UPSC Prelims 2023 GS Paper I: answer key and question paper

Answer: (a) Only one

Statement 1 is correct: World Bank and FAO land-use data put India's arable land at roughly 155 million hectares, second only to the United States, against about 120 million hectares for China. Statement 2 is incorrect: the absolute irrigated areas of the two countries are broadly similar, but China irrigates a clearly larger share of its cropland; on FAO's comparable measure (area equipped for irrigation relative to cropland) China is above one half while India is well below it. Statement 3 is incorrect: Chinese farm productivity per hectare is much higher; its average cereal yield is around 6 tonnes per hectare, roughly double India's figure of a little over 3 tonnes. Hence only one statement is correct.

Answer: (c) It defines and limits the powers of government.

The chief purpose of a constitution is constitutionalism, that is, limited government: it sets out what each organ of government may do and places limits on those powers so that citizens' rights are protected from arbitrary rule. NCERT's Class XI 'Indian Constitution at Work' (Chapter 1) lists limiting the power of government as a fundamental function of a constitution. Option (a), setting objectives for law-making, is only one function, seen in parts such as the Directive Principles. Option (b), creating political offices and a government, is a basic function, but even an unlimited regime can create offices; it is not the core purpose. Option (d), securing social justice, equality and security, reflects aspirations that some constitutions, like India's Preamble, adopt, not the chief purpose of every constitution. Hence (c) best reflects it.

Answer: (b) Only two

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is a tropical evergreen tree that keeps its thick, glossy leaves through the year; it grows in humid regions such as the Western Ghats and the North-East, so it is not deciduous. Mahua (Madhuca indica, also called Madhuca longifolia) is a deciduous tree of the dry forests of central and eastern India; it sheds its leaves in late winter and flowers on almost bare branches in spring. Teak (Tectona grandis) is the signature species of India's tropical moist and dry deciduous forests and sheds its leaves in the dry season to reduce water loss. Hence only two of the three (mahua and teak) are deciduous.