Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: UCC is about personal laws, which today differ by religion.

1. Article 44 (DPSP) directs the State to secure a UCC.
2. It covers marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption, maintenance.
3. Criminal law is already common to all, so (C) is wrong.

Yaad rakhein: Uttarakhand became the first state to implement a UCC (January 2025); Goa already had a common civil code.

Answer: (D) Personal matters governed by religion-specific laws, such as marriage, divorce and inheritance

Concept: The scheme tests farm soil and advises on fertiliser.

1. Soil samples are tested for nutrients (N, P, K, micronutrients), pH, organic carbon etc.
2. The card tells the farmer the soil's fertility and the right nutrient dose.
3. It does not deal with seeds or land acquisition.

Yaad rakhein: Launched in 2015 at Suratgarh (Rajasthan); 5 December is World Soil Day.

Answer: (C) To evaluate the nutrient content and fertility of soil

Concept: A Bihar revolutionary linked to the Lahore Conspiracy Case.

1. Phanindra Nath Ghosh turned approver and testified against Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru.
2. Baikuntha Shukla killed him in 1932 and was hanged in Gaya jail in 1934.

Yaad rakhein: Jugantar was linked to Aurobindo Ghosh and Barindra Ghosh; Home Rule was led by Tilak and Annie Besant.

Answer: (B) He assassinated a government approver

Concept: Check each statement separately.

1. Dangi is a tribal dance of the Dang district of Gujarat — 1 correct.
2. It is performed by large groups of men and women in rows and circles, not solo — 2 wrong.

Yaad rakhein: Other Gujarat dances – Garba, Dandiya Raas, Tippani, Padhar, Siddi Dhamal.

Answer: (A) Only 1 is correct

Concept: Resources are scarce, so choosing one use means losing another.

1. Opportunity cost = value of the next best alternative sacrificed.
2. E.g., if land growing wheat could have earned ₹10,000 from rice, the opportunity cost of wheat is ₹10,000.
3. (A), (C), (D) describe money costs, not opportunity cost.

Trick: Think 'what did I give up?' — that is opportunity cost.

Answer: (B) The value of the next best alternative that is given up

Concept: GFP gives each country a PowerIndex from 60+ factors.

1. Bonuses and penalties adjust for things like technology, geography and logistics.
2. This lets small but advanced forces be compared fairly with large, less-developed ones.
3. Nuclear stockpiles are not added to the score, so (B) is wrong.

Yaad rakhein: In the GFP PowerIndex, a lower score means a stronger military (0.0000 is the ideal).

Answer: (A) To adjust rankings fairly between technologically advanced and less-developed militaries

Concept: The Battle of Khongjom was the last stand of Manipur against the British.

1. Prince Tikendrajit Singh, commander of the Manipuri forces, led the resistance.
2. He and General Thangal were hanged in August 1891.
3. Rani Gaidinliu (Naga), U Kiang Nangbah (Jaintia), Surendra Sai (Sambalpur) belong to other revolts.

Yaad rakhein: Khongjom Day is observed in Manipur on 23 April.

Answer: (C) Tikendrajit Singh

Concept: An inward-looking trade policy followed till 1991.

1. Goods earlier imported were to be made at home.
2. Tariffs and quotas protected young (infant) domestic industries from foreign competition.
3. Goal: self-reliance — so (A), (B), (D) contradict it.

Trick: 'Import substitution' = substitute imports with home production — the name itself gives the answer.

Answer: (C) To develop and protect emerging domestic industries from foreign competition

Concept: A market-based scheme (Green Credit Rules, 2023) that rewards voluntary green actions.

1. Credits are earned mainly for tree plantation/afforestation on degraded land and ecological restoration.
2. Water conservation is one activity, not the exclusive focus — (D) wrong.
3. Credits can be traded on a dedicated platform.

Yaad rakhein: The programme is administered by ICFRE (Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education), Dehradun.

Answer: (A) Afforestation and ecological restoration efforts

Concept: Union, State and Concurrent Lists divide legislative subjects.

1. Criminal law and criminal procedure — Concurrent List ✗ (1 wrong).
2. Agriculture — State List ✓ (2 correct).
3. Trade and commerce within a State — State List, not Union ✗ (3 wrong).

Trick: Words like 'exclusively' and 'within a State' signal traps; 'inter-state' trade is Union, 'intra-state' is State.

Answer: (A) 2 only

Concept: If $\frac{a+b}{a-b}=k$, then $\frac{a}{b}=\frac{k+1}{k-1}$.

