Search Previous Year Questions

The correct answer is 5 Crore.

Key Points

• The Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) is a Central Sector Scheme fully funded by the Government of India.
• Under this scheme, each MP constituency is entitled to an annual entitlement of Rs. 5 crore.
• The funds are released in two installments of Rs. 2.5 crore each directly to the District Authority of the nodal district selected by the Member of Parliament (MP).
• A crucial feature of MPLADS funds is that they are non-lapsable. This means that if the funds are not used in a particular financial year, they are carried forward to the subsequent years within the MP's tenure.
• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is responsible for the overall policy formulation, release of funds, and monitoring of the scheme at the central level.

Additional Information

• Origin and Evolution:
• The scheme was launched on 23^rd December 1993 by the then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao.
• Initially, the scheme was administered by the Ministry of Rural Development, but it was transferred to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in October 1994.
• Implementation Guidelines:
• Lok Sabha Members can recommend works within their respective Constituencies.
• Rajya Sabha Members can recommend works within the State from which they are elected.
• Nominated Members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha can recommend works anywhere in the entire country.
• The focus is on creating durable community assets such as schools, drinking water facilities, hospitals, and roads based on local needs.
• Mandatory Reservations:
• MPs must recommend at least 15% of the MPLADS entitlement for areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste (SC) populations.
• Furthermore, at least 7.5% of the annual fund must be allocated for areas inhabited by Scheduled Tribe (ST) populations.

Important Points

• COVID-19 Impact and Restoration:
• The Union Cabinet suspended MPLADS for the financial years 2020-21 and 2021-22 to divert funds to the Ministry of Finance for managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The scheme was later restored on 10^th November 2021 for the remainder of the FY 2021-22 (with a release of Rs. 2 crore per MP) and continued with the full Rs. 5 crore per annum from 2022-23 to 2025-26.
• Roles of Authorities:
• The District Authority (such as the District Collector or District Magistrate) is the implementing agency responsible for sanctioning and executing the recommended works.
• They are required to inspect at least 10% of the works under implementation every year to ensure quality and compliance.
• New Web Portal:
• A new e-MPLADS portal was launched in 2023 to ensure transparency, accountability, and real-time monitoring of the fund flow and project status.

The correct answer is The Bench, the Bar, and the Bizarre and the Lawful and the Awful

In News

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah released the book titled ‘The Bench, the Bar, and the Bizarre and the Lawful and the Awful’ in New Delhi.

Key Points

• The book ‘The Bench, the Bar, and the Bizarre and the Lawful and the Awful’ is authored by Solicitor General Shri Tushar Mehta.
• The book intriguingly captures the humour, satire, and human nature present within courtroom proceedings while maintaining the dignity of the law.
• The other options are incorrect as they are formulated using terminology from the event's speeches but do not represent the actual title of the book authored by Tushar Mehta.

Additional Information

• The book launch was attended by distinguished dignitaries, including Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant.
• The book highlights the unique styles of judges, occurrences of poetry in courtrooms, and outlines future challenges that artificial intelligence and modern technologies may pose to the judiciary.
• Tushar Mehta dedicated the book to his mother, making its release on Mother's Day highly symbolic.
• During the event, Amit Shah emphasized that a strong justice system is the foundation of the common citizen’s faith and praised the balance among the legislature, judiciary, and executive.

Important Points

• Book Title: The Bench, the Bar, and the Bizarre and the Lawful and the Awful
• Author: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta
• Released by: Union Home Minister Amit Shah
• Location: New Delhi

The Correct answer is Sitab Rai.

Key Points

• Sitab Rai was appointed as the Naib Nazim of Bihar in 1766 under the dyarchy system.
• The dyarchy system was introduced by the British after they acquired control over Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. It divided administrative responsibilities between the British East India Company and Indian officials.
• Sitab Rai was a native administrator tasked with overseeing civil administration while maintaining coordination with British officials.
• This system was implemented as a way to manage governance under British control while retaining local expertise.
• The appointment of Indian officials like Sitab Rai under dyarchy highlighted the need to incorporate local administrators for better management of regional affairs.
• During his tenure, Sitab Rai played a significant role in ensuring smooth administration and acted as a link between the local populace and the British authorities.
• The dyarchy system ultimately helped the British consolidate their power in India during the early phases of their colonial rule.

