WBCS Main Examination 2023 — Paper V: Indian Constitution and Economy

Answer: (B) 395 Articles and 8 Schedules

As adopted in 1949, the Constitution had 395 Articles (in 22 Parts) and 8 Schedules. The Schedules grew to 12 only through later amendments, so 7, 6 or 4 Schedules are all wrong, and 392 or 396 Articles do not match the original text.

Answer: (D) 73rd Amendment

The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 (in force April 1993) added Part IX and the Eleventh Schedule, giving constitutional status to Panchayati Raj. The 74th Amendment, not the 72nd, did the same for municipalities; the 65th and 68th amendments deal with unrelated matters.

Answer: (B) Prem Behari Narain Raizada.

The original English Constitution was hand-written in flowing italic calligraphy by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, while its pages were decorated by artists of Santiniketan under Nandalal Bose. K. M. Munshi was a member of the Drafting Committee, and Kidwai and Katju were political leaders, not the calligrapher.

Answer: (C) 6 months and 6 weeks

An ordinance under Article 123 lapses six weeks after Parliament reassembles, and the gap between two sessions cannot exceed six months, so its maximum life is six months and six weeks. The other durations have no basis in the Constitution.

Answer: (A) 1987

Goa was separated from the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu and made the 25th State on 30 May 1987 by the Goa, Daman and Diu Reorganisation Act, 1987. The later years are wrong; no new State was created in 1988–1990.

Answer: (B) National Development Council.

The National Development Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, had all Union Cabinet Ministers and the Chief Ministers of all States as members to approve the Five-Year Plans. The Planning Commission was an expert body without Chief Ministers, and the Finance Commission is a quasi-judicial body of experts. Note: the Inter-State Council set up under Article 263 also has the Chief Ministers of all States as members, so (C) is equally correct on the facts. But the PSC answer key provided option B only.

Answer: (D) The President of India gives his assent to the Bill.

Under Article 111 a Bill passed by Parliament becomes an Act only when the President gives assent. Passage by one or both Houses is necessary but not sufficient, so options (A)–(C) describe intermediate stages, not the final condition.

Answer: (C) Article 338

Article 338 provides for the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (originally a combined commission for SCs and STs; the ST commission was separated into Article 338A by the 89th Amendment, 2003). Article 334 deals with the period of reservation of seats, Article 337 with grants for the Anglo-Indian community and Article 339 with control over the administration of Scheduled Areas.

Answer: (C) Article 310.

Article 310 states that civil servants of the Union and the States hold office during the pleasure of the President or the Governor — the doctrine of pleasure. Article 312 deals with All-India Services, Article 317 with removal of PSC members and Article 318 with regulations for PSC members' conditions of service.

Answer: (C) in either House of Parliament

Under Article 61 the charge for impeaching the President may be preferred by either House of Parliament, after 14 days' notice signed by one-fourth of its members; the other House then investigates. It is not restricted to one House, and the Supreme Court has no role in initiating it.

Answer: (D) 6

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

The question means States with two Houses of legislature (a Legislative Council as well as an Assembly). Since Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory in 2019, six States have Legislative Councils: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Seven was the figure before 2019.

Answer: (C) Official Languages

The Eighth Schedule lists the languages recognised by the Constitution (22 at present). Tribal-area administration is in the Fifth and Sixth Schedules, Panchayats in the Eleventh and Municipalities in the Twelfth.

Answer: (B) Telangana High Court

On 1 January 2019 the common High Court at Hyderabad was split, creating a separate High Court for Telangana (and one for Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati). The Tripura and Manipur High Courts were set up in 2013, and the Jammu and Kashmir High Court dates from 1928.

Answer: (B) Chief Justice of India

Under the President (Discharge of Functions) Act, 1969, the Chief Justice of India (or, failing him, the senior-most Supreme Court judge) acts as President when both offices are vacant. The Speaker, a Governor or the CAG have no such role.

Answer: (B) 1976

The words 'socialist' and 'secular' (and 'integrity') were inserted into the Preamble by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976. The other years do not correspond to any amendment of the Preamble — it has been amended only once.

Answer: (C) 44th Amendment.

The 44th Amendment Act, 1978 deleted Article 31 and Article 19(1)(f), making property only a legal right under Article 300A. The 24th Amendment concerned Parliament's power to amend the Constitution, and the 42nd did not touch the right to property's status.

Answer: (C) Article 113

Article 113 lays down the procedure in Parliament for estimates — charged expenditure is not voted, other expenditure is presented as demands for grants. Article 110 defines Money Bills, Article 111 deals with assent to Bills and Article 114 with Appropriation Bills.

Answer: (C) 94th

The 94th Amendment Act, 2006 amended Article 164(1) to drop Bihar from the list of States that must have a Minister for tribal welfare (after Jharkhand was carved out) and added Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. The 92nd added four languages to the Eighth Schedule, the 93rd allowed OBC reservation in private educational institutions, and the 95th extended SC/ST seat reservation.

Answer: (A) Dr. Rajendra Prasad

Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected permanent President of the Constituent Assembly on 11 December 1946 (Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha was the temporary President). Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee, Patel headed committees on Fundamental Rights and minorities, and Frank Anthony represented Anglo-Indians.

Answer: (B) Eleven

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

Article 51A lists eleven Fundamental Duties: ten were added by the 42nd Amendment, 1976, and the eleventh (education of children aged 6–14) by the 86th Amendment, 2002. Twelve, thirteen and nine do not match the current count.

Answer: (D) Supreme Court of India.

Under Article 317 a member of a State PSC can be removed for misbehaviour by the President only after the Supreme Court, on a reference, holds an enquiry and recommends removal. The Governor can only suspend the member pending the reference; neither a parliamentary committee nor the High Court has this role.

Answer: (B) persons who are registered in the electoral rolls relating to a village.

Article 243(b) defines the Gram Sabha as the body of all persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to a village within the area of a Panchayat. It is the whole electorate, not just elected representatives, officials or nominees of the Sarpanch.

Answer: (C) Australia

The Concurrent List, along with freedom of trade and commerce and the joint sitting provision, was borrowed from the Australian Constitution. The USA gave judicial review and fundamental rights, and Japan the 'procedure established by law'; China is not a source. Same question repeat of Q57.

Answer: (B) India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.

Article 1(1) reads 'India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.' The Constitution never uses the words 'federation', 'quasi-federal' or 'unitary' — 'quasi-federal' is only K. C. Wheare's description of it.

