← Group B (Gazetted)
Past Questions
Who is the Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission?
A)
Bimal Jalan
B)
C. Rangarajan
C)
D. Subarao
D)
N.K. Singh
N.K. Singh (Nand Kishore Singh) is the Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission of India, which was constituted by the President of India in November 2017 to make recommendations for the period 2021–22 to 2025–26. Among the other options: Bimal Jalan (Option a) is a former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI); C. Rangarajan (Option b) served as the Chairman of the 12th Finance Commission; and D. Subbarao (Option c) is also a former Governor of the RBI.
Which of the following is the world’s most valuable brand?
A)
Google
B)
Facebook
C)
Amazon
D)
Apple
According to major global brand valuation reports (such as Interbrand's Best Global Brands and Brand Finance Global 500), Apple consistently ranks as the world's most valuable brand, driven by its strong ecosystem, customer loyalty, and premium hardware sales. While Amazon (option c) and Google (option a) frequently compete for the top spots and have held the title in previous years, they currently rank behind Apple. Facebook (option b), now under Meta, ranks significantly lower in brand value compared to these top three tech giants.
One of the economic consequences of the British rule in India in the 19th century was the
A)
increase in the export of Indian handicrafts
B)
growth in the number of Indian owned factories
C)
commercialization of Indian agriculture
D)
rapid increase in the urban population
The commercialization of Indian agriculture was a major economic consequence of British rule in the 19th century. Agriculture began to be influenced by commercial considerations, leading to the cultivation of cash crops (like cotton, indigo, opium, jute, and tea) for the market and British industries rather than food crops for local consumption.
- Option 'a' is incorrect because British policies led to the decline and ruin of Indian handicrafts (de-industrialization) due to competition from cheap, machine-made British imports.
- Option 'b' is incorrect because the growth of Indian-owned modern industries was extremely slow and faced systematic discouragement from the colonial government.
- Option 'd' is incorrect because the destruction of traditional handicraft industries led to de-urbanization, forcing people to migrate from cities back to rural areas for agriculture.
Who among the following was the appointed National Security Adviser for his second term in June 2019?
A)
Shyam Saran
B)
Ajit Doval
C)
Arvind Kumar
D)
YV Subba Reddy
Ajit Doval was reappointed as the National Security Adviser (NSA) of India for a second five-year term in June 2019. Along with his reappointment, he was also elevated to the rank of a Union Cabinet Minister in recognition of his services.
- Option 'a' (Shyam Saran) is a former Foreign Secretary of India and served as the Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board, not the NSA.
- Option 'c' (Arvind Kumar) was appointed as the Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in June 2019.
- Option 'd' (YV Subba Reddy) is a politician who was appointed as the Chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) board in June 2019.
Who had written the book “poverty and un-British rule in India”?
A)
R.C. Dutta
B)
Dada bhai Naoroji
C)
S.C Bose
D)
R.C. Das
The book 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India' was written by Dadabhai Naoroji and published in 1901. In this landmark work, Naoroji formulated the famous 'Drain of Wealth' theory, explaining how Britain was systematically draining India's wealth and resources, which led to severe poverty in the country.
- Option 'a' (R.C. Dutta) is incorrect; he wrote 'The Economic History of India'.
- Option 'c' (S.C. Bose) is incorrect; Subhas Chandra Bose wrote 'The Indian Struggle'.
- Option 'd' (R.C. Das) is incorrect and not associated with this book.
Which company introduced a digital assistance robot named ELEKTRA to respond to consumer queries?
A)
Reliance Energy
B)
Oracle Corporation
C)
Accenture
D)
Tidel Park
Reliance Energy introduced 'ELEKTRA', an artificial intelligence-powered digital assistance robot, to respond to consumer queries in real-time. ELEKTRA helps customers with bill payments, complaints, and other service requests. Oracle Corporation, Accenture, and Tidel Park are incorrect as they did not develop or launch this specific consumer assistance robot.
Miguel Diaz-Canel is the President of which country?
A)
Greece
B)
Cuba
C)
Finland
D)
Argentina
Miguel Díaz-Canel is the President of Cuba, having assumed office in 2018 succeeding Raúl Castro. The other options are incorrect because: Greece's head of state is Katerina Sakellaropoulou; Finland's President is Alexander Stubb; and Argentina's President is Javier Milei.
Which of the following state was not the victim of “The Subsidiary Alliance System”?
A)
Mysore
B)
Satara
C)
Awadh
D)
Hyderabad
Satara was not a victim of the Subsidiary Alliance System; instead, it was the first state to be annexed by Lord Dalhousie in 1848 under the 'Doctrine of Lapse'. On the other hand, Hyderabad (1798), Mysore (1799), and Awadh (1801) all accepted the Subsidiary Alliance System introduced by Lord Wellesley.
The Parsi Reform Movement Rahnumai Mazdayasnan Sabha (Religious Reform Association) was founded in which year?
A)
1850
B)
1851
C)
1857
D)
1885
The Rahnumai Mazdayasnan Sabha (Religious Reform Association) was founded in Bombay in 1851 by a group of English-educated Parsis, including Naoroji Furdonji, Dadabhai Naoroji, S.S. Bengalee, and others, to reform Zoroastrianism and modernize Parsi social customs. Option 'a' (1850) is incorrect as the movement had not yet started. Option 'c' (1857) is famous for the Great Indian Revolt. Option 'd' (1885) is the year the Indian National Congress was founded.
Which state government has announced the “Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana”?
A)
Tamil Nadu
B)
Maharashtra
C)
Odisha
D)
Kerala
The 'Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana' (BSKY) is a flagship health assurance scheme launched by the State Government of Odisha in 2018. It aims to provide cashless healthcare coverage to over 96 lakh economically vulnerable families in the state. The scheme is named after the legendary leader and former Chief Minister of Odisha, Biju Patnaik. The other options are incorrect because Tamil Nadu operates the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS), Maharashtra runs the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY), and Kerala implements the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP).
Novak Djokovic defeat Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open Final Match 2019 by
A)
6-3, 6-2, 6-3
B)
6-2, 6-4, 6-3
C)
6-3, 6-2, 6-4
D)
6-2, 6-3, 6-3
In the 2019 Australian Open Men's Singles Final, Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 to claim his 7th Australian Open title. The other options (b, c, and d) represent incorrect scorelines that do not match the actual results of this historic final.
Who is the present Governor of Mizoram?
A)
S.C. Jamir
B)
P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
C)
Jagdish Mukhi
D)
Ganeshi Lal
P. S. Sreedharan Pillai served as the Governor of Mizoram from November 2019 to July 2021 (the current Governor is Hari Babu Kambhampati, but Pillai is the correct choice among the given options).
- Option a: S.C. Jamir is a veteran politician who has served as the Governor of Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Odisha, but not recently of Mizoram.
- Option c: Jagdish Mukhi served as the Governor of Assam and held the additional charge of Mizoram briefly in 2019 before Pillai was appointed.
- Option d: Ganeshi Lal served as the Governor of Odisha from 2018 to 2023.
After the commencement of the government of India Act-1858, what name was to British Governor-General of India?
A)
Governor-General of India.
B)
Governor of the state
C)
Viceroy of the state
D)
None of these
Under the Government of India Act 1858, the Governor-General of India was given the additional title of 'Viceroy of India' to serve as the direct representative of the British Crown. Since the correct title is 'Viceroy of India' (and not 'Viceroy of the state' as mentioned in option c, nor 'Governor of the state' as in option b), the correct choice is 'None of these' (option d).
A merger of three public sector banks took place on April 1, 2019 to be the second largest PSB in India. The three banks are____
A)
Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank, and Dena Bank
B)
Vijaya Bank, Bank of India, and Dena Bank
C)
Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, and Vijaya Bank
D)
Bank of India, Vijaya Bank, and Punjab National Bank
On April 1, 2019, the merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank into Bank of Baroda (BoB) became effective. This amalgamation created India's second-largest Public Sector Bank (PSB) at the time, behind only the State Bank of India (SBI). Options b, c, and d are incorrect because they include Bank of India or Punjab National Bank, which were not part of this specific three-way merger (Punjab National Bank later merged with Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India on April 1, 2020).
