1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

A private member is any MP who is not a minister; the term has nothing to do with being nominated by the President, so statement 1 is wrong. No private member's bill has been passed by both Houses since 1970, so statement 2 is also false. Thus neither statement holds.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

The Indus Valley people were unaware of iron, which came into use only in the later Vedic period, so statement 2 (claiming they knew iron) is wrong. Rigvedic Aryans did use armour like the coat of mail and had domesticated the horse, evidence of which is absent at Harappan sites. Hence only statements 1 and 3 are correct.

1. (a) Certifying the skills acquired by construction workers through traditional channels.
2. (b) Enrolling the persons in Universities for distance learning programmes.
3. (c) Reserving some skilled jobs to rural and urban poor in some public sector undertakings.
4. (d) Certifying the skills acquired by trainees under the National Skill Development Programme.

Answer: (a) Certifying the skills acquired by construction workers through traditional channels.

The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Scheme certifies skills already acquired informally, such as those of construction and other unorganised-sector workers, under the Skill India mission (PMKVY). It formalises existing competencies rather than being a fresh training programme. This is distinct from RPL under NSDC training, which is what the tempting last option describes.

1. (a) Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve
2. (b) Nallamala Forest
3. (c) Nagarhole National Park
4. (d) Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve

Answer: (a) Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve

The Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu forms a crucial ecological corridor linking the Eastern and Western Ghats, allowing gene flow for species like elephants and tigers. Its location bridges the Nilgiris (Western Ghats) with the Eastern Ghats. Nallamala and Seshachalam lie within the Eastern Ghats zone and do not serve as this bridge.

1. (a) Privileges
2. (b) Restraints
3. (c) Competition
4. (d) Ideology

Answer: (a) Privileges

Equality in a society implies the absence of special privileges enjoyed by a few, ensuring the same rights and opportunities for all. It does not mean the absence of reasonable restraints or of competition. Equality of opportunity, in fact, presupposes fair competition.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (b) 2 only

TRAFFIC is the wildlife trade monitoring network run jointly by WWF and IUCN, not a bureau under UNEP, so statement 1 is false. Its mission is precisely to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals does not threaten nature conservation, making statement 2 correct.

1. (a) Equal pay for equal work for both men and women
2. (b) Participation of workers in the management of industries
3. (c) Right to work, education and public assistance
4. (d) Securing living wage and human conditions of work to workers

Answer: (b) Participation of workers in the management of industries

The 42nd Amendment (1976) inserted Article 43A, directing the State to secure participation of workers in the management of industries. 'Equal pay for equal work' (Article 39) was part of the original DPSP, not added in 1976. Hence the added principle is workers' participation in management.

1. (a) Rights are claims of the State against the citizens.
2. (b) Rights are privileges which are incorporated in the Constitution of a State.
3. (c) Rights are claims of the citizens against the State.
4. (d) Rights are privileges of a few citizens against the many.

Answer: (c) Rights are claims of the citizens against the State.

Rights are legitimate claims that citizens make against the State, which is obliged to protect and fulfil them. They are not claims of the State against citizens, nor privileges reserved for a few. This citizen-versus-State conception underlies fundamental rights.

1. (a) World Economic Forum
2. (b) UN Human Rights Council
3. (c) UN Women
4. (d) World Health Organization

Answer: (a) World Economic Forum

The Global Gender Gap Index is published annually by the World Economic Forum, measuring gaps in economic participation, education, health and political empowerment. It is not produced by UN Women or the UN Human Rights Council. Distinguish it from UNDP's Gender Inequality Index.

1. (a) 1 and 3 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) 3 only
4. (d) 2 and 3 only

Answer: (b) 2 only

Smart India Hackathon 2017 was a nationwide initiative to harness student innovation for digital-technology solutions to real problems faced by ministries and organisations. It has nothing to do with building Smart Cities or making all transactions digital, so only statement 2 is correct.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 1 and 2 only
3. (c) 3 only
4. (d) 2 and 3 only

Answer: (a) 1 only

The Monetary Policy Committee sets the RBI's benchmark policy (repo) rate, so statement 1 is correct. It is a six-member body (not twelve) and is chaired by the RBI Governor, not the Finance Minister, so statements 2 and 3 are wrong. Three members are from the RBI and three are nominated by the government.

1. (a) 1, 2 and 3
2. (b) 1 and 3 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 1 only

Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only

Manipuri Sankirtana is a UNESCO-recognised ritual song-and-dance form that narrates the life and deeds of Lord Krishna, so statements 1 and 3 are correct. It uses the pung (drum) and cymbals, so the claim that cymbals are the only instruments (statement 2) is false.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 1 and 3 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 2 and 3 only

The Ryotwari Settlement, in which land revenue was collected directly from individual cultivators (ryots), was introduced in the Madras and Bombay Presidencies by Thomas Munro and Alexander Read. Lord Cornwallis is associated with the Permanent (Zamindari) Settlement of Bengal, so only statements 2 and 3 match.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

Bioremediation harnesses and enhances the natural biodegradation carried out by microbes to clean pollutants, and genetically engineered microbes can be designed for it, so statements 1 and 3 are correct. Heavy metals like cadmium and lead cannot be broken down or completely removed by microbes, making statement 2 false.

