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The correct answer is Operation Spider's Web. 

Key Points

Operation Spider's Web

• Operation Spider’s Web is the codename for a large-scale, covert Ukrainian drone offensive carried out deep inside Russian territory on 1 June 2025 during the ongoing Russia‑Ukraine war.
• ​What the operation was:
• Operation Spider’s Web was a coordinated strike using explosive‑laden First‑Person View (FPV) drones against multiple Russian military airbases hosting long‑range bomber aircraft.
• ​It is widely described as one of Ukraine’s most ambitious and technologically sophisticated operations of the war, marking a major evolution in asymmetric warfare.
• ​Objectives
• The primary goal was to degrade Russia’s long‑range strike capability by destroying or damaging strategic bombers used to launch missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.
• ​Additional aims included undermining Russian morale, demonstrating Ukraine’s ability to hit high‑value targets far inside Russia, and reshaping deterrence dynamics.
• ​How it was executed
• Ukrainian security service SBU planned the operation over roughly 18 months, under close supervision of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk.​

Additional Information

• Operation Ablaze (2001): This was a major mobilization operation by the Indian Army following the 2001 Indian Parliament attack. It was part of the larger "Operation Parakram," aimed at preparing for potential conflict and exerting diplomatic pressure.
• Operation Trident (1971): This is one of the most famous naval operations in history. The Indian Navy launched an offensive on the Port of Karachi, Pakistan, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. This successful operation is the reason why Indian Navy Day is celebrated every year on December 4.
• Operation Bandar (2019): This was the code name given to the Balakot Air Strikes conducted by the Indian Air Force. It was a retaliatory strike against terror camps across the border following the Pulwama attack.

All three statements provided are correct.

Key Points

Statement 1: It is indigenously designed in India.

• Status: Correct.
• Reason: 'Arnala' is the first ship of the ASW SWC class project. The vessel was designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata for the Indian Navy. It incorporates over 80% indigenous content, aligning with the "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" (Self-reliant India) initiative.

Statement 2: It is named after the historic Arnala fort located in Maharashtra.

• Status: Correct.
• Reason: The ship is named 'Arnala' to signify the strategic maritime importance accorded to the Arnala island by the Maratha warrior king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The Arnala fort is located approximately 13 km north of Vasai in Maharashtra.

Statement 3: It has been built under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) of GRSE with M/s L&T Shipyard.

• Status: Correct.
• Reason: To expedite the delivery of the eight vessels ordered in this class, GRSE entered into a contract with L&T Shipbuilding for the construction of part of the ships. The 'Arnala' was launched in December 2022 at the L&T Kattupalli facility as part of this collaborative effort.

The correct answer to the question regarding Robert Prevost’s election to the papacy is 4) 3 only.

Key Points

Following the death of Pope Francis in April 2025, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as his successor on May 8, 2025. Here is the analysis of each statement:

Statement 1: He will now be known as Leo XV.

• Status: Incorrect.
• Reason: Upon his election, Robert Prevost chose the papal name Leo XIV. He chose this name to honor Pope Leo XIII and his commitment to social justice and the rights of workers.

Statement 2: He became the 271^st Catholic Pope.

• Status: Incorrect.
• Reason: He is officially recognized as the 267^th Pope of the Catholic Church. The number 271 is a common point of confusion in unofficial lists or "mock" exam questions, but official Vatican records place him as the 266^th successor of St. Peter.

Statement 3: He is a dual citizen of the United States of America and Peru.

• Status: Correct.
• Reason: Born in Chicago, Illinois, Robert Prevost is a U.S. citizen by birth. He spent over 20 years as a missionary in Peru and became a naturalized Peruvian citizen in 2015. This makes him the first Pope in history to hold dual citizenship from these two nations.

The correct answer to the question regarding the dams on the Chenab river is 1) 1 and 2.

Key Points

Statement 1: Salal dam, Aalal dam and Baglihar dams are on the Chenab river.

• Status: Correct.
• Reason: All three dams are located on the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir. The Salal dam is situated in the Reasi district, the Baglihar dam in the Ramban district, and the Aalal dam is also a recognized concrete gravity structure within the same river basin. Other major dams on the Chenab include the Dul Hasti and the upcoming Pakal Dul projects.

Statement 2: Baglihar dam has a greater height than Salal dam.

