Q.1) Which state government has launched the Mukhya Mantri Pratigya Scheme to provide paid internship support to youth in an effort to reduce unemployment and enhance industry readiness?
[a] Uttar Pradesh
[b] Jharkhand
[c] Madhya Pradesh
[d] Bihar
View Answer
Answer: [d] Bihar
Explanation:
The Bihar Government has approved the Mukhya Mantri Pratigya Scheme (Internship Support Scheme) as part of a broader reform package targeting youth employment, cultural preservation, and healthcare assistance.
This scheme provides monthly financial support to youths who have completed Class 12, ITI, Diploma, or higher education and are pursuing internships. It aims to reduce unemployment and improve industry readiness among young people.
Source: Bihar Government approves Mukhya Mantri Pratigya Scheme (Internship Support Scheme)
Q.2) Which organization has signed an MoU with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to launch India’s first weather derivatives, aimed at helping farmers and allied sectors hedge against climate-related risks?
[a] SEBI
[b] NABARD
[c] NCDEX
[d] NITI Aayog
View Answer
Answer: [c] NCDEX
Explanation:
The National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to introduce India’s first weather derivatives. This collaboration marks a pioneering step in building a financial safety net for farmers, transporters, and other weather-dependent sectors.
About the MoU:
- Objective: Develop rainfall-based and other weather derivatives using real-time and historical weather data.
- Target Users: Farmers, FPOs, agri-traders, transporters, policy think tanks, and analysts.
- Weather Derivatives: Financial instruments used to hedge against adverse weather like erratic rainfall, heatwaves, and unseasonal events
- It aims to manage risk in sectors such as agriculture, transportation and lllied industries
Source: NCDEX-IMD MoU to Launch India’s First Weather Derivatives
Q.3) Which framework has been launched by the Ministry of Coal for sustainable and community-driven mine closures in India?
[a] PRAYAS
[b] VIKAS
[c] RECLAIM
[d] SAMVAAD
View Answer
Answer: [c] RECLAIM
Explanation:
The Ministry of Coal has launched the RECLAIM Framework, a comprehensive Community Engagement and Development Framework designed to ensure sustainable mine closure. It emphasizes inclusive development, gender sensitivity, ecological restoration, and long-term socio-economic well-being for mining communities.
RECLAIMFramework has been developed by Coal Controller Organisation, Ministry of Coal in partnership with the Heartfulness Institute. It aims to facilitate just and sustainable mine closures, promote community participation during mine closure and post-closure phases and ensure equitable development and ecological restoration
Q.4) What is the name of India’s first unified flood forecasting platform launched by the Ministry of Jal Shakti?
[a] FLOODMAP
[b] JAL-SETU
[c] C-FLOOD
[d] INUNDATA
View Answer
Answer: [c] C-FLOOD
Explanation:
The Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched C-FLOOD, India’s first Unified Flood Forecasting Platform, designed to offer advanced flood prediction capabilities at the village level. This web-based platform provides two-day advance inundation forecasts in the form of flood maps and water level predictions, significantly enhancing India’s flood preparedness and disaster response mechanism. C-FLOOD serves as a centralized decision-support system that integrates flood modelling outputs from both national and regional agencies, offering a comprehensive tool for disaster management authorities.
The platform has been jointly developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, and the Central Water Commission (CWC) under the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation. The project was executed under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), which is jointly managed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST). Currently, the platform covers the Mahanadi, Godavari, and Tapi river basins, and its scope is set to expand further.
Source: C-FLOOD: India’s First Unified Flood Forecasting Platform
Q.5) Which scheme has been launched by the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) to promote the registration of unregistered employers and employees, including contractual and temporary workers, without facing past dues or inspections?
[a] SHRAM 2025
[b] Udyog Bandhu Yojana
[c] SPREE 2025
[d] ESI-SETU Scheme
View Answer
Answer: [c] SPREE 2025
Explanation:
The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has launched SPREE 2025—Scheme for Promotion of Registration of Employers and Employees—with the objective of expanding social security coverage under the ESI Act. This initiative, approved during the 196th ESI Corporation Meeting held in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, provides a one-time opportunity for unregistered employers and employees, including contractual and temporary workers, to register themselves without facing inspections or retrospective demands for contributions related to the pre-registration period.
The scheme will be active from 1st July to 31st December 2025, and aims to bring more workers under the ESI net. Employers can digitally register their units and employees through the ESIC portal, Shram Suvidha portal, or the MCA portal. Importantly, no benefits or obligations will apply for the period before registration, and the date declared by the employer will be considered the official date of registration. SPREE 2025 is a critical step in formalizing the informal workforce and ensuring broader access to social security in India.
Source: Scheme for Promotion of Registration of Employers and Employees
Q.6) Where has India’s first Equine Disease-Free Compartment (EDFC), recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), been established?
