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.

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 →

3.

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 →

4.

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 →

5.

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 →

6.

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 →

7.

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 →

8.

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 →

9.

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 →

10.

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 →