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Topic Trade winds
Asked 3 times across 2 UPSC exams over 32 years (1989–2021), peaking in 2021.
Key insights
- Most tested in CSE — 2 of 3 PYQs
- Most asked in 2021
- Recurs across 3 years (1989–2021)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
CSE 1989 → CAPF 2015
How the concept evolved
Long-running — most appearances (2 of 3) predate 2016, and it still returns.
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.
CSE2021
Consider the following statements
- In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eastern sections owing to the influence of trade winds
- In the temperate zone, westerlies make the eastern sections of oceans warmer than the western sections
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A 1 only
- B 2 only
- C Both 1 and 2 ✓
- D Neither 1 nor 2
✓ Correct answer: (C)
Geography › Oceanography
CAPF2015
Consider the following statements relating to cyclone, anti cyclone and trade wind
- The wind direction is clockwise in the cyclone of northern hemisphere
- The planetary wind that blows from north-east to north-west is known as north-east trade wind
- The wind direction is anti clockwise in the anticyclone of southern hemisphere
- Both westerlies and trade winds originate from sub-tropical highs
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
- A 3 and 4 only ✓
- B 1, 3 and 4
- C 4 only
- D 1, 2 and 3
✓ Correct answer: (A)
Geography › Climatology
CSE1989
Assertion (A)Most of the hot deserts are present on the western margin of the continents close to the zones of trade winds
Reason (R)Zones of trade winds are characterized by seas having reversal of planetary wind direction
- A Both A and Rare true, and R is the correct explanation of A
- B Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A ✓
- C A is true but R is false
- D A is false but R is true.
✓ Correct answer: (B)
Geography › Climatology
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