Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: DEW Mk-II(A) is DRDO's 30 kW laser-based Directed Energy Weapon system.

1. In April 2025 at Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) it destroyed fixed-wing UAVs and swarm drones.
2. It also disabled surveillance sensors and antennas, putting India among few nations with such laser capability.

Yaad rakhein: DEW Mk-II(A): 30 kW laser, Kurnool, fixed-wing UAVs + swarm drones.

Answer: (A) Fixed-wing UAVs and Swarm drones

Concept: The Chuar Rebellion was a peasant-tribal uprising in the Jungle Mahal region (Midnapore, Bankura, Manbhum) of Bengal.

1. It arose from high revenue demands and loss of land of paiks and peasants under Company rule.
2. It reached its peak in 1798–99 under leaders like Durjan Singh.

Yaad rakhein: Chuar uprising peak = 1798–99 (Jungle Mahal, Bengal).

Answer: (B) 1798-99

Concept: NITI Aayog's Frontier Tech Hub launched the quarterly 'Future Front' series in March 2025.

1. Its first edition focused on quantum computing – advancements, investments and implications (including national security) for India.
2. It links to the National Quantum Mission and does not deal with agriculture, coastal climate or health schemes.

Yaad rakhein: Future Front (NITI Aayog, March 2025) → quantum computing.

Answer: (A) Evaluating advancements and investments in quantum computing technologies

Concept: Agni Warrior is the India–Singapore bilateral army exercise focused on artillery and joint firepower.

1. The 13th edition, Agni Warrior 2024, was held from 28–30 November 2024 at the Field Firing Ranges, Devlali (Maharashtra).
2. Devlali houses the School of Artillery, which suits this artillery-focused drill.

Yaad rakhein: India–Singapore: Agni Warrior (Army, Devlali), SIMBEX (Navy), SINDEX (Air Force).

Answer: (A) Devlali, Maharashtra

Concept: India has the second-largest road network in the world; national highways have grown from about 91,000 km in 2014 to over 1.46 lakh km.

1. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (Nitin Gadkari) set a target of expanding the national highway network to 2 lakh km by 2025.

Yaad rakhein: NH network target: 2 lakh km by 2025.

Answer: (B) 2 lakh km

Concept: Co-operatives in India suffered from poor functioning – lack of professionalism, delayed elections, government interference and weak accountability.

1. To correct this poor quality of functioning, the 97th Amendment (2011) added Part IX-B, and States amended their Co-operative Societies Acts for autonomy, timely elections and audits.
2. Number of societies or taxes was not the trigger.

Yaad rakhein: 97th Amendment 2011: right to form co-operatives (Art 19(1)(c)), Art 43B, Part IX-B.

Answer: (A) Poor quality of functioning

Concept: Total Fertility Rate (TFR) = average children a woman would bear in her lifetime.

1. NFHS-5 (2019–21) reported India's TFR as 2.0, down from 2.2 in NFHS-4 (2015–16).
2. This is below the replacement level of 2.1.

Yaad rakhein: NFHS-4: 2.2 → NFHS-5: 2.0; replacement level 2.1.

Answer: (B) 2.0

Concept: Tilka Manjhi (Jabra Paharia) is regarded as the first Adivasi to take up arms against the British.

1. In 1784 he led the Paharia uprising in the Rajmahal hills (present Jharkhand/Bihar) and attacked Augustus Cleveland, Collector of Bhagalpur.
2. He was captured and hanged in 1785.

Yaad rakhein: Tilka Manjhi – 1784 – first armed tribal revolt; Bhagalpur University named after him.

Answer: (B) 1784

Concept: The Eighth Schedule lists the official languages of India (now 22).

1. 21st Amendment (1967): Sindhi.
2. 71st Amendment (1992): Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali.
3. 92nd Amendment (2003): Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali.

Trick: 71 → KMN (Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali); 92 → BDMS.

Answer: (B) Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali

Concept: Yahya bin Ahmad Sirhindi wrote Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi during the reign of Mubarak Shah of the Sayyid dynasty.

1. He claims that Khizr Khan, founder of the Sayyid dynasty (1414), was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad – hence the title "Sayyid".
2. The Tughlaq, Ghurid and Ghaznavid rulers made no such claim.

Yaad rakhein: Sayyid dynasty: Khizr Khan (1414); source – Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi by Yahya Sirhindi.

Answer: (D) Sayyid Dynasty

Concept: 1 mole of any substance contains Avogadro's number $N_A=6.022\times {10}^{23}$ particles.

1. Molecules $=2\times 6.022\times {10}^{23}=12.044\times {10}^{23}$.
2. In standard form $=1.2044\times {10}^{24}$.
3. Option D has the same value but is not in proper scientific notation; B is the standard form.

