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1921. Who translated Banu Mushtaq's 'Heart Lamp' into English, becoming the first Indian translator to win the International Booker Prize (2025)?
- A. Deepa Bhasthi
- B. Arunava Sinha
- C. Jenny Erpenbeck
- D. Daisy Rockwell
Answer: Deepa Bhasthi
Explanation: Deepa Bhasthi translated 'Heart Lamp'. Daisy Rockwell translated Geetanjali Shree's 'Tomb of Sand' (2022 winner).
1922. 'Heart Lamp', which won the International Booker Prize 2025, is a translation of short stories originally written in which Indian language?
- A. Malayalam
- B. Hindi
- C. Tamil
- D. Kannada
Answer: Kannada
Explanation: 'Heart Lamp' by Banu Mushtaq, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi, won the 2025 International Booker - the first Kannada work and first short-story collection to win.
1923. László Krasznahorkai, the 2025 Nobel laureate in Literature, is a novelist from:
- A. Hungary
- B. Poland
- C. Czech Republic
- D. Romania
Answer: Hungary
Explanation: Krasznahorkai is Hungarian, known for works such as 'Satantango' and 'The Melancholy of Resistance'.
1924. Match the Nobel Literature laureate with the year: Jon Fosse, Han Kang, László Krasznahorkai. Which sequence (2023, 2024, 2025) is correct?
- A. Han Kang, Jon Fosse, László Krasznahorkai
- B. Jon Fosse, László Krasznahorkai, Han Kang
- C. László Krasznahorkai, Han Kang, Jon Fosse
- D. Jon Fosse, Han Kang, László Krasznahorkai
Answer: Jon Fosse, Han Kang, László Krasznahorkai
Explanation: Jon Fosse (Norway) 2023, Han Kang (South Korea) 2024, László Krasznahorkai (Hungary) 2025.
1925. Han Kang, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2024, is the first writer from which country to receive it?
- A. China
- B. Vietnam
- C. South Korea
- D. Japan
Answer: South Korea
Explanation: Han Kang (author of 'The Vegetarian') is the first South Korean and first Asian woman to win the Literature Nobel.
1926. The Nobel Peace Prize 2025 was awarded to María Corina Machado for her struggle for a democratic transition in which country?
- A. Cuba
- B. Bolivia
- C. Nicaragua
- D. Venezuela
Answer: Venezuela
Explanation: María Corina Machado is a Venezuelan opposition leader; the Norwegian Nobel Committee honoured her work for democratic rights in Venezuela.
1927. The 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, honoured while imprisoned, campaigns against the oppression of women in which country?
- A. Afghanistan
- B. Saudi Arabia
- C. Iran
- D. Belarus
Answer: Iran
Explanation: Narges Mohammadi is an Iranian human-rights activist; the prize recognised her fight against oppression of women in Iran.
1928. The Nobel Peace Prize 2024 was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo. What is this organisation?
- A. A Japanese NGO working for Rohingya refugees
- B. A UN agency for nuclear disarmament verification
- C. A Japanese grassroots movement of atomic-bomb survivors (Hibakusha) of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- D. A Japanese press-freedom organisation
Answer: A Japanese grassroots movement of atomic-bomb survivors (Hibakusha) of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Explanation: Nihon Hidankyo is the confederation of A-bomb survivors (Hibakusha), honoured for efforts toward a world free of nuclear weapons.
1929. Claudia Goldin, the 2023 Economics Nobel laureate, holds which distinction?
- A. Youngest person to win the Economics prize
- B. First economist to win it twice
- C. First woman ever to win the Economics prize
- D. Third woman to win the Economics prize, and the first to win it solo
Answer: Third woman to win the Economics prize, and the first to win it solo
Explanation: Goldin was the third woman (after Elinor Ostrom 2009 and Esther Duflo 2019) and the first woman to receive it unshared.
1930. Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson won the Economics Nobel 2024 for studies on:
- A. Banks and financial crises
- B. Women's labour market outcomes
- C. Auction theory and new auction formats
- D. How institutions are formed and affect prosperity
Answer: How institutions are formed and affect prosperity
Explanation: The 2024 prize was for how institutions are formed and affect prosperity. Women's labour outcomes = Claudia Goldin (2023); banks/crises = 2022; auctions = 2020.