Answer: (D) Certiorari

Certiorari literally means 'to be certified' or 'to be informed'; it is issued by a higher court to quash an order of a lower court or tribunal. Quo-warranto means 'by what authority', Mandamus 'we command' and Prohibition 'to forbid'.

Answer: (A) Calcutta High Court

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands fall under the Calcutta High Court, which has a circuit bench at Port Blair. Lakshadweep, not Andaman, is under the Kerala High Court, and Puducherry is under Madras; Orissa and Andhra Pradesh High Courts have no jurisdiction over the islands.

Answer: (B) Prime Minister's duty regarding keeping the President informed about the government's decisions and policies.

Article 78 lays down the duties of the Prime Minister to communicate to the President all decisions of the Council of Ministers and to furnish information he calls for. It is framed as the Prime Minister's duty, not as a power of the President; emergency powers are in Articles 352–360, and messages to Parliament are under Article 86.

Answer: (D) Gadgil Committee

The Gadgil Committee (1988), on policy and programmes, recommended constitutional status for Panchayati Raj, a three-tier structure, a five-year term and a State Finance Commission to allocate finances to Panchayats. The Hanumantha Rao and Dantwala committees dealt with district and block-level planning, and the L. M. Singhvi Committee (1986) mainly recommended constitutional recognition and Nyaya Panchayats.

Answer: (C) Uttarakhand

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

Uttarakhand made Sanskrit its second official language in 2010, the first State to do so. Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh use Kannada and Hindi respectively with no such status for Sanskrit. Note: Himachal Pradesh also declared Sanskrit its second official language in 2019, so (D) is correct as well. But PSC answer key is C only.

Answer: (A) Thungon Committee

The P. K. Thungon Committee (1988) recommended constitutional recognition of Panchayati Raj and reservation of seats in Panchayats in proportion to the SC/ST population, including reservation for women. The G. V. K. Rao Committee (1985) dealt with administrative arrangements for rural development, and the L. M. Singhvi Committee with constitutional recognition and Nyaya Panchayats.

Answer: (A) 371

Article 371 contains special provisions for Maharashtra and Gujarat, such as separate development boards for Vidarbha, Marathwada and the rest of Maharashtra. Article 371A is for Nagaland, 371B for Assam and 371D for Andhra Pradesh (and Telangana).

Answer: (B) 42nd Amendment

The 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 made so many sweeping changes — to the Preamble, Fundamental Duties, the Seventh Schedule and many Articles — that it is called the 'mini Constitution'. The 38th, 35th and 40th amendments were limited in scope.

Answer: (C) Alexanderowic

The remark that the Indian Constitution strikes a good balance between extreme rigidity and too much flexibility is attributed to the jurist C. H. Alexandrowicz. K. C. Wheare is known for calling it 'quasi-federal', while Ambedkar and Pylee are not credited with this line.

Answer: (D) The President of India chooses the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is elected by the members of the Lok Sabha from among themselves (Article 93); the President plays no part in choosing the Speaker. The other three statements are correct: the President is Supreme Commander of the armed forces, can appoint commissions on the condition of SCs/STs, and declares Scheduled Areas under the Fifth Schedule.

Answer: (B) Article 254.

Article 254 provides that where a State law on a Concurrent List subject is repugnant to a Union law, the Union law prevails, unless the State law has received the President's assent. Article 156 is about the Governor's term, Article 300 about suits by and against the Government, and Entry 42 of List III about acquisition of property.

Answer: (C) 3rd Schedule

The Third Schedule contains the forms of oaths or affirmations for Union and State ministers, MPs, MLAs, judges and the CAG. The Fourth Schedule allocates Rajya Sabha seats, the Fifth deals with Scheduled Areas and the Eleventh with Panchayat powers. Repeat of Q60 (worded slightly differently).

Answer: (D) The Parliament

Under Article 356(1)(b), when President's rule is proclaimed, the powers of the State Legislature become exercisable by or under the authority of Parliament. Parliament may delegate law-making to the President, but the power itself vests in Parliament, not the Governor or the Prime Minister.

Answer: (D) President of India.

Under Article 324(2) the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners are appointed by the President. The Prime Minister, Chief Justice or Vice-President may have a role in recommending or selecting, but the appointing authority is the President.

Answer: (B) acquiring of territories by India and transfer of certain territories to Bangladesh.

The 100th Amendment Act, 2015 gave effect to the India–Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement, under which enclaves were exchanged — India acquired some territories and transferred others to Bangladesh. Street vending is regulated by an ordinary Act of 2014, and Andhra Pradesh was reorganised by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Answer: (B) Sindhi

The 21st Amendment Act, 1967 added Sindhi to the Eighth Schedule as its 15th language. Assamese and Gujarati were in the original list of 14, and Konkani was added later by the 71st Amendment, 1992.

Answer: (D) their distinction in the field of science, art, literature and social service.

Under Article 80(3) the 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha must have special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art and social service. The Constitution does not tie nomination to office in cultural societies, political role or the Vice-President's recommendation.

Answer: (B) Article 76

Article 76 provides for the Attorney-General of India, appointed by the President. Article 78 lays down the Prime Minister's duties, Article 67 the Vice-President's term and Article 113 the procedure for estimates in Parliament.

Answer: (A) The Parliament of India

Parliament can by law extend the jurisdiction of a High Court to, or exclude it from, any State or Union Territory (Article 230). The President, Governor and Supreme Court have no power to alter a High Court's territorial jurisdiction. Repeat of Q71.

Answer: (C) 42nd

The 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 moved five subjects — education, forests, weights and measures, protection of wild animals and birds, and administration of justice — from the State List to the Concurrent List. The 40th, 41st and 46th amendments dealt with other matters.

Answer: (D) The British Constitution.

Single citizenship, along with the parliamentary system and the rule of law, was borrowed from the British Constitution. The USA has dual (federal and state) citizenship, so it is the tempting wrong option; France gave liberty-equality-fraternity, and Switzerland is not a source of this feature.

Answer: (C) Article 340

Article 340 empowers the President to appoint a commission to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes — the Kalelkar and Mandal Commissions were set up under it. Article 342 deals with notifying Scheduled Tribes, Article 344 with the Official Language Commission and Article 339 with control over Scheduled Areas.

Answer: (B) Sikkim

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

Sikkim's Legislative Assembly has 32 members, an exception to the minimum of 60 permitted by Article 371F. Goa has 40, Delhi has 70 and Puducherry has 30 elected members, and Delhi and Puducherry are Union Territories, not States.

