1. Kerala's state bird, an endangered species, was lately spotted in an odd coastal location in Kannur district. Which bird is it?
Answer: D. Listed as Endangered by IUCN and covered by Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, the Great Hornbill turned up unexpectedly at Kakkampara on the Kannur coast.
2. The Union Cabinet's newly cleared Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme has what total corpus?
Answer: E. The scheme carries a ₹1 lakh crore fund, provided through a 50-year interest-free loan to ANRF, to back R&D and deep-tech innovation.
3. Per the NSO's nutrition intake report for 2023–24, which food group supplies the most protein in both rural and urban diets?
Answer: A. Cereals still provide the biggest share of dietary protein, around 47% in rural and 39% in urban areas, though that share has gradually fallen.
4. FATF's 2025 report cited the Pulwama and Gorakhnath incidents as cases where attackers raised funds using which kind of digital tools?
Answer: C. FATF noted terrorists abusing e-commerce, blockchain, PayPal and VPNs, and used Pulwama and Gorakhnath as Indian case studies.
5. Under RBI's 2025 directions, from what date will prepayment charges on certain loans be waived for MSEs and individuals?
Answer: B. The new prepayment rules start on 1 January 2026 and are meant to remove charges on floating rate loans for these borrowers.
6. Why might SEBI move weekly index options expiry to a fortnightly cycle?
Answer: B. SEBI is worried about speculation and manipulation, notably after the Jane Street case that involved ₹4,844 crore.
7. Which statement about PMJDY accounts is correct according to the DFS clarification in 2025?
Answer: D. DFS made clear that no closure order exists for inactive accounts, and a drive for re-KYC and awareness is under way instead.
8. What is CRISPR editing meant to achieve in the NIPGR rice experiment?
Answer: A. NIPGR researchers edited a promoter binding site with CRISPR so rice absorbs phosphorus better, which raised its yield.
9. What notable innovation does the NaMo Drone Didi Yojana bring?
Answer: C. The scheme equips women who belong to self-help groups to operate drones for applying fertilisers and pesticides on farms.
10. Which is one important advantage of DBT Platform Version 2.0 for agricultural subsidies?
Answer: E. DBT 2.0 simplifies workflows with real-time dashboards, adds transparency and cuts delays in paying out subsidies.
11. The Welwitschia mirabilis, which gives the Namibian honour its name, grows naturally in which desert?
Answer: D. The plant is native to the Namib Desert and survives there on atmospheric moisture.
12. Which bird is the State Bird of Kerala, as sighted near Ezhimala in Kannur?
Answer: A. The Great Hornbill is Kerala's State Bird.
13. What is the corpus of the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme approved by the Cabinet?
Answer: B. The scheme has a ₹1 lakh crore corpus.
14. Which organisation published the nutritional intake report based on HCES data in July 2025?
Answer: B. The NSO published the report from HCES data.
15. The FATF 2025 terrorist financing update cited which Indian attack in which aluminium powder was bought via an e-commerce site?
Answer: A. The Pulwama bomber procured aluminium powder through Amazon, per the notes.