IFS Main 2021 General Knowledge Questions

Q1. (a) Attempt an account of cultural influence of India in the Indo-China Peninsula.

(b) Shershah established a reputation for being a military genius as great as Babar and also for being an administrative genius as great as Akbar. Explain.

(c) For King Ashoka, sacredness meant ruling through moral example. Analyse.

(d) Highlight the contribution of Dadabhai Naoroji to the early phase (1885 - 1905) of India's freedom struggle.

Q2. (a) What is twin balance sheet problem ? Explain how a State-sponsored bad bank will deal with this problem ?

(b) "Glasgow Climate Change Conference (COP26), 2021 proposes accelerated action towards Paris Agreement." Explain elaborating actions suggested on temperature control and transfer of funds from developed to less developed (developing) countries.

(c) "Human Poverty Index (HPI) is a better measure of human development than Human Development Index (HDI)." Explain.

(d) What is retail direct scheme of RBI for investment in Government securities ? What are the advantages of this scheme ?

Q3. (a) 'Despite undergoing many amendments, the Constitution of India has remained intact and the basic premises have not changed.' Comment.

(b) 'Indian Constitution is founded on a nice balance of power among the three wings of the State, namely the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.' Explain.

(c) 'Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles are complementary and supplementary to one another.' Comment.

(d) While India’s Constitutional framework has an elaborate set of mechanisms that govern and control the electoral process well, still there are some regulatory aspects that need improvement. Identify them and suggest electoral reforms.

Q4. (a) In India, an increasing rate of soil erosion is a cause of concern. Suggest some remedial measures to control it. 

(b) Overpopulation in India is considered a bane. Describe some relevant strategies to make it a boon. 

(c) The frequency and intensity of lightning in India is escalating. Discuss the causes and consequences of this phenomena.

(d) Energy transition is considered the best measure to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality. Explain.

Q5. (a) What are features of Zero-budget farming ? How is it different from organic farming ?

(b) What is Genetic Modification (GM) of crops and how is it done ? How does GM differ from conventional plant breeding ? Discuss the environmental impacts of GM crops.

(c) Ozone is useful only where it belongs. Explain.

(d) Herbicide Tolerant (HT) Bt Cotton adds another layer of modification. Elaborate.

Q6. (a) Which year was declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Year of Light and why ?

(b) How can nuclear technology be used for power generation ?

(c) World community has reservations about Indian satellite launching vehicles as these can be easily converted to deliver nuclear warheads to long distances. How will you argue for India to dispel these fears ?

(d) Name any two Indians who have got the highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, for their contributions to the field of science and technology. Write briefly about their work.