UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | February 23 to March 01, 2025

QUESTION 1

With reference to methane in Arctic glaciers, consider the following statements:

1. Methane concentrations in the melt river were up to 800 times higher than the atmospheric equilibrium level.

2. The methane released was produced by microbial activity from biogenic sources.

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

— A team of scientists discovered that Arctic glaciers are releasing large volumes of methane, a strong greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. The researchers discovered that glacial melt rivers and groundwater springs emit enormous amounts of methane from beneath the glacier into the atmosphere.

— The study focused on Vallåkrabreen, a tiny valley glacier in central Svalbard. They investigate at methane levels in groundwater springs and the melt river that flows from the glacier.

— “The results were stunning. According to the Science Daily study, methane concentrations in the melt river were up to 800 times greater than the atmospheric equilibrium level. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Notably, the methane being released was not caused by microbiological activity beneath the ice (biogenic sources). Rather, it originates from thermogenic sources, specifically methane trapped in the region’s ancient geological formations for millions of years. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Methane is one of the primary causes of climate change, accounting for 30% of warming since preindustrial times, second only to carbon dioxide. According to a United Nations Environment Programme research, methane is 80 times more effective than carbon dioxide in terms of warming over 20 years.

— It is also the principal cause of ground-level ozone, a colourless and very unpleasant gas that forms just above the Earth’s surface. According to a 2022 research, exposure to ground-level ozone could be responsible for 1 million premature deaths annually.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to India’s relations with the European Union (EU), consider the following statements:

1. India established diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community — the first pillar of the future European Union in 1962.

2. The first India-EU Summit was held in Lisbon in 2000.

3. The bilateral relationship was upgraded to a Strategic Partnership in 2004.

4. The EU is India’s largest trading partner in goods.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Explanation

— At a time when relations between Europe and the United States are strained, a strong delegation of European Commission College of Commissioners is in New Delhi for a two-day visit.

— Meetings of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC), bilaterals between Indian Ministers and EU Commissioners, and a leaders’ summit will broaden engagement and boost trade and investment in a variety of fields. These include AI and semiconductors, as well as green hydrogen, sustainable urbanisation, water management, resilient supply chains, defence, and space.

— India established diplomatic ties with the European Economic Community (the first pillar of the future European Union) in 1962. The Joint Political Statement of 1993 and the Cooperation Agreement of 1994 cleared the door for closer connections between India and Europe. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The multi-tier institutional architecture of cooperation has been presided over by India-EU Summits, 15 of which have been held thus far. The first Summit took place in Lisbon in June 2000, and the bilateral relationship was promoted to Strategic Partnership at the fifth Summit in The Hague in 2004. Hence, statements 2 and 3 are correct.

— India and the EU have been negotiating a free trade agreement for the past decade and a half. The economic case for a deal is compelling: the EU is India’s largest trading partner in goods, and bilateral commerce has expanded by 90% over the last decade. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

The blue colour of oceans is the result of:

(a) Polarization

(b) Reflection

(c) Scattering of light

(d) Interference

Explanation

— February 28 is marked as National Science Day in India. Unlike many commemorative days, this day is not the birth or death anniversary of a person, but the anniversary of a scientific discovery — on this day in 1928, Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman discovered a new way light scatters. This was later known as the ‘Raman Effect’, and won him the Nobel Prize in Physics 1930.

— According to the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), the National Council for Science and Technology Communication petitioned the Government of India in 1986 to declare February 28 as National Science Day.

— The government agreed, and the inaugural National Science Day was held on February 28, 1987. “The basic objective of the observation of National Science Day is to spread the message of the importance of science and its application among the people,” according to the NCSM website.

— This year’s National Science Day theme is ‘Empowering Indian Youth for Global Leadership in Science & Innovation for Viksit Bharat.’

What is the Raman Effect?

— When light strikes a material, it interacts with its molecules, exchanging energy. When this light is scattered by the substance, a piece of it has a different wavelength and therefore a different colour. The blue colour of oceans, caused by the scattering of light by water molecules, is one example of this, as well as the phenomena that led Raman to his discovery. Similarly, the sky’s blue colour results from sunlight being scattered by air molecules.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

Consider the following statements about measles:

1. It is a highly contagious disease caused by bacteria.

2. It first affects the respiratory tract.

3. It does not spread from an infected person through breathing and coughing.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1 and 3 only

Explanation

— A toddler died of measles in rural West Texas, marking the first death from the disease in the United States in ten years.

