UPSC Editorials Quiz : 11 November 2025

Solution: A

• Statement-I is correct. Recent MPC meetings, as reported in October 2025, have shown that the committee voted to maintain the repo rate and continue with the policy stance of ‘withdrawal of accommodation’.
• Statement-II is correct. An “accommodative” stance is when the central bank is willing to cut interest rates and inject liquidity to support growth. “Withdrawal of accommodation” is the opposite: it signals that the central bank’s priority is shifting to controlling inflation by reducing liquidity and potentially raising rates.
• Statement-II provides the precise definition of the technical term used in Statement-I. The MPC’s action (Statement-I) is an application of the policy definition (Statement-II). Thus, Statement-II correctly explains the meaning and implication of Statement-I.

Solution: B

• (a) is incorrect. Management of forex reserves is a core central banking function of the RBI itself.
• (b) is correct. The RBI Act, 1934, allows the RBI to appoint other banks (both public and private sector) as its “agents” to handle the general banking business of the Central and State Governments (e.g., collecting taxes, making payments, handling pensions). These are known as “Agency Banks”.
• (c) is incorrect. This describes a development finance institution (DFI) or a specialized bank, not an Agency Bank.
• (d) is incorrect. This describes a particular model of foreign bank operation, not the definition of an Agency Bank.

Solution: A

• Statement I is correct. Rainfall is a primary agent of weathering, both physical (e.g., abrasion) and chemical.
• Statement II is correct. When rainwater falls, it dissolves carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, forming carbonic acid. This weak acid is highly effective at dissolving rocks, especially carbonate rocks like limestone, through a process called carbonation. This is a key part of chemical weathering.
• Statement III is correct. Rainwater also contains dissolved atmospheric oxygen. This oxygen reacts with iron-bearing minerals in rocks (like biotite or pyrite) in a process called oxidation (essentially, rusting). This weakens the rock structure and is another major type of chemical weathering.
• Both Statement II (carbonation) and Statement III (oxidation) describe how rainwater acts as an agent of chemical weathering. Both are distinct, valid, and significant chemical processes that explain why Statement I is true.

Solution: A

• (a) is correct. The post-monsoon season (October-November) is a peak cyclone season because the southwest monsoon has retreated, but the ocean waters are still very warm (sea surface temperatures > 27-28°C). The ITCZ, a low-pressure belt, shifts southwards over these warm waters, providing the necessary ‘low-level cyclonic vorticity’ or spin for a storm to develop.
• (b) is incorrect. Strong vertical wind shear (a change in wind speed or direction with height) is detrimental to cyclone formation. It tears the storm’s vertical structure apart. Cyclones require low vertical wind shear.
• (c) is incorrect. An inflow of cold, dry air would inhibit the formation of the warm, moist, convective clouds that fuel a cyclone.
• (d) is incorrect. The westerly jet stream is a feature of the upper atmosphere, and its position in winter (further south) is associated with western disturbances, not tropical cyclones in the Bay.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is correct. The strategy involves combining renewables (like solar and wind) with SMRs, which provide the baseload power that renewables lack.
• Statement 2 is correct. A key proposal is “Site Repurposing,” which involves converting retired coal plants into nuclear-ready SMR sites, taking advantage of existing grid connections and (in some cases) land.
• Statement 3 is correct. The integrated strategy explicitly mentions combining “renewables, SMRs, and storage systems” to create resilient energy ecosystems.
• Statement 4 is correct. The proposal for site repurposing also includes converting hydrogen hubs into SMR sites, suggesting a co-location or integration strategy.