UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 4 April 2026

Solution: C

Statement 4 is incorrect.

• The TALASH (Tribal Aptitude, Life Skills and Self-Esteem Hub) initiative is a national program launched by the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in partnership with UNICEF India. The program is designed for the holistic development of students in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) across the country.
• One of its core features is the use of psychometric assessments, which help evaluate a student’s cognitive abilities, personality traits, and aptitudes. These assessments are directly inspired by the NCERT ‘Tamanna’ initiative, which helps students recognize their interests relative to various career paths. Based on the results, students receive “Career Cards” that suggest career options best suited to their individual skills and interests.
• The initiative is not restricted to the North-East; it is expected to benefit over 38 lakh students enrolled in EMRSs across 28 States and 8 Union Territories. It aims to bridge gaps in education and empower tribal youth through technology-driven personalized learning, aligning with the National Education Policy 2020.

Solution: C

• Statement 1 is correct: The Merchant Shipping Act of 1958 is the primary legislation in India that incorporates the international standards of the MARPOL 73/78 convention, specifically Annex I, to regulate and prevent oil pollution from ships within India’s jurisdiction.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: While the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOS-DCP) is the central framework for responding to oil spills, it is implemented and coordinated by the Indian Coast Guard, not the Indian Navy. Furthermore, although it ensures a timely and integrated response among stakeholders, it is often described as a functional contingency plan rather than a strictly “legally binding” statute in the same sense as the Merchant Shipping Act.
• Statement 3 is correct: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Act, 2010, establishes a specialized judicial body for the effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection. This includes adjudicating disputes involving marine pollution and awarding compensation to affected coastal communities and for the restoration of damaged ecosystems.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is incorrect. The National Park status under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 provides stricter protection than a Wildlife Sanctuary. However, the area is not automatically “rights-free.” Pre-existing rights of local and tribal communities (such as forest dwellers) must be legally settled before final notification. In practice, many parks involve complex coexistence frameworks.

Statement 2 is correct. Simlipal is globally known for its population of melanistic tigers, commonly called “Black Tigers,” caused by a rare genetic mutation (pseudo-melanism). While melanism has been reported rarely elsewhere, Simlipal is the only known landscape with a stable, naturally occurring population of such tigers.

Solution: D

• The Drake Passage is a critical oceanic corridor. Option (d) is correct; it is the body of water between South America’s Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands, and it is the only place where the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) can flow around the globe without being blocked by a landmass. This makes it a high-energy environment with significant air-sea exchange of carbon dioxide.
• Contrary to option (c), the Southern Ocean and Drake Passage are vital carbon sinks, second only to the North Atlantic in their importance for sequestering atmospheric CO2. The strong westerly winds and unique hydrography facilitate the mixing of deep water and the absorption of heat and carbon, making the passage a central focus for climate researchers studying global warming mitigation.

Solution: B

• The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) is a visionary initiative designed to transform underperforming agricultural regions.
• Statement 1 is incorrect because the scheme is inherently “holistic”; it explicitly includes allied activities such as fisheries, animal husbandry, and agroforestry, not just crop agriculture, to ensure a comprehensive boost to the rural economy.
• Statement 2 is correct, as the scheme identifies 100 districts characterized by structural challenges like low productivity, low cropping intensity, and inadequate credit access. These are often referred to as “Aspirational Agricultural Districts.”
• Statement 3 is correct, describing the three-tier implementation framework designed for transparency and accountability: District Dhan-Dhaanya Samitis (often chaired by the Collector), State-level Steering Groups, and National-level Oversight Bodies. The convergence of 36 schemes across 11 ministries ensures that funds and technical support are directed synergistically, moving away from fragmented agricultural interventions toward a saturation-based governance model.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is correct. The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0 emphasizes strengthening the semiconductor talent pipeline in India. One of the proposed measures includes establishing industry-led research, design, and training centres in collaboration with academic institutions and private semiconductor firms. These centres aim to create a highly specialized workforce in areas such as chip design, fabrication processes, packaging, and semiconductor materials. This approach aligns with India’s broader strategy of integrating academia, industry, and government support to develop a skilled semiconductor ecosystem.
• Statement 2 is correct. ISM 2.0 expands the scope of India’s semiconductor strategy beyond chip fabrication by encouraging domestic manufacturing of semiconductor equipment, components, specialty chemicals, and materials. Building such upstream capabilities is important because the semiconductor industry relies on a complex supply chain that includes lithography systems, wafer fabrication tools, and high-purity materials. Developing these capabilities domestically is intended to reduce import dependence and strengthen technological self-reliance.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme is not restricted to government-owned research entities. Instead, it supports startups, domestic companies, MSMEs, and design firms engaged in semiconductor design and intellectual property development. The scheme provides financial incentives and infrastructure support to promote innovation in chip design within India.

