UPSC Editorials Quiz : 5 February 2026

Solution: A

• Coseismic subsidence refers to the sudden vertical lowering of the Earth’s surface that occurs simultaneously with (co-seismic = “with the earthquake”) a major seismic event. During large earthquakes, especially along subduction zones or major fault systems, tectonic plates can abruptly shift, causing parts of the land surface to drop by several centimeters to even meters.
• This phenomenon is particularly significant in coastal and deltaic regions, where such subsidence can permanently alter shorelines, increase exposure to flooding, storm surges, and sea-level rise, and exacerbate climate-related vulnerabilities.
• Recent climate and forest-related assessment reports use the term to highlight how tectonic processes can interact with climate impacts, for example by worsening coastal inundation risks independent of global sea-level rise.

Solution: B

• Warm cloud seeding is based on the physics of cloud microphysics where cloud temperatures remain above the freezing point of water. In such clouds, rainfall formation depends on the growth of water droplets through collision and coalescence rather than ice crystal processes.
• Hygroscopic substances are therefore used, as they readily attract water vapour and help form larger droplets that can fall as rain. Calcium chloride is one such highly effective hygroscopic salt. When dispersed into warm clouds, it absorbs moisture, accelerates droplet growth, and enhances the probability of collisions among droplets, leading to precipitation.
• Silver iodide, dry ice, and liquid propane are instead associated with cold cloud seeding, where they act as ice-nucleating agents at sub-zero temperatures.

Solution: B

• The Solar Charkha Mission is an initiative of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The mission was conceptualised to promote sustainable employment generation in rural and semi-urban areas, particularly among women artisans.
• It focuses on setting up solar-powered charkha clusters that enable decentralised yarn production using renewable energy, thereby reducing dependence on grid electricity and fossil fuels. By integrating clean energy with traditional cottage industries, the scheme aims to revive khadi and village industries while improving productivity and incomes.
• Although it uses solar energy, it does not fall under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Similarly, while it has linkages with textiles and rural livelihoods, its core objective is enterprise development and self-employment, which places it squarely within the mandate of the MSME Ministry.

Solution: C

• The Asokan Elephant Pillar at Sankassiya is a unique Mauryan monument and all three statements correctly capture its historical and religious significance.
• Unlike the more famous Sarnath pillar crowned by the Lion Capital, the Sankassiya pillar is traditionally associated with an elephant capital, symbolically linked to the Buddha’s conception and descent motifs in Buddhist art.
• Sankassiya holds deep importance in Buddhist tradition as the place where the Buddha is believed to have descended to earth from the Tavatimsa Heaven after preaching the Abhidhamma to his mother, Queen Maya.
• This event forms one of the eight great miracles of the Buddha’s life and explains Emperor Ashoka’s choice of the site for erecting a commemorative pillar. Because of this association, Sankassiya is also an important focal point for Abhidhamma-related observances, including Abhidhamma Divas, especially within Theravada Buddhist traditions.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct. NexCAR19 is India’s first indigenously developed CAR T-cell therapy, representing a major milestone in advanced cancer treatment and indigenous biotechnology capability. It has been developed through Indian research institutions and clinicians, significantly reducing dependence on extremely expensive imported CAR-T therapies.
• Statement 2 is also correct. NexCAR19 specifically targets B-cell malignancies such as certain leukemias and lymphomas. It works by extracting a patient’s own T-cells, genetically engineering them to express a chimeric antigen receptor that recognizes a B-cell surface antigen (commonly CD19), and then reinfusing them so they can selectively destroy cancerous B-cells.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. Like all currently approved CAR-T therapies worldwide, NexCAR19 is administered through intravenous infusion after laboratory modification of T-cells. Oral administration is not possible for living cell-based therapies.