Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Literacy rate is calculated for the population aged 7 years and above.

1. The final Census 2011 literacy rate of India is $72.98\%$ (provisional figure was about $74\%$).
2. Male literacy was about $80.9\%$ and female literacy about $64.6\%$ (final data).
3. $65.46\%$ is close to the female literacy (provisional) and $82.14\%$ to the male literacy (provisional) – these are traps.

Yaad rakhein: Census 2011 final: India about $73\%$; Kerala highest, Bihar lowest.

Answer: (D) $72.98\%$

Concept: The RBI Act, 1934 was amended in 2016 (Section 45ZB) to create a statutory Monetary Policy Committee.

1. The MPC has 6 members: 3 from RBI (Governor as chairperson, a Deputy Governor, one officer) and 3 external members appointed by the Central Government.
2. External members hold office for 4 years; quorum is 4 members.
3. In a tie, the Governor has a casting vote. The MPC sets the policy repo rate to keep CPI inflation at $4\%\pm 2\%$.

Yaad rakhein: MPC = 3 + 3 = 6; Governor has the casting vote.

Answer: (A) 6

Concept: The five-year plans had four goals: growth, modernisation, self-reliance and equity.

1. Growth means an increase in the country's capacity to produce output of goods and services – a larger stock of capital, banking, transport etc., measured by GDP.
2. Option (C) describes self-reliance, and option (A) describes equity.
3. Improvement in education and health relates to welfare/human development, not the plan meaning of growth.

Yaad rakhein: Four plan goals – G-M-S-E: Growth, Modernisation, Self-reliance, Equity.

Answer: (D) increase in the country’s capacity to produce the output of goods and services within the country

Concept: The number of protons in an atom equals its atomic number $Z$.

1. Beryllium (Be) has atomic number $Z=4$, so it has 4 protons.
2. A neutral Be atom also has 4 electrons (configuration 2, 2); the common isotope Be-9 has $9-4=5$ neutrons.
3. 1, 2, 3 protons correspond to H, He and Li respectively.

Yaad rakhein: H, He, Li, Be, B → $Z$ = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Answer: (B) 4

Concept: Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 (Belur, near Kolkata) in the name of his guru Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

1. Its aim was social service – education, health care, relief work – along with spreading Vedanta.
2. Vivekananda addressed the Parliament of World's Religions at Chicago in 1893.
3. Debendranath Tagore led the Brahmo Samaj (Tattvabodhini Sabha); Vidyasagar championed widow remarriage; Aurobindo founded an ashram at Pondicherry.

Yaad rakhein: Ramakrishna Mission – 1897 – Vivekananda – Belur Math.

Answer: (B) Swami Vivekananda

Concept: India follows a functional separation among the three organs, combined with checks and balances, rather than a rigid separation of powers.

1. Statement 1 correct: the three major organs are Legislature, Executive and Judiciary.
2. Statement 2 correct: India has separation of functions rather than powers (e.g. the executive is part of and responsible to the legislature).
3. Statement 3 incorrect: the organs are not fully independent – they are interdependent (judicial review, impeachment, ordinances etc.); only the judiciary is independent.

Yaad rakhein: Indian model = separation of functions + checks and balances; parliamentary system means executive inside the legislature.

Answer: (C) 1 and 2 only

Concept: Janmashtami (Krishna Janmashtami / Gokulashtami) celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu.

1. It falls on the Ashtami (8th day) of Krishna Paksha in Bhadrapada; Krishna was born at midnight in Mathura.
2. Dahi Handi is a popular custom, especially in Maharashtra.
3. Navratri honours Goddess Durga; Diwali marks Rama's return to Ayodhya; Ganesh Chaturthi is Lord Ganesha's birth.

Yaad rakhein: Janma (birth) + Ashtami (8th day) = Janmashtami.

Answer: (A) Janmashtami

Concept: Dronacharya Award is a sports award, given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to outstanding coaches (since 1985).

1. Kalidas Samman (Madhya Pradesh Government) honours classical music, dance, theatre and plastic arts.
2. Sangeet Natak Akademi Award is India's national honour for performing artists in music, dance and drama.
3. Mahari Award is associated with Odissi dance (named after the Mahari temple dancers of Odisha).

Yaad rakhein: Dronacharya – sports coaches; Arjuna – sportspersons; Khel Ratna – highest sports honour.

Answer: (C) Dronacharya Award

Concept: In a longitudinal wave the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction in which the wave travels.

1. Sound in air is longitudinal: it travels as compressions and rarefactions.
2. In a transverse wave (light, waves on a string) particles move perpendicular to the direction of travel.
3. 'Mechanical' and 'electromagnetic' describe whether a medium is needed, not the direction of vibration.

Yaad rakhein: Longitudinal = along (parallel); Transverse = across (perpendicular).

Answer: (D) Longitudinal wave

Concept: Sangeeta Majumdar is a Kathak dancer and choreographer, trained in the Jaipur and Lucknow traditions.

1. She was felicitated by Casa de la India, Spain, for her contribution to Kathak and its promotion abroad.
2. Kathak is the classical dance of North India, known for chakkars (spins) and tatkaar (footwork).
3. Mohiniyattam is from Kerala, Bharatanatyam from Tamil Nadu and Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh.

Yaad rakhein: Kathak – North India – spins and footwork; gharanas: Lucknow, Jaipur, Banaras.

Answer: (A) Kathak

Concept: India has a long coastline with major ports administered by the Union (Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways) and non-major ports under State governments.

