30 July 2026

Quiz — 30 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 categories of persons were prohibited from receiving foreign contributions under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010?

   1. A Registered charitable trusts only
   2. B Candidates for election and members of the legislature
   3. C Private business owners and entrepreneurs
   4. D Foreign diplomats residing in India

2. Under the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, what happens to assets created partially from foreign contributions if an organization's certificate is cancelled?

   1. A The assets are transferred to the local municipal corporation
   2. B The assets are liquidated and returned to the donors
   3. C The organization retains ownership but cannot use the assets
   4. D The entire asset vests in the designated authority

3. Which of the following best describes the primary objective of the 'theatre-isation' reform in the Indian Armed Forces?

   1. A To focus exclusively on the procurement of indigenous weapon platforms
   2. B To increase the number of single-service commands to 25
   3. C To replace the Chief of Defence Staff with a civilian oversight committee
   4. D To integrate forces from three services into unified commands for better operational synergy

4. In the context of defence planning, what is the fundamental difference between 'defence preparedness' and 'military readiness' as discussed in the article?

   1. A Preparedness is for peacetime, while readiness is only for wartime
   2. B There is no functional difference between the two terms in modern military doctrine
   3. C Readiness is a financial metric, while preparedness is a diplomatic metric
   4. D Preparedness focuses on input metrics (4Ms), while readiness focuses on actual military capability and surge capacity

5. Under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, what is the proposed minimum sentence for individuals convicted of organised crimes related to paper leaks?

   1. A Ten years
   2. B Five years
   3. C Three years
   4. D Seven years

6. What is the revised debarment period for service providers found engaging in unfair means under the 2026 Amendment Bill?

   1. A Six years
   2. B Ten years
   3. C Four years
   4. D Eight years

7. Which of the following best describes the Supreme Court's ruling regarding the 2021 Office Memorandum on environmental clearances?

   1. A It was quashed with prospective effect, holding that administrative orders cannot supplant delegated legislation.
   2. B It was declared unconstitutional and quashed with retrospective effect.
   3. C It was declared valid only for projects related to national security and public health.
   4. D It was upheld as a valid exercise of executive power under the 2006 notification.

8. Which organization is responsible for compiling India's official Research and Development (R&D) statistics?

   1. A Ministry of Finance
   2. B National Science and Technology Management Information System (NSTMIS)
   3. C NITI Aayog
   4. D Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR)

9. In the context of India's R&D expenditure, what does the term 'GERD' stand for?

   1. A General Expenditure on Research and Development
   2. B Global Economic Research Data
   3. C Governmental Estimate of Research and Development
   4. D Gross Expenditure on Research and Development

10. Which of the following best describes the primary objective of the ILO Convention No. 193?

    1. A To establish a global minimum wage for all industrial sectors.
    2. B To mandate a universal basic income for all gig workers globally.
    3. C To provide a binding international framework for the rights and protection of platform workers.
    4. D To prohibit the use of algorithmic management in the private sector.

11. Under the Code on Social Security, 2020, how is the social security fund for gig and platform workers primarily financed?

    1. A Through a direct tax on the income of the gig workers.
    2. B Through mandatory contributions from the central government budget.
    3. C Through a voluntary insurance scheme managed by state governments.
    4. D Through contributions from aggregators based on a percentage of their annual turnover.

12. Which legislation governs the functioning of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in India?

    1. A The Press Council Act, 1978
    2. B The Cinematograph Act, 1952
    3. C The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995
    4. D The Information Technology Act, 2000

13. The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, provides protection to which of the following?

    1. A Constitution, National Anthem, and National Song
    2. B National Flag, Constitution, and National Anthem
    3. C National Flag, Constitution, and National Song
    4. D National Flag, National Song, and State Emblem

14. Who authored the National Song, Vande Mataram?

    1. A Subramania Bharati
    2. B Rabindranath Tagore
    3. C Sarojini Naidu
    4. D Bankim Chandra Chatterjee

15. In which city is the upcoming BRICS summit scheduled to be held?

    1. A Mumbai
    2. B New Delhi
    3. C Bengaluru
    4. D Chennai

16. Which site serves as the primary gauge and discharge (G&D) point for measuring the flow of the Cauvery river between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu?

    1. A Krishnaraja Sagar
    2. B Kabini
    3. C Mettur
    4. D Biligundlu

17. Which body is responsible for issuing directives to the governments of Delhi and adjoining states regarding the monitoring of stubble burning?

