UPSC Editorials Quiz : 1 October 2025

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct. The INR has lost over 3% of its value against the USD since January 2025, which is a sharper decline than that of many other emerging economies. This indicates a significant and comparatively weaker performance of the Indian currency.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The depreciation of the INR is not limited to the USD. The INR has also weakened against other major currencies like the euro and the pound, indicating a broader trend of depreciation rather than an isolated issue with the dollar.
• Statement 3 is correct. The trade imbalance is a key cause of the rupee’s weakness. Stagnant exports, due to global protectionism, coupled with high import bills for essential commodities like crude oil and electronics, have worsened the Current Account Deficit (CAD), putting downward pressure on the rupee. India’s reliance on imports for approximately 85% of its crude oil needs, which are priced in dollars, further exacerbates this issue.

Solution: D

• Statement I is correct. The ‘Ek Din Ek Ghanta Ek Saath’ initiative is a nationwide voluntary cleanliness drive launched as part of the Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) campaign, encouraging citizens to dedicate one hour of shramdaan (voluntary labour).
• Statement II is incorrect. The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is not the sole nodal ministry. The initiative is led by both the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS). This joint leadership highlights the comprehensive approach to sanitation and cleanliness, covering both urban and rural areas.
• Statement III is incorrect. While promoting sustainable practices and eliminating garbage vulnerable points is a key aim, it is not the sole or primary The overarching goal is to strengthen the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) through jan andolan (people’s movement), fostering a sense of collective responsibility for cleanliness in public spaces. The other objectives are components of this broader aim.

Solution: C

• Statement 1 is correct. UNCLOS defines the EEZ as a zone extending from the baseline (typically the low-water line) out to 200 nautical miles (approximately 370 km). Within this zone, the coastal state does not have full sovereignty (as it does in its territorial sea), but it has sovereign rights for the specific purposes of exploring, exploiting, conserving, and managing the natural resources, whether living (e.g., fisheries) or non-living (e.g., oil, gas, minerals on the seabed and subsoil), and for other economic activities like the production of energy from water, currents, and winds.
• Statement 2 is correct. The convention grants the coastal state jurisdiction within its EEZ over the establishment and use of artificial islands, installations, and structures; marine scientific research; and the protection and preservation of the marine environment. This means the coastal state can regulate and authorize scientific research and enact environmental laws within its EEZ.
• Statement 3 is correct. The EEZ is not territorial water. UNCLOS carefully balances the rights of the coastal state with the rights of other states. All states, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the high seas freedoms of navigation and overflight, and of the laying of submarine cables and pipelines, within the EEZ. These freedoms must be exercised with due regard for the rights and duties of the coastal state and in compliance with its laws and regulations that are consistent with the convention.

Solution: C

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) empowers the Central Government to declare any mineral as a ‘minor mineral’. All other minerals are, by default, ‘major minerals’, the regulation of which falls under the purview of the Central Government.

1. Bentonite: This is an absorbent clay mineral. The Central Government has explicitly declared Bentonite as a ‘Minor Mineral’. Its regulation and revenue collection are primarily handled by the state governments.

2. Chromite: This is the primary ore of chromium, a critical metal used in producing stainless steel and other alloys. Chromite is classified as a ‘Major Mineral’. Its strategic importance places its regulation under the central government’s authority.

3. Sillimanite: This is an aluminosilicate mineral used in high-temperature refractories. Along with Kyanite and Andalusite, Sillimanite is classified as a ‘Major Mineral’.

4. Graphite: This is a crystalline form of carbon, used in lubricants, pencils, and as a refractory material. Graphite is also classified as a ‘Major Mineral’.

Therefore, Chromite, Sillimanite, and Graphite are major minerals, while Bentonite is a minor mineral.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is incorrect. While the National Livestock Mission (NLM) was launched in the financial year 2014-15, it is not focused exclusively on cattle and buffaloes. The realigned NLM (from 2021-22) specifically aims at employment generation and entrepreneurship development in the small ruminant (sheep, goat), poultry, and piggery sectors, as well as the fodder sector. Breed development for cattle and buffaloes is primarily covered under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The entrepreneurship development component of NLM does provide a 50% capital subsidy (up to a certain ceiling, e.g., ₹50 lakh) for establishing breeding farms for sheep, goats, and pigs. However, the scheme’s support is not limited to this. A key objective of the mission is to address the feed and fodder deficit. Therefore, the scheme also provides the same 50% capital subsidy for setting up fodder value addition units, such as for making silage, hay, or fodder blocks. Recently, support has also been extended to horse, donkey, and camel breeding farms.
• Statement 3 is correct. The realigned NLM is structured into three sub-missions. One of these is the ‘Sub-mission on Innovation and Extension’. This sub-mission is designed to support the ecosystem around livestock development. Its components include incentivizing institutes and universities for applied research in priority areas, funding extension activities to disseminate knowledge to farmers, and promoting risk management measures, which explicitly includes livestock insurance. This sub-mission plays a crucial role in capacity building and technology transfer within the sector.