Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: The Department of Telecommunications runs the Telecom Centres of Excellence (TCoE) India programme with leading institutes.

1. The Centre of Excellence on 'Classical and Quantum Communications for 6G' at IIT Madras (July 2024) was set up under TCoE India.
2. SAMARQAND relates to quantum programmes elsewhere; IN-SPACe is the space-sector regulator.

Yaad rakhein: Telecom/6G CoE → TCoE India (DoT).

Answer: (C) Telecom Centres of Excellence (TCoE)‑India

Concept: Fundamental Rights (Part III) are grouped by Articles.

1. Article 23: prohibits human trafficking and forced labour (begar).
2. Article 24: prohibits child labour below 14 years in factories, mines and hazardous work.
3. 25–28 = religion; 29–30 = cultural & educational rights; 32 = constitutional remedies.

Yaad rakhein: 14–18 Equality, 19–22 Freedom, 23–24 Exploitation, 25–28 Religion, 29–30 Culture, 32 Remedies.

Answer: (D) Articles 23–24

Concept: Several police forces launched special squads in 2025 for women's safety.

1. Delhi Police launched 'Shishtachar' squads in 2025 to check stalking and sexual harassment of women in markets, metro stations and other public places.
2. It was modelled on anti-eve-teasing squads, with each district getting teams.

Yaad rakhein: Shishtachar (etiquette) squad = Delhi Police, 2025.

Answer: (A) Delhi

Concept: The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) measures employment and unemployment in India.

1. It was launched in 2017 by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
2. It gives quarterly urban estimates and annual rural + urban estimates (including the monthly bulletin since 2025).
3. The Labour Ministry's Labour Bureau runs other surveys, not PLFS.

Yaad rakhein: PLFS → NSO (MoSPI), started 2017.

Answer: (D) NSO (National Statistical Office)

Concept: Buddha Purnima falls on the full-moon day of the month of Vaishakha.

1. In 2025 the Vaishakha full moon fell on Monday, 12 May 2025.
2. It marks Buddha's birth, enlightenment and mahaparinirvana.

Yaad rakhein: Buddha Purnima = Vaishakha Purnima (April–May).

Answer: (A) 12 May

Concept: Part XIV-A (42nd Amendment, 1976) has Articles 323A and 323B on tribunals.

1. Article 323A: administrative tribunals for public-service matters (Parliament only).
2. Article 323B: tribunals for taxation, foreign exchange, industrial and labour disputes, land reforms, urban property ceiling, elections, food supply, rent etc. — both Parliament and state legislatures can create them.
3. So it is not limited to armed forces, environment or local governance.

Yaad rakhein: 323A = Administrative; 323B = 'Other matters' (tax, land, labour).

Answer: (A) It permits tribunals for matters like taxation, land reforms, and labour disputes.

Concept: Silk was a key item India supplied (and re-exported from China) to the Byzantine (East Roman) Empire.

1. In the 6th century CE, under Emperor Justinian, silkworm eggs were smuggled into Byzantium and silk production began there.
2. Byzantium no longer needed Indian silk, so Indo-Byzantine trade declined sharply.
3. Indo-Roman trade had already declined after the 3rd century CE.

Yaad rakhein: 6th century + Byzantium learns silk → Indo-Byzantine trade hit.

Answer: (B) Indo-Byzantine trade

Concept: Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) = Aadhaar (identity), UPI (payments), DigiLocker / Account Aggregator (data).

1. India showcased DPI at BRICS meetings in 2025 as a low-cost model for financial inclusion.
2. Jan Dhan + Aadhaar + Mobile (JAM) and UPI brought crores of unbanked people into the formal financial system, i.e. reduced financial exclusion.

Yaad rakhein: DPI = inclusion; gadgets, space or taxes are unrelated.

Answer: (A) Reducing financial exclusion

Concept: Bharatanatyam was revived and given global stature in the 20th century.

1. Rukmini Devi Arundale founded Kalakshetra (Chennai, 1936), reformed Bharatanatyam and took it to the world stage.
2. She was also the first woman nominated to the Rajya Sabha (1952).
3. Hema Malini is mainly a film star; Mallika Sarabhai and Sonal Mansingh are known for other styles as well.

Yaad rakhein: Bharatanatyam revival = Rukmini Devi + Kalakshetra.

Answer: (D) Rukmini Devi Arundale

Concept: Ulatbansi (upside-down speech) uses paradoxical, riddle-like verses to convey deep spiritual truth.

1. Kabir (15th century) is famous for ulatbansi, e.g. verses where 'the river is on fire' or 'the cow is milked by the calf'.
2. Agyeya, Naveen and Dinkar are modern Hindi poets, not known for this style.

Yaad rakhein: Ulatbansi = Kabir; Sakhi, Sabad, Ramaini are his other forms.

Answer: (A) Kabir

Concept: The Seventh Schedule divides subjects into Union, State and Concurrent Lists.

