UPSC Quiz – 2026 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 22nd August 2026

Solution (c)
Explanation: Statement 1 is correct—NCPOR was established in 1998 as the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) and was later renamed. Statement 2 is incorrect—NCPOR functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), not the Ministry of Science and Technology. Statement 3 is correct—NCPOR is the nodal organization for India’s Antarctic Programme and polar expeditions covering Antarctica, Arctic, Southern Ocean and Himalayas. India’s polar research stations include Maitri and Bharati (Antarctica), Himadri (Arctic), and Himansh (Himalayas). This distinction between ministries is a common UPSC trap.
Why this question? Tests the nodal ministry and functions of a key polar research institution.
Why important for UPSC? India’s polar research and institutional framework are frequently tested.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to UPSC 2020 question on “National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research”.

Solution (b)
Explanation: AIKosh is a national platform providing access to datasets, AI models, and related resources for developing and deploying AI solutions. It constitutes the IndiaAI Datasets Platform, which is one of the seven pillars of the IndiaAI Mission. The IndiaAI Mission has an approved outlay of approximately ₹10,372 crore and is under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). The seven pillars include IndiaAI Datasets Platform, IndiaAI Compute Platform, IndiaAI Innovation Centre, IndiaAI Future Skills, IndiaAI Entrepreneurship, IndiaAI Startup Financing, and Safe & Trusted AI. AIKosh specifically addresses the datasets pillar, improving discoverability, accessibility, and responsible use of AI-ready resources.
Why this question? Tests the institutional framework of India’s AI ecosystem.
Why important for UPSC? AI governance and data platforms are emerging topics in Science & Technology.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to questions on “National Supercomputing Mission” or “National Knowledge Network”.

Solution (d)
Explanation: Statement 1 is incorrect—sea urchins belong to the phylum Echinodermata, not Mollusca. Mollusca includes organisms like snails, clams, and octopuses, while Echinodermata includes sea urchins, starfish, sea cucumbers, brittle stars, and crinoids. Statement 2 is correct—adult sea urchins exhibit pentaradial (five-fold) symmetry, a characteristic feature of echinoderms. Statement 3 is correct—echinoderms possess a water vascular system and tube feet used for movement, feeding, and respiration. The recent innovation by IIT Mandi uses sea-urchin-inspired hydroxyapatite structures for 3D-printed bone implants, demonstrating biomimicry in medical technology.
Why this question? Tests phylum-level classification and characteristic features.
Why important for UPSC? Animal classification and characteristic features are standard Prelims topics.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to UPSC 2022 question on “Echinodermata characteristics”.

Solution (b)
Explanation: Statement 1 is correct—RK-251 is a prodrug that releases the anticancer compound NBDHEX in cancer cells where reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels are elevated. Statement 2 is incorrect—RK-251 is still at the PRECLINICAL stage, not yet approved for clinical use; it cannot be considered an established replacement for chemotherapy. Statement 3 is correct—studies using zebrafish embryos showed no obvious signs of toxicity, an important step in preclinical safety evaluation. The drug targets GSTP1-related cellular survival mechanisms in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Preclinical studies are conducted before clinical trials, which involve human subjects.
Why this question? Tests the distinction between preclinical and clinical stages of drug development.
Why important for UPSC? Understanding drug development stages and prodrug mechanisms is important for S&T.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to UPSC 2024 question on “prodrug” and “targeted drug delivery”.

Solution (a)
Explanation: Statement 1 is correct—PMJVM is implemented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs through TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India). Statement 2 is correct—VDVKs organize tribal communities into community-owned enterprises, providing support for raw materials, training, tools, machinery, packaging, branding, transportation, and storage. Statement 3 is incorrect—PMJVM focuses on strengthening tribal livelihoods based on MFP, agriculture, non-farm activities, and tribal products in general; it does NOT exclusively target PVTGs. PM-JANMAN is a separate initiative specifically targeting Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). As of 31 July 2026, 4,172 VDVKs had been sanctioned with sales of about ₹168 crore benefiting around 12.48 lakh tribal members.
Why this question? Tests the distinction between PMJVM and PM-JANMAN.
Why important for UPSC? Tribal welfare schemes are frequently tested; distinguishing similar initiatives is crucial.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to UPSC 2023 question on “PVTG initiatives”.