HPAS PRE-2016 GENERAL STUDIES PAPER
Q1. Which Raja of Chamba transferred the capital of his state from Bharmaur to Chamba?
- a) Meru Varman
- b) Aditya Varman
- c) Sahila Varman
- d) Soma Varman
ANSWER: (c)
Q2. During the reign of which raja of Nurpur princely sate the forts of Maukot, Nurpur and Taragarh were captured by the Mughals?
- a) Jagat Singh
- b) Rajrup Singh
- c) Bir Singh
- d) Jaswant Singh
ANSWER: (a)
Q3. Who was the first European to draw attention to the history of royal families of Jalandhar and Trigarta?
- a) Moorcraft
- b) Cunningham
- c) Thevenot
- d) Thomas Coryat
ANSWER: (b)
Q4. Around which year did the Gurkhas capture the Sirmaur princely state?
- a) 1803 AD
- b) 1815 AD
- c) 1820 AD
- d) 1826 AD
ANSWER: (a)
Q5. Which Raja of Bushahr princely state was conferred the title of Chhatarpati by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb?
- a) Udai Singh
- b) Ram Singh
- c) Kehri Singh
- d) Vijay Singh
ANSWER: (c)
Q6. By what name did the Greek Scholars call the Satluj River?
- a) Zungtee
- b) Muksang
- c) Heisidrus
- d) Satudri
ANSWER: (c)
Q7. According to legend which God (Devta) killed Banasur who was the ruler of Sarahan area of upper Shimla?
- a) Tapa Purana
- b) Anna Purana
- c) Deva Purana
- d) Garud Purana
ANSWER: (c)
Q8. From which place does the Spiti River originate?
- a) Kunjam Pass
- b) Tandi
- c) Tabo
- d) Gramfu
ANSWER: (a)
Q9. At which place in Bilaspur District of H.P. a woman Industrial Training Institute (I.T.I.) has been made functional during 2015-16?
- a) Malari
- b) Jagatkhana
- c) Bharari
- d) Daslehra
ANSWER: (c)
Q10. What is the approximate capacity of Sawra- Kuddu Hydro- Electric Power Project?
- a) 65 MW
- b) 100 MW
- c) 111 MW
- d) 130 MW
ANSWER: (c)
Q11. In which two Districts of H.P. will the H.P. Forest Ecosystem Climate Proofing Project be implemented?
- a) Bilaspur and Solan
- b) Shimla and Kinnaur
- c) Una and Hamirpur
- d) Kangra and Chamba
ANSWER: (d)
Q12. How much subsidy is given in H.P. to the women of eligible category for providing Gas connection under Mata Shabri Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojna?
- a) 30 percent subject to maximum of Rupees 1,000
- b) 50 percent subject to maximum of Rupees 1,300
- c) 75 percent subject to maximum of Rupees 1,500
- d) 80 percent subject to maximum of Rupees 2,000
ANSWER: (b)
Q13. What is the architectural style of Hateshwari Temple at Hatkoti (in Jubbal Tehsil of Shimla District)?
- a) Pentroof
- b) Pagoda
- c) Cone Shaped
- d) Pyramidal shaped
ANSWER: (d)
Q14. Which of the following subject matter is not found in the Kangra Kalam style Kangra paintings of eighteenth century?
- a) Geet Gobind of Jai Deva
- b) Satsai of Bihari
- c) Padmavat of Jayasee
- d) Rasik Priya of Keshav Dass
ANSWER: (c)
Q15. What is the number of women members in the present H.P. Vidhan Sabha?
- a) Two
- b) Three
- c) Four
- d) Five
ANSWER: (b)
Q16. At which place in Shimla District of H.P. is Government Sheep Breeding Farm?
- a) Chopal
- b) Kiari
- c) Jeori
- d) Mandal
ANSWER: (c)
Q17. According to 2010-11 Agricultural census what is the percentage of small land holdings in H.P.?
