UPSC Daily PIB Quiz for 26ᵗʰ October 2026

1) A wetland satisfies one of the ecological criteria for designation as a Ramsar Site. Consider the following statements about the implications of such designation and the broader conservation framework:

1. A wetland may qualify by regularly supporting at least 1% of the population of a waterbird species, even if it does not support 20,000 waterbirds.
2. Inclusion in the Montreux Record indicates that a Ramsar Site has undergone, is undergoing, or is likely to undergo changes in ecological character; it does not itself mean that the site has lost its Ramsar designation.
3. Ramsar designation automatically prohibits all forms of human activity within the designated wetland.
4. The Ramsar Convention’s principle of “wise use” extends beyond designated Ramsar Sites to the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands more generally.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

2) Operation Trident combines narcotics enforcement with investigations into financial transactions and illicit assets. Consider the following statements:

1. The NDPS Act, 1985, provides the principal legal framework for controlling narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, while the PITNDPS Act, 1988, provides for preventive detention in specified cases involving illicit drug trafficking.
2. Freezing bank accounts and attaching properties can disrupt the financial infrastructure of a trafficking network, even where such action does not immediately eliminate the physical routes used for smuggling.
3. The involvement of the Enforcement Directorate in a narcotics-related investigation means that the NDPS Act ceases to apply to the underlying drug offences.
4. Hawala transactions can complicate the tracing of illicit proceeds because they facilitate value transfers through informal channels that may operate outside conventional banking records.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

3) The VB-G RAM G framework links wage employment with durable infrastructure and climate resilience. Consider the following statements:

1. The use of Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans, GIS and asset mapping can help identify local development gaps and reduce duplication of infrastructure projects.
2. A statutory rural employment guarantee and the creation of durable community assets are compatible objectives, although their implementation requires balancing immediate employment needs with long-term development priorities.
3. The provision for a seasonal pause in scheme works necessarily reduces the statutory annual employment guarantee from 125 days to the number of days remaining after the pause.
4. Social audits by the Gram Sabha provide a community-based accountability mechanism that complements digital monitoring and administrative inspections.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

4) With reference to Exercise INDRA 2026, consider the following statements:

1. It is a bilateral naval exercise between the Indian Navy and the Russian Federation Navy.
2. The harbour phase includes coordinated manoeuvring, integrated communications and helicopter operations while the sea phase includes subject Matter Expert Exchanges and operational interactions.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

5) India recorded faster growth in finished steel consumption than in crude steel production during H1 FY 2026–27. Consider the following statements:

1. The difference in their growth rates, by itself, establishes the volume of additional finished steel imports required during the period.
2. Net imports of finished steel can coexist with substantial domestic steel production, including where domestic demand for particular grades exceeds domestic supply.
3. Greater use of scrap can reduce demand for virgin raw materials, but its effect on emissions depends partly on the production route and energy source.
4. An emissions-intensity-based green steel classification assesses environmental performance using emissions relative to steel output.

Which of the statements given above are correct?