UPHESC Assistant Professor Home Science 2025 PYQs

Concept: Tamil Nadu gets most of its rain in Oct–Dec (retreating/north-east monsoon) from depressions and cyclones formed over the Bay of Bengal.

1. The NE winds pick up moisture over the Bay; tropical depressions and cyclones crossing the Coromandel coast give heavy rain → cyclonic rainfall.
2. Anticyclones bring dry, stable weather, not rain; convectional rain is typical of hot summer afternoons/equatorial areas.

Short trick: Coromandel coast winter rain = Bay of Bengal cyclones.

Concept: Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Atmiya Sabha in Calcutta in 1815 (forerunner of the Brahmo Sabha, 1828).

1. Vivekananda – Ramakrishna Mission (1897); Dayananda – Arya Samaj (1875).
2. Radha Kant Dev – orthodox leader of the Dharma Sabha (1830), which opposed Roy.

Short trick: Roy: Atmiya Sabha 1815 → Brahmo Sabha 1828.

Concept: Bose was elected Congress President at Haripura (1938), re-elected at Tripuri (1939) defeating Pattabhi Sitaramayya, and resigned in April 1939 after differences with Gandhi; Dr. Rajendra Prasad was then elected President.

1. Bose did not resign in 1938, so the event the question asks about (an election after a 1938 resignation) never happened.
2. Dr. Rajendra Prasad (option D) fits only if the printed year is changed to 1939; Patel, Nehru and Annie Besant do not fit at all.
3. As printed, therefore, no option is correct and the question is treated as a bonus. The fact to remember: Bose resigned in April 1939 → Rajendra Prasad became President.

Short trick: Haripura 1938 (Bose elected) → Tripuri 1939 (re-elected, then resigned) → Rajendra Prasad.

Concept: Match each leader with the movement he led.

1. Tilak – a leader of the Swadeshi movement (1905–07) → III.
2. Shaukat Ali – with Mohammad Ali, led the Khilafat movement → I.
3. Gandhi – Non-Cooperation movement (1920–22) → IV; Bahadur Shah Zafar – nominal leader of the 1857 revolt → II.

Short trick: Tilak-Swadeshi, Ali-Khilafat, Gandhi-NCM, Zafar-1857 → III-I-IV-II.

Concept: The Election Commission of India (Art. 324) is a permanent, independent constitutional body set up on 25 January 1950.

1. (B) Wrong – CEC and ECs are appointed by the President (on the recommendation of a selection committee under the 2023 Act).
2. (C) Wrong as a general power – disqualification of members is decided by the President/Governor on the EC’s opinion; the EC only advises (Art. 103/192).
3. (D) Wrong – it functions all the time (rolls, party recognition, symbols, etc.).

Short trick: ECI = permanent constitutional body (Art. 324), not a seasonal one.

Concept: The core feature of the parliamentary system is the collective responsibility of the executive to the legislature.

1. In India, the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha (Art. 75(3)) and stays in office only while it enjoys its confidence.
2. The judiciary is independent and not responsible to either organ.

Short trick: Parliamentary = executive answerable to Parliament; Presidential = fixed-term executive.

Concept: The Estimates Committee has 30 members, all from the Lok Sabha, elected by proportional representation.

1. Rajya Sabha has no representation on it (unlike the PAC: 15 LS + 7 RS, and the CoPU: 15 LS + 7 RS).
2. A minister cannot be a member; it is called the ‘continuous economy committee’.

Short trick: Estimates = 30, all Lok Sabha.

Concept: Classic economics books and their authors.

1. Adam Smith – The Wealth of Nations (1776) → I.
2. Thomas Malthus – An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798) → IV.
3. W. Arthur Lewis – The Theory of Economic Growth (1955) → II; Samir Amin – Imperialism and Unequal Development (1977) → III.

Short trick: Smith-Wealth, Malthus-Population, Lewis-Growth, Amin-Imperialism → I-IV-II-III.

Concept: Budget 2025-26 (1 Feb 2025) announced a Makhana Board in Bihar to improve production, processing, value addition and marketing of makhana (fox nut).

1. Bihar (Mithilanchal – Darbhanga, Madhubani, Purnia) produces about 85–90% of India’s makhana.
2. Mithila Makhana has a GI tag (2022).

Short trick: Makhana = Mithila = Bihar.

Concept: ‘Rupee comes from’ (BE 2025-26): borrowings & other liabilities 24 paise, income tax 22, GST 18, corporation tax 17, non-tax revenue 9, union excise 5, customs 4, non-debt capital receipts 1.

1. Among the given options income tax (22 paise) is the largest.
2. GST is 18 paise; excise (5) and customs (4) are much smaller.

