UPSC NDA-1

11. If you want to observe moraines, eskers and outwash plains, which one

If you want to observe moraines, eskers and outwash plains, which one of the following Union Territories you may have to visit?

Subscribe on YouTube
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Lakshadweep
Puducherry
Ladakh
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is D) Ladakh.
Moraines, eskers, and outwash plains are all glacial landforms. Moraines are accumulations of glacial debris, eskers are long, winding ridges composed of stratified sand and gravel deposited by glacial meltwater streams, and outwash plains are broad, flat areas of gravel, sand, and silt deposited by meltwater streams flowing from a glacier. Ladakh is a high-altitude desert region in the Himalayas with significant past and present glaciation, making it a place where these landforms can be observed.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry are all located in tropical or coastal areas with no significant glacial history or present-day glaciers.

Join Our Telegram Channel

12. Weathering, mass wasting, erosion and transportation are indicators of

Weathering, mass wasting, erosion and transportation are indicators of which one of the following processes?

Subscribe on YouTube
Denudation
Endogenetic process
Diastrophism
Mountain building
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is A) Denudation.
Denudation is the overall process that causes the wearing away of the Earth’s surface by moving water, ice, wind, and waves. It encompasses several processes, including weathering (breakdown of rock), mass wasting (movement of rock and soil downslope under gravity), erosion (removal and transportation of material), and transportation (movement of eroded material).
Endogenetic processes originate within the Earth (like diastrophism and mountain building). Diastrophism is large-scale deformation of the crust. Mountain building (Orogeny) is a specific type of diastrophism. The listed processes (weathering, mass wasting, erosion, transportation) are exogenetic processes acting on the surface.

Join Our Telegram Channel

13. Consider the following statements: 1. Rocks do not remain in their o

Consider the following statements:

Join Our Telegram Channel
  • 1. Rocks do not remain in their original form for long and undergo transformation.
  • 2. Transformation of rocks is caused by weathering, erosion and metamorphic action.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is C) Both 1 and 2.
Statement 1 is correct: Rocks are continuously undergoing transformation through the rock cycle (igneous to sedimentary, sedimentary to metamorphic, etc.). They are not static entities. Statement 2 is correct: Transformation is indeed caused by various processes. Weathering and erosion break down rocks, which is a necessary step in the formation of sedimentary rocks. Metamorphic action (heat and pressure) directly transforms existing rocks into metamorphic rocks. These processes are key drivers of the rock cycle.
The rock cycle illustrates how rocks change from one type to another. Weathering, erosion, deposition, compaction, cementation (leading to sedimentary rocks), heat, and pressure (leading to metamorphic rocks), melting, and solidification (leading to igneous rocks) are all processes involved in the transformation of rocks.

Subscribe on YouTube

14. A person had visited a region in India and found trees such as Khair,

A person had visited a region in India and found trees such as Khair, Neem, Khejri and Palas. Which one of the following regions is she/he expected to have visited?

Subscribe on YouTube
Malabar Coast
Garo Hills
Sunderban Delta
Desert Region
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is D) Desert Region.
The trees listed – Khair, Neem, Khejri, and Palas – are characteristic species of dry deciduous forests and thorn forests, which are prevalent in arid and semi-arid regions of India. Khejri (Prosopis cineraria) is particularly well-known for its adaptation to desert conditions and is often found in the Thar Desert.
The Malabar Coast receives heavy rainfall and supports tropical evergreen and moist deciduous forests. Garo Hills are also characterized by dense tropical or subtropical forests due to high rainfall. The Sunderban Delta is dominated by mangrove vegetation, specifically adapted to brackish water environments.

Join Our Telegram Channel

15. In India, rigid and stable elevated lands, denuded rocks and series of

In India, rigid and stable elevated lands, denuded rocks and series of scarps are the features of which of the following?

Subscribe on YouTube
Northern mountains
Peninsular plateau
Northern plains
Coastal plains
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is B) Peninsular plateau.
The Peninsular plateau of India is an ancient, stable landmass. It is characterized by elevated plateaus, old denuded hills (denuded rocks), and features like rift valleys and fault scarps (series of scarps), indicating its stable but uplifted and eroded nature over geological time.
The Northern mountains (Himalayas) are young, geologically active, and not rigid and stable in the same way. The Northern plains and Coastal plains are depositional landforms, relatively flat and low-lying, not characterized by elevated lands, denuded rocks, or scarps in the same manner as the plateau.

