Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: The Himalayas act as a climatic divide – they stop the freezing winds of the north from entering India and trap the monsoon winds.

1. The icy, dry winds come from Central Asia (Siberia) and areas near the Arctic Circle; the Himalayan wall shields northern India from them, keeping winters milder than at the same latitude elsewhere.
2. The Mediterranean region sends the mild "western disturbances" that bring winter rain to north-west India – not chilly blocked winds.

Yaad rakhein: Himalaya = "climatic barrier": stops cold Siberian/Arctic winds, blocks monsoon from escaping to Tibet.

Answer: (B) Arctic Circle

Concept: The 93rd Amendment (2005) inserted Article 15(5), allowing the State to make special provisions for SEBCs/OBCs, SCs and STs in educational institutions, including private unaided ones (except minority institutions).

1. Under it, the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act 2006 gave 27% OBC reservation in IITs, IIMs, central universities etc.
2. 86th (2002) – Right to Education, Article 21A; 94th (2006) – tribal welfare minister provision (Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh); 97th (2011) – co-operative societies.

Yaad rakhein: 93rd = OBC in education (Art. 15(5)); 86th = RTE; 97th = co-operatives.

Answer: (B) Ninety-Third Amendment

Concept: India's FDI policy fixes sector-wise caps and routes.

1. Multi-brand retail trading: FDI allowed up to 51% under the government approval route (policy of September 2012), with conditions like minimum investment of US$100 million and 30% local sourcing; states may opt in.
2. Single-brand retail allows 100% (automatic route) – the tempting option C applies to single-brand, not multi-brand.

Yaad rakhein: Multi-brand retail 51% (approval); single-brand 100% (automatic); insurance 100% (announced in Budget 2025-26).

Answer: (B) 51%

Concept: The ICA World Cooperative Monitor ranks cooperatives; in the "turnover over GDP per capita" ranking Indian cooperatives have topped the list in recent editions.

1. In the World Cooperative Monitor 2025, released at the ICA CM50 Conference in Doha (November 2025), Amul (GCMMF) was ranked first and IFFCO second among the world's cooperatives.
2. IFFCO had held the top position in earlier editions, which is why option B is the tempting wrong choice.

Yaad rakhein: WCM 2025 (Doha): 1 – Amul, 2 – IFFCO. 2025 was also the UN International Year of Cooperatives.

Answer: (D) Amul (GCMMF) ranked first and IFFCO ranked second

Concept: Article 243R (inserted by the 74th Amendment, 1992) lets the state legislature provide for representation in a municipality of certain persons, some without the right to vote in municipal meetings.

1. Persons having special knowledge or experience in municipal administration may be nominated – they do not have the right to vote.
2. MPs, MLAs/MLCs of the area and chairpersons of ward committees may also be represented (they do vote); Governors and Chief Ministers are not part of municipalities, and Gram Sabha belongs to Panchayats (73rd Amendment).

Yaad rakhein: 73rd = Panchayats (Part IX, Art. 243–243O); 74th = Municipalities (Part IXA, Art. 243P–243ZG); nominated experts = no vote.

Answer: (C) Persons with special knowledge in municipal administration

Concept: Globalisation is the process of integration of national economies with the world economy through trade, capital flows, technology and movement of people.

1. It is the contemporary process responsible for economic integration of countries on a global scale (WTO, MNCs, FDI, outsourcing).
2. Glocalisation = adapting global products to local tastes; transnationalisation refers to MNC operations across borders; industrialisation is growth of manufacturing within a country.

Yaad rakhein: Integration of the world economy = Globalisation; "think global, act local" = Glocalisation.

Answer: (D) Globalisation

Concept: Know which UN body publishes which flagship environmental report.

1. The Global Methane Status Report 2025 was released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) together with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) in November 2025, during COP30 at Belém, Brazil, tracking progress on the Global Methane Pledge (cut methane 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels).
2. UNEP also publishes the Emissions Gap Report and Adaptation Gap Report; WMO publishes the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin and State of the Global Climate; IPCC publishes assessment reports.

Yaad rakhein: UNEP = Emissions Gap, Adaptation Gap, Global Methane Status; WMO = GHG Bulletin, State of Climate.

Answer: (C) UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

Concept: GIGO means a computer processes exactly what it is given – wrong input produces wrong output, even though the machine itself makes no mistakes.

1. This illustrates the Accuracy characteristic: a computer's results are accurate; errors come from faulty data or programs supplied by humans.
2. Diligence = no fatigue; storage = memory capacity; "no IQ/no heuristics" = computer cannot think on its own – none describes GIGO directly.

Yaad rakhein: GIGO ↔ Accuracy (machine accurate, input decides output quality).

Answer: (D) Accuracy

Concept: Sant Tukaram (17th century, Dehu near Pune) was a Varkari saint of Maharashtra who composed abhangs devoted to Lord Vitthal (Vithoba) of Pandharpur.

1. Abhang is a Marathi devotional verse form; Tukaram's abhangs are collected as the "Tukaram Gatha".
2. Other Marathi Varkari saints: Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Eknath. Kannada devotional verses are vachanas (Basavanna); Gujarati – Narsinh Mehta's padas.

Yaad rakhein: Abhang – Marathi (Tukaram); Vachana – Kannada (Basavanna); Dohe – Hindi (Kabir).

Answer: (C) Marathi

Concept: Thermodynamic systems are classified by what they can exchange with the surroundings.

1. Isolated system: exchanges neither energy nor matter (ideal thermos flask).
2. Closed system: exchanges energy but not matter (sealed pressure cooker). Open system: exchanges both (open pan of boiling water).

Yaad rakhein: Open – both; Closed – energy only; Isolated – nothing.

