UPSC Daily Quiz 23 July 2026

Answer: b

Explanation:

Raksha Mantri flagged-in ‘Samudra Pradakshina’, the first ever Tri-service all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition through video conferencing recently. 

About Samudra Pradakshina:

• It was the first ever Tri-service all-women circumnavigation.
• The expedition brought together officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force on a single mission.
• The expedition, under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Anuja Varudkar, with Squadron Leader Shraddha P. Raju as the Deputy Expedition Leader, was flagged off from Mumbai’s historic Gateway of India on 11 September 2025.
• Aboard the Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni, nine women officers of the three Services returned to Mumbai on July 22, 2026 after successfully completing a 314-day voyage covering nearly 25,500 nautical miles across four oceans.
• The expedition successfully fulfilled all internationally recognised criteria for a circumnavigation by
  • crossing all meridians of longitude;
  • crossing the Equator twice;
  • crossing the International Date Line; and
  • rounding the Three Great Capes – Cape Leeuwin (Australia), Cape Horn (South America) and the Cape of Good Hope (Africa).
• The successful passage through the formidable Drake Passage and rounding of Cape Horn earned the crew membership of the prestigious fraternity of Cape Horners, an honour reserved for sailors who conquer one of the world’s most demanding maritime passages.
• The mission was made possible through meticulous planning, nearly two years of intensive training, and a dedicated 24X7 shore-based support network.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

News: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2287716&reg=48&lang=2

Answer: b

Explanation:

Some of India’s biggest industrial groups, including Adani, Reliance Industries, Hindalco, Vedanta Aluminium, Naveen Jindal-backed Powercem and Coal India, are eyeing Odisha’s Karlapat bauxite block.

About Karlapat Bauxite Block:

• It is a bauxite deposit in Odisha’s Kalahandi
• It is a greenfield mining block, which means it has not previously been commercially mined.
• It has an estimated resource of about 207 million tonnes, comprising 153 million tonnes of proved reserves and 54 million tonnes of possible reserves.
• The block spans a plateau area of about 9.6 sq.km with an average ore thickness of nearly 12 metres.
• The deposit is classified under proved and possible resource categories and records an alumina content of about 45.2 per cent with low silica content.

Bauxite Deposits in Odisha:

• India’s major bauxite resources are concentrated in the East Coast deposits of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
• Odisha had about 2,057 million tonnes of bauxite resources.
• Odisha accounted for 41 percent of India’s bauxite resources.
• In Odisha, bauxite occurs in Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Kendujhar, Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada and Sundargarh districts.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

News:https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/karlapat-bauxite-block-become-major-prize-aluminium-industry-126072000950_1.html

Answer: d

Explanation:

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) recently identified Kawal Tiger Reserve in Telangana as a ‘priority recipient site’ for tiger recovery.

About Kawal Tiger Reserve:

• It is located in the state of Telangana.
• It is along the banks of the river Godavari, forming part of the Deccan peninsula-central highlands.
• The reserve is nestled in the Sahyadri Mountain Ranges.
• Geographically, the reserve is situated at the southernmost tip of the Central Indian Tiger Landscape, having linkages with the Tadoba-Andhari (Maharashtra) and Indravati (Chhattisgarh) tiger reserves.
• Rivers: It is a major catchment of the river Godavari and local rivulets like Peddavagu and Kadam.
• Habitat: It has diverse habitats comprising dense forests, grasslands, rivers, streams, and water bodies.
• Vegetation: Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest.
• Flora: It consists of teak along with bamboo and other species like Anogeissus latifolia, Mitragyna parviflora, Terminalia crenulata, Terminalia arjuna, Boswellia serrata, etc.
• Fauna:
  • It has a faunal diversity which is typical of the Deccan Plateau.
  • The major wild animals include: tiger, nilgai, chousingha, chinkara, black buck, sambar, spotted deer, wild dog, wolf, jackal, fox, leopard,
  • and the jungle cat.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

News: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/kawal-reserve-on-ntca-priority-list-for-tiger-reintroduction/articleshow/132565816.cms

Answer: d

Explanation:

A new species of ginger lily named Hedychium zubeengargianum was recently discovered in Shillong.

About Hedychium zubeengargianum:

• It is a new species of ginger lily.
• It was identified by botanists at the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong, Meghalaya, after years of studying an unusual plant growing in the institute’s botanical garden.
• Although it had been growing there since at least 2018, its original source could not be traced because no collection records were available.
• The species was named after Meghalaya-born Assamese music legend Zubeen Garg.
• Popularly known as ginger lilies, Hedychium species are among the Northeast’s most striking flowering plants.
• India is home to about 41 taxa, most of them occurring in the biodiversity-rich landscapes of the Northeast and the Western Ghats.
• Hedychium zubeengargianum stands apart from its closest relative, Hedychium gracile, by its creamy-white fragrant flowers, yellow anthers, densely hairy flowering stalk, and an earlier flowering season from April to May.

Hence both statements are not correct.

News: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/law-order/3953187-tense-waters-chinas-first-disclosed-naval-drill-near-japans-okinotori

Answer: c

Explanation:

Recently, the Madhya Pradesh forest department has sought permission from the central government to fell nearly 150,000 sal trees in Dindori district after a severe infestation of sal borer insects. 

