UPSC Editorials Quiz : 18 April 2026

Solution: A

• The Code on Wages, 2019 aims to streamline wage-related laws and extend minimum wage protection to all employees, irrespective of sector. A key innovation is the introduction of a floor wage, determined by the central government, below which no state can fix minimum wages. This ensures universalisation of minimum wage, reducing regional disparities and informal exploitation.
• The Code on Social Security, 2020 expands the ambit of social protection to previously excluded categories such as gig and platform workers. It introduces a mechanism for aggregator contributions, requiring digital platforms (like ride-hailing or delivery services) to contribute a portion of their turnover to social security funds. This enables statutory social security for gig workers, a major shift in labour policy.

The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 focuses on regulating employer-employee relations and dispute settlement. It strengthens conflict resolution mechanisms through tribunals and streamlined procedures. Additionally, it mandates pro-rata gratuity for fixed-term employees, ensuring that even short-term workers receive benefits proportional to their service duration.

Solution: D

• Article 82 of the Constitution of India deals with the readjustment of seats in the Lok Sabha after each Census through a law made by Parliament.
• Statement 1 is incorrect. Article 82 does not empower the President to redraw constituency boundaries at his discretion. Instead, Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act, after which an independent Delimitation Commission is constituted to carry out the exercise. The President’s role is formal, not discretionary.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The Constitution does not require a three-fourths majority for approving delimitation-related laws. Such laws are passed like ordinary legislation by a simple majority in Parliament.
• Statement 3 is also incorrect. The orders of the Delimitation Commission are final and have the force of law. They cannot be challenged in any court, including the Supreme Court of India, to ensure independence and avoid prolonged litigation in electoral matters.

Solution: A

• The Nature Solutions Finance Hub for Asia and the Pacific is an initiative led by the United Nations Development Programme, not the World Bank alone. It works in partnership with multiple stakeholders, including governments, financial institutions, and private actors. Therefore, Statement 1 is incorrect.
• Statement 2 is correct. The hub aims to scale up nature-based solutions (NbS) to tackle interconnected challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation. It emphasizes innovative financing mechanisms—such as blended finance, green bonds, and investment platforms—to mobilize large-scale funding for conservation and sustainable land use.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The hub does not function by giving direct cash grants to corporations based on carbon reduction targets. Instead, it focuses on enabling frameworks, de-risking investments, and catalyzing private capital flows into nature-positive projects. Its approach is systemic and financial-structural rather than performance-based grant disbursement.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct; the Bureau is established under Section 13 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025.
• Statement 2 is incorrect; while it deals with security, it functions under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), not Home Affairs. This reflects the administrative integration of security within the sector-specific ministry.
• Statement 3 is correct; it is headed by a Director General and is the nodal agency for port safety. India’s port security is critical given the country’s extensive coastline and the role of major ports in global trade. The Bureau will likely oversee the implementation of the ISPS Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security) and coordinate with the Navy and Coast Guard to prevent non-traditional threats like drone attacks or maritime infiltration.

Solution: A

• The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) introduced by the European Union is designed to align international trade with climate objectives. Statement I is correct because CBAM acts as a trade-related climate instrument that encourages producers in non-EU countries to adopt cleaner, low-carbon production methods if they wish to remain competitive in the EU market.
• Statement II is also correct and directly explains Statement I. CBAM works by equalizing the carbon cost between domestic EU producers—who are subject to carbon pricing under the EU Emissions Trading System—and foreign exporters. Importers must pay a carbon price equivalent to what would have been paid if the goods were produced under EU carbon pricing rules.
• This mechanism helps prevent “carbon leakage,” where industries might relocate production to countries with weaker climate regulations, undermining global emission reduction efforts. By ensuring parity in carbon costs, CBAM removes the incentive to shift production abroad and instead pushes global industries toward cleaner production practices.