UPSC Prelims 1988 questions (GS Paper 1)

128 questions from the UPSC Prelims 1988 (GS Paper 1), each on its own page with its options and the NCERT chapters that teach it. The two most recent years are free to read in full.

Q1Match the columns: List I List II Forms Quantities A. Cusec 1. Pressure B. Byte 2. Intensity of earthquakes C. Richter 3. Rate of flow D. Bar 4. Computer memory
Q2Match the columns: List I List II Names of instruments The quantities they measure A. Anemometer 1. Speed of rotation B. Ammeter 2. High temperatures C.…
Q3Match the columns: List I List II A. Bauxite 1. Lead B. Haematite 2. Thorium C. Galene 3. Aluminium D. Monazite 4. Computer memory
Q4Out of the following industries in India, the maximum number of workers are employed in
Q5The rate of exchange of Indian rupee is linked with
Q6The Indian Air Force has MIG planes. The most advanced version of MIG at present is called
Q7Which one of the following bodies finalises the Five-Year Plans proposals ?
Q8Neutron was discovered by
Q9Match the columns: List 1 List 2 A. Land of Rising Sun 1. Korea B. Land of Midnight Sun 2. Finland C. Land of Thousand 3. Japan Lakes D. Land of Thunderbolt…
Q10Which of the following is/are correctly matched ? Persons Events 1. Keshab Chandra Sen Prarthana Samaj 2. Mahadev Govind Ranade Brahmo Samaj 3. Swami…
Q11By sex ratio, we mean
Q12An ad-valorem duty is a tax on the basis of
Q13Match the columns: List 1 List 2 Organic acids Substances in which they are present A. Lactic acid 1. Lemon B. Acetic acid 2. Rancid butter C. Citric acid 3.…
Q14Match the columns: List 1 List 2 Authors Books A. Mahatma Gandhi 1. India Divided B. Ram Manohar Lohia 2. India Wins Freedom C. Dr. Rajendra Prasad 3. Hind…
Q15‘Economic Justice’, as one of the objectives of the Indian Constitution, has been provided in the
Q16Seasonal migration of men and animals from lower to higher altitudes during the summer is known as
Q17The Constitution of India provides for the nomination of two members to the Lok Sabha by the President to represent
Q18The newly discovered high temperature superconductors are
Q19The drugs caffeine, tannin and nicotine are
Q20A political party is recognised as a national party
Q21Corals is/are
Q22Ordinary dry air consists of the following: (1) Nitrogen (2) Oxygen (3) Argon (4) Carbon dioxide What is the decreasing sequence of these in percentages ?
Q23Dakshin Gangotri is a/an
Q24The allocation of seats for each State in the present Lok Sabha is based on the
Q25The type of crop which is able to fix nitrogen from air is known as
Q26Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched ?
Q27About 1.5 crore people are added every year to the total population of India. This means that we are adding every year a population equal to that of
Q28The location of ‘X’ in the map represents the port of
Q29The area marked ‘Y’ in the map represents
Q30The latitude marked AA in the map represents
Q31Indian Standard Time (I.S.T.) is determined according to the local time of which one of the following longitudes ?
Q32Charakasamhita is a work on
Q33Let \(E_{D}\), \(E_{P}\) and \(E_{S}\) denote efficiency of a diesel, a petrol and a steam engine respectively. Which of the following is correct ?
Q34The resolving power of an electron microscope is much higher than that of an ordinary light microscope because resolving power increases
Q35The saliva helps in the digestion of
Q36Which one of the following is a nonmetallic mineral ?
Q37Which one of the following has the lowest density of population per sq. km according to the 1981 census ?
Q38Which of the following chemicals in automobile exhaust can cause cancer ?
Q39Man passed from the food gathering stage to the food producing stage in the
Q40Gujarat has experienced drought for four consecutive years because of
Q41The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts its programmes on the 25 metre band. Which one of the following is the frequency of this transmission ?
Q42Which one of the following countries has tricameral legislature with one House for ethnic group ?
Q43Who among the following have a right to vote in the Vice-Presidential election but not in the Presidential election?
Q44Among the sources of energy listed below which one is non-conventional in present day rural India?
Q45The oldest Hindu epic is
Q46Assume that the consumer price index (1970 = 100) is at present 500. This means that
Q47Amniocentesis is a method for
Q48Which one of the following is not correctly matched?
