UPSC Prelims 2022 Question Paper (GS Paper I) with Answers

Bidibidi, one of the world's largest refugee settlements, is in north-western Uganda, not Kenya, so statement 1 is incorrect. It shelters people who fled the South Sudanese civil war (statement 2), and the Dadaab complex in eastern Kenya houses mainly Somali refugees (statement 3). Hence 2 and 3.

Under the amended RBI Act, 1934 (2016), the Reserve Bank of India is charged with maintaining price stability while keeping growth in mind; its Monetary Policy Committee targets 4 per cent CPI inflation with a band of 2 to 6 per cent. The other bodies deal with consumer affairs, expenditure reform and financial-stability coordination.

The 2021 WHO guidelines set PM2.5 limits of 15 micrograms per cubic metre (24-hour) and 5 (annual), so statement 1 is correct, and excess ground-level ozone triggers asthma, so statement 4 is correct. Ozone peaks in hot, sunny weather, not inclement weather (statement 2 incorrect), and it is the finer PM2.5, not PM10, that can cross the lung barrier into the blood (statement 3 incorrect). Hence 1 and 4.

The Yoga Vasistha, a Sanskrit philosophical text, was translated into Persian by Nizamuddin Panipati in 1597 during Akbar's reign, as part of the translation bureau (maktab khana) that also rendered the Mahabharata (Razmnama) and Ramayana into Persian.

The Fifth Schedule governs the administration of Scheduled Areas in states other than the north-eastern ones. The Governor may, by regulation, prohibit or restrict the transfer of land by or among Scheduled Tribes, which is the schedule's most important consequence for tribal land. It does not create a local body, a Union Territory or a special-category state.

Under Article 88, ministers and the Attorney-General have the right to speak in Parliament; the Solicitor-General has no such right, so statement 1 is incorrect. The Attorney-General holds office during the pleasure of the President; resigning when the government changes is a convention, not a constitutional requirement, so statement 2 is also incorrect.

Renuka Wetland is in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh and Rudrasagar Lake is in Tripura, so pairs 2 and 3 are correct. Hokera Wetland is in Jammu and Kashmir, not Punjab, and Sasthamkotta Lake is in Kerala, not Tamil Nadu. All four are Ramsar sites. Hence only two.

Higher US interest rates draw capital out of emerging markets, so statement 1 is correct, and the resulting rupee depreciation raises the rupee cost of servicing dollar-denominated external commercial borrowings, so statement 2 is correct. Devaluation increases, not decreases, the currency risk on ECBs, so statement 3 is incorrect. Hence 1 and 2.

The Credentials Committee is a nine-member committee of the UN General Assembly, appointed at the start of each session, not a Security Council body (statement 1 incorrect); it meets when needed, not on a fixed calendar (statement 2 incorrect). It examines the credentials of all member delegations and reports to the General Assembly for approval (statement 3 correct). Hence 3 only.

Under the Advocates Act, 1961 only individuals, not law firms, are enrolled as advocates, and corporate lawyers or patent attorneys who are enrolled remain advocates, so statement 1 is incorrect. The Bar Council of India lays down standards of legal education and recognises universities and law colleges, so statement 2 is correct.

The Miyawaki method, developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, plants native species densely in small plots so that a self-sustaining mini forest grows ten times faster than conventional plantations. It is widely used to create urban forests in Indian cities.

The Labour Bureau, under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, collects and publishes statistics on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs, besides compiling the CPI for industrial and agricultural workers. The CSO (now NSO) handles national accounts and DPIIT handles industrial policy.

The golden mahseer (Tor putitora) is a large freshwater fish of Himalayan rivers, prized by anglers and listed as endangered. The Indian nightjar, spoonbill and white ibis are birds.

Spending to acquire new technology, which adds a durable asset, is capital expenditure, so statement 1 is correct. Debt and equity are ways of financing a company, not kinds of expenditure, so statement 2 is incorrect.

