Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: The Regulating Act, 1773 was the first step of the British Parliament to control the East India Company in India.

1. It made the Governor of Bengal the Governor-General of Bengal; Warren Hastings was the first.
2. It also set up a Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774) and an Executive Council of four.
3. Pitt’s India Act (1784) created the Board of Control; the Charter Act 1833 created the Governor-General of India.

Yaad rakhein: 1773 → Governor-General of Bengal; 1833 → of India; 1858 → Viceroy.

Answer: (A) Regulating Act, 1773

Concept: The Design Automation Conference (DAC) is the world’s leading conference on electronic design automation and chip design.

1. The 62nd DAC was held at Moscone West, San Francisco in June 2025.
2. It announced a GenAI-focused Chip Design Hackathon for participants.
3. ISSCC is a solid-state circuits conference; Hot Chips and ICCAD are separate events.

Yaad rakhein: DAC = Design Automation Conference – the chip-design event.

Answer: (B) DAC

Concept: At independence India was an agrarian economy.

1. About 85% of the population lived in villages and depended on agriculture.
2. Agriculture contributed the largest share (roughly half) of national income.
3. Industry was weak and underdeveloped due to colonial de-industrialisation.

Yaad rakhein: Independent India = agrarian economy; the service sector became largest only later.

Answer: (D) Agriculture

Concept: Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched on 1 May 2016 at Ballia, Uttar Pradesh by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

1. It gives deposit-free LPG connections to women of poor (BPL) households.
2. Aim: replace unclean cooking fuels like wood and cow-dung cakes, protecting women’s health.

Yaad rakhein: Ujjwala = clean LPG flame in the kitchen for women.

Answer: (B) Providing LPG connections to women

Concept: Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was a 19th-century Bengali reformer and educationist.

1. His efforts led to the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act, 1856.
2. He opposed child marriage and polygamy and promoted girls’ education.
3. Jyotiba Phule worked mainly in Maharashtra; Syed Ahmed Khan led the Aligarh Movement.

Yaad rakhein: Widow remarriage in Bengal → Vidyasagar → Act of 1856.

Answer: (A) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Concept: Nylon 6,6 is a polyamide made from hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid (each with 6 carbon atoms).

1. It is strong, elastic, wear-resistant and does not absorb much water – ideal for bristles of toothbrushes and industrial brushes.
2. Teflon is a non-stick coating; Neoprene is a synthetic rubber; Terylene is a polyester fibre for clothes.

Yaad rakhein: Brush bristles, ropes, parachutes → Nylon.

Answer: (D) Nylon 6, 6

Concept: The 2nd Khelo India Para Games were held in New Delhi in March 2025.

1. Para powerlifter Jaspreet Kaur (Punjab) lifted 101 kg in the women’s 45 kg category.
2. This was a new national record – the first national record broken at the Games.

Yaad rakhein: Khelo India Para Games 2025 first national record → Jaspreet Kaur, 101 kg.

Answer: (D) Jaspreet Kaur

Concept: After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Modi 3.0 government took oath on 9 June 2024.

1. Amit Shah retained the Ministry of Home Affairs (also Cooperation).
2. Rajnath Singh – Defence; Nirmala Sitharaman – Finance; Piyush Goyal – Commerce & Industry.

Yaad rakhein: Home – Shah, Defence – Rajnath, Finance – Sitharaman (unchanged in 2024).

Answer: (C) Amit Shah

Concept: The Luni is the main river of the Thar region and an inland/seasonal river.

1. It rises in the Naga Hills of the Aravallis near Ajmer (Pushkar valley).
2. It flows south-west through Rajasthan and ends in the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat.
3. Its water turns salty after Balotra, hence called “Lavanavari” (salt river).

Yaad rakhein: Luni: Ajmer → Rann of Kutch, no sea outlet.

Answer: (D) Ajmer

Concept: The Chennakeshava Temple at Belur (Karnataka) was built by Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE.

1. Hoysala temples are carved from soapstone (chloritic schist).
2. Soapstone is soft when quarried, allowing very fine sculpture, and hardens with exposure.
3. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Halebidu and Somanathapura.

