Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Siri Fort was built by Alauddin Khilji (ruled 1296–1316) as the second city of Delhi.

1. The Mongols repeatedly raided north India; in 1303 Targhi's army camped near Delhi.
2. To guard the capital and garrison his army, Alauddin built the fortified city of Siri.
3. Khilji never fought the Cholas, and the fort was not a trade hub or a monastery site.

Yaad rakhein: Siri = Sena (army) ka shahar against Mongols – Alauddin's market reforms also fed this army.

Answer: (C) To protect Delhi from Mongol attacks

Concept: 'I Am Circular' is a coffee-table book on circular economy in electronics.

1. It was released in April 2024 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
2. It was prepared with the International Council for Circular Economy (ICCE).
3. It showcases e-waste recycling, repair and reuse success stories in India.

Yaad rakhein: Electronics + circular economy (e-waste) → MeitY.

Answer: (B) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

Concept: The Lodi dynasty (1451–1526) was the last dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.

1. Bahlol Lodi founded it in 1451 and died in 1489.
2. His son Nizam Khan ascended the throne in 1489 as Sikandar Lodi; he founded Agra (1504).
3. Ibrahim Lodi, the next ruler, lost the First Battle of Panipat in 1526.

Trick: Order B-S-I: Bahlol → Sikandar → Ibrahim.

Answer: (A) Sikandar Lodi

Concept: Vikram 3201 and Kalpana 3201 are indigenous processors.

1. They were developed by ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre with Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Mohali.
2. Both are 32-bit microprocessors meant for space-grade use, e.g. in launch-vehicle avionics.
3. They are chips, not rockets, telescopes or satellites.

Trick: The '32' in 3201 hints at 32-bit.

Answer: (C) 32-bit microprocessors

Concept: NABARD is the apex development bank for agriculture and rural credit.

1. NABARD was set up on 12 July 1982 on the recommendation of the Shivaraman (CRAFICARD) Committee.
2. It refinances and supervises rural credit institutions such as RRBs and cooperative banks.
3. RBI is the overall banking regulator, but the agri-rural credit role was transferred to NABARD.

Yaad rakhein: N-A-B-A-R-D = National Agriculture + Rural Development bank.

Answer: (B) NABARD

Concept: A computer follows instructions exactly, so its accuracy depends on what it is given.

1. If the input data and the program instructions are correct, the output is correct.
2. Wrong data or instructions give wrong results – the GIGO principle (Garbage In, Garbage Out).
3. RAM size, processor speed and screen resolution affect speed or display, not correctness.

Trick: GIGO: Garbage In → Garbage Out.

Answer: (A) input data and instructions

Concept: Atoms react to attain a stable octet (or duplet) configuration.

1. Noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, Rn) already have a completely filled valence shell – $n{s}^{2}n{p}^6$ (He: $1s^2$).
2. So they neither easily lose nor gain electrons – very high ionization energy, nearly zero electron gain tendency.
3. Low ionization energy would make them reactive, so option (B) is wrong.

Trick: Full shell = full satisfaction = no reaction.

Answer: (C) Completely filled valence shell

Concept: The MoU links ex-servicemen healthcare with traditional Indian systems of medicine.

1. On 2 September 2025 the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (Ministry of Defence) signed an MoU with Patanjali Yoggram.
2. About six million veterans and dependents get free AYUSH treatment (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy etc.).
3. Patanjali Yoggram is a wellness centre, not an allopathic, cardiac or cancer hospital.

Yaad rakhein: Patanjali + Yoggram → Yoga/Ayurveda → AYUSH.

Answer: (D) AYUSH treatment

Concept: Fibre crops are grown to obtain fibres for textiles, ropes and sacks.

1. India's main fibre crops: cotton, jute, hemp (sunn) and natural silk.
2. Jute ('golden fibre') is grown mainly in West Bengal, Bihar and Assam.
3. Cucumber, turnip and radish are vegetable crops.

Yaad rakhein: Jute = Golden Fibre; West Bengal is the top producer.

Answer: (D) Jute

Concept: Section 1(2) of the RTI Act, 2005 defined its territorial extent.

1. It extended to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir, which had its own RTI law (J&K RTI Act, 2009).
2. After the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 (Article 370 change), the central RTI Act applies there too.
3. Tripura, West Bengal and Mizoram were always covered.

Yaad rakhein: Most pre-2019 central laws said 'except J&K' – because of Article 370.

Answer: (A) Jammu and Kashmir

Concept: NIRDPR is the apex training and research body of the Ministry of Rural Development.

1. The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj is headquartered at Rajendranagar, Hyderabad (Telangana).
2. It was set up in 1958; it also has a North-Eastern regional centre at Guwahati.
3. Lucknow, Delhi and Patna are not its head office.

