Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: India's first female Olympic medal came in weightlifting at Sydney 2000.

1. Karnam Malleswari won bronze (69 kg) at Sydney 2000 ✓
2. Sakshi Malik – first Indian woman wrestler with an Olympic medal (Rio 2016).
3. Anju Bobby George's medal was at the World Championships (2003); Dipa Karmakar finished 4th at Rio.

Yaad rakhein: Malleswari is called 'The Iron Lady'; Sydney 2000 was the first Olympics with women's weightlifting.

Answer: (D) Karnam Malleswari

Concept: Foreign civilian honours to PM Modi in 2025.

1. In July 2025 PM Modi visited Ghana (first stop of a five-nation tour).
2. Ghana conferred 'Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana' on him.
3. It was the first Indian PM visit to Ghana in about three decades.

Yaad rakhein: Ghana's capital is Accra; the 'Order of the Star' is Ghana's national honour.

Answer: (B) Ghana

Concept: Governor = constitutional head of a state (Art. 153), appointed by the President (Art. 155).

1. After Raghubar Das resigned, Hari Babu Kambhampati (then Governor of Mizoram) was moved to Odisha.
2. He took oath on 31 December 2024 ✓

Yaad rakhein: Governor holds office during the pleasure of the President (Art. 156); minimum age 35.

Answer: (C) Hari Babu Kambhampati

Concept: Passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill through Parliament.

1. Lok Sabha passed it on 3 April 2025; Rajya Sabha on 4 April 2025 → April ✓
2. President's assent followed on 5 April 2025.

Yaad rakhein: The Act was renamed UMEED (Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development) Act.

Answer: (B) April

Concept: Budget 2025-26 schemes for agriculture.

1. The Rural Prosperity and Resilience Programme targets under-employment in farming through skilling, technology and investment ✓
2. It is to be run with states, focusing on rural women, young farmers, landless and marginal farmers.

Yaad rakhein: Same budget also announced PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (100 low-productivity districts) and a Makhana Board for Bihar.

Answer: (B) Rural Prosperity and Resilience Programme

Concept: FHI ranks major states on fiscal performance.

1. The first FHI was released by NITI Aayog in January 2025 ✓
2. It covers 18 major states; Odisha ranked first.
3. CAG only provides audited data; RBI and Finance Ministry did not publish it.

Yaad rakhein: NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission on 1 January 2015; PM is its chairperson.

Answer: (A) NITI Aayog

Concept: Trophy for the overall champion team of the National Games.

1. At the 38th National Games (Uttarakhand, Jan–Feb 2025), Services Sports Control Board topped the table ✓
2. Ranking is by gold medals, so Services won it even though Maharashtra had more total medals.

Yaad rakhein: 38th National Games mascot: 'Mauli', based on the Himalayan Monal (Uttarakhand's state bird).

Answer: (C) Services Sports Control Board

Concept: Both are cleansing practices of Hatha Yoga.

1. Kapalbhati: rapid forceful exhalations — one of the six Shatkarmas.
2. Agnisara: repeated pulling in and pushing out of the abdomen after exhaling; stimulates digestion ('agni' = fire).

Yaad rakhein: Six Shatkarmas: Dhauti, Basti, Neti, Trataka, Nauli, Kapalbhati. International Yoga Day = 21 June.

Answer: (C) Both I and II

Concept: Olympic debut years of sports.

1. Table tennis became an Olympic medal sport at Seoul 1988 ✓
2. Berlin was 1936, Beijing 2008, Tokyo 1964/2020 — all after or unrelated to its debut.

Yaad rakhein: Badminton debuted at Barcelona 1992; tennis returned to the Olympics also at Seoul 1988.

Answer: (A) Seoul Olympics

Concept: Recognise Indian deer by coat and antlers.

1. Reddish-brown coat with white spots throughout life = Chital (spotted deer) ✓
2. Sambar: large, dark brown, no spots; Barasingha: many-tined antlers, swamp deer; Nilgiri tahr: wild goat with horns, not antlers.

Yaad rakhein: Barasingha is the state animal of Madhya Pradesh; Nilgiri tahr is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.

Answer: (D) Chital

Concept: Hindi novels and Sahitya Akademi Awards.