1. (a) the participation of workers in the management of industries.
2. (b) arbitrary powers to the management to quell industrial disputes.
3. (c) an intervention by the British Court in the event of a trade dispute.
4. (d) a system of tribunals and a ban on strikes.

Answer: (d) a system of tribunals and a ban on strikes.

The Trade Disputes Act of 1929 set up machinery to settle industrial disputes through courts of enquiry and boards of conciliation and imposed restrictions/ban on strikes in public utilities. It did not provide for worker participation in management. It was against this backdrop that the Meerut Conspiracy Case unfolded.

1. (a) Federalism
2. (b) Democratic decentralisation
3. (c) Administrative delegation
4. (d) Direct democracy

Answer: (b) Democratic decentralisation

Local self-government is best understood as democratic decentralisation, the transfer of powers and functions to elected local bodies so that people manage their own local affairs. It is broader than mere administrative delegation, which involves only executive tasks without elected authority. It is not the same as federalism, which divides power between Centre and States.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

The Directive Principles are non-justiciable guidelines and do not, by themselves, impose legal limitations on either the legislature's law-making or the executive's functioning. They are positive directions to the State, unlike Fundamental Rights which act as limitations. Hence neither statement is correct.

1. (a) ASEAN
2. (b) BRICS
3. (c) EU
4. (d) G20

Answer: (c) EU

The Digital Single Market Strategy is a European Union initiative to remove barriers to online activity and create a unified digital market across member states. It concerns EU-wide e-commerce, telecom and data rules. It is unrelated to ASEAN, BRICS or the G20.

1. (a) Bhavnagar
2. (b) Bheemunipatnam
3. (c) Chandipur
4. (d) Nagapattinam

Answer: (c) Chandipur

At Chandipur on the Odisha coast, the sea recedes several kilometres during low tide and returns twice a day, exposing the sea floor for walking. This 'vanishing sea' results from its very gently sloping shore combined with large tidal range in the Bay of Bengal. The other listed coastal towns do not show this dramatic phenomenon.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 2 and 3 only

Answer: (b) 2 only

Under the amended Benami Act, properties held benami are liable to confiscation by the government, so statement 2 is correct. Lack of the owner's awareness does not exempt a transaction (statement 1 false), and the Act provides both investigating authorities and an appellate tribunal (statement 3 false).

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

Butterflies are important pollinators, so their decline would hurt pollination of some plants (statement 1), and being prey, their loss would reduce populations of wasps, spiders and birds that feed on them (statement 3). A drastic rise in fungal infections of crops (statement 2) does not follow from fewer butterflies. Hence statements 1 and 3.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

Algae biofuel needs sophisticated engineering and technology during set-up, and economically viable production requires large-scale facilities that raise ecological and social costs, so statements 2 and 3 are valid limitations for developing countries. Algae can be cultivated in ponds and bioreactors on land, not only in seas, so statement 1 is false.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 1, 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1, 2 and 4 only
4. (d) 3 and 4 only

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

The National Nutrition Mission (POSHAN Abhiyaan) aims to create awareness about malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers and to reduce anaemia among children, adolescent girls and women, matching statements 1 and 2. Promoting millets or egg consumption were not its stated objectives, so statements 3 and 4 are excluded.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (b) 2 only

N.M. Lokhande, who founded the Bombay Mill-Hands Association in 1890, was a pioneer of the organised labour movement in British India, so statement 2 is correct. The Factories Act of 1881 dealt mainly with child labour and working hours; it neither fixed wages nor permitted trade unions, so statement 1 is false.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

Carbon dioxide can be geologically stored in abandoned coal seams, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, and deep subterranean saline formations, all of which act as long-term traps. All three listed sites are therefore valid carbon sequestration options. This underlies Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology for mitigating global warming.

1. (a) Define the jurisdiction of the Central and Provincial Governments.
2. (b) Define the powers of the Secretary of State for India.
3. (c) Impose censorship on national press.
4. (d) Improve the relationship between the Government of India and the Indian States.

Answer: (d) Improve the relationship between the Government of India and the Indian States.

The Butler (Indian States) Committee of 1927 was set up to examine and improve relations between the British Government of India (the paramount power) and the Indian princely states. It dealt with paramountcy, not with dividing central-provincial powers or press censorship. It affirmed that paramountcy must remain paramount.

