Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: West Bengal has a traditional rod-puppet form called Putul Nautch (putul = doll, nautch = dance).

1. The puppets are large, carved from wood and held on a rod tied to the puppeteer's waist, moved from behind a screen.
2. Kathputli is the string puppetry of Rajasthan; Gombeyatta is Karnataka's string/shadow tradition; Yakshagana is a dance-drama of Karnataka.

Yaad rakhein: Rod puppets: West Bengal – Putul Nautch, Odisha – Kathi Kandhei; String: Rajasthan – Kathputli.

Answer: (A) Putul Nautch

Concept: In May 2025 DRDO opened the Quantum Technology Research Centre (QTRC) at Metcalfe House, Delhi.

1. It was inaugurated by Defence R&D Secretary and DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V. Kamat.
2. The centre works on quantum communication, quantum key distribution, quantum sensing and atomic clocks for defence use.

Yaad rakhein: DRDO + May 2025 + Metcalfe House = Quantum (QTRC).

Answer: (C) Quantum Technology

Concept: In May 2025 the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) and the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) signed an MoU for an incubation centre.

1. The centre will support start-ups and innovation in solar energy and green hydrogen.
2. NISE (Gurugram) is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; NSEFI is the industry body of the solar sector.

Yaad rakhein: Solar incubation centre = two "Solar" bodies: NSEFI + NISE.

Answer: (D) National Solar Energy Federation of India and National Institute of Solar Energy

Concept: Maareech is DRDO's advanced anti-torpedo decoy system for naval ships.

1. It detects incoming torpedoes and deploys decoys to mislead and neutralise them; it was successfully trial-tested in 2025 for induction into the Indian Navy.
2. Varunastra is a heavyweight anti-submarine torpedo (an attacking weapon), MIGM is a multi-influence ground mine, and Takshak is a different system.

Trick: Maareech – the golden deer that misled Ram – so it is a decoy that misleads torpedoes.

Answer: (B) Maareech

Concept: The Chenab is formed by the union of the Chandra and Bhaga streams in Lahaul (Himachal Pradesh).

1. The two streams meet at Tandi, near Keylong; hence the river is also called Chandrabhaga there.
2. Rohtang Pass is a mountain pass, Kullu lies on the Beas, and Verinag Spring (J&K) is the source of the Jhelum.

Yaad rakhein: Chandra + Bhaga = Chandrabhaga = Chenab, meeting point Tandi.

Answer: (A) Tandi

Concept: The Right to Freedom (Articles 19–22) contains the six freedoms of Article 19.

1. Article 19(1) guarantees freedom of speech and expression, to assemble peaceably, to form associations, to move freely, to reside anywhere and to practise any profession.
2. Right to Equality is Articles 14–18 and Constitutional Remedies is Article 32 – neither lists these freedoms.

Trick: Speech, Assembly, Movement → all are "freedoms" → Article 19 → Right to Freedom.

Answer: (C) Right to Freedom

Concept: In Windows 7 a folder is created inside the location that is currently open, using the menu bar's File → New → Folder.

1. Open Computer, then open the drive where the folder is needed (e.g. D:).
2. Click File → New → Folder and type the folder name.
3. The Start menu and Control Panel have no File → New → Folder path; right-clicking a drive gives a context menu, not the File menu.

Trick: First reach the place, then File → New → Folder.

Answer: (B) Open Computer → Open desired drive (e.g., D:) → Click on File → New → Folder

Concept: India's first metro, Kolkata Metro, began service on 24 October 1984.

1. The first stretch ran about 3.4 km from Esplanade to Bhowanipur (now Netaji Bhavan).
2. Delhi Metro came much later, in December 2002.

Yaad rakhein: Kolkata Metro – 1984 (first); Delhi Metro – 2002.

Answer: (D) 1984

Concept: All non-zero digits are significant, and a zero lying between non-zero digits is also significant.

1. In 2.308 the digits 2, 3 and 8 are non-zero → 3 significant figures.
2. The 0 lies between 3 and 8 → it is significant too.
3. Total = 4 significant figures (the unit cm does not matter).

Trick: Sandwiched zeros always count.

Answer: (C) 4

Concept: The Twelfth Schedule (added by the 74th Amendment, 1992) lists 18 functions of urban local bodies (Municipalities).

1. It includes urban planning, public health and sanitation, urban poverty alleviation, slum improvement, water supply, etc.
2. Foreign trade is a Union List subject – it can never be a municipal function.