- a) 8.84
- b) 12.06
- c) 17.72
- d) 18.17
ANSWER: (d)
Q18. Which cement company has been given a prospecting licence to carry out a detailed study for providing the quantity and quality of lime-stone deposits in Sugrathi- Thangar- Kura Khera- Paulikhera- Kandal- Dedera of Tehsil Chopal in Shimla District, H.P.?
- a) M/s. Reliance Cementation
- b) M/s. Ambuja Cements
- c) M/s. Associated Cement Companies
- d) M/s. Asian Cement Company
ANSWER: (a)
Q19. Which Himachali revolutionary edited Sudarshan Chakra magazine from Lahore during the pre independence period?
- a) Yashpal
- b) Inderpal
- c) Sher Jung
- d) Swami Krishna Nand
ANSWER: (b)
Q20. Who is the author of Kullu and Lahaul?
- a) C.G. Bruce
- b) E.J. Buck
- c) R.M. Bernier
- d) W.G. Archer
ANSWER: (a)
Q21. According to the UN Human Development Report (2016), the world’s top three countries in terms of human development are:
- a) Norway, Australia and Switzerland
- b) Australia, Sweden and Denmark
- c) Switzerland, Norway and Sweden
- d) Sweden, Netherlands and Norway
ANSWER: (a)
Q22. Who among the following were awarded Rajiv Gandhi Kehl Ratna Award for 2015-16?
1) P.V. Sindhu
2) Sakshi Malik
3) Jitu Rai
4) M. Bhupathi
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
- a) (1), (2) and (3)
- b) (2), (3) and (4)
- c) (1), (2) and (4)
- d) (1), (2), (3) and (4)
ANSWER: (a)
Q23. Who among the following was conferred Jnanpith Award in 2016?
- a) Bulaki Sharma
- b) Shankha Ghosh
- c) Satya Narayan
- d) Kamal Vora
ANSWER: (b)
Q24. Who among the following has been appointed director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (2017)?
- a) Anil Kumar Sinha
- b) Alok Kumar Verma
- c) A.K. Patnaik
- d) Sanjeev Sanyal
ANSWER: (b)
Q25. Tehmina Janjua is the first woman in Pakistan’s history to hold the office of:
- a) Foreign Minister
- b) Foreign Secretary
- c) Judge of a High Court
- d) Ambassador
ANSWER: (b)
Q26. Teacher’s Day is celebrated on:
- a) 5th September
- b) 6th October
- c) 2nd October
- d) 10th November
ANSWER: (a)
Q27. Which of the following rivers have been termed as “living entities” by the High Court?
1) Ganga
2) Yamuna
3) Gadavari
4) Brahmaputra
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
- a) (1) and (4)
- b) (1) and (2)
- c) (1), (2) and (4)
- d) (1), (2), (3) and (4)
ANSWER: (b)
Q28. In India, life expectancy is:
- a) 68.3 years
- b) 71.2 years
- c) 75.5 years
- d) 65.3 years
ANSWER: (a)
Q29. The district to which two chief Ministers of Northern States (2017) belong, falls in the state of:
- a) Uttar Pradesh
- b) Himachal Pradesh
- c) Uttarakhand
- d) Punjab
ANSWER: (c)
Q30. The Supreme Court issued a contempt notice to the sitting High Court Judge of:
- a) Calcutta High Court
- b) Bombay High Court
- c) Madras High Court
- d) Allahabad High Court
ANSWER: (a)
Q31. Kol tribe is found in:
- a) Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh
- b) West Bengal and Odisha
- c) Assam and Meghalaya
- d) Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan
ANSWER: (a)
Q32. Who among the following is the Chancellor of Nalanda University (2017)?
- a) Dr. George Yeo
- b) Dr. Vijay Bhatkar
- c) Dr. Amartya Sen
- d) Dr. Arun Grover
ANSWER: (b)
Q33. The NOTA option was first used in the elections in :
- a) 2004
- b) 2009
- c) 2013
- d) 2017
ANSWER: (c)
Q34. Who among the following were conferred Padma Vibhushan Awards in 2017?
