UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 27 September 2025

Solution: B

• The most accurate description of the MiG-21’s significance is its role as a long-serving, foundational aircraft for the IAF. It was inducted in 1963 as the IAF’s first supersonic jet and remained in service for six decades, a testament to its durability and adaptability. During this period, it became the primary platform for training numerous fighter pilots, earning it the reputation of a “flying school.”
• Furthermore, its procurement and sustained use highlighted the strong defence partnership between India and the Soviet Union during the Cold War era. While it was a capable interceptor with a top speed of Mach 2, its delta-wing design gave it a rapid climb rate but limited its effectiveness in turning combat. It was not a stealth aircraft, nor was it solely a ground-attack platform.

Solution: D

• Statement-I is incorrect. SICA is an institutional framework for regional integration in Central America, focusing on achieving peace, liberty, democracy, and development through economic and political cooperation. Its aims are not military but are centered on creating a Customs Union, promoting human rights, and developing regional infrastructure.
• Statement-II is correct. India’s partnership with SICA is a key component of its South-South cooperation India offers its developmental experience and expertise to address shared challenges like poverty and climate change. The engagement provides significant economic opportunities for Indian industries in sectors such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, IT, renewable energy, and digital payment systems like the UPI model, reflecting a partnership based on mutual growth and knowledge sharing.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is Incorrect: Algorithmic trading is characterized by its automation, with computer programs executing trades automatically based on predefined rules with zero human intervention at the point of execution.
• Statement 2 is Correct: Backtesting is a key feature of algorithmic trading, where strategies are tested on historical market data to assess their potential profitability and risk before being deployed in a live market.
• Statement 3 is Incorrect: SEBI has recognized and regulated algorithmic trading since 2008. The regulations aim to manage risks by requiring exchange approval for strategies, ensuring brokers have risk controls, and discouraging unauthorized “black-box” algos, not to discourage its use altogether.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is incorrect. The World Para Athletics Championships are organized biennially (every two years), not annually.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. While the 2025 event in New Delhi is a significant milestone as India’s first time hosting, other Asian cities have hosted it before. For instance, Kobe, Japan hosted the championships in 2024 and Dubai, UAE hosted in 2019.

Statement 3 is correct. The roots of the Paralympic movement and para-athletics are in the Stoke Mandeville Games, first organized in 1948 by Sir Ludwig Guttmann for British World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries. This initiative evolved into the modern Paralympic Games, where para-athletics is a core sport. The first official World Para Athletics Championships were held in Berlin in 1994.

Solution: D

• 1G (First-Generation) Ethanol is produced from edible crops. The most common feedstocks are sugarcane juice, maize (corn), and other starches or sugars. Therefore, A matches with 2.
• 2G (Second-Generation) Ethanol is produced from non-food lignocellulosic biomass. This includes agricultural residues like rice straw, wheat straw, and bagasse (sugarcane residue). Therefore, B matches with 3.
• 3G (Third-Generation) Biofuels are derived from microorganisms. The primary feedstock is algae, which can be cultivated on land and in water not suitable for conventional agriculture. Therefore, C matches with 1.
• 4G (Fourth-Generation) Biofuels represent a more advanced stage, focusing on creating sustainable energy without compromising food security. This involves using genetically engineered crops designed to capture larger amounts of CO2 and storing more energy, which is then converted into fuel. Therefore, D matches with 4.

Solution: C

• Statement 1 is correct: The Dugong (Dugong dugon) is the only marine mammal that is a strict herbivore, feeding primarily on seagrass.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: While major populations are found in Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar, they are not exclusive to this region. Dugongs are also found in the Gulf of Kutch and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Dugongs have a very low reproductive rate, characterized by long calving intervals and significant parental investment. This slow life cycle makes their populations particularly vulnerable and slow to recover from threats.
• Statement 4 is incorrect: The Dugong is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List, not ‘Critically Endangered’. This classification still signifies a high risk of extinction in the wild, but ‘Critically Endangered’ is a more severe category.

Solution: C

The chemical composition of ethanol (C2H5OH) is the same regardless of whether it is produced from 1G or 2G processes. Therefore, its energy density and combustion efficiency do not differ. The primary advantages of 2G ethanol are environmental and strategic, not related to the fuel’s intrinsic properties. Statements (a), (b), and (d) are all correct. The production of 2G ethanol relies on hydrolysis to break down complex plant matter (a). It provides a sustainable solution to stubble burning, a major cause of air pollution (b). By using agricultural waste instead of food crops like sugarcane or maize, it addresses the critical “food vs. fuel” dilemma and enhances food security (d).

Solution: A

The primary aims of SICA are centered on political, economic, and social integration, not military alliance. Its foundational purpose is to achieve peace, liberty, democracy, and development. The objectives explicitly include progressing from a Free Trade Area to a Customs Union (b), promoting peace and democracy (c), and coordinating policies to form common global positions (d). The creation of a unified military command is characteristic of a military alliance like NATO, which is fundamentally different from the institutional framework of SICA.

Solution: C

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The reserve was notified in September 2022 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, not the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The WPA, 1972 is the primary legislation for establishing such protected areas for wildlife.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The IUCN’s recognition specifically praised the reserve as a model for community-led conservation, not a top-down, state-enforced one. The success of the initiative relies heavily on the active participation and cooperation of local fishing communities.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The seagrass beds, in addition to being the primary food for Dugongs, also support commercial fish, crabs, and shrimps, thereby directly benefiting the livelihoods of marginal fishermen in the region. This highlights the interconnectedness of ecological conservation and local economies.

Solution: D

The process of converting complex lignocellulosic biomass into ethanol follows a specific sequence:

1. Pretreatment (3): The first step is to break down the rigid structure of the plant cell walls (lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose). This is done through mechanical, thermal, or chemical processes to make the cellulose and hemicellulose accessible.
2. Hydrolysis (4): Following pretreatment, enzymes (like cellulases) are used to break down the exposed cellulose and hemicellulose into simple, fermentable sugars (like glucose). This step is also known as saccharification.
3. Fermentation (1): Microorganisms, typically yeast, are introduced to convert these simple sugars into ethanol.
4. Distillation (2): The final step involves separating and purifying the ethanol from the fermentation broth to produce bioethanol of the required concentration for blending with petrol or for industrial use.