41. Recently, where was the ‘Rashtriya Prerna Sthal’ inaugurated in Uttar Pradesh?
[A] Lucknow
[B] Varanasi
[C] Gorakhpur
[D] Ayodhya
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Lucknow]
Notes:
The Prime Minister inaugurated Rashtriya Prerna Sthal in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It is a national memorial dedicated to the life, ideas, and values of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The complex is located on the banks of the Gomti River and spread over 65 acres. The lotus-shaped museum covers 98,000 square feet with five galleries and 12 interpretation walls showing the lives and ideas of the leaders.
42. Biswa Bandhu, who recently passed away, was the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of which state?
[A] Tripura
[B] Assam
[C] Nagaland
[D] Sikkim
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Tripura]
Notes:
Tripura Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu, aged 72, passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru following a massive cerebral stroke. A four-time MLA from the Dharmanagar constituency, he started his political career with Congress, joined Trinamool Congress in 2016, and later BJP before the 2018 Assembly elections. The state government declared three days of mourning and ordered the closure of all government offices, schools, colleges, and institutions on 26 December as a mark of respect.
43. Vallanadu Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which state?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Karnataka
[D] Kerala
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Tamil Nadu]
Notes:
The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) population at Vallanadu Wildlife Sanctuary has increased to a total of 300. Vallanadu Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Tamil Nadu and was established to protect blackbuck antelopes. Blackbuck is an antelope species native to India and Nepal, primarily inhabiting open grasslands, dry scrub, and lightly forested areas. It is distributed across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and other parts of peninsular India.
44. Which ministry launched the Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR) to address air travellers’ grievances?
[A] Ministry of Home Affairs
[B] Ministry of Civil Aviation
[C] Ministry of Transport
[D] Ministry of Consumer Affairs
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ministry of Civil Aviation]
Notes:
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, launched the Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR). Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR) aims to improve promptness and effectiveness in resolving air travellers’ grievances. It functions as an integrated hub with officials from Ministry of Civil Aviation, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI), airline operators, and other stakeholders. It is located at Udaan Bhawan, New Delhi. Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR) monitors aviation operations, attends passenger calls, and coordinates real-time assistance and grievance resolution.
45. Which state government launched a “Metropolitan Exposure” initiative for isolated Adivasi communities?
[A] Karnataka
[B] Odisha
[C] Telangana
[D] Jharkhand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Telangana]
Notes:
Telangana government launched a “Metropolitan Exposure” initiative for isolated Adivasi communities. The program targets residents of remote tribal hamlets, such as Kummarikunta in Utnoor Mandal, Adilabad. The tour to Hyderabad will introduce residents to historical heritage, modern infrastructure, Metro Rail, and professional sports facilities. The initiative aims to bridge the socio-economic gap and inspire youth to engage with the wider world. Adults are encouraged to learn basic literacy to protect against exploitation. The initiative aligns with the “Cultural Exchange” policy to preserve tribal heritage while ensuring equal access to progress.
46. YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile is developed by which country?
[A] Russia
[B] China
[C] France
[D] Australia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [China]
Notes:
China released rare footage of the YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile fired from a Type 055 guided missile destroyer warship. YJ-20, also called Eagle Strike-20, is a hypersonic anti-ship missile developed by China. It was first publicly displayed during China’s Victory Day military parade on 3 September 2025. The missile is designed to attack high-value naval assets like aircraft carriers at long ranges. It has a biconic aerodynamic shape that allows controlled glide after rocket boost. This shape creates shockwaves that protect control surfaces from extreme heat.
47. Which organisation successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR-120)?
[A] Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
[B] Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
[C] Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)
[D] Indian Army
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)]
Notes:
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the maiden flight test of Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR-120). The test was carried out at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha. It is an extended-range, precision-guided rocket for the Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) of the Indian Army. It was developed by Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) with Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, and Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL). The rocket has a maximum strike range of about 120 kilometres.
48. The Joint Initiative for Village Advancement (JIVA) program was launched by which organization?
[A] Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
[B] National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
[C] Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
[D] NITI Aayog
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)]
Notes:
In Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, farmer-led natural farming is reducing crop loss, soil degradation and distress migration. The change is driven through the Joint Initiative for Village Advancement (JIVA) programme. JIVA was launched by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). It is implemented under NABARD’s existing watershed and wadi programmes. The programme promotes agroecology principles for long-term farming sustainability. It focuses on improving soil health, crop resilience and farm incomes. JIVA aims to strengthen existing social and natural capital in villages. It encourages farmers to shift gradually towards natural farming practices.
49. PathGennie is a novel computational framework developed by which institute?
[A] Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru
[B] Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay
[C] S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata
[D] National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata]
Notes:
PathGennie is a novel computational framework developed by scientists at S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata (DST autonomous institute). Published in the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, it accelerates simulation of rare molecular events for computer-aided drug discovery (CADD). It focuses on predicting drug unbinding from protein targets without artificial biases used in classical methods. PathGennie uses direction-guided adaptive sampling, launching many ultrashort unbiased MD trajectories and extending only productive ones (“survival of the fittest”).
50. Who won the women’s trap gold medal at the National Shooting Championship held at Dr Karni Singh Range, Delhi?
[A] Kirti Gupta
[B] Pragati Dubey
[C] Neeru Dhanda
[D] Rahi Sarnobat
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Neeru Dhanda]
Notes:
In the National Shooting Championship held at Dr. Karni Singh Range in Delhi, Neeru Dhanda, an Asian Championships gold medallist, won the women’s trap gold medal. Kirti Gupta from Delhi secured the silver medal, while Pragati Dubey from Madhya Pradesh claimed the bronze medal in the women’s trap event. In the junior men’s trap individual event, Aryavansh Tyagi won the gold medal, Keshav Chauhan secured silver, and Zuhair Khan took bronze. The women’s trap team event was won by Madhya Pradesh, with Delhi finishing second and Punjab taking third place. In the junior men’s trap team event, Haryana claimed the gold medal, Gujarat won silver, and Rajasthan secured bronze. The junior women’s trap team event saw Delhi winning gold, Tamil Nadu finishing second, and Rajasthan taking the bronze medal.