UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | November 02 to November 08, 2025

QUESTION 1

With reference to the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) initiative, consider the following statements:

1. It is a France-led global fund to reward tropical countries for protecting and expanding forests.

2. It aims to mobilise around USD 125 billion through public and private investment, using returns to pay nations that conserve forests.

3. India has decided not to join the TFFF initiative.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— India said global climate ambition remains inadequate even a decade after the Paris Agreement, as India joined Brazil’s new global fund for tropical forests as an observer and called for developed nations to accelerate emission cuts and deliver promised climate finance. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— India welcomes and supports Brazil’s initiative in establishing the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), representing a significant step towards collective and sustained global action for the preservation of tropical forests. India is pleased to join the Facility as an observer.

— TFFF is a Brazil-led global fund to reward tropical countries for protecting and expanding forests. It aims to mobilise around USD 125 billion through public and private investment, using returns to pay nations that conserve forests. Hence, statement 1 is not correct and statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the Ramman festival, consider the following statements:

1. It is celebrated once in 12 years in late April during Baisakhi.

2. It is a famous festival of Uttarakhand.

3. The festival involves theatrical performances of the Ramayana and local legends.

4. In 2009, Ramman was inscribed in the list of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Explanation

— President Droupadi Murmu attended a special session of the Uttarakhand Assembly on Monday, where Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan presented her with a Ramman mask and a book on the centuries-old festival celebrated in the state’s Garhwal region.

About Ramman

— Ramman is a festival celebrated annually in late April during Baisakhi at the twin villages of Saloor-Dungra in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli. It is dedicated to the tutelary god, Bhumiyal Devta, a local divinity whose temple houses most of the festivities. Hence, statement 1 is not correct and statement 2 is correct.

— The festival involves theatrical performances of the Ramayana and local legends, in which people sing songs and wear masks while dancing. There are 18 different types of masks made of Bhojpatra, Himalayan birch, that performers wear during the event. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— In 2009, Ramman was inscribed in the list of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. According to UNESCO, the festival is a multiform cultural event that reflects the environmental, spiritual, and cultural concepts of the community, recounting its founding myths and strengthening its sense of self-worth by combining theatre, music, historical reconstructions, and traditional oral and written tales. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

— According to the Ministry of Tourism, Ramman begins with an invocation to the Hindu god Ganesha, followed by the dance of the Sun God, an enactment of the myth of the birth of Brahma and Ganesha. The other dances include the dance of the Bur Deva along with Krishna and Radhika. After these initial performances, the focus now shifts to the enactment of the local Ramkatha (tale of Lord Ram). Episodes from Ram’s life are sung to a total of 324 beats and steps.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

Recently, which of the following countries has tested the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile?

(a) Russia

(b) Ukraine

(c) United States

(d) North Korea

Explanation

— Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had tested its Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile.

— What makes this missile special is its in-built capability of not only carrying a nuclear warhead but also being nuclear-powered. The 9M730 Burevestnik translates to ‘storm petrel’, a bird that is believed to forecast a storm. NATO calls it the SSC-X-9 Skyfall.

— The Burevestnik missile is a nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile with “unlimited range and unpredictable trajectory.

— Burevestnik is a low-flying cruise missile. The trajectory of cruise missiles is comparatively lower in height than that of hypersonic or ballistic missiles.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

Consider the following statements about the Umngot River:

1. The river flows through the East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya.

2. The river forms part of the international boundary flowing between India and Myanmar.

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

— Meghalaya’s Umngot river, famed for its picturesque crystal-clear water, is murky this year, triggering alarm in the state.

— The river flows through the West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya and its pristine water in the winter makes locations along it such as Dawki and Shnongpdeng among the top tourist attractions in the state. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

(File Image)

— The river flows near the India–Bangladesh border, not Myanmar. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— However, this year, even as the peak tourist season, central to the local economy, has dawned, the river is murky and opaque.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

With reference to the System ‘DRISHTI’, consider the following statements:

1. Indian Railways is planning to install Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based technology to enhance the safety of freight trains.