1931. The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences 2025 was awarded 'for having explained innovation-driven economic growth'. One half went to Joel Mokyr; the other half was shared by:
- A. Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson
- B. Ben Bernanke and Douglas Diamond
- C. Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt
- D. Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo
Answer: Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt
Explanation: Economics 2025: Joel Mokyr (half), Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt (shared half) for 'creative destruction' growth theory. Acemoglu-Johnson-Robinson won in 2024.
1932. Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, Nobel laureates in Medicine 2023, are credited with discoveries that enabled the development of effective vaccines against:
- A. COVID-19 (mRNA vaccines)
- B. Dengue
- C. Tuberculosis (BCG)
- D. Malaria (RTS,S)
Answer: COVID-19 (mRNA vaccines)
Explanation: Their nucleoside base modification work made mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 possible, earning the 2023 Medicine Nobel.
1933. Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024 for the discovery of:
- A. Receptors for temperature and touch
- B. microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation
- C. Nucleoside base modifications enabling mRNA vaccines
- D. The hepatitis C virus
Answer: microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation
Explanation: Medicine 2024: microRNA. mRNA-vaccine base modifications won in 2023 (Karikó, Weissman); temperature/touch receptors in 2021; hepatitis C virus in 2020.
1934. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025 recognised discoveries concerning 'peripheral immune tolerance'. Which Japanese scientist, known for identifying regulatory T cells, was one of the laureates?
- A. Yoshinori Ohsumi
- B. Shimon Sakaguchi
- C. Tasuku Honjo
- D. Shinya Yamanaka
Answer: Shimon Sakaguchi
Explanation: Medicine 2025 went to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi. Yamanaka (2012), Ohsumi (2016) and Honjo (2018) are earlier Japanese laureates.
1935. Half of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 went to David Baker for computational protein design. The other half was shared by two scientists of Google DeepMind for protein structure prediction (AlphaFold). They are:
- A. Demis Hassabis and John Jumper
- B. Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun
- C. Andrew Barto and Richard Sutton
- D. Sam Altman and Ilya Sutskever
Answer: Demis Hassabis and John Jumper
Explanation: Demis Hassabis and John Jumper shared half of Chemistry 2024 for AlphaFold. Barto and Sutton received the 2024 Turing Award for reinforcement learning.
1936. For which discovery was the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 awarded to Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov?
- A. Computational protein design
- B. Discovery and synthesis of quantum dots
- C. Click chemistry and bio-orthogonal chemistry
- D. Development of lithium-ion batteries
Answer: Discovery and synthesis of quantum dots
Explanation: Chemistry 2023 honoured the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots. Click chemistry was 2022, protein design 2024 and lithium-ion batteries 2019.
1937. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 was awarded for the development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Which of the following was NOT among its laureates?
- A. Susumu Kitagawa
- B. Moungi Bawendi
- C. Richard Robson
- D. Omar M. Yaghi
Answer: Moungi Bawendi
Explanation: Chemistry 2025 went to Kitagawa, Robson and Yaghi for MOFs. Moungi Bawendi shared Chemistry 2023 for quantum dots with Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov.
1938. The Nobel Prize in Physics 2024, awarded for foundational discoveries enabling machine learning with artificial neural networks, was shared by:
- A. Demis Hassabis and John Jumper
- B. Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson
- C. John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton
- D. Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun
Answer: John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton
Explanation: John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton won Physics 2024. Hassabis and Jumper shared Chemistry 2024 (with David Baker); Ambros and Ruvkun won Medicine 2024.
1939. The Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 was awarded for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit. Which trio received it?
- A. Alain Aspect, John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger
- B. John Hopfield, Geoffrey Hinton and Demis Hassabis
- C. John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis
- D. Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L'Huillier
Answer: John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis
Explanation: Physics 2025 went to John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John Martinis. Agostini-Krausz-L'Huillier won in 2023 (attosecond pulses) and Aspect-Clauser-Zeilinger in 2022.
1940. The 'Chhau' dance, inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, is NOT associated with which of the following states?
- A. West Bengal
- B. Odisha
- C. Jharkhand
- D. Kerala
Answer: Kerala
Explanation: Chhau has three styles: Seraikella (Jharkhand), Purulia (West Bengal) and Mayurbhanj (Odisha); it is not a Kerala tradition.
