Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: India is the world's largest producer of turmeric.

1. The National Turmeric Board was inaugurated on 14 January 2025 with its headquarters at Nizamabad, Telangana.
2. Kochi hosts the Spices Board; Guntur is known for chillies.

Remember: Turmeric Board → Nizamabad (Telangana).

Answer: (D) Nizamabad

Concept: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) can take suo motu cognisance of environmental news reports.

1. In January 2025 the NGT took suo motu cognisance of the report on about 350 dead Olive Ridley turtles washed ashore on the Chennai coast.
2. It sought responses from the authorities on the turtle deaths, linked to fishing activity.

Remember: Environment-related suo motu case on news → usually NGT.

Answer: (B) National Green Tribunal

Concept: Article 32 empowers the Supreme Court to issue writs; Article 226 empowers High Courts.

1. The Supreme Court's writ jurisdiction under Article 32 can be invoked only for enforcement of Fundamental Rights.
2. High Courts (Art. 226) can issue writs for Fundamental Rights and for any other legal right – so option D describes the High Court, not the Supreme Court.
3. Writs can be issued against any authority/person, and the jurisdiction is shared with High Courts.

Remember: SC (Art. 32): FRs only; HC (Art. 226): FRs + other legal rights.

Answer: (A) It can only be invoked for enforcement of Fundamental Rights.

Concept: 'Diku' was the tribal term for outsiders.

1. Santhals, Mundas and other tribes called landlords (zamindars), moneylenders (mahajans), traders and officials who exploited them 'Dikus'.
2. Anger against Dikus fuelled the Santhal Hul (1855) and Birsa Munda's Ulgulan (1899–1900).

Remember: Diku = outsider-exploiter.

Answer: (A) They were outsiders like landlords, moneylenders and officials exploiting tribal community.

Concept: A pointing device converts hand movement into cursor movement.

1. The mouse senses physical motion (optical/laser sensor) and sends it as digital signals to move the pointer, select and drag objects in a GUI.
2. Keyboard sends key presses, microphone sound, scanner images – not movement.

Remember: Movement → pointer: mouse (pointing device).

Answer: (C) Mouse

Concept: ISRO is developing a semi-cryogenic (LOX–kerosene) engine for future launch vehicles.

1. In 2025 ISRO conducted hot tests of the semi-cryogenic engine at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.
2. IPRC is the test and assembly facility; LPSC designs liquid engines, while Sriharikota is the launch port.

Remember: Engine hot tests → IPRC Mahendragiri.

Answer: (A) ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu

Concept: Sarojini Naidu, the 'Nightingale of India', wrote poetry in English.

1. Her first collection, The Golden Threshold, was published in London in 1905.
2. Later works: The Bird of Time (1912) and The Broken Wing (1917). 'The Captive Lady' is by Michael Madhusudan Dutt.

Remember: Golden Threshold (1905) → Bird of Time → Broken Wing.

Answer: (B) The Golden Threshold

Concept: The Green Revolution (from the mid-1960s) used HYV seeds, fertilisers and irrigation.

1. It was first concentrated in Punjab and Haryana (and western Uttar Pradesh), which had assured irrigation.
2. Wheat gained the most; eastern states like Bihar, Odisha and Assam benefited much later.

Remember: Green Revolution: wheat + Punjab–Haryana; M.S. Swaminathan.

Answer: (B) Punjab and Haryana

Concept: The CPU is the 'brain' of the computer.

1. CPU = Central Processing Unit; it contains the ALU, Control Unit and registers.
2. It fetches, decodes and executes instructions.

Remember: CPU = ALU + CU + registers.

Answer: (C) Central Processing Unit

Concept: India's mainland extends from $8^{\circ }{4}^{\prime }\text{N}$ to ${37}^{\circ }{6}^{\prime }\text{N}$.

1. Latitudinal extent $\approx {37}^{\circ }{6}^{\prime }-8^{\circ }{4}^{\prime }\approx {30}^{\circ }$.
2. The longitudinal extent (${68}^{\circ }{7}^{\prime }\text{E}$ to ${97}^{\circ }{25}^{\prime }\text{E}$) is also about ${30}^{\circ }$.

Remember: Both latitudinal and longitudinal extents ≈ ${30}^{\circ }$; Tropic of Cancer divides India almost in half.

