Delhi Police Head Constable 2025-26 7 January 2026 Shift 1 GK Questions – with answers & solutions

Correct Answer: Option 3 – Mock battle
'Hola Mohalla' is a Sikh festival celebrated a day after Holi. The word 'Hola' is derived from 'Halla', meaning a mock battle or military exercise, and 'Mohalla' refers to an organised procession or attack. It was started by Guru Gobind Singh Ji to prepare Sikhs in military arts.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Celebratory prayers): Prayers are part of many festivals but this is not what 'Hola Mohalla' literally means.
Option 2 (Sacred pilgrimage): Hola Mohalla is not a pilgrimage; it is a martial and cultural event.
Option 4 (Spring feast): Though celebrated in spring, its literal meaning is not 'spring feast'.

Correct Answer: Option 1 – A–3, B–2, C–1
Thiruvathira Kali (A) → Onam and Shivratri (3): This is a classical dance form of Kerala performed by women during Onam and Thiruvatira ( Shivratri ).
Saila (B) → Chaitra Parva festival (2): Saila is a folk dance of Chhattisgarh performed during the Chaitra Parva festival.
Rouf (C) → Eid and weddings (1): Rouf is a traditional folk dance of Kashmir, performed mainly during Eid and at wedding celebrations.
Why other options are wrong:
Options 2, 3, 4: All have incorrect pairings between the dance forms and their respective occasions.

Correct Answer: Option 3 – Gupta Period
The Iron Pillar of Mehrauli (located in the Qutb Minar complex, Delhi) was erected during the Gupta Period, around the 4th–5th century CE. It was likely built during the reign of Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya). The pillar is famous for its remarkable rust-resistance, attributed to its high phosphorus content and the ancient forging technique used.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Mauryan Period): The Mauryan era predates the pillar by several centuries.
Option 2 (Kushana Period): The Kushanas existed before the Gupta empire; the pillar is not from that era.
Option 4 (Pala Period): The Pala dynasty came after the Guptas; the pillar predates them.

Correct Answer: Option 2 – Jayant Kaikini – No Presents Please
Jayant Kaikini is a Kannada writer and 'No Presents Please' is his short story collection translated into English, which won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Meena Kandasamy – The Hour Past Midnight): 'The Hour Past Midnight' was written by Salma, not Meena Kandasamy. Meena Kandasamy wrote 'When I Hit You'.
Option 3 (Aravind Adiga – Sea of Poppies): 'Sea of Poppies' was written by Amitav Ghosh, not Aravind Adiga. Aravind Adiga wrote 'The White Tiger'.
Option 4 (Anuradha Roy – The White Tiger): 'The White Tiger' was written by Aravind Adiga, not Anuradha Roy. Anuradha Roy wrote 'An Atlas of Impossible Longing'.

Correct Answer: Option 2 – P.C. Mahalanobis
Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis (P.C. Mahalanobis ) founded the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata in 1931. He made major contributions to statistics ( Mahalanobis Distance) and played a key role in India's economic planning, especially in designing the Second Five Year Plan (1956–61), which emphasised heavy industries.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Asaf Ali): He was a freedom fighter and diplomat, not a statistician or economist.
Option 3 (Govind Ballabh Pant): He was a politician and India's first Home Minister, not associated with ISI or economic planning.
Option 4 (Sukumar Sen): He was India's first Chief Election Commissioner, not related to ISI.

Correct Answer: Option 2 – Basketball
Basketball is a team outdoor sport played between two teams of five players each on a rectangular court (can be played outdoors or indoors). It requires teamwork and is a widely recognised outdoor sport.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Chess): Chess is an individual indoor board game, not a team outdoor sport.
Option 3 (Yoga): Yoga is an individual physical and mental practice, not a team sport.
Option 4 (Shooting): Shooting is an individual sport (though team events exist), primarily an indoor or controlled-environment sport — not a typical outdoor team sport.

Correct Answer: Option 2 – Silver came in 10m air rifle team event.
At the Asian Games 2023 (held in Hangzhou, China), India's first medal came in shooting. The Indian men's team won a Silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle Team event. The team comprised Rudrankksh Patil, Divyansh Singh Panwar, and Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Wrestling gave India its first medal): India's first medal at the 2023 Asian Games came in shooting, not wrestling.
Option 3 (First medal in swimming): India's first medal was in shooting, not swimming.
Option 4 (India won only gold medals in wrestling): This is factually incorrect; India won medals of various types across multiple sports.

