UPSC Prelims Practice
Current Affairs Quiz 16 June 2026
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14 questions based on today’s current affairs & editorials
14 MCQs
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Question 1 of 14
The Strait of Hormuz, central to global energy security, lies between which of the following?
FACT: The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran on the northern shore and Oman and the UAE on the southern shore, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. ANALYSIS: About a fifth of global oil consumption (roughly a quarter of seaborne oil trade) transits it, so the 2026 reopening of the strait after the US-Iran deal pushed crude down about 5 percent.
📝 Concept Note
A maritime choke point concentrates a large share of global trade in a narrow passage, making it economically vital and militarily vulnerable. Hormuz, Malacca, Bab-el-Mandeb and Suez are the choke points India watches most closely.
🎯 Concept Kit — tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 (West Asia) and GS3 (energy security). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | choke point, energy security, strategic autonomy. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | placing Hormuz at the Red Sea (that is Bab-el-Mandeb). |
| 📌 Exam Tip | Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman; carries about a fifth of global oil consumption. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** how should India reduce dependence on a single choke point? |
Question 2 of 14
Which Iranian port is described as India’s gateway to Iran and Central Asia, used to bypass Pakistan?
FACT: Chabahar is the Iranian port that gives India a gateway to Iran and onward to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. ANALYSIS: It hedges India against over-dependence on Hormuz-routed trade and anchors connectivity through the International North-South Transport Corridor.
📝 Concept Note
Do not confuse Chabahar (Iran, developed with Indian involvement) with Gwadar (Pakistan, developed with Chinese involvement); the two ports lie close together on the Makran coast but serve rival connectivity visions.
🎯 Concept Kit — tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 (India-Iran, connectivity). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | connectivity, INSTC, strategic autonomy. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | confusing Chabahar with Gwadar. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | Chabahar = India/Iran; Gwadar = China/Pakistan. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** why does Chabahar matter despite sanctions risk? |
Question 3 of 14
Which of the following correctly describes the composition of the G7?
FACT: The G7 comprises the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada, with the European Union participating as a non-enumerated member. ANALYSIS: The 2026 summit at Evian, France, hosted PM Modi as a special invitee; India is not a member.
📝 Concept Note
The G7 is an informal forum with no charter, treaty or permanent secretariat. The presidency rotates annually; Canada hosted in 2025 (Kananaskis) and France in 2026 (Evian).
India is a full member of the G20, not the G7.
India is a full member of the G20, not the G7.
🎯 Concept Kit — tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 (plurilateral groupings). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | plurilateralism, global governance, Global South. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | counting the EU as one of the seven or thinking India is a G7 member. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | G7 = 7 + EU, no secretariat; India is a G20 member and a G7 invitee. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** should the G7 be expanded? |
Question 4 of 14
The 2026 G7 Summit, where the initial US-Iran deal was announced, was hosted by which country?
FACT: The 2026 G7 Summit was hosted by France at Evian. ANALYSIS: The summit doubled as the venue for the announcement of the initial US-Iran deal, illustrating the G7’s role as an informal crisis-coordination forum.
📝 Concept Note
The G7 presidency rotates annually among members. Canada hosted the previous summit in 2025 at Kananaskis.
India attends as a special invitee, not as a member.
India attends as a special invitee, not as a member.
🎯 Concept Kit — tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 (multilateral diplomacy). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | rotating presidency, crisis diplomacy, invitee. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | assuming the host is fixed. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | 2025 host Canada (Kananaskis); 2026 host France (Evian). |
| 🎤 Interview | ** what does invitee status give India? |
Question 5 of 14
The first women trained at the National Defence Academy were commissioned in 2026 following which Supreme Court case?
FACT: The 2021 Supreme Court order in Kush Kalra v. Union of India allowed women to sit the NDA entrance examination; the first women intake joined in August 2022 and was commissioned in June 2026. ANALYSIS: 17 women of the 148th NDA Course were commissioned, split as 9 Army, 3 Navy and 5 Air Force.
