9 August 2026

Quiz — 9 August 2026

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

Questions

1. The Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, mandates that the reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies shall come into effect after:

   1. A The next general election
   2. B A delimitation exercise based on the first Census conducted after the Act's commencement
   3. C The approval of the Supreme Court of India
   4. D A unanimous resolution passed by all State Legislative Assemblies

2. The ‘Judgments and Gender: Sensitivity and Compassion in Writing Judgments’ report was formulated by which body?

   1. A Ministry of Law and Justice
   2. B Supreme Court Legal Services Committee
   3. C National Judicial Academy
   4. D Law Commission of India

3. Which of the following frameworks does the new Supreme Court report recommend for referring to people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities?

   1. A LGBTQIA+
   2. B SOGIESC
   3. C Gender Neutrality Act
   4. D Human Rights Convention

4. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic waterway located between which two bodies of water?

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

5. Which of the following components is NOT typically included in the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for electronic payments?

   1. A Interest on merchant loans
   2. B Interchange fee
   3. C Processing charges
   4. D Goods and Services Tax (GST)

6. Under the current legal framework, which specific payment methods are explicitly protected from MDR charges by Section 269SU of the Income Tax Act, 1961?

   1. A RuPay debit cards and UPI
   2. B International credit cards and UPI
   3. C Mastercard debit cards and BHIM-UPI
   4. D Visa credit cards and Netbanking

7. Which of the following best describes the role of the National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation (NUCFDC)?

   1. A An umbrella body providing technological support and training to Urban Cooperative Banks.
   2. B A government-owned bank that provides direct credit to small-scale farmers.
   3. C A judicial body tasked with resolving disputes between UCBs and their depositors.
   4. D A primary regulator responsible for issuing banking licenses to all cooperative societies.

8. Under the current regulatory framework, which of the following is true regarding the Reserve Bank of India's approach to Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs)?

   1. A The RBI has implemented a uniform regulatory standard for all UCBs regardless of their size.
   2. B The RBI has permanently banned the issuance of new licenses for all UCBs.
   3. C The RBI has introduced a four-tier regulatory structure and resumed on-tap licensing with higher capital thresholds.
   4. D The RBI has prohibited UCBs from offering doorstep banking and gold loan facilities.

9. Under the Information Technology Act, what is the primary legal benefit granted to intermediaries under Section 79?

   1. A Exclusive rights to monetize user data without consent
   2. B Exemption from all forms of taxation on digital advertising
   3. C Safe harbour protection from liability for third-party content
   4. D Full immunity from criminal prosecution for all user-generated content

10. According to the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) 2024 assessment, what percentage of India's groundwater extraction is classified as 'over-exploited'?

    1. A 104.79%
    2. B 4.5%
    3. C 60.47%
    4. D 11.1%

11. Which of the following is a proposed provision mentioned in the context of the recent FCRA amendment discussions?

    1. A Transfer of remaining funds of deregistered organizations to the Consolidated Fund of India
    2. B A complete ban on all foreign contributions to religious institutions
    3. C Requirement for all NGOs to be audited by the Supreme Court
    4. D Mandatory conversion of all foreign contributions into government bonds

12. Which of the following factors have been identified as contributing to the increased vulnerability to erosion and landslides in the upper reaches of rivers affecting Assam?

    1. A Coal mining, stone quarrying, and shifting cultivation
    2. B Construction of large-scale hydroelectric dams
    3. C Lack of inter-state water sharing treaties
    4. D Only excessive rainfall and cloudbursts

13. Which of the following is the primary scheme driving industrial development in Jammu and Kashmir as per recent parliamentary reports?

    1. A Atmanirbhar Bharat Industrial Package
    2. B Make in India Initiative
    3. C New Central Sector Scheme-2021
    4. D J&K Industrial Development Corporation Scheme

14. What is the reported Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of Jammu and Kashmir compared to the national average?

    1. A 2.1 vs 2.5
    2. B 1.5 vs 1.9
    3. C 1.9 vs 2.1
    4. D 1.2 vs 1.5

15. Under the proposed U.S. legislation, what is the primary criterion that could lead to a 100% tariff on Indian goods?

    1. A Being among the top five importers of Russian crude oil or natural gas in the preceding 12 months
    2. B Refusing to participate in U.S.-led naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz
    3. C Increasing the import of U.S. technology products by more than 50%
    4. D Being a member of a specific regional military alliance

16. Which of the following bodies is responsible for the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in India?

    1. A Election Commission of India
    2. B Ministry of Home Affairs
    3. C National Informatics Centre
    4. D State Election Commission

17. What is the primary reason cited for the large-scale deletion of names during the ongoing SIR 3.0 exercise?

    1. A Voluntary withdrawal of voters
    2. B Non-compliance with Aadhaar linking
    3. C Administrative error in data entry
    4. D Voters being absent, shifted, or deceased

18. The trilateral defence pact involving Turkiye, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia includes a secretariat to be based in which of the following countries?

