Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Commission on Centre–State relations (1983–88), headed by Justice R. S. Sarkaria.

1. It suggested that the council of Art. 263 be made a standing body, backed by its own secretariat.
2. Acting on this, the Inter-State Council was set up in 1990.
3. Rajamannar Committee (1969) was set up by Tamil Nadu; Punchhi Commission came in 2007.

Yaad rakhein: Sarkaria → ISC (1990); Punchhi → second look at Centre–State ties (2007).

Answer: (B) Sarkaria Commission

Concept: Metals with high thermal conductivity transfer heat fast.

1. Copper is an excellent conductor of heat.
2. Flame heat is carried fast and uniformly across the whole bottom → no hot spots, food cooks uniformly.
3. Copper is not an insulator and has a high melting point (~1085 °C).

Yaad rakhein: Silver conducts heat best, then copper — but copper is cheaper, so it's used in utensils.

Answer: (C) Because copper conducts heat well and spreads it evenly while cooking

Concept: UCC = one civil law on personal matters for all citizens (Article 44, DPSP).

1. Personal matters — marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption — currently follow religion-based laws.
2. UCC aims to replace them with a single common code.
3. Criminal law is already common for all, so option A is wrong.

Yaad rakhein: Goa follows a common civil code; Uttarakhand passed its UCC law in 2024.

Answer: (C) To provide a single set of personal laws for all citizens, regardless of religion

Concept: AIF (2020) is a ₹1 lakh crore financing facility for farm infrastructure.

1. It gives loans with interest subvention and credit guarantee.
2. Purpose: post-harvest management — cold storage, warehouses, agri-logistics, processing units.
3. It is not a subsidy, cash-transfer or MGNREGA scheme.

Trick: 'Infrastructure' in the name → pick the option about storage/logistics facilities.

Answer: (B) Development of agri-logistics, cold storage, and warehousing facilities

Concept: IILB is a GIS portal showing industrial parks and available land.

1. It maps industrial land parcels with infrastructure details → A true.
2. It is managed by DPIIT (Ministry of Commerce & Industry), not the Ministry of Mines → R false.

Yaad rakhein: IILB is integrated with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.

Answer: (C) A is true, but R is false

Concept: GPI (Institute for Economics & Peace) measures peace in three domains.

1. The domains: Ongoing Conflict, Safety & Security, Militarisation.
2. Since 2008, global peacefulness has deteriorated overall — so A, B, D are wrong.
3. Conflict and Safety & Security worsened while Militarisation improved.

Yaad rakhein: Iceland has topped the GPI as the most peaceful country since 2008.

Answer: (C) The domains of "Ongoing Conflict" and "Safety & Security" have worsened, whereas "Militarisation" has shown improvement.

Concept: Adaptation money goes where climate risk hits livelihoods most.

1. Agriculture and water are the sectors most exposed to droughts, floods and erratic rain.
2. The updated SAPCCs gave Agriculture & Water Resources the largest adaptation share.
3. Transport and renewable energy are mainly mitigation sectors, not adaptation.

Trick: Adaptation → agriculture/water; Mitigation → energy/transport — eliminates A and C.

Answer: (D) Agriculture and Water Resources

Concept: India's textile sector covers the whole value chain.

1. India produces raw fibre (cotton, jute, silk) and also spins, weaves, processes and makes garments.
2. So it is largely self-reliant from fibre to finished goods.
3. It is also a major exporter, so A, B, D are wrong.

Yaad rakhein: India is the world's largest cotton and jute producer, second in silk.

Answer: (C) It is largely self-reliant across the entire value chain, from fiber to finished goods.

Concept: Article 263 lets the President set up an Inter-State Council for coordination.

1. Inter-State Council → Article 263 (formed 1990).
2. Article 262 → inter-state river water disputes.
3. Article 312 → All India Services.

Trick: 262 = water, 263 = council — remember 'water first, then talk'.

Answer: (A) Article 263

Concept: Troposphere = weather layer; stratosphere = ozone layer.

1. Clouds, rain, storms occur in the troposphere → 1 wrong.
2. Ozone is concentrated in the stratosphere (~15–35 km) → 2 wrong.
3. Both statements swap the layers.

Trick: Order upward: Tropo → Strato → Meso → Thermo → Exo — 'T S M T E'.

Answer: (D) Neither 1 nor 2

Concept: Here $x=\sqrt{2}+\sqrt{3}$, $y=\sqrt{6}+1$, $z=3\sqrt{2}+1$; compare using approximate roots.

1. $\sqrt{2}\approx 1.414$, $\sqrt{3}\approx 1.732\to x\approx 3.15$.
2. $\sqrt{6}\approx 2.449\to y\approx 3.45$.
3. $3\sqrt{2}\approx 4.24\to z\approx 5.24$.
4. So $x<y<z$.

