UPSC IAS

41. Consider the following statements: Statement 1 : The United Nations

Consider the following statements:

Join Our Telegram Channel
  • Statement 1 : The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Arbor Day Foundation have recently recognized Hyderabad as 2020 Tree City of the World.
  • Statement 2 : Hyderabad was selected for the recognition for a year following its commitment to grow and maintain the urban forests.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is the correct explanation for Statement 1
Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct but Statement 2 is not the correct explanation for Statement 1
Statement 1 is correct but Statement 2 is not correct
Statement 1 is not correct but Statement 2 is correct
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2021
Download PDFAttempt Online
Let’s examine each statement:
Statement 1: Hyderabad was recognized as the 2020 Tree City of the World by the Arbor Day Foundation and the *Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)* of the United Nations, not the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). Therefore, Statement 1 is not correct.
Statement 2: Hyderabad was selected for the recognition based on its commitment to growing and maintaining urban forests, fulfilling five standards required by the program. The recognition is indeed based on the city’s efforts and commitment in this regard. Therefore, Statement 2 is correct.
The question asks which statement is correct in respect of the above statements. Statement 1 is not correct and Statement 2 is correct. This corresponds to option D.
– Hyderabad’s recognition as a Tree City of the World is conferred by the Arbor Day Foundation and FAO.
– The recognition is based on the city meeting specific standards related to urban forestry management and commitment.
The Tree City of the World program recognizes cities for their commitment to growing and maintaining urban trees and forests. The five standards are: Establish Responsibility, Set the Rules, Know What You Have, Allocate the Resources, and Celebrate Achievements. Hyderabad was the only city in India to be recognized as a 2020 Tree City.

Subscribe on YouTube

42. Consider the following statements in respect of Bharat Ratna and Padma

Consider the following statements in respect of Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards :

Subscribe on YouTube
  • 1. Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are titles under the Article 18(1) of the Constitution of India.
  • 2. Padma Awards, which were instituted in the year 1954, were suspended only once.
  • 3. The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of five in a particular year.

Which of the above statements are not correct?

1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2021
Download PDFAttempt Online
The question asks for statements that are *not correct*. Let’s examine each statement:
Statement 1: Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are *not* titles under Article 18(1) of the Constitution. The Supreme Court in the Balaji Raghavan case (1996) upheld the constitutional validity of these awards, stating they do not amount to ‘titles’ prohibited by Article 18, although they should not be used as prefixes or suffixes. Thus, Statement 1 is not correct.
Statement 2: Padma Awards, instituted in 1954, have been suspended *more than once*. They were suspended during the periods 1978-1979 and 1992-1995. Thus, Statement 2 is not correct.
Statement 3: The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of *three* in a particular year, not five. Thus, Statement 3 is not correct.
Since all three statements are not correct, the correct option is D.
– Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are not considered ‘titles’ under Article 18(1).
– Padma Awards have been suspended on more than one occasion.
– The maximum number of Bharat Ratna awards in a year is limited to three.
Article 18(1) of the Constitution prohibits the State from conferring titles other than military or academic distinctions. The Supreme Court judgment in Balaji Raghavan vs. Union of India clarified that these awards are not violative of Article 18(1). The awards were first instituted in 1954 but were discontinued from July 1977 to January 1980 and again from August 1992 to December 1995. The limit of three Bharat Ratna awards per year is a convention, not a constitutional restriction, but has been largely followed.

Join Our Telegram Channel

43. With reference to India, the terms ‘Halbi, Ho and Kui’ pertain to

With reference to India, the terms ‘Halbi, Ho and Kui’ pertain to

Subscribe on YouTube
dance forms of Northwest India
musical instruments
pre-historic cave paintings
tribal languages
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2021
Download PDFAttempt Online
Option D is the correct answer. Halbi, Ho, and Kui are names of tribal languages spoken in different parts of India, particularly in the central and eastern regions.
India is home to numerous languages, including many tribal languages belonging to different language families. Halbi is an Indo-Aryan language, while Ho belongs to the Munda branch of the Austroasiatic languages, and Kui is a Dravidian language.
These names are specifically associated with linguistic groups and their languages, not dance forms, musical instruments, or pre-historic cave paintings. For example, the Ho people speak the Ho language, and the Kandha people speak the Kui language.

Join Our Telegram Channel

44. Constitutional government means

Constitutional government means

Subscribe on YouTube
a representative government of a nation with federal structure
a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
a government whose Head enjoys real powers
a government limited by the terms of the Constitution
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2021
Download PDFAttempt Online
Option D is the correct answer. A constitutional government is fundamentally defined as a government that operates within the limits set by a constitution.
The essence of constitutionalism is that the power of the government is not absolute but is constrained by a supreme law, the constitution. This limits arbitrary rule and protects individual rights and liberties.
Options A, B, and C describe specific features that might be present in a constitutional government (representative, federal, nature of head of state), but they are not the core defining characteristic of a constitutional government itself, which is the limitation of power by a constitution.

Join Our Telegram Channel

45. What was the exact constitutional status of India on 26th January,

What was the exact constitutional status of India on 26th January, 1950?

