UPSC Prelims Practice
Current Affairs Quiz 14 September 2026
Test Your Knowledge
13 questions based on today’s current affairs & editorials
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Question 1 of 13
Facts
Article 343 (Official language of the Union) provides that the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script, with the international form of Indian numerals; Article 343(2) continued English alongside Hindi for a period of 15 years from the commencement of the Constitution, and Article 343(3) empowers Parliament to extend that use, which was done by the Official Languages Act, 1963.
Analysis
Article 344 is about the Commission and Parliamentary Committee on Official Language; Article 345 is on the official language of a State; Article 351 is the Directive Principle on the development of Hindi.
Concept note
The Constituent Assembly reached the formulation on 14 September 1949 after a long debate. The first Hindi Diwas was observed in 1953 on the recommendation of the Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti, Wardha.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS2 (Constitution, Union-State relations); GS1 (Society, linguistic diversity). ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** Article 343, Devanagari, Official Languages Act 1963, Region A/B/C, associate official language. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** Using the phrase "national language"; the Constitution does not use it. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** Article 343 covers the Union; Articles 345 to 347 cover the States; Article 348 covers courts. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Why is English still an associate official language of the Union? |
Question 2 of 13
Facts
The 6th Akhil Bharatiya Rajbhasha Sammelan (All India Official Language Conference) was held on 14 and 15 September 2026 at the CIDCO Exhibition Centre in Navi Mumbai. Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated it and conferred the Rajbhasha Kirti (institutions) and Rajbhasha Gaurav (individuals) Puraskars for 2025-26.
Analysis
The rotation of venue is by design, to signal that the Union’s promotion of Hindi is being pursued in conversation with, not at the expense of, other Indian languages.
Concept note
Previous editions were held at Varanasi (2021), Surat (2022), Pune (2023), New Delhi at Bharat Mandapam (2024) and Gandhinagar (2025). The nodal agency is the Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS2 (implementation of official language policy). ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** All India Rajbhasha Sammelan, Department of Official Language, Rajbhasha awards. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** Assuming Bharat Mandapam hosted it; that was BRICS 2026 the previous week. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** The two Rajbhasha awards are for institutions (Kirti) and for individuals (Gaurav). ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Why are the awards categorised by institutional and individual streams? |
Question 3 of 13
Facts
The Constitution nowhere uses the phrase “national language”. Article 343 designates Hindi in Devanagari as the official language of the Union, and English continues as an associate official language under Article 343(2) and the Official Languages Act, 1963. The Eighth Schedule listing of 22 languages, the addition of Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santali by the 92nd Amendment (2003), and the continuation of English under the 1963 Act are all correct.
Analysis
The distinction between “official language” and “national language” is examined regularly at both Prelims and Mains levels.
Concept note
The Eighth Schedule started with 14 languages in 1950. Sindhi was added by the 21st Amendment (1967); Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali by the 71st Amendment (1992); and Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santali by the 92nd Amendment (2003).
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS2 (Constitution, Eighth Schedule). ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** official language, associate official language, Eighth Schedule, 92nd Amendment. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** Confusing the 71st and 92nd Amendments; four languages added by the 92nd, three by the 71st. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** India has no "national language" by constitutional designation. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Should there be a national language in India? |
Question 4 of 13
Facts
India recognises eleven classical languages as on October 2024. The earlier six were Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada and Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013) and Odia (2014). In October 2024, five more, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali, were added together.
Analysis
The classical-language designation is an executive recognition by the Ministry of Culture with revised criteria; it is not a constitutional or Eighth Schedule listing, and the count is not the same as the 22 scheduled languages.
Concept note
The revised October 2024 criteria replaced the earlier 2005 criteria and dropped the standalone requirement of a body of ancient literature independent of Sanskrit. Classical status brings scholarly funding, university chairs and central institute recognitions.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS1 (Indian society, culture); GS2 (cultural policy). ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** classical language, Ministry of Culture, Central Institute of Classical Languages. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** Equating classical languages with Eighth Schedule listing; the two are distinct. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** October 2024 was the largest single addition round, with five languages together. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** What does classical-language status actually deliver? |
Question 5 of 13
Facts
Dronathon-2026 opened at the Pokhran Firing Range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan on 14 September 2026 and runs to 16 September. It is an Indian Air Force industry-facing showcase of indigenous Unmanned Aerial Systems and Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems, aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence.
