Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: In the planning era (1947–1991), India's occupational structure changed very little.

1. About 70% of the workforce stayed in agriculture throughout, even as its share in GDP fell.
2. Industry and services grew in output but absorbed relatively few workers.

Trick: GDP share fell, but workforce share in farming stayed highest.

Answer: (B) Agriculture

Concept: The Bharat Forecasting System (BFS), launched on 26 May 2025, is India's indigenous high-resolution weather model.

1. Developed by IITM Pune and run on the Arka supercomputer, it has a 6 km spatial resolution – the finest among global operational models.
2. The earlier model had about 12 km resolution, a tempting wrong option.

Yaad rakhein: BFS = 6 km grid, earlier 12 km.

Answer: (D) 6 kilometres

Concept: Wadge Bank is a rich fishing ground on the continental shelf south of Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu).

1. It is a submarine plateau lying roughly 50–80 km off India's southern tip in the Indian Ocean, known for high marine biodiversity.
2. Fishermen opposed the 2025 offshore oil and gas blocks offered under HELP there, fearing harm to fisheries.

Trick: Wadge Bank = off Kanyakumari, not near islands or Mumbai.

Answer: (D) A submarine plateau about 80 km off the southern coast in the Indian Ocean

Concept: An interface lets a user interact with the computer.

1. GUI = Graphical User Interface – uses windows, icons, menus and a pointer (WIMP).
2. It replaced typing commands in a CLI (Command Line Interface). Examples: Windows, macOS desktops.

Trick: GUI: click on pictures; CLI: type commands.

Answer: (A) Graphical User Interface

Concept: The Golden Quadrilateral (≈5,846 km) under NHDP Phase I connects the four metros Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

1. It was launched in 1999-2001 under PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
2. North-South corridor joins Srinagar–Kanyakumari and East-West joins Silchar–Porbandar – they do not link all four metros.

Trick: 4 metros = 4 corners = Quadrilateral.

Answer: (A) Golden Quadrilateral

Concept: Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is observed on 9 January, the day Gandhiji returned from South Africa in 1915.

1. The January 2025 PBD Convention was held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on 8–10 January 2025.
2. Theme: 'Diaspora's Contribution to a Viksit Bharat'. (The 17th was in Indore, 2023.)

Trick: Indore (2023) → Bhubaneswar (2025), Odisha.

Answer: (A) Bhubaneswar

Concept: The Reserve Bank of India is the regulator of banking and payment systems, so digital-payment awareness drives fall under it.

1. In 2025 the RBI launched the 'Digital India Financial Literacy Mission' to spread awareness on digital finance and online-fraud prevention.
2. RBI also runs Financial Literacy Week and the 'RBI Kehta Hai' campaign. SEBI covers securities markets; NFRA covers audit; FSDC is a coordination council.

Trick: Digital payments + fraud awareness → RBI.

Answer: (D) Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

Concept: Lava (volcanic) plateaus form when fissure eruptions spread basalt lava that cools in sheets.

1. The Kimberley Plateau in north-western Australia is built of such old basalt flows.
2. Columbia–Snake (USA), Patagonian (Argentina) and Deccan/Malwa (India) are lava plateaus too, but not in Australia.

Trick: Australia + lava plateau → Kimberley.

Answer: (A) Kimberley Plateau

Concept: Part XX of the Constitution contains a single article on amendment.

1. Article 368 gives Parliament the power and procedure to amend the Constitution (simple majority, special majority, special majority + state ratification).
2. Art 370 – J&K special status (now inoperative); Art 300 – suits by/against the Government; Art 208 – state legislature rules.

Yaad rakhein: Amendment = 368, Part XX.

Answer: (D) Article 368

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

1. Co-operative societies are Entry 32 of the State List.
2. The 97th Amendment (2011) added the right to form co-operatives (Art 19(1)(c)), Art 43B and Part IXB.
3. Multi-State co-operatives, however, are on the Union List (Entry 44).

Trick: Co-operatives = State subject; multi-State = Union.

Answer: (A) It is a subject in the State List.

Concept: GST, a destination-based indirect tax, needed a constitutional amendment because it gives both Centre and States concurrent taxing power.

