UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 23 June 2026

Solution: B

Statement 1 is incorrect. Project Nimbus is not an initiative of the United States Department of Defense. It is a massive, high-security cloud computing contract signed directly between the Israeli government and premier U.S. technology corporations, specifically Google and Amazon.

Statement 2 is correct. The primary aim of the project is to digitize and modernize public sector infrastructure. This involves shifting state data, processing setups, and localized apps to commercial ecosystems to provide advanced data storage, high-compute machine learning tools, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) across all tiers of governance.

Solution: C

• INS Dunagiri is an advanced stealth guided-missile frigate built under Project 17A (3). Its primary mission framework is to operate freely in deep-sea zones, countering threats across distant corridors, which defines Blue-Water Combat (Y). Hence, the correct link is A-3-Y.
• INS Sanshodhak is a Survey Vessel – Large belonging to the Sandhayak-class (1). Its primary operational mandate involves collecting oceanographic data and measuring depths, representing Hydrographic Mapping (X). Hence, the correct link is B-1-X.
• INS Agray is an Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft that belongs to the specialized Arnala-class (2). It is engineered to detect and track hostile submarines within littoral zones, matching Coastal Submarine Hunting (Z). Hence, the correct link is C-2-Z.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is incorrect because APEDA operates under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, not the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• Statement 2 is correct as it functions as the mandatory registry authority for individuals or corporate entities exporting scheduled agricultural and processed food products.
• Information 1 supports Statement 2’s statutory nature, confirming APEDA was established under the APEDA Act passed by Parliament in December 1985.
• Information 2 supports the authority’s export mandate, showing how it enforces compliance with international food safety rules, packaging, and sanitary measures to secure global quality certifications.
• Information 3 is false and does not support the statements, as APEDA is an export-promotion and development body; it does not engage in internal price control or domestic retail price regulation.

Solution: B

• Relationship 1 is correct. Statement I argues that export promotion agencies seek to increase the share of value-added processed agricultural products in India’s export basket. Statement II provides a specific example of this strategy in action—the export of dried whole egg powder, a processed poultry product, from Odisha to a European Union member state. Since Statement II demonstrates the practical implementation of the policy objective described in Statement I, it serves as empirical support for Statement I.
• Relationship 2 is correct. Statement I implicitly assumes that processing agricultural commodities enhances their value, marketability, and export potential. In contrast, Statement III claims that spray-dried powder processing reduces the competitiveness of Indian poultry products due to higher transport costs. This runs contrary to the logic underlying Statement I. Processed products such as egg powder are generally preferred because they are easier to store, have longer shelf life, occupy less space, and can be transported more efficiently. Therefore, Statement III contradicts the approach implied in Statement I.
• Relationship 3 is incorrect. Neither Statement I nor Statement III establishes that processing reduces shelf life. In fact, drying is a preservation technique designed to extend shelf life and improve storage stability. Hence, no such conclusion can be derived.

Solution: A

• Statement I is correct. Concentrated ammonia gas leaks are dangerous, especially in enclosed spaces like industrial cold storage or seafood processing plants. Exposure can lead to severe respiratory distress, hospitalization, or fatalities.
• Statement II is correct. Ammonia (NH3) is a foundational, highly reactive inorganic compound composed of nitrogen and hydrogen. It possesses exceptional water solubility. When it dissolves in water, it undergoes a chemical reaction to form ammonium hydroxide, which is a strongly alkaline solution.

Statement II correctly explains Statement I. The toxicity and hazardous nature of ammonia gas inside confined spaces are directly linked to its chemical properties. Because it is highly soluble in water, it immediately reacts with the moisture present in the human eyes, skin, and respiratory tract to form corrosive ammonium hydroxide. This rapid alkaline chemical creation causes severe irritation, tissue burns, and respiratory tract damage.

Solution: D

• Statement 1 is incorrect. While ammonia is produced naturally during the nitrogen cycle by soil bacteria decomposing organic matter, this process is classified as a natural biological formation, not a commercial production
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The industrial synthesis of ammonia via the Haber–Bosch process requires reacting atmospheric nitrogen (N2) and hydrogen (H2) under high pressure (150–250 atmospheres) and high temperatures (400–500°C), not low pressure.

