UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 26 May 2026

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is incorrect because BHAVYA is a Central Sector Scheme, not a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. This means it receives 100% financial funding directly from the Central Government’s budget outlay of ₹33,660 crore. It is true, however, that the selection of the initial 50 parks utilizes a challenge-based competitive framework among states.
• Statement 2 is correct. The operational guidelines issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) establish strict land area benchmarks to ensure commercial and industrial viability. Projects must meet a minimum contiguous land target of 100 acres in standard non-hilly states, and 25 acres in hilly terrains, northeastern states, and smaller Union Territories.
• Statement 3 is correct. To optimize multi-modal freight logistics and ensure seamless integration with national connectivity grids, the guidelines mandate that every park layout map must be digitally layered onto the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan GIS platform. This ensures that roads, rail, and port connectivity are planned efficiently.

Solution: C

• Statement I is correct. The operational guidelines of the Padma Awards dictate a strict five-year elapsing rule before a recipient can be upgraded to a higher tier (e.g., from Padma Shri to Padma Bhushan). This rule can only be relaxed by the committee under highly extraordinary circumstances.
• Statement II is incorrect. The Padma Awards Committee is not a statutory body, nor is it created under Article 18 of the Constitution. Article 18 actually abolishes titles and restricts the state from conferring titles, and the Supreme Court has ruled that these awards are decorations, not titles. The committee is constituted annually by the Prime Minister, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, and includes officials like the Home Secretary and eminent public personalities. It acts as an advisory panel rather than an independent statutory entity.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is correct. Conocarpus erectus (commonly known as Buttonwood) is a resilient mangrove shrub or tree belonging to the family Combretaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical environments of the Americas and West Africa.
• Statement 2 is correct. As an evolutionary adaptation to marine and coastal environments, its oblong leaves are equipped with two specialized salt glands located at the base, which allows the plant to filter out excess salinity and thrive in brackish water.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The plant actually causes severe groundwater depletion rather than recharging local water tables. Its aggressive root systems consume vast quantities of water, drying out nearby soils. Furthermore, it creates a green monoculture that suppresses native flora and disturbs the delicate soil microbial ecosystems, causing an ecological loss of biodiversity.

Solution: A

• E. F.A.S.T. Protocol (A-2): This is a critical medical assessment tool used globally to spot the sudden onset of a stroke. It stands for Balance, Eyes, Face, Arm, Speech, and Time, helping individuals quickly identify neurological deficits during clinical emergencies.
• Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali Case (B-1): In this ruling, the Supreme Court clarified the evidentiary standards for bail under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA, stating that courts must look at broad probabilities rather than performing a detailed examination of evidence at the bail stage.
• G. Vombatkere v. Union of India (C-3): This landmark 2022 Supreme Court judgment placed Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (Sedition Law) into complete constitutional abeyance, freezing all fresh FIRs, pending investigations, and ongoing trials across the country.

Solution: D

• Statement I is incorrect because thrombolytic therapy using Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) is a “clot-busting” medication that is strictly contraindicated for Hemorrhagic strokes. In a Hemorrhagic stroke, a blood vessel has ruptured and is actively bleeding into the brain; introducing a powerful blood thinner like tPA would cause catastrophic, fatal internal bleeding. It is highly effective, however, for Ischemic strokes if given within the 4.5-hour golden window.
• Statement II is correct. Mechanical thrombectomy is a specialized, minimally invasive procedure where a catheter is guided through the arterial system to physically grab and remove large obstructive clots from blocked brain vessels, restoring blood flow.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct. Government servants, including professionals working with Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), are generally not eligible for Padma Awards. However, the institutional framework explicitly provides a complete exemption for doctors and scientists, who remain eligible based on their clinical service or research advancements.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. While there is a hard annual cap of 120 awards given in a single year, this numerical limit excludes posthumous awards and those presented to foreigners, NRIs, or Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs).

Statement 3 is correct. In line with Article 18 of the Constitution of India, these civilian awards are decorations and do not amount to noble titles. They cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the recipient’s name. Any such commercial or public misuse can result in the forfeiture of the honor.

Solution: C

• Statement I is correct. To ensure robust financial accountability and institutional implementation, the BHAVYA scheme uses a Strict Corporate SPV Model under the Companies Act, 2013. The central government’s fiscal help is routed as equity contributions that are directly linked to state land transfers and specific project milestones.
• Statement II is incorrect. The funding framework under BHAVYA is divided into three functional pillars, not two. These are Core Infrastructure (internal roads, underground utility corridors, treatment plants), Value-Added Infrastructure (factory sheds, testing labs), and Social Infrastructure (on-site worker housing, healthcare centers, and skill-development facilities). Thus, the use of a dual classification is inaccurate.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is correct. The physical geography of Hainan features a rugged interior, with the southwestern part of the island being highly mountainous. Mount Wuzhi scales this central-southern highlands zone as the highest peak on the island.
• Statement 2 is correct. The fertile coastal plains that ring the island are shaped and sustained by a series of major river networks, specifically the Nandu River in the north, the Changhua River in the west, and the Wanquan River in the east.

Statement 3 is correct. Hainan experiences a tropical monsoon climate with hot, wet summers, which supports dense, rich rainforests. This isolated tropical ecosystem hosts rare, endemic species, including the critically endangered Hainan black-crested gibbon, making the island highly significant for global biodiversity conservation.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct. Conocarpus has become an urgent public health concern because it releases heavy pollen clouds during the winter months. This pollen triggers respiratory issues, severe coughs, asthma attacks, and allergies in urban populations living near highway medians.
• Statement 2 is correct. From an infrastructural standpoint, the tree develops aggressive, invasive root systems. These roots seek out moisture, cracking pavements, fracturing water pipelines, disrupting telecom networks, and blocking local sewage systems.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. While the seed heads form cone-like structures containing two-winged seeds that burst open when ripe, the plant actually utilizes water currents (hydrochory), rather than wind, as its primary geographic dispersal mechanism. This is an evolutionary trait linked to its origin as a coastal mangrove shrub.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is incorrect. Section 124A was not part of the original 1860 IPC drafted by Macaulay. It was introduced a decade later, in 1870, through an amendment drafted by Sir James Fitzjames Stephen to crack down on nationalist dissent.
• Statement 2 is correct. The BNS has officially dropped the word sedition from its text. The offense has been repackaged under Section 152 as “Acts endangering sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India.”

Statement 3 is incorrect. The new legal framework under the BNS actually enhances the penalty rather than lowering it. The alternative minimum prison term has been raised from a three-year baseline under the old IPC to a strict minimum of seven years, stretching up to life imprisonment, making the penal provisions structurally more stringent.