Prelims 2012 · archive
EasyA person stood alone in a desert on a dark night and wanted to reach his village which was situated 5 km east of the point where he was standing. He had no instruments to find the direction but he located the polestar. The most convenient way now to reach his village is to walk in the
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) direction keeping the polestar to his left
The Pole Star appears nearly stationary in the north, so it shows the north direction to an observer in the northern hemisphere. A person facing east has north on his left. To walk east to his village, he should keep the Pole Star to his left.
- ✗ (a) Walking towards the Pole Star means walking north, not east. He would miss the village, which lies to the east.
- ✗ (b) Walking with the Pole Star behind him means walking south, which is the wrong direction.
- ✓ (c) When you face east, north is on your left and south is on your right. Keeping the Pole Star on his left means he is heading east, towards the village.
- ✗ (d) With the Pole Star on his right he would be facing west, the opposite of east.
Remember · The Pole Star (Polaris) shows north, very nearly true north, in the northern hemisphere. Facing east, north is on your left; facing west, it is on your right.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 6 Curiosity, Ch 12
Sources
- NCERT Class 6 · Curiosity, Chapter 12 “The Pole Star appears nearly stationary in the North direction. This helps to locate the North direction in the Northern hemisphere.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2012, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·