2. It is a Locking Monitoring System.

3. It will reduce the traditionally manual checks, which are not only time-consuming but also impractical for long-haul rakes under dynamic conditions.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) 2 and 3 only

Explanation

— Indian Railways is planning to install Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based technology to enhance the safety of freight trains. The move also aims at addressing the operational challenges in detecting unlocked or tampered doors in moving freight stock, which pose significant safety and security concerns. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— This new AI-based Locking Monitoring System ‘DRISHTI’ will reduce the traditionally manual checks which are not only time-consuming but also impractical for long-haul rakes under dynamic conditions. The prototype system has already been developed and has been under successful trial for the past ten months approximately on selected wagons. Hence, statements 2 and 3 are correct.

— This new technology is being developed through a collaborative initiative between the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) and Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati Technology Innovation and Development Foundation (IITG TIDF).

— It identified the need for an intelligent, real-time monitoring solution that could autonomously detect and alert for anomalies in door locking mechanisms, especially during transit, using advanced computer vision and machine learning algorithms.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 6

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed an agreement for the supply of 113 F404-GE-IN20 engines, which will power the indigenously-built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk 1A, with which defence firm?

(a) American defence major General Electric

(b) French aerospace company Safran

(c) British defence firm BAE Systems

(d) Russian aerospace corporation United Aircraft Corporation (UAC)

Explanation

— The state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and American defence major General Electric signed an agreement for the supply of 113 F404-GE-IN20 engines, which will power the indigenously-built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk 1A.

(file image)

— HAL said that the agreement has been signed for the supply of 113 engines and support package for the execution of the 97 LCA Mk 1A programme. The order for the 113 engines is worth over $1 billion.

— HAL and GE have been negotiating on the procurement of the 113 F404 engines that will power its LCA Mk 1As. HAL has also been talking with GE on finalising the finer details of the joint production of the F414 engines, which will power the Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 jets for the IAF.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 7

Recently, a brigade HQ at Chushul, Leh and border outposts of Indo-Tibetan at Qazi Langar near Depsang have been approved, which passes through:

1. Changthang Cold Desert Sanctuary

2. Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary

3. Dachigam National Park

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation

— The standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) has recommended approval for 12 key defence projects in Ladakh, of which, Defence Ministry has said, some are necessary for “high level of operational preparedness” in the context of “increasing assertiveness of People’s Liberation Army (PLA)”. The panel is chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.

— The projects, including a training node at Tara, an artillery battery in Leh, two formation ammunition storage facilities (FASF), a brigade HQ at Chushul, Leh and border outposts of Indo-Tibetan at Qazi Langar near Depsang, have been approved across Changthang Cold Desert Sanctuary and Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary, according to the minutes of the panel’s October 29 meeting.

— Additionally, it also approved construction of an Army camp in Leh and a proposal to construct a 158-m span permanent Pinjoli bridge on the Balipara-Charduar-Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh’s Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 8

Which of the following development projects are related to India-Bhutan?

1. Punatsangchhu-II Hydropower Project

2. Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project

3. Banarhat–Samtse railway link

4. Kokrajhar–Gelephu railway link

5. Jogbani–Biratnagar Integrated Check Post

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 3, 4 and 5

(d) 1, 3 and 4

Explanation

— Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Bhutan next week for his fourth trip to the Himalayan nation since 2014. Though the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has yet to announce the visit, the two-day trip is expected to focus on energy cooperation and connectivity, according to sources.

— The visit will coincide with the 70th birthday celebrations of former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the father of the current monarch, and feature the inauguration of the 1,020 megawatt Punatsangchhu-II Hydropower Project, which has been financed through a mix of Indian grants and loans.

— PM Modi is also expected to review progress on two new India-Bhutan railway projects: the Kokrajhar–Gelephu link connecting Assam to southern Bhutan, and the Banarhat–Samtse line connecting West Bengal to southwestern Bhutan.

