UPSC Current Affairs Quiz — 25 October 2026

1.

Consider the following statements about the Red List criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN):

1.A species' extent of occurrence is always smaller than its area of occupancy.

2.Area of occupancy is usually measured as occupied 2 km x 2 km grid cells.

3.A species can be listed Vulnerable for a very restricted area of occupancy and a plausible threat, with no decline.

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: Ophiorrhiza: New Changlang Herbs Recorded at 1,100 to 2,600 m Open full article →

2.

The newly described herbs Ophiorrhiza shidiensis and Ophiorrhiza pemae belong to the family Rubiaceae. Consider the following plants:

1.Cinchona

2.Tea

3.Gardenia

4.Cocoa

How many of the above belong to the family Rubiaceae?

Only one Only two Only three All four

From: Ophiorrhiza: New Changlang Herbs Recorded at 1,100 to 2,600 m Open full article →

3.

Consider the following statements about naming a new plant species under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants:

1.A new name can be published in a journal that appears only online.

2.Its description or diagnosis must be written in Latin.

3.The herbarium or institution where its type specimen is kept must be named.

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: Ophiorrhiza: New Changlang Herbs Recorded at 1,100 to 2,600 m Open full article →

4.

For one of the new herbs from Changlang, its describers inferred declining habitat quality from shifting cultivation, called jhum in north-eastern India. Match List I (Name of shifting cultivation) with List II (Region):

List I

A. Milpa

B. Ladang

C. Roca

D. Podu

List II

1.Brazil

2.Mexico and Central America

3.Andhra Pradesh

4.Indonesia

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

From: Ophiorrhiza: New Changlang Herbs Recorded at 1,100 to 2,600 m Open full article →

5.

Two new herbs have been described from Vijoynagar, an area bordered on three sides by Myanmar. Which one of the following passes lies on India's border with Myanmar?

Pangsau Pass Nathu La Shipki La Zoji La

From: Ophiorrhiza: New Changlang Herbs Recorded at 1,100 to 2,600 m Open full article →

6.

Consider the following statements about the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD):

1.It was set up by a decision of the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27), held at Sharm el-Sheikh.

2.Its funding arrangements are based on cooperation and facilitation, and do not involve liability or compensation.

3.The World Bank, as its interim trustee, decides which funding requests are approved.

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: Loss and Damage Fund: Nepal's US$21.6M Reserve Awaits a Request Open full article →

7.

Consider the following statements about the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage:

1.Its Board has equal numbers of members from developed and developing countries.

2.The Philippines was chosen to host its Board.

3.It is an operating entity of the climate convention's Financial Mechanism, also serving the Paris Agreement.

4.Its mandate excludes slow onset events such as sea-level rise.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

From: Loss and Damage Fund: Nepal's US$21.6M Reserve Awaits a Request Open full article →

8.

Loss and damage from climate change is divided into economic and non-economic losses. Consider the following:

1.Loss of cultural heritage

2.Damage to roads and bridges

3.Loss of indigenous and local knowledge

4.Destruction of crops

How many of the above are non-economic losses?

Only one Only two Only three All four

From: Loss and Damage Fund: Nepal's US$21.6M Reserve Awaits a Request Open full article →

9.

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: Loss and damage from climate change can occur even where measures to adapt have been taken.

Statement-II: Climate impacts can surpass limits to adaptation, beyond which adaptive actions cannot avoid intolerable risks.

Statement-III: Cutting greenhouse gas emissions reverses the harm that past warming has already caused.

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: Loss and Damage Fund: Nepal's US$21.6M Reserve Awaits a Request Open full article →

10.

Consider the following statements:

1.The Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage was set up before the Paris Agreement was adopted.

2.The Santiago network catalyses technical assistance to vulnerable developing countries on loss and damage.

3.The Adaptation Fund is financed partly by a share of proceeds from Clean Development Mechanism projects.

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: Loss and Damage Fund: Nepal's US$21.6M Reserve Awaits a Request Open full article →

11.

Consider the following statements about the vehicle categories used in motor vehicle rules:

1.Category N1 covers the heaviest goods vehicles, those with a maximum mass above 12 tonnes.

2.Category M vehicles carry passengers and category N vehicles carry goods.

3.Category M1 covers passenger vehicles with at most eight seats besides the driver's seat.

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: AEBS: Draft Seeks Emergency Braking in New Car Models From 2030 Open full article →

12.

Consider the following statements about driver-assistance functions:

1.A forward collision warning alerts the driver but does not itself apply the brakes.

