46. The Allahabad Pillar Inscriptions helped in historical reconstruction of which of the following Kingdom/Empires of ancient and medieval India?:
I. Maurya Empire
II. Gupta Empire
III. Delhi Sultanate
IV. Mughal Empire
Codes: (A) Only II and III
(B) Only II, III and IV
(C) Only I, II and IV
(D) All of the above
Answer: (C) (Hint: The Allahabad Pillar includes inscriptions from Ashoka (Maurya), Samudragupta (Gupta), and Jahangir (Mughal).)
47. Consider the following statements:
1. An epigraphist can decipher most inscription inscriptions of the country up to the 7th century AD, if he had carefully learnt Brahmi script.
2. Kharosthi script was written from left to right.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
Codes:
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (A) (Hint: Statement 2 is incorrect; Kharosthi is written right to left.)
48. Regarding statements regarding the Indus Valley Civilization, consider the following statements:
I56. It was predominantly a secular civilization and the religious element, though present, did not dominate the society.
II57. During this period, it is believed that cotton was used for manufacturing textiles in India.
Answer: (C) (Both statements are correct.)
49. Archaeological evidence of a bead-making industry in the Sangam Era, using precious and semi-precious stones, has been found in Kodumanal. It is now located in which of the following present-day states of India?
(A) Andhra Pradesh
(B) Karnataka
(C) Tamil Nadu
(D) Kerala
Answer: (C)
50. What is the allocation for Defence in the 2025-26 budget?
(A) ₹4,91,732 crore
(B) ₹6,81,210.27 crore
(C) ₹2,33,210.68 crore
(D) ₹2,87,333.16 crore
Answer: (B)
51. Consider the following statements:
1. 4.4% of the Gross Domestic Product will be the fiscal deficit target during 2025-26.
2. It is higher than the targeted fiscal deficit target for FY2024-25.
3. The fiscal deficit estimate amounts to 4.8% of GDP during FY2024.
Choose the correct statement COMMISSION from the following options according to the fiscal deficit target in the 2025 Union Budget:
(A) Only 1 and 2
(B) Only 2 and 3
(C) Only 1 and 3
(D) All 1, 2, and 3
Answer: (C)
52. Several accurate statements exist about the “National Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Education” announced in the 2025-26 Budget:
1. Developing functional expertise stands as the main goal behind this specific initiative in artificial intelligence.
2. The government proposes to use ₹500 crore as funding for creating these centers.
3. The establishment of these centers will be restricted to the best private educational institutions.
Answer: (A) (Only statements 1 and 2 are correct; statement 3 is not mentioned in the provided hints.)
53. M0, M1, M2, M3, and M4 are the measures of:
(A) Public debt
(B) Money supply
(C) Buffer stock of foodgrains
(D) Movement of stock prices
Answer: (B)
54. What measures has the government funded with ₹1 lakh crore through its 2025 Union Budget?
(A) Rural health programs
(B) Urban Challenge Fund
(C) National Manufacturing Mission
(D) Skill development initiatives
Answer: (C)
55. Which of the following is India’s only ‘defined benefit + defined contribution scheme’?
(A) Public Provident Fund
(B) National Pension Scheme
(C) Equity-linked savings scheme
(D) Employee Provident Fund
Answer: (B)
56. Regarding statements about a Money Bill, which of the following statements is not correct?
(A) A bill shall be deemed to be a Money Bill if it contains only provisions relating to the imposition, abolition, remission, alteration, or regulation of any tax.
(B) A Money Bill has provisions for the custody of the Consolidated Fund of India or the Contingency Fund of India.
(C) A Money Bill is concerned with the appropriation of money out of the Contingency Fund of India.
(D) A Money Bill deals with the regulation of borrowing money or giving of any guarantee by the Government of India.
Answer: (C) (Hint: Money Bills primarily concern the Consolidated Fund, not the Contingency Fund.)
57. Which one of the following best describes the term ‘greenwashing’?
(A) Conveying a false impression that a company’s products are eco-friendly and environmentally sound
(B) Non-inclusion of ecological/environmental costs in the Annual Financial Statements of a country
(C) Ignoring the disastrous ecological consequences while undertaking infrastructure development
(D) Making mandatory provisions for environmental costs in a government project/programme
Answer: (A)
58. Which of the following statements is correct about Participatory Notes (P-notes)?
(A) Participatory notes (P-notes) are an instrument used by foreign investors to take exposure to the domestic market without registering in India.
(B) Participatory notes (P-notes) are an instrument used by NRI investors to take exposure to the domestic market without registering in India.
(C) Participatory notes (P-notes) are an instrument used by domestic investors to take exposure to the domestic market without registering in India.
(D) Participatory notes (P-notes) are an instrument used by Indian investors to take exposure to the foreign market without registering in such markets.
Answer: (A)
59. What does the Global Findex Database measure?
(A) Global Indebtedness
(B) Financial Inclusion
(C) Global Remittances
(D) Financial Literacy
Answer: (B)
60. What is India’s rank in the Climate Change Performance Index 2025?
(A) 10
(B) 12
(C) 15
(D) 19
Answer: (A)
61. Find out the correct definition of Capital Expenditure?
(A) It refers to capital expenditures on construction of capital projects and acquisition of assets like land, buildings, machinery, and equipment.
(B) It refers to capital revenue collected from the construction of capital projects and acquisition of assets like land, buildings, machinery, and equipment.
(C) It is the expenditure incurred on the day-to-day running of the Government and its various departments and for services that it provides.
(D) None of the above.
Answer: (A)