UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | May 18 to May 24, 2025

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QUESTION 1

With reference to the Land Surface Temperature (LST), consider the following statements:

1. It acts as a vital thermometer for the health of ecosystems and communities.

2. Shifts in LST impact crop yields, water availability, and even local weather patterns.

3. It is directly linked to the air temperature.

4. It varies according to seasonal weather changes.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 4

Explanation

— Large areas of Jalna, a drought-prone district in Maharashtra, have witnessed severe land surface temperatures, which frequently surpass 50 degrees Celsius, during years of poor rainfall. The drought years were 2001, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2016, and 2019.

— “Land Surface Temperature (LST) acts as a vital thermometer for the health of ecosystems and communities. It varies according to seasonal weather changes and is generally unrelated to air temperature.” Hence, statements 1 and 4 are correct and statement 3 is not correct.

— Shifts in LST affect crop yields, water availability, and even local weather patterns, making it critical for both policymakers and farmers to monitor and respond to these changes, according to a new study titled ‘Analysis of Land Surface Temperature in Semi-Arid Maharashtra and Telangana: 2001-2020’ by Ajit Jadhav and Vijay Solanky of the Pune-based Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR). Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— “By incorporating LST monitoring into rural development and environmental policy, we may spot risks earlier, prepare more effectively, and act faster. This study provides a template for how data-driven, localised interventions—such as afforestation, climate-resilient agriculture, or water conservation—can chill our landscapes, improve soil health, restore the ecology, and protect livelihoods,” according to the paper.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), consider the following statements:

1. It is found only in India.

2. It is known to be a key indicator species of the grassland habitat.

3. It is classified as vulnerable.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— Radheshyam Pemani Bishnoi, a wildlife conservationist and animal rescuer from Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district, died in a road accident along with three others. Bishnoi, about 28 — celebrated for his efforts to protect the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) — had reportedly been tipped off about deer poaching when he and three others met with an accident.

— Great Indian Bustards are a critically endangered species. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— The Great Indian Bustard is a huge bird that lives alone in India. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— It is recognised as a vital indicator species of the grassland habitat, which means that its survival indicates the health of grassland ecosystems. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— According to the Rajasthan Forest Department, its population has steadily fallen over the last four decades, from over 700 individuals to less than 150 presently.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

Consider the following statements about the Mohmand dam:

1. It is located in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

2. The dam is being constructed on the Shyok River.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— Amid tensions between India and Pakistan, China is advancing construction on the Mohmand dam in Pakistan’s northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. China has supported a number of infrastructure projects in Pakistan in recent years, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The Mohmand dam is being built on the Swat River, which flows from the glaciers of the Hindu Kush. It is a perennial river that flows through magnificent valleys and mountains before eventually entering the Indus. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

With reference to the Field Marshal in the Indian Army, consider the following statements:

1. It is a four-star officer rank.

2. This rank in the Indian Army is equivalent to the Admiral of the fleet in the Indian Navy and the Marshal of the Indian Air Force.

3. India till now has had only one Field Marshal – Sam Manekshaw.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— The Indian and Pakistani militaries follow the British army’s system of ranks and privileges. A Field Marshal, or FM, is a five-star officer with the highest attainable rank above the general. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The FM rank in the Indian Army is equivalent to that of the Indian Navy’s fleet admiral and the Indian Air Force’s Marshal. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— India has had two Field Marshals: the first was Sam Manekshaw, who took office in January 1973. KM Cariappa was the second Field Marshal, promoted in January 1986. India has also had one Marshal of the Air Force, Arjan Singh, who was promoted to the position in 2002. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

With reference to the global pandemic treaty, consider the following pairs:

1. The negotiations for a global pandemic treaty began in 2021.

2. It is a legally binding treaty designed to tackle future pandemics better.

3. It is the only legally binding accord in the WHO’s 75-year history.

4. Recently, member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) adopted a global pandemic treaty.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2 and 4

Explanation

— Following more than three years of rigorous talks, member nations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) agreed a legally binding convention to better address future pandemics. Hence, statements 2 and 4 are correct.

— The pandemic treaty, which was adopted without the United States, is only the second legally binding agreement in the WHO’s 75-year existence, following the 2003 tobacco control treaty. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— Negotiations for a global pandemic treaty began in December 2021, just as the Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 was spreading over the world, causing a significant new surge in COVID-19. By then, countries producing COVID-19 vaccines had hoarded millions of doses, leaving those without vaccine plants frequently without access to the vaccines. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— According to a Nature report, one of the agreement’s key components is a “pathogen access and benefit sharing” system, which allows pharmaceutical companies access to scientific data such as pathogen samples and genomic sequences in exchange for more equitable sharing of drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics during a pandemic.

