Geopolitics & World News Involving India (Questions 1-8)
Q1. India officially welcomed the 10-day ceasefire agreement between:
A) Iran and USA
B) Israel and Iran
C) Israel and Lebanon
D) Lebanon and Syria
Answer: C.
Explanation: The ceasefire took effect around 16-17 April 2026; MEA spokesperson confirmed India’s support.
Q2. On 17 April 2026, Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for commercial vessels for the remaining period of the ceasefire. The first vessels to pass through were:
A) Chinese container ships
B) Indian-flagged tankers
C) Three Iranian oil tankers carrying five million barrels of crude
D) US naval vessels
Answer: C.
Explanation: This followed the partial lifting of the US blockade in the region.
Q3. India-Zambia critical minerals negotiations (copper and cobalt) stalled primarily due to:
A) Environmental clearance issues in India
B) India’s withdrawal from the project
C) Chinese intervention
D) Zambia’s refusal to provide long-term mining rights assurances
Answer: D.
Explanation: Zambia is a key producer in the Copperbelt region; India had allocated 9,000 sq km for exploration.
Q4. India’s National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) is being adapted by several African nations as part of:
A) South-South development diplomacy and women’s empowerment models
B) Military cooperation
C) Space technology transfer
D) Vaccine diplomacy
Answer: A.
Explanation: NRLM covers 742 districts, 9 million SHGs and 100 million households and is seen as a soft-power tool.
Q5. During the India-Austria high-level talks on 17 April 2026, both sides emphasised:
A) Joint military exercises
B) A rules-based global order and peaceful resolution of conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine
C) Only trade in defence equipment
D) Withdrawal from multilateral forums
Answer: B.
Explanation: This was the first visit by an Austrian Chancellor in 40 years.
Q6. Which country overtook the USA to become India’s top trade partner in FY26 with bilateral trade of USD 151.1 billion?
A) UAE
B) Germany
C) Japan
D) China
Answer: D.
Explanation: India’s trade deficit with China stood at USD 112.16 billion.
Q7. The Ministry of External Affairs held its weekly media briefing on 17 April 2026, during which it commented on developments involving:
A) Only West Asia
B) Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and ongoing judicial processes
C) Only critical minerals
D) Only domestic elections
Answer: B.
Explanation: MEA reiterated constructive engagement with the new Bangladesh government.
Q8. India’s rural livelihood models (NRLM) have facilitated bank linkages worth approximately:
A) Rs12 lakh crore
B) Rs5 lakh crore
C) Rs20 lakh crore
D) Rs2 lakh crore
Answer: A.
Explanation: The programme has also seen ?51,368 crore in capitalization and ?19,200 crore budgeted for 2026-27.
Indian Polity (Questions 9-18)
Q9. The Lok Sabha rejected the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 on 17 April 2026. What was the exact voting outcome?
A) 298 in favour, 230 against
B) 320 in favour, 208 against
C) 250 in favour, 278 against
D) 350 in favour, 178 against
Answer: A.
Explanation: The Bill failed to secure the required two-thirds majority of members present and voting (298 Ayes vs 230 Noes out of 528).
Q10. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 sought to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from:
A) 543 to 850
B) 543 to 790
C) 545 to 800
D) 543 to 750
Answer: A.
Explanation: It proposed 815 members from States and up to 35 from Union Territories (total 850).
Q11. Which Article of the Constitution was proposed to be amended by the 131st Amendment Bill to delink delimitation from the first Census after 2026?
A) Article 330
B) Article 81
C) Article 82
D) Article 334
Answer: C.
Explanation: The amendment aimed to allow delimitation on the basis of the 2011 Census instead of waiting for the post-2026 Census.
Q12. Following the rejection of the 131st Amendment Bill, which two related Bills were withdrawn by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju?
A) National Capital Territory Bill and Delimitation Bill
B) Women’s Reservation (Amendment) Bill and Delimitation Bill
C) 106th Amendment Bill and UCF Bill
D) Delimitation Bill, 2026 and Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026
Answer: D.
Explanation: Both Bills were withdrawn immediately after the main Constitutional Amendment Bill was rejected.
Q13. The Women’s Reservation Act, 2023 (106th Constitutional Amendment) was notified to come into force on:
A) 16 April 2026
B) 17 April 2026
C) 1 January 2027
D) 1 April 2026
Answer: A.
Explanation: The Gazette notification brought the 33% quota law into effect on 16 April 2026, though full implementation still requires delimitation.
Q14. A Constitution Amendment Bill under Article 368 requires:
A) Simple majority in both Houses
B) Two-thirds majority of members present and voting in each House
C) Two-thirds majority of total membership of both Houses
D) Absolute majority in Lok Sabha only
Answer: B.
Explanation: For most amendments, it is two-thirds of members present and voting (not total membership).
Q15. The Delimitation Bill, 2026 proposed to constitute a Delimitation Commission chaired by:
A) The President of India
B) The Chief Election Commissioner
C) The Union Home Minister
D) A serving or former Supreme Court judge
Answer: D.
