2 August 2026

Quiz — 2 August 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 forces are classified as Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs)?

   1. A CRPF, BSF, SSB, CISF, and SPG
   2. B CRPF, BSF, ITBP, SSB, and CISF
   3. C CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF, and Assam Rifles
   4. D CRPF, BSF, ITBP, SSB, and NSG

2. Under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, what is the mandated timeframe for the completion of investigations into paper leak cases?

   1. A 60 days
   2. B 30 days
   3. C 120 days
   4. D 90 days

3. Which of the following is a noted limitation of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, according to legislative analysis?

   1. A Restriction on the Supreme Court's appellate jurisdiction
   2. B Absence of accountability mechanisms for missing the investigation deadline
   3. C Lack of provision for special public prosecutors
   4. D Failure to define 'unfair means' clearly

4. Which Supreme Court judgment held that livestreaming of court proceedings expands the courtroom beyond its physical walls and promotes accountability?

   1. A S.P. Gupta v. Union of India
   2. B Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala
   3. C Swapnil Tripathi v. Supreme Court of India
   4. D Subhash Chandra Agarwal v. Supreme Court of India

5. As per the current fiscal arrangement, what percentage of taxes collected by the Centre is devolved to States?

   1. A 32%
   2. B 42%
   3. C 50%
   4. D 41%

6. How many instalments of tax devolution are typically distributed to States by the Centre during a single fiscal year?

   1. A 10
   2. B 12
   3. C 16
   4. D 14

7. The RBI's concessional swap facility, introduced to strengthen the Balance of Payments, covers which of the following inflows?

   1. A Only Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
   2. B Only Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) in equity markets
   3. C FCNR(B) deposits, OFCB, and ECB inflows
   4. D Only Government Securities and Treasury Bills

8. According to recent data from Grid-India, what was the share of renewable power in India's power-generation mix in July?

   1. A 42.8%
   2. B 10%
   3. C 20%
   4. D 30%

9. What is the current approximate annual bilateral trade volume between India and Japan as per recent reports?

   1. A $80 billion
   2. B $25 billion
   3. C $40 billion
   4. D $10 billion

10. Which body is responsible for conducting investigations into dumping and recommending anti-dumping duties to the Ministry of Finance?

    1. A Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGTR)
    2. B Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
    3. C NITI Aayog
    4. D Competition Commission of India (CCI)

11. According to the 2020 amendment to India's FDI policy, which of the following is true regarding investments from countries sharing a land border with India?

    1. A They are completely prohibited.
    2. B They are limited to a maximum of 5% equity stake.
    3. C They are permitted only through the automatic route.
    4. D They require prior government approval.

12. Which of the following statements regarding the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) is correct?

    1. A The Union government cannot release funds in advance to States under any circumstances.
    2. B The SDRF is exclusively funded by the State Governments without any Central share.
    3. C It is the primary fund available with State Governments for response to notified disasters.
    4. D Documentary requirements for SDRF release are strictly fixed and cannot be relaxed by the Union government.

13. Which of the following components contributed most significantly to the growth in gross GST collections in July as per recent data?

    1. A Direct corporate tax
    2. B Export-based tax revenue
    3. C Domestic transaction tax
    4. D Import-based tax revenue

14. Which of the following statements regarding the current Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) scheme is correct?

    1. A The wage ceiling for mandatory EPF contribution is currently set at ₹25,000.
    2. B The employer's contribution to the pension fund is 12% of the employee's total salary.
    3. C The EPFO has moved to a centralized database system linking all member IDs under a single UAN.
    4. D The Supreme Court has mandated a permanent window for employees to opt for higher pension contributions.

15. Under the Code on Social Security, 2020, which of the following is true regarding the EPFO's service delivery reforms?

    1. A Withdrawal eligibility now varies based on the specific category of the claim.
    2. B The auto-settlement limit for PF claims has been increased to ₹5 lakh.
    3. C Digital Life Certificates are no longer required for pensioners due to Aadhaar integration.
    4. D The government has abolished the employer's contribution to the pension scheme.

