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Geography · 46
The longest river entirely within India is?The Godavari
India's largest state by area is?Rajasthan (smallest: Goa)
The highest peak entirely within India is?Kangchenjunga
Indian Standard Time is based on?82.5° E longitude (near Mirzapur)
The Tropic of Cancer passes through how many states?Eight
India's longest coastline belongs to?Gujarat
Asia's largest brackish-water lagoon is?Chilika Lake, Odisha
The Western Ghats are also called?The Sahyadri
India's southernmost point is?Indira Point (Great Nicobar)
The 'Sorrow of Bihar' is which river?The Kosi
The Bhakra Nangal Dam is on which river?The Sutlej
The Radcliffe Line separates?India and Pakistan
The McMahon Line separates?India and China
The Durand Line separates?Afghanistan and Pakistan
Largest freshwater lake in India?Wular Lake (Jammu & Kashmir)
Black (regur) soil is best for which crop?Cotton
Which soil covers the largest area in India?Alluvial soil
El Niño is the warming of which ocean?The central & eastern Pacific
Which longest river flows entirely within India?Godavari
The Tropic of Cancer passes through how many Indian states?Eight
Which is the highest peak entirely within India?Kangchenjunga
The Deccan Plateau is primarily made of which rock?Basalt (volcanic)
Which soil is best suited for cotton cultivation?Black soil (regur)
The Western Ghats are also known as?Sahyadri
Which strait separates India from Sri Lanka?Palk Strait
The southernmost point of India is?Indira Point (Great Nicobar)
Which river is called the 'Sorrow of Bihar'?Kosi
The Sundarbans delta is formed by which rivers?Ganga and Brahmaputra
Which local wind is called the 'Loo'?Hot dry summer wind of North India
The Nathula Pass connects Sikkim with?Tibet (China)
Which is the largest freshwater lake in India?Wular Lake
The Palghat Gap lies in which mountain range?Western Ghats
Which planet is known as the Morning Star?Venus
The Coriolis force deflects winds to which direction in the Northern Hemisphere?To the right
Which line divides India's monsoon regime seasonally?No fixed line; onset from Kerala early June
The Deccan Trap was formed by which type of volcanic eruption?Fissure eruption
Which Indian state has the longest coastline?Gujarat
The Zojila Pass connects Srinagar to?Leh
The Western Ghats differ from the Eastern Ghats in that…They are continuous, higher and older-looking in profile, whereas the Eastern Ghats are discontinuous and dissected by rivers
El Niño refers to…Abnormal warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, often associated with weaker Indian monsoon rainfall
The Indian monsoon reverses direction because…Of seasonal differential heating between land and sea, shifting pressure belts and the ITCZ
Laterite soil forms under…High temperature and heavy rainfall with alternating wet and dry spells, causing intense leaching
Black soil (regur) is best suited to…Cotton — it is clayey, moisture-retentive and formed largely on Deccan lava
A doab is…The land lying between two converging rivers, as in the Ganga–Yamuna doab
The Himalayas are described as young fold mountains because…They formed relatively recently from the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates and are still rising
Peninsular rivers differ from Himalayan rivers in that…They are largely rain-fed and seasonal, with shorter courses and more stable valleys
Environment · 45
How many biodiversity hotspots are in India?Four
The Ramsar Convention protects?Wetlands (1971)
The Montreal Protocol protects?The ozone layer (1987)
The Kyoto Protocol aimed to cut?Greenhouse gas emissions (1997)
The Paris Agreement targets warming of?Well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels
Project Tiger was launched in?1973
India's first national park (1936) is?Jim Corbett
The most abundant greenhouse gas is?Water vapour
The ozone layer lies in which atmospheric layer?The stratosphere
The Chipko movement protected?Forests and trees (Uttarakhand)
The Silent Valley movement was in?Kerala
CITES regulates?International trade in endangered species
The Ramsar Convention is concerned with?Conservation of wetlands
Which gas is primarily responsible for the ozone hole?Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Project Tiger was launched in which year?1973
The CITES convention deals with?Trade in endangered species
Which protocol targets greenhouse gas emissions?Kyoto Protocol / Paris Agreement
The Montreal Protocol protects which atmospheric layer?The ozone layer
Which is India's first biosphere reserve?Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
The 'Red Data Book' is maintained by?IUCN
Which ecosystem is called the 'kidney of the earth'?Wetlands
