Current Affairs MCQs – July 26-27

Consider the following statements with reference to Project Kusha:

Project Kusha is being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as an indigenous long-range air defence system for India.
The interceptor missiles under Project Kusha are planned to provide engagement capabilities at ranges extending up to 400 km.
Project Kusha is envisaged as a component of Mission Sudarshan Chakra, which aims to establish a multi-layered national air and missile defence shield by 2035.

Which one of the following conclusions based on the above statements is correct?

All three statements are correct.
There is no correct statement.
There are two correct statements that include statement 3.
There is only one correct statement.

Explanation

All statements are correct

Project Kusha is DRDO’s flagship indigenous long-range air defence programme intended to strengthen India’s strategic air defence capabilities. It comprises a three-tier interceptor architecture (M1, M2, and M3) with engagement ranges of approximately 150 km, 250 km, and up to 350–400 km, respectively. The project is also expected to form a critical element of Mission Sudarshan Chakra, India’s proposed multi-layered air and missile defence network targeted for operational maturity by 2035.

Answer: (a) All three statements are correct.; Difficulty Level: Medium

Consider the following statements regarding the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award:

It is the highest national award in India for achievements in adventure sports and enjoys a status equivalent to the Arjuna Award.
The award is presented annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

The Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, instituted in 1993, is India’s highest national award for adventure sports. It recognizes outstanding achievements, leadership, and contributions in adventure activities and enjoys a status equivalent to the Arjuna Award.

Statement 2 is correct

The award is presented annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It is conferred in four categories—Land Adventure, Water (Sea) Adventure, Air Adventure, and Lifetime Achievement. Awardees receive a bronze statuette, a certificate, a blazer/saree, and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh.

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2; Difficulty Level: Medium

Kutki, recently seen in the news, is best described as:

A high-altitude perennial medicinal herb of the Himalayas known for its hepatoprotective properties.
A cold-water Himalayan fish endemic to the Indus river system.
A traditional millet variety cultivated in the trans-Himalayan region for food security.
A Himalayan conifer species widely used for commercial timber production

Explanation

Farmers in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, demonstrated sustainable cultivation of Picrorhiza kurroa (Kutki) by harvesting side branches (stolons) instead of uprooting the plant.
Kutki (Picrorhiza kurroa) is a perennial high-altitude medicinal herb found on moist, rocky Himalayan slopes at elevations of 2,700–4,500 metres. Its roots contain Kutkin, a bitter glycoside with hepatoprotective (liver-protecting), anti-asthmatic, and stomachic properties. Due to overharvesting, it is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is listed under CITES Appendix II.

Answer: (a) A high-altitude perennial medicinal herb of the Himalayas known for its hepatoprotective properties.; Difficulty Level: Medium

Consider the following statements with reference to India’s civil aviation sector:

India is currently the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market after the United States and China.
Under the modified UDAN scheme (2026–2036), Viability Gap Funding has been extended from three years to five years to improve the sustainability of regional air routes.
The GAGAN navigation system is an indigenous satellite-based augmentation system designed to facilitate precision all-weather aircraft landings.
India permits 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under the automatic route in both greenfield and brownfield airport projects.

Which one of the following conclusions based on the above statements is correct?

Only one statement is correct.
Only two statements are correct.
Only three statements are correct.
All four statements are correct.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

India has emerged as the third-largest domestic aviation market globally, behind only the United States and China. The sector has witnessed rapid growth, with operational airports increasing from 74 in 2014 to 165 by July 2026.

Statement 2 is correct

The Modified UDAN Scheme (2026–2036) extends the period of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) from 3 years to 5 years. This reform seeks to address the issue of “route mortality,” wherein many regional routes become commercially unviable once subsidies are withdrawn.

Statement 3 is correct

GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) is India’s indigenous Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS), jointly developed by AAI and ISRO. It enhances navigation accuracy and enables precision all-weather landings, particularly benefiting regional airports that lack costly ground-based navigation infrastructure.

Statement 4 is incorrect

India permits 100% FDI under the automatic route only in greenfield airport projects. Brownfield airport projects are subject to a different FDI framework and are not covered under the automatic route provision mentioned in the statement.

Answer: (c) Only three statements are correct.; Difficulty Level: Medium

Consider the following statements regarding the Ken–Betwa River Interlinking Project:

It is the first river interlinking project to be implemented under the National Perspective Plan and envisages the transfer of water from the Ken River to the Betwa River.
Both the Ken and Betwa rivers are tributaries of the Yamuna River, and the project includes the construction of the Daudhan Dam as part of its Phase I.

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

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Both statements are correct

The Ken–Betwa Link Project is the first project under the National Perspective Plan for interlinking rivers and proposes transferring surplus water from the Ken River (Madhya Pradesh) to the Betwa River (Uttar Pradesh).
Both rivers are tributaries of the Yamuna. The Daudhan Dam and hydropower component constitute the major works under Phase I of the project.

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2.; Difficulty Level: Medium

Which one of the following best describes “ContactSeek”?

A genome sequencing platform used to identify disease-causing mutations in human DNA.
An AI-based computational tool that predicts protein–DNA interactions to improve the precision and safety of DNA base editing.
A CRISPR-Cas9 variant that introduces double-stranded DNA breaks to enhance gene-editing efficiency.
A biotechnology platform developed to synthesize artificial DNA sequences for therapeutic applications.