2.Dynamic brake support adds braking force when the driver's own braking is insufficient.

3.Crash-imminent braking can brake the car when the driver has not braked.

4.Adaptive cruise control steers the car to keep it centred in its lane.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

From: AEBS: Draft Seeks Emergency Braking in New Car Models From 2030 Open full article →

13.

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: Even when automatic emergency braking cannot prevent a collision, it can reduce the injuries caused.

Statement-II: The kinetic energy of a moving vehicle is proportional to the square of its speed, so a lower impact speed greatly reduces the energy released in a crash.

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: AEBS: Draft Seeks Emergency Braking in New Car Models From 2030 Open full article →

14.

Consider the following statements about the draft rules on Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS):

1.They would amend rules made under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

2.They would require AEBS to be retrofitted to cars already on the road.

3.They must be published in draft before being finalised.

4.Heavier passenger and goods vehicles already have their own emergency-braking schedule.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

From: AEBS: Draft Seeks Emergency Braking in New Car Models From 2030 Open full article →

15.

The battery-electric ferry China Zorrilla links Buenos Aires with Colonia del Sacramento across the Rio de la Plata. The Rio de la Plata is the estuary of:

The Paraguay and the Pilcomayo rivers The Parana and the Paraguay rivers The Uruguay and the Negro rivers The Parana and the Uruguay rivers

From: China Zorrilla: 130 m Battery Ferry Links Buenos Aires, Colonia Open full article →

16.

Consider the following statements about the river systems of southern South America:

1.The Itaipu hydropower plant stands on the Parana, where it forms the Brazil-Paraguay border.

2.The Iguazu Falls lie on the border between Brazil and Paraguay.

3.Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, stands on the Parana river.

4.The Uruguay river forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

From: China Zorrilla: 130 m Battery Ferry Links Buenos Aires, Colonia Open full article →

17.

Consider the following statements about the World Bank Group, which has backed the China Zorrilla ferry project:

1.The International Finance Corporation (IFC) focuses on the private sector in developing countries.

2.The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) began as a provider of political risk insurance.

3.India is a member of all five World Bank Group institutions.

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: China Zorrilla: 130 m Battery Ferry Links Buenos Aires, Colonia Open full article →

18.

The hull of the battery-electric ferry China Zorrilla is built of aluminium. Consider the following statements about aluminium:

1.Like iron, it is extracted by heating its oxide with carbon.

2.A thin layer of its oxide, formed in air, protects it from further corrosion.

3.Anodising thickens this oxide layer by making the aluminium article the anode in electrolysis.

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: China Zorrilla: 130 m Battery Ferry Links Buenos Aires, Colonia Open full article →

19.

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: The deepest earthquakes occur within oceanic plates sinking into the mantle at subduction zones.

Statement-II: A sinking slab is colder than the mantle around it, so faults within it stay brittle at great depth.

Statement-III: The plate-boundary contact at subduction zones produces great shallow earthquakes, such as Sumatra 2004.

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: Bonin Islands: Magnitude 6.5 Quake Strikes About 492 km Deep Open full article →

20.

Consider the following statements about Wadati-Benioff zones:

1.They are inclined zones of earthquake foci that mark a slab of lithosphere descending into the mantle.

2.Along them, earthquakes become shallower with distance from the trench towards the overriding plate.

3.They are found beneath island arcs such as Japan, Tonga and the Aleutians.

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: Bonin Islands: Magnitude 6.5 Quake Strikes About 492 km Deep Open full article →

21.

Consider the following statements about deep-focus earthquakes:

1.Shaking at the surface from a deep-focus earthquake is generally weaker than from a shallow earthquake of the same size.

2.On a seismogram, a deep-focus earthquake typically shows surface waves of unusually large amplitude.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

From: Bonin Islands: Magnitude 6.5 Quake Strikes About 492 km Deep Open full article →

22.

Land snails of the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands have diversified from common ancestors into many species suited to different habitats, sometimes within a single island. As with Darwin's finches of the Galapagos, this process is called:

Convergent evolution Adaptive radiation Genetic drift Industrial melanism

From: Bonin Islands: Magnitude 6.5 Quake Strikes About 492 km Deep Open full article →

23.

Consider the following statements about the Ogasawara Islands of Japan:

1.They are oceanic islands, colonised by organisms that crossed the sea or the air.

2.They are on the World Heritage List under a natural criterion, for ongoing evolution.

3.Most of their native land snail species are found nowhere else.

