UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 1 November 2025

Solution: C

• Option (a) is incorrect. The Apatani Horned Toad is from Arunachal Pradesh, not the Western Ghats, and is nocturnal. The Bicoloured Frog is the species mentioned from the Western Ghats.
• Option (b) is incorrect. While the toad does emit a sharp distress call (shriek), it does not rely solely on it. The study highlights a combination of behaviours: body inflation, shrieking, and biting.
• Option (c) is correct. The Apatani Horned Toad is described as a nocturnal frog from Arunachal Pradesh. It possesses cryptic, leaf-litter camouflage, which helps it hide during the day. When threatened, it employs a suite of defensive behaviours, including body inflation, distress calls, and biting.
• Option (d) is incorrect. The species is nocturnal, not diurnal. Its camouflage is a defensive trait to hide from predators, not an offensive one to attract prey.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct. Sardar Patel served as the President of the Indian National Congress during its Karachi Session in 1931. This was a critical session held in the turbulent period following the execution of Bhagat Singh.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. Patel earned the title “Sardar” for his leadership during the Bardoli Satyagraha (1928), not the Kheda Satyagraha. While he was deeply involved in the Kheda Satyagraha (1918), which was a significant moment in his entry into public life with Gandhi, the title was associated with the later Bardoli movement.
• Statement 3 is correct. As India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Patel was the chief architect of the All-India Services. He famously referred to them as the “Steel Frame of India,” believing a strong, independent, and unified administrative service was essential for national integrity and unity.
• Statement 4 is incorrect. The integration of Hyderabad was not achieved through a diplomatic agreement. Operation Polo (1948) was a police action (a military operation) launched to integrate the princely state of Hyderabad after its Nizam refused to accede to the Indian Union.

Solution: A

• Kuno National Park (A) was the first site chosen for India’s ‘Project Cheetah’, where African cheetahs from Namibia were reintroduced in 2022. This matches feature 2.
• Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary (B) was announced as the second site for cheetah reintroduction, also in Madhya Pradesh, with cheetahs relocated there in 2024. This matches feature 3.
• Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary (C) has been recently announced as the third home for cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh. It is one of India’s largest sanctuaries and is located in the upper Vindhyan range, serving as a crucial wildlife corridor. This matches feature 1.

Solution: D

• Option (a) is incorrect. The Ayni base is an airbase in Tajikistan; it does not provide land access to Afghanistan. The Chabahar Port (in Iran) is the project associated with bypassing Pakistan for land access to Afghanistan.
• Option (b) is incorrect. The Soviet-Afghan War ended in 1989. India’s redevelopment of the base began in 2001-2002, long after that conflict. While it was used for evacuation during the 2021 Afghanistan crisis, its primary purpose was not humanitarian missions during the Soviet era.
• Option (c) is incorrect. The Ayni air base is a land-locked facility in Central Asia. It has no direct connection to or capability to counter naval presence in the Indian Ocean.
• Option (d) is correct. The redevelopment of Ayni in 2002 gave India its first military foothold in Central Asia. Its location was highly strategic, enabling surveillance and operational reach over Pakistan and Afghanistan, and positioning India as a key player in regional security and counter-terror operations. This aligns perfectly with India’s long-standing security interests in the region.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct. The MYGS Initiative is a joint launch by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the Ministry of Education (specifically the Department of School Education & Literacy), and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• Statement 2 is correct. The initiative aims to nurture democratic leadership and participatory governance among youth. This is achieved through experiential and activity-based learning (simulating Gram Sabhas), which directly aligns with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to create responsible and participative citizens.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. While JNVs are part of the initiative, it is not exclusive to them. The program is also supported by Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) (which falls under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs) and State Government Schools, indicating a broader reach.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is correct. Chabahar is located in southeastern Iran on the Gulf of Oman, placing it outside the confines of the Persian Gulf. It is strategically significant as Iran’s only oceanic port with direct access to the wider Indian Ocean.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. India and Iran signed a bilateral agreement in 2003 to discuss development. However, the key Trilateral Transit Agreement was signed in 2016, and the signatories were India, Iran, and Afghanistan, not Russia. This agreement was crucial for formalizing India’s role and the transit route to Afghanistan.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The Chabahar Port is an Indian-Iranian-Afghan enterprise that serves as a key node for the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC). It is seen as a counter to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), not a part of it. The key port for CPEC is Pakistan’s Gwadar Port.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is incorrect. The Durand Line agreement was signed in 1893. Pakistan did not exist at that time; it was created in 1947. The agreement was signed by Sir Mortimer Durand (representing British India) and Emir Abdur Rahman Khan (ruler of Afghanistan).
• Statement 2 is incorrect. This is the crux of the dispute. No Afghan government since 1947 has ever formally recognized the Durand Line as a permanent international boundary. Afghanistan rejected the line upon Pakistan’s creation and even voted against Pakistan’s admission to the UN, claiming the Pashtun-inhabited territories.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The Durand Line’s most significant and contentious feature is that it did the opposite: it split the Pashtun tribal heartland. It drew an administrative boundary through Pashtun territory, dividing families, tribes, and traditional routes, which is a primary source of the ongoing ethnic and political dispute.

Solution: A

• Statement (a) is correct. Its “strategic geopolitical location links Europe, Asia, and Africa.” Its position in the eastern Mediterranean, close to Turkey (Asia/Europe), Syria (Asia), and near the Suez Canal (linking to Africa), supports this.
• Statement (b) is incorrect. The terrain is not It is “dominated by the Troodos Mountains in the south and Kyrenia Range in the north,” which are separated by the Mesaoria Plain.
• Statement (c) is incorrect. Cyprus is an island nation. It does not share land borders with Turkey, Syria, or Greece. It is separated from them by the sea.
• Statement (d) is incorrect. It has a “Typical Mediterranean climate,” which is defined by “hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters”.

Solution: B

The ‘100 Million Farmers’ initiative is a multi-stakeholder platform that focuses on sustainability in agriculture. Its primary goal is to accelerate the transition towards food and water systems that are net-zero (carbon), nature-positive, and that aim to increase farmer resilience. It is not primarily a microfinance, e-commerce, or seed bank initiative, although elements of these could be part of its broader strategy. The core focus is on sustainable transformation of agricultural systems.

Solution: C

• Statement I is correct. The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has planned the launch of the National Camel Sustainability Initiative (NCSI) to address the issues facing India’s camel population.
• Statement II is incorrect. The primary reason for launching the NCSI is the alarming and rapid decline in India’s camel population. According to the 20th Livestock Census, the population dropped from around 4 lakh in 2013 to just 2.52 lakh in 2019. While promoting camel milk is a strategy to make camel rearing viable, it has not yet reversed the overall population decline.