Explanation: The Commission would also include the CEC (or nominated EC) and the concerned State Election Commissioner.
Q16. Opposition parties opposed the 131st Amendment Bill primarily because delimitation based on the 2011 Census would:
A) Disproportionately reduce representation of southern and north-eastern States
B) Increase representation of southern States
C) Freeze seats till 2031
D) Delink women’s reservation from delimitation
Answer: A.
Explanation: Southern States feared loss of political weight due to lower population growth compared to northern States.
Q17. The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 sought to extend women’s reservation provisions to which UTs?
A) Ladakh and Chandigarh
B) Chandigarh, Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep
C) Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu & Kashmir
D) All UTs with legislatures
Answer: C.
Explanation: It aimed at uniform implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in these UT Assemblies.
Q18. Which former Prime Minister’s birth anniversary was observed on 17 April 2026?
A) Chandra Shekhar (100th birth anniversary)
B) V. P. Singh
C) Morarji Desai
D) Charan Singh
Answer: A.
Explanation: Chandra Shekhar was born on 17 April 1927 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh.
Environment/Science/Economy (Questions 19-24)
Q19. Marine heatwaves are primarily caused by:
A) Increased river discharge
B) Volcanic activity only
C) Prolonged high ocean temperatures (1-3°C above average) due to climate change, weakened winds and stratification
D) El Nino reversal exclusively
Answer: C.
Explanation: They intensify tropical cyclones and cause coral bleaching and fish die-offs.
Q20. India’s first semiconductor fabrication plant is being set up in:
A) Dholera SEZ, Gujarat by Tata Semiconductor
B) Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh
C) Hyderabad, Telangana
D) Bengaluru, Karnataka
Answer: A.
Explanation: The project involves ?91,000 crore investment and is expected to create ~21,000 jobs.
Q21. Patent application filings in India in FY26 rose by 30.2% to:
A) 2,00,000
B) 1,10,375
C) 1,43,729
D) 90,000
Answer: C.
Explanation: Domestic filings constituted 69.4% of the total; India ranked 6th globally (WIPO).
Q22. The Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) launched in 2025-26 aims to provide central assistance of:
A) Rs2 lakh crore
B) Rs50,000 crore
C) Rs1 lakh crore to catalyse Rs4 lakh crore investment
D) Rs10 lakh crore
Answer: C.
Explanation: It operates in challenge mode for transformative urban projects over FY2025-26 to FY2030-31.
Q23. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) recently warned of severe ecological degradation of which lake in Jammu & Kashmir due to encroachment of over 2,500 kanals?
A) Hokersar Lake
B) Dal Lake
C) Wular Lake
D) Pangong Lake
Answer: A.
Explanation: The lake is a critical wetland ecosystem facing rapid degradation.
Q24. Researchers recently discovered a new gecko species in Tripura named:
A) Hemidactylus flaviviridis
B) Cyrtodactylus jayadityai
C) Gekko gecko
D) Calodactylodes aureus
Answer: B.
Explanation: The discovery adds to India’s herpetofaunal diversity.
Sports (Questions 25-27)
Q25. Indian squash player Tanvi Khanna caused an upset by defeating the top seed from which country in the World Championship Asia qualifiers on 17 April 2026?
A) Hong Kong
B) Malaysia
C) Japan
D) Singapore
Answer: A.
Explanation: She defeated N Ching Cheng (world rank 76) and advanced to quarterfinals.
Q26. Anahat Singh also reached the quarterfinals of the same Squash World Championship Asia qualifiers event held in:
A) New Delhi
B) Singapore
C) Kuala Lumpur
D) Dubai
Answer: C.
Explanation: Both Indian players performed strongly in the qualifying rounds.
Q27. India won the mixed team air pistol gold at the ISSF World Cup 2026 in Granada with a new world record score of:
A) 487.7
B) 481.3
C) 490.0
D) 475.5
Answer: A.
Explanation: The pair of Mukesh Nelavalli and Palak Gulia set the record.
Arts/Education/Literature & Other Relevant Affairs (Questions 28-30)
Q28. The Lanjia Saora tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Odisha, is known for its distinctive:
A) Bamboo dance
B) Warli painting
C) Large metal earrings and “Tantangbo” tattooing practice
D) Only bamboo housing
Answer: C.
Explanation: They follow animistic beliefs, shifting cultivation and use the Sorang Sompeng script.
Q29. In the case Rachana Gangu v. Union of India, the Supreme Court directed the government to formulate a:
A) Ban on all vaccines
B) Mandatory vaccination law
C) No-fault vaccine injury compensation policy
D) Private insurance-only policy
Answer: C.
Explanation: India administered over 219 crore COVID-19 doses; the direction aims to uphold Article 21 rights.
Q30. The DF-PIBM model recently developed by researchers is used for:
A) Predicting pollen dispersion in urban areas using porous immersed boundary method
B) Forecasting stock markets
C) Simulating nuclear reactions
D) Mapping ocean currents
Answer: A.
Explanation: It helps assess allergy risks and aids urban planning amid climate change.
