2013

The Simon Commission, officially known as the Indian Statutory Commission, was appointed in 1927 to review the working of the Government of India Act, 1919. The primary reason for the intense agitation and the slogan "Simon Go Back" was that the commission consisted of seven British Members of Parliament and had no Indian members. This exclusion was seen as a violation of the principle of self-determination and an insult to the self-respect of Indians, as an all-white body was tasked with deciding India's constitutional future.

Statement 1 Incorrect: An amendment to the Constitution of India can be initiated by the introduction of a bill in either house of Parliament, the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha.

Statement 2 Incorrect: If an amendment seeks to make changes in the federal character of the Constitution, the amendment requires ratification by the legislatures of at least half of the States of India. This is a special provision to ensure a wider consensus for changes affecting the balance of power between the center and the states.

Acid rain is caused by the pollution of the environment by primarily sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

These pollutants are released into the atmosphere during the burning of fossil fuels, like coal, for electricity generation and from the exhaust of vehicles.

When they reach the atmosphere, they react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulphuric and nitric acid, which fall back to Earth as acid rain.

Dispersion, Refraction and Internal reflection are all involved.

| Phenomenon | Role in rainbow formation | |------------|---------------------------| | Refraction | Sunlight bends when it enters the raindrop and again when it exits, changing direction at each air–water boundary. | | Dispersion | Different wavelengths refract by slightly different angles, so the white light spreads into its constituent colours inside the drop. | | Internal reflection | Part of the dispersed light reflects from the rear surface of the droplet and heads back toward the observer, making the coloured arc visible. |

Thus, the combined effect of Refraction → Dispersion → Internal Reflection → Refraction in order produces the familiar rainbow spectrum.


Statement 1 is correct: The trees are very tall (up to 50 m or more) and grow close together, competing for sunlight. Their crowns form a dense, multilayered canopy that blocks most sunlight from reaching the ground.

Statement 2 is correct: Equatorial forests are the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. A single hectare can host hundreds of tree species, along with diverse fauna and microorganisms. This is due to stable climate and continuous growing season.

Statement 3 is correct: Epiphytes (plants growing on other plants) such as orchids, mosses, and ferns thrive here. The humid atmosphere and dense canopy support their growth on trunks and branches.


The species found in India among the given options are the Star Tortoise, Monitor Lizard, and Pygmy Hog.

1. Star Tortoise (*Geochelone elegans*): It is found in the dry scrub forests of India (specifically in the south and west), Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. 2. Monitor Lizard: India is home to four species: the Bengal Monitor, the Water Monitor, the Desert Monitor, and the Yellow Monitor. All four species are protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. 3. Pygmy Hog (*Porcula salvania*): It is the smallest and rarest wild pig in the world. Once found across the Himalayan foothills, it is now restricted to a few locations in India, primarily the Manas National Park in Assam. It is listed as Critically Endangered. 4. Spider Monkey: These are New World monkeys native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America (from southern Mexico to Brazil). They are not found in the wild in India.

Therefore, the correct answer is 1, 2, and 3 only.

According to Section 6(1) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, the Gram Sabha is the authority to initiate the process for determining the nature and extent of individual or community forest rights or both.

Key points regarding the process: 1. Initiation: The Gram Sabha receives and processes claims for forest rights, prepares maps of the claimed areas, and passes a resolution. 2. Verification: This resolution is then screened by the Sub-Divisional Level Committee (SDLC). 3. Final Approval: The District Level Committee (DLC) is the final authority that approves the record of forest rights.

While the Forest Department and Revenue officials are part of the committees at the sub-divisional and district levels, the power to initiate the process rests solely with the Gram Sabha.

Arsenic, fluoride, and uranium are naturally occurring elements that can leach into groundwater in some regions of India.

Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol not typically found as a pollutant in drinking water.

Formaldehyde is a synthetic compound used in various industrial processes and is not a common contaminant in groundwater.

Liquidity refers to how quickly and easily an asset can be converted into cash without loss of value. Let's analyze the given assets:

1. Demand deposits with the banks – These can be withdrawn anytime on demand. Highly liquid.

2. Time deposits with the banks – These cannot be withdrawn before maturity without penalty. Less liquid.

3. Savings deposits with the banks – Can be withdrawn but often require notice; slightly less liquid than demand deposits.

