UPSC Prelims 2023 · GS Paper I
Question 17: Environment and Ecology
Consider the following statements regarding the Indian squirrels :
- 1.They build nests by making burrows in the ground.
- 2.They store their food materials like nuts and seeds in the ground.
- 3.They are omnivorous.
How many of the above statements are correct?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).
Indian palm squirrels (Funambulus) build round nests of grass, fibre and leaves in tree forks and hollows, and the giant squirrel nests high in the canopy; they do not nest in ground burrows, as ground squirrels elsewhere do. They bury nuts and seeds in the ground to store them, and they are omnivores, eating fruits, nuts, seeds, insects and sometimes eggs. So statements 2 and 3 are correct.
- 1. They nest in trees, not in ground burrows.
- 2. They cache nuts and seeds by burying them.
- 3. They eat plant and animal food, so are omnivorous.
How you could have got this
No shortcut here: in a “how many” question, ruling out options doesn’t help. Every statement has to be judged.
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) Only one would deny either storage or omnivory; both are true.
- (b) Correct: statements 2 and 3 are true, statement 1 is not.
- (c) Statement 1 is false because Indian squirrels nest in trees.
- (d) Statements 2 and 3 are true, so not none.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2023, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.