Correct Answer: Option 2 – NAMASTE
NAMASTE stands for National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem. It is a scheme jointly implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. It aims to eliminate manual scavenging, provide safety gear to sanitation workers, promote mechanisation of sewer and septic tank cleaning, and support alternative livelihood and enterprise development for manual scavengers and sanitation workers.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (PM SVANidhi ): This scheme provides micro-credit/loans to street vendors, not sanitation workers.
Option 3 (SHREYAS): SHREYAS focuses on apprenticeship training for graduates.
Option 4 (PRAGATI): PRAGATI is a platform for monitoring government programmes and addressing grievances; it is not a livelihood scheme.

Correct Answer: Option 2 – Brazil
Brazil assumed the Chairmanship of BRICS in 2025. BRICS is an intergovernmental organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and recently added members (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE). The chairmanship rotates among members annually. Brazil's theme for 2025 was "Strengthening South-South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance."
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (India): India held the G20 Presidency in 2023. India will have the BRICS chair in a different year.
Option 3 (Russia): Russia held the BRICS Chairmanship in 2024, not 2025.
Option 4 (South Africa): South Africa held the BRICS Chairmanship in 2023.

Correct Answer: Option 3 – It results in collective welfare and wealth through an invisible hand mechanism
Adam Smith introduced the concept of the 'Invisible Hand' in his book 'The Wealth of Nations' (1776). He argued that when individuals act in their own self-interest in a free market, they are unconsciously guided by an 'invisible hand' to promote the economic well-being of society as a whole. Competition and price signals coordinate production and consumption efficiently without central planning.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Monopolies and inequality): Smith's invisible hand concept predicts efficient markets, not monopolies. Monopolies arise from market failures.
Option 2 (Hampers growth): Self-interest in a competitive market promotes growth, not hampers it.
Option 4 (Inefficiencies requiring intervention): This contradicts Smith's laissez-faire philosophy. He argued markets self-correct without government intervention.

Correct Answer: Option 3 – World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF)
In 1991, India faced a severe Balance of Payments ( BoP ) crisis and had to pledge gold to secure emergency loans. India approached the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial assistance. As a condition for the loan (structural adjustment), the IMF and World Bank required India to implement economic liberalisation reforms. This led to the announcement of the New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1991 under Finance Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, featuring Liberalisation , Privatisation , and Globalisation (LPG reforms).
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (ADB and NDB): ADB played a minor role; NDB did not even exist in 1991.
Option 2 (WTO and UN): WTO was established in 1995; it had no role in the 1991 NEP. The UN does not set economic conditionalities.
Option 4 (EU and G20): Neither was involved in India's 1991 economic reforms.

Correct Answer: Option 2 – Agricultural development, including irrigation and power projects
India's First Five Year Plan (1951–1956) was based on the Harrod-Domar model. Its primary focus was on agricultural development, reconstruction from Partition, and development of irrigation and power projects. Major projects like the Bhakra Nangal Dam were initiated. Agriculture received the highest priority to address food shortages and stabilise the economy after independence.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Heavy and basic industries): This was the focus of the Second Five Year Plan (1956–61), based on the Mahalanobis model.
Option 3 (Service sector and IT): The IT industry emerged much later in the 1990s; the First Plan had no such focus.
Option 4 (Poverty alleviation and employment): While important, this was not the primary focus. The emphasis was on agriculture and infrastructure.

Correct Answer: Option 1 – Only 1 and 2
Statement 1 is CORRECT: The Lesser Florican ( Sypheotides indicus) is indeed the smallest bird of the bustard family.
Statement 2 is CORRECT: Its major breeding habitats are in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, particularly in grasslands and scrublands.
Statement 3 is INCORRECT: Habitat loss due to agricultural expansion (including pesticide use) has DECREASED its population, not increased it. It is a critically endangered species. Pesticide-free farming does not increase its population in agro -grasslands; rather, it is the destruction and conversion of grasslands that threatens it.
Why other options are wrong:
Options 2, 3, 4: All include Statement 3 directly or wrongly exclude valid statements.

