1. Why is the Supreme Court worried about the criminalisation of politics?
Answer: C. Data showed that 46% of Lok Sabha MPs have pending criminal cases and 170 face serious charges carrying 5+ years in prison. This endangers democratic integrity and strengthens the case for electoral reform.
2. Which central commitment is part of the India-EFTA trade agreement?
Answer: A. EFTA members Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland pledged $100 billion over 15 years, expected to generate millions of jobs and industrial growth in India.
3. Saudi Arabia's position on Trump's Gaza proposal matters because it does what?
Answer: D. Crown Prince MbS rejected the idea of relocating Gaza's people and demanded a two-state solution before diplomatic ties with Israel. This shapes West Asian geopolitics considerably.
4. The Market Intervention Scheme is chiefly intended for what purpose?
Answer: B. MIS guards against sharp price crashes in perishables like tomatoes, onions and potatoes, and it kicks in when market prices drop at least 10% relative to the previous season.
5. Which feature stands out in the RBI's new rules for gold loan auctions?
Answer: E. The rules require that borrowers be allowed to bid in gold auctions. The reserve price must be at least 85% of the 30-day average price of 22-carat gold.
6. What does a Non-Deliverable Forward (NDF) refer to?
Answer: C. NDFs are used to hedge currency swings in restricted markets and are settled in cash, typically in USD, instead of swapping the currencies themselves.
7. What notable change did the government make in how it presents disinvestment in Budget 2025-26?
Answer: B. Rather than naming disinvestment, the budget groups it within miscellaneous capital receipts, a shift that comes as privatisation targets were missed repeatedly.
8. Why did India lower tariffs on American products such as pecan nuts?
Answer: A. The cuts on U.S. goods including pecans were meant to improve trade ties, and talks cover restoring India's GSP benefits and exploring a possible free trade agreement.
9. How is India placing itself within its Global South strategy?
Answer: D. India presents itself as a Global South leader, keeping strong diplomatic ties with developed nations while countering China's influence in emerging economies.
10. What was a main result of the UK-India Defence Partnership Initiative?
Answer: E. The initiative deepens defence links through deals on missile systems, joint manufacturing and naval propulsion, adding to India's defence capabilities.