15 September 2025 · Shift 3

Gandhara — Bimaran & Begram The Bimaran gold reliquary (Afghanistan) shows Buddha and other figures inside Hellenistic arches — Statement 1 correct. Begram yielded the famous Begram ivories, exquisite carved panels — Statement 2 correct. Gandhara art spans stone, stucco, metal and ivory. Hence Both 1 and 2 — option (c).

Kanuma festival Kanuma is the third day of Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It honours CATTLE — bulls and cows are bathed, decorated and worshipped for their help in farming. Bull races and rangoli mark the day. Hence option (b).

Narsingha — Himachal The Narsingha is a long, curved horn-shaped wind instrument of Himachal Pradesh (also Nepal and Uttarakhand). It is blown at temple fairs, processions and ceremonial occasions. Its deep call announces the arrival of village deities. Hence option (b).

Swimming — World Championships At the World Aquatics Championships (long course) both sexes swim 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1500 m freestyle — Statement 1 correct. The Individual Medley is held only over 200 m and 400 m — i.e. up to 400 m — Statement 2 correct. So both statements hold. Hence option (a).

AAFI founded 1946 The AAFI was set up in 1946 to unify athletics across India. Its first president was Maj. A.A. Cheema and it affiliated with the IAAF. It was later renamed the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). Hence 1946 — option (d).

'Nomadic Elephant' 2025 Nomadic Elephant is the annual India–Mongolia army exercise, hosted alternately. The 17th edition (2025) was held near Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. (The 16th edition had been held at Umroi, Meghalaya.) Hence option (b).

Asian Athletics 2025 — Gumi The 26th Asian Athletics Championships were held in Gumi, South Korea in May 2025. India sent a squad of more than 60 athletes. India finished among the top nations in the medal tally. Hence option (d).

'Arranged Marriage' 'Arranged Marriage' (1995) is a collection of short stories that won an American Book Award. It follows Indian women — many immigrants in America — negotiating tradition, identity and marriage. Divakaruni is also known for The Mistress of Spices and The Palace of Illusions. Hence option (a).

Glacial till Till is dumped DIRECTLY by moving ice, so its particles are unsorted and angular — clay to boulders all mixed. Meltwater (fluvio-glacial) deposits are sorted, layered and rounded because water grades them by size. That contrast is the key difference. Hence option (c).

Gita Upadhyay Gita Upadhyay is a writer from Assam, but she writes mainly in NEPALI and Assamese — not Hindi, so Statement 1 is wrong. She is known for translation work, including The Diary of Anne Frank — Statement 2 correct. She received the Padma SHRI (not Padma Bhushan) in 2025 — Statement 3 wrong. Hence Only 2 — option (b).

Census 2011 phases (A–R) Population Enumeration for Census 2011 ran from 9 to 28 February 2011 — A is correct. The House Listing & Housing Census had already been completed EARLIER (April–September 2010); it was not deferred — R is wrong. The two phases were deliberately separate, not simultaneous. Hence option (c).

Sun-synchronous orbit A sun-synchronous (polar) orbit keeps the local solar time of each pass nearly fixed — ideal for remote sensing — Statement 1 correct. Continuous communication needs a GEOSTATIONARY orbit, where the satellite stays over one spot; SSO is unsuitable — Statement 2 wrong. So only the first statement holds. Hence option (a).

Circadian rhythm — hypothalamus The suprachiasmatic nucleus, the body’s master clock, lies in the HYPOTHALAMUS. It reads light signals from the eyes and drives melatonin release, setting the sleep-wake cycle. The medulla controls breathing/heartbeat and the cerebellum balance. Hence option (c).

Collective responsibility Article 75(3): the Union Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the LOK SABHA — Statement 1 correct. Article 164(2): the State Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, not the Council — Statement 2 wrong. Responsibility always lies with the popularly elected house. Hence option (a).

Governor — powers & tenure Article 356(1) lets the Governor report to the President, leading to President’s Rule — Statement 1 correct. The Governor’s term stays 5 years under Article 156(3); the 41st Amendment (1976) dealt with High Court judges’ retirement age — Statement 2 wrong. The Sarkaria Commission did urge that Governors complete their term barring rare cases — Statement 3 correct. Hence 1 and 3 — option (b).

Least distance of vision The least distance of distinct vision (D) for a normal eye is about 25 cm. Closer than this the ciliary muscles strain and the image blurs. It is the standard used in magnifying-glass and microscope formulas. Hence option (c).

BNSS — default bail Section 187 BNSS keeps the old CrPC 167 scheme. For offences punishable with less than 10 years, detention beyond 60 days is not allowed. After 60 days without a charge-sheet, the accused gets default (statutory) bail; for graver offences the limit is 90 days. Hence option (c).

SVAMITVA (A–R) SVAMITVA (Ministry of Panchayati Raj) uses drones and CORS to map inhabited land and issue property cards — A is correct. But it covers RURAL inhabited areas (abadi land) only, not urban regions — R is wrong. Urban property records are handled by municipal bodies. Hence option (c).

Poikkal Kuthirai Aattam Poikkal Kuthirai Aattam is the false-legged horse dance of TAMIL NADU. The dancer wears a dummy horse frame at the waist and performs at temple festivals. It needs great skill as the performer must dance on wooden legs. Hence option (d).

CPI — low score Transparency International scores countries from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). A score near 0 therefore means MORE perceived corruption. High scorers like Denmark sit near 90. Hence option (d).

Agro-based industries Agro-based industries draw raw material straight from farms. Cotton textiles use raw cotton and sugar mills use sugarcane — both agricultural. Steel, aluminium, cement and petrochemicals are mineral-based. Hence option (c).

Great Indian Bustard Desert National Park (Jaisalmer, Rajasthan) is the last stronghold of the Great Indian Bustard. Captive-bred birds from the Sam and Ramdevra centres were released there in 2025. Gir has lions, Kaziranga rhinos, Ranthambhore tigers. Hence option (c).

Right to Property — Art 300A The 44th Amendment Act, 1978 removed the Right to Property (Articles 19(1)(f) and 31) from Fundamental Rights. It was placed in Part XII as Article 300A — a constitutional/legal right. Now no person may be deprived of property save by authority of law. Hence option (b).

Aditya-L1 — ASPEX ASPEX — the Aditya Solar wind Particle EXperiment — studies solar wind protons, electrons and heavier ions at L1. SUIT images the Sun in the ultraviolet; SoLEXS and HEL1OS study solar X-rays. L1 lies about 1.5 million km from Earth. Hence option (c).

Indian federalism Indian federalism is called quasi-federal — the Centre is stronger in legislative, financial and emergency matters — Statement 1 correct. The word 'federal' appears nowhere in the Constitution; Article 1 says 'Union of States' — Statement 2 wrong. Ambedkar deliberately chose the term Union. Hence Only 1 — option (a).