UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 28 October 2025

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is incorrect. The mission is not an exclusive collaboration. It is jointly launched by three entities: the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The mission’s aim is not export-focused. Instead, it aims to reduce India’s dependence on high-cost medical imports and strengthen domestic manufacturing capacity. The goal is to enhance access and affordability of medical technology within India, aligned with the Atmanirbhar Bharat

Statement 3 is correct. The mission includes the creation of “Enabling Frameworks” to support innovators. This explicitly includes the MedTech Mitra platform for guiding regulatory clearances and the Patent Mitra for intellectual property protection, facilitating the lab-to-market translation.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is incorrect. The Coriolis effect causes winds to spiral anti-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Cyclone formation requires low vertical wind shear. High vertical wind shear (a significant change in wind speed or direction with altitude) would disrupt the vertical structure of the storm, shearing it apart and preventing intensification. Conducive conditions include warm ocean temperatures, high humidity, and low wind shear.

Solution: B

The primary purpose of the GSAT-7R satellite is military.

• (a) is incorrect. While it uses the LVM-3, this is not its primary strategic importance. The LVM-3 was already proven, notably in the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
• (b) is correct. GSAT-7R is a next-generation military communication satellite. Its significance lies in providing secure, encrypted, and jam-resistant communication for the Indian Navy, Air Force, and Army. It operates in multiple bands (Ku, Ka, UHF) and strengthens network-centric warfare and interoperability.
• (c) is incorrect. This describes a civilian communication satellite (like the GSAT series for broadcasting), not the military-specific GSAT-7R.
• (d) is incorrect. This describes a remote sensing or meteorological satellite (like the INSAT or RISAT series), not a communication satellite.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is correct. It accurately describes its key physical properties: colorless, volatile, aromatic, sweet-smelling, and insoluble in water (as it is a nonpolar organic solvent).
• Statement 2 is correct. It highlights its role as a base for synthesis in pharmaceuticals, including aspirin, sulfa drugs, and antihistamines, all of which are based on aromatic structures.
• Statement 3 is correct. It identifies its primary limitation and toxicity. Benzene is a well-established carcinogen (cancer-causing agent), with chronic exposure famously linked to bone marrow suppression and blood cancers like leukaemia.

Statement 4 is correct. It points to its modern applications beyond traditional chemistry. Its aromatic ring structure is foundational to materials used in conducting polymers and Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) for flexible electronics.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct. “Vande Mataram” was first published in the novel Anandamath in 1882.
• Statement 2 is correct. The song was first sung publicly by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 Congress Session in Calcutta, marking its entry into the political sphere.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The Indian National Congress (1937) adopted only the first two stanzas as the National Song, not the entire song. This decision was taken precisely to ensure inclusivity and secular appeal, as the later stanzas contained religious imagery that was not universally accepted.

Solution: C

• (a), (b), and (d) are incorrect. CRYODIL is not a genetic tool, a nutritional supplement, or a cross-breeding program. It is a preservation technology.
• (c) is correct. CRYODIL’s value is in improving breeding efficiency. By being stable (18-month shelf life), cost-effective (indigenous, cheaper than imports), and contamination-free (egg yolk-free), it directly improves the quality of preserved semen. This leads to higher post-thaw motility and fertility, thus boosting the success rate of artificial insemination (AI), which is the cornerstone of modern dairy herd improvement.

About CRYODIL:

• What it is?
  • CRYODIL is a ready-to-use, egg yolk-free semen extender designed to preserve buffalo semen for long durations while maintaining fertility and motility.
• Developed by:
  • Developed by scientists at the National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP) under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Bengaluru.
• Aim:
  • To provide a safe, efficient, and affordable alternative to traditional egg-yolk-based semen extenders and enhance buffalo breeding efficiency in India.
• Features:

• • Long Shelf Life: Preserves semen for up to 18 months without contamination or loss of motility.
  • Microbe-Free Solution: Eliminates risk of microbial contamination associated with egg yolks.
  • Stable Composition: Uses purified whey proteins instead of egg yolk, ensuring consistent semen quality.
  • Cost-Effective: Cheaper and easier to produce compared to imported commercial extenders.
  • Field-Tested Innovation: Successfully tested on 24 buffalo bulls, showing higher post-thaw sperm movement and fertility potential.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is incorrect. East Timor is an island nation, not landlocked. It occupies the eastern half of Timor Island and is bordered by Indonesia to the west and surrounded by sea, including the Timor Sea to the south.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. ASEAN was established by the Bangkok Declaration in 1967 with only five founding members: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. The other five (Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia) joined much later, primarily in the 1980s and 1990s.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. East Timor’s admission is the bloc’s first expansion since the 1990s (when Cambodia joined), not its first-ever expansion.

Solution: C

The New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) were established simultaneously by the BRICS nations. Their functions are distinct.

• The NDB‘s role (options a, b, d) is that of a multilateral development bank: it provides long-term project financing for infrastructure and sustainable development (like the World Bank). It emphasizes equity, no veto power, and local currency financing as an alternative model. It has also issued green bonds.
• The function described in (c)—providing short-term liquidity support to members facing balance of payments (BOP) problems—is the specific mandate of the CRA. The CRA functions as a financial safety net, similar to the role of the IMF. Therefore, providing short-term BOP support is a function of the CRA, not the NDB.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct. This is the stated aim of the UN-GGIM-AP: to maximize the value of geospatial information for sustainable development, economic growth, and environmental management by promoting regional cooperation, data sharing, and innovation among its 56 member states.
• Statement 2 is correct. India’s election to a leadership position (Co-Chair) in a significant UN regional body for geospatial information is a clear indicator of its increasing influence and leadership in this strategic domain. It acknowledges India’s contributions to advancing geospatial technology and policy.

Statement 3 is incorrect. Since 2018, the UN-ESCAP Secretariat supports UN-GGIM-AP operations. This partnership is crucial for strengthening institutional capacity and facilitating the committee’s work, proving it does not function independently of other UN bodies.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is incorrect. The health cover of ₹5 lakh is per family per year, not per individual. This is a crucial distinction, as the benefit is provided on a family floater basis with no cap on family size.
• Statement 2 is correct. The eligibility under PM-JAY is “primarily based on SECC-2011 data,” although it has been expanded to include senior citizens aged 70+.
• Statement 3 is correct. A key feature of the scheme to provide comprehensive coverage is that “pre-existing diseases are covered from day one.”