Q49The below diagrams show the position of the Earth, the Moon and the Sun where
Q50If camera A has f 4.5 lens and camera B has f 2.8 lens, and the diameters of both the lenses are equal, then
Q51Near the banks of which one of the following rivers, the excavation in recent years has brought to light that Indus Valley Civilisation percolated to far…
Q52A private company is faced with the problem of setting up a cement plant. Which of the factors given below should be taken into consideration for this…
Q53Sculptures of the Mathura School of Art, which flourished in the early centuries of the Christian Era, are made out of
Q54Who among the following Bhakti leaders used the medium of dance and songs (Kirtans) to make one feel the personal presence of god near him ?
Q55A recently developed technique for monitoring foetal growth uses
Q56A balloon filled with air is weighed (W) so that it just floats in water. When it is further pushed by a short distance in water, it will
Q57Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ?
Q58The major ingredient of leather is
Q59Seawater is saltier than rain water because
Q60A free floating astronaut ‘A’ pushes another free floating astronaut ‘B’ in space. The mass of ‘A’ is greater than that of ‘B’. The force exerted by the…
Q61Who among the following was not sent to Lanka for the propagation of Buddhism ?
Q62Consider the diagram below: Letters A, B, C and D in the diagram represent sequential arrangement of basic topographical features along a coast. Identify the…
Q63On the Moon, astronauts inflate a rubber balloon with hydrogen gas and release it at a height of 2 metres. The balloon will
Q64Akbar found the Din-i-Ilahi primarily to
Q65If S denotes sound energy, E denotes electrical energy, M denotes magnetic energy, the correct representation of recording and reproduction in an audio tape…
Q66Apart from Tamil Nadu (Neyveli), lignite is found at
Q67Who among the following has the right to speak and otherwise take part in the proceedings of either House of the Parliament and to be a member of…
Q68The places Alwaye, Koyna and Korba have
Q69The principal cause of soil damage in Punjab and Haryana is
Q70The phenomenon of mirage is due to
Q71The Mausoleum of Sher Shah is at
Q72Which one of the following States doesn’t produce a substantial quantity of cardamom?
Q73The Lingayat movement owes its origin to
Q74Which one of the following is NOT an affiliate of the Reserve Bank of India?
Q75Fog is common around Newfoundland coast because
Q76Albuquerque captured Goa from the ruler of
Q77Which of the following is/are true of bonded labour? (1) It is forced employment in consideration of an advance or interest payment (2) It is employment…
Q78The British rulers introduced a new system of education in India chiefly because they wanted to
Q79The limit beyond which stars suffer internal collapse is called
Q80Which one of the following was the most immediate factor for the spread of Swadeshi and Boycott agitation during the first decade of the present century ?
Q81Which of the following are under the purview of Industrial Development Bank of India? (1) Unit Trust of India (2) Life Insurance Corporation of India (3)…
Q82Water hyacinth is related to
Q83One of the elements mentioned as the strategy for industrial development in the Seventh Five-Year Plan is to usher in ‘sunrise industries’. ‘Sunrise…
Q84The earliest evidence of a Jewish community settling in India is provided by a charter of a
Q85Which one of the following pairs is NOT correctly matched?
Q86Mechanisation of agriculture will lead to which of the following ? (1) Higher per unit cost of operation (2) Higher per unit productivity (3) Higher dose of…
Q87The Oscar award winning film ‘Platoon’ was based on
Q88Which of the following statements are true of the Congress Socialist Party ? (1) It was a forum for various kinds of Socialists in India. (2) It was a rival…
Q89If there were no atmosphere, what would be the colour of sky ?
Q90The ‘Char Minar’ is in
Q91In which of the following industries in India are the maximum number of workers employed ?
