Minimalist IAS
Science & technology

Prelims · Science & technology · 32 questions

Human body, health & diseases

Every UPSC Prelims question on this topic, 2016–2026, newest first. Tap an option to check yourself; the answer and explanation open below it.

Human body, health & diseases questions per year: 2016: 1, 2017: 1, 2018: 0, 2019: 2, 2020: 2, 2021: 3, 2022: 4, 2023: 2, 2024: 1, 2025: 0, 2026: 0 Asked in 8 of 11 years · most in 2022 (4)

Practising Science & technology? Take it as timed sets of 25 →

UPSC syllabus: “General Science.” Sub-topics in the detailed syllabus →

निम्नलिखित पर विचार कीजिए :

  1. 1.पक्षी
  2. 2.उड़ती धूल
  3. 3.वर्षा
  4. 4.बहती हवा

उपर्युक्त में से कौन-से पादप रोग फैलाते हैं ?

Read this question in English

Consider the following:

1. Birds

2. Dust blowing

3. Rain

4. Wind blowing

Which of the above spread plant diseases?

(a) 1 and 3 only · (b) 3 and 4 only · (c) 1, 2 and 4 only · (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (d) 1, 2, 3 और 4

All four spread plant diseases. Most plant pathogens travel as spores or bacteria, and these are carried by wind, blown dust, splashing rain and even by birds.

  • ✓ 1. Spores stick to birds' feathers and beaks and are dropped on other plants. Chestnut blight spores, for example, are spread by many bird species, and powdery mildew fruiting bodies are carried on feathers.
  • ✓ 2. Dust is lifted soil, and soil is a recognised carrier of fungal spores. Blowing dust moves them from diseased fields to healthy ones.
  • ✓ 3. Rain splash and running water carry spores and bacteria from an infected leaf to healthy plant surfaces.
  • ✓ 4. Wind brings the first spores from neighbouring fields or far away, and then spreads the secondary infection from plant to plant.

Remember · Plant pathogens are dispersed by wind, water (rain), dust or soil, insects and birds. Every listed agent can spread plant diseases.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2018, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

The Syllabus X-Ray of this topic

1 of its 5 sub-topics is Core

1 Core · 2 High · 0 Steady · 2 Rare

  • Core #25Diseases, vaccines & immunity · 8 questions
  • HighHuman body, nutrition & genetics basics · 4 questions
  • HighMicrobes, viruses & antimicrobial resistance · 3 questions

The X-Ray ranks all 928 sub-topics of the UPSC syllabus by what UPSC has asked since 2016. The 60 Prelims Core sub-topics are behind 51% of Prelims questions.

See the whole X-Ray →

The same topic in Mains