Q13easy
Which of the following has/have shrunk immensely/dried up in the recent past due to human activities ?
1. Aral Sea
2. Black Sea
3. Lake Baikal
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 2 only
(d) 1 and 3
Answer: (a)
Q18easy
Very recently, in which of the following countries have lakhs of people either suffered from severe famine/acute malnutrition or died due to starvation caused by war/ethnic conflicts ?
(a) Angola and Zambia
(b) Morocco and Tunisia
(c) Venezuela and Colombia
(d) Yemen and South Sudan
Answer: (d)
Q24easy
The term "two-state solution" is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of
(a) China
(b) Israel
(c) Iraq
(d) Yemen
Answer: (b)
Q27easyCommon Misconception
Consider the following statements :
1. In India, State Governments do not have the power to auction non-coal mines.
2. Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand do not have gold mines.
3. Rajasthan has iron ore mines.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 3 only
Answer: (d)
Trap: Common Misconception
Statement 1 is a trap: after the MMDR Amendment Act 2015, State Governments DO have the power to auction non-coal mines. Statement 2 is also wrong: Jharkhand does have gold deposits (Singhbhum). Only Statement 3 is correct -- Rajasthan has iron ore mines.
Q29moderateCommon Misconception
Among the following cities, which one lies on a longitude closest to that of Delhi ?
(a) Bengaluru
(b) Hyderabad
(c) Nagpur
(d) Pune
Answer: (a)
Trap: Common Misconception
Students often think cities that are geographically closer (like Nagpur or Hyderabad) would share Delhi's longitude. But Delhi is at ~77.2E, and Bengaluru is at ~77.6E -- almost the same longitude despite being far south. Nagpur (~79E) and Hyderabad (~78.5E) are further east.
Q37moderateDistractor Pairing
Consider the following pairs :
Towns sometimes mentioned in news — Country
1. Aleppo — Syria
2. Kirkuk — Yemen
3. Mosul — Palestine
4. Mazar-i-sharif — Afghanistan
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched ?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 1 and 4
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 3 and 4
Answer: (b)
Trap: Distractor Pairing
Kirkuk is in Iraq (not Yemen) and Mosul is also in Iraq (not Palestine). Both cities are Iraqi but wrongly paired with other conflict-zone countries. Students who know these are conflict cities but are unsure of exact countries may accept the wrong pairings.
Q57moderatePartial Truth
Consider the following statements :
1. The Earth's magnetic field has reversed every few hundred thousand years.
2. When the Earth was created more than 4000 million years ago, there was 54% oxygen and no carbon dioxide.
3. When living organisms originated, they modified the early atmosphere of the Earth.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c)
Trap: Partial Truth
Statement 2 reverses the early atmosphere composition: early Earth had NO oxygen and abundant CO2 (along with methane, ammonia). The claim of '54% oxygen' is completely wrong. Oxygen accumulated only after photosynthetic organisms evolved (Great Oxidation Event ~2.4 billion years ago).
Q77hardCommon Misconception
Which one of the following is an artificial lake ?
(a) Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu)
(b) Kolleru (Andhra Pradesh)
(c) Nainital (Uttarakhand)
(d) Renuka (Himachal Pradesh)
Answer: (a)
Trap: Common Misconception
Students often assume all hill station lakes are natural. Kodaikanal lake was artificially created in 1863 by Sir Vere Henry Levinge by damming a stream. Nainital lake (option c) is natural (tectonic), and students who know Nainital is famous for its lake may assume it's the artificial one.
Q82moderatePartial Truth
With reference to agricultural soils, consider the following statements :
1. A high content of organic matter in soil drastically reduces its water holding capacity.
2. Soil does not play any role in the sulphur cycle.
3. Irrigation over a period of time can contribute to the salinization of some agricultural lands.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b)
Trap: Partial Truth
Statement 1 reverses the truth: organic matter INCREASES water holding capacity, not reduces it. Statement 2 is also wrong: soil plays a crucial role in the sulphur cycle through microbial processes. Both are designed to test if students know the exact relationships.
Q85moderatePartial Truth
Consider the following statements :
1. The Barren Island volcano is an active volcano located in the Indian territory.
2. Barren Island lies about 140 km east of Great Nicobar.
3. The last time the Barren Island volcano erupted was in 1991 and it has remained inactive since then.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 only
(d) 1 and 3
Answer: (a)
Trap: Partial Truth
Statement 2: Barren Island is about 135 km NE of Port Blair, near Middle Andaman, NOT east of Great Nicobar. Statement 3: The volcano has erupted multiple times after 1991 (including 2017), it has NOT remained inactive. Both statements contain plausible-sounding but incorrect details.
Q90moderateDistractor Pairing
Consider the following pairs :
Regions sometimes mentioned in news — Country
1. Catalonia — Spain
2. Crimea — Hungary
3. Mindanao — Philippines
4. Oromia — Nigeria
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched ?
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 3 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 2 and 4 only
Answer: (c)
Trap: Distractor Pairing
Crimea is in Ukraine (not Hungary), and Oromia is in Ethiopia (not Nigeria). Both are paired with wrong countries from the same continent. Crimea-Hungary (both in Europe) and Oromia-Nigeria (both in Africa) are designed to mislead students with continent-level knowledge but weak country-specific knowledge.