UPPCS Prelims 2020 · GS Paper I: Who among the following has been awarded with the 'Life Time Excellence' Award in…
Who among the following has been awarded with the 'Life Time Excellence' Award in Earth System Science in July 2020 by Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India ?
Answer (d) & explanation
Option (d), Ashok Sahni, is correct. The Ministry of Earth Sciences gave its Lifetime Excellence Award in Earth System Science for 2020 to palaeontologist Prof. Ashok Sahni, known for his work on Indian vertebrate fossils, dinosaur eggs and nests from Gujarat and MP, and early mammals. S. Suresh Babu (a) and P.L.N. Raju (b) are other scientists honoured for atmospheric and remote-sensing work, while S.P.S. Kushwaha (c) is a forestry remote-sensing scientist. Concept: Sahni helped show that India held important dinosaur fossils, including at Balasinor (Raiyoli) in Gujarat, now a fossil park. The awards are given on the ministry's foundation day, 27 July.
The 2020 lifetime award went to Ashok Sahni, a palaeontologist.
Question as printed in UPPSC's official question booklet. Source: uppsc.up.nic.in
Related questions from other years
Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ?
Answer (d) & explanation
The pair 33 Corps : Srinagar is wrong (d). 33 Corps (Trishakti Corps) has its headquarters at Sukna near Siliguri, guarding Sikkim and the Siliguri Corridor. Srinagar hosts 15 Corps (Chinar Corps). Option (a) is correct: 3 Corps (Spear Corps) is at Dimapur. Option (b) is correct: 4 Corps (Gajraj Corps) is at Tezpur. Option (c) is correct: 14 Corps (Fire and Fury) is at Leh, facing Ladakh and the Siachen glacier.
Notice the structure: the Army has seven operational Commands, plus a training command, divided into Corps. The Siliguri Corridor, the "Chicken's Neck", is only about 22 km wide, which is why Trishakti Corps is so vital.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following countries are members of the European Union ?
- 1. Belarus
- 2. Poland
- 3. Germany
- 4. Switzerland
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Poland and Germany are EU members (c). Item 2 is right: Poland joined in the big 2004 enlargement. Item 3 is right: Germany is a founder member from the 1957 Treaty of Rome. Item 1 is wrong: Belarus is close to Russia and not in the EU. Item 4 is wrong: Switzerland stays outside, linked through bilateral deals and the Schengen area. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the numbers: the EU has 27 members since the UK left (Brexit, 2020). Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are in the European Economic Area but not the EU. India and the EU concluded talks on their Free Trade Agreement in January 2026.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Match List I with List II and select the answer using the code given below the Lists :
| List I (INTERPOL Notice) | List II (Description)
| A. Silver Notice | 1. To seek information on unidentified bodies
| B. Blue Notice | 2. To collect additional information about a person’s identity, location, or activities in relation to a criminal investigation
| C. Black Notice | 3. To provide warning about a person’s criminal activities, where the person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety
| D. Green Notice | 4. To identify and trace criminal assets
Code :
Answer (c) & explanation
The correct match is A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3 (c). The Silver Notice, first issued in January 2025 as a pilot, helps trace criminal assets (A-4). A Blue Notice collects more information about a person's identity, location or activities (B-2). A Black Notice seeks information on unidentified bodies (C-1). A Green Notice warns about a person's criminal activities when they may threaten public safety (D-3). Options (a), (b) and (d) mix these up.
Notice the best-known one: a Red Notice asks police worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. A Yellow Notice helps find missing persons, and an Orange Notice warns of an imminent threat. In India, the CBI is the National Central Bureau for INTERPOL, which is headquartered in Lyon.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany visited India in January, 2026. Which of the following is/are not correct in terms of outcomes of this visit ?
- 1. Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the All India Institute of Ayurveda and the University of Hamburg
- 2. Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Youth Hockey Development between Hockey India and the German Hockey Federation
- 3. Establishment of a bilateral dialogue mechanism on the Indo-Pacific
- 4. Opening of an Honorary Consul of Germany in Lucknow
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Outcomes 1 and 4 are not correct (b). Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited India on 12–13 January 2026. Item 1 is wrong: the Ayurveda MoU was between the All India Institute of Ayurveda and Charité University, Berlin, not Hamburg. Item 4 is wrong: Germany's new Honorary Consul was opened in Ahmedabad, not Lucknow. Item 2 is a real outcome: an MoU on youth hockey development between Hockey India and the German Hockey Federation. Item 3 is a real outcome: a new bilateral dialogue on the Indo-Pacific. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the method: for visit questions, UPSC copies the MEA's "List of Outcomes" and changes one word, here a city name. India and Germany have been strategic partners since 2000.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.