1. What is one key demand the European Union has made in the India-EU Free Trade Agreement talks?
Answer: A. Brussels wants India to cut duties on high-value goods such as cars, wines and spirits, while India seeks better access for its pharmaceuticals, IT services and farm products.
2. What accounts for India having the most internet shutdowns anywhere in the world?
Answer: D. Shutdowns are often used to maintain law and order during protests and communal tension, although the Supreme Court insists they must pass tests of necessity and proportionality.
3. Which is a significant environmental worry linked to the growth of AI?
Answer: B. AI needs huge computing power, so data centres consume a great deal of energy; remedies include moving to renewables and making hardware more efficient.
4. Why do Ultra Conserved Elements (UCEs) matter in genetics?
Answer: E. UCEs are stretches of DNA unchanged across millions of years that work as 'poison exons', helping control protein output and keeping genes stable.
5. For what reason does the government intend to cut its holding in five public sector banks (PSBs)?
Answer: C. The government plans to sell down up to 20% in certain PSBs so that at least 25% of a listed company's shares are with the public by August 2026, as SEBI requires.
6. What led the RBI to undo its earlier rise in risk weights on NBFC loans?
Answer: D. The higher risk weights were meant to limit financial risk but they hurt credit growth and funding for NBFCs, so the RBI withdrew them.
7. What keeps governance problems alive in Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs)?
Answer: A. Despite RBI's regulatory efforts, many UCBs see frauds and weak internal controls, made worse by political meddling and outdated technology.
8. Why is SEBI tightening its rules for equity and index derivatives?
Answer: E. New limits on positions and stricter eligibility conditions are meant to hold back excessive speculation and keep derivatives trading in line with the fundamentals of stocks.
9. What is the reason for Tata Capital's planned $1.7 billion IPO?
Answer: C. The RBI has told large NBFCs to list on the exchanges for better transparency and governance, and the IPO will also build Tata Capital's capital base and market standing.
10. What has driven the Indian rupee's recent fall in value?
Answer: B. The rupee weakened as importers bought more dollars and the RBI intervened only to a limited extent in offshore forward contract settlements.