General Studies III practice

30 prelims questions on economy, technology, environment, security and disaster management, drawn from 17 recent editions. Tap an option to check it.

Questions

1. Under the current inflation targeting framework, what is the target inflation rate set for the Reserve Bank of India?

   1. A 4% with a band of +/- 2%
   2. B 5% with a band of +/- 2%
   3. C 2% with a band of +/- 1%
   4. D 6% with a band of +/- 1%

2. The 'New Keynesian Phillips Curve' primarily describes the relationship between which two economic variables?

   1. A Interest rates and foreign exchange reserves
   2. B Fiscal deficit and public debt
   3. C GDP output and inflation
   4. D Unemployment and balance of payments

3. Which of the following is NOT one of the six pillars of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM 2.0)?

   1. A Packaging and testing
   2. B Retail distribution
   3. C Design
   4. D Talent development

4. What is the maximum subsidy percentage provided for R&D projects under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM 2.0)?

   1. A 40%
   2. B 50%
   3. C 75%
   4. D 60%

5. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025, what percentage of tertiary-educated youth in India are classified as NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training)?

   1. A 14.8%
   2. B 74.7%
   3. C 40.1%
   4. D 29.4%

6. According to the PLFS 2025, which of the following statements accurately describes the trend in India's Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) between 2019-20 and 2025?

   1. A The AAPP is the only reliable metric for assessing female labour participation regardless of baseline levels.
   2. B The overall FLFPR for those aged 15 and above increased from 30% to 40%.
   3. C The rural FLFPR remained stagnant while urban participation declined.
   4. D The urban FLFPR increased at a faster rate than the rural FLFPR.

7. What is the primary funding structure for the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G) for most states?

   1. A 50% Central and 50% State contribution
   2. B 60% Central and 40% State contribution
   3. C 75% Central and 25% State contribution
   4. D 100% Central funding

8. Which of the following best describes the core objective of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)?

   1. A Providing free healthcare services to senior citizens
   2. B Ensuring universal access to banking, credit, and insurance services
   3. C Promoting industrial growth in rural areas through tax incentives
   4. D Providing subsidized food grains to BPL families

9. The 'JAM' trinity, which has been instrumental in India's digital financial transformation, consists of which of the following?

   1. A Jan Dhan, Aadhar, and Micro-insurance
   2. B Jan Dhan, Agriculture, and Market
   3. C Jan Dhan, Ayushman, and Micro-credit
   4. D Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile

10. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for the April-June 2026 quarter, what was the unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years and above?

    1. A 4.8%
    2. B 5.4%
    3. C 4.3%
    4. D 6.7%

11. What is the primary focus of the 28nm semiconductor chips currently being targeted by the India Semiconductor Mission?

    1. A Legacy process nodes used in everyday electronics
    2. B High-end smartphone processors exclusively
    3. C Frontier-grade chips for advanced AI computing
    4. D Experimental quantum computing processors

12. Which of the following is a key change introduced in the second phase of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM 2.0)?

    1. A Exclusion of chip design talent from the scope
    2. B Reduction of capital subsidies to 30-40%
    3. C Increase in capital subsidies to 75%
    4. D Mandatory land provision by the Union government only

13. What is the primary mechanism for disbursing manufacturing-linked incentives under the India Semiconductor Mission?

    1. A Per-unit incentives disbursed after sales are completed
    2. B Upfront grants based on project proposals
    3. C Direct equity participation by the government in private firms
    4. D Tax holidays for the first ten years

14. Which of the following best describes the function of an OSAT facility within the semiconductor industry?

    1. A Semiconductor chip design and architecture
    2. B Assembly, packaging, and testing of semiconductor chips
    3. C Development of artificial intelligence software for chips
    4. D Raw silicon wafer extraction

15. Under the newly implemented Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G), what is the guaranteed number of employment days provided to registered households?

    1. A 150 days
    2. B 200 days
    3. C 125 days
    4. D 100 days

16. Under the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, what is the guaranteed number of days of wage employment provided to rural households?

    1. A 200 days
    2. B 150 days
    3. C 100 days
    4. D 125 days

17. Which of the following features distinguishes the newly proposed Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G) from the MGNREGA?