 Additional Information

• James Alexander
• James Alexander is not historically associated with the dyarchy system or the position of Naib Nazim in Bihar during British rule.
• He may represent a British official or administrator from another context, but no direct link to the administrative setup of Bihar in 1766 exists.
• Muhammad Kasim Khan
• While Muhammad Kasim Khan was an important figure in Indian history, he is not related to the dyarchy system or the administrative position of Naib Nazim in Bihar during the British colonial period.
• He might have held other significant positions during earlier periods but does not pertain to this specific context.
• More than one of the above
• This option is incorrect since only Sitab Rai is the correct answer and the other options are not related to the appointment as Naib Nazim of Bihar under dyarchy.

Bihu is the indigenous folk dance and harvest festival of Assam.

It is performed during the three Bihu festivals — Rongali (Bohag) Bihu in mid-April, Kongali (Kati) Bihu in mid-October, and Bhogali (Magh) Bihu in mid-January — marking the Assamese New Year and the spring season.

Hence, option C is correct.

The correct answer is option 2.

Key Points

• The duration of Bihar’s Fourth Agriculture Roadmap launched in October 2023 is 2023–2028 (five years).
• It was formally inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu on 18 October 2023, marking the state's most recent five‑year agricultural initiative following earlier roadmaps in 2008, 2012, and 2017.
• Key Highlights of the Fourth Agriculture Roadmap (2023–2028):
• Launch & Leadership:
• Inaugurated by President Murmu on 18 Oct 2023 at Patna’s Bapu Auditorium, symbolizing nationwide recognition.
• Scope and Focus Areas:
• Aimed at sustainable growth in crop production (paddy, wheat, maize), livestock, fishery, and allied sectors.
• Emphasizes climate-resilient agriculture, crop diversification (including millets, pulses, oilseeds), expansion of storage & processing infrastructure, and adoption of digital farming technologies

The correct answer is Thomas Munro.

Key Points

• Sir Thomas Munro, who served as the Governor of Madras from 1820 to 1827, was a pioneer in reforming the indigenous education system to suit administrative needs while respecting local traditions.
• In June 1822, he ordered a comprehensive statistical survey of the state of education across the Madras Presidency, which was the first of its kind in British India to document native schools, known as pyal schools.
• The survey findings revealed that there were over 12,000 schools and nearly 188,000 students, indicating a higher rate of literacy than previously assumed by British officials, though the quality of instruction was deemed poor.
• To improve this, Munro proposed the creation of a dual-tier system consisting of Collectorate schools at the district level and Tehsildary schools at the taluk level to provide standardized training for teachers.
• He advocated for the use of vernacular languages as the medium of instruction, arguing that education must be accessible in the mother tongue to effectively improve the intellectual and moral condition of the populace.

 Additional Information

• Other notable figures in the Madras administration during this era included:
• Henry Sullivan Graeme: A member of the Madras Council and a civil servant primarily known for his detailed reports on land revenue and the judicial system in the Malabar region.
• George Edward Russell: An officer of the Madras Civil Service best known for the Russell Report on the Goomsur Wars and the suppression of Meriah (human sacrifice) among the Khonds in Ganjam.
• Stephen Rumbold Lushington: He served as the Governor of Madras from 1827 to 1832, succeeding Munro, but his tenure focused more on financial retrenchment rather than initiating fundamental educational reforms.

The correct answer is 1, 2 and 4 only

In News

• Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar, launched the PM-AJAY portal and AJAY mobile application to digitize grassroots workflows.

Key Points

• Statement 1 is correct: The portal and mobile app fully digitize workflows for the three components of the scheme: Adarsh Gram, Grant-in-Aid (GIA) for skilling and employment, and Hostels in educational institutions.
• Statement 2 is correct: The Adarsh Gram component monitors model village development using 50 monitorable socio-economic indicators organized across 10 developmental domains.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The AJAY Mobile App specifically enables offline door-to-door surveys and real-time generation of Village Development Plans (VDPs).
• Statement 4 is correct: The PMAJAY dashboard records progress across more than 47,000 SC majority villages and serves over 4 million beneficiaries.