1941. Gol Gumbaz, famous for its huge dome and whispering gallery, is located in:
- A. Bijapur (Vijayapura)
- B. Gulbarga
- C. Golconda
- D. Bidar
Answer: Bijapur (Vijayapura)
Explanation: Gol Gumbaz, the mausoleum of Adil Shahi ruler Muhammad Adil Shah, is in Vijayapura, Karnataka and has one of the largest domes in the world.
1942. The Charminar in Hyderabad was built in 1591 by:
- A. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah
- B. Asaf Jah I
- C. Mahmud Gawan
- D. Aurangzeb
Answer: Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah
Explanation: Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah of the Golconda dynasty built the Charminar after founding Hyderabad, reportedly to commemorate the end of a plague.
1943. The Carnatic music 'Trinity' consists of Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and:
- A. Swati Thirunal
- B. Purandara Dasa
- C. Annamacharya
- D. Syama Sastri
Answer: Syama Sastri
Explanation: Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri, all born in Tiruvarur, are the Trinity of Carnatic music; Purandara Dasa is called the Pitamaha of Carnatic music.
1944. Lindeman's 10 per cent law in ecology states that, from one trophic level to the next, about how much energy is transferred?
- A. 50 per cent
- B. 10 per cent
- C. 1 per cent
- D. 90 per cent
Answer: 10 per cent
Explanation: Only about 10 per cent of energy passes to the next trophic level; the rest is lost mainly as heat in respiration.
1945. At COP26 in Glasgow, India announced its target of achieving net-zero emissions by:
- A. 2030
- B. 2060
- C. 2070
- D. 2050
Answer: 2070
Explanation: PM Modi announced the 'Panchamrit' commitments including net zero by 2070 and 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030.
1946. The International Solar Alliance, launched at COP21 by India and France, has its headquarters at:
- A. Paris, France
- B. Abu Dhabi, UAE
- C. Geneva, Switzerland
- D. Gurugram, India
Answer: Gurugram, India
Explanation: The ISA was launched on 30 November 2015 in Paris and is headquartered at the National Institute of Solar Energy campus, Gurugram.
1947. The Great Indian Bustard, a critically endangered bird, has its principal surviving population in:
- A. Rajasthan
- B. Kerala
- C. Assam
- D. West Bengal
Answer: Rajasthan
Explanation: The Great Indian Bustard's last major population is in the Thar region of Rajasthan (Desert National Park, Jaisalmer), and it is Rajasthan's state bird.
1948. The National Green Tribunal (NGT), a specialised body for environmental disputes, was established in:
- A. 2010
- B. 2002
- C. 2016
- D. 1986
Answer: 2010
Explanation: The NGT was established under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, with its principal bench at New Delhi.
1949. The Wildlife (Protection) Act was enacted in India in which year?
- A. 1972
- B. 2002
- C. 1986
- D. 1980
Answer: 1972
Explanation: The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 provides schedules of protected species; the Forest (Conservation) Act is of 1980 and the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986.
1950. Chandrayaan-3's lander module 'Vikram' soft-landed near the lunar south polar region on:
- A. 14 July 2023
- B. 23 August 2023
- C. 7 September 2019
- D. 15 February 2024
Answer: 23 August 2023
Explanation: Chandrayaan-3 was launched on 14 July 2023 and landed on 23 August 2023, making India the fourth country to soft-land on the Moon and the first near the south pole.
1951. The cell organelle known as the 'suicide bag' because it contains digestive enzymes is the:
- A. Lysosome
- B. Mitochondrion
- C. Golgi apparatus
- D. Ribosome
Answer: Lysosome
Explanation: Lysosomes digest worn-out organelles and, if they rupture, digest the cell itself, hence the name suicide bags.
1952. Who discovered the ABO blood group system in 1901?
- A. Louis Pasteur
- B. Edward Jenner
- C. Robert Koch
- D. Karl Landsteiner
Answer: Karl Landsteiner
Explanation: Karl Landsteiner identified the A, B and O groups in 1901 and received the Nobel Prize in 1930.
