Delhi Police Head Constable 2025-26 8 January 2026 Shift 1 GK Questions – with answers & solutions

Correct Answer: Option 2 – Art, Culture and Heritage
The Orchha Festival (Orchha Mahotsav) is a cultural festival held at Orchha, a historic town in Madhya Pradesh. Orchha is known for its magnificent Bundela-era temples, palaces, and cenotaphs. The festival celebrates art, classical music, folk dance, theatre, and the rich cultural heritage of the region. It is organized to promote tourism and the cultural legacy of Orchha.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Space Technology): Orchha has no connection with space technology.
Option 3 (Sports and Athletics): The Orchha Festival is a cultural event, not a sports event.
Option 4 (Industrial Development): Orchha is a heritage site; the festival has no focus on industry.

Correct Answer: Option 1 – A-2, B-3, C-1
Thiruvathira Kali (A) → Mundu and Vesthi with Kerala ornaments (2):
Thiruvathira Kali is a classical dance of Kerala. The dancers wear Mundu (lower garment) and Vesthi adorned with traditional Kerala gold jewellery .
Saila (B) → Colourful sarees/dhotis with tribal ornaments (3):
Saila is a folk dance of Chhattisgarh performed during the Chaitra Parva festival by tribal communities. Performers wear colourful traditional attire with tribal ornaments.
Rouf (C) → Pheran with embroidered jewels (1):
Rouf is a traditional folk dance of Kashmir. Dancers wear Pheran (a long traditional Kashmiri robe) adorned with embroidered jewellery .
Why other options are wrong:
Options 2, 3, 4 incorrectly pair the dance forms with their costumes.

Correct Answer: Option 2 – Padma Shri (1991), Padma Bhushan (2018), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2000)
Sharda Sinha was a legendary Maithili and Bhojpuri folk singer, popularly known for her Chhath Puja songs. She received:
• Padma Shri in 1991
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2000
• Padma Bhushan in 2018
She passed away in November 2024 and was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2025.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1: The years 2000 and 2010 are incorrect for her Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
Option 3: The years 2005 and 2015 are incorrect.
Option 4: She was not awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2024 (she was alive then) or Bharat Ratna in 2025.

Correct Answer: Option 3 – Translator won the DSC Prize along with the author
'No Presents Please: Mumbai Stories' is a collection of Kannada short stories written by Jayant Kaikini, translated into English by Tejaswini Niranjana. The book won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. In the case of translated works, the DSC Prize recognises both the author and the translator. Tejaswini Niranjana, the translator, shared the prize recognition along with Jayant Kaikini.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Translated from Marathi): The original stories were written in Kannada, not Marathi. Tejaswini Niranjana translated from Kannada to English.
Option 2 (Originally in English, translated to Kannada): Completely reversed — the original is in Kannada; the translation is in English.
Option 4 (English edition titled Mumbai Nights): The English edition is titled 'No Presents Please: Mumbai Stories', not 'Mumbai Nights'.

Correct Answer: Option 1 – Shyamlal Gupta Parshad
' Vijayi Vishwa Tiranga Pyara' (also known as the Flag Song) was composed by Shyamlal Gupta 'Parshad', a Hindi poet from Kanpur. He wrote this patriotic song in 1924 during the Indian freedom struggle. The song became closely associated with the Indian National Flag and was sung at important national events. Shyamlal Gupta Parshad is also known as 'Parshad Ji'.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 ( Tileswari Koch): She was a freedom fighter from Assam, not the composer of this song.
Option 3 (Sucheta Kriplani): She was a freedom fighter and politician who became the first woman Chief Minister of India (Uttar Pradesh), not the composer of this song.
Option 4 (Sukumar Sen): He was India's first Chief Election Commissioner, not associated with composing this song.

Correct Answer: Option 1 – Bypasses China-Pak route to Afghanistan
Chabahar Port, located on Iran's southeastern coast, provides India direct access to Afghanistan and Central Asia without passing through Pakistan. This is strategically significant because:
1. It bypasses the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Pakistani territory, giving India an independent trade and connectivity route.
2. It allows India to send goods to Afghanistan and Central Asian countries via Iran's road and rail network.
3. It counters China's Gwadar Port (Pakistan) by providing an alternative regional connectivity hub.
India signed a 10-year contract with Iran in 2024 to operate the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 (Arctic trade): Chabahar is on the Arabian Sea and has no relevance to Arctic trade routes.
Option 3 (Alternative to Suez Canal): Chabahar is a port, not a canal alternative. It does not replace the Suez Canal function.
Option 4 (Reduces dependency on Maldives): The Maldives is not relevant to Chabahar's strategic purpose.