• Status: Correct.
• Reason: * Baglihar Dam: It is a concrete gravity dam with a height of 143 meters.
• Salal Dam: It is a run-of-the-river project with a concrete structure height of approximately 81 to 113 meters. Even at the highest recorded specifications for Salal, the Baglihar dam's 143-meter height is significantly greater.

Statement 3: Salal dam is operated by Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation and Baglihar dam is operated by NHPC Limited.

• Status: Incorrect.
• Reason: The operating agencies in the statement are swapped.
• Salal Dam: It is managed and operated by NHPC Limited (National Hydroelectric Power Corporation), a central public sector undertaking.
• Baglihar Dam: It was the first power project executed and operated by the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation (JKPDC), a state-level agency.

The correct answer to the question regarding 'Alcatraz' is 3) 1, 2 and 3.

Key Points

Statement 1: It was once a defence fort on Alcatraz island of America.

• Status: Correct.
• Reason: In 1850, a presidential order set aside Alcatraz Island for military use. By 1859, the Fort Alcatraz was completed, becoming the most heavily fortified military site on the West Coast to protect San Francisco Bay during the Gold Rush and the Civil War. It featured over 100 cannons and served as a primary "triangle of defense" for the bay.

Statement 2: It was once a prison on Alcatraz island of America.

• Status: Correct.
• Reason: Alcatraz is most famous for its role as a prison. It transitioned from a military prison (starting as early as 1859-1861) to a notorious federal penitentiary in 1934. Known as "The Rock," it held famous criminals like Al Capone until it was closed in 1963 due to high operating costs.

Statement 3: It was once occupied by a group of native American students, known as 'Indians of all tribes'.

• Status: Correct.
• Reason: From November 20, 1969, to June 11, 1971, a group of Native American activists and students—calling themselves the Indians of All Tribes (IAT)—occupied the island. Led by figures like Richard Oakes and LaNada Means, they claimed the land based on the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, which stated that retired or out-of-use federal land should return to Indigenous people.

The correct answer to the question regarding India's military arsenal is 3) 1, 2 and 3.

Key Points

Statement 1: HAMMER is a weapon system built for the Rafale fighter aircraft.

• Status: Correct.
• Reason: The HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) is a French-made stand-off weapon system designed by Safran Electronics & Defense specifically for the Rafale fighter jets. The Indian Air Force (IAF) integrated these precision-guided munitions into its Rafale fleet to enhance its air-to-ground strike capabilities.

Statement 2: SCALP cruise missile is also known as Storm Shadow.

• Status: Correct.
• Reason: These are the same long-range, air-launched cruise missiles developed by MBDA. Storm Shadow is the name used by the British Royal Air Force, while SCALP EG (Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée – Emploi Général) is the name used in France. India received the SCALP version along with its Rafale fighters.

Statement 3: BrahMos missiles are built under a joint venture between India and Russia.

• Status: Correct.
• Reason: The BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture established in 1998 between India's DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya. The name is a combination of the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.

The correct answer is 2 only.

Key PointsStatement 1: Incorrect

While both are indeed the worl d's first genome-edited rice varieties, they were developed by two different institutes under ICAR, not just IARI New Delhi.

• Pusa DST Rice 1: Developed by the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. This variety is designed to be drought-tolerant and salt-tolerant.
• DRR Rice 100 (Kamla): Developed by the ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), Hyderabad (formerly known as the Directorate of Rice Research - DRR).

Because the statement claims both were developed by IARI, it is factually incorrect.

Statement 2: Correct

This statement accurately describes the characteristics of the "Kamla" variety:

• Base Variety: It is an improved version of the popular Samba Mahsuri rice.
• Trait: It has been genome-edited to have a shorter duration of maturity.
• Benefit: Standard Samba Mahsuri takes about 135–140 days to mature. The edited DRR Rice 100 matures in about 110–115 days, saving farmers nearly a month of water and labor while maintaining the premium grain quality.

Why is this a "First"?

These varieties were developed using CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technology.

In 2022, the Government of India exempted SDN-1 and SDN-2 categories of genome-edited plants from the stringent Biosafety regulations (GEAC) that govern Genetically Modified (GM) crops. This is because genome editing (like in these rice varieties) does not involve introducing foreign DNA, but rather "tweaks" the plant's own existing DNA to express better traits.

