UPSC Quiz – 2026 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 21st October 2026

Solution (a)
Explanation: The International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) was established in 1955 with headquarters in Paris, France, as an intergovernmental organisation and international standard-setting body; India has been a member since 1956. Its objective is to harmonise legal metrology laws and procedures internationally to support accurate measurement, fair trade and consumer protection. It develops international recommendations and standards for measuring instruments used in trade, healthcare, industry, safety and environmental protection — covering weighing machines, fuel dispensers, clinical thermometers and speed-measuring devices — and operates the OIML Certification System (OIML-CS) to facilitate acceptance of instrument type evaluations and test results across participating countries, thereby reducing technical barriers to international trade and duplication in testing and certification. Statement 2 is correct: the CIML (International Committee of Legal Metrology) guides OIML’s technical and administrative work, and India will host its 61st meeting in New Delhi from 26–28 October 2026, organised by the Department of Consumer Affairs in association with OIML, with more than 100 international delegates expected — the first time India hosts this meeting. Statement 3 is the trap: it is the OIML, not the BIPM, that develops international recommendations and model requirements for legal metrology. The BIPM (International Bureau of Weights and Measures) supports global measurement science and the International System of Units (SI) — a distinct mandate.
Why this question? The OIML-BIPM role reversal is the key institutional trap, with the CIML’s advisory function and India’s hosting milestone adding precision.
Why important for UPSC? International standard-setting bodies, legal metrology and consumer protection are recurring economy-governance prelims themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to questions distinguishing international organisations with overlapping measurement/standards mandates.

Solution (b)
Explanation: Rajmargyatra is a mobile application developed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to provide integrated information and services to users travelling on National Highways, available in English, Hindi and more than 13 regional languages. Its features include Toll Plaza Feedback (introduced on 19 October 2026, allowing users to rate toll-plaza services, select feedback options and add remarks, with FASTag Annual Pass users receiving notifications after crossing a toll plaza); highway information on toll plazas, petrol pumps, hospitals, hotels and other amenities, along with weather updates; the EnRoute route planner displaying toll plazas along routes including National, State and private plazas with toll-cost estimates; complaint redressal with tracking; FASTag services including Annual Pass management; and emergency assistance through the 1033 National Highway Helpline. Option (a) describes NHAI One, which focuses on monitoring and managing National Highway projects and supports project execution and on-site monitoring — the key institutional distinction is that Rajmargyatra serves highway users, while NHAI One serves project management. Option (c) mischaracterises it as a FASTag issuance portal. Option (d) misattributes it to a state government.
Why this question? The Rajmargyatra (user-facing) vs. NHAI One (project-facing) distinction is the primary discriminator, with feature-level detail adding precision.
Why important for UPSC? Digital governance, highway infrastructure and user-centric public service delivery are recurring governance prelims themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to one-liner questions distinguishing government apps by their target users and functional scope.

Solution (d)
Explanation: Exercise AUSTRAHIND is an annual bilateral military exercise between India and Australia, conducted between the two armies. The 5th edition commenced on 19 October 2026 at the Foreign Training Node in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and is scheduled to continue until 1 November 2026. Its theme is “Joint Sub-Conventional Operations in Island and Coastal Environment under Chapter VII of the UN Mandate,” with approximately 120 soldiers from each country participating. The Indian contingent is drawn from the Garhwal Rifles, along with personnel from other arms and services, while the Australian contingent is from the Australian Army’s 13 Brigade. Its objectives and activities include enhancing interoperability, jointmanship and operational coordination, developing a common understanding of tactics, techniques and procedures, practising surveillance, reconnaissance and protection of vital installations, conducting joint planning, tactical drills and combat-oriented training in island and coastal environments, improving coordination for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, and strengthening mutual trust and contributing to stability in the Indo-Pacific region. All three statements are accurate.
Why this question? Tests the exercise’s partner, edition, venue, theme and contingent composition—UPSC’s standard bilateral exercise format.
Why important for UPSC? India-Australia defence relations and bilateral military exercises are recurring IR prelims themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to questions on bilateral exercises with their participating units, venues and operational themes.

