direction, while Tripura has a more east-west orientation.
3. The State has international border with Bangladesh and Myanmar: Mizoram shares its western border with Bangladesh and its eastern border with Myanmar. Tripura shares borders only with Bangladesh (on three sides) and Assam/Mizoram internally.
Only Mizoram fulfills all three criteria.

Mizoram is one of the seven sister states in Northeast India. Its unique geographical position makes it share international borders with two neighboring countries and also lie on the Tropic of Cancer.

3. D performs her train journey by the shortest route from Bengaluru to N

D performs her train journey by the shortest route from Bengaluru to New Delhi. Which one of the following rivers will she not cross while performing the journey?

Narmada

Yamuna

Godavari

Krishna

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The correct answer is Godavari.

The shortest railway route from Bengaluru to New Delhi typically passes through Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Common major routes include Bengaluru-Secunderabad-Nagpur-Delhi or Bengaluru-Pune-Mumbai-Delhi. Both routes are likely to cross the basins of the Krishna river (near Bengaluru), the Narmada river (in Madhya Pradesh), and reach the Yamuna river (near Delhi). The main stem of the Godavari river flows significantly east through Maharashtra and Telangana. While the railway line might cross tributaries of Godavari (like Wainganga on the Secunderabad-Nagpur route), crossing the main stem of Godavari is less likely on the most direct/shortest path compared to Krishna (or its major tributary Tungabhadra), Narmada, and Yamuna.

Major railway corridors from South to North India traverse distinct river systems. Starting from South India (Bengaluru in the Krishna basin), moving North requires crossing successive river systems like Krishna, Godavari, Narmada/Tapti, and finally reaching the Indo-Gangetic plain (Yamuna/Ganga basin). The relative positions of the main stems and the railway alignment determine which rivers are directly crossed by bridges. The Godavari’s main course tends to be east of the most direct North-South railway lines in Central India.

4. Who among the following considered the Directive Principles of State P

Who among the following considered the Directive Principles of State Policy as aiming at ‘furthering the goals of social exclusion’?

B.N. Rau

Granville Austin

K.C. Wheare

Rajni Kothari

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Granville Austin, a renowned historian of the Indian Constitution, described the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) as aiming, along with the Fundamental Rights, at ‘furthering the aims of social revolution’. The phrase in the question “social exclusion” appears to be a typo and should be “social revolution”. Austin argued that the Fundamental Rights and DPSP were the “conscience of the Constitution” and were central to the Constitution’s goal of achieving a social revolution by bringing about conditions necessary for a just society.

Granville Austin is known for his interpretation of the Indian Constitution as an instrument of ‘social revolution’, emphasizing the significance of Fundamental Rights and DPSP in this regard.

B.N. Rau was the constitutional advisor to the Constituent Assembly. K.C. Wheare described India’s constitution as ‘quasi-federal’. Rajni Kothari is a political scientist who has written extensively on Indian politics and the party system.

5. Which one of the following statements is not correct?

Which one of the following statements is not correct?

Allahabad High Court has a Bench at Lucknow.

Madhya Pradesh High Court has a Bench at Gwalior.

Rajasthan High Court is located at Jodhpur.

Guwahati High Court has no Bench.

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The Guwahati High Court is the High Court for the states of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh. It has its principal seat at Guwahati, Assam, and has permanent Benches at Kohima (Nagaland), Aizawl (Mizoram), and Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh). Therefore, the statement that Guwahati High Court has no Bench is incorrect.

High Courts in India often have Benches in cities other than their principal seat to cater to different regions within their jurisdiction.

Allahabad High Court has a permanent Bench at Lucknow. Madhya Pradesh High Court has permanent Benches at Gwalior and Indore. Rajasthan High Court has its principal seat at Jodhpur and a permanent Bench at Jaipur.

6. Who among the following is the author of the famous essay, ‘The End of

Who among the following is the author of the famous essay, ‘The End of History and the Last Man’?

