UPSC Quiz – 2026 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 17th August 2026

Solution (d)
Explanation:
Statements 1, 2 and 4 are correct. Voyager 2, launched by NASA in 1977, is the only spacecraft to have visited Uranus and Neptune. It crossed the heliopause in 2018, entering interstellar space, where it continues studying plasma, magnetic fields and energetic particles. The heliopause represents the outer boundary of the heliosphere, where the solar wind’s influence gives way to the interstellar medium. Statement 3 is incorrect because Voyager 2 is powered by Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs), not solar panels. Its RTG electrical output declines gradually with time, necessitating power-saving measures. Importantly, entering interstellar space does not necessarily mean that Voyager 2 has completely escaped the Solar System in the broader gravitational sense.
Why this question?
Tests heliosphere-heliopause distinction and Voyager’s power source.
Why important for UPSC?
Links planetary exploration, solar physics and interstellar space concepts.
PYQ Pattern Link:
UPSC often tests space missions through instruments, destinations and underlying scientific concepts.

Solution (a)
Explanation:
The Green India Mission (GIM) was launched in 2014 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). Therefore, Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Its objectives include increasing and improving forest and tree cover, enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services, improving carbon sequestration and strengthening forest-based livelihoods, making Statement 3 correct. Statement 4 is incorrect because the nodal ministry is the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The CAG’s recent performance audit highlighted inadequate funding, weak convergence and poor monitoring. The original targets included increasing forest/tree cover over five million hectares and improving the quality of cover over another five million hectares.
Why this question?
Tests GIM’s institutional location and relationship with NAPCC.
Why important for UPSC?
Climate missions frequently appear through ministry, objectives and implementation architecture.
PYQ Pattern Link:
UPSC regularly asks about NAPCC missions and their respective sectoral objectives.

Solution (a)
Explanation:
SraVaani-1.0 is a multilingual Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) model developed by researchers at IISc’s SPIRE Lab with ARTPARK and collaborators. Statements 1 and 2 are correct because ASR converts speech into text. Statement 3 is also correct: SraVaani uses the FastConformer architecture and covers 65 Indian languages and dialects, including low-resource and tribal languages. Statement 4 is incorrect because the model is explicitly designed for India’s multilingual landscape rather than being restricted to English and Hindi. It was trained using more than 31,000 hours of speech data and involved self-supervised learning, audio-image representation alignment and supervised fine-tuning. Its automatic language-identification capability can support digital inclusion in e-governance, education and other public services.
Why this question?
Contrasts multilingual ASR with the common assumption of limited language coverage.
Why important for UPSC?
Connects AI, Indian linguistic diversity and inclusive digital governance.
PYQ Pattern Link:
UPSC increasingly tests emerging technologies through their function, architecture and applications.

Solution (a)
Explanation:
The Chips to Start-up (C2S) Programme was launched in 2022 by MeitY and functions as an umbrella capacity-building programme under the India Semiconductor Mission. Statements 1 and 2 are therefore correct. Its focus includes semiconductor chip design, VLSI and embedded systems, while academic institutions receive access to Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools and chip-design infrastructure, making Statement 3 correct. Statement 4 is incorrect because C2S is primarily a human-resource and chip-design capacity-building programme, not a scheme for establishing commercial fabrication plants. The programme targets 85,000 industry-ready professionals and supports student-designed chips through fabrication and technical assistance. The distinction between chip design and semiconductor manufacturing is an important conceptual trap in India’s semiconductor policy architecture.
Why this question?
Distinguishes semiconductor talent development from semiconductor fabrication.
Why important for UPSC?
Semiconductors are strategically important for technological and economic security.
PYQ Pattern Link:
UPSC increasingly distinguishes related government initiatives by objectives, institutional design and implementation focus.

Solution (a)
Explanation:
Sowa-Rigpa is a traditional system of medicine practised mainly in Ladakh and Himalayan regions, making Statement 1 correct. It has strong historical links with Tibetan medical traditions and incorporates knowledge from India, Tibet, China and other Himalayan regions, making Statement 2 correct. The National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa is located in Leh, Ladakh, and comes under the Ministry of AYUSH, making Statement 3 correct. Statement 4 is incorrect because Sowa-Rigpa has a broader holistic approach involving diagnosis, prevention and treatment and the use of medicinal plants and other natural resources. Government efforts include standardisation, research, education, documentation and preservation. Thus, the system should be understood as a broader traditional knowledge system rather than simply a medicinal-plant-based practice.
Why this question?
Tests regional, institutional and conceptual dimensions while avoiding simplistic “herbal medicine” identification.
Why important for UPSC?
Connects traditional knowledge, AYUSH institutions, Himalayan culture and healthcare systems.
PYQ Pattern Link
UPSC frequently asks traditional knowledge systems through region, institutional affiliation and distinctive features.