Answer: (D) Parliament by Law

Article 106 provides that MPs receive such salaries and allowances as Parliament may determine by law from time to time. The Cabinet, the Cabinet Secretariat and the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs may propose changes but cannot fix them.

Answer: (D) Any number of times

Article 57 makes a person who holds or has held the office of President eligible for re-election, with no limit on the number of terms. The limits of once, twice or three times are not in the Constitution (unlike the US two-term limit).

Answer: (D) Anti Defection Act

The Tenth Schedule, added by the 52nd Amendment, 1985, contains the anti-defection provisions for MPs and MLAs. Municipalities are in the Twelfth Schedule, forms of oaths in the Third, and validation of certain Acts and Regulations in the Ninth.

Answer: (C) The President of India through an administrator appointed by him called the Lieutenant Governor.

Under Article 239 every Union Territory is administered by the President acting through an administrator he appoints, styled Lieutenant Governor in several UTs. UTs have no Governor, the President does not run them directly, and even where a UT has a Chief Minister the constitutional administrator remains the President's appointee.

Answer: (D) 69th Amendment.

The 69th Amendment Act, 1991 inserted Articles 239AA and 239AB, renaming the Union Territory of Delhi the National Capital Territory with a Legislative Assembly and Council of Ministers. It was not created by ordinance, and the 71st Amendment added languages to the Eighth Schedule.

Answer: (A) High Court's power of superintendence.

Article 227 gives every High Court the power of superintendence over all courts and tribunals within its territory. Judicial review rests mainly on Articles 13, 32 and 226; the Vice-President's election is under Article 66, and the Speaker's powers are spread over other Articles.

Answer: (B) Avadi Session of 1955

The Indian National Congress adopted the 'socialistic pattern of society' as its goal at the Avadi (Madras) session in January 1955, which shaped the Second Five-Year Plan. The Nagpur session of 1959 is known for the resolution on cooperative farming, not for this goal.

Answer: (C) Golaknath vs. State of Punjab, 1967

In Golaknath v. State of Punjab (1967) the Supreme Court held that Parliament could not amend Part III to take away or abridge Fundamental Rights, treating an amendment as 'law' under Article 13. Kesavananda Bharati (1973) overruled this and laid down the basic structure doctrine, Minerva Mills (1980) reaffirmed it, and S. R. Bommai concerned Article 356.

Answer: (C) 6 months

Under Article 62(2) an election to fill a vacancy caused by death, resignation or removal must be held within six months, so the Vice-President can act as President for at most six months. The other periods do not appear in the Constitution.

Answer: (C) Australia

The Concurrent List was borrowed from the Constitution of Australia, along with freedom of trade, commerce and intercourse and the joint sitting of the two Houses. The USA gave judicial review and the Bill of Rights, Japan the 'procedure established by law'; China is not a source. The same question repeat of Q23.

Answer: (D) Article 29

Article 29 protects the interests of minorities by guaranteeing any section of citizens the right to conserve its distinct language, script or culture. Article 39 lists directive principles of policy, Article 49 protects monuments, and Article 59 lays down the President's conditions of office.

Answer: (C) Linguistic and cultural uniformity

Following the Fazl Ali (States Reorganisation) Commission, the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 redrew State boundaries mainly on linguistic lines, creating 14 States and 6 Union Territories. Administrative convenience and security were considered but were not the main basis.

Answer: (C) Third Schedule

The Third Schedule prescribes the forms of oaths and affirmations for ministers, legislators, judges and the CAG. The Fourth Schedule allocates Rajya Sabha seats, the Fifth covers Scheduled Areas and the Eleventh lists Panchayat subjects. Repeat of Q36 (worded slightly differently).

Answer: (C) Article 275

Article 275 provides for statutory grants-in-aid from the Consolidated Fund of India to States in need of assistance. Article 270 covers taxes levied and distributed between the Union and States, Article 280 the Finance Commission, and Article 265 says no tax may be levied except by authority of law.

Answer: (B) President

Article 318 empowers the President to make regulations determining the number of members of the UPSC and their conditions of service. The Home Ministry and Cabinet Secretary have no constitutional power here, and the Vice-President has no role.

Answer: (C) The President.

Under Article 323 the UPSC presents an annual report on its work to the President, who causes it to be laid before both Houses of Parliament with a memorandum. Parliament receives it only through the President, so (B) is the tempting wrong option.

Answer: (A) August, 2019

The Presidential order of 5 August 2019 (C.O. 272) and Parliament's resolution of 6 August 2019 ended the special status under Article 370, and the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 followed. The two Union Territories came into existence on 31 October 2019, which is why October is a tempting wrong option.

Answer: (C) Keshavananda Bharati Case, 1973

In Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) a 13-judge bench held 7:6 that Parliament may amend any part of the Constitution but cannot destroy its basic structure. Golaknath had denied the power to amend Fundamental Rights, Minerva Mills applied the doctrine later, and A. K. Gopalan concerned preventive detention.

Answer: (A) Election Commission.

The Election Commission recognises political parties as national or state parties and allots symbols under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. The Speaker only recognises parties' strength within the House for parliamentary purposes, and the President and Law Commission have no such role.

Answer: (C) The Attorney General of India

Article 76 creates the office of the Attorney General, the highest law officer of the Government of India. The Solicitor General is a statutory office below the Attorney General, and the other options are not law officers under the Constitution.

Answer: (C) 1957

The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee was appointed in January 1957 to study the Community Development Programme (1952) and the National Extension Service (1953); it reported in November 1957 recommending three-tier Panchayati Raj. The other years are before or after its appointment.

Answer: (B) H. J. Kania

Justice H. J. Kania became the first Chief Justice of India when the Supreme Court was inaugurated on 28 January 1950. M. Patanjali Sastri, Mehr Chand Mahajan and B. K. Mukherjea were his successors, in that order.

Answer: (B) The Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court, opened on 1 July 1862 under the Indian High Courts Act, 1861, is the oldest High Court in India. Bombay and Madras High Courts were also set up in 1862 but a little later, and Allahabad followed in 1866.

Answer: (A) The Parliament of India

Parliament can by law extend the jurisdiction of a High Court to, or exclude it from, any State or Union Territory (Article 230). The President, Governor and Supreme Court have no power to alter a High Court's territorial jurisdiction. Repeat of Q43.

