(1.) Where was the Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics titled "The Light & the Lotus" inaugurated on 03 January 2026?

(a.) Sarnath Cultural Complex

(b.) Rai Pithora Cultural Complex, New Delhi

(c.) National Museum, New Delhi

(d.) Bodh Gaya Experience Centre

(2.) The sacred Piprahwa relics excavated in 1898 are historically associated with which ancient city connected to Gautama Buddha?

(a.) Varanasi

(b.) Kapilavastu

(c.) Kushinagar

(d.) Vaishali

(3.) Which venue hosted the national inauguration of the 9th Siddha Day Celebrations on January 3, 2026?

(a.) Bengaluru

(b.) Thiruvananthapuram

(c.) Chennai

(d.) Madurai

(4.) Which ancient sage is traditionally revered as the founding progenitor of the Siddha system of medicine in India?

(a.) Sage Patanjali

(b.) Sage Agathiyar

(c.) Sage Dhanvantari

(d.) Sage Charaka

(5.) Which Indian state became the first to formally constitute the 8th State Pay Commission for its employees on January 3, 2026?

(a.) Sikkim

(b.) Assam

(c.) Tripura

(d.) Odisha

(6.) Which mountain tunnel breakthrough (MT-5) representing the longest mountain tunnel on the Maharashtra stretch of the Bullet Train project was completed in Jan 2026?

(a.) Palghar Tunnel

(b.) Virar-Boisar Mountain Tunnel

(c.) Thane Creek Tunnel

(d.) Matheran Mountain Tunnel

(7.) What is the total operational length of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor?

(a.) 350 km

(b.) 450 km

(c.) 508 km

(d.) 650 km

(8.) Whose 195th birth anniversary was commemorated on January 3, 2026 as India's pioneer female educator?

(a.) Sarojini Naidu

(b.) Savitribai Phule

(c.) Kadambini Ganguly

(d.) Ramabai Ranade

(9.) Rani Velu Nachiyar, whose birth anniversary was observed on January 3, ruled which historic kingdom in Tamil Nadu?

(a.) Tanjore

(b.) Sivaganga

(c.) Madurai

(d.) Pudukkottai

(10.) Who assumed charge as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Maharashtra on January 3, 2026?

(a.) Rashmi Shukla

(b.) Sadanand Vasant Date

(c.) Vivek Phansalkar

(d.) Subodh Kumar Jaiswal

(11.) What is the extended deadline granted by ESIC for registration under the SPREE 2025 scheme?

(a.) 15 January 2026

(b.) 31 January 2026

(c.) 28 February 2026

(d.) 31 March 2026

(12.) What does the acronym SPREE stand for in the context of the ESIC social security initiative?

(a.) Scheme for Public Registration of Essential Enterprises

(b.) Scheme for Registration of Employers and Employees

(c.) Social Protection and Relief for Enterprise Employees

(d.) System for Promoting Registration in Employment Exchanges

(13.) Where is the apex National Institute of Siddha (NIS) located?

(a.) Thanjavur

(b.) Chennai

(c.) Coimbatore

(d.) Tiruchirappalli

(14.) In which language script were the ancient inscriptions found on the Piprahwa relic casket written?

(a.) Kharosthi

(b.) Brahmi

(c.) Tamil-Brahmi

(d.) Sharada

(15.) Which high-speed train system of Japan forms the technical basis for India's MAHSR corridor?

(a.) TGV

(b.) Shinkansen

(c.) Maglev L0

(d.) ICE 3

(16.) In which city did Savitribai Phule and Jyotirao Phule set up the first girls' school in 1848 at Bhide Wada?

(a.) Mumbai

(b.) Satara

(c.) Pune

(d.) Nagpur

(17.) Which social organization was founded by Jyotirao Phule and active with Savitribai Phule in 1873 for truth-seeking and reform?

(a.) Prarthana Samaj

(b.) Satyashodhak Samaj

(c.) Arya Samaj

(d.) Brahmo Samaj

(18.) What popular honorific title meaning "Brave Woman" was conferred upon Rani Velu Nachiyar?

(a.) Veeramangai

(b.) Jhansi Ki Rani

(c.) Kittur Rani

(d.) Veerangana

(19.) Which commander of Rani Velu Nachiyar's female army unit executed history's first recorded suicide attack against a British ammunition depot?

(a.) Kuyili

(b.) Udayal

(c.) Vellai Nachiyar

(d.) Jhabali

(20.) What is the maximum design speed planned for passenger operations on the MAHSR bullet train line?

