UPSC Quiz – 2026 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 10th September 2026

Solution (a)
Explanation:
TRISHNA (Thermal Infra-Red Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment) is a collaborative Earth-observation mission of India’s ISRO and France’s CNES. It will provide high-resolution observations of land-surface temperature, vegetation health and water-cycle dynamics. Its applications include monitoring drought, vegetation stress, evapotranspiration, glacier and snow melt, and thermal anomalies. The mission is planned for a sun-synchronous orbit at about 761 km altitude, not a geostationary orbit. Therefore, statements 1 and 2 are correct, while statement 3 is incorrect. The distinction between sun-synchronous and geostationary orbits is an important basic concept in satellite-based Earth observation.
Why this question?
Tests basic mission objectives, international partnership and satellite-orbit concepts.
Why important for UPSC?
Space missions are frequently tested through agency, objective, payload and orbit combinations.
PYQ Pattern Link
UPSC often combines space missions with their objectives, technologies and participating countries.

Solution (c)
Explanation:
All four statements correctly describe Luxembourg. It is a landlocked Western European country bordered by Belgium, France and Germany. Its political system is a constitutional monarchy, and it is officially a Grand Duchy. Luxembourg is also a founding member of the European Union and is an important global financial centre. India and Luxembourg established diplomatic relations in 1948. Their contemporary cooperation extends beyond trade and finance to areas such as outer space, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. Luxembourg also joined the International Solar Alliance in 2021. Such questions can be approached through geographical elimination: a landlocked Western European country bordering France, Germany and Belgium strongly points to Luxembourg.
Why this question?
Tests geography, political system and international institutional linkages together.
Why important for UPSC?
Small European countries can appear in map-based and international-relations questions.
PYQ Pattern Link
UPSC regularly asks about neighbouring countries, capitals, borders and international organisations.

Solution (c)
Explanation:
FIU-IND is India’s central national agency for receiving, processing, analysing and disseminating information relating to suspected financial transactions. It functions under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance and was established in 2004. Its functions include receiving Suspicious Transaction Reports, analysing financial information for patterns of money laundering and terrorist financing, and disseminating relevant intelligence to law-enforcement and regulatory agencies. It is therefore an intelligence-gathering and analysis body, rather than a conventional banking or monetary-policy regulator. The distinction between FIU-IND and agencies such as RBI or investigative agencies is important. Virtual Digital Asset service providers were brought under the PMLA framework in 2023 as reporting entities.
Why this question?
Tests institutional distinction between financial intelligence and financial regulation.
Why important for UPSC?
PMLA, money laundering and financial intelligence have strong Economy–Governance linkages.
PYQ Pattern Link
UPSC frequently tests the functions and administrative control of specialised institutions.

Solution (b)
Explanation:
Buellia maharajensis is a newly discovered species of lichen from Mathikettan Shola National Park in Idukki district, Kerala. It is described as saxicolous, meaning that it grows directly on rocks or rock surfaces. Lichens are composite organisms formed through a symbiotic association between a fungus and a photosynthetic partner, usually an alga or cyanobacterium. The fungal component provides structure and protection, while the photosynthetic partner produces organic nutrients through photosynthesis. The composite body is called a thallus. Lichens occur on rocks, tree bark and soil and are also important ecological indicators. Mathikettan Shola National Park lies within the Western Ghats, a globally significant biodiversity hotspot.
Why this question?
Uses a newly discovered species to test basic lichen biology and habitat terminology.
Why important for UPSC?
Species-in-news questions often combine taxonomy, habitat and geographical location.
PYQ Pattern Link
UPSC frequently links newly discovered species with their habitat and ecological significance.

Solution (b)
Explanation:
Atherosclerosis involves the accumulation of plaque within artery walls. The plaque can contain cholesterol, fats, blood cells, calcium and other substances. Over time, it may harden and narrow arteries, thereby reducing blood flow. Importantly, plaque rupture can trigger formation of a thrombus (blood clot), which may obstruct blood flow and lead to serious cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction or stroke. Recent research has also strengthened the understanding of an immune-mediated component in atherosclerosis, suggesting that adaptive immune responses may actively contribute to disease progression. Statement 4 is incorrect because the condition is not exclusively caused by infectious organisms.
Why this question?
Tests the basic pathology and consequences of atherosclerosis without excessive medical detail.
Why important for UPSC?
NCDs can be tested through their causes, mechanisms and major health consequences.
PYQ Pattern Link
UPSC uses science questions to test disease mechanisms rather than merely disease names.