1. Consider the following statements:
1. The Constitution states that the Parliament by law enacts a Delimitation Act after every census
2. Delimitation Commission demarcates the boundaries of the Parliamentary Constituencies as per provisions of the Delimitation Act.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
In News: Census, followed by delimitation or freeze? The road ahead, likely legal challenges
Explanation:
- The current freeze on delimitation which for the past 50 years has based the allocation of seats to states in the Lok Sabha on the census figures of 1971 will expire in 2026, unless Parliament passes another Constitutional Amendment Bill to extend it.
- The reason: the Constitution under Article 82 mandates delimitation after each census to readjust the seats as per changes in population.
- It says, “Upon the completion of each census, the allocation of seats in the House of the People to the States and the division of each State into territorial constituencies shall be readjusted by such authority and in such manner as Parliament may by law determine.”
- Article 81 of the Constitution provides for the “one person, one vote, one value” principle.
- Article 81 (2) (a) says, “There shall be allotted to each State a number of seats in the House of the People in such manner that the ratio between that number and the population of the state is, so far as practicable, the same for all States.”
- Under Article 82 of the Constitution, the Parliament by law enacts a Delimitation Act after every census.
- After the commencement of the Act, the Central Government constitutes a Delimitation Commission.Hence option(c) is correct.
- This Delimitation Commission demarcates the boundaries of the Parliamentary Constituencies as per provisions of the Delimitation Act.
- The present delimitation of constituencies has been done on the basis of 2001 census figures under the provisions of Delimitation Act, 2002.
Source:
2. Harop drones recently seen in the news belong to which of the following countries?
(a) Turkey
(b) Iran
(c) Israel
(d) Armenia
Answer: (c) Israel
In News: Drone warfare came home during Op Sindoor. Where does India stand?
Explanation:
- Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) date back to World War II and the Korean War, where they were used for training anti-aircraft gunners and in specific offensive missions.
- Their modern military usage took off in the 1990s, after being successfully deployed in the Gulf War of 1991.
- The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of 2020 marked a turning point in drone warfare: Azerbaijan’s use of Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and Israeli Harop drones devastated Armenian defences, decisively shifting the conflict’s dynamics in favour of Baku.Hence option(c) is correct.
- Swarm drones are autonomous or semi-autonomous UAVs that operate in coordinated groups, much like swarms of birds or fish.
- They communicate via wireless networks and adjust in real time to achieve shared objectives.
- Swarms are more resilient than traditional drones due to in-built redundancy — even if one drone is intercepted, others can continue on the mission. Drone swarms are thus used to saturate air defences (a few payloads may sneak through even robust defences), gathering intelligence, and attacking high-value targets.
Source:
3.Consider the following statements:
1. Pakistan is now the Chair of the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee.
2. India is now vice Chair of the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee
3. India, during its last UNSC non-permanent membership 2021-2022, served as the Chair of three committees, the 1988 TSC, the 1970 Libya Sanctions committee, and the 1373 CTC.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (b) Only two
Explanation:
- Pakistan in early June, roughly a month after Operation Sindoor, secured key roles as an elected non-permanent member for 2025-26 in two significant subsidiary bodies of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
- It is now the Chair of the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee (TSC, established as a distinct committee in 2011), Vice Chair of the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), and a Co-Chair in two informal working groups of the UNSC.
- India, during its last UNSC non-permanent membership (2021-2022), served as the Chair of three committees — the 1988 TSC, the 1970 Libya Sanctions committee, and the 1373 CTC.Hence option(b) is correct.
- While Sanctions Committees are set up to monitor and implement a specific sanctions regime against individuals and entities (such as the 1988 Committee) or states (such as the 1970 Committee), the CTC is the product of the Security Council’s Resolution 1373. Adopted unanimously by the UNSC after the 9/11 terror attacks, the Chapter VII Resolution — these are binding on all UN member states — extensively laid down the responsibilities of states to counter terrorism.