    1. A Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
    2. B Commission for Air Quality Management
    3. C National Disaster Management Authority
    4. D Central Pollution Control Board

18. E20 fuel, as discussed in the context of Indian energy policy, refers to a blend of:

    1. A 20% methanol and 80% petrol
    2. B 20% petrol and 80% ethanol
    3. C 20% biofuel and 80% diesel
    4. D 20% ethanol and 80% petrol

19. According to government findings, which category of vehicles may require specific component replacements like rubber parts and gaskets to be compatible with E20 fuel?

    1. A BS-III vehicles manufactured between 2005 and 2016
    2. B BS-IV vehicles
    3. C BS-VI vehicles
    4. D All vehicles manufactured before 2023

20. Under the Code of Criminal Procedure, which of the following is the correct process for the withdrawal of a criminal case before a judgment is pronounced?

    1. A The Home Ministry issues a direct order to the police to cancel the FIR.
    2. B The investigating officer files a closure report which is final and binding on the court.
    3. C The state government issues a notification of amnesty which automatically nullifies all pending FIRs.
    4. D The public prosecutor moves an application for withdrawal, which the court may grant after giving the victim an opportunity to be heard.

21. Which of the following best describes the primary objective of the Midday Meal Scheme in India?

    1. A To provide vocational training to students in the agricultural sector
    2. B To enhance enrollment, retention, and attendance while improving nutritional levels among children
    3. C To replace the public distribution system in rural schools
    4. D To provide direct cash transfers to students for food expenses

22. What is the primary purpose of a 'cloture' motion in the United States Senate?

    1. A To set a time limit for debate and hasten a vote on an issue
    2. B To permanently block a bill from being introduced
    3. C To initiate an investigation into executive branch activities
    4. D To override a presidential veto on legislation

23. What is the primary objective of coal beneficiation as highlighted by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel?

    1. A To reduce the ash content and improve the quality of coal
    2. B To replace coal-based power plants with renewable energy sources
    3. C To shift coal production entirely to private sector players
    4. D To increase the total volume of coal extraction from underground mines

24. What is the primary objective of the Policyholders' Education and Protection Fund (PEPF) as approved by the IRDAI?

    1. A To promote insurance awareness and facilitate the recovery of unclaimed insurance amounts
    2. B To replace the existing grievance redressal officers in insurance firms
    3. C To manage the investment portfolios of life insurance policyholders
    4. D To provide direct financial subsidies to insurance companies

25. What is the primary mandate of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA)?

    1. A Managing municipal tax collection
    2. B Conducting judicial inquiries into land titles
    3. C Regulating private real estate prices
    4. D Disaster management and protection of public assets

26. Which of the following best describes the legal concept of 'externment' in the Indian administrative context?

    1. A A preventive measure by police to ban or expel an individual from a specific locality or district.
    2. B A mandatory requirement for individuals to report to a police station daily for a period of one year.
    3. C A legislative act that permanently strips an individual of their citizenship rights.
    4. D A judicial order sentencing an individual to life imprisonment in a different state.

27. Which Article of the Indian Constitution has been interpreted by the judiciary to include the right of a major to marry a person of their choice?

    1. A Article 25
    2. B Article 14
    3. C Article 21
    4. D Article 19

28. Under the Indian legal framework, when an investigative agency like the CBI files a closure report in a criminal case, what is the primary role of the trial court?

    1. A The court is required to refer the report to the Supreme Court for final approval.
    2. B The court has the authority to accept, reject, or direct further investigation based on the material provided.
    3. C The court can only dismiss the case if the accused is deceased.
    4. D The court must automatically accept the report as it is an executive function.

29. Which of the following constitutional provisions can be linked to the discourse on providing menstrual leave to women employees in the public sector?

    1. A Article 42 (Provision for just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief)
    2. B Article 21A (Right to education)
    3. C Article 14 (Equality before law)
    4. D Article 51A (Fundamental Duties)

30. What is the primary objective of the proposed Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound and Ease of Delivery of Service) Bill, 2026?

    1. A To replace the 2011 Act and impose penalties for unjustified delays in service delivery
    2. B To mandate the presence of the Lieutenant-Governor in all legislative sessions
    3. C To increase the number of government departments in Delhi
    4. D To abolish the requirement of a 15-day notice period for Question Hour

31. What was the primary method used to identify individual tigers during the recent Nepal tiger survey?

    1. A DNA analysis of scat samples
    2. B Satellite tracking collars
    3. C Footprint measurements and pugmark analysis
    4. D Analysis of unique stripe patterns from camera trap images

32. Which of the following best describes the trend of Nepal's tiger population between 2009 and 2022?

    1. A It remained stagnant due to habitat loss
    2. B It declined by 20% due to poaching
    3. C It decreased by 5% annually
    4. D It nearly tripled from 121 to 355

