UPSC Daily Quiz 26 May 2026

Answer: c

Explanation:

A woman died following a tiger attack while gathering firewood in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary recently.

About Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located in the Terai belt of the Upper Gangetic Plains in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh, close to the Indo-Nepal border.
• In 1987, it was brought under the purview of the ‘Project Tiger’, and together with the Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary and the Dudhwa National Park, it forms the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.
• It provides strategic connectivity between the tiger habitats of Dudhwa and Kishanpur in India and the Bardia National Park in Nepal.
• Vegetation: Katarniyaghat’s vegetation consists of grasslands, mixed deciduous forests, and moist deciduous forests.
• Flora: It is predominantly Sal Forest with its associate tree species like Terminalia alata (Asna), Lagerstroemia parviflora (Asidha), Adina cordifonia (Haldu), Mitragyna parpiflora (Faldu), Gamelina arborea (Gahmhar), etc.
• Fauna:
  • It is home to a number of endangered species, including the gharial, tiger, rhino, Gangetic dolphin, Swamp deer, Hispid hare, Bengal florican, the White-backed and Long-billed vultures.
  • The Gairwa River, which flows in the area, is declared a sanctuary for Mugger and Gharial. It is also home to rare turtles, freshwater fish, and a host of aquatic life.
  • It is among the few places in India where freshwater dolphins, also known as Gangetic dolphins, are found in their natural habitat.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

News: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/science-environment/3921677-tigers-tragical-roar-woman-killed-in-katarniaghat-wildlife-sanctuary?amp

Answer: b

Explanation:

The plight of the Koraga tribe has spotlighted deep housing inequality globally, with the UN-Habitat World Cities Report 2026 noting that entrenched caste barriers and policy gaps continue to deny many communities access to secure housing.

About Koraga Tribe:

• The Koraga is an indigenous tribal community found mainly in the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka and the Kasaragod district of Kerala state.
• They are also found in small numbers in almost all districts of Karnataka
• They are classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
• Language: People communicate either in their language, known as Koraga Bhasha, or in Tulu.
• Culture and Economy:
  • The Koragas mainly depend on agriculture and forest resources for their livelihoods.
  • They are known for their traditional crafts, such as basket-making, and actively participate in folk dances and rituals that reflect their rich cultural heritage.
  • They follow a matrilineal family system and a unique clan structure called “bali,” which plays an important role in their social organization.
  • Koragas are led by the most senior person in the village, often known as Mooppan. He ensures the well-being of the members of the community.
  • Drumming and traditional music are integral to their rituals and community celebrations.
  • Dholu and Voote (Drum and Flute) were two important musical instruments of the Koragas.
  • The rhythmic drum-beating, especially with the “dholu,” is a significant aspect of their cultural identity, used in various ceremonies and gatherings.
• Religious Beliefs:
  • The Koragas follow Hinduism but have distinct tribal religious beliefs and practices.
  • They worship spirits known as “Bhutas” and believe in the power of magic and rituals to ward off evil.

Hence option b is the correct answer.

News:https://theprint.in/feature/un-report-india-housing-inequality/2940148/

Answer: c

Explanation:

The recent actions by the Kerala government on the houseboats following the Kerala High Court’s order on houseboat pollution has once again stirred conversations on the pollution load in the Vembanad ecosystem.  

About Vembanad Lake:

• It is the largest lake in Kerala and the longest lake in India.
• It is spread over an area of 2,033 sq.km. It is also the largest tropical wetland ecosystem on the South West coast of India.
• It is also known as Vembanad Kayal, Vembanad Kol, Punnamada Lake, and Kochi Lake.
• The lake has its source in four rivers: Meenachil, Achankovil, Pampa, and Manimala.
• It is separated from the Arabian Sea by a narrow barrier island and is a popular backwater stretch in Kerala.
• Most of the Vembanad Lake is fresh water, and when it approaches the Arabian Sea, the water is salty.
• With an elaborate network of canals and backwaters, it is flanked by coconut palms and extensive paddy fields that are below mean sea level.
• Vallam Kali (i.e Nehru Trophy Boat Race) is a Snake Boat Race held every year in the month of August in Vembanad Lake.
• In 2002, it was designated as a Ramsar site.
• The Government of India has identified this lake under the National Wetlands Conservation Programme.
• The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is located on the east coast of the lake.
  • It is home to numerous migratory birds that travel all the way from Siberia and the Himalayas.
  • The Little Cormorant, Indian Darter, White Ibis, several species of kingfishers waterfowl, cuckoo, owl, water duck, Siberian Cranes, parrots, teal, larks, flycatchers and wood beetles are all birds that are commonly sighted here.

