18 September 2025 · Shift 1

Mauryan pillar capitals Mauryan pillar capitals show the lion (Sarnath), bull (Rampurva), elephant (Sankisa) and horse. These animals stood for power, fertility and strength. The eagle never appears on Ashokan capitals. Hence option (c).

Losar — ibex figures At Losar, Ladakhi homes are decorated with dough figures called ibex (skangsol). The ibex is a symbol of fertility and prosperity in Ladakhi belief. Sun and moon figures accompany them for good fortune. Hence option (b).

Bimbisara — Kosala alliance Bimbisara married Kosaladevi, sister of Prasenajit of Kosala. The marriage secured friendly relations between Magadha and Kosala. It also brought Kashi as dowry, but its chief outcome was lasting peace with Kosala. Hence option (d).

Svarajati Svarajati is a Carnatic vocal form with pallavi, anupallavi and charanas, learnt before the varnam. Because of its rhythmic structure it was later adopted for Bharatanatyam performances. So it is a vocal composition adapted for dance. Hence option (c).

Dronacharya Award The Dronacharya Award is given to coaches and carries a bronze statuette of Guru Dronacharya, a certificate, ceremonial dress and cash — Statement 1 describes it correctly. (The prize money has since been raised to ₹15 lakh from the earlier ₹10 lakh.) O.M. Nambiar, the coach of P.T. Usha, was indeed among the first three recipients in 1985 — Statement 2 is also correct. Hence Both — option (c).

Hindu Beg Hindu Beg was a Mughal noble in the service of Babur and Humayun. He served as a provincial governor, holding charge of territories on the emperor’s behalf. He is remembered for administering these provinces, not for religious or advisory duties. Hence option (d).

GoI Act 1919 The Act of 1919 created a bicameral central legislature — the Council of State and the Legislative Assembly — for the first time. Diarchy actually INCREASED provincial autonomy in transferred subjects; defence and foreign affairs stayed with the Centre. The Public Service Commission (1926) dealt with recruitment, not finance. Hence option (b).

Judo mats The contest area is at least 8 m × 8 m with a safety zone of at least 3 m — Statement 1 is correct. In judo the contestant in the WHITE judogi is called first, then the blue — Statement 2 is incorrect. So only the second statement is wrong. Hence Only 2 is incorrect — option (b).

Exercise 'Maitree' Exercise Maitree is the annual joint army exercise of India and Thailand. It focuses on counter-terrorism operations in jungle and urban terrain. With Nepal it is Surya Kiran, with Sri Lanka Mitra Shakti. Hence option (c).

'The Argumentative Indian' The Argumentative Indian (2005) is a collection of essays by Amartya Sen. It explores India’s tradition of public debate, pluralism and reasoning. His other works include Development as Freedom and The Idea of Justice. Hence option (c).

Karst features A stalactite hangs from the cave roof; a stalagmite rises from the floor. When the two meet and fuse, they form a PILLAR or column — correctly matched. Options (b), (c) and (d) reverse or distort these definitions. Hence option (a).

XPoSat — POLIX XPoSat (January 2024) carries two payloads — POLIX and XSPECT. POLIX measures the polarisation of X-rays in the 8–30 keV band from sources such as black holes and neutron stars. XSPECT does spectroscopy and timing in the softer 0.8–15 keV band. Hence option (c).

Age-specific rates Crude rates hide the fact that fertility and mortality differ sharply by age. Age-specific rates measure births or deaths within each age group separately. This reveals the age-wise pattern and allows fair comparison between populations. Hence option (d).

Home Minister Amit Shah retained Home Affairs and Cooperation after the 2024 elections — Statement 1 correct. Ministers are appointed by the President on the Prime Minister’s advice (Article 75) — Statement 3 correct. No minister has a fixed constitutional term; they hold office during the pleasure of the President — Statement 2 wrong. Hence 1 and 3 only — option (c).

38th National Games The 38th National Games were held in Uttarakhand in 2025. Yogasana and Mallakhamb, first shown as demonstration sports, were included as medal events. Both are indigenous Indian disciplines being promoted nationally. Hence option (d).

Kudremukh — iron ore Kudremukh in the Western Ghats of Karnataka holds large deposits of magnetite iron ore. The Kudremukh Iron Ore Company (KIOCL) worked the mines until 2005. The ore was piped as slurry to Mangalore for export. Hence option (b).

GST Council voting Article 279A(9) gives the Centre one-third of the total votes cast and all States together two-thirds. So the States collectively carry twice the weight of the Centre. Decisions need a three-fourths majority of the weighted votes. Hence option (d).

Ideal gas Ideal gas molecules are treated as point particles, so their own volume is negligible — Statement 1 correct. Their collisions are perfectly elastic, conserving kinetic energy — Statement 2 correct. An ideal gas assumes NO intermolecular forces of attraction or repulsion — Statement 3 wrong. Hence 1 and 2 only — option (a).

BNSS — default bail Section 187 BNSS lets the Magistrate authorise detention up to 60 or 90 days depending on the offence. If no charge-sheet is filed within that period, the accused becomes entitled to default bail from the MAGISTRATE. It is a statutory right, not a discretionary favour. Hence option (b).

PMFBY — different sector NSWS (single window clearances), Gati Shakti (infrastructure connectivity) and LEADS (logistics performance) all serve industry, trade and logistics. PMFBY — Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana — is a crop INSURANCE scheme for farmers. So its focus is agriculture, unlike the others. Hence option (b).

Ghoomar recognition In 2013 Ghoomar was listed among the world’s top local dances in a global travel survey. It is performed by women in swirling ghagharas, especially in Bhil and Rajput traditions. It marks festivals such as Teej and Gangaur. Hence option (c).

Golden visa concern Transparency International warns that such schemes sell residency or passports with weak due diligence. This lets corrupt individuals and money launderers buy safe haven and mobility. The EU has therefore pressed member states to end golden passport programmes. Hence option (c).

Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Indore topped the million-plus category in Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024. The survey ranks cities under the National Clean Air Programme on air-quality improvement. Indore has also repeatedly topped Swachh Survekshan for cleanliness. Hence option (c).

Aditya-L1 halo orbit Aditya-L1 orbits the first Sun-Earth Lagrange point (L1), about 1.5 million km from Earth. At a Lagrangian point the gravitational pulls of the Sun and Earth balance the orbital motion. From there the Sun can be watched continuously without eclipses. Hence option (a).

GST statements The Supreme Court held in 2022 that GST Council recommendations are persuasive, NOT legally binding — Statement 1 is incorrect. Article 246A expressly empowers both Parliament and State Legislatures to make GST laws, including on intra-state supply — Statement 2 is also incorrect. So both statements are wrong. Hence Both 1 and 2 — option (c).