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's Statement at CBD COP-17, Yerevan: Biodiversity Commitments
At CBD COP-17 in Yerevan, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav reaffirmed India's commitment to the Kunming–Montreal framework, stressing finance and technology from developed countries and presenting India's conservation data and…
India's National Statement at the High-Level Segment of CBD COP-17 (Yerevan, Armenia) was delivered by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.
Updated NBSAP converts the Global Biodiversity Framework into 23 National Biodiversity Targets with 142 indicators.
Figures cited: 1,134 Protected Areas, 103 Ramsar sites, 57 Biodiversity Heritage Sites, 18 Biosphere Reserves (13 in UNESCO's MAB Network).
India backs benefit-sharing from digital sequence information on genetic resources through a multilateral mechanism, including the Cali Fund.
Initiatives named: International Big Cat Alliance, MISHTI (mangroves), Amrit Dharohar (wetlands), Soil Health Card Scheme, Mission LiFE, Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam.
Key terms
Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
— Global framework under the CBD guiding national action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.
NBSAP
— National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, a country's plan for implementing the CBD.
Digital Sequence Information
— Digitally stored genetic sequence data of genetic resources, whose use raises benefit-sharing questions.
Cali Fund
— Multilateral mechanism for sharing benefits from the use of digital sequence information.
Access and Benefit Sharing
— Fair and equitable sharing of benefits from using biological and genetic resources with their providers and local communities.
2. Siang Upper Multipurpose Project: why Arunachal's Adi communities oppose it
Protests, a shutdown and reported violence have hit Arunachal's Siang belt over the 11,200 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, which the state defends as a counter to China's upstream dam; locals fear losing land and livelihood.
Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP): 11,200 MW, billed as India's largest hydropower project; currently at the pre-feasibility (PFR) stage.
Siang is the name of the Yarlung Tsangpo in Arunachal; the first proposals date to 1982, when the Brahmaputra Board suggested three smaller projects.
In 2017 Siang Upper Stage-I and Stage-II were merged into one project, which became the SUMP.
China approved its 60,000 MW lower Yarlung Tsangpo hydropower project in December 2024, raising the project's strategic profile.
CM Pema Khandu has promised the project will not be rushed beyond feasibility, with social and environmental impact assessments and a DPR to follow if it proceeds.
Key terms
Pre-feasibility report (PFR)
— An early survey stage that checks whether a project is technically and economically viable before a detailed project report is prepared.
Yarlung Tsangpo
— The Tibetan name for the river that becomes the Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and later the Brahmaputra.
Downstream user
— A lower riparian country or region that depends on water flowing from upstream, and which claims rights to information and equitable use.
Social impact assessment
— A study of how a project affects affected communities' livelihoods, land and culture, done before approval.
3. Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage: India's CCUS Pathway
A PIB backgrounder presents CCUS as a route to cut emissions from industries that are hard to decarbonise, supporting Net Zero by 2070 through a hub-and-cluster model.
4. ILO: Domestic workers' wages rise but lag other employees
An ILO statistical brief, issued 15 years after the Domestic Workers Convention, finds informality easing in many countries but over 80% of domestic workers still informal, and a widening wage gap in India and elsewhere.
About 80 million people aged 15+ work as domestic workers globally, up from 75.6 million in 2019; this is 2.2% of total employment and 4.4% of employees.
Roughly 66.5 million (83.1%) are in informal employment without effective labour or social protection.
Informality fell or held steady in 91 of 140 countries with comparable 2019 and 2025 data (nearly 70% of domestic workers); it rose in 49 countries (about 30%).
Domestic workers earn on average 61.2% of other employees' monthly wage: 73.1% for men, 55.3% for women, 58.1% for informal domestic workers.
India is cited as a key example: domestic workers' nominal wages rose, but other employees' wages rose considerably faster.
Key terms
ILO Domestic Workers Convention
— International labour standard seeking decent work and labour protection for domestic workers.
Informal employment
— Work without effective legal labour protection or social security, whether or not in a registered enterprise.
Nominal wage
— Wage in current money terms, not adjusted for inflation.
Relative wage gap
— Domestic workers' earnings expressed as a share of other employees' earnings.
5. China's Grey-Zone Warfare Tactics Along the LAC
ITBP chief confirmed repeated India-China face-offs in Arunachal's Upper Subansiri since July; the article argues China's grey-zone tactics demand an integrated Indian strategy beyond purely military responses.
ITBP DG Shatrujeet Kapur confirmed troop face-offs at several LAC locations in Upper Subansiri (Arunachal Pradesh) since July; PLA personnel reportedly pitched tents 6-7 km inside India's perceived LAC.
The MEA said the LAC gets disturbed when Chinese forces depart from established patrolling patterns.
Chinese grey-zone playbook has four components: political action, economic clout, cyber warfare and use of non-state actors; the 'Three Warfares' are public opinion, psychological and legal warfare.
China has built 628 Xiaokang (moderately prosperous) border villages under its 2022 land border law, about 90% along the Arunachal Pradesh border.
