UPSC Daily Quiz 20 March 2026

Answer: d

Explanation:

According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica.

• Location: The South Shetland Islands are a remote archipelago located about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of the Antarctic Peninsula.
• The South Shetland Islands are often called the jewel in Antarctica’s crown.
• It was first discovered in 1819 by British mariner William Smith
• Formation: The islands were formed by volcanic activity, and some of the islands are still active today.
• The most well-known is Deception Island, which has a large, flooded caldera.
• More than 80% of the land area is covered by permanent ice.
• There are no permanent residents on this island. Some countries maintain small teams at research stations, depending on the season.
• Fauna
  • Birds: Gentoo, Chinstrap, Adélie and even a couple of Macaroni Penguins breed on the islands.
  • Mammals: The marine mammals consist of species such as Crabeater Seal, Leopard Seal, Weddell Seal, Fin Whale, Humpback Whale, and the Southern Right Whale.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

News: https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/67-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-south-shetland-islands-gfz-reports-shallow-depth-2884470-2026-03-20

Answer: a

Explanation:

Recently, the Government of India has approved the RELIEF (Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation) scheme to support exporters facing severe maritime disruptions in West Asia. 

• It is aimed at supporting Indian exporters affected by extraordinary freight escalation, heightened insurance premia and war-related export risks arising from disruptions in the Gulf and wider West Asia maritime corridor.
• It is a time-bound and targeted intervention launched under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM).
• Features of RELIEF Initiative:
  • Enhanced Risk Coverage (Past Shipments): Exporters with existing ECGC cover for shipments between 14 February and 15 March 2026 receive up to 100% risk coverage for additional conflict-linked losses.
  • Support for Prospective Exports: For shipments planned between 16 March and 15 June 2026, the government supports up to 95% risk coverage to maintain exporter confidence.
  • MSME Reimbursement: Non-insured MSME exporters can claim up to 50% reimbursement (capped at ₹50 lakh per exporter) for extraordinary freight and insurance surcharges incurred during the initial disruption month.
  • Regional Scope: Applies to all consignments destined for or transshipped through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Israel, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, and Yemen.
  • Operational Reliefs: Includes waivers of storage and dwell time charges at ports and procedural relaxations for stranded cargo coordinated by the IMG.
  • Real-time Monitoring: ECGC will maintain a dashboard-based system for tracking claims and fund utilization, with periodic reviews by the EPM Steering Committee.
• Implementation: By ECGC Ltd

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

News: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=2242410&reg=3&lang=1

Answer: a

Explanation:

Recently, scientists highlighted that adipose tissue (fat) is not only a passive storage site for excess calories but acts as metabolic and endocrine organ.

• Adipose tissue, otherwise known as body fat, is a connective tissue that extends throughout body.
• It’s found under skin (subcutaneous fat), between internal organs (visceral fat) and even in the inner cavities of bones (bone marrow adipose tissue).
• Types of Adipose Tissue:
  • White adipose tissue
  • It is the most abundant type of fat in adults, does store energy in the form of triglycerides.
  • Functions:
    • It releases hormones like leptin that reduce appetite, as well as adiponectin, which regulates insulin and blood sugar levels.
    • It also cushions organs, insulates against heat loss and acts as a metabolic buffer, safely storing excess lipids.
    • They contribute to insulin resistance, fatty liver disease and cardiovascular risk.
  • Brown adipose tissue (Fat)
    • It is specialized to burn energy.
    • Brown adipose cells are packed with mitochondria and contain a protein called UCP1 that allows them to convert chemical energy directly into heat.
  • Beige fat cells:
    • These cells arise within white fat depots under certain conditions – such as cold exposure or specific hormonal signals.
    • They acquire some of the heat-producing properties of brown fat.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

News: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/fat-cells-burn-energy-to-make-heat-making-them-the-next-frontier-of-weight-loss-therapies/article70748998.ece

Answer: c

Explanation:

According to a U.N.-backed World Happiness report 2026, heavy social media use is harming young people’s well-being in many countries.

