UPSC Daily Quiz 8 July 2026

Answer: c

Explanation:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was recently conferred with Indonesia’s highest honour ‘Bintang Adipurna of the Republic of Indonesia’ medal for his role in strengthening the ties between both the countries. 

About Bintang Adipurna:

• The Bintang Adipurna (First Class of the Star of the Republic of Indonesia) is Indonesia’s highest civilian honor conferred by the President of the Republic of Indonesia.
• It is awarded to individuals who have rendered exceptional service to the unity, continuity, and prosperity of the Republic of Indonesia.
• Foreign officials receiving such an award are recognized by the Republic of Indonesia as contributors to establishing a relationship based on friendship and mutual respect between the two nations.
• The insignia has very distinctive characteristics.
  • The decoration consists of a shining gold star with several rays that stand for excellence, honour and distinguished service.
  • In the middle of it there is the symbol of Indonesia—the Garuda Pancasila, which stands for the sovereignty of the nation and the five principles of the state.
  • It is worn along with a ceremonial sash, the colors of which are red and white – the national colors of Indonesia.
  • There is also a star badge that is put on in state ceremonies.

Hence, option c is the correct answer.

News: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pm-modi-conferred-with-indonesias-highest-honour-bintang-adipurna-in-jakarta/article71192597.ece

Answer: a

Explanation:

The BRICS nations recently adopted the Guwahati Declaration, reaffirming their commitment to strengthen cooperation to prevent and combat illicit drug trafficking and related organised transnational crime.

About Guwahati Declaration:

• It was adopted by the BRICS nations to strengthen cooperation against illicit drug trafficking and related transnational organized crime.
• The declaration was adopted at the conclusion of the two-day BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting held in Guwahati, Assam.
• It was held under India’s 2026 BRICS chairship, themed “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,”.
• The meeting brought together representatives from Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia and the United Arab Emirates to discuss coordinated strategies against global drug trafficking.
• The joint declaration calls for greater cooperation through the timely exchange of information, intelligence and best practices, in line with national laws and international obligations.
• It also highlights the importance of using innovative technologies, digital tools and data-driven approaches to improve law enforcement and regulatory measures against drug trafficking.
• The declaration also stresses the need to strengthen efforts to reduce drug demand, promote healthy lifestyles and protect vulnerable groups, especially children and young people, through evidence-based and people-centred strategies.

Hence, only statement 1 is correct.

News:https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/brics-nations-adopt-guwahati-declaration-to-combat-drug-trafficking/article71193362.ece

Answer: b

Explanation:

The heavy rainfall triggered a major landslide near the under-construction 540 MW Kwar Hydroelectric Power Project in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir recently.

About Kwar Hydroelectric Project:

• It is a 540 MW hydropower project located on the Chenab River in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The project is envisaged as a run-of-river scheme.
• The project envisages the construction of a 109 m high dam, an underground power house with 4 units of 135 MW each.
• It is expected to generate 1,975 million units (MU) of electricity annually.
• The project is being developed by Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Ltd. (CVPPL).
  • CVPPL is a joint venture company between NHPC Ltd and Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) with equity contributions of 51 percent and 49 percent, respectively.

Hence, only statement 2 is correct.

News: https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/06/heavy-rain-triggers-massive-landslide-near-kwar-power-project-site-in-jks-kishtwar

Answer: d

Explanation:

The Vihar lake, one of the seven reservoirs supplying drinking water to Mumbai, started overflowing following heavy rainfall.

• It is a man-made reservoir located near Vihar village on the Mithi River within the grounds of the Borivali National Park in North Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The lake was built from 1856 to 1860 by the British government to overcome the drinking water woes of the people of southern Mumbai.
• Source of Water: It gets its water from the Powai-Kanheri hill ranges in the catchment area.
• It is the largest lake in Mumbai in the Salsette group of islands.
• It is bordered by the Tulsi Lake and the Powai Lake.
• It partly meets the drinking water needs of the South Mumbai region. 
• It supplies 3% of Mumbai city’s water requirement, after filtration at Bhandup, where the large water filtration plant is located.

Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

News: https://theprint.in/india/amid-heavy-rains-vihar-lake-supplying-water-to-mumbai-overflows/2980299/?amp

Answer: c

Explanation:

Researchers have revalidated and concluded that the Himalayan pangolin (Manis aurita) is a distinct extant species, separate from the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla).

• Scientific name:Its scientific name is Manis aurita
• It went through a demographic contraction around the 14th century, coinciding with the onset of the Little Ice Age in the Himalayan region.
• Features:
  • It is significantly larger in body size and skull.
  • It paradoxically has markedly smaller ears. It also has a shorter and broader nasal bone.
  • It has an enlarged olfactory bulb and turbinals, using smell to forage for ants and termites. 
• Distribution: Its distribution is restricted to the southern Himalayan foothills, with confirmed populations in Nepal, South Tibet, and Northeast India, including the state of Assam.
• Threats:
  • It is facing illegal wildlife trade.
  • The products from this species have infiltrated regulated traditional medicine markets.
  • It is also facing an internal threat of inbreeding.

Hence, both statements are correct.

