UPSC Prelims 2012 Question Paper

The Multi-dimensional Poverty Index developed by Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative with UNDP support covers which of the following?

1. Deprivation of education, health, assets and services at the household level
2. Purchasing power parity at the national level
3. The extent of the budget deficit and GDP growth rate at the national level

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Consider the following:

1. Hotels and restaurants
2. Motor transport undertakings
3. Newspaper establishments
4. Private medical institutions

The employees of which of the above can have the ‘Social Security’ coverage under “Employees’ State Insurance Scheme’?

The endeavour of ‘Janani Suraksha Yojana’ Programme is

1. to promote institutional deliveries
2. to provide monetary assistance to the mother to meet the cost of delivery
3. to provide for wage loss due to pregnancy and confinement

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to National Rural Health Mission, which of the following are the jobs of ‘ASHA’, a trained community health worker?

1. Accompanying women to the health facility for antenatal care checkup
2. Using pregnancy test kits for early detection of pregnancy
3. Providing information on nutrition and immunization
4. Conducting the delivery of the baby

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How does the National Rural Livelihood Mission seek to improve livelihood options of rural poor?

1. By setting up a large number of new manufacturing industries and agri-business centres in rural areas
2. By strengthening ‘self-help groups’ and providing skill development
3. By supplying seeds, fertilizers, diesel pump-sets and micro-irrigation equipment free of cost to farmers

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How do District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) help in the reduction of rural poverty in India?

1. DRDAs act as Panchayati Raj Institutions in certain specified backward regions of the country.
2. DRDAs undertake the area-specific scientific study of the causes of poverty and malnutrition and prepare detailed remedial measures.
3. DRDAs secure inter-sectoral and inter-departmental coordination and cooperation for effective implementation of anti-poverty programmes.
4. DRDAs watch over and ensure effective utilization of the funds intended for anti-poverty programmes.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Graphene is frequently in the news recently. What is its importance?

1. It is a two-dimensional material and has good electrical conductivity
2. It is one of the thinnest but strongest materials tested so far
3. It is entirely made of silicon and has high optical transparency
4. It can be used as ‘conducting electrodes’ required for touch screens, LCDs and organic LEDs

Consider the following statements - If there were no phenomenon of capillarity

1. It would be difficult to use a kerosene lamp
2. One would not be able to use a straw to consume a soft drink
3. The blotting paper would fail to function
4. The big trees that we see around would not have grown on the earth

A team of scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory including those from India created the heaviest antimatter (anti-helium nucleus). What is/are the implication/implications of the creation of antimatter?

1. It will make mineral prospecting and oil exploration easier and cheaper.
2. It will help probe the possibility of the existence of stars and galaxies made of antimatter.
3. It will help understand the evolution of the universe.

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Which of the following is /are cited by the scientists as evidence/evidences for the continued expansion of the universe?

1. Detection of microwaves in space
2. Observation of the redshift phenomenon in space
3. Movement of asteroids in space
4. The occurrence of supernova explosions in space

To meet its rapidly growing energy demand, some opine that India should pursue research and development on thorium as the future fuel of nuclear energy. In this context, what advantage does thorium hold over uranium?

What are the reasons for the people’s resistance to the introduction of Bt brinjal in India?

1. Bt brinjal has been created by inserting a gene from a soil fungus into its genome.
2. The seeds of Bt brinjal are terminator seeds and therefore, the farmers have to buy the seeds before every season from the seed companies.
3. There is an apprehension that the consumption of Bt brinjal may have an adverse impact on health.
4. There is some concern that the introduction of Bt brinjal may have an adverse effect on biodiversity.

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Other than resistance to pests, what are the prospects for which genetically engineered plants have been created?

1. To enable them to withstand drought
2. To increase the nutritive value of the produce
3. To enable them to grow and do photosynthesis in spaceships and space stations
4. To increase their shelf life

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Consider the following kinds of organisms :

1. Bacteria
2. Fungi
3. Flowering plants

Some species of which of the above kinds of organisms are employed as biopesticides?

With reference to ‘stem cells’, frequently in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Stem cells can be derived from mammals only
2. Stem cells can be used for screening new drugs
3. Stem cells can be used for medical therapies

What is the role of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the water purification systems?

1. It inactivates /kills the harmful microorganisms in water.
2. It removes all the undesirable odours from the water.
3. It quickens the sedimentation of solid particles, removes turbidity and improves the clarity of the water.

Electrically charged particles from space travelling at speeds of several hundred km/sec can severely harm living beings if they reach the surface of the Earth. What prevents them from reaching the surface of the Earth?

Lead, ingested or inhaled is a health hazard. After the addition of lead to petrol has been banned, what still are the sources of lead poisoning?

1. Smelting units
2. Pens and pencils
3. Paints
4. Hair oils and cosmetics

Mahatma Gandhi undertook fast unto death in 1932, mainly because:

Which of the following is/are the principal feature(s) of the Government of India Act, 1919?

1. Introduction of dyarchy in the executive government of the provinces
2. Introduction of separate communal electorates for Muslims
3. Devolution of legislative authority by the centre to the provinces

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