— Jogbani-Biratnagar Integrated Check Post is a project that connects India and Nepal, not Bhutan.

— The Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project is a joint project between India and Myanmar that connects Kolkata Port to Sittwe Port in Myanmar.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 9

With reference to emissions, consider the following statements:

1. Net-zero emissions is a situation in which a country’s total greenhouse gas emissions being released in the atmosphere are balanced with absorption or capture of these gases.

2. A net-negative situation will arise when the absorptions or capture are lower than emissions.

3. India plans to achieve net-zero by 2050.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— With current levels of global climate action unable to make any significant dent in rising temperatures, India has called on developed countries not just to achieve net-zero emissions status earlier than scheduled but to begin targeting net-negative emissions.

— Net-zero emissions is a situation in which a country’s total greenhouse gas emissions being released in the atmosphere are balanced with absorption or capture of these gases either in natural sinks like forests or through technological interventions like carbon capture and sequestration. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— A net-negative situation will arise when the absorptions or capture exceed emissions. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The world as a whole has set 2050 as its target year to achieve net-zero status, while individual developed countries have set varying deadlines between 2040 and 2050. China, the world’s largest emitter, has announced that it aims to become net-zero by 2060, while India plans to achieve net-zero by 2070. No country has a declared plan to achieve a net-negative emission status as of now. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 10

The ‘Ayni airbase’ was recently in the news. It is located in:

(a) Tajikistan

(b) Ukraine

(c) Uzbekistan

(d) Egypt

Explanation

— Last month, it came to light that India no longer operates its erstwhile overseas airbase in Tajikistan that gave it a strategic heft in central Asia.

— In 2022, India started quietly withdrawing its military personnel and equipment from the Ayni airbase in Tajikistan, which it had built and maintained for the last two decades.

— Ayni was India’s only full-fledged overseas base, and its location offered India a military foothold in central Asia and leverage over Pakistan. Its presence projected influence in the region dominated by major powers like Russia and China.

— It was a key airbase of India in a strategic location in Tajikistan, where India first deployed military personnel when it was supporting the earlier Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, which was fighting the Taliban.

— It is located around 20 km from Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, which shares a boundary with the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and with China’s Xinjiang province.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 11

‘Operation Pimple’ was recently seen in the news. It is related to:

(a) A humanitarian relief mission by the Indian Army during the floods in Uttarakhand in 2025.

(b) A covert cyber-intelligence operation targeting cross-border malware originating from across the LoC.

(c) A counter-drug operation by India’s Narcotics Control Bureau focused on smuggling routes in Punjab.

(d) None of the above

Explanation

— Two infiltrators were killed in a gunfight while trying to cross over into the valley in the Keran sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara early Saturday morning, said the Army.

— A joint team of forces launched Operation Pimple against the infiltrators on Friday evening after inputs about militants trying to infiltrate into the valley, said officials.

— They said that as the operation was launched, the forces observed suspicious movement in the area and challenged the infiltrating militants. “On being cornered, the militants opened indiscriminate fire and tried to break the security cordon,” an official said.

— “On 07 Nov 2025, based on specific intelligence input from agencies, regarding an infiltration attempt, a joint operation was launched in the Keran sector of Kupwara. Alert troops spotted suspicious activity and challenged which resulted in terrorists opening indiscriminate fire. Contact established and terrorists trapped,” Army’s valley-based 15 Corps posted on X.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 12

With reference to the term “G-2”, sometimes seen in international relations, consider the following statements:

1. The term “G-2” was first coined by an economist in 2005.

2.It was proposed as a framework for the United States to cultivate key bilateral relationships amid changing global power equations.

3. The countries and entities identified under the “G-2” idea included the European Union, China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation

— While foreign policy analysts have come to expect the unexpected from Trump, this was unusual even within that context. It was, after all, a US President acknowledging China’s great power status, treating it as somewhat equal to the US in the global power hierarchy.

