UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 11 September 2025

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is incorrect. Exercise Zapad is a multilateral military exercise hosted by Russia, with participation from India and several other partner nations. It is not an exclusive bilateral exercise between India and Russia.
• Statement 2 is correct. The exercise is designed to simulate high-intensity conventional warfare and counter-terrorism operations in a multinational setting, aiming to enhance the interoperability and tactical capabilities of the participating forces.
• The modern iteration of the Zapad series of exercises is conducted on a quadrennial basis (every four years). The first of the modern series was held in 2009.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is incorrect. To be eligible for the office of Vice President, a person must be qualified for election as a member of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), not the Lok Sabha.
• Statement 2 is correct. As per Article 64 of the Constitution, the Vice President is the ex-officio Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The Vice President can be removed by a resolution of the Rajya Sabha passed by an effective majority (majority of the then total members of the House) and agreed to by the Lok Sabha with a simple majority.
• Statement 4 is incorrect. If the office of the President falls vacant due to death, resignation, or removal, the Vice President acts as President only until a new President is elected, which must be held within six months of the vacancy. The Vice President does not serve the remainder of the deceased President’s term.

Solution: A

• Statement-I is correct. The development of an indigenous malaria vaccine like AdFalciVax is a crucial milestone for India, which carries a significant burden of malaria cases in Southeast Asia. An effective and affordable domestic vaccine will boost the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative in healthcare R&D and reduce dependence on imported vaccines, thereby contributing to the National Framework for Malaria Elimination in India (2016-2030).
• Statement-II is also correct. AdFalciVax is a recombinant chimeric multi-stage vaccine that targets the Plasmodium falciparum parasite at multiple stages of its life cycle. By targeting the parasite before it enters the bloodstream, the vaccine aims to prevent infection in individuals and also minimize the transmission of the parasite within the community. The multi-stage action of the vaccine is the key feature that makes it effective in contributing to malaria elimination goals.

Solution: C

• Statement 1 is incorrect. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is constructed on the Blue Nile River, not the White Nile, in the Guba region of Ethiopia. The Blue Nile is the main tributary of the Nile River, contributing about 85% of its water.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The GERD is a unilateral project initiated by Ethiopia in 2011. It is not a joint project with Sudan and Egypt. In fact, the dam has been a source of significant geopolitical tension between the three countries, with Egypt and Sudan raising concerns about its impact on their water security.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The Blue Nile originates from a spring near Lake Tana in the Ethiopian highlands, not Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria is the source of the White Nile.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is incorrect. Lankhong Puja is celebrated by the Tiwa tribe to offer prayers for a good harvest in the upcoming Rabi season, not the Kharif season. The Rabi cropping season in India is from October to March.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The Tiwa tribe, also known as Lalung, belongs to the Mongoloid ethnic group, not Dravidian. They are primarily found in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura, not Arunachal Pradesh.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The Tiwa language is part of the Tibeto-Burman language family, which is a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. It is not an Austroasiatic language.

Solution: C

• The U.K. India Infrastructure Financing Bridge (UKIIFB) is a bilateral initiative designed to accelerate the mobilisation of international private sector investments for India’s sustainable infrastructure projects.
• It is a collaborative effort between NITI Aayog and the City of London Corporation. The UKIIFB focuses on aligning Indian procurement with global best practices, ensuring adherence to ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) standards, and addressing barriers to investment such as revenue risks and taxation issues.
• It does not involve direct funding from the U.K. government, the creation of a common market, or the facilitation of labor migration. Its primary function is to act as a bridge to attract private capital from global financial markets to meet India’s vast infrastructure needs, estimated to be around $2 trillion by 2030.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is incorrect. AdFalciVax is a recombinant chimeric multi-stage vaccine, not a live-attenuated vaccine. It was developed by the ICMR–Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, with support from other ICMR institutes and the National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The vaccine is designed to block infection and transmission of Plasmodium falciparum, which is the deadliest malaria parasite. It is not for Plasmodium vivax.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The development was an indigenous effort by Indian research institutions.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is incorrect. The National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) is a multi-state cooperative society registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002. It is not a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The NCEL has been promoted by major cooperative institutions in India, namely AMUL, IFFCO, KRIBHCO, NAFED, and NCDC, not by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The NCEL aims to facilitate the export of a wide range of products from the cooperative sector, including agri, dairy, fisheries, horticulture, handloom, handicraft, textiles, and allied products. It is not limited to only agricultural and allied products.
• Statement 4 is correct. The headquarters of the NCEL is located in New Delhi.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is incorrect. Nepal is a Federal Democratic Republic, having abolished the monarchy in 2008. The head of state is the President, who is a ceremonial head.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The Prime Minister is the head of government and holds the real executive authority. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President and is accountable to the Parliament.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The Federal Parliament of Nepal is bicameral, consisting of the House of Representatives (lower house) and the National Assembly (upper house).

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is correct. Yudh Abhyas is strictly a bilateral exercise between the armies of India and the US. The Malabar exercise, while originating as a bilateral India-US naval drill, has expanded to become a multilateral naval exercise involving all four Quad countries: India, the US, Japan, and Australia.
• Statement 2 is correct. The focus of Yudh Abhyas 2025 in Alaska is on high-altitude and extreme cold climate operations, which is a terrestrial warfare domain. This is fundamentally different from the focus of the Malabar exercise, which centres on maritime cooperation, including anti-submarine warfare, air defence, and joint manoeuvres at sea.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The timelines of their initiation are different. Yudh Abhyas was initiated in 2004. The Malabar exercise, however, began much earlier in 1992 as a bilateral naval exercise between India and the United States. Japan became a permanent member in 2015, and Australia rejoined in 2020.