Daily Current Affairs Quiz Prelims Practice 2027
- Vikram-1's Stage-1 is India's longest single-piece carbon-composite rocket stage.
- The 'Raman' engine's 3D-printed injector halved its mass and reduced components and lead time by 80% compared to conventional manufacturing.
- Vikram-1 has a payload capacity of 500 kg to a 500-km sun-synchronous orbit.
- Mission Aagaman was classified as a developmental flight, meaning the rocket required two further developmental flights before being deemed market-ready.
Statements 1, 2 and 4 are correct. Skyroot described Vikram-1's Stage-1 as India's longest single-piece composite rocket stage. The 'Raman' engine's fully 3D-printed injector halved its mass and cut components and lead time by 80% versus conventional manufacturing. Mission Aagaman was classified as a developmental flight, with Skyroot stating two more developmental flights are needed before the vehicle is market-ready. Statement 3 is incorrect — Vikram-1's actual payload capacity is 290 kg to a 500-km sun-synchronous orbit and 480 kg to a low-inclination orbit; 500 kg matches neither figure.
- WAICO was proposed at the 2025 World AI Conference (WAIC) and formally made operational at the 2026 edition.
- The founding agreement was signed by China and 29 other countries, including Pakistan and Russia.
- Xi Jinping's keynote speech at WAIC 2026 cautioned against the "overstretching" of technology-access restrictions by developed nations.
- The World AI Conference has been held annually in Shanghai since 2018.
Statements 1, 2 and 4 are correct. WAICO was proposed at WAIC 2025 and made operational at the 2026 edition, with its founding agreement co-signed by China and 29 other countries including Pakistan and Russia. WAIC has been held annually in Shanghai since 2018. Statement 3 is incorrect — Xi Jinping's speech actually cautioned against overstretching the "national security concept" in AI, targeting countries that invoke national security to deny others AI benefits, not technology-access restrictions per se.
Option (b) is correct — Skyroot's Mission Aagaman made India only the third country, after the United States and China, where private industry successfully reached orbit on its own launch vehicle. Option (a) is wrong — Japan and China already have private orbital launch capability, so India isn't the first Asian nation in this category. Option (c) is wrong — being outside ISRO's institutional framework is true, but the "first four-stage rocket" claim is neither stated nor the basis for the milestone. Option (d) is wrong — Skyroot explicitly described Aagaman as a developmental flight, with two more flights needed before market-ready status.
- P.N. Oak first claimed in 1965 that the Taj Mahal was a Rajput palace built in the 4th century; he later revised this to a 12th-century Hindu temple in 1989.
- The Supreme Court rejected P.N. Oak's claim in 2000.
- Amarnath Mishra's petition claiming the Taj was built by the Chandela rulers in 1189 was dismissed by the Allahabad High Court.
- The ASI stated in 2017 that the Taj was a 17th-century tomb, citing technology such as pietra dura as evidence inconsistent with pre-medieval construction.
All four statements are correct. P.N. Oak's 1965 book claimed a 4th-century Rajput palace, revised in his 1989 work to a 12th-century Hindu temple claim; the Supreme Court rejected his claim in 2000. Amarnath Mishra's 2005 Allahabad High Court petition claiming Chandela construction in 1189 was dismissed. The ASI, in 2017, affirmed the Taj as a 17th-century tomb, citing the pietra dura technique as evidence inconsistent with pre-medieval construction.
- I. SEBI approved the framework for Gold Exchange and SEBI (Vault Managers) Regulations.
- II. The Centre notified EGRs as securities under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956.
- III. BSE launched India's first EGR segment on Muhurat trading session.
- IV. NSE introduced its EGR segment.
The correct sequence is SEBI's approval of the Gold Exchange framework and Vault Managers Regulations (28 September 2021) → the Centre's notification of EGRs as securities under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 (December 2021) → BSE's launch of India's first EGR segment on the Muhurat trading session with 995 and 999 purity gold products (24 October 2022) → NSE's introduction of its own EGR segment (May 2026).
