General Ability Test
I ______ you to be at the party this evening.
- (a)look forward to
- (b)hope
- (c)expect
- (d)think
Answer: (c) expect
“Expect” fits best here since it implies a firm assumption that someone will be present, stronger than simply hoping or thinking.
When I met John yesterday, it was the first time I ______ him since Christmas.
- (a)saw
- (b)have seen
- (c)had seen
- (d)have been seeing
Answer: (c) had seen
Describing an earlier action from the viewpoint of a past moment (“when I met him”) needs the past perfect tense, “had seen”.
He ______ to listen to my arguments and walked away.
- (a)denied
- (b)disliked
- (c)prevented
- (d)refused
Answer: (d) refused
“Refused to listen” is the standard way to describe someone deliberately declining to listen.
The flow of blood was so ______ that the patient died.
- (a)intense
- (b)adequate
- (c)profuse
- (d)extensive
Answer: (c) profuse
“Profuse” bleeding is the standard term for an unusually heavy, severe flow of blood.
You have never ______ me about your experiences in America.
- (a)said
- (b)told
- (c)explained
- (d)spoken
Answer: (b) told
“Told me about” is the correct collocation for sharing information about a topic with someone.
I always felt hungry ______ I heard the dinner bell.
- (a)as much as
- (b)as well as
- (c)as soon as
- (d)as close as
Answer: (c) as soon as
“As soon as” means immediately when something happens, matching the sense of feeling hungry right at the sound of the bell.
Although they took every precaution, they could not ______ the accident.
- (a)defer
- (b)allow
- (c)avoid
- (d)block
Answer: (c) avoid
“Avoid the accident” is the natural phrase for preventing something unwanted from happening despite taking precautions.
The ambitious nobleman ______ to marry the king’s daughter.
- (a)transpired
- (b)perspired
- (c)aspired
- (d)expired
Answer: (c) aspired
“Aspired to marry” means he strongly wished and worked toward marrying her, fitting an ambitious nobleman’s goal.
The dictator of that country was a monster of wickedness, insatiable in his ______ for blood and plunder.
- (a)idea
- (b)vision
- (c)lust
- (d)intention
Answer: (c) lust
“Lust for blood and plunder” is the standard phrase describing an intense, insatiable desire, matching the dictator’s wickedness.
Please don’t give me any more, I have had ______.
- (a)few
- (b)too little
- (c)little
- (d)enough
Answer: (d) enough
“I have had enough” is the natural way to say no more is wanted, since a sufficient amount has already been received.
My first lecture in the classroom was a fiasco.
- (a)success
- (b)joy
- (c)fun
- (d)disaster
Answer: (a) success
A “fiasco” is a complete failure. Its opposite is a “success”.
It was indeed arduous to cross streets in New York.
- (a)pleasant
- (b)effortless
- (c)interesting
- (d)risky
Answer: (b) effortless
“Arduous” means difficult and requiring great effort. Its opposite is “effortless”.
Unlike his brother, he is affable.
- (a)reserved
- (b)gullible
- (c)irritable
- (d)lovable
Answer: (c) irritable
“Affable” means friendly and easy to talk to. Its opposite is “irritable”, meaning easily annoyed.
The birth of his child decidedly proved to be an auspicious event in his life.
- (a)precious
- (b)ominous
- (c)useless
- (d)unforgettable
Answer: (b) ominous
“Auspicious” means favourable or a sign of good fortune. Its opposite is “ominous”, suggesting something bad is coming.
The witness corroborated word for word the statement of the victim.
- (a)accepted
- (b)confirmed
- (c)denied
- (d)repeated
Answer: (c) denied
“Corroborated” means confirmed as true. Its opposite is “denied”.
It is unwise to sever diplomatic relations with a neighbouring country over small matters.
- (a)engage
- (b)estrange
- (c)reduced
- (d)bypassed
Answer: (b) estrange
To “sever” relations means to cut them off completely, close in meaning to “estrange”, which means to alienate or break a relationship.
Bad tendencies are to be countered by good ones until all that is evil disappears.
- (a)opposed
- (b)balanced
- (c)reduced
- (d)bypassed
Answer: (a) opposed
To “counter” bad tendencies means to actively oppose or work against them.
The police fired indiscriminately at the crowd, killing many innocent women and children.
- (a)continuously
- (b)without distinguishing
- (c)foolishly
- (d)rapidly
Answer: (b) without distinguishing
“Indiscriminately” means without making any distinction between targets, exactly matching “without distinguishing”.
Businessmen who lack acumen cannot be expected to be very successful.
- (a)fairness
- (b)sharpness
- (c)boldness
- (d)righteousness
Answer: (b) sharpness
“Acumen” means keen insight or sharpness of judgement, especially in business matters.
His candid opinions have won him many friends.
- (a)kind
- (b)courteous
- (c)generous
- (d)frank
Answer: (d) frank
“Candid” means open and honest in speech, matching “frank” most closely.
I disliked him not so much for his meanness but for his dishonesty.
- (a)as for
- (b)but because
- (c)but due to
- (d)No improvement
Answer: (a) as for
The correlative structure “not so much X as Y” is the correct idiom for comparing two reasons, not “not so much X but for Y”.
He preferred death rather than imprisonment.
- (a)for
- (b)to
- (c)than
- (d)No improvement
Answer: (b) to
“Prefer X to Y” is the correct standard construction, not “prefer X rather than Y”.
They kept the idea secretly.
- (a)secretive
- (b)secret
- (c)secretively
- (d)No improvement
Answer: (b) secret
“Keep something secret” uses the adjective “secret” after “kept”, not the adverb “secretly”.
He ought not to tell me your secret, but he did.
- (a)telling
- (b)have told
- (c)having told
- (d)No improvement
Answer: (b) have told
“Ought not to have told” correctly expresses a past action that should not have happened, using the perfect infinitive.
If I don’t know the meaning of a word, I look it after in the dictionary.
- (a)look it out
- (b)look it for
- (c)look it up
- (d)No improvement
Answer: (c) look it up
“Look up” is the correct phrasal verb for finding a word’s meaning in a dictionary, not “look it after”.
Mr. and Mrs. Rao stay in their home every evening.
- (a)at home
- (b)inside home
- (c)within their home
- (d)No improvement
Answer: (a) at home
“Stay at home” is the standard idiom, not “stay in their home”.
When we saw him last, he ran to catch a bus.
- (a)has run
- (b)had run
- (c)was running
- (d)No improvement
Answer: (c) was running
An action already in progress at the moment he was seen needs the past continuous, “was running”, not the simple past.
She cut a sad figure in her first performance on the stage.
- (a)made a sorry figure
- (b)cut a sorry face
- (c)cut a sorry figure
- (d)No improvement
Answer: (c) cut a sorry figure
“Cut a sorry figure” is the fixed idiom for looking pitiful or making a poor impression, not “cut a sad figure”.
Last evening I went to the optician and bought spectacles.
- (a)a spectacle
- (b)two spectacles
- (c)a pair of spectacles
- (d)No improvement
Answer: (c) a pair of spectacles
“Spectacles” is always treated as plural, so it takes “a pair of” rather than “a” or a specific number.
I would like to avail a fifteen days’ holiday this summer.
- (a)to avail of
- (b)to avail myself of
- (c)to avail myself
- (d)No improvement
Answer: (b) to avail myself of
“Avail” is a reflexive verb and needs “oneself of”, giving the correct form “avail myself of”.