Which study is not included in the scientific goals of Chandrayaan 2 Mission by ISRO?
A)
Lunar topography
B)
Mineralogy
C)
Soft landing on the lunar surface
D)
Water ice
Soft landing on the lunar surface is a key technological and engineering objective of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, rather than a scientific study. On the other hand, lunar topography (a), mineralogy (b), and the study of water ice (d) are all core scientific goals of the mission, carried out by various scientific payloads on the orbiter, lander, and rover to map the Moon's surface and analyze its composition.
The staple commodities of export by the English East India Company from Bengal in the middle of the 18th century were:
A)
Raw cotton, oil-seeds and opium
B)
Sugar, salt, zinc and lead
C)
Copper, silver, gold, spices and tea
D)
Cotton, silk, saltpetre and opium
During the mid-18th century, Bengal was the premier trading hub for the English East India Company. The staple commodities exported from Bengal to Europe and other Asian markets were cotton (both raw and textiles), silk, saltpetre (an essential ingredient for making gunpowder, highly demanded due to ongoing European wars), and opium (which was exported to China). Other options are incorrect because metals like copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals like gold and silver were primarily imported into India rather than exported. Additionally, tea cultivation and export from India only became significant in the 19th century, and salt was a heavily taxed commodity meant for domestic consumption rather than a staple export.
Which of the following Chief Minister is wrong match with the state?
A)
Chhattisgarh – Bhupesh Baghel
B)
Goa – Pramod Sawant
C)
Gujarat – Vijay Rupani
D)
Himachal Pradesh – Manohar Lal Khattar
Option 'd' is the incorrect match and therefore the correct answer. Manohar Lal Khattar served as the Chief Minister of Haryana (from 2014 to 2024), not Himachal Pradesh. The other options represent correct historical pairings of Chief Ministers and their respective states: Bhupesh Baghel was the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Pramod Sawant is the Chief Minister of Goa, and Vijay Rupani served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
When was the Bengal province partitioned?
A)
1905
B)
1906
C)
1907
D)
1909
The Bengal province was partitioned in 1905. The decision was announced on 19 July 1905 by the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, and came into effect on 16 October 1905. It divided the province into a Muslim-majority eastern half and a Hindu-majority western half.
- **1906 (Option b):** This year is significant for the formation of the All-India Muslim League in Dacca, not the partition.
- **1907 (Option c):** This year is known for the 'Surat Split' where the Indian National Congress split into Moderates and Extremists.
- **1909 (Option d):** This year is associated with the Morley-Minto Reforms (Indian Councils Act 1909), which introduced separate electorates.
Who among the following gave the safety-valve theory for the India National Congress?
A)
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
B)
Lala Lajpat Rai
C)
Bipinchandra Pa
D)
Annie Besant
Lala Lajpat Rai propounded the 'safety-valve theory' in his book 'Young India' published in 1916. According to this theory, the Indian National Congress was founded by A.O. Hume under the direction of Viceroy Lord Dufferin to serve as a 'safety valve' to release the growing discontent among educated Indians, thereby preventing a potential rebellion against British rule. Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Option a) and Bipinchandra Pal (Option c) were extremist leaders who criticized the moderate policies of the Congress but did not originate this theory. Annie Besant (Option d) was a prominent leader of the Home Rule movement and Congress President in 1917, but she was not the proponent of the safety-valve theory.
Who was the first Governor General of the new Indian Dominion?
A)
Rajendra Prasad
B)
Vallabhbhai Patel
C)
Rajagopalachari
D)
Lord Mountbatten
Lord Mountbatten was the first Governor-General of the independent Dominion of India, serving from August 15, 1947, to June 21, 1948.
- **Option c (C. Rajagopalachari)** is incorrect because he was the first and only *Indian* Governor-General of India, succeeding Lord Mountbatten in June 1948.
- **Option a (Rajendra Prasad)** is incorrect because he was the first President of the Republic of India, taking office in 1950.
- **Option b (Vallabhbhai Patel)** is incorrect because he served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of independent India.
