UW has been conducting prelims mini mocks for a while now. Users have been posting their answers (some their thought process also) and every Sunday UW comes out with solutions and explanation. User response has been great and we hope, you learned a lot not only about the topics and your weak areas but the art of answering questions.

I had explained in an earlier blog – how to approach prelims 2016- that keeping an open mind, reading all options and using logic is very important in this examination. We have now started a series starting with polity in which we are proving solutions of last 7 years in a way one would approach the questions in exam and also the learning objectives.

Now that UW has already framed for you such wonderful 99 questions (1 question bahut waahiyat tham sorry UR), I thought of solving a few with our approach.

Let’s look at them

Mock 4

1. Consider the following statements:

1. Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a not-for-profit Public Sector Enterprise.
2. It has been set up by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research as an interface agency to empower emerging biotech enterprises.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

• Most of us wouldn’t know if statement 2 is right or not but we would tend to think it’s correct as it seems correct but the art of intelligent informed guessing is that you think of alternative plausible explanations and if that’s rules out, you mark seemingly correct statement as right.
• So if not by deptt of Scientific and Industrial research by whom? It’s biotech so what about deptt of biotech? Seems plausible. Does this deptt exist? Yess. Under the same ministry.  

And with this you get +2 instead of -0.67

2. Consider the following statements on Global Positioning System (GPS):

1. GPS allows accurate time-stamping on ATM transactions.
2. GPS relies on a set of satellites for transferring signals worldwide.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d)  Neither 1 nor 2

So people were confused if statement 1 was correct. GPS tells about time and position. everyone knows it. So it can tell about time in atm transactions. It has to be correct.

3. Which of the following is/are among the ‘micro-elements’ required for plant growth?

1. Copper
2. Zinc
3. Potassium
4. Sulphur
5. Manganese

Choose the correct alternative using the codes given below.

(a) 1, 2 and 5

(b) 2, 3, 4 and 5

(c) 1, 3 and 4

(d) 1, 2, 3,  4 and 5

I don’t like such questions. MIcro/Macro/trace as different books mention different things. But still, you can easily understand examiner’s mind. You know N, P, K are major elements i.e micro. Remove Potassium, you reach the answer

4. Consider the following statements?

1. Vitamins assist the body in utilizing the nutrients.
2. Vitamins help in transporting the minerals to required places.
3. No vitamin can be synthesized in the body.

Choose the correct alternative using the codes given below.

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Statement 3, too sweeping. Pause and think. Are you sure it’s correct. Vitamin D synthesized in the body in the presence of sunlight. Vit K, B12 by bacteria.

5. Consider the following statements:

1. Neutrinos are massless particles filling up most of the empty space.
2. They are easy to detect as they can be deflected even by weak forces like gravity.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

If it was so easy to detect them, why would anyone get nobel prize for discovering it.

Mock 3

6. Which of the region/grouping of countries has the highest share in overall remittances to India?

(a) EU

(b) North America

(c) GCC

(d) East Asia

You would have to make a guess. Gulf right. GCC. The whole economy of Kerala is dependent on GCC.

7. Consider the following statements with respect to the Indian political system:

1. The Cabinet is responsible to the Lok Sabha only.
2. The President is the Head of the State.
3. Every state has equal representation in the Rajya Sabha.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Only too sweeping. Pause and think. It’s true. Cabinet/CoM is responsible to LS only not parliament. So don’t mark without thinking.

8. Which one of the following statements is/are not correct?

1. Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is released on a monthly basis only.
2. IIP is released by the Central Statistics Office.
3. Electricity has highest weightage among the indicators used to calculate IIP.

Choose the correct alternative using the codes given below.

(a) 3 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

1st statement only. Too sweeping. Pause and think. Obviously statistics would be released monthly/ weekly/ fortnightly/quarterly/ annually. Monthly it’s true.

9. Which of the following departments is/are engaged in the protection of intellectual property rights in India?

1.  Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
2. Department of Higher Education
3. Department of Information Technology
4. Department of Agriculture and Cooperation

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1, 2 and 4 only

(c) 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

IPRs are too broad. Associated with education, industry, agriculture, It, space etc. So all these ministries, deptt would be included.

Mock 2

10. Assertion (A) : The Rig Veda does not mention any officer for administering justice.

Reason (R) : The Rig Vedic society was free of any unsocial activity.

R is too sweeping. Free of any anti social activities. Pause and think, this can not be true. Cummon every society would have evil.

11. Which one of the following temple was built in a different architectural design compared to the other three?

(a) Kandarya Mahadeo Temple, Khajuraho

(b) Kailasanatha Temple, Kanchipuram

(c) Sun Temple, Konark

(d) Jagannatha Temple, Puri

Kanchipuram in south, other three in East – central India

12. Consider the following statements:

1. Arches and domes, which were Turkish inventions, were used by them on a wide scale in their buildings in India.
2. The arches were decorated with human or animal figures and scrolls of flowers.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c)  Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Human, animal figures haram in Islam. Remember ISIS destroying idols, ancient mausoleums.