Trick: Square x and y: $x^2=5+2\sqrt{6}\approx 9.9$, $y^2=7+2\sqrt{6}\approx 11.9$ $\to x<y$ instantly.

Answer: (A) x < y < z

Concept: Overall % change = sum of (share × % change of each part).

1. Take budget = 100 → parts 40, 30, 30.
2. Land: +8% of 40 = +3.2; Materials: +12% of 30 = +3.6; Labour: −15% of 30 = −4.5.
3. Net = $3.2+3.6-4.5=+2.3$ → 2.3% increase.

Trick: Weighted: $\frac{4\times 8+3\times 12-3\times 15}{10}=\frac{32+36-45}{10}=2.3\%$.

Answer: (C) 2.3% increase

Concept: Expression: $6-[\frac{3}{4}÷\{\frac{1}{5}+\frac{1}{2}\times (1-\frac{1}{3})\}]$; solve brackets from inside out.

1. $(1-\frac{1}{3})=\frac{2}{3}$; $\frac{1}{2}\times \frac{2}{3}=\frac{1}{3}$.
2. $\{\frac{1}{5}+\frac{1}{3}\}=\frac{8}{15}$.
3. $\frac{3}{4}÷\frac{8}{15}=\frac{3}{4}\times \frac{15}{8}=\frac{45}{32}$.
4. $6-\frac{45}{32}=\frac{192-45}{32}=\frac{147}{32}$.

Trick: Denominator must be 32 (from $4\times 8$) — leaves $\frac{157}{32}$ and $\frac{147}{32}$; $192-45=147$.

Answer: (C) $\frac{147}{32}$

Concept: Same time period → profit divides in ratio of investments.

1. 25000 : 35000 : 40000 = 5 : 7 : 8 (sum 20).
2. Kuldeep = $\frac{7}{20}\times 30000=$ ₹10,500.

Trick: 1 part = $30000÷20=1500$ → 7 parts = 10,500.

Answer: (D) ₹10,500

Concept: Profit ratio = capital × months, added for each period.

1. X: $48k\times 6+24k\times 6=72k\times 6$.
2. Y: $72k\times 6+96k\times 6=168k\times 6$.
3. X : Y = 72 : 168 = 3 : 7.
4. Y = $\frac{7}{10}\times 55000=$ ₹38,500.

Trick: Both periods are 6 months, so just add capitals: $X=48+24=72$, $Y=72+96=168$.

Answer: (C) ₹38,500

Concept: Average = total ÷ number of days.

1. Worker C: $220+230+215+225=890$.
2. Average = $890÷4=222.5$.

Trick: Deviation from 220: $0+10-5+5=10\to 220+\frac{10}{4}=222.5$.

Answer: (A) 222.5

Concept: Form one equation using the new total.

1. Let females = F, males $=25000-F$.
2. Net change = +250: $-0.05F+0.10(25000-F)=250$.
3. $2500-0.15F=250\to 0.15F=2250\to F=15,000$.

Trick: If all were male: +10% = 27,500. Each female reduces by 15%: $\frac{27500-25250}{0.15}=15,000$.

Answer: (C) 15,000

Concept: Write cost before and after the swap and use the 20% fall.

1. Standard price = p, premium = 2p; standard qty = S.
2. Original cost = 20p + Sp; after swap = 2Sp + 10p.
3. 2S + 10 = 0.8(20 + S) → 1.2S = 6 → S = 5.
4. Premium : Standard = 10 : 5 = 2 : 1.

Trick: Test option 2 : 1 → original 20 + 5 = 25, swapped 10 + 10 = 20 → 20% less ✓.

Answer: (A) 2 : 1

Concept: Find CP per item first, then the new SP per item.

1. SP per box = $3000÷15=$ ₹200.
2. CP = $200\times \frac{100}{125}=$ ₹160.
3. New SP at 10% = $160\times 1.1=$ ₹176.
4. Boxes = $2816÷176=16$.

Trick: $2816=176\times 16$ — check unit digit: $6\times 6=36$ → ends in 6 ✓.

Answer: (B) 16

Concept: Get each CP from SP and loss%, then compare average CP with SP.

1. Brand 1 CP = $150÷0.75=$ ₹200.
2. Brand 2 CP = $200÷0.80=$ ₹250.
3. Equal mix CP = $\frac{200+250}{2}=$ ₹225; SP = ₹175.
4. Loss = $\frac{50}{225}\times 100=22.22\%$.

Trick: SP 175 < both CPs → it must be a loss; $\frac{50}{225}=\frac{2}{9}=22.22\%$.

Answer: (A) Loss of 22.22%