Which date is marked as World Suicide Prevention Day?
A)
10 September
B)
15 September
C)
19 September
D)
20 September
World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is observed annually on 10 September. Established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO), this day aims to raise awareness and focus attention on the issue of suicide prevention globally. The other dates listed (15, 19, and 20 September) do not correspond to World Suicide Prevention Day; for instance, 15 September is observed as the International Day of Democracy.
The Battle of Buxar was fought (1764) between:
A)
Nawab Siraj –Ud-Daulah and the English
B)
Haider Ali and the English
C)
Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal and the English
D)
Shujap- Ud-Daulah, Nawab of Awadh and the English
The Battle of Buxar was fought on October 22, 1764, between the British East India Company (led by Hector Munro) and a joint alliance of Indian rulers. This alliance was initiated by Mir Qasim, the deposed Nawab of Bengal, along with Shuja-ud-Daulah (the Nawab of Awadh) and Shah Alam II (the Mughal Emperor). Since Mir Qasim's conflict with the British over transit duties and trade privileges was the primary cause of the war, option 'c' is the most appropriate correct answer among the choices.
- Option 'a' is incorrect because Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah fought the British in the Battle of Plassey (1757), not Buxar.
- Option 'b' is incorrect because Haider Ali of Mysore fought the British in the Anglo-Mysore Wars.
- Option 'd' is partially correct as Shuja-ud-Daulah was an ally, but the war was primarily triggered by and fought on behalf of Mir Qasim, making 'c' the primary correct choice.
Electric vehicles in India will get number plate of which colour as approved by the Central Government?
A)
Yellow
B)
White
C)
Red
D)
Green
The Central Government of India (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways) approved the use of green-coloured number plates for all electric vehicles (EVs) to make them easily identifiable for benefits like preferential parking, free entry in certain zones, and toll concessions. Private electric vehicles feature white lettering on a green background, while commercial electric vehicles feature yellow lettering on a green background. Other options are incorrect because: Yellow plates are for commercial vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE); White plates are for private/personal ICE vehicles; and Red plates are used for temporary registrations or official vehicles of the President of India and State Governors.
Who founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1896 ?
A)
Raja Rammohan Roy
B)
Ramakrishna Paramahansa
C)
Swami Dayananda Saraswa
D)
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission on May 1, 1897 (often referred to as 1896/1897 in various exams) to propagate the teachings of his guru, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, and to carry out humanitarian and social work.
- **Ramakrishna Paramahansa (Option b)** was the spiritual master of Swami Vivekananda, in whose honor the mission was named, but he did not establish the organization himself.
- **Raja Rammohan Roy (Option a)** founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1828.
- **Swami Dayananda Saraswati (Option c)** founded the Arya Samaj in 1875.
Which of the Act made the governor of Bengal as Governor General of India?
A)
Pitt’s India Act, AD 1784
B)
The charter Act, 1813 AD
C)
Charter Act, 1793 AD
D)
The Regulating Act, AD 1773
The correct option is **d** (The Regulating Act, AD 1773).
1. **Why the correct option is correct:**
The Regulating Act of 1773 designated the Governor of Bengal as the **Governor-General of Bengal** (with Warren Hastings becoming the first Governor-General). Although the Charter Act of 1833 officially changed this title to the "Governor-General of India" (making Lord William Bentinck the first Governor-General of India), the Charter Act of 1833 is not provided in the options. Therefore, in the context of this question, the Regulating Act of 1773 is the intended correct answer as it laid the foundation for the Governor-Generalship in India.
2. **Why other options are incorrect:**
* **a (Pitt’s India Act, AD 1784):** This act established a dual system of control (Board of Control and Court of Directors) to regulate the East India Company's affairs but did not change the designation of the Governor.
* **b (The Charter Act, 1813 AD):** This act ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India (except for tea and trade with China) but did not alter the title of the Governor-General.
* **c (Charter Act, 1793 AD):** This act extended the company's trade monopoly for another 20 years and gave overriding powers to the Governor-General over his council, but did not create the title of Governor-General of India.