Explanation

Researchers have developed ContactSeek, a novel AI based computational tool that significantly improves the precision and safety of DNA base editing.
It leverages AlphaFold3, Google’s advanced AI model for predicting biomolecular structures and interactions, to accurately map protein–DNA contacts.
It predicts how different regions (amino acid residues) of gene-editing proteins physically interact with DNA, helping identify structural features responsible for off-target editing.
Researchers used ContactSeek to engineer improved versions of widely used CRISPR-based base editors, including Cas9, thereby reducing off-target DNA modifications while maintaining editing efficiency.

Answer: (b) An AI-based computational tool that predicts protein–DNA interactions to improve the precision and safety of DNA base editing; Difficulty Level: Medium

Consider the following pairs:

*Sea*	*Bordering Country*
Adriatic Sea	Albania
Black Sea	Croatia
Caspian Sea	Kazakhstan
Mediterranean Sea	Morocco
Red Sea	Syria

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

1, 2 and 4 only
1, 3 and 4 only
2 and 5 only
1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Explanation

Pair 1 is correct

The Adriatic Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea that is situated between the Italian and Balkan peninsulas. The Po, Adige, Soca, Krka, Drin, and Vjosa are some of the major rivers that empty into the Adriatic. It is surrounded by the Apennines, Alps, Dinarids, and Helenids mountain ranges.
The countries with coasts on the Adriatic are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro, and Slovenia.

Pair 2 is incorrect

Recently, Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack on the commercial vessel MV OMORFI in the Black Sea, reportedly within Russian territorial waters, which killed one Indian crew member.
Black Sea is a marginal Mediterranean Sea lying between Europe and Asia.
It lies:
- East of the Balkan Peninsula (Southeast Europe)
- South of the East European Plain in Eastern Europe
- West of the Caucasus
- North of Anatolia in Western Asia.
It is supplied by significant rivers, principally the Danube and Dnieper.
There is a significant absence of oxygen in the Black Sea water.
Mountain Ranges: Pontic Mountains (South), Caucasus Mountains (East) and Crimean Mts (North).
Countries surrounding Black Sea are Ukraine to the north, Russia to the northeast, Georgia to the east, Turkey to the south, Bulgaria to the southwest, and Romania to the west.
It ultimately drains into the Mediterranean Sea via the Turkish Straits and the Aegean Sea.
To the north, the Black Sea is connected to the Sea of Azov by the Kerch Strait.

Pair 3 is correct

The Caspian Sea is the world’s largest inland body of water.
The Caspian Sea, like the Black Sea, is a remnant of the ancient Paratethys Sea.
It is bounded by Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan.
Its main freshwater inflow comes from Europe’s longest river, the Volga and the Ural River.

Pair 4 is correct

The Mediterranean Sea is bordered by 21 countries. They are Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey.

Pair 5 is incorrect

Surrounding Countries of Red Sea are Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea and Djibouti.
Israel has access to the Red Sea via its port in Eilat and Jordan via Aqaba on the Gulf of Aqaba.

Answer: (b) 1, 3 and 4; Difficulty Level: Hard

Consider the following statements regarding the East Asia Summit (EAS):

The East Asia Summit was established in 2005 and is convened annually under the leadership of ASEAN.
India has been a member of the East Asia Summit since its inception

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

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

The East Asia Summit (EAS) was established in 2005 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is an ASEAN-led, leaders-level forum that is convened annually to discuss strategic, political, and economic issues of regional and global significance. ASEAN centrality remains a defining feature of the EAS framework.

Statement 2 is correct

India has been a member of the East Asia Summit since its inception in 2005. It was among the original 16 participating countries, reflecting its growing engagement with East and Southeast Asia under its “Look East” (now “Act East”) policy. The United States and the Russian Federation joined later in 2011 during the Sixth East Asia Summit held in Bali, Indonesia.

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2; Difficulty Level: Easy

Consider the following statements regarding the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana Rasayan (BHAVYA Rasayan) Scheme:

The scheme aims to establish dedicated Chemical Parks on a plug-and-play model to promote domestic chemical manufacturing.
Under the scheme, the Union Government will provide grant-in-aid of up to ₹1,000 crore per park, while the participating State Government is required to contribute at least ₹500 crore per park.
Only those States having at least 5,000 acres of contiguous land are eligible for consideration under the scheme.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

The BHAVYA Rasayan Scheme, approved under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, seeks to establish three dedicated Chemical Parks on a plug-and-play model. Its objectives include expanding chemical manufacturing, attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), reducing import dependence, and lowering logistics costs for downstream industries such as pharmaceuticals, textiles, agrochemicals, automobiles, and electronics.

Statement 2 is correct

The scheme provides for Central assistance of up to ₹1,000 crore per Chemical Park in the form of grant-in-aid. In addition, the concerned State Government must contribute a minimum of ₹500 crore per park, ensuring a collaborative Centre–State funding framework.

Statement 3 is incorrect

The scheme mandates that each Chemical Park should have a minimum contiguous and encumbrance-free area of 2,000 acres (approximately 8 sq. km), not 5,000 acres. The parks will be selected through a competitive, challenge-based process among States.