Infrastructure cited: G695 and G580 highways, Xinjiang-Lhasa and Gyirong railway lines (under construction), and airfields such as Lhunze, Ngari-Burang, Shigatse and Nyingchi.
Key terms
Grey-Zone Warfare (GZW)
— Competition between states and non-state actors that falls short of open war, marked by ambiguity and uncertain legal framework.
Three Warfares
— PLA strategy combining public opinion, psychological and legal warfare.
Nibble and negotiate
— Incrementally altering the ground situation through patrolling and construction, then negotiating from the changed position.
Xiaokang villages
— China's 'moderately prosperous' border villages that also serve as military garrisons and forward defence posts.
Patrolling Points (PPs)
— Reference points in Ladakh that earlier defined the LAC alignment for both sides.
6. Kuno cheetah cub KNG22 dies of pellet wounds, first such case
A 19-month-old cheetah cub from Kuno died after being shot in Morena's forests, the first such killing since Project Cheetah began, exposing weak protection once cheetahs leave the park.
KNG22, a 19-month-old male cub born to Nirva, died after being rescued injured in Pahargarh range, Morena Territorial Forest Division (Madhya Pradesh).
Five firearm pellets were recovered in surgery at Jabalpur; the CT scan showed damage to internal organs, musculoskeletal and nervous systems.
India now has 58 cheetahs: 52 in Kuno National Park, 4 in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, 2 in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.
The State Tiger Strike Force (STSF), a wildlife crime investigation unit, is probing poaching and human-animal conflict angles.
Cheetahs wear satellite-GPS collars with VHF and UHF transmitters made by African Wildlife Telemetry; Wildlife Institute of India (WII) supports monitoring.
Key terms
Project Cheetah
— India's programme, begun in 2022 at Kuno, to reintroduce cheetahs and establish a free-ranging population.
State Tiger Strike Force (STSF)
— Specialised Madhya Pradesh unit investigating wildlife crime such as poaching.
Satellite-GPS radio collar
— Tracking device with VHF/UHF transmitters that lets teams locate and monitor an animal's movements.
Territorial Forest Division
— Regular forest administrative unit outside protected areas, with its own officers responsible for protection.
Human-animal conflict
— Clashes between wildlife and people, often near forest edges, farmland and villages.
7. 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum Joint Declaration, New Delhi
BRICS Parliaments met in New Delhi on 26-27 October 2026 and issued a joint declaration backing India's BRICS Chairship, inter-parliamentary cooperation, the 2030 Agenda and climate action under equity principles.
12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum held in New Delhi on 26-27 October 2026; theme: 'Fostering Parliaments For People-Centric Development'.
Member Parliaments named: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and UAE; Partner countries also took part.
India's 2026 BRICS Chairship theme: 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'; India hosted the 18th BRICS Summit on 12-13 September 2026, which adopted the New Delhi Leaders Declaration.
Russia's proposal to consider a BRICS Plus geopolitical group within the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was noted.
Declaration recalls UNGA Resolution A/RES/78/286 on the 'International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations'.
Key terms
BRICS Parliamentary Forum
— Annual meeting of Presiding Officers and parliamentary representatives of BRICS members to promote inter-parliamentary dialogue.
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
— Global organisation of national Parliaments, where BRICS members seek better coordination to project Global South concerns.
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
— UN framework of Sustainable Development Goals that members pledge to implement in a balanced, integrated way.
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
— Countries' own climate action targets under the Paris Agreement.
Common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR-RC)
— Climate principle that all states share responsibility but with differing duties based on capabilities and national circumstances.
8. SIMBEX-2026: 33rd India-Singapore Naval Exercise Concludes at Visakhapatnam
The 33rd Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise, hosted by the Indian Navy off Visakhapatnam and in the Bay of Bengal, ended on 26 Oct 2026, reinforcing interoperability and Indian Ocean security cooperation.
9. 11th India-Indonesia Special Forces Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI begins in Banyuwangi
India and Indonesia have begun the 11th edition of their joint special forces exercise, Garuda Shakti, in Indonesia, to build interoperability in jungle warfare and deepen defence ties.
10. Concessional Annual Local Pass for Residents Near National Highway Fee Plazas
From 1 November 2026, non-commercial vehicle owners living within 20 km of a National Highway fee plaza can buy a cheaper annual local pass, easing the toll burden on nearby residents.
11. Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY): Integrated Scheme for Senior Citizens
AVYAY is the Social Justice Ministry's umbrella scheme for elderly welfare, combining care homes, healthcare and state action plans as India's senior population heads towards 23 crore by 2036.
Launched in 2021; subsumed and expanded the National Action Plan for Senior Citizens (NAPSrC); nodal ministry is Social Justice and Empowerment.
Census 2011 recorded 10.38 crore senior citizens (60+); the elderly population is projected at 23 crore by 2036.
Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC) gives grant-in-aid to NGOs, Panchayati Raj Institutions and local bodies; supports 764 Senior Citizen Homes, 13 Continuous Care Homes, 17 Mobile Medicare Units and 3 Physiotherapy Clinics.
