2013

1. Which of the following grants/grant direct credit assistance to rural

Which of the following grants/grant direct credit assistance to rural households?

  • 1. Regional Rural Banks
  • 2. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
  • 3. Land Development Banks

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1 and 2 only
2 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
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UPSC IAS – 2013
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Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and Land Development Banks (or their successors within the cooperative structure) are financial institutions that provide direct credit facilities to rural households for various purposes like agriculture and rural development activities. NABARD, on the other hand, is primarily an apex institution providing refinance and support to banks and other financial institutions, rather than direct credit to individual households.
RRBs were established to cater to the banking and credit needs of the rural population directly. Land Development Banks (part of the cooperative credit structure) focus on long-term agricultural finance, also providing credit directly to farmers (rural households). NABARD functions as a refinancing and supervisory body for rural credit institutions.
While NABARD is crucial for the rural credit system, its role is mainly at the wholesale level, channeling funds to the retail institutions (like RRBs, Cooperative Banks, and sometimes commercial banks) which then disburse direct credit to the ultimate borrowers (rural households).

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2. The national income of a country for a given period is equal to the

The national income of a country for a given period is equal to the

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total value of goods and services produced by the nationals
sum of total consumption and investment expenditure
sum of personal income of all individuals
money value of final goods and services produced
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UPSC IAS – 2013
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National income, strictly defined (like NNP at Factor Cost), represents the total income earned by the residents (nationals) of a country. Among the given options, the total value of goods and services produced by the nationals corresponds to the Gross National Product (GNP), which is a measure of the total economic output attributable to the residents of a nation, regardless of the physical location of the output.
While Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (defined in option D) measures the total value of goods and services produced within a country’s borders, National Income (NI) conceptually aligns more closely with the income accruing to the residents of the nation. GNP is the aggregate most directly linked to “production by nationals”. National Income (NNP at Factor Cost) is derived from GNP (NNP at Market Price minus Net Indirect Taxes).
Option B describes the expenditure side of GDP calculation. Option C describes personal income, which is a part of national income but not the total. Option D describes GDP. While GDP is a crucial measure, the term “national income” often implies a focus on the income or production attributable to the nation’s residents (GNP) or the net income available to factors of production (NNP at Factor Cost). Given the options, A is the most appropriate choice representing the productive output linked to the “nationals”.

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3. Who among the following constitute the National Development Council?

Who among the following constitute the National Development Council?

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  • 1. The Prime Minister
  • 2. The Chairman, Finance Commission
  • 3. Ministers of the Union Cabinet
  • 4. Chief Ministers of the States

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1, 2 and 3 only
1, 3 and 4 only
2 and 4 only
1, 2, 3 and 4
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The National Development Council (NDC) was chaired by the Prime Minister and included Union Cabinet Ministers and Chief Ministers of all States. The Chairman of the Finance Commission was not a member of the NDC. Thus, statements 1, 3, and 4 constitute the NDC.
The NDC was an advisory body to the Planning Commission, established in 1952. Its main functions included reviewing the working of the National Plan, considering important questions of social and economic policy affecting national development, and recommending measures for the achievement of the objectives of the Plan. It was considered the highest body below Parliament for considering and approving the Five Year Plans.
With the dissolution of the Planning Commission in 2014 and the creation of NITI Aayog, the National Development Council’s role and structure are under review or effectively redundant, although it has not been formally abolished.

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4. Mycorrhizal biotechnology has been used in rehabilitating degraded sit

Mycorrhizal biotechnology has been used in rehabilitating degraded sites because mycorrhiza enables the plants to

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  • 1. resist drought and increase absorptive area
  • 2. tolerate extremes of pH
  • 3. resist disease infestation

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1 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
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Mycorrhizal associations significantly benefit plants, especially in challenging or degraded environments, by improving their ability to absorb water and nutrients, tolerate harsh soil conditions (including pH extremes), and resist diseases. Therefore, all three statements are correct.
Mycorrhizal fungi form symbiotic relationships with plant roots. The fungal hyphae extend far into the soil, vastly increasing the surface area for absorption of water and nutrients (particularly phosphorus and nitrogen) beyond what the plant’s root hairs can reach. This enhanced absorption capacity helps plants cope with drought stress. Mycorrhizae can also modify the rhizosphere environment and interact with soil microbes, improving plant tolerance to soil acidity/alkalinity and heavy metals, and enhancing resistance to root pathogens.
Mycorrhizal biotechnology is increasingly used in ecological restoration and sustainable agriculture due to these multifaceted benefits to plant health and resilience, reducing the need for irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides.

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5. The efforts to detect the existence of Higgs boson particle have becom

The efforts to detect the existence of Higgs boson particle have become frequent news in the recent past. What is/are the importance/importances of discovering this particle?

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  • 1. It will enable us to understand as to why elementary particles have mass.
  • 2. It will enable us in the near future to develop the technology of transferring matter from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them.
  • 3. It will enable us to create better fuels for nuclear fission.

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1 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
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Statement 1 is correct because the Higgs boson is fundamentally linked to the mechanism by which elementary particles acquire mass through their interaction with the Higgs field. Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect; the discovery of the Higgs boson is not related to matter transfer technology (teleportation) or nuclear fission fuel development.
The Standard Model of particle physics describes the fundamental particles and forces. The Higgs field and its associated particle, the Higgs boson, were proposed to explain why some elementary particles have mass while others (like photons) do not. The detection of the Higgs boson in 2012 by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider confirmed this mechanism.
Statement 2 describes a speculative concept (teleportation) not related to the properties or applications of the Higgs boson. Statement 3 is irrelevant to the field of nuclear energy; nuclear fission involves the splitting of atomic nuclei, a process governed by the strong nuclear force and properties of isotopes, not the Higgs mechanism.