(a.) 250 km/h

(b.) 300 km/h

(c.) 320 km/h

(d.) 350 km/h

(21.) Which central ministry is the administrative authority responsible for the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)?

(a.) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

(b.) Ministry of Labour and Employment

(c.) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

(d.) Ministry of Finance

(22.) Under the ESI Act 1948, what is the monthly wage limit ceiling for regular employees coverage eligibility?

(a.) ₹15,000

(b.) ₹21,000

(c.) ₹25,000

(d.) ₹30,000

(23.) Sadanand Vasant Date previously served as the chief of which premier national anti-terror investigation agency before becoming Maharashtra DGP?

(a.) CBI

(b.) ED

(c.) National Investigation Agency (NIA)

(d.) IB

(24.) The Piprahwa relic site is located in which district of Uttar Pradesh?

(a.) Kushinagar

(b.) Siddharthnagar

(c.) Varanasi

(d.) Ayodhya

(25.) Which statutory body manages air quality directions and enforcement across the National Capital Region (NCR)?

(a.) Central Pollution Control Board

(b.) Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)

(c.) Environment Pollution Authority

(d.) Delhi Pollution Control Committee

(26.) Under the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy, which Indian traditional medical system emphasizes Kayakarpam (rejuvenation therapy)?

(a.) Ayurveda

(b.) Unani

(c.) Siddha

(d.) Sowa-Rigpa

(27.) Who is the Chief Minister of Assam who announced the constitution of the 8th State Pay Commission on Jan 3, 2026?

(a.) Sarbananda Sonowal

(b.) Himanta Biswa Sarma

(c.) Pema Khandu

(d.) N Biren Singh

(28.) National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) is a joint venture between the Government of India and which participating states?

(a.) Gujarat and Rajasthan

(b.) Maharashtra and Gujarat

(c.) Maharashtra and Goa

(d.) Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh

(29.) What is the total length of the undersea tunnel segment featured on the MAHSR corridor near Thane Creek?

(a.) 5 km

(b.) 7 km

(c.) 12 km

(d.) 21 km

(30.) Savitribai Phule wrote which famous poetry collection published in 1854 considered a milestone in Marathi social literature?

(a.) Kavyaphule

(b.) Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar

(c.) Stree Dharma Niti

(d.) Prakashdhara

(31.) In which district of Haryana did CAQM conduct a massive 105-unit enforcement inspection drive on Jan 2-3, 2026?

(a.) Gurugram

(b.) Faridabad

(c.) Nuh

(d.) Jhajjar

(32.) The Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in Delhi is historically linked to which Medieval Indian ruler?

(a.) Prithviraj Chauhan

(b.) Anangpal Tomar

(c.) Qutb ud-Din Aibak

(d.) Iltutmish

(33.) On which date is International Mind-Body Wellness Day observed annually to encourage holistic health practices?

(a.) January 1

(b.) January 3

(c.) January 5

(d.) January 10

(34.) Which foreign financial institution acquired a major 60% stake in RBL Bank in leadership transition updates announced around Jan 2026?

(a.) First Abu Dhabi Bank

(b.) Emirates NBD

(c.) Qatar National Bank

(d.) DBS Bank

(35.) Who was appointed as the Interim MD & CEO of Canara Bank effective January 1, 2026?

(a.) K. Satyanarayana Raju

(b.) Hardeep Singh Ahluwalia

(c.) Debadatta Chand

(d.) S. S. Mallikarjuna Rao

(36.) Which sprinter was named the International Event Ambassador for the 21st Tata Mumbai Marathon 2026?

(a.) Usain Bolt

(b.) Andre De Grasse

(c.) Yohan Blake

(d.) Noah Lyles

(37.) Which celestial object's returned samples were studied in early 2026 providing evidence of extraterrestrial organic precursors of life?

(a.) Asteroid Ryugu

(b.) Asteroid Bennu

(c.) Comet 67P

(d.) Asteroid Psyche

(38.) Which long-range rocket launcher system was procured by the Indian Army in recent defense equipment additions reported in early 2026?

(a.) Pinaka Mk-III

(b.) Suryastra

(c.) Smerch-M

(d.) Pralay

(39.) What is the full expansion of NATM engineering technique used in mountain tunnelling across Indian railways and bullet train corridors?

(a.) National Advanced Tunnelling Method

(b.) New Austrian Tunnelling Method

(c.) Network Assisted Tunnelling Mechanism

(d.) Non-Abrasive Tunnelling Mode

(40.) Under the ESI Act 1948, what is the monthly wage eligibility limit for persons with benchmark disabilities?

(a.) ₹20,000

(b.) ₹22,000

(c.) ₹25,000

(d.) ₹30,000