Analysis
Chandipur is a DRDO missile test range; Ahmednagar is the Army’s Armoured Corps Centre and School; Wheeler Island is used for missile launches.
Concept note
Pokhran offers a large uncluttered airspace, arid terrain, long line-of-sight distances and restricted air corridors, which suit trials of swarm tactics and Counter-UAS jamming without civilian spectrum spillover.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS3 (security, indigenisation of defence). ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** UAS, CUAS, PLI drones, iDEX, Positive Indigenisation List, spectrum dominance. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** Confusing Pokhran with Chandipur; Pokhran hosts weapon-firing and now drone trials, Chandipur hosts DRDO missile tests. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** Drone Rules 2021 govern civil UAS; military drones are outside DGCA remit. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Why is Pokhran the natural venue for Counter-UAS trials? |
Question 6 of 13
Which of the following statements about India’s civil drone-and-defence policy stack is correct?
Facts
The PLI scheme for drones and drone components was notified on 30 September 2021 with a corpus of Rs 120 crore over three financial years.
Analysis
The Drone Rules 2021 are administered by the DGCA under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, not DGFT (option a is wrong). iDEX is administered by the Defence Innovation Organisation, a Section 8 company set up in 2018, not by DDP directly (option c is wrong). India has notified five Positive Indigenisation Lists for platforms and five parallel lists for DPSU items (option d is wrong).
Concept note
iDEX funds Services-startup partnerships; the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (2020) has a Rs 400 crore corpus for eight domain-specific test centres. India joined the Wassenaar Arrangement in 2017.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS3 (indigenisation, S&T, security). ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** Drone Rules 2021, PLI drones, iDEX, Positive Indigenisation Lists, Wassenaar Arrangement. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** Assuming iDEX is a departmental scheme; it is a Section 8 company under MoD. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** Wassenaar is voluntary and non-binding; it is not a treaty. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** How does the PLI corpus of Rs 120 crore compare with the size of the drone opportunity? |
Question 7 of 13
Facts
The World Circular Economy Forum was launched by SITRA, the Finnish Innovation Fund, in 2017 and has convened every year since (with a pandemic pause). WCEF 2026 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, from 15 to 18 September 2026, is co-hosted by India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change with SITRA.
Analysis
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation articulates the concept but does not convene the Forum; the European Environment Agency and UNEP are separate institutional actors.
Concept note
It is the first WCEF held in South Asia and the first Asian edition after Yokohama 2018. Theme: “Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity”.
Expected participation: over 2,000 delegates from more than 65 countries.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS3 (environment, circular economy). ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** circular economy, EPR, Mission LiFE, SITRA, secondary raw materials. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** Attributing the forum to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which is the concept steward, not the convenor. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** WCEF 2026 is the 10th edition, and the first in South Asia. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Which sector should India lead on at WCEF 2026? |
Question 8 of 13
Facts
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November 2021, and the mission was formally rolled out in 2022. It targets individual and household behaviour change across seven themes: energy, water, food, plastics, e-waste, single-use plastic and sustainable transport.
Analysis
COP27 saw the operational rollout in international discussions; Bali was the G20 announcement window; and the Voice of Global South Summit picked up the theme, but the announcement was at Glasgow.
Concept note
Mission LiFE anchors India’s five-fold Panchamrit at COP26: 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030, 50 per cent electricity from renewables by 2030, one billion tonnes reduction in projected emissions by 2030, 45 per cent reduction in emissions intensity of GDP by 2030, and net zero by 2070.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS3 (environment, climate policy). ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** Mission LiFE, Panchamrit, COP26, EPR, circular economy. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** Placing Mission LiFE at COP27; the announcement was at Glasgow. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** Mission LiFE has seven themes; the 2070 net-zero target is India’s economy-wide commitment. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** How is Mission LiFE distinct from a circular-economy policy? |
Question 9 of 13
Facts
At the 7th NSA-level meeting in New Delhi on 20 November 2025, hosted by NSA Ajit Doval, the CSC members welcomed Seychelles’ decision to accede as a full member, taking the grouping to six: India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Bangladesh and Seychelles.
Analysis
Bangladesh was already a full member, having joined in July 2024; Malaysia attended the November 2025 meeting as a guest; Myanmar is not part of the CSC.