📝 Concept Note
The ruling rests on the right to equality. Articles 14, 15 and 16 guarantee equality before the law, prohibition of discrimination on grounds including sex, and equal opportunity in public employment.
The Babita Puniya case earlier secured permanent commission for women in the Army.
The Babita Puniya case earlier secured permanent commission for women in the Army.
🎯 Concept Kit — tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS1 (society, women) and GS2 (fundamental rights). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | judicial activism, gender equality, equal opportunity. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | attributing the NDA admission to the Babita Puniya case. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | NDA admission = Kush Kalra (2021); permanent commission = Babita Puniya. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** should women have full combat roles? |
Question 6 of 14
Which set of constitutional articles best anchors the right of women to equal opportunity in NDA admission?
FACT: Article 14 guarantees equality before the law, Article 15 prohibits discrimination on grounds including sex, and Article 16 guarantees equality of opportunity in public employment. ANALYSIS: Excluding women from the NDA examination denied them equal opportunity in public employment, which the Supreme Court held could not stand.
📝 Concept Note
Article 15(3) explicitly permits the state to make special provisions for women and children, so equality jurisprudence allows positive measures for women rather than only formal sameness.
🎯 Concept Kit — tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 (fundamental rights). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | equality, non-discrimination, equal opportunity. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | citing Article 21 alone for equality cases. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | equality cluster = Articles 14 to 18; employment equality = Article 16. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** how does Article 15(3) reconcile equality with special provisions? |
Question 7 of 14
During PM Modi’s 2026 visit, Slovakia conferred which honour on him?
FACT: President Peter Pellegrini conferred the Order of the White Double Cross, First Class, Slovakia’s highest honour for foreigners, on PM Modi. ANALYSIS: The visit, the first ever by an Indian PM to Slovakia, elevated ties to a Comprehensive Partnership with 14 outcomes.
📝 Concept Note
Slovakia is a member of the EU, the Eurozone, the Schengen Area and NATO, with its capital at Bratislava and Robert Fico as PM. Do not confuse Slovakia (Bratislava) with Slovenia (Ljubljana).
🎯 Concept Kit — tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 (India and Europe). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | Comprehensive Partnership, India-EU, Central Europe. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | confusing Slovakia with Slovenia. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | Slovakia = Bratislava, EU, Eurozone, Schengen, NATO. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** why does India court individual EU members? |
Question 8 of 14
Slovakia, which elevated ties with India in 2026, is a member of all of the following EXCEPT:
FACT: Slovakia is a member of the European Union, the Eurozone, the Schengen Area and NATO, but not the Commonwealth. ANALYSIS: Its EU and Eurozone membership makes it a useful partner as India negotiates a wider India-EU relationship.
📝 Concept Note
The Commonwealth is largely a grouping of former British territories, which Slovakia is not. Slovakia became independent in 1993 from the peaceful split of Czechoslovakia.
🎯 Concept Kit — tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 (international groupings). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | EU integration, Schengen, NATO. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | assuming all European states are in the Commonwealth. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | Slovakia = EU + Eurozone + Schengen + NATO, not Commonwealth. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** what is the difference between the EU, Eurozone and Schengen? |
Question 9 of 14
The Great Indian Bustard, in the news for a captive-breeding milestone, holds which IUCN Red List status?
FACT: The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. ANALYSIS: Three new chicks took the captive count to 94 at the Sudasari and Ramdevra centres in Jaisalmer, with 2026 set as the first soft-release year.
📝 Concept Note
The GIB is the state bird of Rajasthan. Its biggest threat is collision with overhead power lines, because its poor frontal vision and heavy flight prevent it from dodging cables in time.
🎯 Concept Kit — tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS3 (conservation). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | captive breeding, soft release, power-line mortality. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | listing the GIB as merely Endangered. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | GIB = Ardeotis nigriceps, Critically Endangered, Rajasthan state bird. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** can renewable energy and biodiversity coexist in the Thar? |
Question 10 of 14
What is identified as the single biggest threat to the survival of the Great Indian Bustard?