Solution: D

• The Digital India Mission, launched on July 1, 2015, is built on nine foundational pillars designed to transform India into a digitally empowered society.
• Broadband Highways (Pillar 1) aims to connect 250,000 village Panchayats with high-speed fiber.
• Electronics Manufacturing (Pillar 7) is a strategic goal targeting Net Zero Imports by encouraging local design and manufacturing of items like set-top boxes, mobiles, and medical electronics.
• Early Harvest Programmes (Pillar 9) are short-term initiatives like biometric attendance, Wi-Fi in all universities, and secure email within the government.
• Information for All (Pillar 6) focuses on transparency through Open Data platforms and proactive citizen engagement via portals like MyGov.in.
• The other pillars include Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity, Public Internet Access Programme, e-Governance (reforming government through technology), e-Kranti (electronic delivery of services), and IT for Jobs.

Solution: C

• AdFalciVax is an experimental vaccine developed to combat Malaria, particularly infections caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which is responsible for the most severe and deadly form of the disease.
• AdFalciVax is based on a viral vector vaccine platform, where a modified adenovirus is used to deliver genetic material from the malaria parasite into the human body. This stimulates the immune system to recognize specific antigens of Plasmodium falciparum and produce immune responses that can prevent infection or reduce disease severity.
• The vaccine focuses on targeting the parasite during the liver stage of its life cycle, aiming to stop the parasite from multiplying before it enters the bloodstream and causes symptomatic malaria.
• Malaria remains a major global health challenge, particularly in tropical regions, and vaccines such as AdFalciVax represent ongoing scientific efforts to strengthen prevention strategies alongside mosquito control and antimalarial drugs.

Solution: B

• Artificial intelligence has increasingly been applied in genomics and molecular biology to decode complex biological systems.
• Statement 1 is correct because DeepMind’s AlphaFold predicts three-dimensional protein structures from amino acid sequences, solving one of biology’s long-standing challenges.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. Although protein-coding regions produce proteins, they constitute only about 1–2% of the human genome. Many disease-associated variants actually occur in non-coding regions that regulate gene activity. Genome-wide association studies have shown that regulatory DNA often influences disease susceptibility.
• Statement 3 is correct. Non-coding DNA contains regulatory elements such as promoters, enhancers, silencers, and insulators. These elements control when, where, and how strongly genes are expressed. Mutations in these regulatory sequences can alter gene expression without directly modifying protein structure. Modern AI tools are increasingly being used to predict how these regulatory regions function across different cell types.

Solution: D

• The Bathukamma festival is a vibrant floral celebration deeply rooted in the cultural identity of Telangana and parts of Andhra Pradesh. It is primarily a women-led festival that honors “Gauri Devi” in the form of Bathukamma, representing the life-giving forces of nature.
• Statement 1 is correct as it captures the essence of the festival, which celebrates the symbiotic relationship between humanity, water, and the earth. The festival coincides with the later half of the monsoon season and concludes with Saddula Bathukamma, where floral stacks are immersed in local water bodies.
• Statement 2 is correct because this immersion is not just a ritual but a way of recharging the ecosystem, as many of the flowers used have natural purifying properties that help cleanse water bodies after the rains.
• Statement 3 is correct because the flowers used—such as Tangedu, Gunugu, and Banthi—are carefully selected for their medicinal value and their role in the local ecology. The festival reflects the socio-economic importance of nature, as the floral arrangements represent a “mountain” of life, and the ritual songs often narrate the struggles and joys of women in agrarian societies. Unlike typical Hindu festivals that focus on idols, Bathukamma is unique in its floral representation of the divine.