Q92Match the columns: List 1 List 2 A. Rig Veda 1. Musical hymns B. Yajur Veda 2. Hymns and rituals C. Sama Veda 3. Charms and spells D. Atharva Veda 4. Hymns…
Q93Match the columns: List 1 List 2 A. Karsondas Mulji 1. Tatvabodhini Patrika B. Dadabhai Naoroji 2. Satya Prakash C. Debendranath Tagore 3. Fight for legal…
Q94Match the columns: List 1 List 2 A. Amaravati 1. Hoysalas B. Aihole 2. Cholas C. Thanjavur 3. Satavahanas D. Halebid 4. Chalukyas 5. Pandyas
Q95Match the columns: List 1 List 2 (Leaders) (Views on the Cripps Missions proposals in 1942) (A) Nehru (1) Postdated cheque (B) Ambedkar (2) The autocratic…
Q96Match the columns: List 1 List 2 A. Qutub Minar 1. Mohamed Adil Shah B. Gol Gumbaj 2. Iltutmish C. Buland Darwaza 3. Aurangzeb D. Moti Masjid 4. Jahangir 5.…
Q97Match the columns: List 1 List 2 A. Morley-Minto Reforms 1. Dyarchy in the Provinces B. Montague Reforms 2. Provincial Chelmsford Autonomy C. Reform Act of…
Q98Match the columns: List 1 List 2 (Lakes) (States) A. Wular 1. Rajasthan B. Chilka 2. Orissa C. Loktak 3. Manipur D. Nakki 4. Jammu and Kashmir 5. Madhya Pradesh
Q99Match the columns: List 1 List 2 A. Madan Mohan Malviya 1. Ghadr Movement B. Sohan Singh Bhakna 2. Swatantra Party C. Annie Besant 3. Hindu Mahasabha D.…
Q100Match the columns: List 1 (State) List 2 (Soil) A. Maharashtra 1. Alluvial B. Karnataka 2. Lateritic C. Uttar Pradesh 3. Red D. Assam 4. Black
Q101Match the columns: List 1 List 2 (Industry) (Places) A. Pottery 1. Firozabad B. Bangles 2. Trivandrum C. Wooden carvings 3. Bhagalpur D. Silk 4. Mirzapur
Q102Match the columns: List 1 List 2 (Artiste) (Instrument) A. Ali Akbar Khan 1. Flute B. Yehudi Menuhin 2. Sarod C. Ravi Shankar 3. Sitar D. H. P. Chaurasia 4.…
Q103Assertion (A): In the ancient period of Indian history, urbanisation was followed by pastoral life. Reason (R): The Harappan Culture was an urban one.
Q104Assertion (A): Earthworms are useful to man. Reason (R): Earthworms help in Nitrogen Fixation in plants.
Q105Assertion (A): The Indian Constitution closely follows the British parliamentary model. Reason (R): In India the Upper House of the Parliament has judicial…
Q106Assertion (A): The Zamindari Settlement was introduced by Lord Cornwallis. Reason (R): The British desired to create a landed class in India for support.
Q107Assertion (A): A dry cell cannot be recharged. Reason (R): The chemical reaction in a dry cell is reversible.
Q108Assertion (A): Detergents can easily remove oil and dirt from soiled garments. Reason (R): Detergents increase the surface tension of water.
Q109Assertion (A): In the 19th century, India became a victim of colonialism. Reason (R): Industrial Revolution resulted in the need for more and more markets.
Q110Assertion (A): Red phosphorous is preferred to white phosphorous in the manufacture of matches. Reason (R): Red phosphorous is nonpoisonous in nature.
Q111Two distributions ‘X’ and ‘Y’ of the same area and mean are plotted below: From the diagram, it can be concluded that
Q112Diet is the name of the Parliament in
Q113If there were no organic life on the Earth, the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere will
Q114Acid rain is caused by pollution of environment by
Q115Which one of the following is a breed of cattle famous for high milk yield as well as draught capacity ?
Q116Ice skating can be used to demonstrate that when ice is under pressure, its
Q117Which of the following are features of Mughal Style of architecture ? (1) Curvilinear roof (2) Flat roof (3) Domes (4) Arches Choose the correct answer from…
Q118Which of the following is not an element of the bone ?
Q119The climate in the shaded area of the map is of
Q120The vegetation of the area dotted on the map is
Q121The river (R) shown on the map is
Q122Regional Rural Banks are designed to work in which one of the following ideals ?
Q123Which one of the following commodities has the highest production in India ?
Q124Even when our food grain production has increased from 50 to 150 million tonnes during the last three decades, the progress has been quite unsatisfactory on…
Q125River Luni drains into
Q126The Contra rebels are active in
Q127Which of the following rivers has a ‘bird’s foot’ delta ?
Q128Inspection and dissection of a body after death in human beings as for determination of cause of death is called