2018

In 1920, the All India Home Rule League changed its name to Swarajya Sabha. This marked a significant shift towards the goal of achieving Swaraj (self-rule).

Hindu Mahasabha: Founded by Madan Mohan Malaviya and others, it focused on issues related to Hindu identity and rights.

South Indian Liberal Federation: Also known as the Justice Party, it was founded to represent the interests of non-Brahmins in Tamil Nadu.

The Servants of India Society: Founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, it focused on social reform, education, and service to the nation.

Legal tender is any form of payment recognized by law that a creditor is legally obligated to accept for the settlement of a debt or financial obligation. In India, currency notes issued by the RBI and coins issued by the Government of India constitute legal tender.

Why Option B is correct: The defining characteristic of legal tender is the legal compulsion on the creditor. If a debtor offers legal tender to settle a claim, the creditor cannot refuse it and subsequently sue for non-payment of the debt.

Why Option C is incorrect: Bank money such as cheques, drafts, and bills of exchange are considered 'fiduciary money.' Their acceptance depends on the trust between the parties involved; a creditor is not legally compelled to accept a cheque and can insist on payment in cash (legal tender).

Why Option D is incorrect: While metallic coins are indeed legal tender (under the Coinage Act, 2011), legal tender also includes paper currency notes. Therefore, defining it solely as metallic money is incomplete.

IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system being developed by India.

Statement 1 is correct: The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) indeed has three satellites in geostationary orbits and four satellites in geosynchronous orbits.


Statement 2 is incorrect: It is designed to provide accurate position information service to users in India as well as the region extending up to 1500 km from its boundary, which is its primary service area. An Extended Service Area lies between primary service area and area enclosed by the rectangle from Latitude 30 deg South to 50 deg North, Longitude 30 deg East to 130 deg East.

Statement 3 is incorrect: While India has been working on enhancing the coverage of its navigation system, as of the given timeframe (2019), it does not have full global coverage. The system is primarily regional, although there are plans for augmentation and expansion.

* Prosopis juliflora, commonly known as mesquite or thorn mimosa, frequently appears in discussions about invasive species due to its significant impact on ecosystems and biodiversity.

* Originally native to Central and South America, Prosopis juliflora was introduced to various parts of Africa, Asia, and Australia for purposes like afforestation, erosion control, and fuelwood supply.

* However, due to its rapid growth rate, tolerance for harsh conditions, and prolific seed production, it can become invasive.

* It can outcompete native plants, disrupt ecological balances, and form dense thickets that hinder other vegetation growth.

* In states like Tamil Nadu, Prosopis juliflora has been labelled an invasive species causing ecological damage. Efforts are underway to remove it from certain areas to restore native ecosystems.

The Sthanakvasi sect is a subsect of Jainism. It is known for its emphasis on ascetic practices and the abandonment of idol worship.

Members of the Sthanakvasi sect believe in the concept of Sthanak or a place for meditation, hence the name "Sthanakvasi," which translates to "those who dwell in a place for meditation."


ASEAN has established Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with six specific 'Dialogue Partners': China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand.

Statement 1 is Correct: Australia is a free-trade partner of ASEAN through the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA).

Statement 2 is Incorrect: Canada is a Dialogue Partner of ASEAN but does not have a formal Free Trade Agreement with the bloc.

Statement 3 is Correct: China is a free-trade partner of ASEAN through the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA).

Statement 4 is Correct: India is a free-trade partner of ASEAN through the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA).

Statement 5 is Correct: Japan is a free-trade partner of ASEAN through the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP).

Statement 6 is Incorrect: The USA has been a Dialogue Partner of ASEAN since 1977, but it does not have a Free Trade Agreement with the ASEAN bloc.

Statement 1 (access to latest nuclear technology) is correct. This is a consequence of NSG membership. NSG members can trade nuclear materials, equipment, and technology for peaceful purposes. This access can be crucial for a country's nuclear energy program or medical isotope production.