33. In the context of electric motors, what is the primary function of a 'virtual magnet' or electrically excited motor?

    1. A To increase the weight of the rotor to improve torque
    2. B To replace permanent magnets with copper coils and software-controlled current
    3. C To eliminate the need for any magnetic field in the motor
    4. D To utilize superconducting materials to achieve zero resistance

34. Why are permanent magnet synchronous motors currently preferred in the electric vehicle industry?

    1. A They do not require any electrical energy to function
    2. B They are cheaper to manufacture than induction motors
    3. C They offer the highest efficiency, which optimizes battery range and weight
    4. D They are the only motors capable of generating alternating current

35. The Bab al-Mandab Strait is a critical maritime chokepoint connecting which two bodies of water?

    1. A The Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf
    2. B The Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman
    3. C The Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea
    4. D The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden

36. What was the total number of electric vehicles exported from India during the first quarter of the 2027 fiscal year?

    1. A 15,641
    2. B 47,000
    3. C 15,210
    4. D 41,000

37. With reference to Basel III norms, what is the primary purpose of Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds for banks?

    1. A To fund the government's fiscal deficit directly
    2. B To raise long-term non-equity regulatory capital
    3. C To provide short-term liquidity for daily operational expenses
    4. D To provide insurance coverage for retail depositors

38. With reference to Tariff-Rate Quotas (TRQ) in international trade, consider the following statements: 1. It is a trade policy tool that combines a quota system with a tariff system. 2. It allows a specific quantity of imports at a lower tariff rate, while imports exceeding that quantity are subject to a higher rate. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. A Neither 1 nor 2
    2. B 1 only
    3. C Both 1 and 2
    4. D 2 only

39. In the context of AI development, what is the primary distinction between 'training' and 'inference' as described in the report?

    1. A Inference is the process of creating a new model from scratch.
    2. B Inference requires continuous expansion to serve users, whereas training is a one-time cost.
    3. C Training requires a larger fleet of chips than inference.
    4. D Training is restricted by export controls, while inference is not.

40. Why does China currently favor an 'open-weight' model strategy for its AI development?

    1. A It is a purely altruistic effort to bridge the global digital divide.
    2. B It is a requirement set by international AI regulatory bodies.
    3. C It is a strategic response to compute constraints that limit the ability to serve models via APIs at scale.
    4. D It allows China to bypass all U.S. export controls on semiconductor manufacturing.

41. When was the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) established?

    1. A 1872
    2. B 1907
    3. C 1869
    4. D 1876

42. Who was the first Asian scientist to win the Nobel Prize in Physics?

    1. A Mahendralal Sircar
    2. B C.V. Raman
    3. C Amrit Lal Sircar
    4. D Jagadish Chandra Bose

43. Which Article of the Indian Constitution empowers High Courts to issue writs for the enforcement of fundamental rights and for any other purpose?

    1. A Article 227
    2. B Article 226
    3. C Article 131
    4. D Article 32

44. In the context of the Supreme Court of India, what is the primary purpose of 'oral mentioning' as a daily court procedure?

    1. A To deliver final judgments on pending constitutional cases
    2. B To allow lawyers to seek urgent hearings for matters involving fundamental rights
    3. C To record the attendance of advocates for all listed cases
    4. D To conduct administrative meetings between the CJI and the Ministry of Law

45. Which Article of the Indian Constitution guarantees the freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion?

    1. A Article 14
    2. B Article 25
    3. C Article 29
    4. D Article 21

46. Under the new NEET-UG counselling reforms, until which round is the 'upgradation facility' available to candidates?

    1. A Second round
    2. B First round
    3. C Third round
    4. D Fourth round

47. Which of the following is a feature of the 'Float' option in the revised NEET-UG counselling process?

    1. A Payment of admission fees before subsequent rounds
    2. B Submission of original documents during the first round
    3. C Mandatory physical reporting to the allotted institute
    4. D Participation in subsequent rounds without physical reporting

48. Which of the following best describes the current status of the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) in West Bengal?

    1. A A statutory body established by a Central Act of Parliament
    2. B A local municipal corporation under the 74th Amendment
    3. C A semi-autonomous administrative body
    4. D A constitutional body established under the Sixth Schedule

49. The Bihar government has set a target of establishing how many sugar mills to boost the state's agricultural economy?

    1. A 15
    2. B 10
    3. C 20
    4. D 25

50. What is the primary objective of the decentralised sewage treatment plants (DSTPs) being implemented by the Delhi Jal Board?