Concept note
The CSC began in 2011 as a trilateral NSA-level maritime dialogue of India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Mauritius joined at the 5th NSA-level meeting at Male in March 2022, where Bangladesh and Seychelles attended as observers.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS2 (India and neighbourhood, groupings). ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** SAGAR, MAHASAGAR, CSC, IFC-IOR, IONS, IORA, IPOI. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** Listing Bangladesh or Seychelles as observers; both attended as observers in 2022 and are full members now. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** The CSC is at NSA level, not at Foreign Ministers' level. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** How does the CSC differ from IORA and IONS? |
Question 10 of 13
Facts
The Secretariat of the Colombo Security Conclave was formally launched at Colombo, Sri Lanka after the CSC founding documents were signed there on 30 August 2024. It supports the NSA-level meetings, coordinates the five-pillar work streams and administers the growing information-sharing architecture of the grouping.
Analysis
India, Male and Port Louis all host meetings and exercises under CSC, but the Secretariat is at Colombo.
Concept note
The Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) at Gurugram, hosted by the Indian Navy since 2018, is a separate national facility that complements the CSC through white-shipping data flows.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS2 (institutions, India and neighbourhood). ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** CSC Secretariat, IFC-IOR, White Shipping Agreements, SAGAR, MAHASAGAR. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** Placing the Secretariat in Male or New Delhi. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** CSC Secretariat (Colombo, 2024); IFC-IOR (Gurugram, 2018). ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Why did the CSC choose Colombo for its Secretariat? |
Question 11 of 13
Facts
The moth bean is Vigna aconitifolia, a short-duration, deep-rooted, drought-tolerant pulse of the family Fabaceae. It is grown primarily in western Rajasthan, arid parts of Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh.
Analysis
Vigna radiata is mung/green gram; Vigna mungo is urad/black gram; Vigna unguiculata is cowpea/lobia. Do not confuse these species when asked to match crop-and-scientific-name.
Concept note
CAZRI-bred varieties Moth-6 through 9 have been recently released, with Moth-10 and 11 in the pipeline. Moth bean feeds the Bikaneri bhujia industry and fixes nitrogen in low-fertility arid soils.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS3 (agriculture, climate resilience). ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** Vigna aconitifolia, CAZRI, AICRP Arid Legumes, breeder seed, drought tolerance. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** Confusing Vigna aconitifolia (moth bean) with Vigna radiata (mung) or mungo (urad). ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** Moth bean is the pulse of last resort in the arid Kharif rotation. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Why is moth bean particularly climate-relevant? |
Question 12 of 13
Facts
The Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) is headquartered at Jodhpur, Rajasthan. It was established in 1959 by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and transferred to ICAR in 1966. Its regional research stations include Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Pali, Bhuj and Leh.
Analysis
Hyderabad is the location of ICAR-CRIDA (Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture); Kanpur is the location of ICAR-IIPR (Indian Institute of Pulses Research). Do not confuse the three institutes.
Concept note
CAZRI is India’s premier research institute for arid and semi-arid agricultural systems; its mandate covers rainfed agriculture, agroforestry, animal science and integrated farming systems.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS3 (agriculture, S&T institutions). ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** CAZRI, ICAR, IIPR Kanpur, CRIDA Hyderabad, arid legumes. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** Placing CAZRI at Bikaner (a regional station) or at Hyderabad (which is CRIDA). ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** CAZRI is arid-zone; CRIDA is dryland; IIPR is pulses. All three are ICAR institutes. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** How does CAZRI feed into the National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA)? |
Question 13 of 13
Facts
The Rishikesh to Karnaprayag railway is 125 km long and approximately 84 per cent of the alignment is in tunnels. It is executed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a CPSE under the Ministry of Railways. It is a broad-gauge line.
Escape Tunnel-1 was holed through on 11 September 2026, the 41st tunnel breakthrough on the project.
Analysis
(a) is wrong because RVNL, not Konkan Railway, is the executing agency; (c) is wrong because zonal jurisdiction is separate; (d) is wrong because the line is broad gauge, not metre gauge.
Concept note
When commissioned, the line will drastically shorten access to the Char Dham circuit and provide an all-weather link to the Chamoli district. The longest tunnel on the alignment is Tunnel-8 at approximately 14.577 km.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS3 (infrastructure, border and strategic connectivity); GS1 (Himalayan geography). ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** RVNL, all-weather connectivity, Char Dham, Bilaspur-Manali-Leh survey, Himalayan tunnelling. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** Attributing execution to Konkan Railway; it is RVNL. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** Approximately 84 per cent of the alignment is in tunnels; the crux of the project is tunnelling. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** What are the engineering challenges of tunnelling in the Central Himalayas? |
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