Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Dr. L. Subramaniam is a world-renowned violinist, known for Carnatic music and for fusion with Western classical music; he received the Padma Vibhushan in 2025.

1. He earlier received the Padma Shri (1988) and also composes for orchestras.
2. Famous instrument links: Bismillah Khan – shehnai, Ravi Shankar – sitar, Hariprasad Chaurasia – flute.

Yaad rakhein: L. Subramaniam / M.S. Gopalakrishnan / N. Rajam = violin.

Answer: (B) Violin

Concept: Kushana rulers such as Kanishka used the title "Devaputra", meaning "Son of God", to claim divine origin and raise their status.

1. The idea was probably borrowed from the Chinese rulers, who called themselves "Son of Heaven".
2. The Kushanas were also among the first Indian rulers to issue gold coins on a large scale.

Yaad rakhein: Devaputra = Deva (God) + putra (son) → divine claim.

Answer: (B) Divine origin or claim to divinity

Concept: 'Laapataa Ladies' was directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan Productions and Kindling Pictures; it won Best Picture at IIFA 2025 (Jaipur).

1. The film follows two newly married brides who get swapped on a train in rural India.
2. It was also India’s official entry for the Oscars 2025.

Yaad rakhein: Laapataa Ladies = Kiran Rao (also directed Dhobi Ghat).

Answer: (A) Kiran Rao

Concept: In angiosperms (flowering plants) the flower is the reproductive organ; it carries the male stamen and the female pistil (carpel).

1. Pollen from the anther reaches the stigma (pollination), and fertilisation in the ovary forms seeds and fruit.
2. Stem, leaf and root are vegetative parts – they can give vegetative (asexual) propagation, not sexual reproduction.

Yaad rakhein: Flower = sex organ of plants: stamen ♂, pistil ♀.

Answer: (C) Flower

Concept: The Hazira–Vijaipur–Jagdishpur (HVJ) pipeline, built by GAIL and commissioned in 1987, is India’s first cross-state natural gas pipeline.

1. It carries gas from the Bombay High / South Basin fields via Hazira (Gujarat) through Madhya Pradesh to Jagdishpur (Uttar Pradesh).
2. The gas mainly feeds fertiliser plants and power stations along the route.

Yaad rakhein: HVJ = Gas (GAIL) – first big gas pipeline of India.

Answer: (A) natural gas

Concept: Sikkim is bordered by China (Tibet) to the north and north-east, Nepal to the west, Bhutan to the east and West Bengal to the south.

1. So Sikkim alone touches all three countries: China, Nepal and Bhutan.
2. Arunachal Pradesh borders China, Bhutan and Myanmar (not Nepal); Uttarakhand borders China and Nepal (not Bhutan); Himachal borders only China.

Yaad rakhein: Sikkim is "sandwiched" between Nepal (W) and Bhutan (E), with China on top.

Answer: (D) Sikkim

Concept: IRDP (Integrated Rural Development Programme), started in 1978-79 and extended nationwide on 2 October 1980, aimed to help rural poor families cross the poverty line.

1. It gave subsidy plus bank credit so families could acquire income-generating assets (cattle, tools, small shops) or skills for self-employment.
2. It was merged into SGSY in 1999, which later became the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).

Yaad rakhein: IRDP = Assets + credit for the poorest rural families.

Answer: (C) To assist poor rural families in acquiring assets or skills for self-employment

Concept: Solid waste management covers the collection, transport, segregation, processing and disposal of solid garbage (municipal waste).

1. Garbage collection vehicles, transfer stations, composting plants and sanitary landfills are its infrastructure.
2. Drainage tanks and sewage pipelines handle liquid waste (wastewater), and transmission lines belong to the power sector.

Yaad rakhein: Solid waste = garbage; liquid waste = sewage.

Answer: (B) Garbage collection and disposal

Concept: The Wahabi Movement in India was started by Syed Ahmad of Rae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh), inspired by Shah Waliullah’s teachings.

1. It aimed at purifying Islam and later turned against Sikh rule in Punjab and then the British.
2. Syed Ahmad died at the battle of Balakot (1831); Patna became the main centre afterwards.

Yaad rakhein: Wahabi = Syed Ahmad of Rae Bareli; Aligarh = Syed Ahmad Khan (different person).

Answer: (D) Rae Bareli

Concept: The Constitution (104th Amendment) Act, 2019 amended Article 334 to extend reservation of seats for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies by 10 more years, up to 25 January 2030.

1. It also ended the nomination of Anglo-Indian members to the Lok Sabha and Assemblies.
2. 101st (2016) = GST; 103rd (2019) = 10% EWS reservation; 105th (2021) = states’ power to list SEBCs (OBCs).

Yaad rakhein: 101 GST, 103 EWS, 104 SC/ST seats till 2030, 105 OBC list.

Answer: (C) 104^th Amendment

Concept: The Indian Ports Bill, 2025 seeks to repeal and replace the over-a-century-old Indian Ports Act, 1908.