The G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments, endorsed by the G20 and the Paris Club in November 2020, provides for coordinated debt relief to low-income countries with unsustainable debt, beyond the earlier Debt Service Suspension Initiative. Both statements are correct.

Probiotics contain live bacteria (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium) and yeasts (Saccharomyces boulardii), so statement 1 is correct, and Lactobacillus helps digest lactose, so statement 3 is correct. These organisms occur naturally in the human gut, so statement 2 is incorrect. Hence 1 and 3.

Because the holder of a convertible bond can swap it for shares, the issuer pays a lower coupon than on a plain bond (statement 1). Since share prices tend to rise with inflation, the conversion option gives the bondholder some protection against rising prices (statement 2). Both are correct.

The Organization of Turkic States (formerly the Turkic Council) comprises Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan, with Hungary, Turkmenistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as observers. Armenia, Croatia and Romania are not Turkic states. Hence 2 and 5.

The Levant is the historical name for the lands on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, today Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and Jordan; the term appears in the news in names such as ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant).

The Tenth Schedule allows a nominated member to join a party within six months of taking a seat; defection arises only if the member joins a party after that period, so statement 1 is incorrect. The Schedule sets no time limit for the presiding officer to decide a defection petition, though the Supreme Court (Keisham Meghachandra, 2020) suggested three months, so statement 2 is correct.

The Parishishtaparvan by Hemachandra and the Trishashtilakshana Mahapurana by Jinasena and Gunabhadra are Jaina texts. The Nettipakarana is a Pali Buddhist text on scriptural interpretation and the Avadanashataka is a Sanskrit Buddhist collection of legends. Hence 2 and 4 only.

Flooded paddy fields create anaerobic conditions in which methanogenic bacteria produce methane, and nitrogen fertiliser applied to rice releases nitrous oxide; rice is therefore the crop that is the biggest anthropogenic source of both gases. Cotton, sugarcane and wheat are not grown in flooded soils.

The Banks Board Bureau (2016-22, now replaced by the Financial Services Institutions Bureau) was headed by a chairman appointed by the government, not the RBI Governor, so statement 1 is incorrect. It recommended candidates for heads and directors of public-sector banks (statement 2) and advised them on strategy and capital-raising (statement 3). Hence 2 and 3.

Under the dyarchy introduced by the Government of India Act, 1919, the Governor administered the 'reserved' subjects, which included law and order, police, administration of justice, land revenue and finance, with his executive council. Local self-government, education, health and agriculture were 'transferred' to ministers responsible to the legislature. Hence 1, 3 and 4.

Covishield (the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute) uses a chimpanzee adenovirus vector, not an mRNA platform, so statement 1 is incorrect. Sputnik V is also an adenovirus-vector vaccine (statement 2 correct), and Covaxin by Bharat Biotech is a whole-virion inactivated vaccine (statement 3 correct). Hence 2 and 3.

Acid rain forms when sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emitted by burning fossil fuels react with water in the atmosphere to form sulphuric and nitric acids. Carbon monoxide and ozone are pollutants but do not produce acid rain. Hence 2 and 4 only.

Alfalfa, chickpea and clover are legumes (family Fabaceae) that fix atmospheric nitrogen through Rhizobium bacteria in their root nodules. Amaranth, purslane and spinach are leafy, non-leguminous plants without this ability. Hence 1, 3 and 4 only.

Albuquerque captured Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate in 1510 (statement 2), and in 1639 Francis Day of the English Company obtained the site of Madras from the Vijayanagara nayak Damarla Venkatadri (statement 3). The Dutch factories on the east coast, such as Masulipatnam and Pulicat, were set up with the permission of Golconda and local Vijayanagara chiefs, not Gajapati rulers, so statement 1 is incorrect. Hence 2 and 3.

Under UNCLOS (1982) the territorial sea may extend up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline (Article 3), ships of all states enjoy the right of innocent passage through it (Article 17), and the exclusive economic zone may not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline (Article 57). All three statements are correct.

