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Journalism of Courage
With inputs from Vikas Sharma
UPSC Weekly Quiz is a current affairs-based quiz on relevant topics from the past week, curated for the aspirants of competitive examinations. Attempt the weekly quiz every Saturday and find answers to the MCQs with explanations.
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Consider the following statements:
Statement 1: Western Disturbances that occur in winter have increased significantly over the western and central Himalayas and the Hindu Kush in the last 70 years.
Statement 2: It is due to the weakening of the subtropical westerly jet stream.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is the correct explanation for Statement 1.
(b) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is not the correct explanation for Statement 1.
(c) Statement 1 is correct but Statement 2 is incorrect.
(d) Statement 1 is incorrect but Statement 2 is correct.
Explanation:
— Experts believe that rising global temperatures are influencing the customary behaviour of Western Disturbances. For example, a 2024 study published in the journal Weather and Climate Dynamics found that Western Disturbances that occur in winter have increased dramatically over the western and central Himalayas and the Hindu Kush in the last 70 years. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— This could be attributed to the strengthening of the subtropical westerly jet stream, which means that wind currents inside it are increasing faster and stronger. Scientists believe that rising temperatures have an important role in strengthening such jet streams. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— Western disturbances are now affecting the weather outside of the winter season. According to the 2024 study, they have become more regular in previously unusual months like May, June, and July over the last 70 years.
— Changes in the characteristics of Western Disturbances may potentially be due to year-round moisture feeding. One of the primary reasons for this is the Arabian Sea’s rapid warming in recent decades, which has resulted in the release of additional moisture.
— Soaring temperatures have extended the subtropical westerly jet stream, allowing Western Disturbances to travel in different directions over a larger area, according to the Climate Trends report.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
The term “SEVIS” is associated with:
(a) It is a US federal database that governs the legal status of international students.
(b) It is Canada’s international student applications and visa compliance.
(c) It is a student visa tracking of Australia
(d) It is an international student data collection in Germany.
Explanation:
— SEVIS, or the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, is a US federal database that oversees international students’ legal status; once a record is marked “terminated,” the student is considered out of status and faces deportation.
— According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Indian students account for approximately half of the 327 overseas students whose F-1 visas have been revoked in recent months. According to Open Doors data, Indians are also the largest cohort of international students in the United States, accounting for 3.31 lakh enrolling in 2023-24, or roughly 29% of the total.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
With reference to the Jagannath Temple in Puri, consider the following statements:
1. It is one of the most revered Vaishnava sites of worship in India.
2. It is built in the Kalinga style.
3. The temple’s construction began in the 12th century under Kulottunga II of the Chola Dynasty.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Explanation
— The Odisha government has urged authorities at the Puri Jagannath Temple to investigate the problems surrounding the recent opening of a duplicate of the 12th-century shrine in Digha, West Bengal.
About Jagannath Temple
— The Jagannath shrine in Puri, Odisha, revered Vaishnava sites of worship in India. It has great religious importance and is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage locations. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— King Anantavarman Chodaganga of the Eastern Ganga dynasty began the temple’s construction in the 12th century, and his successor, Anangabhima Deva, completed it. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
— The temple is an architectural masterpiece designed in the Kalinga style. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
(Other Source: indianculture.gov.in)
With reference to Palm oil, consider the following statements:
1. It has better oxidative stability and is resistant to the formation of oxidised polymers.
2. It requires hydrogenation for use as a fat component in food.
3. Red palm oil, which is commercially available, is rich in phytonutrients, including carotenoids and tocopherols.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
Explanation:
— Edible oils are a staple in Indian cuisine, used for cooking, frying, and food processing. However, India relies significantly on edible oil imports to fulfil its expanding need, since domestic production can only supply a portion of the overall need, resulting in India becoming the world’s largest importer of edible oils and the leading importer of palm oil.
— Palm oil is critical to meeting India’s demand for edible oil because it is the most widely produced edible oil in the world, accounting for around 35% of worldwide vegetable oil production.
