23 August 2026

Quiz — 23 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 was NOT part of the 'Triple Test' established in the 1978 Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board vs A. Rajappa case?

   1. A Mandatory profit motive
   2. B Cooperation between employer and employee
   3. C Systematic activity
   4. D Production or distribution of goods or services

2. According to the 1978 Supreme Court ruling, which of the following is considered a core sovereign function exempt from the definition of 'industry'?

   1. A Law and order
   2. B Educational institutions
   3. C Public healthcare
   4. D Public transport

3. The Ken-Betwa river link project involves which two Indian states?

   1. A Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan
   2. B Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
   3. C Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
   4. D Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh

4. Which of the following heavy metals, often associated with industrial waste, has been identified as a primary contaminant in the groundwater of parts of Uttar Pradesh?

   1. A Hexavalent Chromium
   2. B Lead
   3. C Arsenic
   4. D Mercury

5. Under which section of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 were tariffs primarily imposed on Chinese goods starting in 2018?

   1. A Section 301
   2. B Section 201
   3. C Section 401
   4. D Section 501

6. Which of the following bodies is responsible for enforcing food safety and labelling standards in India?

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

7. Which of the following is a primary objective of the SEBI's current review of the framework for the disclosure of issue proceeds?

   1. A To improve the timeliness of disclosures and streamline compliance processes
   2. B To mandate that all companies list on at least two stock exchanges
   3. C To increase the volume of information provided by companies to investors
   4. D To eliminate the requirement for materiality thresholds in financial reporting

8. What is the primary objective of the 'Principal Purpose Test' (PPT) introduced in the amended India-Mauritius Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement?

   1. A To deny tax benefits if the main purpose of an investment structure is tax avoidance
   2. B To eliminate capital gains tax for all foreign investors in India
   3. C To mandate that all investments from Mauritius must be in the digital sector
   4. D To increase the total volume of FDI from Mauritius to India

9. Which of the following principles was cited by the Supreme Court while criticizing the DDA for granting permission for an event on an active floodplain?

   1. A Polluter Pays Principle
   2. B Intergenerational Equity
   3. C Precautionary Principle
   4. D Sustainable Development Goal

10. The E20 policy, often discussed in the context of commodity prices, refers to:

    1. A A target to achieve 20% ethanol blending in petrol
    2. B A scheme to provide 20kg of free food grains to BPL families
    3. C An initiative to reduce import duties on 20 essential commodities
    4. D A policy mandating 20% export of surplus agricultural produce

11. The Sample Registration System (SRS), which provides data on vital statistics like crude death rates in India, is conducted under the aegis of which of the following?

    1. A Election Commission of India
    2. B Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
    3. C National Statistical Office
    4. D Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner

12. What is the primary objective of the 'agrivoltaics' model as discussed in recent agricultural research?

    1. A To convert barren land into exclusive solar energy zones
    2. B To replace traditional farming with large-scale solar power plants
    3. C To provide free electricity to industrial sectors using agricultural land
    4. D To integrate solar power generation with agricultural cultivation on the same land

13. Which of the following is a significant financial barrier to the adoption of farmer-owned agrivoltaics in India?

    1. A Lack of sunlight in arid regions
    2. B Low demand for electricity in rural grids
    3. C High capital expenditure for elevated mounting structures
    4. D Excessive water requirement for solar panels

14. Which form is used under the registration of electors rules to object to an entry in the electoral roll or to request the deletion of a name?

    1. A Form 8
    2. B Form 6
    3. C Form 9
    4. D Form 7

15. According to current Election Commission guidelines, what is the threshold for individual Form 7 submissions that triggers a mandatory review by the Electoral Registration Officer?

    1. A More than 5 submissions
    2. B More than 2 submissions
    3. C More than 30 submissions
    4. D More than 10 submissions

16. As per the recent data on Delhi prisons, what is the approximate percentage of undertrial prisoners compared to the total inmate population?

    1. A 95%
    2. B 75%
    3. C 88%
    4. D 60%

17. The 'tambula' or betel leaf, which became deeply integrated into Indian social and religious life, is believed to have entered India during which historical period?