Yaad rakhein: Number of particles $=n\times N_A$.

Answer: (B) $1.2044\times {10}^{24}$

Concept: Chhau is a martial, masked dance of Odisha (Mayurbhanj), Jharkhand (Seraikela) and West Bengal (Purulia).

1. It is performed only to instrumental music (dhol, dhamsa, shehnai) – no vocal music/songs.
2. Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Odissi all use vocal accompaniment.
3. Chhau is on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list (2010).

Yaad rakhein: Chhau = masks + martial moves + instruments only.

Answer: (B) Chhau

Concept: Artificially produced (synthetic) elements are made in reactors or accelerators, mostly the transuranium elements (Z > 92).

1. They are highly radioactive and decay quickly – many have half-lives of seconds or less, so they are short-lived.
2. They are not stable like natural elements and occur mainly in the actinide series and period 7, not in all groups.

Yaad rakhein: Synthetic elements → unstable, radioactive, short-lived.

Answer: (A) They are short-lived.

Concept: Arunachal Pradesh shares international borders with Bhutan (west), China/Tibet (north) and Myanmar (east).

1. The eastern and south-eastern boundary of Arunachal runs along Myanmar.
2. China lies to the north (along the McMahon Line); Bhutan to the west; Bangladesh does not touch Arunachal.

Yaad rakhein: Arunachal: W – Bhutan, N – China, E – Myanmar.

Answer: (C) Myanmar

Concept: In the Plasmodium life cycle, sporozoites mature in liver cells into merozoites, which then invade RBCs.

1. Clinical symptoms (chills, fever) come from the rupture of infected RBCs releasing merozoites and haemozoin.
2. If the parasite leaves the liver without forming merozoites, it cannot invade and burst RBCs.
3. So there would be no RBC rupture and reduced symptoms.

Yaad rakhein: Liver stage → silent; RBC (erythrocytic) stage → fever cycles.

Answer: (A) Absence of RBC rupture and reduced clinical symptoms

Concept: Citizenship is a Union subject (Article 11 empowers Parliament; Citizenship Act, 1955).

1. Under Section 7 of the Citizenship Act, when a territory becomes part of India, the Central (Union) Government by order specifies who become citizens.
2. Example: Pondicherry (1962) and Goa, Daman & Diu.
3. States, the Supreme Court and the Election Commission have no such role.

Yaad rakhein: Citizenship by incorporation of territory – notified by the Union Government.

Answer: (A) Union Government

Concept: The Tamar revolt was an uprising of the Munda tribals of Tamar (Chotanagpur, present Jharkhand) against the British and zamindars.

1. It occurred in phases between 1782 and 1820; one phase was led by Bholanath Singh.
2. The Santhal Revolt was led by Sidhu–Kanhu; the Wahabi and Farazi movements were religious-reform movements led by Syed Ahmad and Haji Shariatullah/Dudu Miyan.

Yaad rakhein: Bholanath Singh → Tamar revolt (Chotanagpur).

Answer: (C) Tamar Revolt

Concept: Check which amendments changed Part IV (Articles 36–51).

1. 42nd (1976): added Articles 39A, 43A, 48A and amended 39.
2. 86th (2002): substituted Article 45 (early childhood care).
3. 97th (2011): added Article 43B (co-operative societies).
4. 48th (1984): only extended President's Rule in Punjab beyond one year (Article 356) – no DPSP change.

Yaad rakhein: DPSP amendments: 42, 44 (38(2)), 86, 97.

Answer: (C) 48^th Amendment Act

Concept: Form two linear equations in mother's age $M$ and daughter's age $D$.

1. $3M=5D+36$ … (i)
2. $3D=M-4\Rightarrow M=3D+4$ … (ii)
3. Put (ii) in (i): $9D+12=5D+36\Rightarrow D=6$, $M=22$.
4. Difference $=22-6=16$ years.

Trick: Substitute $M=3D+4$ directly – one variable, one step.

Answer: (C) 16

Concept: $\text{SP}=\text{MP}\times (1-\text{discount})$ and $\text{SP}=\text{CP}\times (1+\text{profit})$.

1. Let $\text{CP}=100$. Profit $71\%$ → $\text{SP}=171$.
2. Discount $10\%$ → $0.9\text{MP}=171\Rightarrow \text{MP}=190$.
3. Mark-up $X=\frac{190-100}{100}\times 100=90\%$.

Trick: $\text{MP}=\frac{100+\text{P}\%}{100-\text{D}\%}\times \text{CP}=\frac{171}{90}\times 100=190$.

Answer: (D) 90