Note for Exam Prep: Always double-check the location of ICAR institutes.

• IARI: New Delhi (The "Pusa" varieties)
• IIRR: Hyderabad (The "DRR" varieties)

The correct answer to the question in the image is 4) Credit/GDP Ratio.

Key Points

The financial cycle refers to the self-reinforcing interactions between perceptions of value and risk, and the subsequent expansion or contraction of credit. The Credit/GDP ratio is considered the "gold standard" for this evaluation for several reasons:

• Captures Systemic Risk: It measures the total amount of credit (debt) extended to the private non-financial sector relative to the size of the economy. A rapidly rising ratio often signals the buildup of systemic risk and potential asset bubbles.
• Identifies "Financial Deepening": It helps distinguish between healthy financial growth and "excessive" credit that could lead to a banking crisis.
• Basel III Requirement: International banking regulations (Basel III) specifically use the Credit-to-GDP Gap (the deviation of the current ratio from its long-term trend) to determine when banks should build up "Countercyclical Capital Buffers" to protect against future crashes.

Why the Other Options are Incorrect?

• 1) Tax/GDP Ratio: This measures the size of a government's tax revenue relative to its economy. It is a tool for fiscal policy analysis, not financial cycle monitoring.
• 2) Fiscal Deficit/GDP Ratio: This indicates the health of government finances and how much the state is borrowing to fund its spending.
• 3) Household Consumption/GDP Ratio: This is a component of the business cycle, showing how much of the economy's output is driven by private spending.

The correct answer to the question is 1) 1 only.

Key Points

Statement 1: Correct:

Global Capability Centres (GCCs): Reshaping corporate landscape

• What they are: GCCs are offshore units of multinational corporations (MNCs) that perform high-end functions like R&D, IT support, and business process management.
• Impact on India: India has become a global hub for GCCs. They have evolved from simple back-office operations into sophisticated "innovation centers." They are reshaping the corporate landscape by driving digital transformation, creating high-skill jobs, and contributing significantly to the service export economy.
• Economic Significance: They play a major role in moving India up the value chain in the global services sector.

Statement 2: Incorrect

U-WIN Portal : Ease of doing business across states

• The Error: The U-WIN portal is not related to "Ease of Doing Business."
• Actual Objective: The U-WIN (Universal Immunization Programme) portal is designed to digitize India's immunization services. It is modeled after the successful Co-WIN platform used for COVID-19 vaccinations.
• Function: It is used to register every pregnant woman and child, record birth doses and subsequent vaccinations, and provide digital immunization certificates. Its goal is to create a single source of truth for immunization status across the country.

The correct answer is Option 1: Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana.

Key Points

The Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana (DAY) was launched by the Government of India to uplift the urban and rural poor through skill development and sustainable livelihood opportunities. The urban component, known as NULM, is implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

1. What is Social Mobilisation and Institution Development (SM&ID)?

SM&ID is considered the "building block" of the mission. Its primary goal is to organize the urban poor into community-based institutions to help them become self-reliant.

• Self-Help Groups (SHGs): The mission starts by mobilizing the poor into SHGs at the grassroots level.
• Federations: These SHGs are then federated into Area Level Federations (ALFs) and City Level Federations (CLFs) to give them a stronger collective voice and better bargaining power.
• Financial Inclusion: Through these institutions, members gain access to revolving funds and credit from banks.

2. Other Key Components of DAY-NULM

To provide a complete picture for your exam preparation, here are the other major components of this mission:

• Employment through Skills Training and Placement (EST&P): Providing market-oriented skills to the urban poor.
• Self-Employment Programme (SEP): Providing subsidized loans to individuals or groups to set up micro-enterprises.
• Support to Urban Street Vendors (SUSV): Helping vendors access credit, social security, and designated vending zones.
• Scheme for Shelter for Urban Homeless (SUH): Building and managing shelters with essential services for the homeless.

Why the other options are incorrect:

• National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM): Launched to create a shared digital infrastructure for Indian cities (like citizen portals and data exchange), not social mobilization.
• Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT): Focuses on infrastructure—providing basic services like water supply, sewerage, and urban transport to households.
• Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA): This scheme is focused on strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in rural areas to help them achieve Sustainable Development Goals.