256: Which of the following is not a member of `Gulf Cooperation Council?

(a) Iran
(b) Saudi Arabia
(c) Oman
(d) Kuwait
257: The marine animal called dugong which is vulnerable to extinction is a/an

(a) Shark
(b) Mammal
(c) Amphibian
(d) Bony fish
258: From the third century AD when the Hun invasion ended the Roman Empire, the Indian merchants relied more and more on the

(a) African trade

(b) West-European trade

(c) South-East Asian trade

(d) Middle-Eastern trade
259: Assertion (A) :

The frequency of floods in North Indian plains has increased during the last couple of decades.

Reason (R) :

There has been reduction in the depth of river valleys due to deposition of silt.

(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A
(c) A is true, but R is false
(d) A is false, but R is true
260: In a given year in India, official poverty lines are higher in some States than in others because

(a) poverty rates vary from State to State

(b) price levels vary from State to State

(c) Gross State Product varies from State to State

(d) quality of public distribution varies from State to State