UPSC IAS Archives

1. The Parliament can make any law for whole or any part of India for imp

The Parliament can make any law for whole or any part of India for implementing international treaties

with the consent of all the States

with the consent of the majority of States

with the consent of the States concerned

without the consent of any State

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The correct answer is D) without the consent of any State.

Article 253 of the Indian Constitution empowers the Parliament to make any law for the whole or any part of the territory of India for implementing any treaty, agreement or convention with any other country or countries or any decision made at any international conference, association or other body. This power is independent of the distribution of legislative powers between the Union and the States, and Parliament can legislate on State List subjects if necessary to implement international obligations, without requiring the consent of the concerned States.

This provision ensures that India can fulfill its international commitments effectively and speaks to the supremacy of the Union Parliament in matters concerning international relations and their implementation domestically. This article is located in Part XI of the Constitution, which deals with relations between the Union and the States.

2. The demand for the Tebhaga Peasant Movement in Bengal was for

The demand for the Tebhaga Peasant Movement in Bengal was for

the reduction of the share of the landlords from one-half of the crop to one-third

the grant of ownership of land to peasants as they were the actual cultivators of the land

the uprooting of Zamindari system and the end of serfdom

writing off all peasant debts

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The correct option is A, which correctly states the main demand of the Tebhaga Peasant Movement.

– The Tebhaga movement was a significant peasant agitation that took place in the Bengal province of British India (present-day West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh) during 1946-1947.
– The movement was led by the Kisan Sabha (peasant front of the Communist Party of India).
– The central demand of the Tebhaga movement was the reduction of the share of the harvest taken by the landlords from the traditional one-half (fifty-fifty share) to one-third (tebhaga, meaning “three parts,” where the sharecropper would keep two-thirds).
– The sharecroppers (known as ‘bargadars’ or ‘adhiars’) were tenants who cultivated the land but did not own it, giving a share of the produce to the landlord.

The movement aimed to improve the economic condition of the sharecroppers. While demands for land ownership (B) and the abolition of the Zamindari system (C) were broader goals of the peasant movement in India, the specific and immediate demand of the Tebhaga movement was related to the share of the crop. Writing off peasant debts (D) was also a common peasant demand but not the defining feature of the Tebhaga movement.

3. Which of the following bodies does not/do not find mention in the Cons

Which of the following bodies does not/do not find mention in the Constitution?

National Development Council
Planning Commission
Zonal Councils

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

1 and 2 only

2 only

1 and 3 only

1, 2 and 3

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The correct option is D, as none of the listed bodies find mention in the Constitution of India.

– The National Development Council (NDC) was an advisory body to the Planning Commission. It was established by an executive resolution in 1952. It was neither a constitutional body nor a statutory body.
– The Planning Commission was responsible for formulating India’s Five-Year Plans. It was established by an executive resolution in 1950. Like the NDC, it was neither a constitutional body nor a statutory body. The Planning Commission was replaced by the NITI Aayog in 2015, which is also an extra-constitutional body established by executive resolution.
– Zonal Councils are advisory bodies established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. They are statutory bodies (created by an Act of Parliament), but not constitutional bodies (created by the Constitution itself).

Constitutional bodies derive their powers directly from the Constitution (e.g., Election Commission, Union Public Service Commission, Finance Commission). Statutory bodies are created by specific laws passed by Parliament or State Legislatures (e.g., National Human Rights Commission, National Green Tribunal, Zonal Councils). Extra-constitutional bodies are created by executive decision or resolution without a specific law or constitutional provision (e.g., Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, previously NDC).

4. Consider the following: Electromagnetic radiation Geothermal energy

Consider the following:

Electromagnetic radiation
Geothermal energy
Gravitational force
Plate movements
Rotation of the earth
Revolution of the earth

Which of the above are responsible for bringing dynamic changes on the surface of the earth?

1, 2, 3 and 4 only

1, 3, 5 and 6 only

2, 4, 5 and 6 only

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

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The correct option is D, as all the listed factors are responsible for bringing dynamic changes on the surface of the earth.

– Electromagnetic radiation (primarily from the Sun): Drives climate, weather systems, erosion (through wind, water, ice), photosynthesis (biological weathering), and thermal expansion/contraction (physical weathering).
– Geothermal energy: Drives plate tectonics, volcanic activity, earthquakes, formation of mountains and ocean basins, and heat flow influencing subsurface processes.
– Gravitational force: Causes mass movements (landslides, rockfalls), erosion by rivers (pulling water downhill), formation of tides (along with moon), and influences atmospheric circulation and ocean currents.
– Plate movements: Directly responsible for earthquakes, volcanism, mountain building (orogeny), creation of rift valleys, and continental drift, constantly reshaping the Earth’s crust.
– Rotation of the earth: Causes Coriolis effect (influencing weather patterns, currents), contributes to tides (along with gravity), and diurnal temperature variations causing weathering.
– Revolution of the earth: Along with axial tilt, causes seasons, influencing weather patterns, rates of weathering and erosion, formation and melting of ice/snow, and biological activity.

