Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: The National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) builds greenfield industrial smart cities with “plug and play” infrastructure.

1. The programme began with the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), approved in 2007 with Japanese support – not a Palakkad-Bangalore-Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor in 2010.
2. Statements on smart cities, next-generation infrastructure and plot-level plug-and-play facilities are correct objectives of NICDP.
3. It is implemented through the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT).

Yaad rakhein: First corridor = DMIC (Delhi–Mumbai); the 2024 approval added 12 new industrial smart cities under NICDP.

Answer: (D) The program started with the launch of Palakkad-Bangalore-Mumbai-Ahmedabad Industrial Corridor in 2010

Concept: The World After Gaza (2025) is a non-fiction book by Indian essayist and novelist Pankaj Mishra.

1. It examines the Gaza war and its effect on global politics and moral thinking.
2. Pankaj Mishra is also the author of Age of Anger and From the Ruins of Empire.
3. Dr. S. Jaishankar wrote The India Way and Why Bharat Matters; Amitabh Kant wrote Made in India.

Yaad rakhein: Pankaj Mishra – Age of Anger, The World After Gaza.

Answer: (D) Pankaj Mishra

Concept: The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is observed on 25 November.

1. It launches the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
2. The campaign runs from 25 November to 10 December (Human Rights Day).
3. The UN “UNiTE” campaign uses the colour orange for these 16 days.

Yaad rakhein: 25 Nov to 10 Dec = 16 days of activism.

Answer: (C) 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

Concept: Pulakeshin II (c. 610–642 CE) was the greatest Chalukya ruler of Badami (Vatapi).

1. He defeated Harshavardhana on the banks of the Narmada, stopping his southward expansion.
2. After this victory he took the title Dakshinapatheshvara (Lord of the South); the Aihole inscription by Ravikirti records it.
3. Narasimhavarman I (Pallava) later defeated Pulakeshin II and took the title Vatapikonda.

Yaad rakhein: Aihole inscription → Ravikirti → Pulakeshin II beats Harsha at the Narmada.

Answer: (D) Pulakeshin II

Concept: Under Article 32 the Supreme Court (and under Article 226 the High Courts) can issue five types of writs.

1. Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari and Quo Warranto.
2. These are used to enforce Fundamental Rights; High Courts can also use them for other legal rights.

Yaad rakhein: “HM PCQ” – Habeas corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, Quo warranto.

Answer: (D) 5

Concept: The Economic Survey 2024-25 notes that India has the largest diaspora in the world.

1. Citing UN data, it puts the Indian diaspora at about 18 million people in 2020.
2. This large diaspora makes India the world’s top recipient of remittances.

Yaad rakhein: India – largest diaspora (about 18 million, 2020) and largest remittance receiver.

Answer: (B) 18 million

Concept: OMR (Optical Mark Recognition/Reader) detects the presence of shaded or pencil marks on paper, e.g. answer sheets.

1. OCR reads printed/handwritten characters – magnetic ink is read by MICR.
2. MICR reads magnetic-ink characters on cheques, not barcodes.
3. Barcode readers read barcodes, not handwriting.

Yaad rakhein: OMR – Marks, OCR – Characters, MICR – Magnetic ink (cheques).

Answer: (D) OMR – Detecting shaded marks on paper

Concept: Article 32 – Right to Constitutional Remedies: the right to move the Supreme Court for enforcement of Fundamental Rights.

1. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar called it the “heart and soul” of the Constitution.
2. Article 226 gives writ power to High Courts, but Article 32 is itself a Fundamental Right.
3. Article 300 deals with suits by/against the government; Article 44 is the Uniform Civil Code (DPSP).

Yaad rakhein: Art. 32 = “heart and soul” – Supreme Court as guardian of Fundamental Rights.

Answer: (C) Article 32

Concept: The Narmada flows west through a rift valley lying between the Vindhya Range (north) and the Satpura Range (south).

1. Satpura lies south of the Narmada; the Tapi flows south of the Satpura.
2. Aravalli lies to the north-west of the Vindhyas; the Western and Eastern Ghats edge the Deccan Plateau far to the south.

Yaad rakhein: North to south: Vindhya → Narmada → Satpura → Tapi.

Answer: (B) Satpura Range

Concept: Part II of the Constitution (Articles 5–11) deals with citizenship.

1. Article 5 – citizenship at the commencement of the Constitution (domicile-based) – correctly matched.
2. Article 7 – rights of migrants to Pakistan; Article 9 – voluntarily acquiring foreign citizenship ends Indian citizenship.
3. Article 11 – Parliament’s power to regulate citizenship by law (not citizenship by birth).

Yaad rakhein: Art. 5 commencement, 6 from Pakistan, 7 to Pakistan, 8 abroad, 9 foreign citizenship, 10 continuance, 11 Parliament.