Correct Answer: Option 3 – Khelo India Games
The Khelo India Programme was launched by the Government of India to promote sports culture at the grassroots level among the youth of India. The Khelo India Games are held annually across multiple categories — Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG), Khelo India University Games (KIUG), and Khelo India Winter Games — to identify and nurture young sporting talent and encourage mass participation in sports across schools and universities in India.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Asian Games): The Asian Games is a continental multi-sport event for national teams, not specifically aimed at promoting youth sports culture within India.
Option 2 (Olympics): The Olympics is a global event for elite athletes — it does not specifically promote youth sports culture at the grassroots level in India.
Option 4 (World Cup): World Cups are sport-specific international tournaments, not India-focused youth development programmes .

Correct Answer: Option 3 – Indian wrestlers won medals in both men's and women's events
At the Asian Games 2023 (Hangzhou, China), Indian wrestlers performed exceptionally well, winning medals in both men's and women's categories across freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines. India's wrestling contingent won gold medals in multiple events and had both male and female medal winners.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Gold only in women's freestyle): India won gold medals in multiple categories, not exclusively in women's freestyle.
Option 2 (No medals in Greco-Roman): India did win medals in Greco-Roman wrestling events at the 2023 Asian Games.
Option 4 (Only male wrestlers represented India): Female wrestlers also represented India and won medals at the 2023 Asian Games.

Correct Answer: Option 4 – Fourth
The Fourth Buddhist Council was held in Kashmir (specifically at Kundalavana /Harwan) during the reign of Kanishka I, the Kushan emperor, around the 1st-2nd century CE. It was presided over by Vasumitra (chairman) and Ashvaghosa (vice-chairman). The council compiled the Mahavibhasa , a comprehensive commentary on Abhidharma, and marked the formal split of Buddhism into Mahayana and Hinayana sects.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (First): The First Council was held at Rajagriha (Rajgir) under King Ajatashatru after the Buddha's death.
Option 2 (Second): The Second Council was held at Vaishali, about 100 years after the First Council.
Option 3 (Third): The Third Council was held at Pataliputra under Emperor Ashoka's patronage.

Correct Answer: Option 3 – Bharatmala Pariyojna
Bharatmala Pariyojna is a centrally-sponsored road and highway construction programme launched in 2017 by the Government of India. It focuses on optimising the efficiency of road traffic movement by developing National Corridors, Economic Corridors, Inter-Corridors, Ring Roads, and coastal/port connectivity roads across India.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (AMRUT): Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation focuses on urban infrastructure — water supply, sewerage, and urban transport in cities.
Option 2 ( Sagarmala ): Sagarmala is focused on port-led development — modernizing ports and improving coastal connectivity.
Option 4 ( Parvatmala ): Parvatmala (National Ropeways Development Programme ) focuses on ropeway development in hilly/mountainous regions.

Correct Answer: Option 2 – Only 1 and 3 are correct
Statement 1 is CORRECT: India conducted its first-ever Ganges River Dolphin tagging project in Assam (in the Brahmaputra river system) to study migration patterns and habitat use.
Statement 2 is INCORRECT: Gangetic River Dolphins (Platanista gangetica ) are strictly freshwater animals. They cannot live in oceans or saltwater. They are found exclusively in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli- Sangu river systems.
Statement 3 is CORRECT: India has the largest population of Ganges River Dolphins in the world, with an estimated population of around 2,500 dolphins, making India home to most of the world's Gangetic dolphins.
Why other options are wrong:
Options 1, 3, 4: All include Statement 2, which is incorrect.

Correct Answer: Option 3 – 10th to 13th September 2024
The 77th Senior National Aquatic Championships 2024 was held from 10th to 13th September 2024 in Mangalore ( Mangaluru ), Karnataka. The event was organised by the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) and featured competitions in swimming, diving, water polo, and open water swimming.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (12th–15th August 2024): These are incorrect dates for this championship.
Option 2 (5th–9th September 2024): These dates are incorrect.
Option 4 (20th–25th October 2024): These dates are incorrect.

Correct Answer: Option 3 – A has committed no offence if done without criminal intent and in good faith
Under Section 22 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 (equivalent to Section 80 of the old IPC), nothing is an offence which is done by accident or misfortune, without any criminal intention or knowledge, in the doing of a lawful act by lawful means, with proper care and caution. Since 'A' was engaged in a lawful act (chopping/working with a hatchet), exercised proper caution, and had no criminal intent, the accidental death of the bystander does not constitute an offence.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Guilty of murder due to negligence): Murder requires criminal intent ( mens rea). A exercised proper caution, so this does not apply.
Option 2 (Guilty because harm was possible): Under BNS, knowledge that harm was 'possible' alone does not make one guilty if proper caution was exercised.
Option 4 (Civil compensation without criminal intent): BNS addresses criminal liability. The question is about criminal treatment, and A is not criminally liable under Section 22.

