UPSC Quiz – 2026 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 22nd October 2026

Solution (d)
Explanation: GSAT-7B is India’s first dedicated communication satellite for the Indian Army, being developed indigenously by ISRO under a Ministry of Defence contract signed in March 2023 with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm, with a reported value of approximately ₹2,963 crore. It is a roughly five-tonne satellite to be placed in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) — approximately 35,786 km above the equator, where the satellite orbits in the same direction and at the same angular rate as Earth’s rotation, appearing stationary relative to the ground. Its major capabilities include beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communication connecting troops and formations that cannot communicate directly through conventional line-of-sight links; command and control supporting coordination between headquarters, deployed troops, weapon systems and airborne platforms; remote-area connectivity improving communication in mountainous terrain, forward border areas and locations with limited terrestrial infrastructure; operational resilience providing an alternative link when ground-based networks are damaged; and strategic autonomy strengthening indigenous military space capabilities. Statement 3 is correct: the Army has relied on the Indian Air Force’s GSAT-7A for satellite communication requirements — hence the significance of a service-dedicated satellite. Its launch is now expected by mid-2028, about six months later than the earlier target of November 2027. All three statements are accurate.
Why this question? Tests institutional arrangement (ISRO-NSIL-MoD triad), orbital specifics and the GSAT-7A dependency — a multi-layered defence-space question.
Why important for UPSC? Military satellite communications, defence space capabilities and inter-service dependencies are emerging S&T-defence prelims themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to questions on dedicated military satellites and the institutional roles of ISRO and NSIL.

Solution (b)
Explanation: Kharg Island is located in the northern Persian Gulf, off the southwestern coast of Iran, near Bushehr Province, approximately 26 km from Iran’s mainland. It is Iran’s principal crude-oil export terminal — historically, around 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports passed through Kharg. Its infrastructure includes offshore oil pipelines, storage tanks, loading terminals and facilities for exporting crude oil to international markets, making it a critical link between Iran’s oil-producing regions and global energy markets. Geographically, the Persian Gulf is a marginal sea of the Indian Ocean, bordered by Iran to the north and northeast and the Arabian Peninsula to the south and southwest; the Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and is a major chokepoint for global oil and LNG shipments. Disruption to Kharg’s export facilities could reduce Iranian oil shipments, affect global crude prices and increase geopolitical risks in the Gulf. Option (a) mislocates it in the Strait of Hormuz and mischaracterises it as a naval base. Option (c) misattributes it to the Gulf of Oman and Qatar. Option (d) misattributes it to the Caspian Sea and Kazakhstan. On 19 October 2026, reports said the US President was considering strikes on Kharg Island’s oil-export infrastructure to pressure Tehran over its nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz, though the plan was not officially confirmed by Washington.
Why this question? The Persian Gulf location, oil-terminal function and Hormuz chokepoint linkage are the primary discriminators, with other maritime chokepoints as distractors.
Why important for UPSC? World geography, energy security and West Asian geopolitics are recurring IR-geography prelims themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to one-liner questions on strategic maritime chokepoints, oil terminals and their geopolitical significance.

