UPSC Editorials Quiz : 10 June 2026

Solution: C

• Statement 1 is incorrect because the share of the young population aged 0–14 years stands at 24.0% and the elderly bracket aged 60 years and above stands at 9.7%. Together, their combined share is 7%, which is less than one-third (33.33%) by a narrow margin, making the assertion mathematically incorrect.
• Statement 2 is correct as the economically active working-age population (15–59 years) has expanded significantly to constitute 4% of the national population pyramid, representing the single largest demographic segment and highlighting India’s current window of demographic dividend.
• Statement 3 is incorrect because, despite a marginal recovery, the national Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) registered a three-year average of 918 females per 1,000 males. This remains significantly below the globally accepted natural biological benchmark of approximately 950 to 952 female births per 1,000 male births, indicating continuing gender imbalances at birth.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is Correct. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) identifies a Core Heatwave Zone (CHZ) comprising regions that frequently experience severe heatwaves. This zone broadly includes parts of northwestern, central, and eastern India, accounting for roughly 30% of India’s geographical area. These regions witness the highest frequency and intensity of heatwave events.
• Statement 2 is Correct. Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) are urban areas that record higher temperatures than their surrounding rural regions. One of the principal causes is the prevalence of concrete, asphalt, and other built surfaces, which have relatively low albedo and absorb large amounts of solar radiation. The stored heat is released slowly, especially during the night, resulting in elevated urban temperatures. Reduced vegetation and anthropogenic heat emissions further strengthen the UHI effect.
• Statement 3 is Incorrect. Air-conditioning systems do not permanently cool urban micro-climates or eliminate thermal energy. According to the First Law of Thermodynamics, energy cannot be destroyed. Air conditioners simply transfer heat from indoor spaces to the outdoor environment. Consequently, widespread use of air conditioners may actually increase outdoor temperatures through the release of waste heat, thereby aggravating the Urban Heat Island effect rather than neutralizing it.

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Solution: A

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Under the modern definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a single calendar month. In contrast, a seasonal blue moon refers to the third full moon in an astronomical season that contains four full moons instead of the usual three.
• Statement 2 is correct: A micromoon occurs when a full moon is at its apogee—the point in its elliptical orbit farthest from Earth—making it appear slightly smaller and dimmer than a typical full moon.
• Statement 3 is correct: A physical “blue” color is a rare meteorological event. It happens when atmospheric dust or smoke particles (roughly 1 micron wide, such as those released during the 1883 Krakatoa eruption) selectively scatter red wavelengths of light, allowing blue light to pass through.

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Solution: C

• The extreme daily price volatility on India’s spot power exchanges is primarily driven by a mismatch between renewable energy generation and energy storage capacity. During the daytime, abundant solar generation leads to a surge in electricity supply, which often pushes spot prices down to near-zero levels on the exchanges.
• However, because solar generation drops to zero after sunset, the grid faces a supply squeeze during peak evening hours. Because utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) have not expanded fast enough to store the surplus daytime solar energy, spot prices spike significantly at night to meet the evening demand. While thermal power plants provide baseline supply, the day-night price disparity is fundamentally driven by the lack of storage infrastructure to capture excess solar power.

Solution: D

• The South Coast Railway (SCoR) Zone officially began its administrative and railway operations on June 1, 2026, with Visakhapatnam serving as its zonal headquarters. This newly established zone marks the creation of India’s 18th zonal railway division under the Railways Act, 1989.
• The restructuring involved transferring the Vijayawada, Guntur, and Guntakal divisions from the South Central Railway zone to the newly formed SCoR. Additionally, the Waltair Division of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) was bifurcated, with its southern portion forming the Visakhapatnam Division under SCoR, while its northern section became the Rayagada Division under ECoR.
• The SCoR is projected to handle close to 100 million tonnes of freight annually, driven by port-linked cargo, mineral transport, and industrial corridors along the eastern coast. Visakhapatnam is now established as the primary administrative hub for these consolidated regional operations.