UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 19 June 2026

Solution: C

• Statement I is correct because the National Statistical Commission (NSC) was explicitly established as an empowered, autonomous advisory body designed to serve as the nodal agency for core statistical activities. Its primary structural objective is to function as a centralized authority that insulates official data collection and processing from external influences, while setting robust nationwide benchmarks.

Statement II is incorrect because the executive leadership of the NSC features a part-time Chairperson, not the Chief Statistician of India (CSI). The CSI, who heads the National Statistical Office and acts as the Secretary to the Government of India within the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), actually serves as the formal Secretary to the Commission, rather than its Chairperson.

Solution: C

• A Super El Niño is generally identified when sea-surface temperature anomalies in the Niño 3.4 region of the equatorial Pacific exceed about +2°C, making Statement 1 correct. Information 1 supports this by explaining how rising background ocean temperatures associated with long-term climate change can make it easier for El Niño events to attain extreme intensity.
• Statement 2 is incorrect because Super El Niño events are associated with the weakening or even reversal of the easterly trade winds, not their strengthening. When these winds weaken, warm water that is normally piled up in the western Pacific moves eastward toward the central and eastern Pacific, enhancing ocean warming. Therefore, Information 2 directly addresses the actual mechanism behind strong El Niño episodes and is relevant to assessing the statement.
• Information 3 does not support the statements. Super El Niño influences cyclone activity differently across ocean basins; it does not produce a uniformly higher number of tropical cyclones worldwide. Some regions experience increased activity while others experience suppression due to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns.
• Hence, 1 and 2 only are the relevant supporting pieces of information.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is correct because RELOS is strictly a bilateral pact signed between India and Russia to streamline logistical cooperation, entering into force in January 2026.

Statement 2 is incorrect because RELOS is a foundational, non-offensive military cooperation agreement designed purely for administrative and technical purposes. It is engineered to simplify bureaucracy and reduce turnaround times for refueling, maintenance, and supplies during deployments. It does not establish a mutual defense pact or an offensive military alliance, nor does it mandate joint combat operations against any other nation.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is correct because after originating at Devprayag and flowing through northern and eastern India as the Ganga, the river enters Bangladesh near Shibganj and officially assumes the name Padma.
• Statement 2 is incorrect because while the Padma flows through low-lying deltaic plains, its convergence journey takes it through a confluence with the Jamuna and the Meghna before it discharges its massive volume into the Bay of Bengal, which lies on the eastern side of the subcontinent, not the Arabian Sea on the western side.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is correct. BGP Hijacking occurs when an Autonomous System (AS) announces IP prefixes that it does not legitimately control. Since BGP functions as the internet’s routing protocol, other networks may mistakenly believe the false route is valid and redirect traffic through the rogue network. This can lead to traffic interception, service disruption, censorship, or accidental routing errors.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Traditional BGP was designed largely on trust between network operators and does not universally require cryptographic verification of route announcements. As a result, false route advertisements can propagate across the internet. Although security mechanisms such as the Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) and Route Origin Validation have been developed to reduce such incidents, their adoption is not universal, and BGP hijacking remains possible.

Solution: D

• The ordinance power balances speed with constitutional limitations.
• Statement 1 is correct because amending the Constitution requires the rigorous procedure under Article 368, which demands specific majorities in both Houses of Parliament; this process cannot be bypassed via executive lawmaking.
• Statement 2 is correct because making a law requires both houses to pass a bill; if either house is prorogued, the legislative machinery cannot function, which allows the President to issue an ordinance if immediate action is needed.
• Statement 3 is correct because an ordinance shares the same legal capabilities as an Act of Parliament, meaning it can apply retrospectively, amend existing legislation, or repeal prior ordinances.

Statement 4 is incorrect because an ordinance automatically lapses six weeks from the date of Parliament’s reassembly, not six months, if it is not approved or rejected by the houses before then.

Solution: C

• Statement 1 is correct. The anaerobic digestion of wet organic waste streams yields two distinct outputs: biogas and a liquid digestate. This digestate is highly stable and rich in essential crop nutrients, making it an excellent organic fertilizer for restoring agricultural soil structures.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. Biochar is not an undesirable or hazardous waste byproduct. It is a carbon-dense material produced during the multi-stage thermochemical breakdown of dry biomass. Rather than being discarded, it is used to enhance soil moisture retention, restore fertility, and act as a tool for carbon sequestration by locking away emissions for long periods.

Statement 3 is incorrect because the process of scrubbing raw biogas is designed to remove carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and other trace impurities. This purification step increases the methane concentration significantly, upgrading it into Compressed Biogas (CBG) with a purity profile of 90% or higher. This enhances its energy density and commercial value as a transport or industrial fuel.

Solution: B

• The system of legislative privileges in India is designed to protect the institutional autonomy of elected bodies.
• Option (b) is correct because Article 105 outlines the powers, privileges, and immunities of the Houses of Parliament, their committees, and their members. Similarly, Article 194 provides identical constitutional protections for State Legislatures and their respective committees.
• Option (a) is incorrect because Articles 75 and 164 relate to executive governance, specifically the appointment, collective responsibility, and tenure conditions of the Union Council of Ministers and State Ministers.
• Option (c) is incorrect because Articles 124 and 217 form the constitutional framework for the establishment, composition, and appointment processes of judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts.
• Option (d) is incorrect because Articles 32 and 226 deal with the writ jurisdictions of the Supreme Court and High Courts, which safeguard fundamental rights.

Solution: D

• All the compliance measures listed are legally mandated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, for Schedule H1 classifications. Pharmacists are strictly required to maintain a dedicated sales register that logs the patient’s identity, the contact information of the Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP), the exact drug name, and the total quantity dispensed.

Furthermore, these regulatory logs must be preserved for at least three years to remain available for formal audits by state drug inspectors. The manufacturing rules also mandate that all Schedule H1 packagings feature a prominent red-bordered warning box and a red Rx symbol to flag their restricted nature and prevent unauthorized over-the-counter dispensing.

Solution: B

• A sustained spike in sovereign bond yields has wide-ranging impacts on an economy. Because government securities set the risk-free floor rate, rising yields push up the broader cost of capital, leading commercial banks to raise interest rates on commercial, home, and retail loans. This increases borrowing costs for businesses, which can delay capital projects and compress corporate profitability (Points 1 and 3).
• For the state, higher yields increase interest payment obligations on public debt, which increases the fiscal burden rather than compressing it (making Point 2 incorrect).
• This heightened debt-servicing requirement can force governments to rationalize public spending or adjust welfare and infrastructure budgets (Point 4).