State Action Plan for Senior Citizens (SAPSrC) funds States/UTs for trained geriatric caregivers and cataract surgery drives; States may use up to 20% of allocation for state-specific programmes.
₹77.98 crore released to 755 IPSrC projects for the quarter ending 30 September 2026; projects tracked via E-anudaan portal.
Key terms
Ageing at Place
— Enabling seniors to stay safely in their own homes and communities through home modifications and community support rather than moving to assisted living.
Grant-in-aid model
— Financial assistance from the government to NGOs, State and local bodies to set up and run facilities.
Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI)
— A study highlighting that many elderly Indians face functional limitations, showing the need for care systems.
Utilisation Certificate
— Document submitted by implementing agencies certifying that released grants were spent for the intended purpose.
E-anudaan portal
— Online portal used to monitor projects funded under the scheme.
12. Former Justice Oka seeks transparent roster system in Supreme Court
Former SC judge Abhay Oka said the Supreme Court's roster lets the same case categories go to several Benches, leaving room for manual intervention in listing, and urged High Court-style rosters and a more transparent collegium.
Speaker: former Supreme Court judge Abhay S. Oka, at a judicial accountability discussion organised by the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR), India International Centre, New Delhi.
The CJI is the 'master of the roster', with administrative authority to constitute Benches and allocate judicial work.
Oka's objection: several Benches are assigned the same categories of cases, so a fresh petition could go to any of about five Benches.
He called the Supreme Court 'too Chief Justice-centric' and wants a proper roster on a par with High Courts.
He backs the collegium system but wants transparency in the process it follows.
Key terms
Master of the roster
— The Chief Justice's administrative power to constitute Benches and allot cases among them.
Roster system
— A schedule fixing which Bench hears which categories of cases, meant to remove discretion in listing.
Collegium system
— The judge-led process for recommending appointments and transfers of judges to the higher judiciary.
Manual intervention
— Human discretion in deciding which Bench a case is listed before, as opposed to rule-based allocation.
13. Shivamogga final electoral roll after SIR: 1.89 lakh names deleted
After the Special Intensive Revision, Shivamogga district's final electoral roll has 13.54 lakh electors, with 1.89 lakh names removed as absent, shifted, dead, duplicate or ineligible, which shows how SIR affects roll accuracy and voter…
Final roll: 13,54,046 electors (6,67,100 men, 6,86,921 women, 25 others), against 15,19,459 when the list was frozen on June 16, 2026.
Deletions of 1,89,166 include ASDD cases (absent, permanently shifted, dead, duplicate) and those found ineligible in the enquiry phase.
Draft roll of August 24 had 13,30,905 electors; 48,660 notices were issued for logical discrepancies, leading to 612 deletions; 23,753 were added after the draft.
Of 3,517 Form 7 deletion applications, 1,675 were rejected for insufficient information or documents.
Appeal against an Electoral Registration Officer's order goes to the District Magistrate under Section 24(a) of the RP Act, 1950, then to the Chief Electoral Officer.
Key terms
Special Intensive Revision (SIR)
— An intensive, house-to-house revision of electoral rolls by the Election Commission to clean and update the list.
ASDD voters
— Electors marked absent, permanently shifted, dead or duplicate (already enrolled elsewhere).
Form 7
— Application used to object to or seek deletion of a name from the electoral roll.
Electoral Registration Officer (ERO)
— Official who prepares and maintains the roll for a constituency and decides on inclusions and deletions.
Section 24(a), RP Act 1950
— Provision allowing an appeal to the District Magistrate against an ERO's order.
14. India to host first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum; Pakistan minister invited
India will host the SCO's inaugural Civilisational Dialogue Forum at Purana Quila, Delhi, on 20-22 November and has invited Pakistan's culture minister. If he attends, it would be the first visit by a Pakistani minister to India since 2023.
Venue and dates: Purana Quila (Old Fort), Delhi, 20-22 November; PM Modi is to inaugurate it.
Modi proposed the forum at the SCO summit in Tianjin last year, and the SCO Council adopted the proposal.
Organisers: Ministry of Culture and Ministry of External Affairs. Culture ministers of the 10 member states, plus 15 dialogue partners and observers, are invited.
Each state may send its culture minister and up to four other representatives, such as officials, experts, scholars or heritage professionals.
Four sessions: Monastic Trails (religion and philosophy); Art and Architecture; Language, Literature, Script and Manuscripts; Cultural Expressions and Living Traditions.
Key terms
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
— A 10-member Eurasian grouping that includes India, Pakistan, China and Russia, covering security, economic and cultural cooperation.
SCO Heads of Government meeting
— The SCO's annual meeting of prime ministers, which focuses mainly on economic cooperation. Jaishankar represented India in 2024.
RATS
— The SCO's Regional Anti-Terror Structure, which coordinates counter-terrorism among members.
Dialogue partners and observers
— Non-member countries that take part in SCO activities without full membership.
