11 July 2026

Quiz — 11 July 2026

Every prelims question from this edition. Tap an option to check it; what you answer is remembered on this device.

Questions

1. Which of the following bodies is proposed to be replaced by the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025?

   1. A AICTE, NCTE, and ICAR
   2. B UGC, CSIR, and ICMR
   3. C NAAC, UGC, and UPSC
   4. D University Grants Commission, AICTE, and NCTE

2. Under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, which entry pertains to the coordination and determination of standards in institutions for higher education or research?

   1. A Entry 63 of the Union List
   2. B Entry 25 of the Concurrent List
   3. C Entry 32 of the State List
   4. D Entry 66 of the Union List

3. The Ken-Betwa river-linking project is part of which broader national initiative?

   1. A Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana
   2. B Atal Bhujal Yojana
   3. C National Perspective Plan
   4. D National Water Mission

4. Which protected area is specifically mentioned as being impacted by the Ken-Betwa river-linking project?

   1. A Satpura National Park
   2. B Panna National Park and Tiger Reserve
   3. C Bandhavgarh National Park
   4. D Kanha Tiger Reserve

5. Which of the following is cited as a primary benefit of using E20 ethanol-blended fuel in internal combustion engines?

   1. A Lower production costs regardless of crude oil prices
   2. B Complete elimination of carbon emissions
   3. C Higher octane rating and cleaner engine operation
   4. D Increased fuel economy by 3-5%

6. At what approximate international crude oil price level does ethanol-blended fuel typically become more cost-effective than pure petrol, according to government analysis?

   1. A $70-$80 per barrel
   2. B $120-$130 per barrel
   3. C $50-$60 per barrel
   4. D $150-$160 per barrel

7. Which of the following best describes the 'Gender Parity Index' in the context of higher education enrolment?

   1. A The percentage of female faculty members compared to male faculty members.
   2. B The ratio of female enrolment in STEM to non-STEM disciplines.
   3. C The ratio of female students to male students in postgraduate programmes.
   4. D The number of female students enrolled for every 100 male students.

8. What is the primary objective of the 'Financial Health' approach as advocated by international financial institutions?

   1. A Reducing the fiscal deficit by digitising all government subsidy payments.
   2. B Increasing the total number of bank accounts opened under government schemes.
   3. C Mandating that all informal sector workers invest in stock market instruments.
   4. D Ensuring individuals have the capacity to manage expenses, build resilience, and plan for long-term goals.

9. Which of the following fundamental rights is most directly invoked by the Supreme Court when addressing the issue of prolonged incarceration of undertrial prisoners due to trial delays?

   1. A Article 14 (Equality before law)
   2. B Article 21 (Protection of life and personal liberty)
   3. C Article 19 (Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech)
   4. D Article 32 (Remedies for enforcement of rights)

10. Under the FCRA Amendment Rules, 2026, which of the following is explicitly barred as a permitted activity for NGOs receiving foreign contributions?

    1. A Meditation retreats
    2. B Religious education
    3. C Social welfare
    4. D Proselytisation

11. Which of the following best describes the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee regarding the status of a Minister in judicial custody for over 30 days?

    1. A Mandatory resignation only if convicted by a trial court
    2. B Suspension from office, which is reversible upon acquittal or discharge
    3. C Immediate and permanent removal from office
    4. D Automatic disqualification from contesting future elections

12. Which of the following central agencies are involved in the proposed inter-State anti-drug coordination mechanism for southern India?

    1. A Border Security Force, Customs, and Intelligence Bureau
    2. B Narcotics Control Bureau, Customs, and Intelligence Bureau
    3. C National Investigation Agency, Narcotics Control Bureau, and Central Bureau of Investigation
    4. D Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate, and Narcotics Control Bureau

13. Which of the following species are included in the new conservation projects recently approved by the National CAMPA governing body?

    1. A River dolphin, snow leopard, wild water buffalo, and Indian rhinoceros
    2. B Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, Indian rhinoceros, and snow leopard
    3. C Snow leopard, Indian rhinoceros, lion, and wild water buffalo
    4. D River dolphin, great Indian bustard, wild water buffalo, and snow leopard

14. Which of the following best describes the primary objective of the partnership between Adani Enterprises Ltd. and Dioxycle?

    1. A To develop and scale low-carbon chemical production using captured CO2
    2. B To facilitate the import of electric vehicle components from France
    3. C To establish a new stock exchange for green energy credits
    4. D To increase the export of raw iron ore to European markets

15. What is the designated delivery and pricing centre for the revived Black Pepper Futures contract on NCDEX?

    1. A Mangaluru
    2. B Kochi
    3. C Chennai
    4. D Mumbai

16. Which of the following statements regarding the regulation of telecommunication calls by TRAI is correct?

    1. A The 1600 series is reserved exclusively for private commercial telemarketing activities.
    2. B The DND registry is the designated mechanism for managing promotional calls from the 140 series.
    3. C Promotional calls from the 140 series can be filtered by any caller identification app.
    4. D Third-party apps are permitted to block calls from the 1600 number series.

17. Under the recent amendment to the Drugs Rules, 1945, which schedule now governs medicinal products containing more than 12% v/v ethyl alcohol that were previously exempted under Schedule K?

    1. A Schedule G
    2. B Schedule J
    3. C Schedule X
    4. D Schedule H1

18. Which of the following processes is currently being utilized to update and verify electoral rolls in Telangana?

    1. A National Voter Verification Drive
    2. B Continuous Updation Process
    3. C General Electoral Revision
    4. D Special Intensive Revision (SIR)

19. Under which legislation does the Enforcement Directorate derive its power to issue provisional attachment orders for assets involved in money laundering?

