Q1. With reference to the PM SVANidhi Scheme, consider the following statements:
- It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented by State Urban Development Departments.
- It provides collateral-free working capital loans to street vendors.
- SIDBI acts as the technical partner and manages the Credit Guarantee Fund.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 2 and 3 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: A
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is incorrect because PM SVANidhi is a Central Sector Scheme, fully funded by the Union Government. UPSC often differentiates between Central Sector Schemes and Centrally Sponsored Schemes, where the latter involve financial sharing between Centre and States.
- Statement 2 is correct because the scheme provides collateral-free working capital loans to urban street vendors. The objective is to integrate informal workers into the formal financial ecosystem and reduce dependence on informal moneylenders charging exploitative interest rates.
- Statement 3 is correct because SIDBI functions as the technical partner and manages the Credit Guarantee Fund. This mechanism lowers lending risk for financial institutions and encourages institutional credit flow toward vulnerable informal-sector beneficiaries.
Q2. Consider the following rivers:
- Padma
- Jamuna
- Meghna
Which of the following is the correct sequence after the Ganga enters Bangladesh?
A. Ganga → Meghna → Padma → Jamuna
B. Ganga → Padma → Jamuna → Meghna
C. Ganga → Jamuna → Padma → Meghna
D. Ganga → Padma → Meghna → Jamuna
Answer: B
Explanation:
- After entering Bangladesh, the Ganga River is known as the Padma. UPSC frequently asks questions involving river name changes across countries, particularly in South Asian transboundary river systems important for geography and international relations.
- The Brahmaputra River enters Bangladesh as the Jamuna, which later merges with the Padma. The combined flow subsequently joins the Meghna before draining into the Bay of Bengal, forming one of the world’s largest delta systems.
- A common UPSC trap is confusion between Jamuna in Bangladesh and Yamuna in India. Candidates should carefully distinguish between the two while studying river systems and drainage patterns of the Indian subcontinent.
Q3. UNSC Resolution 1325 primarily relates to:
A. Nuclear non-proliferation
B. Women, Peace and Security
C. Protection of refugees during civil wars
D. Regulation of peacekeeping finances
Answer: B
Explanation:
- UNSC Resolution 1325, adopted in 2000, forms the foundation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. It recognised that armed conflicts disproportionately affect women and that sexual violence can be systematically used as a weapon of war.
- The resolution emphasised women’s participation in:
- peace negotiations
- conflict resolution
- peacekeeping
- post-conflict reconstruction.
It marked a shift from traditional state-centric security approaches toward broader concepts of human security and gender justice.
- Later resolutions such as 1820, 1888 and 2467 expanded accountability frameworks regarding conflict-related sexual violence, making Resolution 1325 highly important for questions related to international humanitarian law and UN reforms.
Q4. Consider the following statements regarding summer air pollution in India:
- Summer pollution is increasingly dominated by PM10 and ground-level ozone.
- Winter pollution in North India is mainly associated with PM2.5 accumulation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct because summer pollution increasingly involves PM10 and ground-level ozone. PM10 mainly originates from dust storms, construction activity, vehicular movement and road dust resuspension under dry atmospheric conditions.
- Ground-level ozone is a secondary pollutant formed when Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) react under strong sunlight and high temperatures, making ozone pollution more severe during heatwaves and summer months.
- Statement 2 is correct because winter pollution in North India is dominated by PM2.5 accumulation caused by temperature inversion, stagnant winds, biomass burning and low atmospheric mixing height. UPSC often tests conceptual differences between PM2.5 winter smog and summer ozone pollution.
Q5. Consider the following statements:
- Deepfake technologies can distort historical memory and spread misinformation.
- Ethical AI can support digital archiving and heritage restoration.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct because deepfakes use AI-generated synthetic media to create manipulated audio, video and images. Such technologies can distort historical narratives, manipulate cultural symbols and weaken public trust through sophisticated misinformation campaigns.
- Statement 2 is also correct because ethical AI can assist in:
- digital archiving
- heritage restoration
- virtual museums
- endangered language preservation
- AI-assisted cultural mapping.
Thus, AI simultaneously acts as both a preservation tool and a potential source of cultural manipulation.
