13 September 2025 · Shift 2

Sculpture — chronology In the stylistic evolution of early Indian sculpture, the Bharhut reliefs (2nd century BCE) represent the earliest stage — flat, narrative panels. The Sanchi Stupa-1 gateway carvings come next, showing more mature, deeper relief work. The Mathura school (Kushana period) is the latest of the three — order b - c - a; option (a).

Chithirai Festival The Chithirai Festival is held in the Tamil month of Chithirai (April–May), not Margazhi or December. Its most famous event is Lord Kallazhagar (Vishnu) entering Madurai on a golden horse to attend Meenakshi’s wedding. Hence option (b).

Bandish A bandish is the fixed, structured composition in a raga around which a Hindustani performance is built. Kriti is the Carnatic equivalent; gamaka is an ornament and rasa is the aesthetic mood. Hence option (a).

Judo — belts & area In Judo, the red-and-white striped belt is awarded to judokas of the 6th, 7th and 8th dan (solid red for 9th and above) — Statement 1 is correct. Between adjacent competition areas a shared safety zone of about 3–4 metres (not 1 metre) is required — Statement 2 is wrong. Hence 1 only — option (a).

63rd National Athletics 2024 At the 63rd National Open Athletics Championships 2024, Gulveer Singh won the men’s 5,000 m. His timing broke Bahadur Prasad’s meet record that had stood for about three decades. Hence option (b).

BRICS STI cooperation BRICS STI cooperation rests on mutual benefit and innovation for the public good — Statement 1 is correct. It is run through dedicated STI ministerial meetings, working groups and funded joint projects — not solely through Heads of State Summits — Statement 2 is wrong. Hence 1 only — option (a).

Khelo India Para Games The first Khelo India Para Games were held from 10–17 December 2023 in New Delhi. They featured seven disciplines across three venues (IG Stadium, Shooting Range and JLN Stadium complexes). Hence option (c).

Last Man in Tower (A–R) Aravind Adiga’s Last Man in Tower centres on a Mumbai housing society under redevelopment pressure and the moral conflicts of its residents — A is true. The novel is not about the historical or colonial evolution of Mumbai’s architecture — R is false. Hence option (c).

Cave formations A stalagmite rises from the cave floor, built up by mineral-rich water dripping down from the ceiling — correctly described in option (b). Stalactites hang from the roof, and a pillar forms when the two meet — options (a), (c) and (d) reverse these facts. Hence option (b).

NVS-02 / GSLV-F15 NVS-02, launched on GSLV-F15 (January 2025 — ISRO’s 100th launch from Sriharikota), is a NavIC second-generation satellite. Its purpose is to strengthen India’s own navigation constellation with precise positioning, velocity and timing services. Hence option (a).

Population growth (A–R) Population growth is indeed expressed both as an absolute increase and as an annual percentage rate — A is true. Absolute numbers alone show only the scale of increase; without the rate, trends relative to base population are missed — R is false. Hence option (c).

CAG — K. Sanjay Murthy K. Sanjay Murthy took charge as CAG in November 2024, succeeding G. C. Murmu — Statement 1 is correct. The CAG is appointed by the President under Article 148 — Statement 2 is correct. The tenure is six years or age 65 (whichever is earlier), not a flat five-year term — Statement 3 is wrong; hence option (a).

Golgi apparatus The Golgi apparatus receives proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum. It modifies, sorts and packages them for secretion or delivery within the cell. ATP is made in mitochondria and DNA replicates in the nucleus — option (c).

GST Council majority Under Article 279A(9), every GST Council decision needs at least three-fourths of the weighted votes of members present and voting. The Centre’s vote carries one-third weight and all states together two-thirds. Hence option (b).

Article 255 Some Bills need prior recommendation/sanction of the President or Governor before introduction. Article 255 says such a requirement is a matter of procedure only: if the President/Governor later assents, the law is not invalid merely because the prior recommendation was missing. Hence option (c).

Refraction — frequency Frequency is fixed by the source of light, not by the medium. On entering a denser medium the speed and wavelength both change, but frequency stays the same. Hence option (a).

BSA 2023 The BSA, 2023 replaces the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. It gives electronic and digital records the status of primary evidence and embraces forensic and digital advancements. Hence option (a).

Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (A–R) The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (first conferred in 2024) is India’s national civilian honour for science, technology and innovation — A is true. It is administered by the Ministry of Science & Technology (DST), not the Ministry of Culture — R is false. Hence option (c).

Global Gender Gap Report The WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report scores countries on four sub-indices. These are Economic Participation & Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health & Survival, and Political Empowerment. Hence option (a).

Thang-Ta — Manipur Thang-Ta (‘sword and spear’) is the traditional Meitei martial art. It belongs to Manipur, where it is also performed as a dance form (part of Huyen Langlon). Hence option (a).

Heavy industries Heavy industries use bulky raw materials, huge capital and produce heavy goods. Shipbuilding and automobile manufacturing are classic heavy industries; the other options are light industries. Hence option (b).

Governor — appointment Under Article 155, the Governor of a state is appointed by the President. He holds office during the pleasure of the President (Article 156). Hence option (b).

Western Ghats — threat Endemic species of the Western Ghats evolved in isolated, specialised niches. Invasive alien species (like Lantana and Eupatorium) outcompete and displace them, posing the greatest risk beyond habitat loss. Hence option (b).

NISAR orbit NISAR (launched July 2025 on GSLV-F16) is the joint NASA-ISRO radar Earth-observation mission. It operates in a polar Sun-synchronous orbit (~747 km) so it images the whole globe under consistent lighting every 12 days. Hence option (c).

Governor & President — dissolution Under Article 174, the Governor can dissolve the State Legislative Assembly — Statement 1 is correct. Under Article 85, the President CAN dissolve the Lok Sabha — so Statement 2 is wrong. Hence 1 only — option (a).