    1. A Indus Valley Civilization
    2. B Vedic period
    3. C Mauryan period
    4. D Gupta period

18. According to the International Labour Organization, which category of occupations shows a higher exposure to generative AI?

    1. A Manufacturing and heavy industry
    2. B Construction and manual trades
    3. C Female-dominated administrative and support roles
    4. D Agricultural labor

19. Which provision of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) imposes a statutory bar on the grant of bail to an accused if the court is of the opinion that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation is prima facie true?

    1. A Section 43-D(5)
    2. B Section 35
    3. C Section 43-A
    4. D Section 15

20. Which of the following statements regarding the National Song of India is correct?

    1. A The 1937 resolution of the Indian National Congress remains the supreme legal authority governing the rendition of the National Song.
    2. B The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026, provides the National Song protection equivalent to the National Anthem.
    3. C The National Song is composed of two stanzas as per the original 1950 Constituent Assembly pronouncement.
    4. D The Constitution of India explicitly mandates the singing of the National Song in all government events.

21. The term 'Nyaya-nomics', as recently discussed in the context of the Indian judiciary, refers to:

    1. A The use of economic data to determine the sentencing in criminal cases
    2. B The integration of the rule of law with economic conditions to foster growth
    3. C A new framework for judicial appointments based on economic expertise
    4. D The implementation of economic reforms through judicial activism

22. Which of the following factors is identified as an internal cause for the erosion of media credibility in India?

    1. A Sensationalism and inadequate verification
    2. B The withdrawal of legislative defamation bills
    3. C The rise of pluralistic media environments
    4. D Strict enforcement of constitutional safeguards

23. Which of the following bodies were previously established to address the administrative and political aspirations of the Darjeeling hills region?

    1. A Gorkha Autonomous District Council and North Bengal Development Board
    2. B Gorkhaland State Assembly and Darjeeling Municipal Corporation
    3. C Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
    4. D Darjeeling Regional Council and Hill Area Development Authority

24. Under which section of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, does the Union Health Ministry have the authority to restrict the manufacture and sale of specific drug formulations in the interest of public health?

    1. A Section 12A
    2. B Section 35B
    3. C Section 42C
    4. D Section 26A

25. Which of the following ingredients are part of the FDCs recently restricted by the Indian government for use in children under four years of age?

    1. A Cetirizine and Pseudoephedrine
    2. B Amoxicillin and Clavulanate
    3. C Paracetamol and Ibuprofen
    4. D Chlorpheniramine maleate and Phenylephrine hydrochloride

26. The Bar Council of India (BCI) was established under which of the following legislations?

    1. A The Legal Practitioners Act, 1879
    2. B The Bar Council of India Act, 1950
    3. C The Constitution of India
    4. D The Advocates Act, 1961

27. The Puntland coast, frequently associated with recent maritime piracy incidents, is located in which country?

    1. A Djibouti
    2. B Somalia
    3. C Yemen
    4. D Eritrea

28. Which of the following features is NOT explicitly mentioned as a safeguard in the newly launched 'ChatGPT for Teens'?

    1. A Removal of image generation capabilities
    2. B Disabling of memory to prevent saving chats
    3. C Mandatory biometric verification for all users
    4. D Quiet hours to regulate usage time

29. As of August 21, 2026, which instrument contributed the highest amount to the forex inflows reported by the RBI under the swap facility?

    1. A FCNR (B) Deposits
    2. B External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs)
    3. C Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings (OFCBs)
    4. D Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI)

30. With reference to biochar, consider the following statements: 1. It is produced by heating organic waste in a low-oxygen environment. 2. It can enhance soil water and nutrient retention. 3. It is a stable form of carbon that resists decay. Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

31. Which of the following plant species are identified as invasive alien plants (IAPs) in the context of Assam's forest restoration efforts?

