1. Who was named India's new Ambassador to Sweden in May 2025?
Answer: C. His appointment as envoy to Sweden is a notable diplomatic step at a time of deepening cooperation between the two countries.
2. What judicial development took place in May 2025 over Punjab's ban on hybrid paddy seeds?
Answer: A. The Punjab and Haryana High Court held back its verdict on the challenge, with under two weeks left before paddy transplanting starts.
3. Which bank launched 'Biz+ Current Accounts' for the MSME sector?
Answer: C. The lender rolled out a redesigned range of current accounts aimed at the changing requirements of Indian businesses in the growing MSME segment.
4. Which security measure for the banking sector is India weighing?
Answer: D. The idea is that each bank gets one dedicated number with an incoming-call facility, helping customers tell genuine calls and messages from fake ones.
5. Which banks did the RBI penalise for regulatory non-compliance in May 2025?
Answer: E. The central bank imposed a combined penalty of Rs.2.72 crore on the two lenders for not following regulatory guidelines.
6. According to the UN's WESP mid-year report, what GDP growth is projected for India in 2025?
Answer: B. The World Economic Situation and Prospects mid-year update puts India's expansion in 2025 at 6.3 percent.
7. Which factor helped Indian markets stay resilient in May 2025?
Answer: A. A pickup in capex was one of several positive domestic indicators behind the strength of the markets.
8. India introduced which two genome-edited rice varieties in May 2025?
Answer: C. ICAR and its linked institutes developed both Kamala and Pusa DST Rice 1, which are pioneering genome-edited varieties.
9. Why did the US turn back 15 Indian mango shipments in May 2025?
Answer: E. American customs rejected at least 15 consignments owing to paperwork mistakes, in particular on the PPQ203 certification form.
10. Which new crop varieties did Banaras Hindu University (BHU) release in May 2025?
Answer: A. On 13 May 2025 the agriculture ministry released three BHU-bred varieties: two of rice, Malaviya Manila Sinchit Dhan-1 and Malviya Dhan 105 Sub-1, and a mustard type, Malviya Nidhi.
11. Which exchange rate system did Bangladesh agree to adopt under its IMF loan programme?
Answer: C. Bangladesh agreed to a crawling peg for greater currency flexibility.
12. Which Article did the Supreme Court interpret to include the right to digital access?
Answer: D. The Court read digital access into Article 21.
13. EOS-09 carries which type of radar?
Answer: B. EOS-09 is equipped with a C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar.
14. What was India's overall unemployment rate for persons aged 15 and above in the April 2025 PLFS bulletin?
Answer: B. The overall unemployment rate was 5.1%, with rural 4.5% and urban 6.5%.
15. MATSYA 6000 is designed to carry personnel to what depth?