Correct Answer: Option 1 – I and II only
Statement I is CORRECT: When a lift accelerates downward, the apparent weight = m(g - a), which is less than actual weight mg. So the scale shows a lower reading.
Statement II is CORRECT: During free fall, the lift (and person) both accelerate downward at g (acceleration due to gravity). Apparent weight = m(g - g) = 0. The person feels weightless and the scale reads zero.
Statement III is INCORRECT: When the lift moves upward with CONSTANT speed, acceleration = 0. Therefore, apparent weight = m(g + 0) = mg = actual weight. The reading does NOT increase; it remains equal to the actual weight.
Why other options are wrong:
Options 2, 3, 4: All include or exclude statements incorrectly. Statement III is wrong because constant speed means zero acceleration, so apparent weight equals actual weight.

Correct Answer: Option 2 – Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
India's AQI (Air Quality Index), as defined by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), is calculated based on eight pollutants:
1. PM2.5 2. PM10 3. NO2 (Nitrogen Dioxide) 4. SO2 (Sulphur Dioxide)
5. CO (Carbon Monoxide) 6. O3 (Ozone) 7. NH3 (Ammonia) 8. Pb (Lead)
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is NOT included in India's AQI calculation. CO2 is a greenhouse gas responsible for climate change but does not directly affect air quality in the way AQI measures it. AQI focuses on pollutants that have immediate health impacts.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (PM10): PM10 IS part of India's AQI.
Option 3 (Ozone/O3): O3 IS part of India's AQI.
Option 4 (SO2): SO2 IS part of India's AQI.

Correct Answer: Option 3 – Inflation
When aggregate demand (AD) grows faster than aggregate supply (AS), there is excess demand in the economy. Buyers are competing for a limited supply of goods and services, which pushes prices upward. This results in Inflation — a general rise in the price level. This is also called demand-pull inflation.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Deflation): Deflation is a fall in the general price level, occurring when demand falls below supply — opposite of the scenario described.
Option 2 (Stagflation): Stagflation occurs when there is both high inflation AND high unemployment/economic stagnation simultaneously, typically due to supply shocks — not simply because AD exceeds AS.
Option 4 (Depression): A depression is a severe, prolonged economic downturn with massive unemployment and falling prices. It occurs when demand collapses, not when demand exceeds supply.

Correct Answer: Option 1 – Reducing government control
Liberalisation refers to the process of relaxing or removing government restrictions, regulations, and controls on economic activities. In the context of India's 1991 LPG ( Liberalisation , Privatisation , Globalisation ) reforms, liberalisation meant:
• Removing industrial licensing (License Raj)
• Easing entry of private and foreign firms
• Reducing government intervention in pricing and production
• Freeing financial markets and trade policies
The goal is to allow market forces to operate more freely.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 ( Nationalising banks): Bank nationalisation is the opposite of liberalisation — it increases government control, not reduces it.
Option 3 (Promoting subsidies): Subsidies are government interventions; liberalisation aims to reduce such interventions.
Option 4 (Imposing trade tariffs): Trade tariffs are protectionist measures that restrict trade. Liberalisation promotes free trade by reducing tariffs.

Correct Answer: Option 3 – Public sector, as the primary engine of growth
The Industrial Policy Resolution (IPR) of 1956, also called the 'Economic Constitution of India', classified industries into three schedules:
• Schedule A: 17 industries exclusively reserved for the Public Sector (e.g., defence , atomic energy, railways, iron and steel, heavy machinery).
• Schedule B: 12 industries where public sector would take the lead but private sector could supplement.
• Schedule C: Remaining industries left to the private sector.
The 1956 policy was heavily influenced by socialist ideology and the Nehru- Mahalanobis model, placing the public sector as the primary driver of industrial growth.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 1 (Private sector): The 1956 IPR restricted the private sector to Schedule C industries only.
Option 2 (Cooperative sector): The cooperative sector was not a focus of the 1956 IPR.
Option 4 (Joint sector): Equal partnership was not the framework; public sector dominance was the central theme.

Correct Answer: Option 1 – Subordinate chiefs who offered military aid and collected land revenue
In the context of early medieval India (roughly 6th–12th century CE), 'Samantas' were subordinate feudal chiefs or vassals who acknowledged the suzerainty of a more powerful king. Their key characteristics:
1. They offered military service (soldiers and cavalry) to the overlord when needed.
2. They collected land revenue from their assigned territories.
3. In return, they received land grants ( bhumi -dana) and were allowed to govern their territories.
4. They could gradually become powerful and sometimes even overthrow the overlord (as seen in many Rajput kingdoms).
The Samanta system was a key feature of the feudal political structure in early medieval India.
Why other options are wrong:
Option 2 (Guilds of traders): Guilds of traders were called ' Shrenis ' in ancient/medieval India, not Samantas.
Option 3 (Military commanders paid in cash): Samantas were not paid in cash; they were granted land (land revenue rights).
Option 4 (Direct administrators appointed by the king): Samantas were hereditary local chiefs, not directly appointed administrators of the central government.