What mattered in the last day or two — from PIB, The Hindu and The Indian Express, written in our own words — then 21 questions in UPSC's formats. +2 for a right answer, −0.67 for a wrong one, 0 for a blank.
1. India–New Zealand FTA enters into force on 20 October 2026
The India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement takes effect on 20 October 2026, giving Indian goods duty-free entry into New Zealand and adding services, mobility and agricultural cooperation provisions.
Announced jointly by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay; in force from 20 October 2026 (Vijay Dashmi).
New Zealand has removed customs duties on all tariff lines of Indian exports, ending peak tariffs of up to 10%.
Mobility quota: 5,000 Temporary Employment Entry visas and 1,000 Working Holiday visas a year; no numerical cap on Indian students.
Post-study work rights: up to 3 years for STEM Bachelor's and Master's graduates, up to 4 years for doctoral scholars.
Services: access in about 118 sectors and MFN commitments in about 139 sub-sectors; first dedicated access for Health and Traditional Medicine (Ayurveda, Yoga, AYUSH).
Key terms
Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
— A pact between countries to cut or remove tariffs and other trade barriers on most goods and services traded between them.
Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) commitment
— A pledge to give the partner treatment no less favourable than that given to any other trading partner.
Tariff lines
— Individual product categories in a country's customs schedule, each carrying its own duty rate.
Agricultural Productivity Partnership
— A cooperation component of the FTA that brings technology, training and best practices for crops such as apples, kiwifruit and honey.
Working Holiday visa
— A visa allowing young people to stay in a country and work temporarily while travelling.
2. Supreme Court: Internet access is a fundamental right, including for children
A Supreme Court bench led by Justice Pardiwala held that internet access is a fundamental right of every individual, children included, and rejected blanket curbs on minors' use while ordering tougher action against child sexual abuse…
Bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Chandran ruled on October 15 that the right to access and use the internet is a fundamental right of every individual, whatever their age.
The case grew out of the 2024 ruling that viewing or possessing child pornography is an offence under POCSO and the IT Act even without circulating it; this overturned a Madras High Court order. Just Rights for Children Alliance was the petitioner.
Precedents cited: Anuradha Bhasin (2020, Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(g)), Pragya Prasun (2025, digital access under Article 21) and Cricket Association of Bengal (1995, right to receive information).
Directions to the Union: a National Hash & URL List Database for CSEAM, with each entry confirmed by at least three trained human analysts; removals to be reported within 2 hours; complaints acknowledged within 24 hours.
The court asked the Union to consider exemplary fines and to forfeit and disgorge revenue earned from paywalled CSEAM.
Key terms
Proportionality test
— Requirement that a restriction on a fundamental right be backed by law, serve a legitimate aim, and be proportionate to that aim.
CSEAM
— Child sexual exploitation and abuse material, which platforms must detect, report and remove.
POCSO Act
— Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, which criminalises sexual offences against children, including child pornography.
Hash & URL List Database
— Proposed national database of digital fingerprints and links of known CSEAM, used to detect and block it.
Right to digital access
— Reading of Articles 19 and 21 that treats access to the internet as essential to speech, trade and life with dignity.
3. India's agrivoltaic capacity may top 5 GW in 3-4 years: MNRE
MNRE Secretary Santosh Sarangi said agrivoltaic capacity could exceed 5 GW within 3-4 years if states move quickly on feed-in tariffs, with central support planned.
MNRE Secretary Santosh Sarangi estimated agrivoltaic capacity at upwards of 5 GW in the next 3-4 years.
The estimate depends on states' enthusiasm and how quickly they notify feed-in tariffs.
The seventh Agrivoltaics World Conference is to be held in New Delhi on October 21-23.
Odisha, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have run their own agrivoltaic pilot projects.
MNRE is planning a central sector scheme for agrivoltaics, likely folded into an existing scheme when it is revised, and is working with the Finance Ministry on it.
Key terms
Agrivoltaics
— Using farmland both for its main agricultural purpose and for solar photovoltaic power generation.
Feed-in tariff
— A fixed, notified price at which generated renewable power is purchased, giving investors revenue certainty.
PM-KUSUM
— Scheme launched in 2019 to expand the use of solar energy in agriculture.
Central sector scheme
— A scheme designed and funded by the Union government, here planned to support states on agrivoltaics.
4. Pulses Mission's Rs 500-crore research component yet to approve any project
A year into the six-year Rs 11,440-crore Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, no research project has been sanctioned. The Cabinet Secretariat has set a 15 November deadline, and the Agriculture Ministry promises approvals by end-October…
Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses runs 2025-26 to 2030-31 with an outlay of Rs 11,440 crore, of which Rs 500 crore is for research projects.