1. Kamleshwar wrote 'Kitne Pakistan' and won the Sahitya Akademi Award (2003) ✓
2. Krishna Sobti – 'Zindaginama'; Amrita Pritam – Punjabi poet ('Pinjar'); Bhisham Sahni – 'Tamas'.

Yaad rakhein: Kamleshwar was a leading figure of the 'Nayi Kahani' movement along with Mohan Rakesh and Rajendra Yadav.

Answer: (A) Kamleshwar

Concept: Raas Leela depicts Krishna's life with Radha and the gopis in Braj.

1. Staged especially on Janmashtami (Krishna's birth) in Mathura–Vrindavan ✓
2. Diwali – Rama's return; Holi – colours (Braj also has Lathmar Holi); Raksha Bandhan – sibling bond.

Yaad rakhein: Manipuri dance also has a famous Raas Leela tradition.

Answer: (C) Janmashtami

Concept: Monolithic rock-cut temples of Tamil Nadu.

1. The Pancha Rathas at Mahabalipuram were carved under the Pallavas (7th century) ✓
2. Mainly under Narasimhavarman I 'Mamalla' — hence the name Mamallapuram.
3. Rashtrakutas – Kailasa temple, Ellora; Hoysalas – Belur/Halebidu.

Yaad rakhein: Mahabalipuram group is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1984); Shore Temple was built by Narasimhavarman II (Rajasimha).

Answer: (B) Pallavas

Concept: Indigenous space-grade 32-bit microprocessors (2025).

1. Developed by ISRO — designed at VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram ✓
2. Fabricated at the Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh.
3. Meant for launch-vehicle avionics, not defence (DRDO) or aircraft (HAL).

Yaad rakhein: ISRO HQ: Bengaluru; founded 1969; VSSC is named after Vikram Sarabhai.

Answer: (C) Indian Space Research Organisation

Concept: Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) stores off-peak power for peak hours.

1. The 20 MW / 40 MWh BESS was inaugurated in May 2025 at the Kilokari substation, Delhi ✓
2. Set up by BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd — India's first utility-scale standalone BESS.

Yaad rakhein: BESS helps integrate solar/wind power by storing it and releasing it during peak demand.

Answer: (C) Delhi

Concept: Match wars with their ending treaties.

1. First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–82) ended with the Treaty of Salbai (1782) ✓
2. Mahadji Scindia mediated; Madhavrao II recognised as Peshwa.
3. Seringapatam (1792) – 3rd Anglo-Mysore War; Lahore (1846) – 1st Anglo-Sikh War.

Yaad rakhein: Treaty of Surat (1775) began the war; 2nd Anglo-Maratha War – Treaty of Bassein (1802) led to it.

Answer: (C) Treaty of Salbai

Concept: Governor addresses the state legislature at specified sessions.

1. Art. 176: special address at the first session after each general election and the first session of each year ✓
2. Art. 167: CM's duty to inform the Governor; Art. 178: Speaker and Deputy Speaker; Art. 179: their vacation/removal.

Yaad rakhein: Union counterpart: Article 87 — special address by the President.

Answer: (B) Article 176

Concept: Committees on small and village industries.

1. The Karve Committee (Village and Small-Scale Industries Committee) was set up in 1955 by the Planning Commission ✓
2. Chaired by D. G. Karve; it shaped small-industry policy for the Second Five-Year Plan.

Yaad rakhein: Abid Hussain Committee (1997) also dealt with small-scale industries.

Answer: (C) 1955

Concept: A parasite feeds on a living host; a saprophyte feeds on dead/decaying matter.

1. Ticks and lice suck blood from the host's surface (ectoparasites).
2. Tapeworm lives in the host's intestine (endoparasite).
3. Yeast is a fungus that is saprophytic — not a parasite ✓

Yaad rakhein: Yeast also performs fermentation, converting sugar to ethanol and CO₂ (used in bread and alcohol).

Answer: (D) Yeast

Concept: Anthropology = study of humans: culture, society and evolution.

1. Anthropologists study human cultures, social structures and evolution over time ✓
2. Sociologists – modern society/institutions; archaeobotanists – ancient plant remains; zoologists – animals.

Yaad rakhein: 'Anthropos' (Greek) = human; 'logos' = study.

Answer: (C) Anthropologists