1. The Action Plan for strengthening Krishi Vigyan Kendras was reviewed in a meeting chaired by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. Where was India’s first Krishi Vigyan Kendra established, and in which year?
A. Coimbatore, 1972
B. Puducherry, 1974
C. Pusa, 1976
D. Hyderabad, 1971
E. Ludhiana, 1978
View Answer
Explanation: KVKs are district-level farm science centres funded by ICAR and hosted by State Agricultural Universities, ICAR institutes, NGOs and state departments. The first one at Puducherry in 1974 established the model of taking laboratory research directly to the farmer’s field. The current review focuses on greater State participation, following recommendations of the 5th Chief Secretaries’ Conference 2025.
2. Krishi Vigyan Kendras are coordinated at the regional level through which institutional mechanism?
A. ATMA — Agricultural Technology Management Agency
B. ATARI — Agricultural Technology Application Research Institutes
C. NAARM — National Academy of Agricultural Research Management
D. SAMETI — State Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institutes
E. NIAM — National Institute of Agricultural Marketing
View Answer
Explanation: ATARIs sit between ICAR at the national level and the individual KVKs at the district level, supervising and monitoring KVK activities within their zone. The KVK mandate covers on-farm testing, frontline demonstrations, capacity building of farmers and extension personnel, and functioning as knowledge and resource centres for the district.
3. Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS), being promoted under PMMSY, can recycle approximately what proportion of the water used?
A. 40–50 per cent
B. 55–65 per cent
C. 70–80 per cent
D. 90–95 per cent
E. 99 per cent and above
View Answer
Explanation: In RAS, fish are raised in a controlled environment where water is continuously filtered, treated and reused, cutting freshwater dependence dramatically. This makes intensive fish farming viable in water-scarce and landlocked regions. RAS is being supported under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana as part of the Blue Economy push.
4. Which statement correctly describes India’s standing in global fisheries as noted in the PIB feature on next-generation aquaculture?
A. Largest fish producer and largest aquaculture producer
B. Second-largest fish producer with about 8 per cent of global fish production, and the largest producer and exporter of shrimp
C. Third-largest fish producer and second-largest exporter of shrimp
D. Second-largest fish producer with about 20 per cent of global output, and largest in capture fisheries
E. Largest in capture fisheries and second-largest exporter of shrimp
View Answer
Explanation: India is second-largest in fish production, aquaculture and capture fisheries, but ranks first in shrimp, which dominates its seafood export basket. The sector supports the livelihoods of nearly three crore fishers and fish farmers, making technology upgrades in aquaculture a rural-livelihood question as much as an export one.
5. What essentially distinguishes Biofloc technology from a Recirculatory Aquaculture System?
A. Biofloc relies on beneficial microorganisms to manage waste and water quality, whereas RAS relies mainly on mechanical and biological filtration with recirculation
B. Biofloc is used only in marine waters, while RAS is used only in freshwater
C. Biofloc requires complete daily water exchange, while RAS requires none
D. Biofloc is applicable only to ornamental fish, while RAS is for food fish
E. Biofloc uses chemical disinfectants, while RAS uses antibiotics
View Answer
Explanation: In Biofloc, microbes convert fish waste and excess nutrients into microbial biomass, which doubles as a supplementary feed source for the fish. This cuts both feed cost and water exchange. RAS achieves similar water savings but through engineered filtration rather than a managed microbial community.
6. Osbeckia ulotricha, recently discovered by the Botanical Survey of India, belongs to which family and was found in which biosphere reserve?
A. Orchidaceae; Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
B. Melastomataceae; Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve
C. Asteraceae; Nokrek Biosphere Reserve
D. Melastomataceae; Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve
E. Fabaceae; Simlipal Biosphere Reserve
View Answer
Explanation: The species occurs in shola grasslands and montane ecosystems spanning Kerala and Tamil Nadu at roughly 1,200–1,500 metres elevation. Shola-grassland mosaics are among the most restricted and threatened habitats of the Western Ghats, and such discoveries strengthen the conservation case for this global biodiversity hotspot.
7. According to the IMF’s latest report on Strong, Sustainable, Balanced and Inclusive Growth (SSBIG), medium-term G20 growth is estimated at about:
A. 2 per cent
B. 3 per cent
C. 4.5 per cent
D. 5.2 per cent
E. 6 per cent
View Answer
Explanation: This is close to the weakest level since the SSBIG framework began in 2009. The IMF attributes much of the weakness to regulatory drag: about half of G20 advanced economies and nearly three-fourths of emerging-market members face restrictive labour, product or consumer-market regulation that deters private investment.
