Current Affairs — 8 October 2026

1. Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026: Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai

Basic Concept

Many molecules essential to life — including amino acids and sugars — are "chiral," meaning they exist in two mirror-image forms (like left and right hands) called enantiomers. Although mirror images, the two forms can behave very differently in biological systems; one form of a drug molecule may heal while its mirror twin may be inactive or even harmful (the thalidomide tragedy of the 1960s is the classic cautionary example). "Asymmetric synthesis" is the branch of chemistry devoted to making only the desired, biologically useful mirror-image form of a molecule, and it is central to how most modern medicines are designed and manufactured. This topic falls under GS Paper 3 (Science and Technology — awards and applications of chemistry).

Core Context

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry jointly to French chemist Henri B. Kagan and Japanese chemist Kenso Soai for their pioneering contributions to understanding and controlling molecular "handedness." Kagan's early work on chiral catalysts helped found the field of practical asymmetric catalysis, while Soai discovered "asymmetric autocatalysis," a reaction in which a chiral molecule can catalyse its own formation and dramatically amplify a tiny initial imbalance between mirror-image forms into an overwhelming one.

Latest Developments

• Soai's experiments are widely cited as a laboratory demonstration of how a near-zero initial chiral bias in the prebiotic world could have been amplified into the strong "homochirality" seen in all life on Earth today (for instance, why DNA and proteins use only one mirror-image form of their building blocks).

• Kagan's foundational work in the 1960s-70s on chiral catalysts laid groundwork later built upon by other Nobel laureates in asymmetric catalysis, and remains the basis for industrial-scale production of single-enantiomer pharmaceuticals.

• The award reinforces the Nobel Committee's recurring recognition of chirality research, following earlier prizes for related work in catalytic asymmetric synthesis.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to Henri B. Kagan (France) and Kenso Soai (Japan).

• Their work concerns chirality (molecular "handedness") and asymmetric autocatalysis/asymmetric synthesis.

• Chiral molecules that are mirror images of each other are called enantiomers.

• The Nobel Prizes are administered by the Nobel Foundation; the Chemistry Prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

2. RBI Raises Repo Rate to 5.50%, Shifts to "Calibrated Tightening"

Basic Concept

The repo rate is the interest rate at which the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lends short-term funds to commercial banks against government securities. It is the principal tool of monetary policy: raising the repo rate makes borrowing costlier across the economy, which cools demand and helps rein in inflation, while cutting it stimulates growth by making credit cheaper. The RBI's six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), headed by the RBI Governor, meets bimonthly to review this rate, guided by the flexible inflation-targeting framework (presently a target of 4% CPI inflation, with a tolerance band of +/- 2%). This is a recurring GS Paper 3 (Indian Economy — monetary policy) topic.

Core Context

At its October 2026 bimonthly review, the MPC under RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50%. Significantly, the Committee also changed its policy stance from "neutral" to "calibrated tightening," signalling that further rate increases, if needed, will be gradual and data-driven rather than aggressive, as the central bank balances persistent inflationary pressures against the need to support growth.

Latest Developments

• A "calibrated tightening" stance commits the MPC only to raising or holding rates — it rules out rate cuts for the time being, unlike a "neutral" stance which keeps all options open.

• The decision reflects the RBI's continuing caution on retail inflation even as it had earlier revised its GDP growth projections upward for the current fiscal year.

• Higher repo rates typically translate into costlier home, auto and corporate loans as banks pass on the increased cost of funds to borrowers.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The repo rate was raised by 25 basis points to 5.50% in October 2026.

• The MPC's stance changed from "neutral" to "calibrated tightening."

• The RBI Governor is Sanjay Malhotra.

• The MPC has six members and decides policy through a majority vote; its inflation target is 4% CPI, with a +/-2% tolerance band.