Aarogya Setu, CoWIN, DigiLocker and DIKSHA are all built on open-source digital platforms; the code of Aarogya Setu and CoWIN was released publicly and DIKSHA is built on the open-source Sunbird platform. Hence all four.

Lake Faguibine in northern Mali, once a large lake fed by Niger floods, dried up after the Sahel droughts of the 1970s-80s and has turned into a sandy, desertified basin. Lake Victoria is in East Africa, Lake Volta is a reservoir in Ghana and Lake Oguta is in Nigeria.

Gucchi is the morel mushroom (Morchella), a fungus that grows wild in the Himalayan forests of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and is collected after the snows; it sells for tens of thousands of rupees a kilogram because it cannot yet be cultivated commercially. Hence 1 and 2.

Somnath is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines (statement 1), and the Persian scholar Al-Biruni described the temple in the 11th century (statement 2). The present temple's pran pratishtha was performed in 1951 by President Rajendra Prasad, not S. Radhakrishnan, so statement 3 is incorrect. Hence 1 and 2.

The northern hemisphere's longest day, the summer solstice, falls on 20-22 June, when the Sun is overhead at the Tropic of Cancer; that is the second half of June. The shortest day is the winter solstice on 21-22 December.

A major solar storm can disrupt GPS signals, induce currents that damage power grids (as in Quebec in 1989), produce auroras at unusually low latitudes, heat and expand the upper atmosphere so that satellite orbits decay, and black out high-frequency radio over the polar routes. It cannot cause tsunamis or forest fires. Hence 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7.

Households' financial savings held in banks, insurance, provident funds and small-savings schemes are invested largely in government securities, so a share of them finances government borrowing (statement 1). Dated government securities auctioned at market-determined yields are the largest component of the Centre's internal debt (statement 2). Both are correct.

Vietnam has been among the fastest-growing economies (statement 1), its growth rests on integration into global supply chains and exports (statement 3), and low labour costs with a managed, stable dong have drawn manufacturers (statement 4). It is a one-party communist state (statement 2 incorrect), and it does not have the region's most productive e-services sector (statement 5 incorrect). Hence 1, 3 and 4.

A rise in the NEER means the rupee has appreciated against the basket of trading-partner currencies (statement 1 correct). A rise in the REER means Indian goods have become costlier abroad, i.e. a loss of competitiveness (statement 2 incorrect). Higher domestic inflation than abroad pushes the REER up relative to the NEER, widening the gap (statement 3 correct). Hence 1 and 3.

Leaf-cutter ants of the tribe Attini cut leaves, carry them into their nests and use them as compost to grow a fungus, which is their food; they weed and tend the fungus gardens. Some termites and ambrosia beetles also farm fungi, but none of the other listed organisms does.

The Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu to China) are uninhabited islands in the East China Sea administered by Japan but claimed by China and Taiwan; Chinese coast-guard patrols around them cause periodic maritime stand-offs with Japan.

Under section 39 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 wild animals are the property of the government (statement 1 correct). A protected animal is entitled to equal protection whether it is inside or outside a protected area (statement 2 correct). Mere apprehension is not enough to capture or kill a protected animal: under section 11 the Chief Wildlife Warden must be satisfied that the animal has become dangerous to human life or is disabled beyond recovery (statement 3 incorrect). Hence 1 and 2.

The System of Rice Intensification transplants single young seedlings at wide spacing, cutting seed use by up to 90 per cent; keeps the soil moist rather than flooded, which starves methane-producing bacteria of anaerobic conditions; and needs less pumped water, saving electricity. All three results follow.

Afghanistan's northern border runs along Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, while China, Pakistan and Iran border it on the other sides. Kyrgyzstan is separated from Afghanistan by Tajikistan, and Azerbaijan lies far to the west across the Caspian. Hence 3, 4 and 5.

The Rapid Financing Instrument and the Rapid Credit Facility are IMF emergency lending windows that provide quick finance, without a full programme, to countries facing urgent balance-of-payments needs; the RCF is the concessional version for low-income countries and both were used widely during COVID-19.