    1. A Chromolaena odorata, Prosopis juliflora, and Eichhornia crassipes
    2. B Parthenium hysterophorus, Eichhornia crassipes, and Prosopis juliflora
    3. C Lantana camara, Chromolaena odorata, and Mikania micrantha
    4. D Lantana camara, Parthenium hysterophorus, and Mikania micrantha

32. Which organization is primarily responsible for the development of school textbooks in India?

    1. A Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
    2. B University Grants Commission (UGC)
    3. C National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA)
    4. D National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)

33. Which of the following factors is identified as a primary contributor to fire hazards in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) based on recent safety concerns?

    1. A Lack of fire extinguishers in the hospital lobby
    2. B Overcrowding of patients in general wards
    3. C Inadequate ventilation systems
    4. D Proximity of electrical heating elements to oxygen-enriched environments

34. Which of the following factors is primarily cited as a cause for the recent flash floods in the districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo, and Jorhat in Assam?

    1. A Glacial lake outburst floods
    2. B Cyclonic activity in the Bay of Bengal
    3. C Heavy rainfall in Nagaland
    4. D Tectonic shifts in the Brahmaputra valley

35. Which of the following measures has been agreed upon by the governments of Assam and Meghalaya to address the recent border standoff and ensure tourist safety?

    1. A Transfer of border policing authority to a joint federal commission
    2. B Establishment of a coordination mechanism between the IGs of both state police forces
    3. C Deployment of central paramilitary forces along the entire state border
    4. D Complete closure of the Guwahati-Shillong highway for private vehicles

36. Under which Act does the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) derive its power to inquire into complaints of human rights violations?

    1. A The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993
    2. B The Human Rights Protection Act, 1991
    3. C The National Human Rights Commission Act, 1995
    4. D The Civil Rights Protection Act, 1955

37. Which of the following sectors is currently being promoted for industrial investment in the Anakapalli district of Andhra Pradesh?

    1. A Automobiles, Aerospace, and Tourism
    2. B Textiles, Agriculture, and Mining
    3. C Shipbuilding, Chemicals, and Renewable Energy
    4. D Steel, Pharmaceuticals, and Data Centres

38. The Palakkad railway division is currently under the administrative jurisdiction of which of the following railway zones?

    1. A Southern Railway
    2. B South Central Railway
    3. C South Western Railway
    4. D Konkan Railway

39. The Ervebo vaccine, recently distributed in Congo, is primarily used to treat which of the following diseases?

    1. A Yellow Fever
    2. B Ebola
    3. C Dengue
    4. D Malaria

40. Which of the following best describes the constitutional authority for conducting federal elections in the United States?

    1. A The Supreme Court of the United States directly oversees the administration of all federal polling stations.
    2. B The Federal Election Commission has exclusive authority over all aspects of federal elections.
    3. C The U.S. Constitution mandates a uniform national system for voter registration and balloting.
    4. D State legislatures determine the times, places, and manner of elections, subject to Congressional regulation.

41. With reference to the electoral process in India, consider the following statements regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR):

    1. A It is a process where the ECI conducts mandatory house-to-house surveys without any self-enumeration by voters.
    2. B The Supreme Court has declared the SIR process unconstitutional due to the high number of deletions.
    3. C The SIR process is exclusively used for the conduct of local body elections rather than general elections.
    4. D It involves a methodology where electors must self-enumerate, followed by scrutiny and correction phases by election officials.

42. The 1961 ban on the celebration of Rabindranath Tagore’s birth centenary by the military government of Pakistan occurred in which region?

    1. A Kashmir
    2. B East Pakistan
    3. C West Pakistan
    4. D Punjab

43. Which of the following best describes the primary function of the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO)?

    1. A A British Royal Navy-sponsored organization providing maritime security information and coordination
    2. B An international regulatory body responsible for setting global maritime trade laws
    3. C A military combat unit tasked with offensive operations in the Persian Gulf
    4. D A private maritime security firm providing armed escorts to commercial vessels

44. What happens to the crystal structure of a diamond when subjected to pressure reaching 1 terapascal?

    1. A It transforms into a denser cubic structure
    2. B It remains intact before melting into a metallic liquid
    3. C It sublimes directly into a gaseous state
    4. D It undergoes a phase transition into graphite

45. With reference to the structural composition of the narwhal tusk, consider the following statements: 1. The tusk gains its straightness from a double-twist mechanism of collagen fibrils. 2. The outer layer of the tusk twists to the right while the inner layer twists to the left. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

46. Which of the following methods was primarily used to determine the age of the rock containing microbial traces in the Singhbhum Craton?

