UPSC Quiz – 2026 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 5th October 2026

Solution (c)
Explanation: The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was established in 1889 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with 183 national parliaments currently as members. It is a global organisation of national parliaments that promotes parliamentary dialogue, diplomacy, democracy, peace and sustainable development, working on democracy, human rights, gender equality, peace and security, climate change and sustainable development. Its Governing Council is the principal policy-making body, and the IPU Assembly brings parliamentarians together to debate international issues and adopt resolutions. Statement 2 is incorrect on two counts: the IPU is not a UN specialised agency — it is an independent international organisation that cooperates with the UN — and its mandate is far broader than electoral assistance, covering democracy, human rights, peace and security, climate change and sustainable development. The 153rd IPU Assembly is being held in Arusha, Tanzania (5–9 October 2026), with an Indian parliamentary delegation led by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh participating.
Why this question? The “UN specialised agency” attribution is a classic institutional trap with high elimination value.
Why important for UPSC? International organisations, their nature and membership are recurring polity-IR prelims content.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to questions distinguishing UN specialised agencies from other intergovernmental organisations and their principal organs.

Solution (b)
Explanation: NMESIS (Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System) is a ground-based, mobile anti-ship missile system developed and used by the US Marine Corps (USMC), designed for sea denial and littoral defence. It uses the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) mounted on a remotely operated ROGUE Fires vehicle, derived from the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle platform. The NSM range exceeds 185 km (100 nautical miles), and the missile is designed for precision engagement of maritime and land targets, flying at low altitude with manoeuvring capability to reduce detection by radar. Option (a) incorrectly describes it as sea-based/ballistic missile defence. Option (c) describes mine countermeasure UUVs. Option (d) describes space-based surveillance. NMESIS supports the US Marine Corps’ distributed maritime operations, allowing relatively small mobile units deployed across islands to threaten hostile surface vessels from land — strengthening sea denial rather than requiring large naval platforms to control the sea. The US is set to deploy it to Yonaguni Island, Japan’s westernmost inhabited island, about 110 km from Taiwan, during the Keen Sword joint exercise.
Why this question? Tests the land-based vs. sea-based distinction and the sea-denial concept, with distractor options covering other warfare domains.
Why important for UPSC? Indo-Pacific security, anti-ship warfare and distributed maritime operations are emerging defence themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to one-liner questions identifying weapons systems by their basing mode, developer and operational role.

Solution (d)
Explanation: Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) was launched on 1 April 2017 as a Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. Its objective is to provide free physical aids and assisted-living devices to senior citizens suffering from age-related disabilities/infirmities. It is implemented by the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO), a Central Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry. Eligible beneficiaries include senior citizens belonging to BPL categories and low-income groups, with the current eligibility framework including a monthly income up to ₹15,000. Assistive devices include walking sticks, wheelchairs, walkers, hearing aids, spectacles, artificial dentures and mobility/support devices. From FY 2017-18 to FY 2025-26, 589 camps benefited 8.53 lakh senior citizens, with more than 46.32 lakh assistive devices distributed. RVY functions within the broader Atal Vayo Abhyudaya Yojana (AVYAY) framework. Recently, the Ministry distributed 662 aids and assistive devices to 114 senior citizens in Delhi-NCR and decided to expand distribution to beneficiaries in Senior Citizens’ Homes.
Why this question? Tests scheme architecture, implementing agency and umbrella framework—UPSC’s standard welfare scheme format.
Why important for UPSC? Social welfare schemes for vulnerable groups and their implementation mechanisms are recurring polity-governance themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to questions on Central Sector Schemes, their nodal ministries, implementing agencies and beneficiary criteria.

Solution (b)
Explanation: The Coppersmith Barbet (Psilopogon haemacephalus) belongs to the family Megalaimidae (Asian barbets) and is distributed across the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. It is a resident bird (not migratory) found in gardens, groves, plantations and sparse woodland, and excavates holes in tree trunks for nesting. It is named after its characteristic metallic, repetitive call, resembling a coppersmith striking metal. Its conservation status is IUCN — Least Concern (LC) and Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 — Schedule II. Option (a) is incorrect on migratory status, distribution and IUCN category. Option (c) is incorrect—it is diurnal, not nocturnal, and nests in tree holes, not rock crevices. Option (d) is incorrect—it is not a scavenger and is protected under Schedule II. A rare cream-yellow colour variant was recently photographed on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Telangana—reportedly the first documented record of this colour form in the state. The unusual plumage is associated with leucism resulting in xanthochroism, where reduced melanin causes the blue structural colour of feathers to disappear, making yellow pigmentation more prominent. It is not albino, as the bird retains dark eyes and characteristic red/yellow facial patches.
Why this question? The migratory/resident and leucism/albinism distinctions are the key discriminators, with IUCN and Schedule status adding precision.
Why important for UPSC? Species in news, colour aberrations and conservation status are recurring environment prelims themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to one-liner questions testing resident vs. migratory status, IUCN categories and Schedule listings of birds in news.

Solution (c)
Explanation: 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) is a form of construction-scale additive manufacturing in which a computer-controlled robotic printer deposits specially formulated concrete/cementitious material layer by layer through a nozzle, based on a digital/BIM design. Unlike conventional construction, it can reduce dependence on formwork and sequential manual masonry. Key advantages include faster construction, reduced labour requirements, lower material wastage, complex/customised design capability, and potential applications in affordable housing, disaster-relief shelters, remote-area infrastructure and defence structures. It requires concrete mixes with appropriate extrudability, buildability and rapid setting properties. Andhra Pradesh has launched a pilot project under PMAY-G at Burripalem and Obulnayudupalem in Guntur district involving 177 houses at a project cost of ₹14 crore. Rapunzel syndrome is a rare gastrointestinal condition in which a trichobezoar (hairball) formed in the stomach extends into the small intestine. It is strongly associated with trichotillomania (recurrent urge to pull out one’s own hair) and trichophagia (repeated swallowing/eating of hair). Hair is resistant to digestion and accumulates with food and mucus, forming a compact mass. Clinical features include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, reduced appetite, weight loss and intestinal obstruction; severe cases may involve gastrointestinal perforation or malnutrition. Diagnosis uses ultrasound, CT scan and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, with surgical removal generally required for large or obstructive trichobezoars, alongside psychological assessment to prevent recurrence. Recently, doctors in Kerala removed around 1 kg of hair from a nine-year-old girl.
Why this question? Combines construction technology with a rare medical syndrome in a two-part format testing breadth across S&T domains.
Why important for UPSC? Emerging construction technologies and rare medical conditions are both recurring S&T prelims themes with news relevance.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to questions on additive manufacturing applications and rare clinical conditions with behavioural associations.