Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Article 59 lays down the conditions of the President’s office.

1. Art. 59(3): the President is entitled, without rent, to official residences and to emoluments, allowances and privileges determined by Parliament.
2. Election is in Art. 54–55, impeachment in Art. 61, powers in Art. 53 onwards.

Yaad rakhein: 59 = conditions of office (salary, residence); 61 = impeachment.

Answer: (D) Salary and privileges of the President

Concept: The one-horned rhinoceros is the signature animal of Kaziranga National Park, Assam.

1. In February 2025 (around Advantage Assam 2.0), EAM S. Jaishankar and envoys of 61 countries visited Kaziranga.
2. Kaziranga holds the world’s largest population of the Indian one-horned rhino and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Yaad rakhein: One-horned rhino = Kaziranga (Assam).

Answer: (D) Kaziranga National Park

Concept: The Wall Street Journal listed Madhya Pradesh among its global “go-to destinations for 2025”.

1. MP was praised for its heritage (Khajuraho, Sanchi, Gwalior, Orchha) and wildlife (Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench tiger reserves).
2. MP is also called the “Tiger State of India”.

Yaad rakhein: WSJ 2025 pick from India = Madhya Pradesh.

Answer: (B) Madhya Pradesh

Concept: The Ministry of Rural Development’s Annual Report 2024-25 gives the Department of Rural Development’s budget figures.

1. Revised Estimate (RE) 2024-25: ₹1,73,912.11 crore.
2. The Budget Estimate for the year was about ₹1.77 lakh crore, so RE was slightly lower than BE.

Yaad rakhein: DoRD 2024-25: BE ≈ ₹1.77 lakh cr, RE ≈ ₹1.74 lakh cr.

Answer: (A) ₹173,912.11 crore

Concept: Rice needs fertile soil that holds water, plus high temperature and rainfall.

1. Alluvial soil (Indo-Gangetic plains, deltas) is fertile, rich in potash and good at holding water – ideal for rice.
2. Desert soil is sandy and dry; saline soil is infertile; red soil is less fertile and drains quickly.

Yaad rakhein: Rice-bowl regions = alluvial plains and deltas.

Answer: (B) Alluvial soil

Concept: Alluvial soil is deposited by rivers.

1. It covers about 40% of India, mainly the Indo-Gangetic–Brahmaputra plain and coastal deltas.
2. The Peninsular Plateau has mostly black and red soils; the Ghats have laterite and forest soils.

Yaad rakhein: Rivers deposit → plains → alluvial.

Answer: (B) Indo-Gangetic Plain

Concept: Windows locks a file while another program has it open.

1. Trying to rename it shows “The action can’t be completed because the file is open in another program”.
2. A Read-only attribute blocks changing the contents, not renaming; Windows also limits paths, but the everyday reason a rename fails is an open file.

Yaad rakhein: Close the file first, then rename.

Answer: (A) The file is currently opened in another application.

Concept: Garbhagriha (“womb-house”) is the sanctum sanctorum of a Hindu temple.

1. It is a small, dark inner chamber housing the main deity.
2. Shikhara is the tower above it, Jagati the raised platform, Kalasha the pot-shaped finial on top.

Yaad rakhein: Garbha = womb → innermost chamber.

Answer: (A) Garbhagriha

Concept: On 28 March 2025 the Ministry of Defence signed contracts with HAL for 156 LCH ‘Prachand’.

1. Of these, 66 are for the Indian Air Force and 90 for the Indian Army.
2. Prachand is India’s first indigenous light combat helicopter, able to operate at high altitudes.

Yaad rakhein: $66+90=156$ Prachand.

Answer: (A) 156

Concept: The Northern Plain is formed by deposits of the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems.

1. It is flat, low-lying and made of alluvial soil.
2. It is among the most fertile and densely populated regions of India.
3. Rocky/elevated describes the plateau; arid describes the Thar desert.

Yaad rakhein: Northern Plain = rivers + alluvium = fertile.

Answer: (C) Alluvial and fertile

Concept: AutoFill uses the fill handle (small square at a cell’s bottom-right corner).

1. Dragging it copies the cell content or continues a pattern/series (1, 2, 3…; Jan, Feb…; Mon, Tue…).
2. AutoSum adds values; Text to Columns splits text; Data Validation checks entries.