    1. A Carbon-14 dating of the chert matrix
    2. B Uranium-lead dating of zircon crystals
    3. C Strontium isotope analysis of the banded chert
    4. D Potassium-argon dating of the volcanic ash

47. The Singhbhum Craton, known for containing some of the oldest rocks in India, spans which of the following states?

    1. A Jharkhand and West Bengal
    2. B Odisha and Chhattisgarh
    3. C Bihar and Jharkhand
    4. D Jharkhand and Odisha

48. Which of the following statements regarding the health effects of coffee and its additives is correct?

    1. A The American Heart Association recommends unlimited daily intake of coffee for cardiovascular health.
    2. B Inulin, found in chicory, is a polysaccharide that supports digestion and blood sugar control.
    3. C Chicory contains high levels of caffeine which aids in central nervous system stimulation.
    4. D Unfiltered coffee is associated with a decrease in LDL cholesterol levels.

49. What is referred to as the 'cascading retraction effect' in the context of scientific research?

    1. A The decline in funding for research institutions that have a high volume of retracted publications.
    2. B The automatic removal of all research papers linked to a specific laboratory after one instance of misconduct.
    3. C The phenomenon where retracted papers continue to be cited by new studies, which are subsequently retracted themselves.
    4. D The process where a journal retracts multiple papers from a single author simultaneously.

50. Which of the following legal frameworks is primarily utilized by the Chhattisgarh government to address cases of unfair means in public examinations?

    1. A The Higher Education Integrity Act, 2015
    2. B The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2020
    3. C The Indian Penal Code, 1860
    4. D The Chhattisgarh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2008

51. Since the ethnic conflict erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, which mode of transport became the primary means of connectivity for people in the Imphal Valley?

    1. A Public bus services
    2. B Inland waterways
    3. C Rail transport
    4. D Air travel

52. The Karnataka government's recent ban on 'analogue paneer' defines the product based on which of the following characteristics?

    1. A The absence of mandatory nutritional labeling on the packaging
    2. B The manufacturing of the product in unhygienic, unlicensed facilities
    3. C The replacement of milk fat or milk solids with vegetable oil or non-dairy ingredients
    4. D The use of synthetic preservatives exceeding FSSAI limits

53. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) operates under the administrative control of which of the following?

    1. A Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
    2. B Ministry of Steel
    3. C Ministry of Defence
    4. D Ministry of Home Affairs

54. Which of the following constitutional provisions deals with the appointment and term of office of members of a State Public Service Commission?

    1. A Article 316
    2. B Article 320
    3. C Article 312
    4. D Article 315

55. Which of the following bodies is responsible for granting environmental clearance to projects like pharmaceutical manufacturing units at the state level in India?

    1. A National Green Tribunal
    2. B Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
    3. C State Pollution Control Board
    4. D State Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority

56. Which of the following acts primarily regulates the acceptance and utilization of foreign contribution or foreign hospitality by certain individuals or associations in India?

    1. A Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA)
    2. B Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)
    3. C Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)
    4. D Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA)

57. Under which regulatory framework is the Marathi language proficiency mandate for taxi and autorickshaw drivers in Maharashtra enforced?

    1. A The State Language Act of Maharashtra
    2. B The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
    3. C The Public Transport Licensing Ordinance
    4. D The Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules

58. Tele MANAS, a helpline mentioned in the context of mental health support, stands for:

    1. A Tele Mental Health Advocacy and National Awareness System
    2. B Tele Mental Health Application and Network for All Students
    3. C Tele Medical Assistance and National Academic Support
    4. D Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States

59. Which of the following are recommended preventive measures against the spread of H1N1 influenza?

    1. A Complete avoidance of all public transportation
    2. B Mandatory hospitalization for all diagnosed cases
    3. C Annual influenza vaccination and maintaining hand hygiene
    4. D Strict antibiotic course for all symptomatic patients