UPSC Prelims 2019 Analysis

Subject wise MCQ distribution

Economy had the highest number of questions (21), with a special focus on the banking sector, making it the most important subject.
Environment & Ecology followed with 18 questions, highlighting its significance due to the Forest Service prelims merging with the Civil Services Prelims.
Science & Technology was another key area, contributing 15 questions, with a major focus on biotechnology and related current affairs.
Indian Polity remained crucial, featuring 13 questions.
Modern History had a relatively lower weightage, with only 6 questions.

**Subject-Wise Weightage in UPSC Prelims 2019**

Difficulty analysis

Medium Questions (45) formed the largest portion, requiring a blend of static and current knowledge with strong analytical abilities.
Hard Questions (31) were conceptually tricky and usually lowered the cutoff. A strategic approach involved eliminating high-risk questions and attempting only those with certainty.
Easy Questions (24) were straightforward and should have been attempted with maximum accuracy to gain easy marks.

Variations in Question framing

The paper was evenly split between multi-statement and direct questions.
Multi-statement questions held a slight majority, making the paper lengthy and increasing the risk of errors, as each statement had to be analyzed carefully.
However, multi-statement questions also allowed for option elimination, enabling candidates to answer with limited information.

Key learning for Future Preparation

Prioritize Key Subjects: Allocate more time to Polity, Economy, and Environment, as they consistently have higher weightage.
Integrate Current Affairs: Link recent developments with syllabus topics for better retention.
Develop Analytical Thinking: Focus on the why behind policies, events, and phenomena, rather than just memorizing facts.
Revise Regularly: Reinforce concepts through periodic revisions and multiple mock tests.
Master Multi-Statement Questions: Practice elimination techniques to improve accuracy in multi-statement questions.
Practice PYQs: Understand important areas from the examiner’s perspective and familiarize yourself with option elimination techniques.

The Prelims 2019 paper balanced factual recall with analytical reasoning, emphasizing Economy, Environment, and Science & Tech. Mastering multi-statement questions, integrating current affairs, and practicing mock tests were key to success.

Subject-Wise Answer Key

All (100)Science & Technology (15)Medieval History (3)Economy (21)Environment & Ecology (18)Modern History (6)Geography (8)Ancient History (2)Social Issues & Schemes (5)Indian Polity (13)Art & Culture (5)International Relations (4)

QUESTION 1

HardIndian GeographyPrelims 2019

Consider the following pairs: Famous place : River

Pandharpur : Chandrabhaga
Tiruchirappalli : Cauvery
Hampi : Malaprabha

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

A. 1 and 2 only

B. 2 and 3 only

C. 1 and 3 only

D. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: A

Explanation

Pandharpur is a well-known pilgrimage town on the banks of Chandrabhaga River in Solapur district, Maharashtra, India.

Tiruchirapalli is located along the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu, India.

Hampi, also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in east-central Karnataka, India. It is located near the Tungabhadra River

Thus, only 1 and 2 are correct.

QUESTION 2

MediumWorld GeographyPrelims 2019

Consider the following pairs: Sea Bordering : country

Adriatic Sea : Albania
Black Sea : Croatia
Caspian Sea : Kazakhstan
Mediterranean Sea : Morocco
Red Sea : Syria

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

A. 1, 2 and 4 only

B. 1, 3 and 4 only

C. 2 and 5 only

D. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Answer: B

Explanation

The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and Albania is one of the countries on its coast.

Adriatic Sea

Croatia does not border the Black Sea. The countries bordering the Black Sea are Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Black Sea

Kazakhstan is one of the five countries (along with Russia, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan) that border the Caspian Sea.

Caspian Sea

Morocco is one of the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea.

Meditteranean Sea

Syria does not border the Red Sea. The countries bordering the Red Sea are Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, and Djibouti.

Red Sea

So, the correctly matched pairs are 1, 3, and 4.

QUESTION 3

HardIndian GeographyPrelims 2019

Consider the following states:

Chhattisgarh
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra
Odisha

With reference to the States mentioned above, in terms of percentage of forest cover to the total area of State, which one of the following is the correct ascending order?

A. 2-3-1-4

B. 2-3-4-1

C. 3-2-4-1

D. 3-2-1-4

Answer: C

Explanation

The correct ascending order for the percentage of forest cover in the mentioned states

Odisha (32.34%)
Madhya Pradesh (25.11%)
Maharashtra (16.47%)
Chhattisgarh (41.09%)

Chhattisgarh has the highest forest cover percentage, followed by Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

India State of Forest Report (ISFR)

Hence the correct answer is option 3, i.e 3-2-4-1. (Ascending order)

QUESTION 4

MediumPhysical GeographyPrelims 2019

On 21st June, the Sun

A. does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle

B. does not set below the horizon at Antarctic Circle

C. shines vertically overhead at noon on the Equator

D. shines vertically overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn

Answer: A

Explanation

The summer solstice is the day with the longest period of daylight and the shortest night of the year. It occurs when one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun.

