Q31moderateAbsolute Qualifier
With reference to investments, consider the following :
I. Bonds
II. Hedge Funds
III. Stocks
IV. Venture Capital
How many of the above are treated as Alternative Investment Funds?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All the four
Answer: (b)
Trap: Absolute Qualifier
Bonds and Stocks are traditional/conventional investments, NOT alternative investments. Hedge Funds and Venture Capital are AIFs. Candidates who don't know the AIF definition may include bonds or stocks, picking (c) or (d).
Q32moderateCommon Misconception
Which of the following are the sources of income for the Reserve Bank of India?
I. Buying and selling Government bonds
II. Buying and selling foreign currency
III. Pension fund management
IV. Lending to private companies
V. Printing and distributing currency notes
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) I and II only
(b) II, III and IV
(c) I, III, IV and V
(d) I, II and V
Answer: (d)
Trap: Common Misconception
RBI does NOT manage pension funds (III wrong) and does NOT lend to private companies directly (IV wrong - it lends to banks). Candidates may think RBI has these functions, picking (b) or (c). RBI earns from OMOs, forex operations, and seigniorage from currency notes.
Q34moderateCommon Misconception
Consider the following statements :
I. The Reserve Bank of India mandates all the listed companies in India to submit a Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR).
II. In India, a company submitting a BRSR makes disclosures in the report that are largely non-financial in nature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) I only
(b) II only
(c) Both I and II
(d) Neither I nor II
Answer: (b)
Trap: Common Misconception
BRSR is mandated by SEBI, NOT RBI. Candidates who don't distinguish between financial sector regulators may accept Statement I and pick (c). SEBI requires top listed companies to file BRSR with ESG disclosures (non-financial in nature).
Q35moderateCommon Misconception
Consider the following statements :
Statement I :
In India, income from allied agricultural activities like poultry farming and wool rearing in rural areas is exempted from any tax.
Statement II :
In India, rural agricultural land is not considered a capital asset under the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I
(b) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement I
(c) Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct
(d) Statement I is not correct but Statement II is correct
Answer: (d)
Trap: Common Misconception
Statement I is the trap. Poultry farming and wool rearing are NOT considered agricultural income under the Income Tax Act, so they are NOT exempt from tax. Many candidates assume all rural/farm activities are tax-exempt, picking (a) or (b).
Q36moderateAbsolute Qualifier
Consider the following statements :
I. India has joined the Minerals Security Partnership as a member.
II. India is a resource-rich country in all the 30 critical minerals that it has identified.
III. The Parliament in 2023 has amended the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 empowering the Central Government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite license for certain critical minerals.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) I and II only
(b) II and III only
(c) I and III only
(d) I, II and III
Answer: (c)
Trap: Absolute Qualifier
Statement II says India is rich in ALL 30 critical minerals. This is false - India lacks adequate reserves of several critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel. The word 'all' makes it incorrect. Candidates not paying attention to the absolute qualifier may pick (d).
Q37easy
Consider the following statements :
Statement I :
As regards returns from an investment in a company, generally, bondholders are considered to be relatively at lower risk than stockholders.
Statement II :
Bondholders are lenders to a company whereas stockholders are its owners.
Statement III :
For repayment purpose, bondholders are prioritized over stockholders by a company.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
(b) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement I explains Statement II
(c) Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I
(d) Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
Answer: (a)
Q38moderateCommon Misconception
Consider the following statements :
I. India accounts for a very large portion of all equity option contracts traded globally thus exhibiting a great boom.
II. India's stock market has grown rapidly in the recent past even overtaking Hong Kong's at some point of time.
III. There is no regulatory body either to warn the small investors about the risks of options trading or to act on unregistered financial advisors in this regard.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) I and II only
(b) II and III only
(c) I and III only
(d) I, II and III
Answer: (a)
Trap: Common Misconception
Statement III is wrong - SEBI is the regulatory body that warns investors and acts against unregistered financial advisors. Candidates who are unaware of SEBI's role in options trading regulation may accept III and pick (d).
Q40moderateCommon Misconception
Consider the following statements :
I. Capital receipts create a liability or cause a reduction in the assets of the Government.
II. Borrowings and disinvestment are capital receipts.
III. Interest received on loans creates a liability of the Government.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) I and II only
(b) II and III only
(c) I and III only
(d) I, II and III
Answer: (a)
Trap: Common Misconception
Statement III is wrong - interest received on loans is a REVENUE receipt, not a capital receipt, and it does NOT create a liability. It's income from lending. Candidates may confuse interest received with interest paid.
Q50easy
Consider the following statements about the Rashtriya Gokul Mission :
I. It is important for the upliftment of rural poor as majority of low producing indigenous animals are with small and marginal farmers and landless labourers.
II. It was initiated to promote indigenous cattle and buffalo rearing and conservation in a scientific and holistic manner.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) I only
(b) II only
(c) Both I and II
(d) Neither I nor II
Answer: (c)
Q71moderateCommon Misconception
Suppose the revenue expenditure is Rs. 80,000 crores and the revenue receipts of the Government are Rs. 60,000 crores. The Government budget also shows borrowings of Rs. 10,000 crores and interest payments of Rs. 6,000 crores. Which of the following statements are correct?
