14 September 2025 · Shift 2

Mim Kut — meaning of Mim Mim Kut is a traditional harvest festival of the Kuki tribes (Mizoram/Manipur), held after the maize harvest. 'Mim' refers to the LAST crop of the year — symbolising survival through the season and love for the departed. Half of this harvest is offered to deceased ancestors with maize and rice wine. Hence option (b).

Kharchi Puja — 14 deities Kharchi Puja is a week-long royal festival held at Old Agartala in July. It venerates the FOURTEEN deities (Chaturdasha Devata) — the dynastic gods of Tripura. The word Kharchi means cleansing — the earth is ritually purified after the monsoon menstruation of Mother Earth. Hence 14 — option (c).

Mughal architecture Mughal architecture blended Persian domes and gardens, Islamic arches, Turkish influences and Indian craftsmanship — Statement 1 is correct. Akbar-era buildings (Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort) used red sandstone; Shah Jahan’s era shifted to white marble (Taj Mahal) — Statement 2 is correct. Both statements describe the style accurately. Hence option (d).

Basketball rules A dribble ends the moment the player touches the ball with BOTH hands simultaneously (or lets it rest in a hand) — statement (d) is true. The shot clock is 24 seconds, not 8 (8 seconds is only for crossing the half-court). Stepping on the boundary line makes a player out of bounds, and the 3-second rule limits time in the restricted zone. Hence option (d).

Paris 2024 Paralympics — archery Armless archer Sheetal Devi and veteran Rakesh Kumar formed India’s compound mixed team. They beat Italy 156-155 in the bronze-medal match at Paris 2024. (Harvinder Singh won gold, but in the individual RECURVE event.) Hence option (a).

NDB Americas office The NDB (BRICS bank) is headquartered in Shanghai, with its first regional office in Johannesburg (Africa). At the 2018 BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, its Americas Regional Office was announced for São Paulo, Brazil. Brazil, as a founding member, hosts the bank’s American operations. Hence option (a).

Because Words Matter "Because Words Matter" is a compilation of quotes by Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi. It highlights the transformative power of language in advocating for children’s rights. Its central theme is the role of words in driving social justice. Hence option (d).

Rockslide In a rockslide, a large mass of bedrock slides rapidly along a plane of weakness (bedding or joint plane). The failure surface lies deep, so material is affected to CONSIDERABLE DEPTH — not just the top layer. Backward rotation describes a slump, and a rockslide is fast, not slower than a rock fall in the graded sense implied. Hence option (c).

Neeraj — Paris DL 2025 At the Paris Diamond League (June 2025), Neeraj Chopra won the javelin event. His very first throw of 88.16 m proved to be the winning distance. No competitor could better it in the remaining rounds. Hence option (d).

ISRO Chairman 2025 Dr. V. Narayanan took charge as ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, on 13 January 2025. A cryogenic-propulsion expert, he earlier headed the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC). He succeeded S. Somanath, under whom Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Moon. Hence option (a).

Dams — statements Statement 1 fails on the word 'always' — dams can be earthen, rock-fill or even natural barriers, not only concrete structures. Spillways do regulate discharge, releasing water intermittently or continuously — Statement 2 is correct. Dams are indeed classified by structure, purpose and height — Statement 3 is correct. Hence Both 2 and 3 — option (a).

Aditya-L1 — corona Aditya-L1 is India’s first solar observatory, placed at the Sun-Earth L1 point. Its main instrument VELC continuously images the CORONA — the Sun’s outermost layer. It probes coronal heating, mass ejections and the chromosphere (regolith and craters belong to moons/planets). Hence option (c).

Rare non-ferrous minerals Non-ferrous minerals are metallic minerals that contain no iron. India is DEFICIENT in copper, zinc and lead — much of the demand is met by imports. Iron/manganese are ferrous; bauxite and mica are abundant in India. Hence option (c).

