Search Previous Year Questions

The correct answer is Assam.

Key Points

• The Ambubachi Mela is a prominent Hindu festival held annually at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam, and is considered the most important event of the temple's calendar.
• This festival is celebrated during the monsoon season, specifically in the middle of June, coinciding with the Assamese month of Ahaar.
• It celebrates the annual menstrual cycle of the goddess Kamakhya; during this three-day period, the temple remains closed to the public as it is believed the Mother Earth is undergoing menstruation.
• On the fourth day, the temple doors are opened with great fanfare, and devotees are allowed to enter to receive Prasad and seek blessings from the goddess.
• The festival is popularly known as the Mahakumbh of the East because it attracts millions of pilgrims, Sadhus, Tantriks, and Bauls from across India and neighboring countries.

 Additional Information

• Kamakhya Temple:
• Situated atop the Nilachal Hills, this temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas and represents the yoni (genitals) of Goddess Sati.
• The temple follows the Nilachal style of architecture, featuring a unique hemispherical dome resting on a cruciform base.
• It is a primary center for Tantric Shaktism, where the deity is worshipped in the form of a natural stone fissure kept moist by a natural spring.
• Cultural Significance:
• The Ambubachi Mela promotes the idea of fertility and challenges social taboos by openly celebrating the biological process of menstruation.
• The devotees are often given small pieces of red cloth called Angodak as Prasad, which is highly sought after for its spiritual significance.
• While Bihar, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh host significant regional festivals like Chhath Puja, Sarhul, and Bastar Dussehra respectively, they do not observe the Ambubachi Mela.

The correct answer is Water and Gender.

In News

• World Water Day is observed globally on 22 March every year, with the 2026 edition focusing on the intersection of water and gender roles.

Key Points

• 2026 Theme: This year’s theme, “Water and Gender”, highlights the specific challenges and roles women and men play in water management and sanitation.
• Global Coordination: The activities are coordinated by UN-Water, the United Nations' mechanism for water and sanitation issues.
• Sustainable Development: The day is a key tool for achieving SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation for all by 2030).
• Critical Need: The observance aims to address the needs of the 2.1 billion people worldwide who currently lack access to safe drinking water.
• Origin: World Water Day was first proposed at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.

SDG 6

• United Nations Goal
• Sustainable Development Goal 6 aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. It includes targets for drinking water, sanitation, hygiene, water quality, and transboundary cooperation.

The correct answer is Galacturonic acid.

Key Points

• Pectin is a complex carbohydrate that is found in the cell walls of plants and is responsible for the firmness and softness of fruits.
• The main acid unit that makes up pectin is galacturonic acid, which is a sugar acid that is derived from glucose.
• Pectin is made up of complex polysaccharides, which are widely distributed in the green parts of terrestrial plants and found in the primary cell walls of plants.
• The main element of the middle lamella, where pectin binds cells, is pectin.

Additional Information

• Aspartic acid is an amino acid that is not found in pectin**,** but is found in proteins.
• Lentils, soybeans, garbanzo beans, and other legumes are plant sources of aspartic acid.
• Lactic acid is a simple organic acid that is produced by bacteria during fermentation and is not found in pectin.
• Our body creates lactic acid when our cells digest carbohydrates for energy.
• Glutamic acid is an amino acid that is not found in pectin, but is found in proteins.
• It transforms into glutamate inside the body.
• This substance aids in the transmission and reception of information between **brain nerve cells.**​

When a chemical element is present in one or more forms in the same physical state then it is known as allotrope. Swedish scientist Jons Jakob Berzelium proposed the concept of allotropes in 1841.

Ozone (O₃) is an allotrope of oxygen. It is more soluble than oxygen in the water.

Ozone is used for air purification at the crowded places. It is also used in sterilizing drinking water as it oxidizes all germs and bacteria.

Albert Einstein proposed a quantum of light (the photon) which behaves like a particle. Einstein's other theories explained the equivalence of mass and energy, the particle-wave duality of photons, the equivalence principle, and special relativity.

The correct answer is As biomass.

Key Points

• Each trophic level has a certain mass of living material at a particular time called the standing crop, this standing crop is measured as the biomass of living organisms, as the number in a unit area.
• An ecological pyramid is a pictorial representation of the relationship between different organisms in an ecosystem.
• It is of three types: Pyramid of the number, Pyramid of biomass, and Pyramid of energy.

Additional Information

• The pyramid of energy represents the total amount of energy consumed by each trophic level in a given food chain.
• According to the 10% law of energy transfer, only 10% of the total energy is transferred from one trophic level to another.
• Therefore the total amount of energy available for utilization in the layers above is less than the energy available in the lower levels, so the pyramid is always upright.

The correct answer is Indian Football League.

In News

• The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has officially announced the rebranding of the I-League as the 'Indian Football League' starting from the 2026-27 season.

