UPSC Prelims 2023 · GS Paper I
Question 3: Environment and Ecology
Consider the following trees :
- 1.Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
- 2.Mahua (Madhuca indica)
- 3.Teak (Tectona grandis)
How many of the above are deciduous trees?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).
Deciduous trees shed their leaves seasonally. Teak is the standard example of a tree of the tropical moist and dry deciduous forests and drops its leaves in the dry season. Mahua also sheds its leaves, in winter and spring, and is common in the deciduous forests of central and eastern India. Jackfruit is an evergreen tree of humid tropical regions such as the Western Ghats. So two of the three are deciduous.
- 1. Jackfruit is an evergreen tree.
- 2. Mahua is deciduous.
- 3. Teak is deciduous.
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 mean either mahua or teak is evergreen; neither is.
- (b) Correct: mahua and teak are deciduous; jackfruit is evergreen.
- (c) Jackfruit is evergreen, so not all three.
- (d) Mahua and teak shed their leaves, 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.