2025 GS Paper I, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2025 · GS Paper I

Question 75: History and Culture

Consider the following fruits :

  1. IPapaya
  2. IIPineapple
  3. IIIGuava

How many of the above were introduced in India by the Portuguese in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?

aOnly one
bOnly two
cAll the three
dNone

AnswerThe answer is (c).

The Portuguese brought many crops from the Americas to India after reaching Goa in 1510, including papaya, pineapple and guava, as well as cashew, potato, chilli and tobacco. They spread along the western coast in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and later across the country. All three fruits listed were introduced by the Portuguese. Remember: the Columbian exchange reached India through the Portuguese.

  • I. Papaya was brought from the Americas by the Portuguese.
  • II. Pineapple was introduced by the Portuguese.
  • III. Guava was introduced by the Portuguese.

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: all three fruits came with the Portuguese.
  • (b) Wrong: all three, not two, were introduced.
  • (c) Right: papaya, pineapple and guava were all introduced by the Portuguese.
  • (d) Wrong: all three came through them.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2025, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.