Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: The Prime Meridian is the reference line for measuring longitude.

1. It passes through Greenwich (London) and has longitude 0°.
2. 180° is the International Date Line (approx.); 23.5° N is the Tropic of Cancer (a latitude).

Yaad rakhein: Equator = 0° latitude; Prime Meridian = 0° longitude.

Answer: (A) 0°

Concept: Deepika Kumari is India’s top recurve archer.

1. At the Archery World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai (May 2025) she won a bronze in the women’s recurve individual event.
2. This was her 12th individual World Cup medal.

Yaad rakhein: Deepika Kumari – Ranchi, Jharkhand – Archery.

Answer: (A) Archery

Concept: Malgudi is a fictional South Indian town.

1. It was created by R.K. Narayan, first in “Swami and Friends” (1935); also in “The Guide” and “Malgudi Days”.
2. Raja Rao wrote “Kanthapura”; Mulk Raj Anand “Untouchable”; Khushwant Singh “Train to Pakistan”.

Yaad rakhein: Malgudi Days → R.K. Narayan.

Answer: (C) RK Narayan

Concept: Geological Survey of India (GSI), under the Ministry of Mines, organised a Pan-India Walkathon in March 2025.

1. The theme of the walkathon was “Geoscience for a Safe World”.
2. It aimed to spread awareness about the role of geoscience in disaster safety and sustainable development.

Yaad rakhein: GSI – founded 1851 – HQ Kolkata.

Answer: (A) Geoscience for a Safe World

Concept: Project 1135.6 follow-on frigates: two built in Russia, two at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).

1. ‘Tavasya’, the second GSL-built frigate, was launched at Goa Shipyard Limited on 22 March 2025.
2. It displaces about 3,600 tonnes (not 4,500); the first of the GSL pair was ‘Triput’ (2024); it was built in India, not Russia.

Yaad rakhein: Triput (1st) → Tavasya (2nd), both GSL, Goa.

Answer: (D) It was launched at Goa Shipyard Limited on 22 March 2025

Concept: Voting age is fixed under Article 326 (adult suffrage).

1. The 61st Amendment Act, 1988 reduced it from 21 to 18 years (effective 1989).
2. 52nd (1985) = anti-defection law; 86th (2002) = Right to Education; 44th (1978) = removed property as a Fundamental Right.

Yaad rakhein: 61 → 18 voting age (Rajiv Gandhi era).

Answer: (A) Sixty-first Amendment Act, 1988

Concept: The Human Development Report (HDR) is published by UNDP.

1. The first HDR was published in 1990, introducing the Human Development Index (HDI).
2. It was developed by Mahbub ul Haq with Amartya Sen.

Yaad rakhein: HDI = 1990 = Mahbub ul Haq.

Answer: (B) 1990

Concept: Folders are created from the desktop or File Explorer.

1. Right-click on an empty area → New → Folder, then type a name.
2. Shortcut in File Explorer: Ctrl + Shift + N. Task Manager, system date or restarting have nothing to do with it.

Yaad rakhein: New folder = Right-click → New → Folder or Ctrl + Shift + N.

Answer: (B) Using the right-click context menu

Concept: Cannes Film Festival 2025 – Indian art showcase.

1. Painter Paresh Maity made his Cannes debut in 2025 with a watercolour reflecting India’s diversity.
2. Maity, from West Bengal, is known for watercolours and received the Padma Shri (2014).

Yaad rakhein: Watercolour master → Paresh Maity.

Answer: (D) Paresh Maity

Concept: The Rowlatt Act (March 1919) allowed detention without trial.

1. To oppose it, Gandhi founded the Satyagraha Sabha in Bombay on 24 February 1919.
2. The Khilafat Committee was formed later in 1919 for the Khilafat issue; Swaraj Sabha is unrelated.

Yaad rakhein: Rowlatt → Satyagraha Sabha → first all-India hartal (April 1919).

