UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 22 September 2025

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is correct. Aflatoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. These fungi are common and widespread in nature and can colonize and contaminate grains before harvest or during storage.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. Aflatoxins are heat-stable, which means they are not destroyed by normal cooking or processing temperatures. This is a major food safety concern as contaminated food remains toxic even after being cooked.
• Statement 3 is correct. Aflatoxin M1 is a metabolite of Aflatoxin B1. When cows consume feed contaminated with Aflatoxin B1, they metabolize it into Aflatoxin M1, which is then excreted in their milk. This poses a significant health risk, especially for infants and young children who consume large quantities of milk.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct. The Universal Postal Union (UPU) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The headquarters of the UPU is in Berne, Switzerland, not Geneva.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The Congress is the supreme authority of the UPU and meets every four years. The Council of Administration (CA) ensures the continuity of the UPU’s work between Congresses.
• Statement 4 is correct. India has been re-elected to the Council of Administration (CA) and the Postal Operations Council (POC) of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is incorrect. ‘Androth’ is the second in a series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW-SWCs). The first ship of this series is ‘Arnala’.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. ‘Androth’ has been built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, not Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The ship is an ASW-SWC, which means it is designed for shallow water operations, primarily in coastal areas. It is intended for coastal security, anti-submarine patrols, and shallow-water operations in India’s maritime zones, not deep-sea operations in the Pacific Ocean.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is incorrect. The ‘One-In, One-Out’ scheme is a bilateral agreement between the United Kingdom and France. Germany is not a party to this agreement.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The scheme is primarily aimed at deterring illegal small-boat crossings across the English Channel and targeting asylum seekers, not specifically economic migrants.
• Statement 3 is correct. The scheme operates on a reciprocal mechanism where for every migrant France takes back, the UK agrees to accept a legal asylum seeker from France, hence the name “one-in, one-out”. This is a key feature of the agreement. Therefore, only statement 3 is correct.

Solution: C

• The Chabahar Port is situated in the Sistan-Baluchestan province in southeastern Iran. This province borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, making the port’s location highly strategic for regional connectivity. The port is located on the coast of the Gulf of Oman, which provides it with direct access to the Indian Ocean. Its location outside the Strait of Hormuz is another strategic advantage, as it is less vulnerable to potential disruptions in the Persian Gulf.

Solution: C

• Statement 1 is correct. The H-1B visa is initially granted for a period of up to three years. It can be extended for an additional three years, for a total of six years.
• Statement 2 is correct. To be eligible for an H-1B visa, a foreign worker must have at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in a specific field. In some cases, work experience can be substituted for a formal degree.
• Statement 3 is correct. There is a regular annual cap of 65,000 H-1B visas. In addition to this, there is an extra quota of 20,000 visas reserved for applicants who have earned a master’s degree or a higher degree from a U.S. institution of higher education.

Solution: C

• Statement 1 is correct. Aflatoxins belong to the class of mycotoxins, which are toxic chemical products of fungi.
• Statement 2 is correct. The fungi that produce aflatoxins, primarily Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, are found in soil, decaying vegetation, hay, and grains. They thrive in hot and humid conditions.
• Statement 3 is correct. Aflatoxin B1 is the most common and the most toxic of the aflatoxins. It is a potent liver carcinogen and is subject to strict global limits.

Solution: D

• The new deep-sea coral species Iridogorgia chewbacca is named after Chewbacca, the tall, furry Wookiee character from the Star Wars The name was chosen because the coral’s appearance, with its long, curly, and hairy branches, resembles the character’s fur. This practice of naming new species after fictional characters or celebrities is not uncommon in science and can help to generate public interest in scientific discoveries and biodiversity. The name reflects the unique morphology of the coral and its resemblance to the iconic character.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is incorrect. The Chabahar Port is located on the coast of the Gulf of Oman, not the Persian Gulf. This location gives it direct access to the Indian Ocean and places it outside the volatile Strait of Hormuz.
• Statement 2 is correct. The Chabahar Port is a key component of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multi-modal network of ship, rail, and road routes for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe.
• Statement 3 is correct. The Chabahar Port comprises two separate ports: Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti. India’s investment and development efforts are primarily focused on the Shahid Beheshti port.

Solution: A

• The Caribbean region’s strategic importance is multifaceted.
• Its location (b) is paramount, as it sits at the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico and controls access to the Panama Canal, a vital artery for global trade.
• Historically and currently, it has been a geopolitical hotspot (c), subject to influence from the US, and previously the Soviet Union, with ongoing tensions such as the US-Venezuela standoff.
• Furthermore, its geography makes it a significant transit point for illicit activities like drug trafficking (d), which necessitates a strong naval and security presence from international powers.
• However, the region is not known for large deposits of rare earth minerals (a). Its economy is primarily based on tourism, agriculture (like sugar and bananas), and financial services, not large-scale mining of strategic minerals.