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Person Adam Smith
Asked 3 times across 2 UPSC exams over 6 years (2014–2020), peaking in 2020.
Key insights
- Most tested in CDS — 2 of 3 PYQs
- Most asked in 2020
- Recurs across 3 years (2014–2020)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
CDS 2014 → CAPF 2020
How the concept evolved
Rising — more than half its appearances (2 of 3) are since 2016.
Related concepts
Ideas UPSC tests alongside this one — keep exploring.
Sample questions
You've seen the pattern — here are a few of the actual PYQs.
CAPF2020
Which one of the following was recognized as 'invisible hand' by Adam Smith?
- A Government
- B Market/Price Mechanism ✓
- C Judiciary
- D Legislature
✓ Correct answer: (B)
Economy › Macroeconomics
CDS2019
Which one of the following canons of taxation was not advocated by Adam Smith?
- A Canon of equality
- B Canon of certainty
- C Canon of convenience
- D Canon of fiscal adequacy ✓
✓ Correct answer: (D)
Economy › Public Finance & Budget
CDS2014
Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists
| List I (Author) | List II (Concept/Book) |
|---|
| A. Hobbes | 1. Natural Law |
| B. Rousseau | 2. 'Might is Right' |
| C. Locke | 3. Discourse on Inequality |
| D. Adam Smith | 4. The Wealth of Nations |
Codes:
- A A-2 B-1 C-3 D-4
- B A-2 B-3 C-1 D-4 ✓
- C A-4 B-3 C-2 D-1
- D A-4 B-1 C-3 D-2
✓ Correct answer: (B)
Polity & Governance › Political Theory & Jurisprudence
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