Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Current holders of top constitutional/administrative posts.

1. T. V. Somanathan (IAS, 1987 batch, Tamil Nadu cadre) became Cabinet Secretary on 30 August 2024.
2. He replaced Rajiv Gauba (2019–2024). P. K. Sinha and Ajit Kumar Seth are earlier holders.

Yaad rakhein: The Cabinet Secretary is India's senior-most civil servant; the post's first holder was N. R. Pillai (1950).

Answer: (C) TV Somanathan

Concept: Regional Chalcolithic cultures of India and their core areas.

1. Malwa culture (c. 1700–1200 BCE) flourished in western Madhya Pradesh.
2. Its densest cluster of sites lies in the central Narmada valley – Navdatoli (on the Narmada), Kayatha, Eran, Nagda.
3. Indus basin = Harappan; Ganga basin is not the Malwa zone.

Yaad rakhein: Navdatoli, the biggest Malwa site, stands on the Narmada bank – link 'Malwa ↔ Narmada'.

Answer: (B) Central Narmada basin

Concept: ITF standard court size.

1. Length = 78 ft (23.77 m) for both formats.
2. Singles width = 27 ft; doubles adds a 4.5 ft alley on each side.
3. Doubles width = 27 + 4.5 + 4.5 = 36 ft (10.97 m).

Trick: 78 – 27 – 36: length, singles width, doubles width.

Answer: (C) 36 ft

Concept: Plates can move apart, towards each other, or sideways past each other.

1. Divergent (constructive) – plates separate, new crust forms (e.g. Mid-Atlantic Ridge).
2. Convergent (destructive) – plates collide; subduction or fold mountains (Himalaya).
3. Transform (conservative) – plates slide past (San Andreas Fault).

Trick: Constructive, Destructive, Conservative – three C/D words = three boundaries.

Answer: (D) Three

Concept: Gandhi measured freedom by the welfare of the last person in society.

1. Gandhi's 'talisman': before acting, think of the poorest person you have seen and ask whether your step will help him.
2. His Sarvodaya ('welfare of all') carries the same idea; political freedom alone was not enough for him.

Yaad rakhein: Sarvodaya was Gandhi's Gujarati rendering of Ruskin's Unto This Last.

Answer: (D) Mahatma Gandhi

Concept: Pan-Islamic movement in India after World War I.

1. Indian Muslims protested the weakening of the Ottoman Caliph (Khalifa) after Turkey's defeat (Treaty of Sèvres, 1920).
2. Led by the Ali brothers (Mohammad Ali, Shaukat Ali), with Maulana Azad and Hakim Ajmal Khan; Gandhi linked it with Non-Cooperation (1920).

Yaad rakhein: Khilafat = Khalifa = Muslim community; it ended when Turkey abolished the Caliphate in 1924.

Answer: (C) Muslim

Concept: Predators keep herbivore numbers in check; removing them upsets the balance.

1. Without hyenas, impala numbers rise sharply.
2. Too many impalas overgraze the grass.
3. Food runs out, so impalas finally starve and their population crashes.

Trick: In such questions the answer is never 'stable' or 'happy' – removing a predator always ends in overgrazing and starvation.

Answer: (C) Impala will die of starvation due to higher population.

Concept: NFHS-5 (2019–21) data used in NITI Aayog's Multidimensional Poverty Index.

1. 7.32% of the population was deprived of drinking water in 2019–21.
2. 'Deprived' = no access to an improved water source (piped water, tube well, protected well/spring, rainwater) within reach.

Yaad rakhein: NFHS is run for the Health Ministry with IIPS, Mumbai as nodal agency; drinking water is one of the 12 MPI indicators.

Answer: (C) 7.32%

Concept: Fiscal policy = government spending and taxation; 'expansionary' means more spending and/or lower taxes.

1. More spending + lower taxes → more money with people → higher demand, output and jobs.
2. Reduced spending (b) and more government savings (c) are contractionary.
3. Higher interest rates (a) belong to tight monetary policy (RBI).

Trick: Expansionary = Expand demand = growth. Interest rate options point to monetary, not fiscal, policy.

Answer: (D) Stimulation of economic growth

Concept: Festival names often reveal their theme in the local language.

1. 'Gombe' = doll, 'Habba' = festival in Kannada.
2. During Navaratri/Dasara, dolls are arranged on odd-numbered steps (often 7 or 9).

