Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Software is of two kinds: system software (runs and manages the computer itself) and application software (does user tasks).

1. System software – operating system, device drivers, utilities – controls all internal functions: memory, CPU, input/output.
2. Presentations, games and design tools are application software, not system software.

Yaad rakhein: System software = for the machine; application software = for the user's work.

Answer: (B) Software that controls all internal computer functions

Concept: India's bioeconomy target is USD 300 billion by 2030, pursued through the BioE3 Policy.

1. On World Bioproduct Day (7 July 2025) the Department of Biotechnology held a nationwide event titled "World Bioproduct Day – The BioE3 Way" across many cities.
2. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh stressed inclusive participation of students, start-ups and industry in the biotech mission and the $300 billion bioeconomy goal by 2030.

Yaad rakhein: Bioeconomy: ~$10 bn (2014) → $165 bn (2024) → target $300 bn (2030).

Answer: (B) World Bioproduct Day – The BioE3 Way

Concept: PMJVK is the Ministry of Minority Affairs' area-development scheme.

1. Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK), a centrally sponsored scheme (restructured MsDP, 2018), builds community infrastructure – schools, hostels, health centres, skill centres – in Minority Concentration Areas to reduce development deficits.
2. PM VIKAS is a skilling/livelihood scheme; Padho Pardesh (education loan interest subsidy) and Seekho Aur Kamao (skill training) are individual-beneficiary schemes.

Yaad rakhein: "Jan Vikas" = area/infrastructure; "Seekho aur Kamao" = skills.

Answer: (A) Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK)

Concept: Micro-irrigation delivers water in small, controlled quantities near the plant.

1. Drip irrigation uses pipes with emitters (drippers) that release water drop by drop directly at the root zone – highest water-use efficiency (80–90%).
2. Sprinkler/overhead systems spray water in the air like rain; flood irrigation covers the whole field.

Yaad rakhein: Emitters/drippers = Drip; nozzles = Sprinkler.

Answer: (A) Drip

Concept: The November 2025 US state elections produced several historic firsts.

1. Ghazala Hashmi, a Democrat state senator of Indian origin (born in Hyderabad), was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia – the first Muslim and first South Asian American to win a statewide office in Virginia.
2. Suhas Subramanyam and Pramila Jayapal are members of the US House of Representatives, not Virginia officials.

Yaad rakhein: Virginia 2025: Governor Abigail Spanberger, Lt Governor Ghazala Hashmi.

Answer: (B) Ghazala Hashmi

Concept: India shares land borders with seven countries in different directions.

1. Pakistan lies to the north-west of India, bordering Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and J&K/Ladakh (Afghanistan touches only the far north-west tip).
2. Nepal and Bhutan are to the north; China lies to the north and north-east.

Yaad rakhein: NW – Pakistan; N – Nepal, Bhutan, China; E – Bangladesh, Myanmar.

Answer: (A) Pakistan

Concept: NCAP, launched in January 2019 by MoEFCC, is India's first national framework for air-quality management in 131 non-attainment cities.

1. Original target: reduce PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations by 20–30% by 2024 against the 2017 baseline.
2. In 2022 the target was revised upward to a 40% reduction by 2025–26 – that is the tempting option (C), but the question asks about the original aim.

Yaad rakhein: NCAP: original 20–30% (by 2024) → revised 40% (by 2026).

Answer: (D) 20–30%

Concept: Articles 239AA and 239AB give Delhi a special status among Union Territories.

1. The 69th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1991 renamed the UT of Delhi as the National Capital Territory of Delhi and provided it a Legislative Assembly and Council of Ministers.
2. The 68th (1991) extended President's rule in Punjab; the 70th dealt with Delhi/Puducherry MLAs voting in the Presidential election; the 71st added Konkani, Manipuri, Nepali to the Eighth Schedule.

Yaad rakhein: 69th = NCT Delhi (1991); 70th = Delhi & Puducherry MLAs in Presidential election.

Answer: (A) 69th Constitutional Amendment

Concept: Akbar built a new planned capital near Agra in honour of Sufi saint Salim Chishti.

1. Fatehpur Sikri (built 1571–1585) served as the Mughal capital for about 14 years; it has Buland Darwaza, Jama Masjid, Panch Mahal and Diwan-i-Khas, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1986).
2. Agra Fort was rebuilt by Akbar but is a fort, not a capital city; Taj Mahal (Shah Jahan) and Akbar's Tomb at Sikandra (Jahangir) are 17th-century monuments.

Yaad rakhein: Fatehpur Sikri = Akbar's "City of Victory", abandoned due to water shortage.

Answer: (B) Fatehpur Sikri

Concept: Monetary policy is the RBI's control of money supply and interest rates.

1. Under the RBI Act (amended 2016), the primary objective is price stability – inflation target 4% (±2%) – while keeping in mind the objective of growth.
2. Employment is a broader goal of fiscal/economic policy; tax evasion and funding elections are not objectives of any policy.

Yaad rakhein: Monetary policy = RBI = price stability; fiscal policy = Government = taxes and spending.

