Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: A flower has four whorls: calyx, corolla, androecium (male) and gynoecium (female).

1. Gynoecium (pistil) = stigma + style + ovary – the female reproductive part.
2. Androecium is made of stamens – the male part producing pollen.
3. Petals form the corolla – non-reproductive, attract pollinators.

Yaad rakhein: Gynoecium – 'gyne' = woman; Androecium – 'andro' = man.

Answer: (C) Gynoecium

Concept: Kalamkari is a hand-painted / block-printed textile art of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

1. The name comes from 'kalam' (pen) + 'kari' (craftsmanship): designs are drawn with a pen on cotton cloth using natural dyes.
2. Two styles: Srikalahasti (pen-drawn) and Machilipatnam (block-printed).
3. So its base material is cloth, not paper, wood or metal.

Yaad rakhein: Kalam (pen) on kapda (cloth) = Kalamkari.

Answer: (D) Cloth

Concept: The Bengal Sati Regulation (Regulation XVII) of 4 December 1829 declared the practice of sati illegal.

1. It was passed by Governor-General Lord William Bentinck.
2. Raja Ram Mohan Roy campaigned strongly for its abolition.
3. 1856 – Widow Remarriage Act (Lord Canning), not sati abolition.

Yaad rakhein: Sati ban 1829 → Bentinck + Ram Mohan Roy.

Answer: (C) 1829

Concept: The Planning Commission was set up on 15 March 1950 by a resolution of the Government of India (Union Cabinet).

1. It was neither constitutional nor statutory – an extra-constitutional, non-statutory advisory body.
2. Its chairman was the Prime Minister (first: Jawaharlal Nehru), not the Chief Justice.
3. It was replaced by NITI Aayog on 1 January 2015, also created by a cabinet resolution.

Yaad rakhein: Planning Commission & NITI Aayog – both born from a cabinet resolution, not the Constitution.

Answer: (D) An extra-constitutional advisory body created by a government resolution in 1950.

Concept: Mongla Port is the second-largest seaport of Bangladesh, located in Bagerhat district near the Sundarbans.

1. It lies on the Pasur river in south-western Bangladesh.
2. India's IPGL secured rights to operate a terminal there (2024), seen as a strategic move in the region.
3. Chittagong is Bangladesh's largest port.

Yaad rakhein: Bangladesh ports: Chittagong (largest), Mongla (2nd), Payra.

Answer: (B) Bangladesh

Concept: Low-cost diagnostic devices are a key area of Indian institutional research.

1. IIIT-Allahabad (Prayagraj) developed an affordable device, costing about ₹1,000, that can rapidly separate plasma from blood and also purify water.
2. Such a cheap device helps blood tests in rural labs where costly centrifuges are not available.
3. The other institutes listed were not behind this device.

Yaad rakhein: ₹1,000 plasma-separation + water-purifier device → IIIT-Allahabad.

Answer: (A) IIIT-Allahabad

Concept: CSIR–Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, works on food processing and post-harvest technology.

1. In 2025 CSIR-CFTRI developed 'Freshness Keeper', a paper-based technology that extends the vase life/freshness of cut flowers.
2. It reduces post-harvest losses for flower growers and traders.
3. IIHR (Bengaluru) is an ICAR horticulture institute, but this product came from CFTRI.

Yaad rakhein: CFTRI (Mysuru) = shelf-life experts → Freshness Keeper.

Answer: (D) CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute

Concept: The National Waterways Act, 2016 declared 111 National Waterways (106 new).

1. NW-10 is the Amba river in Maharashtra (about 45 km), used for cargo to Dharamtar.
2. NW-1 Ganga, NW-2 Brahmaputra, NW-3 West Coast Canal (Kerala).
3. Chambal and Yamuna have other NW numbers.

Yaad rakhein: NW-1 Ganga, 2 Brahmaputra, 3 Kerala canal, 10 Amba (Maharashtra).

Answer: (B) Amba river

Concept: SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Area) is the trade agreement of the eight SAARC countries.

1. It was signed at the 12th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in January 2004.
2. It came into force on 1 January 2006, replacing the earlier SAPTA (1995).
3. It aims to reduce customs duties among member countries.

Yaad rakhein: SAFTA: signed 2004, in force 2006 (2 years later).

Answer: (A) 2006

Concept: The Sanyasi–Fakir rebellion (c. 1763–1800) in Bengal was a revolt against East India Company rule, revenue pressure and restrictions on pilgrims.

1. Both Hindu sanyasis and Muslim fakirs (led by Majnu Shah, Bhawani Pathak and others) fought together.
2. Devi Chaudhurani, a woman leader, also took part alongside Bhawani Pathak.
3. This shows the revolt included people of all religions and both genders – it was not purely religious, tribal-only or an upper-caste elite movement.

Yaad rakhein: Bankim Chandra's novels 'Anandamath' (Sanyasi revolt) and 'Devi Chaudhurani' are based on this rebellion.