Hence both statements are correct.

News: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/water/houseboats-can-be-easily-blamed-for-pollution-in-keralas-lake-vembanad-the-actual-pollution-crisis-though-goes-much-deeper

Answer: d

Explanation:

An ​earthquake of magnitude 6.0 ‌struck near Honaunau-Napoopoo on the ​Big Island of ⁠Hawaii recently.

About Big Island:

• It is the largest Hawaiian island. Hawaii is an island state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean.
• It covers an area of about 10,432 sq.km., which is larger than all the other Hawaiian Islands combined
• It is made up of 5 volcanoes– Kohala, Hualalai, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Kilauea.
  • The most active of these volcanoes, contributing to the majority of the Island’s growth today, are Mauna Loa and Kilauea.
  • Mauna Loa, the quieter of the two, has the most mass of any mountain on earth.
  • Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes on the planet and has been consistently erupting since 1983.
• The island features diverse climates ranging from tropical rainforests to volcanic deserts and snow-capped summits.
• The Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located on the island.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

News:https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/usgs-evaluates-kilauea-after-magnitude-6-quake-near-hawaiis-big-island/article71014205.ece

Answer: c

Explanation:

At its annual developer conference recently, Google unveiled something called information agents, a feature that will be built into Search to monitor the web on your behalf.

About Information Agents:

• An information agent is a computational software entity (an intelligent agent) that may access one or multiple, distributed, and heterogeneous information sources available, and proactively acquires, mediates, and maintains relevant information on behalf of its users.
• Information agents are supposed to cope with the difficulties associated with the information overload of the user.
• This implies their ability to semantically broker information by:
  • providing a pro-active resource discovery;
  • resolving the information impedance of information consumers and providers;
  • offering value-added information services and products to the user or other agents.
• The information sources may be of many types, including, for example, traditional databases as well as other information agents.
• Example:
  • A scenario is that of a user who has heard about a researcher who has proposed something called agent-oriented programming.
  • The agent is asked to investigate, and, after a careful search of various FTP sites, returns with an appropriate technical report, as well as the name and contact details of the researcher involved.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

News:https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/googles-new-information-agents-are-a-privacy-and-web-infrastructure-problem/article71009003.ece

Answer: d

Explanation:

Recently, Charles Darwin Foundation scientists have discovered a tiny blue octopus species called Microeledone galapagensis.

• It is a tiny blue octopus species discovered near Galapagos Islands.
• This tiny blue creature was first discovered during a deep-sea expedition in 2015.
• Appearance: It is roughly the size of a golf ball and displays an unusually blue coloration.
• Habitat: It lives in the deep sea.
• Characteristics
  • It has smooth skin, large rachidian tooth, and large funnel organ.
  • It consists of relatively few suckers on its arms, smooth skin, beak features and the coloring around its organs and parts of the mantle.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

News: https://www.sci.news/biology/microeledone-galapagensis-14792.html

Answer: c

Explanation:

Recently, ecologists warned against planting of Conocarpus plant species along highways and medians.

• Conocarpus tree (Conocarpus erectus) is also known as Buttonwood, button mangrove.
• It is a mangrove shrub and tree in the family Combretaceae.
• It grows on shorelines in tropical and subtropical regions around the world including Florida, Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Central and South America from Mexico to Brazil.
• Characteristics:
  • It is famous of its dark green leaves color throughout the year and withstand harsh environmental conditions such as high and low temperatures.
  • Its growth is more revived in high summer temperatures and endured by low temperatures in winter as well as tolerance for all types of soil from sandy to clay.
  • It is a resilient and adaptable plant popular in landscaping due to its tolerance to various climates and urban conditions.
  • It features two salt glands at the base of each leaf which allow the plant to live in salt water but expel the salt from its system. 
• Impact of Conocarpus Plant:
  • Health: During winter, the tree releases massive amounts of airborne pollen, which creates seasonal allergies, chronic coughs, and asthma attacks.
  • Infrastructure: Beneath the surface, its aggressively invasive root system wreaks havoc on urban infrastructure.
  • Groundwater Depletion: It sucks out tremendous volumes of water daily, severely depleting localised groundwater reserves and dehydrating adjacent agricultural soil.
  • Biodiversity: It’s aggressive root mats choke out hardy native shrubs and alters the soil’s nutrient cycle and destroying essential microbial habitats.