Answer: (B) Article 20

Article 20 protects persons against ex post facto criminal laws, double jeopardy and self-incrimination — protection in respect of conviction for offences. Article 19 deals with six freedoms, Article 25 with freedom of religion and Article 32 with constitutional remedies.

Answer: (A) Chief Justice

Under Article 60 the oath of office of the President is administered by the Chief Justice of India, or in his absence the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court. The Speaker, Vice-President and Prime Minister have no role in it. Repeat of Q77.

Answer: (D) 12

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

The Constitution now has 12 Schedules: eight originally, the Ninth added in 1951, the Tenth in 1985, the Eleventh in 1992 and the Twelfth in 1992. 22 is the number of languages in the Eighth Schedule and of original Parts, so it is the tempting wrong option.

No option is correct as printed — this question is disputed. WBPSC awarded the mark to all candidates: no option names the State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986 / 55th Amendment, 1986 that granted statehood.

None of the options is correct: Arunachal Pradesh became a State on 20 February 1987 under the State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986, read with the Constitution (55th Amendment) Act, 1986. There is no 'Constitution Act' or 'Government of India Act' of 1981 or 1987 granting statehood, so the WB PSC awarded the mark to all candidates.

Answer: (C) 36th Constitutional Amendment Act

The 36th Amendment Act, 1975 made Sikkim a full State of the Indian Union and inserted Article 371F. The 35th Amendment (1974) had earlier made Sikkim an 'associate State', which makes (B) the tempting wrong option; the 34th and 37th dealt with other matters.

Answer: (A) Chief Justice

Under Article 60 the oath of office of the President is administered by the Chief Justice of India, or in his absence the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court. The Speaker, Vice-President and Prime Minister have no role in it. Repeat of Q73.

Answer: (D) Anglo-Indian Community

Article 336 made special provision for appointments of members of the Anglo-Indian community to certain Central services (railways, customs, posts and telegraphs) for a transitional period after 1950. No such provision exists for the Sikh, Muslim or Hindu communities.

Answer: (C) Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

The Intellectual Property Appellate Board was set up in 2003 under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, which administers patents, trademarks and copyright through DPIIT. The other ministries do not handle intellectual property. The Board was abolished by the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 and its work moved to the High Courts.

Answer: (C) Original jurisdiction.

Under Article 131 the Supreme Court has exclusive original jurisdiction over disputes between the Centre and States or between States. Appellate jurisdiction covers appeals from High Courts, and advisory jurisdiction (Article 143) covers references by the President.

Answer: (A) Mizoram

The 53rd Amendment Act, 1986 inserted Article 371G with special provisions for Mizoram, which became a State in February 1987. Tripura and Manipur became States in 1972 and Meghalaya in 1972, under earlier legislation.

Answer: (C) Mrs. Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Naidu became Governor of the United Provinces (Uttar Pradesh) in August 1947, the first woman Governor in free India. Sucheta Kripalani was the first woman Chief Minister, Indira Gandhi the first woman Prime Minister, and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit a diplomat and later Governor of Maharashtra.

Answer: (B) 243

Article 243 is the definitions clause of Part IX, defining terms such as Gram Sabha, Panchayat, Panchayat area and village. Article 243A deals with the Gram Sabha's powers, 243I with the State Finance Commission and 243O with the bar on courts interfering in electoral matters.

Answer: (C) 22nd July, 1947

The Constituent Assembly adopted the tricolour as the National Flag on 22 July 1947. 15 August 1947 is Independence Day, 26 November 1949 the date the Constitution was adopted and 26 January 1950 the date it came into force.

Answer: (A) Rajya Sabha.

Under Article 64 the Vice-President is ex-officio Chairman of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha). The Lok Sabha is presided over by the Speaker, and the Planning Commission and NDC were chaired by the Prime Minister.

Answer: (A) Swaran Singh Committee

The Sardar Swaran Singh Committee (1976) recommended Fundamental Duties, which the 42nd Amendment inserted as Article 51A. The Narasimham committees dealt with banking reform, the Malhotra Committee with insurance, and the Raghavan Committee with competition law.

Answer: (B) Part II

Part II (Articles 5–11) deals with citizenship, and Article 5 specifically covers citizenship at the commencement of the Constitution. Part I deals with the Union and its territory, Part III with Fundamental Rights and Part IV with the Directive Principles.

Answer: (C) P.V. Narasimha Rao

The 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts, giving constitutional status to Panchayats and municipalities, were passed in 1992 under Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao. Rajiv Gandhi's 64th Amendment Bill (1989) failed in the Rajya Sabha, so (B) is the tempting wrong option.

Answer: (D) Manipur

The Sixth Schedule covers tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram through autonomous district councils. Manipur's hill areas are governed under Article 371C and the Manipur Hill Areas District Councils Act, not the Sixth Schedule.

Answer: (A) Prime Minister of India

The National Water Resources Council, set up in 1983 to frame national water policy, is chaired by the Prime Minister, with the Union Water Resources Minister as vice-chairman and Chief Ministers as members. The Water Resources Minister is therefore the tempting wrong option.

Answer: (A) White Paper

A White Paper is an authoritative government report on a policy issue, which the Government of India regularly lays before Parliament (for example on black money or the economy). Green Papers are consultation documents typical of the British system, and Yellow and Blue Books are not standard Indian parliamentary documents in this sense.

Answer: (B) The Berubari Union Case

In the Berubari Union case (1960) the Supreme Court said the Preamble is not a part of the Constitution. In Kesavananda Bharati (1973) the Court reversed this and held that the Preamble is a part of the Constitution, so (A) and (C) are wrong.

Answer: (B) Article 141

Article 141 makes the law declared by the Supreme Court binding on all courts within India. Article 131 covers original jurisdiction, Article 142 the power to do complete justice, and Article 143 the advisory jurisdiction.

Answer: (A) L. M. Singhvi Committee

The L. M. Singhvi Committee (1986) recommended that Panchayati Raj institutions be constitutionally recognised, protected and preserved. Balwant Rai Mehta (1957) proposed the three-tier system, Ashok Mehta (1977) a two-tier system, and the Santhanam Committee dealt with Panchayat finances and corruption.

Answer: (D) 395 Articles

When the Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950 it had 395 Articles in 22 Parts and 8 Schedules. The other figures do not match the original text; later amendments added Articles such as 21A or 243A without renumbering.

