PPSC Past Papers & Solved MCQs

The insightful book "Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military", which critically examines the complex interplay of religion, military, and politics in Pakistan, was written by Husain Haqqani. Haqqani is a prominent Pakistani diplomat, scholar, and former Ambassador to the United States, known for his analytical perspectives on Pakistan's internal and external affairs.

• Sardar Masood is incorrect; he is a Pakistani diplomat and former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
• Asad Majeed is incorrect; he is a Pakistani diplomat who has served as Ambassador to the United States.
• Jaleel Abbas Jilani is incorrect; he is also a Pakistani diplomat who has held various significant positions, including Foreign Secretary.

The correct answer is 745. Here's why:

• The article was sold for 596 after a 20% discount. This means 596 represents 100% - 20% = 80% of the original price.
• To find the original price, you divide the discounted price by the percentage it represents: Original Price = 596 / 0.80 = 745.
• Option A (600) is incorrect because a 20% discount on 600 would be 120, making the selling price 480, not 596.
• Option C (800) is incorrect because a 20% discount on 800 would be 160, making the selling price 640.
• Option D (945) is incorrect as a 20% discount on 945 would result in a much lower selling price than 596.

The Ottoman Empire emerged as the successor of the Seljuk Dynasty. As the power of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum in Anatolia declined, various Turkoman beyliks (principalities) arose. One of these, led by Osman I, gradually expanded to form the Ottoman Empire around 1299, inheriting much of the Seljuk's cultural and political legacy in the region.

• The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750 AD) and Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258 AD) were earlier Islamic caliphates that preceded the Seljuks and Ottomans.
• The Fatimid Dynasty (909-1171 AD) was a Shi'ite Islamic caliphate based in North Africa and Egypt, distinct from the Sunni Seljuks and Ottomans.

Baltit Fort is a historic fort located in the Hunza Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It stands as a prominent cultural landmark, reflecting the architectural heritage of the region and offering panoramic views of the valley. The fort has been meticulously restored and is now a museum, attracting tourists and researchers alike. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Tentative Site, underscoring its global significance.

• Chitral Valley is incorrect; while also in northern Pakistan, it has its own distinct historical sites.
• Gilgit Valley is incorrect; it is a neighboring valley, but Baltit Fort is specifically in Hunza.
• Kashmir Valley is incorrect; it is a separate geographical and political region with its own unique heritage.

The correct answer is Extend.

• The word “Prolong” means to make something last for a longer period of time or to extend its duration.
• Option A (Extend) is a direct synonym of “Prolong” as it also means to make something longer or to continue for a longer time.
• Option B (Shorten) is an antonym of “Prolong,” meaning to make something shorter.
• Option C (Cancel) means to call off or annul something, which is unrelated to the duration of an event.
• Option D (End) means to bring something to a conclusion or stop it, which is the opposite of prolonging it.

Biography is fundamentally the study of an individual's life. It involves chronicling significant events, relationships, achievements, and challenges to provide a comprehensive understanding of a person's journey. Therefore, "Lives of people" is the accurate answer. Option A, "Plants," is the domain of botany. Option B, "Maps," falls under cartography. Option C, "Rocks," is the subject of geology. Each of these distractors represents distinct fields of study unrelated to the personal histories that biographies explore.

Siberia is widely recognized as the coldest inhabited region on Earth, particularly its eastern parts like Oymyakon and Verkhoyansk, which frequently record extremely low temperatures. This vast Russian territory experiences an extreme continental climate due to its distance from moderating oceans and high latitude, leading to long, severely cold winters.

• The Arctic Circle is a geographical region encompassing the North Pole, but it's not a single landmass, and specific locations within Siberia often record lower temperatures than other parts of the Arctic.
• Greenland is a large island covered mostly by an ice sheet, making it very cold, but Siberia's continental extremes often surpass it.
• Alaska, while cold, does not generally experience the same record-breaking low temperatures as parts of Siberia.

The primary goal of Action Research is to address and solve practical problems within a specific context, leading to immediate improvements in practices. It is a cyclical process involving planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. Thus, "To improve practices through systematic change" accurately captures its essence. Option A, "To develop new theories," is characteristic of basic or fundamental research. Option B, "To observe natural phenomena," describes observational studies. Option D, "To conduct experiments in laboratories," while a research method, doesn't encompass the real-world, improvement-focused nature of action research, which often occurs in applied settings.