Answer: (B) Isolated

Concept: Article 171 fixes the size of a State Legislative Council.

1. Total members shall not exceed one-third of the total members of the State Legislative Assembly, and in no case be less than 40.
2. Composition: $\frac{1}{3}$ by MLAs, $\frac{1}{3}$ by local bodies, $\frac{1}{12}$ graduates, $\frac{1}{12}$ teachers, $\frac{1}{6}$ nominated by the Governor.

Yaad rakhein: Council = max $\frac{1}{3}$ of Assembly, min 40 (Art. 171); creation/abolition by Parliament under Art. 169.

Answer: (A) One-third

Concept: Photosynthesis has a light reaction (in thylakoids) that makes ATP and NADPH, and a light-independent Calvin cycle (in stroma) that fixes CO₂.

1. The Calvin cycle uses CO₂ plus the ATP and NADPH produced in the light reaction to make glucose (via RuBP and RuBisCO).
2. Water is split in the light reaction (releasing O₂); glucose is the product, not an input.

Yaad rakhein: Light reaction → ATP + NADPH + O₂; Dark reaction (Calvin cycle) uses ATP + NADPH + CO₂ → glucose.

Answer: (A) ATP and NADPH

Concept: Nalanda Mahavihara (Bihar), the world's first residential university, was founded in the 5th century CE by the Gupta ruler Kumaragupta I (Shakraditya).

1. Later patrons included Harshavardhana and the Palas; Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) studied there in the 7th century.
2. Chandragupta I founded the Gupta dynasty's imperial line; Samudragupta is the "Napoleon of India"; Skandagupta repelled the Hunas – none founded Nalanda.

Yaad rakhein: Nalanda – Kumaragupta I (Gupta); Vikramshila – Dharmapala (Pala); Takshashila – older, pre-Mauryan.

Answer: (C) Kumaragupta I

Concept: The Battle of Colachel (1741) was fought between the Kingdom of Travancore under Marthanda Varma and the Dutch East India Company.

1. Travancore defeated the Dutch – the first major defeat of a European naval power by an Indian ruler; Dutch commander Eustachius De Lannoy was captured and later served Travancore.
2. Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764) were British victories; the Carnatic Wars were Anglo-French.

Yaad rakhein: Colachel 1741 – Marthanda Varma beats the Dutch; ended Dutch ambitions in India.

Answer: (B) Battle of Colachel

Concept: Higher government spending raises aggregate demand; if supply cannot keep pace, prices rise.

1. The key limitation of expansionary expenditure is the possibility of increased inflation (demand-pull), along with higher fiscal deficit and borrowing.
2. Stagflation (high inflation with stagnation) is usually a supply-shock outcome, not the direct limitation; increased social capital would be a benefit, not a limitation.

Yaad rakhein: More spending → more demand → inflation risk; this is why fiscal deficit targets (FRBM) exist.

Answer: (C) Possibility of increased inflation

Concept: The Democratic Republic of the Congo has had repeated Ebola outbreaks; each is identified by province and virus species.

1. In September 2025, DRC declared a new Ebola outbreak (Zaire ebolavirus) in the Bulape health zone of Kasai Province – the country's 16th outbreak; WHO supported the response with vaccines (Ervebo).
2. North Kivu and Ituri were the sites of the large 2018–20 outbreak, which makes them tempting distractors.

Yaad rakhein: Ebola 2025 (DRC) – Kasai Province, Bulape zone, Zaire strain.

Answer: (A) Kasai Province

Concept: Literary festivals and book fairs in 2025 are frequently asked with their venue.

1. The Nagpur Book Festival 2025, organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) with the Maharashtra government and Nagpur district administration, was scheduled at Reshimbagh Ground, Nagpur, in December 2025.
2. Kasturchand Park and Yeshwant Stadium are other well-known Nagpur venues used for exhibitions and rallies.

Yaad rakhein: NBT book festivals 2025: Nagpur – Reshimbagh Ground; (the big one) New Delhi World Book Fair – Bharat Mandapam.

Answer: (B) Reshimbagh Ground

Concept: Total = Average × Number. When a new member raises the average, his weight = new average + (old count × increase).

1. Total weight of 10 students $=10\times 50=500$ kg.
2. With the teacher, 11 persons have average 51 kg → total $=11\times 51=561$ kg.
3. Teacher's weight $=561-500=61$ kg.

Trick: New member = new average + (old number × rise) $=51+10\times 1=61$.

Answer: (B) 61 kg

Concept: For 2 years, difference between CI and SI $=P{\left(\frac{r}{100}\right)}^2$.

1. $P=4000,r=6\%$ → difference $=4000\times {\left(\frac{6}{100}\right)}^2=4000\times \frac{36}{10000}$.
2. $=\frac{144000}{10000}=14.40$.
3. Check: SI $=480$; CI $=4000({1.06}^2-1)=4000\times 0.1236=494.40$; difference $=14.40$ ✓.

Trick: 2-year difference = SI of one year's interest for one year: $240\times 6\%=14.40$.

Answer: (D) ₹14.40

Concept: Profit % is based on cost price; the number of articles does not matter if CP and SP per unit are compared.

1. CP of one article $=\frac{390}{12}=32.5$; SP of one article $=78$.
2. Profit per article $=78-32.5=45.5$.
3. Profit % $=\frac{45.5}{32.5}\times 100=\frac{91}{65}\times 100=1.4\times 100=140\%$.

Trick: Compare per dozen: SP of a dozen $=78\times 12=936$; $\frac{936}{390}=2.4$ → 140% profit. The "19 dozens" is a distractor.

Answer: (B) 140%