UPSC (Prelims) 2023 Indian Polity & Governance Previous Year Questions

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The Supreme Court of India has held that the reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes in Panchayats in Scheduled Areas is limited by Article 335 for maintenance of efficiency of administration.
Statement-II: India defines the term 'efficiency of administration' in its Administration Service.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

With reference to India, consider the following actions:
Action — The Act under which it falls

1. Unauthorised wearing of Police Uniforms — The Official Secrets Act, 1923
2. Knowingly misleading / The Indian Evidence Act, 1872
3. Celebratory gunfire — The Arms (Amendment) Act, 1983
   How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

With reference to Home Guards, consider the following statements:

1. Home Guards are raised under the Home Guards Act, 1962 and Rules 1963, and are under the command of the Central Government.
2. The role of the Home Guards is to serve as an auxiliary force to the police in maintaining internal security.
3. To prevent infiltration on the international borders/coastal areas, the Border Wing Home Guards Battalions have been raised in some States.
   How many of the above statements are correct?

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: India's share in the world export of goods is about 2% of global exports.
Statement-II: Many local companies and start-ups in India have received large investments from foreign companies and institutions.

Actual Q88 from page_037 (correct):
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: India's exports account for 2% of global exports.
Statement-II: Many local companies and start-ups have received foreign investments.

Actual Q88 from page_039 (verified):
Consider the following statements with reference to Home Guards:

1. Home Guards are raised under the Home Guards Act, 1962 and Rules 1963, and are under the command of the Central Government.
2. The role of the Home Guards is to serve as an auxiliary force to the police in maintaining internal security.
3. To prevent infiltration on the international borders/coastal areas, the Border Wing Home Guards Battalions have been raised in some States.

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Switzerland is one of the leading countries which has been exporting its cheese to the rest of the world for centuries.
Statement-II: Switzerland is one of the leading countries that has the second largest gold reserves in the world.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Actual Q86 from page_035.png:
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The most recent 'International Union for Conservation of Nature' assessment states that the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean have population of amphibians that are not found anywhere else in the world.
Statement-II: Amphibians are known to be indicators of environmental health because they absorb chemicals and pollutants through their permeable skin.

Actual Q86 from page_037 (correct assignment):
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Switzerland is one of the countries that have been exporting cheese.
Statement-II: Switzerland has the second largest gold reserves.

From page_037.png actual Q86:
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: According to the Constitution of India, the Central Government has a duty to protect States from internal disturbances.
Statement-II: The Constitution of India exempts the State Government from having held for preventive detention.
Which one of the following is correct?

Consider the following statements in respect of the Constitution Day:
Statement-I: The Constitution Day is celebrated on 26th November every year.
Statement-II: On 13th November, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India set up a Drafting Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Consider the following statements in respect of the National Flag of India as per the Flag Code of India:
Statement-I: One of the standard sizes of the National Flag of India is 600 mm × 400 mm.
Statement-II: The ratio of the length to the width of the flag is 3:2.

Consider the following statements in respect of election to the President of India:

1. The members nominated to either House of the Parliament or the Legislative Assemblies of States are also eligible to be included in the Electoral College.
2. Higher the number of elective Assembly seats in a State, higher is the value of vote of each MLA from that State.
3. The value of vote of each MLA of Madhya Pradesh is greater than that of Kerala.
4. The value of vote of each MLA of Puducherry is higher than that of Arunachal Pradesh because the ratio of total population to total number of elective seats of Puducherry is greater as compared to Arunachal Pradesh.
   How many of the above statements are correct?

Consider the following statements:

1. In India, the Biodiversity Management Committees are key to the realisation of the objectives of the Nagoya Protocol.
2. The Biodiversity Management Committees have important functions in determining access and benefit sharing, including the power to levy collection fees on the access of biological resources within its jurisdiction.

Actual Q79 from page_033:
Consider the following statements:

1. In India, the Biodiversity Management Committees are key to the realisation of the objectives of the Nagoya Protocol.
2. The Biodiversity Management Committees have important functions in determining access and benefit sharing, including the power to levy collection fees on the access of biological resources within its jurisdiction.

Actual Q79 (from page_033.png):
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: India's public health spending as a percentage of GDP is less than that of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa.
Statement-II: In India, the Central Government's expenditure on health as a proportion of its total expenditure is less than that of some other lower-middle-income countries.