Kidneys filter waste from the blood; wetlands similarly filter water, as their plants and sediments trap and absorb heavy metals, excess nitrogen and phosphorus and other pollutants before the water reaches rivers and aquifers. Option (d) therefore reflects the 'kidney' function.

Rash Behari Bose, who escaped to Japan in 1915 after the Delhi conspiracy case, coordinated the Ghadar Party's planned 1915 uprising in Punjab. Barindra Kumar Ghosh belonged to the Anushilan Samiti and the Alipore bomb case, and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee founded the Hindustan Republican Association. Hence 3 only.

The Climate Group is an international non-profit that builds and runs business and government networks for climate action (statement 1), and EP100 brings together companies committed to energy productivity (statement 3), including Indian firms such as Mahindra and Dalmia Cement (statement 4). EP100 was launched by the Climate Group with the Alliance to Save Energy, not the IEA (statement 2 incorrect), and the Climate Group, not the IEA, is secretariat of the Under2 Coalition (statement 5 incorrect). Hence 1, 3 and 4.

Nanoparticles occur naturally in volcanic ash, sea spray, forest-fire smoke and dust, so statement 1 is incorrect. Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are used in sunscreens and cosmetics (statement 2), and nanoparticles released from products can be toxic to humans and ecosystems (statement 3). Hence 2 and 3.

The Polar Code, adopted by the International Maritime Organization and in force since 2017, is the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters. It sets mandatory safety, design, crew-training and pollution-prevention standards for ships in Arctic and Antarctic waters.

Nanda Devi, India's second-highest peak, lies in the Kumaon Himalaya of Uttarakhand, so pair 2 is correct. Namcha Barwa is in the Arunachal (eastern) Himalaya at the great bend of the Brahmaputra, not Garhwal, and Nokrek is the highest peak of the Garo Hills in Meghalaya, not the Sikkim Himalaya. Hence 2 only.

The Speaker fixes the date for electing the Deputy Speaker (statement 1), and when presiding the Deputy Speaker has the Speaker's powers and no appeal lies against the rulings (statement 3). There is no rule that the Deputy Speaker must come from the opposition or the ruling party; it is only a convention since 1991 to offer it to the opposition (statement 2 incorrect), and the motion is moved by a minister, not by the Speaker (statement 4 incorrect). Hence 1 and 3.

The Coal Controller's Organisation, a subordinate office of the Ministry of Coal at Kolkata, is the main source of coal statistics, monitors the development of captive coal and lignite blocks, and hears objections to notifications under the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act, 1957. It does not enforce delivery of coal to end users. Hence 1, 2 and 3.

To curb high inflation the RBI sells government securities to absorb liquidity, so statement 1 is incorrect. When the rupee is falling rapidly the RBI sells dollars from its reserves to support it (statement 2), and when interest rates fall abroad the resulting capital inflows lead the RBI to buy dollars to stop the rupee from appreciating too sharply (statement 3). Hence 2 and 3.

India is a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (2016, the second-largest shareholder), joined the Missile Technology Control Regime in 2016 and became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2017. Hence all three.

The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 followed the H.N. Sanyal Committee report (statement 1); Articles 129 and 215 make the Supreme Court and High Courts courts of record with power to punish contempt of themselves (statement 2); and Parliament can legislate on contempt of court under entry 14 of the Concurrent List (statement 4). The Constitution does not define civil and criminal contempt; the 1971 Act does (statement 3 incorrect). Hence 1, 2 and 4.

Under the Cripps proposals (1942) the Constituent Assembly was to be elected by the provincial legislatures, with the princely states nominating representatives, so statement 1 is incorrect. Any province unwilling to accept the new constitution could retain its existing status and negotiate a separate agreement with Britain, the provision that opened the door to partition, so statement 2 is correct.

Both statements are wrong. High, thin cirrus clouds let most sunlight through but absorb and re-emit the Earth's infrared radiation, producing net warming. Low, thick clouds reflect much of the incoming sunlight and cool the surface, since their warming effect through infrared absorption is smaller than their albedo effect.

