Daily Challenge
Saturday, 31 October 2026
Daily Challenge — 31 October 2026
Three UPSC Prelims-pattern questions — one each from the GS I, GS II and GS III subject areas. Attempt all three before checking your answers.
Vedic and Later Vedic Age
Consider the following pairs of Vedic term and meaning:
- Gavishti - search for cows (war)
- Aghanya - a royal horse sacrifice
- Nishka - a type of plough.
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Correct answer: A
Only pair 1 is correct: gavishti, literally ‘search for cows’, was used for war. Aghanya (’not to be killed’) was used for the cow; the royal horse sacrifice was the ashvamedha. Nishka was a gold ornament, later a unit of value, not a plough.Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties
Which of the following Directive Principles are generally classified as Gandhian?
- Organise village panchayats
- Promote cottage industries on an individual or co-operative basis in rural areas
- Secure a uniform civil code for citizens
- Bring about prohibition of intoxicating drinks injurious to health.
Select the correct answer.
Correct answer: D
Village panchayats (Article 40), cottage industries (Article 43) and prohibition (Article 47) reflect Gandhian ideals. The uniform civil code (Article 44) is classified as a liberal-intellectual directive.Planning and NITI Aayog
The period of the ‘Plan holiday’ in India, when three Annual Plans were implemented instead of a Five-Year Plan, was:
Correct answer: A
After the Third Plan was disrupted by the 1962 and 1965 wars and successive droughts, three Annual Plans were implemented in 1966-69, called the Plan holiday. 1978-80 was the Rolling Plan of the Janata government; 1990-92 saw Annual Plans during the political and balance of payments crisis; 1962-65 falls within the Third Plan.