UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 25 October 2025

Solution: c)

The Canary Islands are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, located about 1,300 km south of mainland Spain and west of the African coast (Morocco). They were formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, which gave them their unique landscape. The islands have a subtropical climate with little seasonal variation.

Solution: a)

• Statement 1 is correct. Thermobaric weapons operate through a two-stage explosion First, they disperse a fine aerosol of fuel into the surrounding air. Then, this fuel cloud is ignited, producing an intense explosion that creates a high-temperature blast wave and consumes surrounding oxygen.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. While thermobaric weapons have devastating effects in enclosed or populated environments, they are not explicitly designed to target civilians. Their use against civilians or civilian infrastructure would be a violation of international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions.

Statement 3 is incorrect. Although pressure changes from the blast wave contribute to the destruction—causing lung damage and structural collapse—the weapons also inflict severe harm through the intense heat, which incinerates oxygen and can cause lethal burns. Both heat and pressure contribute substantially, making it inaccurate to say damage is primarily through pressure alone.

Solution: a)

All three statements are incorrect.

• Dust storms are most frequent during the pre-monsoon season (April–June), not winter, when rising temperatures and dry surface conditions prevail.
• The Thar Desert is actually a major source of dust due to its loose sandy soils and sparse vegetation.
• Furthermore, dust storms usually occur during daytime when surface heating leads to convection and wind turbulence, not during night inversions which suppress vertical air movement.

Solution: b)

• Statement 1 wrongly claims the Honolulu Commitment is legally binding. In reality, it is a voluntary declaration adopted in 2011 during the Fifth International Marine Debris Conference. It emphasizes multi-stakeholder collaboration and integrated approaches to tackle marine litter but lacks legal enforceability or penalties for non-compliance.
• Statement 2 is correct. The UNEP Clean Seas Campaign, launched in 2017, is a global initiative aimed at influencing both government policies and private sector behavior to reduce plastic consumption. It advocates eliminating single-use plastics, promoting sustainable alternatives, and spreading public awareness to shift consumption patterns.
• Statement 3 is correct. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.1 explicitly sets the target year as 2025 for preventing and significantly reducing marine pollution, especially from land-based sources, such as agricultural runoff and wastewater.

Solution: a)

• Statement 1 is correct. Hybrid paddy is known for early maturity, typically within 125–130 days, unlike traditional varieties that may take 145+ days. This shorter growing period is particularly helpful in reducing water usage and preparing the field early for the Rabi season.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. Contrary to producing more stubble, many hybrid varieties are engineered to reduce stubble biomass, making them beneficial in minimizing post-harvest burning that causes air pollution in northern India.
• Statement 3 is also incorrect. Hybrid paddy varieties are not aromatic, and are mainly non-Basmati, developed for commercial yield maximization rather than for aroma or export appeal. Export-focused varieties like Basmati are typically not hybrids but are open-pollinated and grown for niche markets.

Solution: c)

• Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs) are large-scale depletions in ionospheric plasma density that occur after sunset in equatorial regions. These bubbles are caused by plasma instabilities in the F-region of the ionosphere, leading to irregularities that disrupt the smooth propagation of radio signals.
• Statement-I is correct: EPBs are known to affect satellite navigation systems like GPS by inducing signal scintillation—rapid fluctuations in signal amplitude and phase—leading to positioning errors, delays, and even complete signal loss.
• Statement-II is incorrect: EPBs reduce, not increase, plasma density. Instead of enhancing signal reflection, they scatter or refract radio signals, degrading their integrity. The depletion causes inhomogeneities in the ionosphere, making satellite communication and navigation less reliable, especially during geomagnetic disturbances.

Solution: c)

South Korea is a peninsular nation in East Asia, surrounded by key strategic water bodies. The Yellow Sea lies to its west, separating it from China. To the east is the Sea of Japan (referred to by South Korea as the East Sea), while the East China Sea lies to the south, bordering Jeju Island. These seas have immense geostrategic importance due to naval routes, fishing zones, and military tensions, particularly involving China, Japan, and North Korea.

Solution: d)

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is globally significant for its Congo Basin, which is the second-largest tropical rainforest in the world after the Amazon. Spanning across several central African nations, over 60% of the Congo Basin lies within the DRC. It plays a critical role in carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and climate regulation. The region is a carbon sink, essential for global climate goals. It also supports endangered species like the bonobo, forest elephant, and okapi.

Solution: b)

Statement 1 is correct. The IBBI regulates insolvency professionals, insolvency professional agencies, and other entities related to bankruptcy under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016. Its regulatory oversight ensures the proper functioning of the professionals involved in insolvency and liquidation processes.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The Chairperson and non-ex-officio members of IBBI serve for a term of five years or until they reach the age of 65, whichever is earlier, not three years or until 60.

Statement 3 is correct. IBBI enforces regulations related to both corporate and individual insolvency cases, ensuring that the processes follow the guidelines laid down in the IBC, 2016. This enables a time-bound resolution of insolvency cases, ensuring a streamlined process for creditors and debtors alike.

Solution: c)

• The Chagos Archipelago is a group of over 60 tropical islands situated in the central Indian Ocean, strategically located about 1,600 km south of India’s southern coast and nearly equidistant from East Africa and Southeast Asia.
• It forms part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), although its sovereignty is contested by Mauritius, which claims the territory as part of its own.
• The archipelago is of immense geopolitical and military significance—Diego Garcia, its largest island, hosts a major U.S. military base that plays a crucial role in American naval operations across the Indo-Pacific.
• The region also holds ecological importance due to its rich marine biodiversity and coral reefs.
• It is not located in the Arabian Sea, the Central Pacific Ocean, or the Southern Atlantic Ocean.