1. Hosting or co-hosting the FIFA World Cup for a third time with the 2026 edition, which country makes history as the first to do so?
Answer: D. Having hosted or co-hosted in 1970 and 1986, Mexico gets a third turn in 2026, a first for any country.
2. A clean-cooking project in which country earned the very first carbon credits under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement?
Answer: A. Replacing traditional wood-burning stoves with cleaner ones in Myanmar produced the first credits under this Article 6.4 mechanism.
3. On 22 January 2015, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) was kicked off at which place?
Answer: D. Prime Minister Narendra Modi began BBBP in Panipat, Haryana, to tackle the falling child sex ratio and back girl children.
4. India's FY27 growth forecast was revised to what figure in the World Bank's latest Global Economic Prospects?
Answer: B. A 10 basis point upgrade lifted the World Bank's projection for India in FY27 to 6.6%, helped by strong domestic demand and reforms.
5. Who can open FCNR(B) deposits?
Answer: E. Non-resident Indians, OCIs and PIOs are all allowed to hold FCNR(B) deposits in approved foreign currencies.
6. What does FBIL, the publisher of reference exchange rates used in RBI's FCNR(B) swap window, stand for?
Answer: C. As the benchmark administrator regulated by RBI, FBIL releases the official daily reference rates for key currency pairs.
7. On which date was the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 brought into the Lok Sabha?
Answer: A. The bill, proposing major changes to how foreign contributions are regulated, entered the Lok Sabha on 25 March 2026.
8. Which institute developed Oilseeds Kisaan Mitra, billed as India's first WhatsApp-based AI advisory service for oilseed farmers?
Answer: D. ICAR's Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research in Hyderabad created this multilingual chatbot powered by AI for WhatsApp.
9. Atal Tinkering Labs and Atal Incubation Centres come under which NITI Aayog mission launched in 2016?
Answer: B. AIM, set up by NITI Aayog in 2016, encourages entrepreneurship via tinkering labs, incubation centres and similar efforts like ACICs.
10. Where is the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), which lately reconstituted its Expert Committee on Agrobiodiversity, headquartered?
Answer: E. Set up under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, the NBA is a statutory, autonomous body with its headquarters in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
11. Before his appointment as the next COAS, which post did Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth hold?
Answer: C. He is the serving Vice Chief of the Army Staff and takes over on 30 June 2026.
12. Jaspal Rana's civilian honour Padma Shri was conferred in which year, according to the notes?
Answer: B. Padma Shri came in 1997; the Arjuna Award was in 1994 and the Dronacharya Award in 2020.
13. How many teams and matches feature in the expanded FIFA World Cup 2026?
Answer: B. The 23rd edition has 48 teams and 104 matches.
14. The first-ever carbon credits under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement were issued for a clean-cooking project in which country?
Answer: A. The project replaces wood-fired stoves in Myanmar's central Dry Zone.
15. Where was Beti Bachao Beti Padhao launched on 22 January 2015?
Answer: A. The launch took place in Panipat, Haryana.