Answer: (B) Ministry of Defence

The supreme command of the Armed Forces vests in the President, but their administrative and operational control is exercised by the Ministry of Defence and its service headquarters. The President's role is formal, and the three Chiefs act under the Ministry rather than exercising this control independently.

Answer: (C) Speaker of Lok Sabha

Article 98 provides for a separate secretariat for each House, and the Lok Sabha Secretariat works under the direct guidance and control of the Speaker. It is independent of the executive, so the Cabinet Secretary, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and the Prime Minister do not supervise it.

Answer: (A) U.S. Constitution

The idea of a Preamble beginning 'We, the People' was taken from the Constitution of the USA. The British Constitution is unwritten and has no Preamble, and the Swiss and Canadian constitutions were not its model.

Answer: (C) Article 14

Article 14 guarantees equality before law and equal protection of the laws. Article 19 deals with freedoms, Article 24 prohibits child labour in hazardous work, and Article 94 deals with the Speaker's vacation of office.

Answer: (C) Fundamental Rights

Fundamental Rights were modelled on the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution, not the British Constitution, which has no codified fundamental rights. The parliamentary system, rule of law and single citizenship are the main British borrowings.

Answer: (A) Engineering goods

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

Engineering goods (machinery, iron and steel products, auto components and the like) form the largest single group in India's merchandise exports, at roughly a quarter of the total. Ready-made garments, pharmaceuticals and electronics are important but each is a much smaller share.

Answer: (D) All of the above

Indian textiles compete in world markets with China (the largest exporter) as well as South Korea and Japan in synthetic fibres and technical textiles. Since all three are competitors, picking only one is incomplete.

Answer: (B) 2002–2003

Because of a severe drought, agricultural output fell sharply in 2002–03, giving a negative growth rate (about –7%). Agriculture recovered strongly in 2003–04, and growth was positive though low in 1990–91 and 2004–05.

Answer: (D) All of the above

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (2001) aimed at universal elementary education, bridging gender and social gaps in enrolment and ensuring education of satisfactory quality. All three are among its stated goals, so no single option is complete.

Answer: (D) 1978–83

The Janata government ended the Fifth Plan a year early and introduced a 'Rolling Plan' from 1978, conceived for 1978–83; it was abandoned in 1980 when the new government launched the Sixth Plan (1980–85). 1973–78 was the Fifth Plan, and 1980–85 the Sixth.

Answer: (A) Increase in informalisation of the economy

After 1991 most new jobs were casual, contract or unorganised-sector jobs, while organised-sector employment hardly grew, so the economy became more informal: option (A). Access to developed-country markets stayed limited by their trade barriers, so (B) is not accepted, and income inequalities widened rather than fell, so (C) is wrong.

Answer: (A) cash reserves with it.

As bankers' bank the RBI requires every scheduled bank to keep a part of its deposits as cash reserves with it (the Cash Reserve Ratio). Banks are not required to keep gold or foreign exchange with the RBI.

Answer: (B) Surat

Surat in Gujarat is the Diamond City because most of the world's rough diamonds are cut and polished there. Hyderabad is the 'City of Pearls', Jaisalmer the 'Golden City' and Dhanbad the 'Coal Capital of India'.

Answer: (B) recommend the sharing of tax revenues by the Centre and the States.

Under Article 280 the Finance Commission recommends how the net proceeds of shared taxes are divided between the Centre and the States and among the States, and the principles for grants-in-aid. It does not review only the Union's finances, frame budgets or set rules for imposing taxes.

Answer: (B) Repurchase Option

'Repo' is short for repurchase (agreement or option): the RBI lends to banks against government securities that the banks agree to buy back later. The other expansions are invented.

Answer: (C) Entertainment tax

Entertainment tax is collected on tickets and passed on to the consumer, so it is an indirect tax (now largely subsumed in GST). Income tax, wealth tax and gift tax fall directly on the person who pays them, even though wealth and gift tax have since been abolished.

Answer: (D) Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia

Montek Singh Ahluwalia was Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission from 2004 to 2014; the Commission was replaced by NITI Aayog on 1 January 2015, making him the last. The other names were never Deputy Chairmen.

Answer: (B) Increase in the Bank Rate

Raising the Bank Rate makes borrowing dearer and reduces credit and money supply, which curbs inflation. Cutting the Bank Rate or CRR and buying securities in the open market all inject money and would add to inflation.

Answer: (A) to generate foreign exchange earnings.

India's IT and IT-enabled services industry is export-oriented and is one of the country's largest sources of foreign exchange earnings. It employs mainly skilled workers rather than the masses and is concentrated in a few cities, so it does not ensure regional balance.

Answer: (B) decrease.

When the RBI sells securities in the open market, banks and the public pay for them out of bank balances, so commercial banks' cash reserves fall and their lending capacity shrinks. An open market purchase would have the opposite effect.

Answer: (C) Singapore

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

In recent years Singapore has been the largest source of FDI equity inflows into India, overtaking Mauritius, which led for many years because of its tax treaty. The USA and Japan are major sources but rank below Singapore.

Answer: (B) 1966 and 1991

The rupee was devalued in June 1966 (by about 57%) and again in July 1991 during the balance-of-payments crisis. In 1993 the rupee moved to a market-determined exchange rate, which was not a devaluation; 1965, 1968 and 1996 saw no devaluation.

Answer: (C) credit for hoarding of goods in short supply and speculation in the market for such goods.

Selective (qualitative) credit controls such as margin requirements and credit ceilings are aimed at stopping bank credit from financing hoarding and speculation in sensitive commodities in short supply. They are not meant to restrict credit for normal production or transport of goods.

Answer: (A) Textile and garment industry

The textile and garment industry is the largest employer of women in Indian manufacturing, especially in garment making, spinning and handloom. Jute, sugar and paper employ far fewer women.

Answer: (C) 1949

The RBI, set up as a shareholders' bank in 1935, was nationalised on 1 January 1949 under the RBI (Transfer to Public Ownership) Act, 1948. 1935 is its founding year, so (A) is the tempting wrong option.

Answer: (A) political changes at the centre.

The Eighth Plan due in 1990 could not start because of frequent changes of government at the Centre in 1989–91, so annual plans were run for 1990–91 and 1991–92 and the Plan began in 1992. The foreign exchange crisis of 1991 was a contemporary event but not the reason given for the postponement.

Answer: (B) Consumer durable goods industries

Liberalisation of the 1980s and rising middle-class demand made consumer durables (vehicles, electronics, appliances) the fastest-growing segment of Indian industry. Capital, intermediate and non-durable goods grew more slowly.

