Answer: (B)
● Ways and Means refers to the financial methods and instruments that a government
uses to manage its receipts and expenditures, particularly to raise revenue for meeting
its spending needs.
● In India, the Ways and Means Advances (WMA) are short-term loans provided by
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to the government to help it bridge temporary
mismatches in cash flow.
● It does not refer to parliamentary procedures, inflation control measures, or rules for
public sector enterprises.
● The term is often in the news around budget season or RBI cash management
discussions, highlighting how the government finances its expenditures temporarily.
● Therefore,option B is the correct answer.

With reference to the INSPIRE Scheme, consider the following statements:
1. It aims to attract and nurture talented students into science and research careers.
2. Its nodal ministry is the Ministry of Education.
3. It identifies talent through a National level Entrance Examination.

Answer: (A)
The INSPIRE (Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research) Scheme is a flagship
programme of the Department of Science and Technology under the Ministry of Science
and Technology. Its primary objective is to attract, identify, and nurture talented students
and encourage them to pursue careers in science and research, thereby strengthening the
country’s scientific human resource base. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
The nodal ministry is not the Ministry of Education. Instead, it is implemented by the
Ministry of Science and Technology through the Department of Science and Technology.
Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
INSPIRE does not rely on a single national-level entrance examination to identify talent.
Instead, it uses multiple criteria, such as:

○ Performance in Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations
○ Ranks in national competitive exams like JEE Advanced and NEET
○ Participation in national science talent programmes

Thus, the scheme adopts a broad-based and inclusive approach rather than a single
exam-based selection mechanism. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
Therefore, option A is the correct answer.

Which core industry has the highest weightage in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) in India?

(a) Coal
(b) Steel
(c) Electricity
(d) Crude Oil

Answer: (C)
● The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) measures the short-term changes in the
volume of production of industrial sectors.
● The IIP is calculated based on 8 core industries: Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas,
Petroleum Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement, and Electricity.
● Among these, Electricity carries the highest weight (~10.32%) in the overall IIP,
followed by Steel and Cement.
● This is because electricity is a critical input for almost all industrial production,
making its production level highly indicative of overall industrial activity.
● Therefore,option C is the correct answer.

Consider the following statements regarding the Arab League:
1. Some African nations are members of the Arab League.
2. Turkey is a full member of the Arab League.
3. India is an observer member of the Arab League.

Answer: (B)
The Arab League, or League of Arab States, is a voluntary association of countries whose
peoples are mainly Arabic-speaking or where Arabic is an official language.
It is a regional organization of Arab states in the Middle East and parts of Africa.
Hence Statement 1 is correct.
Members: It currently has 22 member states: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt,
Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Authority,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. But
Turkey is not a member. Hence statement 2 is Incorrect.
Observer Members: Brazil, Eritrea, India, and Venezuela. Hence statement 3 is correct.
Therefore option B is the correct answer.

Which of the following classical dance form is correctly matched with its state of origin?

1. Kuchipudi Kerala
2. Mohiniyattam Karnataka
3. Kathak Uttar Pradesh
4. Sattriya Assam

Answer: (B)
Kuchipudi — Kerala: Incorrect. Kuchipudi originates from Andhra Pradesh (specifically
from a village named Kuchelapuram). Kerala is the home of Kathakali and Mohiniyattam.
Mohiniyattam — Karnataka: Incorrect. Mohiniyattam is a classical dance from Kerala.
Karnataka is primarily known for the dance-drama form Yakshagana (though it is not
currently on the Sangeet Natak Akademi's classical list).
Kathak — Uttar Pradesh: Correct. Kathak evolved in Northern India, specifically Uttar
Pradesh, from the nomadic bards known as Kathakars.
Sattriya — Assam: Correct. This is the youngest classical dance, introduced by the saint
Srimanta Sankardev in the 15th century in the monasteries (Sattras) of Assam.
Therefore option B is the correct answer.

Which of the following institutes functions under the Ministry of Earth Science?
1. Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).
2. National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR).
3. Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE).
4. National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF)
5. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)

Answer: (D)
● Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad: An
Autonomous Body famous for providing Tsunami early warnings and Potential
Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories.
● National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Chennai: A Subordinate Office
(formerly known as ICMAM-PD) focusing on shoreline management and marine
pollution.
● Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE), Kochi: A Subordinate
Office responsible for the management and monitoring of marine living resources.
● National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida: An
Attached Office that specializes in advanced numerical weather prediction models.
● Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune: An Autonomous Body that
leads the nation's research in tropical meteorology and climate change.
● Therefore, Option D is the correct answer.

Consider the following statements regarding the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)
1. The Department of Atomic Energy functions under the administrative control of the
Ministry of Science and Technology.
2. The Prime Minister of India serves as the ex-officio Chairperson of the Atomic
Energy Commission (AEC).

The DAE is a unique department that falls directly under the Prime Minister. It is not part
of the Ministry of Science and Technology. Hence,Statement 1 is incorrect
While the DAE is under the Prime Minister, the Chairperson of the Atomic Energy
Commission is the Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Atomic
Energy (a senior scientist/bureaucrat), not the Prime Minister himself. Hence,Statement 1
is incorrect.
Therefore, Option D is the correct answer.

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Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: India advocates for a "phase-down" of coal rather than an immediate
"phase-out" in global climate negotiations.
Statement-II: For a developing economy, achieving "Energy Security" and "Energy
Equity" (affordability) is as critical as environmental sustainability.
Statement-III: The intermittent nature of solar and wind energy currently requires a
reliable "baseload" power source like coal to ensure grid stability.