← MES Jr. Grade
Past Questions — 2015
Quit India Movement was launched in response to
A)
Cabinet Mission Plan
B)
Cripps Proposals
C)
Simon Commission Report
D)
Wavell Plan
The Quit India Movement was launched in August 1942 in response to the failure of the Cripps Mission/Proposals. The British government had offered limited self-government after the war, but it did not provide immediate transfer of power, so the Indian National Congress rejected it and started the Quit India Movement. The other options are incorrect because the Cabinet Mission Plan came later in 1946, the Simon Commission Report was from 1930, and the Wavell Plan was announced in 1945.
Which of the following Grand Slam Events is held in the month of January every year?
A)
Australian Open
B)
US Open
C)
Wimbledon
D)
French Open
The Australian Open is the Grand Slam tennis tournament traditionally held every year in January, in Melbourne, Australia.
Why others are incorrect:
- US Open: held around August–September.
- Wimbledon: held around June–July.
- French Open: held around May–June.
Therefore, the correct answer is Australian Open.
Many transplanted seedlings do not grow because
A)
The new soil does not contain favorable minerals
B)
Most of the root hairs grip the new soil too hard
C)
Most of the root hairs are lost during transplantation
D)
Leaves got damaged during transplantation
Seedlings often fail to grow after transplantation because delicate root hairs are damaged or lost while being uprooted and moved. Root hairs are responsible for absorbing water and minerals from the soil. If they are lost, the plant cannot take up enough water, leading to wilting and poor growth. Option (a) is not the main reason in most cases, option (b) is incorrect because root hairs do not grip soil too hard, and option (d) may cause some stress but is not the principal biological reason.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2014 is won by
A)
Malala Yousafzai and school friend
B)
Imran khan and Malala Yousafzai
C)
Malala Yousafzai and Mother Teresa
D)
Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai
The Nobel Peace Prize 2014 was jointly awarded to Kailash Satyarthi of India and Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education. Hence option (d) is correct. The other options are incorrect because Imran Khan, Mother Teresa, and Malala’s school friend were not co-recipients of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.
Which treaty did India refuse to sign in the year 1996?
A)
NPT
B)
SALT
C)
CTBT
D)
FMCT
India refused to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996. India argued that the treaty was discriminatory because it did not provide a time-bound framework for complete nuclear disarmament.
Why others are incorrect:
- NPT: India had already refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty earlier, not specifically in 1996.
- SALT: These were Strategic Arms Limitation Talks between the USA and USSR, not a treaty India was asked to sign in 1996.
- FMCT: The Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty was only a proposed treaty and was not the one India refused in 1996.
The climate of India is mainly tropical because of the
A)
Seasonal influence of jet streams
B)
Location of Himalayas in its north
C)
Over-powering influence of Indian Ocean
D)
Country being a part of Asian land-mass
India’s climate is mainly tropical chiefly because the Indian Ocean strongly influences temperature, humidity, and monsoon conditions over the country. This gives most of India a tropical monsoon type of climate.
Why others are incorrect: (a) Jet streams affect seasonal weather and monsoon behavior, but they are not the main reason for India being tropical. (b) The Himalayas protect India from cold Central Asian winds and help shape climate, but they do not make it mainly tropical. (d) Being part of the Asian land-mass affects continentality in some regions, but this is not the chief cause of India’s tropical climate.
Which of the following is not a fundamental right?
A)
Right against Exploitation
B)
Right to Freedom of Religion
C)
Right to Property
D)
Right to Freedom
In the original Constitution, the Right to Property was a Fundamental Right, but it was removed from Part III by the 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978 and made a legal right under Article 300A. The other options are still Fundamental Rights: Right against Exploitation, Right to Freedom of Religion, and Right to Freedom.
The name of National flag of India is
A)
Swaraj
B)
Chakra
C)
Tiranga
D)
Saffron-White-Green
The National Flag of India is popularly called the 'Tiranga', meaning tricolour, because it has three horizontal colours: saffron, white, and green, with the Ashoka Chakra in the centre.
Why others are incorrect:
- (a) Swaraj: means self-rule, not the name of the flag.
- (b) Chakra: refers only to the Ashoka Chakra in the middle of the flag.
- (d) Saffron-White-Green: describes the colours of the flag, but it is not its accepted name.
Therefore, the correct answer is (c) Tiranga.
