UPSC CSE Prelims
Current Affairs Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Solved Previous Year Questions (PYQs) for Current Affairs in UPSC CSE Prelims in English & Hindi Medium.
Chapter Breakdown: Scroll →
With reference to ‘National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- It is an organ of NITI Aayog.
- It has a corpus of Rs. 4, 00,000 crores at present.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 4 — Neither 1 nor 2
The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) is India's first sovereign wealth fund established by the Government of India in February 2015 to provide long-term capital for infrastructure projects. It is registered with SEBI as a Category II Alternative Investment Fund, not an organ of NITI Aayog.
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: NIIF is not an organ of NITI Aayog; it is an independent sovereign wealth fund registered with SEBI as an Alternative Investment Fund.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: The initial corpus was Rs. 20,000 crores from the Government of India as announced in Union Budget 2015-16, not Rs. 4,00,000 crores.
‘SWAYAM’, an initiative of the Government of India, aims at
Detailed Explanation:
SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) is a Government of India initiative that provides free online courses from class 9th to post-graduation level through MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), developed by IITs, IIMs, and central universities.
The platform offers video lectures, reading materials, self-assessment tests, and discussion forums at no cost, charging only a nominal fee for certificates—thus providing affordable and quality education to citizens for free.
‘Mission Indradhanush’ launched by the Government of India pertains to -
Detailed Explanation:
Mission Indradhanush was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in December 2014 to achieve full immunization coverage for children up to two years of age and pregnant women against seven vaccine-preventable diseases: Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Polio, Tuberculosis, Measles, and Hepatitis B.
Subsequent phases (IMI 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0) expanded coverage to reach unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children in remote and high-priority districts. This should not be confused with the Indradhanush Plan for Public Sector Banks.
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‘Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan’ is a national campaign to -
Detailed Explanation:
Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan is a national campaign launched in 2001 by civil society organizations to eradicate the practice of manual scavenging and rehabilitate manual scavengers by providing them dignity and alternative livelihoods.
The campaign includes initiatives like the Maila Mukti Yatra (March for Liberation from Manual Scavenging) that mobilized thousands of women to abandon this dehumanizing practice and demand their rights.
What is/are the purpose of ‘District Mineral Foundations” in India?
- Promoting mineral explorative activities in mineral-rich districts
- Protecting the interests of the persons affected by mining operations
- Authorizing State Governments to issue licenses for mineral exploration
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) were established under the MMDR Amendment Act, 2015, with the primary purpose of working for the interest and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining operations in the district.
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: DMFs are not meant for promoting mineral exploration; they focus on welfare of mining-affected communities.
❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: Licensing for mineral exploration is the responsibility of State Governments, not DMFs.
Regarding ‘Atal Pension Yojana’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- It is a minimum guaranteed pension scheme mainly targeted at unorganized sector workers
- Only one member of a family can join the scheme
- Some amount of pension is guaranteed for the spouse for life after the subscriber’s death.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Atal Pension Yojana (APY) is a minimum guaranteed pension scheme launched in 2015, primarily targeted at workers in the unorganized sector to provide old-age income security.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: There is no restriction on the number of family members who can join APY. Any eligible individual (aged 18-40 years with a savings bank account) can enroll independently.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: After the subscriber's death, the spouse receives the same pension amount for life. After both deaths, the accumulated pension wealth is returned to the nominee.
With reference to ‘Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- This initiative aims to demonstrate the improved production and post-harvest technologies and to demonstrate value addition techniques, in an integrated manner, with a cluster approach.
- Poor, small, marginal and tribal farmers have a larger stake in this scheme.
- An important objective of the scheme is to encourage farmers of commercial crops to shift to millet cultivation by offering them free kits of critical inputs of nutrients and micro-irrigation equipment.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: INSIMP (Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion), launched in 2011-12 under RKVY, demonstrates improved production and post-harvest technologies and value addition techniques using a cluster approach.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: The scheme primarily targets poor, small, marginal and tribal farmers in rainfed and arid regions where millets are traditionally cultivated, making them the largest stakeholders.
❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: INSIMP provides minikits of nutrients and plant protection to farmers within existing millet clusters but does not aim to shift commercial crop farmers to millet cultivation or offer free micro-irrigation equipment.
Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana is aimed at -
Detailed Explanation:
Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) was launched in 2015 to provide collateral-free loans to micro and small enterprises in the non-farm sector, bringing them into the formal financial system.
The scheme offers loans under three categories: Shishu (up to ₹50,000), Kishore (₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh), and Tarun (₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh), targeting unbanked entrepreneurs, street vendors, small traders, and self-employed individuals.
✅ Option 1 – Correct: MUDRA's primary aim is financial inclusion by bringing small entrepreneurs into formal banking channels.
❌ Option 2 – Incorrect: It focuses on non-farm sector enterprises, not crop cultivation loans for farmers.
❌ Option 3 – Incorrect: Pension schemes like PMVVY or NPS handle old-age pensions, not MUDRA.
❌ Option 4 – Incorrect: MUDRA provides direct loans to entrepreneurs, not funding to voluntary organizations.
With reference to ‘Stand Up India Scheme’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- Its purpose is to promote entrepreneurship among SC/ST and women entrepreneurs.
- It provides for refinancing through SIDBI.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Stand Up India Scheme aims to promote entrepreneurship among SC/ST and women by facilitating bank loans between ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore per branch for setting up greenfield enterprises.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: The scheme provides for a refinance window through SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) with an initial corpus of ₹10,000 crore to support lending institutions.
Which of the following is/are the indicator/indicators used by IFPRI to compute the Global Hunger Index Report?
- Undernourishment
- Child stunting
- Child mortality
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Detailed Explanation:
The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is computed using four indicators that measure multidimensional hunger: Undernourishment (share of population with insufficient caloric intake), Child Stunting (children under 5 with low height for age, reflecting chronic undernutrition), Child Wasting (children under 5 with low weight for height, reflecting acute undernutrition), and Child Mortality (deaths before fifth birthday).
The question asks about three indicators — Undernourishment, Child Stunting, and Child Mortality — all of which are used by IFPRI (now published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe) in GHI computation, making all three statements correct.
With reference to ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’, consider the following statements:
- Under this scheme, farmers will have to pay a uniform premium of two per cent for any crop they cultivate in any season of the year.
- This scheme covers post-harvest losses arising out of cyclones and unseasonal rains.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: PMFBY prescribes differential premium rates: 2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi crops, and 5% for commercial/horticultural crops. The premium is not uniform across all crops and seasons.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: PMFBY covers post-harvest losses (up to 14 days from harvesting) caused by cyclones and unseasonal rains, provided crops are kept in cut and spread condition in the field.
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.
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.
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.
The term ‘IndARC’ sometimes seen in the news, is the name of?
Detailed Explanation:
IndARC (India's Arctic Research Station) is India's first underwater observatory deployed in the Arctic region.
It was deployed in 2014 in Kongsfjorden fjord, Svalbard, Norway to study Arctic climate and its influence on the Indian monsoon system.