UPSC Current Affairs Quiz — 22 October 2026

1.

Consider the following statements about the 2025 guidelines on closing coal mines:

1.Progressive closure work is done during mining, not only after it ends.

2.Closure funds held in escrow are released against closure work completed.

3.Once escrow is funded, closure becomes the Coal Controller's responsibility.

4.Schools and hospitals the miner built go to the State Government where practicable.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 4 only 1, 3 and 4 only 1, 2 and 4 only

From: SUVIKALP: SKOCH Gold for a Tool Ranking Uses of Former Coal Mines Open full article →

2.

Consider the following statements about the 2025 coal mine closure guidelines:

1.A Zone of Impact must cover areas directly or indirectly dependent on the mine.

2.Office buildings of a closing mine can become skill development centres if local needs justify it.

3.Engagement with local communities is to begin only after the final closure certificate is issued.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: SUVIKALP: SKOCH Gold for a Tool Ranking Uses of Former Coal Mines Open full article →

3.

The SUVIKALP mine-repurposing tool asks users to compare community priorities in pairs and warns them when the consistency ratio of these comparisons exceeds 0.1. The warning indicates that:

the priority weights entered by the user do not add up to one too few members of the affected community took part in the exercise the pairwise judgements contradict one another to an unacceptable degree the top-ranked option fails the site's technical criteria

From: SUVIKALP: SKOCH Gold for a Tool Ranking Uses of Former Coal Mines Open full article →

4.

Consider the following statements about using a scoring tool to choose new uses for a closed mine:

1.A high suitability score is a measured probability that the chosen project will succeed.

2.Repurposing means finding a suitable new function for the land or assets, not merely stopping production.

3.Changing a site input or a community priority can change the order in which the options are ranked.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: SUVIKALP: SKOCH Gold for a Tool Ranking Uses of Former Coal Mines Open full article →

5.

Iron emission lines labelled Fe I, Fe XXV and Fe XXVI have been studied in the X-rays of Centaurus X-3. Consider the following statements:

1.Fe I denotes neutral iron, while Fe II denotes iron that has lost one electron.

2.Fe XXVI denotes iron that keeps only one of its 26 electrons.

3.Fe XXV is a different chemical element from neutral iron because it has fewer electrons.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: Centaurus X-3: Four Iron Lines Hint at a Stream Feeding a Pulsar Open full article →

6.

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: In a fast-spinning X-ray pulsar, iron-line emission that varies within each rotation must come from material fairly close to the neutron star.

Statement-II: Light from different parts of a large reprocessing region reaches the observer at different times, smearing out changes faster than its light-crossing time.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is not correct Statement-I is not correct, but Statement-II is correct

From: Centaurus X-3: Four Iron Lines Hint at a Stream Feeding a Pulsar Open full article →

7.

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: A neutron star that pulls in matter from a companion star can be seen as an X-ray pulsar.

Statement-II: Its strong magnetic field funnels the infalling matter onto its magnetic poles, creating hot spots that swing in and out of view as it rotates.

Statement-III: Its X-rays are powered mainly by the loss of its own rotational energy.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct and both of them explain Statement-I Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct, but only one of them explains Statement-I Only one of Statement-II and Statement-III is correct and that is the explanation of Statement-I Neither Statement-II nor Statement-III is correct

From: Centaurus X-3: Four Iron Lines Hint at a Stream Feeding a Pulsar Open full article →

8.

Consider the following statements about Centaurus X-3:

1.Its regular pulsations were first detected by radio telescopes.

2.Its pulses, about 4.8 seconds apart, come from the rotation of its neutron star.

3.It is an eclipsing binary in which the companion star periodically blocks the neutron star's X-rays.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: Centaurus X-3: Four Iron Lines Hint at a Stream Feeding a Pulsar Open full article →

9.

Consider the following statements:

1.The X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) is an observatory of the European Space Agency.

2.The Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru is an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology.

