1. SPROUT, the facility opened at BRIC-NIPGR in New Delhi, is an abbreviation of what?
Answer: A. Dr Jitendra Singh opened it to build climate-resilient crops, with chickpea taken up first. Phenotyping means measuring observable traits such as height, yield and stress response, and high-throughput means doing so automatically at scale; NIPGR dates from 1998 and is led by Prof. Manoj Prasad.
2. Speed breeding at the SPROUT facility brings a crop cycle down to about how long?
Answer: A. It brings the cycle to around 40 days, allowing several generations a year rather than one or two, so a breeder testing drought or heat tolerance need not wait a whole season each time. Genotype is the genetic makeup and phenotype what is expressed under genes and environment.
3. In 2023, how many DBT institutes were merged to create BRIC, NIPGR's parent body?
Answer: C. Fourteen institutes were merged into BRIC, the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council, an autonomous Department of Biotechnology body. Associated facts: the 2024 BioE3 Policy for biomanufacturing; the 2025 release of India's first genome-edited rice, Pusa DST Rice 1 and DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala); and the exemption of SDN-1 and SDN-2 editing, which brings in no foreign DNA, from GM regulation.
4. What Compressed Biogas purchase obligation do the new GOBARdhan operational guidelines fix for City Gas Distribution companies?
Answer: B. MoPNG issued the guidelines, assuring full offtake of saleable CBG subject to technical and operational feasibility. The administered CBG price is ₹2,110 per MMBTU, about ₹98/kg, assured for a minimum of 10 years, through 31 March 2036. A guaranteed price plus a rising purchase obligation creates a market where none existed.
5. Which theme was chosen for the Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign?
Answer: E. The campaign, launched on 17 September 2026 by MoHUA and DDWS, continues till 2 October, Gandhi Jayanti. It rests on five pillars: Jan Bhagidari, Swachhata Se Samriddhi, Clean Public Places, SafaiMitra Suraksha Evam Samman and Swachh Paathshala.
6. NSTFDC entered an MoU with which company for smart classrooms and computer labs at Eklavya Model Residential Schools (29 of them) in Rajasthan?
Answer: E. The partner is HPCL, in a ₹16.01 crore project across 11 districts expected to benefit over 10,000 Scheduled Tribe students every year. Every school gets four smart classrooms, a computer lab and 10 tablets with competitive-exam material, to be finished within six months.
7. Which sector did NITI Aayog's Trade Watch Quarterly concentrate on in its 9th edition?
Answer: D. The edition handles Q1 FY27. Merchandise and services trade of India reached USD 506.9 billion that quarter (up 15.5 per cent); merchandise exports rose 16 per cent to USD 129.5 billion and imports 19.8 per cent to USD 216.1 billion, leaving a merchandise deficit of USD 86.6 billion. Worldwide goods trade stood at USD 13.7 trillion in H1 2026, up 12.5 per cent.
8. NPCI's revised MDR framework takes effect on 15 October 2026. Up to what value do UPI P2M transactions stay free?
Answer: D. P2P transfers remain free irrespective of value. Past ₹2,000, categories like railways, telecom, insurance and fuel pay a flat ₹5 MDR, and capital-market payments pay 0.02 per cent subject to a ₹300 cap. The contrast between a flat fee and a percentage fee as ticket size grows is the thinking interviewers look for.
9. India's first tokenised corporate bonds, made possible by NSE, were issued within which framework?
Answer: C. Since SEBI, not the RBI, governs corporate bonds, they came under the SEBI Regulatory Sandbox Framework, 2020. Together the issues were ₹1,000 crore, REC and L&T each raising ₹500 crore, with DLT used to represent and manage the securities digitally for greater transparency, efficiency and settlement.
10. Kamlesh Chandra Varshney was reappointed to SEBI's board as a Whole-Time Member. Which service is he from?
Answer: C. He is from the 1990 batch of the Indian Revenue Service. Joining SEBI as WTM in September 2023, he now stays until 4 August 2029, the day he turns 65, or until further orders; his responsibilities have included market intermediaries, legal affairs, surveillance and IT.
11. Among 41 markets in the Global Business Climate Survey 2026, India placed first. Which two countries followed, in order?
Answer: A. Ireland and then Vietnam came next. The survey, prepared by Business Sweden along with the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in India, reflects how Swedish multinationals see their markets; India has stayed in the top three for four years, and 73 per cent of Swedish companies call its operating climate good or very good. The highest revenue and growth projections went to India, the Philippines and Poland. India and Sweden have been Strategic Partners since 2018 and jointly started LeadIT at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit.
12. Which large State ranked first in the 2025 India Electric Mobility Index?
Answer: B. Maharashtra topped the large States, with Karnataka second and Tamil Nadu third at 61; Delhi led UTs and city states and the overall ranking with 84 (up from 77), while Manipur at 46 led the hilly and northeastern group. This 2nd edition by NITI Aayog with WRI India uses 16 indicators weighted at 50 per cent for transport electrification, 30 per cent for charging infrastructure and 20 per cent for research and innovation.
13. What was India's electric vehicle penetration for 2025-26, as given in the IEMI 2025?
Answer: B. The figure was 8.25 per cent, compared with 0.5 per cent in 2018. In the same index Karnataka has the top charging readiness score, 97, and Delhi the top research and innovation score, 94; Madhya Pradesh moved up to 7th overall from 23rd, and Goa gained ten positions to reach fifth.
14. Where did GIFT City rank in the Global Financial Centres Index 40?
Answer: D. It placed 37th, nine places up from 46th in GFCI 39, and is the only Indian centre among the Asia-Pacific top 15; Mumbai was 49th and Delhi 56th. Z/Yen Partners and the China Development Institute publish the index twice yearly, with New York, London, Hong Kong and Singapore on top.
15. SPROUT, inaugurated in September 2026, is located at which institute?