Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: The Northern Plains show belts from the hills southward: Bhabar → Terai → Bhangar/Khadar → Delta.

1. Bhabar: narrow pebble belt at the foothills where streams disappear underground.
2. Terai: south of Bhabar, streams re-emerge, so the area is wet, humid, marshy and densely forested.
3. Bhangar is older dry alluvium; Delta is at the river mouth.

Yaad rakhein: Bhabar = streams vanish; Terai = streams reappear → marshy.

Answer: (D) Terai

Concept: Metallic character = tendency to lose electrons; it depends on atomic size and nuclear attraction.

1. Across a period (left → right) nuclear charge rises, size falls, so metallic character decreases — statement (B) saying it increases is wrong.
2. Down a group size increases, electrons are lost easily → metallic character increases.
3. The change from metals → metalloids → non-metals is gradual.

Yaad rakhein: Metals sit on the left and bottom of the periodic table.

Answer: (B) Metallic character increases across a period from left to right.

Concept: The Director General, Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) heads medical services of the Army, Navy and Air Force.

1. Lt Gen (Surgeon Vice Admiral) Arti Sarin took over as DGAFMS on 1 October 2024 — the first woman in this post.
2. Vijaya Rahatkar became chairperson of the National Commission for Women (Oct 2024); Deena Mehta was the first woman president of the BSE.

Yaad rakhein: Arti Sarin — Army, Navy and Air Force ranks held; first woman DGAFMS.

Answer: (C) Arti Sarin

Concept: PCB is the board on which electronic components are mounted and connected.

1. PCB = Printed Circuit Board.
2. Copper tracks printed (etched) on an insulating board replace loose wires and connect components like resistors, capacitors and ICs.

Yaad rakhein: Every phone, computer and TV has a green 'printed' circuit board inside.

Answer: (A) Printed Circuit Board

Concept: MR (Mixed Reality) systems need large sets of realistic images; IISc researchers worked on generating synthetic images for this.

1. The 2025 research on synthetic image generation for MR applications was led by IISc's Department of Design and Manufacturing (DM).
2. This department works on product design, human–computer interaction and AR/VR/MR.

Yaad rakhein: MR + design research at IISc → Department of Design and Manufacturing.

Answer: (C) Department of Design and Manufacturing

Concept: Cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells) are excitable cells; their membrane potential depends on ion movement.

1. Voltage-gated ${\text{Na}}^{+}$, ${\text{Ca}}^{2+}$ and ${\text{K}}^{+}$ channels open and close to produce the action potential and trigger contraction.
2. Active pumps such as the ${\text{Na}}^{+}/{\text{K}}^{+}$-ATPase and ${\text{Ca}}^{2+}$ pumps (using ATP) restore ion gradients after each beat.
3. Gap junctions only pass the signal between cells; they cannot maintain the potential alone.

Yaad rakhein: Heartbeat = ion channels (fire) + ion pumps (reset).

Answer: (D) A combination of voltage-gated ion channels and active ion pumps

Concept: Article 74(1) requires a Council of Ministers to aid and advise the President at all times.

1. In U.N.R. Rao vs Indira Gandhi (1971) the Supreme Court held that the Council of Ministers does not cease to hold office on dissolution of the Lok Sabha.
2. Golaknath (1967) and Kesavananda Bharati (1973) dealt with amending Fundamental Rights / basic structure; S.R. Bommai (1994) with President's Rule.

Yaad rakhein: Lok Sabha dissolved, but PM and ministers continue — U.N.R. Rao, 1971.

Answer: (C) UNR Rao vs. Indira Gandhi, 1971

Concept: Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the last Peshwa Baji Rao II, lived at Bithoor near Kanpur.

1. In early 1857 he travelled to Kalpi, Delhi and Lucknow to win support of native rulers against the British.
2. He later led the revolt at Kanpur; Tantia Tope was his commander and Bahadur Shah Zafar was in Delhi.

Yaad rakhein: Bithoor → Nana Saheb (Peshwa's heir) → Kanpur revolt.

Answer: (B) Nana Saheb

Concept: The Seventh Five-Year Plan (1985–90) under Rajiv Gandhi stressed "Food, Work and Productivity".

1. It focused on modernisation of industry, technology upgradation and higher productivity.
2. Liberalisation, privatisation and structural reforms came later with the 1991 New Economic Policy (Eighth Plan period).

Yaad rakhein: Rajiv Gandhi = computers, telecom, technology – so modernisation.

Answer: (C) Modernisation and technology upgrade

Concept: A new folder is created from the context (right-click) menu of the desktop or a folder window.

1. Right-click on an empty area of the desktop → New → Folder creates "New folder".
2. Alt + Tab switches between open windows; Ctrl + F opens Find/Search; the Recycle Bin holds deleted files.

