16 September 2025 · Shift 2

Purana Qila gates Purana Qila (Old Fort, Delhi) was built by Sher Shah Suri and Humayun in the 16th century. Its three imposing double-storeyed gateways — Bara Darwaza, Humayun Darwaza and Talaqi Darwaza — are of RED SANDSTONE. The material was favoured in pre-Mughal and Mughal building for durability and colour. Hence option (a).

Tusu festival Tusu is a harvest festival of the Kurmali/tribal belt of Jharkhand, celebrated around Makar Sankranti (Poush Parab). It is especially vibrant in the Bundu–Tamar–Raidih region of Ranchi district, with Tusu idols and folk songs by young girls. Sarhul (spring, Sal blossom), Karma (Bhado, Karam tree) and Sohrai (cattle, harvest) are other Jharkhand festivals but with a wider spread. Hence option (a).

Bhatkhande — notation Pt. Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (1860–1936) of Bombay devised the modern Bhatkhande notation system and the ten-thaat classification of ragas. He compiled thousands of traditional compositions in the six-volume Kramik Pustak Maalika. Paluskar founded the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya; Allauddin Khan led the Maihar gharana; Tyagaraja belongs to Carnatic music. Hence option (b).

TT service rules At 10-10 (deuce) the service alternates after EVERY point, not every two — Statement 1 is wrong. In the deciding game of doubles, when either pair reaches 5 points the sides change and the receiving order is switched — Statement 2 is correct. Normal play changes serve every two points; deuce is the exception. Hence Only 2 — option (a).

Pitt's India Act 1784 Pitt's India Act (1784) set up dual control — the Board of Control (Crown) over the Court of Directors (Company). It barred the Governor-General and Council from declaring war or making treaties with Indian princes without prior sanction from the Directors/Board. This curbed the Company’s independent political ventures in India. Hence option (c).

Football 'own goal' An 'own goal' occurs when a player puts the ball into his OWN team's net. The goal is credited to the opposing team. It is usually accidental — a deflection or mis-clearance. Hence option (b).

India — Winter Olympics Shiva Keshavan competed in six consecutive Winter Olympics (1998–2018) and pioneered luge in India — Statement 1 true. Arif Mohammad Khan (Gulmarg, J&K) became the first Indian to qualify for TWO alpine skiing events (slalom and giant slalom) at Beijing 2022 — Statement 2 true. He was India’s lone athlete at those Games. Hence Both — option (d).

India–Bangladesh 765 kV link The Katihar (Bihar) – Parbotipur (Bangladesh) – Bornagar (Assam) 765 kV line is a proposed cross-border interconnection. It routes power through Bangladesh, enabling hydro-electricity trade among India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. The other names are not real projects. Hence option (a).

'Being Indian' 'Being Indian' by diplomat-author Pavan K. Varma is a non-fiction analysis of Indian character and identity. It won the Crossword Book Award (non-fiction) — Statement 1 correct. It is prose, not poetry, and did not receive a Sahitya Akademi Award — Statement 2 wrong. Hence Only 1 — option (b).

Neeraj Chopra — Budapest The 2023 World Athletics Championships were held in Budapest, Hungary. Neeraj Chopra won javelin gold with 88.17 m — India’s first World Championships gold. Hungary is the country; the CITY asked for is Budapest. Hence option (b).

Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam PM Narendra Modi launched "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" on 5 June 2024 (World Environment Day) by planting a peepal sapling at Buddha Jayanti Park, Delhi. Citizens were urged to plant a tree in their mother’s name. It aimed at 80 crore saplings by September 2024 and 140 crore by March 2025. Hence option (b).

River meanders Meanders form in the middle/lower course where the gradient is gentle and the river flows slowly over flat plains. With little downcutting, the river erodes SIDEWAYS (lateral erosion) on the outer bank and deposits on the inner bank. These loops grow into meanders and eventually ox-bow lakes. Hence option (b).