• It is a beetle of the order- Coleoptera, family Cerambycidae. 
• It is the most devastating insect pest responsible for catastrophic damage of sal forests of the country.
• Appearance: It looks dark brown in color and has about the size of a human finger.
• It causes extensive damage to sal trees both in standing as well as freshly felled timbers.
• The less vigorous, weak, unhealthy trees or those with reduced vitality are easily attacked or killed due to borer.
• The attack of the borer is considered epidemic when the sal trees affected are more than 1% of the total number of trees.

Hence both statements 1 and 2 are correct.

News: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/forests/madhya-pradeshs-dindori-seeks-centres-permission-to-cut-150000-sal-trees-affected-by-borer-infestation

Answer: c

Explanation:

Recently, the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment informed the Lok Sabha about the PM-YASASVI Scheme.

• The PM-YASASVI (Prime Minister Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India) umbrella scheme. 
• It is aimed at uplifting students from Other Backward Classes (OBC), Economically Backward Classes (EBC), and Denotified Tribes (DNT) by providing them with access to quality education during their formative years.
• Objective: To reduce financial barriers and promote inclusive, equitable and quality education for eligible students from these communities.
• Eligibility:Students from OBC, Economically Backward Classes (EBC), and DNT students with family income up to Rs 2.5 lakh per annum are eligible for this scheme.
• It comprises four major scholarship components designed to support students at different stages of education.
  • These include the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Top Class Education in Schools Scheme, and Top Class Education in Colleges Schemefor eligible students belonging to OBC, EBC and DNT communities.
• Implemented by: Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Hence both statements 1 and 2 are correct.

News: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2287626&reg=48&lang=1

Answer: c

Explanation:

Recently, the Madhya Pradesh forest department has sought permission from the central government to fell nearly 150,000 sal trees in Dindori district after a severe infestation of sal borer insects. 

• It is a beetle of the order- Coleoptera, family Cerambycidae. 
• It is the most devastating insect pest responsible for catastrophic damage of sal forests of the country.
• Appearance: It looks dark brown in color and has about the size of a human finger.
• It causes extensive damage to sal trees both in standing as well as freshly felled timbers.
• The less vigorous, weak, unhealthy trees or those with reduced vitality are easily attacked or killed due to borer.
• The attack of the borer is considered epidemic when the sal trees affected are more than 1% of the total number of trees.

Hence both statements 1 and 2 are correct.

News: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/forests/madhya-pradeshs-dindori-seeks-centres-permission-to-cut-150000-sal-trees-affected-by-borer-infestation

Answer: c

Explanation:

Recently, the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment informed the Lok Sabha about the PM-YASASVI Scheme.

• The PM-YASASVI (Prime Minister Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India) umbrella scheme. 
• It is aimed at uplifting students from Other Backward Classes (OBC), Economically Backward Classes (EBC), and Denotified Tribes (DNT) by providing them with access to quality education during their formative years.
• Objective: To reduce financial barriers and promote inclusive, equitable and quality education for eligible students from these communities.
• Eligibility:Students from OBC, Economically Backward Classes (EBC), and DNT students with family income up to Rs 2.5 lakh per annum are eligible for this scheme.
• It comprises four major scholarship components designed to support students at different stages of education.
  • These include the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Top Class Education in Schools Scheme, and Top Class Education in Colleges Schemefor eligible students belonging to OBC, EBC and DNT communities.
• Implemented by: Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Hence both statements 1 and 2 are correct.

News: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2287626&reg=48&lang=1

Answer: c

Explanation:

A new study in NatureFood has found that India’s rice fields now rank among world’s top methane hotspots.

• It is a hydrocarbon that is a primary component of natural gas. 
• It is a potent greenhouse gas, responsible for about 30% of the global temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution.
• It is the primary component of natural gas and a byproduct of fossil fuel exploration.
• It is 86 times more efficient at trapping heat over a 20-year-period than carbon dioxide.
• Major Sources: The three major anthropogenic sources of methane emissions are  agriculture, energy, and waste sectors.
• Characteristics of Methane:
  • It is a colourless, odourless, and highly flammable gas, also known as marsh gas.
  • It remains in the atmosphere for a shorter period — about 12 years — than carbon dioxide.
  • It traps far more heat in the near term, making it a key driver of short-term climate change, contributing 28 times more to global warming than carbon dioxide for every tonne.

Hence both statements are correct.

News: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/india-irrigated-rice-fields-world-top-methane-sources/article71241002.ece

Answer: c

Explanation:

Recently, the Minister of State for Women and Child Development informed about the Mission Vatsalya Scheme.

• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• It is implemented by the States and Union Territories (UTs) to support Children in Need of care and Protection (CNCP) and Children in Conflict with Law (CCL).
• Objective: The objective of the Scheme is ensuring care, protection, rehabilitation and reintegration of children in difficult circumstances, including missing and vulnerable children.
• It promotes family- and community-based care, institutional support services, counselling, and emergency outreach for children in need.
• The Scheme provides institutional and non-institutional care and support services for children in difficult circumstances under the statutory framework of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
• Section 55 of the JJ Act, 2015 provides for the evaluation of the functioning of relevant service delivery structures.
  • Under this provision, the Central Government, State Government, or District Magistrate may independently evaluate the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board, Child Welfare Committee, Special Juvenile Police Units, registered institutions, and recognised fit facilities or persons, at such intervals and through such agencies as prescribed.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development

Hence both statements are correct.

News: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2287687&reg=48&lang=1