1. Criminal law (Entry 1) and criminal procedure (Entry 2) are in the Concurrent List.
2. Banking and Defence are in the Union List; Police and public order are in the State List.

Yaad rakhein: Concurrent: criminal law, marriage, education, forests, trade unions; Police = State.

Answer: (B) Criminal law

Concept: The BAFTA Television Awards 2025 were held at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on 11 May 2025.

1. Jessica Gunning won Best Supporting Actress for playing Martha in Netflix's 'Baby Reindeer'.
2. She had also won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for the same role.

Yaad rakhein: Baby Reindeer's Martha = Jessica Gunning.

Answer: (A) Jessica Gunning

Concept: Relief (mountains) strongly controls monsoon rainfall in India.

1. Western Ghats force moist SW winds to rise, giving heavy rain on the windward west coast and a rain-shadow on the Deccan side.
2. The Himalayas and NE hills trap the Bay of Bengal branch, giving very heavy rain (Mawsynram) while Rajasthan stays dry as the Aravallis lie parallel to the winds.
3. Other options are absolute statements and false.

Trick: Windward side = heavy rain, leeward = rain-shadow.

Answer: (A) Mountain ranges influence wind direction and intensity.

Concept: The CSO (now part of NSO) classifies economic activities using the National Industrial Classification (NIC).

1. NIC versions: 1970, 1987, 1998, 2004, 2008 (and NIC 2025).
2. Among the options only National Industrial Classification-1998 is a real CSO classification; the others are made-up names.

Yaad rakhein: Economic activity code in India = NIC (based on UN ISIC).

Answer: (B) National Industrial Classification-1998

Concept: DRDO labs also develop dual-use technologies such as water purification.

1. In May 2025, DRDO's Defence Materials and Stores R&D Establishment (DMSRDE), Kanpur developed an indigenous nanoporous multilayered polymeric membrane for high-pressure seawater desalination.
2. It was made for the Indian Coast Guard's offshore patrol vessels to resist chloride ions in saline water.

Yaad rakhein: Desalination membrane for Coast Guard ships = DRDO (DMSRDE Kanpur).

Answer: (C) Defence Research & Development Organisation

Concept: Increasing a number by $100\%$ doubles it.

1. Let the number be $x$.
2. $x+100\%\text{ of }x=2x=2760$
3. $x=\frac{2760}{2}=1380$

Trick: Increase by $100\%$ → divide the result by 2.

Answer: (D) 1380

Concept: Find each pipe's full-tank time, take the LCM as tank capacity and add rates (emptying pipe negative).

1. P: $\frac{2}{9}$ in 20 h → full tank in $20\times \frac{9}{2}=90$ h. Q: $\frac{5}{9}$ in 10 h → $10\times \frac{9}{5}=18$ h.
2. In 3 h, P and Q fill $\frac{3}{90}+\frac{3}{18}=\frac{1}{30}+\frac{5}{30}=\frac{1}{5}$ of the tank.
3. R empties $\frac{1}{5}$ in 8 h → full tank in 40 h.
4. Tank $=\text{LCM}(90,18,40)=360$ units; rates $4+20-9=15$ units/h → time $=\frac{360}{15}=24$ h.

Trick: Net rate $=\frac{1}{90}+\frac{1}{18}-\frac{1}{40}=\frac{1}{24}$ directly.

Answer: (C) 24 hours

Concept: Profit share ∝ capital × time.

1. M + N shares $=5977$ and M − N $=139$ → M $=\frac{5977+139}{2}=3058$, N $=2919$.
2. Let N's capital $=x$; M's $=x+31000$. Ratio: $\frac{2(x+31000)}{7x}=\frac{3058}{2919}$.
3. $5838x+180978000=21406x\Rightarrow 15568x=180978000\Rightarrow x=11625$.
4. M's capital $=11625+31000=₹42625$.

Trick: Check options: M $=42625$ → N $=11625$; $\frac{2\times 42625}{7\times 11625}=\frac{85250}{81375}=\frac{3058}{2919}$ ✓.

Answer: (B) ₹42,625

Concept: $\text{SI}=\frac{P\times R\times T}{100}$, with R and T in the same time unit.

1. As printed (4% per month for 6 months): $\text{SI}=\frac{1200\times 4\times 6}{100}=₹288$.
2. (If the rate were 4% per annum, 6 months $=\frac{1}{2}$ year would give $\frac{1200\times 4}{100}\times \frac{1}{2}=₹24$; but the question states per month.)

Trick: Match units first: monthly rate × number of months.

Answer: (D) ₹288

Concept: Form two equations in pen price $p$ and pencil price $c$ and eliminate.

1. $9p+14c=95$ … (i)
2. New prices: $9(p-3)+3(c+7)=78\Rightarrow 9p+3c=84$ … (ii)
3. (i) − (ii): $11c=11\Rightarrow c=1$, then $9p=81\Rightarrow p=9$.
4. $17p+13c=153+13=₹166$

Trick: Same coefficient of $p$ (9) in both → subtract straight away.

Answer: (B) ₹166