Source:
4.With reference to Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, Consider the following statements:
Statement -I: Under this treaty, non-nuclear-weapon States parties have committed themselves not to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices
Statement -II: Five nuclear-weapon States parties is not a signatory to NPT
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement – I and Statement – II are correct and Statement – II is the correct explanation for Statement – I
(b) Both Statement – I and Statement – II are correct and Statement – II is not the correct explanation for Statement – I
(c) Statement – I is correct but Statement – II is incorrect
(d) Statement – I is incorrect but Statement – II is correct
Answer: (c)Statement – I is correct but Statement – II is incorrect
In News: Israel strikes Iran: Why war clouds are hovering over the Middle East yet again
Explanation:
- Israel’s vehement opposition to the Iran-US nuclear talks, and its belief that Iran’s vulnerabilities should be exploited with military action against its nuclear sites, is old.
- But more often than not, this belief has not translated into overt military action.
- The latest development is nonetheless alarming given it comes the day the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s) Board of Governors declared that Iran was non-compliant with its non-proliferation obligations — a first such resolution in two decades.
- The NPT was opened for signature in 1968 and entered into force on 5 March 1970. On 11 May 1995, the Treaty was extended indefinitely.
- With 191 States parties, it is the most widely adhered to treaty in the field of nuclear non-proliferation, peaceful uses of nuclear energy and nuclear disarmament.
- Under the NPT, non-nuclear-weapon States parties have committed themselves not to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices while nuclear-weapon States parties have committed not to in any way assist, encourage or induce any non-nuclear-weapon State party to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. Hence statement 1 is correct.
- Nuclear-weapon States parties under the Treaty are defined as those that manufactured and exploded a nuclear weapon or other nuclear explosive device before 1 January 1967.
- There are five nuclear-weapon States parties to the Treaty.Hence statement 2 is incorrect.
Source:
5. Consider the following statements:
1. The Global Gender Gap Report is annually released by the World Bank Group.
2. India emerged as the best performer in South Asia.
3. Economic participation, educational attainment, health and survival and political empowerment are the key indicators.
How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (a) Only One
Explanation:
News: India marks a relative decline in gender parity, ranks 131 worldwide
- Global Gender Gap Report 2025 is annually released by the World Economic Forum.
- The Global Gender Gap Index measures gender parity across four key dimensions:
– economic participation and opportunity;
– educational attainment;
– health and survival;
– political empowerment.
- Iceland leads the rankings followed by Finland, Norway, the U.K. and New Zealand.
- Bangladesh emerged as the best performer in South Asia, jumping 75 positions to rank 24 globally with notable gains in “political empowerment and economic participation”.
- India slips to 131st position in Global Gender Gap Index 2025; With a parity score of just 64.1%, India is among the lowest-ranked countries in South Asia
- Nepal ranked 125, Sri Lanka 130, Bhutan 119, Maldives 138 and Pakistan ranked at the bottom among all countries at 148.
Source:
6. Which of the following countries are members of the G-7 group?
1. United Kingdom
2. Germany
3. Italy
4. Russia
5. China
Select the correct answer using codes given below:
(a) 1,2,3,4 and 5
(b) 2,3 and 5 only
(c) 1,2 and 3 only
(d) 1,2,3 and 4
Answer: (c) 1,2 and 3 only
Explanation:
News: China Tells G7 To Stop ‘Manipulating’ China Issues For Its Own Agenda
- G-7 meet in Canada: China warned the Group of Seven advanced economies on Friday against manipulating issues related to the world’s second-largest economy for their own agenda, after they accused Beijing of unfair business practices a year earlier.
- Beijing’s criticism of the G7 and what it represents comes amid a surge in global trade tension between the United States and China this year, as well as within the bloc’s membership.
G-7 Countries:
- G-7 is a group of the most developed and advanced economies of the world. i.e. France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States, and Canada.
- Summits are held annually and hosted on a rotation basis by the group’s members.
Source:
https://ddnews.gov.in/en/china-tells-g7-to-stop-manipulating-china-issues-for-its-own-agenda/
7. Consider the following pairs:
1. Strait of Hormuz – Connects Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf
2. Bab-el-Mandeb – connects Gulf of Aden and Red Sea
3. Palk Strait – Gulf of mannar and Bay of Bengal
How many of the above pair(s) is/are incorrectly matched?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (d) None
Explanation:
News: Shadow Of War Falls Over Strait Of Hormuz After Israel Strikes Iran
- The strait lies between Oman and Iran and links the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond.
