1. India's first non-GMO high-expansion popcorn maize hybrid seed was created in association with which ICAR institute?
Answer: A. Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan launched the hybrid at Musunuru in Eluru district, Andhra Pradesh. Non-GMO here means conventional breeding, with no foreign genes inserted, and it reduces reliance on imported popcorn seed technology.
2. What measure is used to judge high expansion in popcorn maize?
Answer: B. Processors sell popcorn by volume, so a higher expansion ratio gives more product from the same grain. This sets popcorn maize apart from ordinary maize grown for feed or starch.
3. NBAGR has newly registered Periyar Kullan, which is Kerala's second indigenous cattle breed after which one?
Answer: C. ICAR-NBAGR at Karnal keeps the official record of animal genetic resources. Vechur is the smallest cattle breed in the world at about 130 kg, whereas Periyar Kullan weighs 150 to 200 kg.
4. Under which rearing system are Periyar Kullan cattle mostly kept?
Answer: E. These cattle graze mixed vegetation in rubber and spice plantations and forest edges with little human management, mainly in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts. Locally they are also known as Kuttampuzha cattle and Andukanni.
5. A ban has been proposed on carbosulfan. To which insecticide class does it belong?
Answer: A. Carbosulfan is a carbamate that blocks acetylcholinesterase and disrupts nerve signals, and no antidote is known for accidental exposure. The ban would be made under the Insecticides Act, 1968.
6. The RBI's August Bulletin reports the southwest monsoon rainfall deficit easing from minus 35.4 per cent at the end of June to what level at the end of July?
Answer: D. The July-end shortfall was minus 13 per cent, and by 24 August it had narrowed to about minus 1 per cent. A weak monsoon matters to the RBI because of its effect on food inflation and rural demand.
7. The RBI August Bulletin shows the kharif sowing deficit improving from minus 22 per cent to what figure?
Answer: B. Sowing came to within about 3 per cent of normal, lowering the risk of a kharif output shortfall. Final yields still depend on how rain is spread through the grain-filling stage.
8. The Garbhini Mitra course started by the All India Institute of Ayurveda comes under which ministry?
Answer: C. AIIA, New Delhi, is an autonomous institution under Ayush and will begin the six-month offline course in 2026-27. It trains non-clinical support staff who guide pregnant women and refer them to doctors.
9. Odisha's Bidesh Sikhyabruti scheme can give selected SC/ST students support of up to how much each year?
Answer: E. Fifty students are chosen every year, and only universities in the QS top 200 qualify. The scheme falls under the Mukhyamantri Medhabi Chhatra Protsahan Yojana.
10. NITI Aayog's report 'Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047' found how many young people aged 15 to 29 to be outside education, employment and training?
Answer: A. The report counts 8.7 crore youth as NEET and notes that just 8.25 per cent of graduates work in jobs that match their qualifications. Few secondary schools offer vocational subjects.
11. PNGRB cleared about 1,800 km of new LPG pipelines. To what length will this lift the common-carrier network from roughly 7,700 km?
Answer: D. The additions across six states, costing around Rs 7,000 crore, include the Cherlapally-Nagpur, Jhansi-Sitarganj and Shikrapur-Goa-Hubli lines. Under common-carrier status, third-party marketers may book capacity.
12. UPI marked ten years on 25 August 2026. Roughly what portion of India's digital payments did it handle in FY26?
Answer: A. UPI carried about 84 per cent of digital payments in FY26. Its yearly volume grew from 1.78 crore transactions in FY17 to over 24,162 crore in FY26.
13. In the Citigroup and Axis Bank tie-up to attract NRI FCNR investments, which instrument will Axis Bank issue?
Answer: C. Citigroup supplies the funding through its offshore arms, and the SBLC from Axis Bank backs that lending. Higher FCNR inflows add directly to foreign exchange reserves.
14. IRCC data show how many Indians became Canadian permanent residents in the first half of 2026?
Answer: D. That is close to one in four of the 1.8 lakh permanent residents Canada admitted, well ahead of the Philippines (13,475) and China (9,630). India's share has still slipped from about 30 per cent in 2023.
15. Who launched India's first non-GMO high-expansion popcorn maize hybrid seed?
Answer: A. Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan launched it.