3. India Mobile Congress 2026 (10th Edition) Inaugurated

Basic Concept

The India Mobile Congress (IMC) is Asia's largest telecom, media and technology exhibition, jointly organised by the Department of Telecommunications (Ministry of Communications) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) along with industry partners. Launched in 2017, it showcases India's progress in telecom manufacturing, 5G/6G rollout, satellite communication and digital public infrastructure, and serves as a platform for global technology investment announcements. It falls under GS Paper 3 (Science and Technology / Infrastructure).

Core Context

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi, marking a decade of the event. The 2026 edition focuses on themes such as 6G readiness, AI-driven networks, semiconductor manufacturing and expanding domestic telecom equipment production under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.

Latest Developments

• IMC 2026 brings together global telecom equipment makers, device manufacturers and policymakers, reinforcing India's push to become a net exporter of telecom gear.

• The event is closely linked to India's Digital Communications Policy goals and the Bharat 6G Vision, which aims to position India among the leading contributors to global 6G standards and patents.

• Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia has overseen preparations, with the Ministry positioning IMC as a showcase for "Make in India" telecom manufacturing.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• India Mobile Congress 2026 was its 10th edition, inaugurated by the Prime Minister in New Delhi.

• IMC is organised jointly by the Department of Telecommunications and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).

• The Union Minister for Communications is Jyotiraditya Scindia.

• Key associated themes: 6G Vision, AI-driven networks, semiconductor and telecom-equipment PLI schemes.

4. NTPC's Nuclear Power Expansion: Towards 30 GW by 2047

Basic Concept

India's current installed nuclear power capacity is a small fraction of its total electricity mix, operated mainly through the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). To meet its net-zero-by-2070 pledge and rapidly growing power demand without proportionately increasing emissions, India has opened nuclear power to greater participation by public sector undertakings (PSUs) beyond NPCIL, including NTPC Limited (India's largest power generator) and electricity distribution companies, following amendments enabling joint ventures in the nuclear sector. This belongs to GS Paper 3 (Energy security / Science and Technology).

Core Context

NTPC reaffirmed and detailed its roadmap to build 30 GW of nuclear generation capacity by 2047 (the centenary year of India's independence), as part of the broader national target of significantly scaling up nuclear capacity. The company has identified sites in states including Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha for new nuclear plants, with feasibility studies and regulatory approvals from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) at various stages.

Latest Developments

• NTPC's nuclear foray is being pursued through joint ventures with NPCIL, reflecting the government's push to diversify nuclear project execution beyond a single central agency.

• The 2047 target of 30 GW forms part of India's larger ambition to multiply its total nuclear capacity several-fold from current levels over the next two decades.

• Nuclear power is viewed as a stable, low-carbon "baseload" source that complements India's rapidly expanding but intermittent solar and wind capacity.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• NTPC's nuclear target is 30 GW of capacity by 2047.

• Identified NTPC nuclear sites include locations in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha.

• India's apex nuclear power operator has traditionally been NPCIL, under the Department of Atomic Energy.

• Nuclear energy is classified as a non-renewable but low-carbon source, distinct from renewable sources like solar and wind.

5. Reconstitution of Parliamentary Standing Committees (2026-27)

Basic Concept

Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs) are permanent committees of Parliament, each overseeing one or a group of related ministries, that examine budgetary demands, scrutinise bills referred to them, and review ministries' policies and performance throughout the year. There are 24 such committees — 8 serviced by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat and 16 by the Lok Sabha Secretariat — with members drawn from both Houses. They are central to legislative oversight of the executive and fall under GS Paper 2 (Indian Polity — Parliament and its committees).

Core Context

The Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman jointly reconstituted all 24 Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committees for the 2026-27 term, appointing new chairpersons and members in line with the usual one-year tenure cycle and party-strength-based allocation.

Latest Developments

• DRSCs allow detailed, non-partisan scrutiny of ministries that plenary sessions of Parliament, given limited sitting days, cannot provide.

• Committee chairpersonships are allocated roughly in proportion to a party's or alliance's strength in Parliament, though the government does not control every chair.