Cabinet approved it on 1 October 2025 and the PM launched it on 11 October 2025; it was first announced in the Budget speech of 1 February 2025.
Targets for 2030-31: production up 45% from 242 to 350 lakh tonnes, area up 13% from 275 to 310 lakh hectares, yield up 28% from 881 to 1,130 kg/ha.
419 research proposals were received: 125 from ICAR institutes, 249 from state agricultural universities, 14 from other government institutions and 5 from private universities.
Third Advance Estimates 2025-26: pulses area 286.5 lakh ha, production 274.1 lakh tonnes, productivity 957 kg/ha.
Key terms
Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses
— A six-year mission to make India self-reliant in pulses through seeds, productivity, storage and assured prices.
Advance Estimates
— Early official forecasts of crop area, production and yield, issued in stages before final figures.
ICAR
— Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the apex body for agricultural research and education, whose institutes submitted 125 proposals.
Productivity (yield)
— Output per unit of land, measured here in kg per hectare.
5. CJI inaugurates Ladakh bench of J&K and Ladakh High Court in Leh
CJI Surya Kant inaugurated a High Court bench at Leh, at about 3,500 m the highest in India, to bring justice closer to Ladakh's people; it starts functioning on October 21.
6. AUSTRAHIND 2026: India-Australia Army Exercise Begins in Thiruvananthapuram
The fifth India-Australia army exercise, AUSTRAHIND, started in Kerala with an island and coastal sub-conventional operations theme, deepening Indo-Pacific defence ties.
7. Pumped Storage Hydropower: India's Water Battery for Renewables
A PIB backgrounder explains how pumped storage projects store surplus renewable power as water at height, and why they are central to India's long-duration storage plans as non-fossil capacity crosses 300 GW.
India crossed 300 GW of installed non-fossil capacity by July 2026, with about 55.29 GW added in FY 2025-26; the 2030 target is 500 GW.
CEA projects 73.93 GW of storage by 2031-32: 26.69 GW from pumped storage and 47.24 GW from batteries (BESS).
As of August 2026, India has 7.43 GW of operational pumped storage across 10 projects, each above 25 MW.
PSPs are of three types: on-stream, off-stream open-loop and off-stream closed-loop, depending on how reservoirs relate to natural watercourses.
In a closed-loop scheme, neither of the two reservoirs lies on a river, perennial stream or perennial nallah.
Key terms
Pumped Storage Project (PSP)
— A hydro facility with two reservoirs at different heights that stores electricity by pumping water uphill and generates by releasing it through turbines.
Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
— Battery-based storage that reacts quickly and serves short-duration grid needs like frequency regulation and peak management.
Off-stream closed-loop scheme
— A PSP design in which both reservoirs are away from perennial natural watercourses, limiting ecological impact.
Central Electricity Authority (CEA)
— The body whose projections place India's 2031-32 storage requirement at 73.93 GW.
8. India hosts 61st OIML legal metrology committee meeting in New Delhi
India will host the 61st CIML meeting of the International Organization of Legal Metrology for the first time, 26–28 October 2026, showcasing its metrology reforms and supporting fair trade and consumer protection.
9. DFS Saturation Campaign for Financial Inclusion Schemes, 21 Oct–31 Dec 2026
The Department of Financial Services will run a campaign from 21 October to 31 December 2026 to saturate financial inclusion schemes at Gram Panchayat and Urban Local Body level, with bank camps for insurance, pension, accounts and KYC…
10. Japan's MMX mission to bring back samples from Phobos
JAXA is launching the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft on an H-3 rocket to collect and return the first-ever samples from Mars's moon Phobos, to settle how the Martian moons formed.
MMX is a JAXA-led mission with support from NASA, ESA, France and Germany; the launch is on the H-3 rocket (20 October 2026 per the report).
It is billed as the world's first sample-return mission from Phobos; Russian landing attempts, including one in 2011, failed.
Spacecraft has three modules (propulsion, exploration, return), weighs about 5 tons and carries 13 instruments; only the return module comes back, with samples in a capsule.
Timeline: reaches Mars region about a year after launch, spends about three years around Phobos, returns to Earth in 2031.
The French-German rover Idefix will land on Phobos first (around 2029, 100-day mission); the mission also includes a flyby of Deimos.
Key terms
Sample-return mission
— A space mission that collects material from another celestial body and brings it back to Earth for laboratory analysis.
Phobos and Deimos
— The two small, irregular moons of Mars; Phobos is the larger and closer one.
