NEW! The Gist (FREE) | E-BOOKS |

HOT! UPSC 2024-2025 COMPLETE STUDY NOTES

(Exam Paper) UPSC IAS Mains 2010: General Studies

NEW! UPSC MAINS G.S. SOLVED PAPERS (LAST 15 Years)

(Exam Paper) UPSC IAS Mains 2010: General Studies

Paper - I

1. Answer the following (in about 250 words for each answer): 20 × 2 = 40

(a) “Disputes between the- riparian states on sharing of river waters in post- Independence India are becoming increasingly complex.” Objectively analyse the major disputes in this connection, with special reference to the Southern States.

(b) Critically examine the differing estimates for (i) poverty figures, and (ii) GDP growth data for April-June 2010, that have been in the news recently. In your view, what estimates are more reflective of the ground reality, and why ?

2. Answer any TWO of the following in about 150 words each: 12 × 2 = 24

(a) “Dalhousie’s predecessors had acted on the general principles of avoiding annexations, if these could be avoided. Dalhousie acted on the principles of annexation, if lie could do so legitimately. His annexations were both of war and peace.” Analyse.

(b) With respect to Cooperative Societies what are the salient features of the 106th and 111th Constitutional Amendment Bills as at present?
(c) “Small-holder farms need to be strengthened to achieve national food security.” Do you agree with this assessment? Substantiate.

3. Answer any TWO of the following in about 150 words each: 12 × 2 = 24

(a) Comment on the spatial components in urban solid waste management in the country.
(b) Assess the contributions made by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in agricultural development.
(c) List the significant local storms of the hot-weather season .F in the country and bring out their socio-economic impact.

4. Answer any TWO of the following in about 150 words each: 12 × 2 = 24

(a) What are the grounds of disqualification of a Member of Parliament from either House? Quote relevant provisions in your answer.
(b) Distinguish between the objectives, structure and functioning of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan’ and the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti
(c) Bring out the salient features of the evolution and the current status of the ‘Bharat Stage’ vehicle emission norms in the country.

5. Write brief but precise notes on any SIX of the following. Your answer should not exceed 50 words in each case. 5 × 6 = 30

(a) Transhumance in India
(b) Frontogenesis and Frontolysis
(c) Golden Revolution
(d) Sea-floor spreading
(e) Legislative powers assigned to the Rajya Sabha under Art. 249 and Art. 312 of the Constitution
(f) Causes for dominant dendritic pattern of drainage in the Gangetic plains
(g) ‘Break-of-bulk” towns

6. Answer any THREE of the following in about 150 words each: 12 × 3 = 36

(a) While bringing out their salient features, distinguish between either ‘Madhubani’ Art and ‘Manjusha’ Art or ‘Rajasthani’ schools of painting and the ‘Pahari’ school of Painting.
(b) Bring out the powers and responsibilities attached to the office of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
(c) Distinguish between the following four literary awards:

(i) Jnanpith Award
(ii) Sahitya Akademi Award
(iii) Vyas Samman
(iv) Saraswati Summan
(d) After the September Ist changes, do you think that Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs) and Mutual Funds (MFs) are on a level playing field ? Substantiate your answer from the perspective of an ordinary investor.

7. Answer any FIVE of the following in about 150 words each: 12 x 5 = 60

(a) What do you understand by ‘repo rate’ and ‘reverse repo rate? What are the implications in raising these rates?
(b) “Cost-benefit analysis should not be the sole consideration, while deciding to host events like the Commonwealth Games.” Critically comment on this perspective.
(c) List any eight ‘Ramsar’ wetland sites located in India. What is the ‘Montreux Record’ and what Indian sites are included in this Record?
(d) Are the ‘Dedicated Freight Corridor’ railway project and the ‘Golden Quadrilateral’ road project mutually complementary or competitive ? Assess.
(e) “Upliftment of the neglected sections of society will be best served with many more centers of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University:” Expand on the assertion made.
(f) Comment on the salient features of the recent (-aft Model Real Estate (Regulation of Development) Ac of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation of the Central Government.

8. Answer each of the following, briefly but precisely. Each answer should be less than 50 words. 5 × 6 = 30

(a) How is disagreement between the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly of a State in passing of an ordinary Bill, resolved?
(b) Comment on the recent HFC-23 emissions controversy that includes in its ambit some Indian companies.
(c) Comment on the recommendations of the Wadhwa Commission on the Public Distribution System.
(d) What are the salient features of The National Oil Soil Disaster Contingency Plan?
(e) You arrive first at, the scene where a bus accident as just occurred. What emergency measures should immediately and safely adopt?
(f) Bring out the sectoral and state-wise distribution patterns of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows into the country.

9. Write brief notes on each of the following, in about 20 words each: 2 × 8 = 1

(a) Contributions of Latika Ghosh to the freedom struggle
(b) Bhai Maharaj Singh as a freedom fighter
(c) Chandrayaan-II
(d) Agni-V
(e) Babli Project
(f) ‘SwavaJamban’ Scheme
(g) National Investment Fund
(h) ‘Aerostat’ balloon

10. Who are the following and why have been in the news recently? (Each answer should not exceed 20 words) : 2 × 8 = 16

(a) Divya Ajithkumar
(b) N.C. Saxena
(c) Islam A. Siddiqui
(d) Swarnalatha Cherukutty
(e) Nitin Nohria
(f) Deepak Mondal
(g) Gaurav Singh Saini
(h) Upendra Limaye

Paper - II

1. Answer the following in not more than 250 words each: 20 × 2 = 40

(a) Critically examine the implications of the disintegration of the Soviet Union on India’s security and strategic perspectives. What further responses would you suggest in India’s foreign policy to accommodate these implications?

