Q1. Which of the following statements best describes the significance of Project PRABAL for the Indian Army?
- It focuses on developing advanced surveillance drones for border monitoring.
- It enables rapid on-site 3D concrete printing of defence infrastructure in challenging terrains.
- It trains Army engineers in traditional bunker construction methods.
- It aims to replace manual labour with fully autonomous combat robots.
Correct Option: 2. It enables rapid on-site 3D concrete printing of defence infrastructure in challenging terrains.
Explanation:
• Project PRABAL stands for Portable Robotic Printer for Printing Bunkers and Accessories.
• The project, developed jointly by the Indian Army and IIT Hyderabad, focuses on on-site 3D concrete printing technology.
• Its primary objective is to construct bunkers and other mission-critical structures quickly and with high precision, especially along the northern borders, where construction is difficult due to harsh terrain and climate.
• This capability enhances the Army’s mission readiness, improves speed of infrastructure deployment, and represents a major step in defence modernisation.
Q2. According to the MSSRF study, which section of is at greater risk of rising heat?
- Children
- Senior citizens
- Men
- Women
Correct Option: 4. Women
Explanation:
Women are at higher risk of rising heat as per the study conducted by M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).
It also highlights that the most severely affected women were those who were poor, rural, from lower castes, and involved in informal work.
This group reported markedly higher levels of:
• Physical symptoms (fatigue, dizziness, dehydration, gastrointestinal issues)
• Reproductive and menstrual health problems
• Mental distress, including anxiety, irritability, and sleep disturbances
• Violence, which increased sharply during peak heat
• Significant wage losses during April–June due to reduced ability to work
In contrast:
Urban, middle-class women in formal jobs (Option A) were not identified as the most affected group.
Older women and those in low-HVI districts (Options C and D) reported significantly fewer symptoms and impacts.
Q3. What key principle was confirmed by the new experiment replacing Einstein’s movable slit with a single atom?
- Path information and interference visibility cannot both be maximized simultaneously
- Measuring recoil has no effect on the interference pattern
- Bohr’s argument that uncertainty plays no role in quantum experiments
- Photons always behave purely like waves, regardless of measurement
Correct Option: 1. Path information and interference visibility cannot both be maximized simultaneously
Explanation:
• The experiment demonstrated that the more precisely one tries to determine which path the photon took (via the atom’s recoil), the less visible the interference pattern becomes.
• This mirrors a foundational principle of quantum mechanics:
Obtaining which-path information destroys or reduces interference.
• When the atom’s momentum uncertainty was large, the recoil states overlapped, making it impossible to know the photon’s path → clear interference appeared.
• When the momentum uncertainty was small, the atom’s recoil revealed path information → interference weakened.
This directly supports Bohr’s argument against Einstein’s proposal and shows that path knowledge and interference are mutually exclusive, as predicted by quantum theory.
Q4. What key factor determines whether microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) occurs in low-pH CEBAMA cement in GDF conditions?
- Presence of oxygen only
- Availability of organic carbon and suitable electron acceptor
- High temperature above 50°C
- Cement pH above 12
Correct Option: 2. Availability of organic carbon and suitable electron acceptor
Explanation:
• The study found that MICP in low-pH cement does not happen automatically.
• For microbes to precipitate carbonates that heal cracks and pores, two conditions are necessary:
1. Organic carbon as a nutrient source for microbial metabolism
2. A suitable electron acceptor, such as nitrate ions
• In high-carbon conditions, microbes produced carbonates effectively, sealing cracks.
• In low-carbon or no-carbon conditions, the cement instead leached calcium into the water, and MICP rates remained low.
• Oxygen presence (1) is irrelevant since GDFs are anoxic, and MICP can occur anaerobically.
• Temperature (3) and high pH alone (4) do not drive MICP without carbon and electron acceptors.
Q5. What is a potential trade-off of microbial self-healing in CEBAMA cement within GDFs?
- Microbial activity can increase the pH beyond safe limits
- Gas accumulation such as hydrogen and methane may affect mechanical stability
- Carbonate precipitation will dissolve waste containers
- Cracks will form faster due to microbial corrosion
Correct Option: 2. Gas accumulation such as hydrogen and methane may affect mechanical stability
Explanation:
• The study highlights that while microbial MICP can seal cracks, this can lead to trapped gases like hydrogen and methane in sealed pores.
