1. What is the central point of the Ukraine-U.S. minerals agreement?
Answer: C. Under the deal, the U.S. gets access to Ukraine's resources in return for security guarantees and wartime support. Trump has insisted on mineral access in exchange for any American aid.
2. Who is tipped to become Germany's next Chancellor, moving policy toward conservative governance?
Answer: A. CDU leader Friedrich Merz is expected to steer Germany rightward, with a focus on tax cuts, tighter fiscal discipline and tougher immigration policy.
3. Recent trends raise which main worry about the U.S. stock market?
Answer: D. High valuations and reliance on tech giants give the market bubble-like signs, and the lasting sustainability of growing AI investment is uncertain.
4. In trade talks with the U.K., which agreement does India give priority to?
Answer: E. India wants the SSA, which covers social security benefits for Indian professionals working in the U.K., whereas the U.K. is keener on the BIT.
5. What has caused the Right to Information Act to lose strength in India?
Answer: B. Bureaucratic resistance, delayed information commission replies, weak penalties and new digital laws restricting access to public data have eroded the RTI Act.
6. What is a key objection to India's frequent internet shutdowns?
Answer: A. India saw 84 shutdowns in 2024, mainly during protests, communal violence and exams, and critics say they unduly limit communication and fundamental rights.
7. By which year does India expect carbon credit trading to begin under its new carbon market scheme?
Answer: C. The market will roll out in phases: emission intensity targets were to be set by February 2025 and credit trading is due to start by October 2026.
8. What is the likely effect of the RBI's ban on prepayment penalties for NBFCs?
Answer: D. The proposed ban for small business and retail loans will heighten competition, pushing NBFCs to alter lending strategies or increase rates.
9. Which big development has taken place in India's digital currency space?
Answer: E. Working with Yes Bank, CRED and MobiKwik introduced e-Rupee wallets to spur adoption, with 5 million users and 420,000 merchants on board.
10. A possible Trump administration's trade retaliation is seen as a high risk for which set of countries?
Answer: B. An S&P Global report lists India, South Korea and Thailand as most exposed to American retaliation, chiefly via higher tariffs.