UPSC Daily Quiz 10 April 2026

Answer: d

Explanation:

Researchers have discovered a new plant species in the high mountains of the Western Ghats and named it as Fimbristylis wayanadensis. 

• It is a grass-like plant, known as a sedge.
  • Sedges are grass-like plants that typically feature triangular stems.
• It was identified during a recent expedition in the Wayanad district of Kerala.
• It is named to honour the place where it was first discovered.
• Habitat: It was found clinging to life in the transitional zones between rocky landscapes and high-altitude grasslands.
• It was found growing at elevations up to 1,900 meters.
• Features:
  • It possesses a unique set of characteristics like long leaves that stretch as tall as or taller than its hairy stems.
  • It also produces fewer flower clusters, known as spikelets, which are rich chestnut-brown rather than yellowish.
  • Furthermore, the tiny nuts it produces are larger and smoother, with microscopic rectangular patterns on their surfaces.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

News: https://researchmatters.in/news/botanists-discover-new-grass-sedge-keralas-wayanad

Answer: c

Explanation:

New research has found aluminium can be made to behave in the same way that makes transition metals such as palladium, rhodium, and platinum.

• It is a chemical element with symbol Aland atomic number 13. 
• It is classified as a post-transition metal. 
• Aluminium Ore derived from bauxite, is one of the most abundant, versatile, and strategically important metals in the world.
• The transformation of bauxite into aluminium is a two-stage industrial process:
  • Bayer Process: The raw bauxite is first crushed and treated with sodium hydroxide to separate aluminum hydroxide. This is then calcined (heated strongly) to produce alumina (Al₂O₃).
  • Hall- Héroult Process: The alumina is smelted using electrolytic reduction, requiring enormous amounts of electricity, which makes aluminium one of the most energy-intensive metals to produce.
• Properties of Aluminium:
  • It is a hard, strong, silvery-white metal with low density.
  • It has high thermal conductivity, excellent corrosion resistance.
  • It has high malleability and ductile property.
  • Lightweight & corrosion-resistant: Ideal for transportation and construction.
  • Recyclable: Retains its original properties and requires only 5% of the energy compared to primary production.
• Applications of Aluminium:
  • Transport: Aircraft, automobiles, ships, and rail coaches.
  • Household & Packaging: Utensils, appliances, and aluminium foils.
  • Infrastructure: Doors, windows, screens, and cladding.
  • Electrical: Good conductor, used in transmission lines.
  • Strategic Applications: Defence, nuclear industries, and aerospace.

Hence both statements are correct.

News: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/in-breakthrough-cheap-aluminium-may-replace-costly-catalysts-in-pharma/article70833959.ece

Answer: c

Explanation:

The Minister of State for External Affairs, attended a community reception in Yangon, Myanmar and underscores Indian Council for Cultural Relations efforts in strengthening cultural ties.

• It is an autonomous body under the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
• ICCR was founded in 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, independent India’s first Education Minister. 
• It involved in India’s external cultural relations through cultural exchange with other countries and their people.
• It promotes, through its network of cultural centres, Indian culture abroad.
• Objectives:
  • To actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to India’s external cultural relations;
  • To foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries;
  • To promote cultural exchanges with other countries and people;
• It administers various scholarship programs annually and awards about 3000+ scholarships under 21 different schemes to foreign students from about 180 countries.
  • Amongst these 21 schemes, six are funded by ICCR from its grant, and others are administered on behalf of MEA and the Ministry of Ayush.
  • The scholarships offer studies in a variety of courses from undergraduate to postdoctoral level in different leading universities and educational institutions spread all over India.

Hence both statements are correct.

News: https://www.newsonair.gov.in/mos-kirti-vardhan-singh-attends-community-reception-in-yangon-underscores-iccr-efforts-in-strengthening-cultural-ties/

Answer: c

Explanation:

Recently, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association India Region Zone VII Conference was inaugurated in Goa by Lok Sabha Speaker.