1) Dr. Devi Prasad Dwivedi
2) Sadhaguru Jaggi Vasudev
3) Sharad Pawar
4) Sunder Lal Patwa
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
- a) (1), (2) and (3)
- b) (1), (2), (3) and (4)
- c) (1), (3) and (4)
- d) (2), (3) and (4)
ANSWER: (d)
Q35. The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister(s) of the following states were not members of the State Legislative Assembly at the time of their appointments (2017):
- a) Punjab
- b) Goa
- c) Uttarakhand
- d) Uttar Pradesh
ANSWER: (d)
Q36. Which one of the following cities is called “Silicon Valley of India”?
- a) Hyderabad
- b) Pune
- c) Mumbai
- d) Bengaluru
ANSWER: (d)
Q37. Donald Trump is:
- a) The 45th USA President
- b) The 44th USA President
- c) The 42nd USA President
- d) The 40th USA President
ANSWER: (a)
Q38. In which field was Juan Manuel Santos awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize?
- a) Chemistry
- b) Peace
- c) Physics
- d) Medicine
ANSWER: (b)
Q39. To which country does the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, belong?
- a) Italy
- b) Portugal
- c) Spain
- d) Greece
ANSWER: (b)
Q40. Which country owns the Margarita Island which was the venue of 17th NAM Summit?
- a) Venezuela
- b) Egypt
- c) Brazil
- d) South Africa
ANSWER: (a)
Q41. Nana Saheb, who fought against the English during the Indian Mutiny of 1857, was:
- a) The son of Peshwa Baji Rao III
- b) The adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao III
- c) A Solider in the army of Nawab of Awadh
- d) A relation of the Raja of Benaras
ANSWER: (b)
Q42. Who presided over the first session of Indian National Congress in Bombay?
- a) A.O. Hume
- b) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
- c) B.G. Tilak
- d) W.C. Bannerji
ANSWER: (d)
Q43. Which Socio- Religious Movement of 19th -20th century adopted the practices of occult mysticism?
- a) The Theosophical Society
- b) The Arya Samaj
- c) The Brahmo Samaj
- d) The Gurdwara Reforms Movement
ANSWER: (a)
Q44. Who of the following was not the Moderate leader of Indian National Congress?
- a) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
- b) M.G. Ranade
- c) Aurobindo Ghosh
- d) Surendra
ANSWER: (c)
Q45. Where was held the first session of Muslim League?
- a) Dacca
- b) Calcutta
- c) Lahore
- d) Karachi
ANSWER: (d)
Q46. Of the following, who shot dead Curzon Wyllie in London?
- a) Madan Lal Dhingra
- b) Udham Singh
- c) Chapkar Brothers
- d) None of the above
ANSWER: (a)
Q47. When was the Montague Declaration made about the introduction of responsible government in stages for India?
- a) August 15, 1917
- b) August 20, 1917
- c) August 20, 1918
- d) August 15, 1918
ANSWER: (b)
Q48. Where was founded the Communism Party of India in 1920?
- a) Moscow
- b) Bombay
- c) Tashkent
- d) Hong Kong
ANSWER: (c)
Q49. Which month of 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of Gandhi’s arrival in Champaran?
- a) March
- b) April
- c) July
- d) August
ANSWER: (b)
Q50. Which event earned for Vallabhabhai Patel the title of ‘Sardar’?
- a) The Khera Satyagraha
- b) The integration of Indian States with India
- c) The Ahmadabad Textile Labour Association
- d) The Bardoli Satyagraha
ANSWER: (d)
Q51. Stalactites and Stalagmites are:
- a) Erosional landforms in the Karst region
- b) Depositional landforms in the Karst region
- c) Transportational landforms in the Karst region
- d) None of the above
ANSWER: (b)
Q52. Savanna region of Brazil is locally called as:
- a) Cerrado
- b) Llanos
- c) Pampas
- d) None of the above
ANSWER: (a)
Q53. Who is the author of the book “The Unstable Earth”?