4. Currency – Cash is the most liquid form of asset.

Arranging in decreasing order of liquidity: Currency > Demand deposits > Savings deposits > Time deposits

Fruits remain biologically active even after harvesting. They continue to undergo respiration, a metabolic process in which stored sugars are broken down to release energy. This respiration accelerates ripening and eventual spoilage.

Cold storage works primarily by lowering temperature, which slows down enzymatic and metabolic processes inside the fruit. As temperature decreases, the rate of respiration decreases, delaying ripening and reducing microbial activity. This significantly increases the storage life of fruits.

Root hairs are extremely delicate, thin-walled outgrowths of the root epidermis that are primarily responsible for the absorption of water and minerals from the soil. During the process of transplantation, these fragile root hairs are often broken or lost. Without a sufficient number of root hairs, the seedling cannot absorb enough water to sustain itself in the new environment, which is why many transplanted seedlings fail to grow or survive.

Pair 1 is correctly matched: Limbu, the second most numerous tribe of the indigenous people called Kiranti, live in Nepal, on the easternmost section of the Himalayas east of the Arun River, and in northern India, mostly in the states of Sikkim, West Bengal, and Assam.

Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: Karbi people live in Assam and Meghalaya, not Himachal Pradesh.

Pair 3 is correctly matched: The Dongaria Kondh tribe is indigenous to Odisha.

Pair 4 is incorrectly matched: The Bonda tribe resides in the Malkangiri district of Odisha, not Tamil Nadu.

Statement 1 is Correct: Cotton is a major Kharif crop that requires high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, and 210 frost-free days for its growth. Statement 2 is Correct: Groundnut is a Kharif crop and is one of the most important oilseeds produced during the monsoon season in India. Statement 3 is Correct: Rice is a staple Kharif crop that requires high temperature (above 25°C) and high humidity with annual rainfall above 100 cm. Statement 4 is Incorrect: Wheat is a Rabi crop, which is sown in winter (October to December) and harvested in spring (April to June). It requires a cool growing season and bright sunshine at the time of ripening.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Natural gas in India is mostly found in Assam, Gujarat, and offshore basins (like Mumbai High). Gondwana beds are primarily coal-bearing formations, not major sources of natural gas.

Statement 2 is correct: Koderma district in Jharkhand is known as the "mica capital of India".

Statement 3 is incorrect: Dharwar rocks (in Karnataka and Maharashtra) are ancient metamorphic rocks, not petroleum-bearing formations.


Statement 1 is Correct: Desert plants (xerophytes) often have a thick, waxy cuticle on their leaves which acts as a physical barrier to minimize water loss through transpiration. Statement 2 is Correct: Many desert plants have very small leaves or shed them entirely to reduce the surface area exposed to the sun, thereby significantly inhibiting water loss. Statement 3 is Correct: In several arid species, leaves are modified into thorns or spines to minimize the surface area for transpiration and to protect the plant's stored water from herbivores.

Statement 1 is correct: Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red colouration, because of high iron oxide content.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Laterite is rich in iron and aluminium but poor in nitrogen, potash, potassium, lime, and organic matter. It is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Laterite soil is commonly found in areas of high altitude and heavy rainfall in Karnataka, TN, MP, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, and Meghalaya.


Statement 4 is correct: Plants like Cashew grow well along with Tapioca in this type of soil.

The correct answer is 1 only (Thermal difference between land and water).

Statement 1 is correct: Land heats up and cools down much faster than water. This is because water has a higher specific heat capacity, meaning it takes more energy to heat it up and more energy to cool it down. Coastal areas, being influenced by large water bodies, experience a moderating effect on temperature fluctuations. The temperature changes are more gradual throughout the year.

Statement 2 is incorrect: While altitude can affect temperature (higher altitude generally means cooler temperatures), this is not the primary reason for the difference between continental interiors and coasts. Both continents and oceans have variations in altitude.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Winds can play a role in influencing local temperatures, but their presence wouldn't explain the consistent pattern of higher annual ranges seen in continental interiors.

