UPSC Quiz – 2026 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 3rd November 2026

Solution (b)
Explanation:
Statements 1 and 2 are correct: Project 18A is proposed as the successor to the Visakhapatnam-class destroyers (Project 15B), with the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau designated as the design agency. Statement 3 is incorrect because Integrated Electric Propulsion (IEP) and advanced Vertical Launch Systems (VLS) are reported design expectations, not immutable or finally confirmed technical specifications. The source explicitly notes that technical specifications and weapon configurations may evolve. Statement 4 is correct because Indian public- and private-sector shipyards are expected to participate. The programme is estimated at approximately ₹80,000 crore, with proposed displacement exceeding 13,000 tonnes and indigenous content of around 75%.
Why this question? Tests the distinction between proposed technological features and confirmed programme specifications.
Why important for UPSC? Links indigenous defence manufacturing, maritime security, stealth technology and naval modernisation.
PYQ Pattern Link: Mirrors defence-technology questions testing institutional roles, platform capabilities and precise factual distinctions.

Solution (b)
Explanation:
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Exostoma nasibarbatum is a glyptosternine catfish belonging to the order Siluriformes and family Sisoridae. Its flattened head and body, enlarged paired fins with adhesive ridges, and specialised barbels help it withstand strong currents and remain attached to rocky substrates. Statement 3 is incorrect: the Bupal stream is a tributary of the Dujang River within the Chindwin–Irrawaddy river system, which drains towards Myanmar rather than the Ganga–Brahmaputra system. Statement 4 is correct because the discovery draws attention to the incompletely explored freshwater biodiversity of Northeast India, situated within the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.
Why this question? Tests taxonomic classification, adaptive morphology and drainage-basin identification together.
Why important for UPSC? Connects biodiversity discoveries with river geography, ecological adaptations and global biodiversity hotspots.
PYQ Pattern Link: Follows UPSC’s recurring approach of combining species characteristics with habitat and geographical distribution.

Solution (c)
Explanation:
Statements 1, 3 and 4 are correct according to the source. Introduced by the RBI on 4 February 2004 under the FEMA framework, LRS allows resident individuals to remit up to US$250,000 per financial year, subject to applicable rules. Permitted transactions include overseas travel, education, medical treatment, gifts, maintenance of relatives and specified capital-account transactions, including investments in shares and debt instruments. Statement 2 is incorrect because companies, partnership firms, Hindu Undivided Families and trusts are not eligible to use LRS in their own capacity. Minors may use the scheme through a guardian’s countersignature. The scheme is administered through authorised dealer banks, and certain transactions, including overseas foreign-exchange trading and margin payments, are prohibited.
Why this question? Tests the distinction between eligible persons, permitted transactions and the annual remittance ceiling.
Why important for UPSC? Connects FEMA, RBI regulation, capital-account transactions and India’s external-sector stability.
PYQ Pattern Link: Resembles economy PYQs testing regulatory frameworks through eligibility, limits and transaction-specific exceptions.

Solution (b)
Explanation:
Option (b) is correct. Tawang Monastery, located in Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas, follows the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism, a tradition within Mahayana Buddhism. Founded in the 17th century by Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso following the wishes of the fifth Dalai Lama, it is one of India’s most important centres of Tibetan Buddhist learning and culture. Its library houses the Kangyur, containing the teachings of the Buddha, and the Tengyur, containing commentaries and treatises. Option (a) incorrectly identifies its school and tradition. Option (c) wrongly attributes its establishment to Ashoka and makes an unsupported claim about copper-plate scriptures. Option (d) confuses its founding period and Himalayan location.
Why this question? Distinguishes Buddhist schools, canonical texts, historical patronage and geographical setting.
Why important for UPSC? Covers Indian art and culture, Buddhist traditions, Himalayan heritage and important religious institutions.
PYQ Pattern Link: Follows UPSC’s factual-conceptual approach to Buddhist sects, texts, monasteries and historical associations.

Solution (b)
Explanation:
Statements 1, 3 and 4 are correct. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease involving abnormal immune activity, particularly the IL-23/Th17 pathway, which contributes to accelerated skin-cell proliferation and characteristic scaly plaques. Plaque psoriasis accounts for approximately 80–90% of cases and is the most common form. Statement 2 is incorrect because psoriasis is not contagious and cannot spread through physical contact. The source describes a retrospective cohort study using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance database for 2012–2023, comparing 61,622 patients with an equal number of controls. It reported a 32% higher cataract risk among patients with psoriasis. However, an observational association does not prove that psoriasis directly causes cataracts.
Why this question? Tests immune mechanisms, clinical classification, contagiousness and the limits of observational evidence.
Why important for UPSC? Links general science with disease mechanisms, epidemiological research and interpretation of medical evidence.
PYQ Pattern Link: Reflects UPSC science questions that combine disease characteristics, biological mechanisms and evidence-based inference.