General Knowledge and Current Affairs (India and World)
This domain tests constitutional articles, panchayati raj, Indian geography, economic institutions, international organisations, and national events of the past year.
Constitution anchors
The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950. Fundamental Rights occupy Articles 12-35; Article 32 is the Supreme Court's writ jurisdiction, Article 226 the High Courts'. Article 226 is wider because High Courts can issue writs for other legal rights too, not only Fundamental Rights. The 42nd Amendment (1976) added "socialist", "secular" and "integrity" to the Preamble; the 44th Amendment (1978) removed the right to property from Fundamental Rights and made it a legal right under Article 300A. Panchayats and municipalities were constitutionalised by the 73rd and 74th Amendments (1992).
Geography and economy
The Tropic of Cancer passes through eight states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. Services contribute the largest share of India's GDP, while agriculture supports the largest workforce.
World bodies
The United Nations was founded in 1945, has 193 members and is headquartered in New York. The IMF and World Bank emerged from the 1944 Bretton Woods conference; the WTO was created in 1995 at Marrakesh; SAARC was founded in 1985 at Dhaka; NATO in 1949.
Worked example
A person is detained by an executive officer without lawful authority. The correct writ is habeas corpus, because it commands the detaining authority to produce the person and justify the detention. Mandamus compels a public authority to perform a legal duty, and certiorari quashes an order of a lower court or tribunal.
Traps
Attributing "socialist" and "secular" to the original Preamble; confusing Article 32 with 226; swapping the 73rd (panchayats) and 74th (urban bodies) Amendments.