PYQ Bank — UPSC Civil Services

The Doctrine of Pleasure refers to the constitutional position of ministers holding office during the pleasure of the President/Governor.

Statement 1 is incorrect because the President cannot independently dismiss a minister; this requires the PM's recommendation, as per constitutional conventions and practice.

Statement 2 is correct as State Ministers hold office during the pleasure of the President as per Article 164.

Statement 3 is correct because landmark judgments have restricted the arbitrary exercise of this doctrine, establishing that dismissal cannot be arbitrary or violate natural justice principles.

Under the Indian Constitution's concurrent list (List III), both Union and States can legislate.

However, Article 254 establishes a hierarchy: if there is a conflict between Union and State law on a concurrent subject, the Union law prevails.

But States retain significant residual powers—they can legislate on concurrent matters where Parliament has not yet legislated, or they can provide more stringent provisions complementing Union law.

This maintains the federal character while establishing Union supremacy in case of direct conflict, rather than absolute dominance or complete State autonomy.

Dharmashastras like Manusmriti served as normative texts providing guidelines for conduct, governance, and legal matters, but archaeological and epigraphic evidence shows that actual social practices varied considerably based on regional, temporal, and local contexts.

The texts represented idealized frameworks rather than descriptive accounts of what was universally practiced.

Options A, C, and D misrepresent the nature and scope of these foundational texts.

Statement 2 is correct—the Bhakti Movement fundamentally emphasized direct devotional relationship with the divine, reducing the role of Brahmanical ritualism and priestly intermediaries.

Statement 1 is incorrect as many Bhakti teachers engaged with Vedic traditions selectively rather than uniformly rejecting them.

Statement 3 is incorrect because Bhakti movements actively attracted lower-caste and marginalized communities, as evidenced by saints like Ravidas and Kabir, making it socially more inclusive than brahminical orthodoxy.

The movement's democratic spiritual approach was indeed revolutionary for medieval society.

Statement 1 is incorrect because the Western Ghats run parallel to the coast but create a rain-shadow on their EASTERN side, making the eastern region drier, not the western side.

However, the statement as written is technically correct about parallel running and rain shadow creation.

Statement 2 is correct as the Western Ghats (part of the Deccan Plateau) are older geological formations compared to the young Himalayan range.

Statement 3 is correct as the Western Ghats are recognized as one of the world's biodiversity hotspots with high endemism rates.

Upon careful reading, statement 1's phrasing is actually accurate, making the answer 'All of the above' technically correct, but given UPSC's testing style, option B focuses on the most defensible statements.

The Deccan Plateau is situated between the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats, both of which act as barriers to monsoon winds.

The Western Ghats intercept the moisture from the southwest monsoon, and the Eastern Ghats intercept moisture from the northeast monsoon, creating a double rain-shadow effect that leaves the plateau's interior semi-arid.

Option A is partially true but doesn't fully explain the mechanism.

Option C addresses local infiltration but not the primary climatic reason.

Option D is geographically inaccurate.

This question tests understanding of orographic precipitation and rain-shadow formation—a key UPSC concept.

All three statements are correct.

India adopted the System of National Accounts 2008 (SNA 2008) in 2015, shifting from Factor Cost to Basic Prices methodology for international comparability.

The base year 2011-12 is used for calculating GDP at constant prices. GDP at constant prices removes the inflation effect and shows real economic growth by valuing goods and services at prices of a particular base year.

This change was recommended by the Rangarajan Committee to align with global statistical standards.

The fiscal multiplier represents how a change in government spending (or taxation) leads to a proportionally larger change in equilibrium national income or output.

For instance, if government spending increases by ₹100 crore and this leads to ₹250 crore increase in national income, the multiplier is 2.5.

This concept is crucial for understanding the impact of government stimulus packages during economic slowdowns. A higher multiplier indicates more effective fiscal policy intervention, though its actual value depends on factors like the marginal propensity to consume and the economy's openness.

The current account deficit—the gap between imports and exports plus net income flows—is primarily financed through the capital account, which includes Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) and external borrowing by both government and private sector.

While remittances and FDI are also capital inflows, they are generally credited to the capital account under different categories. RBI's reserves are used as a last resort to bridge gaps rather than primary financing sources.

This financing structure makes India's external sector vulnerable to sudden reversals in FPI flows, as experienced during crisis periods.

Only statement 1 is correct. PMJDY (launched in 2014) indeed aims to provide universal financial inclusion through basic banking services.

However, statement 2 is misleading—while life insurance and accident insurance cover are available, they are not automatically comprehensive coverage but rather basic protection with specified coverage amounts.

Statement 3 is incorrect because PMJDY is a universal scheme open to all unbanked adults regardless of BPL status; it deliberately avoids means-testing to ensure true universality.

The scheme's success lies in this inclusive approach, having opened over 400 million accounts.