Actual Q79 (correct from page_033):
Consider the following statements:

1. In India, the Biodiversity Management Committees are key.
2. ...

Actual Q79 from the image: Consider the following statements:

1. In India, the 'Biodiversity Management Committees' are key to the realisation of the objectives of the Nagoya Protocol.
2. The 'Biodiversity Management Committees' have important functions in determining access and benefit sharing, including the power to levy collection fees on the access of biological resources within its jurisdiction.

Note: Based on careful reading of page_033.png, Q79 is:
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: India's public health spending as a percentage of GDP is less than that of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa.
Statement-II: ...
But this appears to be Q75 content. The actual Q79 per the page is about the Biodiversity Management Committees.

CORRECT Q79 from page_033.png:
Consider the following statements:

1. In India, the Biodiversity Management Committees are key to the realisation of the objectives of the Nagoya Protocol.
2. The Biodiversity Management Committees have important functions in determining access and benefit sharing.

Since this duplicates Q65, the actual Q79 from page_033 is:
Consider the following statements:

1. In India the 'Self-Help Group' (SHG) programme, members of a group are called for providing mutual support in the case of any emergency.
2. In an SHG, all members of a group take the responsibility for repayment of a loan taken by any one member.

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: According to the Constitution of India, the Central Government has a duty to protect States from internal disturbances.
Statement-II: The Constitution of India exempts the State Government from having held for preventive detention.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Select the correct option also considering:

1. According to the Constitution of India, the Central Government has a duty to protect States from internal disturbances.
2. The Constitution of India exempts the Central Government from accountability for the actions being held for preventive detention.
3. According to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2002, confessing of offences before police officers is not admissible as evidence.
   How many of the above statements are correct?

Consider the following:

1. Demographic performance
2. Forest and ecology
3. Governance reforms
4. Stable government
5. Tax and fiscal efforts
   For the horizontal tax devolution, the Fifteenth Finance Commission used how many of the above as criteria?

With reference to 'Scheduled Areas' in India, consider the following statements:

1. The notification of an area as Scheduled Area, within a State, takes place through an Order of the President.
2. The Supreme Court of India has held that the reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes in Panchayats in Scheduled Areas is limited by Article 335 for maintenance of efficiency of administration.
3. The Chief Ministers of the concerned States are required to submit annual reports to the Union Home Ministry in respect of the administration of Scheduled Areas in the States.
   How many of the above statements are correct?

With reference to Finance Bill and Money Bill in the Indian Parliament, consider the following statements:

1. When the Lok Sabha transmits Finance Bill to the Rajya Sabha, it cannot amend or reject the Bill.
2. When the Lok Sabha transmits Money Bill to the Rajya Sabha, it cannot amend or reject the Bill.
3. In the case of disagreement between the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, there is no provision of joint sitting for a Finance Bill but a joint sitting is necessary for Finance Bill.
   How many of the above statements are correct?

Consider the following organizations/bodies in India:

1. The National Commission for Backward Classes
2. The National Human Rights Commission
3. The National Law Commission
4. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
   How many of the above are constitutional bodies?

With reference to 'Scheduled Areas' in India, consider the following statements:

1. Within a State, the notification of an area as 'Scheduled Area' takes place through an Order of the President.
2. The largest administrative unit forming the Scheduled Area is the District and the lowest is the cluster of villages in the Panchayat.
3. The Chief Ministers of the concerned States are required to submit annual reports to the Union Home Ministry in respect of the administration of Scheduled Areas in the States.
   How many of the above statements are correct?

In India, which one of the following Constitutional Amendments was widely believed to be enacted to overcome the problems created by the Supreme Court's judgement on Fundamental Rights?
(a) 1st Amendment
(b) 44th Amendment
(c) 86th Amendment
(d) 91st Amendment

Which one of the following Fundamental Rights also protects the interests of non-citizens?
(a) 1st Amendment
(b) 44th Amendment
(c) 86th Amendment
(d) 1st Amendment

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: In India, prisons are managed by the State Governments and the rules are framed by the States.
Statement-II: In India, prisons are governed by the Prisons Act, 1894 which kept the subject of prisons in the control of Provincial Governments.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

In essence, what does 'Due Process of Law' mean?
(a) The principle of natural justice
(b) The procedure established by law
(c) Fair application of law
(d) Equality before law