The Great Barrier Reef is an example of which ecosystem?Coral reef
Which pollutant causes 'Blue Baby Syndrome'?Nitrates
The Chipko Movement was aimed at protecting?Trees / forests
Which animal is the flagship species of Project Elephant?Asian Elephant
The Convention on Biological Diversity was signed at?Rio Earth Summit (1992)
Which agency releases the 'Living Planet Report'?WWF
The Ramsar Convention concerns…Conservation and wise use of wetlands; sites of international importance are 'Ramsar sites'
The Montreal Protocol phases out…Ozone-depleting substances such as CFCs; widely regarded as the most successful environmental treaty
The Kigali Amendment added which substances to the Montreal Protocol?Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) — potent greenhouse gases used as CFC replacements
The Paris Agreement's central goal is…Holding the rise in global average temperature well below 2°C, pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are…Each country's self-declared climate targets under the Paris Agreement, revised periodically
The Convention on Biological Diversity has which three objectives?Conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of its components, and fair sharing of genetic-resource benefits
The Nagoya Protocol deals with…Access to genetic resources and fair, equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use
The Basel Convention controls…Transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and their disposal
The Stockholm Convention targets…Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) — toxic chemicals that resist degradation and bioaccumulate
A biosphere reserve is zoned into…A core zone (strictly protected), a buffer zone, and a transition zone permitting sustainable use
The IUCN Red List categories run from…Least Concern through Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, to Extinct
India's four biodiversity hotspots are…The Himalaya, the Western Ghats–Sri Lanka, the Indo-Burma region, and Sundaland (Nicobar Islands)
The Wildlife Protection Act 1972 organises species into…Schedules, with Schedule I species receiving the highest degree of protection
The Forest Rights Act 2006 recognises…Rights of forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers over land and forest resources
The National Green Tribunal was established to…Provide effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection
Eutrophication is…Nutrient enrichment of a water body (nitrates, phosphates) causing algal blooms and oxygen depletion
A keystone species is one that…Has a disproportionately large effect on its ecosystem relative to its abundance
Ecological succession is…The gradual, predictable change in species composition of a community over time toward a climax stage
Economy · 44
The Reserve Bank of India was established in?1935
GST came into effect on?1 July 2017
NITI Aayog replaced which body, and when?The Planning Commission, in 2015
The repo rate is the rate at which…The RBI lends to commercial banks
Fiscal deficit equals…Total expenditure minus receipts (excluding borrowings)
India's financial year runs from?April to March
SEBI regulates?The securities and stock markets
'Operation Flood' is linked to which revolution?The White (milk) Revolution
The 'Blue Revolution' concerns?Fisheries and aquaculture
Apex bank for agricultural credit?NABARD
'MSP' stands for?Minimum Support Price
BSE benchmark index / NSE benchmark index?Sensex / Nifty 50
The Human Development Index is published by?UNDP
The Gini coefficient measures?Income inequality
An example of a direct tax?Income tax
Repo rate is decided by which body?Monetary Policy Committee (RBI)
What does GDP stand for?Gross Domestic Product
Which index measures inflation at the consumer level?Consumer Price Index (CPI)
The 'lender of last resort' function is performed by?The Reserve Bank of India
Fiscal deficit equals total expenditure minus?Total receipts excluding borrowings
Which tax replaced multiple indirect taxes in 2017?Goods and Services Tax (GST)
The GST Council is established under which Article?Article 279A
Disinvestment refers to the sale of stake in?Public sector undertakings
Which body regulates the securities market in India?SEBI
The term 'repo' stands for?Repurchase Option (agreement)
A situation of rising prices and falling growth is called?Stagflation
Which committee recommended GST in India?Kelkar Task Force / Vijay Kelkar
The Human Development Index was developed by?UNDP (Mahbub ul Haq, Amartya Sen)
Which deficit indicates borrowing for interest payments?Primary deficit context / revenue deficit
The base year of current GDP series in India is?2011-12