1. The 101st Amendment Act, 2016 introduced GST; it came into force on 1 July 2017.
2. It inserted Art 246A, 269A and 279A (GST Council).
3. 99th (2015) – NJAC; 100th (2015) – India–Bangladesh land boundary; 102nd (2018) – NCBC constitutional status.

Yaad rakhein: GST = 101 ("one-zero-one tax").

Answer: (B) One Hundred and First Amendment Act, 2016

Concept: The book 'PMO: Prime Minister's Office through the Years' traces the evolution of the PMO from 1947 onwards.

1. It is written by Himanshu Roy and was released in May 2025.
2. Jagdeep Dhankhar, Manohar Lal Khattar and Nayab Singh Saini were public figures present at book events, not the author.

Yaad rakhein: Author = Himanshu Roy; the others are politicians.

Answer: (D) Himanshu Roy

Concept: Urban transport infrastructure means systems that move people and goods within and between cities.

1. Metro systems, highways and rail networks all carry passengers/freight.
2. Irrigation canals carry water to farm fields – they are agricultural (rural) infrastructure, not urban transport.

Trick: Ask: does it carry people/goods in a city? Canals for irrigation – no.

Answer: (A) Irrigation canals

Concept: Lanthanoids are the 4f-series elements following lanthanum: cerium (Z = 58) to lutetium (Z = 71), often counted with La (57).

1. Cerium (Ce, 58) is the first true lanthanoid.
2. Scandium (21) and yttrium (39) are group-3 d-block elements; actinium (89) heads the actinoids (5f series).

Trick: Lanthanoids: Ce → Lu (58–71); Actinoids: Th → Lr.

Answer: (D) Cerium

Concept: PSLV-C61 was launched from Sriharikota on 18 May 2025 carrying the radar imaging satellite EOS-09.

1. A pressure drop in the third (solid-motor) stage caused an anomaly, so EOS-09 could not be placed in orbit.
2. It was ISRO's 101st launch; INSAT-3DS (2024) and Cartosat-3 (2019) were successful earlier missions.

Yaad rakhein: PSLV-C61 → EOS-09 → third-stage failure (May 2025).

Answer: (C) EOS-09

Concept: Heredity is the passing of traits from parents to offspring; variation is the difference among individuals.

1. The branch of biology that studies both is genetics (term coined by William Bateson; Mendel is its father).
2. Mutation is one source of variation; evolution is change in populations over generations; biology is the whole science of life.

Trick: Heredity + variation = Genetics; Mendel = Father of Genetics.

Answer: (C) Genetics

Concept: BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) expanded in 2024 with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE.

1. Indonesia joined as a full member on 6 January 2025 – the first South-East Asian member.
2. Egypt joined in 2024; Argentina declined the invitation; Nigeria became a partner country.

Yaad rakhein: 2024: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE; 2025: Indonesia.

Answer: (C) Indonesia

Concept: The Jain scriptures are called Agamas; Svetambaras and Digambaras differ on their canon.

1. The Svetambara canon has 45 Agamas: 11 Angas, 12 Upangas, 10 Prakirnakas, 6 Chedasutras, 4 Mulasutras and 2 Chulikasutras.
2. It was compiled finally at the Vallabhi council.
3. Digambaras hold that the original Agamas were lost.

Trick: Svetambara canon = 45 (11 + 12 + 10 + 6 + 4 + 2).

Answer: (D) 45

Concept: The Suez Canal (opened 1869) joined the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

1. It cut the Britain–India sea route by about 7,000 km, avoiding the Cape of Good Hope.
2. Cheaper, faster shipping helped Britain flood India with manufactured goods and draw out raw materials – tightening its control of India's foreign trade.
3. Conolly, Buckingham and Munak canals are internal Indian canals.

Trick: 1869 Suez = short route = more British grip on Indian trade.

Answer: (B) Suez Canal

Concept: Two major Jain councils were held to compile the teachings of Mahavira.

1. First council: Pataliputra (c. 300 BCE) under Sthulabhadra – the 12 Angas were compiled.
2. Second council: Vallabhi, Gujarat (512 CE) under Devardhi Kshamasramana – the 12 Angas and 12 Upangas were finally written down.

Yaad rakhein: Pataliputra = 1st, Vallabhi = 2nd.

Answer: (B) Second