1. An Exclusive Economic Zone, the subject of the new national deep-sea fishery report, extends up to how far from a country’s coastline?
A. 12 nautical miles
B. 24 nautical miles
C. 100 nautical miles
D. 200 nautical miles
E. 350 nautical miles
View Answer
Explanation: Within the EEZ a coastal state has exclusive rights to explore and exploit marine resources such as fish, minerals and energy, while other countries retain freedom of navigation. This distinction between resource rights and navigation rights is what separates the EEZ from territorial waters. The report was released by the Ministry of Earth Sciences to mark the Silver Jubilee of the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology.
2. India’s Exclusive Economic Zone covers an area of approximately:
A. 1.28 million sq km
B. 1.95 million sq km
C. 2.37 million sq km
D. 3.10 million sq km
E. 4.05 million sq km
View Answer
Explanation: That area is larger than two-thirds of India’s land area, which is the comparison usually quoted in exams. Surveys behind the report were carried out across the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, Lakshadweep waters, the Andaman Sea and the Southern Ocean off Antarctica. Identified biodiversity hotspots include Kollam Bank, Angria Bank, the Mangalore Deep-Sea Slope and the Trivandrum Terrace.
3. The oceanic Twilight Zone, discussed in the report for its role in carrying carbon to the deep ocean, lies at which depth range?
A. 50 to 200 metres
B. 100 to 500 metres
C. 200 to 1,000 metres
D. 1,000 to 4,000 metres
E. Below 4,000 metres
View Answer
Explanation: Lanternfish, shrimps and squid-like animals in this layer rise at night to feed and descend during the day, and that daily migration transfers carbon from the surface towards the deep ocean, helping regulate climate. Below 200 metres the sea floor also holds large but under-utilised stocks of shrimps, fish, flatfish and eels. The study drew on underwater acoustics, environmental DNA, satellites, AI and automated observation systems.
4. The Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), which marked its Silver Jubilee, functions under which ministry?
A. Ministry of Earth Sciences
B. Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
C. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
D. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
E. Ministry of Science and Technology
View Answer
Explanation: The Fisheries Ministry handles production and livelihoods while marine scientific research of this kind sits with Earth Sciences, a division of responsibility that is frequently tested. The report covers tuna, billfish, sharks, squid and Antarctic krill among key oceanic species. Mapping breeding and habitat areas allows protection of vulnerable zones while permitting fishing where stocks can support it.
5. The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) was given statutory status under which provision?
A. Section 68 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015
B. Section 12 of the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005
C. Section 41 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000
D. Section 9 of the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956
E. Article 39 of the Constitution
View Answer
Explanation: CARA was first set up in 1990 as an autonomous body and works under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, with the 2015 Act as amended in 2021 giving it statutory footing. It is also India’s designated Central Authority for inter-country adoption under the 1993 Hague Convention, which India ratified in 2003. It is currently reviewing the Adoption Regulations, 2022 to ease procedural bottlenecks in the adoption of special needs children.
6. IDFC FIRST Bank completed its maiden USD 500 million bond issuance through its IFSC Banking Unit located at:
A. GIFT City, Gujarat
B. Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai
C. Hyderabad Financial District
D. Navi Mumbai SEZ
E. Chennai MEPZ
View Answer
Explanation: The bonds carry a three-year maturity due in 2029 with a fixed coupon of 5.625 per cent, and were rated BBB- with a Stable Outlook by S&P Global Ratings. They were issued under the Regulation S format, which restricts offering to investors outside the United States. The transaction marks the bank’s entry into the global debt capital market through India’s only operational International Financial Services Centre.
7. Former ISRO Chairman S. Somanath and Anand Mahindra have been appointed to the RBI Central Board in which capacity?
A. Deputy Governors
B. Executive Directors
C. Part-time, Non-official Directors
D. Government Nominee Directors
E. Members of the Monetary Policy Committee
View Answer
Explanation: Their tenure runs for four years from 20 August 2026. Somanath served as the tenth Chairman of ISRO from January 2022 to January 2025, the period in which India achieved the Chandrayaan-3 soft landing near the lunar south pole. Candidates should keep the categories of Central Board membership distinct, since Deputy Governors and government nominees are appointed on entirely different terms.