- It is 21 miles (33 km) wide at its narrowest point, with the shipping lane just two miles (three km) wide in either direction.
- About a fifth of the world’s total oil consumption passes through the strait. Between the start of 2022 and last month, roughly 17.8 million to 20.8 million barrels of crude, condensate and fuels flowed through the strait daily, according to data from Vortexa.
- OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq export most of their crude via the strait, mainly to Asia.
- The UAE and Saudi Arabia have sought to find other routes to bypass the strait.
- Around 2.6 million bpd of unused capacity from existing UAE and Saudi pipelines could be available to bypass Hormuz.
- Qatar, among the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters, sends almost all of its LNG through the strait.
- Iran has threatened over the years to block the strait but has never followed through.
- The U.S. Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, is tasked with protecting commercial shipping in the area.
- Bab el-Mandeb strait lies between Yemen and Djibouti/Eritrea and connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
- Palk Strait lies between India and Sri Lanka and connects the Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Mannar.
Source:
https://ddnews.gov.in/en/shadow-of-war-falls-over-strait-of-hormuz-after-israel-strikes-iran/
8. With reference to the CROPIC initiative, consider the following statements:
1. It uses AI-based computer vision models to assess crop damage.
2. It is implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana.
3. It aims to reduce dependence on manual surveys for crop loss estimation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only
Explanation:
News: New scheme to study crops using AI: What is CROPIC
- The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare plans to launch “Collection of Real-Time Observations & Photo of Crops (CROPIC)”, a digital initiative under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
- The CROPIC initiative employs AI-driven computer vision models to analyze geo-tagged, time-stamped photographs of crops.
- These images are assessed to determine crop type, growth stage, health, and any visible damage or stress, facilitating accurate and timely crop loss assessments.
- By utilizing AI and crowdsourced data, CROPIC aims to automate the crop loss assessment process, thereby reducing the reliance on traditional manual surveys and enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of insurance claim evaluations.
- CROPIC is implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), not PMKSY. PMKSY focuses on irrigation and water use efficiency, whereas PMFBY is the government’s flagship crop insurance scheme.
Source:
9. DIGIPIN, recently seen in the news, is best described as:
(a) A satellite-based surveillance program for Indian borders
(b) A mobile payment interface for postal services
(c) A nationwide geo-coded digital addressing system
(d) A smart card system for rural banking
Answer: (c) A nationwide geo-coded digital addressing system
Explanation:
News: India Post launches Digipin: Here’s how to check your new digital address
- The Department of Posts unveiled a new digital addressing system called Digipin. Developed in partnership with IIT Hyderabad and ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre, this geospatial innovation aims to provide precise and unique identification of geographic locations, marking a major step in modernising India’s postal infrastructure.
- Digital PIN: A geo-coded digital addressing system assigning unique 10-character alphanumeric codes to ~4m x 4m grids based on precise latitude and longitude.
- It is part of a larger national effort to enhance digital governance under the National Geospatial Policy 2022.
- It is part of a broader push under the National Geospatial Policy 2022 to enable digital-first governance, accurate last-mile delivery, and efficient emergency response systems.
- Geo-coded and grid-based: Ensures high precision using satellite-derived coordinates.
- Open-source and privacy-centric: Encodes only location, with no personal data stored.
- Nationwide coverage: Applies to urban, rural, remote, and even maritime areas.
- It aims to enable standardized addressing for delivery of services and promote “Address as a Service” (AaaS).
- Offline Capability: Works offline once codes are assigned.
Source:
10.Gandikota canyon of South India was created by which one of the following rivers? (2022)
(a) Cauvery
(b) Manjira
(c) Pennar
(d) Tungabhadra
Ans: (c)Pennar
Explanation:
- Gandikota is a Twi village in Cuddapah district of Andhra Pradesh surrounded by the Pennar River on the right, the village is popular for the spectacular valleys formed by the river running through the Erramala hills. The narrow valleys and steep rocky walls with streams running between them look very beautiful.Hence option (c) is correct.