23 September 2025 · Shift 2

ISRO SSA Space Situational Awareness means tracking objects orbiting the Earth. ISRO uses it to watch space debris and warn satellites of possible collisions. The NETRA project and the IS4OM centre at Bengaluru serve this purpose. Hence option (d).

Chabahar partner India has developed and now operates the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar. It gives India a trade route to Afghanistan and Central Asia bypassing Pakistan. A long-term contract for its operation was signed in 2024. Hence option (a).

PMAY-U PMAY-U works through four verticals, all built around financial assistance to the beneficiary. These cover in-situ slum redevelopment, credit-linked subsidy, partnership housing and beneficiary-led construction. Rental housing (ARHC) is only one component, not the whole scheme. Hence option (d).

Jagannath Temple The Jagannath Temple was built in the 12th century by Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva. It follows the Kalinga sub-style of Nagara architecture, with its curvilinear deul and jagamohana. Konark and Lingaraj temples belong to the same tradition. Hence option (d).

Ilbert Bill The Ilbert Bill was introduced under Lord Ripon in 1883. It sought to let Indian judges try Europeans in criminal cases. Fierce opposition from the European community forced it to be watered down. Hence option (d).

Oral evidence under BSA The BSA, like the Evidence Act before it, requires oral evidence to be DIRECT. The witness must speak of what he himself saw, heard or perceived. Hearsay is therefore excluded as a rule. Hence option (d).

NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam took charge as CEO of NITI Aayog in February 2023. He succeeded Parameswaran Iyer, who moved to the World Bank. Rajiv Kumar was the Vice-Chairman, not the CEO. Hence option (a).

Ashtanga Sangraha Vagbhata composed both the Ashtanga Sangraha and the Ashtanga Hridaya. Together with the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita they form the Brihat-trayi of Ayurveda. Charaka wrote on medicine and Sushruta on surgery. Hence option (c).

Detroit of India Chennai is indeed called the Detroit of India — Statement I correct. Hyundai, Ford, Ashok Leyland, TVS and many auto-component makers are based there — Statement II correct. That concentration of car manufacturing is exactly why the nickname stuck, so II explains I. Hence option (a).

Census 2011 religions Muslims are the largest minority at about 14.2%, and in no state do they form a majority — Statement 1 correct. Jains are the most urbanised community, concentrated in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan; Buddhists are largely in Maharashtra — Statement 3 correct. Christians are heavily concentrated in the RURAL north-east and Kerala, not chiefly in cities — Statement 2 wrong. Hence 1 and 3 — option (c).

Kriti The kriti is the main form in a Carnatic concert, with pallavi, anupallavi and charanam. It combines a fixed melodic and rhythmic structure with devotional lyrics. Alapana is free improvisation, varnam a warm-up piece and tillana a rhythmic closing item. Hence option (d).

Deogarh temple The Dashavatara temple at Deogarh was built in the Gupta period. It is a Vishnu temple laid out on the panchayatana plan, with four subsidiary shrines at the corners. Its shikhara is among the earliest examples of the Nagara style. Hence option (d).

Discus throw In the throwing phase the thrower drives forward from the back of the circle. The legs stay extended through the turn, and the right knee flexes during the forward drive to keep balance and transfer force. The other options misdescribe the footwork, the release or the weight transfer. Hence option (b).

Narapati Medieval tradition described three kinds of rulers by the strength of their armies. The Vijayanagara rayas were called narapati, whose power rested on infantry. The Deccan Sultans were ashvapati (lords of horses) and the Gajapatis of Odisha gajapati (lords of elephants). Hence option (a).

Bunch start In the bunch (bullet) start the feet are placed close together. The blocks sit about 16-19 inches from the line and the rear toe is level with the front heel. The medium and elongated starts place the blocks further back. Hence option (d).

The Golden Gate The Golden Gate (1986) is a novel written entirely in sonnets, and it was shortlisted for the Whitbread Book Award — Statement 1 correct. It never won the Booker Prize — Statement 2 wrong. The Sahitya Akademi Award went to Vikram Seth later, for A Suitable Boy, not for this work — Statement 3 wrong. Hence Only 1 — option (b).

Para TT Championships The championships were hosted at Vadodara in Gujarat. They are organised by the Para Table Tennis body under the Paralympic Committee of India. The event decides national rankings for para paddlers. Hence option (d).

Beta decay In beta decay a neutron turns into a proton (or the reverse) inside the nucleus. So the atomic number shifts by 1 while the total number of nucleons stays the same. Alpha decay lowers both numbers, and gamma decay changes neither. Hence option (a).

Dumhal Dumhal is performed by the men of the Wattal tribe of Kashmir. They wear long, colourful robes and tall conical caps studded with beads. A banner is planted in the ground and the dancers move around it in a chorus. Hence option (b).

Revenue deficit A revenue deficit means day-to-day spending exceeds day-to-day income. The gap must be met by borrowing, which creates no asset in return. So the government is borrowing merely to consume, not to invest. Hence option (d).

World Competitiveness Index The IMD World Competitiveness Ranking assesses how well a country creates conditions for business to thrive. It uses four pillars — economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure. Tourism and heritage are not its focus. Hence option (a).

IPR 1956 The 1956 Resolution divided industries into three schedules. Schedule A reserved seventeen key industries wholly for the State. The public sector was to occupy the commanding heights of the economy. Hence option (c).

Birsa Munda Birsa Munda led the Ulgulan of 1899-1900 in the Chotanagpur region. The movement forced the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act of 1908, protecting tribal land. He is remembered as Dharti Aba, and 15 November is observed as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas. Hence option (d).

Tessy Thomas Tessy Thomas was the Project Director for the Agni-V missile. She was the first woman to head a missile project in India, working with DRDO. ISRO has never had a woman chairperson, so option (a) is factually wrong. Hence option (b).

Liberalisation (A–R) The 1991 reforms scrapped industrial licensing for most industries — A is true. Under the licence raj a firm needed permission to start, expand or even change its product line — R is true. Those very restrictions are what liberalisation set out to remove, so R explains A. Hence option (a).