• Gas accumulation may affect mechanical stability along alternative pathways within the repository.
• Over long timescales, cement will still degrade, producing alkaline plumes and cracks, but microbial MICP cannot fully prevent this.
• Option A is incorrect: the pH is controlled by cement chemistry, not microbial sealing.
• Option C is incorrect: carbonate precipitation strengthens cement, not dissolves waste containers.
• Option D is incorrect: microbial corrosion is not the main effect in high-carbon niches; MICP dominates crack sealing.
Q6. Which of the following sectors has GIFT City notably attracted, according to the latest data?
- Automobile manufacturing
- Ship leasing
- Pharmaceuticals
- Real estate development
Correct Option: 2. Ship leasing
Explanation:
• GIFT City has become a hub for ship leasing, hosting 34 registered ship lessors, including major global names such as Great Eastern Shipping, MOL, Transworld Group, Propel Shipping, PanBulk, and the Ripley Group.
• This highlights GIFT City’s role in attracting international financial services, especially in sectors requiring cross-border transactions in foreign currency.
Q7. Which factor highlights the growing international relevance of the upcoming Admiral’s Cup at the Indian Naval Academy?
- The event has reduced the number of participating nations to focus on regional competitors
- The championship is shifting from sailing to multi-sport events
- The number of countries participating has increased significantly, reaching a broad global representation
- The competition is now limited to Asia and Europe only
Correct Option: 3. The number of countries participating has increased significantly, reaching a broad global representation
Explanation:
• The event is seeing a notable rise in participation, with teams coming from a wide range of continents. This expanding global presence demonstrates increasing recognition and importance of the championship.
Q8. Which of the following correctly describes a key specification of the Shyok Tunnel?
- It is a 1,500-metre twin-tube tunnel designed for rail traffic
- It is a 920-metre Cut-and-Cover tunnel providing all-weather road connectivity
- It is an underwater tunnel connecting Ladakh to Jammu
- It is a 500-metre pedestrian-only tunnel for tourism purposes
Correct Option: 2. It is a 920-metre Cut-and-Cover tunnel providing all-weather road connectivity
Explanation:
• The Shyok Tunnel is 920 metres long and constructed as a Cut-and-Cover tunnel to ensure reliable, all-weather road connectivity in one of the world’s most challenging terrains of Ladakh region.
Q9. What is the primary benefit of the Raipur–Visakhapatnam Economic Corridor for trade and logistics?
- It provides scenic routes for tourism across three states.
- It reduces distance and travel time, enabling faster connectivity to ports and industrial hubs.
- It is exclusively for passenger vehicles, preventing trucks from using the route.
- It replaces all existing state highways with toll-free roads.
Correct Option: 2. It reduces distance and travel time, enabling faster connectivity to ports and industrial hubs.
Explanation:
• The corridor shortens the distance between Raipur and Visakhapatnam from 597 km to 465 km, reducing travel time from 12 hours to 5 hours.
• This significantly improves connectivity to Visakhapatnam Port and major highways, enabling faster movement of goods, smoother supply chains, and better export potential.
Q10. Why is India hosting the 20th Session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage significant?
- It is the first time India is hosting the session, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of ratifying the 2003 Convention.
- India has never participated in the UNESCO ICH Committee before.
- The session is being held in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, to attract corporate funding.
- India will use this session to exclusively showcase tangible heritage like monuments and forts.
Correct Option: 1. It is the first time India is hosting the session, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of ratifying the 2003 Convention.
Explanation:
• India is hosting the session for the first time, and the timing coincides with 20 years since India ratified the 2003 ICH Convention, emphasizing its commitment to safeguarding living cultural traditions.
Q11. Which of the following is a primary objective of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage?
- To replace all traditional practices with modern cultural forms.
- To safeguard living cultural traditions and involve communities in their preservation.
- To create only museums and archives for historical artefacts.
- To document heritage exclusively for academic research without community engagement.
Correct Option: 2. To safeguard living cultural traditions and involve communities in their preservation.
Explanation:
• The Convention emphasizes safeguarding intangible heritage such as rituals, performing arts, oral traditions, and craftsmanship, with active involvement of communities, groups, and practitioners.