Giant-impact vs captured-asteroid hypotheses
— Rival explanations: moons formed from debris of a huge collision with Mars, or are asteroids captured from elsewhere.
H-3 rocket
— Japan's current mainstay launch vehicle, used to send MMX.
11. MeitY advisory asks Meta to curb narrative-skewed recommendation algorithms
MeitY has advised Meta to ensure its recommendation and ranking systems do not over-expose users to a single set of narratives and to add context to content on ongoing public events, raising questions of platform accountability versus free…
Advisory from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to Meta (Facebook, Instagram) is dated October 10, 2026.
Asks Meta to avoid 'disproportionate exposure of users to a single or limited set of narratives' and to offer diversity of credible information.
Cites the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the IT Rules, 2021, under which an intermediary must observe due diligence, including informing users about prohibited content.
Contains six specific asks, including review of recommendation/ranking systems and faster identification and escalation of fast-spreading risky content.
Meta must also cooperate with law enforcement within timelines prescribed under the IT Rules, 2021.
Key terms
Intermediary
— An entity such as a social media platform that hosts or transmits third-party content and gets legal protection if it follows due diligence.
IT Rules, 2021
— Rules under the IT Act, 2000 setting due-diligence, grievance redressal and cooperation duties for intermediaries.
Recommendation system
— Algorithm that decides which posts and videos are shown and promoted to each user.
Special Intensive Revision (SIR)
— Exercise to revise electoral rolls, whose conduct has drawn protests mentioned in the article.
12. India rejects OIC's Kashmir resolution, accuses Pakistan of misusing bloc
The MEA dismissed the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers' resolution on Jammu and Kashmir, passed in Baghdad, as malicious and Pakistan-orchestrated, and said the OIC has no locus standi in India's internal matters.
13. Orangutan rescued from Thane trafficking raid repatriated to Indonesia
A young male orangutan seized in Maharashtra's illegal wildlife trade was flown home to Indonesia, likely India's first repatriation of a wild animal rescued inside the country, showing how CITES and Indian law work in practice.
Orangutan, about 3 years old, was found in a cramped cage in a bathroom at Palava City, Dombivli (Thane) during a Thane Forest Division raid on a suspected trafficked wildlife consignment.
It landed at Kualanamu Airport, Medan, and will go into quarantine, then rehabilitation at the Sumatran Rescue Alliance facility in Langkat, North Sumatra, run by the Centre for Orangutan Protection.
The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (Western Region), Vantara staff and Indonesian officials supervised the chartered flight; India waived all past care and maintenance costs.
Orangutans are in CITES Appendix I, which allows trade only for purposes such as research, transfers between recognised zoos and breeding projects.
After first going to Gorewada Zoo, Nagpur, the animal was moved to Vantara on the orders of a Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee (HPC).
Key terms
CITES Appendix I
— Listing for species threatened with extinction, where international commercial trade is prohibited and only exceptional non-commercial trade is permitted.
Repatriation of seized wildlife
— Returning confiscated live animals to their country of origin, encouraged by CITES where feasible.
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
— Statutory central agency that helps combat organised wildlife crime and coordinates enforcement.
High-powered committee (HPC)
— Supreme Court-appointed panel whose view guided the transfer of the orangutan to a rehabilitation facility.
14. Russian Cosmos-2612 makes close approach to US-registered ICEYE-X36 satellite
Russia's military satellite Cosmos-2612 repeatedly changed orbit to approach ICEYE-X36, a US-registered commercial radar satellite supplying data to Ukraine, raising concerns over hostile behaviour in space.
15. Agri Welfare Portal Upgraded: Single Window for Farmers
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched an upgraded Agri Welfare Portal that gives farmers one mobile-friendly gateway to schemes, aid and farm information, aiming to cut intermediaries and paperwork.
16. Supreme Court stays death sentence of Indian Mujahideen convict in 2008 Ahmedabad blasts
The Supreme Court stayed execution of the death sentence of Mohammad Tanvir, an Indian Mujahideen operative, while hearing his appeal against the Gujarat High Court's July 7 verdict confirming 38 death sentences in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial…
17. Satellite constellations' radio emissions are interfering with radio astronomy
A study under the SNIFFLES monitoring programme finds that low-earth-orbit communications satellites emit licensed, unwanted and stray radio signals that disrupt astronomy, so regulation is needed beyond licensed transmissions.
Study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, under a satellite radiation monitoring programme called SNIFFLES.
Observations used the Mopra radio telescope and the Australia Telescope Compact Array, tracking Starlink, OneWeb and China's Guowang satellites for about 376 hours from April 2024.