16. Which of the following bodies is responsible for adjudicating disputes related to inter-state river waters in India?

    1. A National Disaster Management Authority
    2. B Inter-State River Water Dispute Tribunal
    3. C Central Water Commission
    4. D Supreme Court of India

17. The 'rule-curve' in the context of dam management refers to:

    1. A The environmental guidelines for riverbed mining
    2. B The operational schedule for reservoir storage and release levels
    3. C The criteria for disaster relief fund allocation
    4. D The legal framework for inter-state water sharing

18. With reference to the PM SHRI scheme, which of the following statements is correct?

    1. A States are legally prohibited from withdrawing once an MoU is signed.
    2. B The scheme is mandatory for all state-run schools across India.
    3. C States that do not sign or choose to withdraw from the MoU do not receive the scheme's benefits.
    4. D It is a central sector scheme fully funded by the Union government.

19. Which district in West Bengal recorded the highest number of citizenship certificates distributed under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act according to recent reports?

    1. A New Town
    2. B North 24 Parganas
    3. C Nadia
    4. D Kolkata

20. The Biligundlu inter-State contact point, often cited in the context of water sharing, is located on which river?

    1. A Krishna
    2. B Godavari
    3. C Cauvery
    4. D Pennar

21. Which of the following is the primary mandate of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) regarding listed companies?

    1. A Setting interest rates for corporate bonds
    2. B Regulating the issuance of government securities
    3. C Protecting the interests of investors in securities and promoting the development of the securities market
    4. D Managing the foreign exchange reserves of the country

22. In the context of Indian law, 'personality rights' primarily protect an individual against which of the following?

    1. A Government surveillance of private communications
    2. B Unauthorized commercial exploitation of their identity
    3. C The right to be forgotten in digital archives
    4. D Criticism by the media in public interest

23. The 'Vision Document on Narcotics Control 2026-29' aims to screen students in centrally-funded higher education institutes. Which body is primarily responsible for providing the guidelines for this drug testing program?

    1. A National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS
    2. B University Grants Commission (UGC)
    3. C Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
    4. D Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Headquarters

24. Which of the following is an eligibility criterion for the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana?

    1. A Applicant must own a four-wheeler
    2. B Annual family income not exceeding ₹5 lakh
    3. C Applicant must be the eldest female member of the family
    4. D Applicant must have at least four children

25. Which of the following techniques is primarily being utilized for the remediation of legacy waste at Delhi's major landfill sites?

    1. A Biomining
    2. B Incineration
    3. C Sanitary Landfilling
    4. D Plasma Gasification

26. The Scarborough Shoal, recently in the news for military drills, is a disputed feature in the South China Sea claimed by which two nations?

    1. A China and Indonesia
    2. B China and the Philippines
    3. C China and Vietnam
    4. D Philippines and Malaysia

27. The 'Pax Silica' initiative, as mentioned in recent geopolitical discussions, primarily aims to:

    1. A Facilitate humanitarian aid and disaster management in the Indian Ocean region
    2. B Establish a new multilateral trade bloc for agricultural exports
    3. C Reduce reliance on Chinese technological dominance in critical sectors
    4. D Promote regional military integration in South Asia

28. Which of the following systems of medicine is NOT currently regulated under the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) Act, 2020?

    1. A Ayurveda
    2. B Siddha
    3. C Sowa-Rigpa
    4. D Homeopathy

29. Under the Indian Constitution, which level of government holds the primary responsibility for identifying and taking action against unqualified medical practitioners?