Answer: (B) Ayushman Bharat Yojana

Ayushman Bharat is a health-insurance and health-infrastructure scheme rather than a poverty alleviation programme. IRDP, the National Rural Livelihood Mission and the rural housing scheme (PMAY-G) are classed as poverty alleviation programmes.

Answer: (D) total expenditure minus total receipts excluding borrowings and other liabilities.

Fiscal deficit = total expenditure – (revenue receipts + non-debt capital receipts), that is, total expenditure minus total receipts excluding borrowings and other liabilities; it measures the government's borrowing requirement. Revenue expenditure minus revenue receipts is the revenue deficit.

Answer: (D) All of the above

The rise in reserves after 2000–01 came from several reinforcing causes: continued reforms attracting FDI, higher Indian interest rates drawing debt inflows and NRI deposits, and a booming stock market attracting FII investment. Each listed factor contributed, so 'All of the above' is correct.

Answer: (C) a minimum reserve of gold and foreign exchanges.

Since 1957 the RBI has issued notes under the Minimum Reserve System, keeping a minimum of ₹200 crore in gold and foreign exchange, of which at least ₹115 crore must be gold. It is not a gold-only reserve, and rupee coins or bills of exchange are not part of the minimum reserve.

Answer: (C) United States

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

In 2022–23 the United States overtook China to become India's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade of about 128 billion US dollars. Japan, Bangladesh and South Korea are significant partners but far smaller; China, the usual rival for the top spot, is not among the options.

Answer: (D) not been satisfactory.

The first-generation reforms raised GDP growth, but employment grew slowly (the 'jobless growth' of the 1990s) and poverty fell only modestly in those years. So their impact on jobs and poverty is judged not satisfactory, option (D); 'satisfactory', 'good' and 'spectacular' all overstate it.

Answer: (D) All of the above

Bharat Nirman built rural infrastructure (roads, housing, water, electricity, telephony), PMAY-Gramin provides rural housing, and MGNREGA guarantees rural wage employment. All three promote rural development, so no single option is complete.

Answer: (B) consumption of goods and services.

GST is a destination-based tax on consumption: it is levied at each stage of supply but the burden finally falls on the consumer, and the tax accrues to the State where goods or services are consumed. Exports are zero-rated, and it is not a tax on production as such.

Answer: (A) To maintain financial stability

As central bank the RBI's core role is monetary and financial stability — price stability, a sound banking system and orderly financial markets. Agricultural growth, banking habits and regional balance are wider development goals pursued by other institutions and policies.

Answer: (B) STEP

STEP (Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women) gives skills and employment support only to women. ICDS serves children as well as mothers, MGNREGA is open to all rural adults, and NRHM serves the whole rural population.

Answer: (A) MGNREGA Scheme

MGNREGA guarantees 100 days of wage employment to rural households and is India's main poverty alleviation (wage employment) programme. Bharat Nirman is a rural infrastructure plan, SSA an education programme and NRHM a health mission.

Answer: (D) Taking decision regarding the use of deficit financing to close the gap between revenues and expenditures of the Government.

Deciding how much deficit financing to use is a fiscal decision taken by the Government in its Budget, not by the RBI. Changing the bank rate, conducting open market operations and acting as lender of last resort are all RBI functions.

Answer: (D) Ceilings on the use of machines on farms

Land reforms in India included abolition of intermediaries, tenancy reforms, ceilings on landholdings and consolidation of fragmented holdings. There has never been a ceiling on the use of farm machinery.

Answer: (A) Current Account

The rupee has been fully convertible on the current account since August 1994, when India accepted IMF Article VIII obligations. Capital account convertibility is still only partial, and 'trade account' is not a separate convertibility category.

Answer: (B) N. K. Singh

N. K. Singh chaired the 15th Finance Commission (2020–26). Y. V. Reddy chaired the 14th, C. Rangarajan the 12th, and Bimal Jalan headed RBI and other committees but not a Finance Commission.

Answer: (C) Harrod-Domar model

The First Plan (1951–56), which stressed agriculture and capital formation, was based on the Harrod–Domar growth model. The Mahalanobis model underlay the Second Plan, which made it the tempting wrong option.

Answer: (C) NABARD

NABARD, set up in 1982, is the apex institution for credit to agriculture and rural development, refinancing banks and promoting sustainable rural growth. SBI is a commercial bank, RBI the central bank and SEBI the securities regulator.

Answer: (A) Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, formulates and implements the Foreign Trade Policy. The Home Ministry, NITI Aayog and Finance Commission have no such role.

Answer: (B) Cash Reserve Ratio

CRR is the Cash Reserve Ratio — the share of a bank's net demand and time liabilities that it must keep as cash with the RBI. The other expansions are invented.

Answer: (D) All of the above

After the Third Plan failed, successive droughts in 1965–67, the 1965 war, devaluation, shortage of resources and rising inflation forced the Government to run three annual plans in 1966–69 instead of a Fourth Plan. All the listed causes contributed.

Answer: (B) Reserve Bank of India

The repo and reverse repo rates are policy rates set by the Reserve Bank of India, now through its Monetary Policy Committee. The Finance Ministry, CAG and SBI do not set them.

Answer: (B) State Bank of India

State Bank of India is India's largest public-sector commercial bank. The RBI is the central bank, and a State Co-operative Bank is a co-operative bank, not a commercial bank.

Answer: (B) Goods and Services Tax

GST stands for Goods and Services Tax, the indirect tax introduced on 1 July 2017 under the 101st Amendment. The other expansions are incorrect.

Answer: (D) All of the above

Monetary policy works through bank credit and money supply, so it is weak against inflation caused by government deficit financing, by supply shortages, or by credit from outside the banking system such as non-bank finance companies. All three limit its effectiveness.

Answer: (A) wheat and rice

The Green Revolution of the late 1960s spread high-yielding varieties mainly of wheat and rice in irrigated areas such as Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Pulses were largely left out, and it was not limited to only one of the two cereals.

Answer: (C) currency with the public, demand deposits of commercial banks and time deposits of commercial banks.

Under the RBI's revised monetary aggregates (1998), $NM_2$ = $NM_1$ (currency with the public and demand deposits) plus short-term time deposits of banks, so it combines currency, demand deposits and time deposits. Currency with demand deposits alone is narrow money ($M_1$), and the other options omit a component.