Emissions were classified as intended (e.g. Starlink direct-to-cell signals), unwanted (transmitter emissions including harmonics) and unintended (stray emissions from power converters and computers).
A OneWeb signal at 1,613.19 MHz could hamper telescopes studying hydroxyl (OH) in space; some signals were around 100 billion times brighter than typical astronomical sources.
Radiation at 2,700 Hz appeared in nearly 77% of observations of a specific Starlink satellite version.
Key terms
Low-earth-orbit (LEO) constellation
— A large group of communications satellites orbiting close to Earth to provide connectivity, such as Starlink and OneWeb.
Harmonics
— Unwanted emissions at multiples of a transmitter's intended frequency.
Direct-to-cell
— Satellite service that connects directly to ordinary mobile phones.
SNIFFLES
— The satellite radiation monitoring programme under which the study was reported.
Radio telescope
— An instrument that detects radio waves from cosmic sources, highly vulnerable to man-made interference.
18. Hall and Woodford win 2026 Economics Nobel for macro models
Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford won the 2026 Economics Nobel for models grounded in household and firm expectations, which help time fiscal and monetary stabilisation policy better.
2026 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel awarded to Americans Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford.
The Royal Swedish Academy said their models improve stabilisation policy, as well-timed fiscal and monetary measures can reduce the economy's peaks and troughs.
Hall's key insight (1978 paper): household consumption reflects expectations of future income, so consumption changes only when new information arrives and cannot be predicted.
Hall's earlier work: the 1967 paper 'Tax Policy and Investment Behavior' on how government policy affects business behaviour.
The 1970s oil shock broke the Phillips Curve relationship (inflation with high unemployment) and weakened the income-consumption link, discrediting mechanical stabilisation.
Key terms
Phillips Curve
— The supposed inverse relationship between unemployment and inflation, which broke down in the 1970s.
Stabilisation policy
— Use of fiscal and monetary tools to smooth the peaks and troughs of the business cycle.
Keynes-Kalecki framework
— Approach in which demand, especially private investment, shapes short-term fluctuations and long-term growth.
Expectations in consumption
— Households decide consumption on the basis of anticipated future income, not just current income.
19. Why Indian firms struggle to scale AI despite rapid adoption
An IBM India executive says data quality, security and skills gaps hold back enterprise AI scaling, while full-stack AI sovereignty remains impractical because India relies on foreign hardware.
20. Why Kullu Dussehra begins on Vijayadashami and lasts a week
The International Kullu Dussehra (October 21–27) starts when Dussehra ends elsewhere; a record 347 deities are invited, showing how tradition, local administration, tourism and politics overlap.
International Kullu Dussehra runs October 21–27 in Himachal Pradesh, beginning on Vijayadashami, not ending on it.
Origin is traced to Raja Jagat Singh (ruled 1637–1662), who by tradition brought Lord Raghunath's idol from Ayodhya and made him the kingdom's presiding deity.
The International Kullu Dussehra Committee (IKDC) has invited a record 347 devtas, against 284 recorded in the revenue document Wajib-Ul-Arz; last year's figure was 332.
Venue is Dhalpur ground, where deities arrive in decorated palanquins and chariots from places like Manali, Banjar, Anni, Nirmand, Sainj, Gadsa and Manikaran.
The Himachal Pradesh High Court rejected a household deity's plea for a special invitation and nazrana.
Key terms
Wajib-Ul-Arz
— Historical revenue document recording village customs and related rights, including deities holding land.
Devta
— Local deity regarded as living, carried in palanquins or chariots in Kullu.
Kardar
— Caretaker or administrator of a local deity.
Nazrana
— Ceremonial gift given to deities attending the festival.
Gharelu devta
— Household deity belonging to a particular family or clan.
With reference to the advisory issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to Meta, consider the following statements:
1. It asks Meta to ensure that its recommendation systems do not result in disproportionate exposure of users to a single or limited set of narratives.
2. It treats Meta as an intermediary that must observe due diligence under the IT Rules, 2021, framed under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
3. It asks Meta to provide adequate context for content depicting ongoing public events where authenticity, date or location may not be apparent.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
All three statements reflect the advisory's content.
It targets narrative-skewed recommendation systems, invokes Meta's status as an intermediary under the IT Act, 2000 and IT Rules, 2021, and seeks context for content on ongoing public events.
Hence all three are correct.
a Statement 1 is also correct; it is the core ask on recommendation systems.
b Statement 3 is also correct; the advisory seeks context for public-event content.
d Statements 2 and 3 are also correct, so 1 only is incomplete.