Solution (a)
Explanation: The upgraded Agri Welfare Portal was launched by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare on 19 October 2026 to provide farmers with single-window access to government schemes, subsidies, financial assistance and agricultural information. Its nodal ministry is the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. Its features include single-window access to information and services related to PM-KISAN, AgriStack and the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) through a common interface; online services enabling farmers to check scheme eligibility and submit applications; Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for transparent delivery of financial assistance; agricultural information on weather, scientific farming practices, seed and fertiliser availability and market prices; stakeholder integration connecting farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), agricultural scientists, researchers and startups; digital accessibility designed for basic smartphones and weak internet connectivity, including screen-reader support and simplified navigation for persons with disabilities; and capacity building through a special training campaign via Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs). Its significance lies in reducing the need to visit multiple government offices or websites, improving access to schemes and financial support, promoting transparency and reducing dependence on intermediaries, and advancing digital inclusion among small and marginal farmers. Options (b), (c) and (d) misattribute the portal to other ministries and agencies.
Why this question? The single-window integrated nature and the KVK-based training component are the primary discriminators, with other agriculture portals as distractors.
Why important for UPSC? Digital agriculture governance, DBT and farmer welfare schemes are recurring agriculture-governance prelims themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to one-liner questions identifying portals by their nodal ministry, integrated schemes and beneficiary services.

Solution (c)
Explanation: Swavlamban is the Indian Navy’s flagship Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Seminar, started in 2022 and organised annually as the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation (NIIO) seminar, with the fifth edition held on 26–27 October 2026 at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. Its core objective is to connect the Navy’s operational requirements with India’s domestic technological and manufacturing capabilities, translating indigenous innovations into operational naval capabilities and strengthening Aatmanirbharta. Participants include defence innovators, startups, MSMEs, industry, academia, investors and the armed forces, with major focus areas including maritime surveillance, Counter-UAS, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies, NBCD (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical and Damage Control) capabilities, safety and efficiency technologies, and indigenous innovation supporting development, testing, production and commercialisation. Related initiatives include iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) under the Ministry of Defence and the NIIO (Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation). The seminar is scheduled to release the Swavlamban 5.0 Document, the Compendium on Technology Imperatives, and NAUSETU interface standards. Bud rot disease in coconut is caused by Phytophthora palmivora, an oomycete (water mould), commonly described as a fungus-like pathogen, affecting coconut (Cocos nucifera). Palms of all ages can be affected, but young palms are generally more susceptible, with heavy rainfall, high humidity, relatively low temperatures and waterlogged conditions favouring its spread. The pathogen attacks the terminal bud and surrounding soft tissues, and if the growing point is destroyed, the palm cannot recover. Symptoms include yellowing of one or two young leaves, the spear (central) leaf becoming pale, withering and pulling out easily, rotting of tender leaf bases and crown tissues into a soft, slimy mass with a foul smell, and drooping of successive leaves followed by crown collapse and death. Management includes regular inspection (particularly during the monsoon), early removal of infected tissues with 10% Bordeaux paste, preventive 1% Bordeaux mixture on neighbouring palm crowns, removal and safe destruction of severely infected or dead palms, and improved drainage and plantation hygiene. Coconut growers in Tiptur taluk, Tumakuru district, Karnataka, have raised concerns over its spread.
Why this question? Combines defence indigenisation (Swavlamban’s institutional evolution and publications) with plant pathology (the oomycete classification and crown-destroying mechanism) in a two-part format testing breadth.
Why important for UPSC? Defence innovation ecosystems and crop disease management are recurring prelims themes across defence and agriculture.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to questions on defence indigenisation seminars and their outcomes, and on plant pathogens and their disease mechanisms.