← MES Jr. Grade
Past Questions — 2015
In India, the problem of soil erosion is associated with which of the following? 1. Terrace cultivation 2. Deforestation 3. Tropical Climate Select the correct answer using the code given below.
A)
1 and 2 only
B)
2 only
C)
1 and 3 only
D)
1, 2 and 3
Soil erosion in India is strongly associated with deforestation because removal of vegetation exposes the soil to wind and water action. Terrace cultivation, on the other hand, is a soil-conservation method used to reduce erosion on slopes, so statement 1 is not correct. ‘Tropical climate’ by itself is not taken as a direct cause in this context; although heavy rainfall may increase erosion, the standard associated factor among the given options is deforestation. Therefore, only statement 2 is correct.
The earth is at its maximum distance from the sun on
A)
July 4
B)
January 30
C)
December 22
D)
September 22
The Earth is at its maximum distance from the Sun at aphelion, which occurs around 4th July every year. Hence, option (a) is correct.
Why others are incorrect:
- (b) January 30: Not the date of aphelion; perihelion (minimum distance) occurs in early January.
- (c) December 22: This is around the winter solstice, not maximum distance.
- (d) September 22: This is around the autumnal equinox, not aphelion.
Which among the following is categorised as All India Service?
A)
Indian Audit and Accounts Service
B)
Indian Railway Service
C)
Indian Forest Service
D)
Indian Economic Service
The All India Services are services common to both the Union and the States. Presently, the three All India Services are Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Service (IFoS). Therefore, Indian Forest Service is the correct answer. The other options—Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Indian Railway Service, and Indian Economic Service—are Central Services, not All India Services.
Formation of droplets of water and mercury are formed by
A)
Pascal’s Law
B)
Surface Tension
C)
Archimedes Principle
D)
None of these
Water and mercury form droplets because of surface tension. Surface tension makes the liquid surface behave like a stretched membrane and tends to minimize surface area, causing the liquid to gather into nearly spherical drops. Pascal’s law is about transmission of pressure in fluids, and Archimedes’ principle is about buoyancy, so neither explains droplet formation.
Which of the following countries does not have a border with China?
A)
Afghanistan
B)
Kazakhstan
C)
Myanmar
D)
Thailand
China shares borders with Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Myanmar. Thailand does not border China; it borders Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Therefore, the correct answer is Thailand.
The Prime Minister of India, at the time of his/her appointment
A)
Need not necessarily be a member of one of the Houses of the Parliament but must become a member of one of the Houses within six months
B)
Need not necessarily be a member of one of the Houses of the Parliament but become a member of the Lok Sabha within six months
C)
Must be a member of one of the Houses of the Parliament
D)
Must be a member of the Lok Sabha
Under Article 75(5) of the Constitution of India, a minister who is not a member of either House of Parliament for any period of six consecutive months ceases to be a minister at the end of that period. This rule also applies to the Prime Minister. Therefore, at the time of appointment, the Prime Minister need not already be a member of Parliament, but must become a member of either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha within six months. Hence (a) is correct. Option (b) is incorrect because membership is not restricted to the Lok Sabha alone. Options (c) and (d) are incorrect because prior membership is not compulsory at the time of appointment.
Deficiency of which vitamin effects blood clotting?
A)
Vitamin A
B)
Vitamin D
C)
Vitamin K
D)
Vitamin B
Vitamin K is essential for the synthesis of several clotting factors in the liver, so its deficiency impairs normal blood clotting and may cause excessive bleeding.
Why others are incorrect: Vitamin A is mainly related to vision and epithelial health; Vitamin D is related to calcium metabolism and bone health; Vitamin B refers to a group of vitamins mainly involved in metabolism and nerve function, not specifically blood clotting.
Which of the following is called laughing gas?
A)
Nitric Oxide
B)
Hydrogen Oxide
C)
Nitrous Oxide
D)
Ammonium Nitrate
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is commonly called laughing gas because it can produce euphoria and fits of laughter when inhaled. Nitric oxide is a different gas (NO), hydrogen oxide is water, and ammonium nitrate is a salt, not a gas.