With reference to the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case, consider the following statements:
1. The Gujarat High Court upheld the death sentences of 38 convicts and the life sentences of the remaining 11 convicts.
2. The Supreme Court has stayed the execution of the death sentence of a convict who challenged the Gujarat High Court's verdict.
3. The special court's February 2022 judgment acquitted all those tried in the 35 merged police cases.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
The High Court rejected all appeals, upholding 38 death sentences and the life sentences of 11 convicts.
The Supreme Court stayed the execution of Mohammad Tanvir's death sentence while hearing his plea.
Statement 3 is wrong: the special court convicted 49 of the 78 tried, so it did not acquit everyone.
a Statement 3 is false, since 49 people were convicted, and statement 1 is wrongly left out.
b Statement 3 is incorrect because the special court convicted 49 people.
d Omits statement 2, which is also correct: the Supreme Court did stay the execution.
With reference to the recent exchange between India and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) over Jammu and Kashmir, consider the following statements:
1. The OIC resolution on Jammu and Kashmir was passed at its Council of Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Baghdad, Iraq.
2. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the OIC has no locus standi to comment on matters strictly internal to India.
3. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the official rejection of the resolution on behalf of the Government of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
The resolution was adopted at the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Baghdad, so statement 1 is correct.
The MEA said the OIC has "no locus standi whatsoever" on matters strictly internal to India, so statement 2 is correct.
The rejection came from the Ministry of External Affairs, not the Ministry of Home Affairs, so statement 3 is wrong.
a Statement 3 is incorrect because the statement was issued by the MEA.
c Statement 3 is wrong because the MEA, not the MHA, issued the rejection; statements 1 and 2 are correct.
d Omits statement 2, which is correct, as the MEA did state the OIC has no locus standi.
Statement-I: Pumped Storage Projects and Battery Energy Storage Systems are treated as complementary options for integrating renewable energy into the grid.
Statement-II: Battery Energy Storage Systems respond rapidly to short-duration needs such as frequency regulation, while Pumped Storage Projects provide long-duration storage that shifts large quantities of electricity across time.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer: (a)
BESS serves short-duration needs such as frequency regulation, peak management and balancing, whereas PSPs provide long-duration storage.
Because their roles differ in duration and scale, the two technologies complement each other, so Statement-II explains Statement-I.
Both statements are correct.
b Statement-II gives the very reason for the complementarity, so it does explain Statement-I.
c Statement-II is correct as it reflects the distinct roles of BESS and PSPs.
d Statement-I is correct, since the two are described as complementary solutions.
Consider the following statements regarding the upgraded Agri Welfare Portal:
1. It aims to reduce the role of intermediaries through online eligibility checks, direct applications and Direct Benefit Transfer.
2. It is built to be lightweight so that it can work on basic smartphones and in areas with weak internet connectivity.
3. It has been launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology as a platform for urban agri-startups.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: (b)
Statements 1 and 2 are correct: the portal uses online eligibility checks, direct applications and DBT to cut intermediaries, and is lightweight for basic smartphones and weak connectivity.
Statement 3 is wrong: the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare launched it, mainly for farmers, and MeitY only set the design guidelines it follows.
a Two statements, not one, are correct.
c Statement 3 is wrong, since the launching ministry is Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and the portal serves farmers.
d Statements 1 and 2 are correct, so the count is not zero.
With reference to the challenges Indian enterprises face in scaling artificial intelligence (AI) deployments, consider the following statements:
1. Data quality, security and a shortage of skilled professionals are cited as obstacles to scaling AI.
2. Enterprises must make reliable data available to AI agents, manage identity and security risks, and ensure regulatory compliance.
3. A MeitY report based on a sample found that a minority of Indian organisations were actively deploying AI while most were still experimenting.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
All three statements match the source: data quality, security and skills shortages hinder scaling.
Enterprises are grappling with giving AI agents reliable data, managing identity and security risks, and compliance.
The MeitY-linked sample found 15% actively deploying and 85% still experimenting, so a divide is emerging.
a Statement 3 is also correct: the sample showed only a minority actively deploying AI.
b Statements 2 and 3 are also correct.
d Statement 1 is also correct, so this option wrongly leaves it out.
With reference to the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), consider the following statements:
1. New Zealand has eliminated customs duties on all tariff lines covering Indian exports.
2. The Agricultural Productivity Partnership under the FTA extends cooperation beyond tariff concessions and includes dedicated Action Plans for kiwifruit, apples and honey.