Trick: Shortcut too: Ctrl + Shift + N creates a new folder in File Explorer.

Answer: (D) Right-clicking on the desktop and selecting 'New' → 'Folder'

Concept: Gaddi Nati is a folk dance of the Gaddi (shepherd) tribe of Himachal Pradesh.

1. "Nati" is the signature group dance of Himachal; Kullu Nati and Gaddi Nati are well-known forms.
2. It is performed in traditional woollen dress at fairs and festivals in Chamba and Kangra.

Yaad rakhein: Nati = Himachal; Kullu Nati even entered the Guinness Book as the largest folk dance.

Answer: (D) Himachal Pradesh

Concept: In winter the Sub-Tropical Westerly Jet Stream blows over north India at high altitude.

1. Westerly jets move from west to east; the Himalayas split them into two branches.
2. They bring western disturbances (winter rain/snow) to north-west India.
3. In summer the jet shifts north and an easterly (east to west) tropical jet appears over peninsular India.

Yaad rakhein: Winter → Westerly (west to east); Summer → Easterly jet.

Answer: (A) West to east

Concept: A conjugate acid-base pair differs by exactly one proton (${\text{H}}^{+}$) (Brønsted–Lowry theory).

1. ${\text{NH}}_4^{+}\to {\text{NH}}_3+{\text{H}}^{+}$: the two differ by one ${\text{H}}^{+}$, so they are a conjugate pair.
2. $\text{HCl}$/${\text{Cl}}_2$ and ${\text{H}}_2\text{O}$/${\text{H}}_2{\text{O}}_2$ are different substances, not proton-transfer partners.

Trick: Remove one ${\text{H}}^{+}$ from the acid → you must get the base exactly.

Answer: (C) ${\text{NH}}_4^{+}$ and ${\text{NH}}_3$

Concept: Under Article 108 the President can summon a joint sitting to resolve a deadlock between the two Houses.

1. It applies only to ordinary bills (and financial bills other than money bills).
2. Money Bill: Lok Sabha has the final say, Rajya Sabha can only delay 14 days – no joint sitting.
3. Constitutional Amendment Bill must be passed by each House separately – no joint sitting.

Yaad rakhein: Joint sitting – only for Ordinary Bills; presided over by the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Answer: (C) 1 only

Concept: Article 75(3): the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.

1. If a no-confidence motion is passed, the government loses the confidence of the House.
2. Due to collective responsibility, the entire Council of Ministers headed by the PM must resign.
3. It does not automatically trigger elections; the President may invite another leader to form the government.

Yaad rakhein: Ministers "swim or sink together" – collective responsibility.

Answer: (A) The entire Council of Ministers must resign.

Concept: In April 2025, India rolled out a unified curriculum for Himalayan Buddhist monasteries (from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh).

1. Young monks will study modern subjects – science, mathematics, social science and English – alongside Buddhist philosophy.
2. The aim is to modernise monastic education and reduce dependence on, and influence of, institutions linked to China.
3. It neither converts monasteries into secular schools nor promotes Chinese language.

Yaad rakhein: Monastery reform = tradition + modern subjects.

Answer: (D) To integrate modern subjects alongside traditional teachings

Concept: Aspect ratio = width : height of the slide (Design → Slide Size).

1. 16 : 9 is widescreen (modern monitors, projectors); 4 : 3 is the older standard shape.
2. It decides the slide proportions, so it affects layout and how the slides fit on different screens.
3. It has nothing to do with slide count, fonts or file size.

Trick: Ratio = shape of the slide, not its content.

Answer: (B) It defines the proportions of the slide displayed on the screen, influencing how the content is laid out and how it appears on different display devices.

Concept: Solid-state storage has no moving parts; data is stored electronically in semiconductor chips.

1. Flash memory (used in SSDs, pen drives, memory cards) is non-volatile solid-state storage.
2. Cache and primary (RAM) memory are volatile working memories, not storage devices.

Yaad rakhein: SSD = Solid State Drive = Flash.

Answer: (D) Flash Memory

Concept: Ashoka's Dhamma was a code of moral conduct, not a religious doctrine.

1. It preached tolerance, non-violence, respect to elders, kindness to slaves and animals, and welfare of all.
2. Though Ashoka was a Buddhist, his Dhamma was a universal ethical law for all subjects.

Yaad rakhein: Dhamma = Prakrit form of Dharma = moral law.

Answer: (D) Moral law

Concept: Drip (trickle) irrigation delivers water drop by drop directly to plant roots through pipes and emitters.

1. It cuts evaporation and runoff losses, saving 30–60% water – ideal for arid Rajasthan, Gujarat.
2. Sprinkler sprays water over the field like rain; tank and canal are surface methods with high losses.

Trick: Roots = Drip; rain-like spray = Sprinkler.

Answer: (B) Drip irrigation