UPSC Editorials Quiz : 6 June 2026

Solution: A

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Central Pay Commission (including the 8th CPC) is neither a constitutional body nor a permanent institution. It is an ad hoc body constituted by the Union Government at intervals (usually around 10 years). Moreover, its mandate is not limited to All-India Services, but extends to all Central Government employees and pensioners.

Statement 2 is correct. The recommendations of the CPC apply to:

• Central Government employees
• Pensioners
• Employees and pensioners of Union Territories, since they fall under the administrative control of the Union Government

Thus, only Statement 2 is correct.

Solution: B

The AmazonFACE experiment (Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment) is a large-scale climate science project designed to study how the Amazon rainforest responds to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels under real-world conditions.

What is AmazonFACE?

• A field experiment in the Amazon rainforest (Brazil)
• Uses Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment (FACE) technology
• Artificially increases CO₂ concentration around forest plots without enclosing them

This allows scientists to observe how a natural ecosystem behaves under future climate conditions

• Statement 1 is correct. The scientific method of the AmazonFACE experiment involves three rings where trees are fumigated with elevated CO₂ and three other rings that serve as control plots. These control plots are essential for establishing a baseline under current atmospheric conditions, allowing scientists to isolate the specific effects of increased CO₂ on tree physiology and soil chemistry.
• Statement 2 is correct. Beyond just measuring carbon, the experiment’s goal is to understand ecosystem-level responses. This includes observing changes in biodiversity, forest resilience, and the interaction between different species under future climate stress. This holistic view is necessary to predict if the Amazon will undergo “savannization.”
• Statement 3 is incorrect. AmazonFACE is not about “artificial carbon capture technology” (like Carbon Capture and Storage/CCS machines). Instead, it is a biological and ecological simulation focused on the natural carbon sequestration processes of the forest itself. It studies how the forest as a natural system reacts to higher CO₂ levels.

Solution: C

• In India, the fertilizer subsidy is broadly divided into two categories. Urea (1) is the only fertilizer that remains under Statutory Price Control (Q). The government fixes the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of Urea, and the difference between the cost of production and the MRP is paid as a subsidy to the manufacturers.
• For all other Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers, such as Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) (2) and Muriate of Potash (MoP) (3), the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) (P) scheme applies. Under NBS, the government does not fix the MRP; instead, it provides a fixed subsidy per kilogram of the nutrients contained in the fertilizer (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Sulphur).
• While DAP and MoP are different products, they both fall under the NBS umbrella. Fertilizer companies are allowed to fix the MRP of P&K fertilizers at “reasonable” levels, which are monitored by the Department of Fertilizers. The NBS scheme was introduced in 2010 to move away from product-based subsidies and encourage balanced soil nutrition.

Solution: B

Artificial rain, or cloud seeding, is a weather modification technique used to induce or enhance precipitation by introducing substances into clouds.

Cloud seeding involves dispersing chemical agents into clouds to:

• Stimulate condensation or ice formation
• Increase droplet size
• Trigger rainfall

• Success in cloud seeding is highly dependent on meteorological conditions.
• Statement 1 is essential because cloud seeding does not create clouds; it only enhances the precipitation process in existing ones. Without sufficient moisture and vertical depth (which indicates the cloud’s capacity to hold water), the chemical agents will not trigger enough droplet growth to cause rain. This was the limiting factor in the recent Delhi trials.
• Statement 2 is not essential. Cloud seeding can be performed on both warm clouds (using hygroscopic salts like Sodium Chloride) and cold clouds (using Silver Iodide). It does not require the entire atmosphere to be below freezing; rather, the type of seeding agent is chosen based on the temperature of the target cloud layer.
• Statement 3 is essential. The “seeding” must occur where the microphysical processes are most active—either at the cloud base (updrafts carry the particles up) or directly in the interior. The flares act as the starting point for nucleation and condensation, where micro-droplets merge and become heavy enough to fall as precipitation.

Solution: D

• The Ollo tribe, also recognized as the Lazu Naga, is a small but culturally distinct indigenous community.
• Statement 1 is correct; they are a Tibeto-Burman group native to the Lazu Circle in Tirap district, Arunachal Pradesh, with some members living across the border in Myanmar.
• Statement 2 is correct; their social fabric is strictly patrilineal and clan-based. Leadership is traditionally vested in hereditary chiefs called Lowang, supported by other community leaders known as Ngongpa. This system manages land ownership and dispute resolution.
• Statement 3 is correct; the Voorang Festival is their most significant cultural and agrarian event. It involves traditional songs (Voorang folksongs), dances, and rituals to pray for a good harvest and communal well-being. Historically known for facial tattoos and a “headhunting” past (common among many Naga groups), the tribe has preserved its oral traditions despite modern influences like Christianity.
• Recently, they have been in the news due to skill-development programs launched by the Assam Rifles under Operation Sadbhavana, aimed at empowering tribal women through traditional crafts and tailoring.