I can fly | if I will be | a bird | No error.
- (a)(a) I can fly
- (b)(b) if I will be
- (c)(c) a bird
- (d)(d) No error
Answer: (b) (b)
An unreal, hypothetical condition needs the subjunctive “were”, so it should read “if I were a bird”, not “if I will be a bird”.
As soon as | the train arrived | the passengers entered the compartments | No error.
- (a)(a) As soon as
- (b)(b) the train arrived
- (c)(c) the passengers entered the compartments
- (d)(d) No error
Answer: (d) (d)
This sentence is grammatically correct throughout, with no error to identify.
Never | I have | seen such a town | No error.
- (a)(a) Never
- (b)(b) I have
- (c)(c) seen such a town
- (d)(d) No error
Answer: (b) (b)
Starting a sentence with the negative adverb “Never” requires subject-auxiliary inversion, giving “Never have I seen”, not “Never I have seen”.
He goes to his office | by bicycle | every day | No error.
- (a)(a) He goes to his office
- (b)(b) by bicycle
- (c)(c) every day
- (d)(d) No error
Answer: (d) (d)
This sentence is grammatically correct throughout, with no error to identify.
Far from being appreciated, | his conduct was discussed | and sharply commented | No error.
- (a)(a) Far from being appreciated,
- (b)(b) his conduct was discussed
- (c)(c) and sharply commented
- (d)(d) No error
Answer: (c) (c)
“Comment” is normally followed by the preposition “on” or “upon”, so “sharply commented” is incomplete without it, unlike “discussed”, which needs no preposition.
Passage 1: We had just passed Tenali, where I roused myself in order to hear the name of the station. As I was falling asleep again, a violent jolt shot me into the arms of somebody in the seat opposite. The engine with one wheel broken was lying across the track and beside it was the luggage van, likewise, derailed. Groaning, wheezing, gasping, sputtering in its death agony, the engine was like a fallen horse which, snorting, trembling in every limb, its flanks heaving, its chest labouring, seems incapable of making the smallest effort to struggle on to its legs again. The author had roused himself as he wanted to
- (a)get off
- (b)meet someone
- (c)know the name of the station
- (d)keep himself awake
Answer: (c) know the name of the station
The passage states the author “roused myself in order to hear the name of the station.”
The engine stopped because
- (a)the driver had stopped it
- (b)one of the wheels was broken
- (c)there was a halting place
- (d)there was no fuel
Answer: (b) one of the wheels was broken
The passage says “the engine with one wheel broken was lying across the track.”
The engine is compared to a fallen horse because
- (a)it was groaning like a horse
- (b)it was lying across the track
- (c)it could make no effort to stand upright
- (d)it had a broken wheel
Answer: (c) it could make no effort to stand upright
The passage compares the engine to a horse that “seems incapable of making the smallest effort to struggle on to its legs again.”
Passage 2: I was beginning to tire a little now. I had been cutting steps continuously for two hours, and Tenzing, too, was moving very slowly. As I chipped steps around still another corner, I wondered rather dully just how long we could keep it up. Our original zest had now quite gone and it was turning more into a grim struggle. I then realised that the ridge ahead, instead of still monotonously rising, now dropped sharply away, and far below I could see the North Col and Rongbuk glacier. I looked upwards to see a narrow ridge running up to a snowy summit. A few more whacks of the ice-axe in the firm snow and we stood on top. Which of the following is the most appropriate description of the area in which the narrator had been moving?
- (a)A steep rocky slope
- (b)A peak with a flight of steps
- (c)A high peak covered with snow
- (d)A long ridge
Answer: (d) A long ridge
The passage describes the climbers moving along a rising and falling ridge for most of the account, only reaching the snowy summit right at the very end.
‘I had been cutting steps continuously for two hours’ suggests that
- (a)the climber was unskilled in the art of making steps
- (b)he had to cut the steps out of snow before climbing which was necessarily a slow process
- (c)the slowness was caused by the fact that as soon as he cut the steps they were again covered with snow
- (d)he had to work suspended from a ledge
Answer: (b) he had to cut the steps out of snow before climbing which was necessarily a slow process
Cutting steps into snow or ice with an axe before each step forward is a slow, physically demanding mountaineering technique, explaining the long time taken.
‘It was turning more into a grim struggle’ would mean
- (a)that after the long exertion he was feeling so weak that any further climbing meant a hard struggle with the forces of nature
- (b)that Tenzing was making the task more difficult
- (c)that strong cold wind was pushing him down from above and that he had to struggle with the forces of nature
- (d)that he was in a mood to give up ultimately
Answer: (a) that after the long exertion he was feeling so weak that any further climbing meant a hard struggle with the forces of nature
The passage notes he was tiring, moving slowly, and that their “original zest had now quite gone”, showing sheer physical exhaustion was turning the climb into a struggle.
Farm workers (P) spend (Q) outdoors (R) most of their time (S). The proper sequence should be
- (a)P Q R S
- (b)P R Q S
- (c)P Q S R
- (d)R P Q S
Answer: (c) P Q S R
The sentence reads: “Farm workers spend most of their time outdoors.”
He (P) shuffled the papers (Q) in a drawer (R) together (S). The proper sequence should be
- (a)P Q S R
- (b)P Q R S
- (c)P S Q R
- (d)R S P Q
Answer: (a) P Q S R
The sentence reads: “He shuffled the papers together in a drawer.”
Do you think (P) will (Q) this soap (R) shrink woollen clothes (S)? The proper sequence should be
- (a)P Q R S
- (b)P R Q S
- (c)Q R P S
- (d)Q P R S
Answer: (b) P R Q S
The sentence reads: “Do you think this soap will shrink woollen clothes?”
We advised (P) the hijackers to surrender (Q) to the police (R) themselves (S). The proper sequence should be
- (a)P Q R S
- (b)P R Q S
- (c)P Q S R
- (d)R P Q S
Answer: (c) P Q S R
The sentence reads: “We advised the hijackers to surrender themselves to the police.”
Sports cars (P) appeal (Q) to some motorists only (R) with noisy exhausts (S). The proper sequence should be
- (a)R Q S P
- (b)P S Q R
- (c)R S P Q
- (d)P Q S R
Answer: (b) P S Q R
The sentence reads: “Sports cars with noisy exhausts appeal to some motorists only.”
He (P) almost (Q) planned the entire strategy of operation (R) single-handed (S). The proper sequence should be
- (a)R S P Q
- (b)P R Q S
- (c)S Q R P
- (d)Q P S R
Answer: (b) P R Q S
The sentence reads: “He planned the entire strategy of operation almost single-handed.”
She has (P) more (Q) intelligence (R) than we suspected her to possess (S). The proper sequence should be
- (a)P Q S R
- (b)P R Q S
- (c)P S Q R
- (d)P Q R S
Answer: (d) P Q R S
The sentence reads: “She has more intelligence than we suspected her to possess.”
They (P) should implant (Q) in the minds of young children (R) sound principles (S). The proper sequence should be
- (a)P Q R S
- (b)P Q S R
- (c)R P Q S
- (d)P R Q S
Answer: (b) P Q S R
The sentence reads: “They should implant sound principles in the minds of young children.”
When I was a student (P) I learnt swimming at the age of 15 (Q) of class X (R) in a government school (S). The proper sequence should be
- (a)P Q R S
- (b)P R Q S
- (c)Q P R S
- (d)Q S P R
Answer: (c) Q P R S
The sentence reads: “I learnt swimming at the age of 15, when I was a student of class X in a government school.”
