Sl. No.

Jun 1/18

VAJIRAM & RAVI

[Institute for IAS Examination]
GENERAL STUDIES
TEST NO. 1
Paper – 1

World Geography, Indian Geography, Indian Society

and Related Issues

Time Allowed: Three Hours Maximum Marks: 250

INSTRUCTIONS
Candidates should attempt all Questions.

The number of marks carried by each question is indicated

at the end of the question.

Important: Attempt questions in the “Answer Booklet” in

the same serial order in which they are printed in the
question paper. If you skip a question, indicate it
accordingly in your “Answer Booklet”.

Pages left blank in the answer book are to be clearly struck

out in ink. Any answers that follow pages left blank may not
be given credit.

9-B, Bada Bazar Marg, Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi-

110060

1
1. As long as it is not secessionist, or aimed at ‘othering’
sections, linguistic sub-nationalism can be seen as a
constitutive element of federal democracy. Comment.
(10 Marks, 150 Words)
2. How does the nature of feminist movement in India differ
from that of the west? Explain.
(10 Marks, 150 Words)
3. The occasional instances of racist violence, especially in
metros, against the Africans stand in contrast to the Indian
philosophy and ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. Do those
incidents point to prevalence of racism in Indian society?
Comment.
(10 Marks, 150 Words)
4. How has globalization impacted the prevalence of child
labour in India? Explain.
(10 Marks, 150 Words)
5. (a) India’s urbanization process has been largely “messy
and hidden”. Discuss.
(b) How does the National Transit Oriented Development
(TOD) Policy seek to address the urbanization related
issues in India?
(15 Marks, 250 Words)
6. Evaluate whether the backward caste movements post
independence have helped in the secularization of caste in
India.
(15 Marks, 250 Words)
7. "If you look at the diversity of Indian literature you come to
see its unity, and if you look for unity, you are struck by its
diversity." Elucidate.
(15 Marks, 250 Words)
8. What do you understand by Karst landform? Enumerate the
essential conditions for the development of Karst
topography.
(10 Marks, 150 Words)

2
9. The North Indian Ocean current demonstrates most
convincingly the dominant effect of the winds on the
circulation of ocean currents. Elaborate.
(10 Marks, 150 Words)
10. Discuss the concept of wetland. What role do they play in
ecological conservation and sustainable urban development?
(10 Marks, 150 Words)
11. With fossil fuels being finite in nature, Natural Gas Hydrate
(NGH) offers a promising energy source due to its vast
occurrence across the world. Discuss. What are the
challenges in commercialization of this resource?
(10 Marks, 150 Words)
12. Discuss the problems and prospects of Dedicated Freight
Corridors (DFCs) in India.
(10 Marks, 150 Words)
13. What are the factors that led to the development of some
regions as the food bowls of the world?
(10 Marks, 150 Words)
14. The Himalayas and the Tibetan highlands play an important
role in climatic conditions of India. Discuss their role in the
development of South West monsoon and the winter climate
in north India.
(15 Marks, 250 Words)
15. “Plate tectonic theory has validated the theory of continental
drift but questions still remain over the forces responsible
for the drifting of the plates.” Discuss. Also explain how it is
the primary predictive tool for understanding the ongoing
occurrences of volcanoes and earthquakes.
(15 Marks, 250 Words)
16. Give an account of the types and distribution of rainfall on
the surface of the Earth.
(15 Marks, 250 Words)
17. Central Asia, located in a region of much strategic
significance, is home to vast amounts of natural resources.

3
 Discuss the geopolitical importance of Central Asia with
respect to India.
(15 Marks, 250 Words)
18. Lithium, the so-called “white gold”, has emerged as a much
sought-after commodity. Give reasons. Make an account of
the worldwide distribution of Lithium reserves.
(15 Marks, 250 Words)
19. Among various types of coral reefs, Atolls present the
biggest challenge in terms of explaining their evolution.
Explain with special reference to geological evolution of
Lakhshadweep islands.
(15 Marks, 250 Words)
20. “India's unique geography provides advantage of huge
supply of wide ranging raw material base for food
processing industries.” Comment. Assess the role this
industry can play in reducing regional disparity in India.
(15 Marks, 250 Words)