14 October 2025 · Shift 2

Insan-i-Kamil Akbar was described as Insan-i-Kamil, the Perfect Man, in the writings of Abul Fazl. The idea drew on Sufi thought and supported his claim to spiritual as well as temporal authority. It fits with his Din-i-Ilahi and his policy of sulh-i-kul. Hence option (c).

PMFBY Statements II and IV correctly describe the scheme — comprehensive cover for non-preventable risks and stabilising farm income. Enrolment was made VOLUNTARY for all farmers in 2020, so Statement I is incorrect. Premium rates differ by crop — 2% for kharif, 1.5% for rabi and 5% for commercial and horticultural crops — so Statement III is incorrect. I and III — option (a).

BWF World Championship final Kidambi Srikanth reached the final of the 2021 BWF World Championships at Huelva. He was the first Indian man to do so and took the silver medal. Sai Praneeth had won a bronze in 2019, the first for an Indian man at these championships. Hence option (c).

Asian Athletics 2017 The 2017 Asian Athletics Championships were held at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. India topped the medal table with 29 medals, including 12 gold. Odisha has since hosted several major sporting events. Hence option (a).

Indian Open Golf The first Indian Open was played in 1964 at the Delhi Golf Club, New Delhi. It is the oldest professional golf tournament in India. Peter Thomson of Australia won that first edition. Hence option (b).

Pulitzer 2020 Colson Whitehead won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Nickel Boys. He had already won it in 2017 for The Underground Railroad. That made him only the fourth writer to win the fiction Pulitzer twice. Hence option (b).

Steeplechase Avinash Sable took silver in the 3000 m steeplechase at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He then won gold in the same event at the 2023 Asian Games. He also holds the national record in the event. Hence option (d).

Alarippu "Alarippu" comes from the Telugu word meaning to blossom or to open out. It is the opening item of a Bharatanatyam recital, in which the body unfolds limb by limb. It is pure rhythm without any story, and warms up both dancer and audience. Hence option (d).

Rigveda mandalas The Rigveda is arranged in ten mandalas. They hold 1,028 suktas in all. Mandalas 2 to 7 are the oldest, called the family books. Hence option (b).

Pongal Pongal is a four-day harvest festival of Tamil Nadu. Day 1 Bhogi is for Lord Indra, Day 2 Thai Pongal for the Sun God, Day 3 Maatu Pongal for cattle and Day 4 Kaanum Pongal for family visits. So only the description of Maatu Pongal is correct. Hence option (c).

Talhkhuang Talhkhuang is a Mizo percussion instrument made of curved wooden pieces and played with a wooden hammer. It is used only during memorial stone ceremonies held to honour the dead. Because of that funerary link it is never brought inside a house. Hence option (a).

Pitt's India Act Pitt's India Act set up a Board of Control to supervise the Company's civil, military and revenue affairs. This created a system of dual government in which political matters answered to the Crown and trade stayed with the Company. It thus placed the Company’s Indian territories under parliamentary control. Hence option (c).

Birgunj-Raxaul ICP Raxaul lies in Bihar and Birgunj just across the border in Nepal. This is the busiest trade route between the two countries. The ICP handles cargo, customs and passenger movement at that crossing. Hence option (d).

Crude death rate The crude death rate counts deaths per 1,000 of the mid-year population in a year. The birth rate is expressed in the same way. Rates per lakh are used for narrower measures such as maternal mortality. Hence option (a).

Gaganyaan Gaganyaan is designed to carry a three-member crew. The mission plans a low Earth orbit of about 400 km for up to three days. The crew module is to return by a splashdown in Indian waters. Hence option (b).

Padma awardees M.T. Vasudevan Nair was a Malayalam writer, screenwriter and director from Kerala, honoured posthumously for Literature and Education ✓. Dr D. Nageshwar Reddy is a gastroenterologist, so his field is Medicine, not Public Affairs. Kumudini Lakhia was a Kathak exponent (Art) and Justice Khehar belongs to Public Affairs — both are mismatched. Hence option (a).

BNSS arrest An arrested person must be told at once why he is being arrested. If the offence is bailable, he must also be told that he is entitled to bail and may arrange sureties. This carries forward the protection given by Article 22 of the Constitution. Hence option (b).

PM-KISAN app PM-KISAN pays ₹6,000 a year in three equal instalments to eligible farmers. The app lets a farmer check his beneficiary status and the instalments credited to his account. Crop insurance claims come under the separate PMFBY portal. Hence option (d).

Global Liveability Index 2025 Copenhagen took the top place in the 2025 Global Liveability Index. The index is compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Cities are rated on stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Hence option (a).

Break-even point At the break-even point the firm makes neither profit nor loss. That happens exactly when total revenue equals total cost. MC = MR is the condition for maximum profit, which is a different point. Hence option (c).

Plan Holiday After the Third Plan ended in 1966, no five-year plan was drawn up for three years. Instead three annual plans were made for 1966-67, 1967-68 and 1968-69. This gap, caused by the wars, drought and the devaluation of the rupee, is called the Plan Holiday. Hence option (b).

Rani Chennamma Rani Chennamma was the queen of Kittur in present-day Belagavi district. She rose against the Doctrine of Lapse in 1824, well before the revolt of 1857. She was captured and died in Bailhongal fort in 1829. Hence option (c).

Bismarck of India Sardar Patel brought over 560 princely states into the Indian Union as the first Home Minister. The comparison is with Otto von Bismarck, who unified Germany. He is also called the Iron Man of India. Hence option (b).

Sugar industry India leads the world in gur and khandsari production — Statement 3 correct. India is the second-largest producer of sugar after Brazil — Statement 4 correct. Sugarcane is bulky, heavy and perishable, so Statement 1 is wrong; and Maharashtra also holds a large share of the mills, so Statement 2 is wrong. 3 and 4 — option (c).

Industrial Licensing (A–R) The licence-permit system restricted capacity and entry, so it held innovation BACK rather than promoting it — A is false. It did raise entry barriers and gave officials discretion that bred rent-seeking — R is true. That is why the system was dismantled in 1991. Hence option (c).