Civilisational Dialogue
— A forum to promote awareness of shared heritage through religion, art, language and living traditions.
Jaishankar's three-day Atlanta visit (Oct 29-31) is his fourth U.S. trip this year; the G20 Foreign Ministers' meet is hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Oct 30-31.
The Quad Foreign Ministers (India, U.S., Australia, Japan) will also meet in Atlanta; they last met in Delhi in May.
The Quad leaders' meeting will be held in Manila on the sidelines of the ASEAN-East Asian Summits in mid-November, the first time it is held in a non-Quad country.
The G20 Leaders' Summit is set for Miami on December 14-15, hosted at Trump National Doral; the U.S. has excluded South Africa this year.
Modi's trip: Canada (Dec 11-13), then the U.S., then Brussels to sign the India-EU Free Trade Agreement on Dec 16.
Key terms
Quad
— A grouping of India, the U.S., Japan and Australia that cooperates on Indo-Pacific security, supply chains and technology.
G20
— A forum of major economies that meets at the levels of leaders and ministers to coordinate on global economic and political issues.
Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Initiative
— A Quad outcome from May on monitoring and sharing information about maritime activity in the region.
Quad Critical Minerals Framework
— A Quad arrangement to cooperate on securing supplies of critical minerals.
APEC
— Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, a regional economic forum whose summit is due in Shenzhen, China, on December 18-19.
16. Form 6 change and Bengal roll deletions: EC's affidavit in Supreme Court
The Election Commission told the Supreme Court that the Form 6 SIR declaration was wrongly displayed as an amendment, and that Bengal appeals against inclusions were filed by State CEO officers, as it defended its decision-making against a…
Form 6 is the statutory form for new voter enrolment; it can be amended only by the Central Government (Law Ministry), not by the EC.
The EC admitted that the way the SIR declaration appeared on the ECINET portal could be read as an amendment to Form 6, though none was made. The declaration was removed on September 30.
On October 21 the EC decided to split the online form into two parts: Form 6, and a separate SIR declaration needed only where SIR is under way (currently Tripura).
In Bengal, 60.06 lakh electors were flagged by software for adjudication by judicial officers, who ordered 27.16 lakh deletions; 38.31 lakh appeals were filed (22.21 lakh by deleted electors, 16.10 lakh against inclusions).
The EC says the appeals against inclusions were filed by officers of the Bengal CEO's office as authorities under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, not by the Commission.
Key terms
Form 6
— Statutory form used to apply for enrolment as a new voter in the electoral roll.
Special Intensive Revision (SIR)
— An intensive re-verification of electoral rolls in which electors may have to establish eligibility, often by documents.
ECINET
— The EC's IT platform on which electoral rolls and related online forms are hosted.
Registration of Electors Rules, 1960
— Rules prescribing the forms and procedure for preparing and revising electoral rolls.
Representation of the People Act, 1950
— Law covering preparation of electoral rolls and qualifications for registration as a voter.
17. Black October: How AI is Reshaping Cybersecurity Risks
A cluster of major security incidents in October, including the PHP2Shell flaws, showed that AI both speeds up discovery of long-hidden software bugs and magnifies the damage when disclosure and patching go wrong.
PHP2Shell: two critical PHP vulnerabilities that exploit memory safety and could let a remote user take control of a PHP server; roughly 70% of websites reportedly use PHP.
Discovered independently by Calif (using OpenAI models under 'Patch the Planet') and Google's Wiz (using in-house models); both informed the PHP Foundation.
Other incidents that month: weak private keys in eMudhra certificates (reported Oct 17), a hacked and quarantined LiteLLM version, and a maximum-severity GitLab flaw allowing remote control.
Exploit details leaked before a patch was ready; the patch did not cover older PHP versions, and attack attempts reportedly rose from thousands to millions.
Anthropic's Frontier Red Team said it used formal verification to check over 100 open-source libraries and found long-missed bugs.
Key terms
PHP2Shell
— Pair of critical PHP vulnerabilities exploiting memory safety that could allow remote control of a server.
Responsible disclosure
— Practice of privately informing the vendor and allowing time for a patch before publicising a flaw.
Formal verification
— Expressing a system and its requirements mathematically to prove whether the system satisfies them.
Intent capture problem
— Difficulty of confirming that a formal specification truly reflects what the developers intended the code to do.
Private key (certificates)
— Secret key behind a digital certificate; if weak, attackers can impersonate legitimate websites.
18. Cyclone Arnab: Odisha evacuates 48,000 across eight districts
Heavy rain from Cyclone Arnab prompted Odisha to shift over 48,000 people to shelters ahead of a landfall on the Andhra Pradesh–Yanam coast, showing the state's pre-emptive disaster management approach.
19. UP cracks down on food colours: red chutney, Rhodamine-B and limits
Uttar Pradesh's food regulator has issued guidelines banning colour in chutneys and many staples and prohibiting industrial dyes like Rhodamine-B, as festive-season adulteration worries grow.
UP's Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) issued guidelines on permitted and banned food colours ahead of Diwali, focusing on street food, sweets, snacks and bakery items.
