UPSC Editorials Quiz : 28 August 2025

Solution: D

• The Ninth Schedule was introduced with the primary objective of protecting laws related to agrarian reforms and the abolition of the zamindari system from being challenged in courts.
• At the time of the First Amendment, several state governments were facing legal hurdles in implementing land reform legislation, and the Ninth Schedule was seen as a way to overcome these challenges. The initial list of 13 laws in the schedule predominantly dealt with these issues.
• The Ninth Schedule is not a mechanism for the central government to legislate on state subjects. The “basic structure” doctrine is directly relevant to the Ninth Schedule, as established in the R. Coelho case. The number of laws in the Ninth Schedule has grown significantly over the years.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct. Begum Rokeya was a pioneering social reformer whose primary weapons were her pen and her educational initiatives. Her satirical feminist utopia, Sultana’s Dream, and her relentless campaign for the Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ School showcase her focus on using literature and education to challenge patriarchy.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. Kalpana Datta was a key member of Surya Sen’s group and participated in the Chittagong Armoury Raid (1930). The attack on the European Club (1932) was led by Pritilata Waddedar.
• Statement 3 is correct. Bina Das’s revolutionary zeal was evident before her famous assassination attempt. Her earlier acts of defiance, such as wearing khadi (a symbol of Gandhian nationalism) and using her university examinations as a platform to write about banned revolutionary literature, demonstrated her intellectual and political commitment.
• Statement 4 is incorrect. Matangini Hazra, known as “Gandhi Buri,” was a Gandhian and participated in the Quit India Movement. She represents grassroots, popular resistance. The activities of smuggling arms are associated with revolutionaries from groups like Jugantar, such as Kamala Das Gupta, not Matangini Hazra.

Solution: C

• Statement-I is correct. The adoption of SAF in India faces several challenges, including its high cost, the difficulty in collecting feedstock from dispersed sources, and resistance from airlines due to fears of increased fuel costs. These hurdles need to be addressed for the widespread adoption of SAF.
• Statement-II is incorrect. SAF is currently nearly three times costlier than conventional jet fuel. The production of SAF also faces challenges in scaling up to meet the demands of the aviation industry. The high cost and production challenges are major impediments to its adoption, not facilitators.

Solution: C

• Statement I is correct. Climate change is one of the major threats to the survival of Arctic Reindeer.
• Statement II is correct and explains one of the primary mechanisms through which climate change impacts reindeer. Warmer temperatures in the Arctic can lead to rain-on-snow events in winter. The rain freezes into a layer of ice, preventing the reindeer from accessing the lichens, their primary winter food source. This can lead to starvation and population decline.

Statement III is incorrect. Industrial development in the Arctic, including oil and gas exploration and mining, leads to habitat degradation and fragmentation, which is a threat to reindeer populations, not an expansion of their habitat.

Solution: A

• Jammu & Kashmir (A): According to Section 14 of the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 (as amended in 2023), the Lieutenant Governor may nominate up to five members to the assembly. This includes specific representation for two women, two Kashmiri migrants, and one displaced person from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Therefore, A matches with 3.
• Puducherry (B): Under Section 3 of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, the Central Government has the authority to nominate up to three members to the Puducherry Legislative Assembly. This power has been a subject of judicial scrutiny and has been upheld by the courts. Therefore, B matches with 1.
• Delhi (C): The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act, 1991, which governs the Delhi Legislative Assembly, has no provision for nominated members. The assembly consists solely of 70 elected members. Therefore, C matches with 2.