1. (a) Developing solar power production in our country
2. (b) Granting licences to foreign T.V. channels in our country
3. (c) Exporting our food products to other countries
4. (d) Permitting foreign educational institutions to set up their campuses in our country

Answer: (a) Developing solar power production in our country

'Domestic Content Requirement' refers to the condition that solar power developers use a certain share of domestically manufactured cells and modules, aimed at boosting India's solar manufacturing. This DCR provision became a subject of a WTO dispute with the USA. It is unrelated to TV channels, food exports or foreign universities.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

The Nuclear Security Summits were a US-initiated process (2010-2016) held outside the UN framework, so statement 1 is false. The International Panel on Fissile Materials is an independent group of experts, not an organ of the IAEA, so statement 2 is also false. Hence neither statement is correct.

1. (a) Resident Indian citizens only
2. (b) Persons of age from 21 to 55 only
3. (c) All State Government employees joining the services after the date of notification by the respective State Governments
4. (d) All Central Government employees including those of Armed Forces joining the services on or after 1st April, 2004

Answer: (c) All State Government employees joining the services after the date of notification by the respective State Governments

The National Pension System was extended so that all State Government employees who joined service after the scheme's notification are covered, making that the correct entry route. NPS is not restricted to residents aged 21-55 only, and Armed Forces personnel are excluded, so the option covering them is wrong. NPS is regulated by the PFRDA.

1. (a) 1 and 3 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 2 only

River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and joins the Teesta as its major tributary, so statement 2 is correct. The Teesta rises in the Sikkim Himalayas (not from the same source as the Brahmaputra) and drains into the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh, not directly into the Bay of Bengal, so statements 1 and 3 are false.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

The Zika virus is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, the same vector that spreads dengue and chikungunya, so statement 1 is correct. Zika is also known to spread through sexual contact, so statement 2 is correct. Both statements are therefore true.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (a) 1 only

The BIS Standard Mark (ISI) is mandatory for automotive tyres and tubes for safety reasons, so statement 1 is correct. AGMARK is a quality certification for agricultural produce issued by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection, not by the FAO, so statement 2 is false.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

The National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal that networks existing APMC mandis, so statement 1 is correct. By giving farmers access to a nationwide market with prices reflecting quality, it also fulfils statement 2. Both are genuine advantages of the scheme.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

The National IPR Policy (2016) reaffirms India's commitment to the WTO's Doha Development Agenda and the TRIPS Agreement, so statement 1 is correct. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) is the nodal agency coordinating IPR implementation, so statement 2 is also correct.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

The gharial, Indian wild ass and wild buffalo are all listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, giving them the highest protection with hunting prohibited except under special legal provisions. All three therefore cannot be hunted. Schedule I animals attract the strictest penalties.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Fundamental Duties (Article 51A) are not enforceable by any legal or legislative process, so statement 1 is false. They are moral obligations, not correlative to legal duties in an enforceable sense, so statement 2 is also false. Thus neither statement is true.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 1 and 3 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only

Radhakanta Deb was the first President of the British Indian Association, and Surendranath Banerjee founded the Indian Association, so pairs 1 and 3 are correct. The Madras Mahajana Sabha was founded by others (not Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty, who led the Madras Native Association), so pair 2 is wrong.

1. (a) Liberty of thought
2. (b) Economic liberty
3. (c) Liberty of expression
4. (d) Liberty of belief

Answer: (b) Economic liberty

The Preamble guarantees liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship, but it does not mention 'economic liberty'. Economic aspects such as justice and equality of opportunity appear elsewhere. Hence economic liberty is the objective not embodied in the Preamble.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

The Quality Council of India was set up in 1997 jointly by the Government of India and Indian industry associations (ASSOCHAM, CII, FICCI), so statement 1 is correct. Its Chairman is appointed by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the industry to the government, so statement 2 is also correct.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Small Finance Banks were licensed by the RBI to supply credit to small business units and to small and marginal farmers, furthering financial inclusion, so statements 1 and 2 are correct. Their mandate is not specifically to fund young rural entrepreneurs (statement 3). They must direct a large share of lending to priority sectors.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

The first APMCHUD held in India in 2006 did not carry the theme quoted in statement 1, so that statement is incorrect. India does not host all annual ministerial conferences in partnership with ADB, APEC and ASEAN, so statement 2 is also false. Hence neither statement is correct.

1. (a) the intelligence and character of ordinary men and women.
2. (b) the methods for strengthening executive leadership.
3. (c) a superior individual with dynamism and vision.
4. (d) a band of dedicated party workers.

Answer: (a) the intelligence and character of ordinary men and women.

Democracy's superior virtue, in the classic argument, is that it engages and draws out the intelligence and character of ordinary men and women by involving them in public affairs. Its strength lies in mass participation, not in producing a single dynamic leader or a band of party workers. This is the moral case for democratic self-rule.