Yaad rakhein: Same tradition elsewhere: Bommai Golu (Tamil Nadu), Bommala Koluvu (Andhra Pradesh).

Answer: (D) dolls

Concept: Fundamental Rights are made enforceable through Article 32.

1. Art. 32 lets a person go straight to the Supreme Court for enforcement of Fundamental Rights.
2. SC can issue 5 writs: habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, certiorari, quo warranto.
3. Ambedkar called it the 'heart and soul' of the Constitution.

Yaad rakhein: Writs: SC under Art. 32, High Courts under Art. 226 (wider – also for legal rights).

Answer: (C) Article 32

Concept: A Money Bill needs the executive head's prior recommendation before introduction.

1. Art. 198: a State Money Bill can be introduced only in the Legislative Assembly and only on the Governor's recommendation.
2. The Speaker merely certifies whether a Bill is a Money Bill (Art. 199) – he does not permit its introduction.

Trick: Centre ↔ State mirror: President (Union Money Bill) ↔ Governor (State Money Bill).

Answer: (D) Governor

Concept: Kabaddi scoring rules.

1. Lona (all out) = when all 7 opponents are out; the team gets 2 extra points.
2. Then the whole opposing side is revived.

Yaad rakhein: Normal touch/tackle = 1 point, bonus line = 1 point, super tackle and Lona = 2 points each.

Answer: (A) Two

Concept: Pioneers of Western/Latin influences in Bollywood music.

1. Rahul Dev 'Pancham' Burman first used the Brazilian bossa nova rhythm in Hindi film songs.
2. Teesri Manzil (1966) songs are the classic example of his Latin–jazz blend.
3. A. R. Rahman and Anu Malik came decades later.

Yaad rakhein: R. D. Burman was the son of composer S. D. Burman.

Answer: (B) RD Burman

Concept: The Green Revolution (from mid-1960s) was built on high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds.

1. Traditional low-yield seeds were replaced by HYV seeds of wheat and rice.
2. Fertiliser use increased (d is wrong); rice also benefited (a is wrong); farming became more commercial (b is wrong).

Yaad rakhein: India's Green Revolution is credited to M. S. Swaminathan; worldwide, the credit goes to Norman Borlaug.

Answer: (C) Shift from low-yield to high-yield crops

Concept: Standard Greek symbols used in physics.

1. ν (nu) = frequency, in hertz (Hz).
2. Used in v = νλ and photon energy E = hν.
3. Friction coefficient = μ, density = ρ; velocity uses the Latin v.

Trick: Don't confuse ν (Greek nu) with v (Latin vee, velocity). Mu-friction, Rho-density, Nu-frequency.

Answer: (D) Frequency of a wave

Concept: Holder of the Comptroller and Auditor General post on a given date.

1. Girish Chandra Murmu was the 14th CAG (August 2020 – November 2024).
2. K. Sanjay Murthy took over as 15th CAG only on 21 November 2024 – after October.
3. Other options are Union Ministers, not auditors.

Yaad rakhein: CAG: Article 148, appointed by the President, term 6 years or age 65, whichever is earlier.

Answer: (B) Girish Chandra Murmu

Concept: Rural self-employment scheme; check year, aim and performance.

1. Statement i is wrong: SGSY began on 1 April 1999, not 2009.
2. Statement ii is right: it aimed at self-employment of the rural poor via Self Help Groups, bank credit and subsidy.
3. Statement iii is right: Andhra Pradesh, with a strong SHG network, was among the best performers.

Yaad rakhein: SGSY was restructured in 2011 into NRLM (Aajeevika), now DAY-NRLM.

Answer: (A) Only i

Concept: Each classical dance draws authority from specific texts.

1. Kathakali (Kerala dance-drama) is based on Balarama Bharatam and Hastalakshana Deepika.
2. Hastalakshana Deepika lists its 24 basic mudras; Balarama Bharatam was written by Travancore's Kartika Thirunal Balarama Varma.
3. Sattriya is from Assam; Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh.

Trick: 'Balarama Bharatam' → Travancore → Kerala → Kathakali (green 'pacha' make-up, huge headgear).

Answer: (C) Kathakali

Concept: Padma awardees and their states/fields.

1. Mahabir Singh Guddu is a Haryanvi folk singer and dancer.
2. He was honoured in the Art category for preserving Haryana's folk forms.

Yaad rakhein: Padma Shri (since 1954) is India's 4th highest civilian award after Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan.

Answer: (C) Haryana