TGPSC Group-I Prelims 2004

371 questions from the 2004 papers, each with the official answer and an explanation.

A question repeated across years is listed once, under one of the years it appeared.

361. Q361Launches: schemes, missions and firsts

     On December 19, 2003, Beagle-2 was successfully launched under the auspices of the European Space Agency for the study of Jupiter's surface. Who manufactured Beagle-2?

     • aBritainAnswer
     • bFrance
     • cSweden
     • dNorway
     ›Explanation

     Option A is correct because the Beagle-2 lander was built and led by a consortium of British universities and aerospace companies under the leadership of planetary scientist Colin Pillinger. Option B: France played a leading role in the Mars Express orbiter bus and payload integration, but did not manufacture the Beagle-2 landing craft. Option C: Sweden provided specific scientific instruments to the mission but was not responsible for manufacturing the lander. Option D: Norway did not serve as the manufacturing nation for the Beagle-2 space probe.

362. Q362Launches: schemes, missions and firsts

     INS Trishul acquired by the Indian Navy in 2003 has been built by:

     • aIsrael
     • bUSA
     • cRussiaAnswer
     • dFrance
     ›Explanation

     Option C is correct because INS Trishul, a guided-missile frigate of the Talwar class, was built at the Baltiysky Shipyard in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and commissioned into the Indian Navy in June 2003. Option A: Israel supplies missile systems like Barak-8 and avionics to India, but it did not construct the Talwar-class frigates. Option B: The United States has supplied platforms such as the P-8I and MH-60R, but not INS Trishul. Option D: France built the Scorpene-class submarines in collaboration with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, not INS Trishul.

363. Q363Launches: schemes, missions and firsts

     APPSC GROUP-I – 2003 1. Which of the following is the flight-refuelling aircraft, inducted into the IAF recently?

     • aMirage-2000
     • bSukhoi-30 MKI
     • cIlyushin-78Answer
     • dJaguar
     ›Explanation

     Option C is correct because the Ilyushin-78 (Il-78 MKI) is a dedicated multi-point aerial refuelling tanker aircraft inducted into the Indian Air Force starting in 2003 to enhance operational strike radius. Option A: Mirage-2000 is a multirole combat fighter aircraft, not an aerial refuelling tanker. Option B: Sukhoi-30 MKI is an air-superiority fighter aircraft that receives fuel from tankers rather than acting as a dedicated tanker. Option D: Jaguar is a deep-penetration ground-attack aircraft, not a flight-refuelling platform.

364. Q364Launches: schemes, missions and firsts

     India successfully test-fired the Prithvi missile on 26th March, 2003 from Chandipur-on Sea. Pakinstan also test-fired a missile on the same range, namely

     • aAbdaliAnswer
     • bGhavri-II
     • cHussaini
     • dGhani-I
     ›Explanation

     Option A is correct because on 26 March 2003, hours after India test-fired its short-range surface-to-surface missile Prithvi, Pakistan carried out a reciprocal test-fire of its short-range ballistic missile Abdali, also known as Hatf-II. Option B: Ghavri-II is an intermediate-range missile tested in April 1999, not in March 2003. Option C: Hussaini is an invented name not associated with Pakistan's missile arsenal. Option D: Ghani-I is a misspelling and does not correspond to the missile tested on that date.

365. Q365Launches: schemes, missions and firsts

     What was the total number of crew members, including nuclear, large nuclear, and sailors, on the state-of-the-art French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which participated in the largest Indo-French naval exercises - Varuna-2004 - held in April 2004?

     • a2,000
     • b156
     • c1,950Answer
     • d105
     ›Explanation

     Option C is correct because the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle carried a full operational complement of roughly 1,950 personnel, including its ship crew, air wing personnel, and command staff during the Varuna-2004 naval drills. Option A: 2,000 is an approximation higher than the recorded figure of 1,950 personnel. Option B: 156 is far too small for the complement of a modern aircraft carrier and represents only a small sub-unit or staff element. Option D: 105 is an extremely small figure, unrepresentative of any major aircraft carrier crew size.

366. Q366Economy in the news

     How much was allocated to the Defence Ministry in the 2004-05 annual budget?

     • a15,000 Crores
     • b77,000 CroresAnswer
     • c26,000 Crores
     • d89,000 Crores
     ›Explanation

     Option B is correct because the Union Budget 2004-05 presented by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram allocated Rs. 77,000 crore to the Ministry of Defence, up from Rs. 65,300 crore in the previous year. Option A: 15,000 Crores is far below the national defence budget for that fiscal year. Option C: 26,000 Crores represents only a fraction of the total defence outlay. Option D: 89,000 Crores exceeds the defence allocation made in 2004-05.

367. Q367Economy in the news

     While continuing the disinvestment policy, how much money is the 2004-05 budget expecting to raise?

     • a15,000 crore rupees
     • b5,000 crore rupees
     • c4,000 crore rupeesAnswer
     • d9,000 crore rupees
     ›Explanation

     Option C is correct because in the Union Budget 2004-05, the central government set a modest disinvestment target of Rs. 4,000 crore, focusing on selling minority stakes in non-strategic public sector enterprises. Option A: 15,000 crore rupees was not the target set for 2004-05. Option B: 5,000 crore rupees is incorrect as the budgeted disinvestment figure was explicitly fixed at Rs. 4,000 crore. Option D: 9,000 crore rupees overstates the target estimated by the government for that fiscal year.

368. Q368Economy in the news

     According to official statistics, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the year 2003-04 was recorded as 8.2%. What was it in the previous year, i.e., 2002-03?

     • a6.0%
     • b5.0%
     • c8.0%
     • d4.0%Answer
     ›Explanation

     Option D is correct because India's GDP growth rate was recorded at 4.0% (around 3.8% to 4.0% under older 1993-94 series) in 2002-03 due to a severe drought that contracted agriculture, before rebounding strongly to 8.2% (later revised upward) in 2003-04. GDP growth in 2002-03: 4.0% GDP growth in 2003-04: 8.2% Option A: 6.0% is incorrect as agricultural contraction pulled the 2002-03 growth rate far lower. Option B: 5.0% is incorrect as it overstates the actual performance recorded in the drought-affected year 2002-03. Option C: 8.0% is incorrect as it was close to the 2003-04 rebound figure rather than 2002-03.

369. Q369Economy in the news

     Consider the following statements : A. Global Trust Bank has been amalgamated with the Punjab National Bank B. The second report of the Kelkar Committee dealing with direct and indirect taxes has maintained its original recommendations including the abolition of exemptions relating to housing loans. Which of the statements given above is / are correct ?

     • a1. A only
     • b2. B onlyAnswer
     • c3. Both A and B
     • d4. Neither A nor B

     Official answer shown. The explanation is under review.

370. Q370STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

     Where was the Sixth World Telugu Conference, planned by the World Telugu Federation, decided to be held from December 24-26, 2004?

     • ain BengaluruAnswer
     • bin Hyderabad
     • cin Singapore
     • din Mauritius

     Official answer shown. The explanation is under review.

371. Q371STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS

     ____ was held in Hyderabad from 4, 2004. Who was the president of this conference?

     • aGirish Karnad
     • bJayanta Mahapatra
     • cMeenakshi MukherjeeAnswer
     • dAzhar Ahmed

     Explanation coming soon.