UPSC Daily Quiz for 27ᵗʰ August 2026

1) With reference to India’s sugar industry, consider the following statements:

1. Sugarcane-based ethanol production can help reduce the accumulation of surplus sugar while improving the liquidity position of sugar mills.
2. A shift towards grain-based ethanol can reduce the direct diversion of sugar towards ethanol without necessarily weakening the broader sugar–ethanol linkage.
3. Sugarcane cultivation has implications for water security because it is a relatively water-intensive commercial crop.
4. A decline in sugar production can put upward pressure on domestic prices even when sugar diversion towards ethanol is simultaneously declining.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

2) With reference to Sarnath and Buddhist heritage, consider the following statements:

1. Sarnath’s significance is associated with its direct association with an important event in the life of Gautama Buddha.
2. UNESCO Criterion (vi) is particularly relevant to sites having a direct association with events, traditions or beliefs of outstanding universal significance.
3. The inclusion of Sarnath strengthens the representation of India’s Buddhist heritage within the UNESCO World Heritage framework.
4. All four principal Buddhist pilgrimage sites are located within India.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

3) Consider the following statements regarding Regional Rural Banks (RRBs):

1. RRBs were established to strengthen institutional credit delivery in rural areas.
2. Their ownership structure includes the Central Government, State Government and a Sponsor Bank.
3. The SIDBI–RRB co-lending arrangement can combine specialised MSME credit expertise with the rural and semi-urban outreach of RRBs.
4. RRBs are restricted to financing agricultural activities and cannot extend institutional credit to rural non-farm enterprises.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

4) With reference to India’s water-security initiatives, consider the following statements:

1. The National Initiative on Water Security (NIWS) uses groundwater conditions across blocks to prioritise expenditure on water-related works.
2. Yuktdhara uses GIS and remote sensing for evidence-based rural development and natural-resource management planning.
3. E-Jal facilitates Gram Panchayat-level water budgeting using data relating to water resources, rainfall, groundwater and population.
4. Jal Jeevan Mission primarily focuses on groundwater recharge and watershed development in rural areas.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

5) Recently seen in the news, the Bhote Koshi flash-flood event is particularly relevant to which of the following?

1. Transboundary disaster-risk management in Himalayan river systems
2. Importance of real-time hydrological information sharing
3. Need for downstream early-warning mechanisms for sudden changes in river discharge
4. The fact that Himalayan hazards are confined largely to the immediate vicinity of their point of origin

Which of the statements given above are correct?