IFoS Mains 2021 — General English & GK Question Paper

Q1 — Essay (100 marks)

Write an essay, in around 800 – 1000 words, on any one of the following topics :

• (a)Our Urban Survival Depends upon Efficient Waste Management
• (b)Paradox of Freedom and Responsibility
• (c)COVID-19 : A Natural Calamity or a Man-Made Disaster
• (d)Perils of Ecodegradation

Q2 — Letter and Report Writing (25 + 25 = 50 marks)

• (a)Write a letter to the Editor of an English daily, complaining against the SHO of your locality for his refusal to lodge an FIR in case of a vehicle theft. (Kindly do not write your name or address anywhere in your answer. Use ABC or XYZ for your name or that of the newspaper.)
  25 marks
• (b)Write a report on the contribution of a local NGO in the area of mental health issues among adolescents and teenagers. (Please do not write your name or address anywhere in your answer. Use ABC or XYZ for your name or that of the NGO.)
  25 marks

Q3 — Précis (50 marks)

Write a précis of the following passage in about one-third of its original length. Do not assign any title to it :

• [Passage of ~464 words on remedies for worry and mental overstrain — change, and the cultivation of hobbies and new fields of interest, as the true rest for the mind — see official PDF. Passage ends with the notation "(464 words)".]
  50 marks

Q4 — Reading Comprehension (10×5=50 marks)

Read the following passage and answer the questions given below in your own words :

• [Passage of ~650 words on taxation in ancient India — road tolls collected by the Antapāla, Arthaśāstra tax rates, forced labour (viṣṭi), land records and surveying, punishments for tax defaulters, and principles of taxation laid down for kings — see official PDF.] Questions :
• (a)What, according to the Arthaśāstra, was the role and responsibility of Antapāla ?
  10 marks
• (b)What, according to the Arthaśāstra, was the rate of taxation on essential goods and services ?
  10 marks
• (c)Who maintained land records in ancient India and how ?
  10 marks
• (d)What kind of punishments were given to the tax defaulters in the ancient times ?
  10 marks
• (e)What were the principles of taxation followed by good monarchs ?
  10 marks

Q5 — Grammar and Usage (50 marks)

• (a)Rewrite the following sentences after correcting the grammatical errors in each : (1×10=10) (i) Every boy must look into their own book. (ii) The magistrate issued order for his arrest. (iii) Neither Ramesh nor Suresh are going to the market. (iv) When I entered the compartment, I saw there was no place for me. (v) You like playing, isn't it ? (vi) Have you seen him yesterday ? (vii) Summarize the two first chapters of this book. (viii) No matter what I will do, I can't make her happy. (ix) He went to work despite of his illness. (x) He is sleeping for two hours.
  10 marks
• (b)Make sentences using the following words in such a way that the meaning of each word is clear from the context : (2×5=10) (i) affect, effect (ii) loose, lose (iii) quiet, quite (iv) unqualified, disqualified (v) imitate, intimate
  10 marks
• (c)Use the following idiomatic expressions in sentences in order to bring out their meaning : (2×5=10) (i) to feel under the weather (ii) to pull oneself together (iii) to blow one's own trumpet (iv) to be a good Samaritan (v) to pull wool over one's eyes
  10 marks
• (d)Make adjectives from the following words : (1×5=5) (i) achieve (ii) amuse (iii) commerce (iv) artist (v) question
  5 marks
• (e)Make nouns using the following words : (1×5=5) (i) act (ii) busy (iii) coward (iv) dangerous (v) excite
  5 marks
• (f)Rewrite the following sentences as directed : (2×5=10) (i) Ramesh declared that he could not consent to my going. (Change into direct speech) (ii) The company gave her a rousing reception when she joined. (Change into passive voice) (iii) Who can surpass Einstein in intelligence ? (Change into an assertive sentence) (iv) He has become very frail. He is recovering from an illness. (Combine the two sentences using 'since') (v) Few historians write as interestingly as Joshi. (Change the degree of comparison)
  10 marks

Q1 — History

All the questions are to be attempted. The number of marks carried by a question / part is indicated against it. Answers must be written in ENGLISH only.

• (a)Attempt an account of cultural influence of India in the Indo-China Peninsula.
  15 marks200 words
• (b)Shershah established a reputation for being a military genius as great as Babar and also for being an administrative genius as great as Akbar. Explain.
  15 marks200 words
• (c)For King Ashoka, sacredness meant ruling through moral example. Analyse.
  10 marks125 words
• (d)Highlight the contribution of Dadabhai Naoroji to the early phase (1885 – 1905) of India's freedom struggle.
  10 marks125 words

Q2 — Economy & Environment

• (a)What is twin balance sheet problem ? Explain how a State-sponsored bad bank will deal with this problem ?
  15 marks200 words
• (b)"Glasgow Climate Change Conference (COP26), 2021 proposes accelerated action towards Paris Agreement." Explain elaborating actions suggested on temperature control and transfer of funds from developed to less developed (developing) countries.
  15 marks200 words
• (c)"Human Poverty Index (HPI) is a better measure of human development than Human Development Index (HDI)." Explain.
  10 marks125 words
• (d)What is retail direct scheme of RBI for investment in Government securities ? What are the advantages of this scheme ?
  10 marks125 words

Q3 — Polity

• (a)'Despite undergoing many amendments, the Constitution of India has remained intact and the basic premises have not changed.' Comment.
  15 marks200 words
• (b)'Indian Constitution is founded on a nice balance of power among the three wings of the State, namely the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.' Explain.
  15 marks200 words
• (c)'Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles are complementary and supplementary to one another.' Comment.
  10 marks125 words
• (d)While India's Constitutional framework has an elaborate set of mechanisms that govern and control the electoral process well, still there are some regulatory aspects that need improvement. Identify them and suggest electoral reforms.
  10 marks125 words

Q4 — Environment & Geography

• (a)In India, an increasing rate of soil erosion is a cause of concern. Suggest some remedial measures to control it.
  15 marks200 words
• (b)Overpopulation in India is considered a bane. Describe some relevant strategies to make it a boon.
  15 marks200 words
• (c)The frequency and intensity of lightning in India is escalating. Discuss the causes and consequences of this phenomena.
  10 marks125 words
• (d)Energy transition is considered the best measure to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality. Explain.
  10 marks125 words

Q5 — Agriculture & Environmental Science

• (a)What are features of Zero-budget farming ? How is it different from organic farming ?
  15 marks200 words
• (b)What is Genetic Modification (GM) of crops and how is it done ? How does GM differ from conventional plant breeding ? Discuss the environmental impacts of GM crops.
  15 marks200 words
• (c)Ozone is useful only where it belongs. Explain.
  10 marks125 words
• (d)Herbicide Tolerant (HT) Bt Cotton adds another layer of modification. Elaborate.
  10 marks125 words

Q6 — Science & Technology

• (a)Which year was declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Year of Light and why ?
  15 marks200 words
• (b)How can nuclear technology be used for power generation ?
  15 marks200 words
• (c)World community has reservations about Indian satellite launching vehicles as these can be easily converted to deliver nuclear warheads to long distances. How will you argue for India to dispel these fears ?
  10 marks125 words
• (d)Name any two Indians who have got the highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, for their contributions to the field of science and technology. Write briefly about their work.
  10 marks125 words