UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | August 03 to August 09, 2025

QUESTION 1

With reference to the nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, consider the following statements:

1. Heads of state and members of national assemblies and national governments can send nominations for the Peace Prize.

2. In 2025, it is for the first time that the President of the United States has been nominated for the Peace Prize.

3. The full list of nominees is made public 50 years after the submission.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that US President Donald Trump had “ended conflicts” such as that between India and Pakistan and Thailand and Cambodia, and that it was “well past time” for him to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

— The Pakistani government officially announced his nomination, hailing his “pivotal leadership” in the battle with India following the Pahalgam assaults and Operation Sindoor.

— The first stage for any category of the Nobel Prize involves nominations. A range of people — university professors, former Nobel winners in that category, etc. — are deemed eligible by the respective Nobel Committee to submit a nomination for that award. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which is responsible for awarding the Peace Prize, consists of five individuals appointed by the Norwegian parliament, who are often politicians.

— Heads of state and members of national assemblies and national governments can send nominations for the Peace Prize. The nominations are sifted through to make a list of valid nominations. For instance, Swedish Parliamentarian and Social Democrat, Erik Brandt, sent a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, nominating Adolf Hitler for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1939. However, it was meant to be ironic and eventually withdrawn. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The Nobel committee then creates a shortlist, external consultants research those candidates, and the committee finally makes its choice after discussions. The entire process takes eight months, and the full list of nominees is made public 50 years after the submission. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— In 1906, Theodore Roosevelt received the Peace Prize for having negotiated peace in the Russo-Japanese war in 1904-05, becoming the first US President to be honoured with the award. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the radioisotopes, consider the following statements:

1. They are the unstable form of an element that emits radiation to transform into a more stable form.

2. Most radioisotopes are artificially produced in research reactors and accelerators by exposing a target material to “intense particles,” such as neutrons or protons, followed by different chemical processes to bring them into the required chemical form.

3. They are an effective tool for industrial applications.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— A South African university launched an anti-poaching campaign with a unique approach – injecting radioactive isotopes into rhino horns. It claimed that the method is harmless for the rhinos and allows customs agents to detect trafficked horns.

— According to the IAEA, radioactive isotopes or radioisotopes are the unstable form of an element that emit radiation to transform into a more stable form. The radiation can be traced, and typically causes changes in the substance it falls upon. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Through a non-invasive procedure, rhino horns are tagged with low doses of radioactive isotopes, allowing for their ready detection by radiation portal monitors (RPMs) already deployed at borders, ports, and airports worldwide to identify unauthorised nuclear materials.

— Most radioisotopes are artificially produced in research reactors and accelerators by exposing a target material to “intense particles,” such as neutrons or protons, followed by different chemical processes to bring them into the required chemical form. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Radioisotopes are an effective tool used in radiopharmaceutical sciences, industrial applications, environmental tracing and biological studies. Aside from research reactors and accelerators, they are also obtained from radioisotope generators. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: http://www.iaea.org)

QUESTION 3

Recently, three ships of the Indian Navy participated in a naval exercise in the Philippines for the first time. The maritime exercise was held at:

(a) Pacific Ocean

(b) South China Sea

(c) Indian Ocean

(d) Bay of Bengal

Explanation

— The President of the Philippines, Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., also popularly known as Bongbong Marcos, arrived in India for a four-day state visit.

— Three ships of the Indian Navy are for the first time participating in a naval exercise in the Philippines in the South China Sea.

— This comes at a time when the Philippines and China have increasingly been involved in minor clashes in the South China Sea, where both countries (and several others in Southeast Asia) have laid territorial claims.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

Which of the following is/are the ‘Northern expansion’ of the Marathas?

1. Areas around Delhi

2. Bundelkhand

3. Malwa

4. Parts of Rajasthan

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Explanation

— A map showing the extent of the Maratha empire in 1759 in the new NCERT Class 8 social science textbook has run into a controversy. Chaitanya Raj Singh, scion of the royal family of the erstwhile princely state of Jaisalmer, on Monday (August 4) called the map, which shows Jaisalmer to be a part of the Maratha empire, “historically misleading, factually baseless, and deeply objectionable”.

— In the first half of the 18th century, with the Mughal empire breaking up, the then Peshwa of the Maratha empire, Baji Rao I, “could not resist a Maratha drive” into the north, Stewart Gordon wrote in The Marathas 1600–1818 (1993). By then, the Marathas were already collecting tribute from erstwhile Mughal dominions in the Deccan.

— The Marathas then pushed into parts of Rajasthan, the areas around Delhi and Punjab, and Bundelkhand, besides attacking parts of Orissa, Bengal, and Bihar, Gordon wrote. They established control over Malwa after the Battle of Bhopal. The Bengal raids were under Baji Rao’s successors.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Which of the following countries borders Somalia?

1. Ethiopia

2. Tanzania

3. Sudan

4. Kenya

5. Eretria

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 4 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 1, 3 and 5

(d) 2 and 5 only

Explanation

— The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) reportedly drew plans to analyse how Palestinians in Gaza could be shifted to other countries, including Somalia, under a project to “redevelop” a region which has long seen conflict over land and identity.

— According to the FT’s inquiry, BCG was contracted for the “relocation” project for approximately seven months at a cost of nearly $4 million (roughly Rs 35 crore). “One scenario estimated more than 500,000 Gazans would leave the enclave with” relocation packages “worth $9,000 per person, or around $5bn in total,” the newspaper reported. Gaza’s overall population is approximately 2 million.

