UPSC-CSE Prelims General Studies 2006 Paper — Kerala PSC PYQ Practice with Answers

Correct answer (Option C):\nChandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary is located near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. Karera Wildlife Sanctuary is near Jhansi in Madhya Pradesh. Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary is located near Udaipur in Rajasthan. Nahargarh Biological Park is located near Jaipur in Rajasthan. Therefore, the correct matching sequence for A-B-C-D is 4-2-5-1, which corresponds to Option C.\n\nWhy others are wrong:\nOptions A, B, and D do not correctly match the wildlife sanctuaries with their respective nearest towns according to geographical facts.\n\nStudy tip:\nNational parks and wildlife sanctuaries frequently feature in geography questions. Always note down the state and closest landmark towns for prominent conservation sites across India.

Correct answer (Option C):\nGenpact is a prominent global business process management (BPM) and services firm, not a power generation company. Therefore, the pair in Option C is not correctly matched, making it the right choice for this question. The other companies are correctly matched with their major business domains.\n\nWhy others are wrong:\nOption A is correct as Adobe Systems is a leading software company. Option B is correct because Sasken specializes in communication technology. Option D is correct since Synthite is a major exporter of value-added spices.\n\nRemember:\nGenpact was originally established as a business unit within General Electric (GE) in 1997 before becoming an independent company.

Correct answer (Option B):\nSisupalgarh is an ancient fortified historical site located in Orissa (now Odisha). Piprahwa is a famous Buddhist archaeological site located in the Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. Goalpara is an archaeological and historical site located in Assam. Bishnupur is historical town noted for its terracotta temples located in Manipur. This perfectly matches the sequence 3-4-1-2.\n\nWhy others are wrong:\nOptions A, C, and D are incorrect because they mismatch these distinct historical and archaeological sites with their actual geographical locations across Indian states.\n\nStudy tip:\nAncient historical fortifications and religious excavations are highly important areas for history preparation. Keep a state-wise index of major ASI certified locations.

Correct answer (Option D):\nThe speed of sound depends heavily on the density and elasticity of the medium through which it travels. Sound waves travel much faster through solids than liquids and gases because the molecules in a solid medium are tightly packed together. Among the given choices, wood is a solid medium where sound can travel at speeds around 3300 m/s to 4000 m/s depending on the type, which is far higher than the speeds in water and air.\n\nWhy others are wrong:\nOptions A and B are incorrect because gases have lowest sound propagation speeds (around 331 m/s to 386 m/s). Option C is incorrect because liquids like water exhibit speeds around 1480 m/s, which is lower than the velocity in solids like wood.\n\nRemember:\nSound requires a material medium to propagate and cannot travel through a vacuum, unlike electromagnetic waves.

Correct answer (Option C):\nDry cleaning uses non-polar solvents to dissolve stains without shrinking or damaging delicate fabrics. Benzene, Carbon tetrachloride, and Trichloroethylene are organic solvents that effectively dissolve oils and greases, making them historically used dry-cleaning chemicals. Sodium carbonate, on the other hand, is water-soluble washing soda used in standard wet laundry formulations rather than dry-cleaning systems.\n\nWhy others are wrong:\nOptions A and B are incomplete as they isolate only single compounds. Option D is incorrect because it includes Sodium Carbonate (3), which is a salt used in aqueous washing methods rather than dry non-aqueous solvent extraction.\n\nStudy tip:\nWhile carbon tetrachloride and benzene were common historic solvents, modern dry cleaning heavily utilizes Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene) due to toxicity profiles of older chemicals.