Additional Information

• The Hostel Component in the app allows field inspectors to upload geo-tagged and time-stamped photographs to validate physical infrastructure milestones.
• For the Grant-in-Aid (GIA) component, the portal acts as a centralized MIS to track financial outlays and funding for livelihoods.

Important Points

• The initiative aims to improve transparency, ensure faster turn-around-time, and strengthen digital governance for a Viksit Bharat.
• The app includes a unified login system and role-based access control for stakeholders including NGOs and government officials.

The correct answer is The total number of members in the Rajya Sabha is 270..

Key Points

• The Parliament of India is defined under Article 79 as the supreme law-making body of the nation. It has the exclusive power to legislate on subjects mentioned in the Union List and shares power with states for the Concurrent List. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The Lok Sabha (House of the People) has a maximum strength of 552. For a long period, the total membership was 545, which included 543 elected representatives and 2 members nominated from the Anglo-Indian community by the President. While the 104^th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019, ended the nomination of Anglo-Indians, the figure 545 remains the historical total membership. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• According to Article 80, the maximum strength of the Rajya Sabha is capped at 250. This total includes 238 representatives of the States and Union Territories and 12 members nominated by the President. The current functional strength is 245; therefore, the figure of 270 is constitutionally impossible and factually wrong. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
• The Indian legislative system is bicameral, meaning it consists of two distinct houses: the Rajya Sabha (Upper House/Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (Lower House/House of the People). Hence, statement 4 is correct.

 Additional Information

• Rajya Sabha:
• It is known as the Permanent House because it is never fully dissolved.
• One-third of its members retire every second year after completing a six-year term.
• The Vice-President of India acts as the Ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
• Lok Sabha:
• Its members are directly elected by the citizens of India through universal adult suffrage.
• The normal tenure is five years, but it can be dissolved earlier by the President.
• The Speaker is the presiding officer of this house, elected from among its members.
• The President:
• Though not a member of either house, the President is an essential part of Parliament as all bills require their assent to become law.

The correct answer is $200 million

In News

• Anthropic and the Gates Foundation have pledged $200 million to back artificial intelligence-related public goods.

Key Points

• AI giant Anthropic announced a partnership with the Gates Foundation to commit $200 million in grant funding, Claude usage credits, and technical support.
• The funding aims to support programs in global health, life sciences, education, and economic mobility over the next four years.
• The initiatives will be implemented with partners in the US and around the world, specifically targeting areas where markets alone will not extend the benefits of AI.
• Hence, the correct answer is $200 million.

Additional Information

• Global Health and Life Sciences: The partnership focuses on improving health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, addressing high-burden diseases like polio, HPV, and eclampsia/preeclampsia.
• Education: The initiative will co-develop tools to improve educational outcomes for K-12 students in the US, sub-Saharan Africa, and India.
• Economic Mobility: Programs are designed to increase agricultural productivity for smallholder farmers and support career guidance and skills certification in the US.

Important Points

• This effort is led by Anthropic's Beneficial Deployments team, which provides Claude credits, engineering support, and develops AI-related public goods like health datasets and evaluation benchmarks.

The correct answer is Jaipur

In News

• The 1^st BRICS 2026 Tourism Working Group (TWG) Meeting was held virtually on 25 May 2026 under India's BRICS 2026 Chairship.

Key Points

• The 2^nd Tourism Working Group (TWG) Meeting is scheduled to take place on 19–20 August 2026 in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
• Following the TWG meeting, the BRICS Tourism Ministers' Meeting (TMM) will be held on 21–22 August 2026, also in Jaipur.
• These in-person meetings in Jaipur are intended to provide a substantive platform for BRICS nations to strengthen collaboration and advance their shared tourism agenda.
• The inaugural virtual meeting was chaired by the Joint Secretary (Tourism), Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

Additional Information

• The overarching theme for the BRICS 2026 tourism cooperation under India's Chairship is "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."
• India has identified four key thematic priorities for tourism cooperation: Artificial Intelligence and Tourism, Sustainability and Responsible Tourism, Tourism Skilling and Capacity Building, and Tourism Exchanges and Seamless Travel Facilitation.

Important Points

• The 1^st TWG meeting served as an introductory and preparatory platform for member states to engage with India's thematic priorities.
• India looks forward to deepening tourism partnerships among BRICS nations through these scheduled engagements throughout 2026.