Which one of the following devices changes low voltage alternating current to high voltage alternating current and vice versa?
- (a)Generator
- (b)Motor
- (c)Transformer
- (d)Vibrator
Answer: c Transformer
A transformer steps AC voltage up or down using electromagnetic induction between coils. View this question →
An optical illusion which occurs mainly in deserts during hot summer is based on the principle of
- (a)Reflection
- (b)Interference
- (c)Dispersion
- (d)Total internal reflection
Answer: d Total internal reflection
A mirage forms when light bends through layers of air at different temperatures and densities, eventually reflecting totally off a hot air layer. View this question →
At which place does Earth’s magnetic field become horizontal?
- (a)Magnetic meridian
- (b)Magnetic equator
- (c)Geographical pole
- (d)Tropic of Cancer
Answer: b Magnetic equator
At the magnetic equator, the angle of dip is zero and the magnetic field runs parallel to the Earth’s surface. View this question →
The speed of a car travelling on a straight road is listed below at successive intervals of 1 s: Time(s) 0,1,2,3,4; Speed(m/s) 0,2,4,6,8. Which of the following is/are correct? The car travels 1. with a uniform acceleration of 2 m/s^2. 2. 16 m in 4 s. 3. with an average speed of 4 m/s.
- (a)1, 2 and 3
- (b)2 and 3 only
- (c)1 and 2 only
- (d)1 only
Answer: a 1, 2 and 3
Speed rises by 2 m/s every second (uniform acceleration of 2 m/s^2); the distance covered works out to 16 m in 4 s, giving an average speed of 4 m/s. View this question →
The speed of a body that has Mach number more than 1 is
- (a)supersonic
- (b)subsonic
- (c)300 m/s
- (d)about 10 m/s
Answer: a supersonic
A Mach number greater than 1 means the body moves faster than the speed of sound in that medium. View this question →
Molecules of which of the following has cage like structure? 1. Diamond 2. Graphite 3. Fullerenes
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- (a)1, 2 and 3
- (b)2 and 3 only
- (c)2 only
- (d)3 only
Answer: d 3 only
Fullerenes are hollow, cage-shaped carbon molecules, unlike diamond’s rigid 3-D lattice and graphite’s flat layered sheets. View this question →
Temporary hardness in water is due to which one of the following of Calcium and Magnesium?
- (a)Hydrogencarbonates
- (b)Carbonates
- (c)Chlorides
- (d)Sulphates
Answer: a Hydrogencarbonates
Hydrogencarbonates (bicarbonates) of calcium and magnesium cause temporary hardness that boiling can remove. View this question →
Stung by hairs of nettle leaves causes burning pain. This is due to the injection of
- (a)Acetic acid
- (b)Methanoic acid
- (c)Sulphuric acid
- (d)Hydrochloric acid
Answer: b Methanoic acid
Nettle hairs inject methanoic acid (formic acid) into the skin, causing the burning sting. View this question →
Which one of the following elements is least reactive with water?
- (a)Lithium
- (b)Sodium
- (c)Potassium
- (d)Cesium
Answer: a Lithium
Reactivity of alkali metals with water increases down the group, so lithium is the least reactive of these four. View this question →
Rutherford’s alpha-particle scattering experiment was responsible for the discovery of
- (a)Electron
- (b)Proton
- (c)Nucleus
- (d)Helium
Answer: c Nucleus
The scattering of alpha particles revealed a small, dense, positively charged core at the centre of the atom. View this question →
Glass is a
- (a)liquid
- (b)colloid
- (c)non-crystalline amorphous solid
- (d)crystalline solid
Answer: c non-crystalline amorphous solid
Glass lacks the ordered lattice of a true crystal, even though it behaves mechanically as a solid. View this question →
Cell wall of any fungus is different from plants in having
- (a)cellulose
- (b)chitin
- (c)cholesterol
- (d)glycogen
Answer: b chitin
Chitin is the tough polysaccharide that makes up fungal cell walls, unlike the cellulose found in plant cell walls. View this question →
Sleeping sickness is a parasitic disease of humans and other animals. It is caused by
- (a)Histomonas
- (b)Trypanosoma
- (c)Angomonae
- (d)Naegleria
Answer: b Trypanosoma
Trypanosoma is a protozoan parasite spread by the tsetse fly that causes African sleeping sickness. View this question →
Which one of the following agencies enforces the laws on food security in India?
- (a)FDA
- (b)WHO
- (c)FSSAI
- (d)FAO
Answer: c FSSAI
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) is the body responsible for enforcing food safety and security laws in India. View this question →
Dengue virus causes high fever, rashes and reduces the number of a particular type of blood cells. Those blood cells are
- (a)Monocytes
- (b)Platelets
- (c)Eosinophils
- (d)Neutrophils
Answer: b Platelets
Dengue infection typically causes a sharp drop in platelet count, a hallmark of the disease. View this question →
Kidney secretes an enzyme, which changes plasma protein angiotensinogen into angiotensin. The enzyme is
- (a)Renin
- (b)Nitrogenase
- (c)Hydrolase
- (d)Mono-oxygenase
Answer: a Renin
Renin is an enzyme released by the kidneys that converts angiotensinogen into angiotensin I, regulating blood pressure. View this question →
Red blood cells (RBCs) have
- (a)no nucleus, no mitochondria and no endoplasmic reticulum
- (b)nucleus, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum
- (c)nucleus, mitochondria but no endoplasmic reticulum
- (d)no mitochondria but endoplasmic reticulum is present
Answer: a no nucleus, no mitochondria and no endoplasmic reticulum
Mature mammalian RBCs lack a nucleus, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum, having lost these organelles to make room for haemoglobin. View this question →
According to the Census 2011, the density of population in which one among the following States is the lowest?
- (a)Sikkim
- (b)Nagaland
- (c)Manipur
- (d)Mizoram
Answer: (d) Mizoram
Mizoram’s Census 2011 density was 52 persons per sq km, lower than Sikkim (86), Nagaland (119), or Manipur (122).
Headquarters of the World Meteorological Organization is located in
- (a)Washington
- (b)Geneva
- (c)Moscow
- (d)London
Answer: b Geneva
Geneva, Switzerland, is home to the World Meteorological Organization’s headquarters. View this question →
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Petrochemical | 1. Coimbatore |
| B. Aircraft | 2. Pinjore |
| C. Machine tools | 3. Bengaluru |
| D. Cotton textiles | 4. Bongaigaon |
Code :
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| (b) | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| (c) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| (d) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
Answer: a A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1
Bongaigaon (Assam) has a major petrochemical complex, Bengaluru is a hub for aircraft manufacturing (HAL), Pinjore is known for machine tools (HMT), and Coimbatore is a major cotton textile centre. View this question →
Consider the following statements pertaining to Coffee plantation in India : 1. Need warm and moist climate with a spell of dry weather during the ripening period 2. Rolling fields having good drainage 3. Strong sunshine over hilly slopes exceeding temperature 35°C 4. Karnataka is the leading producer in India
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- (a)1 and 4 only
- (b)1, 2 and 3
- (c)3 and 4
- (d)1, 2 and 4
Answer: warm, moist climate with a dry spell
Coffee needs a warm and moist climate with a dry spell during ripening. This climate is found in the Western Ghats, where Karnataka’s coffee grows.
