1. What is the scientific name of makhana, the aquatic crop for which a National Board has recently been established?
A. Nelumbo nucifera
B. Euryale ferox
C. Trapa natans
D. Nymphaea alba
E. Eleocharis dulcis
View Answer
Explanation: Makhana belongs to the water lily family, Nymphaeaceae, and the edible part is the starchy seed, which is dried, graded, roasted and popped into the white puffs sold as fox nuts or gorgon nuts. It grows in shallow, stagnant freshwater wetlands, perennial ponds, oxbow lakes and flood-prone lowlands with water depth of 1 to 1.5 metres. That habitat requirement is precisely why it suits waterlogged land unusable for conventional crops.
2. Which state contributes nearly 90 per cent of India’s makhana production?
A. West Bengal
B. Assam
C. Odisha
D. Bihar
E. Manipur
View Answer
Explanation: Production is concentrated in the Mithilanchal and Kosi-Seemanchal regions, covering Darbhanga, Madhubani, Purnia, Katihar, Saharsa, Supaul, Araria and Sitamarhi. India as a whole accounts for 85 to 90 per cent of world output, effectively a global monopoly, with smaller pockets in Nepal, Bangladesh, China and Japan. West Bengal, Assam, Odisha and Manipur grow it on a much smaller scale.
3. The Centre has approved a scheme of what size to support the makhana sector alongside the setting up of the National Makhana Board?
A. Rs 235.50 crore
B. Rs 476.03 crore
C. Rs 612.80 crore
D. Rs 1,100 crore
E. Rs 1,250 crore
View Answer
Explanation: India’s makhana market is projected to reach Rs 11,000 to Rs 12,000 crore by 2029-30 on the back of rising global demand and modern cultivation methods. The Board is intended to organise a value chain that has historically been informal, covering cultivation, processing and marketing. For NABARD aspirants this is a textbook case of a niche high-value crop being formalised through a dedicated commodity board.
4. Mithila Makhana received the Geographical Indication tag in which year?
A. 2016
B. 2018
C. 2020
D. 2022
E. 2024
View Answer
Explanation: The tag was registered by the Mithilanchal Makhana Utpadak Sangh, Purnia. A GI tag links a product to a defined geography and is usually held by a producer body rather than an individual firm, which is the detail examiners test. Along with the National Makhana Board, the GI is part of the effort to capture more value within Bihar rather than losing it to traders outside the state.
5. The indigenous NIKA2 Kisan Medium Drone launched by Hyderabad-based AkinAnalytics has a spraying payload of:
A. 10 litres
B. 12 litres
C. 16 litres
D. 20 litres
E. 25 litres
View Answer
Explanation: The drone also carries a 12-litre spreading payload, which appears here as a distractor, and offers terrain following, fail-safe systems and night-operation capability. Beyond agriculture it is pitched for aquaculture, plantations, mining, energy, infrastructure and defence use. The launch aligns with Make in India and the broader push towards technology-driven farming.
6. The National Commission for Women, which organised the Yashoda AI programme at Jalandhar, derives its statutory basis from which legislation?
A. National Commission for Women Act, 1990
B. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005
C. National Commission for Women Act, 1992
D. Women’s Empowerment Act, 2001
E. Article 338B of the Constitution
View Answer
Explanation: The Act dates from 1990 while the Commission itself was established in 1992, and this split between the two years is the most common source of error. It is a statutory body, not a constitutional one, is headquartered in New Delhi and is currently chaired by Vijaya Rahatkar. The Yashoda AI programme focuses on AI literacy, digital empowerment, cyber safety and participation of women in emerging technologies.
7. The RBI has approved LIC to raise its stake in HDFC Bank up to what level of paid-up share capital or voting rights?
A. 4.11 per cent
B. 5.00 per cent
C. 7.50 per cent
D. 9.99 per cent
E. 14.99 per cent
View Answer
Explanation: LIC currently holds roughly 4.11 per cent, and the approval is an enabling permission rather than an instruction to buy. Any further acquisition must still comply with RBI norms as well as SEBI regulations, FEMA and the Banking Regulation Act. Approvals of this kind matter because ownership and voting-rights caps in private banks are a regularly examined area.
8. Paul Merchants Finance became the first NBFC in India to set up exclusive silver loan branches, following which RBI framework?
