UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 16 March 2026

Solution: B

• The Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme (DRAP) was launched in November 2025 to fast-track the clearance of legacy waste in urban India.
• Statement 1 is incorrect because DRAP is designed as a year-long targeted programme rather than a long-term decadal plan. Its specific goal is to achieve 100% dumpsite clearance within one year of adoption at selected sites, supporting the broader SBM-U 2.0 goal of “Lakshya Zero Dumpsites” by September 2026.
• Statement 2 is correct; it is implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to reclaim land for productive urban use. Statement 3 is correct as the programme strategically focuses on 214 major dumpsites across 202 urban local bodies, which together contain approximately 80% of the country’s legacy waste. This prioritization ensures that maximum environmental and public health gains are achieved in the shortest time.
• The programme utilizes a Central Financial Assistance (CFA) model of ₹550 per tonne. By focusing on these high-impact areas, the government intends to transform “garbage mountains” into green spaces or waste-processing infrastructure, thereby preventing the further degradation of soil and groundwater.

Solution: C

• Pair 1 is correct because the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is locally known as Godawan in Rajasthan, which holds over 90% of its wild population. The Rajasthan government launched Project Great Indian Bustard in 2013 to protect this flagship grassland species.
• Pair 2 is correct as the Western Tragopan is popularly called Jujurana, meaning “King of Birds,” in Himachal Pradesh. It is the state bird of Himachal Pradesh, and conservation efforts are focused on the Western Himalayan temperate forests to protect its dwindling numbers.
• Pair 3 is correct in the context of the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), which operates India’s only mechanized diamond mine at Panna, Madhya Pradesh. While “Project Panna” is often associated with tiger conservation (Panna Tiger Reserve), in the industrial and mineral context of India, it refers to the strategic diamond mining operations that NMDC oversees.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct: The Samriddh Gram initiative is built on the digital backbone of BharatNet, which is one of the world’s largest rural broadband projects. This connectivity is essential for the “Phygital” (Physical + Digital) model.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The initiative is implemented by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications, not the Ministry of Rural Development.
• Statement 3 is correct: Each Samriddhi Kendra is designed as a village-level service hub located at Panchayat Bhawans, offering integrated services like telemedicine, agriculture advisory, and financial inclusion to villages within a 5 km radius.
• Statement 4 is incorrect: The pilot project is being implemented in three diverse locations—Umri (Madhya Pradesh), Narakoduru (Andhra Pradesh), and Chaurawala (Uttar Pradesh)—representing different socio-economic contexts across India, rather than being restricted to the Northeast.
• The “Phygital” approach ensures that even those with low digital literacy can access high-tech services through physical assistance at the centers. This model aims to foster rural digital transformation by converging infrastructure with community-centric governance.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is incorrect: While the Western Tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus) has a crimson neck patch, it is endemic to the Western Himalayas, not the Western Ghats. Its range extends from North-West Pakistan through Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh to Uttarakhand.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Its IUCN status is ‘Vulnerable’, not ‘Critically Endangered’. Its population is estimated to be fragmented and small (roughly 2,500–3,500 individuals), but it has not yet reached the threshold for the highest threat category.
• Statement 3 is correct: As a bird that inhabits dense undergrowth in temperate and subalpine forests (2,400–3,600 meters), it is considered an indicator species. Its presence or absence reflects the ecological integrity of the Himalayan high-altitude forests. Locally called the Jujurana, it is the state bird of Himachal Pradesh. Protecting its habitat also ensures the survival of other Himalayan biodiversity.
• The bird is known for its secretive behavior and the distinctive horn-like fleshy blue structures that males display during the breeding season.