The Central Ground Water Authority was constituted in 1997 under section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to regulate and control groundwater development. The Central Water Commission, Central Ground Water Board and National Water Development Agency are attached offices or societies of the water ministry, not creations of the 1986 Act.

Fanam (panam) was a small gold or silver coin used in medieval south India under the Cholas, Vijayanagara and later the Travancore and Mysore states; several fanams made up a pagoda (varaha).

Short-range devices operate over a few metres to a few hundred metres: CCTV cameras transmit to local monitors, RFID tags are read over centimetres to metres, and Wi-Fi (wireless local area networks) covers tens of metres. All three are short-range technologies.

B cells and T cells are the lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system: B cells produce antibodies against pathogens, while T cells kill infected cells and coordinate the immune response. Together they protect the body from diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and other pathogens.

DNA barcoding identifies a species from a short standard gene sequence, so it can distinguish look-alike species (statement 2) and detect undesirable or adulterant animal and plant material in processed foods (statement 3). It cannot determine the age of an organism (statement 1 incorrect). Hence 2 and 3.

A Constitution Amendment Bill needs no prior recommendation of the President (statement 1 incorrect). After the 24th Amendment, Article 368 makes it obligatory for the President to give assent (statement 2 correct). The Bill must be passed by each House separately by a special majority, and there is no provision for a joint sitting (statement 3 correct). Hence 2 and 3.

Guinea's military suspended the constitution and government in a 2021 coup, Lebanon has been in one of the worst economic depressions of modern times since 2019, and Tunisia's President Saied suspended parliament in July 2021; pairs 2, 3 and 4 are correct. China has no permanent military base in Chad (its only overseas base is in Djibouti), so pair 1 is incorrect. Hence three.

The first Mongol invasion came in 1221 under Chingiz Khan during Iltutmish's reign, not Jalaluddin Khalji's (statement 1 incorrect). During Alauddin Khalji's reign the Mongols under Qutlugh Khwaja marched to Delhi and besieged it in 1299 (statement 2 correct). Muhammad bin Tughlaq repulsed Tarmashirin's raid and did not lose north-western territory to the Mongols (statement 3 incorrect). Hence 2 only.

Kautilya's Arthashastra permits a person to be enslaved as a judicial punishment or for debt, declares that a female slave who bears her master a son becomes free, and gives such a son the legal status of the master's son. All three statements are correct.

The India Sanitation Coalition, anchored by FICCI, is a multi-stakeholder platform of corporates, NGOs and donors; it is not funded by the Government of India and the World Health Organization (statement 1 incorrect). The National Institute of Urban Affairs is the apex research and capacity-building body of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and provides innovative solutions for India's urban challenges (statement 2 correct). Hence 2 only.

A Fractional Orbital Bombardment System places a nuclear warhead into a partial low-Earth orbit and then de-orbits it onto the target, so that it can approach from any direction and evade early-warning radars; the Soviet Union deployed one in the Cold War and China tested a hypersonic glide version in 2021.

NFTs are unique cryptographic tokens recorded on a blockchain (statement 2) that can represent ownership of physical or digital assets such as art, property or music (statement 1). Being non-fungible, each token is unique and cannot be exchanged one-for-one like currency, so they are not a medium of exchange (statement 3 incorrect). Hence 1 and 2.

Dhauli near Bhubaneswar is in Odisha and Erragudi (Yerragudi) is in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, so pairs 1 and 2 are correct. Jaugada is in Ganjam district of Odisha, not Madhya Pradesh, and Kalsi is in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand, not Karnataka. Hence only two.

Anatolia is the Asian part of Turkey and Amhara is a region of Ethiopia embroiled in conflict, so pairs 1 and 2 are correct. Cabo Delgado, scene of an Islamist insurgency, is a province of Mozambique, not Spain, and Catalonia, with its separatist movement, is in Spain, not Italy. Hence only two.

