Advanced Quiz – 5 October 2026 | General Studies

Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct. Buxa Tiger Reserve, located in Alipurduar district of West Bengal, encompasses Terai, Bhabar and sub-Himalayan ecosystems.

Statement 2 is correct. Buxa is part of a larger ecological landscape. The source identifies connectivity with Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam, Phipsoo Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhutan and Jaldapara National Park in West Bengal. Such connectivity facilitates wildlife movement and genetic exchange.

Statement 3 is correct. The reintroduction was preceded by habitat and prey-base interventions. More than 380 hectares of grassland were restored and over 800 chital were released to improve the area’s carrying capacity before the apex predator was introduced.

Statement 4 is incorrect. Tigress T138 was translocated from Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar, not Manas Tiger Reserve.

The programme therefore involves more than simply releasing a tiger. It combines habitat restoration, prey-base augmentation, translocation and post-release monitoring through radio telemetry, camera traps and field observation.

Answer: (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Explanation:
All four are covered within the organic and biodegradable waste base of GOBARdhan.

The scheme seeks to convert cattle dung, crop residue, kitchen or food waste and other biodegradable organic waste into economically useful outputs. These include biogas, compressed bio-gas (CBG), and bio-slurry or organic manure.

GOBARdhan was launched in 2018 and functions under the SBM-G framework. Under SBM-G Phase II, it contributes particularly to solid waste management by encouraging decentralised conversion of biodegradable waste into useful resources.

The scheme therefore simultaneously addresses waste management, renewable energy generation and resource recovery. Instead of treating organic waste purely as a disposal problem, it seeks to bring it into a circular-economy model.

Answer: (b) 1, 3 and 4 only

Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct. PM E-DRIVE supports several categories of electric vehicles, including e-2Ws, e-3Ws, e-trucks, e-ambulances and e-buses.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The scheme is broader than a vehicle-purchase incentive programme. It also provides financial support for public EV charging infrastructure. The source notes approval of funds for thousands of EV chargers.

Statement 3 is correct. The Phased Manufacturing Programme promotes localisation by requiring participating manufacturers to meet specified domestic manufacturing requirements.

Statement 4 is correct. End-of-life batteries and battery recycling are addressed through the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022, notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Therefore, PM E-DRIVE combines demand support, charging infrastructure and domestic manufacturing, while battery-waste regulation operates through a separate regulatory framework.

Answer: (d) All four

Explanation:
Pair 1 is correct. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, regulates drug prices, implements the DPCO and can recover overcharged amounts.

Pair 2 is correct. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, deals with areas such as approval of new drugs, clinical trials and drug standards. Its primary role is drug regulation and quality, rather than price fixation.

Pair 3 is correct. Scheduled drugs are medicines covered by the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) for the purpose of price control under the DPCO framework.

Pair 4 is correct. Medicines are treated as essential commodities under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 derives its legal authority from this Act.

The key distinction is that NPPA primarily deals with pricing, while CDSCO primarily deals with safety, quality and regulatory approval.

Answer: (b) 2, 3 and 4 only

Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect. An Aspiring village needs to sustain ODF status and have an arrangement for either solid waste management or liquid waste management. It does not require both.

Statement 2 is correct. A Rising village moves one level higher and must sustain ODF status while having arrangements for both solid and liquid waste management.

Statement 3 is correct. To qualify as a Model village, merely having both waste-management systems is insufficient. The village must also demonstrate visual cleanliness and display ODF Plus IEC messages.

Statement 4 is correct. GOBARdhan is an important component of solid waste management under SBM-G Phase II. It converts biodegradable waste such as cattle dung, crop residue and other organic waste into products such as biogas, compressed bio-gas and bio-slurry.

Thus, the progression is broadly: ODF sustainability → waste management → comprehensive waste management + visible cleanliness.