1953. The deficiency of which vitamin causes pernicious anaemia?
- A. Vitamin C
- B. Vitamin B12
- C. Vitamin B1
- D. Vitamin K
Answer: Vitamin B12
Explanation: Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is needed for red blood cell formation; its deficiency, often due to lack of intrinsic factor, causes pernicious anaemia.
1954. Optical fibres transmit light signals over long distances based on the principle of:
- A. Dispersion
- B. Polarisation
- C. Total internal reflection
- D. Diffraction
Answer: Total internal reflection
Explanation: Light entering the core of an optical fibre at an angle larger than the critical angle undergoes repeated total internal reflection.
1955. Rutherford's alpha-particle scattering experiment led to the discovery of:
- A. The proton's charge
- B. The atomic nucleus
- C. The electron
- D. The neutron
Answer: The atomic nucleus
Explanation: Rutherford's gold-foil experiment showed that most of an atom's mass and positive charge are concentrated in a tiny nucleus; the neutron was discovered by Chadwick in 1932.
1956. Plaster of Paris is chemically calcium sulphate:
- A. Dihydrate (CaSO4·2H2O)
- B. Anhydrous (CaSO4)
- C. Pentahydrate (CaSO4·5H2O)
- D. Hemihydrate (CaSO4·½H2O)
Answer: Hemihydrate (CaSO4·½H2O)
Explanation: Heating gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) to about 373 K gives the hemihydrate, plaster of Paris, which sets into gypsum on adding water.
1957. The chemical formula of washing soda (crystalline form) is:
- A. NaHCO3
- B. NaOH
- C. CaCO3
- D. Na2CO3·10H2O
Answer: Na2CO3·10H2O
Explanation: Washing soda is sodium carbonate decahydrate; NaHCO3 is baking soda (sodium hydrogencarbonate).
1958. The New Development Bank, established by the BRICS countries, has its headquarters in:
- A. Shanghai
- B. Johannesburg
- C. New Delhi
- D. Beijing
Answer: Shanghai
Explanation: The NDB was set up in 2015 with headquarters in Shanghai, while the AIIB is in Beijing.
1959. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is developed and operated by:
- A. SEBI
- B. National Payments Corporation of India
- C. NABARD
- D. Reserve Bank of India
Answer: National Payments Corporation of India
Explanation: NPCI, an umbrella organisation for retail payments promoted by RBI and banks, launched UPI in 2016.
1960. A bank loan or advance is classified as a Non-Performing Asset (NPA) when interest or instalment remains overdue for more than:
- A. 30 days
- B. 180 days
- C. 60 days
- D. 90 days
Answer: 90 days
Explanation: Under RBI's prudential norms, an asset becomes an NPA when interest or principal is overdue for more than 90 days.
1961. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana for universal access to banking services was launched in:
- A. 2016
- B. 2014
- C. 2010
- D. 2018
Answer: 2014
Explanation: PMJDY was launched on 28 August 2014 with the aim of financial inclusion through basic savings accounts, RuPay debit cards and overdraft facility.
1962. Under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY), the health cover provided per family per year is up to:
- A. Rs 1 lakh
- B. Rs 3 lakh
- C. Rs 10 lakh
- D. Rs 5 lakh
Answer: Rs 5 lakh
Explanation: PM-JAY, launched on 23 September 2018, offers secondary and tertiary hospitalisation cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year to eligible beneficiaries.
1963. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act guarantees how many days of wage employment per rural household per financial year?
- A. 100 days
- B. 200 days
- C. 120 days
- D. 150 days
Answer: 100 days
Explanation: MGNREGA, enacted in 2005 and notified from 2 February 2006, guarantees 100 days of unskilled manual work to adult members of rural households who volunteer.
1964. Operation Flood, the dairy development programme that led to the White Revolution in India, was launched in 1970 under the leadership of:
- A. Norman Borlaug
- B. M.S. Swaminathan
- C. B.P. Pal
- D. Verghese Kurien
Answer: Verghese Kurien
Explanation: Dr Verghese Kurien, founder of Amul and chairman of the National Dairy Development Board, led Operation Flood.
1965. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) was established in:
- A. 1975
- B. 1991
- C. 1982
- D. 1969
Answer: 1982
Explanation: NABARD was set up on 12 July 1982 on the recommendation of the Shivaraman Committee, taking over the RBI's agricultural credit functions.