Colour is prohibited in chutneys, cooked foods (dal, biryani, vegetables, French fries), milk, plain dairy, fresh produce, ground spices, pulses, edible oils, honey, jaggery and infant food.
Banned industrial dyes listed include Rhodamine-B, Metanil Yellow, Butter Yellow, Malachite Green, Auramine, Orange II and Sudan dyes.
Permitted artificial colours in listed sweets, confectionery and bakery products are capped generally at 100 mg per kg; canned or glazed cherries up to 200 mg per kg.
Permissions flow from the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, and are category-specific.
Key terms
Rhodamine-B
— An industrial dye used in textiles and paper, not permitted in food, linked to liver damage and cancer risk.
Non-permitted dyes
— Industrial colours such as Metanil Yellow, Malachite Green, Auramine and Sudan dyes that are illegal in food.
Tartrazine
— A synthetic yellow food dye linked to allergic reactions like hives and swelling.
Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011
— Rules under which permitted additives, including colours, and their limits are specified by food category.
Statement-I: Malkangiri district was expected to receive the maximum rainfall and wind speed in Odisha during Cyclone Arnab.
Statement-II: Malkangiri district lies in the path of the cyclone.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer: (c)
Officials said Malkangiri would get the maximum rainfall and wind speed in Odisha.
The stated reason was that the district falls under the cyclone's path.
So Statement-II is correct and directly explains Statement-I.
a Statement-I is correct, as Malkangiri was expected to see the maximum rainfall and wind speed.
b Statement-II is correct, as the district falls under the cyclone's path.
d Statement-II is the very reason given for Statement-I, so it does explain it.
With reference to the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY), consider the following statements:
1. It subsumed and expanded the earlier National Action Plan for Senior Citizens (NAPSrC) under a single umbrella scheme.
2. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is the nodal ministry for its policy formulation, funding and monitoring.
3. Under its State Action Plan for Senior Citizens component, States and UTs prepare and implement state-specific action plans with financial support from the Ministry.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (a)
AVYAY subsumed and expanded NAPSrC, bringing several senior citizen interventions under one umbrella, so statement 1 is correct.
The nodal ministry is the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, through its Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, not Health and Family Welfare, so statement 2 is wrong.
Under SAPSrC, States and UTs prepare and implement state-specific plans and the Ministry provides financial support, so statement 3 is correct.
b Statement 2 is wrong because the nodal ministry is Social Justice and Empowerment.
c Statement 2 is wrong, so this option wrongly includes it.
d Statement 3 is also correct, so '1 only' leaves out a true statement.
With reference to India's positions and initiatives on biodiversity conservation, consider the following statements:
1. India supports benefit-sharing from digital sequence information on genetic resources through a multilateral mechanism, including the Cali Fund.
2. India's updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan translates the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework into National Biodiversity Targets.
3. The Soil Health Card Scheme is India's initiative for mangrove restoration along the shoreline.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
India supports benefit-sharing from digital sequence information through the multilateral mechanism, including the Cali Fund, so statement 1 is correct.
The updated NBSAP translates the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework into National Biodiversity Targets, so statement 2 is correct.
Mangrove restoration is done under MISHTI; the Soil Health Card Scheme is for sustainable soil management and fertility, so statement 3 is wrong.
a Statement 3 is wrong because the Soil Health Card Scheme concerns soil fertility, not mangroves.
b It includes statement 3, which is wrong, and leaves out statement 1, which is correct.
d It leaves out statement 2, which is also correct.
With reference to the ILO Domestic Workers Convention and the findings of the ILO's latest statistical brief on domestic workers, consider the following statements:
1. Domestic workers worldwide earn, on average, a little over three-fifths of the monthly wage of other employees.
2. The brief cites India as an example where domestic workers' nominal wages rose faster than those of other employees.
3. The brief finds that domestic work has remained relatively stable as a share of total employment, so the global rise in numbers mainly reflects broader employment growth.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (a)
Domestic workers earn on average 61.2% of other employees' monthly wage, which is a little over three-fifths, so statement 1 is correct.
The brief says India's domestic workers' nominal wages rose, but wages of other employees rose considerably faster, so statement 2 is wrong.
Domestic work is about 2.2% of total employment, and the brief attributes the rise in numbers to broader employment growth, so statement 3 is correct.
b Omits statement 3, which is correct.
c Statement 2 is incorrect, so not all three are correct.
d Statement 2 reverses the Indian finding; other employees' wages rose faster.
With reference to the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Arunachal Pradesh, consider the following statements:
1. It is a proposed hydropower project that is touted to be India's largest.
2. It is currently at the detailed project report stage, after the social and environmental impact assessments were completed.
3. The state government justifies it mainly as a measure against a proposed upstream dam in Tibet.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (a)
The SUMP is touted as India's largest hydropower project, and the state government calls it essential to counter China's proposed upstream dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo, as a national security issue.