Answer: (B) Article 5 – Citizenship at commencement

Concept: Kathak, from Uttar Pradesh, takes its name from katha (story) – it grew from the Kathakars, wandering storytellers of north India.

1. Bhakti (Radha–Krishna) themes entered it in the medieval period.
2. In Mughal courts it absorbed Persian and Central Asian elements – fast footwork, chakkars (spins).
3. Kuchipudi (Andhra), Mohiniyattam (Kerala) and Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu) are south Indian forms.

Yaad rakhein: Katha → Kathakar → Kathak: the only north Indian classical dance among the eight.

Answer: (A) Kathak

Concept: INDRA is the India–Russia bilateral defence exercise; its naval (maritime) edition is INDRA Navy.

1. The 14th edition, INDRA 2025, was conducted off the Chennai coast, with a harbour phase followed by a sea phase in the Bay of Bengal.
2. The name INDRA comes from INDia + RussiA.

Yaad rakhein: INDRA = INDia + RussiA; 2025 maritime edition – Chennai.

Answer: (B) Chennai

Concept: Extremists (Lal-Bal-Pal, Aurobindo) relied on mass mobilisation and self-reliance rather than petitions.

1. During the Swadeshi movement (1905, against the Partition of Bengal) they promoted swadeshi goods and boycott of foreign goods.
2. They used mass meetings, national education and festivals (Ganapati, Shivaji) to reach ordinary people.
3. Limiting politics to elites and copying British constitutional methods were Moderate traits; secret covert action belonged to revolutionaries.

Yaad rakhein: Extremists = Swadeshi, Boycott, National Education, Swaraj.

Answer: (A) Promoting swadeshi through the boycott of foreign goods and local production

Concept: A. R. Rahman won two Academy Awards in 2009 for Slumdog Millionaire (dir. Danny Boyle).

1. Best Original Score – Slumdog Millionaire.
2. Best Original Song – “Jai Ho” (shared with lyricist Gulzar).
3. Lagaan was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, but did not win.

Yaad rakhein: Rahman – 2 Oscars, 2009, Slumdog Millionaire (Score + “Jai Ho”).

Answer: (D) Slumdog Millionaire

Concept: The Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) was founded in 1924 (Kanpur) by Sachindra Nath Sanyal, Ram Prasad Bismil, Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee and others.

1. Its members carried out the Kakori train action (1925).
2. In 1928 at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, it was renamed the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) under Chandrashekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh.

Yaad rakhein: HRA 1924 → Kakori 1925 → HSRA 1928.

Answer: (B) 1924

Concept: The Sardar Sarovar Dam is built on the Narmada river at Kevadia (Ekta Nagar), Narmada district, Gujarat.

1. It is a multi-state project benefiting Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
2. The Statue of Unity stands near the dam on Sadhu Bet island.

Yaad rakhein: Statue of Unity + Sardar Sarovar = Narmada, Gujarat.

Answer: (B) Narmada

Concept: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are not caused by infectious agents and do not spread from person to person.

1. Diabetes, cancer, asthma, heart disease and hypertension are NCDs, linked to lifestyle, genetics and environment.
2. Communicable (and airborne) diseases spread through pathogens, e.g. TB, flu; deficiency diseases come from lack of nutrients, e.g. scurvy.

Yaad rakhein: NCD = not spread by contact – long-lasting, lifestyle-related.

Answer: (C) Non-communicable diseases

Concept: Lord Lytton (Viceroy 1876–1880) passed the Indian Arms Act, 1878.

1. It barred Indians from keeping arms without a licence, while Europeans were exempt – a racially discriminatory law.
2. The same year he passed the Vernacular Press Act (1878); he also held the Delhi Durbar of 1877.
3. Lord Ripon (1880–84) later repealed the Vernacular Press Act.

Yaad rakhein: Lytton 1878: Arms Act + Vernacular Press Act – both “gagging” laws.

Answer: (C) Lord Lytton

Concept: DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genetic material in most living organisms.

1. Its base sequence (A, T, G, C) stores hereditary information and is copied during replication.
2. RNA is the genetic material only in some viruses; proteins and lipids do not store hereditary information.

Yaad rakhein: DNA → RNA → Protein (central dogma): DNA is the store, protein is the product.

Answer: (A) DNA

Concept: UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched the UN80 Initiative in March 2025, ahead of the UN’s 80th anniversary.

1. It aims to make the UN system more efficient and effective through reforms in mandates and structure.
2. Yuji Iwasawa is President of the International Court of Justice; Dr. Tedros heads the WHO.

Yaad rakhein: UN founded 1945 → 80 years in 2025 → UN80 by Guterres.

Answer: (C) António Guterres