Trick: Rural Development → Rajendranagar → Hyderabad (R-R-H).

Answer: (B) Hyderabad

Concept: Under Article 174(2)(b), the Governor may dissolve the Legislative Assembly.

1. Like the President with the Lok Sabha, the Governor acts on the advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister.
2. So premature dissolution of the Vidhan Sabha is on the Chief Minister's advice.
3. The President (via President's Rule, Article 356) is a different route, not the normal advice.

Trick: Centre: PM → President dissolves Lok Sabha; State: CM → Governor dissolves Vidhan Sabha.

Answer: (C) Chief Minister

Concept: Thorn and scrub forests grow where annual rainfall is less than about 70 cm.

1. Such dry conditions occur in north-western India – western Rajasthan, Gujarat (Kachchh), parts of Punjab and Haryana.
2. Plants: acacia, babool, khejri, cactus, euphorbia – with thorns, small leaves and deep roots.
3. Malabar Coast and Eastern Himalayas are wet; Sundarbans has mangroves.

Trick: Thorny = Thar (dry desert).

Answer: (D) Western Rajasthan

Concept: Non-metal oxides are acidic; they dissolve in water to form acids.

1. ${\text{SO}}_2+{\text{H}}_2\text{O}\to {\text{H}}_2{\text{SO}}_3$ (sulphurous acid).
2. ${\text{SO}}_3$ instead gives ${\text{H}}_2{\text{SO}}_4$ (sulphuric acid), so (B) is wrong.
3. ${\text{SF}}_6$ is inert and does not form an acid.

Trick: Di-oxide → sulphur-OUS (fewer O); tri-oxide → sulphur-IC.

Answer: (C) Sulphur dioxide

Concept: The asterisk (*) is a wildcard that stands for any number of characters.

1. In 'Invoice*' the fixed part comes first and the * comes after it.
2. So it matches names that start with Invoice: Invoice1, Invoice_March, InvoiceFinal…
3. '*Invoice' would find names ending with Invoice; '*Invoice*' would find it anywhere.

Trick: The * stands where the unknown part is – after the word means 'begins with'.

Answer: (B) Files that begin with the word “Invoice”

Concept: Ctrl + H opens the Find and Replace dialog box with the Replace tab active.

1. Ctrl + F opens Find (navigation pane); Ctrl + H finds and replaces text.
2. Help is F1; text highlight has no Ctrl + H function.
3. In web browsers Ctrl + H shows history – that is the tempting wrong option (A).

Trick: H = 'Hatao aur badlo' (Replace); F = Find.

Answer: (C) Opens the Find and Replace dialog box

Concept: The Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord ended the 2025 border clashes between two ASEAN neighbours.

1. It was signed by Cambodia and Thailand on 26 October 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit.
2. Malaysia (ASEAN chair) and the USA facilitated it, after the July 2025 border fighting.
3. Malaysia was the host and mediator, not a party – so option (B) is wrong.

Yaad rakhein: Border dispute near Preah Vihear temple → Cambodia–Thailand.

Answer: (C) Cambodia and Thailand

Concept: The Palk Strait lies between Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka.

1. It connects the Bay of Bengal (Palk Bay) with the Gulf of Mannar.
2. Adam's Bridge (Ram Setu) lies at its southern end, near Rameswaram.
3. Maldives is separated by the Eight Degree Channel, not the Palk Strait.

Yaad rakhein: Palk → Lanka; 8° Channel → Maldives; 10° Channel → Andaman–Nicobar.

Answer: (A) Sri Lanka

Concept: Madhubani (Mithila) painting is the folk art of the Mithila region of Bihar.

1. It is traditionally made by women with natural colours, showing deities, nature and weddings; it has a GI tag.
2. Warli – Maharashtra; Kalamkari – Andhra Pradesh/Telangana; Pattachitra – Odisha and West Bengal.
3. Madhubani is a district in the Mithila region.

Trick: Mithila = Madhubani (both start with M).

Answer: (B) Madhubani paintings

Concept: The 9th Constitutional Amendment Act was passed in 1960.

1. It gave effect to the Nehru–Noon Agreement (1958) with Pakistan, transferring part of Berubari Union (West Bengal).
2. It followed the Supreme Court's Berubari case opinion (1960) that ceding territory needs an Article 368 amendment.
3. 1950 – 1st Amendment came in 1951; 1962 and 1964 relate to later amendments.

Yaad rakhein: 9th Amendment = 1960 = Berubari (do not confuse with the 9th Schedule, added by the 1st Amendment).

Answer: (B) 1960