1. There are 12 major ports on the mainland, and Port Blair (Andaman) was notified as the 13th major port in 2010 – giving 13.
2. West coast: Deendayal (Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin; East coast: Kolkata–Haldia, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Kamarajar (Ennore), V.O. Chidambaranar (Tuticorin).
3. There are also about 200 non-major ports.

Yaad rakhein: Major ports – Union List; non-major (minor) ports – State governments.

Answer: (A) 13

Concept: The Arjuna Award (instituted 1961) is given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for outstanding performance in sports over the previous four years.

1. Besides performance, the awardee must show qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline.
2. Dronacharya Award – for coaches; Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar – for organisations/corporates promoting sport.
3. MAKA Trophy – to the overall top university in inter-university sports.

Yaad rakhein: Arjuna – players (4-year performance); Dronacharya – coaches; Dhyan Chand – lifetime.

Answer: (A) Arjuna Awards

Concept: Sattriya was introduced in the 15th century by the Vaishnava saint Srimanta Sankardev of Assam.

1. It developed in the Sattras (Vaishnava monasteries) as a part of the Ankiya Naat (one-act plays).
2. Sangeet Natak Akademi recognised it as a classical dance in 2000.
3. Manipuri is from Manipur, Odissi from Odisha and Kathak from North India.

Yaad rakhein: Sankardev → Sattra → Sattriya (Assam), classical status in 2000.

Answer: (C) Sattriya

Concept: The 1991 crisis was a balance-of-payments crisis caused by fiscal imbalance, high inflation and very low foreign exchange reserves.

1. High fiscal deficit and rising government debt – a factor.
2. Inflation was high (double digit) – a factor.
3. Foreign reserves fell to barely two weeks of imports – a factor. Stagflation (stagnant growth with inflation) is not listed among the causes of the 1991 reforms.

Yaad rakhein: 1991 crisis = BoP crisis → LPG reforms (Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation) under Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh.

Answer: (D) There was stagflation in the economy.

Concept: Article 50 is a Directive Principle (Part IV) directing the State to separate the judiciary from the executive in the public services of the State.

1. The aim is to secure the independence of the judiciary.
2. Reservation of seats in Lok Sabha/Assemblies – Articles 330, 332; right to elementary education – Article 21A (and 45 for early childhood).
3. Appointment of Governor – Article 155.

Yaad rakhein: Art. 48 – cow & agriculture, 48A – environment, 49 – monuments, 50 – judiciary separate, 51 – international peace.

Answer: (B) separation of judiciary from executive

Concept: Diet strongly affects blood pressure; excess sodium and unhealthy fats are the main dietary causes of hypertension.

1. High salt (sodium) makes the body retain water, increasing blood volume and pressure.
2. Excess sugar and saturated/trans fats lead to obesity and plaque (atherosclerosis) that narrows arteries.
3. Low-salt, high-fibre and adequate-protein foods help keep blood pressure normal.

Yaad rakhein: DASH diet for hypertension: less salt, sugar and fat; more fruits, vegetables and fibre.

Answer: (D) Food high in salt, sugar and saturated or trans fats

Concept: The Government of India Act 1919 (Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms) introduced bicameralism at the Centre: Council of State (upper house) and Central Legislative Assembly (lower house).

1. Council of State: 60 members – 34 elected and 26 nominated; tenure 5 years.
2. Central Legislative Assembly: 145 members – 104 elected and 41 nominated; tenure 3 years.
3. The Act also introduced dyarchy in the provinces.

Yaad rakhein: 1919: Council of State 60 (34 + 26); Legislative Assembly 145 (104 + 41).

Answer: (D) 60

Concept: At the Tokyo Olympics 2020 (held in 2021), Australian swimmer Emma McKeon won 7 medals – 4 gold and 3 bronze.

1. She became the first female swimmer, and only the second woman ever (after gymnast Maria Gorokhovskaya, 1952), to win seven medals at a single Olympics.
2. Her golds included the 50 m and 100 m freestyle.
3. Kylie Masse (Canada) and Regan Smith (USA) are backstrokers who won fewer medals.

Yaad rakhein: Tokyo 2020 – Emma McKeon (Australia) – 7 medals (4 gold + 3 bronze).

Answer: (D) Emma McKeon

Concept: The south-west monsoon, its branches, breaks and associated cloudbursts belong to the monsoon season; western disturbances are winter phenomena.

1. Arabian Sea branch – one of the two branches of the south-west monsoon.
2. Break in monsoon – dry spells during the monsoon season when the trough shifts.
3. Cloudbursts – sudden very heavy rain, common in the Himalaya during the monsoon. Western disturbances are extra-tropical cyclones from the Mediterranean that bring winter rain/snow to north-west India – not related to the monsoon.

Yaad rakhein: Western disturbance = winter rain in Punjab/Haryana (good for rabi wheat), brought by westerly jet stream.

Answer: (D) Western disturbance

Concept: C. Subramaniam, Union Agriculture Minister (1964–67), was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1998, chiefly for his role in the Green Revolution.

1. He introduced high-yielding variety seeds and fertiliser policies with M.S. Swaminathan and Norman Borlaug's support.
2. APJ Abdul Kalam (1997) – missile and space programmes; G.B. Pant (1957) – freedom fighter and first CM of UP; P.V. Kane (1963) – Sanskrit scholar.
3. M.S. Swaminathan was also given the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 2024.

Yaad rakhein: Green Revolution: Politician – C. Subramaniam; Scientist – M.S. Swaminathan; World – Norman Borlaug.

Answer: (B) C Subramaniam