UPSC Prelims Practice
Current Affairs Quiz 5 November 2026
Test Your Knowledge
5 questions based on today’s current affairs & editorials
Choose number of questions
Question 1 of 5
1 For critical and strategic mineral blocks offered as a Composite Licence or Mining Lease, the bidder quoting the highest percentage of revenue share wins.
2 For Exploration Licence blocks, the bidder quoting the lowest percentage share out of the revenue share of the future lessee wins.
3 The minerals open to Exploration Licences are those specified in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Facts
Statement 1Correct
Critical mineral blocks go through a two-stage ascending forward auction, and the highest percentage of revenue share wins.
Statement 2Correct
Exploration Licence blocks go through a two-stage descending reverse auction, and the lowest percentage share out of the future lessee’s revenue share wins.
Statement 3Incorrect
The 29 Critical and Deep-Seated Minerals are specified in the Seventh Schedule of the MMDR Act, not of the Constitution.
Analysis
The Ministry of Mines launched the Ninth Tranche and Exploration Licence Tranche III together on 5 November 2026, so the two auction forms now run side by side. In one the bids climb; in the other they fall.
Concept note
Two auctions were launched together. The Ninth Tranche offers 20 critical and strategic mineral blocks in 8 States under the Mineral (Auction) Rules, with Chhattisgarh holding the most at 5.
In the previous eight tranches, 100 unique blocks were offered and 64 were auctioned, which PIB gives as a success rate of 64%. Exploration Licence Tranche III offers 11 blocks in 6 States, with Rajasthan holding the most at 4; so far 11 such blocks have been auctioned in two tranches.
Exploration Licences were introduced through Section 10BA of the MMDR Act and open exploration to private industry even before mining begins. Tender documents are on sale until 1 January 2027 and bids are due by 7 January 2027, so this tranche has no winners yet.
PIB ties these minerals to clean energy technologies, electric mobility, advanced manufacturing, fertilizers, defence, aerospace and electronics.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS3 resources, minerals policy and energy transition; GS2 government policies. ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** mineral security, revenue share, private exploration, unsold blocks. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** assuming every mineral auction rewards the highest bid; the Exploration Licence auction is a reverse auction. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** a Schedule number alone does not tell you the law; here the Seventh Schedule belongs to the MMDR Act. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** why would a private firm explore a block when its reward depends on a future lessee’s revenue? |
Question 2 of 5
Item : What it relates to
1. ANVESH : Indian Bureau of Mines portal for data on mineral production, despatch, sale quantities, average sale prices, imports and exports
2. Unified Mining Portal : Automatic issue of Letters of Intent
3. Part D minerals : Minimum Technically Qualified Bidders for the second round lowered from three to two
4. Section 10BA of the MMDR Act : Introduction of the Composite Licence
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Facts
Pair 1Correct
ANVESH, developed by the Indian Bureau of Mines, will facilitate access to and analysis of these data.
Pair 2Correct
PIB says Letters of Intent will now be issued automatically through the Unified Mining Portal.
Pair 3Correct
The Mineral (Auction) Third Amendment Rules, 2026 made this change for Part D minerals.
Pair 4Incorrect
Section 10BA introduced Exploration Licences, not the Composite Licence.
Analysis
The bidder rule was notified on 16 October 2026 and is built into the Tender Documents of both tranches launched on 5 November 2026. PIB says the change addresses a key reason blocks have gone unsold.
Concept note
The mining reforms in this release are procedural, and that is the point to remember. The Mineral (Auction) Third Amendment Rules, 2026 lower the bidder minimum for the second round, for Part D minerals.
Letters of Intent move to automatic issue through the Unified Mining Portal. PIB says these build on earlier reforms, including the Mineral (Auction) Second Amendment Rules, 2025 and Insurance Surety Bonds, aimed at ease of doing business and investor confidence.
On data, the dignitaries at the 4th Conference of Mining Ministers in Goa launched two portals developed by the Indian Bureau of Mines, ANVESH and EKAM, to strengthen data-driven governance. ANVESH stands for Analytics and Navigation for Valuation, Evaluation and Strategic Headway in Mining.
The auctions themselves run online, and details are on the MSTC e-auction platform.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS3 minerals policy; GS2 e-governance and regulatory reform. ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** ease of doing business, data-driven governance, unsold blocks, Centre-State coordination. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** reading the bidder cut as applying to every round; it is for the second round, for Part D minerals. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** Section 10BA goes with Exploration Licences; ANVESH goes with the Indian Bureau of Mines. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** does a lower bidder minimum solve unsold blocks, or does it weaken competition? |
Question 3 of 5
1 The Chairship of the Kimberley Process rotates every two years among its participating countries.
2 India is a full member of ADPA.
3 India is the only non-African Observer in ADPA.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Facts
Statement 1Incorrect
The Chairship rotates annually, and India assumed it on 1 January 2026.
Statement 2Incorrect
India has Observer status in ADPA.
Statement 3Incorrect
ADPA has two non-African Observers, the Russian Federation and India.
