UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 17 November 2025

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct. The Munda Rebellion, known as Ulgulan (meaning “Great Tumult”), was a significant struggle against British oppression, but its central economic trigger was the fight against the destruction of the Mundari Khuntkatti This system represented the traditional communal land rights of the Munda tribe, which were being eroded by colonial laws and exploitative thikadars (intermediaries).
• Statement 2 is incorrect. Birsa Munda’s influence was much wider; he mobilised Oraon, Munda, and Kharia tribes to fight for their land rights and demand self-rule. His leadership transcended his own tribe, making him a charismatic leader revered as ‘Bhagwan’ and ‘Dharti Aaba’ (Father of the Earth). The rebellion, though suppressed, eventually led to the landmark Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908.
• Statement 3 is correct. The powerful call to action, “End the Queen’s rule, establish our own rule” (Abua Raj setar jana, Maharani Raj tundu jana), was the defining slogan of the movement, highlighting the objective of establishing indigenous self-rule.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is incorrect because Operation Southern Spear is a large-scale U.S. military and intelligence campaign led by the United States (Department of Defence), not the United Nations. Its area of focus is the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, targeting Latin American drug-trafficking cartels, not global chokepoints generally.
• Statement 2 is incorrect because the operation utilizes a Hybrid Fleet Integration, combining Robotic & Autonomous Systems (RAS) with traditional warships, including an aircraft carrier (USS Gerald R. Ford) and a nuclear submarine. This is part of the U.S. Navy’s Project 33 modernization efforts.
• Statement 3 is incorrect as the explicit aim is to neutralize narco-terrorist networks operating in the Western Hemisphere and secure U.S. borders against drug smuggling routes, not to combat piracy in the distant Gulf of Aden. The operation signifies a major military escalation and naval buildup in the Caribbean region.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is incorrect. The Data Protection Board of India is designated as a Digital-First adjudicatory body, with fully online grievance redressal and app-based complaint filing, aligning with the SARAL (Simple, Accessible, Rational, Actionable) design principle.
• Statement 2 is correct. The DPDP Rules mandate that Consent Managers, which act as unified interfaces for individuals (Data Principals) to manage and revoke permissions, must be Indian entities. This is a crucial step to ensure regulatory oversight and protect national data interests.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The Rules provide for a phased implementation period of 18 months for organizations to transition to compliance, but the specific mandate is that Data Fiduciaries must respond to Data Principal requests (Access, Correction, Withdrawal of Consent, etc.) within 90 days, not that the compliance transition itself is 90 days. The 90-day period refers to the response time for exercising Data Principal Rights.

Solution: C

• Statement 1 is correct as Ammonium Nitrate is categorized as a Strong Oxidiser. It does not sustain a fire on its own but significantly accelerates the burning of surrounding fuel sources.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012 (governing handling, storage, transport, etc.) stipulate that any mixture containing over 45% ammonium nitrate is treated as an explosive and requires appropriate licensing. The compound is also thermally unstable, leading to violent explosions under confinement at high temperatures.
• Statement 3 is correct because it is a Highly Soluble & Hygroscopic compound, meaning it easily absorbs moisture from the air. This property is key to its handling and storage regulations, as moisture can impact its stability and explosive potential.
• Statement 4 is correct as it is the major ingredient in commercial explosives such as ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil), which dominates the mining and quarrying industry explosive use.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct as the primary aim of the MP-AUVs is to boost India’s self-reliance (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) in critical underwater warfare by enhancing Naval Mine Warfare capabilities and Mine Countermeasure (MCM)
• Statement 2 is incorrect. While Underwater Acoustic Communication is a feature that allows AUVs to exchange data with each other (coordination), they also use other sensors like Side Scan Sonar and cameras, and the overall communication system would involve various protocols, not solely acoustic communication for all data. The focus on sonar and cameras implies data transfer beyond just acoustic signalling.
• Statement 3 is correct as the system is specifically mentioned to use a Multi-AUV System where multiple portable vehicles work in a networked, collaborative manner to speed up missions and improve situational awareness.

Solution: C

• Birsa Munda established his own socio-religious sect called Birsait, through which he sought to purify and reform tribal society alongside the political movement. A major focus of the Birsait sect was social reform, specifically promoting anti-alcoholism, enhancing hygiene, and urging the rejection of superstition. He aimed for a cultural and moral revival of the Munda and associated tribes.
• Option (a) is incorrect as he founded his own sect after his family’s temporary conversion to Christianity, moving away from it.
• Option (b) is incorrect as this was the core political goal of Ulgulan, not the sole focus of his socio-religious reforms.
• Option (d) is incorrect as he himself was a gifted musician who played the flute and tuila and was active in village akhra dances, promoting cultural revival rather than a ban. The sect’s ethical code was crucial in mobilizing people against both internal social ills and external exploitation.

Solution: D

• Statement (a) is incorrect; Botswana is landlocked and is not associated with the Great Rift Valley.
• Statement (b) is incorrect; while the Okavango River is a major feature, it flows into the Okavango Delta, which is an ancient lakebed, and does not flow into the Indian Ocean.
• Statement (c) is incorrect; Botswana borders Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, not Mozambique or DRC.
• Statement (d) is correct. Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa situated on a high inland plateau (~1,000 m elevation). The country is renowned for its democracy and is largely covered by the deep sands of the Kalahari Desert, especially in the region known as the Sandveld.

Solution: A

• Statement I is correct. The EPM is a flagship initiative whose primary aim is to create a unified, technology-driven framework to boost exports and enhance global competitiveness.
• Statement II is correct. Niryat Protsahan provides the crucial financial interventions (interest subvention, credit guarantees) to improve trade finance access, which is a direct mechanism for boosting exports (explaining Statement I).
• Statement III is correct. The integration of existing schemes like IES and MAI under a single, coordinated mechanism (DGFT digital platform) is a structural step that creates the unified framework mentioned in Statement I.
• Therefore, both Statement II (financial support) and Statement III (structural integration) are specific features and interventions that collectively explain how the EPM achieves its goal of enhancing competitiveness and creating a unified framework (Statement I).

Solution: B

• The most significant benefit of mandating NDEM analysis in DPRs (Detailed Project Reports) is to ensure Accurate Route Planning and Feasibility Enhancement.
• Statement (b) captures this perfectly, as NDEM, being a geo-spatial platform with multi-hazard coverage, helps in identifying vulnerable zones like flood or landslide-prone areas. This allows for safer and more resilient road design, reducing field-level uncertainties and cost overruns.
• Statement (a) is related to environmental law, not directly the NDEM mandate.
• Statement (c) is incorrect; DEM is just one feature, and the NDMA is a guiding body, not the sole data provider.
• Statement (d) describes a rescue/response function, whereas the mandate is for preparedness and planning in the design phase.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is incorrect. The award’s purpose is to honour farmers and communities preserving traditional and endangered plant varieties, not to promote the commercial farming of GM crops.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The award is given to individual farmers and community seed groups who are grassroots conservationists, not primarily to large institutions or corporations focused on commercial hybrid development.
• Statement 3 is correct. It is a scheme of national recognition for conservationists of indigenous landraces and wild relatives of crops, instituted under Section 39(1)(iii) of the PPV&FRA Act to reward the custodians of genetic resources.