I. Revenue deficit is Rs. 20,000 crores.
II. Fiscal deficit is Rs. 10,000 crores.
III. Primary deficit is Rs. 4,000 crores.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) I and II only
(b) II and III only
(c) I and III only
(d) I, II and III
Answer: (d)
Trap: Common Misconception
The calculation seems simple but candidates may miscalculate fiscal deficit. Revenue deficit = 80000-60000 = 20000. Fiscal deficit = borrowings = 10000 (total expenditure - total non-debt receipts). Primary deficit = Fiscal deficit - interest = 10000-6000 = 4000. All correct.
Q73moderateCommon Misconception
Consider the following statements :
Statement I :
Of the two major ethanol producers in the world, i.e., Brazil and the United States of America, the former produces more ethanol than the latter.
Statement II :
Unlike in the United States of America where corn is the principal feedstock for ethanol production, sugarcane is the principal feedstock for ethanol production in Brazil.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I
(b) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement I
(c) Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct
(d) Statement I is not correct but Statement II is correct
Answer: (d)
Trap: Common Misconception
Statement I is wrong - the USA produces MORE ethanol than Brazil (USA is #1, Brazil is #2). Many candidates assume Brazil produces more because of its famous sugarcane ethanol programme and carnival association with ethanol. This is the key trap.
Q75moderateCommon Misconception
A country's fiscal deficit stands at Rs. 50,000 crores. It is receiving Rs. 10,000 crores through non-debt creating capital receipts. The country's interest liabilities are Rs. 1,500 crores. What is the gross primary deficit?
(a) Rs. 48,500 crores
(b) Rs. 51,500 crores
(c) Rs. 58,500 crores
(d) None of the above
Answer: (a)
Trap: Common Misconception
Primary deficit = Fiscal deficit - Interest payments = 50000 - 1500 = 48500. The non-debt capital receipts are a distractor - they are already factored into the fiscal deficit figure. Candidates who try to add/subtract them may get wrong answers like (b) or (c).
Q76hardPartial Truth
Which of the following statements with regard to recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission of India are correct?
I. It has recommended grants of Rs. 4,800 crores from the year 2022-23 to the year 2025-26 for incentivizing States to enhance educational outcomes.
II. 45% of the net proceeds of Union taxes are to be shared with States.
III. Rs. 45,000 crores are to be kept as performance-based incentive for all States for carrying out agricultural reforms.
IV. It reintroduced tax effort criteria to reward fiscal performance.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) I, II and III
(b) I, II and IV
(c) I, III and IV
(d) II, III and IV
Answer: (c)
Trap: Partial Truth
Statement II says 45% share to states. The 15th FC recommended 41% (reduced from 42% of 14th FC due to J&K reorganization). 45% sounds plausible but is incorrect. Candidates who don't remember the exact percentage may include II.
Q77moderateAbsolute Qualifier
Consider the following statements in respect of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) :
I. It provides loans and guarantees to middle income countries.
II. It works single-handedly to help developing countries to reduce poverty.
III. It was established to help Europe rebuild after the World War II.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) I and II only
(b) II and III only
(c) I and III only
(d) I, II and III
Answer: (c)
Trap: Absolute Qualifier
Statement II says IBRD works 'single-handedly'. IBRD is part of the World Bank Group and works alongside IDA, IFC, MIGA, and ICSID. The word 'single-handedly' makes it incorrect. Candidates may overlook this qualifier.
Q78moderateOutdated Info
Consider the following statements in respect of RTGS and NEFT :
I. In RTGS, the settlement time is instantaneous while in case of NEFT, it takes some time to settle payments.
II. In RTGS, the customer is charged for inward transactions while that is not the case for NEFT.
III. Operating hours for RTGS are restricted on certain days while this is not true for NEFT.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) I only
(b) I and II
(c) I and III
(d) III only
Answer: (a)
Trap: Outdated Info
Statement II is wrong - RBI mandated that banks cannot charge for RTGS inward transactions. Statement III is wrong - both RTGS and NEFT are now available 24x7 (since 2020-21). Candidates using older knowledge may think RTGS has restricted hours.
Q79easyOutdated Info
Consider the following countries :
I. United Arab Emirates
II. France
III. Germany
IV. Singapore
V. Bangladesh
How many countries amongst the above are there other than India where international merchant payments are accepted under UPI?
(a) Only two
(b) Only three
(c) Only four
(d) All the five
Answer: (b)
Trap: Outdated Info
UPI international merchant payments are available in UAE, Singapore, and France (as of 2024-25), but not yet fully operational in Germany and Bangladesh for merchant payments. Candidates who assume UPI is available everywhere India has bilateral agreements may pick (d).
Q80moderate
Consider the following statements about 'PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana' :
I. It targets installation of one crore solar rooftop panels in the residential sector.
II. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy aims to impart training on installation, operation, maintenance and repairs of solar rooftop systems at grassroot levels.
III. It aims to create more than three lakhs skilled manpower through fresh skilling, and up-skilling, under scheme component of capacity building.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) I and II only
(b) I and III only
(c) II and III only
(d) I, II and III
Answer: (d)
Q90easyAbsolute Qualifier
Consider the following activities :
I. Production of crude oil
II. Refining, storage and distribution of petroleum
III. Marketing and sale of petroleum products
IV. Production of natural gas
How many of the above activities are regulated by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board in our country?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All the four
Answer: (b)
Trap: Absolute Qualifier
PNGRB regulates downstream activities (refining, storage, distribution, marketing) but NOT upstream activities (production of crude oil and natural gas). Candidates may assume PNGRB regulates the entire petroleum chain, picking (c) or (d).