3. New Zealand has provided dedicated services market access for Health and Traditional Medicine Services, covering Ayurveda, Yoga and other AYUSH systems.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
New Zealand has eliminated customs duties on all tariff lines covering Indian exports, so statement 1 is correct.
The Agricultural Productivity Partnership goes beyond tariff concessions, with Action Plans for kiwifruit, apples and honey, so statement 2 is correct.
For the first time New Zealand has offered dedicated access in Health and Traditional Medicine Services covering Ayurveda, Yoga and other AYUSH systems, so statement 3 is correct.
a Statements 2 and 3 are also correct, so 1 alone is incomplete.
c Statement 1 is also correct, so this option leaves it out.
d Statement 3 is also correct, so this option leaves it out.
Statement-I: Under the India–New Zealand FTA, Indian exporters are placed on a level playing field with New Zealand's other FTA partners.
Statement-II: New Zealand has eliminated customs duties on all tariff lines covering Indian exports, so all Indian goods can enter New Zealand duty-free.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer: (d)
New Zealand's Trade Minister said all Indian goods will enter duty-free, placing Indian exporters on a level playing field with New Zealand's other FTA partners.
Statement-II (elimination of duties on all tariff lines) is the mechanism that produces the level playing field in Statement-I.
Hence both are correct and II explains I.
a Statement-I is correct, as the level playing field is stated in the release.
b Statement-II is correct, because duties have been eliminated on all tariff lines.
c Statement-II does explain Statement-I, since the duty-free access is what creates parity with other FTA partners.
With reference to agrivoltaics in India, consider the following statements:
1. Agrivoltaics involves using agricultural land for its primary agricultural purpose while also generating solar photovoltaic energy.
2. The MNRE has indicated that the growth of agrivoltaic capacity depends partly on the ability of states to notify feed-in tariffs.
3. The MNRE has ruled out any central sector scheme for agrivoltaics, leaving support entirely to the states.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
Agrivoltaics combines farming on the land with solar PV generation.
The MNRE Secretary said that capacity growth depends on states' enthusiasm and their ability to quickly notify feed-in tariffs, which gives certainty to farmer-producer organisations and cooperatives.
Statement 3 is wrong: the ministry is planning a central sector scheme, possibly as part of an existing scheme when it is revised.
a Statement 2 is correct and is wrongly left out, and statement 3 is incorrect.
c Statement 3 is incorrect, so not all three are correct.
d Statement 3 is incorrect, since a central sector scheme is being planned.
With reference to the Supreme Court's recent ruling on children's access to the internet, consider the following statements:
1. The Court held that the right to access and use the internet is a fundamental right and that children, irrespective of their age, enjoy the same rights.
2. The Court endorsed the global trend of limiting children's access to social media in the name of their safety.
3. The Court held that any measure for children's safety must be directed at the harmful material and those responsible for it, and not at the children themselves.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
The bench held internet access to be a fundamental right of every individual, with children enjoying the same rights irrespective of age.
It stated that safety measures must target harmful material and those responsible, not children, since otherwise one would 'mistake the victim for the problem'.
Statement 2 is wrong: the Court 'decided consciously not to endorse' the global trend of limiting children's access.
a Omits statement 3, which is correct.
b Statement 2 is incorrect, as the Court declined to endorse the global trend.
c Statement 2 is incorrect, as the Court declined to endorse such curbs; it also leaves out statement 1.
With reference to the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) and its International Committee of Legal Metrology (CIML), consider the following statements:
1. OIML is an intergovernmental organisation that promotes global harmonisation of legal metrology procedures.
2. CIML is the principal decision-making body guiding the technical and administrative activities of the OIML.
3. The 61st CIML Meeting, to be held in New Delhi, is organised by the Department of Food and Public Distribution.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
OIML is an intergovernmental organisation (established 1955) promoting harmonisation of legal metrology procedures, so statement 1 is correct.
CIML is its principal decision-making body, so statement 2 is correct.
The meeting is organised by the Department of Consumer Affairs, not the Department of Food and Public Distribution, so statement 3 is incorrect.
a Statement 3 is wrong because the host is the Department of Consumer Affairs, and statement 1 is correct and is left out.
b Omits statement 2, which is correct: CIML is the principal decision-making body.
d Statement 3 names the wrong department, so not all three are correct.
With reference to the Ladakh bench of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court inaugurated in Leh, consider the following statements:
1. The establishment of a separate bench in Leh was enabled by a regulation promulgated by the President of India.
2. The bench is described as the highest-altitude bench in the country.
3. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court was renamed as the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court after the 2019 bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
The President promulgated a regulation on 28 August allowing a separate High Court bench in Leh, so statement 1 is correct.