Yaad rakhein: Hoysala (Belur, Halebidu) = soapstone carving.

Answer: (A) Soapstone

Concept: Regional film industries have nicknames based on their city.

1. Kollywood – Tamil cinema, from Kodambakkam in Chennai.
2. Bollywood – Hindi (Bombay); Tollywood – Telugu (Hyderabad) / Bengali (Tollygunge); Mollywood – Malayalam.

Yaad rakhein: Kollywood = Kodambakkam (Chennai).

Answer: (C) Kollywood

Concept: In Windows, a deleted file goes to the Recycle Bin.

1. With the mouse, drag the file icon and drop it on the Recycle Bin – the file is deleted.
2. Left-click only selects; copy duplicates; minimise only hides the window.

Yaad rakhein: Mouse delete = drag & drop to Recycle Bin; keyboard = Delete key (Shift+Delete = permanent).

Answer: (B) Drag it to the Recycle Bin

Concept: Parliament has three Financial Committees: Public Accounts Committee, Estimates Committee and Committee on Public Undertakings.

1. Estimates Committee (30 members, all Lok Sabha) examines budget estimates and suggests economies.
2. Petitions and Privileges committees are inquiry committees; SC/ST welfare committee is a different standing committee.

Yaad rakhein: Financial trio = PAC + Estimates + COPU; Estimates is the largest (30, all LS).

Answer: (D) Estimates Committee

Concept: The Delhi Legislative Assembly has 70 seats.

1. Polling for all 70 constituencies was held in a single phase on 5 February 2025.
2. Results came on 8 February 2025; the BJP won 48 seats and Rekha Gupta became Chief Minister.

Yaad rakhein: Delhi Assembly = 70 seats; Delhi Lok Sabha = 7 seats.

Answer: (B) 70

Concept: Raja Chait Singh was the ruler (zamindar-raja) of Benares.

1. In 1781 Warren Hastings demanded extra money and troops and arrested him, which sparked the Benares Revolt.
2. Chuar revolt – Jungle Mahal (Bengal); Kol revolt – Chotanagpur (1831); Santhal revolt – 1855–56.

Yaad rakhein: Chait Singh + Hastings + 1781 = Benares.

Answer: (C) Benares Revolt

Concept: Subsistence farming means growing crops mainly to meet the needs of the farmer’s own family.

1. Small land holdings, traditional tools, family labour and little surplus for sale.
2. HYV seeds, modern irrigation and cash crops are features of commercial farming.

Yaad rakhein: Subsistence = survive/self-consume; Commercial = sell.

Answer: (C) Farming for family consumption

Concept: World Meteorological Day is observed on 23 March, marking the WMO Convention coming into force in 1950.

1. 2025 theme: “Closing the Early Warning Gap Together”.
2. It supports the UN “Early Warnings for All” goal of covering everyone by 2027.

Yaad rakhein: 2025 WMD → Early Warning Gap; 23 March.

Answer: (A) Closing the Early Warning Gap Together

Concept: The Subsidiary Alliance was introduced by Lord Wellesley (Governor-General 1798–1805).

1. Hyderabad (Nizam) was the first state to accept it, in 1798.
2. Under it the state kept a British army at its own cost and could not ally with others without British consent.
3. Later Mysore (1799), Awadh (1801) and the Peshwa (1802) also accepted it.

Yaad rakhein: Subsidiary Alliance → Wellesley; first – Hyderabad 1798.

Answer: (D) Lord Wellesley

Concept: On 21 October 2024 India announced an agreement with China on patrolling arrangements along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

1. It covered the two remaining friction points – Depsang plains and Demchok.
2. Disengagement followed and patrolling resumed there by early November 2024.

Yaad rakhein: Oct 2024 LAC pact = Depsang + Demchok (two D’s).

Answer: (C) Depsang and Demchok

Concept: The 38th National Games were held in Uttarakhand from 28 January to 14 February 2025.

1. PM Modi opened them at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Dehradun.
2. Services Sports Control Board topped the medal table; the 37th edition was held in Goa (2023).

Yaad rakhein: 37th – Goa (2023); 38th – Uttarakhand (2025).

Answer: (C) Uttarakhand