Key Points

• Objective: The rebranding is part of AIFF's 'Vision 2047' to professionalize Indian football and make the league more commercially viable and appealing to a global audience.
• Historical Context: The I-League was originally launched in 2007, replacing the National Football League (NFL).
• Promotion/Relegation: The league will continue to serve as the second tier in the Indian football pyramid, with the winners earning promotion to the Indian Super League (ISL).
• New Identity
• The rebranding includes a new logo and a standardized broadcasting format to align with international standards.
• It aims to strengthen the "Indian" identity of the domestic league structure.

Additional Information

• AIFF (All India Football Federation)
• The governing body for football in India, affiliated with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
• Headquarters: Football House, New Delhi.
• Indian Football Pyramid
• Tier 1: Indian Super League (ISL)
• Tier 2: Indian Football League (formerly I-League)

The correct answer is (i) - (a), (ii) - (c), (iii) - (b), (iv) - (d).

Key Points

• Alkali metal:
• Group 1 elements in the periodic table, consist of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium.
• They are highly reactive, easily losing an electron to form a positive ion, and are stored under oil or inert gas to prevent reactions with air and moisture.
• Alkali metals have low densities, and low melting points, and are good conductors of heat and electricity.
• They have various uses, including in batteries, alloys, and as a coolant in nuclear reactors.
• Alkaline earth metal:
• Group 2 elements in the periodic table, including beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium.
• They are also reactive and easily lose two electrons to form a positive ion but are less reactive than alkali metals.
• Alkaline earth metals have higher densities and melting points than alkali metals and are also good conductors of heat and electricity.
• They have many practical applications, such as in construction materials, alloys, and fireworks.
• Transition metal:
• Elements in the d-block of the periodic table, consisting of groups 3-12, including iron, copper, silver, and gold.
• They have multiple valence electrons and can form various oxidation states, giving them the ability to form complex compounds and exhibit colourful properties.
• Transition metals have high densities, and melting points, and are good conductors of heat and electricity.
• They have numerous applications in technology, such as in catalysts, electronic devices, and construction materials.
• • Group 18 elements in the periodic table, consisting of helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon.
• They are characterized by their extremely low reactivity and are usually found as monatomic gases in the atmosphere.
• Noble gases have complete valence electron shells, making them chemically stable and unreactive with other elements.
• They have applications in lighting, cryogenics, and as a shielding gas in welding.

The correct answer is transfer of electrons between two reactants.

Key Points

Redox Reactions

• Redox reactions are chemical reactions in which the oxidation states of atoms are changed.
• These reactions involve the transfer of electrons from one substance to another.
• One substance is oxidized (losing electrons) and another is reduced (gaining electrons).

Explanation:-

1. Zn + CuSO4 → ZnSO4 + Cu

• Zn goes from 0 to +2 oxidation state (oxidation).
• Cu goes from +2 to 0 oxidation state (reduction).
• This is a redox reaction.

2. 2KClO3 + I2 → 2KIO3 + Cl2

• Cl in KClO3 goes from +5 to 0 oxidation state (reduction).
• I in I2 goes from 0 to +5 oxidation state in KIO3 (oxidation).
• This is a redox reaction.

3. H2 + Cl2 → 2HCl

• H goes from 0 to +1 oxidation state (oxidation).
• Cl goes from 0 to -1 oxidation state (reduction).
• This is a redox reaction.

The correct answer is Use of fabric filters to trap dust and fly ash.

Key Points

• Fabric filters, commonly referred to as baghouses, are specialized industrial air pollution control devices designed to remove particulate matter (PM) from flue gas or exhaust streams.
• They function by passing contaminated air through a series of long, cylindrical bags made of woven or felted fabric, which physically trap solid pollutants such as dust, soot, and fly ash.
• The filtration process involves several physical mechanisms including inertial impaction, interception, and diffusion; as the operation continues, a dust cake forms on the fabric, which significantly increases the removal efficiency of fine particulates.
• These systems are highly effective for particulate control, often achieving collection efficiencies of over 99 percent for particles as small as 0.5 to 1 micrometer in diameter.
• They are essential in high-pollution industries such as thermal power plants, cement factories, and metal smelting units to prevent the release of harmful fly ash into the atmosphere.

 Additional Information

• Absorption of gases (Liquid Scrubbers):
• This method primarily targets gaseous pollutants like Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) by dissolving them in a liquid solvent (often water or an alkaline solution).
• While wet scrubbers can capture some particulates, the specific process of absorption is a mass-transfer operation meant for chemical gas removal rather than solid particle filtration.
• Catalytic Combustion:
• This technique is used to treat Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Carbon Monoxide (CO) by oxidizing them at lower temperatures using a catalyst (such as Platinum or Palladium).
• It does not effectively remove non-combustible particulates like mineral dust or ash.
• Increasing Chimney Height:
• A dispersion strategy that utilizes stack height to release pollutants higher into the atmosphere, allowing for dilution by wind before they reach ground level.
• This is not a control method as it does not reduce the total mass of pollutants emitted into the environment.
• Electrostatic Precipitators (ESP):
• Another major device for particulate control that uses electric charges to collect particles on large collector plates, widely used for managing fine fly ash in coal-fired power stations.