1. (a) Mobile wallets will not be necessary for online payments.
2. (b) Digital currency will totally replace the physical currency in about two decades.
3. (c) FDI inflows will drastically increase.
4. (d) Direct transfer of subsidies to poor people will become very effective.

Answer: (a) Mobile wallets will not be necessary for online payments.

The Unified Payments Interface lets users transfer money directly between bank accounts through a mobile app, so pre-loaded mobile wallets are no longer necessary for online payments. It does not replace physical currency, boost FDI, or by itself route subsidies. Its key effect is seamless bank-to-bank digital transfer.

1. (a) Observation and understanding of the Universe
2. (b) Study of the solar and the lunar eclipses
3. (c) Placing satellites in the orbit of the Earth
4. (d) Origin and evolution of living organisms on the Earth

Answer: (a) Observation and understanding of the Universe

Terms like 'Event Horizon', 'Singularity', 'String Theory' and the 'Standard Model' belong to physics and cosmology concerned with observing and understanding the universe and its fundamental particles and forces. They are not about eclipses, satellites, or the origin of life. They span both cosmology and particle physics.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

Genome sequencing can identify genetic markers for disease resistance and drought tolerance, speed up the breeding of new crop varieties, and decipher host-pathogen relationships, so all three uses are valid. Reading the full DNA sequence lets breeders select desirable genes precisely. Hence statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct.

1. (a) the executive and legislature work independently.
2. (b) it provides continuity of policy and is more efficient.
3. (c) the executive remains responsible to the legislature.
4. (d) the head of the government cannot be changed without election.

Answer: (c) the executive remains responsible to the legislature.

The chief merit of the parliamentary system is that the executive (Council of Ministers) remains continuously responsible and accountable to the legislature, which can remove it through a no-confidence motion. The executive and legislature are not independent of each other, unlike in the presidential system. This ensures responsible government.

1. (a) Rights are correlative with Duties.
2. (b) Rights are personal and hence independent of society and Duties.
3. (c) Rights, not Duties, are important for the advancement of the personality of the citizen.
4. (d) Duties, not Rights, are important for the stability of the State.

Answer: (a) Rights are correlative with Duties.

In the Indian context, Rights and Duties are correlative: the rights of one person imply corresponding duties on others and on the State, and enjoying rights carries the obligation to respect others' rights. Rights are not independent of society and duties. This interdependence is central to citizenship.

1. (a) The Preamble
2. (b) The Fundamental Rights
3. (c) The Directive Principles of State Policy
4. (d) The Fundamental Duties

Answer: (a) The Preamble

The Preamble is regarded as the key to the Constitution, reflecting the mind, ideals and intentions of its framers regarding the nature of the state and its objectives. It embodies the Constitution's philosophy of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. Hence it best mirrors the makers' vision.

1. (a) 6
2. (b) 7
3. (c) 8
4. (d) 9

Answer: (b) 7

Travelling by road from Kohima (Nagaland) to Kottayam (Kerala), the minimum number of States one must pass through, including origin and destination, is seven. The narrow Siliguri corridor forces the route through West Bengal, and reaching Kerala requires crossing the peninsular states. A count of six is not achievable on any road route.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

Parliament controls the Council of Ministers through the adjournment motion, the question hour, and supplementary questions, all of which extract accountability from ministers. Each is a recognised parliamentary device for scrutiny. Hence all three are correct.

1. (a) Kakinada
2. (b) Motupalli
3. (c) Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam)
4. (d) Nelluru

Answer: (b) Motupalli

Motupalli, on the Andhra coast, was a major and busy seaport of the Kakatiya kingdom, and Marco Polo referred to its trade. Kakatiya rulers issued the Motupalli Abhaya Sasanam guaranteeing safety to foreign traders. Machilipatnam and Kakinada rose to prominence in later periods.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 3 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

The Global Climate Change Alliance is an initiative of the European Union that gives technical and financial support to vulnerable developing countries to integrate climate change into their development plans, so statements 1 and 2 are correct. It is not coordinated by WRI and WBCSD, so statement 3 is false.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (b) 2 only

Sarvastivada held that the constituents of phenomena (dharmas) are not merely momentary but exist perpetually in a latent form, so statement 2 is correct. Sautrantika and Sammitiya were schools of Buddhism, not Jainism, so statement 1 is false. These are all sub-schools within Buddhist philosophy.

1. (a) 1, 2 and 3 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 3 and 4 only
4. (d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Answer: (c) 3 and 4 only

Among the listed countries, only Lebanon and Syria have coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea, so statements 3 and 4 are correct. Jordan's short coast is on the Red Sea (Gulf of Aqaba) and Iraq is nearly landlocked with only a Persian Gulf outlet, so 1 and 2 are wrong. Hence only 3 and 4.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund is a government-backed fund managed independently, not an organ of NITI Aayog, so statement 1 is false. Its proposed corpus was about Rs 40,000 crore, not Rs 4,00,000 crore, so statement 2 is also false. Hence neither statement is correct.

