Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Rewrite the expression with the new meanings of the signs, then simplify.

1. $75-5+4\times 8\to 75÷5\times 4+8$.
2. $75÷5=15$; $15\times 4=60$.
3. $60+8=68$.

Trick: Write the converted expression on paper first – most mistakes come from swapping signs mentally.

Answer: (A) 68

Concept: Each letter is written as its position number in the alphabet.

1. P = 16, E = 5, N = 14 → PEN = 16-5-14.
2. NEP: N = 14, E = 5, P = 16 → 14-5-16.

Trick: NEP is PEN reversed, so just reverse the code: 16-5-14 → 14-5-16.

Answer: (A) 14-5-16

Concept: Find the shift from TABLE → UBCMF, then apply it again to UBCMF.

1. T→U, A→B, B→C, L→M, E→F: every letter +1.
2. UBCMF +1: U→V, B→C, C→D, M→N, F→G.
3. Code = VCDNG.

Trick: Applying +1 twice = TABLE +2: T+2 = V, E+2 = G – check first and last letters only.

Answer: (A) VCDNG

Concept: Build a family tree from the statements; read 'his' with the latest male mentioned (R).

1. P and Q are a married pair; R is P's brother.
2. Q is daughter-in-law of widow U → U is mother of P and R.
3. 'S is his only son' refers to R; T is S's sister → T is also R's child.
4. So T is R's daughter.

Trick: Check gender words: T is a 'sister', so T is female – a child of R who is female = daughter.

Answer: (B) Daughter

Concept: Pattern: multiply by n and add n (n = 1, 2, 3, 4…).

1. 2 → 3 (×1, +1) ✓; 3 → 8 (×2, +2) ✓; 8 → 27 (×3, +3) ✓
2. Next: 27 → (×4, +4) should give 112.
3. The series has 111 instead, so 111 is the wrong term.

Trick: Whenever ×1, ×2, ×3 shows up, check if the same number is also being added.

Answer: (C) 111

Concept: Full forms of ISRO's launch vehicles.

1. PSLV = Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, ISRO's reliable 'workhorse' rocket.
2. It is designed to place satellites in polar / sun-synchronous orbits; it also launched Chandrayaan-1 (2008) and Mangalyaan (2013).

Yaad rakhein: GSLV = Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle – used for heavier satellites to geosynchronous orbit.

Answer: (A) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle

Concept: Each BIMSTEC member leads one or more cooperation sectors.

1. India is the lead country for Energy (also Security, and Transport & Connectivity).
2. The BIMSTEC Energy Centre is set up in Bengaluru, India.

Yaad rakhein: BIMSTEC has 7 members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand – Maldives is not a member.

Answer: (A) India

Concept: Know what each Digital India platform does.

1. UMANG gives one mobile app for many central, state and local government services (PF, gas booking, bill payment etc.).
2. DigiLocker only stores/verifies documents; MyGov is for citizen participation; NeGP is a policy plan, not a platform.

Trick: UMANG = Unified – the word 'unified' itself signals 'single platform'.

Answer: (B) UMANG — Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance

Concept: Sport-specific terminology.

1. Tennis has four Grand Slam (major) tournaments: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open.
2. Winning all four in one calendar year is called a calendar Grand Slam.

Yaad rakhein: Order in a year: Australia (Jan) → French (May–Jun) → Wimbledon (Jun–Jul) → US (Aug–Sep). Only Wimbledon is on grass.

Answer: (C) Tennis

Concept: Facts about the first edition of the IWL (2016-17).

1. The IWL is run by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
2. The inaugural final (2017) was played in New Delhi; Eastern Sporting Union of Manipur became the first champion.

Yaad rakhein: IWL = top women's football league of India, started 2016-17 by AIFF.

Answer: (C) New Delhi

Concept: Regional festivals and their states.

1. Phool Dei is a spring festival of Uttarakhand, celebrated mainly in the Kumaon (and Garhwal) hills.
2. On the first day of Chaitra, children put flowers and rice at the doorsteps of homes and receive blessings and gifts.

Trick: 'Phool' = flower → flower festival of the hills → Kumaon, Uttarakhand.

