🧠 Daily UPSC Mock Test – 02 august 2025
Welcome aspirants! This is your Daily Practice Quiz consisting of 30 high-quality questions to strengthen your UPSC Prelims preparation.
- 📘 Subjects: Polity, Economy, History, Environment, S&T, Current Affairs
- ⏱️ Time Limit: 30 Minutes
- 📝 Difficulty Level: UPSC Prelims Standard
💡 Tip: Read all options carefully, eliminate smartly, and revise your mistakes from the explanations.
👇 Start Your Test 👇
Results
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#1. Which of the following is a biofortified crop recently promoted by ICAR?
Answer: 2. Golden Rice
Explanation:
Golden Rice is genetically modified to contain beta-carotene (Vitamin A) and is a biofortified crop promoted to fight malnutrition.
#2. Which of the following best explains ‘Parliamentary Privileges’?
Answer: 3. Special rights and immunities for performing legislative duties
Explanation:
Parliamentary Privileges are special powers and immunities for MPs/MLAs to speak and act freely in the House without fear of legal action.
#3. What role do Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) play in GLOF preparedness?
Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) help in GLOF preparedness by tracking temperature, rainfall, humidity, and sometimes water levels, which are key indicators of glacial lake stability and potential flood risks.
Which of the following are greenhouse gases as per the Kyoto Protocol?
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Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
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Methane (CH₄)
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Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
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Water vapour
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Sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆)
#4. Choose the correct answer:
Correct Answer: 2
Kyoto Protocol includes CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, SF₆ (not water vapour).
#5. Which of the following correctly describes ‘Fiscal Drag’?
Correct Answer: 2
Explanation:
Fiscal drag happens when inflation increases people’s nominal income, pushing them into higher tax brackets, even if their real income hasn’t changed. As a result, tax revenues rise without a corresponding increase in purchasing power, reducing aggregate demand.
#6. The term ‘Hawkish stance’ is often seen in monetary policy discussions. It refers to:
Correct Answer: 3
Hawkish stance = Favoring high interest rates to curb inflation.
#7. Which of the following Constitutional Amendments is known for inserting the words ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ in the Preamble?
The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 added the words ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution during the Emergency period under Indira Gandhi’s government.
Consider the following pairs of tomato varieties and their special traits:
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Arka Shreshta – Resistant to Tomato Leaf Curl Virus
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Arka Vishal – High Total Soluble Solids (TSS), good for processing
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Arka Abhijit – Late maturing with poor shelf life
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Arka Samrat – Suitable for long-distance transport
#8. Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?
🟩 Answer: 1
📝 Explanation:
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✅ Arka Shreshta is resistant to ToLCV.
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✅ Arka Vishal is rich in TSS, ideal for processing.
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❌ Arka Abhijit is early maturing with good shelf life, not poor.
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✅ Arka Samrat is suitable for transportation and large-scale marketing.
#9. The ‘Blue Flag’ certification is related to:
Answer: 2. Pollution-free beaches
Explanation:
Blue Flag is an international eco-label awarded to clean and environment-friendly beaches that meet 33 criteria.
#10. The Aadi Thiruvathirai festival is celebrated in honor of:
Aadi Thiruvathirai is celebrated in Tamil Nadu to honor Rajaraja Chola I, the great Chola ruler who built the Brihadeshwara Temple and expanded the Chola Empire. The festival marks his contributions to art, architecture, and administration.
#11. Parametric insurance is most helpful for:
Parametric insurance provides quick and fixed payouts based on measurable triggers (like drought, flood, or cyclone), making it ideal for climate-related disasters where speed and predictability are crucial.
#12. Which Chola king built the Brihadeshwara Temple in Thanjavur?
Rajaraja Chola I built the magnificent Brihadeshwara Temple at Thanjavur in the 11th century CE. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a masterpiece of Chola architecture.
#13. Dholavira, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is unique among Indus Valley sites because:
Answer: 2. It had a unique water management system and stone architecture
Explanation:
Dholavira (Gujarat) is known for stone construction, drainage, and reservoirs — unlike other mud-brick Indus Valley cities.
#14. Which of the following powers can be exercised by a Governor at his/her own discretion?
Answer: 1. Appointment of Chief Minister
Explanation:
In case of hung assembly, the Governor can use discretion to appoint a CM who is likely to command majority. Other actions require aid and advice.