    1. A To generate electricity from urban waste
    2. B To reduce the cost of industrial water supply
    3. C To increase the sewage treatment capacity of the city
    4. D To provide irrigation water for agricultural lands

51. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake recently occurred in which region of Japan?

    1. A Central Japan
    2. B Northeastern Japan
    3. C Southwestern Japan
    4. D Hokkaido region

52. Which of the following best describes the strategic objective of Ukraine's recent long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries?

    1. A To disrupt Russian military logistics and government revenue through economic pressure
    2. B To facilitate immediate diplomatic negotiations for a ceasefire
    3. C To capture and occupy Russian industrial territories
    4. D To destroy the entire Russian energy grid to cause a total blackout

53. Which international body issued a non-binding advisory opinion in July 2024 regarding the legality of the occupation of Palestinian territory?

    1. A UN Human Rights Council
    2. B International Court of Justice
    3. C United Nations Security Council
    4. D International Criminal Court

54. What was the total dividend amount paid by the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to the Government of India as per recent reports?

    1. A ₹59.03 lakh crore
    2. B ₹10,000.50 crore
    3. C ₹15,500.75 crore
    4. D ₹12,207.25 crore

55. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which recently impacted the financial reporting of a major Indian firm, is an agency under the government of which country?

    1. A United Kingdom
    2. B Singapore
    3. C European Union
    4. D United States

56. In financial accounting, what does the term 'EBITDA' represent?

    1. A Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation
    2. B Estimated Business Income Totaling Domestic Assets
    3. C Earnings Before Investment, Trade, and Debt Adjustment
    4. D Equity Balance Including Tax and Debt Amortisation

57. With reference to the recent financial performance of the IT services sector, what does an expansion in 'operating margin' typically indicate?

    1. A A decline in the company's net income
    2. B A reduction in the total number of employees
    3. C A decrease in total revenue generated by the company
    4. D An increase in the efficiency of core business operations

58. The recent outbreak of Beriberi in Calcutta was reported in which specific districts?

    1. A Kidderpore and Shambazar
    2. B Ballygunge and Alipore
    3. C Barabazar and Park Street
    4. D Howrah and Salt Lake

59. Which of the following best describes the legal concept of 'personality rights' as recognized by Indian courts?

    1. A The right of a person to hold public office without defamation.
    2. B The right to copyright protection for all creative works produced by an individual.
    3. C The constitutional right to privacy under Article 21, applicable only to government officials.
    4. D The right of an individual to control the commercial use of their identity, including name, image, and likeness.

60. Where has India's first dedicated Department of Military Medicine been inaugurated?

    1. A Command Hospital, Lucknow
    2. B Command Hospital, Kolkata
    3. C Command Hospital, New Delhi
    4. D Command Hospital, Pune

61. What is the current status of the Central government's procurement limit for green gram in Madhya Pradesh, according to recent reports?

    1. A Remains unchanged at 4.54 lakh tonnes
    2. B Reduced to 25% of total production
    3. C Increased to 60% of total production
    4. D Suspended until further notice

62. Which region has emerged as a major maritime front in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, posing risks to civilian merchant vessels?

    1. A Mediterranean Sea
    2. B Baltic Sea
    3. C Caspian Sea
    4. D Black Sea

63. Which of the following bodies is primarily responsible for investigating corruption cases involving public servants at the state level in India?

    1. A Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC)
    2. B Enforcement Directorate (ED)
    3. C Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO)
    4. D Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

64. Which of the following legal provisions is primarily concerned with the regulation of electronic records and cybercrimes in India?

    1. A Information Technology Act
    2. B Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
    3. C Indian Penal Code
    4. D Code of Criminal Procedure

65. The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA), responsible for the training of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, is located in which city?

    1. A Mussoorie
    2. B New Delhi
    3. C Hyderabad
    4. D Bengaluru

66. Which of the following authorities is responsible for the regulation of meat shops and sanitation protocols along pilgrimage routes within the National Capital Territory of Delhi?

    1. A National Disaster Management Authority
    2. B Union Ministry of Home Affairs
    3. C Delhi Police
    4. D Municipal Corporation of Delhi

67. Which of the following best describes the recent military developments in West Asia as reported?

    1. A A total cessation of hostilities between the U.S. and Iran following a peace treaty.
    2. B The resumption of direct and proxy military strikes between the U.S. and Iran, impacting regional energy infrastructure.
    3. C A successful diplomatic resolution led by the Iraqi government to end the conflict.
    4. D The complete withdrawal of U.S. military forces from the Middle East region.