Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: The Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025 updated several decades-old limits.

1. "Substantial interest" for directorships was raised from ₹5 lakh (fixed in 1968) to ₹2 crore.
2. Other changes: up to four nominees per account, cooperative bank directors' tenure raised to 10 years, bank reporting dates aligned to fortnight/quarter ends.

Yaad rakhein: 2025 Act: ₹5 lakh → ₹2 crore; nominees 1 → 4.

Answer: (C) ₹2 crore

Concept: Geologists believe a mighty river "Indo-Brahma" (Shiwalik river) once flowed along the whole Himalayan foothills from Assam to Punjab.

1. During the Pleistocene, upheaval in the western Himalayas (Potwar plateau) and down-thrusting of the Malda gap dismembered it into the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra systems (NCERT Class 11, India: Physical Environment).
2. Erosion, volcanism or glacial melting are not the cited cause.

Yaad rakhein: Indo-Brahma → split by Pleistocene upheaval → 3 Himalayan drainage systems.

Answer: (A) Pleistocene upheaval

Concept: India signed the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement with EFTA (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) on 10 March 2024 in New Delhi.

1. It entered into force on 1 October 2025 after ratification by all members.
2. EFTA committed $100 billion investment in India over 15 years with 1 million direct jobs — a first in any Indian FTA.

Yaad rakhein: Signed March 2024 → in force 1 Oct 2025; EFTA ≠ EU.

Answer: (A) March 2024

Concept: Robir Kiran is a Rabindra Sangeet-based cultural and musical group that completed ten years in December 2025 and marked the occasion with an anniversary programme.

1. The name ("rays of Rabi") refers to Rabindranath Tagore; the group performs his songs and dance-dramas.
2. The Satyajit Ray Society and Kala Mandir are much older institutions; India Panorama is a film section of IFFI, not a musical group.

Yaad rakhein: "Robi" in a group's name points to Rabindranath Tagore.

Answer: (D) Robir Kiran

Concept: The Sun's overhead position shifts between $23{\frac{1}{2}}^{\circ }$N and $23{\frac{1}{2}}^{\circ }$S due to the Earth's axial tilt.

1. On 21 June (summer solstice, northern hemisphere) the Sun is vertically overhead at the Tropic of Cancer — longest day in the north.
2. On 22 December it is overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn (winter solstice); on equinoxes (21 March, 23 September) at the Equator.

Yaad rakhein: June → Cancer (north); December → Capricorn (south).

Answer: (D) Tropic of Cancer

Concept: Copy keeps the original; Cut moves it.

1. Ctrl + C copies the selected file to the clipboard; Ctrl + V pastes it in the new folder — the original stays.
2. Ctrl + X + Ctrl + V would move (remove from original); Ctrl + B is bold, Ctrl + S is save.

Yaad rakhein: C = Copy, X = cut (looks like scissors), V = paste.

Answer: (B) Press Ctrl + C, then Ctrl + V

Concept: In July 2025 the Kerala High Court issued the "Policy Regarding the Use of AI Tools in District Judiciary".

1. It is the first such policy by any High Court in India; it bars use of AI for decision-making or legal reasoning and allows only approved tools with human verification.
2. Delhi, Madras and Bombay High Courts had not framed a comparable comprehensive policy at that time.

Yaad rakhein: First HC with AI-use policy for district courts → Kerala (2025).

Answer: (D) Kerala High Court

Concept: NSO (MoSPI) Q1 FY 2025-26 estimates (released 29 August 2025): real GDP grew 7.8%, real GVA 7.6%.

1. Mining & Quarrying was the only sector with negative growth, about $-3.1\%$, mainly due to weak coal and mineral output in a wet quarter.
2. Construction grew about 7.6%, tertiary (services) about 9.3%, agriculture & allied about 3.7%.

Yaad rakhein: Q1 FY26: GDP 7.8% (5-quarter high); only mining negative.

Answer: (D) Mining & Quarrying

Concept: Slash-and-burn (jhum) farming has different regional names in India.

1. Jharkhand: Kuruwa; Madhya Pradesh: Bewar/Dahiya; Rajasthan: Walra (Vatra); Arunachal/NE: Jhum.
2. Others: Podu/Penda (Andhra/Odisha), Kumari (Western Ghats), Khil (Himalayas).

Yaad rakhein: Ku-ruwa → Jhar-khand (both have "kh/ku" sounds); Bewar → MP.

Answer: (A) Jharkhand

Concept: Order of arrival: Portuguese (1498) → Dutch (1602) → English (1608) → Danes (1616) → French (1664).

1. The Portuguese were the first to arrive (Vasco da Gama, Calicut, 1498) and the last to leave — Goa, Daman and Diu were liberated only in December 1961.
2. The French left Pondicherry in 1954; the Dutch and Danes had withdrawn in the 19th century; Americans never held Indian territory.