Convectional rainfall commonly occurs in Equatorial Regions. This type of rainfall happens when the sun's intense heat warms the ground, causing the air above it to heat up, expand, and rise rapidly. As this warm, moist air ascends, it cools, condenses, and forms towering cumulonimbus clouds, leading to heavy downpours, often accompanied by thunder and lightning. Equatorial regions receive direct sunlight throughout the year, providing the consistent heat needed for this process.

• Temperate Regions primarily experience frontal and orographic rainfall.
• Polar Regions are too cold for significant convectional uplift and have very low precipitation overall.
• Desert Regions, despite being hot, lack sufficient moisture for widespread convectional rainfall, though localized events can occur.

Bureaucratic dysfunction refers to the negative consequences and inefficiencies that can arise within a bureaucratic system, despite its intended rationality. These often include excessive red tape, rigidity, slow decision-making, and a lack of responsiveness to individual needs or changing circumstances. Therefore, "Inefficiency, rigidity, or lack of responsiveness" precisely defines this concept. Option A, "Bureaucracy functions smoothly," is the opposite of dysfunction. Option C, "Organizational creativity within bureaucracy," is often stifled by bureaucratic structures. Option D, "Rules consistently followed," while a characteristic of bureaucracy, can lead to dysfunction if rules become an end in themselves rather than a means to effective operation.

Finland is famously known as the “Land of a Thousand Lakes,” or more accurately, the “Land of Ten Thousand Lakes,” due to its incredibly high density of lakes. The country boasts approximately 188,000 lakes larger than 500 square meters, a result of glacial erosion during the last ice age which carved out numerous depressions that subsequently filled with water. This unique geography makes lakes a defining feature of the Finnish landscape and culture.

• Canada, while having numerous lakes, is not typically referred to by this specific moniker.
• Jamaica is a Caribbean island known for its beaches and mountains, not an abundance of lakes.
• Japan is an archipelago with a mountainous terrain, and while it has some beautiful lakes, it is not characterized by the sheer number seen in Finland.

Thomas Malthus was a highly influential figure in the fields of economics and demography. He is best known for his theory that population growth tends to outpace the growth of food supply, leading to poverty and famine, as articulated in his 1798 work, "An Essay on the Principle of Population." Hence, "English Economist" is the correct identification. He was not primarily an "English Physicist" (B), nor a "Political Leader" (C). While his work had philosophical implications, his core contributions were in economics and population studies, making "Philosopher" (D) less precise than his primary professional identity.

The Bara River originates in the Tirah Valley, a mountainous region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is a significant tributary that flows through the region before eventually joining the River Kabul. The River Kabul itself is a major river in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which later merges with the Indus River. The Bara River plays a crucial role in the local ecosystem and provides water resources to the surrounding areas.

• The River Swat is a separate river system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and does not receive the Bara River.
• The River Indus is the largest river in Pakistan, but the Bara River joins the Kabul River, which then flows into the Indus.
• The River Kurram is another tributary in the region, but the Bara River does not join it; it has its own distinct course.

The question asks for the antonym of Docile. Docile describes someone or something that is easily managed, taught, or controlled; submissive. Therefore, its antonym should convey the opposite meaning: resistance to control or instruction.

• Unyielding (B) accurately captures this opposite meaning, signifying someone who is inflexible, stubborn, and not easily persuaded or controlled.
• Yielding (A), Obedient (C), and Submissive (D) are all synonyms or closely related in meaning to docile, describing someone who readily complies or gives way. Thus, they are incorrect as antonyms.

According to George Herbert Mead's theory of the self, socialization profoundly affects both the "I" and the "Me." The "I" represents the spontaneous, unsocialized, and impulsive aspect of the self, while the "Me" is the socialized self, formed through internalizing societal attitudes and expectations. Socialization is the continuous process through which individuals learn to navigate social norms, developing their "Me" in response to others, which in turn influences the "I"'s reactions. Therefore, "I and Me" is the correct answer, as both components are shaped by social interaction. Options A and B are incomplete, as the self is a dynamic interplay of both. Option D is irrelevant.

