15 September 2025 · Shift 1

Konark — 12 pairs of wheels Konark Sun Temple (Odisha, c. 1250 CE, King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty) is designed as the chariot of Surya. It has 12 PAIRS (24) of intricately carved wheels, symbolising the 24 hours of the day, drawn by seven horses (days of the week). Built in the Kalinga style, it is also called the Black Pagoda and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1984). Hence 12 pairs — option (d).

Baran Dol Mela The Dol Mela of Baran (Rajasthan) is an annual religious-cultural fair held on Jaljhulani Ekadashi (Gyaras). Grand processions of decorated dev vimans carry Lord Shreeji (Krishna) and Lord Raghunathji through the city. The fair symbolises devotion, unity and prosperity, with akhada performances adding to the spectacle. Hence option (b).

Sarthavaha — Gupta admin In Gupta-era city administration, guilds had official representation. The Sarthavaha was the chief of the merchant CARAVANS/guilds — the leader of the trading community. He sat on the district board (adhisthana-adhikarana) along with the Nagara-shreshthi, Prathama-kulika and Prathama-kayastha. Hence option (c).

Kerala instruments Kerala's musical heritage is rooted in temple and ritual traditions dominated by PERCUSSION. The Timila (hourglass drum) and Maddalam (barrel drum) are mentioned in the Sangam epic Silappadikaram (c. 2nd century CE). They remain central to temple festivals, Panchavadyam and Kathakali even today (the Ravana-Hatta belongs to Rajasthan). Hence option (d).

Fibreglass high-jump bar A high-jump crossbar is knocked by athletes on failed attempts, so safety is the priority. Fibreglass is LIGHT and FLEXIBLE — it bends on impact and springs back without hurting the jumper. A metal bar would be heavier and could injure the athlete; cost is not the main reason. Hence option (b).

Delhi Sultanate order Qutb al-Din Aibak founded the Slave dynasty in 1206. Iltutmish (1211-36) succeeded him; his daughter Razia Sultan ruled 1236-40. Ghiyas ud din Balban came last (1266-87). Order 3-4-1-2 — option (a).

Football 'brace' A 'brace' means a player has scored exactly TWO goals in one match. The word comes from the old hunting term for a pair of game birds. (Three goals in a match is a 'hat-trick'.) Hence option (c).

BRICS Startup Knowledge Hub The BRICS Startup Knowledge Hub (2025) is the first startup-focused platform of the BRICS grouping. It acts as a central KNOWLEDGE REPOSITORY — sharing ideas, innovation policies and best practices among member ecosystems. It promotes cross-border collaboration among startups, incubators and investors. Hence option (b).

Sahela Re — Mrinal Pande 'Sahela Re' is a celebrated Hindi novel by senior journalist-author Mrinal Pande. Set in the world of Hindustani classical music, it traces the lives of women singers with rare emotional depth. Mrinal Pande is also known for Patrangpur Puran and her editorship of Hindustan. Hence option (b).

KIYG TT doubles (A–R) In the KIYG girls’ doubles final, it was Subhankrita Datta and Avisha Karmakar who WON — beating Kavya Bhatt and Divyanshi Bhowmick 3-0. So the Assertion (that Kavya-Divyanshi dropped one game and took the title) is FALSE. The Reason correctly records that the final was decided 3-0 between these two pairs. Hence A is false, but R is true — option (c).

Padma Shri 2025 — dhak Gokul Chandra Das, the noted DHAK player of West Bengal, received the Padma Shri in 2025. He broke tradition by teaching the dhak — a Bengali folk drum historically played only by men — to women. His work opened this percussion art to female performers, empowering them culturally and economically. Hence option (b).

India — 2.4% of world area India covers about 3.28 million sq km. That is roughly 2.4% of the world’s total geographical area. (Yet India supports about 17-18% of the world’s population.) Hence option (b).