• Key committees — such as those on Finance, External Affairs, Home Affairs, Defence and Health — often author widely cited reports that shape public and policy debate.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• There are 24 Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committees: 8 under the Rajya Sabha and 16 under the Lok Sabha.

• DRSCs were created based on recommendations made during the 1990s and became functional from 1993.

• Standing Committees typically have a one-year tenure and are reconstituted annually.

• Reports of Parliamentary Standing Committees are recommendatory and not binding on the government.

6. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit Appointed 29th Chief of the Air Staff

Basic Concept

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) is the highest-ranking officer and professional head of the Indian Air Force (IAF), responsible for its operational command, administration and strategic direction, and a member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee along with the Army and Navy chiefs. Service chief appointments are a recurring GS Paper 3 (Defence and Security) current-affairs topic testing awareness of India's higher defence organisation.

Core Context

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit was appointed the 29th Chief of the Air Staff, succeeding Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, who retires on 31 October 2026. A fighter pilot with over 3,500 flying hours and experience across major operations, Dixit has held several key operational and training commands during his career in the IAF.

Latest Developments

• The incoming CAS has flown multiple fighter aircraft types, including the indigenous Tejas, reflecting the IAF's growing emphasis on domestically developed platforms.

• The appointment comes amid the IAF's ongoing modernisation drive, including induction of new fighter squadrons and indigenous systems under self-reliance ("Atmanirbhar Bharat") initiatives in defence.

• The Chiefs of Staff Committee, of which the CAS is a member, is currently chaired on a rotational/seniority basis, pending full operationalisation of the Chief of Defence Staff system for single-service matters.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit is the 29th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force.

• He succeeds Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh.

• The CAS, along with the Army Chief and Navy Chief, sits on the Chiefs of Staff Committee.

• The post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was created in 2019 as the permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and principal military adviser to the government.

7. SAREX-2026: Multinational Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise

Basic Concept

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG), under the Ministry of Defence, is responsible for maritime search and rescue (SAR) in India's vast Maritime Search and Rescue Region, one of the largest in the world, covering a sea area far beyond India's own Exclusive Economic Zone under international obligations. India periodically conducts the National Maritime Search and Rescue Board meeting and the SAREX exercise series to test coordination among the Navy, Coast Guard, shipping agencies, and foreign maritime rescue agencies. This is a GS Paper 3 (Internal Security / Disaster Management) topic.

Core Context

The Indian Coast Guard conducted SAREX-2026, a multinational maritime search-and-rescue exercise, off the coast of Paradip, Odisha, inaugurated by the Minister of State for Defence. The exercise ran alongside the 24th National Maritime Search and Rescue Board meeting, which reviews India's SAR preparedness and coordination mechanisms.

Latest Developments

• SAREX exercises simulate large-scale maritime distress scenarios, testing response times, inter-agency coordination and communication protocols among participating navies and coast guards.

• Such exercises strengthen India's credentials as a key maritime security and "net security" provider in the Indian Ocean Region.

• India's SAR responsibility zone extends well beyond its territorial waters, under global maritime conventions coordinated through the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• SAREX-2026 was conducted off Paradip, Odisha, by the Indian Coast Guard.

• It coincided with the 24th National Maritime Search and Rescue Board meeting.

• The Indian Coast Guard functions under the Ministry of Defence and was established in 1978 under the Coast Guard Act.

• India is a signatory to international conventions on maritime search and rescue coordinated by the IMO.

8. India's Stake in the Global Pandemic Agreement

Basic Concept

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed major gaps in global cooperation on disease surveillance, vaccine and medicine access, and emergency response. In response, World Health Organization (WHO) member states negotiated a "Pandemic Agreement" — a new international instrument meant to strengthen Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR), including provisions on equitable access to pathogens' genetic sequence data and resulting vaccines/therapeutics (the "Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing," or PABS, system). This is a GS Paper 2 (International Relations / Health Governance) topic.

Core Context

India delivered remarks at a UN High-Level Meeting on the Political Declaration for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, reiterating its support for a WHO-led, equitable and legally robust Pandemic Agreement that balances public health needs with developing countries' concerns on technology transfer and affordable access to medical countermeasures.

