UPPCS Prelims 2018 · GS Paper I: Which of the following planets may be suitable for existence of life ?
Which of the following planets may be suitable for existence of life ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Option (a) is right: Mars is the planet most often studied as possibly suitable for life. It has water ice at its poles and below the surface, signs of ancient rivers and lakes, a thin atmosphere, and a day of about 24.6 hours, close to Earth's. Option (b), Mercury, is wrong: it has almost no atmosphere and swings between extreme heat and cold. Option (c), Venus, is wrong: its thick carbon dioxide atmosphere causes a runaway greenhouse effect, with surface temperatures near 465 degrees Celsius. Option (d), Jupiter, is a gas giant with no solid surface. Concept: the habitable or Goldilocks zone is the range of distance from a star where liquid water can exist. India's Mangalyaan reached Mars orbit in 2014 on its first attempt.
Venus is closer in size to Earth, but Mars is the planet seen as suitable for life.
Question as printed in UPPSC's official question booklet. Source: uppsc.up.nic.in
Same theme in UPPCS Mains
- MAINS UPPCS Mains 2024 · GS Paper III · Section B · Q19Narco-terrorism has emerged as a serious threat across the country. Suggest suitable measures to counter it.
- MAINS UPPCS Mains 2023 · GS Paper IV · Section B · Q16What are the major principles of public life ? Discuss with suitable examples.
- MAINS UPPCS Mains 2022 · GS Paper IV · Section B · Q17Explain with suitable examples the ethical issues in corporate governance.
Same theme in UPSC Mains
Related questions from other years
Which of the following statements with regard to Black Boxes used in modern aircrafts is/are correct ?
- 1. They carry a beacon emitting red light pulses to facilitate underwater detection.
- 2. They record both the cockpit voice and flight data.
- 3. Their memory units are made using either stainless steel or titanium.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct (b). Statement 2 is right: the "black box" is really two orange recorders, the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder. Statement 3 is right: their crash-survivable memory sits in stainless steel or titanium shells. Statement 1 is wrong: under water, the locator beacon sends out ultrasonic pulses, about 37.5 kHz, not red light. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice why they are orange: to be easy to spot in wreckage. The beacon works for about 30 to 90 days. Black boxes were key in probing the Air India Ahmedabad crash (June 2025); India's AAIB read its data at a new lab in Delhi. Newer rules call for 25-hour voice recording.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements with regard to involvement of private entities in India’s space programme :
- 1. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) is an autonomous agency formed to facilitate participation of private entities.
- 2. Agnikul Cosmos launched the world’s first flight using 3D-printed rocket engine.
- 3. Skyroot Aerospace has developed liquid fuel for GSLV.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct (c). Statement 1 is right: IN-SPACe (2020) is the single-window, autonomous body under the Department of Space that authorises private space activity. Statement 2 is right: Agnikul's Agnibaan SOrTeD (May 2024) flew on the world's first single-piece 3D-printed semi-cryogenic engine. Statement 3 is wrong: Skyroot builds its own Vikram rockets; it does not make fuel for ISRO's GSLV. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice Skyroot's milestone: Vikram-S (2022) was India's first privately built rocket to reach space. The Indian Space Policy, 2023 opened all space activities to private firms, and 100% FDI is allowed in parts of the sector. NSIL is ISRO's commercial arm.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following statements with regard to drone swarms is/are correct ?
- 1. They use Terahertz band of frequency to communicate with the command centre.
- 2. Individual drones in the swarm can communicate with other drones in the swarm.
- 3. GPS Spoofing is a commonly used technique to counter drone swarm attack.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct (b). Statement 2 is right: in a swarm, the drones talk to each other and share tasks, so the group keeps working even if some are lost. Statement 3 is right: defenders often jam or spoof GPS to send them off course. Statement 1 is wrong: swarms usually use ordinary radio bands; terahertz links are still experimental and short-range. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice other counters: laser weapons, like DRDO's directed-energy systems, anti-drone guns and net systems. India showed a 75-drone swarm at the 2021 Army Day parade. Drone wars in Ukraine and during Operation Sindoor (2025) showed how cheap drones can overwhelm costly defences.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following statements with regard to GenomeIndia Project is/are correct ?
- 1. It is a part of the Human Genome Project.
- 2. The project is funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India.
- 3. Its primary aim is to build a catalogue of genetic diversity of the Indian population.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct (b). Statement 2 is right: GenomeIndia (2020) is funded by the Department of Biotechnology. Statement 3 is right: it sequenced 10,000 genomes from many Indian communities to build a catalogue of the country's genetic variation, and the data was released in 2025. Statement 1 is wrong: the international Human Genome Project was a separate effort that ended in 2003. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the uses: finding gene variants behind diseases common in India, such as sickle cell and thalassaemia, and building personalised medicine. The data is stored at the Indian Biological Data Centre in Faridabad. A larger follow-up aims to sequence one million genomes.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.