1966. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) was given statutory powers in:
- A. 2005
- B. 1999
- C. 1992
- D. 1988
Answer: 1992
Explanation: SEBI was set up administratively in 1988 and became a statutory body through the SEBI Act, 1992.
1967. The Reserve Bank of India was nationalised on 1 January of which year?
- A. 1969
- B. 1955
- C. 1949
- D. 1935
Answer: 1949
Explanation: The RBI began in 1935 as a shareholders' bank under the RBI Act 1934 and was nationalised in 1949.
1968. The first major nationalisation of 14 large commercial banks in India took place in:
- A. 1991
- B. 1955
- C. 1969
- D. 1980
Answer: 1969
Explanation: On 19 July 1969 fourteen banks with deposits above Rs 50 crore were nationalised; six more followed in 1980.
1969. The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act was enacted in which year?
- A. 2008
- B. 2003
- C. 1991
- D. 2016
Answer: 2003
Explanation: The FRBM Act, 2003 aimed to institutionalise fiscal discipline by reducing fiscal deficit and eliminating the revenue deficit.
1970. Which port, situated on the Gulf of Kutch, is a major tidal port developed after Partition to replace Karachi?
- A. Mundra
- B. Kandla
- C. Paradip
- D. Nhava Sheva
Answer: Kandla
Explanation: Kandla (Deendayal Port) in Gujarat was developed after 1947 as a tidal port to handle trade once Karachi went to Pakistan.
1971. The standard meridian of India, 82°30′E, passes near which Uttar Pradesh city?
- A. Lucknow
- B. Mirzapur
- C. Meerut
- D. Agra
Answer: Mirzapur
Explanation: IST is based on 82°30′E, which passes near Mirzapur, and is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT.
1972. The Jaduguda mines, India's main source of uranium, are located in which state?
- A. Odisha
- B. Rajasthan
- C. Jharkhand
- D. Andhra Pradesh
Answer: Jharkhand
Explanation: Jaduguda in Singhbhum, Jharkhand, has been India's first and principal uranium mine, operated by the Uranium Corporation of India Limited.
1973. The Bailadila range, known for high-grade iron ore deposits, lies in which state?
- A. Jharkhand
- B. Goa
- C. Karnataka
- D. Chhattisgarh
Answer: Chhattisgarh
Explanation: Bailadila (Dantewada district) in Chhattisgarh has hematite iron ore, exported mostly through Visakhapatnam; Kudremukh is in Karnataka.
1974. Which Indian state is the largest producer of sugarcane?
- A. Maharashtra
- B. Uttar Pradesh
- C. Karnataka
- D. Tamil Nadu
Answer: Uttar Pradesh
Explanation: Uttar Pradesh is India's largest sugarcane producing state, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka.
1975. Which soil, formed from basaltic lava and rich in clay, retains moisture and is ideal for cotton cultivation?
- A. Black (Regur) soil
- B. Alluvial soil
- C. Laterite soil
- D. Red soil
Answer: Black (Regur) soil
Explanation: Black soil of the Deccan Plateau is rich in lime, iron, magnesia and alumina, becomes sticky when wet and cracks when dry, and is known as the black cotton soil.
1976. Which is the longest river of peninsular India?
- A. Mahanadi
- B. Krishna
- C. Godavari
- D. Kaveri
Answer: Godavari
Explanation: The Godavari, about 1,465 km long and called Dakshin Ganga, rises at Trimbakeshwar in Nashik and flows into the Bay of Bengal.
1977. Sambhar Lake, India's largest inland saline lake, is located in:
- A. Haryana
- B. Madhya Pradesh
- C. Rajasthan
- D. Gujarat
Answer: Rajasthan
Explanation: Sambhar Lake lies in Rajasthan, west of Jaipur, and is a Ramsar site and a major source of salt.
1978. The Zoji La pass connects which two places?
- A. Gangtok and Lhasa
- B. Srinagar and Leh
- C. Manali and Leh
- D. Shimla and Kinnaur
Answer: Srinagar and Leh
Explanation: Zoji La on NH 1 connects the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh; Nathu La links Sikkim with Tibet and Shipki La is in Himachal Pradesh.
