Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Article 31B and the Ninth Schedule were added by the First Constitutional Amendment Act, 1951.

1. Laws placed in the Ninth Schedule were shielded from challenge on the ground of violating Fundamental Rights.
2. The purpose was to protect land reform laws (zamindari abolition) that courts were striking down.
3. After I.R. Coelho (2007), such laws added after 24 April 1973 can be reviewed if they violate the basic structure.

Yaad rakhein: 1st Amendment 1951 → Art 31A, 31B + Ninth Schedule → land reforms.

Answer: (A) Land reform laws

Concept: The Cannes Film Festival is held every May in Cannes, on the French Riviera, France.

1. The 78th edition took place from 13 to 24 May 2025.
2. Its top award, the Palme d'Or, went to Jafar Panahi's 'It Was Just an Accident'.

Yaad rakhein: Cannes – France; Venice – Italy; Berlinale – Germany.

Answer: (B) France

Concept: The Western Coastal Plains are an example of a submerged coastal plain.

1. Part of the western coast sank into the Arabian Sea; the legendary city of Dwarka is believed to have been submerged.
2. Because of submergence the plain is narrow and offers natural harbours (Kandla, Mumbai, Mormugao, Kochi).
3. The Eastern Coastal Plain is broad and emergent, with large deltas – so 'deltaic/emergent' fit the east, not the west.

Yaad rakhein: West – submerged, narrow, ports; East – emergent, broad, deltas.

Answer: (D) Submerged coastal plain

Concept: The early INC (1885–1905) was led by Moderates who believed in petitions and constitutional methods.

1. Moderates: Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Pherozeshah Mehta, Surendranath Banerjee, W.C. Bonnerjee.
2. Aurobindo Ghosh was an Extremist leader (with Lal-Bal-Pal) who advocated swaraj and passive resistance.

Yaad rakhein: Surat Split 1907 – Moderates vs Extremists (Tilak, Lajpat Rai, Bipin Pal, Aurobindo).

Answer: (B) Aurobindo Ghosh

Concept: In MS Office applications, Ctrl + N creates a new blank file.

1. In PowerPoint, Ctrl + N opens a new blank presentation.
2. Ctrl + O / File → Open opens an existing file; Insert → New Slide (Ctrl + M) adds a slide to the current presentation.

Yaad rakhein: N = New, O = Open, M = new slide (in PowerPoint), F5 = slide show from start.

Answer: (A) Press Ctrl + N

Concept: Under Alauddin Khalji, the Mongols repeatedly invaded north India.

1. In 1299, a large Mongol army of the Chagatai Khanate led by Qutlugh Khwaja (son of Duwa Khan) besieged Delhi.
2. Alauddin's forces fought them at Kili (1299); Zafar Khan died in the battle, and the Mongols withdrew.
3. So this belongs to the Khalji dynasty, long before the Sayyids, Mughals or Suris.

Yaad rakhein: Battle of Kili 1299 – Alauddin Khalji vs Qutlugh Khwaja.

Answer: (A) Khalji Dynasty

Concept: p-block elements are those whose last electron enters a p-orbital – Groups 13 to 18.

1. Their outer configuration ranges from $n{s}^{2}n{p}^1$ to $n{s}^{2}n{p}^6$.
2. They include metals, metalloids, non-metals and the noble gases.
3. Transition elements are the d-block elements (Groups 3–12), not the p-block – so statement (A) is wrong.

Yaad rakhein: s-block: Groups 1–2; d-block (transition): 3–12; p-block: 13–18; f-block: inner transition.

Answer: (A) They are also called transition elements.

Concept: Bile (made by the liver, stored in the gall bladder) emulsifies fats into tiny droplets.

1. Bile salts form micelles that carry fats and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K to the intestinal wall for absorption.
2. Without bile, fat and vitamins A, D, E, K are poorly absorbed.
3. Water, glucose and amino acids are absorbed without bile.

Yaad rakhein: Fat-soluble vitamins = 'ADEK' – they need bile.

Answer: (D) fat-soluble vitamins

Concept: Judicial review is the power of courts to examine whether a law conforms to the Constitution (Articles 13, 32, 226).

1. Under Article 13, a law inconsistent with Fundamental Rights is void to the extent of the inconsistency.
2. So a law declared unconstitutional becomes null and void – it cannot be enforced.
3. The court does not send it back to Parliament, and the President cannot amend a law.

Yaad rakhein: Unconstitutional = void (ultra vires); Parliament may only pass a fresh/amended law.

Answer: (A) It becomes null and void.

Concept: Article 48A (protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wildlife) is a Directive Principle.

1. It was added by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976.
2. The same amendment added Article 51A(g) – the Fundamental Duty to protect the natural environment.
3. 1978 was the 44th Amendment (property right removed), not this.

Yaad rakhein: 42nd Amendment (1976) added Articles 39A, 43A, 48A to DPSP.

Answer: (B) 1976

Concept: Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles.