— According to the treaty, member firms must give 10% of their vaccine, therapeutic, and diagnostic production to the WHO. Another 10% will be provided at “affordable prices”.

— The agreement also specifies that member states should “promote and otherwise facilitate or incentivise” the exchange of technology and know-how to assist developing-country manufacturers in producing their own pharmaceuticals and vaccines.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 6

With reference to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), consider the following statements:

1. It collects and maintains information so that only “legitimate foreign students or exchange visitors gain entry.

2. It is a program by the United Kingdom.

3. It ensures that the institutions accepting non-immigrant students are certified and follow government regulations.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— The US government’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) collects and stores information to ensure that only “legitimate foreign students or exchange visitors gain entry to the United States.” Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is not correct.

— It also assures that colleges that accept non-immigrant students (those who live there temporarily) are certified and adhere to government rules. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— Another critical component of the process is the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), an online information system that manages and monitors records such as SEVP-certified schools, students with necessary visas, and so on. As a result, the revocation affects current Harvard students, who will have to transfer to another institution.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 7

Consider the following statements:

1. This temple is located in Deshnok, a small town about 30 km from Bikaner, Rajasthan.

2. The present structure of this temple was commissioned in the early 20th century by Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner.

3. The Charan community maintains custodianship of the temple.

4. It is also known as “rat temple”.

The above mentioned statements refer to:

(a) Brahma Temple

(b) Eklingji Temple

(c) Karni Mata Temple

(d) Salasar Balaji Temple

Explanation

— Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Karni Mata temple in Deshnok, a small village around 30 km from Bikaner in Rajasthan. This mediaeval place of worship is known as the “rat temple” because it is home to tens of thousands of kabas (rats), which are considered sacred and safeguarded.

— Karni Mata, also known as Ridhi Kanwar or Ridhu Bai, is thought to have been a 14th-15th century sage and an incarnation of Goddess Durga. She is claimed to have been born into a Charan family in the village of Suwap near Phalodi, around 100 kilometres from Deshnok, in 1387 CE. (Traditionally, Charans were court poets and genealogists.)

— It is stated that Jodhpur and Bikaner were founded in 1459 and 1488, respectively, with Karni Mata’s blessings. Her adherents claim she lived for 151 years before her “ascension” in 1538 AD.

— Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner commissioned the existing Karni Mata Temple construction in the early twentieth century.

— Rats, also known as kabas, are thought to be reincarnations of Karni Mata’s family members. The Charan community maintains custodianship of the temple.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 8

With reference to the Biological Parks, consider the following pairs:

1. Birsa Munda Biological Park – Ranchi

2. Pilikula Biological Park – Mangaluru

3. Agasthyavanam Biological Park – Amrawati

Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1 and 3 only

Explanation

— A lioness died likely due to an infection, at the Birsa Munda Biological Park in Ranchi, officials said. Hence, pair 1 is correct.

— The 15-year-old lioness, named Priyanka, was attended to by the park’s in-house veterinarian, Dr Omprakash Sahu, after it was found in a deteriorated condition. However, it died during treatment.

— Pilikula Biological Park in Mangaluru, one of the major zoos in India. Hence, pair 2 is correct.

— The Agasthyavanam Biological Park is located in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, India. It’s situated within the Agasthyamalai region of the Southern Western Ghats. Specifically, the park is near the city of Thiruvananthapuram (also known as Trivandrum), the capital of Kerala. Hence, pair 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 9

Consider the following phenomena:

1. Light is affected by gravity.

2. The Universe is constantly expanding.

3. Matter warps its surrounding space-time.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation

— The bending of light by gravity can lead to the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, in which multiple images of the same distant astronomical object are visible in the sky. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916 in his general theory of relativity.

— Our universe is not only growing, but that expansion rate is accelerating. Hubble observations, along with those of ground-based observatories, surprised astronomers by revealing that the universe is not just expanding but accelerating – a discovery that won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Gravity, Einstein asserted, is caused by a warping of space and time. Gravity is the curvature of spacetime caused by massive objects. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 10

Consider the following statements regarding the International Booker Prize:

1. Prize money is divided equally between the author and the translator.

2. The International Booker Prize, unlike the original Booker Prize, honours both the author and the translator of a work originally written in a language other than English.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— The vital work of translators is celebrated, with the £50,000 prize money divided equally between the author and translator. Each shortlisted author and translator also receives £2,500. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Unlike the Booker Prize, which is awarded to works originally written in English, the International Booker focuses on global literature. It honours both the author and the translator of a work originally written in a language other than English. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: thebookerprizes.com)

QUESTION 11

With reference to the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), consider the following statements:

1. PSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle with the first and third stages using solid rocket motors.

2. The first Indian launch vehicle is to be equipped with liquid stages.

3. The PSLV is capable of launching satellites to geosynchronous transfer orbits (GTO).

4. It was first launched by ISRO in 2004.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 1, 3 and 4 only

(d) All of the above

Explanation

— The PSLV has four parts — PS1, a solid rocket motor augmented by 6 solid strap-on boosters; PS2, a storable liquid rocket engine, known as the Vikas engine; PS3, a solid rocket motor that provides the upper stages high thrust after the atmospheric phase of the launch; and PS4, the uppermost stage consisting of two Earth storable liquid engines. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages was the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle). It is India’s third-generation launch vehicle, developed by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation). It is known as the “workhorse” of ISRO due to its reliable performance. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— PSLV is a versatile vehicle, capable of launching satellites into LEO (Low Earth Orbit), SSO, Sub-GTO, GTO (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit) Orbits. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— After its first successful launch in October 1994, PSLV emerged as a reliable and versatile workhorse launch vehicle of India. The vehicle has launched numerous Indian and foreign customer satellites. Besides, the vehicle successfully launched two spacecraft “Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: isro.gov.in)

QUESTION 12

Recently, Diego Garcia was in the news, consider the following statements:

(a) It is a part of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean.

(b) It is situated west of the Maldives in the Arabian Sea.

(c) It is an island in the Pacific Ocean, near the Philippines.

(d) It is located in the South China Sea.

Explanation

— UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a deal transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, including the key Diego Garcia military base.

— The base, which plays a central role in UK-US defence operations in the Indian Ocean, will now be leased from Mauritius under a new 99-year lease.

— Under the deal, the UK will pay Mauritius an average of £101 million ($129m) per year, amounting to a total of £3.4 billion ($4.35 billion) over the course of the lease. Starmer also claimed the arrangement would cost less than operating an aircraft carrier annually.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 13

With reference to the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI), consider the following statements:

1. Can be appointed as faculty in institutes like IITs, NITs, IIMs, and AIIMS.

2. Can contest elections.

3. Can buy agricultural or plantation property.

4. Can hold Indian constitutional positions.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All of the above

Explanation

— Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholders are eligible for appointment as teaching faculty in IITS, NITS, IIMS, IISERS, IISC, Central Universities and in the new AIIMS set up under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Persons registered as OCI Cardholders have not been given any voting rights, election to the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha/Legislative Assembly/Council. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— OCI cardholders can purchase residential and commercial properties in India. But they are not permitted to purchase agricultural land, including farmland or any kind of plantation property. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— Holding Constitutional posts such as President, Vice President, Judge of Supreme Court/High Court, etc., also not allowed to Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholders. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: mha.gov.in & eoi.gov.in)

QUESTION 14

Recently, the Keeladi was in the news due to an excavation. The site is located in:

(a) Andhra Pradesh

(b) Tamil Nadu

(c) Odisha

(d) Rajasthan

Explanation

— ASI asks archaeologists to resubmit Keeladi report, citing need for ‘more authentic’ data.

—- Nearly a decade after the first trench was dug in Keeladi, a now-celebrated archaeological site in southern Tamil Nadu, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has asked the archaeologist who led the early excavations to revise and resubmit his report, citing the need for better classification, dating justifications, and clearer documentation. In a letter dated May 21, 2025, the ASI instructed K Amarnath Ramakrishna, the archaeologist who directed the first two seasons of the Keeladi dig (2014–2016), to rework his 982-page report. The agency said the current draft, submitted in January 2023, lacked adequate scientific rigour in certain areas and required corrections to make it “more authentic”.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 15

With reference to the Asiatic lions, consider the following statements:

1. It is slightly smaller than the African lion.

2. The habitat of the Asiatic lions is Dry deciduous forest.

3. Categorised as ‘Vulnerable’ under the IUCN Red List.

4. They have colonised new areas in the last five years.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only two

(d) All Four

Explanation

— Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than African lions. Adult males weigh 160 to 190 kg, while females weigh 110 to 120 kg. The height at the shoulders is about 3.5 ft (110 cm). The maximum recorded total length of a male Asiatic lion is 2.92m (115 inches) including the tail. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The primary habitat of the Asiatic lion is the Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the Junagadh district of Gujarat, India. This park consists primarily of dry deciduous forests, along with open scrublands and grassy meadows. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— IUCN changed the Asiatic Lion’s status from “critically-endangered” to “endangered” in 2008. The Asiatic lion is currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The lions have colonised at least three new areas — Barda wildlife sanctuary, Jetpur and Babra-Jasdan — in the last five years. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: wwfindia.org)

Previous Weekly Quiz

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | May 11, to May 17, 2025

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | May 04, to May 10, 2025

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | April 27 to May 03, 2025

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | April 20 to April 26, 2025

UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz | April 13 to April 19, 2025

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