Q1. Who among the following seers was posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2013 and is often referred to as "Vidya Samrat" for his contributions to rural education?
Answer: B (Sri Sri Dr. Balagangadharanatha Maha Swamiji)
Explanation: He was the 71st pontiff of the Math and received the Padma Bhushan posthumously in 2013. He established over 500 educational institutions, earning him the title "Vidya Samrat" (Emperor of Knowledge).
Q2. Which of the following works of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar provided the conceptual framework for the establishment of the Reserve Bank of India (1935)?
Answer: B
Explanation: Ambedkar's evidence before the Hilton Young Commission and his book The Problem of the Rupee provided the conceptual framework for the RBI.
Q3. With reference to the 'Pancha-Teerth' memorial circuit, which of the following is correctly matched?
Janam Bhoomi: Mhow
Shiksha Bhoomi: London
Deeksha Bhoomi: Nagpur
Chaitya Bhoomi: Delhi
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer: A
Explanation: Statement 4 is incorrect. Chaitya Bhoomi is in Mumbai (place of cremation). The site in Delhi is Mahaparinirvan Bhoomi (place of demise).
Q4. With reference to the Pichavaram Mangrove Forest, consider the following statements:
It is situated between the Vellar and Coleroon estuaries in Tamil Nadu.
It is classified as an "Important Bird Area" (IBA) by BirdLife International.
According to the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems, it is currently classified as 'Vulnerable'.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: A (1 and 2 only)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct; Pichavaram is located between the Vellar and Coleroon estuaries.
Statement 2 is correct; it is a recognized IBA.
Statement 3 is incorrect because the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems classifies the Pichavaram mangroves as Critically Endangered, not Vulnerable.
Q5. With reference to the newly discovered species Calamaria garoensis, consider the following statements:
It is a fossorial snake species primarily found in the arid regions of Northwest India.
It belongs to the genus Calamaria, which is part of the Colubridae family.
Recent phylogenetic analysis shows it is genetically distinct from the species complex Calamaria pavimentata.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: B (2 and 3 only)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect because Calamaria garoensis is found in the forested, moist soils of Meghalaya (Northeast India), not arid Northwest India.
Statements 2 and 3 are correct; it belongs to the Colubridae family and was previously misidentified as Calamaria pavimentata, but genetic testing (6.3% divergence) confirmed it as a separate species.