Answer: (C) Kumaon Hills

Concept: BNSS 2023 (replaced CrPC from 1 July 2024) uses technology and time limits to speed up justice.

1. It permits audio-video recording of statements, search and seizure, and electronic trial steps – this saves time.
2. Banning counsel, removing judges or allowing late charge-sheets go against fair and fast trial – so rejected.

Yaad rakhein: Three new laws: BNS (replaced IPC), BNSS (CrPC), BSA (Evidence Act).

Answer: (B) Video recording of statements

Concept: Current affairs – first women in top posts.

1. Anju Rathi Rana became Union Law Secretary (Department of Legal Affairs) – the first woman in this post.
2. Rekha Gupta, Atishi and Shelly Oberoi are Delhi politicians (CM / ex-CM / ex-Mayor), not civil service officers.

Trick: Eliminate politicians: a 'Secretary' is a bureaucratic post, so the only non-politician name is the answer.

Answer: (C) Anju Rathi Rana

Concept: Rain falls when moist winds strike a coast/mountain; parallel winds give little rain.

1. The Bay of Bengal branch of the SW monsoon blows almost parallel to the Tamil Nadu coast, so it does not shed much rain there.
2. The Arabian Sea branch drops its moisture on the windward Western Ghats; Tamil Nadu lies on the leeward (rain-shadow) side.
3. Tamil Nadu gets most rain in Oct–Dec from the NE (retreating) monsoon.

Yaad rakhein: Same reason explains dry western Rajasthan: Arabian Sea winds run parallel to the Aravallis.

Answer: (A) The monsoon winds from the Bay of Bengal run nearly parallel to this coast, reducing the rain-bearing effect

Concept: Ashokan pillars show Achaemenid (Persian) court-art features.

1. Monumental, realistic animal capitals (e.g. Sarnath Lion Capital) and the mirror-like polish of the stone reflect Persian influence.
2. Terracotta and religious deities are local features, not Persian.

Yaad rakhein: Bell-shaped (inverted lotus) capital + high polish + monumental realism = Achaemenid touch.

Answer: (B) Strong, monumental realism in sculptural forms

Concept: Gupta kings were Vaishnavas and used Vaishnava titles.

1. 'Bhagavata' means devotee of Vishnu (Bhagavan); 'Parama-bhagavata' = supreme devotee of Vishnu.
2. The title appears on Gupta coins and inscriptions; Garuda was their royal emblem.

Trick: Bhagavata → Vishnu; Maheshvara/Parama-maheshvara → Shiva.

Answer: (C) Paramabhagavata

Concept: Place each event on a timeline.

1. Sher Shah ruled 1540–45 and rebuilt the Grand Trunk Road (Sadak-e-Azam) → event 2.
2. Humayun regained Delhi in 1555 and died in January 1556 → event 1.
3. Akbar was crowned at Kalanaur in February 1556 → event 3.

Trick: Sher Shah's rule falls between Humayun's two reigns, so Sher Shah comes first, then Humayun's death, then Akbar.

Answer: (B) 2-1-3

Concept: First British Act to regulate the East India Company in India.

1. The Governor of Bengal became Governor-General of Bengal (Warren Hastings first).
2. He had an Executive Council of 4 members; decisions by majority.
3. It also set up the Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774).

Yaad rakhein: 1773 = council of 4; first Governor-General = Warren Hastings; Supreme Court at Calcutta.

Answer: (B) Four

Concept: Olympic host cities and India's milestone medals.

1. 2004 Summer Olympics were held in Athens, Greece.
2. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won silver in men's double trap – India's first Olympic shooting medal and first individual silver.

Yaad rakhein: Hosts: 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing (Abhinav Bindra – first individual gold).

Answer: (C) Athens, Greece

Concept: Theme of a literary work.

1. Friend of My Youth (2017) is a novel by Amit Chaudhuri set mainly in Bombay.
2. It weaves memory, friendship, family and personal identity – not history, travel writing or biography.

Yaad rakhein: Amit Chaudhuri's other notable works: A Strange and Sublime Address, Afternoon Raag, The Immortals.

Answer: (D) A collection of interconnected narratives reflecting Indian family life and identity