UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 22 October 2025

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is correct. GRAP is a statutory framework implemented under the authority of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region. The CAQM is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. A key feature of the revised GRAP is its predictive enforcement. Measures are invoked in advance based on forecasts from the IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) and IITM (Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology) regarding air quality, rather than waiting for the AQI to breach a certain level.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The GRAP follows a cumulative approach. When Stage II is invoked, all measures from Stage I remain in effect. Similarly, Stage III includes all measures from Stages I and II, ensuring a progressive tightening of restrictions.
• Statement 4 is incorrect. GRAP was first introduced in 2017 following directives from the Supreme Court of India, not the NGT, and was notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Solution: D

• The causative agent of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a prion. A prion is an abnormal, pathogenic, and misfolded version of a normal protein found in the body. These infectious prions are pathogenic because they propagate by inducing the normal proteins they encounter, particularly in the brain and nervous system, to also misfold.
• This chain reaction leads to severe neurological damage, resulting in a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder. This damage manifests as symptoms like drastic weight loss (wasting), lethargy, and abnormal “zombie-like” behaviour.
• CWD belongs to a group of diseases known as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), which also includes Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE or “mad cow disease”) in cattle. Unlike viruses or bacteria, prions are highly resistant to conventional sterilization methods like heat, radiation, and disinfectants.

Solution: C

• Statement 1 is incorrect. Green crackers were developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR–NEERI). It is CSIR-NEERI that provides the certification and the QR code system for authenticity. PESO is the nodal agency for regulating the import, handling, and safety of explosives under the Explosives Rules, 2008.
• Statement 2 is correct. A defining feature of all green crackers is the absence of the highly toxic Barium Nitrate. The SWAS (Safe Water Releaser) variant is specifically designed to release water vapour upon bursting, which suppresses dust. Its formulation is notable for being free of both potassium nitrate and sulfur, further reducing PM, SO₂, and NOₓ emissions.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The primary mechanism of SAFAL (Safe Minimal Aluminium) is the use of magnesium as a substitute for aluminium, which significantly reduces metallic particulate emissions while maintaining brightness. The variant that uses additives like Zeolite as an absorbent for by-products and dust is STAR (Safe Thermite Cracker).

Solution: D

• The Rakchham-Chitkul Wildlife Sanctuary is a high-altitude protected area located in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. Its primary ecological significance stems from its unique position within the Western Himalayan range, where it exhibits characteristics of a cold-desert ecosystem.
• It falls within a dry trans-Himalayan zone, which means, unlike most other sanctuaries in Himachal Pradesh, it does not receive significant monsoon rainfall.
• This specialized environment, situated in the Baspa Valley, supports a distinct alpine biodiversity, including endangered fauna like the snow leopard and musk deer, as well as rare medicinal herbs and high-altitude bird species like the Yellow-breasted Greenfinch. The other options are geographically incorrect.

Solution: B

• Statement-I is correct. Nauru, the world’s third-smallest country, is a micronation that does not have an official capital city. The district of Yaren serves as the de facto capital, hosting the Parliament, presidential offices, and other administrative buildings.
• Statement-II is correct. Nauru’s geology as a raised coral atoll provided it with vast, high-quality phosphate deposits (derived from ancient bird guano). Over a century of intensive strip mining devastated the interior plateau, leaving behind a barren, uninhabitable landscape of limestone pinnacles. This has forced the population and all infrastructure into the narrow fertile coastal strip.
• Both statements are factually correct. However, Statement-II is not the reason for Statement-I.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is correct. CWD is a fatal neurological disorder. It belongs to the family of diseases known as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), which are caused by prions. This classification places it in the same group as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, or “mad cow disease”) in cattle.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The causative agents, prions, are misfolded proteins, not living organisms. They are notoriously difficult to destroy and are highly resistant to conventional sterilization methods, including heat, radiation, and standard chemical disinfectants. This resistance allows them to persist in the environment (e.g., in soil) for years.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. To date, no human cases of CWD have been reported. While studies on primates have suggested a theoretical risk of transmission from eating infected meat, and health agencies like the CDC urge caution (especially for hunters), there is no confirmed evidence of human infection.

Solution: A

• Statement I is correct. A key strategy of the ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses’ is to expand the area under cultivation by an additional 35 lakh hectares. A significant portion of this expansion is targeted at rice fallow areas—lands that remain idle after the paddy harvest—and promoting intercropping.
• Statement II is correct. Pulse crops are legumes and have a symbiotic relationship with rhizobium bacteria in their root nodules, which enables them to fix atmospheric nitrogen, thereby enriching soil fertility and reducing the need for chemical nitrogen fertilizers. They are also known to be more drought-tolerant and have a lower water requirement compared to water-intensive crops like paddy (rice).
• Statement-II provides the scientific and agronomic rationale for the strategy mentioned in Statement-I. The very reason rice fallow lands are targeted for pulse cultivation is because of the benefits described in Statement-II.

Solution: B

• Option (a) is incorrect. The Vikram processor is a conventional microprocessor, not a quantum processor. Quantum computing is a different and more nascent field of technology.
• Option (b) is correct. The Vikram processor is an indigenous 32-bit microprocessor that was successfully developed by the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali, which is part of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Its presentation to the Prime Minister at Semicon India 2025 marked a significant milestone for the India Semiconductor Mission.
• Option (c) is incorrect. Micron Technology’s facility in Gujarat is an Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP) unit for memory chips; it does not manufacture high-performance AI chips like the Vikram processor.
• Option (d) is incorrect. While India and Singapore have collaborations in the semiconductor sector, the Vikram processor is an indigenous development by ISRO.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct. A foundational reform under NEP 2020 is the restructuring of school curriculum and pedagogy from the traditional 10+2 system to a new 5+3+3+4 design. This structure corresponds to the age groups 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years, respectively, covering education from pre-school to secondary level.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. NEP 2020 proposes the creation of the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) as a single overarching regulator for higher education. However, it explicitly states that medical and legal education will be kept out of its purview. These fields will continue to be regulated by their respective professional councils.
• Statement 3 is correct. The UGC Regulations 2025, in line with NEP 2020, have operationalized a flexible curriculum framework. This includes multiple entry and exit points for students. For instance, a student can exit after one year with a certificate, after two years with a diploma, and after three or four years with a bachelor’s degree. This system is facilitated by the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC).

Solution: C

• Statement I is correct. The government has launched the MYGS initiative to simulate Gram Sabhas in schools for educational purposes.
• Statement II is correct. The 73rd Amendment Act added Part IX to the Constitution, which establishes the Gram Sabha as a body consisting of persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to a village, making it the primary body of direct democracy in the Panchayati Raj system. This statement provides the constitutional and historical context for the institution that MYGS seeks to simulate. It explains the ‘why’ behind the importance of a Gram Sabha, and thus why simulating it is a valuable educational exercise.
• Statement III is incorrect. Article 243G deals with the powers, authority, and responsibilities of Panchayats, empowering state legislatures to endow them with such powers as may be necessary to enable them to function as institutions of self-government.
• The MYGS is an educational simulation; it does not, and cannot, implement constitutional provisions or exercise any real governmental power. Student bodies in this context have no legal authority under Article 243G.