Daily Current Affairs Quiz Prelims Practice 2027
- It was originally launched under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) in 2018 as a waste management component.
- The scheme is administered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
- It provides an administered Compressed Biogas price of Rs.2,110 per MMBTU for a minimum period of ten years.
- The Credit Guarantee mechanism covers up to 85 per cent of eligible loans for MSME-based CBG projects.
Statements 1, 3 and 4 are correct. GOBARdhan launched under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) in 2018 as a waste management component. It provides an administered CBG price of Rs.2,110/MMBTU (about Rs.105/kg) for a minimum 10 years, and its Credit Guarantee mechanism covers up to 85% of eligible loans for MSME-based CBG projects. Statement 2 is incorrect — the scheme is administered by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, not New and Renewable Energy; the 2026 version consolidated CBG policy under MoPNG.
Assertion: Heatwaves and lightning have been included in the list of notified natural calamities under the SDRF and NDRF operational guidelines.
Reason: The 16th Finance Commission, in its recommendations for the award period 2026-31, recommended this inclusion citing increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events due to climate change.
Both statements are correct, and the Reason directly explains the Assertion. Heatwaves and lightning were added, expanding the notified calamity list from 12 to 14 entries, following the 16th Finance Commission's (2026-31, chaired by Arvind Panagariya) specific recommendation citing climate-driven extreme weather increases — India recorded 4,853 heat stroke cases and 20 deaths between March-July 2026, while lightning kills roughly 2,000-2,500 people annually.
- The Supreme Court in Indra Sawhney v Union of India (1992) held that the creamy layer principle applies to Other Backward Classes but not to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
- Article 341(2) of the Constitution empowers the President to modify the Scheduled Caste list.
- The Supreme Court in the Davinder Singh case (2024) held that States may sub-classify Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for reservation purposes.
Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Indra Sawhney (1992) applied creamy layer exclusion only to OBCs, explicitly excluding SC/ST. The 7-judge bench in State of Punjab v Davinder Singh (2024) held States can sub-classify SC/ST categories to prioritise the most backward sub-groups. Statement 2 is incorrect — Article 341(2) empowers Parliament, not the President, to modify the SC list by law; the President only notifies the initial list under Article 341(1).
- A Ramsar designation itself creates a statutory buffer zone around wetlands under Indian law.
- Wetland Conservation Reserves under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 now require prior clearance from the NBWL Standing Committee for mining within 10 km of their boundary.
Statement 2 is correct — the Supreme Court, extending its February 2024 Asan Wetland order nationwide (clarified August 2026), requires NBWL Standing Committee/MoEFCC approval before mining within 10 km of any wetland conservation reserve, a judicial rather than statutory requirement. Statement 1 is incorrect — a Ramsar designation is international recognition, not a statutory protection regime under Indian law; domestic protection depends on the WPA 1972, EPA 1986, and Wetland Rules 2017.
Option (D) is correct — jewellery formed only 30% of Q2 2026 gold demand, the lowest since WGC tracking began, while ETF demand hit a record 20 tonnes in Q1 and gold-backed bank loans reached about Rs.5.4 lakh crore by June 2026, a 94% YoY surge. Options (A) and (B) are wrong — investment demand actually rose and overall demand was up 2% YoY to 282 tonnes. Option (C) is wrong — recycled supply remained muted, as households preferred pledging gold as collateral over selling it.
- Agni-4 is a two-stage, solid-fuel, canisterised ballistic missile with a range of approximately 4,000 km.
- Agni-5 demonstrated Multiple Independently targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) capability in 2024 under Mission Divyastra.
- Agni-Prime (Agni-P), first tested in 2021, is an intercontinental-range ballistic missile designed to replace Agni-3.
Statements 1 and 2 are correct — Agni-4 is a two-stage, solid-propellant, road-mobile canisterised missile with about 4,000 km range, test-fired from ITR Chandipur on 6 August 2026, and Mission Divyastra (March 2024) demonstrated Agni-5's MIRV capability. Statement 3 is incorrect — Agni-Prime is actually a new-generation short-to-medium range missile (about 1,000-2,000 km), not intercontinental, prioritising weight reduction and precision over maximum range.
- The total number of government schools declined by approximately 94,000 during this period.
- Total student enrolment fell by 2.26 crore, driven entirely by a decline in private school enrolment.
- The average number of teachers per school increased from 5.9 to 6.9 during this period.
Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Government schools declined from 11.07 lakh to 10.13 lakh (about 94,000 fewer), and average teachers per school improved from 5.9 to 6.9. Statement 2 is incorrect — total enrolment did fall by 2.26 crore, but private school enrolment actually rose from 8.42 crore to 9.59 crore; the decline was entirely in government school enrolment, not private.
- National Handloom Day is observed on 7 August to commemorate the launch of the Swadeshi Movement in 1905.
- According to the Fourth All India Handloom Census (2019-20), women account for more than 72 per cent of total weavers and allied workers.
- The Handlooms Act, 1985 reserves 11 categories of textile articles exclusively for handloom production.
- The India Handloom Brand was launched on the first National Handloom Day in 2015.
All four statements are correct. 7 August marks the 1905 Swadeshi Movement anniversary, chosen for National Handloom Day in 2015. The Fourth Handloom Census (2019-20) recorded over 72% of its 35.22 lakh workers as women. The Handlooms Act, 1985, reserves 11 textile articles exclusively for handloom production. The India Handloom Brand launched on the first National Handloom Day, 7 August 2015, certifying quality, authenticity, and environmental standards.
Option (B) is correct — "Nauru" was a colonial simplification by German administrators since the indigenous name Naoero was difficult to pronounce; the 2026 constitutional amendment restored the original name. Option (A) is wrong — Naoero is the smallest republic by area (21 sq km) but only third-smallest by population (~12,000). Option (C) is wrong — independence came in 1968, not 1978, under Germany (from 1888) and Australia (post-WWI mandate), not Britain. Option (D) is wrong — the new country code is NRO, not NRI.
Assertion: Beijing's Zhongguancun cluster uses state-backed equity investment alongside private venture capital to help start-ups bridge the gap between laboratory research and commercially viable products.
Reason: The direct state equity investment in companies has raised concerns about wasteful spending, prompting Chinese regulators to issue new rules in 2026 to tighten local government innovation fund expenditure.
Both statements are correct and causally linked. Beijing's Zhongguancun model uses state equity investment alongside private VC to bridge the innovation "valley of death," distinguishing it from Western models. The same state-investment mechanism has generated a provincial spending race chasing national champions without adequate due diligence, prompting China's June 2026 regulatory tightening — the wasteful spending in Statement-II is a direct downside of the mechanism described in Statement-I.