1. Heating supplies energy, so the kinetic energy of the particles increases.
2. Hence the particles vibrate/move faster; this is why solids melt and liquids evaporate on heating.
3. Particles never stop moving or disappear on heating.

Yaad rakhein: More heat → more kinetic energy → faster particles → expansion and change of state.

Answer: (C) They move faster

Concept: The Economic Survey 2024-25 (tabled January 2025) uses Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data.

1. The unemployment rate (age 15+, usual status) fell to 3.2% in 2023-24.
2. It was 6.0% in 2017-18, showing a steady decline.

Yaad rakhein: PLFS unemployment: 6.0% (2017-18) → 3.2% (2023-24).

Answer: (D) 3.2%

Concept: Under Bharatmala Pariyojana, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is building access-controlled greenfield expressways and corridors.

1. The government targeted 22 new greenfield expressways (such as Delhi–Mumbai, Ahmedabad–Dholera, Amritsar–Jamnagar) to be built by FY 2024-25.
2. They are designed to cut travel time and logistics costs between major economic centres.

Yaad rakhein: Bharatmala – 22 greenfield expressways; Delhi–Mumbai is the longest.

Answer: (D) 22

Concept: At COP26 (Glasgow, 2021) India announced its 'Panchamrit' climate goals.

1. One goal is 500 GW of non-fossil (renewable-based) installed electricity capacity by 2030.
2. 175 GW was the earlier target for 2022; net-zero emissions target is 2070.

Yaad rakhein: Panchamrit – 500 GW non-fossil, 50% energy from renewables, 1 billion tonnes less CO₂, 45% lower emission intensity (all by 2030), net zero 2070.

Answer: (A) 500 GW

Concept: Monsoon means a seasonal reversal of winds, driven by changing pressure systems.

1. In summer, intense heating creates a low-pressure area over north-west India while high pressure lies over the Indian Ocean → moist south-west winds blow onto land.
2. In winter the pattern reverses (high over land, low over sea) → dry north-east winds.
3. Latitude, relief and ocean currents influence climate, but the reversal itself is due to the monsoonal pressure system.

Yaad rakhein: Wind always blows from high pressure to low pressure – pressure flip = wind flip.

Answer: (B) Monsoonal pressure system

Concept: Gond painting is a tribal art of the Gond community of Madhya Pradesh (popularised by Jangarh Singh Shyam).

1. Artists traditionally painted with natural colours (charcoal, coloured soil, plant sap, cow dung) using a locally made handmade brush called the koochi.
2. Paintings are built from dots, dashes and fine lines filling forms of animals, trees and deities.

Yaad rakhein: Gond – Madhya Pradesh – koochi brush; Madhubani – Bihar – twigs/nib; Warli – Maharashtra – bamboo stick.

Answer: (B) Koochi

Concept: A 2025 report by luxury resort developer Fine Acres assessed India's branded residences and resorts market.

1. The market is projected to reach about ₹8,610 crore (around US$ 1 billion) by 2027.
2. Growth is driven by rising wealth, demand for second homes and hospitality-branded living.

Yaad rakhein: Branded residences – ₹8,610 crore (US$ 1 bn) by 2027.

Answer: (D) 2027

Concept: The global MPI (UNDP–OPHI) uses 3 dimensions and 10 indicators.

1. Health: nutrition, child mortality. Education: years of schooling, school attendance.
2. Standard of living: cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, assets.
3. Internet connectivity is not among the ten indicators.

Yaad rakhein: MPI = 2 (health) + 2 (education) + 6 (living standard) = 10. India's national MPI adds maternal health and bank account (12).

Answer: (C) Internet connectivity

Concept: In a right triangle, $(\text{hyp}{)}^2=a^2+b^2$; the largest side $x$ is the hypotenuse, and $\text{Area}=\frac{1}{2}ab$.

1. $(x-13{)}^2+(x-26{)}^2=x^2\Rightarrow x^2-78x+845=0$
2. $(x-65)(x-13)=0\Rightarrow x=65$ ($x=13$ makes sides negative/zero).
3. Legs: $65-13=52$ and $65-26=39$.
4. $\text{Area}=\frac{1}{2}\times 52\times 39=1014{\text{cm}}^2$

Trick: $39:52:65=3:4:5$ (×13) — spot the 3-4-5 triple directly.

Answer: (B) 1014

Concept: $(1+\sin \theta )(1-\sin \theta )={\cos }^2\theta$ and $(1+\cos \theta )(1-\cos \theta )={\sin }^2\theta$.

1. Expression $=\frac{{\cos }^2\theta }{{\sin }^2\theta ·\cot \theta }$
2. $={\cot }^2\theta \times \frac{1}{\cot \theta }=\cot \theta$
3. $\tan \theta =\frac{7}{8}\Rightarrow \cot \theta =\frac{8}{7}$

Trick: The whole expression collapses to $\cot \theta$ — just invert $\tan \theta$.

Answer: (A) $\frac{8}{7}$