UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 27 June 2026

Solution: D

• Project Hawk Eye is a technology-linked security and surveillance framework introduced by the Anantnag District Police of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Its objective is to secure the transit routes of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra.
• The system combines aerial tracking using a five-drone grid with advanced ground features, including an AI-based Facial Recognition System (FRS) at key bottlenecks, a network of 416 high-resolution CCTV cameras, 28 Machan Morchas, and 22 specialized sniper teams. This combination eliminates blind spots across difficult Himalayan terrain, moving security from a reactive mechanism to a preventive model.

Solution: D

• Kashmir’s Sufiyana Music (Sufiyana Mausiki) is a classical choral ensemble art form usually performed by a group of five to seven musicians who simultaneously act as vocalists and instrumentalists. The music is bound by maqams rooted in Persian classical music, sharing structural similarities with Indian ragas. It features unique instruments like the 100-stringed Sufiana santoor, rabab, and ney. Because its complex structures and poetry are not codified in text, the tradition relies entirely on oral transmission within specialized gharanas in the Kashmir Valley.

Solution: B

• Statement-I is correct because the Tungabhadra is a major, perennial right-bank tributary of the Krishna River. It flows across the semi-arid, central-southern plateau of the Deccan peninsula, where it supplies critical irrigation and drinking water.
• Statement-II is correct because the river is formed by the confluence of two independent streams: the Tunga (originating near Varaha Parvatha at Kurasa) and the Bhadra (originating at Gangamoola near Kudremukh) in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. These two streams merge at the village of Kudli near Shivamogga to form the single Tungabhadra River.
• While both statements are accurate facts about the river’s geography, Statement-II describes its geological origin, which does not serve as the direct explanation for why it acts as an agricultural lifeline for the wider Deccan plateau (which is due to its flow path, rainfall patterns, and canal systems like Pampa Sagar).

Solution: C

• The instrument that sits at the literal and acoustic center of Kashmir’s Sufiyana Music ensemble is the Sufiana santoor. This specialized Kashmiri instrument is a hammer-stringed device featuring 100 distinct strings stretched across a characteristic triangular-shaped frame, which rests on a three-legged wooden stand.
• During a performance, the lead musician strikes these strings using delicate wooden mallets to produce the complex, resonant classical melodies that define the genre. Sufiyana Music, also known as Sufiyana Mausiki, is a classical choral ensemble tradition indigenous to the Kashmir Valley. It is performed by a group of five to seven musicians who act as both vocalists and instrumentalists.
• While other traditional acoustic instruments such as the ney (flute), rabab, tabla, and sitar are integrated into the choral ensemble to support the performance, the 100-stringed santoor provides the defining tonal backdrop. The knowledge required to tune and play this instrument, alongside the complex system of Persian-influenced maqams, is passed down entirely through oral transmission within a few surviving traditional gharanas.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is correct because the digital Self-Declaration Form (SDF) mandates that incoming passengers map a comprehensive 21-day travel timeline, along with active symptom checks, to identify individuals exposed to high-risk viral incubation zones.
• Statement 2 is incorrect because AIR SUVIDHA 2.0 is highly integrated. It operates an automated, real-time data pipeline that instantly streams passenger health information to State Surveillance Officers, Airport Health Officers (APHOs), and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) to facilitate rapid contact tracing and medical referrals.
• Statement 3 is correct because the digital window allows international travelers to complete their submissions up to 24 hours prior to landing, aligning with standard flight check-in routines to ensure a fast, paperless arrival process.

Solution: C

• The Sushruta Samhita is organized into two primary sections.
• Pair 1 is correctly matched because the Purva-tantra deals with foundational and advanced surgical interventions, structural anatomy, internal medicine, pediatrics, and toxicology.
• Pair 2 is correctly matched because the Uttara-tantra encompasses localized fields, including ancient psychiatric care, geriatrics, and specialized conditions affecting the eyes, ears, nose, and throat. Both pairs accurately reflect the textual breakdown.

Solution: B

• Statement 1 is incorrect because it confuses the two types of stroke. An Ischemic stroke is triggered by a blood clot or plaque build-up that blocks or narrows an artery, cutting off blood flow down the line. It is a Hemorrhagic stroke that happens when a weakened blood vessel leaks or ruptures, causing internal bleeding that creates pressure and damages adjacent brain cells.
• Statement 2 is correct. The E. F.A.S.T. protocol uses specific physical signs to spot a stroke early. The “F” stands for Face Drooping, which shows up as a sudden numbness or a clearly asymmetrical expression when the individual tries to smile.

Statement 3 is correct. The “A” stands for Arm Weakness. If an individual tries to raise both arms over their head and one arm automatically drifts downward, it indicates a sudden, localized neurological deficit or motor control weakness on one side of the body.

Solution: A

• Bio-fencing involves planting native trees, dense shrubs, and organic green barriers along the perimeter of a protected ecological site. At the Kopra Reservoir, this community-led initiative creates a natural buffer zone that physically insulates nesting and roosting waterbirds from external disturbances, such as human encroachment, noise, and stray cattle.
• Unlike artificial concrete walls, bio-fencing blends into the wetland ecosystem, providing additional micro-habitats and foraging materials for local wildlife without disrupting the landscape. It does not use synthetic chemicals, alter water temperatures, or block migratory flyways. Instead, it maintains the ecological integrity of the shoreline, helping the reservoir function as a safe stopover sanctuary for long-distance migratory birds along the central Indian flyways while stabilizing the local water table.

Solution: A

• Statement-I is correct because the IACS is universally acknowledged as a pillar of India’s early modern scientific achievements, particularly in physics and chemistry, helping establish the nation’s credentials on the global stage.
• Statement-II is correct because C.V. Raman carried out his pathbreaking optics and light-scattering experiments within the laboratories of IACS during his stay there from 1907 to 1933. This research led to the discovery of the Raman Effect, earning him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
• In this case, Statement-II serves as the correct explanation for Statement-I. The fact that world-class breakthroughs like the Raman Effect and a Nobel Prize were produced within its labs explains why the institution holds such a prominent, historic position in India’s physical science legacy.

Solution: C

• Statement-I is correct because OPEC functions as an intergovernmental cartel that coordinates petroleum policies among its members. It allocates mandatory production quotas and supply caps to prevent price volatility and stabilize its official Reference Basket for crude oil.
• Statement-II is incorrect because OPEC is an intergovernmental body whose decisions apply only to its member states. It does not hold sovereign legal authority over the internal energy laws or domestic economic assets of non-member countries. While OPEC collaborates with major non-OPEC producers like Russia under the OPEC+ umbrella (established via the 2016 Declaration of Cooperation), these agreements are based on voluntary diplomatic coordination rather than binding supranational legal authority.