17 September 2025 · Shift 2

Notre Dame des Anges Notre Dame des Anges (1855) in Puducherry is built in the French colonial Greco-Roman style. Its facade is light and open, carried on classical piers and columns. Shikhara-amalaka belongs to Nagara temples, the minaret to Indo-Islamic work. Hence option (b).

Bissu Mela Bissu Mela is celebrated by the Jaunsari tribe of the Chakrata region in Uttarakhand. It runs for about a week and thanks the gods for a bountiful harvest. Folk dances like Tandi and Harul, archery and fairs mark the occasion. Hence option (b).

Gupta taxes — Bhaga Bhaga was the king’s share of the produce, usually one-sixth — correctly matched. Hiranya was the tax paid in cash/gold and Dhanya the tax paid in GRAIN — options (c) and (d) swap them. Forced labour was called vishti. Hence option (b).

Achal & Chal swaras Of the seven swaras, Sa and Pa never change their pitch — they are ACHAL (immovable). Re, Ga, Dha and Ni can be komal, and Ma can be teevra — these five are CHAL (movable). That gives the twelve notes of the octave. Hence option (b).

En passant En passant lets a pawn capture an enemy pawn that has just advanced two squares past it. The right must be used IMMEDIATELY — on the very next move. If the player plays something else, the chance is lost for good. Hence option (c).

Dynasties and founders Ananga Pala founded the Tomara line that built Lal Kot in Delhi. Jalaluddin Khalji founded the Khalji dynasty (1290) and Khizr Khan the Sayyid dynasty (1414). Bahlul Lodi founded the Lodi dynasty (1451). Hence option (b).

Leander Paes — Barcelona Paes debuted at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. He then won bronze at Atlanta 1996 — India’s first Olympic tennis medal. It was also India’s first individual medal after 1952. Hence option (c).

BIMSTEC — Technology Transfer Facility The 5th BIMSTEC Summit was hosted by Sri Lanka (virtually) in March 2022. It approved the BIMSTEC Charter and the setting up of a Technology Transfer Facility in Colombo. The facility promotes sharing of technology among member states. Hence option (c).

'An Era of Darkness' Shashi Tharoor wrote An Era of Darkness (2016), published abroad as Inglorious Empire. It grew out of his Oxford Union speech on British colonial reparations. Romila Thapar writes ancient history; Vikram Seth is a novelist. Hence option (c).

NDRF DG 2024 Piyush Anand, a 1991-batch IPS officer, took over as DG of the NDRF in 2024. He succeeded Atul Karwal in the post. The NDRF is the specialised force for disaster response under the NDMA. Hence option (d).

Gaganyaan orbit Gaganyaan will carry a three-member crew to Low Earth Orbit. The planned altitude is about 400 km — close to that of the International Space Station. The mission is to last about three days before splashdown. Hence option (c).

Population change factors Population change = births − deaths + net migration. So births, deaths and migration are the three direct components. Employment influences migration indirectly but is not itself a component of population change. Hence option (c).

U21 Water Polo League 2025 The league was held at Mayo College, Ajmer, Rajasthan — Statement 1 correct. It ran from 14 to 18 April 2025 — Statement 3 correct. It was organised by the Swimming Federation of India, not the Western Naval Command — Statement 2 wrong. Hence 1 and 3 only — option (c).

Iron ore — Karnataka Karnataka’s Bellary-Hospet belt and the Kudremukh range are major iron-ore sources. It ranks among the top producing states along with Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. The ore feeds steel plants and exports. Hence option (c).

Energy molecules vs DNA ATP, glucose and NADH all serve as energy carriers or fuel in the cell. DNA is the genetic material — it stores hereditary information. So DNA differs in function. Hence option (c).

Article 21A — 86th Amendment The 86th Amendment Act, 2002 inserted Article 21A as a Fundamental Right. It also added Article 45 (early childhood care) and Fundamental Duty 51A(k). The Right to Education Act followed in 2009. Hence option (b).

Bernoulli's principle By the equation of continuity, a narrower cross-section forces the fluid to move FASTER. Bernoulli’s principle says that where speed rises, pressure falls (total energy stays constant). This is the basis of the aerofoil, atomiser and venturimeter. Hence option (b).

NSWS portal NSWS (2021) is a one-stop digital platform for investors. It brings central ministries and state approvals onto a single window for clearances and licences. The aim is to improve the ease of doing business. Hence option (b).

Tippani folk art Tippani grew out of the work of Saurashtra women who beat lime or clay floors with long wooden sticks — Statement 1 correct. The rhythmic tamping became a dance, accompanied by male drummers on dhol and nagara — Statement 2 correct. It is performed at community gatherings and festivals in Gujarat. Hence Both — option (c).

HDI (A–R) India’s HDI has indeed improved since 2010 — A is true. The Inequality-adjusted HDI was introduced in the 2010 Human Development Report — R is true as a fact. But India’s gains came from better health, education and income, not from the new IHDI measure — so R does not explain A. Hence option (b).

Western Ghats — UNESCO The Western Ghats block the south-west monsoon and cause heavy rainfall on the windward side. They are one of the world’s eight hottest biodiversity hotspots, rich in endemic species. UNESCO inscribed 39 sites of the Ghats as World Heritage in 2012. Hence option (b).

Article 312 Article 312 deals with All India Services such as the IAS, IPS and IFoS. A new service can be created only if the Rajya Sabha declares it necessary in the national interest by a two-thirds majority. The Rajya Sabha route protects the interests of the states. Hence option (c).

Self-reliance (A–R) Self-reliance was one of the four main goals of Indian planning, along with growth, modernisation and equity — A is true. The aim was to cut dependence on foreign aid, imports and food shipments after Independence — R is true. That aim is precisely why self-reliance was adopted, so R explains A. Hence option (a).

Mangalyaan The Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), launched in November 2013, reached Mars orbit on 24 September 2014. India became the first country to succeed on its maiden Mars attempt. Chandrayaan went to the Moon; Aditya-L1 studies the Sun from L1. Hence option (d).

Article 262 Article 262(1) lets Parliament provide for adjudication of inter-state river water disputes — Statement 1 correct. Article 262(2) allows Parliament to BAR the Supreme Court and other courts from such disputes, and the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 does exactly that — Statement 2 wrong. Tribunals decide these matters instead. Hence Only 1 — option (a).