Analysis
The two bodies are easy to mix. The Kimberley Process is a global certification framework that India chairs in 2026, while ADPA is an association of African producers in which India only observes. India’s consultation as KP Chair was held in Luanda on 3 November, and the KP Chair presented at ADPA’s 20th anniversary programme there on 4 November.
Concept note
ADPA was established on 4 November 2006 in Luanda, Angola, to enhance cooperation among African diamond-producing nations. PIB gives it 15 effective member countries and 8 Observers, and says its members collectively account for over 60 per cent of global diamond production.
India’s Observer status gives it an institutional platform for engagement with African producers, with cooperation possible on rough diamond supply chains, technical knowledge, value addition, market access and ethical practices. At ADPA’s 20th anniversary in Luanda, its Council of Ministers approved an MoU between the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, India, and ADPA, covering capacity building and skills in diamond sorting, valuation and manufacturing, technical exchange and trade and investment links.
The KP Chair, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce Yashvir Singh, presented on Africa’s diamond future.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS2 international groupings; GS3 gems and jewellery trade. ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** diamond diplomacy, Observer status, value chain, responsible sourcing. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** treating India’s link with ADPA as membership; it is Observer status. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** the Kimberley Process Chair rotates annually; ADPA is African, with Russia and India as its non-African Observers. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** what can India gain from sitting with African producers as an Observer? |
Question 4 of 5
Statement-II: The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme was established pursuant to a resolution of the United Nations Security Council.
Facts
Statement ICorrect
PIB describes the scheme as an international initiative aimed at preventing conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate rough diamond trade.
Statement IIIncorrect
PIB says it was established pursuant to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 55/56 (2000), not a Security Council resolution.
Analysis
India, the 2026 Chair, will host the Plenary at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from 30 November to 4 December 2026, and reform of the conflict diamond definition was among the matters discussed at the Luanda consultation of 3 November.
Concept note
The Kimberley Process operates through a tripartite framework of Governments, the diamond industry and civil society. It currently has 60 Participants representing 86 countries, with the European Union and its Member States participating as a single entity.
India’s Chairship theme is Confidence, Compliance and Credibility. At the Luanda consultation, the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the KP Working Bodies reported on draft Administrative Decisions, responsible rough diamond sourcing, the statistical reporting platform, institutional governance and participant compliance.
Participants also discussed the KP Secretariat’s funding, digitalisation of certification, and artisanal and alluvial production. Observers and partners present included the World Diamond Council and the KP Civil Society Coalition.
The Plenary will be preceded by the New Delhi Diamond Dialogue, the KP Forum, on 29 November 2026. PIB says India will host the Plenary for the third time, following its Chairships in 2008 and 2019.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS2 international institutions and the United Nations; GS3 external trade. ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** tripartite framework, conflict diamonds, consensus-based decision-making, compliance. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** assuming the scheme rests on a Security Council resolution; the source is General Assembly Resolution 55/56. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** remember the tripartite makeup: Governments, industry and civil society. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** should the definition of conflict diamonds be widened, and who would object? |
Question 5 of 5
1 It is a campaign launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment under the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana.
2 Its Vayo SAATHI volunteer initiative is open only to citizens aged 60 years and above.
3 It treats senior citizens only as beneficiaries of welfare programmes, and not as mentors or contributors.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Facts
Statement 1Correct
The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment launched it under the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY).
Statement 2Incorrect
Vayo SAATHI is open to all citizens aged 18 years and above, including students and young professionals.
Statement 3Incorrect
The Secretary said the initiative recognises senior citizens not merely as beneficiaries but as active contributors, mentors and valuable repositories of knowledge.
Analysis
The campaign was launched on 4 November 2026. Its design runs the other way from a benefit scheme: it asks the young to give time, and seniors to teach.
Concept note
The Abhiyan is a National Intergenerational Bonding Campaign built on a ‘5C’ model: Connect, Converse, Co-create, Contribute and Continue. It covers twelve thematic areas, including ‘30 Minutes Together’, ‘My Story, My India’, ‘Digital Dada-Dadi / Digital Saathi’ and ‘Silver Skills’.
Vayo SAATHI stands for Support, Awareness, Assistance, Training, Health and Inclusion; volunteers register through the SCW SAMAVESH Portal or the JEEVAN App. A Handbook sets out the roles of States, Districts and community institutions.
Two MoUs were signed, with Shri Ram Chandra Mission and Adhyatma Vigyan Satsang Kendra, Jodhpur. The case for it is demographic and social.
The Minister said India’s population aged 60 and above is projected to rise from approximately 10 crore in 2011 to 23 crore by 2036, and that urbanisation, migration and changing family structures have reduced contact between generations.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | ** GS2 welfare of vulnerable sections; GS1 society and ageing; GS4 care and dignity. ** |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | ** intergenerational solidarity, ageing population, digital literacy, social inclusion. ** |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | ** reading the campaign as a new law or entitlement; it is a campaign under AVYAY. ** |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ** remember the 5Cs and that Vayo SAATHI volunteers are 18 or older. ** |
| 🎤 Interview | ** can a volunteer campaign do what family structures once did for the elderly? |
Performance
Question-wise Result
