1. Consider the following:
1. Dhanvantiri was one of the nine jewels of Vikramaditya.
2. Charaka was the royal physician in the Kushan Kingdom.
3. Sushruta’s work provides the first written record of rhinoplasty.
4. Jivaka was an ayurvedic physician who was the personal doctor of Buddha.
How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Answer: (d) All four
Explanation:
News: Text of the Vice-President’s address at the unveiling of the statues of Sushruta and Charaka.
- Dhanvantiri was one of the nine jewels of Vikramaditya (Chandragupta-II) and Varahamihira who wrote Brihat Samhita also one of the navratnas of Chandragupta-II.
- Charaka was the royal physician in the Kushan Kingdom.
- Charaka is known as the father of medicine, and Charaka authored the Charak Samhita, which is a foundational text for Ayurveda.
- Sushruta, the father of surgery whose treatises provides the first written record of a forehead flap rhinoplasty (plastic surgery) and ophthalmology (cataract ejection); Sushruta was a disciple of Dhanvantari.
Source:
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2130490
2. Consider the following statements with respect to Gallantry Awards:
1. Gallantry awards are honored for triservices including paramilitary forces.
2. These awards may be given posthumously.
3. Ashok Chakra is the highest award given for most conspicuous bravery during war time.
4. These are given in two categories namely wartime and peacetime awards.
How many of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) None
Answer: (a) Only one
Explanation:
News: PRESIDENT OF INDIA PRESENTS GALLANTRY AWARDS
The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India’s highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy, similar to the British Victoria Cross, US Medal of Honor, or French Legion of Honor or Russian Cross of St. George.
The Ashok Chakra is awarded for valor, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the
battlefield. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for the “most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent valour or self-sacrifice” other than in the face of the enemy.
The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) is the second highest military decoration in India and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It may be awarded posthumously.
The Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Maha Vir Chakra. It is second in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards.
Vir Chakra: For acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether of land or at sea or in the air. It is third in precedence in the war time gallantry awards and comes after the Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra.
Shaurya Chakra: Awarded for gallantry otherwise than in the face of the enemy. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Vir Chakra.
Source:
https://warb-mha.gov.in/pdf/awards.pdf https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2130619
3. With reference to India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), consider the following statements:
1. IPPB is a scheduled commercial bank under the Reserve Bank of India.
2. It was established with 100% equity owned by the Government of India.
3. The fundamental mandate of India Post Payments Bank is to remove barriers for the unbanked & underbanked.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
Explanation:
News: India Post Payments Bank Partners with Aditya Birla Capital Limited to Simplify Accessibility to Loan Products across India
- IPPB is not a scheduled commercial bank. It is a payments bank, which is a special category of banks licensed by the Reserve Bank of India to promote financial inclusion. Payments banks can accept deposits but are restricted from issuing loans or credit cards.
- India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has beenestablished under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication with 100% equity owned by the Government of India. IPPB was launched on September 1, 2018.
- The bank has been set up with the vision to build the most accessible, affordable and trusted bank for the common man in India.
- The fundamental mandate of India Post Payments Bank is to remove barriers for the unbanked & underbanked and reach the last mile leveraging the Postal network comprising ~1,65,000 Post Offices (~140,000 in rural areas) and ~3,00,000 Postal employees.
- IPPB’s reach and its operating model is built on the key pillars of India Stack – enabling Paperless, Cashless and Presence-less banking in a simple and secure manner at the customers’ doorstep, through a CBS-integrated smartphone and biometric device.
- Leveraging frugal innovation and with a high focus on ease of banking for the masses, IPPB delivers simple and affordable banking solutions through intuitive interfaces available in 13 languages.
Source:
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2130499
4. With respect to Asiatic Lion, consider the following statements:
1. Asiatic lions are naturally found in India only.
2. They are classified as Endangered in the Red list of IUCN.
3. They chose night time, usually for hunting.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Explanation:
News: 2025 Lion census shows 32% population rise: Why Asiatic lion’s future can’t be secured by numbers alone.
- The latest population estimation exercise in Gujarat has recorded 891 lions, a 32% jump in population since 2020.
- The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) is currently found only in the Gir Forest region of Gujarat, India. It is the only place in the wild where this subspecies exists.
- The lions have colonised at least three new areas — Barda wildlife sanctuary, Jetpur and Babra-Jasdan — in the last five years.
- The Saurashtra peninsula has very few protected wilderness areas — Gir National Park and a few small sanctuaries such as Pania, Girnar, Mitiyala and the recently colonised Berda — for the lion to flourish.
- A nearly 900-strong population scattered across 358 locations strengthens the species recovery trend that made IUCN change the Asiatic Lion’s status from “critically-endangered” to “endangered” in 2008.
- Lions generally prefer to hunt at night. This is primarily due to their excellent night vision, which gives them an advantage over their prey, which are often diurnal (active during the day).
Source:
5. The term “Golden Dome” recently seen in news refers to
(a) Largest project of Saudi Arabia
(b) Mughal style of architecture on tomb and mosque
(c) Global coverage defense system
(d) Project designed for focusing sweet revolution
Answer: (c) Global coverage defense system
Explanation:
News: US President Trump unveiled the ‘Golden Dome’ missile defence shield.