1. (a) ASEAN initiative to upgrade infrastructure in Asia and financed by credit from the Asian Development Bank.
2. (b) World Bank collaboration that facilitates the preparation and structuring of complex infrastructure Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to enable mobilization of private sector and institutional investor capital.
3. (c) Collaboration among the major banks of the world working with the OECD and focused on expanding the set of infrastructure projects that have the potential to mobilize private investment.
4. (d) UNCTAD funded initiative that seeks to finance and facilitate infrastructure development in the world.

Answer: (b) World Bank collaboration that facilitates the preparation and structuring of complex infrastructure Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to enable mobilization of private sector and institutional investor capital.

The Global Infrastructure Facility is a World Bank-led collaboration that helps governments prepare and structure complex infrastructure projects to attract private and institutional investment. It is not an ASEAN, OECD-bank or UNCTAD body. It focuses on project preparation for public-private partnerships in emerging economies.

1. (a) anyone residing in India.
2. (b) a resident of the constituency from which the election is to be contested.
3. (c) any citizen of India whose name appears in the electoral roll of a constituency.
4. (d) any citizen of India.

Answer: (c) any citizen of India whose name appears in the electoral roll of a constituency.

A nomination paper for the Lok Sabha can be filed by any citizen of India whose name appears on the electoral roll of any constituency in the country; one need not reside in or be an elector of the specific constituency contested. Mere residence in India without being on an electoral roll is insufficient. This reflects the eligibility norms under the Representation of the People Act.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 3 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 1 and 3 only

Answer: (b) 3 only

Pulicat Lake straddles the boundary of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, so statement 3 (spread over two states) is correct. The Himalayas extend across more than five Indian states, and the Western Ghats run through six states (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu), so statements 1 and 2 are false.

1. (a) Measuring oxygen levels in blood
2. (b) Computing oxygen levels in forest ecosystems
3. (c) Pollution assay in aquatic ecosystems
4. (d) Assessing oxygen levels in high altitude regions

Answer: (c) Pollution assay in aquatic ecosystems

Biochemical (Biological) Oxygen Demand measures the oxygen consumed by microbes to decompose organic matter in water, serving as a standard indicator of organic pollution in aquatic ecosystems. A high BOD signals heavy organic pollution and low dissolved oxygen. It has nothing to do with oxygen levels in blood or forests.

1. (a) 1, 2 and 3
2. (b) 1 and 3 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 1 only

Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only

UN-Habitat has been mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities and to contribute to the UN's goal of poverty reduction, so statements 1 and 3 are correct. Its partners include NGOs, academia and the private sector, not only governments and local authorities, so statement 2 is false.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (b) 2 only

An outcome expected from the National Skills Qualification Framework is mobility between vocational and general education by recognising both under a common competency-based system, so statement 2 is correct. Certification under NSQF can also come through informal and non-formal learning, not only formal learning, so statement 1 is false.

1. (a) Division of the central legislature into two houses.
2. (b) Introduction of double government i.e., Central and State governments.
3. (c) Having two sets of rulers; one in London and another in Delhi.
4. (d) Division of the subjects delegated to the provinces into two categories.

Answer: (d) Division of the subjects delegated to the provinces into two categories.

Under the Government of India Act 1919, 'Dyarchy' meant dividing the subjects administered in the provinces into two categories, transferred subjects (run by ministers responsible to the legislature) and reserved subjects (run by the Governor and his executive council). It applied at the provincial level, not the centre. Montagu-Chelmsford reforms introduced it.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

The National Career Service is an initiative of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, not the Department of Personnel and Training, so statement 1 is false. It aims to improve employment opportunities broadly, not specifically for 'uneducated' youth, so statement 2 is also false. Hence neither statement is correct.

1. (a) It is a procedure for considering ecological costs of developmental schemes formulated by the Government.
2. (b) It is a scheme of RBI for reworking the financial structure of big corporate entities facing genuine difficulties.
3. (c) It is a disinvestment plan of the Government regarding Central Public Sector Undertakings.
4. (d) It is an important provision in 'The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code' recently implemented by the Government.

Answer: (b) It is a scheme of RBI for reworking the financial structure of big corporate entities facing genuine difficulties.

The Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A) is an RBI framework that lets banks rework the debt of large stressed corporate borrowers by splitting it into sustainable and unsustainable parts. It is a tool for resolving bad loans, not an ecological cost assessment or a disinvestment plan. It differs from provisions of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (b) 2 only

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition focuses on reducing short-lived climate pollutants such as methane, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons, so statement 2 is correct. It is a UNEP-led voluntary partnership, not an initiative of the G20 group, so statement 1 is false.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (b) 2 only

The Indian Ocean Dipole can modulate how an El Nino affects the Indian monsoon, so statement 2 is correct. IOD is defined by the sea-surface temperature difference between the tropical western and eastern Indian Ocean, not the eastern Pacific, so statement 1 is false. A positive IOD generally aids monsoon rainfall.

1. (a) Bhitarkanika Mangroves
2. (b) Chambal River
3. (c) Pulicat Lake
4. (d) Deepor Beel

Answer: (b) Chambal River

The National Chambal (Gharial) Sanctuary along the Chambal River is the best place to see gharials in their natural habitat, as its clean, sandy-banked river supports the largest wild population. Gharials need clean flowing rivers, which the Chambal provides. Bhitarkanika is famed for saltwater crocodiles, not gharials.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (b) 2 only

The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium is a voluntary initiative to boost maritime cooperation among the navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region, so statement 2 is correct. The inaugural IONS was held in India in 2008 (not 2015), so statement 1 is false.

1. (a) Ajanta
2. (b) Badami
3. (c) Bagh
4. (d) Ellora

Answer: (a) Ajanta

The famous mural of Bodhisattva Padmapani, holding a lotus, is one of the most celebrated paintings in the rock-cut Buddhist caves of Ajanta in Maharashtra. It exemplifies the refined tempera murals of the Gupta-Vakataka age. Ellora is renowned more for its sculpture and the Kailasa temple than for such paintings.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) None of the above

Answer: (a) 1 only

The Chaliha Sahib Festival is celebrated by the Sindhi community, so pair 1 is correctly matched. The Nanda Raj Jaat Yatra belongs to Uttarakhand (not the Gonds), and the Wari-Warkari tradition is of Maharashtra's Vitthal devotees (not the Santhals), so pairs 2 and 3 are wrong. Hence only pair 1 is correct.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

Reduced or zero tillage limits soil disturbance and evaporation, and leaving crop residue on the field acts as mulch that conserves moisture, so practices 1 and 3 aid water conservation. Applying gypsum is used to reclaim alkaline/sodic soils, not to conserve irrigation water, so practice 2 does not fit. Hence statements 1 and 3.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 3 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 3 only

The Soil Health Card Scheme provides farmers crop-wise nutrient recommendations based on soil testing, which helps check the overuse of fertilizers, so statement 3 is correct. It does not aim to expand irrigated area or to help banks assess loan amounts, so statements 1 and 2 are false. It promotes balanced, judicious fertiliser use.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

Lipsticks can contain traces of lead, some soft drinks have used brominated vegetable oil as an emulsifier, and Chinese-style fast food often contains monosodium glutamate (MSG) as a flavour enhancer, so all three pairs are correctly matched. Each links a common product with a controversial chemical. Hence statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct.

1. (a) 1 and 3 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) 1, 2 and 3
4. (d) None of the above statements is correct

Answer: (c) 1, 2 and 3

OLED displays are self-emissive and need no backlight, so they can be fabricated on flexible plastic substrates, embedded in roll-up form within clothing, and made transparent, giving all three advantages over LCDs. LCDs, needing a rigid backlight, cannot match this flexibility and transparency. Hence statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 only

Arasavalli in Andhra Pradesh is famous for its Sun Temple dedicated to Surya, making statement 1 correct. Amarakantak (source of the Narmada) and Omkareshwar (a Jyotirlinga) in Madhya Pradesh are known for other shrines, not Sun temples, so statements 2 and 3 are wrong. Hence only 1.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

In Indian first-past-the-post elections, a candidate wins by securing the most votes, not necessarily 50 percent of votes polled, so statement 1 is false. The Constitution does not reserve the Deputy Speaker's post for the Opposition; both Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected by the House, so statement 2 is also false. Hence neither is correct.

1. (a) 1 and 4 only
2. (b) 2, 3 and 4 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: (b) 2, 3 and 4 only

After the 1991 liberalisation, India's share in world exports rose, FDI inflows increased, and foreign exchange reserves grew enormously, so statements 2, 3 and 4 are correct. The share of agriculture in GDP declined (as services expanded), so statement 1 is false. This structural shift is a hallmark of the reform era.

1. (a) Production of biolarvicides
2. (b) Manufacture of biodegradable plastics
3. (c) Reproductive cloning of animals
4. (d) Production of organisms free of diseases

Answer: (c) Reproductive cloning of animals

Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer transfers the nucleus of a body (somatic) cell into an enucleated egg, and is the technique used for reproductive cloning of animals, most famously Dolly the sheep. It is not used for making biolarvicides or biodegradable plastics. It underlies both reproductive and therapeutic cloning research.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

The National Payments Corporation of India promotes financial inclusion by building retail payment infrastructure, so statement 1 is correct, and it launched the RuPay card payment scheme, so statement 2 is correct. NPCI also operates UPI, IMPS and AePS. Both statements are true.