The Earth’s surface is constantly being altered by both internal (endogenic) and external (exogenic) processes. Geothermal energy and Plate movements are primarily endogenic forces. Electromagnetic radiation, Gravitational force, Rotation, and Revolution of the earth drive exogenic processes like weathering, erosion, and mass wasting, and also influence weather and climate which shape the surface. All these factors interact in complex ways to create the dynamic surface we see.

5. Consider the following pairs: 1. Nokrek Bio-sphere Reserve : Garo

Consider the following pairs:

1. Nokrek Bio-sphere Reserve	: Garo Hills
2. Logtak (Loktak) Lake	: Barail Range
3. Namdapha National Park	: Dafla Hills

Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

1 only

2 and 3 only

1, 2 and 3

None

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The correct option is A, meaning that only pair 1 is correctly matched.

– Pair 1: Nokrek Biosphere Reserve is located in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, India. This pair is correctly matched.
– Pair 2: Loktak Lake is a large freshwater lake located in Manipur, India. The Barail Range lies to the south of the Manipur Valley, forming a border region primarily with Assam and Nagaland. While geographically near, stating Loktak Lake is in the “Barail Range” is not accurate; it’s in the Manipur Valley, surrounded by hills which include spurs of various ranges, but not specifically *in* the Barail Range itself.
– Pair 3: Namdapha National Park is located in Arunachal Pradesh, in the Changlang district, near the border with Myanmar. It is situated between the Mishmi Hills and the Patkai Range. The Dafla Hills (also known as Nishi Hills) are located much further to the west in Arunachal Pradesh, north of the Brahmaputra plains, inhabited by the Nishi people. Namdapha is not in the Dafla Hills.

Geographical features like mountain ranges, lakes, and national parks have specific locations. Accuracy is key in matching them. Nokrek is intrinsically linked to the Garo Hills. Loktak Lake is a valley feature in Manipur, not a range feature. Namdapha is located in the Eastern Himalayas, geographically distinct from the Dafla Hills area.

6. On the planet earth, most of the freshwater exists as ice caps and gla

On the planet earth, most of the freshwater exists as ice caps and glaciers. Out of the remaining freshwater, the largest proportion

is found in atmosphere as moisture and clouds

is found in freshwater lakes and rivers

exists as groundwater

exists as soil moisture

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The correct option is C, stating that out of the remaining freshwater (after ice caps and glaciers), the largest proportion exists as groundwater.

– Approximately 68.7% of the Earth’s freshwater is stored in ice caps, glaciers, and permanent snow.
– The remaining freshwater (about 31.3%) is primarily found underground as groundwater (about 30.1%).
– A much smaller amount of freshwater exists on the surface (lakes, rivers, swamps, about 1.2%) and in the atmosphere (moisture and clouds, a very small percentage) and as soil moisture (also a small percentage, part of the surface/other category).
– Specifically, groundwater accounts for the vast majority of available liquid freshwater on Earth.

Although surface water in lakes and rivers is the most visible form of freshwater and the easiest to access, it constitutes only a tiny fraction of the total freshwater resources. Groundwater is a crucial source for drinking water and irrigation globally.

7. The Narmada river flows to the west, while most other large peninsular

The Narmada river flows to the west, while most other large peninsular rivers flow to the east. Why?

It occupies a linear rift valley.
It flows between the Vindhyas and the Satpuras.
The land slopes to the west from Central India.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

1 only

2 and 3

1 and 3

None

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The correct option is C, indicating that statements 1 and 3 explain why the Narmada river flows to the west.

– Statement 1 is correct. The Narmada river flows through a rift valley (a graben), which is a linear depression formed by faulting. This valley was created due to the subsidence of the landmass between the Vindhyan and Satpura ranges. Rivers flowing through rift valleys often follow the slope of the valley floor.
– Statement 2 is correct that it flows between the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, but this describes its location relative to mountain ranges which border the rift valley, rather than being the primary *reason* for its westward flow. The reason it flows *between* them is because that’s where the rift valley formed.
– Statement 3 is correct. The floor of the Narmada rift valley slopes towards the west. This westward slope dictates the direction of the river flow.
– The general slope of the Deccan Plateau is towards the east, which is why most major peninsular rivers like the Godavari, Krishna, and Cauvery flow eastward into the Bay of Bengal. However, the Narmada and Tapti rivers are exceptions because they flow through these distinct westward-sloping rift valleys.