Statement 4 is incorrect: Rainfall patterns can affect temperature to some extent, but coastal areas often receive more rainfall compared to continental interiors. This wouldn't explain the higher annual range observed inland.

Demographic dividend refers to the economic growth potential that results from shifts in a population's age structure, specifically when the share of the working-age population (15 to 64 years) is larger than the non-working-age share. To reap the benefits of this transition, the expanding workforce must be productive and employable. Promoting skill development is essential to enhance the quality of human capital, ensuring that the labor force possesses the technical and vocational expertise required by the economy. Without adequate skills, a large working-age population can lead to unemployment and social instability rather than economic growth, a point emphasized in the 12th Five Year Plan and subsequent Economic Surveys.

Thermal Power: ~88% of annual industrial water consumption Engineering: ~5% of annual industrial water consumption Paper & Pulp: ~2.3% of annual industrial water consumption Textiles: ~2% of annual industrial water consumption

Industrial water consumption does not include water consumption of agriculture sector.

All of the listed phenomena (1-6) are responsible for bringing dynamic changes on the surface of the Earth.

Electromagnetic Radiation: Sunlight drives weather patterns, influences temperatures, and is crucial for plant life (photosynthesis).

Geothermal Energy: Heat from the Earth's core fuels volcanic activity, drives plate tectonics, and shapes landforms.

Gravitational Force: The Moon's gravity creates tides in our oceans, influencing coastlines and erosion.

Plate Movements: The movement of tectonic plates causes mountain formation, earthquakes, and continental drift, constantly reshaping the Earth's surface.

Rotation of the Earth: Earth's rotation creates day and night cycles, affecting weather patterns and influencing wind and ocean currents.

Revolution of the Earth: Earth's revolution around the Sun causes seasons, impacting temperatures and weather patterns globally.

These forces act together in a complex interplay, constantly sculpting and reshaping the Earth's surface over vast timescales.

The distribution of Earth's freshwater is a standard physical geography fact. The vast majority of freshwater is locked in ice caps, glaciers and permanent snow. Of the remaining unfrozen freshwater, the largest single reservoir is groundwater. Groundwater in aquifers, including shallow and deep systems, constitutes a much larger share than surface freshwater bodies like lakes and rivers, atmospheric moisture, or soil moisture. Thus option c, 'exists as groundwater', is the correct choice in conventional Earth water budget accounting.

To elaborate on magnitudes: glaciers and ice hold about 68-69% of global freshwater. The next largest store is groundwater, which holds roughly 30% of the freshwater after excluding ice, vastly exceeding the volumes in lakes, rivers, and the atmosphere. Freshwater lakes and rivers together constitute a very small percentage of total freshwater, and atmospheric water as moisture and clouds is negligible by volume compared with groundwater. Soil moisture is also a minor reservoir relative to groundwater. These quantitative relations are frequently tested in prelims and must be recalled accurately.

Why other options are wrong: option a, atmosphere, is attractive because we experience weather, but the atmosphere holds only a tiny fraction of freshwater at any time. Option b, lakes and rivers, contains important surface water but their combined volume is far smaller than groundwater. Option d, soil moisture, is critical for ecosystems and agriculture but is limited in total volume and residence time. Groundwater, in contrast, represents a large, relatively stable reservoir distributed in subsurface aquifers and thus dominates the non-ice freshwater stock.

Exam technique note: remember the two largest stores by far are ice and glaciers first, then groundwater. Many students mistakenly emphasize lakes and rivers because they are visible, but in objective tests you must prefer groundwater when asked about the largest share of remaining unfrozen freshwater. Therefore option c is the correct and defensible answer with high confidence.

Statement 1 is correct: The Narmada River flows through a linear rift valley, formed due to faulting and subsidence between two upland regions — the Vindhya Range (north) and the Satpura Range (south). This tectonic feature directs the river's flow toward the west.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The river indeed flows between the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, following the east–west oriented rift valley, But do not adequately explain why Narmada flows westward. Confinement could lead a river to flow in either direction.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The general slope of the Peninsular Plateau is from west to east, which is why most peninsular rivers (like Godavari, Krishna, and Mahanadi) flow eastward into the Bay of Bengal. The Narmada's westward flow is an exception due to its rift valley structure, not due to land slope.


The Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees relative to its path around the Sun. This tilt means that different parts of the Earth receive direct sunlight for varying lengths of time throughout the year, leading to seasonal changes in day and night length.

Hence, the correct answer is B.

Statement 1 is correct. Bagasse: This fibrous residue left after sugarcane juice extraction is a valuable biomass fuel. It can be burned to generate electricity or heat, often powering the sugar mills themselves.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Synthetic Fertilizers: Molasses don't directly contribute to the production of synthetic chemical fertilizers. These fertilizers are typically manufactured using chemical processes involving elements like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Statement 3 is correct. Molasses: While molasses isn't directly used to produce synthetic fertilizers, it can be fermented to create ethanol, a biofuel. Ethanol can be used as a transportation fuel or blended with gasoline.

Thus, statements 1 & 3 are correct while statement 2 is wrong.

- Fungi and Bacteria are decomposers. They breakdown organic matter into simple inorganic substances.

- Virus represents dormant life. They are metabolically inactive as long as they are outside a host body. They are not decomposers. They invade host cells and use their nucleus (DNA machinery) to carry out their life processes.

Article 37 The provisions contained in this Part shall not be enforceable by any court, but the principles therein laid down are nevertheless fundamental in the governance of the country and it shall be the duty of the State to apply these principles in making laws.

As article 37 is part of DPSP, thus correct answer is 'C'.

The Lok Sabha (Lower House) has the final say in the matter of Money Bill. Here's the process: - The Money Bill originates in the Lok Sabha. - The Lok Sabha passes the Money Bill. - The Bill is sent to the Rajya Sabha for recommendations. The Rajya Sabha can discuss the Bill and recommend amendments within 14 days.

Two scenarios can occur 1. Rajya Sabha returns the Bill without recommendations or with recommendations accepted by the Lok Sabha. The Bill is deemed to have been passed by both Houses of Parliament in its original or amended form. 2. Rajya Sabha recommends amendments that the Lok Sabha disagrees with (substantial amendments). The Lok Sabha can either accept the recommendations of the Rajya Sabha or reject them.

If the Lok Sabha rejects the amendments, the Bill is deemed to have been passed by both Houses in the form in which it was passed by the Lok Sabha (original form). Essentially, the Rajya Sabha's power to amend a Money Bill is limited. While they can propose recommendations, the Lok Sabha has the final authority to decide whether to accept or reject those changes.

The objective of 'Economic Justice' is explicitly enshrined in both the Preamble and the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP).

1. The Preamble: It aims to secure to all citizens of India Justice in three distinct forms: Social, Economic, and Political. Economic justice implies the elimination of inequalities in wealth, income, and property.

2. Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV): - Article 38: Directs the State to secure a social order for the promotion of the welfare of the people, specifically mentioning the need to strive for a social order permeated by social, economic, and political justice. - Article 39: Further reinforces economic justice by directing the State to ensure that citizens have an adequate means of livelihood and that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth.

Note on Fundamental Rights: While Fundamental Rights (Part III) ensure political and civil justice (like equality before the law), the specific mandate for 'Economic Justice' is primarily found in the Preamble and the DPSP.

Both statements are correct.

The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) plays a crucial role in ensuring equal access to justice for all in India.

Statement 1 is correct: NALSA's primary objective is to offer free and competent legal services to the underprivileged sections of society. This empowers them to navigate the legal system and fight for their rights, regardless of their financial background.

Statement 2 is correct: NALSA functions as the apex body, setting guidelines and frameworks for State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) to implement legal aid programs and initiatives throughout the country. These SLSAs operate at the state level to deliver legal services to the public.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Under Article 89 of the Constitution, the Vice-President is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and is not a member of the House. However, the Deputy Chairman is elected by the Rajya Sabha from among its members. Therefore, the Deputy Chairman is a member of the House, making the statement "both are not members" factually wrong.

Statement 2 is correct: The Electoral College for the President (Article 54) includes only elected members of Parliament. However, the Electoral College for the Vice-President (Article 66) consists of all members of both Houses of Parliament, including nominated members.