Statement 2 is wrong: the project is only at the pre-feasibility survey stage. The social impact assessment, environmental assessment and DPR are promised only if it moves beyond feasibility.
b Omits statement 3, which is correct: the state government calls the project a national security response to the Chinese dam.
c Statement 2 is incorrect; the assessments and DPR have not yet been done.
d Statement 2 is incorrect because the project is at the pre-feasibility stage, not the DPR stage.
With reference to Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) in India, consider the following statements:
1. It is seen as a pathway for reducing emissions from hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, cement and fertilisers.
2. It involves capturing carbon dioxide from industrial sources after its release into the atmosphere.
3. Captured carbon dioxide can be stored permanently only in depleted oil and gas reservoirs.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
Statement 1 is correct: NITI Aayog identifies CCUS as critical for decarbonising steel, cement, oil and gas, petrochemicals, chemicals and fertilisers.
Statement 2 is wrong: CO2 is captured from industrial sources before its release into the atmosphere.
Statement 3 is wrong: storage formations also include deep saline aquifers and basaltic rock formations.
a Statement 2 is wrong; capture occurs at the source before release.
c Both 2 and 3 are altered; statement 3 ignores saline aquifers and basalt formations.
With reference to the recent amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 permitting E100 fuel, consider the following statements:
1. The amendments modify Rule 115 and Rule 115E, which deal with emission standards and emission testing provisions.
2. E85 or E100 may be used only in flex-fuel vehicles designed by original equipment manufacturers.
3. Owners of existing E20-compliant vehicles are required to modify their vehicles to run on E85 in the future.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (a)
Rules 115 (emission standards) and 115E (emission testing provisions) were amended, so statement 1 is correct.
An explanatory note restricts E85/E100 to OEM-designed flex-fuel vehicles, so statement 2 is correct.
The notification does not require existing vehicle owners to switch to E85 or modify vehicles, now or later; compatibility with E10/E20 does not establish suitability for E85. Statement 3 is wrong.
b Omits statement 2, which is correct.
c Includes statement 3, which is incorrect, and omits statement 2.
d Includes statement 3, which is incorrect, and omits statement 1.
With reference to Grey-Zone Warfare (GZW) as discussed in the context of China and the Line of Actual Control, consider the following statements:
1. GZW describes competitive interaction that falls between the traditional war-and-peace duality and is marked by ambiguity and opacity of the parties involved.
2. The 'Three Warfares' strategy adopted by the PLA comprises public opinion warfare, psychological warfare and legal warfare.
3. The 'nibble and negotiate' approach enables the PLA to shift the strategic baseline through a single large-scale attack.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (a)
Statements 1 and 2 correctly state the definition of GZW and the components of the 'Three Warfares'.
'Nibble and negotiate' works by incremental changes on the ground through patrolling and infrastructure building, and GZW avoids the costs and risks of a full-scale attack.
Statement 3 is therefore wrong, so only 1 and 2 are correct.
b Statement 3 is wrong because the approach relies on accumulated minor moves and not a large-scale attack.
c Omits statement 2, which is correct.
d Includes statement 3, which is wrong; it also omits statement 1.
With reference to the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum held in New Delhi, consider the following statements:
1. It was held under the theme "Fostering Parliaments For People-Centric Development".
2. The Forum took note of Russia's initiative to consider a BRICS Plus geopolitical group within the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
3. The Forum called for implementing NDCs while reflecting equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
All three statements match the Joint Declaration.
The theme was "Fostering Parliaments For People-Centric Development".
Russia's idea of a BRICS Plus geopolitical group within the IPU was noted, to amplify the Global South's voice.
The climate paragraph calls for NDC implementation reflecting equity and CBDR-RC under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement.
a Omits statement 3, which is correct: the declaration invokes CBDR-RC.
b Omits statement 1, which is correct: that was the Forum's theme.
c Omits statement 2, which is correct: Russia's IPU initiative was noted.
With reference to the roster system in the Supreme Court of India, consider the following statements:
1. The Chief Justice of India, as the "master of the roster", has the administrative authority to constitute Benches and allocate judicial work among them.
2. Assigning the same category of cases to several Benches helps a litigant know in advance which Bench a freshly instituted case will be listed before.
3. The object of a roster is to rule out the possibility of manual intervention in the listing of cases.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
The CJI is the 'master of the roster' and constitutes Benches and allocates work.
A roster is meant to rule out manual intervention in listing.
Statement 2 is reversed: when the same categories are assigned to multiple Benches, a litigant cannot tell which Bench a fresh case will go before.
a Statement 2 is wrong and statement 1, which is correct, is left out.
b Statement 2 is wrong, since overlapping subjects make the Bench uncertain; it also leaves out correct statement 3.
c Statement 2 is incorrect, so not all three are correct.
With reference to the death of cheetah cub KNG22 in Madhya Pradesh, consider the following statements:
1. It is the first case in the country since the reintroduction project in which a cheetah has died of pellet wounds.
2. The State Tiger Strike Force, a specialised wildlife crime investigation unit, has been deployed to identify those responsible.
