2005 General Studies, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2005 · General Studies

Question 126: Geography

In which one of the following countries is Tamil a major language?

aMyanmar
bIndonesia
cMauritius
dSingapore

AnswerThe answer is (d).

Tamil is one of Singapore's four official languages, alongside English, Malay and Mandarin, and a sizeable Tamil community lives there. Tamil is also spoken in Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Myanmar, Indonesia and Mauritius have small Tamil-speaking communities, but Tamil is not a major language of those countries.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) Myanmar has a Tamil minority, but Tamil is not a major language.
  • (b) Indonesia has few Tamil speakers.
  • (c) Mauritius has a Tamil minority, but Tamil is not a major language.
  • (d) Correct: Tamil is an official language of Singapore.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2005, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.