Yaad rakhein: 11th Schedule – Panchayats (29 items); 12th Schedule – Municipalities (18 items).

Answer: (B) Foreign trade promotion

Concept: Ctrl + F opens the Find box in documents, browsers and most applications.

1. It searches for a word or phrase in the current document or web page and highlights matches.
2. Forwarding a mail (only in some mail programs like Outlook) or formatting is not its general function.

Trick: F = Find; Ctrl + H = Replace; Ctrl + P = Print.

Answer: (C) Find text in the current document or webpage

Concept: Gyanesh Kumar was appointed the 26th Chief Election Commissioner of India in February 2025.

1. He succeeded Rajiv Kumar, who retired on 18 February 2025.
2. He is the first CEC appointed under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023.

Yaad rakhein: Rajiv Kumar (25th) → Gyanesh Kumar (26th).

Answer: (C) Gyanesh Kumar

Concept: Qutbuddin Aibak, founder of the Slave (Mamluk) dynasty, died in 1210 after falling from his horse while playing chaugan (polo) at Lahore.

1. He ruled 1206–1210 and began the Qutub Minar.
2. Jalaluddin Khilji was killed by Alauddin (1296); Ibrahim Lodi died at the First Battle of Panipat (1526).

Yaad rakhein: Aibak – polo – Lahore – 1210.

Answer: (A) Qutbuddin Aibak

Concept: At the 25th IIFA Awards (Jaipur, March 2025) Kartik Aaryan won Best Actor (Male) for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3.

1. Laapataa Ladies won Best Picture at the same ceremony.
2. Chandu Champion (2024) also starred Kartik, but the IIFA award was for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3.

Yaad rakhein: IIFA 2025, Jaipur: Kartik – Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3; Best Film – Laapataa Ladies.

Answer: (D) Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

Concept: IN-SPACe launched the Technology Adoption Fund (TAF) in February 2025 with a corpus of ₹500 crore.

1. It supports private space start-ups and companies in turning space technologies into commercial products.
2. Funding covers up to 60% of project cost for start-ups/MSMEs (40% for large firms), capped at ₹25 crore per project.

Yaad rakhein: IN-SPACe TAF = ₹500 crore.

Answer: (C) ₹500 crore

Concept: Bhagat Singh helped reorganise the HRA into the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (1928, Delhi).

1. On 8 April 1929 he and Batukeshwar Dutt threw bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly.
2. He was hanged on 23 March 1931 at Lahore, aged 23, with Sukhdev and Rajguru.
3. Chandrashekhar Azad was also in HSRA but died in Allahabad (1931) in an encounter – he was not executed.

Trick: Assembly bomb + B K Dutt + hanged with Sukhdev & Rajguru = Bhagat Singh.

Answer: (B) Bhagat Singh

Concept: Article 263 empowers the President to set up an Inter-State Council for coordination among states and the Centre.

1. It was actually constituted in 1990 on the Sarkaria Commission's recommendation.
2. Article 368 – amendment procedure; Article 280 – Finance Commission; Article 346 – official language between states.

Yaad rakhein: 263 → Inter-State Council; 262 → inter-state water disputes.

Answer: (A) Article 263

Concept: Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), launched on 1 May 2016 at Ballia (UP), gives free LPG connections to women of BPL households.

1. It aims at clean cooking fuel, reducing indoor smoke and health hazards to women.
2. PMAY-G is housing, PMGSY is rural roads, and SAGY is model villages by MPs.

Trick: Ujjwala = bright flame → LPG.

Answer: (B) Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

Concept: On 13 March 2025 the presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed the border treaty in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital.

1. It settled their roughly 1,000 km border dispute that had caused clashes in 2021 and 2022.
2. Dushanbe is Tajikistan's capital; Batken and Osh are Kyrgyz regional towns.

Yaad rakhein: Kyrgyzstan capital = Bishkek; Tajikistan capital = Dushanbe.

Answer: (B) Bishkek

Concept: Velocity = displacement ÷ time, so its dimension is length divided by time.

1. Displacement → $[L]$, time → $[T]$.
2. Velocity $=\frac{[L]}{[T]}=[M^0{L}^1{T}^{-1}]$.
3. $[ML{T}^{-2}]$ would be force; $[M^0{L}^1{T}^1]$ wrongly multiplies by time.

Yaad rakhein: Velocity $[L{T}^{-1}]$, acceleration $[L{T}^{-2}]$, force $[ML{T}^{-2}]$.

Answer: (D) $M^0{L}^1{T}^{-1}$