Francis Fukuyama

Daniel Bell

Abraham Lincoln

Anthony Giddens

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Francis Fukuyama is the author of the influential essay (1989) and later a book (1992) titled ‘The End of History and the Last Man’. In this work, he argued that the end of the Cold War and the triumph of liberal democracy marked the endpoint of humanity’s ideological evolution.

The essay and book propose that liberal democracy is the final form of government and represents the “end of history” as a process of searching for the best form of governance.

Daniel Bell is known for his work on post-industrial society. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th U.S. President. Anthony Giddens is a prominent sociologist known for his theory of structuration and concepts related to modernity.

7. The federation of which one of the following States has been described

The federation of which one of the following States has been described as “an indestructible union of indestructible states”?

India

U.S.A.

Canada

Australia

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The phrase “an indestructible union of indestructible states” is a famous description of the federal system of the United States of America. It signifies that the union (the federal government) cannot be dissolved by the states, nor can the states be abolished by the union; both levels of government are constitutionally entrenched.

This description highlights the strong autonomy of constituent states and the perpetual nature of the federal union in the US system.

The Indian federation is often described as a “Union of States” or “quasi-federal”, with a strong central government and states having less autonomy compared to the US system, and the states being creations of the Union which can alter their boundaries or names. Canada and Australia are also federations, but the phrase is specifically associated with the US.

8. What is the location of intercalary meristem in plants?

What is the location of intercalary meristem in plants?

Base of the leaves or internodes

Stems or roots

Tips of stems and leaves

Base of flower pedicel

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Intercalary meristem is a type of meristematic tissue found at the base of leaves and internodes in plants, particularly monocots like grasses. It is responsible for growth in length in the internodal regions, allowing parts that have already differentiated to elongate.

Apical meristems are found at shoot and root tips (C and parts of B), responsible for primary growth (increase in length). Lateral meristems (vascular cambium, cork cambium) are found in stems and roots (B), responsible for secondary growth (increase in girth). Intercalary meristems are located between mature tissues, enabling growth in regions away from the apical meristem.

The presence of intercalary meristems allows grasses to regrow quickly after being grazed or mowed, as growth can occur from the base of the leaves and stems rather than just from the tips.

9. Animals which are marine, bilaterally symmetrical, have a coelom and a

Animals which are marine, bilaterally symmetrical, have a coelom and a notochord, but never form a vertebral column are placed under which one of the following groups?

Chordata

Protochordata

Vertebrata

Mammalia

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The description fits the characteristics of Protochordata, which include Urochordata (Tunicates) and Cephalochordata (Lancelets). These are marine, bilaterally symmetrical coelomates that possess a notochord at some stage of their life cycle, but they do not develop a vertebral column (backbone), which is characteristic of Vertebrata.

Protochordata is a group within the phylum Chordata characterized by having a notochord but lacking a vertebral column.

The phylum Chordata is broadly divided into Protochordata (also treated as subphyla Urochordata and Cephalochordata) and Vertebrata. Vertebrata are chordates where the notochord is replaced by a bony or cartilaginous vertebral column in the adult stage. Mammalia is a class within Vertebrata.

10. Rupa and Sachin observed an animal in their school garden. Rupa called

Rupa and Sachin observed an animal in their school garden. Rupa called it an insect while Sachin identified it as an earthworm. Which one of the following characteristics confirms that it is an insect?

The animal had jointed legs.

Body of the animal had very little segmentation.

Body of the animal was cylindrical.

Body of the animal was bilaterally symmetrical.

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Insects belong to the phylum Arthropoda, a defining characteristic of which is the presence of jointed legs. Earthworms belong to the phylum Annelida and do not have jointed legs; their locomotion relies on bristles (setae) and muscular contractions.

Jointed legs are a characteristic feature of arthropods, including insects, arachnids, crustaceans, etc., which differentiates them from annelids like earthworms.

While both insects and earthworms have segmented bodies and are bilaterally symmetrical, these characteristics are common to many animal groups and do not uniquely identify an insect versus an earthworm. Insect bodies are typically divided into three distinct segments (head, thorax, abdomen), whereas earthworm segmentation is more uniform rings along the body.