FACT: Collision with overhead power lines is the single largest cause of unnatural deaths for the Great Indian Bustard. ANALYSIS: The bird’s poor frontal vision and heavy flight prevent it from dodging cables, a problem worsened by the spread of renewable-energy infrastructure across its arid grassland habitat.
📝 Concept Note
Mitigation measures include bird diverters on lines and calls to lay transmission lines underground along priority corridors. The captive count now stands at 94 across the Jaisalmer centres.
🎯 Concept Kit — tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS3 (energy versus biodiversity). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | bird diverters, underground cabling, habitat loss. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | assuming hunting is the main current threat. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | GIB main threat = power-line collision. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** how should land-use conflicts in the Thar be resolved? |
Question 11 of 14
The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), which reported May 2026 unemployment data, is conducted by which agency?
FACT: The PLFS is conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). ANALYSIS: For May 2026 it reported overall unemployment at 5.5 percent, urban at 6.4 percent and rural at 5.1 percent.
📝 Concept Note
The monthly PLFS series, revamped in January 2025, is built on the Current Weekly Status, which classifies a person by their activity during the last seven days before the survey.
🎯 Concept Kit — tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS3 (economy, official statistics). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | PLFS, Current Weekly Status, labour-force participation. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | attributing the PLFS to the Labour Ministry or the RBI. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | PLFS = NSO under MoSPI; monthly series uses CWS. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** why move to a high-frequency monthly labour survey? |
Question 12 of 14
In the PLFS, the Current Weekly Status classifies a person’s employment based on activity during which reference period?
FACT: The Current Weekly Status (CWS) classifies a person as employed or unemployed based on activity during the last seven days before the survey. ANALYSIS: This short reference period makes the CWS well suited to a high-frequency monthly release, unlike the 365-day Usual Status basis.
📝 Concept Note
The Usual Status uses a 365-day reference period and captures the principal activity over the year. The monthly PLFS figures rely on the CWS, while the annual report also gives Usual Status estimates.
🎯 Concept Kit — tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS3 (statistics, employment). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | CWS, Usual Status, reference period. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | confusing CWS (7 days) with Usual Status (365 days). |
| 📌 Exam Tip | monthly PLFS = CWS = 7-day recall. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** which measure better reflects underemployment? |
Question 13 of 14
The 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum held in New Delhi coincided with the golden jubilee of which institution?
FACT: The 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum, on the theme Cities for People, coincided with the golden jubilee of the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), founded in 1976. ANALYSIS: NIUA is a think tank under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
📝 Concept Note
BRICS has expanded beyond Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Indonesia, making it a larger plurilateral platform on global governance.
🎯 Concept Kit — tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 (plurilateral groupings) and GS3 (urbanisation). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | BRICS expansion, urban governance, think tanks. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | confusing NIUA with NITI Aayog. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | NIUA = urban think tank under MoHUA, founded 1976. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** what does BRICS expansion mean for the Global South? |
Question 14 of 14
Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, named the 31st Chief of the Army Staff, is notable for being the first chief in decades from which corps?
FACT: Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, who takes charge as the 31st COAS on June 30, 2026, is the first Armoured Corps officer to head the Army since Gen Shankar Roy Chowdhury in 1997. ANALYSIS: He was commissioned in December 1986 and succeeds Gen Upendra Dwivedi.
📝 Concept Note
The Chief of the Army Staff is the professional head of the Indian Army. The appointment is part of the higher defence organisation, alongside the Chief of Defence Staff and the other service chiefs.
🎯 Concept Kit — tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS3 (security, higher defence organisation). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | service chief, Armoured Corps, civil-military relations. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | assuming the COAS is always from the infantry. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth = 31st COAS, first Armoured Corps chief since 1997. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** how is theaterisation reshaping the higher defence structure? |
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