26 free Current Affairs MCQs written in the UPSC Prelims exam pattern, each with a step-by-step solution. Tap an option for instant feedback — no sign-up, no ads.
Revise with smart repetition →✍️ These are original practice questions written in the UPSC Prelims pattern for the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary exam — not questions from any official past paper.
Q1. Which body is responsible for conducting elections in India?
B. The Election Commission of India — The Election Commission of India (ECI), a permanent constitutional body under Article 324, conducts elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President.
Q2. In which year was the Reserve Bank of India established?
A. 1935 — The RBI was established on 1 April 1935 under the RBI Act, 1934. It was nationalised in 1949.
Q3. Where are the headquarters of the United Nations located?
B. New York — The UN headquarters is in New York City, USA. Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi host major UN offices, and UNESCO is headquartered in Paris.
Q4. Which body did the NITI Aayog replace in 2015?
B. The Planning Commission — NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) replaced the Planning Commission on 1 January 2015 as the government's premier policy think-tank.
Q5. The Fundamental Duties were added to the Constitution by which amendment?
A. 42nd Amendment — The Fundamental Duties (Article 51A) were added by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee.
Q6. In which year was the Goods and Services Tax (GST) introduced in India?
C. 2017 — GST came into effect on 1 July 2017, subsuming most indirect taxes into a single unified tax under the 101st Constitutional Amendment.
Q7. Who appoints the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India?
B. The President — The CAG is appointed by the President of India under Article 148 and audits the accounts of the Union and the States.
Q8. The international agreement on climate change adopted in 2015 is known as the:
B. Paris Agreement — The Paris Agreement was adopted at COP21 in 2015 to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
Q9. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India was established in which year?
A. 1993 — The NHRC was established on 12 October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
Q10. The World Health Organization (WHO) is headquartered in which city?
B. Geneva — The WHO, a specialised agency of the UN responsible for international public health, is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Q11. In which city is the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) located?
B. Washington, D.C. — The IMF, one of the Bretton Woods institutions, is headquartered in Washington, D.C., close to the World Bank.
Q12. Which organisation compiles and maintains the 'Red List' of Threatened Species?
C. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) — The IUCN Red List is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of species, classifying them from 'Least Concern' to 'Extinct'.
Q13. The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation of which type of ecosystem?
A. Wetlands — Signed in Ramsar, Iran, the convention provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
Q14. How many goals are there in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
B. 17 — The SDGs, adopted in 2015 as successors to the eight Millennium Development Goals, comprise 17 goals covering issues from poverty to climate action.
Q15. The Montreal Protocol is an international agreement aimed primarily at:
B. Protecting the ozone layer — The Montreal Protocol phases out the production of ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to protect the stratospheric ozone layer.
Q16. Which statutory body is responsible for regulating the securities (share) markets in India?
D. Securities and Exchange Board of India — The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is the regulator for the securities and commodity markets, protecting investor interests.
Q17. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act is chiefly associated with which of the following?
D. Panchayati Raj institutions — The 73rd Amendment (1992) gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj institutions, adding Part IX and the Eleventh Schedule; the 74th dealt with municipalities.
Q18. Who is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha?
B. Vice President of India — Under Article 89, the Vice President of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and presides over its sittings.
Q19. The headquarters of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is located in which city?
A. Geneva — The WTO, which regulates international trade among member nations, is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Q20. Under which Article of the Indian Constitution is the Finance Commission constituted?
C. Article 280 — Article 280 provides for a Finance Commission, constituted by the President every fifth year, to recommend the distribution of taxes between the Union and States.
Q21. The Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution contains provisions relating to:
A. Disqualification on grounds of defection — The Tenth Schedule, added by the 52nd Amendment (1985), lays down the anti-defection law disqualifying members who defect from their party.
Q22. The Human Development Index (HDI) is published annually by which organisation?
D. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) — The UNDP publishes the HDI in its Human Development Report, combining indicators of life expectancy, education, and per-capita income.
Q23. In which city is the headquarters of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) located?
C. Bengaluru — ISRO is headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka; Sriharikota hosts the launch site, while Thiruvananthapuram houses the VSSC rocket centre.
Q24. In India, the 'repo rate' is determined by which of the following?
D. Reserve Bank of India — The repo rate, at which the central bank lends to commercial banks, is set by the RBI's Monetary Policy Committee as a key monetary policy tool.
Q25. The Kyoto Protocol is primarily concerned with which of the following?
D. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions — The Kyoto Protocol, adopted under the UNFCCC, committed industrialised nations to binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Q26. In the context of the Union Budget, the term 'fiscal deficit' is best defined as:
C. The excess of total expenditure over total receipts excluding borrowings — Fiscal deficit is total government expenditure minus total receipts excluding borrowings; it indicates the total borrowing the government needs to meet its expenditure.
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