4.None of the islands within the World Heritage property is inhabited today.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

From: Bonin Islands: Magnitude 6.5 Quake Strikes About 492 km Deep Open full article →

24.

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: Living microbial mats in Lake Untersee give radiocarbon ages far older than the mats themselves.

Statement-II: Melting glacial ice supplies the lake with old carbon that has lost much of its carbon-14 to decay.

Statement-III: The lake's permanent ice cover limits exchange of carbon dioxide between its water and the air.

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: Lake Untersee: Living Mats Show Apparent 10,000-Year Carbon Ages Open full article →

25.

Consider the following statements about dating methods:

1.Carbon-14 is produced inside plants during photosynthesis.

2.An organism's radiocarbon clock effectively starts when it stops taking in carbon, as at death.

3.Radiocarbon dating is suited to dating rocks that are millions of years old.

4.Luminescence dating gives the time since grains were last exposed to sunlight or intense heat.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

From: Lake Untersee: Living Mats Show Apparent 10,000-Year Carbon Ages Open full article →

26.

Consider the following statements:

1.Stromatolites are layered structures built by microbial mats.

2.Living stromatolites still form today, as in the hypersaline Hamelin Pool of Shark Bay in Western Australia.

3.Fossil stromatolites are among the oldest evidence of life on Earth.

4.The microbial cones on the floor of Lake Untersee have hardened into rock.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

Only one Only two Only three All four

From: Lake Untersee: Living Mats Show Apparent 10,000-Year Carbon Ages Open full article →

27.

Consider the following statements about lakes in Antarctica:

1.Like Lake Vostok, Lake Untersee lies beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.

2.Sunlight passes through Lake Untersee's ice cover and warms the water, while some ice is lost by sublimation, the direct change from solid to vapour.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

From: Lake Untersee: Living Mats Show Apparent 10,000-Year Carbon Ages Open full article →

28.

Consider the following statements:

1.Cryoconite holes, which hold little water, contribute little to the microbial life of glacier-fed lakes such as Untersee.

2.Cyanobacteria, prominent in Untersee's microbial mats, release oxygen in photosynthesis.

3.Some cyanobacteria, such as Anabaena and Nostoc, fix atmospheric nitrogen and serve as biofertilisers in paddy fields.

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: Lake Untersee: Living Mats Show Apparent 10,000-Year Carbon Ages Open full article →

29.

Consider the following statements about bridge grafting, proposed for girdled trees in a tiger reserve:

1.The scions must come from the same species as the tree or a compatible one.

2.A scion takes equally well whichever way up it is inserted.

3.It works by joining the cambium layers above and below the girdled band.

4.It is best done when the bark slips, using scions cut while dormant.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

From: Udanti-Sitanadi: Bridge Grafts Weighed for 500-Plus Girdled Trees Open full article →

30.

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: When the roots as well as the trunk of a tree have been girdled, inarching is used instead of an ordinary bridge graft.

Statement-II: In inarching, rooted suckers, seedlings or cuttings growing beside the tree are grafted into the trunk above the wound, so the bridge brings roots of its own.

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: Udanti-Sitanadi: Bridge Grafts Weighed for 500-Plus Girdled Trees Open full article →

31.

In planned forest management, girdling is sometimes used to create 'snags'. A snag is:

A fallen log lying on the forest floor A stump left after a tree is felled A climber that strangles its host tree A standing dead tree

From: Udanti-Sitanadi: Bridge Grafts Weighed for 500-Plus Girdled Trees Open full article →

32.

Consider the following statements:

1.The vascular cambium produces new xylem towards the inside of a woody stem and new phloem towards the outside.

2.A tree can be girdled by one of its own roots growing in a circle around the base of its trunk.

3.Girdling is used in plant propagation, as in air layering, because it makes the hormone auxin accumulate at the girdle.

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: Udanti-Sitanadi: Bridge Grafts Weighed for 500-Plus Girdled Trees Open full article →

33.

Consider the following statements about tsunami warnings in the Pacific:

1.The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Hawaii is operated by the United States' National Weather Service.

2.A PTWC threat message is itself an evacuation order binding on national authorities.

3.Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) stations detect tsunamis with pressure recorders on the seafloor.

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: Vanuatu: M6.9 Quake 197 km From Port-Olry, Tsunami Threat Passes Open full article →

34.

Consider the following statements about tsunamis:

1.A tsunami is a series of waves, and the first wave to arrive is not always the largest.

2.A tsunami travels faster over the deep ocean than in shallow water near the coast.

3.Tsunamis are generated only by earthquakes.

