2019 GS Paper I, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2019 · GS Paper I

Question 22: Environment and Ecology

Consider the following statements :

  1. 1.Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.
  2. 2.Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.
  3. 3.One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a1 only
b2 only
c1 and 3 only
d1, 2 and 3

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (a).

Only the Asiatic lion is found naturally in India alone: its wild population is confined to the Gir forests of Gujarat. The double-humped Bactrian camel is native to Central Asia; in India it is found only in Ladakh's Nubra Valley. The one-horned rhinoceros occurs in India and Nepal, so it is not exclusive to India either. Remember: Gir lion is India's own, rhino is shared with Nepal.

  • 1. Wild Asiatic lions live only in Gujarat's Gir landscape.
  • 2. The Bactrian camel is native to Central Asia.
  • 3. The one-horned rhino is found in Nepal as well.

How you could have got this

  1. If you were sure statement 1 is correct, (b) goes: it leaves 1 out.

    What you needed to know: Wild Asiatic lions live only in Gujarat's Gir landscape.

    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 3 is not correct, (c) and (d) go: each of them includes 3.

    What you needed to know: The one-horned rhino is found in Nepal as well.

    The red flag in statement 3 is “only”. In UPSC’s papers, statements with “only” were true 27% of the time (82 statements). A hint, not a rule.

Only (a) is left. You didn’t need statement 2.

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 the Asiatic lion is naturally found in India alone.
  • (b) The double-humped camel is a Central Asian animal, so statement 2 is false.
  • (c) The one-horned rhino is also found in Nepal, so statement 3 is false.
  • (d) Statements 2 and 3 are false.

Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2019, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.