#15. Which of the following countries is NOT crossed by the Equator?
Answer: 4. Mexico
Explanation:
Equator passes through 13 countries, including Ecuador, Kenya, and Indonesia — but not Mexico, which is in the Northern Hemisphere.
#16. What is the architectural style of Brihadeshwara Temple?
The Brihadeshwara Temple is built in the Dravidian architectural style, characterized by pyramidal towers (vimanas), large gopurams, and intricate carvings, typical of South Indian temple architecture.
#17. Which statement is incorrect regarding the Chola administration?
This is incorrect because the Cholas had a strong navy and even sent ships to Southeast Asia.
Other statements are correct – they had a good bureaucracy, village councils, and did regular land surveys.
#18. Which of the following correctly explains the difference between El Niño and La Niña?
Correct Answer: A.
El Niño = warming of eastern Pacific
La Niña = cooling of eastern Pacific
#19. What is the primary cause of a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)?
A Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) happens when a natural dam (made of ice or loose rock) that holds a glacial lake suddenly bursts, releasing a large amount of water and causing floods downstream.
#20. The recently launched ‘PM-PRANAM’ scheme is aimed at:
Answer: 2. Promoting use of bio-fertilizers and reducing chemical fertilizers
Explanation:
PM-PRANAM (Promotion of Alternate Nutrients for Agriculture Management Yojana) encourages states to reduce chemical fertilizer use and promote bio-inputs.
#21. The term ‘SWIFT’ recently seen in news, is related to:
SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) is a secure messaging network used by banks and financial institutions globally to send and receive payment instructions. It is crucial for international trade and finance.
Which of the following statements about the Ramsar Convention is/are correct?
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It is an international treaty for the conservation of oceans.
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Montreux Record is a part of this convention.
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India has more than 75 Ramsar sites as of 2025.
#22. Choose Correct Answer
Correct Answer: 2 and 3 only
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Statement 1 is wrong – Ramsar Convention is for wetlands, not oceans.
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Statement 2 is correct – Montreux Record is part of Ramsar.
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Statement 3 is correct – India has 75+ Ramsar sites as of 2025.
#23. Parametric insurance has been promoted in India primarily for:
In India, parametric insurance is mainly used in agriculture to provide quick payouts during weather-related crop losses, helping reduce the government’s subsidy burden under traditional crop insurance schemes.
#24. The Rs. 100 commemorative coin released in 2023 was issued in honour of:
In 2023, the Government of India released a ₹100 commemorative coin in honor of Rajaraja Chola I, recognizing his extraordinary contributions to temple architecture, administration, and South Indian cultural heritage — especially the construction of the Brihadeshwara Temple in Thanjavur.
#25. Which of the following would most likely trigger a payout under a parametric insurance scheme?
Parametric insurance pays out based on a predefined trigger (like rainfall, wind speed, or earthquake magnitude), not actual loss.
In this case, rainfall below 50 mm for 10 days is a measurable trigger, so it qualifies. Other options involve actual loss assessment.
#26. If the RBI increases the repo rate, what is the most likely impact on the Indian economy?
Answer: 3. Loans become costlier
Explanation:
Repo rate is the rate at which RBI lends to banks. An increase in repo means higher interest rates, making loans costlier, thereby reducing inflation.
Separation of Powers – Indian Polity
#27. Which of the following best reflects the principle of separation of powers in India?
Answer: 2. Judiciary interpreting laws independently
📘 Explanation:
Separation of powers in India is maintained by the independent judiciary, which ensures that the executive and legislature stay within their powers.
#28. Which ministry is primarily responsible for organizing National Handloom Day celebrations?
The Ministry of Textiles is the nodal agency responsible for organizing National Handloom Day celebrations, as it oversees the promotion, development, and welfare of India’s handloom sector and weavers.
#29. Which of the following is NOT a common trigger of GLOF events?
Monsoon withdrawal is a gradual process and does not cause sudden flooding.
Common triggers of GLOF events include avalanches, rockfalls, and earthquakes, which can suddenly disturb glacial lakes and cause them to burst.
#30. Which Southeast Asian empire was targeted by Rajendra Chola I’s naval expeditions?
Rajendra Chola I launched successful naval expeditions against the Srivijaya Empire (located in present-day Indonesia and Malaysia), showcasing the Cholas’ maritime strength and expanding their influence in Southeast Asia.