Earth Revolution

On 21st June, the summer solstice occurs in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the longest day of the year for that hemisphere.

The Arctic Circle, which is in the Northern Hemisphere, experiences continuous daylight throughout this day. This is because the tilt of the Earth's axis is such that the North Pole is facing towards the Sun.

Therefore, the Sun does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle on this day.

QUESTION 5

HardIndian GeographyPrelims 2019

With reference to the cultivation of Kharif crop in India in the last five years, consider the following statements:

Area under rice cultivation is the highest.
Area under the cultivation of jowar is more than that of oilseeds.
Area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane.
Area under sugarcane cultivation has steadily decreased.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1 and 3 only

B. 2 , 3 and 4 only

C. 2 and 4 only

D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: A

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct - Area under rice cultivation is highest among the Kharif crops; for example, it was 441.10 (Lakh Hectare) in 2014-15, 433.88 (Lakh Hectare) in 2015-16, etc.

Statement 2 is incorrect - Area under the cultivation of jowar is less than that of oilseeds.

Statement 3 is correct - Area of cotton cultivation is more than double that of sugarcane.

Statement 4 is incorrect - Area under sugarcane cultivation is fluctuating; it has not steadily decreased.

Crops

QUESTION 6

MediumPhysical GeographyPrelims 2019

Why are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night?

A. Clouds absorb the radiation released from the Earth’s surface.

B. Clouds reflect back the Earth’s radiation.

C. The Earth’s surface would have low temperature on cloudy nights.

D. Clouds deflect the blowing wind to ground level.

Answer: B

Explanation

Dewdrops are formed when the temperature drops to the dew point and the air becomes saturated with water vapour.

On a clear night, the Earth's surface loses heat through radiation and can reach a temperature low enough to form dewdrops.

However, on a cloudy night, the clouds act like a blanket, reflecting back the Earth's radiation. This keeps the temperature of the air near the ground warmer, preventing it from reaching the dew point and thus, dewdrops are not formed.

QUESTION 7

HardIndian GeographyPrelims 2019

Consider the following pairs : Glacier : River

Bandarpunch : Yamuna
Bara Shigri : Chenab
Milam : Mandakini
Siachen : Nubra
Zemu : Manas

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

A. 1, 2 and 4

B. 1, 3 and 4

C. 2 and 5

D. 3 and 5

Answer: A

Explanation

Bandarpunch Yamuna - This is correct. Bandarpunch is a mountain massif of the Garhwal division of the Himalayas, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is a source of the Yamuna River.

Bara Shigri Chenab - This is also correct. Bara Shigri is the second-longest glacier in the Himalayas and it feeds the Chenab River.

Milam Mandakini - This is incorrect. The Mandakini River originates from the Chorabari Glacier, not the Milam Glacier.

Siachen Nubra - This is correct. The Siachen Glacier, one of the world's longest mountain glaciers, lies in the Karakoram Range system of Kashmir and is the source for the Nubra River.

Zemu Manas - This is incorrect. The Zemu Glacier is in Sikkim and it feeds the Teesta River, not the Manas River.

So, the correctly matched pairs are 1, 2 and 4.

QUESTION 8

HardIndian GeographyPrelims 2019

What is common to the places known as Aliyar, Isa pur and Kangsabati?

A. Recently discovered uranium deposits

B. Tropical rain forests

C. Underground cave systems

D. Water reservoirs

Answer: D

Explanation

The common feature among the places Aliyar, Isapur and Kangsabati is that they are all known for their water reservoirs.

Aliyar Reservoir is located in Aliyar village, Tamil Nadu.
Isapur Dam is an irrigation project in Maharashtra.
Kangsabati Dam is located on the Kangsabati River in West Bengal.

Dams

Subject wise MCQ distribution

Difficulty analysis

Variations in Question framing

Key learning for Future Preparation

Subject-Wise Answer Key

UPSC Prelims 2019 Analysis

Subject wise MCQ distribution

Difficulty analysis

Variations in Question framing

Key learning for Future Preparation

Subject-Wise Answer Key

QUESTION 1

QUESTION 2

QUESTION 3

QUESTION 4

QUESTION 5

QUESTION 6

QUESTION 7

QUESTION 8

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UPSC Prelims GS Paper I Answer Key