Supply of money remaining the same, when there is an increase in demand for money, there will be
A)
A fall in the level of prices
B)
An increase in the rate of interest
C)
A decrease in the rate of interest
D)
An increase in the level of income and employment
When the supply of money is fixed but the demand for money increases, people want to hold more cash than is available. In liquidity preference theory, this excess demand for money is balanced by a rise in the rate of interest. Higher interest discourages holding money and restores equilibrium. इसलिए option (b) is correct. Option (c) is the opposite. Option (a) may happen in some broader contexts but is not the direct and standard result here. Option (d) is also not the immediate outcome of increased money demand with unchanged money supply.
What colour is found at the center of the target in an archery competition?
A)
Black
B)
White
C)
Blue
D)
Gold
In standard archery targets, the center is the gold/yellow ring, which contains the highest scoring areas (10 and 9 points). Therefore, the colour found at the center of the target is Gold.
Why others are incorrect:
- Black: outer middle rings, not the center.
- White: outer rings.
- Blue: between black and red, not the center.
The twinkling of stars is due to
A)
reftaction
B)
scattering
C)
reflection
D)
polarization
Stars appear to twinkle because their light passes through different layers of the Earth's atmosphere, which have varying densities. These layers continuously bend the light in different directions due to atmospheric refraction, making the star's brightness and position seem to change rapidly. Hence, the correct answer is (a) reftaction. Scattering causes phenomena like the blue color of the sky, reflection is bouncing back of light, and polarization is the restriction of light vibrations in a particular direction.
Which of the following States has the broadest continental shelf in India?
A)
Andhra Pradesh
B)
Gujarat
C)
Rajasthan
D)
Madhya Pradesh
The continental shelf is the gently sloping submerged extension of a continent. In India, the continental shelf is broadest along the western coast, especially off Gujarat, because of extensive marine sedimentation and the wide shallow sea area in the Gulf of Khambhat and Gulf of Kachchh. Therefore, Gujarat is correct. Andhra Pradesh has a narrower shelf than Gujarat, while Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are inland states and have no continental shelf.
A joint sitting of both houses of Parliament is presided over by the
A)
President
B)
Vice President
C)
Prime Minister
D)
Speaker
Under Article 108 of the Indian Constitution, a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament is presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. If the Speaker is absent, the Deputy Speaker presides; if both are absent, then the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha presides. Therefore, option (d) Speaker is correct. The President summons the joint sitting but does not preside over it; the Vice President is the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, not the presiding officer of a joint sitting; the Prime Minister has no such role.
Which of the following leaf modifications occurs/occur in desert areas to inhibit water loss? 1) Hard and waxy leaves 2) Tiny leaves and no leaves 3) Thorns instead of leaves Select the correct answer using the codes given below
A)
1) and 2) only
B)
2) only
C)
1) and 3) only
D)
1), 2) and 3)
Plants in desert areas show xerophytic adaptations to reduce transpiration and conserve water. (1) Hard and waxy leaves reduce water loss by having a thick cuticle. (2) Tiny leaves or absence of leaves reduce surface area, which lowers transpiration. (3) In many desert plants, leaves are modified into thorns/spines, which greatly reduce water loss and also protect the plant. Therefore, all three statements are correct, so option (d) is the right answer.
What is the motto of Asian Games Federation?
A)
Ever Onward
B)
Universal Friendship
C)
High, Higher, Highest
D)
Universal Brotherhood
The motto of the Asian Games Federation is "Ever Onward." Therefore, option (a) is correct. The other options are not the official motto of the Asian Games Federation.
In the figure above, the circle inscribed in PQRS has radius 3. What is the perimeter of the square?
A)
9
B)
24
C)
36
D)
54
1. Understand the geometry: A circle is inscribed in a square (PQRS). This means the circle is tangent to all four sides of the square.
2. Relationship between radius and side length: For a circle inscribed in a square, the diameter of the circle is equal to the side length of the square.
3. Calculate the side length: Given the radius (r) = 3, the diameter (d) = 2 * r = 2 * 3 = 6. Therefore, the side length (s) of the square PQRS is 6.
4. Calculate the perimeter: The perimeter of a square is given by the formula Perimeter = 4 * s. Substituting the side length, Perimeter = 4 * 6 = 24.
5. Evaluation of options:
- Option (a) 9 is incorrect (this is 3 * 3).
- Option (b) 24 is correct.
- Option (c) 36 is incorrect (this is the area of the square, 6^2).
- Option (d) 54 is incorrect.
