Current Affairs MCQs – August 25, 2026

With reference to the constitutional safeguards for forests in India, consider the following statements:

1. Article 48A directs the State to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard forests and wildlife.
2. Article 51A(g) imposes a fundamental duty on citizens to protect and improve the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife.
3. The 42^nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 transferred forests from the State List to the Concurrent List, enabling both the Union and State Governments to legislate on the subject.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Article 48A, inserted by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, is a Directive Principle of State Policy directing the State to protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife.

Statement 2 is correct

• Article 51A(g) makes it a Fundamental Duty of every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.

Statement 3 is correct

• Through the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, forests were shifted from the State List to the Concurrent List, giving both the Union and State Governments legislative competence over forests.

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3; Difficulty Level: Easy

 With reference to the report Rangelands Rising, consider the following statements:

1. It was launched at the 17^th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UNCCD.
2. The report was jointly produced by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and World Bank.
3. The report primarily seeks to make a strong economic case for increased investment in rangeland restoration.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Rangelands Rising was launched at the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The report was not jointly produced by the UNCCD and the World Bank. It was jointly produced by the UNCCD, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Statement 3 is correct

• The report seeks to make a strong economic case for urgently investing in rangeland restoration, highlighting the economic and ecological importance of healthy rangelands.

Answer: (b) Only two; Difficulty Level: Medium

With reference to the initiatives and outcomes associated with the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), consider the following statements:

1. The Steppe Action Agenda seeks to convert political commitments into measurable restoration projects, including those concerning rangeland conservation and the land–water nexus.
2. The Drought Resilience Capacity Index (DRCI) is designed to assess the capacity of countries to anticipate, prepare for and adapt to drought.
3. FRAME-ECO is intended to integrate ecosystem losses into the monitoring of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN).
4. India achieved 95% of its 2030 Bonn Challenge target for land restoration by restoring degraded land during 2011–2020.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. None

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The Steppe Action Agenda seeks to translate political commitments into measurable restoration projects, with a focus on rangeland conservation, the land–water nexus and nature-based infrastructure solutions.

Statement 2 is correct

• The Drought Resilience Capacity Index (DRCI) is designed to help countries assess their capacity to anticipate, prepare for and adapt to drought.

Statement 3 is correct

• FRAME-ECO, developed by UNEP, UNDRR and UNU-EHS, aims to integrate ecosystem losses into Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) monitoring.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• India achieved 84%, not 95%, of its 2030 Bonn Challenge target for land restoration. India restored 21.76 million hectares of degraded land during 2011–2020, against its 26-million-hectare target.

Answer: (c) Only three; Difficulty Level: Hard

 Recently seen in the news, the varieties ‘Krisna459’ and ‘Godari234’ are associated with which one of the following?

1. India’s first non-GMO, high-expansion popcorn maize hybrids
2. India’s first genetically modified maize varieties developed for drought resistance
3. India’s first high-yielding maize varieties developed specifically for ethanol production
4. India’s first hybrid maize varieties resistant to major fungal diseases

Explanation

• Vice-President launched India’s first non-GMO, high-expansion popcorn maize hybrid seed at Musunuru in Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh.

• Varieties: Krisna459 and Godari234, developed through conventional breeding without genetic engineering, are specially bred to expand significantly upon popping, unlike ordinary maize.
• Significance: It can help reduce India’s dependence on imported hybrid popcorn seed technology and support domestic production of high-quality popcorn maize.

Answer: (a) India’s first non-GMO, high-expansion popcorn maize hybrids; Difficulty Level: Medium

With reference to chromium contamination in groundwater, consider the following statements:

1. There is no prescribed permissible limit for total chromium in drinking water under the WHO guidelines and Indian drinking-water standards.
2. Bioremediation using microorganisms such as Bacillus and Pseudomonas can be employed for the remediation of chromium-contaminated sites.

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

• Statement 1 is incorrect
• There is a prescribed permissible limit for total chromium in drinking water. The limit is 0.05 mg/L (50 ppb) under the standards mentioned in the given material.
• Statement 2 is correct
• Bioremediation using microorganisms such as Bacillus and Pseudomonas can be used to remediate chromium-contaminated sites. These microorganisms can help reduce the toxicity and mobility of chromium in contaminated environments.

Answer: (a) 1 only; Difficulty Level: Medium