1979. Anamudi, the highest peak of peninsular India, is located in which hill range?
- A. Anaimalai Hills
- B. Nilgiri Hills
- C. Cardamom Hills
- D. Shevaroy Hills
Answer: Anaimalai Hills
Explanation: Anamudi (2,695 m) is in the Anaimalai Hills of Kerala in the southern Western Ghats; Doddabetta (2,637 m) is the Nilgiris' highest peak.
1980. Which is the highest peak lying entirely within the territory of India?
- A. Kamet
- B. Nanga Parbat
- C. Kangchenjunga
- D. Nanda Devi
Answer: Nanda Devi
Explanation: Nanda Devi (7,816 m) in Uttarakhand is the highest peak lying wholly within India; Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) is higher but lies on the Sikkim-Nepal border, and Nanga Parbat is in Pakistan-administered territory.
1981. The Mountbatten Plan, accepting the partition of India, was announced on:
- A. 3 June 1947
- B. 16 May 1946
- C. 15 August 1947
- D. 20 February 1947
Answer: 3 June 1947
Explanation: The 3 June 1947 Plan led to the Indian Independence Act 1947, which received royal assent on 18 July 1947, creating the two dominions on 15 August.
1982. The Quit India Movement was launched at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay on:
- A. 15 August 1942
- B. 9 August 1942
- C. 8 August 1942
- D. 14 July 1942
Answer: 8 August 1942
Explanation: The AICC passed the Quit India resolution on 8 August 1942; most leaders were arrested early on 9 August, now commemorated as August Kranti Day.
1983. The All India Muslim League was founded in 1906 at:
- A. Aligarh
- B. Lahore
- C. Karachi
- D. Dhaka
Answer: Dhaka
Explanation: The League was formed in Dhaka at the Muhammadan Educational Conference under Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka, with Aga Khan as its first president.
1984. Who presided over the first session of the Indian National Congress held at Bombay in December 1885?
- A. Surendranath Banerjee
- B. A.O. Hume
- C. Dadabhai Naoroji
- D. W.C. Bonnerjee
Answer: W.C. Bonnerjee
Explanation: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee presided over the 72 delegates at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College; A.O. Hume was the founder and General Secretary.
1985. The Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh, which later became Aligarh Muslim University, was founded in 1875 by:
- A. Aga Khan
- B. Badruddin Tyabji
- C. Maulana Azad
- D. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
Answer: Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
Explanation: Sir Syed Ahmad Khan founded the college to promote modern education among Muslims; it became a university in 1920.
1986. The Ramakrishna Mission was founded in 1897 by:
- A. Debendranath Tagore
- B. Swami Vivekananda
- C. Raja Ram Mohan Roy
- D. Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Answer: Swami Vivekananda
Explanation: Vivekananda founded the Mission in memory of his guru Ramakrishna Paramhansa with a focus on service (seva) to humanity.
1987. The Ryotwari land revenue system, in which the settlement was made directly with the cultivator, was first introduced in Madras Presidency by:
- A. Lord Wellesley
- B. Lord Cornwallis
- C. Holt Mackenzie
- D. Thomas Munro and Alexander Read
Answer: Thomas Munro and Alexander Read
Explanation: Alexander Read began it in Baramahal and Thomas Munro extended it in Madras (1820); the Mahalwari system was a village-level settlement in the North-Western Provinces.
1988. Which Sikh Guru compiled the Adi Granth in 1604?
- A. Guru Nanak Dev
- B. Guru Gobind Singh
- C. Guru Tegh Bahadur
- D. Guru Arjan Dev
Answer: Guru Arjan Dev
Explanation: Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru, compiled the Adi Granth and built the Harmandir Sahib; Guru Gobind Singh later added Guru Tegh Bahadur's hymns.
1989. Which Tughlaq ruler temporarily shifted the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (Devagiri)?
- A. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
- B. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
- C. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
- D. Nasiruddin Mahmud
Answer: Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Muhammad bin Tughlaq moved the capital in 1327 to be nearer the Deccan, but the experiment was abandoned a few years later.
1990. The Battle of Haldighati (1576) was fought between Maharana Pratap and the Mughal forces led by:
- A. Man Singh I
- B. Birbal
- C. Bairam Khan
- D. Todar Mal
Answer: Man Singh I
Explanation: Akbar sent Raja Man Singh of Amber, with Asaf Khan, against Pratap at Haldighati in the Aravallis; Pratap's horse Chetak became legendary.