— The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines measles as a highly contagious virus-borne disease. It first affects the respiratory tract, causing symptoms like as high fever, cough, runny nose, and a distinctive rash all over the body. A serious infection may be lethal. Hence, statement 1 is not correct and statement 2 is correct.

— While measles spreads through breathing, coughing, or sneezing, vaccination provides good viral protection. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— Mennonites are a branch of Anabaptist Christianity. Anabaptists think that baptism should only be conducted on adults who are capable of making their own decisions.

— Mennonites are named after a Dutch priest, Menno Simons (1496–1561). Anabaptists have historically been persecuted by both Catholic and Protestant administrations, and as a result, some remain sceptical of the government. This is one of the reasons why more conservative Mennonites do not vaccinate their children.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

With reference to the delimitation, consider the following statements:

1. It is a Constitutional mandate to readjust the number of seats in Parliament.

2. It does not alter the boundaries of constituencies.

3. The seats of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and State legislative Assemblies were re-distributed throughout the country for the first time in 1962.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 2 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 only

(d) 1 and 3 only

Explanation

— Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that southern states would not lose “even a single seat” during delimitation, alleviating long-held concerns among states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala about losing representation in Parliament if delimitation was carried out using the most recent demographic figures.

— Delimitation is a constitutional duty that must be carried out following each census in order to alter the number of members in Parliament and the boundaries of constituencies based on the most recent population data. The goal is to guarantee that each constituency has nearly the same population. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is not correct.

— Until 1976, the seats in the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies were redistributed across the country following each Indian Census. This happened three times, depending on the basis of the Censuses of 1951, 1961, and 1971. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— During the Emergency, the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution was passed, freezing the overall number of parliamentary and state assembly seats until the 2001 census. This was done to allow states with greater rates of population growth to pursue family planning policies without losing representation in Parliament.

— Constituency borders changed in 2001. However, the number of seats in Lok Sabha for each state remained the same, as did the strength of the state legislative assemblies. This was primarily due to opposition from southern states.

— States in peninsular India believe that delimitation based on the most recent demographic figures will cut their representation in Parliament, so weakening their political power.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 6

With reference to the new space telescope, called Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx), consider the following:

1. It will map the universe while detecting only the optical light and not the infrared light.

2. The primary aim of SPHEREx is to measure cosmic inflation.

3. It will identify water- and life-forming molecules in the Milky Way galaxy.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to launch its new megaphone-shaped space telescope on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

— SPHEREx will map the universe by detecting two types of cosmic light: optical and infrared. The human eye can see optical light, but infrared light is invisible to it. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— While JWST excels at monitoring very confined parts of the universe, SPHERE will picture the entire sky as seen from Earth.

— One of the key goals of SPHEREx will be to measure something called cosmic inflation. It alludes to a period approximately 14 billion years ago when the cosmos expanded faster than light for a fraction of a second. However, cosmic inflation is still poorly understood. SPHEREx can help fix this. The telescope will employ spectroscopic pictures to determine the 3D position of around 450 million galaxies throughout cosmic history. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— SPHEREx will look for water- and life-forming chemicals (such as carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen) in the Milky Way galaxy. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The new telescope will help to answer the enigma by providing a comprehensive census of the Milky Way galaxy’s ice biogenic components. SPHEREx will look for these compounds not only in this galaxy but also in adjacent systems.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 7

With reference to the Olive ridley turtles, consider the following statements:

1. They are the largest of all sea turtles in the world and their population is declining rapidly.

2. They inhabit the cold waters of the Antarctica and Pacific Oceans.

3. They are best known for their unique mass nesting.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 3 only

Explanation

— Between February 16 and February 25, around seven lakh Olive Ridley turtles laid eggs at the Rushikulya ‘rookery’ or nesting area in Odisha’s Ganjam district.

— The olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) is the world’s smallest and most abundant sea turtle. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— Their name comes from the olive green colour of their heart-shaped shell, and they reside in the warm seas of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG), the population number of these sea turtles has decreased by 50% since the 1960s. Long-term egg collecting and mass killing of adult females on nesting beaches, as well as unintentional capture in fishing gear, which can result in drowning or fatal injuries, are the primary causes of their decrease.

— These sea reptiles are well renowned for their remarkable mass nesting, also known as arribada (Spanish for “arrival”), in which hundreds of females gather on the same beach to lay eggs. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— Arribada nesting is exclusively observed in the genus Lepidochelys, which includes the Kemp’s ridley and olive ridley sea turtles.