The CJI said the bench's altitude of about 3,500 metres makes it the highest in the country, so statement 2 is correct.
After the abrogation of J&K's special status and bifurcation into two Union Territories in August 2019, the High Court was renamed Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, so statement 3 is correct.
a Omits statement 3, which is correct: the renaming followed the 2019 bifurcation.
c Omits statement 2, which is correct: the bench is described as the highest in the country.
d Omits statement 1, which is correct: a Presidential regulation enabled the bench.
With reference to the India-Australia joint military exercise AUSTRAHIND 2026, consider the following statements:
1. It is being conducted on the theme of joint sub-conventional operations in island and coastal environment under Chapter VII of the UN Mandate.
2. The Indian contingent is drawn entirely from the Garhwal Rifles, with no personnel from other arms and services.
3. Observers from New Zealand are participating in the exercise for the first time.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
Statement 1 is correct: the theme is joint sub-conventional operations in island and coastal environment under Chapter VII of the UN Mandate.
Statement 2 is incorrect: the Indian contingent comprises Garhwal Rifles troops along with personnel from other arms and services.
Statement 3 is correct: a New Zealand observer delegation is participating for the first time.
a Statement 2 is wrong, since other arms and services are also part of the Indian contingent.
c Omits statement 3, which is correct as New Zealand's observer delegation is a first.
d Includes statement 2, which is wrong, and excludes statement 1, which is correct.
With reference to Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, consider the following statements:
1. It is planned as the world's first mission to bring back samples from Phobos.
2. It is led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), with equipment and communications support from NASA and other national space agencies.
3. Only the return module of the spacecraft will come back to Earth, carrying the samples in a capsule.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
MMX is billed as the world's first sample-return mission from Phobos, one of Mars' two moons.
Japan leads the international mission, with equipment and communications support from NASA and other agencies.
The spacecraft has three modules (propulsion, exploration, return); only the third returns home with the samples in a capsule.
All three statements are correct.
a Omits statement 1, which is correct: it is the first sample-return mission from Phobos.
c Omits statement 3, which is correct: only the return module comes back.
d Omits statement 2, which is correct: JAXA leads with international support.
With reference to the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, consider the following statements:
1. The Mission is to be implemented over a six-year period from 2025-26 to 2030-31, and its financial outlay includes a separate allocation for research projects.
2. Research proposals under the Mission are appraised by a National-level Research and Development Committee, which examines scientific merit, potential for field application and duplication with existing research.
3. The Mission was first announced in the Union Budget speech by the Union Finance Minister in 2023.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (a)
The Mission runs for six years (2025-26 to 2030-31) with an outlay of Rs 11,440 crore that includes Rs 500 crore for research projects, so statement 1 is correct.
The National-level Research and Development Committee appraises proposals on scientific merit, relevance, field application, benefits to farmers and duplication, so statement 2 is correct.
The Mission was announced in the Budget speech of 1 February 2025, not 2023, so statement 3 is wrong.
b Statement 3 is wrong because the announcement was in the 2025 Budget, and 1 is also correct.
c Statement 3 is wrong since the announcement came in the Budget of 1 February 2025.
d Statement 2 is also correct, so '1 only' is incomplete.
With reference to the nationwide saturation campaign for Financial Inclusion schemes organised by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), consider the following statements:
1. It is to be implemented at the Gram Panchayat and Urban Local Body level, with banks conducting camps.
2. It includes Re-KYC for existing PMJDY and other savings accounts and updating of nominations in savings accounts and lockers.
3. It is coordinated by the Ministry of Rural Development, with the DFS acting only as a monitoring agency.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
The campaign is organised by the Department of Financial Services (Ministry of Finance), not the Ministry of Rural Development, so statement 3 is wrong.
Banks hold camps at Gram Panchayat and ULB level (statement 1).
Activities include Re-KYC for PMJDY and other savings accounts and updating pending nominations in savings accounts and lockers (statement 2).
a Statement 3 is incorrect, as the campaign is organised by DFS under the Ministry of Finance.
c Omits statement 2, which is also correct: Re-KYC and nomination updating are part of the campaign.
d Statement 3 is wrong because DFS itself organises the campaign; Rural Development is not the coordinator.