3.A neutron star packs more than the Sun's mass into a sphere about as large as the Earth.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

Only one Only two All three None

From: Centaurus X-3: Four Iron Lines Hint at a Stream Feeding a Pulsar Open full article →

10.

With reference to the bonding of carbon, consider the following statements:

1.In diamond, each carbon atom is bonded to four other carbon atoms in a rigid three-dimensional network.

2.In graphite, each carbon atom is bonded to three others in the same plane, and the planes are stacked in layers.

3.The carbon atoms joined by the triple bond in ethyne are sp-hybridised.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: Diamondiyne: Swedish Chemists Make a Diamond-Like Carbon Network Open full article →

11.

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: Graphite conducts electricity, whereas diamond is an electrical insulator.

Statement-II: Graphite is much softer than diamond.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is not correct Statement-I is not correct, but Statement-II is correct

From: Diamondiyne: Swedish Chemists Make a Diamond-Like Carbon Network Open full article →

12.

Consider the following statements about the laboratory synthesis of diamondiyne:

1.It was made by compressing graphite at very high pressure and temperature.

2.Because carbon-carbon bonds form almost irreversibly, a wrongly placed link cannot easily be undone to let the network correct itself.

3.It grew where water met chloroform, which forms the lower layer because it is denser than water.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: Diamondiyne: Swedish Chemists Make a Diamond-Like Carbon Network Open full article →

13.

Consider the following statements about techniques for studying new materials:

1.Vibrational spectroscopy can detect carbon-carbon triple bonds by their frequency.

2.Electron diffraction reveals order inside crystalline regions.

3.Raman spectroscopy uses light that changes wavelength when molecules scatter it.

4.A reaction yield of one per cent means one per cent of the product is crystalline.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2, 3 and 4 only 1, 2 and 3 only 1, 2, 3 and 4

From: Diamondiyne: Swedish Chemists Make a Diamond-Like Carbon Network Open full article →

14.

Consider the following statements:

1.Synthetic diamond can be made from carbon at very high pressure and temperature.

2.Buckminsterfullerene, C-60, is an allotrope of carbon.

3.Covalent organic frameworks, like metal-organic frameworks, are built around metal ions.

4.The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry honoured the development of metal-organic frameworks.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1, 2 and 4 only 1 and 3 only 2, 3 and 4 only 1, 2, 3 and 4

From: Diamondiyne: Swedish Chemists Make a Diamond-Like Carbon Network Open full article →

15.

Consider the following statements about the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA):

1.Participation by States in offsetting was voluntary in its pilot and first phases.

2.Offsetting covers an international route only when both States it links are included.

3.Its second phase, from 2027, exempts all developing countries.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: CORSIA: India Eyes 1% SAF Blend as 2027 Offsetting Phase Nears Open full article →

16.

Consider the following statements about the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA):

1.Emissions reporting under it began in 2019, separately from offsetting.

2.It excludes humanitarian, medical and firefighting flights.

3.A fossil-based fuel can also be an eligible fuel under it.

4.Credits bought on any voluntary carbon market are eligible under it.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 3 only 2 and 4 only 1, 3 and 4 only 1, 2 and 3 only

From: CORSIA: India Eyes 1% SAF Blend as 2027 Offsetting Phase Nears Open full article →

17.

Under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), an airline meets the offsetting requirement left after any claim for eligible fuels by:

cancelling CORSIA eligible emissions units equal to that requirement buying CORSIA eligible emissions units and holding them in its account paying a levy on each tonne of carbon dioxide into an international climate fund cutting its flights on routes between participating States

From: CORSIA: India Eyes 1% SAF Blend as 2027 Offsetting Phase Nears Open full article →

18.

Consider the following statements about how aviation emissions are counted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):

1.Emissions from international aviation are included in the national totals that count towards countries' Nationally Determined Contributions.