The Union Cabinet is responsible to
A)
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
B)
Lok Sabha only
C)
President of India
D)
Rajya Sabha
The Union Cabinet is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha, not to the Rajya Sabha. Under the parliamentary system in India, the Council of Ministers remains in office only so long as it enjoys the confidence of the lower house. The Rajya Sabha does not control the survival of the government in this way, and the President is only the formal head to whom ministers are appointed, not the body to which the Cabinet is politically responsible.
Which of the following is responsible for the changes in weather (seasons) on the earth’s atmosphere?
A)
Rotation of the earth
B)
Tilting of the earth
C)
Revolution of the earth
D)
Solar & Lunar eclipses
Seasons are mainly caused by the tilt of the Earth’s axis (about 23.5°) in relation to its orbit around the Sun. Because of this tilt, different parts of the Earth receive varying amounts of sunlight during the year, leading to seasonal changes. Revolution of the Earth around the Sun helps produce the yearly cycle, but without the tilt, seasons would not occur in the same way. Rotation causes day and night, and eclipses do not cause seasons.
In which year did India become a member of the United Nations Organisation?
A)
1945
B)
1947
C)
1946
D)
1948
India became an original member of the United Nations in 1945, when the UN was founded on 24 October 1945. Even though India became independent in 1947, it had already joined the UN before independence as British India. Therefore, option (a) is correct. Options (b), (c), and (d) are incorrect because India’s UN membership began in 1945, not in those years.
Acid rain is caused by the pollution of environment by
A)
Carbon dioxide and nitrogen
B)
Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide
C)
Ozone and carbon dioxide
D)
Nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide
Acid rain is mainly caused by the release of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere. These gases react with water vapour and oxygen to form sulphuric acid and nitric acid, which fall with rain. The other options mention gases that do not primarily cause acid rain.
The purest form of water is
A)
of Ocean
B)
of Rain
C)
of River
D)
of Well
Rainwater is considered the purest natural form of water because it is formed by evaporation and condensation, which act like a natural distillation process. Ocean water contains large amounts of dissolved salts, river water contains suspended impurities and microorganisms, and well water contains dissolved minerals and possible contaminants. Therefore, option (b) is correct.
Which country has the most number of universities?
A)
USA
B)
Russia
C)
India
D)
China
India is generally cited in GK/exam contexts as the country with the largest number of universities. Hence option (c) is correct.
Why others are incorrect:
- (a) USA: It has a very large higher education system, but in such standard GK questions India is taken as having more universities.
- (b) Russia: It has many institutions, but not the highest in this context.
- (d) China: Also has a large number of universities, but not the answer expected in this exam.
Name the oldest inhabited capital city in the world
A)
Athens - Greece
B)
Cairo - Egypt
C)
Skopje - Macedonia
D)
Damascus - Syria
Damascus is widely regarded as the oldest continuously inhabited capital city in the world. It has been inhabited for thousands of years and has served as an important political and cultural center since ancient times.
Why others are incorrect:
- Athens: very ancient, but not generally considered older than Damascus as a continuously inhabited capital.
- Cairo: historically important, but much later than Damascus.
- Skopje: ancient settlement exists, but it is not regarded as the oldest inhabited capital city.
Therefore, the correct answer is (d) Damascus - Syria.
Which of the following Anti Corruption institutions is common for all states?
A)
Anti Corruption Bureau
B)
Central Vigilance Commission
C)
Lok Ayukta
D)
CBI
The anti-corruption institution that is commonly established at the state level across Indian states is the Lok Ayukta. It is the state counterpart of the Lokpal and is meant to investigate allegations of corruption against public functionaries in the state.
Why others are incorrect:
(a) Anti Corruption Bureau — This is not a uniform constitutional/statutory institution common to all states in the same sense; structure and existence may vary.
(b) Central Vigilance Commission — This is a central body, not a state institution.
(d) CBI — This is also a central investigating agency, not a common state-level anti-corruption institution.
Therefore, the correct answer is Lok Ayukta.
Gas leaked in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy was
A)
Sodium Isothiocyanate
B)
Methyl Isocyanate
C)
Ethyl Isocyanate
D)
None of these
The poisonous gas leaked during the Bhopal Gas Tragedy in December 1984 was Methyl Isocyanate (MIC), a highly toxic chemical used in pesticide manufacture at the Union Carbide plant. Hence option (b) is correct. Option (a) is incorrect because Sodium Isothiocyanate was not the leaked gas. Option (c) is incorrect because Ethyl Isocyanate was not involved in the disaster. Therefore, option (d) is also incorrect.