Answer: (C) ${30}^{\circ }$

Concept: European trading companies came to India through royal charters.

1. On 31 December 1600 Queen Elizabeth I granted a charter to the English East India Company giving it monopoly of trade east of the Cape of Good Hope for 15 years.
2. The Dutch company came in 1602, the Danish in 1616 and the French in 1664.

Remember: 1600 → English EIC (Elizabeth I).

Answer: (C) English East India Company

Concept: Gallantry awards were announced on the eve of Republic Day 2025.

1. Wing Commander Akshay Saxena (C-17 pilot) received the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) for the long-range airdrop of MARCOS in the anti-piracy operation (MV Ruen) in the Arabian Sea.
2. The mission was part of the Navy-led Operation Sankalp against Somali pirates.

Remember: Somali piracy operations → Arabian Sea.

Answer: (C) Arabian Sea

Concept: Carnatic and Hindustani music have different composition forms.

1. Varnam, Pallavi (part of Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi/kriti) and Ragamalika are Carnatic forms.
2. Chaturang is a Hindustani composition with four parts – song text, tarana, sargam and tabla/pakhawaj bols.

Remember: Chaturang = 'four colours' – Hindustani.

Answer: (B) Chaturang

Concept: The Ranji Trophy is India's premier first-class cricket tournament.

1. Vidarbha won the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy (their third title), beating Kerala in the final at Nagpur on first-innings lead (March 2025).
2. Kerala were first-time finalists, so they were runners-up.

Remember: Ranji 2024-25: Vidarbha beat Kerala.

Answer: (A) Vidarbha

Concept: Fundamental Duties are listed in Article 51A (a)–(k).

1. 51A(i): to safeguard public property and to abjure violence.
2. 51A(h): scientific temper; 51A(j): strive towards excellence; 51A(k): education of children aged 6–14 (86th Amendment, 2002).

Remember: (h) science, (i) public property, (j) excellence, (k) education.

Answer: (D) Article 51A (i)

Concept: Genetic material must be stable to store and pass on information.

1. DNA's double-helical structure (two complementary strands, deoxyribose sugar, thymine instead of uracil) makes it chemically stable.
2. RNA is more reactive and mutates faster, so DNA became the predominant genetic material; enzymatic role belongs to RNA (ribozymes)/proteins.

Remember: DNA = stable storage; RNA = catalytic and less stable.

Answer: (B) Its stable double-helical structure

Concept: Ctrl + F = Find.

1. Ctrl + F opens the Find/Search box to locate text or items in documents, web pages, File Explorer, etc.
2. Spell check is F7 (in MS Word); forwarding a mail in Outlook is Ctrl + F only inside Outlook, not a general Windows function.

Remember: F = Find, H = Replace, G = Go To.

Answer: (D) It opens a search or find feature to locate text or items in files, webpages or applications.

Concept: The McMahon Line was drawn at the Simla Convention, 1914.

1. It marks the boundary between India (Arunachal Pradesh) and China (Tibet region) in the eastern sector.
2. Durand Line: Pakistan–Afghanistan; Radcliffe Line: India–Pakistan/Bangladesh.

Remember: McMahon → China (east); Radcliffe → Pakistan; Durand → Pak–Afghan.

Answer: (A) China

Concept: Match each tribal revolt with its period.

1. Lushai uprisings (Mizo hills) took place in the 19th century (1870s–1890s), against British expansion – so it is the answer.
2. Naga revolt (Zeliangrong / Jadonang–Rani Gaidinliu, 1905–1931), Kuki uprising (1917–1919) and Bastar rebellion (1910) were all in the 20th century.

Yaad rakhein: Bastar 1910, Kuki 1917–19, Naga 1905–31 – all 1900s; Lushai = 1800s.

Answer: (A) Lushai Uprising

Concept: Part XV (Articles 324–329) of the Constitution deals with elections.

1. Article 324 vests superintendence, direction and control of elections in the Election Commission – it establishes the ECI.
2. Article 325: single electoral roll, no exclusion on religion, race, caste or sex; Article 326: adult suffrage; Article 327: Parliament's power to make election laws.

Yaad rakhein: 324 = Commission, 325 = one roll, 326 = adult franchise, 327–328 = election laws.

Answer: (B) Article 324