News: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/wildlife-biodiversity/himalayan-pangolin-confirmed-as-a-distinct-species-was-earlier-classified-as-subspecies-of-chinese-pangolin

Answer: c

Explanation:

Researchers said that branched chain amino acids leucine acts like a protective shield and inhibits the premature degradation of outer mitochondrial membrane proteins. 

• Leucine is an essential amino acid.
• It belongs to the family of branched chain amino acids (BCAA) such as isoleucine and valine.
• These are needed for the growth and functioning of organs such as muscles, nervous system, the heart, and the brain.
• BCAAs are not made in the body and need to be supplied from our diet. Without them, the outer membrane of the mitochondrion cannot be properly constructed or maintained. 
• Functions:
  • It is involved in muscle growth, tissue repair, and energy production. 
  • It acts like a protective shield and inhibits the premature degradation of outer mitochondrial membrane proteins.
  • This is done by leucine interacting with a protein called SEL1L, which has a role in recognising and pulling out damaged or misfolded proteins.

Hence, both statements are correct.

News: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/how-the-amino-acid-leucine-helps-our-cells-produce-energy/article71188124.ece

Answer: b

Explanation:

Recently, UK fighter jets intercepted a Russian maritime patrol aircraft after it “repeatedly approached” a carrier strike group in the Norwegian Sea.

• It is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, bordered by Norway, Greenland, and Icelan
• Borders: The Barents Sea(northeast), separated from the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest by a submarine ridge that spans from Iceland to the Faroe Islands. 
• In the north, the Norwegian Sea is separated from the Greenland Sea by the Jan Mayen Ridge.
• It was formed when the Eurasian Plate and the North American Platebegan to separate approximately 250 million years ago. 
• Currents:
  • The warm North Atlantic current pushes the warm waters through the Norwegian Sea into the Barents Sea.
  • The cold East Iceland Current transfers the cold water from the Norwegian Sea towards Iceland.
  • This thermal mixing of the warm and cold currents creates excellent fishing grounds in the Norwegian Sea.
  • It acts as a transition zone between boreal and Arctic climatic conditions and therefore its habitat shares the characteristics from both these climates.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

News: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0jyy5w4q2no

Answer: c

Explanation:

Recently, the Union Ministry of Education released the Report on Performance Grading Index 2.0 for States/UTs (PGI-S) and Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D) for 2025-26.

• It is an index that measures the performance of states in school education undertaken by the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL).
• PGI strives to evaluate the relative performance of all the State/UTs and districts respectively in a uniform scale to encourage them to perform better.
• The PGI 2.0 is constructed based on 73 indicators from 2 Categories containing 6 Domains.
• PGI – States/UTs: 
  • It is devised by the Department of School Education & Literacy, Union Ministry of Education.
  • It evaluates the performance of States and Union Territories by categorizing them into different grades or levels.
  • Total weightage: The PGI- States/UTs structure comprises of total weightage of 1000 points across 70 indicators.
  • It consists of 2 Categories: Outcome and Governance & Management; comprising six domains:
    • Learning Outcomes and Quality
    • Access
    • Infrastructure & Facilities
    • Equity
    • Governance Processes
    • Teachers Education & Training
  • The framework is fully aligned with data from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, PM POSHAN Portal, PRABAND Portal, and Vidyanjali Portal.

Hence, both statements are correct.

News: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2282148&reg=48&lang=1

Answer: b

Explanation:

Recently, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that over 300 children killed or wounded in Sudan’s civil war over six months. 

• Location: It is a Northeast African country.
• Bordering Countries: It shares its border with Egypt (north), Eritrea, and Ethiopia (east), Central African Republic and Chad (west), Libya (northwest) and South Sudan (south),
• Maritime Border: It shares its border with the Red Sea.
• Capital City: Khartoum
• Geographical Features of Sudan:
  • Terrain: It is mainly composed of vast plains and plateaus that are drained by the Nile River and its tributaries.
  • Climate: The climate of Sudan varies from north to south.
    • The northern part of Sudan is a desert climate, receiving little rainfall, shifting to semi-arid and the tropical savannah towards the South.
  • Highest point: Jabal Marrah 
  • Major River: The Nile River system is the dominant geographical feature, running from south to north across the country and draining all streams and rivers of Sudan.
  • Natural Resources: Petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold; hydropower.

Hence only statements 1 and 2 are correct.

News: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/sudan-conflict-over-300-children-killed-or-wounded-in-sudan-war-over-6-months-unicef-11736459

Answer: a

Explanation:

Recently, it was observed that once familiar in villages, temple towns, grazing lands and rocky cliffs across Southern India, the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) has almost disappeared from much of its range.

• It is one of the world’s smallest vultures.
• Habitat: It inhabits open, arid areas near humans, with plenty of food options. 
• Distribution: It is distributed across southern Europe, northern and central Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
• Characteristics: These are monogamous, migrating between breeding seasons as a pair. They build a large nest and will constantly replenish it during the breeding season.
• Diet: Diverse feeding habit, from carrion to insects, small reptiles and amphibians and mammal faeces
• Threats: The loss of habitat, decrease in food supply, collisions with electricity infrastructure and poisoning from the use of agricultural chemicals.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN: Endangered
• Ecological Role: It played a vital ecological role by removing animal carcasses from the landscape and helping maintain healthy ecosystems.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

News: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/understanding-the-disappearance-of-egyptian-vulture-in-tamil-nadu/article71193097.ece