Solution: D

• Kharg Island is a critical strategic asset located in the northern Persian Gulf, approximately 50–55 km off the Iranian coast and northwest of the city of Bushehr. It is a coral island formed from limestone deposits. Its primary global significance lies in its role as Iran’s main crude oil export terminal, handling nearly 90% of the country’s petroleum exports. Because it is positioned close to deep waters, it allows Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) to dock, which is not possible at most mainland ports.
• Historically, the island has been a site of human activity since the Achaemenid period and was a major flashpoint during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy chokepoint, makes any military action on the island a matter of international concern, as it can lead to a drastic spike in global oil prices.
• Unlike many other islands in the Gulf, Kharg possesses natural freshwater, which historically supported settlements before its industrial transformation.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The Great Indian Bustard is a resident species of the Indian subcontinent, not a migratory bird from Central Asia. While it may show some local movement based on rainfall and food availability, it remains within the semi-arid grasslands of India and parts of Pakistan.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The GIB is a slow breeder, usually laying only one egg per year. This low reproductive rate, combined with high juvenile mortality and habitat loss, makes the population extremely vulnerable to extinction.
• Statement 3 is correct: It is considered an umbrella species for grasslands. By protecting the vast, open tracts of land required by the GIB, conservationists effectively protect a wide range of other species, including the Indian Grey Wolf, Blackbuck, and various flora and fauna specific to the grassland biome. It is often called the “flagship species” of these ecosystems. The bird is currently Critically Endangered and is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, signifying the highest level of legal protection in India.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is incorrect: NMDC is a Navratna CPSE, not a Maharatna. Furthermore, it operates under the Ministry of Steel, not the Ministry of Mines. This distinction is important as NMDC is the primary supplier of iron ore to the Indian steel industry.
• Statement 2 is correct: NMDC operates the country’s only mechanized diamond mine at Panna, Madhya Pradesh. This makes it a unique entity in India’s mineral map, diversifying beyond iron ore.
• Statement 3 is correct: NMDC maintains a state-of-the-art R&D center in Hyderabad, which has been recognized as a Centre of Excellence by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). This center focuses on mineral processing, flow sheet development, and sustainable mining technologies.
• NMDC’s role is strategic because it supports the goal of reaching 300 MT steel production capacity by 2030. By producing 50 million tonnes of iron ore in FY 2025–26, NMDC has demonstrated its capacity to meet the growing raw material demands of the domestic industrial sector while adhering to scientific mining practices.

Solution: C

• Statement 1 is correct: Unlike many arid islands in the Persian Gulf, Kharg has natural freshwater, which has supported human life for millennia.
• Statement 2 is correct: The Dutch East India Company established a fortified trading post on the island in 1753, although they were later expelled by local Persian forces.
• Statement 3 is correct: The island is a coral island, primarily composed of coral limestone that has risen above sea level.
• Statement 4 is incorrect: Kharg Island is an oil export hub, not a nuclear enrichment site. Iran’s major nuclear facilities are located in places like Natanz, Fordow, and Bushehr (mainland). Kharg is critical for Iran’s economy because it handles the bulk of its crude oil loading.
• The island’s geography—being five miles long and situated near deep-water channels—is what makes it an ideal terminal for super-tankers. Its history is also rich, with archaeological evidence of rock-cut tombs from the Achaemenid era, indicating its long-standing strategic and commercial importance in the Gulf’s maritime history.

Solution: C

• While the Governor generally acts on the “aid and advice” of the Council of Ministers, the Constitution grants certain discretionary powers.
• Statement 1 is correct; in a “hung assembly,” the Governor uses their discretion to invite the leader of the party or coalition most likely to command a majority.
• Statement 2 is correct; if a government loses a vote of no-confidence and the Chief Minister refuses to step down, the Governor can exercise discretion to dismiss the ministry.
• Statement 3 is also correct; deciding whether a bill should be reserved for the President under Article 200 is a discretionary power (except for the mandatory reservation regarding High Courts). These powers are intended to ensure the constitutional machinery of the state functions correctly during political crises. However, the use of these powers has often been a point of friction between the Center and States.
• The Supreme Court has ruled that such discretion should not be arbitrary and must be based on objective facts. This “discretionary” role is what distinguishes the Governor’s office from that of the President, who has virtually no constitutional discretion.

Solution: B

• Pair 1 is correctly matched; Upemba National Park is a prominent park in the DRC.
• Pair 2 is incorrectly matched; Kundelungu National Park is also located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, not Tanzania. It is situated close to Upemba and is part of the same broader ecological landscape.
• Pair 3 is correctly matched; the Lubudi–Sampwe hunting reserve is located in the DRC and serves as a vital ecological corridor connecting Upemba and Kundelungu National Parks. This corridor allows for the migration and movement of wildlife, such as elephants, between the two protected areas.
• Maintaining these corridors is essential for genetic diversity and the survival of large mammals in the Congo Basin. Errors in such matches often involve placing parks in neighboring countries like Tanzania or Zambia, which share similar savanna and forest landscapes but have distinct national park systems.