• It is the world’s foremost publication on global wellbeing and how to improve it.
• Published by: It is an annual report published by the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre in partnership with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
• It asks people to rate their life on a 0-10 scale, from the worst possible life (0) to the best possible life (10).
• Country rankings were based on answers given by around 100,000 people in 140 countries and territories who were asked to rate their own lives. 
• Factors for evaluation of happiness ranking
  • GDP per capita
  • Life expectancy
  • Social support
  • Freedom to make life choices
  • Generosity
  • Perceptions of corruption

Hence both statements are correct.

News: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world-happiness-report-2026-finland-india-costa-rica-rankings/article70760747.ece

Answer: c

Explanation:

Recently, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has introduced ALMM List-III for ingots and wafers, which will come into effect from the 1st of June, 2028.

• It is a quality-and-reliability framework that ensures solar equipment used in the country’s solar projects meet the domestic manufacturing standards.
• It was introduced under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) Order, 2019.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India.
• Features of Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) framework:
  • Tier Structure: ALMM shall consist of LIST-I, specifying models and manufacturers of Solar PV Modules and LIST-II, specifying models and manufacturers of Solar PV Cells and List-III includes ingots and wafers.
  • Only the models and manufacturers included in ALMM are eligible for use in Government Projects under Government Schemes & Programmes, Net-Metering Projects, installed in the country, including Projects set up for sale of electricity to Government.
  • Grandfathering Provisions:Projects already in the pipeline or those with bids submitted before the cut-off date (7 days after the first list is published) are protected to avoid disruption.
  • Domestic Content Requirement (DCR):This order reinforces and does not dilute existing DCR provisions under current MNRE schemes.

Hence both statements are correct.

News: https://www.newsonair.gov.in/ministry-of-new-and-renewable-energy-extends-almm-framework-to-cover-solar-ingots-and-wafers-from-june-1-2028/

Answer: b

Explanation:

Masi Magam, an auspicious day in the Tamil calendar holds significance for the Irular community which is deeply tied to their culture and collective identity.

• They are a Dravidian ethnic group; reside in the Nilgiri Mountains of the Western Ghats, spread across Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• They are one of India’s oldest indigenous communities.
• They are classified under the “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups” category in Tamil Nadu.
• They also call themselves Erlar or Poosari, while their neighbours refer to them as Eralollu, Irulas, Shikari and Pujari.
• Society of Irul Tribe:
  • Language: They speak Irula, which is related to Dravidian languages like Tamil and Kannada.
  • Religious Beliefs: The Irula people don’t have a definite god for them. They are pantheists who make provision for the presence of spirits in humans and objects.
    • Their main deity is a virgin goddess called Kanniamma, who is deeply associated with the cobra. 
  • Settlements: Irula houses are built together in small settlements or villages called mottas. 
    • The mottas are usually situated on the edges of steep hills and are surrounded by a few dry fields, gardens, and forests or plantations.
  • Economy: Cattle production is another source of income. In the forests they collect wild resources like honey, frankincense, firewood and the like. 
  • Traditional Knowledge: The Irula community is traditionally associated with healing, traditional medicine, and catching poisonous snakes. 
    • They can even locate snakes based on their tracks, smell, and droppings.

Hence only statements 1 and 3 are correct.

News: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/an-auspicious-day-for-the-irularcommunity-to-reconnect-with-their-roots-on-the-seashores/article70762813.ece

Answer: a

Explanation:

Recently, the Tamil Nadu government has informed the Madras High Court that illegal resorts operating in the eco-sensitive zone of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) have been locked and sealed.