Hence both statements are correct.

News: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/ecologists-warn-against-planting-of-conocarpus-plant-species-along-highways-and-medians/article71018020.ece

Answer: c

Explanation:

Researchers have achieved a major chemistry breakthrough by synthesizing a new carbon-free molecule that copies the unusual ‘sandwich’ structure of the famous carbon-containing ferrocene molecule.

• It is an orange crystalline organometallic compound with the formula Fe(C5H5)2.
• It was first prepared in 1951 by the reaction of sodium cyclopentadienide with iron(+2) chloride.
• Its discovery launched the field of organometallic chemistry, with numerous applications in materials science and medicine.
• Properties:
  • It occurs as highly stable orange crystals with a melting point of 174° C (345° F).
  • Chemically, ferrocene behaves like benzeneand other aromatic compounds in that it undergoes substitution reactions.
  • It has good solubility in a range of organic solvents but is insoluble in water. 
  • Unique structure: It consists of an iron atom sandwiched between two flat carbon ringed-molecules.
• Applications:
  • It is a widely used compound in a variety of modern technologies.
  • It is used in medicines, batteries, advanced materials and electronics.

Hence both statements are correct.

News: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/iit-madras-iisc-researchers-create-first-carbon-free-ferrocene-like-molecule-breakthrough-10705813/

Answer: b

Explanation:

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) launched the PM-AJAY portal and AJAY mobile application to fully digitise implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana.

• PM AJAY (Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana) scheme is a comprehensive initiative launched in FY 2021-22.
• It is aimed at the socio-economic upliftment of Scheduled Castes (SCs).
• It is a merger scheme of three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Schemes, namely, Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY), Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCA to SCSP) and Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana (BJRCY).
• It focuses on reducing poverty, enhancing educational opportunities, and improving infrastructure in SC-dominated areas.​
• Nodal Ministry: Implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
• Eligibility Criteria for the Scheme
  • The Scheduled Castes persons living below the poverty linesare eligible for getting benefits under the various Income Generating Schemes and Skill Development Programmes.
  • In case of Infrastructure Development, the villages having 50% or more SC populationare eligible for grants under the Scheme.
• Key Components of the Scheme
  • Adarsh Gram Development: Transforming SC-majority villages into ‘Adarsh Grams’(model villages) by filling critical gaps in infrastructure and services.​
  • Grants-in-Aid for Socio-Economic Projects: Providing financial assistance for district/state-level projects aimed at the socio-economic betterment of SCs. This includes:​
    • Creation of infrastructure in SC-dominated villages
    • Construction of hostels/residential schools
    • Comprehensive livelihood projects, including skill development and related infrastructure.​
    • Financial assistance towards loans taken by beneficiaries for asset acquisition/creation required for livelihood generation.​
  • Construction of Hostels: It includes building hostels in higher educational institutionsranked under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and funded by the Centre/State/UT Governments, schools funded by the Centre/State/UT Governments and recommended by the Ministry of Education.​

Hence only statements 1 and 2 are correct.

News: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mosje-launches-pm-ajay-portal-mobile-app-to-digitise-sc-development-scheme-across-47-000-villages-101779738001226.html

Answer: a

Explanation: 

The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry the largest-ever Indian business delegation to Canada, in a landmark step towards the full revival of India-Canada economic relations.

• Location: It is located in the northern part of North America.
  • It is the second largest country in the world in area (after Russia).
• Bordered by: It shares borders with Alaska, a non-contiguous US state, to the northwest, and 12 other US states to the south.
  • The border of Canada with the US is the longest bi-national land border in the world.
• Maritime Borders: It is bounded by the Arctic Ocean to the north, by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
• Capital City:
• Geographical Features of Canada:
  • Climate: Canada has seven climatic regions or zones: the Arctic, Subarctic, Prairie, Great Lakes, Cordilleran, plus the East and West Coasts. 
  • Major Mountains: ​Rocky Mountain, the St. Elias Mountains and the Laurentian Mountains.
  • Major Rivers: Mackenzie River, Yukon River, Saint Lawrence River
  • Lakes: The five Great Lakes namely Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario, and Erie form a natural boundary between Canada and the United States. (Amongst these five, only Lake Michigan lies entirely within the US).
  • Natural Resources: It mainly consists of Bauxite, Iron ore, Nickel, Zinc, copper, gold, lead, uranium, rare earth elements, potash, diamonds etc.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

News: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2265263&reg=3&lang=1