The General Assembly grants permanent observer status to non-member states (such as the Holy See and Palestine) and to inter-governmental organisations (such as the EU and the African Union), and permanent observers may maintain missions at UN headquarters and attend most sessions. All three statements are correct.

UPSC's official key marks all three statements correct: the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is meant to bring every public and private hospital on to the national digital health ecosystem, every citizen is intended to be covered under it as part of universal health coverage, and the health records linked to the ABHA number are portable across the country. Hence 1, 2 and 3.

In the Delhi Sultanate the Sayyids, who claimed descent from the Prophet, were known as 'kulah-daran', the wearers of the kulah or cap, a mark of their high status among the Muslim nobility.

PET (polyester) fibre is blended with cotton and wool to add strength and crease resistance (statement 1), and PET bottles are widely recycled into fibre and new containers (statement 3). PET is not suitable for storing all alcoholic beverages, since alcohol can leach additives over time (statement 2 incorrect), and burning PET releases carbon dioxide (statement 4 incorrect). Hence 1 and 3.

Only Gandhi Sagar, on the Chambal in Madhya Pradesh, is correctly matched. Ghataprabha reservoir is in Karnataka, not Telangana; Indira Sagar is on the Narmada in Madhya Pradesh, not Andhra Pradesh; and Maithon dam on the Barakar is in Jharkhand, not Chhattisgarh. So three pairs are not correctly matched.

An 'indirect transfer' is the sale by a foreign company of shares in another foreign entity whose value derives substantially from assets located in India, as in the Vodafone case. The 2012 retrospective amendment taxed such transfers, and the 2021 Act withdrew the retrospective part.

Sangam poems such as the Purananuru show that the poets knew the Varna classification of northern society, though Tamil society was organised mainly by tinai (eco-zones) and occupation. The poems are rich in references to material culture, warrior ethic and magical forces, so the other options are wrong.

Of the four, only Kerala, with the Munnar, Wayanad and Idukki estates, is generally counted among India's tea-producing States. Tea is grown in small pockets of Andhra Pradesh (Chintapalli), Himachal Pradesh (Kangra) and Tripura, but they are not generally known as tea-producing States, and UPSC's official key accordingly gives only one State.

Dignaga, founder of Buddhist logic, and Nathamuni, the first Vaishnava acharya of the Sri Vaishnava tradition who compiled the Alvar hymns, are correctly matched. Aryadeva was a Mahayana Buddhist philosopher and disciple of Nagarjuna, not a Jaina scholar. Hence only two pairs.

The real sector produces goods and services: farmers harvesting crops and textile mills making fabric belong to it. Bank lending and the issue of rupee-denominated bonds overseas are financial-sector activities, which deal in claims rather than goods. Hence 1 and 2 only.

Biorock (mineral accretion) technology passes a low-voltage current through a steel frame placed on the sea floor, causing dissolved minerals to crystallise into limestone on which coral fragments grow faster and survive bleaching better; it is used to restore damaged coral reefs, for instance in the Gulf of Kachchh.

Because investors are protected from inflation, they accept a lower real coupon on inflation-indexed bonds, reducing the government's borrowing cost (statement 1), and the bonds shield investors from inflation uncertainty (statement 2). Interest and capital gains on IIBs are taxable (statement 3 incorrect). Hence 1 and 2.

Credit rating agencies in India are regulated by SEBI under the SEBI (Credit Rating Agencies) Regulations, 1999, not by the RBI, so statement 1 is incorrect. ICRA Ltd is a listed public limited company (statement 2), and Brickwork Ratings is an Indian, SEBI-registered agency (statement 3). Hence 2 and 3.

The Climate Action Tracker is an independent scientific analysis produced by a consortium of research organisations, Climate Analytics and the NewClimate Institute, that tracks countries' climate pledges and policies against the Paris Agreement goals. It is not a UN, IPCC or UNFCCC body.