Latest Developments

• India has consistently pushed for the Pandemic Agreement to include firm commitments on technology transfer and local manufacturing capacity in developing countries, drawing on its experience as a major vaccine producer during COVID-19.

• The Agreement was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2025 after over three years of negotiation, with the PABS annex finalised separately amid continuing debate among member states.

• Global health governance remains a contested GS Paper 2 theme, intersecting with intellectual property rules, WTO TRIPS flexibilities, and India's "pharmacy of the world" role.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The WHO Pandemic Agreement addresses Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR).

• PABS stands for Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing.

• The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of the WHO, comprising all member states.

• The WHO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and is a specialised agency of the United Nations.

9. Ghana's Bid to Join BRICS

Basic Concept

BRICS is a grouping of major emerging economies — originally Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — that has since expanded to include several new members (such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE and Indonesia), positioning itself as a platform for Global South cooperation on trade, finance (including the New Development Bank) and reform of global governance institutions. Its growing membership queue reflects developing countries' interest in alternatives or supplements to Western-led multilateral platforms. This is a GS Paper 2 (International Relations / International Groupings) topic.

Core Context

Ghana's Cabinet approved a decision to formally seek BRICS membership, as announced by its Foreign Affairs Minister. The move is aimed at diversifying Ghana's international economic partnerships, attracting investment, and asserting greater control over its natural resources and development financing options.

Latest Developments

• Ghana's application would need to go through BRICS's internal consensus-based process for admitting new members, as was followed for the 2024 and subsequent expansion rounds.

• The move comes alongside deepening bilateral ties between Ghana and India, including recent memoranda of understanding on agriculture, healthcare, railways and information technology.

• African nations' growing interest in BRICS mirrors a broader trend of middle powers seeking multi-aligned foreign policies rather than exclusive blocs.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• BRICS originally stood for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

• The New Development Bank (NDB), headquartered in Shanghai, is BRICS's main financial institution.

• Ghana's Cabinet approved seeking BRICS membership in 2026.

• New BRICS members are admitted by consensus among existing members.

10. Mali's Army Recaptures Kidal from Tuareg-led Separatists

Basic Concept

Mali, a landlocked West African country, has faced a prolonged conflict since 2012 involving Tuareg-led separatist movements in its northern desert regions, Islamist insurgent groups, and shifting international and regional military support. Kidal, a northern town, has long been a symbolic stronghold of Tuareg separatism and has changed hands multiple times amid the conflict, which also involves France's past military presence (now withdrawn) and more recent Russian private military involvement. This is a GS Paper 2 (International Relations — Africa) / GS Paper 1 (World geography — conflict regions) topic.

Core Context

Mali's armed forces, supported by Russia's "Africa Corps" (successor to the Wagner Group's operations in Africa), recaptured Kidal after Tuareg-led separatist fighters withdrew from the town. Mali's ruling military junta has described the recapture as a major step, though analysts note it does not end the broader insurgency involving multiple armed groups across the Sahel.

Latest Developments

• Mali is part of the Alliance of Sahel States, a security and political pact with Burkina Faso and Niger, formed after all three nations experienced military coups and distanced themselves from France and ECOWAS.

• Russia has significantly expanded its security footprint in the Sahel region, filling the vacuum left by departing French and UN forces (the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, MINUSMA, wound up in 2023).

• The Sahel remains a key GS Paper 1/2 region for exam purposes due to its intersecting themes of desertification, terrorism, coups and great-power competition for influence and resources (including uranium and gold).

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• Kidal is a town in northern Mali, historically a stronghold of Tuareg separatism.

• The Alliance of Sahel States comprises Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

• Russia's "Africa Corps" succeeded the Wagner Group's operations on the continent.

• The Sahel is the semi-arid transitional zone between the Sahara Desert and the savannas of sub-Saharan Africa.