• It is one of the oldest established organisations in the Commonwealth.
• It was founded in 1911.
• It is a membership association which brings together Members, who are united by community of interest, respect for the rule of law and individual rights and freedoms.
• The Association is made up of over 180 Legislatures (or Branches) divided up between nine geographic regions of the Commonwealth. 
• Its mission is to promote the advancement of parliamentary democracy by enhancing knowledge and understanding of democratic governance, youth engagement in democracy, gender equality and equal representation.
• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom.

Hence both statements are correct.

News: https://www.newsonair.gov.in/ls-speaker-om-birla-inaugurates-commonwealth-parliamentary-association-india-region-zone-vii-conference-in-goa/

Answer: b

Explanation:

Recently, the Publications Division has made its flagship journals Yojana, Kurukshetra available free of cost on Prasar Bharati’s WAVES OTT platform.

• Waves is a digital platform developed by Prasar Bharati.
• It aims to cater to India’s growing demand for streaming services.
• It offers a wide range of content, including live TV, video on demand, games, radio streaming, and e-commerce options via the ONDC network. Its offerings include:
• On-demand content: Movies, shows, ebooks, and historical visuals
• Live events: Religious programmes, cricket tournaments, and other big events
• Games: Suitable for all age groups
• Currently, the app provides access to around 65 live channels, including private broadcasters.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

News: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2250465&reg=3&lang=1

Answer: b

Explanation:

Recently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species has uplisted Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) to Endangered category.

• Emperor penguins are the tallest and heaviest penguin alive today.
• They evolved about one million years ago, and are highly adapted to life in one of Earth’s harshest environments.
• Distribution: They are found throughout the Antarctic continent and sub-Antarctic islands.
• Habitat: It is the most ice-adapted of any penguin species, inhabiting pack ice and surrounding marine areas. They spend their entire lives on Antarctic ice and in its waters.
• Features of Emperor Penguins:
  • It is flightless, with a streamlined body, and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat.
  • Adults are coloured black and white with areas of orange and yellow on the head, neck, and breast. 
  • They gain and lose weight rapidly during breeding and feeding seasons.
  • They have two layers of feathers, a good reserve of fat, and proportionally smaller beaks and flippers than other penguins to prevent heat loss.
  • They also huddle close together in large groups to keep themselves and each other warm.
  • They are capable of diving to depths of approximately 550 metres (1,800 feet) in search of food; they are the world’s deepest-diving birds.
  • Diet: It is a carnivore (piscivore and molluscivore), feeding exclusively upon aquatic animals.
  • Breeding: In breeding months (April to November), emperor penguin colonies are found between 66° and 78° south latitude along the Antarctic coastline.
  • Lifespan: 15 to 20 years
  • Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Endangered

Hence only statements 1 and 2 are correct.

News: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/climate-change/emperor-penguins-and-fur-seals-now-endangered-as-climate-change-reshapes-antarctica-iucn-red-list-finds#google_vignette

Answer: d

Explanation:

Indrāvati Tiger Reserve is set to reopen to tourists, marking a shift from years of conflict towards conservation and eco-tourism.

• Location: It is located in the state of
• The tiger reserve and the Bhairamgarh and Pamed Wildlife Sanctuaries constitute the Indravati landscape. 
• It has connectivity with several tiger reserves, viz. Kawal (Telangana), Tadoba (Maharashtra), and Kanha (Madhya Pradesh). 
• River: The perennial river ‘Indravati’ forms the boundary of the reserve on the northern and western sides, which also happens to be the interstate boundary between Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
• Vegetation: Southern Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest with Teak, Southern Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest without Teak, and Southern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest are the major forest types found in the Reserve.
• Flora: It consists of teak, achar, karra, kullu, shisham, semal, haldu, arjun, bel, and Jamun.
• Fauna: It is home to one of the last populations of rare wild buffalo, the state animal of Chhattisgarh.
  • Other animals include Nilgai, Black Buck, Sambar, Gaur, Tiger, Leopard, Chital, Sloth bears, etc.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

News: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/raipur/from-red-corridor-to-green-trails-bastars-indravati-tiger-reserve-set-to-reopen-after-yrs/articleshow/130152052.cms

Answer: a

Explanation:

Minister of State for Education, Government of India, has launched a national campaign to establish the Skills Outcomes Fund.