Join Our Telegram Channel

16. Which one of the following cities was the first to attain the status o

Which one of the following cities was the first to attain the status of a ‘megacity’?

Subscribe on YouTube
London
Paris
New York
Washington
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is C) New York.
While London was the first city to reach a population of 1 million (around 1800), the term ‘megacity’ refers to a metropolitan area with a population exceeding 10 million. The New York metropolitan area is generally considered to be the first in the world to reach a population of 10 million, doing so by the late 1930s or early 1940s, depending on the definition of the metropolitan area used.
London reached the 10 million mark later in the 20th century. Tokyo is often cited as the first Asian megacity, reaching this size later than New York but earlier than London or Paris by most definitions. Washington DC’s metropolitan area reached megacity status even more recently.

Join Our Telegram Channel

17. Which one of the following is likely to be the most prevalent form of

Which one of the following is likely to be the most prevalent form of weathering in hot-tropical desert areas?

Join Our Telegram Channel
Mechanical
Chemical
Biological
Leaching
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is A) Mechanical.
Hot tropical desert areas are characterized by extreme diurnal (daily) temperature variations and lack of moisture. Mechanical weathering, such as thermal stress (repeated expansion and contraction of rocks due to large temperature swings) and salt crystal growth (where infrequent water evaporates leaving salt crystals that exert pressure), is the dominant form of weathering in these environments.
Chemical weathering requires water, which is scarce in hot deserts, making it less prevalent compared to mechanical processes. Biological weathering can occur but is generally limited by the lack of life forms compared to more humid environments. Leaching is a chemical process requiring water.

Subscribe on YouTube

18. Snow, sleet and hail are the forms of

Snow, sleet and hail are the forms of

Subscribe on YouTube
precipitation
condensation
transpiration
evaporation
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is A) precipitation.
Precipitation is any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches the ground. This includes rain, snow, sleet, hail, and drizzle. Snow, sleet, and hail are specific forms of precipitation.
Condensation is the process by which water vapor in the air changes into liquid water or ice crystals (forming clouds). Transpiration is the process by which moisture is carried through plants from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves, where it changes to vapor and is released to the atmosphere. Evaporation is the process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas or vapor. None of these describe the forms of water *falling* to the ground.

Join Our Telegram Channel

19. Which one of the following is correct in respect of total number of St

Which one of the following is correct in respect of total number of States and Union Territories in India?

Join Our Telegram Channel
28 States and 8 Union Territories
27 States and 9 Union Territories
30 States and 6 Union Territories
29 States and 7 Union Territories
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is A) 28 States and 8 Union Territories.
As of January 26, 2020, India consists of 28 States and 8 Union Territories. This configuration resulted from the reorganization of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories (Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh) in 2019, and the merger of the Union Territories of Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli into a single Union Territory (Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu) in 2020.
Before the 2019 reorganization, India had 29 States and 7 Union Territories. The changes were significant and relevant for any contemporary general knowledge question about India’s administrative structure.

Subscribe on YouTube

20. The forests of Uttarakhand, Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh and Dzuko

The forests of Uttarakhand, Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh and Dzukou Valley in Nagaland and Manipur were in the news on account of which one of the following reasons?

Subscribe on YouTube
Deforestation
Forest fire
Poaching of wild animals
Illegal mining
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is B) Forest fire.
Forest fires were a significant issue in late 2020 and early 2021 in several regions of India, including Uttarakhand, parts of Himachal Pradesh (like Kullu Valley), and notably the Dzukou Valley on the border of Nagaland and Manipur. These incidents brought these specific locations into the news on account of the extensive damage caused by the fires.
While deforestation, poaching, and illegal mining are ongoing environmental problems in various parts of India, forest fires were the specific recent event that simultaneously affected these particular regions and made them prominent in the news around the time this question likely refers to (early 2021). The Dzukou Valley fire, in particular, was widely reported.

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 18