— The Olive ridley’s largest mass nesting site is the coast of Odisha (which includes the Rushikulya and Gahirmatha rookeries), followed by the coastlines of Mexico and Costa Rica.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 8

With reference to the University Education Commission of 1948-49, consider the following statements:

1. It was chaired by Dr Rajendra Prasad.

2. The commission favoured English as India’s federal language, to be used for all federal activities — administrative, educational and cultural.

3. The commission proposed the three-language formula for school education.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— The Centre has withheld funds for the Samagra Shiksha scheme in Tamil Nadu due to the state’s refusal to implement the New Education Policy (NEP) of 2020.

— Tamil Nadu has a nearly century-long history of anti-Hindi agitations. Unlike most other states, especially southern states like Kerala and Karnataka, it uses a two-language system in which pupils are exclusively taught Tamil and English.

— Since Independence, there has been a discussion over language policy in education, including the medium of instruction and language teaching. The University Education Commission of 1948-49, chaired by Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who went on to become India’s second President, investigated this issue in depth. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The Radhakrishnan Commission recommended Hindi (Hindustani) as India’s federal language, to be used for all federal operations (administrative, educational, and cultural), with regional languages serving the provinces. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— At the same time, the Commission acknowledged that immediately abandoning English would be impractical. It declared that English would have to continue as “the medium for Federal business” until all provinces are ready for the move and have “spread the Federal language adequately”.

— This Commission proposed what became known as the three-language formula for school education. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The National Education Commission of 1964-66 (Kothari Commission) supported this plan, which was later incorporated into the Indira Gandhi government’s National Policy on Education of 1968.

— The National Policy on Education of 1986, established by the Rajiv Gandhi government, and the most recent NEP of 2020 both retained this formula, but the latter allows for more freedom in its execution.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 9

With reference to the NAKSHA initiative, consider the following statements:

1. It is a city survey initiative under the existing Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP).

2. The initiative is under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

3. It is launched in cities which meet two criteria: area less than 35 sq km, and population less than 2 lakhs.

4. It aims to create a comprehensive and accurate geospatial database for urban land records.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Explanation

— Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the Central government’s new initiative—‘NAtional geospatial Knowledge-based land Survey of urban HAbitations’ (NAKSHA) from Raisen in Madhya Pradesh.

— NAKSHA is a city survey program inside the existing Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP). It is led by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) of the Ministry of Rural Development. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is not correct.

— Under the new effort, maps of towns and cities will be created. The program has been introduced as a pilot in 152 urban local bodies in 26 states. The selected cities meet two criteria: they have an area of less than 35 square kilometres and a population of less than 2 lakh people. The pilot will be finished in one year. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The DoLR states, “The NAKSHA program aims to create a comprehensive and accurate geospatial database for urban land records.” By combining aerial and field surveys with powerful GIS technology, the initiative improves land governance efficiency, streamlines property ownership data, and simplifies urban planning. Accurate geospatial data enables better decision-making, effective land use planning, and smoother property transactions.” Hence, statement 4 is correct.

— According to the 2011 Census, India has 7,933 towns that cover 1.02 lakh square km of the country’s total geographical area of 32.87 lakh square kilometres. NAKSHA will occupy 4,142.63 square km.

— The initiative is 100 per cent centrally funded. The pilot project is projected to cost approximately Rs 194 crore. The unit cost varies based on the camera used. The cost of a conventional camera ranges between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 per square kilometre, while a 3D camera costs around Rs 60,000.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 10

With reference to the Jhumur dance, consider the following statements:

1. It is the folk dance of the Sadan ethnolinguistic group.

2. The tea garden community brought this cultural practice from central India to Assam.

3. Men are the main dancers and singers, while women play traditional instruments.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed the “biggest ever” jhumur (also spelt jhumoir or jhumair) event. Some 8,600 dancers performed in Guwahati’s Sarusajai Stadium at the Jhumoir Binandini 2025 to mark the 200th anniversary of Assam’s tea industry.

What is the tea garden community?

— The phrase “tea tribe” refers to a diverse, multi-ethnic group of tea garden workers and their descendants. These people migrated from Central India, primarily from present-day Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal, and arrived in Assam in the nineteenth century to work in the tea gardens that the British were developing. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— This migration was frequently forced, and even when it wasn’t, it occurred under severely exploitative conditions. Not only did migrants work in deplorable circumstances at tea estates for pitiful wages, but they were also unable to escape. Thousands died of diseases on the trek to Assam and on the tea gardens, while hundreds were killed or severely punished by British planters for attempting to flee the estates.

— The tea garden community introduced a diverse range of cultural practices (Jhumur dance) from their home countries to Assam.

