UPSC Prelims 2016 Question Paper

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — 1, 2 and 3

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria by injecting their genetic material into bacterial cells.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Mycoviruses are viruses that specifically infect fungi, often causing latent infections without visible symptoms.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Plant viruses infect various plant species by hijacking cellular machinery, causing diseases like mosaic patterns and stunted growth.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — Electric plane tested by NASA

Greased Lightning-10 (GL-10) is an experimental hybrid-electric aircraft developed by NASA to test distributed electric propulsion and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities.

The GL-10 is a subscale, remotely-piloted aircraft that can take off like a helicopter and transition to fixed-wing flight, demonstrating future applications in unmanned cargo transport and surveillance.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — Torpedo launch and recovery vessel

INS Astradharini is India's first indigenously designed and built Torpedo Launch and Recovery Vessel (TLRV), commissioned in 2015 with 95% indigenous content.

It serves as a specialized platform for technical trials of underwater weapons like torpedoes and mines developed by NSTL, featuring a catamaran hull design for enhanced stability during weapon recovery operations.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — S. Ramanujan

The 2015 biographical film The Man Who Knew Infinity depicts the life of mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan and his collaboration with G.H. Hardy at Cambridge University during 1914-1919.

The film is based on Robert Kanigel's 1991 biography of the same name, chronicling Ramanujan's journey from poverty in Madras to becoming a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — Extremists' lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government

The Surat Split of 1907 occurred due to fundamental ideological differences between Moderates and Extremists. The Extremists (Tilak, Lal-Bal-Pal) rejected the Moderates' methods of petitions and constitutional agitation, believing they were ineffective in achieving Swaraj, especially after the 1905 Partition of Bengal failed to be reversed through moderate tactics.

The immediate trigger was the disagreement over Congress presidency — Extremists proposed Lala Lajpat Rai while Moderates insisted on Rash Behari Ghosh — leading to a complete organizational split at the Surat session.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — 2 and 3 only

❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: Calcutta Unitarian Committee was founded by William Adam and Raja Rammohun Roy in 1821, not by Keshab Chandra Sen.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Keshab Chandra Sen established the Tabernacle of New Dispensation on 24th January 1868 as his mandir, marking the first Brahmo street procession in Calcutta.

✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Indian Reforms Association was established by Keshab Chandra Sen in 1870 upon his return from Europe to promote social reforms including education, women's rights, and temperance.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — India should be given Dominion status

The Cripps Mission of March 1942, led by Sir Stafford Cripps, proposed that after World War II, India would be granted Dominion status with the right to frame its own constitution through a constituent assembly. The plan envisaged that provinces unwilling to join the Indian Union could form separate unions with their own constitutions. However, the plan did not promise immediate complete independence or partition; rather, it offered post-war Dominion status similar to that of Canada or Australia, allowing India to remain within the British Commonwealth. Both Congress and the Muslim League rejected the proposals—Congress demanded immediate independence, while the League found the provisions regarding separate unions inadequate. The mission ultimately failed to secure Indian cooperation for the war effort.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — Agitation against the Partition of Bengal

The 'Swadeshi' (use of indigenous goods) and 'Boycott' (of British goods and institutions) were first adopted as organized methods of political struggle during the Anti-Partition Movement (1905-1911). When Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal in 1905 to divide Hindus and Muslims, it sparked massive protests. Leaders like Surendranath Banerjee, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Lala Lajpat Rai mobilized people to boycott British textiles, promote indigenous industries, and establish Swadeshi enterprises. This movement marked the shift from petitioning to mass mobilization in India's freedom struggle. While earlier leaders had occasionally promoted indigenous goods, the systematic use of Swadeshi and Boycott as political weapons began with this movement. The Home Rule Movement (1916), Non-Cooperation Movement (1920), and Simon Commission protests (1928) came much later and adopted these methods after they had already been established.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — constitutional reforms

The Montagu-Chelmsford Proposals (1918) were recommendations for constitutional reforms in British India, presented by Edwin Montagu (Secretary of State for India) and Lord Chelmsford (Viceroy of India). These proposals formed the basis of the Government of India Act 1919, which introduced the system of dyarchy in provinces (dividing subjects into Transferred and Reserved categories), established bicameral legislature at the Centre (Council of State and Legislative Assembly), introduced direct elections for the first time (though with limited franchise), and separated provincial and central budgets. The reforms aimed at gradual introduction of responsible government in India.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — an anti-caste movement in Maharashtra

Satya Shodhak Samaj (Society of Truth Seekers) was founded by Jyotirao Phule in Pune, Maharashtra, on 24 September 1873. Its primary objective was to liberate the lower castes—Shudras, Dalits, and women—from Brahmanical domination and social exploitation. Phule challenged the caste system through his writings, notably 'Gulamgiri' (Slavery), and established institutions for the education of women and depressed classes. His wife Savitribai Phule led the women's section of the Samaj. The movement was distinctly an anti-caste reform initiative in Maharashtra, not related to tribal upliftment in Bihar, temple-entry in Gujarat, or peasant movements in Punjab.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — traders

