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Daily quiz archive · 4 August 2026

Daily Current Affairs Quiz for UPSC Prelims 2027 — 4 August 2026

Of this day’s ten questions, 8 were built from that morning’s news. They are below, with the answers. The rest of the set came from Prelimo’s practice bank and stays in the app, because a bank question can still turn up in a live quiz.

Each question below is followed by the keyed answer, why that answer is right, and the static syllabus concept the question is really testing. Where a question came from a specific news story, that story is linked.

Q1 · International Relations · Nuclear Non-Proliferation & Disarmament

Diplomatic efforts over Iran's nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz have recently kept non-proliferation issues in focus. In this context, which one of the following statements about the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is correct?

  1. AIran is one of the four states that have never signed the NPT, alongside India, Pakistan and Israel
  2. BThe NPT recognizes five Nuclear-Weapon States, the same five countries that are permanent members of the UN Security CouncilCorrect answer
  3. CThe NPT entered into force in 1968, the same year it was opened for signature
  4. DThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is one of the five Nuclear-Weapon States recognized under the NPT

Why this answer

The correct statement is that the NPT recognizes five Nuclear-Weapon States — the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom — which are exactly the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Iran is NOT among the states that never signed the NPT; Iran signed the treaty in July 1968 and ratified it in February 1970 as a non-nuclear-weapon state, unlike India, Pakistan, Israel and South Sudan, which are the four non-signatories. The NPT did not enter into force the same year it opened for signature — it opened for signature in 1968 but entered into force only on 5 March 1970. The IAEA is not itself a Nuclear-Weapon State; it is the verification body that administers safeguards inspections on non-nuclear-weapon states party to the NPT.

The static concept

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) — recognized Nuclear-Weapon States, entry into force, and signatory status of Iran versus the four non-signatory states.

From the news: Trump says Gulf leaders' input weighed heavily in decision to hold off on ordering new Iran strikes

The full Deep Proof for this question — the news angle, the static-dynamic link, the source chapter and an autopsy of every wrong option — lives in the app.

Q2 · Science & Tech · Viral Diseases, Virology & Vaccines

Chandipura virus (CHPV), which has been linked to a spate of child deaths in Gujarat during this year's monsoon season, has drawn renewed attention to India's arboviral encephalitis burden. In this context, which one of the following statements about CHPV is correct?

  1. AIt belongs to the Flaviviridae family and is transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes, in the same manner as dengue.
  2. BIt is a member of the Rhabdoviridae family, transmitted mainly by sandflies, and predominantly affects children under 15 years of age.Correct answer
  3. CAn inactivated whole-virus vaccine developed under the Universal Immunization Programme is now used to prevent CHPV infection.
  4. DIt causes Acute Encephalitis Syndrome with a case fatality ratio of under 10 per cent, making it milder than Japanese Encephalitis.

Why this answer

The correct statement is that CHPV is a Rhabdoviridae member, sandfly-borne (Phlebotomus papatasi being the reported vector in the Gujarat outbreak), and overwhelmingly affects children under 15. The Flaviviridae/Aedes-mosquito statement wrongly attributes CHPV's family and vector to those of dengue. The vaccine statement is false — no specific vaccine or antiviral exists for CHPV; management is purely supportive (fluids, anticonvulsants, fever control). The fatality-rate statement understates the real toll — CHPV's case fatality ratio has historically ranged from 56% to 75%, far higher than the figure claimed, making it one of the deadliest AES-causing viruses rather than a milder one.

The static concept

Chandipura virus (CHPV) — a Rhabdoviridae arbovirus causing Acute Encephalitis Syndrome in children, transmitted chiefly by sandflies, with no vaccine or antiviral and a high case fatality ratio.

From the news: 22 children die of Chandipura virus in Gujarat this monsoon

The full Deep Proof for this question — the news angle, the static-dynamic link, the source chapter and an autopsy of every wrong option — lives in the app.