Related: GK0031 — Karnataka
Dr. Urjit Patel, who has been appointed recently as Governor of Reserve Bank of India, was holding which position immediately prior to this appointment?
- (a)Chief Economist, IMF
- (b)Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India
- (c)Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India
- (d)Professor of Economics at Harvard University
Answer: b Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India
Urjit Patel held this post before being elevated to RBI Governor in September 2016. View this question →
Who among the following personalities is NOT a Governor of any Indian State?
- (a)Najma Heptulla
- (b)Ram Nath Kovind
- (c)Acharya Dev Vrat
- (d)Arvind Subramaniam
Answer: d Arvind Subramaniam
He served as Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India, not as a State Governor, unlike Najma Heptulla, Ram Nath Kovind, and Acharya Dev Vrat. View this question →
Which of the following cricket teams was defeated by India to lift the Women’s Twenty 20 Asia Cup 2016?
- (a)Bangladesh
- (b)Sri Lanka
- (c)Pakistan
- (d)Afghanistan
Answer: (c) Pakistan
India defeated Pakistan in the final to lift the Women Twenty20 Asia Cup in 2016. It was the sixth Women Asia Cup title for India, underlining its dominance in regional women cricket.
Related: GK0038 – Women’s Sports in India
Which one of the following was the venue of 2nd BRICS Youth Summit of the Ministers, Officials and Youth Delegations?
- (a)New Delhi
- (b)Mumbai
- (c)Shillong
- (d)Guwahati
Answer: d Guwahati
Guwahati, Assam, hosted the 2nd BRICS Youth Summit from 1 to 3 July 2016. View this question →
Which one among the following States of India has recently proposed to frame the first Internal Security Act to deal with the challenges of terrorism, insurgency, communalism and caste violence?
- (a)Maharashtra
- (b)Gujarat
- (c)Uttar Pradesh
- (d)Chhattisgarh
Answer: a Maharashtra
Maharashtra drafted the Maharashtra Protection of Internal Security Act (MPISA) in 2016 to address terrorism, insurgency, communal and caste violence. View this question →
The World Humanitarian Day is being observed every year on which date?
- (a)24 October
- (b)19 August
- (c)10 December
- (d)8 March
Answer: b 19 August
World Humanitarian Day is marked each year on 19 August. View this question →
Surge pricing takes place when a service provider (a) raises the price of its product or service as demand outstrips supply (b) follows preset prices immune to demand and supply dynamics (c) fixes a minimum price for its services (d) fixes an average price on the basis of transactions carried over a day
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- (a)1, 2 and 3
- (b)2 and 4
- (c)1 and 2 only
- (d)1, 3 and 4
Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3
Surge pricing is defined as a service provider raising its price as demand outstrips supply, matching option (a) in the question’s own wording. Note: this question’s final answer-choice list does not cleanly correspond to the four lettered definitions given in the stem, a mismatch in the original transcription — the underlying fact tested is that surge pricing means raising prices when demand exceeds supply.
By fulfilling which of the following conditions can a political party claim the status of a national party? 1. It secures at least six per cent (6%) of the valid votes polled in any four or more states, at a general election to the House of the People or, to the State Legislative Assembly 2. It wins at least four seats in the House of the People from any State or States or wins at least two per cent (2%) seats in the House of the People (i.e., 11 seats in the existing House having 543 members), and these members are elected from at least three different States 3. The party in question has got recognition as a state party in at least two states 4. It must have its headquarters in New Delhi
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- (a)1, 2 and 3
- (b)2 and 4
- (c)1 and 2 only
- (d)1, 3 and 4
Answer: (c) 1 and 2 only
Statements 1 and 2 correctly state the ECI’s two vote/seat-based routes to National Party status. Statement 3 is wrong: the real threshold for state-party recognition is four states, not two. Statement 4 is false; there is no headquarters-location requirement. Source: The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, official text.
Related: Polity0109 — Political Parties in India: Recognition, Symbols and the Party System
In its emphasis on enhancing human capabilities, which one among the following does NOT figure in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan?
- (a)Life and longevity
- (b)Education
- (c)Delivery of Public Service
- (d)Skill development
Answer: (c) Delivery of Public Service
The Twelfth Five-Year Plan’s human-capabilities focus centred on health, education, and skill development. Improving public service delivery was treated as a separate governance-reform goal, not one of these human-capability areas.
Which one of the following is NOT a target of the 12th Five-Year Plan?
- (a)Real GDP Growth Rate of 8 per cent
- (b)Agriculture Growth Rate of 5 per cent
- (c)Manufacturing Growth Rate of 10 per cent
- (d)Increase in green cover by 1 million hectare every year during the Plan period
Answer: b Agriculture Growth Rate of 5 per cent
The 12th Five-Year Plan actually targeted 4 per cent agricultural growth, not 5 per cent. View this question →
Which one of the following statements is NOT correct?
- (a)In the conduction mode of transference of heat, the molecules of solid pass heat from one molecule to another without moving from their positions
- (b)The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance is called its specific heat capacity
- (c)The process of heat transfer in liquids and gases is through convection mode
- (d)The process of heat transfer from a body at higher temperature to a body at lower temperature without heating the space between them is known as radiation
Answer: b The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance is called its specific heat capacity
Specific heat capacity is the heat needed to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree, not just any general amount for the substance. View this question →
The amount of heat required to change a liquid to gaseous state without any change in temperature is known as
- (a)specific heat capacity
- (b)mechanical equivalent of heat
- (c)latent heat of vaporization
- (d)quenching
Answer: c latent heat of vaporization
This is the heat absorbed when a liquid turns to gas at constant temperature. View this question →
A displacement versus time curve for a particle executing simple harmonic motion shows a sine-wave pattern, with zero crossings at t = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 s and peaks around t = 1, 5, 9 s (period approximately 4 s). Which one of the following statements is correct?
- (a)Phase of the oscillating particle is same at t = 1 s and t = 3 s
- (b)Phase of the oscillating particle is same at t = 2 s and t = 8 s
- (c)Phase of the oscillating particle is same at t = 3 s and t = 7 s
- (d)Phase of the oscillating particle is same at t = 4 s and t = 10 s
Answer: c Phase of the oscillating particle is same at t = 3 s and t = 7 s
Since the period is 4s, points exactly one period apart (3s and 7s, both troughs) share the same phase. View this question →
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Hypermetropia | 1. Concave lens |
| B. Presbyopia | 2. Bifocal lens |
| C. Myopia | 3. Surgery |
| D. Cataract | 4. Convex lens |
Code :
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| (b) | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| (c) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| (d) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
Answer: a A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3
Hypermetropia (farsightedness) is corrected with a convex lens, presbyopia with a bifocal lens, myopia (nearsightedness) with a concave lens, and cataract is treated with surgery. View this question →
A circular coil of single turn has a resistance of 20 Ω. Which one of the following is the correct value for the resistance between the ends of any diameter of the coil?
- (a)5 Ω
- (b)10 Ω
- (c)20 Ω
- (d)40 Ω
Answer: a 5 Ω
A diameter splits the loop into two 10 ohm semicircular arcs in parallel, giving a combined resistance of 5 ohms. View this question →
In a solenoid, the current flowing through the wire is I and number of turns per unit length is n. This gives a magnetic field B inside the solenoid. If number of turn per unit length is increased to 2n, what will be the value of magnetic field in the solenoid?