Solution (d)
Explanation: The International Energy Agency (IEA) was established in 1974 following the 1973–74 oil crisis, with headquarters in Paris, France. It is associated with the OECD — operating within the OECD framework but as an autonomous intergovernmental organisation — with the core objective of promoting energy security, reliable and affordable energy supplies and cooperation among member countries. Its major functions include monitoring global energy supply, demand, prices and inventories; publishing the World Energy Outlook and periodic Oil Market Reports; coordinating collective responses to major oil supply disruptions; supporting energy efficiency, clean-energy transitions and technology cooperation; and advising governments on energy security and energy policy. Statement 2 is correct: India joined as an Association Country in 2017, with cooperation covering energy security, efficiency, renewable energy, energy statistics and clean-energy transitions — and association status does not confer the same rights and obligations as full membership. Statement 3 is correct: IEA member countries maintain emergency oil stocks under the IEA’s oil security system, and collective action can coordinate the release of stocks during major supply disruptions — in March 2026, IEA members agreed to make 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves available to the market. The IEA vs. OPEC distinction is important: IEA (1974, Paris) focuses on energy security, data, policy and energy transitions, while OPEC (1960, Vienna) coordinates petroleum policies among member oil-exporting countries; India is an IEA Association Country but not an OPEC member. On 20 October 2026, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol warned that global oil markets were unlikely to normalise in 2027 due to continuing conflict in West Asia, supply disruptions and risks to energy infrastructure and shipping.
Why this question? Tests the IEA’s OECD linkage, India’s association status (not membership) and the emergency-stock mechanism—three precise institutional layers.
Why important for UPSC? Energy security, international energy organisations and oil-market dynamics are recurring IR-economy prelims themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to questions distinguishing the IEA from OPEC and testing India’s membership/association statuses in international organisations.

Solution (a)
Explanation: The Taleju Bhawani Temple is located in the Hanuman Dhoka Durbar complex, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, with Goddess Taleju Bhawani as its presiding deity — associated with Goddess Durga and revered as the tutelary deity of Nepal’s Malla kings. It was built by King Mahendra Malla, dating to the 16th century, in traditional Newar pagoda architecture characteristic of the Kathmandu Valley, and is located within the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage property. Its architectural features include a multi-tiered pagoda roof with elaborately carved wooden elements, ornamental gateways and traditional Newar craftsmanship, reflecting the religious and political significance of Goddess Taleju during the Malla period. Crucially, the temple traditionally opens to the general public only once a year on Maha Navami during Dashain; it opened to devotees on Maha Navami in October 2026. Bada Dashain (Dashain) is Nepal’s major Hindu festival, celebrating the victory of good over evil, particularly Goddess Durga’s victory over Mahishasura; Maha Navami is the ninth day, associated with worship of Goddess Durga and her manifestations, while Vijaya Dashami is the culminating day, marked by receiving tika and jamara (barley shoots) from elders as blessings. Options (b), (c) and (d) misstate the location, deity, builder or dynasty.
Why this question? The once-a-year public access on Maha Navami and the Newar pagoda-Malla linkage are the primary discriminators, with other Kathmandu Valley sites as distractors.
Why important for UPSC? Neighbourhood heritage, Newar architecture and UNESCO World Heritage properties are recurring art-culture prelims themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to one-liner questions on temples in India’s neighbourhood, their architectural styles and associated festivals.

Solution (d)
Explanation: The European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) belongs to the family Meropidae and order Coraciiformes, and is also known as the Golden Bee-eater. It was recorded for the first time in Chennai near Broken Bridge, adjoining the Adyar Estuary, on 11 October 2026, with the observation reviewed and accepted on eBird, a global bird-observation database. Its identification features include brightly coloured plumage, blue-green tones, yellow throat and a dark trailing edge on the wings. Its diet consists mainly of flying insects, particularly bees, wasps and hornets; it catches insects in flight and may rub stinging insects against a perch to remove their sting. It breeds across much of Europe and parts of western Asia and migrates seasonally, including to parts of Africa, inhabiting open landscapes, grasslands, scrublands and areas near water where flying insects are available. Its conservation status is Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The key distinction from the Blue-tailed Bee-eater (Merops philippinus) — also in family Meropidae — is that the European Bee-eater has a yellow throat and characteristic wing markings, whereas the Blue-tailed Bee-eater has a distinctive blue tail; in Chennai, the European Bee-eater is rare (first recorded sighting), while the Blue-tailed Bee-eater is more regularly observed. All three statements are accurate.
Why this question? Tests the European vs. Blue-tailed Bee-eater distinction alongside feeding behaviour and IUCN status—a multi-layered ornithology question.
Why important for UPSC? Species in news, bird migration and coastal wetland habitats are recurring environment prelims themes.
PYQ Pattern Link: Similar to questions on bird species in news, their family classification and distinguishing features from related species.