Q3 · International Relations · India–Europe & Western Strategic Partnerships

Farmer organisations have recently intensified their campaign against India's free trade agreements with the UK, EU, and the proposed pact with the US, reviving scrutiny of how India actually treats agriculture in FTA negotiations. Which of the following best describes India's characteristic approach to agriculture in its recent FTAs?

  1. AIndia has agreed to eliminate tariffs across every agricultural product category, including dairy and cereals, in its recent FTAs with the UK and EU
  2. BTariff concessions on agricultural imports are granted exclusively by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, which negotiates FTAs independently of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  3. CIndia grants preferential or duty-free access for competitive agricultural exports such as tea, coffee, and spices, while keeping sensitive staples like dairy, cereals, poultry, and oilseeds outside the scope of tariff concessionsCorrect answer
  4. DIndia's agricultural sector remains entirely outside the ambit of all recent FTAs, with no tariff concessions granted on any agricultural product

Why this answer

The correct description is that India offers preferential access on competitive exports like tea, coffee, and spices while shielding sensitive staples. Under the EU-India FTA, India explicitly excluded dairy, cereals, poultry, soymeal, and certain fruits and vegetables from liberalisation, while securing preferential access for tea, coffee, spices, table grapes, and other items — so 'eliminate tariffs across every category including dairy and cereals' is false. FTA negotiations and market-access commitments are handled by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, not the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare acting independently, so that option misattributes the lead body. Agriculture is not entirely excluded either — concessions were granted on several agricultural lines even as sensitive staples were protected, which is why the 'entirely outside the ambit' claim overstates the exclusion.

The static concept

India's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) strategy — asymmetric, selective tariff liberalisation that protects 'sensitive' agricultural sectors (dairy, cereals, oilseeds, sugar, poultry) while opening access for competitive agri-exports (tea, coffee, spices).

From the news: Samyukt Kisan Morcha to meet all MPs, Ministers to campaign against trade pacts

The full Deep Proof for this question — the news angle, the static-dynamic link, the source chapter and an autopsy of every wrong option — lives in the app.

Q4 · Internal Security · Security Forces Organization & Operations

State-level preventive detention statutes such as Kerala's Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA) have recently drawn renewed attention following an administrative lapse involving a detainee's leave application. Such State laws operate alongside the Union's National Security Act, 1980, as part of India's preventive-detention architecture. With reference to the constitutional and legal basis of preventive detention in India, which one of the following statements is correct?

  1. APreventive detention is a subject exclusively within the Union List, so only Parliament may enact laws like the National Security Act, and State legislatures may only frame ancillary rules under it.
  2. BUnder Article 22(4), a person may be detained without a report from an Advisory Board for a period not exceeding three months, since the 44th Constitutional Amendment's provision reducing this period was never brought into force.Correct answer
  3. CThe Advisory Board that reviews prolonged preventive detention must consist of retired judges of the Supreme Court, nominated directly by the Union Home Ministry irrespective of whether the detention is ordered under a State or a Union law.
  4. DPreventive detention was introduced into the Constitution only through the 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978, as a corrective response to the excesses committed during the 1975-77 National Emergency.

Why this answer

The correct statement is the one citing the three-month detention ceiling: Article 22(4) caps detention without an Advisory Board opinion at three months, and although the 44th Amendment Act, 1978 sought to cut this to two months, that specific provision was never notified into force, so three months still governs. The 'exclusively Union List' statement is wrong because preventive detention for reasons of security of the State, public order, or maintenance of essential supplies is a Concurrent List (List III, Entry 3) subject, which is exactly why both the NSA (Union) and State Acts like KAAPA can independently exist. The Advisory Board statement is wrong because Article 22(4)(a) only requires members who are, have been, or are qualified to be High Court judges (not specifically retired Supreme Court judges), and it is constituted by whichever government — State or Union — enacted the relevant law, not centrally by the Union Home Ministry. The '44th Amendment introduced preventive detention' statement inverts the chronology: preventive detention was built into Article 22 by the original 1950 Constitution; the 44th Amendment only attempted (unsuccessfully, on this point) to tighten its safeguards after Emergency-era abuses.