2.Emissions from domestic aviation are part of a country's national greenhouse gas inventory.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2

From: CORSIA: India Eyes 1% SAF Blend as 2027 Offsetting Phase Nears Open full article →

19.

Consider the following statements:

1.The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) treats offsetting as a complement to cleaner aircraft and fuels.

2.A one per cent blend of sustainable aviation fuel necessarily cuts carbon dioxide emissions by one per cent.

3.Sustainable aviation fuel still emits carbon dioxide when burnt; its benefit is judged over its life cycle.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: CORSIA: India Eyes 1% SAF Blend as 2027 Offsetting Phase Nears Open full article →

20.

Consider the following statements:

1.Under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 1969, a written agreement between States under international law is a treaty whatever its designation.

2.The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 1969 has not yet entered into force.

3.Article 102 of the United Nations Charter requires treaties of Members to be registered with its Secretariat.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: Badr MoU: Four Countries Team Up on Defence Production and Skills Open full article →

21.

Match List I with List II:

List I (Signatory of the Badr memorandum)

A. Qatar

B. Turkiye

C. Indonesia

D. Pakistan

List II (Grouping of which it is a member)

1.Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

2.Association of Southeast Asian Nations

3.North Atlantic Treaty Organization

4.Gulf Cooperation Council

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4 A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3 A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1 A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1

From: Badr MoU: Four Countries Team Up on Defence Production and Skills Open full article →

22.

Consider the following signatories of the Badr memorandum:

1.Qatar

2.Turkiye

3.Pakistan

4.Indonesia

How many of the above are members of the Group of Twenty (G20)?

Only one Only two Only three All four

From: Badr MoU: Four Countries Team Up on Defence Production and Skills Open full article →

23.

Consider the following statements about defence-industrial cooperation such as the Badr memorandum:

1.It obliges the partners to come to one another's military aid if any of them is attacked.

2.It can cover joint research, technology transfer and skills training, not just equipment purchases.

3.Technology shared under it remains subject to each partner's national laws.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: Badr MoU: Four Countries Team Up on Defence Production and Skills Open full article →

24.

Consider the following statements about public-key cryptography:

1.Its security depends on keeping the public key secret.

2.In a digital signature, the private key signs and anyone holding the matching public key can verify the signature.

3.The two keys are mathematically related, yet working out the private key from the public key should be computationally infeasible.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: eMudhra: Eight Weak CA Keys, Browser Blocks and a Global TLS Exit Open full article →

25.

Consider the following statements about web certificates:

1.Browsers check a site's certificate chain against root certificates they carry.

2.An intermediate authority can issue certificates trusted through a chain to a root.

3.Certificate Transparency logs publicly list issued certificates to expose mis-issuance.

4.Removing a root from a trust store affects only compromised certificates under it.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2, 3 and 4 only 1, 2 and 3 only 1, 2, 3 and 4

From: eMudhra: Eight Weak CA Keys, Browser Blocks and a Global TLS Exit Open full article →

26.

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: Weak keys produced by a certificate authority show that the elliptic-curve algorithm used to make them has been broken.

Statement-II: A private key generated with too little randomness can be recovered from its public key even when the algorithm itself is sound.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is not correct Statement-I is not correct, but Statement-II is correct

From: eMudhra: Eight Weak CA Keys, Browser Blocks and a Global TLS Exit Open full article →

27.

Consider the following statements about India's digital signature framework:

1.The Controller of Certifying Authorities is appointed under the Information Technology Act, 2000.

2.The Root Certifying Authority of India, run by the Controller, signs licensed authorities' public keys.

3.A certifying authority licensed in India is thereby trusted by browsers worldwide for website certificates.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: eMudhra: Eight Weak CA Keys, Browser Blocks and a Global TLS Exit Open full article →

28.

Consider the following statements about Transport Layer Security (TLS), which protects connections to websites:

1.It encrypts data in transit, protects it from undetected alteration and lets the server prove its identity.

