UPSC (PYQ)

UPSC 2010 Prelim 

1. A cuboid has six sides of different colours. The red side is opposite to black. The blue side is adjacent to white. The brown side is adjacent to blue. The red side is face down. Which one of the following would be the opposite of brown?

A.      Red

B.       Black

C.      White

D.      Blue

ANSWER: C

2. By a regulation in 1793, the District Collector was deprived of his judicial powers and made the collecting agent only. What was the reason for such regulation?

A.      Lord Cornwallis felt that the District Collector's efficiency of revenue collection would enormously increase without the burden of other work

B.       Lord Cornwallis felt that judicial power should compulsorily be in the hands of Europeans while Indians can be given the job of revenue collection in the districts

C.      Lord Cornwallis was alarmed at the extent of power concentrated in the District Collector and felt that such absolute power was undesirable in one person.

D.      The judicial work demanded a deep knowledge of India and a good training in law and' Lord Cornwallis felt that District Collector should be only a revenue collector

ANSWER: C

The judicial reforms undertaken by Lord Cornwallis laid a strong foundation in the British Indian administrative system in the year 1793. The judicial reforms of Cornwallis were documented in the famous Cornwallis Code.

However the new judicial reforms of Lord Cornwallis were based on the principle of Separation of Powers. Cornwallis at first sought to separate the revenue administration from the administration of justice. The collector used to be the head of the Revenue Department in a district and also enjoyed extensive judicial and magisterial powers.

However Cornwallis wanted Separation of Power and the Cornwallis Code divested the collector of all the judicial and the magisterial powers. Thus the Collectors were given only the power of the revenue administration according to the Cornwallis Code. A new class of officer called the District Judge was created to preside over the district Civil Court. The district judge was also given the magisterial and the police function. 

3. What is the principle by which a cooling system (Radiator) in a motor car works?

A.      Conduction only

B.       Convection

C.      Radiation only

D.      Both conduction & radiation

ANSWER: B

4. In a group of five persons A, B, C, D and E, there is a professor, a doctor and lawyer. A and D are unmarried ladies, and do not work. Of the married couple in the Group, E is the husband. B is the brother of A and is neither a doctor nor a lawyer. Who is the professor?

A.      B

B.       C

C.      A

      D. None of these

ANSWER: A

5. Half of the villagers of a certain village have their own houses. One - fifth of the villagers cultivate paddy. One-third of the villagers are literate. Four- fifth of the villagers are below twenty five. Then, which one of the following is certainly true?

A.      All the villagers who have their own houses are literate

B.       Some villagers under twenty five are literate

C.      A quarter of the villagers who have their own houses cultivate paddy

D.      Half of the villagers who cultivate paddy are literate

ANSWER: B