2010 General Studies, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2010 · General Studies

Question 14: Geography

Though coffee and tea both are cultivated on hill slopes, there is some difference between them regarding their cultivation. In this context, consider the following statements :

  1. 1.Coffee plant requires a hot and humid climate of tropical areas whereas tea can be cultivated in both tropical and subtropical areas.
  2. 2.Coffee is propagated by seeds but tea is propagated by stem cuttings only.

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).

Coffee needs a hot, humid tropical climate, while tea grows in both tropical and subtropical hill areas (Assam, Darjeeling, the Nilgiris and others), so statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 fails on the word 'only': tea is propagated from seed and also, widely, from stem cuttings (clonal tea), so cuttings are not the sole method. Coffee is mostly raised from seed. Remember: watch absolute words like 'only' in statements.

  • 1. Coffee needs hot, humid tropical conditions; tea grows in both tropical and subtropical hills.
  • 2. Tea is propagated by seed as well as by cuttings, so 'only' is wrong.

How you could have got this

  1. If you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (b) and (c) go: each of them includes 2.

    What you needed to know: Tea is propagated by seed as well as by cuttings, so 'only' is wrong.

    The red flag in statement 2 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 1 is correct, (d) goes: it leaves 1 out.

    What you needed to know: Coffee needs hot, humid tropical conditions; tea grows in both tropical and subtropical hills.

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) Right: statement 1 is correct; statement 2 is false because tea is also raised from seed.
  • (b) Statement 2 is wrong: 'only' ignores propagation of tea from seed.
  • (c) Statement 2 is false, so both cannot be correct.
  • (d) Statement 1 correctly separates the climates for coffee and tea.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2010, General Studies, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.