13. Which of the following statements about the Charter Act of 1833 is/are correct?

1. The trading activities of East India Company were to be abolished.
2. A law member was to be appointed to the Governor-General’s Council.
3. All law-making power was vested in the law member appointed to the Council.

Which of the above statements is/are correct

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

• All law making power vested in law member. Isn’t it too sweeping? Pause and think. Who would vest all law making power in Law member? Obviously Governor general would keep at least some power. Right. So statement wrong.
• Infact, 1833 was culmination of centralizing tendency where all law making power was vested in governor general. Governor general of Bengal became, Governor General of India.

14. Narmada River does not have many tributaries primarily because

1. It flows through the region of scanty rainfall.
2. The hard rock surface and non-alluvial nature of the peninsular plateau permits little scope for the development of tributaries.
3. It flows through a narrow valley confined by precipitous hills.

Choose the correct alternative using the codes given below.

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

• Statement 2 is BS. Aise to there won’t be any tributaries below great plains of India i,e in south.
• Statement 1 is also BS. If Narmada is flowing through a region of scanty rainfall, why can’t other rivers. And if they can. There can also be tributary.
• You know Narmaad and Tapi flow through rift valley. That’s why drain into Arabian ocean despite slope.

15. Which of the following regions is conspicuous for the absence of many active volcanoes in comparison to other regions?

(a) Indonesian Archipelagos

(b) Western Coast of North America

(c) Brazilian Coast

(d) Chilean Coast

Brazilian coast in on Atlantic. Other 3 on pacific. Easy Peasy. Need not know anything else. Cummn it was the easiest question.

16. “Trees are adapted to withstand the dry summer without shedding of leaves.  Plants have spiny, waxy or small leaves to reduce transpiration. Trees have deep roots to tap water from depths. Thick bark also prevent loss of moisture.”

Which of the following types of forests have been described above?

(a) Tropical Deciduous forests

(b) Mediterranean forests

(c) Tropical Evergreen forests

(d) Mid-latitude Evergreen forests

Deciduous forest shed leaves. No dry summer in tropical evergreen. What about mid latitude evergreen? I have forgotten whether coniferous or broad leaf. But did i not mention in titbits only Mediterranean has Dry summer and warm winter!

17. Consider the following statements about the Census 2011:

1. The density of population increased in all states and union territories except Arunachal Pradesh.
2. Male-Female gap in literacy rate has been lowest in the last five decades.

Which of the above statements is/are correct.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2 only

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Statement 1. Think why would population density decline in Arunachal. I can’t think of any reason. Already so lowly populated. It should only increase.

18. Consider the following statements:

1. Winter rainfall over the plain areas of north-west India is caused by western disturbances.
2. The rainfall caused by western disturbances increases from north and north-west to the east.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2  only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Western disturbances means coming from west. Will lose moisture as they move east so obviously rainfall would decline.

19. The winter rainfall over the plain areas of the north western region of India is largely due to

(a) South-west monsoon

(b) North-east monsoon

(c) Western disturbances

(d) Convection currents

Internal repeat. See last question

20. Consider the following statements:

1. Isotherms are more regular and widely spaced in Northern hemisphere compared to the Southern Hemisphere.
2. Isotherms bend slightly while crossing from land masses to oceans.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2  only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

If landmass is more regular everything would be regular. In north, land ocean land ocean. In south vast expanse of ocean so more regular distribution

21. Waves in the open seas are largely caused by

(a) gravitational pull of the sun

(b) gravitational pull of the moon

(c) undulating surface of the oceans

(d) wind blowing over the sea surface

If it’s due to sun, it would also be due to the moon. But both can’t be correct simultaneously. Only plausible explanation left is wind

22. The large difference in rainfall received at Mahabaleshwar and Pune, which are only a few kilometres away, is largely because

(a) Pune has dry air conditions all the year round

(b) Mahabaleshwar is situated at a higher altitude than Pune

(c) Pune is situated in a rain shadow region

(d) None of the options (a), (b) or (c) sufficiently explains the phenomenon

• Statement 2 is BS. rainfall does not depend on altitude directly.
• No rainfall hence dry condition, dry condition hence no rainfall??

Now the one Wahiyaat question

1. Consider the following statements:

1. Rural Employment Generation Programme was launched during 1985-86 to provide self-employment  opportunities in rural areas.

2. Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana was launched during 1995-96 to bring assisted poor families above the poverty line.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Don’t worry if you get it wrong even if it’s asked in exam. Nobody can and even if one can should remember launch years of 20 years old schemes.

• But let’s consider statement 2 – Swarnjayanti i.e golden jubilee i.e 50 years so it should be either 1997 or 2000 but it was actually 1st April 1999
• 1st statement, 86-87 was the time of Rajiv Gandhi. He was a tech guy, why would he launch such schemes?

Not a convincing explanation I know. But hey, Question hi wahiyaat tha

Disclaimer – As I have said umpteen times, there’s no substitute for hard work and smart work. This is just to supplement your hard work so that you reap maximum reward out of your sweat and blood.

Let us know, how many of you would have been able to increase your score by at least +5. And you know the importance of +5, there would be at least 5000 candidates b/w 102.34 and 107.34 last year.

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