2.A valid TLS certificate guarantees that the business behind a website is honest and that its content is safe.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2

From: eMudhra: Eight Weak CA Keys, Browser Blocks and a Global TLS Exit Open full article →

29.

Consider the following statements about surveillance radars:

1.A pulsed primary radar works out a target's distance from the time its signal takes to come back after reflection.

2.A three-dimensional surveillance radar gives a target's elevation in addition to its range and bearing.

3.A two-dimensional radar gives a target's height but not its range.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: LLLR-I: BEL's Rs 770 Crore AESA Radar Order to Track Small Drones Open full article →

30.

Consider the following statements:

1.A secondary surveillance radar relies on a transponder in the aircraft, which replies with information such as identity and altitude.

2.A primary radar can detect an object that carries no equipment of its own to reply.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2

From: LLLR-I: BEL's Rs 770 Crore AESA Radar Order to Track Small Drones Open full article →

31.

Consider the following statements about radar detection of small drones:

1.For a radar on the ground, echoes from stationary features show almost no Doppler shift, so Doppler processing can suppress them.

2.The radar cross-section of an object depends only on its physical size.

3.In track-while-scan mode, a radar keeps updating known targets' tracks while it continues searching.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: LLLR-I: BEL's Rs 770 Crore AESA Radar Order to Track Small Drones Open full article →

32.

Consider the following statements about low-level air-defence radars:

1.A pulse-Doppler radar uses pulse timing for range and Doppler shifts for motion.

2.Electronic counter-countermeasures help a radar keep working despite jamming.

3.A radar echo alone shows whether the object detected is friendly or hostile.

4.A low-level radar can see objects hidden behind hills and buildings.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 1, 2 and 3 only 2 and 4 only 1, 3 and 4 only

From: LLLR-I: BEL's Rs 770 Crore AESA Radar Order to Track Small Drones Open full article →

33.

Consider the following statements about the India-Bangladesh memorandum of 2022 on the Kushiyara river:

1.It lets each country withdraw water from a common stretch in the dry season, pending a formal sharing agreement.

2.It was signed on behalf of the two countries by their border-guarding forces.

3.It provides for a joint team to monitor the water actually withdrawn by each side.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: Kushiyara: Border Durga Immersions and the 153-Cusec Water MoU Open full article →

34.

Consider the following statements:

1.The 1996 Ganga Waters Treaty shares Farakka's flow only in the lean months.

2.Under the Ganga treaty, disputes its Joint Committee cannot settle go to the Joint Rivers Commission.

3.The 2022 Kushiyara memorandum divides the river's whole flow into equal shares.

4.Both the Ganga treaty and the Kushiyara memorandum needed parliamentary ratification.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

2 and 3 only 1, 3 and 4 only 2, 3 and 4 only 1 and 2 only

From: Kushiyara: Border Durga Immersions and the 153-Cusec Water MoU Open full article →

35.

Consider the following statements about the Kushiyara memorandum of 2022:

1.It allows India to withdraw the same amount of water as Bangladesh from the common stretch.

2.It is to remain in force for a fixed term and can be renewed by mutual consent.

3.India's Union Cabinet approved it after it had already been signed.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: Kushiyara: Border Durga Immersions and the 153-Cusec Water MoU Open full article →

36.

The India-Bangladesh memorandum of understanding of 2019 on the Feni river provides for:

withdrawal of a small quantity of water for drinking-water supply to Sabroom town in Tripura sharing the river's dry-season flow for irrigation in Tripura joint construction of a hydropower project on the river use of the river as a cargo route under the inland water transit protocol

From: Kushiyara: Border Durga Immersions and the 153-Cusec Water MoU Open full article →

37.

A bivalve native to tropical Indo-Pacific waters attaches itself to hard surfaces with byssal threads, is farmed on ropes along India's coasts, and has become established in Florida, far outside its native range. It is the:

zebra mussel Asian green mussel edible oyster giant clam

From: Vizhinjam Mussels: CMFRI Sea Farm Could Yield 3-4 Tonnes a Crop Open full article →

38.

