Q1. Exercise VARUNA is a bilateral maritime exercise conducted between the Indian Navy and which country's navy?

A) United States Navy

B) French Navy

C) Royal Australian Navy

D) Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force

प्रश्न 1. अभ्यास वरुणा (Exercise VARUNA) भारतीय नौसेना और किस देश की नौसेना के बीच आयोजित होने वाला द्विपक्षीय समुद्री अभ्यास है?

A) संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका की नौसेना

B) फ्रांस की नौसेना

C) रॉयल ऑस्ट्रेलियाई नौसेना

D) जापान मैरीटाइम सेल्फ-डिफेंस फोर्स

Answer: B) French Navy / फ्रांस की नौसेना

Explanation:

  1. The 24th edition of Exercise VARUNA commenced in September 2026 with the arrival of Indian Navy frigate INS Trishul (F43) at Toulon, France, highlighting the growing maritime cooperation between India and France.
  2. Exercise VARUNA is a bilateral naval exercise between the Indian Navy and French Navy, which began in 2001 to enhance operational coordination, interoperability, and exchange of best practices between the two forces.
  3. The exercise includes activities such as cross-deck visits, operational interactions, joint training activities, and professional exchanges, strengthening the strategic maritime partnership between the two countries.
  4. INS Trishul is a Talwar-class guided missile frigate of the Indian Navy, commissioned in 2003; it is equipped with advanced systems, including BrahMos missile-capable launch systems, supporting precision strike capabilities.


Q2. Mushtaq Khan, who passed away recently, was associated with which field?

A) Politics

B) Sports

C) Cinema

D) Literature

प्रश्न 2. हाल ही में निधन हुए मुश्ताक खान किस क्षेत्र से संबंधित थे?

A) राजनीति

B) खेल

C) सिनेमा

D) साहित्य

Answer: C) Cinema / सिनेमा

Explanation:

  1. Veteran actor Mushtaq Khan passed away in September 2026 at the age of 75 after battling cancer; he was known for his supporting roles in more than 500 films across a career spanning five decades.
  2. Mushtaq Khan was a prominent Indian film actor, recognised for character roles in movies such as Welcome, Gadar, Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke, Aashiqui, and Gadar 2.
  3. He gained popularity mainly through supporting and comic character roles in Hindi cinema and was part of several commercially successful Bollywood films.
  4. His death was reported from Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai, highlighting the contribution of veteran supporting actors to the Indian film industry.


Q3. Which Indian rowers became the first Indian duo to win a medal in the men’s double sculls event at the Asian Games?

A) Salman Khan and Satnam Singh

B) Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh

C) Dattu Bhokanal and Om Prakash

D) Sawarn Singh and Sukhmeet Singh

प्रश्न 3. एशियाई खेलों में पुरुष डबल स्कल्स स्पर्धा में पदक जीतने वाली पहली भारतीय जोड़ी कौन बनी?

A) सलमान खान और सतनाम सिंह

B) अर्जुन लाल जाट और अरविंद सिंह

C) दत्तू भोकनल और ओम प्रकाश

D) सावरन सिंह और सुखमीत सिंह

Answer: A) Salman Khan and Satnam Singh / सलमान खान और सतनाम सिंह

Explanation:

  1. At the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Indian rowers Salman Khan and Satnam Singh created history by becoming the first Indian duo to win a medal in the men’s double sculls event at the Asian Games.
  2. The duo secured the bronze medal by clocking 6:13.25 seconds, finishing behind China’s Yi Xudi and Nie Yide (gold) and Uzbekistan’s Mekhrojbek Mamatkulov and Pavel Sorin (silver).
  3. The pair was initially selected for the men’s quadruple sculls event, but a last-minute change by the rowing federation shifted them to the double sculls category, where they achieved the historic result.
  4. India’s rowing is represented by the Rowing Federation of India (RFI), established in 1976, while international rowing competitions are governed by World Rowing (formerly FISA).


Q4. Which financial instrument is being issued for the first time in India by Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited (SMFCL) to support sustainable maritime infrastructure?

A) Green Bonds

B) Blue Bonds

C) Sovereign Gold Bonds

D) Municipal Bonds

प्रश्न 4. सतत समुद्री अवसंरचना को समर्थन देने के लिए सागरमाला फाइनेंस कॉरपोरेशन लिमिटेड (SMFCL) द्वारा भारत में पहली बार कौन-सा वित्तीय साधन जारी किया जा रहा है?