- (a)B
- (b)2B
- (c)B/2
- (d)B/4
Answer: b 2B
The magnetic field inside a solenoid is directly proportional to the number of turns per unit length. View this question →
Which one of the following statements is correct about the magnification of an optical microscope?
- (a)Magnification increases with the increase in focal length of eyepiece
- (b)Magnification increases with the increase in focal length of objective
- (c)Magnification does not depend upon the focal length of eyepiece
- (d)Magnification decreases with the increase in focal length of eyepiece
Answer: d Magnification decreases with the increase in focal length of eyepiece
Eyepiece magnification is inversely proportional to its focal length. View this question →
A homogeneous mixture contains two liquids. How are they separated?
- (a)By filtration
- (b)By evaporation
- (c)By distillation
- (d)By condensation
Answer: c By distillation
Distillation separates miscible liquids in a homogeneous mixture based on their different boiling points. View this question →
Which one of the following elements forms highest number of compounds?
- (a)Oxygen
- (b)Hydrogen
- (c)Chlorine
- (d)Carbon
Answer: d Carbon
Carbon’s ability to form long chains and rings (catenation) gives it the largest number of known compounds of any element. View this question →
Which one of the following elements corrodes rapidly?
- (a)Aluminium
- (b)Iron
- (c)Zinc
- (d)Silver
Answer: b Iron
Iron rusts progressively because its oxide layer is porous and does not protect the metal beneath, unlike aluminium and zinc which form protective oxide coatings. View this question →
20 g of common salt is dissolved in 180 g of water. What is the mass percentage of the salt in the solution?
- (a)5%
- (b)9%
- (c)10%
- (d)15%
Answer: c 10%
The total solution mass is 200 g (20g salt + 180g water), and 20/200 = 10%. View this question →
The valency of an element depends upon the
- (a)total number of protons in an atom
- (b)mass number of an atom
- (c)total number of neutrons in an atom
- (d)total number of electrons in the outer most shell of an atom
Answer: d total number of electrons in the outer most shell of an atom
This determines how an atom bonds with others. View this question →
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Argon | 1. In lights for advertising display |
| B. Neon | 2. Airport landing lights and in light houses |
| C. Krypton | 3. Light in photographer’s flash gun |
| D. Xenon | 4. In tungsten filament to last longer |
Code :
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| (b) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| (c) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| (d) | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Answer: c A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3
Argon fills tungsten bulbs to make filaments last longer, neon lights up advertising displays, krypton is used in airport landing lights and lighthouses, and xenon powers photographers’ flash guns. View this question →
Colour vision in human eyes is the function of photoreceptor cells named
- (a)Rods
- (b)Cones
- (c)Blind spot
- (d)Fovea
Answer: b Cones
Cones are the photoreceptor cells in the retina responsible for colour vision. View this question →
Which one of the following statements is NOT correct?
- (a)All proteins are enzymes
- (b)Mostly enzymes are proteins
- (c)All fats are energy rich compounds
- (d)Glucose is a common carbohydrate
Answer: a All proteins are enzymes
This is false, since only a subset of proteins act as enzymes, even though most enzymes are proteins. View this question →
Sugarcane is one of the important cash crops in India. It is grown to obtain
- (a)Starch
- (b)Glucose
- (c)Fructose
- (d)Sucrose
Answer: d Sucrose
Sucrose is the sugar extracted from sugarcane. View this question →
The colourful part of the Sunflower or Marigold plant is
- (a)Flower
- (b)Inflorescence
- (c)Fruit
- (d)Seed
Answer: b Inflorescence
What looks like a single flower in sunflower or marigold is actually a cluster of many tiny florets. View this question →
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Manganese | 1. Uttarakhand |
| B. Gypsum | 2. Karnataka |
| C. Limestone | 3. Rajasthan |
| D. Magnesite | 4. Odisha |
Code :
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| (b) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| (c) | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| (d) | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Answer: d A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1
Odisha is a leading producer of manganese, Rajasthan leads in gypsum, Karnataka has significant limestone deposits, and Uttarakhand has notable magnesite deposits. View this question →
Which one among the following is the correct order of tiger reserves situated from North to South in India?
- (a)Corbett – Simlipal – Sariska – Periyar
- (b)Periyar – Sariska – Simlipal – Corbett
- (c)Corbett – Sariska – Simlipal – Periyar
- (d)Periyar – Simlipal – Sariska – Corbett
Answer: (c) Corbett – Sariska – Simlipal – Periyar
Ordered by latitude, Corbett (Uttarakhand) sits furthest north, followed by Sariska (Rajasthan), then Simlipal (Odisha), then Periyar (Kerala) furthest south. Related: IndGeo0102 — Jim Corbett National Park.
Which of the following are correct with regard to Indian Monsoonal Rainfall? 1. Largely governed by the topographical features 2. Regional and seasonal variation in the distribution of rainfall 3. Heavy downpour resulting in considerable runoff 4. Beginning and end of rain is regular and on time
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- (a)1 and 2 only
- (b)1, 2 and 3
- (c)3 and 4 only
- (d)2, 3 and 4
Answer: b 1, 2 and 3
Indian monsoon rainfall is shaped by topography, varies by region and season, and often comes as heavy downpours with high runoff — but its onset and withdrawal are notoriously irregular, not regular and on time. View this question →
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Monsoon with Short Dry Season (Amw) | 1. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar |
| B. Cold Humid Winter with Short Summer (Dfc) | 2. Tamil Nadu Coast |
| C. Monsoon with Dry Winter (Cwg) | 3. Arunachal Pradesh |
| D. Monsoon with Dry Summer (As) | 4. Kerala and Karnataka Coast |
Code :
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| (b) | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| (c) | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| (d) | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Answer: a A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2
The Amw type fits the Kerala-Karnataka coast, Dfc fits highland Arunachal Pradesh, Cwg fits the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar plains, and As (dry summer with winter rain) fits the Tamil Nadu coast. View this question →
Which one of the following Himalayan rivers does NOT originate from across the Himalayas?
- (a)Indus
- (b)Satluj
- (c)Ganga
- (d)Brahmaputra
Answer: c Ganga
Ganga originates from the Gangotri glacier within the Himalayan range itself, unlike the Indus, Satluj, and Brahmaputra, which are antecedent rivers originating in Tibet, north of the main range. View this question →
The Headquarters of Eastern Railway Zone of Indian Railway is located at
- (a)Bhubaneswar
- (b)Kolkata
- (c)Hajipur
- (d)Guwahati
Answer: b Kolkata
Kolkata is the headquarters of the Eastern Railway zone. View this question →
Which one among the following countries is the largest trading partner of India in external trade for the year 2015-2016?
- (a)United States of America
- (b)United Kingdom
- (c)United Arab Emirates
- (d)China
Answer: (d) China
China was India’s largest trading partner from 2013-14 through 2017-18, including the 2015-16 year this question asks about. The United States only overtook China for the top spot years later, in FY22.
The radii of curvature of the faces of a double convex lens are 10 cm and 20 cm. The refractive index of the glass is 1.5. What is the power of this lens (in units of dioptre)?
- (a)+7.5 D
- (b)-7.5 D
- (c)+2.5 D
- (d)+5.0 D
Answer: a +7.5 D
Using the lensmaker’s equation with R1=+10 cm and R2=-20 cm and refractive index 1.5, the focal length works out to about 13.3 cm, giving a power of +7.5 D. View this question →
The time period of a simple pendulum made using a thin copper wire of length L is T. Suppose the temperature of the room in which this simple pendulum is placed increases by 30°C, what will be the effect on the time period of the pendulum?