Statement 2 (automatic NPT membership) is incorrect. Becoming an NSG member doesn't automatically qualify a country for NPT membership. NPT is a separate treaty focusing on nuclear non-proliferation, and membership has different requirements.

The correct answer is 1 only.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has an agreement called the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

TRIPS requires member countries to protect Geographical Indications (GIs). GIs identify a product as originating from a specific geographical location where its qualities or reputation are essentially due to that origin.

India enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 to comply with its obligations under the TRIPS agreement of the WTO.

Statement 1 is Correct: Barren Island is the only confirmed active volcano in India and is located in the Andaman Sea, part of the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Statement 2 is Incorrect: Barren Island is located approximately 135–140 km East of Port Blair, not Great Nicobar. Geographically, Barren Island (approx. 12.2° N) is located significantly North of Great Nicobar (approx. 7° N), which is the southernmost island of the archipelago.

Statement 3 is Incorrect: After the 1991 eruption, which occurred after nearly 150 years of dormancy, the volcano has erupted several times, including in 1994-95, 2005-07, and as recently as 2017. It has not remained inactive since 1991.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) was established under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, passed by Parliament, making it a statutory body. Similarly, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was constituted under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and is also a statutory body. It plays a key role in environmental regulation in India.

Statement 2 is correct: The NGT's primary role is to ensure the expeditious disposal of environmental cases related to forest conservation, natural resource protection, and pollution control, thereby reducing the burden on higher courts.

The CPCB, functioning under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), is responsible for monitoring water and air quality, implementing pollution control measures, and enforcing environmental laws to promote a cleaner environment.

Thus, while both bodies deal with environmental protection, the NGT focuses on adjudication, whereas the CPCB handles regulatory and enforcement functions. Therefore, the correct answer is option (b) 2 only.

The terms 'WannaCry, Petya and EternalBlue' are all related to cyber attacks.

* 'WannaCry' is a ransomware that locks users' devices and prevents them from accessing data and software until a certain ransom is paid to its creator.

* 'Petya' is another type of ransomware that spreads rapidly through networks that use Microsoft Windows.

* The Petya and WannaCry cyber-attacks in May and June 2017 are two of the biggest in history and impacted the finances of companies throughout the globe.

* 'EternalBlue' is a cyber exploit developed by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). It was used in the 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack and exploits a vulnerability in the Microsoft implementation of the Server Message Block (SMB) Protocol.

The Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) wasn't founded by a single person, but by a group of socialists, Forward Bloc followers, and independent unionists in 1948.

Here's a list of some key figures involved - Basawon Singh (Sinha) - Ashok Mehta - R.S. Ruikar - Maniben Kara - Shibnath Banerjee - R.A. Khedgikar - T.S. Ramanujam - V.S. Mathur - G.G. Mehta

It's important to note that R.S. Ruikar was elected as the first President and Ashok Mehta became the General Secretary of the HMS.

Pair 1 is incorrect: The Belle II experiment is a particle physics experiment designed to study the properties of B mesons. It is not related to artificial intelligence.

Pair 2 s correct: Blockchain technology is the underlying technology behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. It is a distributed ledger technology that ensures secure and transparent transactions.


Pair 3 is incorrect: CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene-editing technology used in the field of molecular biology to edit genes. It is not related to particle physics.


Therefore, only pair 2 is correctly matched.

The Subsidiary Alliance was a strategic military-political system introduced by Lord Wellesley (1798–1805) to expand British influence in India.

Option A applies: A key feature was that the allied Indian state had to maintain a permanent British force within its territory and pay a subsidy for its maintenance, allowing the British to maintain a large standing army at the expense of the Indian ruler. Option C applies: The system was designed to counter the 'Napoleonic danger' by requiring Indian rulers to expel all non-British Europeans (especially the French) from their service and territory. Option D applies: By controlling the external relations and defense of the states, and placing a British Resident in the court, the Company effectively established British paramountcy (supreme authority) over the Indian states. Option B does not apply: Securing a 'fixed income' for the Company was the primary objective of land revenue systems, such as the Permanent Settlement introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793, rather than the Subsidiary Alliance which focused on military and diplomatic control.