Monazite is a rare-earth phosphate mineral (statement 1) that also contains 8-10 per cent thorium (statement 2), which is why only government bodies such as IREL may process or export it (statement 4). It occurs in the beach sands of particular stretches of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, not the entire Indian coast (statement 3 incorrect). Hence 1, 2 and 4.

Mandamus lies against a private organisation only when it is entrusted with a public duty (statement 1 correct). It can be issued to a company performing public functions, including a government company, so statement 2 is incorrect. Quo warranto questions the legality of a person's claim to a public office, and any public-spirited person can seek it (statement 3 correct). Hence 1 and 3 only.

A no-confidence motion against the Council of Ministers can be moved only in the Lok Sabha, so it is an exclusive power of that House. A proclamation of Emergency must be approved by both Houses, and the President can be impeached by either House with the other investigating the charge. Hence 2 only.

The Constitution does not classify ministers into ranks; the categories of Cabinet Minister, Minister of State and Deputy Minister are matters of convention and the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers Act, so statement 1 is incorrect. The 91st Amendment (2003) inserted Article 75(1A), capping the Council of Ministers including the Prime Minister at 15 per cent of the Lok Sabha's strength, so statement 2 is correct.

Software as a Service delivers applications over the internet on subscription: buyers can usually configure the interface and data fields, users can access their data from mobile devices, and web-mail services such as Outlook.com, Hotmail and Yahoo Mail are SaaS applications. All three statements are correct.

Nannuka founded the Chandela dynasty of Bundelkhand and Nagabhata II was a Gurjara-Pratihara king, so pairs 1 and 3 are correct. Jayashakti was a Chandela, not a Paramara, and the famous Bhoja was a Paramara king of Malwa (the Pratihara Mihira Bhoja was another), not a Rashtrakuta. Hence only two.

The Tea Board is a statutory body under the Tea Act, 1953 (statement 1) with overseas offices in Dubai and Moscow (statement 4). It works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, not Agriculture (statement 2 incorrect), and its head office is in Kolkata, not Bengaluru (statement 3 incorrect). Hence 1 and 4.

Cochin International Airport in Kerala is the world's first fully solar-powered airport, so statement 2 is correct. India's largest solar park is Bhadla in Rajasthan, not in Gujarat (statement 1 incorrect), and the largest floating solar project is NTPC's at Ramagundam in Telangana, not in Goa (statement 3 incorrect). Hence 2 only.

Web 3.0 is the vision of a decentralised internet built on blockchains, in which users control their own data and identity, social networks can run on blockchains, and platforms are governed collectively by users through tokens rather than by a single corporation. All three statements are correct.

Biofilms are communities of microbes embedded in a slimy matrix on surfaces. They form on catheters, implants and prosthetic valves, on food and food-processing equipment, and their matrix and dormant cells make them far more resistant to antibiotics and disinfectants than free-floating bacteria. All three statements are correct.

A qubit (quantum bit) is the basic unit of information in quantum computing. Unlike a classical bit, which is 0 or 1, a qubit can exist in a superposition of both states and be entangled with other qubits, which gives quantum computers their power for certain problems.

Greenwashing is marketing or public relations that falsely presents a company, product or policy as environmentally friendly, for example through vague 'eco' labels or offsets that do not deliver real emission cuts. The other options describe accounting or policy failures, not misleading claims.

Under India's FDI policy, foreign-owned e-commerce firms may operate only as marketplaces and cannot hold inventory or sell their own goods (statement 1 incorrect). The 2018 rules bar a marketplace from owning equity in its sellers and cap the share of sales from any one vendor, limiting their control over big sellers (statement 2 correct).

Gandikota, the 'Grand Canyon of India' in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, is a deep gorge cut by the Pennar (Penna) river through the Erramala hills, overlooked by a medieval fort.

Ramanuja, the 11th-12th century teacher of Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism), taught that bhakti, loving devotion and self-surrender (prapatti) to Vishnu, is the best path to salvation, open to all regardless of caste. The 216-foot 'Statue of Equality' at Hyderabad commemorates him.