The correct answer is Calcium chloride. Calcium chloride (CaCl₂) is widely used for de-icing roads because it effectively lowers the freezing point of water, preventing ice formation and melting existing ice. It also releases heat when dissolved (exothermic reaction), which aids in the melting process and allows it to work at lower temperatures than other salts like sodium chloride.

• Potassium nitrate is primarily used in fertilizers and explosives, not as a de-icer.
• Ammonium nitrate is also a fertilizer and can be explosive, making it unsuitable for road de-icing.
• Potassium chloride can be used for de-icing but is generally less effective and more expensive than calcium chloride or sodium chloride, especially at very low temperatures.

The question asks for the publication year of Bano Qudsia's renowned Urdu novel, “Raja Gidh”. This novel is a significant work in Urdu literature, exploring themes of love, morality, and existentialism through its unique narrative.

• The correct publication year for “Raja Gidh” is 1981 (C). This is a factual detail related to literary history.
• Options (A) 1975, (B) 1978, and (D) 1984 are incorrect dates. Knowing the exact publication year of major literary works is crucial for understanding their historical context and impact within the literary landscape.

When an industry operates beyond the optimum level of production, it means that resources are being overutilized, leading to diminishing returns and inefficiency. This occurs because, after a certain point, adding more inputs (like labor or capital) to a fixed amount of other inputs will result in smaller increases in output, eventually leading to higher per-unit costs.

• A: It maximizes profits is incorrect because profit maximization occurs at the optimum level, where marginal cost equals marginal revenue, not beyond it.
• B: It achieves economies of scale is false. Economies of scale are typically achieved up to the optimum level; operating beyond it can lead to diseconomies of scale.
• D: It experiences rapid growth is unlikely. Inefficiency and diminishing returns hinder sustainable growth.

The correct answer is None of these. The SI (International System of Units) unit for speed is derived from the SI units for distance and time. The SI unit for distance is the meter (m), and the SI unit for time is the second (s). Therefore, the SI unit for speed is meters per second (m/s).

• Kilometers per hour (km/h) is a common unit for speed but not the SI unit.
• Miles per hour (mph) is a common unit for speed in some regions but not the SI unit.
• Centimeters per second (cm/s) is a unit of speed, but 'centi' is a prefix, and the base SI unit for length is the meter, not centimeter.

The question asks about the author of the famous Urdu poem "تاج محل" (Taj Mahal). This poem is celebrated for its unique perspective, critiquing the monument not just as a symbol of love but also as a product of exploitation and a reminder of class disparity.

• The poem was penned by the renowned progressive Urdu poet, ساحر لدھیانوی (Sahir Ludhianvi) (B). His works often carried social commentary and a distinctive romantic yet realistic tone.
• جون ایلیا (Jaun Elia) (A) and فراق گورکھپوری (Firaq Gorakhpuri) (C) are prominent Urdu poets, but "Taj Mahal" is not attributed to them. Therefore, option (D) "ان میں سے کوئی نہیں" (None of these) is also incorrect.

The Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) is one of five regional commissions established by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). These commissions are integral parts of the UN Secretariat, tasked with promoting economic cooperation and development within their respective regions.

• A: Department is too general; while part of the UN structure, 'Regional Commission' specifies its unique role.
• B: Program refers to specific initiatives or projects, not a standing regional body.
• D: Specialized Agency refers to autonomous international organizations (like WHO or UNESCO) that are linked to the UN through cooperative agreements, but are not direct parts of the UN Secretariat like the ECE.

The correct answer is Soil erosion. Deforestation involves the clearing of forests, which significantly impacts the environment. Tree roots play a crucial role in binding soil particles together, preventing them from being washed away by rain or blown away by wind. When trees are removed, the soil loses this protective cover and structural integrity, making it highly susceptible to erosion.

• Rainfall typically decreases in deforested areas due to reduced evapotranspiration, not increases.
• Biodiversity decreases with deforestation as habitats are destroyed, leading to species loss.
• Oxygen production decreases because trees are major producers of oxygen through photosynthesis.