    1. A The financial burden on States has been reduced from 10% to 5%.
    2. B It shifts from a demand-driven framework to a supply-driven model with capped budgets.
    3. C It is a universal scheme applicable to all rural households in India.
    4. D It mandates 200 days of guaranteed employment annually.

18. Under the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin), what is the standard Centre-State funding ratio for most States?

    1. A 60:40
    2. B 100:0
    3. C 50:50
    4. D 90:10

19. Which of the following is a key feature of the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) compared to the previous MGNREGA?

    1. A The removal of all material cost liabilities for States
    2. B A statutory guarantee of 125 days of work
    3. C The Centre bears 100% of the wage bill
    4. D A reduction in the number of guaranteed work days

20. The 'NCORD' mechanism, often mentioned in the context of anti-narcotics efforts in India, stands for:

    1. A National Coordination Committee for Countering Drug Trafficking
    2. B National Committee for Oversight and Rehabilitation of Drug-addicts
    3. C National Council for Organized Response to Drugs
    4. D Narcotics Control and Operational Research Department

21. What is the primary purpose of the 1933 MANAS helpline introduced by the government?

    1. A To report drug trafficking activities to the NCB
    2. B To track the financing of international drug cartels
    3. C To coordinate between State Anti-Narcotics Task Forces
    4. D To provide support and assistance to persons with drug addiction

22. Which entity is primarily responsible for the commercialization of mature space technologies in India?

    1. A IN-SPACe
    2. B NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)
    3. C Department of Space
    4. D ISRO

23. Under which rules are the service associations of the Department of Space employees recognized?

    1. A Space Research Organization Act, 1969
    2. B Trade Unions Act, 1926
    3. C Central Civil Services (Recognition of Service Associations) Rules, 1993
    4. D Industrial Disputes Act, 1947

24. What is the primary product of the coal gasification process as mentioned in the government scheme?

    1. A Refined Coal Tar
    2. B Liquid Petroleum Gas
    3. C Synthetic gas (syngas)
    4. D Compressed Natural Gas

25. Which of the following is a stated objective of the government's coal gasification incentive scheme?

    1. A To mandate the closure of all lignite mines by 2030
    2. B To increase the export of raw coal to neighboring countries
    3. C To replace all thermal power plants with gasification units
    4. D To reduce dependence on imports of urea, methanol, and LNG

26. The 'Raksha' framework, recently released by the Ministry of Defence, primarily focuses on which of the following?

    1. A A new policy for the privatization of ordnance factories
    2. B A 10-year roadmap for defence diplomacy and global partnerships
    3. C Domestic military recruitment reforms
    4. D The restructuring of the Integrated Defence Staff

27. The Supreme Court judgment in 'Paramvir Singh Saini vs Baljit Singh' (2021) primarily pertains to which of the following?

    1. A The establishment of fast-track courts for internal security cases
    2. B The guidelines for the recruitment of Central Armed Police Forces
    3. C The mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in police stations
    4. D The regulation of digital evidence in criminal trials

28. Which of the following factors limits the accuracy of satellite-based monitoring of farm fires as highlighted by the CAQM?

    1. A Lack of sufficient polar-orbiting satellites
    2. B Interference from monsoon cloud cover
    3. C Inability to measure straw quantity and combustion efficiency
    4. D High cost of satellite imagery processing

29. Which legislation provides the primary legal framework for the adjudication of inter-State river water disputes in India?

    1. A The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
    2. B The Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956
    3. C The River Boards Act, 1956
    4. D The National Water Policy, 2002

30. What does the 'overshoot, peak, and decline' pathway, as proposed by the UNEP, primarily aim to achieve?

    1. A To allow temperatures to rise above 1.5 degrees Celsius temporarily before bringing them back down by 2100.
    2. B To ensure global temperatures remain strictly below 1.5 degrees Celsius through immediate policy changes.
    3. C To replace emission reduction mandates with nature-based carbon removal exclusively.
    4. D To permanently abandon the 1.5 degrees Celsius target of the Paris Agreement.