1. India launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) at COP17 of the UNCCD. Where was COP17 held?
A. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
B. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
C. Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
D. Nairobi, Kenya
E. New Delhi, India
View Answer
Explanation: COP17 of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification was held at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. India hosted COP14 in New Delhi in 2019, where the Delhi Declaration was adopted. Open Natural Ecosystems are naturally treeless or sparsely treed landscapes such as grasslands, savannas, scrublands, ravines and deserts, long misclassified as wasteland because they lack trees.
2. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was adopted at Paris on which date?
A. 5 June 1992
B. 17 June 1994
C. 11 December 1997
D. 22 May 1992
E. 12 December 2015
View Answer
Explanation: The UNCCD was formally recommended by Agenda 21 at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, adopted at Paris on 17 June 1994 and entered into force in December 1996. It has 197 Parties, that is 196 countries plus the European Union. 17 June is observed as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. It is one of the three Rio Conventions along with the UNFCCC and the CBD.
3. India has committed to restoring how much degraded land by 2030 under its UNCCD commitments?
A. 10 million hectares
B. 18 million hectares
C. 26 million hectares
D. 32 million hectares
E. 45 million hectares
View Answer
Explanation: India has committed to restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, in line with the Land Degradation Neutrality target under SDG 15.3. Roughly 30 per cent of India’s land area is affected by degradation, according to the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas prepared by SAC-ISRO.
4. A Centre of Excellence for Eri Silk Weaving, also known as Ryndia, was inaugurated in Ri-Bhoi district of which state?
A. Assam
B. Manipur
C. Nagaland
D. Meghalaya
E. Tripura
View Answer
Explanation: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Eri Silk Weaving in Ri-Bhoi district. Eri Silk, locally called Ryndia, is an indigenous silk variety of Meghalaya and is known as Ahimsa Silk because the moth is not killed in the process. Meghalaya’s handloom sector supports more than 50,000 households, with women forming over 70 per cent of the workforce.
5. The Jal Jeevan Mission, which completed seven years on 15 August 2026, aims to supply how much water per person per day through a Functional Household Tap Connection?
A. 40 litres
B. 45 litres
C. 55 litres
D. 70 litres
E. 100 litres
View Answer
Explanation: The Jal Jeevan Mission provides a Functional Household Tap Connection at the norm of 55 litres per person per day. Launched on 15 August 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is implemented by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Rural tap-water coverage has crossed 15.91 crore households and more than 2 lakh villages are certified Har Ghar Jal.
6. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, what is the Centre-State funding ratio for Himalayan and North-Eastern states?
A. 50:50
B. 60:40
C. 75:25
D. 90:10
E. 100:0
View Answer
Explanation: Remember the three ratios: 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern states, 100 per cent central funding for Union Territories, and 50:50 for all other states. Note that JJM is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, not a Central Sector Scheme, which is why costs are shared with the states at all.
7. The deadline of the Jal Jeevan Mission was extended by the Union Cabinet from 2024 to which year?
A. December 2026
B. December 2027
C. December 2028
D. December 2029
E. December 2030
View Answer
Explanation: The original deadline of 2024 was extended by the Union Cabinet to December 2028. A village is certified Har Ghar Jal only after the Gram Sabha passes a resolution confirming that every household has a functional tap connection with adequate quantity and prescribed quality of water, which makes it a community declaration rather than an administrative count.
8. NABARD launched the RSVC-AMRIT platform for rural innovation. What does AMRIT stand for in this context?
A. Agricultural Mission for Rural Infrastructure and Technology
B. Accelerated Medium for Rural Innovations and Technologies
C. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Innovation in Technology
D. Advanced Model for Rural Industrial Transformation
E. Agri Market Research and Innovation Trust
View Answer
Explanation: RSVC-AMRIT was launched on 15 August 2026 by Principal Scientific Adviser Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood. Developed by NABARD with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, it is the digital backbone of the RuTAGe Smart Village Centre ecosystem, handling technology discovery, field validation, deployment tracking, performance monitoring and knowledge management. RuTAG, the Rural Technology Action Group, works through IIT-based cells that adapt scientific solutions to rural needs.
9. NABARD, India’s apex development financial institution for agriculture and rural development, was established in which year?
A. 1969
B. 1975
C. 1982
D. 1990
E. 1993
View Answer
Explanation: NABARD was established in 1982 and is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Its Chairman is Dr. Shaji Krishnan V. Note the contrast with SIDBI, set up in 1990, and NHB, set up in 1988, which are commonly confused in NABARD Phase 1 General Awareness.
10. West Bengal formally launched Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY on 16 August 2026. What is the annual health cover provided per family under the scheme?
A. Rs 1 lakh
B. Rs 2 lakh
C. Rs 3 lakh
D. Rs 5 lakh
E. Rs 10 lakh
View Answer
Explanation: AB-PMJAY provides health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year. Around 2,000 government and private hospitals in West Bengal will be empanelled, and all citizens above 70 years are covered, including roughly 35 lakh elderly beneficiaries. The state also launched the Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana for families not covered under AB-PMJAY.
11. According to NITI Aayog’s 3rd Services Thematic report, professional services contribute approximately what share of India’s total services exports?
A. 10 per cent
B. 15 per cent
C. 25 per cent
D. 40 per cent
E. 55 per cent
View Answer
Explanation: The report, titled India’s Services Sector: Insights on Regulatory Regime in Professional Services, notes that professional services account for nearly 25 per cent of India’s total services exports. It recommends a four-pronged strategy: harness emerging trends, strengthen professional services in the wider value chain, adopt global best practices and promote continuous professional development. Key regulatory barriers identified include nationality and residency requirements, licensing rules, qualification requirements and recognition of foreign qualifications.
12. In draft guidelines issued on 6 August 2026, the RBI proposed restricting NBFCs to offering only which type of credit product?
A. Revolving credit only
B. Term loans only
C. Overdraft facilities only
D. Cash credit only
E. Credit cards only
View Answer
Explanation: The RBI draft would effectively bar NBFCs from offering revolving credit facilities. In revolving credit, such as cash credit, overdraft, working capital limits and credit cards, a sanctioned limit can be drawn, repaid and drawn again. In a term loan, a fixed amount is disbursed once and repaid on a set schedule. The Finance Industry Development Council, the self-regulatory organisation for NBFCs, has flagged that the move could create regulatory arbitrage in favour of banks.
13. The RBI imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 59.20 lakh on which bank for non-compliance with directions on Interest Rate on Deposits and Securitisation of Standard Assets?
A. RBL Bank
B. Bandhan Bank
C. IndusInd Bank
D. Yes Bank
E. IDFC First Bank
View Answer
Explanation: The bank was found to have paid interest on certain current account deposits in violation of RBI directions and to have undertaken synthetic securitisation of standard assets against RBI guidelines. The violations were identified during the RBI’s inspection based on the bank’s financial position as of 31 March 2025.
14. MeitY approved projects collectively worth how much for incentives under the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS)?
A. Rs 3,240 crore
B. Rs 5,600 crore
C. Rs 7,877 crore
D. Rs 10,900 crore
E. Rs 14,500 crore
View Answer
Explanation: ECMS targets domestic manufacturing of electronic components, the parts that go inside finished devices, which India has largely imported even while assembling phones and laptops domestically. Approved projects receive turnover-linked or capex-linked incentives on achieving milestones. Several components will be made in India for the first time, including electrolyte additives, hermetic terminals used in defence-grade sealed assemblies, metalised films for capacitors, and coils.
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