Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: The Goldman Environmental Prize ("Green Nobel") honours grassroots environmental activists from six continental regions every year.

1. For 2024 (Asia), it was awarded to Alok Shukla of Chhattisgarh for leading the community campaign that saved the Hasdeo Aranya forests from coal mining.
2. Jadav Payeng ("Forest Man of India"), Medha Patkar (Narmada Bachao Andolan) and Maneka Gandhi are well-known environmentalists but not 2024 Goldman winners.

Yaad rakhein: Goldman 2024 → Alok Shukla → Hasdeo Aranya (Chhattisgarh).

Answer: (B) Alok Shukla

Concept: In August 2024, ISRO announced Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as the prime astronaut for the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the ISS, with Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair as backup.

1. Ax-4 was a joint ISRO–NASA–Axiom Space mission; Shukla later flew to the ISS on it in June 2025, becoming the first Indian on the ISS.
2. Sharmila Bhattacharya, Ashwin Vasavada and Kamlesh Lulla are Indian-origin NASA scientists, not astronauts.

Trick: Shukla = Gaganyaan astronaut-designate + Axiom-4 pilot.

Answer: (D) Shubhanshu Shukla

Concept: After the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) was dissolved by the Indian Olympic Association in April 2008 (following a sting operation and India's failure to qualify for the Beijing Olympics), Hockey India was formed in 2009 as the new national governing body.

1. Hockey India is recognised by FIH and the Government of India.
2. 'Indian Hockey', 'Hockey Association' and 'National Hockey Federation' are not real national bodies.

Trick: IHF (old, till 2008) → Hockey India (new, 2009).

Answer: (B) Hockey India

Concept: Simlipal National Park (and Tiger Reserve, Biosphere Reserve) lies in Mayurbhanj district of northern Odisha, on the eastern coast of India.

1. On the map, point C is in the Odisha region near the Bay of Bengal coast — this is Simlipal.
2. A lies in Rajasthan (Ranthambore/Sariska area), B in central India (Madhya Pradesh – Kanha/Pench area), D near the Maharashtra coast (Sanjay Gandhi/Tadoba area).

Trick: Simlipal = Odisha = east coast, just below West Bengal.

Answer: (C) C

Concept: The quarterly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) bulletin of NSO/MoSPI reported the urban unemployment rate for persons aged 15+ (CWS) at 6.7% for January–March 2024.

1. It was 6.5% in Oct–Dec 2023; female urban UR was 8.5% and male 6.1% in Jan–Mar 2024.
2. Figures like 48–67% are labour force participation or worker-population ratios, not unemployment rates.

Trick: Urban UR in PLFS quarterly bulletins has stayed around 6–7% since 2023.

Answer: (B) 6.7%

Concept: The Tattvarthasutra (Tattvartha-adhigama-sutra), written in Sanskrit by Acharya Umaswati/Umaswami (c. 2nd–5th century CE), is the earliest systematic exposition of Jain philosophy and is accepted by both Digambara and Shvetambara sects.

1. Its opening line 'Samyag-darshana-jnana-charitrani moksha-margah' gives the three jewels of Jainism.
2. Svayambhu Stotra is by Samantabhadra; Atthapahuda and Pravachanasara are by Kundakunda.

Trick: Umaswami → Tattvarthasutra = 'Jain Bible' accepted by all sects.

Answer: (C) Tattvarthasutra

Concept: Capital expenditure creates assets (roads, railways, buildings) or reduces liabilities (loan repayment); it has a high multiplier and directly adds to GDP growth. Revenue expenditure (salaries, pensions, subsidies, interest) is for day-to-day running and creates no asset.

1. Revenue expenditure does affect the asset–liability position (it is financed partly by borrowing but creates no asset) — so B and C are loosely worded, and A is wrong.
2. Capital expenditure → asset creation → productive capacity → GDP.

Trick: Capex builds, Revex runs.

Answer: (D) Capital expenditure directly contributes to GDP growth.

Concept: Check the differences between consecutive terms; here they form an even-number pattern.

1. $903-901=2$, $913-?$, $921-913=8$, $931-921=10$.
2. Differences should be $2,4,6,8,10$, so $?=903+4=907$ (check: $913-907=6$ ✓).

Trick: Known differences 2 … 8, 10 → the missing ones are 4 and 6.

Answer: (C) 907

Concept: The same operation must take $X\to 16.2$ and $23\to Y$. Test each option.

1. Option B: $17-0.8=16.2$ and $23-0.8=22.2$ ✓ (same rule: subtract $0.8$).
2. Option A: $19\to 16.2$ is $-2.8$ but $23\to 22.2$ is $-0.8$ ✗. Option D: $17\to 16.2$ is $-0.8$ but $23\to 21.2$ is $-1.8$ ✗. Option C fails both ways.

Trick: In X : Y analogies, plug the options and keep the one where both pairs share one rule.

Answer: (B) X=17, Y=22.2

Concept: Compare letter positions (A=1 … Z=26); find the shift applied to each letter and apply it to the new word.

1. UDVA → CLDI: U(21)+8=29→C(3), D(4)+8=L(12), V(22)+8=D(4), A(1)+8=I(9). Each letter moves +8.
2. Check AJBG → IRJO: A+8=I, J+8=R, B+8=J, G+8=O ✓.
3. YHZE: Y(25)+8=33→G(7), H(8)+8=P(16), Z(26)+8=34→H(8), E(5)+8=M(13) → GPHM.

