Today's 21

With reference to the re-entry of a spacecraft such as the Gaganyaan crew capsule into the earth's atmosphere, consider the following statements: 1. Atmospheric drag is the primary means by which the spacecraft reduces a significant portion of its velocity during aerobraking. 2. Parachutes are activated at the start of re-entry, before the spacecraft meets the dense atmosphere, to bring down its velocity. 3. Parachutes are used in the terminal phase to reduce velocity to acceptable limits for a gentle touchdown on land or in sea. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements regarding the commencement of import operations at Vizhinjam International Seaport: Statement-I: Import operations at Vizhinjam are expected to reduce local entrepreneurs' dependence on distant ports. Statement-II: Imported containers can now be unloaded, cleared and transported directly to markets across Keralam, cutting transportation costs and delivery times. Which one of the following is correct?

Statement-I: Watershed development works such as percolation tanks, storage ponds and Kolhapuri-type weirs are considered key to reducing the impact of drought. Statement-II: Such structures reduce rainwater runoff, enhance groundwater recharge and provide protective irrigation to crops. Which one of the following is correct?

Statement-I: The Government of India extended the customs duty exemption on cotton imports for the domestic textile sector. Statement-II: The extension is expected to ease input cost pressures, support MSMEs and improve the availability of cotton at competitive prices for textile and apparel manufacturers. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

With reference to a pumped storage hydropower project, consider the following statements: 1. It uses electricity during periods of lower demand to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir. 2. It releases the stored water through turbines when demand rises, helping balance intermittent supply from solar and wind. 3. It is a method of generating power directly from the flow of a river without any storage of water. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Statement-I: The launch of NVS-03 on GSLV-F18 is described as an important step towards strengthening NavIC. Statement-II: NavIC is a satellite navigation system operated by a foreign space agency, and India relies on it for navigation services. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

With reference to nuclear fusion and tokamaks, consider the following statements: 1. Fusion releases energy when light atomic nuclei merge, and it works as a chain reaction like fission, which makes it difficult to control. 2. In a tokamak, powerful magnets hold the superheated plasma away from the walls of the machine. 3. The Institute of Plasma Research manages India's home-grown tokamaks such as ADITYA and SST-1. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the pricing of medicines in India under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO), 2013, consider the following statements: 1. Scheduled formulations are those listed in Schedule I, which is based on the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). 2. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority fixes ceiling prices for scheduled formulations. 3. For non-scheduled medicines, the annual price increase is capped at 10%, which also prevents an inflated starting price. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the inaugural BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise, consider the following statements: 1. It brings together all seven member states of BIMSTEC and seeks to enhance interoperability and maritime domain awareness in the Bay of Bengal. 2. It builds upon the outcomes of the 6th BIMSTEC Summit held under the theme "BIMSTEC: Prosperous, Resilient and Open". 3. It is organised by the Andaman and Nicobar Command, which is India's first integrated tri-service command, as a military alliance with a mutual defence obligation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to green crackers in India, consider the following statements: 1. They were developed by scientists at CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur, through modified chemical formulations and reduced or substituted raw materials. 2. SWAS, STAR and SAFAL are recognised categories of green crackers. 3. They are formulated to be completely pollution-free, which is why barium nitrate is permitted in reduced quantities. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), consider the following statements: 1. It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. 2. The Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme, 2026 provides insurance cover to eligible EPF members in the event of death while in service, without requiring a separate insurance premium from members. 3. The Employees' Pension Scheme, 2026 provides pension benefits only to members on superannuation and not to dependents of deceased members. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the appointment of High Court judges in India, consider the following statements: 1. Article 217 of the Constitution makes a person eligible for appointment as a High Court judge after ten years at the Bar or ten years in judicial office. 2. By convention, at least one-third of the sanctioned strength of a High Court is reserved for judges drawn from the district judiciary. 3. Judges promoted from the district judiciary rank lower in standing than judges appointed directly from the Bar and are ineligible for elevation to the Supreme Court. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the management of paddy straw in Punjab as reviewed by the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), consider the following statements: 1. Ex-situ management involves utilising paddy straw outside the field, such as burning it as boiler fuel in industry or making biomass pellets for thermal power plants. 2. A super seeder is a Crop Residue Management machine used for in-situ management of paddy straw. 3. Pellet manufacturing units help farmers avoid residue burning by providing an alternative avenue for straw utilisation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the Quad foreign ministers' meeting held in Atlanta on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, consider the following statements: 1. The four ministers expressed grave concerns regarding economic coercion, including through arbitrary export restrictions. 2. It was the first Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in that year. 3. The Quad Leaders' Summit was planned on the sidelines of the ASEAN-East Asian Summits. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the entry of foreign tourists into the northeastern states of India, consider the following statements: 1. Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland are protected areas for foreign nationals. 2. Foreign nationals can apply for permits online through Indian diplomatic missions before arrival or through Foreigners Regional Registration Offices (FRROs). 3. The permit granted under the latest reform also covers access to defence and paramilitary installations in the approved zones. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the People's Plan Campaign (PPC), consider the following statements: 1. It is run by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj under the theme "Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas". 2. It supports the preparation of Gram, Block and District Panchayat Development Plans and the localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals. 3. It was launched for the first time in 2026 as a new initiative. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the Supreme Court's hearing on "digital arrest" scams and the Reserve Bank of India's KYC Amendment Directions, 2026, consider the following statements: 1. The directions require banks to flag suspected mule accounts and place temporary debit holds on them. 2. The RBI's 2017 zero-liability circular covers victims who were coerced into making transfers themselves. 3. CBI investigations have shown that mule accounts are central to scammers laundering their proceeds. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the recent rally in Imphal and the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement in Manipur, consider the following statements: 1. The rally was organised by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), with the United Naga Council endorsing it. 2. One of the demands raised at the rally was the abrogation of the SoO agreement with Kuki militant groups. 3. The Kuki Zo Council, an apex body of Kuki Zo civil society organisations, supported the rally's demands. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Statement-I: Tribal organisations in Attappady demand action on nutrition, maternal health and landlessness, and not on healthcare alone. Statement-II: Tribal organisations hold that the roots of the child health crisis run deeper than healthcare and lie in the wider socio-economic conditions of the community. Which one of the following is correct?

With reference to the recent regulatory action against industrial units in Delhi-NCR, consider the following statements: 1. The Central Pollution Control Board has directed the State Pollution Control Boards and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to act against non-compliant units in the 17 highly polluting industry categories. 2. The particulate matter emission norms for these industries were prescribed by the Commission for Air Quality Management. 3. Units that fail to provide satisfactory evidence of placing work orders for air pollution control devices are to be issued closure directions until work orders are placed and a credible compliance timeline is accepted. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to the Women Farmers' Empowerment Bill passed by Maharashtra in July 2026, consider the following statements: 1. It grants women independent recognition as farmers through a Woman Farmer Certificate, irrespective of land ownership. 2. It is the first State legislation in India to give enforceable legal form to the activity-based, land-delinked definition of 'farmer' set out in the National Policy for Farmers, 2007. 3. A comparable law had earlier been proposed at the national level through a bill introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2011, which lapsed. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?