- a) W.M. Davis
- b) G. Taylor
- c) J.I. Clark
- d) J.A. Steers
ANSWER: (d)
Q54. Brahmaputra, after joining Tista river, is known as:
- a) Jamuna
- b) Padma
- c) Meghna
- d) Dihang
ANSWER: (a)
Q55. Coral reefs are found between:
- a) 25°N; 25°S Latitude
- b) 30°N, 30°S Latitude
- c) 15°N; 15°S Latitude
- d) None of the above
ANSWER: (b)
Q56. Green Revolution made the country self- sufficient in food production but had some fallouts. Consider the following statements:
1) It has successful in case of wheat, but not in the case of pulses
2) Brought inter-state disparities
3) Helped in restoring soil fertility
4) Reduced water table in some state
Select the correct statements from the codes given below:
- a) (1), (2) and (4)
- b) (2) and (4) only
- c) (1), (3) and (4)
- d) All are correct
ANSWER: (a)
Q57. In which ocean ‘Mindanao Trench’ exists?
- a) Atlantic Ocean
- b) Indian Ocean
- c) Pacific Ocean
- d) Arctic Ocean
ANSWER: (c)
Q58. Match List I (Mines) and List II (Minerals) using the codes given below:
List I
- a) Kimberley
- b) Wankie
- c) Witwatersand
- d) Katanga
List II
(1) Coal
(2) Diamond
(3) Copper
(4) Gold
Codes:
(a) (b) (c) (d)
- a) (1) (2) (3) (4)
- b) (2) (1) (4) (3)
- c) (1) (2) (4) (3)
- d) (2) (1) (3) (4)
ANSWER: (b)
Q59. Match the following and choose the correct answer from the codes given below:
- a) Carl Saur
- b) David Harvey
- c) F. Ratzel
- d) H.J. Johnston
(i) Social Geography
(ii) Cultural Geography
(iii) Political Geography
(iv) Radical Geography
Codes:
(a) (b) (c) (d)
- a) (i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
- b) (ii) (i) (iii) (iv)
- c) (iv) (iii) (ii) (i)
- d) (ii) (iv) (iii) (i)
ANSWER: (d)
Q60. In “Concentric Zone Model” of Burgess the fifth ring is occupied by:
- a) Commuters Zone
- b) Zone of better residence
- c) Zone of independent workers home
- d) CBD
ANSWER: (a)
Q61. Which schedule of the Constitution of India contains provisions for the disqualification of a legislator on grounds of defection?
- a) Schedule- X
- b) Schedule- IX
- c) Schedule- XII
- d) Schedule- VIII
ANSWER: (a)
Q62. Power of Judicial Review, provided in the constitution, is exercised on the basis of which principle?
- a) Due process of Law
- b) Procedure established by Law
- c) Arbitration
- d) Natural Justice
ANSWER: (b)
Q63. Who presides over the joint sitting of the Parliament?
- a) President of India
- b) Speaker of Lok Sabha
- c) Chairman of Rajya Sabha
- d) None of the above
ANSWER: (b)
Q64. Under which provision can the Speaker allow any member of the House to speak in his/her mother language?
- a) Article 110
- b) Article 122
- c) Article 120(1)
- d) Article 126
ANSWER: (c)
Q65. Supreme Court’s judgement in Indira Sawhney Vs. Union of India is related to which issue?
- a) Reservation for OBC
- b) Reservation for Scheduled Castes
- c) Reservation for Minorities
- d) Reservation for Scheduled Tribes
ANSWER: (a)
Q66. Provision for Grant-in- Aid under Article 243 H for the Panchayats has been made out of which sources?
- a) Taxes collected by Union Government
- b) Taxes collected by the States
- c) Taxes collected by Panchayats
- d) Consolidated Fund of India
ANSWER: (QUESTION SCRAPPED)
Q67. Which one of the following is a correct sequencing of the features of the Preamble of Indian Constitution?