The Two-State Solution is used in the context of the Israel-Palestine issue.

It envisages an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel west of the Jordan River.


Aleppo is a city in Syria , serving as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate.

Kirkuk is a city in Iraq , serving as the capital of the Kirkuk Governorate, located 238 kilometres north of Baghdad.

Mosul is a major city in northern Iraq situated on the west bank of the Tigris, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank.

Mazar-e Sharif, the city is in Afghanistan , 35 miles south of the border with Uzbekistan. Hence, B is the correct option.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Aadhaar Act explicitly states that Aadhaar is meant only for identity and residence verification. It does not grant, confirm, or serve as proof of citizenship or domicile status.

Statement 2 is incorrect: While deactivation is temporary, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) can deactivate an Aadhaar number under certain conditions. In specific cases, Aadhaar numbers can even be permanently omitted from the database.

Hence, the correct answer is option (d).

Delhi and Bengaluru are located almost on the same longitude.

- Longitude of Delhi- 77.1025 E - Longitude of Bengaluru- 77.5946 E - Longitude of Hyderabad- 78.4867 E - Longitude of Nagpur- 79.0882 E - Llongitude of Pune- 73.8567 E


"Bani Thani" is a famous painting associated with the Kishangarh school of painting, which flourished in the princely state of Kishangarh in Rajasthan during the 18th century. This painting is particularly renowned for its elegance and depiction of Indian beauty. Some famous paintings from the other three schools:

Bundi School - Ragamala Series – A set of paintings depicting various Indian musical modes (ragas). - Chaugan Players – A painting showing women playing Polo, reflecting royal leisure.

Jaipur School - Gita Govinda Series – Paintings depicting the love story of Radha and Krishna. - Ganesh Stuti – A painting of Lord Ganesha, often seen in Jaipur miniatures.

Kangra School - Gita Govinda Paintings – Like Jaipur, Kangra also depicted Radha-Krishna love stories, but with soft, delicate features. - Nayika Bheda – A series showing different moods of a heroine (nayika) in love.


The future Buddha, yet to come to save the world according to Buddhist tradition, is referred to as Maitreya. Avalokiteshvara (Lokesvara/Padmapani) are all forms of the compassionate bodhisattva but are not future Buddhas.

Pair 1 is not correct. Sanskrit College at Benaras: This college was established by Jonathan Duncan in 1791, not William Jones.

Pair 2 is correct. Calcutta Madrasa: Warren Hastings established the Calcutta Madrasa in 1781 for the study of Islamic subjects like Arabic and Persian.

Pair 3 is not correct. Fort William College: This college was founded by Lord Wellesley in 1800, primarily to train British civil servants in Indian languages and customs.

Statement 1 is correct. The Earth's magnetic field does reverse polarity every few hundred thousand years, on average.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The early Earth's atmosphere did not have significant oxygen and likely had a lot of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Statement 3 is correct. The rise of photosynthetic organisms like cyanobacteria significantly increased the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere over time.

Therefore, the correct answer is (c) 1 and 3 only.

The availability of open APIs for Aadhaar means that the Aadhaar system can be easily integrated into various electronic devices, such as smartphones, laptops, point-of-sale terminals, etc. This allows these devices to leverage the Aadhaar platform for authentication and other services.

The Aadhaar APIs provide the capability to perform online authentication using biometric modalities like fingerprint and iris scans. This allows for secure identity verification and authentication through electronic devices and applications.

Therefore, both statements 1 and 2 are correct.

Under the Government of India Act of 1935, the legislative powers were divided into three lists: the Federal List (for the center), the Provincial List (for the provinces), and the Concurrent List (for both).