    1. A State governments and State Medical Councils
    2. B The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
    3. C The Supreme Court of India
    4. D The National Medical Commission

30. Which of the following best describes the 'open-weight' strategy adopted by companies like Z.ai and Moonshot AI?

    1. A Providing full model weights for developers to download and self-host
    2. B Restricting model access to premium enterprise clients only
    3. C Exclusively using U.S.-made hardware for all training processes
    4. D Charging high licensing fees for every API call made by users

31. What is the primary objective of China's five-year national plan regarding AI data centres?

    1. A To transition all AI development to cloud-only platforms
    2. B To achieve at least 80% domestic sourcing for infrastructure
    3. C To achieve 100% reliance on imported Nvidia chips
    4. D To ban all open-source AI development within the country

32. Based on the 2025-2026 cotton season estimates, which of the following trends is observed in India's cotton economy?

    1. A Both production and consumption are expected to increase.
    2. B Production is expected to rise while consumption is projected to decline.
    3. C Both production and consumption are expected to decline.
    4. D Production is expected to decline while consumption is projected to rise.

33. With reference to the recent reforms in the NEET-PG examination, which of the following statements is correct?

    1. A Candidates are allowed to choose test centres only within their home state.
    2. B Aadhaar-based authentication is required only during the application phase.
    3. C Candidates will be informed of their allotted test city approximately three weeks before the examination.
    4. D The reforms include a reduction in the time allotted per question to ensure faster processing.

34. Shipki La, which recently saw the resumption of cross-border trade, is located in which Indian state?

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

35. What is the primary mechanism for the exchange of goods currently facilitated at the Shipki La border trade route?

    1. A Hard currency payment in USD
    2. B Letter of credit system
    3. C Digital currency transaction
    4. D Barter system

36. What does the term 'E20' refer to in the context of fuel policy in India?

    1. A A fuel blend containing 20% methanol
    2. B A fuel blend containing 20% biodiesel
    3. C A fuel blend containing 20% ethanol
    4. D A fuel blend containing 20% synthetic additives

37. Which of the following measures has been directed by the J&K administration to enhance the security of non-local labourers?

    1. A Compulsory insurance cover and registration of worker details with local authorities
    2. B Mandatory relocation of all non-local labourers to government-run camps
    3. C Complete ban on the employment of non-local labourers in the brick kiln industry
    4. D Deployment of central paramilitary forces at every individual workplace

38. As per the 2011 Census, which Indian state has the highest proportion of Scheduled Caste population?

    1. A Uttar Pradesh
    2. B Bihar
    3. C West Bengal
    4. D Punjab

39. The Bhogapuram International Airport, recently inaugurated in Andhra Pradesh, is developed under which of the following models?

    1. A Central Government-funded EPC model
    2. B Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) exclusive model
    3. C Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) solely by the State Government
    4. D Public-Private Partnership (PPP)

40. Which of the following bodies is primarily responsible for coordinating disaster management activities at the state level in India?

    1. A State Disaster Management Authority
    2. B National Disaster Management Authority
    3. C India Meteorological Department
    4. D National Institute of Disaster Management

41. The 'Sā Ladakh Biennale' is primarily characterized by which of the following features?

    1. A It is a commercial exhibition held in traditional white-cube galleries.
    2. B It is a government-funded initiative to promote tourism through large-scale digital spectacles.
    3. C It is a regenerative art biennale focusing on site-specific installations using natural materials.
    4. D It is an exclusive event restricted to international artists with no local participation.

42. The Bab el-Mandeb strait connects which of the following two bodies of water?

    1. A The Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean
    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

43. Which of the following cities hosted U.S. missions that issued recent security alerts regarding the situation in West Asia?