With reference to the Cosmos-2612 and ICEYE-X36 satellites in the news, consider the following statements:
1. Cosmos-2612 is a Russian military satellite that has repeatedly changed its orbit to approach ICEYE-X36.
2. ICEYE-X36 is a commercial radar-imaging satellite registered in the United States.
3. ICEYE-X36 is operated by a Ukrainian agency that supplies radar data to its own armed forces.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
Cosmos-2612 is a Russian military satellite that has changed its orbit repeatedly to approach ICEYE-X36, so statement 1 is correct.
ICEYE-X36 is a US-registered commercial radar-imaging satellite, so statement 2 is correct.
Its operator supplies radar data to Ukraine, but the operator is not a Ukrainian agency, so statement 3 is wrong.
a Statement 3 is wrong because the operator is not Ukrainian, and the option leaves out statement 1.
c Omits statement 2, which is also correct.
d Statement 3 wrongly makes the operator Ukrainian.
With reference to the repatriation of an orangutan rescued from illegal wildlife trade in Thane district to Indonesia, consider the following statements:
1. The orangutan was rescued during a raid by the Thane Forest Division and was later transferred to Vantara on the orders of a Supreme Court panel.
2. Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), orangutans are listed under Appendix I, which restricts their trade strictly to purposes such as research, transfers between recognised zoos and breeding projects.
3. India's Wildlife Protection Act prohibits the repatriation of seized live animals to their country of origin and requires them to be rehabilitated within India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
Statement 1 is correct: the Thane Forest Division rescued the animal, and it was shifted to Vantara on the orders of the Supreme Court panel.
Statement 2 is correct: CITES Appendix I lists orangutans and strictly restricts their trade.
Statement 3 is wrong: the Wildlife Protection Act mandates repatriation after consultation with the likely country of origin or export.
a Omits statement 2, which is also correct.
c Statement 3 reverses the Act's provision on repatriation.
d Statement 3 is wrong, since the Act mandates repatriation rather than prohibiting it.
Statement-I: Radio emissions from low-earth orbit satellite constellations can hamper radio astronomy even when the satellites are not transmitting intended communication signals.
Statement-II: Unintended radiation from onboard electronic components such as power converters and computers, as well as harmonics of transmission frequencies, can fall in frequencies used by telescopes.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer: (c)
The study classified radiation as intended, unwanted (transmitter emissions including harmonics) and unintended (stray emissions from electronics).
Unwanted and unintended emissions occur apart from the licensed communication signals, so they explain how interference arises even without intended transmissions.
Hence both statements are correct and II explains I.
a Statement-II is supported by the study's classification of radiation.
b Statement-II directly explains the mechanism in Statement-I.
d Statement-I is supported, since the study found interference across a range of frequencies.
With reference to the International Kullu Dussehra in Himachal Pradesh, consider the following statements:
1. The weeklong festival begins on Vijayadashami, when Dussehra celebrations in most parts of the country generally conclude.
2. Lord Raghunath is the principal deity, and the other local deities gather at Dhalpur ground to pay obeisance to him.
3. The Wajib-Ul-Arz is a register maintained by the International Kullu Dussehra Committee to recognise new devtas every year.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
Kullu Dussehra starts on Vijayadashami, when celebrations elsewhere generally end, and Lord Raghunath is the principal deity before whom other deities gather at Dhalpur.
Wajib-Ul-Arz is a historical revenue record, listing devtas holding land in their own names; it is not an IKDC register.
Hence only statements 1 and 2 are correct.
a Statement 3 is wrong, and statement 2 is correct, so this pairing fails.
b Statement 3 wrongly describes the Wajib-Ul-Arz, so not all are correct.
c Statement 3 is wrong because Wajib-Ul-Arz is a revenue record, not an IKDC recognition register; statement 1 is correct.
With reference to the 2026 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel awarded to Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford, consider the following statements:
1. Hall's central idea was that household consumption reflects expectations of future income, so changes in consumption cannot be predicted because they follow new information.
2. The laureates' work supported the earlier belief that unemployment and inflation share a stable inverse relationship, as shown by the Phillips Curve.
3. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said their models show that well-timed fiscal and monetary measures can reduce the economy's peaks and troughs.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
Hall argued that consumption depends on expectations of future income; because new information is unpredictable, changes in consumption are unpredictable too.
The Academy said that, on the basis of the models, well-timed fiscal and monetary policy can reduce peaks and troughs.
Statement 2 is wrong: the laureates turned the long-held belief in a stable inverse Phillips Curve relationship on its head, rather than supporting it.
a Statement 2 is wrong, and statement 3 is correct, so this option is wrong.
c Statement 2 is incorrect, so including it makes this option wrong.
d Statement 2 is wrong, because the work challenged the stable Phillips Curve belief; and statement 1 is correct, so excluding it is wrong.
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