The static concept

Article 22 — Protection against Arrest and Detention, and the Preventive Detention exception (Article 22(3)-(7)), Concurrent List Entry 3.

From the news: Under secretary suspended in Kerala over letter which aided KAAPA accused BJP councillor secure leave

The full Deep Proof for this question — the news angle, the static-dynamic link, the source chapter and an autopsy of every wrong option — lives in the app.

Q5 · Internal Security · Military Equipment & Platforms

India's defence cooperation with Vietnam has drawn renewed attention amid high-level military exchanges in the Indo-Pacific. With reference to this cooperation, consider the following statements:

  1. 1.INS Kirpan, a Khukri-class missile corvette, was gifted by India to Vietnam in 2023 as part of deepening bilateral defence engagement.
  2. 2.The offshore patrol vessels being built for the Vietnamese Coast Guard under an Indian Line of Credit are being constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited.
  3. 3.India's defence cooperation with Vietnam is conducted under the 'Look East Policy', which remains India's current official policy framework for engagement with Southeast Asia.
  4. 4.The BrahMos missile, under discussion for potential export to Vietnam, is a subsonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia.

How many of the above statements are correct?

  1. AOnly oneCorrect answer
  2. BOnly two
  3. COnly three
  4. DNone

Why this answer

Only the first statement is correct — INS Kirpan, a Khukri-class corvette, was indeed handed over by India to Vietnam in 2023 as a defence-diplomacy gesture. The second statement is wrong: the offshore patrol vessels for Vietnam's Coast Guard under India's Line of Credit are being built by Larsen & Toubro, not Hindustan Shipyard Limited. The third statement is wrong: India renamed its 'Look East Policy' to the 'Act East Policy' in 2014 to reflect a more proactive strategic and military engagement with the Indo-Pacific — 'Look East' is no longer the current framework. The fourth statement is wrong: BrahMos is a supersonic (not subsonic) cruise missile, jointly developed by India's DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya.

The static concept

India's Act East Policy and Defence Exports & Cooperation — indigenous/co-developed platforms (BrahMos, naval corvettes) transferred to Southeast Asian partners as instruments of strategic diplomacy.

From the news: IAF Chief begins three-day visit to Vietnam to boost defence cooperation

The full Deep Proof for this question — the news angle, the static-dynamic link, the source chapter and an autopsy of every wrong option — lives in the app.

Q6 · Environment · Climate Change & Greenhouse Gas Management

The persistence of major greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has drawn renewed attention amid growing scrutiny of extreme climate variability and its effects on monsoon-fed river systems. With reference to this, consider the following pairs of a greenhouse gas and its approximate atmospheric lifetime:

  1. 1.Carbon dioxide (CO2) — A significant fraction remains in the atmosphere for centuries, owing to its slow removal via ocean and biosphere uptake
  2. 2.Methane (CH4) — Atmospheric lifetime of roughly 12 years before it breaks down
  3. 3.Nitrous oxide (N2O) — Atmospheric lifetime of roughly 114 years
  4. 4.Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) — Atmospheric lifetime of only a few years, comparable to short-lived pollutants such as black carbon

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

  1. AOnly one pair
  2. BOnly two pairs
  3. COnly three pairsCorrect answer
  4. DNone

Why this answer

The answer is 'Only three pairs' — three of the four are correctly matched. Carbon dioxide's fraction persisting for centuries is correct — it lacks a single decay pathway and lingers via slow ocean/biosphere uptake. Methane's ~12-year lifetime is correct — it is oxidised out of the atmosphere within roughly a decade. Nitrous oxide's ~114-year lifetime is correct — it is broken down mainly by photolysis in the stratosphere. The Sulphur hexafluoride pairing is wrong: SF6 is in fact one of the LONGEST-lived greenhouse gases known, persisting for roughly 3,200 years — the opposite of the days-to-weeks lifetime of black carbon, which is why it carries the highest Global Warming Potential per unit mass of any regulated GHG.

