02 Aug, 2025

1. With reference to the Schengen Visa Cascade Regime recently introduced for Indian nationals, consider the following statements:

  1. The regime allows progression to a 5-year multiple-entry visa irrespective of the passport validity.
  2. Indian nationals require only two prior Schengen visas within three years to qualify for a 2-year multiple-entry visa.
  3. Even under the cascade, the 90/180 rule of stay continues to apply.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

2. Which of the following is NOT a component of the RBI Digital Payments Index?

3. The 8.8-magnitude earthquake near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in 2025 is significant because:

  1. It was caused by the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Okhotsk/North American Plate.
  2. It triggered volcanic activity in multiple volcanoes, including Krasheninnikov which erupted after 600 years.
  3. It is the deadliest earthquake in Kamchatka’s history, surpassing the 1952 disaster.

Which of the statements above are correct?

4. With reference to Supply and Use Tables (SUTs) in India, consider the following statements:

  1. They integrate production, income, and expenditure approaches to GDP.
  2. The latest release covered 140 products and 66 industries at current prices.
  3. They are compiled fully independent of international frameworks like the UN System of National Accounts (SNA).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

5. The Piprahwa Relics, recently repatriated to India, are significant because:

  1. They are associated with the Sakya clan, kinsmen of Lord Buddha.
  2. They were first discovered in 1898 by a British engineer.
  3. They have always remained in India since their discovery.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?