Answer: (D) Autonomy to the Development Financial Institutions

The second Narasimham Committee (1998) recommended greater autonomy for public-sector banks, mergers of strong large banks, and separating the RBI's role as regulator from its ownership of banks. It did not call for autonomy for development financial institutions; it wanted them eventually converted into banks or NBFCs.

Answer: (D) 2017

The Twelfth Five-Year Plan ran from 2012 to 2017 and ended on 31 March 2017; it was the last Five-Year Plan, as NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission in 2015. The earlier years fall within the Plan period.

Answer: (D) All of the above

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

India has long been far more populous than the USA and Indonesia, and in 2023 UN estimates showed it overtaking China to become the world's most populous country (about 142.9 crore). So India's population exceeds all three.

Answer: (C) The Tertiary sector

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

The tertiary (services) sector contributes more than half of India's gross value added. Agriculture contributes under a fifth and manufacturing and mining together much less than services.

Answer: (B) 1934

The RBI Act, 1934 (sections 17 and 33 among others) lays down how the RBI holds and invests foreign exchange reserves. 1949 is the year of nationalisation and of the Banking Regulation Act, and 1999 the year of FEMA, which regulates foreign exchange transactions rather than reserve management.

Answer: (C) 93 per cent

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

Commonly cited estimates (for example of the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector) put about 93% of India's workforce in the informal or unorganised sector. The lower figures understate its size, and 90% is a round approximation rather than the standard estimate.

Answer: (C) the Reserve Bank charges the commercial banks for lending them money.

The bank rate is the rate at which the RBI lends to (or rediscounts bills of) commercial banks for the longer term, without collateral of securities. Rates charged by banks to businesses are lending rates, and the RBI does not lend to non-bank intermediaries at the bank rate.

Answer: (C) Gems and Jewellery

Gems and jewellery (cut and polished diamonds, gold jewellery) is one of India's largest manufactured export items. Tea is a primary (plantation) product, and India is a net importer of textile machinery.

Answer: (D) All of the above

The 2016 Act bans employment of children below 14 in all occupations and processes — domestic work included — except helping in family enterprises after school, and bans adolescents of 14–18 from hazardous occupations. All three statements describe it, so (D) is the complete answer.

Answer: (B) 2021

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

The keyed answer is (B) 2021, the year in which the decennial Census was due after 2011. Note: the 2021 Census was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and had not been held when this examination took place in August 2024, so the last Census actually undertaken was that of 2011, option (A); 2010 was only its house-listing phase. PSC answer key given Option B.

Answer: (B) Bombay

The Bombay Stock Exchange, founded in 1875 as the Native Share and Stock Brokers' Association, is the oldest organised stock exchange in India and Asia. The Ahmedabad and Calcutta exchanges were set up later (1894 and 1908).

Answer: (D) 2016

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

The most recent demonetisation was announced on 8 November 2016, withdrawing the legal tender status of ₹500 and ₹1000 notes. The earlier demonetisation was in 1978 (high-denomination notes), and none occurred in 1995 or 2018.

Answer: (D) All of the above

The keyed answer treats all three as unshared: property tax is levied by local bodies, stamp duty is levied by the Union under Article 268 but collected and kept by the States, and customs is a Union tax. On that reading none of the three is divided between the Centre and the States. Note: since the 80th Amendment (2000) basic customs duty forms part of the divisible pool shared with the States on Finance Commission recommendations, so only property tax and stamp duty are truly unshared. PSC answer key given option D.

Answer: (A) Petroleum Crude

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

Crude petroleum is India's largest import item by value, accounting for roughly a fifth to a quarter of total imports. Gold is usually second, and organic chemicals and computer hardware are much smaller.

Answer: (C) NITI Ayog

NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) replaced the Planning Commission on 1 January 2015 as the government's policy think-tank. NABARD is a rural development bank and SEBI the securities regulator.

Answer: (B) Reserve Bank of India

Under section 22 of the RBI Act the Reserve Bank has the sole right to issue bank notes; the one-rupee note and coins are issued by the Government of India (Ministry of Finance). SBI and the Commerce Ministry issue no currency.

Answer: (A) Reduction in the Cash Reserve Ratio

Cutting the Cash Reserve Ratio frees more of banks' deposits for lending and so increases money supply. Raising SLR or the repo rate and restricting selective credit all reduce money supply.

Answer: (A) 50 : 50

On intra-State supplies GST is levied as equal halves of Central GST and State GST — for example 9% CGST plus 9% SGST on an 18% item — so the split is 50 : 50. The 60 : 40 ratio is the usual Centre–State share in centrally sponsored schemes, not GST.

Answer: (B) Agricultural sector

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

Agriculture and allied activities still employ the largest share of India's workforce, around 45% by the PLFS surveys, even though their share of GDP is under a fifth. Services contribute most to GDP but employ fewer people than agriculture.

Answer: (A) where all people participate and benefit equitably.

Inclusive growth means broad-based growth in which all sections of society take part and share the benefits equitably — the theme of the Eleventh Plan. Financial or social inclusion are only parts of it, and it does not mean that the poor alone receive all benefits.

Answer: (D) provides loan facilities to the corporate houses.

The RBI is a bankers' bank and the Government's bank; it does not lend to corporate houses. It does regulate NBFCs, steer short-term and call money rates, and provide refinance and borrowing facilities to co-operative banks.

Answer: (A) Promotion of Foreign Direct Investment

A main argument for opening the economy in 1991 was to attract foreign direct investment, bringing in capital, technology and foreign exchange during the balance-of-payments crisis. Boosting agriculture, poverty alleviation or indigenous technology were not the central arguments for globalisation.

Answer: (C) 2017

GST came into force on 1 July 2017. The 101st Constitutional Amendment enabling it was passed in 2016, which makes (A) the tempting wrong option.

Answer: (D) All of the above

Besides its regulatory work, the RBI has developmental roles: promoting banking habits, setting up specialised institutions such as NABARD, IDBI and UTI, and spreading banking to rural and semi-urban areas. All three are developmental functions.

Answer: (C) Sri Lanka

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

After the RBI allowed international trade settlement in rupees in July 2022, Sri Lanka was among the first countries to open Special Rupee Vostro Accounts and agree to trade in the Indian rupee. The USA, Pakistan and Canada had no such arrangement.

Answer: (D) Faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth

The theme of the Twelfth Plan (2012–17) was 'Faster, More Inclusive and Sustainable Growth'. 'Towards faster and more inclusive growth' was the theme of the Eleventh Plan, which makes (B) the tempting wrong option.