- (a)T will increase slightly
- (b)T will remain the same
- (c)T will decrease slightly
- (d)T will become more than 2 times
Answer: a T will increase slightly
The copper wire expands with heat, lengthening the pendulum, and since T is proportional to the square root of length, T rises a little. View this question →
Which one of the following physical quantity has the same unit as that of pressure?
- (a)Angular momentum
- (b)Stress
- (c)Strain
- (d)Work
Answer: b Stress
Stress, like pressure, is measured as force per unit area (N/m^2 or pascal). View this question →
Which one of the following statements is correct with regard to the material of electrical insulators?
- (a)They contain no electrons
- (b)Electrons do not flow easily through them
- (c)They are crystals
- (d)They have more number of electrons than the protons on their surface
Answer: b Electrons do not flow easily through them
Insulators still contain electrons, but those electrons are tightly bound and cannot move freely to conduct current. View this question →
Which one of the following physical quantities does NOT affect the resistance of a cylindrical resistor?
- (a)The current through it
- (b)Its length
- (c)The resistivity of the material used in the resistor
- (d)The area of cross-section of the cylinder
Answer: a The current through it
Resistance for an ohmic resistor is a fixed property depending on its length, cross-sectional area, and resistivity, not on the current flowing through it. View this question →
Which one of the following statements regarding King Krishnadevaraya is NOT correct?
- (a)He was a great scholar of Telugu and Sanskrit
- (b)Foreign travellers Paes and Nuniz visited his court
- (c)Barbosa praised him for the great justice and equity prevailing in his empire
- (d)He wrote his magnum opus Amuktamalyada in Sanskrit
Answer: (d) He wrote his magnum opus Amuktamalyada in Sanskrit
Krishnadevaraya wrote the Amuktamalyada in Telugu, not Sanskrit. He was indeed a scholar of both languages, and Paes, Nuniz, and Barbosa were genuine Portuguese-era visitors and chroniclers who praised his rule. Related: MedHist0045 — Krishnadeva Raya.
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. 52nd Amendment Act, 1985 | 1. Reduction of voting age from 21 to 18 |
| B. 73rd Amendment Act, 1992 | 2. Right to Education |
| C. 61st Amendment Act, 1988 | 3. Panchayati Raj |
| D. 86th Amendment Act, 2006 | 4. Disqualification on grounds of defection |
Code :
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| (b) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| (c) | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| (d) | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Answer: b A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2
The 52nd Amendment introduced the anti-defection law, the 73rd Amendment established Panchayati Raj, the 61st Amendment lowered the voting age to 18, and the 86th Amendment added the Right to Education. View this question →
Which one of the following was NOT a cause of the Revolt of 1857?
- (a)The rumour that the British had mixed the bone dust of cows and pigs into the flour being sold in the market
- (b)The prophecy that British rule would come to an end on the centenary of the Battle of Plassey on 23rd June, 1857
- (c)Popular discontent with British rule
- (d)The prophecy that the end of British rule would lead to the end of the Kali Yuga and the return of Ram Rajya
Answer: (d) The prophecy that the end of British rule would lead to the end of the Kali Yuga and the return of Ram Rajya
This statement was NOT a cause of the Revolt of 1857. The real causes included the rumour that the British mixed cow and pig bone dust into the flour, the prophecy that British rule would end on the centenary of the Battle of Plassey (23 June 1857), and widespread popular discontent with British rule. There is no historical record of a Kali Yuga and Ram Rajya prophecy driving the Revolt.
Related: Lord Canning: The First Viceroy of India · ModHist0058 — 1857: Causes, Course and Consequences · View this question →
Which one of the following was NOT a feature of the Subsidiary Alliance of Lord Wellesley?
- (a)The British were responsible for protecting the ally from any external threats
- (b)All internal threats were to be handled by the ally alone, with no help from the British
- (c)The ally was to provide resources for maintaining a British armed contingent stationed in its territory
- (d)The ally could not enter into any agreement with other rulers without the permission of the British
Answer: (b) All internal threats were to be handled by the ally alone, with no help from the British
The Subsidiary Alliance had the British protect the ally from external (and internal) threats, station a British contingent, get the ally to pay for it, and bar the ally from making agreements with other rulers. So the statement that internal threats were handled by the ally alone is NOT a feature – the British did help with internal threats.
Related: ModHist0355 — Lord Wellesley: The Subsidiary Alliance and the Conquest of India · View this question →
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Lakwa | 1. Copper |
| B. Malanjkhand | 2. Petroleum |
| C. Kalakot | 3. Zinc |
| D. Zawar | 4. Coal |
Code :
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| (b) | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| (c) | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| (d) | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
Answer: c A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
Lakwa (Assam) is a petroleum field, Malanjkhand (Madhya Pradesh) is a major copper mine, Kalakot (Jammu and Kashmir) has coal deposits, and Zawar (Rajasthan) is known for zinc mining. View this question →
Which of the following are the major coral reef areas of India? 1. Gulf of Kachchh 2. Gulf of Mannar 3. Lakshadweep 4. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- (a)1 and 3 only
- (b)2 and 4 only
- (c)1, 2 and 3 only
- (d)1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
All four — the Gulf of Kachchh, the Gulf of Mannar, Lakshadweep, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands — are established major Indian coral reef zones. Related: EnvEco0025 — Coral Reefs and Marine Biodiversity Conservation in India · IndGeo0032 — Lakshadweep Islands (Physical Geography) · IndGeo0042 — The Gulf of Kutch and Gulf of Khambhat · IndGeo0043 — The Palk Strait.
Which of the following regions is/are NOT known for cotton-textile industry? 1. Mumbai – Pune region 2. Madurai – Coimbatore region 3. Dhanbad – Jamshedpur region 4. Indore – Ujjain region
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- (a)1 and 3
- (b)2 and 3
- (c)1, 2 and 4
- (d)3 only
Answer: (d) 3 only
Dhanbad-Jamshedpur is a coal-and-steel belt, not a cotton-textile one. Mumbai-Pune, Madurai-Coimbatore, and Indore-Ujjain all have real cotton-textile traditions.
Related: IndGeo0010 — Industrial Regions of India · IndEco0112 — Textile Industry in India
Which one of the following States does NOT have the Headquarters of any Railway Zone?
- (a)Jharkhand
- (b)Chhattisgarh
- (c)Odisha
- (d)Bihar
Answer: a Jharkhand
Chhattisgarh hosts South East Central Railway (Bilaspur), Odisha hosts East Coast Railway (Bhubaneswar), and Bihar hosts East Central Railway (Hajipur), but no railway zone is headquartered in Jharkhand. View this question →
Suppose a rod is given a negative charge by rubbing it with wool. Which one of the following statements is correct in this case?
- (a)The positive charges are transferred from rod to wool
- (b)The positive charges are transferred from wool to rod
- (c)The negative charges are transferred from rod to wool
- (d)The negative charges are transferred from wool to rod
Answer: d The negative charges are transferred from wool to rod
This is why the rod ends up negatively charged. View this question →
Which one of the following is the correct relation between frequency f and angular frequency ω?
- (a)f = πω
- (b)ω = 2πf
- (c)f = 2ω/π
- (d)f = 2πω
Answer: b ω = 2πf
This is the standard relation between angular frequency and ordinary frequency. View this question →
A Kelvin thermometer and a Fahrenheit thermometer both give the same reading for a certain sample. What would be the corresponding reading in a Celsius thermometer?
