Advanced Quiz – 24 October 2026 | General Studies

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: MMX is led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and aims to collect samples from Phobos.
• Statement 2 is correct: Mars has two recognised natural satellites, Phobos and Deimos.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Hayabusa2 returned samples from asteroid Ryugu. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission returned samples from asteroid Bennu.
• Statement 4 is correct: India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, launched in November 2013, successfully entered Martian orbit in September 2014 on its maiden attempt.

Remember for Prelims:

• Phobos is the larger and closer of Mars’s two moons.
• MMX uses Japan’s H3 launch vehicle.
• IDEFIX is a French-German rover associated with MMX.
• Hayabusa collected material from asteroid Itokawa.
• Hayabusa2 collected samples from Ryugu.
• OSIRIS-REx collected samples from Bennu.
• India’s Mars Orbiter Mission was launched using PSLV-C25.

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Agrivoltaics integrates crop cultivation and solar power generation on the same land.
• Statement 2 is correct: Component A of PM-KUSUM supports decentralised grid-connected renewable power plants.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Component B supports standalone solar-powered agricultural pumps. Residential rooftop solar is promoted through separate initiatives, including PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.
• Statement 4 is correct: Depending on crop type and system design, solar panels may moderate temperature, provide shade and reduce evaporation.

Remember for Prelims:

• PM-KUSUM is administered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• Component A: Decentralised grid-connected renewable power plants.
• Component B: Standalone solar agricultural pumps.
• Component C: Solarisation of grid-connected agricultural pumps.
• The 7th AgriVoltaics World Conference 2026 was held in New Delhi, according to the supplied report.

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Shamonda virus belongs to the genus Orthobunyavirus, family Peribunyaviridae.
• Statement 2 is correct: The virus primarily affects livestock and is associated with transmission by infected Culicoides biting midges.
• Statement 3 is correct: Both biting midges and mosquitoes belong to the insect order Diptera, although they belong to different families.
• Statement 4 is incorrect: Shamonda virus is an RNA virus belonging to Peribunyaviridae, not a DNA virus of the family Flaviviridae.

Remember for Prelims:

• Shamonda virus was first isolated from cattle in Nigeria in 1965.
• It belongs to the Simbu serogroup.
• Vertical transmission refers to transmission from a parent to offspring.
• Dengue, Zika and yellow fever viruses belong to the family Flaviviridae.
• Japanese encephalitis is primarily transmitted by Culex mosquitoes.

Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The report projects approximately 2.8°C warming by 2100 under current policies.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Full implementation of existing NDCs would reduce projected warming to approximately 2.6°C, not below 1.5°C.
• Statement 3 is correct: The lowest-overshoot pathway discussed in the report relies on approximately 320 GtCO₂ of carbon dioxide removal during this century.
• Statement 4 is incorrect: Emissions intensity measures emissions per unit of economic output. Total emissions can increase despite declining emissions intensity if GDP grows sufficiently.

Remember for Prelims:

• UNEP was established in 1972 and is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
• The Emissions Gap Report is published by UNEP.
• The Paris Agreement was adopted at COP21 in 2015.
• The first Global Stocktake concluded at COP28 in Dubai in 2023.
• India’s long-term net-zero target year is 2070.

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: India launched CDRI at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York in September 2019 to promote disaster-resilient infrastructure.
• Statement 2 is correct: ISA was jointly launched by India and France in 2015. Its headquarters are located in Gurugram, Haryana.
• Statement 3 is correct: The Global Biofuels Alliance was launched during the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023.
• Statement 4 is incorrect: These are international initiatives or organisations, but none is a UN specialised agency.

Remember for Prelims:

• CDRI focuses on infrastructure resilience against climate and disaster risks.
• ISA promotes solar energy deployment, investment and cooperation.
• GBA seeks to facilitate the adoption of sustainable biofuels.
• The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an autonomous intergovernmental organisation within the OECD framework, not a UN specialised agency.