— Palm oil has superior oxidative stability and is resistant to the development of oxidised polymers, making it the preferred cooking oil in India. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— Palm oil does not need to be hydrogenated before it can be used as a fat component in food, preventing the production of trans fatty acids, which have been shown to be harmful to health. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— Red palm oil, which is commercially accessible, is high in phytonutrients such as carotenoids, tocols (tocopherols and tocotrienols), phytosterols, and squalene, all of which have received attention for their nutritional value. It is the most abundant natural source of carotenoids, particularly alpha- and beta-carotene, biologically active pro-vitamin A, and a potent antioxidant. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
The Vizhinjam International Seaport, the country’s first international deepwater transhipment project, is located in:
(a) Port Blair
(b) Karwar
(c) Thiruvananthapuram
(d) Bhuvneshwar
Explanation:
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Vizhinjam International Seaport, the country’s first international deepwater transhipment facility in Kerala, to the nation.
— Adani Ports and SEZ Private Limited are developing the Vizhinjam International Seaport project using the design, construct, finance, operate, and transfer (DBFOT) methodology. Adani Group would invest Rs 9,000 crore in the project.
— Since the trial run began last July, Vizhinjam International Seaport in Thiruvananthapuram has achieved amazing results in transhipment container handling. So date, 285 ships have moored at the port, including several of the world’s largest container ships. Last month, MSC Türkiye, one of the world’s largest container ships, moored at Vizhinjam, marking another milestone in the development of India’s first deepwater transhipment port.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
Recently, LoC (Line of Control) was in news. Which of the following statements is true :
1. LoC is the same as the ‘Ceasefire Line’ that was established by the Karachi Agreement (1949) after the 1948-49 war.
2. Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw was one of the members of the Indian delegation in Karachi Agreement (1949).
3. The Simla Agreement (1972) re-characterised the ‘Ceasefire Line’ line as the ‘Line of Control’.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Explanation
— The line for this was largely the same as the “Ceasefire Line” that was established by the Karachi Agreement (1949) after the 1948-49 war. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— Under the Karachi Agreement (1949), the members of the Indian Delegation were — Gen. S. M. Shrinagesh, Maj. Gen. K. S. Thimayya, and (the then)Brig. S.H.F. Manekshaw. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— The Simla Agreement (1972) re-characterised this line as the “Line of Control”, a military border which runs for approximately 740 km from near Sangam in Kashmir to Point NJ-9842 near the Siachen Glacier. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
With reference to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), consider the following statements:
1. FATF only maintains the ‘Black and Grey’ list.
2. FATF’s Black list currently contains more countries than the Grey list.
3. Currently, FATF included Pakistan, Iran, and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(North Korea) in its Grey list.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Explanation
— The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) maintains two main lists to identify jurisdictions with weak anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) measures: the blacklist (High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action) and the greylist (Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring). Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— As per the latest FATF updates in early 2025, Black list contains 3 countries (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(North Korea), Iran, and Myanmar) while the Grey list has 21 countries. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— As of the latest FATF updates in early 2025, the countries on the blacklist are North Korea, Iran, and Myanmar. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
Consider the following statements regarding Automated Teller Machines (ATMs):
1. ATM cardholders are only eligible for five free transactions from their own bank.
2. Public sector banks have more ATMs than Private Sector Banks.
3. ATM network managed by the National Financial Switch (NFS).
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Explanation
— Bank customers are eligible for five free transactions, which include financial (cash withdrawal) and non-financial transactions (balance enquiry) every month from their own bank ATMs. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— They are also eligible for free transactions (inclusive of financial and non-financial transactions) from other bank ATMs – three transactions in metro centres and five transactions in non-metro centres.
— As of end March 2025, public sector banks had deployed 1.33 lakh ATMs, while private banks and foreign banks had deployed 77,117 and 993 ATMs, respectively. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— The country’s ATM network, a vital part of the banking infrastructure, is primarily managed by the National Financial Switch (NFS), a leading multilateral ATM network operated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
High military rank ‘Sena Saheb Subah’ was recently in the news. It is related to which Empire:
(a) Mughal Empire
(b) Maratha Empire
(c) Sikh Empire
(d) Vijayanagar Empire
Explanation
— The spine of the sword is inlaid in gold with an inscription in Devanagari script. The inscription reads Shrimant Raghuji Bhosale Sena Saheb Subah Firang. Sena Saheb Subah was a title of high military rank associated with the Maratha Empire, and would usually be conferred by the Chhatrapatis of Satara.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
Consider the following statements about conducting the Caste Census:
1. The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) approved conducting a caste census in the upcoming population census.
2. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes data will be counted under caste census.