Residuary Powers: The subjects that were not included in any of these three lists were known as residuary powers. According to the Act, these residuary powers were vested in the Governor-General of India. He had the authority to decide whether the Federal or the Provincial Legislature would exercise power over such subjects.

Note: In the modern Constitution of India, residuary powers are vested in the Union Parliament (Article 248), which is a departure from the 1935 Act.

Statement 1 is correct: In the NSSO 70th Round survey, Rajasthan had the highest percentage of rural agricultural households at 78.4%, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 74.8% and Madhya Pradesh at 70.8%.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Among agricultural households, 45% were from Other Backward Classes (OBC), 16% from Scheduled Castes (SC), and 13% from Scheduled Tribes (ST).

Statement 3 is correct: In most major states, agricultural activities were the primary income source, except in Kerala, where 61% earned more from non-agricultural sources.

The 'Additional Protocol' is a legal document that grants the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expanded rights of access to information and locations in a state to ensure that nuclear materials are used for peaceful purposes.

* Option A is correct: By ratifying the Additional Protocol, India committed to placing its civilian nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards. This allows the IAEA to verify that nuclear material in these specific facilities is not diverted for military use. * Option B is incorrect: India maintains a separation between its civilian and military nuclear programs. The Additional Protocol applies only to civilian facilities; military installations remain outside the scope of IAEA inspections. * Options C and D are incorrect: While the ratification of the Additional Protocol was a significant step in India's integration into the global nuclear order (following the Indo-US nuclear deal), it does not automatically grant membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) or provide an automatic privilege to buy uranium. Membership in the NSG requires a separate consensus-based admission process.

India signed the Additional Protocol in 2009, and it officially entered into force on July 25, 2014.

The correctly matched pairs are:

1. Catalonia — Spain: Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain. It is frequently in the news due to its distinct cultural identity and the regional independence movement. 2. Mindanao — Philippines: Mindanao is the second-largest island in the Philippines. It has been in the news primarily due to the Bangsamoro peace process and internal security matters.

Incorrectly matched pairs:

* Crimea: This is a peninsula located on the northern coast of the Black Sea. While internationally recognized as part of Ukraine, it was annexed by Russia in 2014. It has no geographical connection to Hungary. * Oromia: This is the largest regional state in Ethiopia, not Nigeria. It is the homeland of the Oromo people, the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia.

The term "sixth mass extinction" is used in the context of discussions about the current rapid decline in biodiversity and the potential for it to be as significant as the five major extinction events in Earth's history.

Mass extinction events: Throughout Earth's history, there have been five major extinction events where a large percentage of species (estimated at 75% or more) disappeared in a geologically short period. Examples include the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event that wiped out non-avian dinosaurs.

Sixth mass extinction: Scientists are concerned that human activities like habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and overexploitation of resources are causing a mass extinction event that could be as severe as the previous ones.

Thus, the correct answer is 'D'.

* Statement 1 is not correct: The formation of India's own internet companies, similar to China's approach, is not an aim of the Digital India programme. The initiative focuses on creating digital infrastructure, providing digital services, and promoting digital literacy — not establishing government-backed internet firms.

* Statement 2 is not correct: The Digital India plan does not include any policy framework to attract foreign multinational corporations to build data centres in India. While data localisation and data centre policies have emerged later under different frameworks, they are not part of the original Digital India objectives.

* Statement 3 is correct: One of the key aims of Digital India is to connect villages through broadband and to provide Wi-Fi access in schools, public places, and tourist centres. This is part of its core pillars like Broadband Highways, Public Internet Access Programme, and Early Harvest Programmes.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)

The NPCI operates the National Financial Switch (NFS), which is the largest network connecting ATMs across various banks in India. This network facilitates inter-bank transactions and allows users to withdraw cash from ATMs even if they don't belong to the bank that owns the ATM.