What is 'Financial Inclusion'?Access to affordable financial services for all
Which scheme provides basic bank accounts to all?PM Jan Dhan Yojana
CRR stands for?Cash Reserve Ratio
The 'twin balance sheet problem' relates to?Stressed banks and over-leveraged firms
Which organisation publishes the Economic Survey?Ministry of Finance
Repo rate is…The rate at which the RBI lends short-term funds to commercial banks against government securities
Reverse repo rate is…The rate at which the RBI absorbs liquidity by borrowing from commercial banks
The Statutory Liquidity Ratio requires banks to…Maintain a share of net demand and time liabilities in liquid assets such as government securities
Fiscal deficit is…The excess of total government expenditure over total receipts excluding borrowings
Revenue deficit is…The shortfall of revenue receipts against revenue expenditure — day-to-day spending exceeding day-to-day income
The difference between GDP and GNP is…GDP counts output produced within the country; GNP counts output by a country's residents, wherever produced
Inflation targeting in India is anchored by…A statutory framework under which the RBI's Monetary Policy Committee targets consumer price inflation
Disguised unemployment means…More people are engaged in work than are actually needed, so marginal productivity is effectively zero
A current account deficit arises when…The value of imports of goods, services and transfers exceeds the corresponding exports
Polity · 42
Article 1 of the Constitution declares India to be…A Union of States ('India, that is Bharat')
Which Article is the 'heart and soul' of the Constitution?Article 32 — Right to Constitutional Remedies
Fundamental Duties were added by which amendment?The 42nd Amendment, 1976 (Article 51A)
Directive Principles were inspired by which country?Ireland
Fundamental Rights were inspired by which country?The United States
The parliamentary system of government was modelled on?The United Kingdom
Article 356 deals with?President's Rule in a state
The anti-defection law is in which Schedule?The Tenth Schedule
How many Schedules does the Constitution have?Twelve
The Constitution came into force on?26 January 1950 (adopted 26 November 1949)
The Election Commission is established under which Article?Article 324
Judicial review is derived mainly from which Article?Article 13
The CAG is provided for under which Article?Article 148
Fundamental Duties are in which Part?Part IVA
The three legislative lists are in which Schedule?The Seventh Schedule
Rajya Sabha members' term length?Six years
The Ninth Schedule was added by which amendment?The First Amendment (1951)
Which amendment added the words 'Socialist, Secular, Integrity' to the Preamble?42nd Amendment Act, 1976
The concept of 'Directive Principles' was borrowed from which country?Ireland
Which Article deals with the abolition of untouchability?Article 17
The Fundamental Duties were added on the recommendation of which committee?Swaran Singh Committee
How many Fundamental Duties are there after the 86th Amendment?Eleven
Who is the guardian of Fundamental Rights?The Supreme Court
Which writ literally means 'you may have the body'?Habeas Corpus
The Finance Commission is constituted under which Article?Article 280
Which schedule contains the anti-defection provisions?Tenth Schedule
The Governor is appointed under which Article?Article 155
Money Bills are defined under which Article?Article 110
Who certifies a Bill as a Money Bill?The Speaker of Lok Sabha
Which Article provides for the President's Rule?Article 356
The 'basic structure' doctrine was propounded in which case?Kesavananda Bharati case (1973)
Which Article guarantees the Right to Constitutional Remedies?Article 32
The Election Commission of India is a body of what nature?Constitutional body
Which Article deals with Special Status previously given to J&K?Article 370 (now abrogated)
How many members can the President nominate to the Rajya Sabha?Twelve
The National Emergency is proclaimed under which Article?Article 352
Which part of the Constitution deals with Panchayati Raj?Part IX
The idea of a written Constitution was borrowed from which country?United States
Which Article empowers Parliament to amend the Constitution?Article 368
The CAG is appointed under which Article?Article 148
Which fundamental right was described by Ambedkar as the 'heart and soul'?Right to Constitutional Remedies (Art 32)
The Attorney General of India is appointed under which Article?Article 76
Sci & Tech · 42
India's first satellite was?Aryabhata (1975)
India's first nuclear test (1974) was at?Pokhran
Chandrayaan-3 landed near which lunar region?The south pole (2023)
The Mars Orbiter Mission launched in?2013 — reached Mars on the first attempt
