2005 General Studies, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2005 · General Studies

Question 29: Economy and Social Development

Consider the following statements :

  1. 1.India is the only country in the world producing all the five known commercial varieties of silk.
  2. 2.India is the largest producer of sugar in the world.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a1 only
b2 only
cBoth 1 and 2
dNeither 1 nor 2

AnswerThe answer is (a).

Statement 1 is right: India is the only country that produces all five commercial silks: mulberry, tropical tasar, oak tasar, eri and muga. Statement 2 is wrong for 2005: Brazil was then the largest sugar producer and India second; the two have swapped places in some years since. Remember that India is first in milk and pulses, and second to China in total silk.

  • 1. India alone produces mulberry, tropical tasar, oak tasar, eri and muga silk.
  • 2. Brazil, not India, was the largest sugar producer then.

How you could have got this

  1. If you were sure statement 1 is correct, (b) and (d) go: each of them leaves 1 out.

    What you needed to know: India alone produces mulberry, tropical tasar, oak tasar, eri and muga silk.

    The red flag in statement 1 is “only”. In UPSC’s papers, statements with “only” were true 27% of the time (82 statements). A hint, not a rule.

  2. Then, if you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (c) goes: it includes 2.

    What you needed to know: Brazil, not India, was the largest sugar producer then.

Only (a) is left. This one needs every statement.

This follows an unofficial answer: UPSC has not published its key for this year, and if that answer is wrong, so is this path.

Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) Correct: only statement 1 holds.
  • (b) Statement 2 was false in 2005; Brazil led in sugar.
  • (c) Statement 2 was false in 2005.
  • (d) Statement 1 is true.

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.