— Somalia is surrounded by three countries: Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, and Kenya to the southwest. It also shares a shoreline with the Gulf of Aden to the north and the Indian Ocean to the east.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 6

With reference to the refugees, consider the following statements:

1. The UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951, lays down the obligations of states to protect refugees and grant them a minimum standard of care.

2. India is one of the UN member states that is a signatory to the UN Refugee Treaty.

3. According to a report by the National Human Rights Commission, India does not have any refugees from Myanmar.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— The Supreme Court will decide whether the Rohingya in India “are entitled to be declared as ‘refugees’” or whether they are “illegal entrants”. If they are refugees, the court will consider “what protections, privileges or rights they are entitled to”. And if they are not, whether the central or state governments are obligated to deport them in accordance with law.

— The UN defines refugees as people who have been forced to flee their country of origin and are unable or unwilling to return due to a “well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion”.

— The UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951, lays down the obligations of states to protect refugees and grant them a minimum standard of care. The convention has been signed and ratified by 149 UN member states. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— A large number of refugees from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Myanmar and Afghanistan – at least 2,09,028, according to a report by the National Human Rights Commission published in July 2024 – live in India. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— India is one of the 44 UN member states that is not a signatory to the UN refugee treaty. There is no national refugee law in India, which means that India does not legally recognise refugees or distinguish between refugees and other foreign nationals entering Indian territory. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 7

“Rudrastra” refers to the:

(a) Longest freight train of Indian Railways.

(b) Indigenous air-to-air missile developed by DRDO.

(c) New semi-high-speed passenger train under the Vande Bharat series.

(d) Underwater surveillance system for the Indian Navy.

Explanation

— Indian Railways (IR) has set a new record by operating the country’s longest freight train. The initiative, undertaken by the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Division of the East Central Railway (ECR), is aimed at boosting freight capacity.

— The national transporter successfully operated “Rudrastra,” a long freight train formed by combining six empty BOXN rakes, from Ganjkhwaja station of the DDU Division. This freight train is about 4.5 km long, and is the longest freight train of Indian Railways till date.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 8

With reference to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), consider the following statements:

1. It is a regional free trade agreement between ASEAN countries and Indo-Pacific countries.

2. India is a member of RCEP.

3. The RCEP has its headquarters in Manila, Philippines.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) None

Explanation

— India’s last-minute decision in November 2019 to withdraw from joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a mega-regional pact and the most expansive regional trade agreement that India had ever negotiated, was triggered by a belated rethink in New Delhi policy circles.

— RCEP is a regional free trade agreement that complements and builds upon Australia’s existing free trade agreements with 14 other Indo-Pacific countries. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The RCEP came into force on January 1, 2022, for 10 original parties: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. RCEP then went into effect for the Republic of Korea on February 1, 2022, Malaysia on March 18, 2022, Indonesia on January 2, 2023, and the Philippines on June 2, 2023. The RCEP is the world’s largest free trade agreement in terms of member GDP.

— India withdrew from RCEP negotiations in November 2019, and on November 15, 2020, Leaders endorsed the Ministerial Declaration on India’s Participation in RCEP, which states that India may begin RCEP accession negotiations at any time after the Agreement enters into force. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) does not have a traditional headquarters in the sense of a single physical office. Instead, RCEP is managed through a structure involving the ASEAN Secretariat, the RCEP Joint Committee, and other subsidiary bodies. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 9

What is/are the eligibility criteria for an SFB to transition into a universal bank according to the RBI?

1. Scheduled status with a satisfactory track record of performance for a minimum period of two years.

2. Listing on a recognised stock exchange and minimum net worth of Rs 1,000 crore as at the end of the previous quarter (audited).

3. Meet the prescribed CRAR requirements for SFBs.

4. Having a net profit in the last two financial years and gross NPA and net NPA of less than or equal to 3 per cent and 1 per cent respectively in the last two financial years.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 4 only

(b) 1, 2 and 4

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 2, 3 and 4

Explanation

— The Reserve Bank of India has decided to grant ‘in-principle’ approval to AU Small Finance Bank Ltd (AUSFB) for transitioning from a small finance bank (SFB) to a universal bank.

— The universal bank status will allow AU Bank to offer a wide range of financial services and products under one roof without many restrictions unlike a small finance bank.

— According to the RBI, the eligibility criteria for an SFB to transition into a universal bank include scheduled status with a satisfactory track record of performance for a minimum period of five years, listing on a recognised stock exchange and minimum net worth of Rs 1,000 crore as at the end of the previous quarter (audited). They should also meet the prescribed CRAR requirements for SFBs, having a net profit in the last two financial years and gross NPA and net NPA of less than or equal to 3 per cent and 1 per cent respectively in the last two financial years. Hence, statement 1 is not correct, and the rest of the statements are correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 10

Which of the following countries has brokered a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia?

(a) Israel

(b) United States

(c) China

(d) Russia

Explanation

— Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a US-brokered peace agreement during a meeting with US President Donald Trump that would boost bilateral economic ties after decades of conflict and move them toward a full normalization of their relations.

— The deal between the South Caucasus rivals — assuming it holds — would be a significant accomplishment for the Trump administration that is sure to rattle Moscow, which sees the region as within its sphere of influence.

— Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds since the late 1980s when Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous Azerbaijani region mostly populated by ethnic Armenians, broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia. Azerbaijan took back full control of the region in 2023, prompting almost all of the territory’s 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Previous Weekly Quiz

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | July 27 to August 02, 2025

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | July 20 to July 26, 2025

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | July 13 to July 19, 2025

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | July 06 to July 12, 2025

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | June 28 to July 05, 2025

 

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