- The U.S. President has unveiled a new missile defense initiative called the ‘Golden Dome,’ aimed at countering a broad range of aerial threats, including those originating from space.
- The Golden Dome is an advanced missile defense system that incorporates space-based sensors and interceptors.
- Its goal is to form a multilayered shield capable of neutralizing threats such as hypersonic missiles, ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, regardless of their launch point—even from space.
- The system envisions deploying thousands of satellites in Earth’s orbit to intercept missiles shortly after launch. This concept has historical roots, first explored by Nazi Germany during World War II and later by both the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
- Design Influenced from both Israel’s Iron Dome and Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative—popularly known as the “Star Wars” program. While the Iron Dome is a short-range, radar-based ground system, the Golden Dome aspires to be a next-generation, globally integrated defense network, offering protection across land, sea, and space.
- Iron Dome is Israel’s ground-based, short-range missile defence relying on radar and Tamir interceptors; ideal for localized threats.
- Golden Dome is a US-scale system with space-enabled global coverage to tackle long-range, high-speed and high-altitude threats like ICBMs from Russia or China.
Source:
6. Consider the following statements with respect to impeachment of judges:
1. The Constitution does not provide grounds on removal of judges of the supreme court.
2. The Constitution of India gives the detailed procedure of removing a judge.
3. No judge of the supreme court or high court has been impeached so far.
How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (a) Only one
Explanation:
News: The Veeraswami case: When can a sitting judge face an FIR?
- Supreme Court and High Court judges can only be removed through impeachment under Articles 124(4) and 217 of the constitution.
- A judge of the Supreme Court as per Article 124(4) (and similarly under Article 217 for High Court judges) can be removed from office by the President only on the grounds of: Proved misbehaviour and Incapacity. And he/she can be removed only after a formal impeachment process by Parliament.
- Impeachment requires a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament.
- No judge has been impeached so far.
- The Constitution of India does not provide the procedure of removing a judge of the supreme court rather, Judges Inquiry Act, 1968 which is an act to regulate the procedure for the investigation and proof of the misbehaviour or incapacity of a judge of the Supreme Court or of a High Court.
Source:
7. Which of the following is/are the functions of the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) under BRICS?
1. To provide short-term liquidity support to member countries.
2. To fund infrastructure development projects across developing countries.
3. To act as a substitute for the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Select the correct answer using the code below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
Answer: (a) 1 only
Explanation:
News: India calls for dismantling of export controls among BRICS members at 15th BRICS Trade Ministers’ Meeting
- The Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) is designed to provide short-term balance of payments support through currency swaps in times of liquidity pressures.
- To fund infrastructure development projects across developing countries is a function of the New Development Bank (NDB).
- CRA complements institutions like the IMF but is not a substitute. It offers additional support, especially for BRICS nations, in times of financial instability.
Source:
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2130821
8. Consider the following sub-schemes under PMKSY:
1. Mega Food Parks
2. Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure
3. National Agricultural Market (e-NAM)
4. Infrastructure for Agro-processing Clusters
Which of the above are part of the PMKSY?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1, 2 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 4 only
(d) All of the above
Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 4 only
Explanation:
National Agricultural Market (e-NAM)
- e-NAM is a separate scheme launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, aimed at creating a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
Mega Food Parks
- It is Included under PMKSY, aims to provide a mechanism to link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors, and retailers.
- It offers infrastructure like cold storage, warehousing, and logistics in a hub-and-spoke model.
Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure
- It is Included under PMKSY, aims to provide integrated cold chain and preservation infrastructure facilities without any break from the farm gate to the consumer.
- It supports pre-cooling, cold storage, reefer vans, IQF, and value addition facilities.
Infrastructure for Agro-processing Clusters
- It is included under PMKSY aims to create modern infrastructure in identified agro clusters to encourage entrepreneurs and farmer producer organizations (FPOs) to set up food processing units.
- It focuses on common facilities like warehouse, cold storage, packaging, etc., for small and medium enterprises in agro-processing.
9. With reference to obesity trends in India, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Childhood obesity in India has decreased since 1990.
2. Women show a higher burden of obesity than men.
3. High BMI accounts for a greater percentage of cardiovascular deaths in women than in men.
Select the correct answer using code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
Explanation:
- According to the WHF 2025 report, childhood obesity has increased since 1990.
- 5.2 million girls and 7.3 million boys (ages 5–19) are obese — a ~3% rise since 1990.
- Women show a higher burden of obesity than men. 24% of Indian women are obese vs 23% of Indian men.
- But in absolute numbers, women bear a disproportionately higher burden: 44 million women (10%) vs 26 million men (5%).
- High BMI accounts for a greater percentage of cardiovascular deaths in women than in men.
- 7% of CVD deaths in women are linked to obesity vs 4.6% in men.
10. Consider the following pairs: (UPSC PYQ 2017)
| 1 | Radhakanta Deb | First President of the British Indian Association |
| 2 | Gazulu Lakshmi Narasu Chetty | Founder of the Madras Mahajana Sabha |
| 3 | Surendranath Banerjee | Founder of the Indian Association |
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only