• Location: It is located in the state of Tamil Nadu.
• It is nestled at the junction of the Eastern and the Western Ghats in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
• It is contiguous with the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka), and BR Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka).
• Terrain: The terrain is hilly and undulating with altitude ranging between 750 m and 1649 m.
• Climate: It is subtropical and dry.
  • The summers are hot and dry; the monsoons are wet and cooler, with river flooding.
• Rivers: Some of the prominent rivers in the region include the Bhavani, Moyar, and Noyyal rivers.
• Tribal Communities: It is home to several indigenous tribal communities, including the Irula and Kurumba tribes.
• Vegetation: It consists of southern tropical dry thorn forests, mixed deciduous forests, semi-evergreen forests, and riparian forests.
• Flora: It include teak, sandalwood, bamboo, Terminalia, and Albizia, alongside medicinal plants and shrubs that support both wildlife and local communities.
• Fauna: The major species are Elephant, Tiger, Panther, Sloth bear, Gaur, Black Buck, Spotted deer, Wild boar, Black napped hare, Common langur Nilgiri langur, Striped neck mongoose, and Bonnet macaque.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

News: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2026/Mar/20/42-illegal-resorts-inside-sathyamangalam-tiger-reserve-sealed-tn-tells-madras-hc

Answer: c

Explanation:

A new study revealed that most mangrove sites already experiencing mild or severe hypercapnic Hypoxia.

• Hypercapnic Hypoxia is a high CO₂ and low oxygen state.
• It pushes estuaries into a stressful chemical state.
• It mostly occurs during low tide, at low-salinity sites and in warm tropical regions.
• Causes: Rising Co2 level due to climate change and Temperature Increase
• Impact Hypercapnic Hypoxia on Biodiversity
  • It threatens fish nurseries in mangrove ecosystems
  • It reduces biodiversity and habitat quality for fish
  • Impacts fisheries and livelihoods of millions
  • It shifts mangrove species composition away from large reef-associated species.

Hence both statements are correct.

News: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/wildlife-biodiversity/depleting-oxygen-levels-due-to-rising-co2-in-mangrove-waters-threatening-fish-nurseries#:~:text

Answer: b

Explanation:

Recently, Legionnaires’ disease cases reported in London and New York has raised global alarm, with public health experts warning that densely populated cities, including those in India, could face similar risks if preventive measures are not strengthened. 

• It is a severe form of a lung infection (pneumonia) caused by a bacterium known as legionella.
• The disease got its name when a group of people at an American Legion convention became ill with this type of pneumonia in 1976.
• Legionnaires’ Disease Transmission
  • Legionella is found naturally in freshwater, such as lakes and rivers. It can also be found in soil. 
  • Most people who catch Legionnaires’ disease breathe in the bacteria from water or soil. 
  • One can’t get infected by drinking water that contains the bacteria unless you aspirate it (accidentally breathe the water into your lungs).
  • It is not contagious, meaning it is not spread from person to person.
• Risk: Older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and people who smoke have a higher risk of getting Legionnaires’ disease.
• Symptoms:
  • It causes pneumonia-like symptoms that start two to 14 days after exposure to Legionella. 
  • Patients usually present with fever, cough, shortness of breath, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, and may have gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhoea. 
  • In severe cases, neurological symptoms (e.g., confusion) and respiratory failure may occur, and some cases may result in death.
• Treatment:
  • It can be treated with antibiotics.
  • But some people still have problems after treatment.
  • Currently, there is no vaccine available for LD

Hence only statements 1 and 3 are correct.

News: https://www.ndtv.com/health/recent-legionnaires-disease-outbreaks-in-london-new-york-raise-alarm-is-india-at-risk-11236919

Answer: c

Explanation:

Recent, satellite data processed by Carbon Mapper shows that 15 of the world’s top 25 methane emission sites in 2025 from the oil and gas sector were in Turkmenistan. 

• Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, responsible for about 30% of the global temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution.
• Its atmospheric concentration is now 2.5 times higher than in the preindustrial era and is rising faster than other greenhouse gases.
• 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.
• Methane Characteristics:
  • It is a colourless, odourless, and highly flammable gas, also known as marsh gas.
  • Although 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.downtoearth.org.in/climate-change/methanes-heavy-hitters-turkmenistan-tops-list-of-worst-emitting-oil-and-gas-sites