Short trick: 2025-26 order: Borrowing 24 > Income tax 22 > GST 18 > Corporate 17.

Concept: Fast-food outlets use counter (self) service: the customer orders and collects food at the counter, so no waiter is involved.

1. High-end (fine dining) restaurants use full table service by trained waiters.
2. Casual dining restaurants also have waiters taking orders at the table.
3. Cafe service usually has a server bringing orders; fast food is the classic counter/self-service system.

Short trick: Fast food = fast because there is no waiter: order - pay - pick up.

Concept: Lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus, Streptococcus/Lactococcus) convert lactose to lactic acid - the basis of curd/yogurt and cheese.

1. Yogurt: L. bulgaricus + S. thermophilus produce lactic acid that sets the milk.
2. Cheese: lactic starter cultures acidify milk before/with rennet coagulation.
3. Beer is alcoholic fermentation by yeast; vinegar is acetic acid fermentation by Acetobacter.

Short trick: Milk products = Lactic; Beer = yeast (alcohol); Vinegar = Acetic.

Concept: Spice tables in food-science texts list cumin chiefly as a carminative, coriander for flatulence, garlic for digestive complaints and mustard (isothiocyanates) as protective against aflatoxin.

1. Cumin (jeera) - the classic carminative (expels gas, stomachic) → 4.
2. Coriander seed - used in flatulence/colic → 3.
3. Garlic - digestive disorders; mustard - protection against aflatoxin effect → c-1, d-2.
4. Only option (A) gives a-4, b-3, c-1, d-2.

Short trick: Jeera = carminative (jeera water for gas); Dhaniya = pet phoolna.

Concept: Each vegetable colour comes from a characteristic pigment group.

1. Beetroot red-violet = betalains (betanin) → ii.
2. Carrot orange = carotenoids (β-carotene) → iv.
3. Onion (white/cream) = flavones (anthoxanthins) → i.
4. Spinach green = chlorophyll → iii.

Short trick: Beet-Betalain (both 'Bet'), Carrot-Carotene (both 'Car').

Concept: Combination cooking uses both dry heat and moist heat on the same food.

1. Braising: food is first seared/browned in fat (dry heat) and then slowly simmered covered in a little liquid (moist heat).
2. Sauteing and grilling are dry-heat methods only.
3. Poaching is a moist-heat method only.

Short trick: Braise = Brown + simmer (stewing is the other combination method).

Concept: Celiac disease is an immune reaction to gluten (gliadin) of wheat, barley and rye; the diet must be strictly gluten-free.

1. Wheat flour contains gluten - forbidden.
2. Rice flour, gram (Bengal gram/besan) flour and corn (maize) flour are naturally gluten-free.
3. So b, c and d are allowed.

Short trick: Avoid 'BROW' - Barley, Rye, Oats (contaminated), Wheat.

Concept: Blanching is a brief heat treatment (boiling water/steam) given before freezing, canning or drying.

1. It inactivates enzymes (peroxidase, catalase) that cause off-colour/flavour.
2. It brightens the green colour (expels air from tissues) and lowers the surface microbial load.
3. It does not 'preserve healthy bacteria' and it shrinks (wilts) rather than increases volume - so b and c are wrong.

Short trick: Blanching = Enzymes off + Green bright + Germs down.

Concept: Sources of common sugars.

1. Sucrose (table sugar) is extracted from cane and beet → beet sugar (ii).
2. Glucose is 'grape sugar' → grapes (iv).
3. Lactose is milk sugar → milk (iii).
4. Fructose is left with potatoes (i); only option (A) fits a-ii, c-iv, d-iii.

Short trick: Lactose = Lac (milk); Glucose = grape sugar; Sucrose = cane/beet.

Concept: All four are recognised factors that influence (raise or lower) non-haem iron absorption.

1. Phytates and oxalates bind iron into insoluble complexes - decrease absorption.
2. Increased gastric motility shortens contact time - decreases absorption.
3. Gastric acidity keeps iron in the soluble ferrous form - increases absorption.
4. Animal tissue protein ('meat-fish-poultry factor') enhances absorption.

Short trick: Enhancers: Acid, Vitamin C, MFP factor; Inhibitors: Phytate, Oxalate, Tannin, rapid transit.

Concept: Calcium is absorbed in the small intestine - actively (vitamin D/calbindin) in the duodenum and passively in the jejunum and ileum.

1. Statement I is true: almost all absorption is in the small intestine.
2. Statement II is true: calcium salts dissolve better at acid pH, so absorption is best in the upper duodenum where pH is low; alkalinity reduces it.

Short trick: Calcium likes Acid, Vitamin D and Lactose; hates Phytate, Oxalate and alkali.