UPSC Prelims 2015 Question Paper
Explore the complete solved question paper for UPSC Prelims 2015 featuring 100 solved questions with bilingual (English & Hindi) explanations, official answer key, and subject weightage breakdown.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has been launched for -
Detailed Explanation:
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) was launched in August 2014 as a National Mission on Financial Inclusion to ensure universal access to banking facilities with at least one basic banking account per household.
The scheme provides zero-balance bank accounts, RuPay debit cards, accident insurance cover of ₹1 lakh, and overdraft facility to bring unbanked households into the formal financial system, making Option 3 correct.
Which one of the following best describes the main objective of ‘Seed Village Concept’?
Detailed Explanation:
The Seed Village Concept is a participatory approach where trained farmers produce quality seeds of various crops to meet their own needs and supply to neighbouring farmers at the appropriate time and affordable cost.
Option 2 correctly captures this objective of farmer training in quality seed production and ensuring timely availability to other farmers, making it a community-based seed production system rather than a commercial venture or exclusive seed zone.
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee is constituted under the
Detailed Explanation:
Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is constituted under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 through the Rules for Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous Microorganisms/Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells, 1989.
GEAC functions as the apex body in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for appraisal of activities involving release of genetically engineered organisms and products into the environment, including experimental field trials.
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H1N1 virus is sometimes mentioned in the news with reference to which one of the following diseases?
Detailed Explanation:
H1N1 virus is a subtype of Influenza A virus that causes Swine flu, which was declared a pandemic by WHO in June 2009.
The virus contains glycoproteins haemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N), hence named H1N1, and was also responsible for the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak.
Indira Gandhi Peace Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2014, was given to which of the following?
Detailed Explanation:
Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development 2014 was awarded to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The award recognized ISRO's Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) success and contributions to peaceful uses of outer space and international cooperation. The prize included a Rs. 1 Crore cash award, trophy, and citation.
The term ‘Goldilocks Zone’ is often seen in the news in the context of
Detailed Explanation:
Goldilocks Zone (also called habitable zone) is the region around a star where conditions are just right for liquid water to exist on a planet's surface.
Astronomers use this concept to search for Earth-like exoplanets that could potentially harbor life, making option 3 correct.
Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding National Innovation Foundation-India (NIF)?
- NIF is an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology under the Central Government
- NIF is an initiative to strengthen the highly advanced scientific research in India’s premier scientific institutions in collaboration with highly advanced foreign scientific institutions.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: National Innovation Foundation-India (NIF) is an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), established in 2000 to strengthen grassroots innovation ecosystem.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: NIF focuses on grassroots innovations, traditional knowledge, and solutions by common people (farmers, artisans, students), not on advanced scientific research in premier institutions or foreign collaborations. It scouts, documents, and supports community-level innovations.
Among the following which was frequently mentioned in the news for the outbreak of the Ebola virus recently?
Detailed Explanation:
The 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak was the most widespread epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in history, primarily affecting West African countries.
The outbreak began in Guinea in December 2013 and rapidly spread to neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone, causing over 11,000 deaths and massive socio-economic disruption. These three countries accounted for the vast majority of cases and were frequently mentioned in global news coverage.
In the context of modern scientific research, consider the following statements about ‘IceCube’, a particle detector located at the South Pole, which was recently in the news :
- It is the world’s largest neutrino detector, encompassing a cubic kilometre of ice.
- It is a powerful telescope to search for dark matter
- It is buried deep in the ice.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: IceCube is the world's largest neutrino detector, encompassing a cubic kilometre of ice at the South Pole.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: It functions as a powerful telescope to search for dark matter and investigates high-energy cosmic phenomena involving black holes and neutron stars.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: The detector is buried deep in the ice, extending from 1,450 to 2,450 meters below the surface to shield it from atmospheric interference and enhance precision.
In which of the following activities are Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites used?
- Assessment of crop productivity
- Locating groundwater resources
- Mineral exploration
- Telecommunications
- Traffic studies
Select the correct answer using the code given below
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: IRS satellites use multispectral and hyperspectral imaging to monitor crop health, growth patterns, and productivity assessment through vegetation indices like NDVI.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Remote sensing data from IRS helps identify groundwater potential zones by analyzing geological structures, lineaments, and soil moisture patterns.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: IRS satellites provide spectral signatures of surface minerals, aiding in mineral exploration and geological mapping through techniques like lithological discrimination.
❌ Statement 4 – Incorrect: Telecommunications require geostationary communication satellites (INSAT/GSAT series), not IRS (earth observation) satellites which are designed for remote sensing, not signal relay.
❌ Statement 5 – Incorrect: Traffic studies require high temporal resolution and real-time monitoring; IRS satellites have limited revisit times and are not optimized for dynamic traffic flow analysis.
With reference to ‘Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- It is a contactless communication technology that uses electromagnetic radio fields
- NFC is designed for use by devices which can be at a distance of even a metre from each other
- NFC can use encryption when sending sensitive information.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: NFC (Near Field Communication) is a contactless communication technology that uses electromagnetic radio fields operating at 13.56 MHz frequency to enable data exchange between devices.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: NFC is designed for very short-range communication, typically requiring devices to be within 4-10 cm (a few centimeters) of each other, not a metre. This short range is a deliberate security feature.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: NFC supports encryption protocols and secure elements to protect sensitive data during transmission, making it suitable for contactless payments and secure access control applications.
With reference to the use of nanotechnology in the health sector, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- Targeted drug delivery is made possible by nanotechnology
- Nanotechnology can largely contribute to gene therapy
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Nanoparticles enable targeted drug delivery by carrying drugs directly to diseased cells, minimizing side effects and enhancing treatment efficacy.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Nanocarriers deliver genetic material (DNA/RNA) into specific cells, making nanotechnology crucial for gene therapy to treat genetic disorders.