A person stood alone in a desert on a dark night and wanted to reach his village which was situated 5 km east of the point where he was standing. He had no instruments to find the direction but he located a polestar. The most convenient way now to reach his village is to walk in the
A)
direction facing the polestar
B)
direction opposite to the polestar
C)
direction keeping the polestar to his left
D)
direction keeping the polestar to his right
The Pole Star indicates the north direction. If the village is 5 km east of his current position, he must walk towards the east. When a person faces east, the north direction lies to his left; equivalently, while walking east, the Pole Star will be on his left. However, among the given options, the standard directional relation used is: to move east using the Pole Star (north), he should keep north on his left. Therefore the correct choice should logically be 'keeping the polestar to his left'. Since the options require one answer, the correct option is (c), not (d).
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.
Variations in the length of daytime and nighttimes from season to season is due to
A)
The earth’s rotation on its axis
B)
The earth’s revolution round the sun in elliptical manner
C)
Latitudinal position of the place
D)
Revolution of the earth on a tilted axis
The variation in the length of day and night during different seasons is caused by the earth’s axis being tilted (about 23.5°) and the earth revolving around the sun. Because of this tilt, different parts of the earth receive varying durations of sunlight in different seasons.
Why others are incorrect: (a) Rotation on its axis causes day and night, but not seasonal variation in their length. (b) The elliptical shape of the orbit is not the main reason for seasonal changes in day length. (c) Latitude affects how much variation a place experiences, but it is not the fundamental cause. Therefore, the correct answer is (d).
He is not an honest man. You cannot rely ___ him.
A)
to
B)
for
C)
at
D)
on
The correct collocation is **rely on someone**. So, the sentence becomes: "You cannot rely on him." The other options are incorrect because **rely to**, **rely for**, and **rely at** are not standard English expressions in this context.
He spoke ___ the subject for two hours continuously.
A)
in
B)
on
C)
of
D)
with
The correct phrase is "spoke on a subject," meaning he talked about that topic. So the sentence becomes: "He spoke on the subject for two hours continuously."
Why others are wrong:
- in: not used with "spoke" in this meaning.
- of: incorrect here; "spoke of" is possible, but it usually means mentioned briefly, not delivered a continuous talk on a topic.
- with: does not fit the meaning.
This is the place where the murder was committed. (Analyse the underlined words: 'where the murder was committed')
A)
Noun clause
B)
Relative clause
C)
Adjective clause
D)
Adverb clause
The words "where the murder was committed" modify the noun "place" by telling us which place is meant. A clause that describes or qualifies a noun is an adjective clause (also called a relative clause). Here, "where" introduces the clause and it functions like an adjective. So the best answer is adjective clause. Option (b) relative clause is related in meaning, but in grammar classification the clause is functioning as an adjective clause.
Which of the following statements is not true in the context of the passage?
A)
The jester was witty and intelligent.
B)
The king was angry with the joke of the jester.
C)
The jester was a favourite of the king and his court.
D)
The jester expressed the desire to die of old age.
The passage states that the king was angry at the jester's joke, so that statement is true.
New industries supported by foreign interests (33) ___ offer (34) ___ salaries to their employees at all levels of responsibility than (35) ___ the locally-owned industries.
A)
better
B)
comparable
C)
unreasonable
D)
proportionate
The sentence compares salaries offered by new industries supported by foreign interests with those of locally-owned industries. The correct comparative word is "better": "offer better salaries... than the locally-owned industries."
Why others are incorrect:
- "comparable" means similar, but the structure "offer comparable salaries than" is grammatically and logically wrong here.
- "unreasonable" does not fit the meaning of comparison.
- "proportionate" means in correct relation or proportion, which is not suitable in this context.
So, "better" is the best fit.
The dog that barks does not bite. (Analyse the underlined words: 'that barks')
A)
Noun clause
B)
Adjective clause
C)
Principal clause
D)
Relative clause
In the sentence, "that barks" modifies the noun "dog" by describing which dog is meant. A clause that qualifies or describes a noun is an adjective clause (also called a relative clause). Option (a) is wrong because it does not function as a noun. Option (c) is wrong because it is not the main clause. Option (d) is a broader term, but in standard grammar classification for this question, the correct answer is adjective clause.
