(Prelims) IAS General Studies – 1993 (Part 10)

136. Among the four pairs given below which one consists of a correct combination of dignitaries who became Vice-Presidents after having held diplomatic posts like Ambassador and High Commissioners?

a. Dr. S Radhakrishnan and, G S Pathak

b.Dr S Radhakrishnan and V V Giri

c. Dr. Zakir Hussain and K R Narayanan

d. B D Jatti and K R Narayanan

Ans: c

137. The theory of jumping genes was propounded by

a. Gregor Johann Mandel

b. Thomas Hunt Morgan

c. Barbara McClintock

d. Watson and Crick

Ans: c

• A transposable element (TE or transposon) is a DNA sequence that can change its position within the genome, sometimes creating or reversing mutations and altering the cell’s genome size. Transposition often results in duplication of the TE. Barbara McClintock’s discovery of these jumping genes earned her a Nobel prize in 1983.

138. Sucrose content in sugarcane decreases

a. if high rainfall occurs during the period of growth of the plant

b. if frost occurs during the period of ripening

c. if there is fluctuation in temperature during the period of growth of the plant

d. if there is high temperature during the time of ripening

Ans: a

139. Which one of the following statements is correct?

a. Neither the Finance Commission nor the Planning Commission is a constitutional body

b. The scope of the Finance Commission is limited to a review of the revenue segment of the budget while the Planning Commission takes an overall review embracing both capital and revenue requirements of the States

c. No one can be a member of both the Finance Commission and the Planning Commission at the same time

d. There is no overlapping of work and responsibility of the Finance Commission and those of the Planning Commission

140. Assertion (A): Babur wrote his memoirs in Turki.

Reason (R): Turki was the official language of the Mughal Court.

In the context the above two statements which one of the following is correct?

a. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

b. Both A and R are true but R is NOT a correct explanation of A

c. A is true but R is false

d. A is false but R is true

Ans: c

• Persian was court language of Mughal court

141. Which one of the following is a man made cereal NOT found in nature?

a. Dwarf wheat

b. Hybrid maize

c. Triticale

d. Soybean

142. The only land-locked country in Southeast Asia is

a. Laos

b. Thailand

c. Malaysia

d. Kampuchea

Ans: a

143. Sugarcane, sugarbeet, sweetpea, chickpea, pigeonpea and French bean belong to

a. two plant families

b. three plant families

c. four plant families

d. five plant families

Ans: b

144. The production of cultured pearls is an important cottage industry of

a. Belgium

b. West India

c. New Zealand

d. Japan

Ans: d

145. When partial convertibility obtains, the exchange rate is

a. a weighted average

b. a simple average

c. fully floating

d. fully administered

Ans: a

146. Which one of the following is a monument constructed by Sher Shah?

a. Kila-i-Kuhna mosque at Delhi

b. Atala masjid at Jaunpur

c. Bara Sona masjid at Gaur

d. Quwwat-al-Islam mosque at Delhi

Ans: a

• The single-domed Qila-i-Kuna Mosque, built by Sher Shah in 1541 is an excellent example of a pre-Mughal design, and an early example of the extensive use of the pointed arch in the region as seen in its five doorways with the ‘true’ horseshoe-shaped arches.
• The Jaunpur Atala Masjid was built by Sultan Ibrahim (1401–1440), Sharqi Sultan of Jaunpur on foundations laid during the reign of Tughluq Sultan Firuz Shah III (1351–1388). Construction started in 1377 and was completed in 1408. A Madarsa named Madarsa Din Dunia is housed in central courtyard of the mosque.
• Baro Shona Masjid (The Great Golden Mosque) also known as Baroduari (12-gate mosque), is located in Gour, India. Completed in 1526. The construction of baro sona mosque was started by Alauddin Husain Shah and was completed in 1526 AD by his son Nasiruddin Nusrat Shah.
• Quwwat-ul-Islam was sponsored by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, founder of the Mamluk dynasty.

147. At the present state of our knowledge and resource position, India will remain self sufficient for the next three decades in

a. Tin

b. Coking coal

c. Copper

d. Petroleum

Ans: b

148. Which one of the following shows the descending order of the four metropolitan cities in the Indian sub-continent in so far as their population strength is concerned?

a. Bombay,  Calcutta,  Dhaka, New Delhi

b. Bombay, Calcutta, New Delhi, Karachi

c. Bombay, Calcutta Karachi, New Delhi

d. Calcutta, Bombay, Dhaka, Karachi

• New data:  Karachi:23,500,000, Delhi:17,838,842, Mumbai:12,655,220, Dhaka: 12,043,977

149. A fertile soil, suitable for growing common crops is likely to have a pH value of

a. three

b. four

c. six to seven

d. nine to ten

Ans: c

• Soil pH is in the range 6.0 to 6.8 for most plants

150. The New Population Bomb refers to

a. an increase in the population of the aged in the Third World

b. rapidly growing urban population in the Third World

c. large scale distress migration in the Third World

d. deluge of Soviet emigrants

Ans:  b

• In 1968, the biologist Paul Ehrlich warned in The Population Bomb that mass starvation would strike in the 1970s and 1980s, with the world’s population growth outpacing the production of food and other critical resources. Thanks to innovations and efforts such as the “green revolution” in farming and the widespread adoption of family planning, Ehrlich’s worst fears did not come to pass.
• Later on If Goldstone has talked about New Population Bomb, arguing that rapid population growth and urbanization in poor developing countries will jeopardize their food security, result in high unemployment, and create political instability,

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