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Person Richard Arkwright
Asked 3 times across 2 UPSC exams over 10 years (2016–2026), peaking in 2016.
Key insights
- Most tested in NDA — 2 of 3 PYQs
- Most asked in 2016
- Recurs across 3 years (2016–2026)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
CDS 2016 → NDA 2023
How the concept evolved
Rising — more than half its appearances (3 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.
NDA2026
Consider the following pairs: Inventions / Inventors
- Flying shuttle loom : John Kay
- Water frame : James Hargreaves
- Spinning jenny : Richard Arkwright
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- A One ✓
- B Two
- C All the three
- D None
✓ Correct answer: (A)
History › World History
NDA2023
Which of the following statements about the technological innovations during the Industrial Revolutions are correct ?
- Mule was the nickname for a machine invented in 1779, that allowed the spinning of strong and fine yarn
- Water Frame, invented in 1769 by Richard Arkwright, made it possible to weave pure cotton clothes
- Power loom, invented by Edmund Cartwright in 1787, could be used to weave any kind of materials
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- A 1 and 2 only
- B 1, 2 and 3 ✓
- C 2 and 3 only
- D 3 only
✓ Correct answer: (B)
History › World History
CDS2016
The 'water frame' of Richard Arkwright was a device for
- A producing a new type of painting
- B irrigating fields for rice cultivation
- C producing strong threads of yarn ✓
- D the faster movement of steamships
✓ Correct answer: (C)
History › World History
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