Consider the following statements about the farming of mussels:

1.In suspended culture, mussels grow on ropes held in the water column rather than on the seabed.

2.Green mussels release eggs and sperm into the water, and their larvae swim freely for some weeks before settling.

3.Mussel farming is not confined to cold seas; it is also practised in tropical waters.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: Vizhinjam Mussels: CMFRI Sea Farm Could Yield 3-4 Tonnes a Crop Open full article →

39.

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: Mussels are widely used to monitor chemical contamination in coastal waters.

Statement-II: They filter large volumes of water and accumulate contaminants in their tissues.

Statement-III: They are sessile, so the contaminants they carry reflect conditions where they live.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct and both of them explain Statement-I Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct, but only one of them explains Statement-I Only one of Statement-II and Statement-III is correct and that is the explanation of Statement-I Neither Statement-II nor Statement-III is correct

From: Vizhinjam Mussels: CMFRI Sea Farm Could Yield 3-4 Tonnes a Crop Open full article →

40.

Consider the following statements:

1.In integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, mussels serve as organic extractive species.

2.In integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, seaweeds serve as inorganic extractive species.

3.Too many filter feeders in a poorly flushed site can deplete their own food supply.

4.Mussels that grow well at a site can be assumed safe to eat without further checks.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 3 only 2 and 4 only 1, 2 and 3 only 1, 2, 3 and 4

From: Vizhinjam Mussels: CMFRI Sea Farm Could Yield 3-4 Tonnes a Crop Open full article →

41.

Consider the following statements:

1.Mussels farmed on longlines must be given formulated feed during grow-out.

2.In shellfish farming, 'spat' refers to the threads by which mussels attach to ropes.

3.Hatchery-produced seed removes the need to check survival after young mussels are moved to the sea.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

Only one Only two All three None

From: Vizhinjam Mussels: CMFRI Sea Farm Could Yield 3-4 Tonnes a Crop Open full article →

42.

Consider the following statements about agrivoltaics:

1.It uses the same piece of land for farming and for generating solar electricity.

2.Widening the spacing between rows of panels lets more light reach crops but can lower electricity output per unit of land.

3.A crop that gains from partial shade in a hot, dry climate can respond differently in cooler or cloudier conditions.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3

From: Agrivoltaics: TERI Study Rates 47.5 Million Hectares as Suitable Open full article →

43.

In solar power, the 'capacity factor' of a plant is the:

share of the sunlight falling on its panels that is converted into electricity share of its land area that is covered by panels electricity it actually generates over a period as a share of what it would generate at full rated output throughout ratio of the direct-current rating of its panels to the alternating-current rating of its inverters

From: Agrivoltaics: TERI Study Rates 47.5 Million Hectares as Suitable Open full article →

44.

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: Panels over transpiring crops can work more efficiently in hot weather than panels over bare ground.

Statement-II: Panels lose efficiency as they heat up, and crops beneath cool them by giving off water vapour.

Statement-III: Raising panels high enough for farm work beneath needs more structural material.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct and both of them explain Statement-I Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct, but only one of them explains Statement-I Only one of Statement-II and Statement-III is correct and that is the explanation of Statement-I Neither Statement-II nor Statement-III is correct

From: Agrivoltaics: TERI Study Rates 47.5 Million Hectares as Suitable Open full article →

45.

Consider the following statements about the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan:

1.On cultivated fields, its small plants raise panels so crops grow below.

2.It has supported standalone solar pumps that replace diesel pumps off the grid.

3.It has supported solarising existing grid-connected farm pumps.

4.It is run by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1 and 2 only 2 and 4 only 1, 3 and 4 only 1, 2 and 3 only

From: Agrivoltaics: TERI Study Rates 47.5 Million Hectares as Suitable Open full article →