NISAR — 12 days NISAR (NASA-ISRO SAR), launched 30 July 2025 by GSLV-F16, carries dual L- and S-band radars. From its ~747 km sun-synchronous orbit it revisits and maps almost all land and ice every 12 days. This regular cycle lets it track land deformation, glaciers and ecosystems over time. Hence option (a).

Plant hormones Auxins promote cell elongation and growth; cytokinins delay senescence; gibberellins cause stem elongation and bolting — all TRUE. Ethylene is the gaseous hormone of FRUIT RIPENING and leaf/flower abscission — it does not aid seed germination. Germination is mainly promoted by gibberellins. The wrong statement is (b).

Article 131 Article 131 gives the Supreme Court exclusive ORIGINAL jurisdiction over federal disputes — Centre vs State(s) or State vs State. Inter-State WATER disputes are specifically excluded (Art 262 — tribunals). Appeals fall under appellate jurisdiction; election petitions go to High Courts. Hence option (b).

Ohm's law Ohm's law: I = $\frac{V}{R}$. With V fixed, current is inversely proportional to resistance. Doubling R makes I = $\frac{V}{2R}$ — half the earlier value. Hence option (a).

BNSS — default bail Under Section 187 BNSS (earlier 167 CrPC), the investigation must finish within a fixed period of custody. For offences punishable with less than 10 years, the limit is 60 DAYS; for graver offences it is 90 days. If the charge-sheet is not filed in time, the accused gets default (statutory) bail. Hence option (b).

RKVY — crop diversification The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) has a Crop Diversification Programme run through cluster-based, area-specific plans. It nudges farmers away from water-guzzling paddy towards pulses, oilseeds and millets. PM-AASHA is about price support, SMAM about machinery, AIF about post-harvest infrastructure. Hence option (a).

PM2.5 vs PM10 (A–R) PM2.5 (≤2.5 µm) is far finer than PM10 (≤10 µm) — R is true. Being so fine, PM2.5 reaches the alveoli and even the bloodstream, causing heart and lung disease — so it IS more dangerous — A is true. R is exactly the reason A holds. Hence option (a).

Corbett tigers 2024 Jim Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand) reported a tiger count well above 150 in 2024. It already held the highest tiger population of any reserve in the 2022 census (about 260). Ranthambore, Nagarhole and Panna have smaller populations. Hence option (b).

Doctrine of Severability The Doctrine of Severability (Article 13) says only the OFFENDING part of a law is struck down. The remaining VALID part survives, provided it can stand independently. It was applied in A.K. Gopalan and R.M.D. Chamarbaugwala cases. Hence option (b).

Aluminium smelting (A–R) Aluminium is indeed used in aircraft, wires/cables and utensils — R is correct. But aluminium smelting is the SECOND most important metallurgical industry in India — iron and steel ranks first. So A is incorrect. Hence option (c).

Dances — contexts Rauf (Kashmir) is danced by women at Eid and spring/wedding festivities — 1-A. Karma (Jharkhand/Chhattisgarh) marks the Karam festival on Bhadra Ekadashi — 2-B. Tamasha (Maharashtra) is folk theatre of the Shimga (Holi) season — 3-C; Jhumar (Assam tea gardens) is a post-monsoon recreational dance — 4-D. Hence 1-A, 2-B, 3-C, 4-D — option (b).

Atmospheric layers The troposphere is the lowest layer where clouds, rain and all WEATHER occur — correctly matched. Ozone concentrates in the STRATOSPHERE; meteors burn in the MESOSPHERE. Satellites orbit in the thermosphere/exosphere. Hence option (b).

Concurrent List Under Article 246, both Parliament and State legislatures may legislate on Concurrent List subjects — Statement 1 correct. Article 254: in a conflict, the UNION law prevails (unless the State law got Presidential assent) — Statement 2 wrong. So only the first statement holds. Hence Only 1 — option (b).