1. It aims at integrated port planning, a Maritime State Development Council, pollution control and dispute resolution for ports.
2. The Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 governs major ports and is not repealed by this bill.

Yaad rakhein: New Ports Bill 2025 replaces the colonial 1908 Act.

Answer: (D) The Indian Ports Act, 1908

Concept: The Eleventh Schedule was added by the 73rd Amendment (1992); it lists 29 subjects on which Panchayats have powers and responsibilities (Article 243G).

1. The Twelfth Schedule (74th Amendment) lists 18 subjects for Municipalities.
2. State List is in the Seventh Schedule; anti-defection law is the Tenth Schedule.

Yaad rakhein: 11th → Panchayat → 29 subjects; 12th → Municipality → 18 subjects.

Answer: (C) Powers and responsibilities of Panchayats

Concept: The 1991 New Economic Policy rested on LPG – Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation. Privatisation meant reducing government ownership of public sector enterprises.

1. A key method was disinvestment – selling part of the government’s shares in PSUs to the public or private firms.
2. Nationalising private companies is the opposite of privatisation; interest rates and subsidies are monetary/fiscal measures.

Yaad rakhein: Privatisation = Disinvestment of PSU shares.

Answer: (D) selling government shares in public sector enterprises

Concept: The Montreal Protocol (1987) is an international treaty to phase out ozone-depleting substances, chiefly chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons.

1. CFCs release chlorine in the stratosphere, which destroys ozone; 16 September is World Ozone Day.
2. Carbon dioxide and methane are greenhouse gases handled by the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement.

Yaad rakhein: Montreal = Ozone (CFCs); Kyoto = greenhouse gases.

Answer: (A) chlorofluorocarbons

Concept: On 26 March 2025, DRDO and the Indian Navy successfully flight-tested the Vertically Launched Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VLSRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur (Odisha).

1. VLSRSAM is a ship-borne air-defence missile designed by DRDO to hit aerial threats such as aircraft and drones at short range.
2. BEL and HAL are production PSUs, not the developer here.

Yaad rakhein: VLSRSAM = DRDO + Navy, Chandipur test.

Answer: (D) Defence Research and Development Organisation

Concept: In Property Owners Association v State of Maharashtra (November 2024), a 9-judge Constitution Bench interpreted Article 39(b) – "material resources of the community".

1. By majority it held that not every privately owned resource is a material resource of the community.
2. Only resources meeting tests such as nature, scarcity, impact on community well-being and concentration in private hands can be acquired under Article 39(b).
3. It rejected Justice Krishna Iyer’s wider view that all private property falls within it.

Yaad rakhein: Art. 39(b) after 2024: scarce/vital resources only, not all private property.

Answer: (A) Only scarce or vital resources justify state takeover.

Concept: Kishori Shakti Yojana (launched 2000, under ICDS) was meant to improve the nutrition, health, education and life skills of adolescent girls (11–18 years).

1. It was later replaced/merged into SABLA (Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls) and then the Scheme for Adolescent Girls.
2. NRHM is for rural health, Poshan (National Nutrition Mission) covers children and mothers, Janani Suraksha Yojana promotes institutional delivery.

Yaad rakhein: Kishori = adolescent girl → Kishori Shakti Yojana.

Answer: (B) Kishori Shakti Yojana

Concept: India does not allow dual citizenship. An Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder is a foreign national of Indian origin who gets special privileges.

1. OCI holders get a lifelong multiple-entry visa and parity with NRIs in many economic and educational matters.
2. They cannot vote, cannot hold constitutional posts (President, judge, MP/MLA) and cannot buy agricultural land.

Yaad rakhein: OCI ≠ citizen; it is a privileged foreigner status (Section 7A, Citizenship Act).

Answer: (D) Foreign nationals with special privileges

Concept: Expand each bracket, then collect like terms ($x^2$, $x$, constants).

1. $4(\frac{6}{4}{x}^2-25x+12)=6x^2-100x+48$
2. $-6(x^2+5x-13)=-6x^2-30x+78$
3. Add: $(6x^2-6x^2)+(-100x-30x)+(48+78)=-130x+126$

Trick: The $x^2$ terms cancel ($6-6=0$), so only check the $x$-coefficient: $-100-30=-130$.

Answer: (A) $-130x+126$

Concept: A number is divisible by 5 if its last digit is 0 or 5; by 3 if its digit sum is divisible by 3; by 15 if by both 3 and 5; by 14 only if it is even and divisible by 7.

1. Last digit of 386937355 is 5 ⇒ divisible by 5.
2. Digit sum $=3+8+6+9+3+7+3+5+5=49$, not a multiple of 3 ⇒ not divisible by 3, hence not by 15.
3. The number is odd ⇒ not divisible by 14.

Trick: Odd number ending in 5 → rule out 14 at once; then a digit sum test settles 3 and 15.

Answer: (C) 5