8. The Platform for Aggregating Clean Transport (PACT) was launched at the 5th e-FAST India Summit 2026. Which body’s Member launched it, and what is its core function?
A. NITI Aayog; aggregating freight demand to create deployment opportunities for zero-emission trucks
B. Ministry of Road Transport; issuing permits for electric buses
C. NITI Aayog; financing charging stations for two-wheelers
D. Ministry of Heavy Industries; subsidising battery manufacturing
E. Bureau of Energy Efficiency; certifying fuel-efficiency standards for trucks
View Answer
Explanation: PACT was launched by NITI Aayog Member Rajiv Gauba. Demand aggregation matters because individual shippers rarely have volumes large enough to justify electric-truck fleets or corridor charging infrastructure. The summit also introduced a ZET Marketplace linking vehicle manufacturers, financiers, charging operators and freight stakeholders.
9. The FATF report on underground banking found that new technologies are used in hawala-type networks in what proportion of surveyed jurisdictions, giving rise to the term “digital hawala”?
A. About 25 per cent
B. About 40 per cent
C. About 55 per cent
D. Nearly 70 per cent
E. Nearly 90 per cent
View Answer
Explanation: FATF, the global standard-setter on anti-money-laundering and counter-terror financing, warns that the marriage of virtual assets with traditional hawala settlement makes value transfer faster and harder to trace. Its recommendations centre on stronger investigation, supervision and international cooperation against professional money-laundering networks.
10. The RBI approved LIC acquiring up to what percentage of the paid-up share capital or voting rights of ICICI Bank, and by when must the stake be acquired?
A. 4.99 per cent; within six months of September 4, 2026
B. 9.99 per cent; within one year from September 4, 2026
C. 9.99 per cent; within two years from September 4, 2026
D. 14.99 per cent; within one year from September 4, 2026
E. 5.00 per cent; within one year from September 4, 2026
View Answer
Explanation: LIC already held around 4.35 per cent of ICICI Bank as of Q1 FY27, so the approval creates headroom to roughly double the holding. RBI approval is required because acquiring 5 per cent or more in a private bank crosses the major-shareholding threshold, and such approvals carry a time limit after which they lapse.
11. In the ‘POWER’ framework proposed for Greater BRICS ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, the pillar ‘O — Openness’ primarily concerns:
A. Sovereign equality and non-interference
B. Protecting WTO rules and MFN treatment while resisting protectionist tariff barriers
C. Local-currency settlement and cross-border payment interoperability
D. Cooperation in digital public infrastructure and smart manufacturing
E. Reform of Bretton Woods institutions and the UN Security Council
View Answer
Explanation: The five pillars are Principle, Openness, Win-Win, Engine and Responsibility. The framework is pitched to span India’s 2026 chairship and China’s 2027 presidency. Greater BRICS now covers nearly half the world’s population, about 30 per cent of global GDP and a fifth of global trade turnover.
12. India’s Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), now recognised by the UK for CBAM pricing relief, is administered by which body and under which law?
A. Central Electricity Regulatory Commission; Electricity Act, 2003
B. Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the Ministry of Power; Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022
C. Central Pollution Control Board; Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
D. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Climate Change Act, 2023
E. SEBI; Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956
View Answer
Explanation: The CCTS was notified in 2023 and succeeds the earlier PAT scheme, with a compliance mechanism for energy-intensive obligated entities and an offset mechanism for voluntary projects. Credits trade on power exchanges, with the Grid Controller of India as registry and CERC as regulator. UK recognition means carbon already priced at home is deducted from CBAM liability, sparing exporters double payment.
13. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring which date as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage?
A. 11 October
B. 25 November
C. 27 November
D. 10 December
E. 8 March
View Answer
Explanation: India was among the 70 co-sponsors and the resolution was adopted without a vote, signalling broad consensus. The first observance falls on 27 November 2026. Member states are urged to frame multisectoral national strategies, action plans, laws and policies — a framing relevant to rural development and social-sector questions.
14. WhatsApp’s newly launched native Bill Payments facility in India operates through which network, and covers how many billers?
A. NPCI’s NETC network; 12,500 billers across 18 categories
B. Bharat Connect; 22,722 billers across 30 categories
C. Bharat Connect; 8,400 billers across 12 categories
D. Bharat BillPay Cross-Border; 22,722 billers across 12 categories
E. RuPay Connect; 30,000 billers across 22 categories
View Answer
Explanation: Users can settle electricity, gas, water, FASTag, insurance, credit-card and loan bills using UPI, debit cards or credit cards. Bharat Connect is the rebranded Bharat Bill Payment System operated under NPCI, and embedding it in a widely used messaging app pushes recurring bill payments deeper into semi-urban and rural user bases.
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