— Jhumur is the folk dance of the Sadan ethnolinguistic group, which originated in the Chotanagpur region. Today, it plays a significant role in “tea garden festivals,” or festivities held by tea garden workers in Assam. The most important are the Tushu Puja and Karam Puja, which commemorate the upcoming harvest. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Women are the primary dancers and vocalists, with males playing traditional instruments such as madal, dhol, or dhak (drums), cymbals, flutes, and shehnai. The dress worn varies by community, but red and white sarees are very popular among women. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 11

The Kurds are an ethnic group concentrated in:

1. Iraq

2. Iran

3. Afghanistan

4. Turkey

5. Egypt

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2, 3 and 5 only

(c) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

(d) 1, 2 and 4 only

Explanation

— Turkey has been battling an armed insurgency led by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a militant group that claims to want better rights for the country’s Kurdish minority.

— The group initiated a violent insurgency against the Turkish state in the early 1980s, initially seeking independence for the Kurds, who are said to account for 15% or more of Turkey’s population.

— Kurds are an ethnic group of around 40 million people, with estimates varied greatly. They are centred in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.

— They speak several dialects of Kurdish, a language that is not linked to Turkish or Arabic. The majority are Sunni Muslims.

— Following World War I, world powers promised the Kurds their own homeland, but this promise was never fulfilled. Kurdish rebellions erupted in numerous nations in subsequent generations, and Kurds’ language and culture were suppressed by the state.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 12

‘Tree Aadhaar’ mission, to conserve chinar trees, has been recently launched by:

(a) Himachal Pradesh

(b) Punjab

(c) Maharashtra

(d) Jammu and Kashmir

Explanation

— Recently, the Jammu and Kashmir government launched the “Tree Aadhaar” mission to conserve the region’s chinar trees, which have been decreasing in number over the years. The initiative involves conducting a census of chinar trees and giving a unique identity to each one of them.

Therefore option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 13

With reference to US President Donald Trump’s new announcement on “Gold Cards”, consider the following statements:

1. It is a new pathway for foreign investors seeking permanent residency in the United States, and ultimately American citizenship.

2. This idea of a system for charging high-net-worth individuals for an expedited path to residency in a country is new and no other country has offered such a program.

Which of the above given statements is/are true?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— US President Donald Trump announced a new pathway for foreign investors seeking permanent residency in the United States, and ultimately American citizenship, through a “Gold Card” on Tuesday (February 25). Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— With a price tag of around $5 million, it would give people Green Card privileges. “Wealthy people would be coming into our country by buying this card,” Trump said.

— The idea of a system for charging high-net-worth individuals for an expedited path to residency in a country is not unique, with more than 100 countries offering such programs. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 14

With reference to ‘All India Time Use Survey’ consider the following statements:

1.The National Statistics Office (NSO) has released the first ever All-India Time Use Survey for the period January-December 2024.

2.The primary objective of the Survey is to measure the number of productive hours of both private and public sector employess.

Which of the above given statements is/are not correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— The National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released the second All-India Time Use Survey for the period January-December 2024. It measures time dispositions by the population on different activities. The primary objective of the Survey is to measure the participation of men and women in paid and unpaid activities. The first All-India survey was conducted during January – December 2019. Only a few countries around the world like Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the USA, and China conduct such a National Time Use Survey to analyze how people allocate their time to various daily activities. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 15

Which is going to be the first of its kind solar mission that has been specifically designed to make use of the polarisation of light to measure the sun’s corona and solar wind in 3D?

(a) SPHEREx

(b) PUNCH

(c) Blue Origin

(d)SpaDex

Explanation

— Nasa is gearing up for a new and first-of-its-kind solar mission that will closely observe the solar atmosphere and reconstruct the formation, trace origins, and map the evolution of solar winds and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), both of which influence space weather.

— The Polarimetry to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission will be launched by SpaceX on February 28. PUNCH will be a constellation of four, suitcase-sized satellites each weighing about 64 kg sent to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The expected mission life is two years.

— It is the first time that a solar mission has been specifically designed to make use of the polarisation of light to measure the corona and solar wind, that too, in 3D.

— Information on space weather and its predictions are vital as any anomaly in space weather can have adverse, direct effects on Earth’s satellite-based communication services, derail GPS-based navigation, cripple power grid operations, and more.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Previous Weekly Quiz

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | February 16 to February 22, 2025

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | February 9 to February 15, 2025

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | February 2 to February 8, 2025

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | January 26 to February 1, 2025

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | January 19 to January 25, 2025

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.