    1. A Qatar
    2. B Turkiye
    3. C Pakistan
    4. D Saudi Arabia

19. Which of the following documents currently regulates the designation and management of protest sites in Delhi?

    1. A The Delhi Master Plan 2021
    2. B The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010
    3. C Delhi Police Standing Order 10
    4. D The Public Order and Assembly Regulation Act

20. Which of the following bodies is primarily responsible for setting standards for articles of food and regulating their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import in India?

    1. A Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
    2. B Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)
    3. C Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
    4. D Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

21. Which of the following entities are exempted from the recent IRDAI directive regarding monthly data submission for the Index of Service Production (ISP)?

    1. A Health Insurers
    2. B General Insurers
    3. C Reinsurers
    4. D Life Insurers

22. The Index of Service Production (ISP), for which IRDAI has sought data, is compiled by which of the following government bodies?

    1. A NITI Aayog
    2. B Reserve Bank of India
    3. C Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
    4. D Ministry of Finance

23. Which of the following categories of individuals are eligible for appointment as judges to the High Courts in India?

    1. A Advocates and judicial officers
    2. B Only judicial officers from lower courts
    3. C Only advocates with 10 years of practice
    4. D Only retired Supreme Court judges

24. The 'Quit India Movement' was launched in which year?

    1. A 1930
    2. B 1940
    3. C 1942
    4. D 1945

25. Under which legal framework has Meta recently restricted access to specific content on its platform in India?

    1. A The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023
    2. B The Right to Information Act, 2005
    3. C The Indian Penal Code, 1860
    4. D The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules

26. The 'Param Pragya' facility, recently inaugurated at the IIT-Delhi Sonipat campus, is primarily associated with which of the following?

    1. A Quantum cryptography and secure communications
    2. B Space exploration and satellite launching
    3. C AI-powered high-performance supercomputing
    4. D Deep-sea mineral extraction research

27. The 'Nicobariodendron sleumeri', recently in the news, is primarily associated with which of the following regions?

    1. A Great Nicobar Island
    2. B Western Ghats
    3. C Sundarbans Delta
    4. D Kashmir Valley

28. Which of the following best describes the technical specifications of the Kimi K3 model released by Moonshot AI?

    1. A 2.8 trillion parameters and a 1 million-token context window
    2. B 5.6 trillion parameters and a 100,000-token context window
    3. C 1 trillion parameters and a 2 million-token context window
    4. D 30.7 billion parameters and a 500,000-token context window

29. With reference to recent advancements in biotechnology, what are 'bacteriophages'?

    1. A Synthetic proteins used to enhance human immune response.
    2. B Viruses that specifically infect and kill bacteria.
    3. C A type of bacteria that produces its own antibiotics.
    4. D AI-generated algorithms used to map bacterial genomes.

30. By which year is India's population aged 60 and above expected to surpass the population aged 0-14 years?

    1. A 2035
    2. B 2030
    3. C 2046
    4. D 2050

31. Which district in Delhi recorded the highest number of registrations under the Lakshmi Yojana in its first week?

    1. A West Delhi
    2. B New Delhi
    3. C Northwest Delhi
    4. D Northeast Delhi

32. In the context of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) weather warnings, what does an 'orange alert' signify?

    1. A Light to moderate rainfall
    2. B Very heavy rainfall
    3. C No significant weather event
    4. D Extremely heavy rainfall

33. Which of the following is the primary objective of the Tele MANAS initiative mentioned in the context of agrarian distress?

    1. A Regulating the minimum support price for cotton and soybean
    2. B Facilitating the legal transfer of land titles to women
    3. C Offering mental health support and counseling for individuals in distress
    4. D Providing direct financial subsidies to farm widows

34. Which of the following National Highways serves as a primary link between Imphal, Manipur and Kohima, Nagaland?

    1. A NH-44
    2. B NH-37
    3. C NH-1
    4. D NH-2

35. Which of the following best describes the role of the State Public Service Commission (SPSC) under the Indian Constitution?

    1. A It is a judicial body tasked with resolving disputes related to government employment.
    2. B It is a statutory body created by an Act of Parliament to oversee state-level recruitment.
    3. C It is a constitutional body responsible for conducting examinations for appointments to the services of the State.
    4. D It is an advisory body that has no role in the conduct of competitive examinations.

36. Which of the following agencies is primarily responsible for the meteorological data collection and forecasting in India?

    1. A National Disaster Management Authority
    2. B Central Water Commission
    3. C India Meteorological Department
    4. D Ministry of Earth Sciences

37. With reference to the historical flood patterns of the Yangtze River, which of the following statements is correct?

    1. A Flood frequency was lowest during the Little Ice Age (1500-1850).
    2. B Lake reclamation has contributed to an 8% increase in flood intensity.
    3. C Embankments have been found to decrease the intensity of 100-year floods by 18%.
    4. D Human engineering has had no measurable impact on flood severity over the last 500 years.

