UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 3 June 2026

Solution: C

• Project UDAYAK is a specialized territorial wing of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Although the BRO handles border infrastructure, it falls under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence, not the Ministry of Home Affairs, making statement 1 incorrect.
• The project is specifically tasked with developing and maintaining crucial road networks in remote, challenging terrains, managing over 1,457 km of strategic roads, making statement 2 correct.
• Its primary geographical jurisdiction encompasses sensitive border zones in the easternmost parts of Arunachal Pradesh—including districts like Anjaw, Lohit, Dibang Valley, Longding, Tirap, and Changlang—along with connected pockets in Assam, making statement 3 correct.

Solution: D

• The MAHA (Missions for Advancement in High-impact Areas) Water Mission is designed as a high-priority pathway for technology validation, development, and commercialization to bridge the gap between basic research and actual field deployment, making statement 1 correct.
• Structurally, it functions as a collaborative inter-ministerial platform pulling expertise from the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and ISRO/Department of Space, making statement 2 correct.

Backed by a ₹200-crore outlay, it democratizes research funding by offering substantial financial grants to multidisciplinary consortia comprising universities, laboratories, startups, and MSMEs through dedicated open calls for prototype development, making statement 3 correct.

Solution: A

• Coal gasification is a chemical process that breaks down and converts solid coal or lignite into a synthetic gaseous mixture (syngas) rather than directly liquefying it via traditional burning, making statement 1 incorrect.
• The elemental bonds are split under high temperature and pressure, yielding a clean mixture composed primarily of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), and carbon dioxide (CO2), making statement 2 correct.
• Crucially, the volume of oxygen injected into the gasification reactor is strictly controlled and restricted, ensuring that partial oxidation and thermal cracking occur instead of direct combustion or catching fire, making statement 3 incorrect.

Solution: A

The Centralized Digital Patient Feedback System is a nationwide public grievance and quality-assurance platform rolled out by the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). The system is designed to allow beneficiaries to quickly rate their healthcare experiences at ESIC hospitals and dispensaries, converting patient feedback into instant digital alerts so local administrative authorities can address operational deficiencies immediately.

Solution: B

• Indian coal typically has an exceptionally high ash content, often exceeding 40%. To handle this domestic constraint, Pressurized Fluidized-Bed Gasification (PFBG) is employed, making statement 1 correct.
• In this system, upward-blowing gas streams physically lift and suspend pulverized coal particles, creating a boiling fluid-like state that allows the heat to gasify the carbon uniformly, making statement 2 correct.
• However, a defining aspect of PFBG is that it allows the uniform extraction of heavy mineral ash from the bottom without melting it into slag, which differs from slagging gasifiers that liquefy ash, making statement 3 incorrect.

Solution: B

• The Right to be Forgotten is not explicitly mentioned or codified as a standalone right within the Information Technology Act, 2000, making statement 1 incorrect (though the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, now provides a statutory basis via data erasure clauses).
• It is fundamentally based on the concept of informational self-determination, allowing individuals to control their digital footprints and request removal of personal data when public interest no longer outweighs private dignity, making statement 2 correct.
• Furthermore, the historic S. Puttaswamy verdict (2017), which declared privacy an integral fundamental right under Article 21, laid the structural framework for high courts to recognize RTBF, making statement 3 correct.

Solution: D

• The open international boundary between India and Nepal is approximately 1,850 km long and is shared across five distinct Indian states. These are Uttarakhand (which contains the contested Kalapani sector), Uttar Pradesh, Bihar (which contains the riverine Susta dispute along the Gandak), West Bengal, and Sikkim.
• Precise management of this boundary is vital for subcontinental security due to cross-border movements, farming overlaps, and territorial sensitivities. Therefore, all five states share a border with Nepal.

Solution: C

The Susta region dispute, located along the border of Bihar and Nepal, is a direct result of the changing course of the Gandak River. Over several decades, the volatile nature of the river has caused it to shift its path, leaving chunks of land swinging between different physical jurisdictions. This has led to local cross-border farming overlaps and territorial disagreements, making the Gandak River the root geographic factor behind the Susta knot.

Solution: B

• The MTP (Amendment) Act, 2021, significantly modernized India’s abortion laws to align with reproductive rights and medical advancements.
• Statement 1 is incorrect because the upper gestation limit of 24 weeks applies only to special categories of women (rape survivors, minors, etc.), while for general cases, the limit remains 20 weeks.
• Statement 2 is correct and represents a major progressive shift; the original 1971 Act allowed termination due to contraceptive failure only for married women, but the 2021 amendment extended this to unmarried women, recognizing their autonomy.

Statement 3 is correct as the Act prescribes a tiered medical opinion system: one doctor’s opinion for up to 20 weeks, and two doctors’ opinions for the 20-24 week bracket. Furthermore, the Act mandates the creation of State-level Medical Boards to decide on terminations beyond 24 weeks in cases of substantial fetal abnormalities. These changes aim to reduce maternal mortality from unsafe abortions by providing a safe, legal, and confidential framework. The Act emphasizes confidentiality, ensuring that a woman’s identity is protected and only disclosed to persons authorized by law.

Solution: D

• The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is not a statutory law; it was not passed by Parliament. Instead, it is a consensus-based document agreed upon by political parties. Its authority is derived from the Election Commission’s (EC) inherent constitutional powers under Article 324, which mandates the EC to superintend, direct, and control elections. Therefore, Statement-I is incorrect as it falsely attributes the MCC to a statute like the RPA, 1951.
• Statement-II is correct as it accurately identifies Article 324 as the source of the EC’s power. The MCC ensures a level playing field by preventing the party in power from misusing government machinery (like state aircraft or public media) for electoral gains. While the MCC lacks statutory backing, its violation can lead to various actions by the EC, including censure or naming-and-shaming, which carry significant political weight.
• The code has evolved since its origins in Kerala in 1960, with Part VII specifically added in 1979 to regulate the ‘Party in Power’. It becomes operational the moment the election schedule is announced.