UPSC Editorials Quiz : 10 July 2026

Solution: B

• The ongoing Census 2027 pre-test, conducted across 16 States and Union Territories, is administered under the statutory framework of the Census Act, 1948, rather than the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Thus, Statement 1 is incorrect.
• The Constitution of India does not explicitly mandate a decennial enumeration of all caste categories; it only specifically requires the counting of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) under Articles 341 and 342 to facilitate political and institutional reservations. Therefore, Statement 2 is incorrect.
• The Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) of 2011 was conducted purely via an executive order issued by the Ministry of Rural Development and lacked any statutory backing under the standard Census Act or Census Rules. Therefore, Statement 3 is also incorrect.

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Solution: A

• Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I. Under its Act East Policy and broader maritime security strategy, India has focused heavily on deepening security cooperation with middle powers in the Indo-Pacific. The decision to jointly develop Sabang Port with Indonesia is driven directly by its strategic geography.
• Sabang is located at the northwestern tip of Sumatra, overlooking the entrance to the Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints. Approximately 23 million barrels of transit oil pass through this strait daily, including nearly 80% of China’s imported energy supplies.
• Developing Sabang Port provides India with a critical surveillance and logistic vantage point, countering foreign naval assertiveness in the eastern Indian Ocean and ensuring regional maritime security. The geographical reality of the Malacca Strait directly explains the geopolitical rationale for India’s infrastructure investments in Sabang, establishing a clear cause-and-effect link.

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Solution: B

• Statement 1 is A heat dome develops when a persistent high-pressure system acts like a lid, trapping hot air near the surface. The sinking air compresses and warms further, leading to prolonged periods of extreme heat.
• Statement 2 is High atmospheric humidity does not accelerate nighttime radiative cooling. Instead, water vapour acts as a greenhouse gas, trapping outgoing longwave radiation and reducing nighttime cooling. This results in warmer nights and greater heat stress.
• Statement 3 is Marine heatwaves warm adjacent ocean waters, reducing the temperature contrast between land and sea. This weakens the cooling effect of nocturnal sea breezes, allowing higher nighttime temperatures over nearby coastal regions and compounding heatwave impacts.
• Statement 4 is Anthropogenic climate change is the primary driver of long-term global ocean warming, but it is not the sole driver. Natural climate variability, such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation, and other ocean–atmosphere interactions also influence short-term and regional ocean temperature variations.

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Solution: B

• In public finance and state budgetary analysis, the debate surrounding state-led welfare schemes (such as unconditional cash transfers and free electricity) focuses on the trade-off between revenue expenditure and capital expenditure. When state governments allocate a disproportionate share of their revenues to short-term populist transfers, they reduce the available fiscal space for capital investments, such as building physical infrastructure, schools, and energy grids. This is the budgetary definition of the “crowding out” of investments.

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Solution: D

• The UNICORN (Unified Complex Radio Antenna) Radar System is a sophisticated integrated mast technology developed by Japan that combines radar, communication, and electronic warfare antennas into a single stealth-compatible structure. India and Japan have agreed to collaborate on integrating this technology into Indian naval warships, making it one of the first major defence equipment co-development projects between the two countries. The initiative strengthens maritime cooperation under their Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
• The Mogami-class frigates are advanced multi-mission stealth warships built by Japan for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Australia selected the upgraded Mogami-class design under its SEA 3000 General Purpose Frigate programme, marking Japan’s most significant defence export success in recent years. The project aims to enhance Australia’s naval capabilities while deepening defence-industrial cooperation between the two countries.
• The Treaty on Common Security was signed between Australia and Indonesia to institutionalise long-term security cooperation. The treaty provides a framework for regular strategic consultations, intelligence sharing, maritime security cooperation, counter-terrorism, cyber security, disaster response, and defence collaboration. It reflects the shared objective of maintaining peace, stability, and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.