UPSC Prelims 2017 Analysis
Subject wise MCQ distribution
- Polity and Governance: The highest weightage in the exam, with questions focusing on core constitutional concepts like democracy and rights, highlighting a return to traditional themes. Many followed the assertion-reasoning format, testing analytical abilities.
Economy: Heavily current affairs-based, covering topics such as GST, Monetary Policy Committee, and post-1991 reforms. Conceptual clarity was crucial for elimination-based questions.
Geography and Environment: Required conceptual clarity and linkages with current affairs, such as the Indian Ocean Dipole. Many questions incorporated maps for better understanding.
History: Weightage remained consistent, but factual knowledge was essential, especially for match the following and multi-statement questions.
Science & Technology: Mostly news-based, testing awareness of recent developments in biotechnology, AI, and space technology.
Government Schemes & Initiatives: A prominent focus area, covering policies related to education, health, and nutrition. Many questions were framed using the elimination technique.
Difficulty analysis
- Easy: Some Polity and Economy questions were straightforward for those who had covered NCERT and standard sources.
- Moderate: Many required linking static and dynamic aspects, such as governance and current affairs.
- Difficult: Environment, Geography, and factual History questions were particularly challenging.
- Tricky: Questions on conventions and alliances where India is not a member, along with misleadingly framed government initiative questions, posed difficulties.
Variations in Question framing
- Direct Questions: 42 direct questions, emphasizing understanding over rote memorization.
- Multi-Statement Based Questions: A significant 58 multi-statement questions, requiring a mix of static and current affairs knowledge. These took longer to solve but allowed option elimination.
- Application-Oriented Questions: Required candidates to link current events with static concepts, testing analytical abilities.
- Elimination-Based Questions: Many options were closely framed, making elimination techniques challenging.
- Deceptively Worded Questions: Designed to test deep knowledge, especially in areas like the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund.
Key learning for Future Preparation
- Strengthen Static Concepts: Read NCERTs and standard books thoroughly for a solid foundation.
- Follow a Reliable Newspaper: Sources like The Hindu, Indian Express, PIB, and PRS are essential for current affairs integration.
- Regularly Revise Government Schemes: Many questions are framed around policies from the India Year Book.
- Adopt a Balanced Approach: Expect a mix of analytical and factual questions; both require preparation.
- Use the Elimination Technique Wisely: Read questions carefully and systematically eliminate options to maximize accuracy.
- Avoid Over-Attempting: The tricky nature of the paper means reckless attempts can lead to penalties through negative marking.
- Strengthen Core Subjects: Excelling in Polity or History can help maximize scores in difficult papers.
- Solve Previous Year Papers: Recurring themes like the Trade Disputes Act and Liberalization highlight the importance of PYQs.
Subject-Wise Answer Key
QUESTION 1
Recently there was a proposal to translocate some of the lions from their natural habitat in Gujarat to which one of the following sites?
A. Corbett National Park
B. Sariska National Park
C. Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
D. Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary