Review answers

Explanation: The Nizam of Hyderabad was the first ruler to accept the Subsidiary Alliance (1798). Mysore had it imposed after Tipu Sultan's defeat in 1799, Tanjore accepted in 1799 and Awadh in 1801. Under the system the ruler kept a British force in his state, paid for it and could not deal with other powers without British consent.

Explanation: Home Minister Amit Shah called Vasudev Balwant Phadke the father of the Indian armed revolution and an inspiration for countless revolutionaries. Phadke (born 4 November 1845) organised an armed revolt against British rule in Maharashtra in 1879 with Ramoshi and other groups; he was transported to Aden, where he died in 1883.

Explanation: Sonbhadra, in the south-eastern corner of UP, is called the Energy Capital of India because of its cluster of thermal and hydro power stations: Anpara, Obra and Rihand, with the Rihand Dam (Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar) on the Rihand river. It borders four States: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar.

Explanation: Unbeaten India routed South Korea 8-1 to reach the final against Japan at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali. Japan beat Malaysia 5-3 in a penalty shoot-out after a goalless first semi-final; Malaysia play South Korea for bronze.

Explanation: Sindhu won the title in 2018; she was runner-up at the 2017 Super Series Finals and the 2021 World Tour Finals. She has now qualified for the 2026 World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China (9-13 December), her sixth appearance and first since 2021.

Explanation: All three are correct. As envisaged, 25% of Agniveers get regular employment on merit. On the Defence Forces' recommendation the Cabinet approved another 2-year engagement for the remaining 75%, after which all Agniveers will be offered enrolment as regular soldiers if willing and if they meet the selection criteria. The Agnipath scheme continues, with higher pay and an enhanced Seva Nidhi in the second engagement.

Explanation: Statements 1-3 are correct: the Sundarbans, shared by India and Bangladesh, is the largest mangrove forest in the world, on the delta of the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna, and takes its name from the Sundari tree (Heritiera fomes). Statement 4 is wrong: Sundarbans National Park in West Bengal was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987; it is also a tiger reserve and a Ramsar site.

Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct: Democrats won at least 228 seats in the 435-member House (majority mark 218) and 54 Senate seats against 44 for Republicans, with two undecided. Statement 3 is wrong: President Trump remains in office with his executive powers and his power to veto legislation.

Explanation: Dr Sachchidananda Sinha, the oldest member, presided over the first meeting as temporary (provisional) President. Dr Rajendra Prasad was elected permanent President on 11 December 1946, with H.C. Mookerjee as Vice-President; Dr B.R. Ambedkar later chaired the Drafting Committee.

Explanation: Addressing the Defence Ministry's Consultative Committee in Jaisalmer, Rajnath Singh set targets of ₹3 lakh crore in defence production and ₹50,000 crore in defence exports by 2029. Production rose from ₹46,429 crore in 2014-15 to a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in 2025-26, and exports from under ₹2,000 crore in 2014 to about ₹40,000 crore; those are current levels, not the targets.