UPSC Quiz – 2026 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 6th October 2026

Solution (d)
Explanation: Tuvalu is located in the west-central Pacific Ocean, part of Polynesia, and was formerly known as the Ellice Islands. It comprises nine low-lying islands/islets—including four reef islands and five coral atolls—with Funafuti (an atoll and the main population centre) as its capital. Its land area is only about 26 sq km, while its EEZ is nearly 1 million sq km—an extreme land-to-ocean ratio. Its neighbours include Kiribati to the north and Fiji to the south. Tuvalu has an average elevation of only around 2 metres, making it acutely vulnerable to coastal flooding, storm-surge impacts, saltwater intrusion and pressure on freshwater and agriculture; NASA estimates sea level around Tuvalu has already risen by roughly 15 cm over the past three decades. It is therefore a key example of the climate vulnerability of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the issues of loss and damage, climate displacement and climate justice. A 2024 marine heatwave reportedly destroyed about 99.9% of Tuvalu’s coral, and scientists warn the entire archipelago could become unliveable by the end of the century. All three statements are accurate.
Why this question? Tests geographical specifics (Polynesia, Ellice Islands, land-EEZ ratio) alongside the climate vulnerability framing.
Why important for UPSC? SIDS, climate justice, loss and damage, and sea-level rise are recurring environment-IR crossover themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to questions on SIDS, their geographical characteristics and their representation in climate negotiations.

Solution (b)
Explanation: The sal heartwood borer (Hoplocerambyx spinicornis) belongs to the order Coleoptera and the family Cerambycidae (longhorn beetles). It is considered one of the most destructive insect pests of sal (Shorea robusta) forests in India. Its larvae initially feed beneath the bark and subsequently bore through the sapwood and heartwood, creating tunnels and galleries that severely damage timber. An infestation is considered epidemic when more than 1% of sal trees are affected. Option (a) incorrectly describes a fungal pathogen. Option (c) describes a defoliator, not a wood borer. Option (d) describes a nematode, which is not the sal heartwood borer. A severe infestation has affected sal forests in Dindori, Madhya Pradesh, prompting approval for felling about 1.47 lakh infected sal trees. Control measures include the trap-tree method, in which selected sal trees are felled and exposed to attract adult beetles, which are subsequently collected and destroyed, with local communities participating in beetle collection.
Why this question? The taxonomic identity (beetle, not fungus/caterpillar/nematode) and the specific damage mechanism (heartwood boring) are the key discriminators.
Why important for UPSC? Forest pests, invasive species and their ecological-economic impact are recurring environment prelims themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to one-liner questions identifying pest species by their taxonomic class and specific damage mechanism.

Solution (d)
Explanation: The Central Secretariat Library (CSL) was established in 1891 as the Imperial Secretariat Library, and it shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911 following the transfer of the British Indian capital. It subsequently moved through Old Secretariat → North Block → Shastri Bhavan, and has been located in Shastri Bhavan since 1969. It is one of the oldest Central Government libraries and the second-largest Central Government library after the National Library, Kolkata. Its collection comprises 8.5 lakh+ books/documents, including rare books, official records, gazetteers, census reports, civil reports and Acts of Parliament, with the oldest identified book dating to 1702. CSL has also functioned as a depository of Government of India publications since 1984. The library is an important repository of India’s administrative, demographic and historical records, supporting government officials, researchers, scholars and competitive-examination aspirants. The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the proposed relocation of the 135-year-old CSL amid the redevelopment of Shastri Bhavan under the Central Vista project, seeking details from the Centre regarding the proposed space and its adequacy for preserving the library’s extensive collection. All three statements are accurate.
Why this question? Tests institutional history, comparative ranking and collection specifics—a precision-oriented heritage-governance question.
Why important for UPSC? Administrative heritage, archival institutions and the Central Vista project are emerging art-culture and governance themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to questions on India’s major libraries, archives and their historical evolution.

Solution (a)
Explanation: Creatine is a naturally occurring nitrogen-containing organic compound involved in cellular energy metabolism. It is synthesised mainly in the liver, kidneys and pancreas from amino acids such as arginine, glycine and methionine. About 95% of body creatine is stored in skeletal muscles, mainly as phosphocreatine, which rapidly regenerates ATP (adenosine triphosphate)—the primary energy currency of cells. Dietary sources include meat and seafood; supplements commonly contain creatine monohydrate. Option (b) is incorrect—creatine is not an anabolic steroid and works through the phosphocreatine energy system. Option (c) is incorrect—creatine can be synthesised endogenously and is not a vitamin. Option (d) is incorrect—creatine primarily supports strength and power, rather than aerobic capacity. A 12-week study by Texas A&M University found that creatine supplementation helped adults aged 45–65 years increase lean tissue and muscle strength even without a structured exercise programme; combined with exercise and a calorie-reduced diet, it produced greater strength gains and helped preserve lean mass while reducing body fat. Participants received either 10 g/day creatine monohydrate or placebo, with creatine users gaining about 2.4 pounds of lean tissue without exercise and nearly 3 pounds with exercise and calorie restriction.
Why this question? The steroid/vitamin/aerobic-capacity misconceptions are the primary traps, with the endogenous synthesis and phosphocreatine mechanism as core facts.
Why important for UPSC? Nutrition science, sports physiology and dietary supplements are emerging S&T-health prelims themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to one-liner questions distinguishing naturally occurring compounds from synthetic supplements and identifying their physiological roles.

Solution (c)
Explanation: The G7 (Group of Seven) is an informal grouping of advanced industrial economies comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the USA. The European Union participates, represented by the Presidents of the European Commission and European Council, but is not counted among the seven members. It has no treaty or permanent secretariat and operates largely through consensus, with an annually rotating presidency that sets the agenda and hosts the summit. Historically, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the USA formed the G6 in 1975 amid the global economic crisis; Canada joined in 1976, creating the G7. Its agenda subsequently expanded from economic issues to security, climate change, technology and geopolitical affairs. On October 2, 2026, the G7 agreed to coordinate the release of 100 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products from emergency reserves through the International Energy Agency (IEA), with a substantial diesel release front-loaded within 20 days and the programme expected to run for four months. India is not a G7 member but is frequently invited as an outreach/partner country; it participated as a partner country at the 2026 Évian G7 Summit in France. Petroglyphs are images or symbols carved, engraved or pecked into a rock surface by removing part of the rock; the term derives from Greek petros (stone) + glyphein (to carve), and techniques include pecking, incising, abrading, scratching and polishing. They differ from petrographs, which are images painted or drawn on rock surfaces using pigments. Petroglyphs commonly depict animals, humans, geometric forms and symbolic motifs. Archaeologists have discovered petroglyphs on a granite rock near the recently restored Megalithic umbrella-stone (Kudakkal) site at Peralam-Kozhummal in Kannur district, Kerala, covering approximately 10 sq m, with similarities noted to the petroglyphs at Ettukudukka. Kudakkals generally consist of upright stone slabs supporting a large domical capstone and are associated with burial practices of the Megalithic period, particularly characteristic of Kerala’s lateritic regions.
Why this question? Combines IR (G7 composition and EU’s non-member participation) with art-culture (petroglyph vs. petrograph distinction) in a two-part format testing breadth.
Why important for UPSC? Global groupings and prehistoric rock art are both recurring prelims themes across IR and art-culture.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to questions on G7/G20 composition and on distinguishing prehistoric art forms (petroglyphs, petrographs, pictographs).