IFoS Mains 2024 — General English & GK Question Paper

Q1 — Essay (100 marks)

Write an essay in about 800 – 1000 words on any one of the following :

• (a)Decreasing Forest Cover and its Impact on the Human Race
  100 marks1000 words
• (b)Need for Multidisciplinarity in Higher Education
  100 marks1000 words
• (c)Sports and Business
  100 marks1000 words
• (d)Women's Safety at the Workplace
  100 marks1000 words

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

• (a)Write a letter to the Minister of Education requesting him or her to make adequate facilities available for online education in universities. (Do not write your name or address or give any information revealing your identity. Use only ABC/XYZ for all proper nouns).
  25 marks
• (b)Write a newspaper report on the rising incidents of poaching in wildlife sanctuaries in India. (Do not write your name or address or give any information revealing your identity. Use only ABC/XYZ for all proper nouns).
  25 marks

Q3 — Précis (50 marks)

Write a precis of the following passage in about 170 words, one-third of the original length. Do not give it any title.

• [Passage of ~510 words on how calorific drinks (soft and alcoholic) drive unthinking excess energy intake and fail to satisfy hunger — the 'liquid conundrum' — see official PDF]
  50 marks170 words

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

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

• [Passage of ~800 words on the Bharatpur (Keoladeo Ghana National Park) wetlands — their man-made origin as the Maharaja of Bharatpur's shooting reserve in the 1890s, hunting by British and Indian dignitaries, the draining of northern India's wetlands, and post-independence protests by local farmers — see official PDF]
• (a)Why are wetlands the least protected natural ecosystems ?
  10 marks
• (b)What is not 'natural' about the Bharatpur wetlands ?
  10 marks
• (c)What was the motivation for the development of the Bharatpur wetlands ?
  10 marks
• (d)Why was there a never-ending supply of birds at Bharatpur despite large-scale hunting ?
  10 marks
• (e)Why did the local farmers launch a protest after independence ?
  10 marks

Q5 — Grammar and Usage (50 marks)

• (a)Rewrite the following sentences after making the necessary corrections : (1×10=10) (i) What is the time on your watch ? (ii) Sam and me completed our graduation in 2020. (iii) I am preparing for competitive examinations for the last three years. (iv) I even don't have a pink dress. (v) A pair of scissors are lying on the table. (vi) She walked home by foot. (vii) I am having two brothers and a sister. (viii) Does Sita speaks English ? (ix) I cannot cope up with my studies. (x) Please revert back as soon as possible.
  10 marks
• (b)Write the adjective form of the following words : (1×5=5) (i) Independence (ii) Anxiety (iii) Frequency (iv) Wind (v) Promise
  5 marks
• (c)Write the noun form of the following words : (1×5=5) (i) Wild (ii) Appear (iii) Tragic (iv) Declare (v) Realistic
  5 marks
• (d)Make one sentence with each of the following words so that the meaning of each word is clear : (2×5=10) (i) site, cite (ii) vantage, vintage (iii) callus, callous (iv) intimidate, intimate (v) bellow, billow
  10 marks
• (e)Make one sentence with each of the following idiomatic expressions bringing out their meaning clearly : (2×5=10) (i) The last straw (ii) On cloud nine (iii) A piece of cake (iv) The best of both worlds (v) Throw under the bus
  10 marks
• (f)Rewrite the following as directed : (2×5=10) (i) Remove the goggles before entering the tunnel. (Change into Passive Voice) (ii) Rakesh said, "I wish to master the art of public speaking this year." (Change into Indirect Speech) (iii) It is not raining now. (Add a question tag) (iv) Mango is the most delicious fruit. (Rewrite using the Positive Degree of Comparison) (v) Rohan is very ill. His family has given up the hope of his recovery. (Combine the sentence using 'so...........that')
  10 marks

Q1 — History (60 marks)

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

• (a)Critically evaluate the contributions of Samudragupta as a statesman and an administrator.
  15 marks200 words
• (b)Bring out the similarity between the teachings of Buddha and Mahavira.
  15 marks200 words
• (c)To what extent can the decline of the Mughal empire be attributed to the rise of Maratha power? Explain.
  10 marks125 words
• (d)How did the social and religious movements provide a fillip in the social reforms of modern India?
  10 marks125 words

Q2 — Economy (60 marks)

• (a)Why does India have low female employment ratio? What steps could be taken to boost the participation of women in the workforce?
  15 marks200 words
• (b)"Manufacturing is the engine of economic growth." Examine the statement. Why has India not been successful in its efforts to boost manufacturing? What policies would you recommend to increase its share in the economy?
  15 marks200 words
• (c)"The shift towards protectionism will adversely affect the economic growth of the emerging economies." Critically examine the statement.
  10 marks125 words
• (d)How does excess liquidity in the economy lead to general inflation? Which policy, monetary or fiscal, is more effective to control it?
  10 marks125 words

Q3 — Polity (60 marks)

• (a)With reference to Parts III and IV of the Indian Constitution, elaborate how the Indian Constitution aims to foster social revolution.
  15 marks200 words
• (b)"Democracy and rights have been the two values around which the debates on the basic structure doctrine have been framed and performed." Justify your answer with relevant judgements of the Supreme Court.
  15 marks200 words
• (c)"There is no scope for any agencies in India of direct control by the people such as referendum." In the light of this statement, evaluate Indian democracy as a representative form of government.
  10 marks125 words
• (d)Discuss how the State Election Commission serves the channel of political expression at local level. Examine how it reconciles people's basic desire and regional democratic needs.
  10 marks125 words

Q4 — Geography (60 marks)

• (a)"The abrupt arrival of monsoon is of great climatic as well as socio-economic significance to the people of sub-continent of India." Explain.
  15 marks200 words
• (b)Explain the causes of changing urban environment and how it is different from surrounding non-urban areas.
  15 marks200 words
• (c)How does eco-tourism encourage the ecological and social consciousness of individuals and enhance the cultural integrity of the people of India?
  10 marks125 words
• (d)Describe the distribution of chromite in India and discuss its socio-economic significance as a valuable mineral resource.
  10 marks125 words

Q5 — Science, Technology & Environment (60 marks)

• (a)What is the composition of biogas? Discuss the various efforts made by the Government of India to promote biogas technology.
  15 marks200 words
• (b)In what way is recombinant DNA technology beneficial for human healthcare and pharmaceutics?
  15 marks200 words
• (c)What is vermicomposting? Discuss its importance for sustainable agriculture and farming.
  10 marks125 words
• (d)The intensity of rain is escalating in India. Identify the causes and consequences of this phenomenon.
  10 marks125 words

Q6 — Science & Technology (60 marks)

• (a)What is Prime Minister (PM) Surya Ghar Yojana? Outline its main features. What are the merits and demerits of the rooftop solar panels?
  15 marks200 words
• (b)What is the working principle of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and its advanced version Light-Emitting Diode (LED) televisions (TVs)? Discuss their functioning in brief. What is the main difference between LCD and LED TVs?
  15 marks200 words
• (c)Explain the basic principle(s) of Lie Detector Test. Comment on the various factors affecting its results.
  10 marks125 words
• (d)Discuss the merits and demerits of electric vehicles and their future prospects.
  10 marks125 words