[a] National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal
[b] Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly
[c] Remount Veterinary Corps Centre, Meerut
[d] Army Equine Training Academy, Jaipur
View Answer
Answer: [c] Remount Veterinary Corps Centre, Meerut
Explanation:
India’s first Equine Disease-Free Compartment (EDFC) has been established at the Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC) Centre & College in Meerut Cantonment, Uttar Pradesh. This facility received global recognition from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), becoming the first certified EDFC in India under the WOAH’s Terrestrial Animal Health Code. The main objective of the EDFC is to facilitate international movement of Indian sport horses by meeting global biosecurity and animal health standards.
The EDFC is based on the principle of compartmentalisation, which ensures that a defined group of animals is maintained under strict biosecurity protocols to remain free from key equine diseases such as Equine Infectious Anemia, Equine Influenza, Equine Piroplasmosis, Glanders, and Surra. Notably, India has also remained free from African Horse Sickness since 2014. This recognition is a major boost for India’s participation in international equestrian sports and enhances its role in the global equine trade.
Source: India’s First Equine Disease-Free Compartment (EDFC) Recognised by WOAH
Q.7) Which district has secured the highest composite score in the NITI Aayog’s North Eastern Region (NER) District SDG Index 2023–24?
[a] Mokokchung, Nagaland
[b] Gomati, Tripura
[c] Hnahthial, Mizoram
[d] Gangtok, Sikkim
View Answer
Answer: [c] Hnahthial, Mizoram
Explanation:
The NER District SDG Index 2023–24, released by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER) and with technical support from UNDP, evaluates the performance of districts across eight North Eastern states based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It follows the same methodology as the national SDG India Index and serves as a powerful tool for localized policy planning, resource allocation, and progress tracking in the Northeast.
In this second edition of the report, Hnahthial district in Mizoram secured the highest composite score of 81.43, making it the top-performing district in the region. This positions it in the ‘Front Runner’ category, which includes districts scoring between 65 and 99. No district in the entire region achieved the ‘Achiever’ status (score = 100), nor fell into the ‘Aspirant’ category (score < 50), indicating overall moderate to strong progress across districts.
Q.8) The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) has partnered with which organization to implement ‘Project Inclusion’ for fostering inclusive education?
[a] National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration
[b] Sri Aurobindo Society
[c] Tata Institute of Social Sciences
[d] Rehabilitation Council of India
View Answer
Answer: [b] Sri Aurobindo Society
Explanation:
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sri Aurobindo Society (SAS) to launch ‘Project Inclusion’ as part of a broader effort to promote inclusive education in India. This initiative will be executed through SAS’s existing ‘Rupantar Programme’, leveraging both a mobile app and a web-based platform.
Under this collaboration, the focus will be on capacity building for teachers, enabling them to adopt inclusive teaching strategies to better support children with disabilities. Teachers who complete the program will receive e-certificates, and the platform will offer tools, methodologies, and innovative content to make classrooms more accessible and inclusive.
Source: Project Inclusion
Q.9) The Ministry of Science and Technology has recently inaugurated the “National Biobank” under which project to build a longitudinal health database in India?
[a] Genome India Project
[b] India Genomics Initiative
[c] Phenome India Project
[d] National Genome Mapping Project
View Answer
Answer: [c] Phenome India Project
Explanation:
The Ministry of Science and Technology inaugurated the state-of-the-art “National Biobank” at the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) in New Delhi as part of the Phenome India Project. The primary objective of this initiative is to create India’s first comprehensive longitudinal health database by collecting genomic, clinical, and lifestyle data from 10,000 individuals across the country.
The biobank is inspired by the UK Biobank model, but is uniquely designed to reflect India’s vast diversity, including geographical, ethnic, and socio-economic variations. It will enable long-term, data-rich cohort studies, allowing researchers to track the health trajectories of individuals over time.
Source: National Biobank
Q.10) Which of the following statements correctly explains the key provision of the Enemy Property Act, particularly after the 2017 amendment?
[a] Legal heirs of those declared enemies can reclaim enemy property if they are Indian citizens.
[b] Enemy property reverts to the original owner after 30 years of seizure.
[c] Enemy property vests permanently with the Custodian, regardless of nationality change or death of the enemy.
[d] Enemy property can only be seized if the individual is alive and residing in an enemy country.
View Answer
Answer: [c] Enemy property vests permanently with the Custodian, regardless of nationality change or death of the enemy.
Explanation:
The Enemy Property Act, originally enacted in 1968, was formulated after the Indo-Pak wars (1965 & 1971) and the Indo-China war (1962). It allows the Indian government to seize and manage the properties left behind by individuals who migrated to enemy nations (primarily Pakistan and China) or acquired their citizenship. These seized assets are handled by the Custodian of Enemy Property for India, under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The 2017 Amendment brought significant changes:
- It barred legal heirs, even if they are Indian citizens, from claiming ownership over such properties.
- The Act now ensures that enemy property remains permanently vested with the Custodian, and this holds true even if the enemy dies, changes nationality, or ceases business operations in India.
- This amendment effectively closes all legal routes for reclaiming such properties, reinforcing the perpetual nature of the state’s custodianship.
Source: Saif Ali Khan’s Petition on Pataudi Estate Dismissed under Enemy Property Act