11. Living Planet Report 2026: Vertebrate Populations Down Nearly 73% Since 1970

Basic Concept

The Living Planet Report, published roughly every two years by WWF in partnership with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), tracks the Living Planet Index (LPI) — a measure of trends in the population abundance of thousands of monitored vertebrate species (mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians) across the world. It is a key GS Paper 3 (Environment and Ecology) reference used to assess global biodiversity loss and the effectiveness of conservation policy.

Core Context

The Living Planet Report 2026, themed "The Science of Hope," found that monitored vertebrate populations have declined by about 73% on average between 1970 and 2022, driven chiefly by habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation of species, and climate change. The report also highlighted conservation success stories from India, including recoveries among tigers, Asiatic lions and vultures — and, in a related development reported around the same time, the natural hatching of a Great Indian Bustard chick in Kutch, Gujarat, a rare milestone for one of the world's most critically endangered birds (whose Spotlight-level conservation story, including captive-breeding and release efforts, was separately covered in this section earlier this week).

Latest Developments

• The LPI is an average trend across thousands of populations and is not the same as a count of species extinctions; a steep LPI decline signals shrinking population sizes even for species that are not yet extinct.

• Freshwater species have historically shown among the steepest declines of any vertebrate group tracked by the LPI, reflecting pressures like damming, pollution and over-abstraction of rivers.

• India's highlighted successes — tiger numbers rising under Project Tiger, Asiatic lion numbers growing in Gujarat's Gir landscape, and vulture populations stabilising after a ban on the veterinary drug diclofenac — are frequently cited as counter-examples of effective, targeted conservation.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The Living Planet Report is published by WWF with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

• It is based on the Living Planet Index (LPI), tracking vertebrate population abundance trends since 1970.

• The Living Planet Report 2026 recorded an approximately 73% average decline (1970-2022).

• India's cited conservation successes include tigers, Asiatic lions, vultures and the Great Indian Bustard.

12. Nuclear Power on the Moon: The New Lunar Energy Race

Basic Concept

Future sustained human presence on the Moon — for research bases, resource extraction (such as Helium-3 or water ice) and eventual Mars missions — requires a reliable power source that can survive the two-week-long lunar night, when solar panels are useless. Nuclear fission reactors, which generate heat from controlled atomic reactions regardless of sunlight, are seen as the most viable near-term solution, reviving debates about how space law treats nuclear material and territorial claims on celestial bodies. This is a GS Paper 3 (Space Technology) topic with GS Paper 2 (international space law) overlap.

Core Context

NASA, in partnership with the US Department of Energy, is accelerating plans to deploy a lunar fission power reactor by around 2030. In parallel, China and Russia have announced plans for a joint lunar nuclear power plant to support their proposed International Lunar Research Station by 2035, intensifying a race to establish infrastructure and effective presence on the Moon, particularly near its resource-rich south pole.

Latest Developments

• The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits placing nuclear weapons in orbit or on celestial bodies, but it does not ban peaceful nuclear power generation, creating legal grey areas around reactor siting and "safety/exclusion zones."

• Whichever country establishes continuous power infrastructure first may gain a practical advantage in claiming prime lunar real estate (such as permanently sunlit south-pole ridges or ice-rich craters), even though the Outer Space Treaty bars formal sovereignty claims.

• India's own lunar ambitions — building on the Chandrayaan missions and the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station — make this an area of rising strategic relevance for Indian space policy too.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• NASA is working with the US Department of Energy on a lunar fission reactor targeted for around 2030.

• China and Russia plan a joint lunar nuclear power plant linked to the International Lunar Research Station, targeted by 2035.

• The Outer Space Treaty (1967) bans weapons of mass destruction in space but does not prohibit peaceful nuclear power sources.

• The Moon's south pole is of special interest due to suspected water-ice deposits and near-permanent sunlight on certain crater rims.

