Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: The Yamuna rises at Yamunotri glacier and joins the Ganga at Prayagraj.

1. Tons – its largest Himalayan tributary, joins near Kalsi (Uttarakhand).
2. Hindon – flows through western UP (Ghaziabad).
3. Chambal – right-bank tributary from the Malwa plateau; joins in Etawah. Other tributaries: Sindh, Betwa, Ken.

Yaad rakhein: Yamuna tributaries: Tons, Hindon, Chambal, Sindh, Betwa, Ken.

Answer: (A) Yamuna

Concept: Prabhat Sarma (1917–2008) of Assam was a noted flautist and music composer.

1. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to the flute and to Assamese music.
2. He composed music for Assamese films and worked with All India Radio, Guwahati.
3. Ghatam is a clay-pot percussion of Carnatic music; tabla and sarangi are not linked to him.

Yaad rakhein: Prabhat Sarma – Assam – Flute (bansuri).

Answer: (B) Flute

Concept: Mehrangarh Fort stands on a rocky hill about 120 m above Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

1. It was founded by Rao Jodha of the Rathore dynasty in 1459.
2. Jaipur has Amer, Nahargarh and Jaigarh forts; Bikaner has Junagarh fort.
3. Kota is known for Garh Palace, not Mehrangarh.

Yaad rakhein: Jodhpur = Rao Jodha = Mehrangarh (Blue City).

Answer: (C) Jodhpur

Concept: In field hockey (FIH rules), the umpire uses three cards for misconduct.

1. Green card – temporary suspension of 2 minutes of playing time.
2. Yellow card – temporary suspension of at least 5 minutes of playing time.
3. Red card – permanent suspension from the match.

Yaad rakhein: Hockey cards: Green 2 min, Yellow 5 min (minimum), Red – out.

Answer: (A) 5 minutes

Concept: Comparative advantage means a country produces a good at a lower opportunity cost than others.

1. After 1991, trade liberalisation reduced tariffs and opened Indian industry to global competition, technology and inputs.
2. This raised efficiency, so India's comparative advantage improved in medium-to-high technology goods (engineering, chemicals, pharma, automobiles).
3. Imports, fuel efficiency or labour intensity are not the gain described here.

Yaad rakhein: Liberalisation → competition + technology → comparative advantage.

Answer: (D) comparative advantage

Concept: The Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974–79), drafted by D.P. Dhar, made removal of poverty (Garibi Hatao) and self-reliance its chief objectives.

1. It was the first plan to place poverty removal as a main goal; the Minimum Needs Programme was introduced.
2. It was ended a year early (1978) by the Janata government, which started Rolling Plans.
3. The Sixth Plan (1980–85) also aimed at poverty, through IRDP, but came later.

Yaad rakhein: 5th Plan = Garibi Hatao + Aatmanirbharta.

Answer: (D) Fifth Five-year Plan

Concept: Thiamine (vitamin B1) was the first B vitamin to be identified.

1. In 1897 Christiaan Eijkman found that polished rice caused beriberi in chickens and that rice bran prevented it – the factor was thiamine.
2. As thiamine pyrophosphate it acts as a coenzyme in carbohydrate and amino-acid metabolism and energy production.
3. Riboflavin is B2, biotin B7, folate B9 – all discovered later.

Yaad rakhein: B1 = Thiamine = first; deficiency → Beriberi.

Answer: (C) Thiamine

Concept: Surajkund International Crafts Mela is held every February at Surajkund, Faridabad (Haryana).

1. It began in 1987 and brings together potters, weavers, embroiderers, wood carvers, metal and stone workers and painters from across India.
2. Each year a "theme state" displays its culture and achievements.
3. Shamlaji Fair is in Gujarat; Chitra Vichitra Fair is a tribal fair of Gujarat; Kapil Muni Fair is linked with Rajasthan/Bengal.

Yaad rakhein: Haryana + February + crafts = Surajkund Mela.

Answer: (D) Surajkund Mela

Concept: Each five-year plan covers five years; the 12th Plan was the last one.

1. The 11th Plan ran 2007–2012, so the 12th Plan ran 2012–2017.
2. Its theme was "Faster, More Inclusive and Sustainable Growth", with a growth target of 8%.
3. After it, NITI Aayog (formed 2015) replaced the planning system with vision documents.

Yaad rakhein: 12th Plan: 2012–17, last plan; then NITI Aayog.

Answer: (A) 2012 - 2017

Concept: Manisha Kalyan is an Indian women's football player from Punjab.

1. She became the first Indian woman footballer to play in the AFC Women's Club Championship / Champions League, for Apollon Ladies (Cyprus).
2. She was named AIFF Women's Emerging Footballer and later AIFF Women's Footballer of the Year (2021–22).
3. She is not linked with hockey, cricket or chess.

Yaad rakhein: Manisha Kalyan – Football – Apollon Ladies (Cyprus).