Trick: +8 past Z wraps around (subtract 26).

Answer: (A) GPHM

Concept: Build the family tree generation by generation, then read the path from J to D.

1. A (♂) and F (♀) are a couple; S is their daughter. M is S's husband.
2. J is the son of S and M (J has a wife H, so J is male).
3. D is the brother of H, and H is J's wife → D is J's wife's brother (brother-in-law).

Trick: Follow the chain J → wife (H) → her brother (D).

Answer: (A) Wife's brother

Concept: A conclusion "follows" only if it is directly implied by the statement; it must not bring in new information.

1. The statement says book-reading keeps learning alive even after formal education. Conclusion II (students gain knowledge and improve language by reading) is a direct implication → follows.
2. Conclusion I talks about e-books vs hardcovers – nothing in the statement compares formats → does not follow.

Trick: Any conclusion that introduces a new topic (e-books, popularity) is out.

Answer: (C) Only conclusion II follows

Concept: Decode the chain symbol by symbol and draw the tree; N and P are the two people to connect.

1. M # N → M is the sister of N; N + O → N is the mother of O.
2. O % P → O is the father of P; P @ Q → P is the husband of Q; Q # T → Q is the sister of T.
3. N is the mother of O, and O is P's father → N is P's father's mother (grandmother).

Trick: Only the middle part "N + O % P" matters; the ends (M, Q, T) are distractions.

Answer: (D) Father's mother

Concept: Five people face the centre, so "immediate right" means the anticlockwise neighbour. Test each statement alone.

1. Statement I: E is to D's immediate right and one person sits between D and C. A and B can still swap places, so A's right neighbour is not fixed → not sufficient.
2. Statement II: B is to D's immediate left; one person between B and E; one between E and C. Going clockwise this forces D, B, C, A, E (the alternative places E where B and D already sit).
3. Then A's immediate right is C – a unique answer from II alone.

Trick: In data sufficiency, stop as soon as one statement fixes the arrangement uniquely; here II does, I does not.

Answer: (D) Data in Statement II alone is sufficient to answer the question while data in statement I is not.

Concept: Write the alphabet positions and check the gaps between consecutive letters.

1. XBIO: X(24)→B(2)→I(9)→O(15): $+4,+7,+6$ (cyclic after Z)
2. KOVB: 11→15→22→2: $+4,+7,+6$
3. AELR: 1→5→12→18: $+4,+7,+6$
4. EIRV: 5→9→18→22: $+4,+9,+4$ — different pattern

Trick: Use the EJOTY anchors (E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20, Y=25) to find positions fast; count past Z as wrapping to A.

Answer: (A) EIRV

Concept: Find one rule relating the three numbers $(a,b,c)$ of each given set and apply it to the options.

1. $(5,9,52)$: $5\times (9+1)+2=50+2=52$
2. $(11,7,90)$: $11\times (7+1)+2=88+2=90$ → rule: $c=a\times (b+1)+2$
3. $(9,6,65)$: $9\times 7+2=65$ ✓; A: $7\times 14+2=100$, B: $14\times 5+2=72$, C: $8\times 12+2=98$ ✗

Trick: When $c$ is close to $a\times b$, check $a\times b\pm$ something or $a\times (b\pm 1)\pm$ something.

Answer: (D) (9, 6, 65)

Concept: Replace the letters by the given operators and apply BODMAS.

1. $18A6B11C8D6=18÷6\times 11+8-6$
2. $18÷6=3;3\times 11=33$
3. $33+8-6=35$

Trick: Do ÷ and × left to right first, then + and −.

Answer: (A) 35

Concept: Treat the letters and the numbers as separate series.

1. First letters: P, Q, R, S → T; second letters: U, V, W, X → Y.
2. Numbers: 16, 18, 22, 28: differences $+2,+4,+6$ → next $+8$: $28+8=36$.
3. Next term: TY36.

Trick: Check the letter part first — it eliminates two options (TZ) instantly.

Answer: (C) TY36

Concept: Scan each symbol and check its immediate left (must be a letter) and immediate right (must be a number).

1. Symbols with neighbours: 8 # 7 (number–number), 7 \ 2 (number–number), L % 9 (letter–number ✓), 3 \ / , \ / +, / + H, 2 $ S (number–letter), P # H (letter–letter).
2. Only L % 9 satisfies the condition.

Trick: Mark the symbols first, then look only at the two neighbours of each — do not re-read the whole series.

Answer: (A) One

Concept: Fix the most restricted person first (P: floor 2 or 6), then test each case against the remaining clues.

1. Case P = 2 → S = 5 (two between). R–T must be consecutive from {1,3,4,6} → (3,4). Then Q and U take {1,6}; Q ≠ 1 so U = 1, but U must be even. ✗
2. Case P = 6 → S = 3. R–T consecutive from {1,2,4,5}: (4,5) forces Q = 1 ✗; so R = 1, T = 2, U = 4, Q = 5. ✓
3. Floors: 1-R, 2-T, 3-S, 4-U, 5-Q, 6-P. Between Q (5) and S (3): only U → one person.

Trick: 'Only two people between X and Y' in 6 floors means they are at (1,4), (2,5) or (3,6).

Answer: (B) One