A) ग्रीन बॉन्ड

B) ब्लू बॉन्ड

C) सॉवरेन गोल्ड बॉन्ड

D) म्यूनिसिपल बॉन्ड

Answer: B) Blue Bonds / ब्लू बॉन्ड

Explanation:

  1. Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited (SMFCL) is set to issue India’s first-ever blue bonds to mobilise long-term capital for sustainable maritime infrastructure and ocean economy projects.
  2. Blue bonds are specialised debt instruments and a sub-category of green bonds that finance projects related to the protection and sustainable use of ocean and water ecosystems.
  3. The maiden blue bond issue by SMFCL aims to raise ₹600 crore through 10-year debt securities, with funds supporting maritime sector lending, greenfield port projects, and coastal infrastructure development.
  4. Seychelles issued the world’s first sovereign blue bond in 2018 with support from the World Bank, while India’s SMFCL is the country’s first maritime sector-specific Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).


Q5. Which organisation developed the e-Office platform being adopted by Assam for its paperless governance initiative?

A) National Informatics Centre (NIC)

B) NITI Aayog

C) Digital India Corporation

D) Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)

प्रश्न 5. कागज रहित शासन पहल के लिए असम द्वारा अपनाए जा रहे e-Office प्लेटफॉर्म को किस संगठन ने विकसित किया है?

A) राष्ट्रीय सूचना विज्ञान केंद्र (NIC)

B) नीति आयोग

C) डिजिटल इंडिया कॉरपोरेशन

D) सेंटर फॉर डेवलपमेंट ऑफ एडवांस्ड कंप्यूटिंग (C-DAC)

Answer: A) National Informatics Centre (NIC) / राष्ट्रीय सूचना विज्ञान केंद्र (NIC)

Explanation:

  1. The Assam government has set January 1, 2027, as the deadline for all government offices to transition to a paperless e-Office system, aiming to make administration more transparent, efficient, and citizen-centric.
  2. The e-Office platform has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and replaces traditional paper-based file movement with electronic file creation, tracking, digital signatures, and online workflows.
  3. In Assam, the system is already operational across all 58 departments of the Assam Secretariat, and its implementation is being expanded to directorates and Deputy Commissioner offices.
  4. NIC functions under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and is responsible for providing digital governance infrastructure and e-governance solutions to government departments.


Q6. Which location has been approved as the initial place of sitting for the High Court Bench in the Union Territory of Ladakh?

A) Kargil

B) Leh

C) Drass

D) Nubra

प्रश्न 6. केंद्र शासित प्रदेश लद्दाख में उच्च न्यायालय पीठ के प्रारंभिक स्थान के रूप में किस स्थान को मंजूरी दी गई है?

A) कारगिल

B) लेह

C) द्रास

D) नुब्रा

Answer: B) Leh / लेह

Explanation:

  1. In September 2026, Leh was approved as the initial place of sitting for the High Court Bench of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in the Union Territory of Ladakh following the recommendation of the Chief Justice of the High Court.
  2. The decision was based on factors including the higher share of pending cases from Leh Division, administrative importance, and availability of suitable infrastructure for starting judicial proceedings.
  3. The approval was granted under the Union Territory of Ladakh (Sitting of Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Ladakh) Regulation, 2026, which came into force on September 5, 2026.
  4. Leh is the administrative headquarters of Ladakh, which became a separate Union Territory on 31 October 2019 after the enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.


Q7. ONGC recently discovered a natural gas reserve in which offshore basin of India?

A) Krishna-Godavari Basin

B) Mahanadi Deep-Sea Basin

C) Mumbai Offshore Basin

D) Cauvery Basin

प्रश्न 7. ONGC ने हाल ही में भारत के किस अपतटीय बेसिन में प्राकृतिक गैस भंडार की खोज की है?

A) कृष्णा-गोदावरी बेसिन

B) महानदी डीप-सी बेसिन

C) मुंबई अपतटीय बेसिन

D) कावेरी बेसिन

Answer: B) Mahanadi Deep-Sea Basin / महानदी डीप-सी बेसिन

Explanation:

  1. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) discovered a natural gas reserve in the Mahanadi deep-sea basin, around 43 km off the Konark coast of Odisha, during its deep-sea exploration campaign ‘Samudra Manthan’.
  2. The exploration well was drilled using the Platinum Explorer drillship to a depth of 1,623 metres, and initial testing showed encouraging gas flow and reservoir pressure.
  3. The discovery highlights the energy potential of the offshore region of the Bay of Bengal, though further assessment is required to determine the reserve size and commercial viability.
  4. ONGC is India’s largest crude oil and natural gas exploration and production company, established in 1956, with its headquarters at Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, and operates under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.