Answer: (A) Football

Concept: Article 156 deals with the term of office of the Governor.

1. Art. 156(1): the Governor holds office during the pleasure of the President.
2. Art. 156(3): term is five years from entering office.
3. Art. 156(4): notwithstanding the expiry of the term, he/she continues in office until the successor enters upon office – avoiding a vacuum.

Yaad rakhein: No vacuum rule: Governor stays till successor takes charge (Art. 156).

Answer: (C) his/her successor enters his/her office

Concept: Primary deficit = Fiscal deficit − Interest payments, so $\text{FD}=\text{PD}+\text{Interest}$.

1. Primary deficit = ₹6,900 crore; interest payments = ₹400 crore.
2. $\text{FD}=6900+400=7300$ (₹ crore).

Trick: Fiscal = Primary + Interest; Primary = Fiscal − Interest.

Answer: (B) ₹7,300 crore

Concept: The Delhi Sultanate had four main departments (diwans).

1. Diwan-i-Insha – department of royal/state correspondence (letters and orders).
2. Diwan-i-Arz – military; Diwan-i-Wizarat – finance; Diwan-i-Risalat – religious affairs and appeals.
3. So Diwan-i-Insha dealt with state correspondence.

Yaad rakhein: Insha = writing (letters); Arz = army; Wizarat = finance; Risalat = religion.

Answer: (A) State correspondence

Concept: Earth moves round the Sun in an elliptical orbit, so its distance from the Sun changes.

1. Perihelion – nearest point (about 147 million km), reached around 3–4 January.
2. Aphelion – farthest point (about 152 million km), around 4 July.
3. Seasons are due to the tilt of the axis, not this distance – the northern winter occurs near perihelion.

Yaad rakhein: PeriHelion – January (near); ApHelion – July (away).

Answer: (C) January

Concept: Guru Bipin Singh (1918–2000) is called the "Father of Manipuri dance" in its modern form.

1. He researched and systematised Manipuri dance, founded Manipuri Nartanalaya, and trained the Jhaveri sisters.
2. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1966) and the Kalidas Samman.
3. Odissi – Kelucharan Mohapatra; Kuchipudi – Vempati Chinna Satyam; Kathak – Birju Maharaj.

Yaad rakhein: Bipin Singh = Manipuri; Kelucharan = Odissi; Birju Maharaj = Kathak.

Answer: (B) Manipuri

Concept: Pandit Birju Maharaj (1938–2022) of the Lucknow Kalka-Bindadin gharana was the leading Kathak exponent.

1. He received the Padma Vibhushan in his forties – the youngest dancer to receive it.
2. He also got the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Kalidas Samman, and won a National Film Award for choreography ("Vishwaroopam").
3. Rajendra Gangani and Abhimanyu Lal are younger Kathak artists who have not received it.

Yaad rakhein: Birju Maharaj = Kathak, Lucknow gharana, Padma Vibhushan.

Answer: (A) Birju Maharaj

Concept: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is the national weather agency under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

1. It was established in 1875 (15 January) by the British Government of India, after the 1864 Calcutta cyclone and the failed monsoons of 1866 and 1871.
2. Its headquarters, first at Calcutta, are now at Mausam Bhawan, New Delhi.
3. Henry Francis Blanford was its first Meteorological Reporter.

Yaad rakhein: IMD – 1875 – HQ New Delhi.

Answer: (C) 1875

Concept: The cell membrane is mainly made of lipids (phospholipid bilayer) and proteins, as per the fluid mosaic model (Singer and Nicolson, 1972).

1. In the human RBC membrane, proteins form about 52% and lipids about 40%.
2. So proteins make up roughly $40\text{–}60\%$ of the membrane; the ratio varies with cell type.
3. Proteins act as carriers, channels, receptors and enzymes.

Yaad rakhein: RBC membrane: protein about 52%, lipid about 40% → proteins $40\text{–}60\%$.

Answer: (D) $40\text{–}60\%$

Concept: The Syed Modi International is a badminton tournament held at Lucknow (BWF World Tour Super 300).

1. It is named after Syed Modi, eight-time national badminton champion, who was shot dead in Lucknow in 1988.
2. It has been held since 1991.
3. Other badminton events: India Open (New Delhi), Odisha Masters.

Yaad rakhein: Syed Modi = Badminton = Lucknow.

Answer: (D) Badminton

Concept: Ghode Modni is a folk dance of Goa performed by men with dummy horses tied at the waist.

1. It recalls the victory of the Rane rulers (Maratha warriors) over the Portuguese, hence called the "Warrior Dance".
2. Dancers wear turbans and carry swords, moving to the beat of drums.
3. Bihu – Assam; Lavani – Maharashtra; Rauf – Jammu and Kashmir.

Yaad rakhein: Ghode (horse) + sword = Warrior dance of Goa.

Answer: (C) Ghode Modni