UPSC Prelims 2025 · GS Paper I
Question 39: Science and Technology
Consider the following pairs :
| Plant | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| I. | Cassava | Woody shrub |
| II. | Ginger | Herb with pseudostem |
| III. | Malabar spinach | Herbaceous climber |
| IV. | Mint | Annual shrub |
| V. | Papaya | Woody shrub |
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
AnswerThe answer is (b).
Cassava is a woody shrub, ginger is a herb with a pseudostem formed by overlapping leaf sheaths, and Malabar spinach (Basella) is a herbaceous climber, so pairs I, II and III are correct. Mint is a perennial herb that spreads by runners, not an annual shrub. Papaya is a large herbaceous plant with a soft, hollow, unbranched stem, not a woody shrub. So three pairs are correct.
- I. Cassava is a woody shrub.
- II. Ginger is a herb whose upright shoot is a pseudostem of leaf sheaths.
- III. Malabar spinach is a herbaceous climber.
- IV. Mint is a perennial herb, not an annual shrub.
- V. Papaya has a soft herbaceous stem, not a woody one.
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.
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) Wrong: three pairs are correct, not two.
- (b) Right: cassava, ginger and Malabar spinach are matched correctly.
- (c) Wrong: mint and papaya are mismatched, so four overcounts.
- (d) Wrong: mint and papaya are mismatched.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2025, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.