The boys gathered a bundle of ___
A)
sticks
B)
people
C)
beads
D)
houses
The correct collocation is "a bundle of sticks." A bundle means a group of thin objects tied together, such as sticks, rods, or papers. The other options do not fit this common usage: people are counted as a group, beads are usually strung or threaded, and houses cannot form a bundle.
Please ask him what he wants. (Analyse the underlined words: 'what he wants')
A)
Adjective clause
B)
Noun clause
C)
Relative clause
D)
Adverb clause
The underlined words "what he wants" function as the object of the verb "ask" in the sentence. A clause that acts like a noun is called a noun clause. Here, "what he wants" answers the implied question "Please ask him what?" and completes the meaning of the verb. It is not an adjective clause because it does not modify a noun, and it is not an adverb clause because it does not show time, place, reason, or manner.
What offer did the king make to the jester?
A)
To leave the kingdom and settle down in another kingdom.
B)
To abstain from cutting jokes at the expense of the king.
C)
To allow him to die the death of his choice.
D)
To tender an unconditional apology to the king.
The king offered the jester the choice of how he would die, i.e., he would be allowed to die the death of his own choice. This matches option (c) exactly. Option (a) is incorrect because the king did not ask him to leave the kingdom. Option (b) is incorrect because the offer was not merely to stop making jokes. Option (d) is incorrect because no apology was demanded; the issue was punishment, not reconciliation.
The meeting came to a close at 6 PM. (Analyse the underlined word: 'close')
A)
Noun
B)
Verb
C)
Adjective
D)
Adverb
In the sentence, 'came to a close' means 'ended'. Here, 'close' is used as a noun in the phrase 'a close'. It is not a verb because the action is expressed by 'came'; it is not an adjective or adverb because it does not describe a noun or a verb directly.
In the distance, the onlookers could see a fleet of ___
A)
players
B)
insects
C)
stairs
D)
ships
A "fleet" is a group of ships or boats. So the sentence correctly reads: "In the distance, the onlookers could see a fleet of ships." The other options do not fit the meaning of "fleet": players, insects, and stairs are not grouped as a fleet.
Local industries often (39) ___ the high salaries offered by foreign-supported industries, arguing that this will (40) ___ raise all wages to an excessive level
A)
hardly
B)
considerably
C)
artificially
D)
unreasonably
The sentence means local industries complain that foreign-supported industries push wages up to an excessive level. The best fit is "unreasonably": "This will unreasonably raise all wages to an excessive level."
Why others are incorrect:
- hardly = almost not, which gives the opposite meaning.
- considerably = to a large extent, but it does not convey the idea of excess or unfairness as well as "unreasonably".
- artificially = unnaturally, but it is less precise here than "unreasonably".
So, the correct choice is (d) unreasonably.
Local industries often (39) ___ the high salaries offered by foreign-supported industries, arguing that this will (40) ___ raise all wages to an excessive level
A)
imitate
B)
protest
C)
pay
D)
accept
The sentence means that local industries object to or complain about the high salaries offered by foreign-supported industries. So the best fit is "protest". The other options do not fit the meaning: "imitate" means copy, "pay" is grammatically possible but does not express objection, and "accept" means agree to, which is the opposite of the intended sense.
New industries supported by foreign interests (33) ___ offer (34) ___ salaries to their employees at all levels of responsibility than (35) ___ the locally-owned industries.
A)
did
B)
could
C)
do
D)
their
The sentence compares new industries with locally-owned industries in the present tense: "New industries ... offer ... than the locally-owned industries." The auxiliary verb needed is "do" to support the present-tense comparison: "New industries supported by foreign interests do offer higher salaries..."
Why others are wrong:
- did: past tense, but the sentence is about a general present fact.
- could: expresses ability/possibility, not suitable here.
- their: a possessive pronoun, grammatically incorrect in this position.