1991. The Battle of Khanwa (1527), in which Babur defeated a Rajput confederacy, was fought against:
- A. Rana Sanga of Mewar
- B. Rana Kumbha
- C. Maharana Pratap
- D. Hemu
Answer: Rana Sanga of Mewar
Explanation: Babur defeated Rana Sanga (Sangram Singh) at Khanwa near Agra, consolidating Mughal rule in north India, and assumed the title of Ghazi.
1992. Muhammad of Ghor defeated Prithviraj Chauhan in the Second Battle of Tarain in:
- A. 1191 CE
- B. 1206 CE
- C. 1175 CE
- D. 1192 CE
Answer: 1192 CE
Explanation: Prithviraj defeated Ghori in the First Battle of Tarain (1191), but lost the next year in 1192, opening north India to Turkish rule.
1993. In 712 CE, Arab commander Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh by defeating which ruler?
- A. Jaipal
- B. Raja Dahir
- C. Prithviraj
- D. Anandpal
Answer: Raja Dahir
Explanation: Muhammad bin Qasim defeated Raja Dahir of Sindh, a ruler of the Brahmin dynasty, near Rawar; the conquest is described in the Chachnama.
1994. The Uttaramerur inscriptions of the Chola period are a primary source for the study of:
- A. Maritime trade with Southeast Asia
- B. Village-level self-government and elections
- C. Temple architecture styles
- D. Land grants to Jain monks
Answer: Village-level self-government and elections
Explanation: The Uttaramerur inscriptions (Parantaka I's reign) describe the qualifications of ward representatives and their selection by lot (kudavolai) in village assemblies.
1995. Harshavardhana's southward expansion was checked on the banks of the Narmada by which Chalukya ruler?
- A. Jayasimha
- B. Vikramaditya I
- C. Pulakeshin II
- D. Kirtivarman I
Answer: Pulakeshin II
Explanation: Pulakeshin II of Vatapi (Badami) defeated Harsha around 618-619 CE, as recorded in the Aihole inscription of Ravikirti.
1996. The Prayag Prashasti (Allahabad Pillar inscription), praising Samudragupta, was composed by his court poet:
- A. Banabhatta
- B. Ravikirti
- C. Harishena
- D. Kalidasa
Answer: Harishena
Explanation: Harishena wrote the Prayag Prashasti in Sanskrit on the Ashokan pillar at Allahabad; Ravikirti composed the Aihole inscription of Pulakeshin II.
1997. Megasthenes, whose account 'Indica' describes Mauryan administration, was the ambassador of Seleucus Nicator at the court of:
- A. Pushyamitra Shunga
- B. Bindusara
- C. Ashoka
- D. Chandragupta Maurya
Answer: Chandragupta Maurya
Explanation: Megasthenes visited Pataliputra during Chandragupta Maurya's reign after the treaty with Seleucus c. 305 BCE; his work survives only in fragments quoted by later writers.
1998. Alexander's battle with the Indian king Porus in 326 BCE was fought on the banks of which river?
- A. Ravi (Hydraotes)
- B. Chenab (Acesines)
- C. Jhelum (Hydaspes)
- D. Beas (Hyphasis)
Answer: Jhelum (Hydaspes)
Explanation: The Battle of the Hydaspes was fought on the Jhelum; Alexander's army refused to cross the Beas and turned back.
1999. The Nehru Report of 1928, a draft constitution for India, was prepared by a committee chaired by:
- A. Tej Bahadur Sapru
- B. M.A. Jinnah
- C. Motilal Nehru
- D. Jawaharlal Nehru
Answer: Motilal Nehru
Explanation: An All-Parties Conference committee under Motilal Nehru drafted it in response to Lord Birkenhead's challenge; it demanded Dominion Status and rejected separate electorates.
2000. The Swaraj Party, formed in 1923 within the Congress to contest Council elections, was founded by:
- A. Rajagopalachari and Patel
- B. Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal
- C. C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru
- D. Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Tilak
Answer: C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru
Explanation: After Non-Cooperation was withdrawn, Chittaranjan Das (president) and Motilal Nehru (secretary) formed the Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party to wreck the Councils from within.
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