(b) Evaluate India’s approach towards meeting the country’s growing energy demands. Compare the success of this approach with that of another Asian giant which has perhaps the fastest growing energy demands.

2. Answer any FOUR of the following in not more than 150 words each : 12 × 4 = 48

(a) How far have Japan’s principles of Hikaku San Gensoku impacted bilateral ties with India?
(b) Assess the contributions of Indian Diaspora in the Caribbean.
(c) Do you agree with the view that Israel is a ‘natural ally’ ; of India?
(d) Bring out the FDI and employment implications of China being a manufacturing hub and India a services hub?
e) Have the Uruguay Round negotiations and the resultant Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement helped in resolving trade conflicts arising out of variations in different nations’ IPR regimes? Also list the steps taken by India to conform to TRIPS.
(f) Examine the recent developments towards the solution of the Bangladesh- Myanmar maritime boundary dispute. What implications do these have for India?

3. Answer any EIGHT of the following in not more than 50 words each : 5 × 8 = 40

(a) Compare and contrast the role of the IMF with that of the World Bank.
(b) What are the major capacity-building and reconstruction projects being undertaken by India in Afghanistan?
(c) Bring out the significance of GDI and GEM as components of the UN’s Human Development Report (HDR). Comment on India’s relative rankings with regard to HDI and GDI.
(d) What is ‘Round Tripping’ in the context of FDI inflow, and why has it been in the news recently in the case of India?
(e) Comment on the reason for the recent hike in visa processing fees for certain categories of US visas. What is the likely impact of this hike on India?
(f) In the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), distinguish between ‘Annex I’ and ‘Annex II’ countries.
(g) Highlight the role of the Indian peacekeeping contingent as part of MONUSCO.
(h) List the salient features of the Riyadh declaration and the bilateral agreements between India and Saudi Arabia signed earlier this year.
(i) Comment on the reasons for the recent economic crisis in the so-called ‘PIGS’ countries of Europe.

4. Answer any TWO of the following in not more than 150 words each : 12 × 2 = 24

(a) Examine the opportunities for a lasting West Asia peace solution in the context of the ‘historic’ talks started in September 2010.
(b) Has the February agreement between the Sudanese government and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) been more successful in ending the strife in Darfur than the Abuja peace agreement of 2006 “? Evaluate.
(c) Comment on the present status of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). What important issues, do you think, need to be taken up at the seventh review conference of the BWC scheduled for 2011?

5. Answer any FOUR of the following in not more than 150 words each : 12 × 4 = 48

(a) Bring out the applications of computer models in studying climate changes, with special reference to the Community Earth System Model (CESM).
(b) What is phytoremediation ? Discuss its applications.
(c) Explain and differentiate among ‘Plasma’, ‘LCD’ and ‘LED’ television technologies.
(d) What is ‘cloud computing’? Bring out its essential features and list its advantages and limitations.
(e) Discuss the applications of nanotechnology in the health care sector.

6. Comment on any THREE of the following in not more than 50 words each: 5 × 3 = 15

(a) Rotterdam Convention
(b) The Mavi Marmara incident
(c) Significance of the Kampala declaration of the International Criminal Court (ICC)
(d) Trial chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) and its recent verdict.

7. Comment on any SIX of the following in not more than 50 words each : 5 × 6 = 30

(a) MRSA infection
(b) HRP-2M Choromet
(c) Maglev vehicles
(d) Super absorbent polymers (SAP)
(e) Ginkgo biloba
(f) CARTOSAT-2B
(g) Various generations of mobile phone technology

8. Who/What are the following and why have they been in the news recently? (Your answers should be in a sentence or two only): 3 × 8 = 24

(a) Craig Venter
(b) Shahran Amid
(c) Wolfram Alpha
(d) ‘Dreamliner’ aircraft
(e) Blue gene project
(f) ‘Predator’ drones
(g) ‘Deepwater Horizon’ incident
(h) ACTN 3 gene

(a) The distribution of rent of 150 residential houses surveyed in a locality is as follows

Rent in Rs.     Number of Houses
101-150         10
151-200         18
201-250         27
251-300         35
301-350         30
351-400         16
401-450         8
451-500         6

Find : (i) The percentage of houses having rent higher than ‘ 300.
(ii) The percentage of houses having rent more than 1 250 but less than Z 401. 5

(b) Workout the trend values by any suitable method from the following data showing the number of murders (in thousand) in a country for the years 1985-1995.

If the total proposed outlay on different heads is rs. 4,34,100 crores at 1991-92 prices, obtain separately the proposed outlay on each of the heads and make an overall comment. 4

(d) Represent the following data through a suitable diagram:

10.

(a) Data on flight arrivals from several cities for two airlines are shown below for the last six months. 5
Table : Citywise “ontime and delayed flights” for airlines A and B

It is known that City II was mostly sunny and City V was mostly foggy during the six month period of data collection. Compare the performance of the two airlines A and B over the cities, in terms of percentage of delayed flights. What is your conclusion when the data on all the cities are combined.

(b) The arithmetic mean of two observations is 127.5 and their geometric mean is 60. Find (i) the two observations and (ii) their harmonic— mean. 3

(c) The following table shows the number of bushels of wheat and corn produced in a farm during the years 1950-1960.Express the yearly number of bushels of wheat and corn as percentages of total annual production. Graph the percentages by suitable bar charts and comment. 4

(d) Following are the maximum daily temperature (°C) recorded in a week in a particular city :

38, 40, 36, 35, 30, 32, 34

During that week the average maximum daily temperature in another city was 92°F Determine which city on the average, has higher maximum daily temperature during that week.