— “G-2” was first coined in 2005 by economist and author C. Fred Bergsten, then Director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, in his book The United States and the World Economy. He wrote that amid changing power equations, the US needed to focus on cultivating some key bilateral relationships, calling them the “G-2”. These included the “European Union (for macroeconomic, monetary, and some other issues), China (inter alia for global growth, exchange rates, and energy), Japan (for trade and to counter China’s rise), and Saudi Arabia (for energy).”

— It became part of policy debates in the wake of the international financial crisis of 2008. Bergsten later defended the concept, writing in Foreign Affairs magazine that it was never meant to replace any other relationships, or groups like the G-20 (which includes India) or institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organisation.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 13

Consider the following statements:

1. Cloning an animal may involve taking a cell and removing its nucleus, which contains the cell’s genetic material, and implanting this nucleus into an empty egg cell.

2. Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, was a sheep.

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

— In retirement, Tom Brady, the former star quarterback, found what he called a “second chance.” Brady revealed Tuesday that his dog Junie is actually a clone of another dog he and his ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen, shared that died in late 2023.

— Scientists had long believed that mature cells, like heart cells or kidney cells, had specific functions and couldn’t be reprogrammed. But in the 1990s, a team of Scottish researchers cloned a sheep by taking a cell from its mammary gland; removing its nucleus, which contained the cell’s genetic material; implanting this nucleus into an empty egg cell; and spurring the cell to start dividing.

— The scientists transferred the resulting embryo into a surrogate, which led to the birth of Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, in July 1996.

— In the nearly three decades since, dozens of animals have been cloned using the same basic principles. In 2005, South Korean researchers announced that they had cloned a dog for the first time.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 14

With reference to Fujian, Liaoning and Shandong consider the following statements:

1. These are names of China’s third aircraft carrier.

2. All three use electromagnetic catapult technology.

Which of the above given statements is/are correct:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— After extensive trials, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has officially inducted Fujian, China’s third aircraft carrier, and its most advanced one yet. China President Xi Jinping boarded Fujian for an inspection tour in the city of Sanya in southern Hainan province on Wednesday, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.

— For the world’s largest navy, Fujian is a significant force multiplier, one that will allow the PLAN to project power far beyond Chinese shores.

— Taking off from the limited space of an aircraft carrier is no mean feat. With the exception of aircraft capable of vertical takeoff (like the Harrier jump jet or the more modern F-35B), most need some assistance to take to the skies.

— The two older Chinese carriers, Russia-designed Liaoning and Shandong, as well as the two Indian carriers currently in service, relied on ramps to launch aircraft. Although cheaper and easier to operate, carriers in this configuration can only launch lighter aircraft with smaller payloads.

— To fling heavier aircraft into the sky, an extra push is needed: one that can be provided by catapults. These complex systems are expensive to build and maintain, but the added acceleration from the catapults boosts operational flexibility.

— Fujian is the first Chinese carrier, and the 13th carrier currently in service (after 11 American carriers and one French carrier), to use this technology. Fujian is also only the second carrier after the USS Gerald R Ford to use electromagnetic catapults; the old Nimitz class carriers and the French carrier Charles de Gaulle use steam catapults.

— Chinese state media claims that Xi had personally made the decision to adopt electromagnetic catapult technology.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 15

American molecular biologist James Dewey Watson recently died at the age of 97. He is most noted for his discovery of —

(a) The structure of DNA

(b) Regulatory T cells

(c) MicroRNA

(d) None of the above

Explanation

— American molecular biologist James Dewey Watson, most noted for his discovery of the structure of DNA, has died at the age of 97. According to The New York Times, Watson died on Thursday in East Northport, on Long Island, New York.

— Considered one of the most important scientists of the 20th century, Watson and his co-author Francis Crick In a 1953 academic paper in Nature, proposed the double helix structure of the DNA molecule.

— Nine years later, Watson, Crick, and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material”.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Previous Weekly Quiz

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | October 26 to November 01, 2025

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

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | October 12 to October 18, 2025

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | October 05 to October 11, 2025

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | September 28 to October 04, 2025

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