1. (a) Captive breeding of Wild Fauna
2. (b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves
3. (c) Indigenous Satellite Navigation System
4. (d) Security of National Highways

Answer: (b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves

M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers - Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) is a software-based tool used by forest staff to monitor and manage tiger reserves and patrol effort. It aids the tiger census and anti-poaching patrols. It is unrelated to captive breeding, satellite navigation or highway security.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 and 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 only

GST replaces multiple indirect taxes levied by the Centre and States with a single tax, helping create one common national market, so statement 1 is correct. It does not directly reduce the current account deficit or guarantee overtaking China's economy, so statements 2 and 3 are overstated and false. Hence only statement 1.

1. (a) European Union
2. (b) Gulf Cooperation Council
3. (c) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
4. (d) Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Answer: (a) European Union

The Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement is the free trade agreement being negotiated between India and the European Union. It aims to liberalise trade in goods, services and investment between the two. It does not involve the Gulf Cooperation Council, OECD or SCO.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 1 and 3 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

India has ratified the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement, which was part of the Bali Ministerial Package of 2013, so statements 1 and 2 are correct. The TFA came into force in February 2017, not January 2016, so statement 3 is false. It aims to simplify and speed up customs procedures.

1. (a) India's trade with African countries will enormously increase.
2. (b) India's relations with oil-producing Arab countries will be strengthened.
3. (c) India will not depend on Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
4. (d) Pakistan will facilitate and protect the installation of a gas pipeline between Iraq and India.

Answer: (c) India will not depend on Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Developing Chabahar Port in Iran gives India a sea-land route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan, which has denied India overland transit. This reduces India's dependence on Pakistani territory for such trade. It does not primarily boost trade with Africa or Arab oil producers.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 1 and 2 only
3. (c) 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

Under the IT Act and CERT-In rules, service providers, data centres and body corporates are all legally required to report cyber security incidents to CERT-In. All three categories fall under the mandatory reporting obligation. Hence statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct.

1. (a) Fundamental Right
2. (b) Natural Right
3. (c) Constitutional Right
4. (d) Legal Right

Answer: (c) Constitutional Right

The right to vote and to contest elections in India is a constitutional (statutory/legal) right conferred by the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, not a Fundamental Right or a natural right. The Supreme Court has held it to be a constitutional right rather than a fundamental one. Only the freedom of expression aspect of voting has fundamental character.

1. (a) To detect neutrinos
2. (b) To detect gravitational waves
3. (c) To detect the effectiveness of missile defence system
4. (d) To study the effect of solar flares on our communication systems

Answer: (b) To detect gravitational waves

The evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA) is a planned space-based observatory designed to detect gravitational waves, the ripples in spacetime predicted by Einstein. It complements ground-based detectors like LIGO for lower-frequency waves. It is not for detecting neutrinos or missiles.

1. (a) 2 only
2. (b) 3 only
3. (c) 1 and 2 only
4. (d) 2 and 3 only

Answer: (a) 2 only

Vidyanjali Yojana aims to improve the quality of education in government schools by involving volunteers from the private sector and the community, so statement 2 is correct. It does not enable foreign universities to open campuses or focus on soliciting monetary contributions for infrastructure, so statements 1 and 3 are wrong.

1. (a) Achieving 100% literacy by promoting collaboration between voluntary organizations and government's education system and local communities.
2. (b) Connecting institutions of higher education with local communities to address development challenges through appropriate technologies.
3. (c) Strengthening India's scientific research institutions in order to make India a scientific and technological power.
4. (d) Developing human capital by allocating special funds for health care and education of rural and urban poor, and organizing skill development programmes and vocational training for them.

Answer: (b) Connecting institutions of higher education with local communities to address development challenges through appropriate technologies.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan aims to connect institutions of higher education, especially technical institutes, with local rural communities to address development challenges through knowledge and technology. Its goal is participatory rural development, not literacy drives or defence research. IITs and other institutes adopt villages under it.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 3 only

Answer: (d) 3 only

The Election Commission resolves disputes relating to splits and mergers of recognised political parties under the Symbols Order, so statement 3 is correct. The ECI, not the Home Ministry, decides the election schedule, so statement 2 is false, and it was not a five-member body, so statement 1 is false. Hence only statement 3.

1. (a) It enjoys the same level of protection as the tiger.
2. (b) It no longer exists in the wild, a few individuals are under captive protection; and now it is impossible to prevent its extinction.
3. (c) It is endemic to a particular region of India.
4. (d) Both (b) and (c) stated above are correct in this context.

Answer: (a) It enjoys the same level of protection as the tiger.