Subscribe on YouTube
A Democratic Republic
A Sovereign Democratic Republic
A Sovereign Secular Democratic Republic
A Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2021
Download PDFAttempt Online
Option B is the correct answer. On 26th January, 1950, the Preamble of the Indian Constitution declared India to be a Sovereign Democratic Republic.
The Preamble as originally adopted on 26th November 1949 and enforced on 26th January 1950 read: “WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens: JUSTICE, social, economic and political; LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity of the Nation; IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, DO HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.”
The terms ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ were added to the Preamble by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act in 1976.

Join Our Telegram Channel

46. What is the position of the Right to Property in India?

What is the position of the Right to Property in India?

Subscribe on YouTube
Legal right available to citizens only
Legal right available to any person
Fundamental Right available to citizens only
Neither Fundamental Right nor legal right
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2021
Download PDFAttempt Online
Option B is the correct answer. The Right to Property is a legal right available to any person in India.
Originally a Fundamental Right under Article 31, the Right to Property was removed from Part III by the 44th Amendment Act, 1978. It was then placed under Article 300A in Part XII of the Constitution, making it a constitutional legal right. Article 300A states that “No person shall be deprived of his property save by authority of law,” protecting it against arbitrary executive action but allowing for deprivation by legislative action.
The phrasing “available to any person” is significant, distinguishing it from some fundamental rights that are available only to citizens (e.g., Article 15, 16, 19).

Join Our Telegram Channel

47. Under the Indian Constitution, concentration of wealth violates

Under the Indian Constitution, concentration of wealth violates

Subscribe on YouTube
the Right to Equality
the Directive Principles of State Policy
the Right to Freedom
the Concept of Welfare
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2021
Download PDFAttempt Online
Option B is the correct answer. Under the Indian Constitution, the directive principle related to the concentration of wealth is found in the Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV).
Article 39(c) of the Constitution states that the State shall direct its policy towards securing “that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment”. This is a non-justiciable directive principle guiding the state.
The Right to Equality (Articles 14-18) and the Right to Freedom (Articles 19-22) are Fundamental Rights dealing with individual liberties and non-discrimination. While the concept of Welfare is related to DPSP, the specific provision addressing concentration of wealth is explicitly mentioned within the DPSP under Article 39(c).

Join Our Telegram Channel

48. Which of the following have species that can establish symbiotic relat

Which of the following have species that can establish symbiotic relationship with other organisms?

Subscribe on YouTube
  1. Cnidarians
  2. Fungi
  3. Protozoa

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Join Our Telegram Channel
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2021
Download PDFAttempt Online
Option D is the correct answer. All three groups listed – Cnidarians, Fungi, and Protozoa – include species that are known to establish various types of symbiotic relationships with other organisms, including mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.
Symbiosis refers to a close and long-term interaction between two different biological species. This can include mutualistic relationships (both benefit), commensalistic relationships (one benefits, the other is unaffected), or parasitic relationships (one benefits, the other is harmed).
Examples: Cnidarians like corals have mutualistic symbiosis with zooxanthellae (algae). Fungi form mycorrhizae with plant roots (mutualism) or are components of lichens (mutualism with algae/cyanobacteria). Protozoa include parasitic forms like Plasmodium (malaria) and mutualistic forms like those in termite guts that digest cellulose.

49. The ‘Common Carbon Metric’, supported by UNEP, has been developed for

The ‘Common Carbon Metric’, supported by UNEP, has been developed for

Join Our Telegram Channel
assessing the carbon footprint of building operations around the world
enabling commercial farming entities around the world to enter carbon emission trading
enabling governments to assess the overall carbon footprint caused by their countries
assessing the overall carbon footprint caused by the use of fossil fuels by the world in a unit time
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2021
Download PDFAttempt Online
Option A is the correct answer. The ‘Common Carbon Metric’ was developed to provide a standard approach for measuring and reporting the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with building operations.
Developed by the UNEP Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative (SBCI), the Common Carbon Metric aims to enable consistent assessment and benchmarking of the carbon footprint of buildings globally.
This metric focuses specifically on the operational phase of buildings (energy consumption for heating, cooling, lighting, etc.), which is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. It is not designed for carbon trading by farming entities, assessing national footprints broadly, or assessing the total global fossil fuel footprint in general.

Subscribe on YouTube

50. Which of the following are detritivores? Earthworms Jellyfish Mill

Which of the following are detritivores?

  1. Earthworms
  2. Jellyfish
  3. Millipedes
  4. Seahorses
  5. Woodlice

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Subscribe on YouTube
1, 2 and 4 only
2, 3, 4 and 5 only
1, 3 and 5 only
1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2021
Download PDFAttempt Online
Option C is the correct answer. Detritivores are organisms that feed on dead organic matter. Earthworms, Millipedes, and Woodlice are well-known detritivores.
Detritivores play a crucial role in ecosystems by breaking down dead plant and animal material, thus recycling nutrients.
Earthworms consume decaying plant matter in soil. Millipedes feed on decaying leaves and wood. Woodlice (also known as roly-polies or pill bugs) feed on dead plant material. Jellyfish are carnivorous predators. Seahorses are predatory fish that feed on small crustaceans.

Join Our Telegram Channel
Page 1Page 2Page 3Page 4Page 5
Test 1Test 2Test 3Test 4Test 5Test 6Test 7Test 8Test 9Test 10Test 11Test 12Test 13Test 14Test 15Test 16Test 17Test 18Test 19Test 20Test 21Test 22Test 23Test 24