The Government of India Act of 1919 clearly defined -
Detailed Explanation:
The Government of India Act of 1919 (also called Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms) clearly defined the jurisdiction of central and provincial governments by dividing subjects into Central List and Provincial List, thereby relaxing central control over provinces.
The Act introduced Dyarchy at the provincial level, dividing provincial subjects into Transferred subjects (administered by Governor with ministers responsible to Legislative Council) and Reserved subjects (administered by Governor with Executive Council).
With reference to the cabinet mission, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- It recommended a federal government.
- It enlarged the powers of the Indian courts.
- It provided for more Indians in the ICS
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: The Cabinet Mission (1946) recommended a federal structure with a weak centre controlling only defence, foreign affairs, and communications, while provinces would have autonomy in other matters.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: The Mission did not propose any changes regarding the powers of Indian courts; it focused solely on constitutional framework for transfer of power.
❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: The Mission made no recommendations about the Indian Civil Services (ICS) or increasing Indian representation in it.
With reference to Rowlatt Satyagraha, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- The Rowlatt Act was based on the recommendations of the ‘Sedition Committee’
- In Rowlatt Satyagraha Gandhiji tried to use the Home Rule League
- Demonstrations against the Simon Commission coincided with the Rowlatt Satyagraha
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: The Rowlatt Act (1919) was based on recommendations of the Sedition Committee headed by Justice Sidney Rowlatt, which investigated revolutionary activities and recommended preventive detention powers.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Gandhi attempted to utilize the organizational networks of the Home Rule Leagues (led by Annie Besant and Tilak) to mobilize support for the Rowlatt Satyagraha (1919), though it wasn't the primary mobilization tool.
❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: Demonstrations against the Simon Commission occurred in 1928, while Rowlatt Satyagraha took place in 1919 – nearly 9 years apart, not coinciding.
Which one of the following movements have contributed to a split in the Indian National Congress resulting in the emergence of ‘moderates’ and ‘extremists’?
Detailed Explanation:
The Swadeshi Movement (1905-1908) led to the ideological split in the Indian National Congress between Moderates (Gokhale, Surendranath Banerjee) who favored constitutional methods and Extremists (Lal-Bal-Pal trio - Tilak, Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal) who advocated aggressive nationalism.
This split culminated in the Surat Session of 1907, where the Congress formally divided over differences in ideology and methodology. The other movements occurred after this split had already taken place.
Who of the following was/were economic critic/critics of colonialism in India?
- Dadabhai Naoroji
- Subramania Iyer
- R.C. Dutt
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Dadabhai Naoroji, the 'Grand Old Man of India', pioneered the 'Drain of Wealth' theory and authored 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India' (1901), demonstrating how British policies impoverished India.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: G. Subramania Iyer, co-founder of 'The Hindu', wrote 'Some Economic Aspects of British Rule in India' (1903), criticizing colonial economic exploitation and stagnation.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: R.C. Dutt, a retired ICS officer, authored 'The Economic History of India' (1902, 1904), documenting the negative impact of British land revenue systems and trade policies.
Consider the following statements :
- The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was Sarojini Naidu.
- The first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress was Badruddin Tyabji
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was Annie Besant in 1917 (Calcutta Session). Sarojini Naidu became the first Indian woman President in 1925 (Kanpur Session).
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Badruddin Tyabji was the first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress, presiding over the third session in 1887 (Madras).
Who of the following organized a march on the Tanjore coast to break the Salt Law in April 1930?
Detailed Explanation:
C. Rajagopalachari organized the Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha on the Tanjore coast in April 1930, inspired by Gandhi's Dandi March.
This march was part of the Civil Disobedience Movement in the Madras Presidency, where Rajaji led volunteers from Trichinopoly to Vedaranyam to break the Salt Law.
With reference to Congress Socialist Party, consider the following statements:
- It advocated the boycott of British goods and evasion of taxes.
- It wanted to establish the dictatorship of the proletariat.
- It advocated separate electorate for minorities and oppressed classes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: The Congress Socialist Party (CSP) focused on abolition of zamindari and socialistic reorganization, not on advocating tax evasion as a policy.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: The CSP was founded on democratic socialism principles in 1934 and explicitly rejected the dictatorship of the proletariat, working within the democratic framework of Congress.
❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: The CSP opposed separate electorates and advocated for joint electorates, believing that problems of minorities and oppressed classes should be addressed through economic and social reforms.
UPSC Prelims 2015 Questions Paper - Subject-wise Question Distribution
Indian Economy
18 Qs (18%)Environment & Ecology
18 Qs (18%)Indian Polity
14 Qs (14%)Science & Technology
10 Qs (10%)Modern History
8 Qs (8%)World Geography
7 Qs (7%)International Relations
7 Qs (7%)Indian Geography
6 Qs (6%)Current Affairs
4 Qs (4%)Medieval History
4 Qs (4%)Indian Art & Culture
4 Qs (4%)UPSC Prelims 2015 Question Paper - FAQs & Analysis
Q1 How many total questions were asked in UPSC Prelims 2015?
Q2 What is the subject-wise question breakdown for UPSC Prelims 2015?
- Indian Economy: 18 questions (18%)
- Environment & Ecology: 18 questions (18%)
- Indian Polity: 14 questions (14%)
- Science & Technology: 10 questions (10%)
- Modern History: 8 questions (8%)
- World Geography: 7 questions (7%)
- International Relations: 7 questions (7%)
- Indian Geography: 6 questions (6%)
- Current Affairs: 4 questions (4%)
- Medieval History: 4 questions (4%)
- Indian Art & Culture: 4 questions (4%)