13. OJ 287: Fresh Clues on a Rare Binary Black Hole System

Basic Concept

A "blazar" is a type of active galactic nucleus — a supermassive black hole at a galaxy's centre, actively feeding on surrounding matter, with a jet of high-energy particles pointed almost directly at Earth, making it appear extremely bright and variable. Some blazars are suspected "binary black hole" systems, where two supermassive black holes orbit each other at the galaxy's core, offering rare natural laboratories to test Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. This is a GS Paper 3 (Science and Technology — astronomy/astrophysics) topic.

Core Context

A decade-long international study, with participation from India's Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in Nainital, provided fresh observational data on OJ 287, one of the most well-studied candidate binary supermassive black hole systems, refining scientific estimates of the central black hole's mass and the orbital dynamics of its smaller companion.

Latest Developments

• OJ 287 shows a distinctive periodic brightening roughly every 12 years, long interpreted as the signature of a smaller black hole repeatedly punching through the accretion disk of a much larger one.

• Precise monitoring of such systems helps test general relativity's predictions about gravitational effects (such as orbital precession) in extremely strong gravity environments.

• ARIES, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, is one of India's key facilities for optical and infrared astronomical observation, located in the Himalayan foothills for low light pollution and good seeing conditions.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• OJ 287 is a blazar believed to host a binary supermassive black hole system.

• ARIES (Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences) is located in Nainital, Uttarakhand.

• ARIES functions under India's Department of Science and Technology.

• A blazar is an active galactic nucleus with a relativistic jet pointed towards Earth's line of sight.

14. New Fossil Crocodilian Relative of the Gharial Discovered in Egypt

Basic Concept

The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is a critically endangered, long-snouted crocodilian native to river systems of the Indian subcontinent, including the Chambal, Ganga and Mahanadi rivers, and is a flagship species for Indian riverine conservation (listed in Schedule I of India's Wildlife Protection Act and IUCN's Critically Endangered category). Studying fossil relatives of living crocodilians helps scientists reconstruct how today's narrow geographic distributions evolved from once much wider ranges across ancient continents. This is a GS Paper 1 (Geography/Palaeontology) topic with GS Paper 3 (biodiversity) relevance.

Core Context

Palaeontologists identified a new, approximately 45-million-year-old extinct crocodilian species, named Herugavialis cairensis, from Middle Eocene limestone deposits in Egypt's Mokattam Formation. The species is described as closely related to the modern Indian gharial's lineage, indicating that gharial-like crocodilians (gavialoids) once ranged far more widely, including across parts of Africa, than their present-day restriction to South Asian rivers would suggest.

Latest Developments

• The Eocene epoch (roughly 56 to 34 million years ago) was a period of relatively warm global climate, during which many crocodilian lineages diversified and spread across wide latitudinal ranges.

• Such fossil finds support the idea of a once near-global distribution of gavialoid crocodilians, which later contracted sharply, leaving the Indian gharial as among the few surviving representatives of this ancient lineage.

• The discovery adds to Egypt's Mokattam Formation's reputation as a rich source of Eocene-era vertebrate fossils, including early whales and other marine and freshwater species.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is a critically endangered crocodilian native to Indian river systems.

• Herugavialis cairensis is a newly identified fossil crocodilian from Egypt's Mokattam Formation, dated to the Middle Eocene (~45 million years ago).

• Gavialoidea is the broader taxonomic group of gharial-like crocodilians.

• The gharial is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

15. Practice MCQs

Practice MCQs

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026:
1. It was awarded to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai.
2. Their work relates to asymmetric synthesis and the chirality ("handedness") of molecules.
3. The prize is awarded by the World Health Organization.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 and 2 only

• (b) 2 and 3 only

• (c) 1 and 3 only

• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation: Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai jointly won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on chirality and asymmetric autocatalysis/synthesis. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, not the WHO, making statement 3 incorrect.

Q2. With reference to India's monetary policy, which of the following statements is/are correct?