Answer: (A) To maintain price stability

Concept: Animals store glucose as a branched polysaccharide.

1. Glycogen ("animal starch") is stored in the liver and skeletal muscles and is broken down to glucose when energy is needed.
2. Starch is the storage carbohydrate of plants; cellulose is the plant cell-wall material; sucrose is table sugar.

Yaad rakhein: Plants store starch, animals store glycogen.

Answer: (A) Glycogen

Concept: The BRICS chairship rotates annually among members; India holds it for 2026.

1. Brazil chaired BRICS in 2025 (17th Summit, Rio de Janeiro, July 2025).
2. In December 2025, at the concluding session of the 4th BRICS Sherpas Meeting, Brazil formally handed over the presidency to India for 2026.

Yaad rakhein: BRICS chairs: Russia 2024 → Brazil 2025 → India 2026.

Answer: (A) Brazil

Concept: PKVY is the flagship organic-farming scheme of the Government of India.

1. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), launched in 2015 under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, promotes cluster-based organic farming with PGS certification, improving soil health and producing chemical-free food.
2. PMFBY is crop insurance, PM Kisan Maandhan is a farmers' pension scheme and RKVY is a general agriculture-development fund.

Yaad rakhein: "Paramparagat" (traditional) = organic farming; PKVY clusters of 20 ha, ₹31,500/ha over 3 years.

Answer: (A) Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana

Concept: Basic characteristics of a computer: speed, accuracy, diligence, versatility, storage, automation.

1. Diligence means a computer can work for hours without tiredness, boredom or loss of concentration, giving the same accuracy throughout.
2. Speed is fast processing, accuracy is error-free results, versatility is doing many kinds of tasks.

Yaad rakhein: Diligence = no fatigue; Versatility = many tasks.

Answer: (C) Diligence

Concept: Windows provides keyboard shortcuts for quick window management.

1. Alt + Tab shows the open windows and lets you switch between them (keep Alt pressed, tap Tab to move).
2. Alt + F4 closes the active window; Windows + D minimises all; Ctrl + Shift + Esc opens Task Manager.

Yaad rakhein: Alt+Tab = switch, Alt+F4 = close, Win+D = desktop.

Answer: (D) To switch between open windows

Concept: Census 2011 recorded decadal growth (2001–2011) for every state and UT.

1. Dadra and Nagar Haveli had the highest growth of all states/UTs: 55.9%, followed by Daman and Diu (53.8%) – both driven by industrial migration.
2. Puducherry (28.1%) and Andaman & Nicobar (6.9%) grew far less; Nagaland was the only one with negative growth (−0.6%).

Yaad rakhein: Highest growth: DNH (UT) 55.9%, Meghalaya (state) 27.9%; lowest: Nagaland.

Answer: (A) Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Concept: The Middle Palaeolithic (about 1,00,000–40,000 years ago) in India is a flake-tool culture.

1. Flakes were struck from specially prepared cores using the Levallois technique (prepared-core technique), giving scrapers, points and borers – typical of Nevasa (Maharashtra) sites.
2. Blade-tool technology marks the Upper Palaeolithic; pressure flaking is associated with later microliths; simple percussion is the general Lower Palaeolithic method.

Yaad rakhein: Lower = hand-axes/cores; Middle = flakes (Levallois); Upper = blades & burins.

Answer: (A) Levallois technique

Concept: On a circular track, runners moving in opposite directions first meet when together they cover one full lap; relative speed = sum of speeds.

1. Relative speed $=6+4=10\text{m/s}$.
2. Time for first meeting $=\frac{400}{10}=40$ s.

Trick: Opposite directions → add speeds; same direction → subtract speeds, and divide the track length by it.

Answer: (B) 40 seconds

Concept: Under simple interest, if a sum becomes $n$ times, then $\text{SI}=(n-1)P$ and $R=\frac{(n-1)\times 100}{T}$.

1. Five times ⇒ $\text{SI}=4P$ in 11 years.
2. $R=\frac{4\times 100}{11}=\frac{400}{11}=36\frac{4}{11}\%$ per annum.

Trick: "$n$ times in $T$ years" ⇒ $R\times T=(n-1)\times 100$.

Answer: (D) $36\frac{4}{11}\%$

Concept: Eliminate one variable by subtracting equations that share the same coefficients.

1. (1) − (2): $3z=7\Rightarrow z=\frac{7}{3}$.
2. From (2): $x+2y=7-\frac{7}{3}=\frac{14}{3}$; from (3): $2x+y=2-\frac{14}{3}=-\frac{8}{3}$.
3. $2(x+2y)-(2x+y)=3y=\frac{28}{3}+\frac{8}{3}=12\Rightarrow y=4$.
4. $x=\frac{14}{3}-8=-\frac{10}{3}$.

Trick: Equations (1) and (2) differ only in $z$ – subtract them first and $z$ falls out instantly.

Answer: (D) $x=-\frac{10}{3},y=4,z=\frac{7}{3}$