14 September 2025 · Shift 3

Stupa — harmika The harmika is the square railing at the TOP of the stupa dome, symbolising the abode of the gods — Statement I is correct. The relics of the Buddha were enshrined in a casket deep inside the anda (dome), not in the harmika — Statement II is wrong. The chhatra (umbrella) rises from the harmika above. Hence option (c).

Yajurveda The very name comes from 'yajus' — sacrificial formula. The Yajurveda is the priests’ manual: prose mantras and step-by-step directions for performing yajnas. The Rigveda is hymns of praise, the Samaveda melodies, and the Atharvaveda charms and spells. Hence option (d).

Ghana Vadya Indian organology divides instruments into four classes: Tata (strings), Sushira (wind), Avanaddha (membrane drums) and Ghana. Ghana Vadya are SOLID instruments — manjira, jhanjh, ghatam, kartal — struck to keep rhythm. Being solid, they need no tuning, unlike drums. Hence option (b).

Swimming — sculling Sculling is a water-feel technique used by swimmers and synchronised swimmers alike. The hands trace small figure-eight (∞) motions under water, generating continuous lift. This keeps the body balanced and afloat — it is used at all levels, not only by beginners. Hence option (c).

Sachin Nag — 1951 At the first Asian Games (New Delhi, 1951), swimmer Sachin Nag won the 100 m freestyle. It was India’s first-ever Asian Games gold in swimming. Mihir Sen and Bula Choudhury are famed for open-water/English Channel feats; Khajan Singh won silver in 1986. Hence option (c).

Rammohan Roy — Sati Rammohan Roy fought Sati with the pen, not the sword. Through journals like Sambad Kaumudi, tracts and public advocacy, he argued that the scriptures nowhere sanction Sati. His sustained campaign paved the way for Governor-General William Bentinck’s Regulation XVII of 1829 banning Sati. Hence option (b).

SAMPRITI-XI SAMPRITI is the flagship India-Bangladesh joint military exercise, alternating between the two countries. Its 11th edition (October 2023) was conducted at Umroi in Meghalaya. The exercise focuses on counter-terrorism operations and interoperability under the UN mandate. Hence option (d).

Santosh Trophy The Santosh Trophy is India’s national football championship for states, started in 1941. It is named after Sir Manmatha Nath Roy Chowdhury, the Maharaja of SANTOSH (now in Bangladesh), then President of the IFA. Syed Abdul Rahim was the legendary national coach — a different figure. Hence option (d).

Moor's Last Sigh (A–R) Salman Rushdie's 'The Moor's Last Sigh' (1995) blends four generations of family history with magical realism to probe Indian identity and politics — A is true. The novel won the Whitbread Novel Award and was only SHORTLISTED for the Booker Prize — it did not win it. (Rushdie's Booker came for 'Midnight's Children', 1981.) So R is false. Hence option (d).

Bharatpol — launch Bharatpol is a CBI-developed portal that connects Indian agencies with INTERPOL in real time. Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched it in January 2025 in New Delhi. It speeds up requests for Red Notices and international criminal assistance. Hence option (b).

Convectional rainfall Intense surface heating (typical of equatorial afternoons) warms the air above. The heated air rises in convection currents, expands and COOLS with altitude. Condensation builds cumulonimbus clouds, giving heavy afternoon showers — the 4 o’clock rains. Hence option (c).

Minerals & population Mining areas attract industries that process the minerals. Industries bring jobs, and jobs pull people — settlements grow around them. That is why mining-industrial belts like Chhota Nagpur or the Ruhr are densely peopled. Hence option (d).

Demographic transition Replacement-level fertility (~2.1 children per woman) is the rate at which a population exactly replaces itself. The demographic transition moves societies from high birth-death rates to low ones. Completing that shift — from high to low growth — corresponds to fertility reaching replacement level, after which population stabilises. Hence option (b).

NISAR — 12-day revisit NISAR maps the entire globe with radar, tracking changes in land, ice and ecosystems. A fixed 12-day repeat cycle means every point on Earth is imaged again and again at regular intervals. This TEMPORAL resolution lets scientists detect movement — glacier flow, ground deformation, deforestation — over time. Hence option (c).

Glycogen Glycogen — 'animal starch' — is the storage carbohydrate of animals. It is stocked in the liver and muscles and broken into glucose when energy is needed. Starch stores energy in plants; cellulose is structural; sucrose is transport sugar. Hence option (b).

Article 262 Article 262 lets Parliament by law provide for the ADJUDICATION of inter-State river water disputes. It also lets Parliament bar the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and other courts in such disputes. Using this power, the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 creates tribunals (e.g. Cauvery, Krishna). Hence option (b).

Doppler effect When the source and listener are in relative motion, the observed frequency changes — the Doppler effect. As the train approaches, sound waves compress — higher pitch; as it recedes, they stretch — lower pitch. Refraction, diffraction and resonance do not depend on relative motion. Hence option (b).

BNS — petty organized crime Section 112 of the BNS defines 'petty organised crime'. It covers gang-committed theft, snatching, cheating, ticket touting, betting and similar acts causing general insecurity. Contract killing, terrorism and large-scale trafficking fall under ORGANISED crime (Section 111) or terrorism provisions. Hence option (b).

PKVY — organic farming PKVY (2015), under the Ministry of Agriculture, promotes cluster-based ORGANIC farming. Farmers get assistance of ₹31,500 per hectare over 3 years, including direct support for organic inputs. PM-KMY is a pension scheme, SHC tests soil nutrients, and PM-KISAN gives income support. Hence option (a).

NSWS (A–R) The National Single Window System (NSWS, 2021) is a digital platform where investors get approvals and clearances from many ministries in one place — A is correct. NSWS is a PORTAL run under DPIIT (Ministry of Commerce & Industry) — it is not a separate ministry. So R is incorrect. Hence option (c).

TTDI 2024 The TTDI 2024 is published by the World Economic Forum. Its top 30 is dominated by HIGH-INCOME economies, mostly from Europe and Asia-Pacific (USA, Spain, Japan lead). India ranked 39th — the highest among lower-middle-income economies. Hence option (b).

Aravalli Green Wall The Aravalli Green Wall Project (launched March 2023) covers Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi. Its goal is to REHABILITATE degraded forest patches and scrubland of the Aravalli range — a green buffer against the eastward creep of the Thar. It also revives water bodies and supports agroforestry along the 1,400-km range. Hence option (b).

Joint sector In a joint sector enterprise, the state and private entrepreneurs share ownership and management. Maruti Udyog in its early years (Government of India + Suzuki) is the classic example. Municipal enterprises are the public sector; SHG businesses are the cooperative sector. Hence option (c).

Money Bill — who decides Article 110(3) settles this: if any question arises whether a Bill is a Money Bill, the decision of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is FINAL. The Speaker also certifies the Bill before it goes to the Rajya Sabha. (The Rajya Sabha has no Speaker — it has a Chairman.) Hence option (b).

Light pollution — deep sky Deep-sky objects — galaxies, nebulae, star clusters — are extremely FAINT. Urban sky-glow washes out their dim light, making them invisible from cities. The Sun, Moon and bright planets are luminous enough to be seen despite light pollution. Hence option (b).