Yaad rakhein: Portuguese: first in (1498), last out (1961).

Answer: (A) Portuguese

Concept: The Bardoli Satyagraha (1928, Surat district, Gujarat) was a no-tax campaign against a 22% hike in land revenue.

1. Vallabhbhai Patel led it; the women of Bardoli gave him the title "Sardar" after its success.
2. Tilak died in 1920 and Gokhale in 1915; Rajagopalachari led the Vedaranyam salt march (1930).

Yaad rakhein: Bardoli 1928 → Patel became "Sardar"; Kheda 1918 → Gandhi + Patel.

Answer: (D) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Concept: Indian Railways Year Book 2019-20 reports a route length of 67,956 km.

1. Running track km was about 99,235 and total track km about 1,26,366 in the same year.
2. The other figures belong to neighbouring years (e.g. 67,415 km in 2018-19).

Yaad rakhein: Route km ≈ 68,000 (2019-20); IR is the 4th largest network in the world.

Answer: (A) 67,956 km

Concept: The Eighth Schedule has 22 languages belonging to four families.

1. Bodo (Assam) is Tibeto-Burman (Sino-Tibetan family); it was added along with Dogri, Maithili and Santhali by the 92nd Amendment, 2003.
2. Santhali is Austro-Asiatic; Maithili and Konkani are Indo-Aryan.

Yaad rakhein: 2003 additions "BDMS" – Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Santhali; only Bodo and Manipuri are Tibeto-Burman in the Schedule.

Answer: (C) Bodo

Concept: Primary = extraction from nature; Secondary = manufacturing; Tertiary = services.

1. Shoe shining is a personal service — tertiary activity.
2. Extracting minerals is primary; steel making and metal working are secondary (manufacturing).

Yaad rakhein: If nothing is produced but a service is rendered (barber, shoe-shine, teacher) → tertiary.

Answer: (A) Shoe shining

Concept: Iltutmish (1211–36) created the Turkan-i-Chahalgani, a corps of forty Turkish slave nobles.

1. They advised and assisted the Sultan and became kingmakers after his death.
2. Balban, himself once a member, later crushed the group to restore royal authority.

Yaad rakhein: Chahalgani: made by Iltutmish, destroyed by Balban.

Answer: (C) Iltutmish

Concept: Alauddin Khalji (1296–1316) is famous for strict market control to maintain a large standing army cheaply.

1. He fixed prices of grain, cloth, horses and slaves, set up separate markets (Shahana-i-Mandi), used Diwan-i-Riyasat and spies, and rationed grain in times of scarcity.
2. Diwan-i-Arz was created by Balban; the iqta system was introduced by Iltutmish; mansabdari by Akbar.

Yaad rakhein: Alauddin = market reforms + dagh (branding) + chehra (descriptive roll) + cash salary to soldiers.

Answer: (A) Regulation of market prices and rationing

Concept: Application software is either general-purpose (off-the-shelf, used by anyone) or customized (tailor-made for one organisation's needs).

1. A payroll management system built for a specific company is customized software.
2. Spreadsheet, media player and image viewer are general-purpose packages.

Yaad rakhein: Made for one client → customized; sold to everyone → general-purpose.

Answer: (C) Payroll management system for a company

Concept: The 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002 made elementary education a Fundamental Right (Article 21A).

1. It also added the 11th Fundamental Duty, Article 51A(k): a parent or guardian shall provide opportunities for education to his child/ward aged 6–14 years.
2. Protecting the environment, 51A(g), and safeguarding public property, 51A(i), came with the original 42nd Amendment (1976) list.

Yaad rakhein: 42nd → 10 duties (1976); 86th → 11th duty (education of children, 2002).

Answer: (C) Educating children

Concept: Mahatma Gandhi edited the English weekly Young India (1919–1931) from Ahmedabad.

1. He also ran Navajivan (Gujarati), Indian Opinion (South Africa) and Harijan (1933 onwards).
2. Tilak's papers were Kesari and Mahratta; Nehru was associated with National Herald.

Yaad rakhein: Gandhi: Indian Opinion → Young India → Harijan; Tilak: Kesari (Marathi), Mahratta (English).

Answer: (B) Mahatma Gandhi

Concept: Under Article 368 a Constitution Amendment Bill passed by both Houses with special majority goes to the President, who must give assent (24th Amendment, 1971).

1. Ratification by half the State Legislatures is needed only for federal provisions (e.g. election of President, Seventh Schedule, Article 368 itself) — not for Directive Principles.
2. Gazette notification follows assent; the Supreme Court has no role in enacting an amendment.

Yaad rakhein: DPSP/Fundamental Rights amendment → Parliament special majority + President's assent (mandatory, no veto).

Answer: (C) President's Assent