- a) Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, Republic
- b) Sovereign, Secular, Socialist, Democratic, Republic
- c) Secular, Socialist, Sovereign, Republic, Democratic
- d) Democratic, Republic, Sovereign Socialist, Secular
ANSWER: (a)
Q68. Match the following :
List I
- a) Article 15
- b) Article 20
- c) Article 25
- d) Article32
List II
(i) Freedom of Religion
(ii) Constitutional Remedies
(iii) Prohibition of Discrimination
(iv) Protection against conviction
Choose the correct answer from the following:
Codes:
- a) (a)-(i), (b)-(ii), (c)-(iii), (d)-(iv)
- b) (a)-(iv), (b)-(iii), (c)-(i), (d)-(ii)
- c) (a)-(iii), (b)-(iv), (c)-(i), (d)-(ii)
- d) None of these
ANSWER: (c)
Q69. Which one of the following is the correct statement with regard to the emergency provisions of Indian Constitution?
- a) The constitution mentions four types of emergency.
- b) Emergency provisions are described Articles 340 to 356 in the Constitution.
- c) Financial emergency has never been imposed in India.
- d) Emergency under Article 356 can be imposed on the failure of Constitutional Machinery at the union level.
ANSWER: (c)
Q70. Which one of the following policies of Government of India is related to the availability of cooking gas to the BPL Households?
- a) Ujjawala Yojana
- b) Fasal Bima Yojana
- c) Atul Pension Yojana
- d) Jivan Jyothi Bima Yojana
ANSWER: (a)
Q71. Which of the following statements is correct in reference to the Finance Commission of India?
- a) It facilitates the judicial distribution of finance among the PSUs.
- b) It ensures transparency in financial administration.
- c) It deals with the financial relations between States and Centre.
- d) It ensures financial prudence of State Government.
ANSWER: (c)
Q72. In the Budget for 2017-18, the funds allocated for MGNREGA is:
- a) Rs. 45,000 Cr.
- b) Rs. 48,000 Cr.
- c) Rs. 35,000 Cr.
- d) Rs. 55,000 Cr.
ANSWER: (b)
Q73. As per census 2011, literacy rate in Himachal Pradesh for male and female respectively is:
- a) 90.27 and 70.08
- b) 89.53 and 75.93
- c) 89.53 and 71.53
- d) 90.27 and 71.53
ANSWER: (b)
Q74. HDI is measured with reference to:
- Infant Mortality
- Real GDP per capita
- Life Expectancy at birth
- Morbidity
- a) 1 and 4 are correct
- b) 1, 2 and 3 are correct
- c) 3 and 4 are correct
- d) All are correct
ANSWER: (QUESTION SCRAPPED)
Q75. Who conducts the periodical sample survey for estimating the poverty line in India?
- a) Niti Aayog
- b) CSO
- c) NSSO
- d) Ministry of Social Justice
ANSWER: (c)
Q76. AMRUT was launched on:
- a) 25 June, 2015 to improve basic Urban infrastructure in 500 cities
- b) 25 June, 2015 to improve basic amenities in 500 districts
- c) 25 June, 2014 to improve basic Urban infrastructure in cities
- d) 25 June, 2016 to improve availability of safe drinking water in Urban areas
ANSWER: (a)
Q77. Which of the following State of India has the highest poverty ratio?
- a) Bihar
- b) Jharkhand
- c) Odisha
- d) Uttar Pradesh
ANSWER: (c)
Q78. For the Budget proposals 2017-18; which of the following is not correct?
- a) Target for agriculture credit has been fixed to the tune of Rs. 10 Lac Crore
- b) New Mini Labs in Krishi Vigyan Kendra will be established
- c) Total allocation for rural, agriculture and allied sector is Rs. 80,000 crore
- d) Achieving 100 percent village electrification by 1 May, 2018
ANSWER: (c)
Q79. The growth rate of Himachal Pradesh during 12th Plan (2012-17) has been estimated at:
- a) 6.8 percent
- b) 7.2 percent
- c) 7.8 percent
- d) 5.9 percent
ANSWER: (b)
Q80. What was the unemployment rate during 2015-16 based on Usual Principal Status in India?
