Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Union Budget 2025-26 announcement.

Solution:

1. 'Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses' is a 6-year mission.
2. Focus pulses: tur (arhar), urad and masoor; NAFED and NCCF to procure from farmers.

Trick: Pulses mission = 6 years, 3 dals (tur, urad, masoor).

Answer: (D) 6

Concept: FI-Index is a central bank measure.

Solution:

1. The Financial Inclusion Index is published annually by the Reserve Bank of India.
2. Scale 0–100; sub-indices: Access, Usage, Quality. March 2025 value: 67.0.

Yaad rakhein: FI-Index = RBI; Digital Payments Index (RPI-DPI) is also RBI.

Answer: (A) Reserve Bank of India

Concept: Statistical publications come from the statistics ministry.

Solution:

1. 'EnviStats India 2024: Environment Accounts' was released by MoSPI.
2. It follows the UN SEEA framework of environmental-economic accounting.

Trick: Any 'Stats' report (EnviStats, Women and Men in India, PLFS, IIP) → MoSPI.

Answer: (A) Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation

Concept: The world's only floating national park.

Solution:

1. Keibul Lamjao lies on Loktak Lake, Manipur.
2. It floats on 'phumdis' – floating mats of vegetation and soil.
3. Home of the Sangai (brow-antlered/dancing deer), Manipur's state animal.

Yaad rakhein: Loktak – Phumdi – Sangai – Manipur: remember as one chain.

Answer: (B) Manipur

Concept: Some ragas are named after the region they come from.

Solution:

1. 'Gurjari' comes from 'Gurjara' – the old name of the Gujarat region.
2. Rajasthan's regional raga is Maand, not Gurjari.

Trick: Name clue: Gurjari ↔ Gurjar-desh ↔ Gujarat; Sorath ↔ Saurashtra.

Answer: (B) Gujarat

Concept: Cities of Delhi built by Sultans.

Solution:

1. Tughlaqabad was built by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (founder of the Tughlaq dynasty, 1320).
2. Iltutmish and Balban were Slave dynasty rulers; Sher Shah Suri came much later.

Trick: Siri – Alauddin Khalji; Tughlaqabad – Ghiyasuddin; Jahanpanah – Muhammad bin Tughlaq; Ferozabad – Firoz Shah.

Answer: (B) Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq

Concept: Folk dances of Gujarat linked to communities.

Solution:

1. Manjira Nritya is performed by the Padhar community, who live near Nal Sarovar.
2. Dancers play manjiras (small cymbals); the movements copy boat-rowing.

Yaad rakhein: Gujarat dances: Garba, Dandiya Raas, Tippani (Saurashtra women), Padhar/Manjira (Nal Sarovar), Siddi Dhamal.

Answer: (B) Padhaar community

Concept: Farm-tech news of February 2025.

Solution:

1. IIT Kanpur developed a solar dehydration technology for farmers.
2. It dries fruits and vegetables using sunlight, so produce lasts longer and post-harvest loss falls.

Yaad rakhein: Dehydration removes moisture, stopping microbial growth – no cold storage needed.

Answer: (B) IIT Kanpur

Concept: India's first reusable hybrid rocket.

Solution:

1. RHUMI-1 was built by Chennai start-up Space Zone India with the Martin Group.
2. Launched in August 2024 from near Chennai (Thiruvidanthai).

Yaad rakhein: Hybrid rocket = solid fuel + liquid oxidiser. Agnikul (Agnibaan) is another Chennai start-up – don't mix them.

Answer: (C) Space Zone India

Concept: Committees on poverty estimation.

Solution:

1. The Planning Commission set up the Rangarajan Expert Group in 2012; it reported in 2014.
2. It estimated 2011-12 poverty at 29.5% (Tendulkar method gave 21.9%).

Yaad rakhein: Order: Lakdawala (1989) → Tendulkar (2005) → Rangarajan (2012).

Answer: (B) 2012

Concept: British annexations in the 1840s.

Solution:

1. Charles Napier defeated the Amirs of Sindh (Battle of Miani) and Sindh was annexed in 1843.
2. Governor-General then: Lord Ellenborough.

Trick: Sindh 1843 → Punjab 1849 → Awadh 1856 (one step at a time towards the north-west and north).

Answer: (D) 1843

Concept: SEBI rules for market intermediaries came right after the SEBI Act.

Solution:

1. SEBI (Underwriters) Regulations were issued in 1993.
2. Underwriters guarantee to buy the unsubscribed part of a public issue.

Yaad rakhein: SEBI set up 1988, statutory 1992 (SEBI Act); underwriter rules 1993.

Answer: (C) 1993

Concept: Petroleum occurs in sedimentary rocks – both on land and offshore.

Solution:

1. I ✔: Assam basins – Digboi, Naharkatiya, Moran.
2. II ✔: Arabian Sea offshore – Mumbai High, India's largest oil field.
3. Both are correct.

Yaad rakhein: Digboi (1889) = Asia's earliest oil well; Mumbai High found in 1974.

Answer: (C) Both I and II

Concept: The First Plan was mostly project-based; real model-based planning came later.

Solution:

1. The Second Plan (1956–61) used the Mahalanobis model with focus on heavy industry.
2. Hence it is seen as the start of planning in the true sense.

Yaad rakhein: Bhilai, Rourkela, Durgapur steel plants = Second Plan.

Answer: (B) Second

Concept: The Janata government's 1977 policy shifted focus to small and rural industry.

Solution:

1. I ✔: decentralisation – industry spread to small towns and villages.
2. II ✔: priority to small-scale, cottage and tiny units; District Industries Centres set up.

Yaad rakhein: 1977 policy = Janata Party + George Fernandes + DICs.

Answer: (C) Both I and II

Concept: Physical factors strongly decide where people live.

Solution:

1. Topography ✔: plains attract dense settlement; rugged mountains have few people.
2. Climate ✔: moderate climates are crowded; very hot, cold or dry lands are sparse.

Yaad rakhein: Population factors: geographical (relief, climate, water, soil), economic, social-cultural.

Answer: (C) Both I and II

Concept: Push factors force people out of the origin; pull factors attract them to the destination.

Solution:

1. Poor living conditions, political turmoil, unemployment → push.
2. Better job opportunities → pull factor.

Trick: Positive word ('better', 'more', 'higher') = pull; negative problem = push.

Answer: (B) Better job opportunities

Concept: Water rises in xylem mainly due to transpiration pull in daytime.

Solution:

1. Water evaporates from leaves through open stomata, creating tension in the xylem.
2. Cohesion and adhesion keep the water column continuous, so it is pulled up.
3. Root pressure is weak and mostly works at night.

Trick: Day = transpiration pull; night = root pressure (shows as guttation).

Answer: (C) Transpiration pull

Concept: Growth hormone (somatotropin) is secreted by the anterior pituitary.

Solution:

1. It controls growth of bones and muscles and overall body development.
2. Thyroid activity → TSH; insulin → pancreas; water balance → ADH.

Yaad rakhein: Less GH in childhood → dwarfism; excess → gigantism; excess in adults → acromegaly.

Answer: (C) Regulates growth and development of the body

Concept: Four Buddhist councils, their kings and places.

Solution:

1. Second Council: Vaishali, c. 383 BC, under Kalashoka (Shishunaga dynasty).
2. It led to the split into Sthaviravadins and Mahasanghikas.
3. Ashoka is linked to the Third Council (Pataliputra).

Trick: Kings in order: Ajatashatru → Kalashoka → Ashoka → Kanishka (Rajgir → Vaishali → Pataliputra → Kashmir).

Answer: (C) Kalashoka