1. A National Board has recently been set up for makhana, an aquatic crop. What is its scientific name?
Answer: C. Makhana is a member of the water lily family, and its starchy seeds are dried, roasted and popped into fox nuts. It grows in shallow standing freshwater about 1 to 1.5 metres deep, which suits waterlogged land.
2. Nearly 90 per cent of India's makhana output comes from which state?
Answer: B. Production clusters in Bihar's Mithilanchal and Kosi-Seemanchal belts, including Darbhanga, Madhubani and Purnia. India supplies 85 to 90 per cent of the world's makhana.
3. Alongside the National Makhana Board, the Centre has cleared a scheme for the sector worth how much?
Answer: A. The scheme of Rs 476.03 crore accompanies the Board, which is meant to organise a historically informal chain of cultivation, processing and marketing. The market could reach Rs 11,000 to 12,000 crore by 2029-30.
4. In which year did Mithila Makhana obtain its Geographical Indication tag?
Answer: E. The GI registration went to the Mithilanchal Makhana Utpadak Sangh of Purnia in 2022. GI tags generally belong to a producer body and tie a product to a defined area.
5. The indigenous NIKA2 Kisan Medium Drone from Hyderabad-based AkinAnalytics can carry what spraying payload?
Answer: D. The drone's spraying capacity is 16 litres, while its spreading payload is 12 litres. It offers terrain following, fail-safe systems and night operation, in line with Make in India.
6. The National Commission for Women, which ran the Yashoda AI programme in Jalandhar, gets its statutory basis from which law?
Answer: E. The Act was passed in 1990 and the Commission itself began work in 1992. It is a statutory rather than constitutional body, headquartered in New Delhi.
7. The RBI has permitted LIC to raise its holding in HDFC Bank up to what percentage of paid-up capital or voting rights?
Answer: D. LIC holds about 4.11 per cent now, and the approval only permits it to go up to 9.99 per cent. Any purchase must still follow RBI norms, SEBI rules, FEMA and the Banking Regulation Act.
8. Paul Merchants Finance became India's first NBFC to open dedicated silver loan branches. Under which RBI framework?
Answer: C. The firm started in Chandigarh with loans of Rs 2,000 to Rs 15 lakh against silver jewellery, ornaments and approved coins. The 2025 Directions bring silver collateral into regulated lending.
9. The Competition Commission of India cleared Prudential Corporation Holdings' purchase of what stake in Bharti Life Insurance?
Answer: B. The deal for a 75 per cent stake is valued at about Rs 3,500 crore. Prudential's 22 per cent holding in its ICICI Bank life insurance venture will have to be reduced.
10. The Zonal Councils, whose 31st Southern Zonal Council session met at Mahabalipuram, were created by which law?
Answer: A. Part III of the 1956 Act set up five statutory Councils: Northern, Central, Eastern, Western and Southern. The North-Eastern Council is separate, created in 1971.
11. Which body implements Ayushman Bharat - PM Jan Arogya Yojana, recently introduced in West Bengal?
Answer: E. The NHA, under the Health Ministry, runs the scheme, which started on 23 September 2018. It gives Rs 5 lakh a year per family for secondary and tertiary care.
12. India's core sector growth in July 2026 eased from 6 per cent in June to what rate?
Answer: C. Weaker fertilizer, iron ore and steel output pulled growth down to 5.4 per cent, while crude oil and natural gas kept shrinking. Coal rose 7.6 per cent, an eleven-month best.
13. India Ratings and Research upgraded its FY27 GDP growth forecast for India to:
Answer: B. Ind-Ra lifted its forecast from 6.7 to 6.8 per cent, mainly because it expects lower crude oil prices. It names geopolitical tensions, high inflation and rupee depreciation among the risks.
14. The DGFT amended the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 so exporters can receive rupee payments while keeping export benefits. For contracts with countries outside which grouping does this apply?
Answer: D. For non-ACU countries, contracts and invoices may be in rupees or foreign currency, and rupee receipts through approved banks now qualify for FTP benefits. Exports to Nepal and Bhutan are excluded.
15. What is the scientific name of makhana (fox nut)?