Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Yahya bin Ahmad Sirhindi wrote Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi during the reign of Mubarak Shah of the Sayyid dynasty.

1. The Sayyid dynasty (1414–1451) was founded by Khizr Khan.
2. Sirhindi claims Khizr Khan was a 'Sayyid', i.e., a descendant of Prophet Muhammad – hence the dynasty's name.

Yaad rakhein: Sayyid = descendant of the Prophet → Sayyid dynasty, founder Khizr Khan.

Answer: (A) Sayyid

Concept: The suffix of an organic compound's name shows its family: -ane (alkane), -ene (alkene), -yne (alkyne), -al (aldehyde).

1. Alkanes → Ethane (i).
2. Alkenes → Propene (iii).
3. Alkynes → Butyne (ii); Aldehyde → Methanal (iv).
4. So a-i, b-iii, c-ii, d-iv.

Yaad rakhein: Look only at the ending: -ane, -ene, -yne, -al.

Answer: (A) a-i, b-iii, c-ii, d-iv

Concept: Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh founded the Grameen Bank and pioneered microcredit for the poor.

1. He and the Grameen Bank jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.
2. The prize honoured their efforts to create economic and social development from below.

Yaad rakhein: Yunus + Grameen Bank – Peace Nobel 2006.

Answer: (B) 2006

Concept: The ICC announced hosts for its 2024–2031 events in November 2021.

1. India will co-host the 2031 ICC Men's ODI World Cup with Bangladesh.
2. The 2027 ODI World Cup goes to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; India hosted the 2023 edition and co-hosts the 2026 T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka.

Yaad rakhein: ODI WC: 2023 India → 2027 South Africa → 2031 India–Bangladesh.

Answer: (A) 2031

Concept: Mendeleev left gaps for undiscovered elements and named them eka-boron, eka-aluminium and eka-silicon.

1. Eka-aluminium's predicted properties matched Gallium (discovered 1875).
2. Eka-silicon = Germanium, eka-boron = Scandium; Titanium was already known.

Yaad rakhein: Eka-B → Sc, Eka-Al → Ga, Eka-Si → Ge.

Answer: (C) Gallium

Concept: The Industrial Policy Resolution was adopted on 30 April 1956.

1. The 2nd Five-Year Plan (1956–61), based on the Mahalanobis model, began the same year and stressed heavy industry.
2. The 1956 resolution supported this plan by reserving key industries for the public sector (Schedule A).

Yaad rakhein: IPR 1956 = 2nd Plan = Mahalanobis = heavy industries.

Answer: (C) 2^nd Five-Year Plan

Concept: Tarangam is a famous item of Kuchipudi, the classical dance of Andhra Pradesh.

1. In Tarangam the dancer performs on the rim of a brass plate, often with a pot of water on the head; a recital is usually concluded with it.
2. Kathakali (Kerala), Odissi and Sattriya (Assam) do not have Tarangam.

Yaad rakhein: Brass plate dance → Kuchipudi (Tarangam).

Answer: (A) Kuchipudi

Concept: Financial intermediaries (banks, DFIs, merchant bankers, stock exchanges) channel savers' money to borrowers.

1. Bank loans and DFI loans are given through intermediaries; a public equity offering needs merchant bankers, brokers and exchanges.
2. Family funds come directly from relatives or the owner's own savings, so no intermediary is needed.

Yaad rakhein: Direct money from family/owner = no middleman.

Answer: (B) Family funds

Concept: Holi is celebrated on the full-moon day (Purnima) of the month of Phalguna, in spring.

1. People throw coloured powder (gulal) and coloured water on each other, so it is called the festival of colours.
2. Diwali is the festival of lights; Janmashtami marks Krishna's birth; Maha Shivratri honours Shiva.

Yaad rakhein: Holi – colours; Diwali – lights.

Answer: (B) Holi

Concept: The National Nritya Shiromani Award is given to classical dancers for contribution to Indian dance.

1. The 2022 award was given to Bharatanatyam dancer Aparna Satheesan.
2. Aditi Mangaldas and Shovana Narayan are Kathak dancers and were not the 2022 recipients.

Yaad rakhein: Nritya Shiromani 2022 – Aparna Satheesan (Bharatanatyam).

Answer: (C) Aparna Satheesan

Concept: Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV, Articles 36–51) tell the State what it should do.