Zonal Councils — 1956 Zonal Councils are STATUTORY (not constitutional) bodies. They were created by Sections 15-22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. Five zonal councils exist, each chaired by the Union Home Minister. Hence option (b).

Article 256 Article 256 obliges States to comply with Union laws and empowers the Union to give DIRECTIONS to States for that purpose — statement (c) is correct. On the Union List, only Parliament legislates (a and d fail). On the Concurrent List, Parliament needs NO State approval — its law even prevails in case of conflict (Article 254). Hence option (c).

PSLV-C59 / Proba-3 (A–R) PSLV-C59, flown commercially through NSIL for the European Space Agency, was a landmark in international space cooperation — A is true. The mission carried ESA’s Proba-3 twin satellites — the world’s first precision formation-flying pair, built to create artificial solar eclipses — R is true. Placing Proba-3 in orbit for ESA is exactly WHY the mission counts as a cooperation milestone. Hence option (c).

FIR portal — CCTNS The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) links police stations across India digitally. Under the BNSS-era digital policing framework, FIRs (including e-FIR/Zero FIR) are registered and accessed through CCTNS. (BHAVISHYA is a pension-tracking portal — unrelated.) Hence option (c).

Schemes — nodal ministries e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) runs under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare — pair 2 is correct. PM-AASHA is ALSO an Agriculture Ministry umbrella scheme (2018) — not Consumer Affairs — so pair 1 is wrong. PMEGP belongs to the Ministry of MSME, not Water Resources — pair 3 is wrong; and “PMJY” as written is not a standard scheme name, so pair 4 cannot be affirmed. Hence 2 Only — option (d).

Panthi — Guru Ghasidas Panthi is the devotional folk dance of the Satnami community of Chhattisgarh. It is performed in honour of Guru Ghasidas, founder of the Satnam Panth, especially on his Jayanti (18 December). Dancers move in fast rhythm around a jaitkhamb (victory pillar). Hence option (b).

CPI 2024 — climate Transparency International's CPI 2024 carried the theme 'Corruption and the Climate Crisis'. It warned that corruption DIVERTS climate finance meant for adaptation and mitigation. This embezzlement and undue influence weaken global climate action itself. Hence option (c).

Eco-tourism policy Eco-tourism means responsible travel that conserves nature and sustains local communities. India’s policy for protected areas promotes low-impact tourism that funds conservation AND creates local livelihoods (guides, homestays). Neither total restriction nor commercial resorts is the goal. Hence option (c).

Sugar industry Sugarcane must be crushed quickly — sucrose content FALLS during haulage delays — Statement 1 is correct. Crushing runs only in the cane season, making it a seasonal industry — Statement 2 is correct; Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are indeed major producers — Statement 4 is correct. Statement 3 is wrong: cooperative sugar mills (especially in Maharashtra) have been highly successful. Hence Only 1, 2 and 4 — option (c).

MISHTI programme MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes, Budget 2023) restores and expands mangroves while boosting coastal livelihoods — Statement 1 is correct. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change — NOT Rural Development — Statement 2 is wrong. Its funding converges the CAMPA Fund and MGNREGS — Statement 3 is correct. Hence 1 and 3 — option (c).

Kalbelia The Kalbelia are a nomadic snake-charmer community of Rajasthan; their songs and dances pass down orally, so little is documented — Statement 1 is correct. Their flowing black costumes ARE stitched and richly embroidered with mirror-work — Statement 2 is wrong. UNESCO inscription (2010) required a formal written nomination dossier — Statement 3 is wrong. Hence Only 1 — option (b).

Money vs Financial Bills Financial Bills are the broad family of bills dealing with revenue and expenditure. A Money Bill (Article 110) is a SPECIAL, narrower kind within that family — so every Money Bill is a Financial Bill — Statement 1 is correct. But Financial Bills of Category I/II contain other matters too and are NOT Money Bills — Statement 2 is wrong. Hence Only 1 — option (b).