Yaad rakhein: Fill handle drag = AutoFill.

Answer: (C) To copy cell content or continue a pattern

Concept: The Great Bath is the most famous structure of Mohenjo-daro (Sindh, Pakistan).

1. It lies on the citadel mound, built of burnt bricks made watertight with gypsum mortar and bitumen.
2. It was probably used for ritual bathing. Dholavira is known for water reservoirs; Harappa for granaries.

Yaad rakhein: Mohenjo-daro: Great Bath, Dancing Girl, Priest-King.

Answer: (D) Mohenjo-daro

Concept: PRS ‘Demand for Grants 2024-25 Analysis’ gives the Department of Rural Development’s allocation.

1. Budget Estimate 2024-25: about ₹1,77,566 crore ≈ ₹1.77 lakh crore.
2. MGNREGS (₹86,000 crore) is the largest component, followed by PMAY-G.

Yaad rakhein: DoRD BE 2024-25 ≈ ₹1.77 lakh crore.

Answer: (D) ₹1.77 lakh crore

Concept: Khongjom Parba is a Manipuri ballad singing style.

1. It narrates the Battle of Khongjom (1891), the Anglo-Manipur War against the British.
2. It is sung with the dholak; Khongjom Day is observed on 23 April in Manipur.

Yaad rakhein: Khongjom → Manipur, 1891.

Answer: (A) Manipur

Concept: Genomics is the study of an organism’s entire genome – all its DNA sequences.

1. The Human Genome Project (completed 2003) sequenced the full human genome, launching modern genomics.
2. Cytogenetics studies chromosomes under the microscope; immunology studies the immune system.

Yaad rakhein: Genome sequenced → genomics.

Answer: (C) genomics

Concept: Armed Forces Veterans’ Day is observed on 14 January, the day Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa retired in 1953.

1. At the 2025 celebration in Akhnoor (Jammu), Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hoisted a 108-feet national flag.
2. He also inaugurated a heritage museum displaying weapons used in J&K wars and sculptures of war heroes.
3. No OROP phase launch or new memorial park was part of this event.

Yaad rakhein: Akhnoor 2025 = 108-ft flag + heritage museum.

Answer: (C) Hoisting of a 108-feet National Flag and opening of a heritage museum

Concept: Work backwards: $\text{CP}=\frac{\text{SP}}{1\pm r}$ at each sale.

1. Bharath sold at 44% loss: his CP $=\frac{4480}{0.56}=8000$.
2. Bharath's CP = Anand's SP at 25% profit: Anand's total cost $=\frac{8000}{1.25}=6400$.
3. Total cost includes repair: original cost $=6400-169=6231$.

Trick: Undo each step in reverse order: $÷0.56$, then $÷1.25$, then $-169$.

Answer: (B) ₹6,231

Concept: $\text{Sum}=\text{Average}\times \text{Count}$.

1. Sum of 5 numbers $=56\times 5=280$.
2. Sum of four given $=35+42+32+26=135$.
3. Fifth number $=280-135=145$.

Trick: Deviation method: deviations from 56 are $-21,-14,-24,-30$ (total $-89$), so fifth $=56+89=145$.

Answer: (A) 145

Concept: Empirical relation: $\text{Mode}=3\text{Median}-2\text{Mean}$.

1. Given $\text{Mode}-\text{Median}=20.8$.
2. From the formula, $\text{Mode}-\text{Median}=2\text{Median}-2\text{Mean}=2(\text{Median}-\text{Mean})$.
3. So $\text{Median}-\text{Mean}=\frac{20.8}{2}=10.4$.

Trick: $\text{Mode}-\text{Median}=2(\text{Median}-\text{Mean})$ – just halve the given gap.

Answer: (D) $10.4$

Concept: $\text{SP}=\text{CP}\times (1-\text{loss}\%)$, $\text{Profit}\%=\frac{\text{SP}-\text{CP}}{\text{CP}}\times 100$.

1. At 40% of $x$, loss is 50%: $0.4x=0.5\text{CP}$.
2. $\text{CP}=0.8x$.
3. Selling at $x$: profit $\%=\frac{x-0.8x}{0.8x}\times 100=25\%$.

Trick: Take $x=100$: SP $=40$ at 50% loss → CP $=80$; selling at 100 gives $\frac{20}{80}=25\%$.

Answer: (A) $25\%$