The static concept

Greenhouse Gases — atmospheric lifetime and Global Warming Potential distinguishing long-lived well-mixed GHGs (Kyoto basket) from Short-Lived Climate Pollutants.

From the news: Cauvery water received by T.N. in July hits 50-year low

The full Deep Proof for this question — the news angle, the static-dynamic link, the source chapter and an autopsy of every wrong option — lives in the app.

Q7 · Science & Tech · Human Biology & Genetics

Assertion (A): Assertion (A): Patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, despite losing functional SMN1 genes, are not entirely devoid of SMN protein and can show variation in disease severity depending on their genetic makeup.

Reason (R): Reason (R): The SMN2 gene, a near-identical copy of SMN1, differs by a single nucleotide that causes exon 7 to be predominantly skipped during RNA splicing, so SMN2 chiefly yields a truncated, unstable protein while still producing a small amount of full-length functional SMN protein, with SMN2 copy number correlating with disease severity.

  1. ABoth A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of ACorrect answer
  2. BBoth A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
  3. CA is true, but R is false
  4. DA is false, but R is true

Why this answer

The correct answer is 'Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A'. SMA is caused by loss/mutation of SMN1, but nearly all patients retain at least one copy of SMN2, a near-identical paralog. SMN2 has a single nucleotide difference in exon 7 that causes this exon to be spliced out in most (not all) transcripts, so SMN2 mostly produces a short, unstable SMN-delta7 protein, but a minority of its transcripts still retain exon 7 and yield full-length, functional SMN protein. This residual functional protein is why disease severity varies (Type 1 being most severe, milder types having more SMN2 copies) rather than uniform lethality — so R (the SMN2 splicing mechanism) directly and correctly explains A (variable severity despite SMN1 loss).

The static concept

Human Genome & Genetic Disorders — autosomal recessive disease mechanisms, paralogous genes, and alternative splicing (SMN1/SMN2 in Spinal Muscular Atrophy).

From the news: All you need to know about: Spinal Muscular Atrophy

The full Deep Proof for this question — the news angle, the static-dynamic link, the source chapter and an autopsy of every wrong option — lives in the app.

Q8 · International Relations · India's Bilateral Relations, Treaties & Military

Assertion (A): Assertion (A): The Defence Space Agency (DSA), raised in 2019 under the Integrated Defence Staff, was created to integrate space-based capabilities directly into India's tri-service military operations, functioning separately from ISRO's civilian mandate under the Department of Space.

Reason (R): Reason (R): IN-SPACe, the single-window autonomous nodal agency established in 2020 to authorise and promote private-sector and startup participation in space activities, was set up as the body responsible for creating the Defence Space Agency's operational framework.

  1. ABoth A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
  2. BBoth A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
  3. CA is true, but R is falseCorrect answer
  4. DA is false, but R is true

Why this answer

Assertion A is true: the Defence Space Agency, raised in 2019 and headquartered at Bengaluru under the Integrated Defence Staff, exists precisely to weld space-based ISR, communication, and navigation capabilities into joint tri-service military operations, keeping this function distinct from ISRO's civilian Department-of-Space mandate. Reason R is false: IN-SPACe was established in 2020 as the single-window autonomous body to authorise, promote, and hand-hold private-sector and startup participation in India's civilian and commercial space activities — it has no role in creating or governing the Defence Space Agency's operational framework, which sits entirely within the military chain of command. Because R misattributes IN-SPACe's civilian-commercial mandate to a military-institutional function, A is true but R is false, ruling out both 'correct explanation' options and the option that flips A to false.

The static concept

Indian Space Programme — institutional architecture, ISRO's civilian mandate, and the military space apparatus (Defence Space Agency) as distinct organs of the space ecosystem

From the news: Where is ISRO heading?

The full Deep Proof for this question — the news angle, the static-dynamic link, the source chapter and an autopsy of every wrong option — lives in the app.