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6. The known forces of nature can be divided into four classes, viz., gra

The known forces of nature can be divided into four classes, viz., gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force. With reference to them, which one of the following statements is not correct?

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Gravity is the strongest of the four
Electromagnetism acts only on particles with an electric charge
Weak nuclear force causes radioactivity
Strong nuclear force holds protons and neutrons inside the nucleus of an atom
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The statement that Gravity is the strongest of the four fundamental forces is not correct.
The four fundamental forces of nature are, in order of decreasing strength: Strong Nuclear Force, Electromagnetic Force, Weak Nuclear Force, and Gravity. Gravity is by far the weakest of the four forces. The Strong Nuclear Force holds the nucleus together, Electromagnetism governs interactions between charges, and the Weak Nuclear Force is involved in radioactive decay.
Although gravity is the weakest force at the particle level, its effects are cumulative and always attractive. This makes it the dominant force on large astronomical scales (planets, stars, galaxies). The relative strengths of the forces are approximately: Strong Nuclear Force ~ 1, Electromagnetic Force ~ 10⁻², Weak Nuclear Force ~ 10⁻⁶, Gravity ~ 10⁻³⁹ (relative to the strong force at typical nuclear scales).

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7. Which of the following leaf modifications occurs/occur in desert areas

Which of the following leaf modifications occurs/occur in desert areas to inhibit water loss?

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  • 1. Hard and waxy leaves
  • 2. Tiny leaves or no leaves
  • 3. Thorns instead of leaves

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1 and 2 only
2 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2013
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All the listed leaf modifications occur in desert areas to inhibit water loss: hard and waxy leaves, tiny leaves or no leaves, and thorns instead of leaves.
Desert plants (xerophytes) have evolved various adaptations to survive in arid environments with limited water availability. 1. Hard and waxy leaves (with thick cuticles) reduce cuticular transpiration. 2. Having tiny leaves or shedding leaves during dry periods minimizes the surface area for transpiration. Some plants have modified stems that photosynthesize instead of leaves. 3. Thorns are often modified leaves or stipules; they drastically reduce the surface area for transpiration and also deter herbivores, preventing tissue damage that could lead to water loss.
Other adaptations in desert plants include sunken stomata, fleshy stems or leaves for water storage (succulence), extensive root systems, and C4 or CAM photosynthesis pathways which are more water-efficient.

8. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Viruses lack en

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

  • 1. Viruses lack enzymes necessary for the generation of energy.
  • 2. Viruses can be cultured in any synthetic medium.
  • 3. Viruses are transmitted from one organism to another by biological vectors only.

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1 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
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UPSC IAS – 2013
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Only statement 1 is correct: Viruses lack enzymes necessary for the generation of energy.
Statement 1 is correct. Viruses are acellular and obligate intracellular parasites. They do not possess their own metabolic machinery, including enzymes for energy production like respiration or fermentation. They hijack the host cell’s metabolic processes to obtain energy and replicate. Statement 2 is incorrect because viruses require living cells to replicate and cannot be cultured in synthetic non-living media. Statement 3 is incorrect because while biological vectors are one mode of transmission for some viruses, many viruses are transmitted through non-vector means such as direct contact, airborne droplets, contaminated surfaces, food, or water.
Viruses consist of genetic material (DNA or RNA) enclosed in a protein coat (capsid), and sometimes an outer envelope derived from the host cell membrane. Their dependence on host cells for replication and metabolism distinguishes them from cellular organisms like bacteria or fungi.

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9. Economic growth in country X will necessarily have to occur if

Economic growth in country X will necessarily have to occur if

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there is technical progress in the world economy
there is population growth in X
there is capital formation in X
the volume of trade grows in the world economy
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Economic growth in country X will necessarily have to occur if there is capital formation in X.
Capital formation (investment in physical capital like machinery, infrastructure, and human capital like education, skills) increases the productive capacity of an economy. An increase in the stock of capital, combined with labour, directly leads to an increase in the potential output of goods and services, which is the basis of economic growth. While other factors like technology and labor are also crucial, sustained economic growth fundamentally requires investment in increasing the factors of production or improving their productivity.
Technical progress in the world economy and growth in world trade provide opportunities but do not guarantee growth in a specific country X without internal conditions being met (like capital to adopt technology or participate in trade). Population growth increases the labour supply but doesn’t necessarily translate into growth without sufficient capital and technology to employ the additional population productively; it can even lead to a decrease in per capita income if growth in output doesn’t keep pace.

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10. Many transplanted seedlings do not grow because

Many transplanted seedlings do not grow because

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the new soil does not contain favourable minerals
most of the root hairs grip the new soil too hard
most of the root hairs are lost during transplantation
leaves get damaged during transplantation
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UPSC IAS – 2013
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Many transplanted seedlings do not grow because most of their root hairs are lost during the transplantation process.
Root hairs are fine, delicate extensions of root epidermal cells that greatly increase the surface area for absorption of water and mineral nutrients from the soil. When a seedling is dug up for transplantation, the soil around the roots is disturbed, and a large number of these fragile root hairs are broken or stripped off. The plant’s ability to absorb water is severely reduced until new root hairs can grow, leading to ‘transplant shock’, wilting, and potentially death if sufficient water uptake cannot be re-established quickly.
While factors like unfavorable soil conditions or leaf damage can also affect transplant success, the primary and most immediate challenge for a transplanted seedling is the drastic reduction in its water absorption capacity due to root hair loss. Proper watering and minimizing root disturbance during transplantation are crucial for survival.

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