- (a)574
- (b)301
- (c)273
- (d)232
Answer: (b) 301
Setting the Kelvin and Fahrenheit values equal and solving both conversion formulas together gives a shared reading near 574.25 (the K/F value), which converts to about 301 on the Celsius scale.
Related: GenSci0010 — Units, Measurement and Scientific Instruments
If the potential difference applied to an X-ray tube is doubled while keeping the separation between the filament and the target as same, what will happen to the cutoff wavelength?
- (a)Will remain same
- (b)Will be doubled
- (c)Will be halved
- (d)Will be four times of the original wavelength
Answer: c Will be halved
Cutoff wavelength is inversely proportional to the accelerating voltage, so doubling the voltage halves it. View this question →
Which one of the following statements is true for the relation F = Gm1m2/r^2 (all symbols have their usual meanings)?
- (a)The quantity G depends on the local value of g, acceleration due to gravity
- (b)The quantity G is greatest at the surface of the Earth
- (c)The quantity G is used only when earth is one of the two masses
- (d)The quantity G is a universal constant
Answer: d The quantity G is a universal constant
G has the same value everywhere in the universe, unlike g which varies with location. View this question →
Why is it difficult to measure the coefficient of expansion of a liquid than solid?
- (a)Liquids tend to evaporate at all temperatures
- (b)Liquids conduct more heat
- (c)Liquids expand too much when heated
- (d)Their containers also expand when heated
Answer: d Their containers also expand when heated
Only the apparent expansion is directly observed, complicating measurement of the liquid’s true expansion. View this question →
Radon is
- (a)an inert gas
- (b)an artificial fibre
- (c)an explosive
- (d)a metal
Answer: a an inert gas
Radon is a radioactive, colourless noble gas. View this question →
The chemical name of baking soda is
- (a)Na2CO3
- (b)NaHCO3
- (c)CaCO3
- (d)NaOH
Answer: b NaHCO3
Sodium hydrogen carbonate, commonly known as baking soda. View this question →
Which one of the following elements is used in pencil-lead?
- (a)Zinc
- (b)Lead
- (c)Carbon (Graphite)
- (d)Tin
Answer: c Carbon (Graphite)
Graphite is the actual material used in pencil ‘lead’ despite the name. View this question →
Who among the following is one of the authors of the book “Philosophy of the Bomb”?
- (a)Bhagat Singh
- (b)Jawaharlal Nehru
- (c)Surya Sen
- (d)Yashpal
Answer: d Yashpal
Yashpal co-wrote ‘The Philosophy of the Bomb’ (1930) with Bhagwati Charan Vohra as the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association’s response to Gandhi’s critique of revolutionary violence. View this question →
Which of the following statements about the Chittagong group is NOT correct?
- (a)Its membership included a large number of youth including Ganesh Ghosh, Lokenath Baul and Anant Singh
- (b)Its leader Surya Sen had been a lawyer in Dhaka before joining the group
- (c)Surya Sen and his group were closely associated with Congress work in Chittagong
- (d)This group had prepared an action plan to occupy the armouries in Chittagong
Answer: b Its leader Surya Sen had been a lawyer in Dhaka before joining the group
He was actually a schoolteacher in Chittagong (earning him the title ‘Master da’), not a lawyer. View this question →
Which one of the following was a significant feature of the Quit India Movement?
- (a)Women did not play an important role in the movement
- (b)Nasik in Maharashtra was an important regional base during the movement
- (c)It was marked by anti-zamindar violence
- (d)It was marked by the emergence of parallel governments in different parts of India
Answer: d It was marked by the emergence of parallel governments in different parts of India
Parallel governments emerged in places such as Ballia, Tamluk, and Satara during the Quit India Movement. View this question →
Which one of the following characteristics does NOT describe the Khilafat movement?
- (a)Mahatma Gandhi sought to link it to the Non-Cooperation movement
- (b)It was not supported by the Congress
- (c)It demanded that the Turkish Sultan must retain control over Muslim sacred spaces in the erstwhile Ottoman empire
- (d)It was led by Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali
Answer: b It was not supported by the Congress
Congress actually backed the Khilafat movement and linked it with the Non-Cooperation Movement under Gandhi. View this question →
Which one of the following was NOT a feature of railways in colonial India?
- (a)The main purpose of the setting up of railways in India was to serve the interest of the empire
- (b)British capital investments were invited with 15% guaranteed interest to be paid if necessary from Indian revenues
- (c)The construction work disturbed ecology
- (d)The construction of the railways was planned in such a way that it connected the internal markets with the ports, but provided no interconnection between internal market cities
Answer: d The construction of the railways was planned in such a way that it connected the internal markets with the ports, but provided no interconnection between internal market cities
Colonial railways did in fact link many internal market towns to each other, in addition to linking them to ports. View this question →
Which colonial administrator made the following declaration about the partition of Bengal in 1904? “Bengal united is a power. Bengal divided will pull in different ways. That is perfectly true and one of the merits of the scheme”
- (a)Lord Curzon
- (b)H. H. Risley
- (c)Lord Minto
- (d)Sir Lancelot Hare
Answer: (a) Lord Curzon
The 1904 declaration “Bengal united is a power. Bengal divided will pull in different ways” was made by Viceroy Lord Curzon. He used it to justify the partition of Bengal in 1905, hoping to weaken the united nationalist movement in the province.
Related: Lord Curzon: The Partition of Bengal and the Swadeshi Movement · View this question →
Who launched the Bardoli Satyagraha on 4th February, 1928?
- (a)Mahatma Gandhi
- (b)Vallabhbhai Patel
- (c)Rajendra Prasad
- (d)Kalyanji Mehta
Answer: (b) Vallabhbhai Patel
Patel led the Bardoli Satyagraha against a steep revenue hike, starting 4 February 1928. Mahadev Desai, Gandhi’s secretary, documented the campaign in his book “The Story of Bardoli.”
Related: ModHist0230 — Mahadev Desai: Gandhi’s Secretary for 25 Years
Which one of the following Princely States did NOT support the Congress during the course of the Civil Disobedience Movement?
- (a)Bhavnagar
- (b)Mysore
- (c)Junagadh
- (d)Kathiawar
Answer: (b) Mysore
Mysore’s ruler took a cautious stance and did not openly back the Congress during the Civil Disobedience Movement, unlike Bhavnagar, Junagadh, and the Kathiawar states, which saw active support for the movement.
Which one of the following is a feature of thought and philosophy of the Kandukuri Viresalingam?
- (a)He believed that science and morality were unconnected to truth
- (b)He believed in universal education
- (c)He believed that language had no role in inculcating morality in students
- (d)He did not attempt to build a national consciousness on a cultural base
Answer: b He believed in universal education
This was a core part of Kandukuri Viresalingam’s social reform agenda in colonial Andhra. View this question →
Name the calligrapher in Akbar’s court who was honoured with the title “Zarrin Kalam” or Golden Pen
- (a)Abul Fazl
- (b)Tansen
- (c)Muhammad Husayn
- (d)Muhammad Kasim
Answer: (c) Muhammad Husayn
Muhammad Husayn Kashmiri, a master of the Nastaliq script, was honoured by Akbar with the title Zarrin Qalam, “Golden Pen.” Abul Fazl, in the Ain-i-Akbari, rated his handwriting equal to that of the celebrated calligrapher Mir Ali. Related: MedHist0057 — Akbar: Life and Reign.