A. Gold Monetisation Directions, 2015
B. Lending Against Gold and Silver Collateral Directions, 2025
C. Scale Based Regulation Framework for NBFCs, 2021
D. Fair Practices Code for NBFCs, 2012
E. Master Directions on Secured Lending, 2023
View Answer
Explanation: The company began with silver loan services in Chandigarh, offering loans from Rs 2,000 to Rs 15 lakh against eligible silver jewellery, ornaments and approved silver coins. Extending the collateral framework beyond gold brings silver-backed lending, long a feature of informal credit, into the regulated system. That formalisation angle is what makes it relevant to financial inclusion questions.
9. The Competition Commission of India approved Prudential Corporation Holdings’ acquisition of what stake in Bharti Life Insurance?
A. 22 per cent
B. 26 per cent
C. 49 per cent
D. 51 per cent
E. 75 per cent
View Answer
Explanation: The transaction is valued at around Rs 3,500 crore. Prudential also holds 22 per cent in its life insurance joint venture with ICICI Bank and will have to reduce that holding to satisfy regulatory requirements, which is why 22 per cent appears as a distractor. In the same round CCI cleared Tata Steel’s purchase of an additional 23 per cent in TM International Logistics.
10. The Zonal Councils, one of which met for its 31st Southern Zonal Council session at Mahabalipuram, were created under which law?
A. Government of India Act, 1935
B. States Reorganisation Act, 1956
C. Inter-State Council Order, 1990
D. North-Eastern Council Act, 1971
E. Administrative Reforms Act, 1962
View Answer
Explanation: Part III of the 1956 Act created five Councils, Northern, Central, Eastern, Western and Southern, making them statutory rather than constitutional bodies. The North-Eastern Council is separate, set up under the North-Eastern Council Act, 1971, and is therefore not one of the five. The Union Home Minister chairs all five, with a member state Chief Minister as Vice-Chairman by annual rotation and a NITI Aayog nominee among the advisers.
11. Ayushman Bharat – PM Jan Arogya Yojana, recently rolled out in West Bengal, is implemented by which body?
A. National Health Authority
B. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
C. National Health Systems Resource Centre
D. Central Government Health Scheme Directorate
E. Employees’ State Insurance Corporation
View Answer
Explanation: The NHA works under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the scheme was launched on 23 September 2018 following the recommendation of the National Health Policy 2017. It provides Rs 5 lakh annual cover per family for secondary and tertiary care, with no cap on family size, gender or age, and universal cover for those aged 70 and above. Ayushman Bharat rests on four pillars: AB-PMJAY, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and PM-ABHIM.
12. India’s core sector growth in July 2026 slowed to what level, from 6 per cent in June 2026?
A. 4.8 per cent
B. 5.1 per cent
C. 5.4 per cent
D. 5.9 per cent
E. 6.2 per cent
View Answer
Explanation: The slowdown came mainly from weaker fertilizer, iron ore and steel output, while natural gas and crude oil continued to contract. Fertilizer production fell 8 per cent, iron ore growth eased to 29.5 per cent and steel to 2.9 per cent, even as coal grew 7.6 per cent, an eleven-month high. The Index of Core Industries covers eight sectors: coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement and electricity.
13. India Ratings and Research raised India’s FY27 GDP growth forecast to what level?
A. 6.5 per cent
B. 6.7 per cent
C. 6.8 per cent
D. 7.0 per cent
E. 7.2 per cent
View Answer
Explanation: The revision from 6.7 per cent was driven mainly by expectations of lower crude oil prices. Ind-Ra also projected nominal GDP growth of 10.4 per cent, CPI inflation of 4.9 per cent and WPI inflation of 8.5 per cent for the year. It flagged geopolitical tensions, high inflation, rupee depreciation and weaker government capital expenditure as the principal risks.
14. The DGFT amended the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 to allow exporters to receive payments in Indian rupees while retaining export benefits. This applies to contracts with countries outside which arrangement?
A. Asian Clearing Union
B. World Trade Organization
C. Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement
D. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
E. Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
View Answer
Explanation: For non-ACU countries, contracts and invoices may now be drawn in rupees or in foreign currency, and rupee payments received through approved banking channels will qualify for Foreign Trade Policy benefits. Exports to Nepal and Bhutan are excepted under the specified provision. Earlier, exporters realising payment in rupees often struggled to claim FTP benefits, and the change is meant to widen international use of the rupee.
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