• (a) The repo rate is the rate at which the RBI borrows funds from commercial banks

• (b) The Monetary Policy Committee has six members and functions under the RBI Governor

• (c) A "calibrated tightening" stance signals that the central bank may consider rate cuts soon

• (d) The RBI's flexible inflation-targeting framework has no numerical target and is reviewed annually

Answer: (b) The Monetary Policy Committee has six members and functions under the RBI Governor

Explanation: The repo rate is the rate at which the RBI lends to banks, not borrows from them, so (a) is incorrect. A "calibrated tightening" stance rules out near-term rate cuts, so (c) is incorrect. India's flexible inflation-targeting framework does have a numerical target (4% CPI inflation, +/-2% band), so (d) is incorrect.

Q3. Consider the following statements about Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs) in India:
1. There are 24 DRSCs, of which 16 are serviced by the Lok Sabha Secretariat and 8 by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.
2. Their recommendations are binding on the concerned ministries.
3. They are typically reconstituted on an annual basis.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 and 2 only

• (b) 2 and 3 only

• (c) 1 and 3 only

• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

Explanation: There are 24 DRSCs split 16 (Lok Sabha) and 8 (Rajya Sabha), and they are generally reconstituted every year. However, their reports and recommendations are advisory in nature and not binding on the government, making statement 2 incorrect.

Q4. Which of the following statements about SAREX-2026 is correct?

• (a) It was a bilateral naval exercise between India and Russia

• (b) It was a multinational maritime search-and-rescue exercise conducted by the Indian Coast Guard off Paradip, Odisha

• (c) It was conducted by the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea

• (d) It refers to an Indian Air Force aerial combat exercise

Answer: (b) It was a multinational maritime search-and-rescue exercise conducted by the Indian Coast Guard off Paradip, Odisha

Explanation: SAREX-2026 was a multinational maritime search-and-rescue exercise hosted by the Indian Coast Guard off Paradip, Odisha, held alongside the 24th National Maritime Search and Rescue Board meeting.

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding the Living Planet Report 2026:
1. It is published by WWF in partnership with the Zoological Society of London.
2. It found an average decline of about 73% in monitored vertebrate populations between 1970 and 2022.
3. It reported that gharial populations in India have fully recovered to pre-1970 levels.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 and 2 only

• (b) 2 and 3 only

• (c) 1 and 3 only

• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation: The Living Planet Report is a joint WWF-ZSL publication and the 2026 edition recorded an approximately 73% average decline in monitored vertebrate populations (1970-2022). It highlighted Indian conservation successes in tigers, Asiatic lions and vultures — not a full recovery of gharial populations, making statement 3 incorrect.

Q6. The Outer Space Treaty, 1967, which is relevant to the ongoing plans for lunar nuclear power reactors, deals with which of the following?

• (a) It completely bans all nuclear materials, including power reactors, from being placed on celestial bodies

• (b) It allows any country to claim sovereignty over lunar territory where it establishes permanent infrastructure

• (c) It prohibits the placement of weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies but does not ban peaceful nuclear power generation

• (d) It was adopted under the auspices of the World Trade Organization

Answer: (c) It prohibits the placement of weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies but does not ban peaceful nuclear power generation

Explanation: The Outer Space Treaty (1967) bans weapons of mass destruction in space and prohibits national sovereignty claims over celestial bodies, but it does not prohibit peaceful uses of nuclear power, such as fission reactors for lunar bases.

Q7. With reference to "OJ 287," which of the following statements is correct?

• (a) It is a newly discovered exoplanet within the habitable zone of a Sun-like star

• (b) It is a blazar believed to host a binary supermassive black hole system, studied with participation from India's ARIES institute

• (c) It is an Indian satellite launched to study gravitational waves

• (d) It is a comet that last appeared in Earth's sky in 2026

Answer: (b) It is a blazar believed to host a binary supermassive black hole system, studied with participation from India's ARIES institute

Explanation: OJ 287 is a well-studied blazar suspected to host two orbiting supermassive black holes. A decade-long study involving India's ARIES observatory (Nainital) refined estimates of its black hole masses and orbital dynamics.