Which one of the following sections of the Golden Quadrilateral Highway in India is the longest in terms of route distance?
- (a)Delhi – Kolkata
- (b)Kolkata – Chennai
- (c)Chennai – Mumbai
- (d)Mumbai – Delhi
Answer: (b) Kolkata – Chennai
The Kolkata-Chennai section runs about 1,684 km, longer than Delhi-Kolkata (about 1,453 km), Mumbai-Delhi (about 1,419 km) and Chennai-Mumbai (about 1,290 km).
Related: IndEco0041 — Infrastructure: Services, Connectivity and Investment · IndGeo0011 — India’s Transport and Communication Network
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Basic inexhaustible resource | 1. Hydel power |
| B. Conventional non-renewable resource | 2. Coal |
| C. Non-conventional renewable resource | 3. Solar energy |
| D. Non-conventional non-renewable resource | 4. Natural gas |
Code :
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| (b) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| (c) | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| (d) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Answer: a A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4
Solar energy is the basic inexhaustible resource, coal is a conventional non-renewable resource, hydel power is grouped here as non-conventional renewable, and natural gas as non-conventional non-renewable. View this question →
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Gypsum | 1. Odisha |
| B. Graphite | 2. Gujarat |
| C. Fluorspar | 3. Arunachal Pradesh |
| D. Nickel | 4. Rajasthan |
Code :
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| (b) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| (c) | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| (d) | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Answer: c A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1
Rajasthan leads gypsum production, Arunachal Pradesh has notable graphite deposits, Gujarat is a key fluorspar source, and Odisha’s Sukinda valley is India’s main nickel-bearing area. View this question →
Which one of the following pairs of Tribe and State is NOT correctly matched?
- (a)Tharu : Madhya Pradesh
- (b)Adi : Arunachal Pradesh
- (c)Irula : Kerala
- (d)Shaharia : Rajasthan
Answer: a Tharu : Madhya Pradesh
The Tharu tribe actually inhabits the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, not Madhya Pradesh. View this question →
If the absolute refractive indices of glass and water are 3/2 and 4/3 respectively, what will be the ratio of velocity of light in glass and water?
- (a)3 : 4
- (b)4 : 3
- (c)8 : 7
- (d)8 : 9
Answer: d 8 : 9
Since velocity is inversely proportional to refractive index, the ratio v_glass:v_water = (4/3):(3/2) = 8:9. View this question →
A positive charge +q is placed at the centre of a hollow metallic sphere of inner radius a and outer radius b. The electric field at a distance r from the centre is denoted by E. In this regard, which one of the following statements is correct?
- (a)E = 0 for a < r < b
- (b)E = 0 for r < a
- (c)E = q/4πε0r for a < r < b
- (d)E = q/4πε0a for r < a
Answer: a E = 0 for a < r < b
This is the region within the conducting shell’s own metal, since a conductor’s interior carries no electric field at electrostatic equilibrium — unlike the cavity (r < a), where the enclosed charge does produce a field. View this question →
Consider the following Indian States : 1. Bihar 2. Rajasthan 3. Jammu and Kashmir 4. Haryana
Which one of the following is the correct ascending order of the above States on the basis of percentage of State’s population to total population of India (based on census 2011)?
- (a)3 – 4 – 1 – 2
- (b)4 – 2 – 1 – 3
- (c)3 – 4 – 2 – 1
- (d)2 – 3 – 4 – 1
Answer: c 3 – 4 – 2 – 1
By Census 2011 population share, Jammu and Kashmir is smallest, followed by Haryana, then Rajasthan, with Bihar having the largest population share among these four. View this question →
Who among the following was the author of the Badshah Nama?
- (a)Abdul Hamid Lahori
- (b)Abul Fazl
- (c)Shah Jahan
- (d)Sadullah Khan
Answer: a Abdul Hamid Lahori
He was the court historian who authored the Badshah Nama chronicling Shah Jahan’s reign. View this question →
Which one of the following statements about Fatehpur Sikri is NOT correct?
- (a)It was located on the direct road to Ajmer
- (b)Akbar commissioned the building of a marble tomb for Sheikh Salim Chisti next to the Friday mosque at Fatehpur Sikri
- (c)The arched gateway or Bulund Darwaza was meant to remind visitors of the Mughal victory in Gujarat
- (d)In 1585, the capital of the Mughal emperor shifted from Fatehpur Sikri to Delhi
Answer: (d) is NOT correct
Akbar abandoned Fatehpur Sikri in 1585, but he shifted his capital to Lahore, not Delhi, to deal with threats on the northwest frontier. Statements (a), (b), and (c) are all accurate: the Buland Darwaza was built to mark the Mughal victory in Gujarat.
Related: ArtnCulture0008 — Mughal Architecture: Humayun’s Tomb and the Path to the Taj, MedHist0014 — Akbar’s Empire and MedHist0050 — Sheikh Salim Chishti
Which one of the following cities hosted the 3rd World Trauma Congress recently?
- (a)New Delhi
- (b)Dacca
- (c)Singapore
- (d)Bangkok
Answer: a New Delhi
New Delhi hosted the 3rd World Trauma Congress at Vigyan Bhawan, organised by AIIMS’s JPN Apex Trauma Centre. View this question →
Which one of the following is NOT one of the objectives of Act East Policy?
- (a)To promote economic cooperation, cultural ties and develop strategic relationship with countries in the Asia-Pacific region
- (b)To promote peace and amity with the neighbouring countries of Asia
- (c)To place emphasis on India-ASEAN cooperation in India’s domestic agenda
- (d)To provide enhanced connectivity to the North East of India
Answer: (b) To promote peace and amity with the neighbouring countries of Asia
This statement is NOT a stated objective of the Act East Policy — it belongs to India’s separate Neighbourhood First policy. The government’s own Act East Policy text instead names economic cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region, India-ASEAN cooperation in India’s domestic agenda, and enhanced connectivity to the North East as its real objectives, matching options (a), (c) and (d).
Related: IntlRel0004 — India and Global/Regional Political Groupings · IntlRel0046 — India-Japan Relations
Arrange the following countries in ascending order on the basis of the total medals earned by them in Rio Olympic 2016 : 1. United States 2. China 3. Great Britain 4. Russia
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- (a)1, 2, 3, 4
- (b)1, 3, 2, 4
- (c)4, 3, 2, 1
- (d)4, 3, 1, 2
Answer: c 4, 3, 2, 1
Russia won the fewest total medals of these four at Rio 2016, followed by Great Britain, then China, with the United States topping the medal table. View this question →
Which one of the following is NOT an objective of the National Civil Aviation Policy 2016?
- (a)Establish an integrated eco-system which will lead to significant growth of civil aviation sector
- (b)To promote tourism, increase employment and lead to a balanced regional growth
- (c)Ensure safety, security and sustainability of all sectors through the use of technology
- (d)Enhance regional connectivity through fiscal support and infrastructure development
Answer: (c) Ensure safety, security and sustainability of all sectors through the use of technology
The Ministry of Civil Aviation’s own policy document states this objective as ensuring safety, security and sustainability of the aviation sector, not “all sectors” of the economy — a one-word swap that makes option (c) the fake objective.
Related: IndEco0040 — Infrastructure: Transportation and Energy
Questions transcribed from the official NDA & NA Examination (I), 2017 question booklet (GRS-U-EDF), General Ability Test paper. Hindi text omitted. Answer key not included.
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