ISRO is headquartered in?Bengaluru
PSLV and GSLV are India's?Satellite launch vehicles
The 'powerhouse of the cell' is?The mitochondria
Antibiotics are effective against?Bacteria (not viruses)
ISRO's Mars mission is called?Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission)
The 'God particle' is another name for?Higgs Boson
Which vitamin is synthesised by sunlight on skin?Vitamin D
DNA stands for?Deoxyribonucleic Acid
Which organ produces insulin?Pancreas
The unit of electrical resistance is?Ohm
Which gas is used in balloons because it is lighter than air?Helium
CRISPR technology is used for?Gene editing
Which Indian launched vehicle is called the 'workhorse of ISRO'?PSLV
The chemical symbol for gold is?Au
Which blood cells fight infection?White blood cells
The speed of light is approximately?3 x 10^8 metres per second
Which disease is caused by a deficiency of iron?Anaemia
Which acid is present in the human stomach?Hydrochloric acid
Chandrayaan-3 is notable for…India's successful soft landing near the lunar south pole, the first by any country in that region
The Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) is notable because…India reached Mars orbit on its first attempt, at remarkably low cost
Aditya-L1 studies the Sun from…The first Sun-Earth Lagrange point (L1), which allows continuous solar observation without eclipses
Gaganyaan is ISRO's programme for…Indian human spaceflight — carrying a crew to low Earth orbit and returning them safely
NavIC is…India's regional satellite navigation system, giving position services over India and the surrounding region
The difference between PSLV and GSLV is…PSLV serves polar/sun-synchronous orbits; GSLV, with a cryogenic upper stage, carries heavier payloads to geostationary transfer orbit
CRISPR-Cas9 is used for…Precise gene editing — cutting DNA at a targeted sequence so genes can be disabled or replaced
mRNA vaccines work by…Delivering messenger RNA that instructs cells to make a viral protein, prompting an immune response
A qubit differs from a classical bit because…It can exist in a superposition of states, enabling quantum computers to explore many possibilities at once
Green hydrogen is produced by…Electrolysis of water using renewable electricity, releasing no carbon dioxide in the process
A fast breeder reactor is significant for India because…It produces more fissile material than it consumes and is stage two of India's three-stage nuclear programme
India's three-stage nuclear programme aims ultimately at…Using its large thorium reserves, via pressurised heavy water reactors and fast breeder reactors first
Bt cotton is engineered to…Express a Bacillus thuringiensis toxin that resists bollworm attack
Monoclonal antibodies are…Identical antibodies produced from a single clone of cells, used in diagnosis and targeted therapy
The Internet of Things refers to…Everyday physical devices with sensors and connectivity that exchange data over a network
Blockchain's defining feature is…A distributed, tamper-evident ledger where records are chained cryptographically across many nodes
Machine learning differs from traditional programming because…The system learns patterns from data rather than following explicitly written rules
Stem cells are valuable because they…Are unspecialised cells able to divide and differentiate into specialised cell types
A semiconductor fab is…A fabrication plant where silicon wafers are processed into integrated circuits — capital-intensive and strategically significant
Gene therapy attempts to treat disease by…Introducing, altering or silencing genetic material inside a patient's cells
History · 38
The Indian National Congress was founded in?1885 (first president: W. C. Bonnerjee)
The Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha) took place in?1930
The Quit India Movement was launched in?1942
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre occurred in?1919, at Amritsar
Bengal was partitioned (first) in?1905, by Lord Curzon
The Battle of Plassey was fought in?1757 (British vs Nawab of Bengal)
The Battle of Buxar was fought in?1764
The Revolt of 1857 is also called?The First War of Independence
Arya Samaj was founded by and in?Swami Dayananda Saraswati, 1875
The Lothal site is famous for its?Dockyard (Harappan maritime trade)
Founder of the Maurya Empire?Chandragupta Maurya
Ashoka embraced Buddhism after which war?The Kalinga War
Author of the Arthashastra?Kautilya (Chanakya)
Which era is called India's 'Golden Age'?The Gupta period
The 'Doctrine of Lapse' is linked to?Lord Dalhousie
The Ajanta caves are famous for?Buddhist murals and paintings
Who was the first woman ruler of the Delhi Sultanate?Razia Sultana