Being placed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 gives a species the highest level of protection, the same as that enjoyed by the tiger, with absolute prohibition on hunting. Schedule I listing does not imply the species is extinct in the wild or endemic to a region. It simply denotes maximum legal protection.

1. (a) the power of the Judiciary to pronounce upon the constitutionality of laws and executive orders.
2. (b) the power of the Judiciary to question the wisdom of the laws enacted by the Legislatures.
3. (c) the power of the Judiciary to review all the legislative enactments before they are assented to by the President.
4. (d) the power of the Judiciary to review its own judgements given earlier in similar or different cases.

Answer: (a) the power of the Judiciary to pronounce upon the constitutionality of laws and executive orders.

Judicial Review in India is the power of the judiciary to examine and pronounce upon the constitutionality of legislative and executive actions and to strike down those that violate the Constitution. It is not a review of the mere wisdom or policy of laws, nor a pre-enactment scrutiny of all bills. This power flows from the Constitution's supremacy.

1. (a) 1-2-3
2. (b) 2-1-3
3. (c) 3-2-1
4. (d) 3-1-2

Answer: (c) 3-2-1

The correct chronological order is the Second Round Table Conference (1931), the Quit India Movement (1942), and the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny (1946), giving the sequence 3-2-1. These milestones span the final phase of the freedom struggle. The RIN Mutiny is often cited as a trigger hastening British withdrawal.

1. (a) 1 only
2. (b) 2 only
3. (c) Both 1 and 2
4. (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

India's tax-to-GDP ratio has fluctuated rather than steadily increased over the past decade, so statement 1 is false, and the fiscal deficit as a share of GDP has broadly declined (with fiscal consolidation), not steadily increased, so statement 2 is also false. Hence neither statement is correct.

1. (a) Corbett National Park
2. (b) Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary
3. (c) Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
4. (d) Sariska National Park

Answer: (b) Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary

There was a proposal, backed by the Supreme Court, to translocate some Asiatic lions from Gujarat's Gir forest to the Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh to establish a second population. A single-site population risks being wiped out by disease or disaster, hence the second home. Kuno was later chosen for cheetah introduction as well.

1. (a) 1 and 2 only
2. (b) 1 and 3 only
3. (c) 2 and 3 only
4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only

When President's Rule is imposed, removal of the state Council of Ministers is automatic, but dissolution of the Legislative Assembly is not necessary (it may only be suspended), so statement 1 is not a necessary consequence, and local bodies are not dissolved, so statement 3 is not a consequence either. Hence statements 1 and 3 are the ones not necessarily following.

1. (a) 1, 2 and 4 only
2. (b) 2, 3 and 4 only
3. (c) 1 and 4 only
4. (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: (c) 1 and 4 only

The Right against Exploitation (Articles 23 and 24) prohibits traffic in human beings and forced labour and bans the employment of children in factories and mines, so statements 1 and 4 are correct. Abolition of untouchability (Article 17) and protection of minorities fall under other rights, so statements 2 and 3 do not belong here.

1. (a) Sumatra
2. (b) Borneo
3. (c) Java
4. (d) Sri Lanka

Answer: (a) Sumatra

Great Nicobar, the southernmost island of the Andaman and Nicobar group, lies geographically closest to the Indonesian island of Sumatra, separated by the narrow Six Degree Channel. This proximity is why Indira Point is India's southernmost tip near the equator. Sri Lanka, Java and Borneo are all much farther away.

1. (a) An arrangement for minimizing the criticism against the Government whose responsibilities are complex and hard to carry out to the satisfaction of all.
2. (b) A mechanism for speeding up the activities of the Government whose responsibilities are increasing day by day.
3. (c) A mechanism of parliamentary democracy for ensuring collective responsibility of the Government to the people.
4. (d) A device for strengthening the hands of the head of the Government whose hold over the people is in a state of decline.

Answer: (c) A mechanism of parliamentary democracy for ensuring collective responsibility of the Government to the people.

The principle underlying the Cabinet form of government is collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers to the legislature (Lok Sabha), whereby ministers stand or fall together. It is a mechanism of parliamentary democracy ensuring accountability, not a device merely to shield or strengthen the head of government. This is enshrined in Article 75.

1. (a) There is an independent judiciary in India.
2. (b) Powers have been clearly divided between the Centre and the States.
3. (c) The federating units have been given unequal representation in the Rajya Sabha.
4. (d) It is the result of an agreement among the federating units.

Answer: (d) It is the result of an agreement among the federating units.

Indian federalism was not created by an agreement among pre-existing sovereign units; the Constitution itself describes India as a 'Union of States' that is indestructible, so that feature is not true of Indian federalism. Independent judiciary, division of powers, and a bicameral centre with state representation in the Rajya Sabha are genuine federal features. Indian federation is 'holding together', not 'coming together'.