UPSC Prelims 2017: The Ambiguous Questions

The 2017 UPSC civil services prelims exam held in June this year had its share of controversy when candidates alleged ambiguity in some of the questions. A petition was filed in the Supreme Court against the UPSC in this regard but this was dismissed by the Court citing lack of merit in the case. There has been a lot of debate among the aspirant community regarding the UPSC’s decision to ask what many consider incoherent questions with a possibility of multiple answers. In this article, you can read about the four contentious questions that has caused sleepless nights to many an aspirant.

Question 1

With reference to the difference between the culture of Rigvedic Aryans and Indus Valley people, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them.
2. Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, silver and copper whereas Indus Valley people knew only copper and iron.
3. Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people having aware of this animal.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

The contention is with respect to the third statement. Generally, it has been accepted that the Indus Valley people were not aware of the horse. However, there have been studies recently which have pointed out to their being aware of this animal. So, statement three may be regarded as incorrect or correct.

Question 2

At one of the places in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the seawater recedes from the shore line a few kilometres and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the sea floor when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at

1. Bhavnagar
2. Bheemunipatnam
3. Chandipur
4. Nagapattinam

This is another problematic question because although the Odisha government website says it is Chandipur, the Gujarat government website says Bhavnagar is the place showing this phenomenon.

Question 3

Right to vote and to be elected in India is a

1. Fundamental Right
2. Natural Right
3. Constitutional Right
4. Legal Right

Two different Supreme Court judgments refer to the right to vote as constitutional and statutory (legal). A 2015 SC judgment calls it constitutional whereas a 2013 judgment calls it a statutory right. According to one interpretation, the Right to Vote comes from the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (Section 62) and hence is a legal right. Additionally, the basis of this right is the Universal Adult Franchise that is enshrined in the Constitution.

Question 4

For election to the Lok Sabha, a nomination paper can be filed by

1. Anyone residing in India.
2. A resident of the constituency from which the election is to be contested.
3. Any citizen of India whose name appears in the electoral roll of a constituency.
4. Any citizen of India.

In this question, some would argue that although ‘c’ is the answer, there are certain conditions like the age of the person which is a criterion to be elected to the Lok Sabha (more than 25 years). Then again, the question asks who can file a nomination paper and not necessarily who can contest. But again, there is an ambiguity here.

The official answer key would be released only after the entire process is over, i.e., after the final results of the 2017 UPSC CSE would be out. Until then, aspirants will have to be content with the debate!

Also, see:

1. UPSC 2022
2. UPSC Calendar 2022