1. Here $a=\sqrt{5+x},b=\sqrt{5-x},k=7$.
2. $\frac{\sqrt{5+x}}{\sqrt{5-x}}=\frac{8}{6}=\frac{4}{3}$.
3. Square: $\frac{5+x}{5-x}=\frac{16}{9}\Rightarrow 45+9x=80-16x$.
4. $25x=35\Rightarrow x=\frac{7}{5}$.

Trick: Apply C–D twice: $\frac{5+x}{5-x}=\frac{16}{9}\Rightarrow x=5\times \frac{16-9}{16+9}=\frac{35}{25}=\frac{7}{5}$.

Answer: (B) $\frac{7}{5}$

Concept: Fix CP using the first sale, then find the new SP after discount.

1. 20% profit ⇒ $X=1.2\times \text{CP}$. Let $\text{CP}=100$, so $X=120$.
2. New MP = $1.8\times 120=216$.
3. SP after 30% off = $216\times 0.7=151.2$.
4. Profit % = $151.2-100=51.2\%$.

Trick: Multiply factors directly: $1.2\times 1.8\times 0.7=1.512$ ⇒ 51.2% profit.

Answer: (B) 51.2%

Concept: For compounding every k months: rate per period = $R\times \frac{k}{12}$, periods = total months ÷ k.

1. Rate per period = $18\times \frac{8}{12}=12\%$.
2. Periods = $24÷8=3$.
3. Amount = $31,250\times (1.12{)}^3=31,250\times 1.404928=43,904$.
4. CI = $43,904-31,250=$ ₹12,654.

Trick: $31,250=5^6\times 2$ and $1.12=\frac{28}{25}$: $31,250\times \frac{{28}^3}{{25}^3}=2\times {28}^3=43,904$ — no decimals needed.

Answer: (A) ₹12,654

Concept: Total work = men × days × hours (man-hours).

1. Original plan has $28-7=21$ days of work left after day 7.
2. Remaining work = $20\text{ men}\times 21\text{ days}\times 7\text{ h}=2940$ man-hours.
3. New rate = $26\times 5=130$ man-hours per day.
4. $2940÷130\approx 22.6$ ⇒ 23 more days.

Trick: Remaining work $=\frac{3}{4}$ of total (21 of 28 days left), so days = $20\times 21\times 7÷130\approx 22.6$ → round up to 23.

Answer: (D) 23

Concept: Same direction: speeds subtract; opposite direction: speeds add.

1. Police − thief = $\frac{800}{16}=50$ m/min.
2. Police + thief = $\frac{800}{4}=200$ m/min.
3. Thief = $\frac{200-50}{2}=75$ m/min.

Trick: Slower speed = $\frac{\text{sum}-\text{difference}}{2}$; faster = $\frac{\text{sum}+\text{difference}}{2}=125$ (police).

Answer: (C) 75 m/min

Concept: Rationals are closed under subtraction.

1. Let r (rational) + i (irrational) = s.
2. If s were rational, $i=s-r$ would be rational — impossible.
3. So the sum is always irrational, e.g. $3+\sqrt{2}$.

Yaad rakhein: Rational × irrational is irrational too, except when the rational is 0.

Answer: (B) Always Irrational

Concept: Volume is conserved: $R^3=r_1^3+r_2^3+r_3^3$ ($\frac{4}{3}\pi$ cancels).

1. $R^3=4^3+2^3+7^3=64+8+343=415$.
2. $7^3=343$ and $8^3=512$, so R is between 7 and 8.
3. ${7.5}^3=421.9\approx 415\Rightarrow R\approx 7.5$ cm.

Trick: Bracket the cube root between known cubes — only one option (7.5) lies between 7 and 8.

Answer: (D) 7.5 cm

Concept: Mileage = distance ÷ fuel used.

1. $27.6÷3.75=2760÷375$.
2. $375\times 7=2625$; remainder 135 ⇒ $\frac{135}{375}=0.36$.
3. Mileage = 7.36 km/L.

Trick: $3.75=\frac{15}{4}$, so $27.6\times \frac{4}{15}=\frac{110.4}{15}=7.36$.

Answer: (D) 7.36

Concept: Share = (own ratio part ÷ total parts) × profit.

1. Total parts = $5+6+3=14$.
2. 1 part = $2,80,000÷14=$ ₹20,000.
3. Second partner = $6\times 20,000=$ ₹1,20,000.

Trick: Find the value of 1 part first — every share is then a quick multiple.

Answer: (C) ₹1,20,000

Concept: Use the known piece to find the value of 1 part.

1. Pieces are 3k, 4k, 8k with $8k=40\Rightarrow k=5$.
2. Pieces: 15 cm, 20 cm, 40 cm.
3. Whole wire = $15+20+40=75$ cm.

Trick: Total = $40\times \frac{15}{8}=75$ — one line.

Answer: (C) 75 cm