1. DPSPs are positive directions – they require the State to act (e.g., provide welfare, equal pay, free legal aid).
2. Fundamental Rights are negative/prohibitive – they stop the State from doing certain things.

Yaad rakhein: FR = 'do not' (negative); DPSP = 'do' (positive).

Answer: (C) positive directions

Concept: ISRO's INSAT series serves weather monitoring and communication.

1. INSAT-3D (launched 2013) is an advanced meteorological satellite with an improved 6-channel imager and a 19-channel atmospheric sounder.
2. GSAT-7A is a military communication satellite; SROSS-2 was an experimental satellite.

Yaad rakhein: '3D' – imager + sounder = 3-D view of atmosphere.

Answer: (C) INSAT -3D

Concept: The Ganga is a perennial river fed by both Himalayan snow-melt and monsoon rain.

1. Its water level rises sharply in the monsoon and also depends on Himalayan snow and glacier melt – so (A), which says it 'never' depends on them, is NOT correct.
2. The Ganga (about 2525 km) flows to the Bay of Bengal, its basin is the most populated in the world and supports river dolphins, gharials and turtles – (B), (C), (D) are correct.

Yaad rakhein: 'Never' in a geography statement is usually the wrong one.

Answer: (A) The water level of River Ganga never depends on monsoon and climatic condition of the Himalaya.

Concept: The UN General Assembly declared 2 October as the International Day of Non-Violence in 2007.

1. 2 October is Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, celebrated in India as Gandhi Jayanti.
2. The day honours Gandhi's message of ahimsa (non-violence).

Yaad rakhein: 2 October – Gandhi Jayanti – International Day of Non-Violence.

Answer: (B) Gandhi Jayanti

Concept: Several medieval rulers built their own capital cities in Delhi.

1. Tughluqabad was founded by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (1321) with a massive fort.
2. Qila-i-Rai Pithora – Prithviraj Chauhan; Siri – Alauddin Khalji; Jahanpanah – Muhammad bin Tughlaq.

Yaad rakhein: Ghiyasuddin → Tughluqabad; his son Muhammad → Jahanpanah.

Answer: (C) Tughluqabad

Concept: Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams that take turns batting and fielding.

1. Each baseball team has 9 players on the field.
2. For comparison: softball 9 (fast-pitch), basketball 5, volleyball 6, kabaddi 7, water polo 7.

Yaad rakhein: Baseball 9 = innings also 9.

Answer: (C) 9

Concept: A.M.T. Jackson, Collector of Nashik, was shot dead by Anant Laxman Kanhere in December 1909 (Nashik Conspiracy Case).

1. Kanhere, Krishnaji Gopal Karve and Vinayak Narayan Deshpande were hanged in Thane jail in April 1910 for the murder.
2. Khudiram Bose was executed in 1908 (Muzaffarpur bombing); Hemu Kalani in 1943; Matangini Hazra was shot in 1942.

Yaad rakhein: Jackson murder → Kanhere, Karve, Deshpande (1910).

Answer: (D) Krishnaji Gopal Karve

Concept: Lakes are saline when they have no outlet and lose water by evaporation, or are connected to the sea.

1. Sambhar (Rajasthan) is India's largest inland salt-water lake.
2. Chilika (Odisha) is a brackish-water lagoon, the largest coastal lagoon in India.
3. Dal and Wular (Jammu and Kashmir) are fresh-water lakes.

Yaad rakhein: Kashmir lakes (Dal, Wular) = fresh water.

Answer: (A) a and d

Concept: The Swadeshi Movement began in 1905 against the Partition of Bengal.

1. The INC session at Benaras (Varanasi) in 1905 was presided over by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and it formally supported the Swadeshi and boycott movement in Bengal.
2. Nehru, Rajendra Prasad and Motilal Nehru presided much later (1919 onward).

Yaad rakhein: 1905 Benaras – Gokhale; 1906 Calcutta – Dadabhai Naoroji ('Swaraj').

Answer: (A) Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Concept: Ashoka's 14 Major Rock Edicts spread his dhamma; each deals with a particular theme.

1. Major Rock Edict I prohibits animal sacrifice and festive gatherings (samaja).
2. Edict II – medical care for humans and animals; Edict III – generosity to Brahmanas, five-yearly tours; Edict XIII – Kalinga war.

Yaad rakhein: Edict I – no animal sacrifice; Edict XIII – Kalinga.

Answer: (B) Major Rock Edict - I