Statement 3 is correct. Ammonia is a colourless gas with a sharp, pungent, irritating smell. It features favourable thermal properties and a high heat absorption capacity, which allows it to be easily liquefied under pressure. This makes it an efficient refrigerant for cold storage and food processing facilities.

Solution: A

• Statement I is correct. Biochar is widely acknowledged as a highly effective carbon-negative tool. Its primary application is to lock away atmospheric carbon that plants previously fixed through photosynthesis, preventing it from cycling back into the atmosphere.
• Statement II is correct. Unlike raw agricultural biomass or uncharred organic waste, biochar features a stable molecular framework. Its carbon atoms form tightly bonded chemical rings that are highly resistant to decay and microbial decomposition. This allows the material to resist environmental breakdown and remain stable inside topsoils for thousands of years.

Statement II is the correct explanation for Statement I. The reason biochar serves as a reliable, permanent method for carbon dioxide removal and long-term sequestration (Statement I) is its physical resistance to microbial decay (Statement II). Because micro-organisms cannot easily break down these tightly bound carbon molecules, the carbon remains locked in the earth for millennia rather than returning to the atmosphere as greenhouse gases.

Solution: A

• Statement I is correct. Fibre-optic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) demonstrate an exceptional resistance to traditional electronic countermeasures. Anti-drone jamming systems designed to disrupt wireless communication frequencies fail to intercept or disable these devices.
• Statement II is correct. These aerial units replace standard open-air radio controls with a physical, tethered fiber-optic link. Operator instructions and high-bandwidth video streams are converted into high-speed light pulses moving through physical glass or plastic strands. Because all data is contained inside the physical wire, the vehicle emits zero radio frequency (RF) signatures and does not rely on global satellite systems like GPS.

Statement II provides the correct explanation for Statement I. The reason these drones possess total immunity to radio-frequency jamming and spoofing (Statement I) is that they communicate via encapsulated light pulses through a physical wire tether instead of open-air wireless signals (Statement II). Without an active wireless radio receiver, there is no signal for electronic warfare units to jam.

Solution: C

• Statement 1 is correct. The Western Ghats constitute an ancient, highly fragile hill range that runs uninterruptedly along India’s western maritime flank, starting near the Tapti River mouth in the north and terminating at the country’s southern tip.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The Western Ghats span across six Indian states, not five: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, they cover an area of approximately 180,000 square kilometers, which accounts for just under 6% of India’s total land area, not 12%.
• Statement 3 is correct. Due to its extreme biological wealth, unique ecosystems, and high vulnerabilities, the range is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and stands as one of the world’s eight hottest biodiversity hotspots. Since statements 1 and 3 are correct, there are two correct statements including statement 3, satisfying option (c).

Solution: C

2. CERT-In Deployed SOCs → 2. Ministry of Electronics & IT → Y. Monitoring real-time DDoS and ransomware attacks hitting critical grids

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) functions under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and serves as India’s national cybersecurity incident response agency. Security Operations Centres (SOCs) deployed under its framework continuously monitor networks and digital infrastructure for cyber threats such as ransomware, malware intrusions, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Their objective is to strengthen cyber resilience and protect critical information infrastructure.

3. SHATAYU Dashboard → 3. Department of Social Justice & Empowerment → X. Tracking and certifying specialized geriatric caregivers

SHATAYU (Senior Holistic Care Assistance and Training for Young Aspirants) is an initiative of the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment. It focuses on creating a skilled workforce for elderly care by maintaining records of trained caregivers, their certification status, and deployment. The dashboard supports the growing need for professional geriatric services in an ageing society.

1. Khet Bachao Abhiyan → 1. ICAR → Z. Encouraging soil test-based nutrient management among farmers

The Khet Bachao Abhiyan, associated with ICAR, promotes sustainable agricultural practices. It encourages farmers to adopt soil testing before fertilizer application, thereby ensuring balanced nutrient use, reducing input costs, preventing soil degradation, and improving long-term agricultural productivity.