8. SEBI introduced the framework for Online Bond Providers Platforms (OBPPs), for which an advertisement code has now been proposed, in which month and year?
A. April 2021
B. November 2022
C. March 2023
D. September 2023
E. January 2024
View Answer
Explanation: The framework requires such platforms to register as stock brokers in the debt segment of a recognised stock exchange. India’s corporate bond market has historically been institutional, traded in large lots between banks, insurers and mutual funds, leaving small investors effectively shut out. OBPPs break bonds into small purchasable units on an app, and the proposed advertisement code is meant to widen reach while protecting investor awareness.
9. What is the outlay of the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) notified by MeitY?
A. Rs 22,919 crore
B. Rs 38,600 crore
C. Rs 62,500 crore
D. Rs 76,000 crore
E. Rs 1,02,000 crore
View Answer
Explanation: The five-year scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet on 15 July and runs through 2030-31, succeeding the PLI Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing that operated from 2020 to FY26. India is currently the second largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world, and the scheme targets deeper domestic value addition rather than assembly alone. It also offers special support, including design and R and D incentives, to Indian-owned handset brands.
10. India and the Asian Development Bank signed a loan of what value for the Chennai Climate-Resilient Water Security and Sewerage Project?
A. USD 150 million
B. USD 180 million
C. USD 230 million
D. USD 300 million
E. USD 500 million
View Answer
Explanation: The project will modernise and expand water supply and sanitation infrastructure in Chennai while strengthening climate resilience and public health outcomes. A stated aim is a more efficient and financially sustainable urban water system, which means cost recovery alongside service expansion. It aligns with wider urban initiatives including AMRUT 2.0 and the Urban Challenge Fund.
11. Wizzmoni Financial Services, which launched a multi-currency travel card with Oman Air, is authorised by the RBI as which category of dealer?
A. Authorised Dealer Category I
B. Authorised Dealer Category II
C. Authorised Dealer Category III
D. Full Fledged Money Changer Category B
E. Payment Aggregator
View Answer
Explanation: The Wizz Voyager Multi-Currency Card is a prepaid instrument supporting more than 35 currencies and is issued in association with Visa. It targets international travellers including students, professionals and tourists, with real-time tracking, digital forex services and spending controls. Authorised Dealer categories under FEMA determine the range of foreign exchange transactions an entity may undertake, which is why the category matters.
12. The Union Cabinet approved a permanent bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh at which location?
A. Jammu
B. Srinagar
C. Ladakh
D. Udhampur
E. Anantnag
View Answer
Explanation: It becomes the third judicial location of the common High Court after Jammu and Srinagar. The bench is intended to improve access to justice for residents of remote parts of Leh and Kargil, who currently travel long distances for hearings. A single High Court serving two Union Territories is an arrangement worth remembering for questions on judicial structure.
13. As per the source cited for World Senior Citizen’s Day 2026, India is projected to have more than how many senior citizens by 2050?
A. 150 million
B. 200 million
C. 250 million
D. 300 million
E. 400 million
View Answer
Explanation: The global population aged 60 and above is expected to reach 2.1 billion by 2050. World Senior Citizen’s Day is observed on 21 August and was proclaimed by US President Ronald Reagan in 1988, while the United Nations separately marks 1 October as the International Day of Older Persons. Ageing on this scale carries direct consequences for pension design, healthcare financing and household savings behaviour.
14. The Zhuque-3 Y2 reusable launch vehicle, whose first stage was soft-landed in Gansu Province, is propelled by which combination?
A. Liquid oxygen and kerosene
B. Liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen
C. Liquid oxygen and methane
D. Solid composite propellant
E. Nitrogen tetroxide and hydrazine
View Answer
Explanation: The methalox-fuelled vehicle from the Beijing-based private firm LandSpace uses a stainless-steel structural frame and recovers its booster by Vertical Takeoff, Vertical Landing. The goal is to cut launch costs by reusing the expensive first stage, enabling high-frequency deployment of large low Earth orbit satellite constellations. Comparable programmes include Falcon 9 and Starship in the United States, India’s RLV-TD, the ESA Themis programme and Japan’s CALLISTO.
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