The Battle of Plassey was fought in which year?1757
Which movement was launched with the slogan 'Do or Die'?Quit India Movement (1942)
Who founded the Arya Samaj?Swami Dayananda Saraswati
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in which year?1919
Who was the first Governor-General of independent India?Lord Mountbatten
The Indian National Congress was founded in which year?1885
Who wrote the book 'Hind Swaraj'?Mahatma Gandhi
Which Mughal emperor built the Taj Mahal?Shah Jahan
The Dandi March was associated with which movement?Civil Disobedience Movement
Who was known as the 'Iron Man of India'?Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
The Rowlatt Act was passed in which year?1919
Who founded the Ghadar Party?Lala Har Dayal
The Simon Commission arrived in India in which year?1928
Who gave the slogan 'Inquilab Zindabad'?Bhagat Singh (popularised)
The first session of the Constituent Assembly was held in?December 1946
Which Veda is the oldest?Rigveda
The Gandhara school of art flourished under which dynasty?Kushanas
Who founded the Maurya Empire?Chandragupta Maurya
The Cripps Mission came to India in which year?1942
Which movement did the Chauri Chaura incident lead to being withdrawn?Non-Cooperation Movement
The Buddha attained enlightenment at which place?Bodh Gaya
Schemes · 33
Mission Indradhanush is about?Immunisation of children and pregnant women
PM-KISAN provides?Income support to farmers
Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) provides?Health insurance cover to poor families
MGNREGA guarantees?100 days of wage employment a year to rural households
The Jan Dhan Yojana promotes?Financial inclusion (bank accounts for all)
PM-KISAN provides income support of how much per year?Rs 6,000 in three instalments
Ayushman Bharat provides health cover of up to?Rs 5 lakh per family per year
Which scheme aims for universal household electrification?Saubhagya
The Ujjwala Yojana provides free connections for?LPG cooking gas
MGNREGA guarantees how many days of employment?100 days per rural household
Which mission focuses on cleaning the river Ganga?Namami Gange
The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme addresses?Declining child sex ratio
PM Awas Yojana aims to provide?Housing for all
Which scheme promotes skill development?PMKVY (Skill India)
Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide…Functional household tap connections to every rural household
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY provides health cover of…₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation
PM Ujjwala Yojana provides…Subsidised LPG connections to women from poor households, reducing indoor air pollution
The three loan categories under PM Mudra Yojana are…Shishu, Kishor and Tarun — rising limits for micro-enterprises
PM Jan Dhan Yojana is aimed at…Financial inclusion — a basic bank account, RuPay card and overdraft facility for the unbanked
POSHAN Abhiyaan targets…Reducing stunting, undernutrition, anaemia and low birth weight through convergence and monitoring
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao was launched to address…The declining child sex ratio and to promote education of the girl child
Swachh Bharat Mission's two components are…SBM-Gramin (rural, Jal Shakti Ministry) and SBM-Urban (Housing and Urban Affairs)
Atal Pension Yojana targets…Workers in the unorganised sector, with a guaranteed minimum pension after 60
Stand Up India facilitates bank loans for…SC/ST and women entrepreneurs setting up greenfield enterprises
The Smart Cities Mission focuses on…Area-based development and technology-enabled solutions in selected cities
AMRUT is concerned with…Basic urban infrastructure — water supply, sewerage, drainage, green spaces and transport
Saubhagya scheme aimed at…Universal household electrification, providing last-mile connections
PM Awas Yojana has which two verticals?PMAY-Gramin and PMAY-Urban — housing for the rural and urban poor
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana covers…Crop loss from natural calamities, pests and disease, with a uniform farmer premium share
PM POSHAN is the renamed version of…The Mid-Day Meal Scheme, providing hot cooked meals in government schools
Startup India offers startups…Tax benefits, easier compliance, and funding support through a fund of funds
The National Health Mission comprises…The National Rural Health Mission and the National Urban Health Mission
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana (NRLM) works through…Self-help groups, to build institutions of the rural poor and improve livelihoods
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