4.An unusual withdrawal of the sea from the shore can be a natural warning of a tsunami.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

From: Vanuatu: M6.9 Quake 197 km From Port-Olry, Tsunami Threat Passes Open full article →

35.

Consider the following statements about how earthquakes generate tsunamis:

1.The earthquake must be a shallow undersea event that displaces the seafloor.

2.Thrust earthquakes are far more likely to generate tsunamis than strike-slip earthquakes.

3.A strike-slip earthquake can never generate a tsunami.

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: Vanuatu: M6.9 Quake 197 km From Port-Olry, Tsunami Threat Passes Open full article →

36.

Consider the following statements about Vanuatu:

1.Its capital, Port Vila, is on Espiritu Santo, its largest island.

2.As the New Hebrides, it was jointly administered by Britain and France as a condominium until independence in 1980.

3.Bislama, English and French are its official languages.

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: Vanuatu: M6.9 Quake 197 km From Port-Olry, Tsunami Threat Passes Open full article →

37.

Consider the following statements about gas turbine engines:

1.In a turbojet, a turbine driven by the hot exhaust turns the compressor through a shaft.

2.In a turbofan, part of the incoming air bypasses the core, making it more fuel-efficient than a basic turbojet.

3.Turboprops suit high-speed aircraft because propellers grow more efficient as speed rises.

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: Filin Cruise Missile: Ukraine Lists 35 US, 22 Chinese Components Open full article →

38.

Consider the following statements about the aerodynamic forces on a winged missile or aircraft:

1.Lift acts perpendicular to the direction of motion.

2.A wing can generate lift even in a vacuum, where there is no air.

3.Drag acts opposite to the direction of motion, so sustained level flight needs thrust.

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: Filin Cruise Missile: Ukraine Lists 35 US, 22 Chinese Components Open full article →

39.

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: Inertial navigation systems are commonly paired with other navigation aids, such as satellite navigation.

Statement-II: An inertial navigation system needs continuous signals from satellites to work out its position.

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: Filin Cruise Missile: Ukraine Lists 35 US, 22 Chinese Components Open full article →

40.

Consider the following statements about interference with satellite navigation:

1.Jamming disrupts a receiver's reception of genuine signals, whereas spoofing feeds it false signals that can mislead it.

2.Such interference can also arise naturally, from space weather.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

From: Filin Cruise Missile: Ukraine Lists 35 US, 22 Chinese Components Open full article →

41.

Consider the following statements about the South Asian Manuscript Histories and Textual Archive (SAMHiTA):

1.It is an India International Centre (IIC) project on South Asian manuscripts held outside India.

2.It aims to bring the manuscripts it documents physically back to India.

3.Its records are shared with a database of premodern South Asian works, people, places and manuscripts.

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: SAMHiTA: 100 Gangaramaya Manuscripts in Colombo Being Digitised Open full article →

42.

Manuscript images in a South Asian textual archive are delivered using the International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF). Which one of the following best describes IIIF?

A register in which documentary heritage of world significance is inscribed by an international body A compression format that shrinks archival images so that they load faster online A central server to which every partner institution must transfer its digitised images A set of open standards that lets compatible viewers deliver, compare and annotate images held by different institutions

From: SAMHiTA: 100 Gangaramaya Manuscripts in Colombo Being Digitised Open full article →

43.

Consider the following statements about manuscripts and their records:

1.A single text can survive in several manuscripts, and an old composition can survive in a much later copy.

2.Words on a photographed page become searchable as text only after they are transcribed.

3.A manuscript listed in an online catalogue always has a digitised copy available.

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: SAMHiTA: 100 Gangaramaya Manuscripts in Colombo Being Digitised Open full article →

44.

Consider the following statements about the 2015 Recommendation on documentary heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization:

1.It treats preservation as ongoing work on physical and digital items.

2.It asks for originals to be kept if they retain value as authentic objects.

3.It says exchanging copies does not affect ownership of the originals.

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: SAMHiTA: 100 Gangaramaya Manuscripts in Colombo Being Digitised Open full article →

45.

Consider the following statements about Buddhist textual heritage:

1.The Pali canon was first written down in Sri Lanka, after a period of oral transmission.

2.Pali has been accorded classical-language status by the Government of India.

3.Tipitaka, the name of the Pali canon, means 'Triple Basket'.

4.Theravada Buddhists accept Mahayana scriptures in Sanskrit as part of their canon.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

From: SAMHiTA: 100 Gangaramaya Manuscripts in Colombo Being Digitised Open full article →