3. The cub was found injured inside Kuno National Park, and the park authorities are therefore responsible for the investigation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
Statement 1 is correct: the death is described as the first such incident since the reintroduction project.
Statement 2 is correct: the State Tiger Strike Force, a wildlife crime investigation unit, is probing a suspected poaching angle.
Statement 3 is wrong: the cub was found in the Pahargarh range of Morena Territorial Forest Division, outside the park. Kuno handled rescue and treatment, while territorial forest officials became central to the investigation.
a Omits statement 2, which is also correct.
b Statement 3 is incorrect, as the incident fell within the jurisdiction of the territorial forest division.
c Statement 3 is incorrect because the injury occurred in Morena territorial forest, not inside Kuno.
With reference to the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX-2026), consider the following statements:
1. The 33rd edition was hosted by the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam.
2. The Sea Phase was conducted in the Arabian Sea and included Maritime Interdiction Operations and Anti-Submarine Warfare drills.
3. The Harbour Phase featured Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, cross-deck visits and planning conferences.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (a)
SIMBEX-2026, the 33rd edition, was hosted by the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam, so statement 1 is correct.
The Harbour Phase featured SMEEs, cross-deck visits, professional interactions, sporting engagements and planning conferences, so statement 3 is correct.
The Sea Phase was held in the Bay of Bengal, not the Arabian Sea, so statement 2 is wrong.
b Statement 2 is wrong because the Sea Phase was in the Bay of Bengal, and statement 3 is omitted.
c Statement 2 is incorrect because the Sea Phase location was the Bay of Bengal.
d Statement 3 is also correct, so '1 only' is incomplete.
With reference to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as described for Shivamogga district, consider the following statements:
1. Electors marked as ASDD include those who are absent, permanently shifted, dead or duplicate entries already enrolled elsewhere.
2. After the draft roll was published, applications for fresh enrolment were accepted, which increased the number of electors in the final roll.
3. A person aggrieved by an order of the Electoral Registration Officer may appeal first to the District Magistrate and then to the Chief Electoral Officer.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
ASDD stands for absent, permanently shifted, dead or duplicate (already enrolled elsewhere).
Fresh enrolment applications were accepted after the draft roll, and 23,753 names were added to reach the final roll.
The appeal against an ERO order lies first to the District Magistrate under Section 24(a) of the RP Act, 1950, and a second appeal lies to the Chief Electoral Officer.
All three statements are correct.
a Omits statement 1, which is also correct: it gives the right expansion of ASDD.
b Omits statement 3, which is also correct: the two-tier appeal to the DM and then the CEO.
c Omits statement 2, which is also correct: additions after the draft roll raised the final figure.
With reference to Form 6 and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in India, consider the following statements:
1. Form 6 is the statutory form for voter enrolment, and it can be amended only by the Central Government.
2. The Election Commission has said that the SIR declaration will be a requirement separate from Form 6 in states where the SIR is ongoing.
3. The declaration inserted in the online Form 6 was authorised by a Law Ministry notification applicable to all states.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
Form 6 is the statutory enrolment form and, as the EC admitted, can only be amended by the Central Government (Law Ministry).
The EC decided that the online Form 6 will be in two parts, with the SIR declaration as a separate requirement in states where the SIR is ongoing.
Statement 3 is wrong: the declaration was added without any Law Ministry notification, which is why the two Election Commissioners objected.
a Statement 3 is false, since no Law Ministry notification authorised the declaration.
b Statement 3 is false, and statement 1 is also correct, so this pairing is wrong.
c Omits statement 2, which is correct: the SIR declaration is separate from Form 6 in SIR states.
With reference to the India-Indonesia Joint Special Forces Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI, consider the following statements:
1. The Indian contingent comprises troops from the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces).
2. The training focuses on special operations in desert and high-altitude environments.
3. The joint training culminates with a validation exercise simulating realistic operational scenarios.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (b)
The Indian contingent is drawn from the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), so statement 1 is correct.
The training focuses on special operations in jungle environments, not desert and high-altitude terrain, so statement 2 is incorrect.
The exercise ends with a validation exercise simulating realistic scenarios, so statement 3 is correct.
a Statement 2 is wrong because the focus is on jungle environments, and this option leaves out statement 1.
c Omits statement 3, which is also correct.
d Statement 2 is incorrect because the terrain is jungle.
With reference to the SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum to be hosted by India, consider the following statements:
1. It will be organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of External Affairs.
2. The idea was proposed by the Prime Minister of India at the SCO leaders' Summit in Tianjin and adopted by the SCO Council.
3. Its venue is the Red Fort in Delhi.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (a)
The Forum is organised jointly by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of External Affairs.
It was proposed by PM Modi at the Tianjin SCO Summit and adopted by the SCO Council.
The venue is Purana Quila (Old Fort), a 16th-century fort built by Humayun, not the Red Fort, so statement 3 is wrong.
b Omits statement 2, which is also correct.
c Statement 3 is incorrect, as the venue is Purana Quila and not the Red Fort.
d Statement 3 is wrong because the venue is Purana Quila, and statement 1 is correct but left out.
