UPSC Prelims 2016 Analysis
Subject wise MCQ distribution
- Environment & Ecology (22 Questions): The most dominant subject, covering biodiversity, climate change, conservation efforts, and environmental legislation. Many questions incorporated maps for better understanding.
Economy (17 Questions): Included monetary policies, fiscal policy, banking, government schemes, and international economic developments. This section was heavily inclined towards current affairs and required strong analytical abilities for elimination-based questions.
Science & Technology (13 Questions): Focused on emerging technologies, biotechnology, AI, space research, and their recent developments. Many questions followed an assertion-reasoning format to test conceptual understanding.
International Relations (11 Questions): Heavy emphasis on India’s foreign policy, international organizations like the New Development Bank and International Monetary and Financial Committee. Some questions required match the following format.
Social Issues & Schemes (11 Questions): Included government schemes & initiatives like MUDRA Yojana and Stand Up India Scheme along with policies related to education, health, and nutrition. Many questions were framed using the elimination technique.
Indian Polity (5 Questions): A relatively low count, marking a departure from UPSC’s usual trend of high-weightage in this section. However, the questions that appeared tested deep constitutional concepts and analytical abilities.
History (10 Questions Combined): Ancient (1), Medieval (3), and Modern (6), with a focus on factual recall rather than analytical aspects. Many were match the following or multi-statement-based, requiring careful reading.
Geography (Indian Geography: 4, World & Physical Geography: 0): Minimal representation, making it one of the least emphasized subjects in this year’s paper. Questions required strong NCERT-based conceptual clarity, especially in maps and location-based understanding.
Difficulty analysis
- Medium Difficulty (57 Questions): The largest portion, demanding conceptual clarity and critical thinking.
Hard Questions (29 Questions): A significant number, testing advanced knowledge and deeper analytical skills.
Easy Questions (14 Questions): A relatively small proportion, offering limited direct scoring opportunities.
Variations in Question framing
- Multi-Statement Questions (57%) – The most common type, requiring analytical skills and elimination strategies. These appeared more frequently in Polity and Environment.
Direct Questions (43%) – Straightforward factual recall, mainly seen in History and Science & Technology.
Current Affairs vs. Static Questions
- Current Affairs-Based (60 Questions): The paper marked a shift from the trend observed over the past four years. UPSC has increasingly focused on current affairs, making it crucial for aspirants to stay updated.
Static-Based (40 Questions): Still significant but much lower compared to previous years, highlighting UPSC’s shift towards contemporary relevance.
Key learning for Future Preparation
- Prioritize Current Affairs: Given that 60% of the questions were current-based, aspirants should regularly follow newspapers, government reports, and international developments.
- Strengthen Environment & Ecology Preparation: The dominance of this section indicates that topics like climate change, environmental policies, and sustainability should be high-priority study areas.
- Develop Multi-Statement Question Solving Techniques: Since more than half the paper consisted of multi-statement questions, mastering elimination techniques is essential.
- Balance Conceptual & Factual Knowledge: Subjects like Economy and Science & Technology require both static understanding and awareness of recent developments.
- Focus on Analytical Thinking: The difficulty level and multi-statement nature of the paper suggest that rote memorization alone is insufficient—conceptual clarity is key.
Subject-Wise Answer Key
QUESTION 1
Consider the following statements:
- The Chief Secretary in a State is appointed by the Governor of that State.
- The Chief Secretary in a State has a fixed tenure
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
QUESTION 2
The Parliament of India acquires the power to legislate on any item in the State List in the national interest if a resolution to that effect is passed by the -
A. Lok Sabha by a simple majority of its total membership
B. Lok Sabha by a majority of not less than two-thirds of its total membership
C. Rajya Sabha by a simple majority of its total membership
D. Rajya Sabha by a majority of not less than two-thirds of its members present and voting
QUESTION 3
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
- A bill pending in the Lok Sabha lapses on its prorogation.
- A bill pending in the Rajya Sabha, which has not been passed by the Lok Sabha, shall not lapse on the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
QUESTION 4
Consider the following statements:
- The minimum age prescribed for any person to be a member of Panchayat is 25 years.
- A Panchayat reconstituted after premature dissolution continues only for the remainder period.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
QUESTION 5
With reference to the ‘Gram Nyayalaya Act’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- As per the Act, Gram Nyayalayas can hear only civil cases and not criminal cases
- The Act allows local social activists as mediators/reconciliators.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2