UPSC Editorials Quiz : 15 May 2026

Solution: A

• The appointment of the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation is governed by the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, as amended after the Supreme Court’s directions in the Vineet Narain case to enhance the autonomy and credibility of the agency.
• Statement 1 is incorrect because the law provides a minimum tenure of two years, but the tenure is not strictly non-extendable. Recent amendments permit the Central Government to grant annual extensions after the initial period, subject to a maximum overall tenure of five years. Therefore, describing the tenure as “non-extendable” is factually wrong.
• Statement 2 is also incorrect. The High-Powered Selection Committee consists of the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha (or leader of the single largest opposition party), and the Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge nominated by the CJI. The Union Home Minister is not a member of this committee. Confusion often arises because the Home Minister is part of committees for appointments to some other investigative or vigilance bodies.
• Statement 3 is correct. The Leader of Opposition is a statutory member of the committee and may formally record dissent if disagreement arises regarding the selection process or recommended candidate. Such dissent notes have appeared in previous appointment deliberations.

Solution: D

• Statement I is incorrect because ground-level ozone is not a primary pollutant directly emitted from industrial chimneys or vehicle exhausts. Instead, it is a secondary pollutant formed through complex photochemical reactions between nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the presence of sunlight. This is why ozone levels are often higher during hot summer afternoons when solar radiation is intense. While industries and vehicles emit precursor gases, they do not directly emit ozone itself. Ground-level ozone is a major component of photochemical smog and differs from the beneficial stratospheric ozone layer that protects Earth from ultraviolet radiation.
• Statement II is correct. Ozone is a highly reactive gas that can irritate the respiratory system even during short-term exposure. It may cause throat irritation, coughing, chest pain, breathing difficulty, and reduced lung function. Prolonged or repeated exposure can aggravate chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and other pulmonary diseases. Children, elderly people, and outdoor workers are particularly vulnerable because ozone damages lung tissues and increases sensitivity to respiratory infections.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct. Section 5(b) of the Act defines banking as the “accepting, for the purpose of lending or investment, of deposits of money from the public, repayable on demand or otherwise.” This legal definition distinguishes banks from other financial entities.
• Statement 2 is correct; Section 22 is the cornerstone of RBI’s regulatory power, allowing it to issue licenses to new banks and cancel the licenses of existing ones (as seen in the case of Paytm Payments Bank) if they fail to maintain financial health or comply with statutory conditions.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. Section 8 explicitly prohibits banks from engaging in trading or the buying and selling of goods, except in the context of realized security, to prevent high-risk commercial exposures and protect depositors’ interests.
• The Banking Regulation Act serves as the primary legal framework ensuring financial stability in India. Its significance lies in the oversight powers it grants the RBI, including the ability to inspect books, appoint or remove directors, and manage the winding up of companies. By strictly defining “banking” and prohibiting general trade, the Act ensures that banks remain focused on their core intermediary role.

Solution: A

• Project DANTAK is a project of the Border Roads Organisation established in 1961 for infrastructure development in Bhutan. It is widely regarded as one of the most important pillars of the India–Bhutan friendship and strategic partnership. Through decades of sustained infrastructure assistance, the project has strengthened economic connectivity, defence cooperation, and people-to-people ties between the two countries. Hence, Statement I is correct.
• Statement II is also correct. Project DANTAK played a historic role in constructing Bhutan’s earliest motorable road network, which helped integrate remote mountainous regions with administrative and commercial centres. Prior to this, much of Bhutan depended on mule tracks and footpaths for transportation. The project also contributed significantly to critical infrastructure such as the construction of Paro International Airport, Bhutan’s only international airport. In addition, it has built bridges, highways, schools, and other strategic infrastructure across the country.
• Statement II correctly explains Statement I because the enduring importance of Project DANTAK in nation-building and connectivity is precisely why it is considered a cornerstone of India–Bhutan relations.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is incorrect. A heatwave is defined both qualitatively and quantitatively based on temperature thresholds. It is characterized by the actual maximum temperature or its departure from the normal temperature of a specific region. Duration is a factor, but the specific degrees Celsius (threshold) is the primary qualifier.
• Statement 2 is correct; in anticyclonic systems, air moves downward (subsidence), which causes it to warm up and inhibits the rising of moist air needed for cloud formation. This “clear sky” condition allows maximum solar radiation to hit the earth. Statement 3 is correct; climate change provides a warmer baseline, while El Niño Modoki disrupts wind and moisture patterns, frequently resulting in drier, hotter conditions over India.
• Heatwaves are increasingly viewed as a “silent disaster” because their impact on the human body can be fatal when the core temperature cannot be regulated. The synergy between urbanization (UHI) and global atmospheric patterns like anticyclones creates a deadly “heat trap.” Identifying these factors is essential for urban planning, such as increasing “green cover” to counter UHI and developing early warning systems based on anticyclonic movements.