With reference to the PHP2Shell vulnerabilities in the news, consider the following statements:
1. They exploited memory safety flaws and could allow a remote user to control a PHP server.
2. They were discovered by the PHP Foundation's own volunteer maintainers without the use of AI tools.
3. Details of the exploit were leaked before a patch was issued, which increased the risk to vulnerable systems.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
PHP2Shell exploited memory safety and could let a remote user control a PHP server; statement 1 is correct.
It was discovered by two outside groups (Calif using OpenAI models, and Wiz using in-house models) using AI-assisted techniques, not by the PHP Foundation's volunteers; statement 2 is wrong.
Implementation details leaked before the patch, triggering a race against time; statement 3 is correct.
a Omits statement 3, which is correct since the exploit details leaked before the patch.
b Statement 2 is false, since AI-assisted outside groups found the flaws.
d Statement 2 is false because discovery was by Calif and Wiz using AI, and statement 1 is true but left out.
With reference to the Concessional Local Pass for residents near National Highway fee plazas, consider the following statements:
1. It is meant for owners of non-commercial vehicles residing within a specified distance of a fee plaza.
2. The pass, once issued, is valid at all fee plazas located along the same National Highway.
3. It is available on Expressways where toll is collected under a closed user-fee collection system.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (d)
Statement 1 is correct: the pass is for eligible non-commercial vehicle owners residing within 20 km of a National Highway fee plaza.
Statement 2 is wrong: the pass is valid only for the specific fee plaza and is not transferable to other plazas.
Statement 3 is wrong: it is not available where toll collection is based on a closed user-fee collection system.
a Both 2 and 3 are incorrect; the pass is plaza-specific and excluded on closed-system roads.
b Statement 2 is incorrect because the pass is plaza-specific, not valid along the whole highway.
c Statements 2 and 3 contradict the rules on plaza-specific validity and closed-system exclusion.
With reference to the Quad grouping, consider the following statements:
1. The Quad leaders' meeting in November is planned in Manila on the sidelines of the ASEAN-East Asian Summits, the first time the grouping's leaders' meeting is held in a non-Quad country.
2. India has hosted the Quad leaders' summit every year since 2024, as the rotation of hosting had been assigned to it.
3. The Quad Initiative on Indo-Pacific Energy Security is among the outcomes of the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting held in Delhi in May.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
The Quad leaders' meeting will be held in Manila on the sidelines of the ASEAN-East Asian Summits, a first in a non-Quad country.
The May Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting in Delhi produced three key outcomes, including the Quad Initiative on Indo-Pacific Energy Security.
India's turn to host the summit has run since 2024, but it could not schedule the summit, so statement 2 is wrong.
a Statement 2 is wrong, so not all three are correct.
b Statement 2 is wrong because India has not been able to hold the summit despite its turn as host.
With reference to the Supreme Court's recent proceedings on pollution of the Jojari river in Rajasthan, consider the following statements:
1. The Court initiated a suo motu writ petition and constituted a High-level Ecosystem Oversight Committee to audit the treatment plants and draft a plan to restore the rivers.
2. The Court has banned construction within 100 metres of the rivers' edges and hazardous industries within 500 metres of the present river path or the flood lines where available.
3. The Court has held the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation liable for compensation under the 2022 National Green Tribunal order.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (c)
The Court began a suo motu case in 2025 and set up a committee chaired by Justice Sangeet Lodha to audit the plants and draft a restoration plan, so statement 1 is correct.
The Court banned construction within 100 m of the river edges and hazardous industries within 500 m, so statement 2 is correct.
The Court stayed the 2022 NGT order imposing compensation, so it did not enforce it. Statement 3 is wrong.
a Statement 3 is wrong, because the 2022 NGT compensation order was stayed by the Court, not upheld. Statement 1 is also correct, so this option leaves it out wrongly.
b Statement 3 is incorrect, because the NGT order was stayed.
d Statement 2 is correct and is wrongly excluded, while statement 3 is wrong.
With reference to the guidelines issued by the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) of Uttar Pradesh on food colours, consider the following statements:
1. Colour addition to chutneys served with street food is prohibited, and vendors are advised to use ingredients such as tomato, beetroot, coriander and mint instead.
2. Rhodamine-B is an industrial dye used in textile and paper colouring, and its use in food is prohibited.
3. A colour that is permitted in a cake can automatically be used in bread, chutney and other foods, provided it is food-grade.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: (a)
Statements 1 and 2 are correct: colouring of chutney is prohibited, and Rhodamine-B, an industrial textile/paper dye, cannot substitute for food-grade colour.
Statement 3 is incorrect: permitted colours are not universal allowances, and a colour allowed in a cake cannot automatically be used in bread or chutney because colours serve different purposes in different foods.
b Statement 3 is wrong, since food-grade colours are category-specific.
c Statement 3 is wrong, and statement 2 is correct, so this pairing fails.
d Statement 3 is wrong, so not all three are correct.
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