Banjaras were nomadic trading communities during the medieval period who transported goods like salt, grain, and cattle across long distances using bullock caravans called tandas. They played a vital role in the internal trade network of the Indian subcontinent, moving goods between production centers and markets, and were especially important in supplying armies during military campaigns.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — Both 1 and 2

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Krishna Deva Raya's administration implemented a systematic land revenue system where tax rates varied according to land quality, fertility, and irrigation facilities. More productive and well-irrigated lands were taxed at higher rates, while less fertile lands attracted lower levies. This differential taxation ensured equity and maximized revenue collection.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: The Vijayanagara Empire under Krishna Deva Raya imposed taxes on various economic activities beyond agriculture. Private owners of workshops and industrial establishments paid specific industry taxes (vari-vasoolu or professional taxes). These levies on artisans, weavers, blacksmiths, and other craftsmen formed an important component of the state's non-agrarian revenue.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — waterwheel used in the irrigation of land

Araghatta was a traditional water-lifting device widely used in medieval India for irrigation purposes. It consisted of a large wheel fitted with pots or buckets along its rim, which were rotated by animal power (typically oxen or bullocks). As the wheel turned, the pots descended into a well or water source, filled with water, and then rose to empty the water into an irrigation channel or trough that distributed it to agricultural fields. This ingenious mechanism, also known as the Persian wheel or rahat, significantly improved agricultural productivity by enabling efficient irrigation in areas dependent on well water.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — 2 only

❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: The New Development Bank (NDB) was established by BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), not by APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). It was conceptualized at the fourth BRICS Summit in New Delhi (2012) and formally established at the sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil (2014).

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: The headquarters of the New Development Bank is located in Shanghai, China. The bank became operational in 2015 with the mandate to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging economies.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — Iran

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a regional political and economic union established on 25 May 1981. It consists of six Arab states of the Persian Gulf: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Iran, despite being a Gulf nation, is not a member of the GCC due to political, sectarian, and ideological differences with the Arab member states.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — agency of EU that provides financial assistance to eurozone countries

The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) is an intergovernmental organization established in September 2012 as a permanent financial assistance mechanism for eurozone member states facing financial difficulties. With a maximum lending capacity of €500 billion, it serves as a financial firewall to safeguard the stability of the eurozone by providing emergency loans and financial support to countries experiencing severe economic distress, subject to strict conditions and policy reforms.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — Both 1 and 2

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: The International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) is a key advisory body that discusses matters of concern affecting the global economy and advises the IMF on the direction of its work. It comprises 24 IMF governors (typically finance ministers or central bank governors) and meets twice a year to provide strategic guidance on the international monetary and financial system.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: The World Bank participates as an observer in IMFC meetings. This observer status facilitates coordination between the two Bretton Woods institutions on issues of mutual interest such as global economic stability, development finance, and poverty reduction. Other observers include representatives from various international organizations.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — 2 and 3

❌ Pair 1 – Kurd: Bangladesh – Incorrect: Kurds are a distinct ethnic group primarily inhabiting regions across Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. They have no significant presence in Bangladesh and are not associated with its affairs.

✅ Pair 2 – Madhesi: Nepal – Correct: Madhesis are Indo-Aryan communities residing in the Terai plains of southern Nepal. They have been politically active, often demanding greater representation and rights in Nepal's governance.

✅ Pair 3 – Rohingya: Myanmar – Correct: Rohingyas are a persecuted Muslim minority in Myanmar's Rakhine State. They have been in international news due to severe human rights violations and forced displacement to Bangladesh.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — 1 only

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: The India-Africa Forum Summit held in 2015 was indeed the third edition (IAFS-III). The first summit took place in New Delhi in 2008, the second in Addis Ababa in 2011, and the third in New Delhi in October 2015.

❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: The IAFS mechanism was not instituted in 1951 under Nehru's leadership. The India-Africa Forum Summit was formally established only in 2008 as a structured platform for India-Africa dialogue. While Jawaharlal Nehru championed Afro-Asian solidarity through initiatives like the 1947 Asian Relations Conference and the 1955 Bandung Conference, the IAFS is a separate 21st-century framework created six decades later.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — China

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also known as One Belt One Road (OBOR), is a massive global infrastructure development strategy launched by China in 2013. It aims to enhance connectivity and cooperation between Asia, Europe, Africa, and beyond through two main components: the Silk Road Economic Belt (overland routes) and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (sea routes). China invests in ports, railways, highways, and energy projects across participating countries to strengthen trade linkages and expand its economic influence globally.