UPSC Editorials Quiz : 2 April 2025

Solution: c)

• The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), which flourished around 2600–1900 BCE, was primarily located in the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent, including the Indus River basin and the now-dry Ghaggar-Hakra river system, which many scholars associate with the ancient Saraswati River mentioned in Vedic texts.
• Numerous settlements such as Kalibangan and Banawali were found along the Ghaggar-Hakra, indicating its importance.
• IVC is well known for its expertise in metallurgy, especially in crafting tools, ornaments, and statues using copper, bronze, lead, and tin.
• However, iron was notably absent from their material culture, as it came into use much later in the Indian subcontinent during the later Vedic period. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
• The presence of sophisticated metallurgy but absence of iron is a key characteristic that distinguishes the IVC from later Iron Age cultures.

Solution: c)

• Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) are a key innovation in reducing the aviation sector’s carbon footprint. These fuels are derived from renewable biological sources such as algae, waste cooking oils, agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, and non-food crops. Thus, statement 1 is correct.
• SAFs have been proven to significantly lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions—up to 80% in some cases—compared to conventional fossil-based jet fuels, making statement 3 correct as well.
• Moreover, SAFs are designed to be “drop-in” fuels, meaning they can be blended with existing jet fuels and used in current aircraft engines and airport fueling infrastructure without any modifications. Hence, statement 4 is also correct.
• However, statement 2 is inaccurate. SAFs are not limited to experimental aircraft; they have been used in thousands of commercial flights worldwide. Major airlines and airports have already incorporated SAFs into their operations, indicating their growing commercial viability.

Solution: a)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• The Union Cabinet had approved the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats schemefor the 15th Finance Commission cycle.
• The scheme supports key initiatives like Project Tiger, Project Elephant, and Development of Wildlife Habitat.
• The initiative focuses on boosting technological interventions, including the use of AI, camera traps, and conservation genetics for wildlife monitoring.
• Additionally, it supports projects like Project Dolphin and Project Lion, leveraging advanced tools for species conservation.

Solution: b)

Statement 1 is incorrect as PLFS is conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO), not the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Statement 2 is correct because PLFS covers households from both rural and urban areas.

Statement 3 is also correct, as one of the primary objectives of PLFS is to track unemployment rates across different demographic groups.

Statement 4 is incorrect because PLFS data is used for labour-related policies, not inflation-related policies.

Solution: d)

The Indus Valley Civilization worshiped mother goddesses, Mesopotamia had ziggurats and palaces, Egypt used hieroglyphic writing, and the Yellow River Civilization used Oracle bone script.