18 September 2025 · Shift 3

VSSC VSSC, set up in 1963 at Thiruvananthapuram, is ISRO’s lead centre for launch vehicle technology. It designs and develops the PSLV, GSLV and LVM3 rockets. Launches take place from Sriharikota (SDSC-SHAR). Hence option (c).

Atal Tinkering Labs AIM runs under NITI Aayog to build an innovation ecosystem. Atal Tinkering Labs are set up in schools so students can work with 3D printers, robotics and electronics kits. PMKVY is a skilling scheme of the Skill Development Ministry. Hence option (c).

Integration of princely states People inside the states — as in Travancore, Hyderabad and Junagadh — agitated for joining India. This popular pressure left rulers with little support for independence. Britain had, in fact, advised the princes to accede to one of the dominions. Hence option (a).

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita The BNS replaced the Indian Penal Code of 1860 with effect from July 2024. Along with the BNSS and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam it modernises colonial-era criminal law. New offences such as organised crime and mob lynching were added. Hence option (d).

Assam oil fields All four fields lie in Assam, in the north-east of India. Digboi, drilled in 1889, is Asia’s oldest working oil refinery site. The Brahmaputra valley remains a major oil-bearing belt. Hence option (c).

Svaravalis Svaravalis are graded exercises built from the seven basic swaras — sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni. Beginners practise them to master pitch and phrasing before moving to compositions. They are melodic patterns, not instruments or dance forms. Hence option (c).

Peninsular plateau features Spurs, block mountains (like the Satpuras between rift valleys) and tors are all seen on the peninsular plateau. Tors are rounded granite boulders typical of weathered plateau surfaces. Hoggar is a highland of the SAHARA in Africa, not India. Hence 2, 3 and 4 — option (d).

Purana Qila Purana Qila in Delhi was built by Sher Shah Suri and Humayun in the 16th century. Its walls, gates and the Qila-i-Kuhna mosque use red sandstone inlaid with marble. Concrete and steel belong to modern construction. Hence option (a).

Solung — Apong Solung is the harvest festival of the Adi tribe, celebrated in September. Apong, the traditional rice beer, is brewed and shared among families and guests. The sharing of apong is central to community bonding during the festival. Hence option (d).

Mohenjodaro drainage Every house at Mohenjodaro had its own bathroom and drain. House drains emptied into COVERED street drains laid with brick and stone slabs. Manholes allowed regular cleaning — a hallmark of Harappan town planning. Hence option (b).

Kabaddi rules If scores are level after extra time, each side takes five raids; a tie even then leads to a fresh toss and a Golden Raid. A Green Card is only a warning, a Yellow Card brings a two-minute suspension and a Red Card means dismissal. So only option (d) states the rule correctly. Hence option (d).

Chola agriculture Chola agriculture depended on the Kaveri, whose flow varied with the monsoon. Securing irrigation water was therefore the main challenge. The Cholas built tanks, canals and embankments to store and channel it. Hence option (b).

Basketball championships Tamil Nadu took the 74th Senior National Basketball Championship men’s title ahead of Punjab and Indian Railways ✓. At the 39th Youth National Championship, Rajasthan won the boys’ event and Karnataka the girls’ ✓. Both statements match the results. Hence Both — option (c).

Kaladan project The Kaladan project links Kolkata port with Sittwe port in MYANMAR by sea. From there it runs up the Kaladan river and by road to Mizoram. It gives the North-East an alternative route bypassing the Siliguri corridor. Hence option (c).

'The Namesake' The Namesake (2003) is by Jhumpa Lahiri. It follows the Ganguli family and their son Gogol in the United States. Her collection Interpreter of Maladies won the Pulitzer Prize. Hence option (d).

Population stabilization Population stabilises when births and deaths roughly balance, giving near-zero natural growth. This is the last stage of the demographic transition. A zero fertility rate would mean extinction, not stabilisation. Hence option (c).

NSA — Ajit Doval Ajit Doval was reappointed NSA in June 2024 for a third term. The NSA holds the rank of a Cabinet Minister and serves co-terminus with the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister — not the NSA — chairs the National Security Council. Hence option (d).

National Games athletics Parul Chaudhary is India’s leading 3000 m steeplechase runner and won that event. Jyothi Yarraji is the national record holder in the 100 m hurdles and took that title. The other options place athletes in sports they do not compete in — Lovlina is a boxer, Swapnil a shooter. Hence option (c).

Article 258A Article 258A was added by the 7th Amendment, 1956. It lets a State Government, with the consent of the Government of India, entrust functions to the Union or its officers. Article 258 provides the reverse — the Union entrusting functions to a State. Hence option (d).

Photoelectric effect Einstein explained the effect using photons, establishing the particle nature of light — Statement 1 correct. No emission occurs below the threshold frequency however intense the light — Statement 2 correct. Kinetic energy depends on FREQUENCY; intensity only raises the NUMBER of electrons — Statement 3 wrong. Hence 1 and 2 only — option (c).

Ghoomar Ghoomar was begun by the Bhil community and adopted by Rajput households. It was performed in worship of Goddess Saraswati. Women in flowing ghagharas move in circles, giving the dance its name. Hence option (b).

LPI 2023 The World Bank’s LPI 2023 added big-data indicators for the first time. Tracking data from containers, air cargo and postal shipments measured actual speed and reliability. Earlier editions relied only on surveys of logistics professionals. Hence option (d).

Pensilungpa Glacier The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, monitors Himalayan glaciers for the Department of Science and Technology. Its studies show the Pensilungpa Glacier retreating steadily, largely due to rising temperatures and reduced winter snow. NCPOR focuses on polar and ocean research. Hence option (c).

Kármán line The Kármán line lies about 100 km above sea level. It is recognised by the FAI as the start of outer space. Above it, aerodynamic flight becomes impossible. Hence option (c).

Article 300 Article 300 says the Government of India may sue or be sued as the Union of India, and a state in its own name. So both governments can be parties to a suit — Statement 1 correct. It thus treats the government as a juristic personality — Statement 2 correct. Hence Both — option (c).