38. Which of the following best describes the 'kaavad' tradition in Indian visual storytelling?

    1. A A technique of ivory carving specific to Travancore
    2. B A style of miniature painting from the Deccan region
    3. C A form of classical dance performed in temples
    4. D A portable painted shrine used by itinerant storytellers

39. Who among the following was a 'Moochy' painter at the Travancore durbar known for mastering Western oil painting?

    1. A August Schoefft
    2. B Raja Raja Varma
    3. C Ramaswamy Naidu
    4. D Sekhara Warrier

40. What is the phenomenon known as the 'Google effect' or 'digital amnesia'?

    1. A The loss of memory caused by excessive screen time exposure
    2. B The inability to use digital devices due to cognitive decline
    3. C The tendency to forget information that can be easily retrieved from digital sources
    4. D The improvement of memory through the use of search engines

41. Müller-Weiss syndrome, as mentioned in the context of Rafael Nadal, primarily affects which part of the human body?

    1. A Knee joint
    2. B Foot bone
    3. C Lumbar spine
    4. D Hamstring muscle

42. The Mahad Satyagraha, often referenced in the context of Dalit rights, was primarily launched to demand:

    1. A Access to water
    2. B Access to temple entry
    3. C Right to political representation
    4. D Reservation in education

43. The 'crescograph', an instrument developed by Jagadish Chandra Bose, was primarily used for which of the following purposes?

    1. A Measuring plant growth and response to stimuli
    2. B Analyzing the chemical composition of soil
    3. C Measuring the intensity of radio waves
    4. D Detecting electrical pulses in metal fatigue

44. Which of the following regions in India is primarily associated with the traditional pastoral practice of yak herding mentioned in the context of the Changthang landscape?

    1. A Changthang
    2. B Nubra Valley
    3. C Spiti Valley
    4. D Zanskar

45. Which of the following is the primary all-weather road link connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India?

    1. A Srinagar-Kargil Road
    2. B Mughal Road
    3. C Leh-Manali Highway
    4. D Jammu-Srinagar National Highway

46. The 'Mecca Agreement' signed in August 2026 involves which of the following countries?

    1. A Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Pakistan
    2. B Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan
    3. C Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkiye
    4. D Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan

47. Which historical event marked the end of the first Saudi state in the 19th century?

    1. A The collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I
    2. B The British occupation of the Arabian Peninsula
    3. C The siege of Diriyah by Ottoman forces under Ibrahim Pasha
    4. D The signing of the Treaty of Constantinople

48. With reference to the properties of snail mucus in Cepaea nemoralis, consider the following statements: 1. It utilizes collagen VI as a primary building block. 2. Calcium carbonate granules are used to adjust the viscosity and adhesiveness of the mucus. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

49. Which gene was identified as being responsible for the shortening of the fourth toe in the studied anole populations?

    1. A hs6st1
    2. B CRISPR-9
    3. C Anolis-1
    4. D Irma-gene

50. Which of the following statements best describes the findings of the recent study on Indian tribal gut microbiomes?

    1. A The study concluded that probiotics are universally effective regardless of an individual's traditional diet.
    2. B Bifidobacterium adolescentis is the only marker of a healthy gut microbiome across all human populations.
    3. C Dietary habits, such as dairy consumption, exert evolutionary selection pressure on gut microbial composition.
    4. D Tribal gut microbiomes are identical to those found in industrialized Western populations.

51. As of June 30, 2026, what was the total order book value reported by BEML?

    1. A ₹16,284 crore
    2. B ₹1,181 crore
    3. C ₹27.01 crore
    4. D ₹821.19 crore

52. With reference to NMDC's recent iron ore pricing, which of the following statements is correct?

    1. A NMDC reported a decrease in iron ore production for the month of July.
    2. B Lump ore is currently priced at ₹4,500 per tonne.
    3. C The price reduction effective August 8 is the second consecutive monthly cut.
    4. D Fines are currently priced higher than Lump ore.

53. Which of the following militant outfits were mentioned in the recent reports regarding arrests in Manipur?

    1. A SOREPA and PLA
    2. B SOREPA and ULFA
    3. C PLA and NSCN
    4. D ULFA and NSCN

54. The S.N. Chand Cine Archive & Museum (SNCCAM), which is currently undertaking a digital revival project, is located in which Indian state?

    1. A Nagaland
    2. B Assam
    3. C Manipur
    4. D Meghalaya

55. The FIAF (International Federation of Film Archives) is primarily associated with which of the following fields?

    1. A Biodiversity conservation
    2. B Space exploration technology
    3. C Global trade policy
    4. D Film preservation and restoration

56. The Official Secrets Act, 1923, is primarily designed to protect which of the following?

    1. A Financial transparency in public sector undertakings
    2. B Intellectual property rights of private defence contractors
    3. C Official information and documents related to national security and sovereignty
    4. D Personal data privacy of government employees

57. In the context of Indian legal procedures, what is the primary purpose of an 'Unnatural Death Report' (UDR)?

    1. A To document and investigate deaths that occur under suspicious or non-natural circumstances.
    2. B To initiate a criminal trial against the nearest relatives of the deceased.
    3. C To provide a death certificate for individuals who have died of old age in a hospital.
    4. D To bypass the need for a post-mortem examination in cases of sudden illness.

58. Which of the following factors is frequently cited in road safety reports as a major contributor to accidents on long-distance bus routes?

    1. A Lack of passenger insurance
    2. B Absence of GPS tracking systems
    3. C High cost of vehicle maintenance
    4. D Excessive working hours and driver fatigue