[1]. The Government of India has notified coking coal as a Critical and Strategic Mineral under the MMDR Act, 1957. Under which legal provision was this notification issued?

[A]. Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

[B]. Section 11C of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957

[C]. Article 297 of the Constitution of India

[D]. Section 17A of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980

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[2]. India has nominated Meghalaya’s Living Root Bridges (Jingkieng Jri / Lyu Chrai Cultural Landscape) for UNESCO World Heritage status. Which of the following statements about Living Root Bridges is correct?

[A]. They are stone bridges built during the Ahom period

[B]. They are grown from the aerial roots of living trees by Khasi and Jaintia communities

[C]. They are temporary bamboo structures replaced every monsoon

[D]. They are found mainly in the Western Ghats of India

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[3]. The Shiveluch Volcano was in the news after powerful eruptions sent ash plumes nearly 9,000 metres high. Shiveluch volcano is located in which of the following regions?

[A]. Kamchatka Peninsula

[B]. Ural Mountains

[C]. Caucasus Mountains

[D]. Siberian Plain

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[4]. Recently, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched ‘PANCHAM’, a flagship AI initiative establishing a two-way digital bridge with elected representatives. What is PANCHAM?

[A]. A mobile app for rural banking services

[B]. A scheme for smart village infrastructure

[C]. A national portal for land record digitisation

[D]. An AI-powered Panchayat assistance and messaging chatbot

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[5]. The Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary was officially declared ‘Maoist-free’ in January 2026, paving the way for improved wildlife monitoring. In which state is the Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary located?

[A]. Chhattisgarh

[B]. Andhra Pradesh

[C]. Odisha

[D]. Jharkhand

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