Advanced Quiz – 19 October 2026 | General Studies

Correct Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The Supreme Court has recognised the citizens’ right to know as an aspect of Article 19(1)(a). The RTI Act provides a statutory mechanism for exercising this right.

Statement 2 is correct: Section 4 mandates proactive disclosure of information concerning the organisation, functions, powers, duties, decision-making procedures, budgets and other prescribed matters. This reduces dependence on individual applications.

Statement 3 is correct: Under Section 20, the Information Commission may impose a penalty of ₹250 per day, subject to a maximum of ₹25,000, for specified defaults by a Public Information Officer.

Statement 4 is incorrect: The 2019 amendment empowered the Central Government to prescribe the tenure, salaries, allowances and other service conditions of the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners. It did not confer an independent rule-making power on the President.

Additional Information:

• Section 6: Request for obtaining information.
• Section 7: Disposal of RTI requests, ordinarily within 30 days.
• Section 8: Exemptions from disclosure.
• Section 19: Appeals.
• Section 20: Penalties.
• The Central and State Information Commissions are statutory bodies, not constitutional bodies.
• The RTI Act applies to citizens of India, not every person irrespective of citizenship.
• The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, amended the personal-information exemption under Section 8(1)(j), generating debate over the balance between privacy and transparency.

Correct Answer: (c) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The 2007 Act provides a legal mechanism for parents and senior citizens to claim maintenance from persons legally obligated to support them. Maintenance Tribunals are established under the Act.

Statement 2 is correct: A living will, also called an advance medical directive, allows a competent adult to specify treatment preferences for circumstances in which they may later be unable to make or communicate medical decisions. Its operation is subject to the applicable legal safeguards.

Statement 3 is correct: Article 41, a Directive Principle of State Policy, concerns the right to work, education and public assistance in specified circumstances, including old age, sickness and disablement, within the State’s economic capacity and development.

Statement 4 is incorrect: The UNFPA India Ageing Report 2023 projects an increase in the share of people aged 60 and above, from approximately 10.5% in 2022 to 20.8% by 2050.

Additional Information:

• In India, a senior citizen under the 2007 Act generally means an Indian citizen aged 60 years or above.
• The Supreme Court recognised the legal framework for advance medical directives in Common Cause v. Union of India (2018), with procedural safeguards subsequently modified in 2023.
• The feminisation of ageing refers to the growing proportion and distinctive vulnerabilities of older women, influenced by differences in longevity and socioeconomic conditions.
• Geriatric care focuses on the health and care needs of older persons.
• Palliative care aims to improve quality of life and relieve suffering in persons facing serious illness.
• The care economy includes both paid and unpaid caregiving work.

Correct Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: National Waterway-1 extends from Haldia to Prayagraj along the Ganga–Bhagirathi–Hooghly river system. It is an important inland navigation corridor connecting eastern and northern India.

Statement 2 is correct: National Waterway-2 extends from Dhubri to Sadiya along the Brahmaputra in Assam. It supports cargo transport, passenger movement and tourism.

Statement 3 is correct: National Waterway-3 is located in Kerala and includes the West Coast Canal, together with the Champakkara and Udyogamandal canals.

Statement 4 is incorrect: Least Available Depth (LAD) means the minimum available water depth in a navigational channel over a specified stretch and period. It is relevant to permissible vessel draft and safe navigation, not the total annual river discharge.

Additional Information:

• The National Waterways Act, 2016, declared 111 waterways as National Waterways.
• The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) was established under the Inland Waterways Authority of India Act, 1985.
• IWAI operates under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
• Hydrographic surveys assess water depths, channel conditions, underwater features and navigational hazards.
• A thalweg generally follows the line of deepest points along a river channel.
• Dredging involves removing sediments from water bodies to maintain or improve navigability.
• River Information Services use communication, vessel tracking and other technologies to improve navigation safety.
• Four riverine lighthouses have been proposed at Pandu, Bogibeel, Silghat and Biswanath Ghat on the Brahmaputra.

Correct Answer: (c) 1, 2 and 4 only

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: For an existing fixed-coupon bond, the coupon payment remains unchanged. If its market price increases, the current yield, calculated as annual coupon divided by market price, decreases.

Statement 2 is correct: When the RBI purchases government securities through Open Market Operations, it pays for those securities, thereby generally injecting liquidity into the financial system.

Statement 3 is incorrect: An inverted yield curve occurs when short-term yields exceed long-term yields for comparable debt instruments. It is sometimes interpreted as a signal of expectations of weaker future economic activity.

Statement 4 is correct: Greater government borrowing may increase the supply of government securities. Other factors remaining unchanged, additional supply can put downward pressure on bond prices and upward pressure on yields.

Additional Information:

• Government Securities (G-Secs) are debt instruments issued by the Central or State Governments.
• Treasury Bills are short-term debt instruments issued by the Government of India, typically at a discount to face value.
• State Governments issue State Development Loans (SDLs).
• Coupon rate is calculated with reference to the bond’s face value.
• Current yield is the annual coupon divided by the bond’s current market price.
• Yield to Maturity (YTM) accounts for coupon payments, market price and repayment at maturity, assuming the bond is held until maturity.
• Operation Twist involves the simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities of different maturities to influence the yield curve.
• Rising US Treasury yields can increase the relative attractiveness of US assets, potentially affecting capital flows and exchange rates in emerging markets.

Correct Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 4 only

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The Northern Sea Route (NSR) follows the Russian Arctic coastline and passes through Arctic marginal seas, providing a potential maritime connection between the Atlantic and Pacific sides of Eurasia.

Statement 2 is correct: For certain origin–destination pairs, the NSR offers an alternative to the conventional Asia–Europe route through the Suez Canal. Its actual commercial advantage depends on ice conditions, vessel requirements, costs and seasonal accessibility.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The Northwest Passage passes through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The route along Russia’s northern coastline is the Northern Sea Route.

Statement 4 is correct: Reduced sea-ice cover may lengthen seasonal navigation windows, but Arctic shipping still faces drifting ice, extreme weather, limited infrastructure, environmental sensitivity and high operating costs.

Additional Information:

• The Northern Sea Route traverses seas including the Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukchi seas.
• The Northwest Passage runs through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
• The Transpolar Sea Route is a potential route across the central Arctic Ocean, distinct from the coastal Northern Sea Route.
• The Bering Strait separates Russia and Alaska and connects the Arctic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean through the Bering Sea.
• The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea.
• Black carbon deposited on snow and ice can reduce surface reflectivity, contributing to additional warming and melting.
• Arctic maritime routes remain strongly affected by seasonal and interannual variations in sea ice.