Q8. Which state became the first state in India to enact a dedicated law for the empowerment of women farmers?

A) Maharashtra

B) Karnataka

C) Gujarat

D) Telangana

प्रश्न 8. महिला किसानों के सशक्तिकरण के लिए समर्पित कानून बनाने वाला भारत का पहला राज्य कौन-सा बना?

A) महाराष्ट्र

B) कर्नाटक

C) गुजरात

D) तेलंगाना

Answer: A) Maharashtra / महाराष्ट्र

Explanation:

  1. Maharashtra became the first state in India to enact the Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Act, 2026, aimed at providing formal recognition and improving access to benefits, credit, and agricultural support for women farmers.
  2. The Act introduces the Woman Farmer Certificate (WFC), allowing eligible women engaged in agriculture and allied activities to be recognised as farmers without requiring land ownership.
  3. The legislation provides for a digital registry of women farmers, a special fund, State Women Farmers Empowerment Cell, and monitoring mechanisms headed by senior state authorities.
  4. The Act adopts the definition of “farmer” and “agriculture” from the National Policy for Farmers, 2007, covering crop cultivation, animal husbandry, fisheries, agroforestry, and other allied activities.


Q9. Bharat Taxi service, recently launched in Uttar Pradesh, is based on which unique operational model?

A) Franchise Ownership Model

B) Driver is the Owner Cooperative Model

C) Government-Owned Transport Model

D) Private Aggregator Model

प्रश्न 9. उत्तर प्रदेश में हाल ही में शुरू की गई भारत टैक्सी सेवा किस विशिष्ट संचालन मॉडल पर आधारित है?

A) फ्रेंचाइज़ स्वामित्व मॉडल

B) "ड्राइवर ही मालिक" सहकारी मॉडल

C) सरकारी स्वामित्व परिवहन मॉडल

D) निजी एग्रीगेटर मॉडल

Answer: B) Driver is the Owner Cooperative Model / "ड्राइवर ही मालिक" सहकारी मॉडल

Explanation:

  1. Bharat Taxi service was launched in five cities of Uttar Pradesh — Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Kanpur and Prayagraj — based on the cooperative principle of “Driver is the Owner.”
  2. The initiative aims to extend the cooperative movement into the mobility sector, allowing drivers (Saarthis) to become stakeholders with ownership and participation in decision-making.
  3. Bharat Taxi was launched in February 2026, and according to the Ministry of Cooperation, it crossed 10 lakh Saarthis within six months, with around 20,000 daily rides.
  4. The initiative is linked with the Ministry of Cooperation, which was established in 2021 to strengthen the cooperative sector; India has around 8.5 lakh cooperative societies with nearly 32 crore members.


Q10. Under which government framework has the commercial launch of PLA-based bio-based biodegradable plastic been initiated in India?

A) BioE3 Framework

B) National Green Hydrogen Mission

C) National Biotechnology Strategy

D) Sustainable Agriculture Mission

प्रश्न 10. भारत में PLA आधारित जैव-आधारित बायोडिग्रेडेबल प्लास्टिक के व्यावसायिक लॉन्च की शुरुआत किस सरकारी ढांचे के तहत की गई है?

A) BioE3 फ्रेमवर्क

B) राष्ट्रीय हरित हाइड्रोजन मिशन

C) राष्ट्रीय जैव प्रौद्योगिकी रणनीति

D) सतत कृषि मिशन

Answer: A) BioE3 Framework / BioE3 फ्रेमवर्क

Explanation:

  1. The commercial launch of bio-based biodegradable plastic based on Polylactic Acid (PLA) was formalised in September 2026 under the government’s BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment & Employment) framework.
  2. The initiative is being carried forward by Balrampur Chini Mills Limited (BCML) with support from a ₹75 crore grant from Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
  3. A 100 TPA pilot-scale R&D facility for PLA and co-polymers will be established at BCML’s integrated manufacturing complex at Kumbhi, Uttar Pradesh, focusing on sustainable bio-based materials.
  4. PLA (Polylactic Acid) is a biodegradable polymer produced from renewable resources such as sugar-based feedstock and is used for developing sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics; the BioE3 initiative promotes biotechnology-led economic growth, environmental sustainability, and employment generation.