Correct Answer: Option 1 – Only 1 and 3
Statement 1 is CORRECT: India is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables globally after China (as per 2020 data).
Statement 2 is INCORRECT: Pineapples are majorly cultivated in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, and the northeastern states — NOT Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Statement 3 is CORRECT: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are well known for apples, apricots, and walnuts as prominent horticultural crops due to their temperate climate.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 (Only 1 and 2): Statement 2 is incorrect.
Option 3 (Only 2 and 3): Statement 2 is incorrect.
Option 4 (All 1, 2 and 3): Statement 2 is incorrect.

Correct Answer: Option 2 – Four months
Under Section 23 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the provisions for imprisonment in default of payment of fine are:
• Fine not exceeding ₹5,000 → maximum 2 months simple imprisonment
• Fine exceeding ₹5,000 but not exceeding ₹10,000 → maximum 4 months simple imprisonment
• Fine exceeding ₹10,000 → maximum 6 months simple imprisonment
Since the question asks about a fine "not exceeding ₹10,000", it falls in the bracket that allows up to 4 months.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Two months): This applies to fines not exceeding ₹5,000.
Option 3 (Six months): This applies to fines exceeding ₹10,000.
Option 4 (One year): This is not a prescribed limit under Section 23 of BNS 2023.

Correct Answer: Option 1 – Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Assertion (A) is TRUE: An observer on the ground hears the sonic boom only AFTER the supersonic aircraft has passed over them because the shock wave cone trails behind the aircraft. The boom reaches the observer after the aircraft has already moved past.
Reason (R) is TRUE and correctly explains A: When an aircraft exceeds the speed of sound, it produces a conical (Mach cone) shock wave that continuously trails behind it. As this cone sweeps over the ground observer, they hear the sonic boom — but this happens only after the plane has passed overhead.
R correctly explains why A is true: the trailing nature of the shock wave cone is the direct reason the boom is heard after the aircraft has passed.

Correct Answer: Option 1 – Air Quality Index
AQI stands for Air Quality Index. It is a scale used to measure and communicate the level of air pollution in a given area. In India, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) uses AQI to report daily air quality based on pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb.
AQI ranges:
• 0–50: Good
• 51–100: Satisfactory
• 101–200: Moderate
• 201–300: Poor
• 301–400: Very Poor
• 401–500: Severe
Why other options are wrong:
Options 2, 3, 4: These are fabricated expansions. AQI is universally known as Air Quality Index in environmental science.

Correct Answer: Option 1 – Gurjara-Pratiharas, Rashtrakutas, and Palas
The Tripartite Struggle (roughly 8th–10th century CE) was a prolonged conflict among three powerful dynasties for control of Kannauj — then the most important city in northern India and a symbol of imperial power:
• Gurjara-Pratiharas: Based in Rajasthan/northern India
• Rashtrakutas: Based in the Deccan
• Palas: Based in Bengal and Bihar
Each dynasty captured and lost Kannauj multiple times. Ultimately, none gained permanent control, and this power struggle weakened all three, contributing to their eventual decline.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 (Pallavas, Chalukyas , Satavahanas): These were earlier south Indian dynasties, not involved in the Kannauj struggle.
Option 3 ( Paramaras , Chauhans , Chandellas ): These were Rajput clans, not the principal powers in the Tripartite Struggle.
Option 4 (Cholas, Cheras, Pandyas ): These were Tamil kingdoms of South India, not involved in the struggle for Kannauj.

Correct Answer: Option 2 – Mangalore, Karnataka
The 77th Senior National Aquatic Championships 2024 was held in Mangalore ( Mangaluru ), Karnataka. The event was organised by the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) and included competitions in swimming, diving, water polo, and open water swimming.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Bengaluru, Karnataka): Bengaluru is the state capital but was not the venue for this particular championship.
Option 3 (Pune, Maharashtra): Pune has hosted various national events but was not the venue for the 77th Senior National Aquatic Championships 2024.
Option 4 (Chennai, Tamil Nadu): Chennai was not the host city for this event.