- a) 8.7 percent
- b) 7.8 percent
- c) 5.0 percent
- d) 4.2 percent
ANSWER: (c)
Q81. The number of Wetlands in India listed under Ramsar Convention is:
- a) 35
- b) 21
- c) 26
- d) 39
ANSWER: (c)
Q82. India ratified the (Stockholm Convention for protecting human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants in:
- a) 2005
- b) 2006
- c) 2002
- d) 2010
ANSWER: (b)
Q83. Which of the following represents the major loss to the human kind due to environmental degradation?
- a) Ecosystem goods
- b) Ecosystem services
- c) Ecosystem- based tourism
- d) Ecosystem- dependent tribes
ANSWER: (b)
Q84. United Nations has declared 2017 as the International Year of:
- a) Sustainable tourism for development
- b) Pulses
- c) Light and Light-Based Technologies
- d) Soils
ANSWER: (a)
Q85. The global agreement that deals with the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal is called:
- a) Basel Convention
- b) Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident
- c) International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships
- d) Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
ANSWER: (a)
Q86. Which of the following is the most promising biodiesel crop?
- a) Sugarcane
- b) Soybean
- c) Switch grass
- d) Oat
ANSWER: (a or b)
Q87. The biological oxygen demand of water is reduced mainly by:
- a) Primary treatment
- b) Secondary treatment
- c) Tertiary treatment
- d) None of the above
ANSWER: (b)
Q88. Dead zones in the world’s oceans and large lakes are characterized by:
- a) High biological oxygen demand
- b) Excessive bloom of algae
- c) Excess nutrients like nitrated and phosphates
- d) All of the above
ANSWER: (d)
Q89. The use of carbon tax has been very successful to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in:
- a) The United States of America
- b) China
- c) Sweden
- d) Australia
ANSWER: (a or b)
Q90. One of the better achievements of Kanha National Park is:
- a) Conservation of tiger from near extinction
- b) Conservation of swamp deer from near extinction
- c) Conservation of Gaur from near extinction
- d) Conservation of bison from near extinction
ANSWER: (b)
Q91. In order to prevent oxidation of potato chips during storage in sealed bags, chip manufacturers seal the packet in the presence of:
- a) Oxygen
- b) Nitrogen
- c) Hydrogen
- d) Carbon dioxide
ANSWER: (b)
Q92. Where from is litmus dye extracted?
- a) A lichen
- b) A liverwort
- c) A moss
- d) A pteridophyte
ANSWER: (a)
Q93. If someone is suffering from the problem of acidity after overeating, what is the remedy?
- a) Lemon juice
- b) Vinegar
- c) Baking soda
- d) Blue berry juice
ANSWER: (c)
Q94. Which of the following has a pH of about 10?
- a) Gastric juice
- b) Blood
- c) Milk of magnesia
- d) Sodium
ANSWER: (c)
Q95. Which of the following processes does not take place during photosynthesis?
- a) Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll
- b) Conversion of light to chemical energy
- c) Splitting of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen
- d) Chlorophyll degradation
ANSWER: (d)
Q96. Which of the following instruments is used for measuring the depth of the ocean?
- a) Galvanometer
- b) Ammeter
- c) Barometer
- d) Fathometer
ANSWER: (d)
Q97. Light year is a unit of :
- a) Light
- b) Time
- c) Intensity of light
- d) Astronomical distance
ANSWER: (d)
Q98. Which of the following are the primary colors?
- a) Yellow, green, Blue
- b) Red, Green, Blue
- c) Red, Green, White
- d) Red, Magenta, Blue
ANSWER: (b)
Q99. Nail polish remover contains:
- a) Benzene
- b) Acetone
- c) Acetic acid
- d) Petroleum ether
ANSWER: (b)
Q100. The most abundant rare gas in the atmosphere is:
- a) Helium
- b) Neon
- c) Xenon
- d) Argon
ANSWER: (d)