Rift valleys are typically characterized by normal faulting and down-dropped blocks of land. The Narmada rift valley is a significant geological feature of peninsular India.

8. Variations in the length of daytime and nighttime from season to seaso

Variations in the length of daytime and nighttime from season to season are due to

the earth's rotation on its axis

the earth's revolution round the sun in an elliptical manner

latitudinal position of the place

revolution of the earth on a tilted axis

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The correct option is D, stating that the variation in the length of daytime and nighttime from season to season is due to the revolution of the earth on a tilted axis.

– The Earth’s axis is tilted at an angle of approximately 23.5 degrees relative to its orbital plane around the sun.
– As the Earth revolves around the sun, this tilt causes different parts of the Earth to be inclined towards or away from the sun at different times of the year.
– When a hemisphere is tilted towards the sun, it receives more direct sunlight and experiences longer days and shorter nights (summer). When it is tilted away from the sun, it receives less direct sunlight and experiences shorter days and longer nights (winter).
– The Earth’s rotation on its axis causes the daily cycle of day and night, but not the seasonal variation in their lengths.
– The elliptical orbit affects the Earth’s distance from the sun, influencing the intensity of sunlight and subtly affecting orbital speed, but the seasonal variation in day length is primarily due to the axial tilt.
– Latitudinal position influences the *magnitude* of the variation; the variation is minimal at the equator and maximal at the poles, but the underlying cause is the axial tilt and revolution.

This tilt is responsible for the occurrence of seasons and the varying angle of the sun in the sky throughout the year, in addition to the variation in day length.

9. With reference to the usefulness of the by-products of sugar industry,

With reference to the usefulness of the by-products of sugar industry, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Bagasse can be used as biomass fuel for the generation of energy.
2. Molasses can be used as one of the feedstocks for the production of synthetic fertilizers.
3. Molasses can be used for the production of ethanol.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

1 only

2 and 3 only

1 and 3 only

1, 2 and 3

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The correct option is C, as statements 1 and 3 are correct regarding the uses of sugar industry by-products.

– Statement 1 is correct. Bagasse, the fibrous residue left after crushing sugarcane, is widely used as a biomass fuel to generate steam and electricity in sugar mills. Excess bagasse can also be used for paper production or other industrial purposes.
– Statement 2 is incorrect. Molasses is a viscous by-product obtained from refining sugarcane or sugar beets into sugar. It is primarily used in animal feed, for the production of ethanol, rum, yeast, citric acid, and other fermentation products. It is not a common or significant feedstock for the production of synthetic fertilizers, which are typically produced from natural gas (for nitrogen fertilizers like urea), rock phosphate (for phosphorus fertilizers), and potassium salts (for potassium fertilizers).
– Statement 3 is correct. Molasses is a readily fermentable sugar source and is a major feedstock for the production of ethanol, which can be used as a biofuel.

The sugar industry generates significant amounts of by-products which, when utilized efficiently, can contribute to the economic viability and environmental sustainability of the industry. Bagasse and Molasses are the two main by-products.

10. Consider the following statements : 1. An amendment to the Constitut

Consider the following statements :

1. An amendment to the Constitution of India can be initiated by an introduction of a bill in the Lok Sabha only.
2. If such an amendment seeks to make changes in the federal character of the Constitution, the amendment also requires to be ratified by the legislature of all the States of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only

2 only

Both 1 and 2

Neither 1 nor 2

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The correct option is D, as neither statement 1 nor statement 2 is correct.

– Statement 1 is incorrect. An amendment to the Constitution of India can be initiated by the introduction of a bill in *either* House of Parliament (Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha), not just the Lok Sabha. (Article 368)
– Statement 2 is incorrect. If an amendment seeks to make changes in the federal character of the Constitution (e.g., matters relating to the distribution of legislative powers, representation of states in Parliament), it requires ratification by the legislatures of *not less than one-half* of the States, not all the States. (Proviso to Article 368(2))

Article 368 outlines the power of Parliament to amend the Constitution and the procedure thereof. Amendments requiring special majority in Parliament + ratification by half of the states include those affecting Article 54 (Election of President), Article 55 (Manner of election of President), Article 73 (Extent of executive power of Union), Article 162 (Extent of executive power of State), Chapter IV of Part V (The Union Judiciary), Chapter V of Part VI (The High Courts in the States), Chapter I of Part XI (Legislative relations between Union and States), any of the Lists in the Seventh Schedule, the representation of States in Parliament, and the provisions of Article 368 itself.