NISAR — SSO NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) was launched by GSLV-F16 into a Sun-Synchronous Orbit at ~747 km. An SSO keeps the lighting conditions identical on every pass — essential for comparing radar images over time. This lets NISAR map land deformation, ice sheets and ecosystems consistently every 12 days. Hence option (c).

Iron ore — Singhbhum Singhbhum (Jharkhand) is one of India’s oldest and richest iron-ore belts (Noamundi, Gua mines). Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Sundargarh are all iron-ore districts of ODISHA — not AP, Assam or Tripura. So only the Singhbhum-Jharkhand pair is matched correctly. Hence option (c).

Plasma membrane — phospholipids The plasma membrane is built as a phospholipid BILAYER. Each phospholipid has a hydrophilic head (outwards) and hydrophobic tails (inwards). DNA stays in the nucleus, glycogen is stored energy, cellulose belongs to plant CELL WALLS. Hence option (d).

42nd Amendment The 42nd Amendment (1976), passed during the Emergency, altered the Constitution more than any other. It added 'Socialist', 'Secular' and 'Integrity' to the Preamble, inserted Fundamental Duties, and strengthened the Centre. Because of this sweeping scope it is called the Mini-Constitution. Hence option (d).

Steam burns — latent heat Steam at 100°C carries the latent heat of vaporisation — about 540 cal/g EXTRA over boiling water. On touching skin, steam first CONDENSES and releases all that hidden heat, then cools as hot water. That additional energy is what makes steam burns deeper. Hence option (b).

eSanjeevani eSanjeevani is the National Telemedicine Service of the Health Ministry, with two arms. eSanjeevaniOPD gives citizens doctor consultations directly from home — Statement 1 correct. eSanjeevani AB-HWC runs doctor-to-doctor teleconsultation linking Health & Wellness Centres to hub specialists — Statement 2 correct. Hence Both 1 and 2 — option (c).

Jhora dance Jhora is a community circle-dance of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Men and women dance together holding arms during spring fairs and festive gatherings — Statement 1 correct. The Hurka (a small hourglass drum) is its principal accompanying instrument — Statement 2 correct. Hence Both 1 and 2 — option (b).

EoDB — informal sector (A–R) The World Bank’s EoDB Index measured how regulations affect REGISTERED businesses only — informal sectors were excluded — A is true. Informal enterprises are unregistered and vary hugely across countries, so their data cannot be uniformly collected or compared — R is true. That data problem is exactly WHY they were left out — R explains A. Hence option (a).

Railways — carbon footprint Indian Railways targets net-zero carbon emissions (Mission 2030). Its main route: near-100% ELECTRIFICATION of broad-gauge lines plus solar and wind power for traction. This replaces diesel locomotives and cuts fossil-fuel use at scale. Hence option (c).

Mahalanobis model (A–R) The Mahalanobis model shaped the Second Five-Year Plan (1956-61), prioritising heavy industries and capital goods (steel, machinery) — A is true. Its logic: build machines that make machines, creating a self-reliant industrial base for long-term growth — R is true. That self-reliance goal is precisely why heavy industry was prioritised — R explains A. Hence option (a).

Article 343 Article 343(1) declares: the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script. It also prescribes the international form of Indian numerals for official purposes. (Art 351 is the directive for Hindi’s development; Art 344 creates the Official Language Commission.) Hence option (b).

Plate boundaries Mid-ocean ridges form where plates MOVE APART and new crust wells up — divergent boundary. The Mariana Trench forms where the Pacific plate SUBDUCTS — convergent boundary. The San Andreas Fault has plates SLIDING PAST each other — transform boundary. So 1-Divergent, 2-Convergent, 3-Transform — option (b).

Article 312 — AIS Under Article 312(1), Parliament can create a new All India Service if the Rajya Sabha passes a resolution by a two-thirds majority declaring it in the national interest — Statement 1 correct. Article 312 mentions no 'Security Services'; it covers services common to the Union and States (IAS, IPS, IFoS) — Statement 2 wrong. The Rajya Sabha route protects state interests, since AIS officers serve both levels. Hence Only 1 — option (a).