    1. A Tehran, Amman, and Beirut
    2. B Baghdad, Damascus, and Jerusalem
    3. C Amman, Cairo, and Baghdad
    4. D Amman, Jerusalem, and Baghdad

44. The 'Clean Power 2030 Action Plan' mentioned in the context is primarily aimed at:

    1. A Reducing dependency on volatile fossil fuel markets
    2. B Expanding coal-based power generation
    3. C Privatizing the national energy grid
    4. D Increasing domestic oil and gas extraction in the North Sea

45. With reference to the newly developed 'BioCCS' material, consider the following statements: 1. It utilizes microscopic grooves to facilitate liquid spreading. 2. It uses nanowires to weaken bonds between water molecules to aid evaporation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

46. With reference to gut health and plant-based diets, consider the following statements: 1. Plant proteins are typically fully absorbed before reaching the colon. 2. Gut bacteria can convert plant proteins into hippuric acid. 3. A lack of dietary fibre can lead to the degradation of the gut's protective mucus layer. Which of the statements given above are correct?

    1. A 1, 2 and 3
    2. B 1 and 2 only
    3. C 2 and 3 only
    4. D 1 and 3 only

47. Which of the following best describes the mechanism by which donkeys assist in wildfire prevention as discussed in recent conservation initiatives?

    1. A They are trained to detect smoke and alert local firefighting authorities.
    2. B They consume flammable vegetation and break up dry foliage layers through their weight.
    3. C They create chemical firebreaks through their waste products.
    4. D They actively clear forest debris using specialized equipment attached to their harnesses.

48. What is the primary scientific contribution associated with Jainendra K. Jain, the founding director of the Lodha Theoretical Physics Institute?

    1. A Theory of composite fermions
    2. B Formulation of the theory of relativity
    3. C Development of the first quantum computer
    4. D Discovery of the Higgs Boson

49. In the context of telecommunications in India, what is the primary purpose of 'liquidated damages' imposed by the Department of Telecommunications?

    1. A To compensate for the depreciation of spectrum value over time
    2. B To recover unpaid corporate income taxes from telecom operators
    3. C To fund the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) through mandatory levies
    4. D To penalize operators for failing to meet minimum rollout obligations for allocated spectrum

50. Which of the following companies reported its highest-ever monthly volume of sales since inception in July, as per recent industry data?

    1. A Tata Motors
    2. B Maruti Suzuki India Ltd
    3. C Hyundai Motor India Ltd
    4. D Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd

51. Which of the following agencies were involved in the recent operation to bust the counterfeit military combat uniform racket in Rajasthan?

    1. A Army Intelligence and Rajasthan Police
    2. B Military Intelligence and Central Reserve Police Force
    3. C National Investigation Agency and Rajasthan Police
    4. D Central Bureau of Investigation and Border Security Force

52. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) functions under the administrative control of which of the following?

    1. A Ministry of Mines
    2. B Ministry of Earth Sciences
    3. C Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
    4. D Ministry of Science and Technology

53. Which of the following operations was recently conducted by the Indian government to evacuate citizens stranded in the West Asia crisis?

    1. A Operation Sindhu
    2. B Operation Kaveri
    3. C Operation Maitri
    4. D Operation Ganga

54. The Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) is primarily associated with which of the following functions in India?

    1. A Disaster management and relief
    2. B Judicial reform implementation
    3. C Internal security and intelligence sharing
    4. D Economic policy coordination

55. Which article of the Indian Constitution primarily guarantees the freedom of speech and expression?

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

56. Bhitarkanika National Park, recently in the news for its reopening, is primarily known for the conservation of which species?

    1. A Royal Bengal Tiger
    2. B One-horned Rhinoceros
    3. C Estuarine Crocodile
    4. D Asiatic Lion

57. In which Indian state is the Bhitarkanika National Park located?

    1. A Andhra Pradesh
    2. B Odisha
    3. C West Bengal
    4. D Tamil Nadu

58. Which of the following best describes the recent trend in the pricing of petroleum products in India as reported by Oil Marketing Companies?

    1. A Both commercial LPG and Aviation Turbine Fuel prices were reduced.
    2. B Commercial LPG prices were reduced while Aviation Turbine Fuel prices were increased.
    3. C Aviation Turbine Fuel prices were reduced while commercial LPG prices remained stagnant.
    4. D Domestic LPG prices saw a significant increase alongside commercial LPG.