Answer: (D) Satyagraha Sabha

Concept: Henry’s law: solubility of a gas in a liquid is directly proportional to its partial pressure.

1. Soda bottles are sealed under high pressure of $C{O}_2$ so that more gas dissolves.
2. On opening, pressure drops, solubility falls and bubbles (fizz) escape.

Yaad rakhein: Fizzy drinks, scuba diving (bends) → Henry’s law.

Answer: (D) To increase the solubility of carbon dioxide

Concept: The English East India Company received a royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I.

1. The charter was granted on 31 December 1600.
2. Dutch East India Company followed in 1602; the first English factory was set up at Surat in 1613.

Yaad rakhein: Order of companies: English 1600 → Dutch 1602 → Danish 1616 → French 1664.

Answer: (B) 1600

Concept: Madras Bar Association vs. Union of India (July 2021) examined the Tribunals Reforms Ordinance, 2021.

1. The Supreme Court struck down the fixed four-year tenure for tribunal members, holding that a minimum of five years is needed for independence.
2. It also struck down the minimum age of 50 years for appointment.

Yaad rakhein: Tribunal tenure: Court wants 5 years, not 4.

Answer: (D) A fixed four-year tenure limit for tribunal members

Concept: Dx-EDGE is a 2025 initiative focused on digital empowerment of small businesses.

1. It aims to equip MSMEs with digital tools, skills and knowledge to grow and compete.
2. It is not about subsidies to large corporations, FDI promotion or regulating e-commerce.

Yaad rakhein: “Dx” = digital transformation → MSMEs.

Answer: (C) To empower MSMEs with digital tools and knowledge

Concept: National Centre for Sports Science and Research (NCSSR), New Delhi.

1. On 29 April 2025, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated a “Return to Play” facility there.
2. It helps injured athletes recover and return to competition using scientific assessment and rehabilitation.

Yaad rakhein: Injury → rehab → Return to Play.

Answer: (B) Return to Play Facility

Concept: DDU-GKY (launched 2014, Ministry of Rural Development) gives placement-linked skill training to rural poor youth.

1. Eligible age: 15 to 35 years.
2. Upper limit is relaxed to 45 years for women, SC/ST, PwD and other special groups.

Yaad rakhein: DDU-GKY: 15–35 (45 for special groups).

Answer: (A) Individuals between the ages of 15 and 35 years

Concept: PMGDISHA = Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (2017).

1. It aims to make one person in each of 6 crore rural households digitally literate.
2. BharatNet is rural broadband; PM-WANI is public Wi-Fi; Digital India is the umbrella programme.

Yaad rakhein: “Gramin Digital Saksharta” = rural digital literacy.

Answer: (B) PMGDISHA

Concept: Articles 25–28 form the Right to Freedom of Religion.

1. Article 25 guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practise and propagate religion.
2. Article 17 = abolition of untouchability; Article 29 = protection of culture and language; Article 32 = right to move the Supreme Court.

Yaad rakhein: 25–28 Religion, 29–30 Culture & Education, 32 Remedies.

Answer: (B) Right to freedom of religion

Concept: The Battle of Plassey was fought on 23 June 1757.

1. Robert Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daula, Nawab of Bengal, helped by the betrayal of Mir Jafar.
2. Alivardi Khan was Siraj’s grandfather; Shah Alam II was the Mughal emperor at Buxar (1764).

Yaad rakhein: Plassey 1757: Clive vs Siraj; Buxar 1764: Munro vs Mir Qasim + Shuja + Shah Alam II.

Answer: (D) Siraj-ud-Daula

Concept: Dimensional formula shows powers of M, L, T in a quantity.

1. Volume = length × breadth × height $=[M^0{L}^3{T}^0]$ – no mass, no time.
2. Force $=[ML{T}^{-2}]$, Work $=[M{L}^2{T}^{-2}]$, Momentum $=[ML{T}^{-1}]$ – all contain M and T.

Yaad rakhein: Pure geometric quantities (length, area, volume) have only L.

Answer: (C) Volume