3. It will be only the second time post-independence.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 and 3 only
(b) 1 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 1 and 3 only
Explanation
— Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made the announcement, The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) on Wednesday approved the inclusion of caste data in the upcoming population census. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— While Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) have been recorded in every census since 1951. Under Caste Census, data on Other Backwards Classes (OBCs) and sub-castes will be counted. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— The last full caste-based Census was done in 1931. Although caste data was collected in 1941, it was never published due to the global crisis of World War II. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
With reference to the Akshay Tritiya, consider the following statements:
1. It is an auspicious day for the Hindu and Jain communities.
2. It falls on the first day of the shukla paksha (waxing phase of the moon) of the Hindu calendar in the month of Vaishakh.
3. Jain followers observe this day as the day when the first Tirthankar Rishabhanatha broke his year-long fast.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Explanation
— It is a highly auspicious and important day for members of the Hindu and Jain communities. According to one narrative, on Akshaya Tritiya, Treta Yuga, the second of the four yugas, began, and Lord Vishnu’s sixth avatar, Parshuram, was born. Furthermore, it is said that Maharishi Ved Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata, began narrating the epic to Lord Ganesh on this day. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— According to Drik Panchang, Akshaya Tritiya usually falls on the Shukla Paksha Tritiya day (third day) in the month of Vaishakh, which corresponds to April or May, according to the Gregorian calendar. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— In Jainism, it is believed that the first Tirthankar Rishabhanatha broke his fast after one year on Akshay Tritiya. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
Consider the following statements about a Leopard:
Statement 1: It is one of the species under the International Big Cat Alliance(IBCA).
Statement 2: It is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN List.
Which one of the following is correct with respect to the above statements?
(a) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is the correct explanation for Statement 1.
(b) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is not the correct explanation for Statement 1.
(c) Statement 1 is correct, but Statement 2 is incorrect.
(d) Statement 1 is incorrect, but Statement 2 is correct.
Explanation
— The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) is a multi-country, multi-agency coalition of 96 big cat range countries, and non-range countries aimed at conserving 7 big cats(including Leopard) and their habitats. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— It is classified as Vulnerable under the IUCN Red List because populations have decreased due to habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching for the illicit trade in skins and other body parts, and persecution due to conflict situations. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is not the correct explanation for Statement 1.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
With reference to the None of the Above (NOTA), consider the following statements:
1. It is introduced in Lok Sabha and State legislative assembly only.
2. The votes polled against NOTA option are taken into account for calculating the total valid votes polled by the contesting candidates to return of security deposit.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
— In People’s Union for Civil Liberties vs Union of India, the Supreme Court held that the right to cast a negative vote by choosing NOTA was protected in direct elections under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— Under Section 158 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, it is the total number of valid votes polled by all the contesting candidates that is to be taken into account for calculating one-sixth of the votes polled by individual candidates for the return of the security deposit. Thus, it is clarified that the votes polled against the NOTA option are not to be taken into account for calculating the total valid votes polled by the contesting candidates for the purpose of return of security deposit. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
(Other Source: Election Commission of India)
With reference to the OpenAI two new Artificial Intelligence (AI) models named OpenAI o3 and o4-mini, consider the following statements:
1. Its latest GPT(Generative Pre-trained Transformer) Model
2. Its latest Image generator model
3. Its latest Reasoning model
4. Its latest Video generator model
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 4 only
Explanation
— On April 16, OpenAI released two new Artificial Intelligence (AI) reasoning models named OpenAI o3 and o4-mini, which the company said were the latest “in a series of models trained to think for longer before responding”.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
With reference to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India, consider the following statements:
1. CSR Rules do not specify minimum spending on CSR activities.
2. Education and healthcare are the highest recipient sectors under CSR initiative.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
— As per Report, funds spent by listed companies on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rose by 16 per cent to Rs 17,967 crore during the year ended March 2024, as compared to Rs 15,524 crore spent in 2022-23. HDFC Bank topped the list, followed by Reliance Industries.
— The CSR law, which came into force in April 2014, mandates companies to invest two per cent of their average net profits of the last three years in CSR projects. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
— In line with the previous years, Education (Rs 1,104 crore) followed by Healthcare Rs 720 crore) received the maximum spend under CSR initiative. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | April 20 to April 26, 2025
UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | April 13 to April 19, 2025
UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | April 06 to April 12, 2025
UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | March 30 to April 05, 2025
UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | March 23 to March 29, 2025
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Vikas Sharma is working as an intern with indianexpress.com.