    1. A Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002
    2. B Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999
    3. C Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967
    4. D Information Technology Act, 2000

20. The 'green cess' proposed by the Assam government is intended to be levied on which of the following?

    1. A Agricultural produce and organic fertilizers
    2. B Stone crushers and brick kilns
    3. C Renewable energy generation units
    4. D Public transport infrastructure projects

21. Which of the following Supreme Court judgments is frequently cited regarding the guidelines for police encounters and the protection of human rights?

    1. A Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India
    2. B PUCL v. Maharashtra (2014)
    3. C Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan
    4. D Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala

22. Under which section of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, is the Election Commission generally empowered to fill casual vacancies in the Houses of Parliament and State Legislatures?

    1. A Section 123
    2. B Section 151A
    3. C Section 80
    4. D Section 100

23. Which agency conducted the investigation into the recruitment of school teachers in Bihar between 2006 and 2015?

    1. A National Investigation Agency
    2. B State Vigilance Bureau
    3. C Central Bureau of Investigation
    4. D Economic Offences Wing

24. The Lipulekh Pass, a key route for the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra, is located in which Indian state?

    1. A Arunachal Pradesh
    2. B Himachal Pradesh
    3. C Sikkim
    4. D Uttarakhand

25. Which of the following criteria is explicitly mentioned by the J&K Higher Education Department for evaluating academic resources in educational institutions?

    1. A Mandatory inclusion of regional vernacular literature
    2. B Approval by a committee of international subject experts
    3. C Alignment with international academic rankings
    4. D Consistency with the Constitution of India and the National Education Policy

26. Which Article of the Indian Constitution provides the 'Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion'?

    1. A Article 21
    2. B Article 25
    3. C Article 32
    4. D Article 14

27. Which of the following sectors was specifically highlighted as a key area for the supply of resources from Australia to India following recent bilateral negotiations?

    1. A Civil nuclear energy
    2. B Rare earth elements
    3. C Natural gas
    4. D Renewable solar technology

28. In the context of disaster management in India, which of the following best describes a 'debris slip'?

    1. A A seismic event caused by tectonic plate movement
    2. B A rapid rise in sea levels leading to coastal flooding
    3. C The downward movement of loose soil, rock, and organic material along a slope
    4. D A sudden release of water from a glacial lake

29. Which of the following best describes the primary objective of the proposed cybercrime task force in Andhra Pradesh?

    1. A To regulate all private internet service providers in the state
    2. B To monitor and take legal action against unlawful and defamatory content on social media
    3. C To provide mandatory digital literacy training to all government employees
    4. D To replace the existing state police cyber cell with a private security agency

30. Which of the following best describes the primary objective of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)?

    1. A To provide health insurance coverage to the economically weaker sections
    2. B To provide subsidized food grains to families below the poverty line
    3. C To provide employment guarantees to rural households
    4. D To provide public assistance to citizens in case of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement

31. The 'SARAL' scheme, often cited in the context of Delhi's municipal governance, pertains to which of the following?

    1. A Self-certification of building plans for small plots
    2. B Direct benefit transfer for water conservation
    3. C Public grievance redressal for road infrastructure
    4. D Digital health records for urban residents

32. Which of the following features has the European Commission specifically identified as 'addictive' in its recent warning to Meta?

    1. A Data portability tools
    2. B End-to-end encryption
    3. C Two-factor authentication
    4. D Infinite scroll and autoplay

33. What is the primary factor identified as contributing to the chronic overcrowding in Sri Lankan prisons?

    1. A High rates of violent crime
    2. B Political prisoners
    3. C Drug-related offences
    4. D Lack of judicial infrastructure

34. According to the mythological narrative provided, where did the river Cauvery perform penance to attain a status equal to the river Ganga?

    1. A Srirangam
    2. B Thiruvaiyaru
    3. C Kumbakonam
    4. D Thiruccherai

35. Which of the following acts was invoked by the NIA in the 1996 Srinagar mob violence case chargesheet?

    1. A National Security Act, 1980
    2. B Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958
    3. C Public Safety Act, 1978
    4. D Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967

36. Which of the following agencies was involved in the joint operation to arrest the suspects in the Manipur Naga civilians killing case?

    1. A National Investigation Agency (NIA)
    2. B Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
    3. C Intelligence Bureau (IB)
    4. D Border Security Force (BSF)

37. Under which section of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) can the Enforcement Directorate freeze an asset when physical seizure is not practical?

    1. A Section 12 (2)
    2. B Section 17 (1-A)
    3. C Section 21 (B)
    4. D Section 45 (1)

38. Which section of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act pertains to the punishment for cruelty to a child by a person having control or charge of the child?

    1. A Section 90
    2. B Section 75
    3. C Section 82
    4. D Section 23

39. Which of the following best describes the primary reason cited by the Greater Bengaluru Authority for seeking an extension of the civic election deadline?

    1. A Inability to procure electronic voting machines in time for the polls
    2. B Lack of budgetary allocation for conducting the polls
    3. C Pending litigation regarding the delimitation of the 369 wards
    4. D Logistical constraints due to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls

40. Which of the following factors is primarily responsible for the increased vulnerability of urban infrastructure to extreme weather events in Indian cities like Noida?

    1. A Over-reliance on traditional open-drainage systems
    2. B All of the above
    3. C Rapid, unplanned urbanization and encroachment on natural drainage channels
    4. D Lack of adequate green cover and permeable surfaces

41. Which of the following bodies is empowered to issue notices to state authorities regarding allegations of human rights violations during public protests?

    1. A The Election Commission of India
    2. B The State Legislative Assembly
    3. C The Supreme Court of India
    4. D The National Human Rights Commission