Answer: (B) Services

During the Tenth Plan (2002–07) the services sector grew fastest, at over 9% a year, with industry close behind and agriculture far lower at about 2.5%. Mining grew more slowly than manufacturing.

Answer: (D) Ensuring revenue-expenditure balance in the budget of the Central Government

Balancing the Central Government's revenue and expenditure is a fiscal-policy goal of the Government, not an aim of the RBI's monetary policy. Exchange-rate stability, financial stability and controlled credit expansion are all monetary-policy objectives.

Answer: (C) Fifth Five Year Plan

The Minimum Needs Programme, providing basic services such as elementary education, rural health, drinking water and rural roads, was introduced in the first year of the Fifth Plan (1974–79). The Third, Eighth and Ninth Plans came before or long after it.

Answer: (C) Oilseeds

India still imports a large share of its edible oil needs because domestic oilseed output falls short of demand. It is self-sufficient, and often the world's largest or second-largest producer, in milk, sugar and vegetables.

Answer: (D) Posts and Telegraphs

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

The PSC answer key is (D): Posts and Telegraphs are departments of the Union Government, so their receipts and expenditure are part of the Union Budget. Municipalities and Panchayats are local bodies with their own budgets. Note: since 2017-18 the separate Railway Budget has been merged into the Union Budget, so (A) Railways is also correct today; the key follows the older position.

Answer: (D) HCL Technologies

HCL Technologies is one of India's leading IT services and software companies. Larsen and Toubro is mainly an engineering and construction group, Mahindra and Mahindra an automobile maker and Hindustan Unilever a consumer-goods company.

Answer: (D) All of the above

The first-generation reforms of 1991 are summed up as LPG — liberalisation of controls and licensing, privatisation (disinvestment and opening sectors to private firms) and globalisation (opening trade and foreign investment). All three characterise them.

Answer: (A) Madhya Pradesh

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

Sample Registration System bulletins of recent years show Madhya Pradesh with the highest infant mortality rate among major States (about 43 per 1,000 live births in 2020). Uttar Pradesh and Odisha follow, while West Bengal's rate is far lower.

Answer: (D) All of the above

Indian Five-Year Plans were financed from domestic savings (taxes and surpluses of public enterprises), public borrowing at home and abroad, and deficit financing. All three were sources, so no single option is complete.

Answer: (B) M. K. Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi championed village self-government ('gram swaraj') with Panchayats as the basis of Indian democracy, and his ideas shaped Article 40 of the Directive Principles. Nehru inaugurated Panchayati Raj in Nagaur in 1959 and V. K. R. V. Rao worked on rural development, but the advocacy is credited to Gandhi.

Answer: (B) 1938

The Employment of Children Act, 1938 was the first law specifically addressing child labour in India. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act came in 1986 and was amended in 2016, and 1950 is the year the Constitution came into force.

Answer: (B) food security.

The Green Revolution of the mid-1960s was launched after severe food shortages and dependence on PL-480 imports, to make India self-sufficient in foodgrains — that is, to ensure food security. Technology (HYV seeds, fertilisers) was the means, not the aim, and environmental sustainability was not its goal.

Answer: (D) Corporate tax

Corporation tax is levied on companies' profits and cannot be shifted, so it is a direct tax. Customs, excise and sales tax are passed on to buyers through prices and are indirect taxes.

Answer: (B) April 12, 1988

SEBI was set up as a non-statutory body on 12 April 1988 and given statutory powers by the SEBI Act on 30 January 1992. 12 July 1982 is the date NABARD was set up, which makes (A) a tempting wrong option.

Answer: (A) Agriculture

Census and survey data show that most child workers in India are in agriculture — as cultivators and agricultural labourers — mainly in rural areas. Manufacturing, construction and hotels employ far fewer children.

Answer: (B) Rashtriya Mahila Kosh

Rashtriya Mahila Kosh, set up in 1993, provides micro-credit specifically to poor women through NGOs and self-help groups. NABARD refinances rural credit generally, Grameen Bank is a Bangladeshi model, and the National Mission for Empowerment of Women is a coordinating mission, not a lender.

Answer: (B) 1991

The Liberalisation–Privatisation–Globalisation model was introduced with the New Economic Policy of July 1991 under P. V. Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. 1990 was the year of the crisis's build-up, not of the reforms.

Answer: (A) Computer Software and Hardware

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

In recent years the computer software and hardware sector has received the largest share of FDI equity inflows into India, alongside the broad services sector. Chemicals, tourism and agriculture receive much smaller shares.

Answer: (D) All of the above

In 2019–20 Parliament consolidated 29 labour laws into four codes: the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. All three listed are among them.

Answer: (B) Arunachal Pradesh

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

Arunachal Pradesh has the lowest population density of any Indian State — 17 persons per sq km in the 2011 Census. Sikkim (86), Himachal Pradesh (123) and Madhya Pradesh (236) are all denser. The question says '2021 Census', but the 2021 Census was not held; the figures are from the 2011 Census.

Answer: (A) South-East Asia

Answer as of 2023 — this may have changed since.

A large share of India's outward direct investment goes to South-East Asia, especially Singapore, which is a major hub for Indian companies' overseas operations. South Asia receives relatively little, and Europe and the USA, though important, are not the main destination in the keyed view.

Answer: (D) Change of power at the Center

The Janata government drafted a Sixth Plan for 1978–83, but when Congress returned to power in 1980 it scrapped it and launched a fresh Sixth Plan for 1980–85. The change of government, not war, monsoon or a payments crisis, caused the two plans.

Answer: (D) 33 per cent

Schedule II of MGNREGA requires that at least one-third of the beneficiaries be women, which is rounded to 33 per cent. 50 per cent is the share of Panchayat seats reserved for women in many States, not the MGNREGA mandate.

Answer: (B) By lending a part of its deposits

Banks keep only a fraction of deposits as reserves and lend the rest; the loans are redeposited and re-lent, multiplying deposits — this is credit creation. Banks do not print money, and ATM cards or borrowing from the RBI do not create money in this sense.

Answer: (B) 5 years

Article 280 requires the President to constitute a Finance Commission every fifth year, or earlier if necessary. The other intervals are not in the Constitution.

Answer: (B) Manmohon Singh

Dr Manmohan Singh was Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1982 to 1985 and later Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014. None of the other Prime Ministers listed held that office.