• It is a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at unlocking aspirational livelihoods for youth from low-income backgrounds.
• The fund envisages to mobilise public and private capital to scale outcomes-based financing (OBF) in India’s skilling ecosystem, linking investments directly to verified employment outcomes.
• It will be anchored by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in partnership with not-for-profit and philanthropic organizations /stakeholders.
• It would build on the success of India’s first outcomes-based initiative, the Skill Impact Bond, launched by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in 2021.
• A key innovation of the fund is its employer-led, demand-driven skilling model, ensuring alignment with industry needs. Training programs will focus on high-growth sectors including:
  • IT and IT-enabled services (IT-ITeS)
  • Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI)
  • Automotive and manufacturing
  • Healthcare
  • Logistics and supply chains
  • Electronics and semiconductors
  • Green jobs and sustainability sectors

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

News: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2250149&reg=3&lang=2

Answer: b

Explanation:

Recently, India and Turkiye held 12th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FoC) to restore bilateral relations ruptured during the India-Pakistan conflict last year.

• Location: It is a transcontinental Eurasian country.
  • The major part of the country lies in the Anatolian Plateau of Western Asia while a small part is located on Southeastern Europe’s Balkan Peninsula.
• Bordering Countries: It is bordered by Greece and Bulgaria (northwest), Georgia (northeast), Armenia and Iran (east), Iraq (southeast), Syria (south).
  • Nakhchivan, an exclave of Azerbaijanalso borders Turkiye to the east.
• Water Bodies: It is surrounded on three sides by the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean Sea.
• Capital: Ankara
• Geographical Features of Turkiye:
  • Rivers: Tigras, Kizilirmak, Sakarya, and Euphrates are the most significant rivers,
  • Major Lake: Lake Van which is the largest alkaline lakein the world
  • Mountain Ranges: It includes the Taurus, Koroglu and Pontic ranges.
  • Highest Point: Turkey’s highest point is Ararat which peaks at 16,948 ft
  • Straits: Bosporus, which connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles, which connect the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara.
  • Natural Resources: It mainly consists of chromite, iron ore, coal, lignite, bauxite, and copper.

Hence only statements 1 and 3 are correct.

News: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/possible-thaw-india-turkiye-hold-foreign-office-talks-after-operation-sindoor-tensions/article70839577.ece#google_vignette

Answer: c

Explanation:

The National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation will celebrate its 25th Foundation Day on 10th April in New Delhi. 

• It was established in 2001.
• It is a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.
• Objective: To work for socio-economic and educational upliftment of Scheduled Tribes(STs), to provide better self-employment avenues so that they can become economically independent and self-reliant. 
• Functions of National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation
  • To generate awareness amongst the STs about NSTFDC concessional schemes
  • To provide assistance for skill development and capacity building of beneficiaries as well as officials of State Channelizing Agencies
  • To provide concessional finance for viable income generation scheme through SCAs and other agencies for socio-economic development of eligible Scheduled Tribes
  • To assist in market linkage of tribal produce
• Composition of National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation
  • The Corporation is managed by a Board of Directors with representatives from
    • Central Government, State Channelizing Agencies (SCA), National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD), Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI), Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED) and three eminent persons representing Scheduled Tribes.

Hence both statements are correct.

News: https://www.newsonair.gov.in/national-scheduled-tribes-finance-and-development-corporation-will-celebrate-its-25th-foundation-day-tomorrow/