UPSC Editorials Quiz : 12 February 2026

Solution: C

The Constitution mandates a specific procedural safeguard for the removal of the Speaker. According to Article 94, no resolution for the removal of the Speaker or Deputy Speaker shall be moved unless at least 14 days’ notice has been given of the intention to move the resolution. This is a fundamental procedural requirement to ensure the stability of the office.

Source

Solution: C

• Statement 1 is correct. The Supreme Court of India has upheld that sub-classification within Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for reservation purposes does not violate the equality principle. The Court reasoned that the Constitution embodies substantive equality rather than mere formal equality. Articles 14, 15, and 16 permit reasonable classification to achieve real and effective equality. In recent judgments, the Court observed that treating all SCs or STs as a homogeneous group may perpetuate internal inequities because some communities within these categories remain more backward than others. Therefore, sub-classification aimed at equitable distribution of reservation benefits is constitutionally permissible if backed by empirical data and rational criteria.
• Statement 2 is correct. Under Article 341 and Article 342, the power to notify the list of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is vested in the President, subject to parliamentary law. States do not have the authority to exclude or include any caste in the notified list. They may, however, make sub-classifications for distribution of benefits, but they cannot “tinker” with the Presidential list by removing a caste altogether. Any alteration of the list requires parliamentary legislation.

Source

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The Baltic Sea is known for its low salinity (brackish water) due to high freshwater inflow from rivers and limited exchange with the North Sea. It is not high salinity.
• Statement 2 is correct: The Baltic Sea is bordered by Finland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Solution: B

• Statement I is correct. The policy seeks to enable a transition from a fossil fuel-dependent industrial system toward a regenerative bioeconomy. High-performance biomanufacturing includes advanced bio-based production systems using synthetic biology, precision fermentation, bio-based chemicals, and sustainable biomaterials. The broader aim is to enhance economic growth while reducing environmental footprint and promoting circular economy principles.
• Statement II is incorrect. The proposed ‘Mulaankur Bio-Enablers’ are not meant to function exclusively as academic research centres for fundamental biological studies. Instead, they are envisaged as enabling platforms or innovation ecosystems that support translational research, industry linkages, entrepreneurship, scaling of technologies, and commercialization. Their objective is application-oriented development rather than purely theoretical or academic research.

Statement III is correct. The policy identifies several strategic thematic sectors, including futuristic marine and space biomanufacturing, reflecting India’s ambition to expand biotechnology into emerging frontiers such as blue economy applications and space-based bio-production systems.

Solution: C

The P-8I Poseidon is a multi-role aircraft manufactured by the US firm Boeing. Its primary operational roles include Long-range Maritime Reconnaissance (LRMR) and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW). The Indian Navy currently operates 12 of these aircraft and is seeking to procure six more to monitor adversary movements in the Indian Ocean. The procurement of these “submarine hunters” is considered a strategic factor that helped achieve a breakthrough in recent trade negotiations.

Source