Answer: (B) The revolt saw participation of all religions and genders.

Concept: Umiam Lake, about 15 km north of Shillong (Meghalaya), is popularly called Barapani ('big water').

1. It is a man-made reservoir formed by damming the Umiam river in the early 1960s for hydel power.
2. It is a major tourist spot of Meghalaya.
3. Haflong Lake is in Assam; Jaisamand Lake is in Rajasthan.

Yaad rakhein: Barapani = 'bada pani' = Umiam, Shillong.

Answer: (A) Umiam Lake

Concept: The District Judge is the highest judicial officer in a district (Articles 233–237 deal with subordinate courts).

1. The District Judge heads the district court and controls its administration and the subordinate courts below it.
2. He is appointed by the Governor in consultation with the High Court.
3. The District Collector is an executive (revenue) officer, not part of the judiciary.

Yaad rakhein: District court ka boss = District Judge; district ka revenue boss = Collector.

Answer: (B) District Judge

Concept: The National Seeds Policy was announced by the Government of India in 2002.

1. It aimed to provide quality seeds to farmers, encourage private investment and seed research, and protect plant varieties.
2. It followed the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001.
3. National Policy for Farmers came in 2007 – a common confusion.

Yaad rakhein: PPV&FR Act 2001 → Seeds Policy 2002 → Farmers' Policy 2007.

Answer: (C) 2002

Concept: Decathlon is a French sporting goods retailer founded in 1976 by Michel Leclercq in Lille, France.

1. It opened its first Indian store in Bengaluru in 2009.
2. It is one of the world's largest sports retailers, selling its own brands like Quechua and Kipsta.
3. Adidas and Puma are German; IKEA (not a sports brand) is Swedish.

Yaad rakhein: Decathlon – Lille (France); Adidas/Puma – Germany.

Answer: (D) French sports goods retailer

Concept: Volcanoes form where magma reaches the surface – mainly at plate boundaries.

1. Convergent boundaries: an oceanic plate subducts and melts, giving explosive volcanoes (e.g. Pacific 'Ring of Fire', Andes, Japan).
2. Divergent boundaries: plates move apart and magma rises, as at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Iceland.
3. Transform boundaries (e.g. San Andreas Fault) slide sideways – earthquakes, but generally no volcanoes.

Yaad rakhein: Volcano needs magma: 'converge' (subduction) or 'diverge' (rifting) – not 'transform' (sliding).

Answer: (C) Convergent and divergent boundaries

Concept: India celebrated its 76th Republic Day on 26 January 2025, marking 75 years of the Constitution coming into force.

1. The theme of the parade and tableaux was 'Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas' (Golden India: Heritage and Development).
2. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was the Chief Guest.
3. 'Har Ghar Tiranga' is an Independence Day campaign.

Yaad rakhein: 75 years of the Republic → 'Swarnim' (golden) Bharat.

Answer: (D) Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas

Concept: The Great Stupa at Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh) was commissioned by Ashoka; its four gateways (toranas) were added later under the Satavahanas (1st century BCE).

1. The toranas are richly carved with Jataka tales – stories of the Buddha's previous births – and events from his life.
2. The Buddha is shown through symbols (wheel, tree, footprints), not in human form.
3. So narrative Jataka scenes are their most notable feature.

Yaad rakhein: Sanchi toranas = 'stone storybook' of Jatakas; Buddha shown only as symbols.

Answer: (B) Jataka story narratives

Concept: China claims most of the South China Sea through its 'nine-dash line', overlapping the claims of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

1. In 2025 China and the Philippines had repeated confrontations near Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal (water cannon, ramming of vessels).
2. A 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling (UNCLOS) had favoured the Philippines, which China rejects.
3. India–Pakistan, USA–Iran and Russia–Ukraine disputes are not about the South China Sea.

Yaad rakhein: South China Sea flashpoints: Scarborough Shoal & Spratlys → China vs Philippines.

Answer: (C) China and Philippines

Concept: The Satavahana kingdom was divided into administrative units for governance.

1. The kingdom was divided into 'aharas' or 'rashtras' – equivalent to districts.
2. Each ahara was governed by an officer called an amatya.
3. Below the ahara was the 'grama' (village), headed by the gramika.

Yaad rakhein: Satavahana: Ahara/Rashtra = district, Amatya = its officer, Grama = village.

Answer: (D) District

Concept: POSHAN Abhiyaan (PM's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment) was launched on 8 March 2018 at Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.

1. It aims to reduce stunting, undernutrition, anaemia and low birth weight among children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
2. It is run by the Ministry of Women and Child Development – directly improving human development.
3. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao targets the child sex ratio and girls' education, not nutrition.

Yaad rakhein: Poshan = nutrition; September is celebrated as Poshan Maah.

Answer: (D) Poshan Abhiyaan