8 February 2026, Questions & Answers

Explanation

The article clearly states that Justice (Retd.) BP Katakey was appointed by the Meghalaya High Court as a one-man committee to monitor illegal coal-mining in the state. This is a classic static GK linkage where the examiner tests specific institutional knowledge.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: The mine was illegal and located in East Jaintia Hills, not West Jaintia Hills. Statement 2 is incorrect: The administration invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), not CrPC Section 144. Statement 3 is correct as per the article. This tests attention to detail on location, legal provision, and judicial process.

Explanation

The article states the death toll rose to 27 (24 recovered from the mine + 3 succumbing to injuries). Options like 24 and 25 are close distractors mentioned in different contexts (bodies recovered). Memorizing the final, most updated figure is crucial for Prelims.

Explanation

The article explicitly mentions the order invoked Section 163 BNSS citing "serious likelihood of obstruction to law enforcement by certain individuals or groups during operations against illegal mining activities." This tests comprehension of the administrative rationale behind a specific legal action, a common application-based question.

Explanation

As per established practice, the Finance Commission's report is submitted to the President, who then lays it before both Houses of Parliament. This is typically done by the Union Finance Minister. The Commission itself is constituted by the President under Article 280.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: West Bengal's share decreased from 7.523% to 7.215%. Statement 2 is incorrect: The grant for rural local bodies (Rs 4.35 lakh crore) is higher than for urban local bodies (Rs 3.56 lakh crore). Statement 3 is correct: The Commission flagged the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme while advocating for sunset clauses in subsidy schemes.

Explanation

Kerala's share increased from 1.925% under the 15th Finance Commission to 2.382% under the 16th Finance Commission. Option A is its old share. Option C (3.258%) is Assam's new share, and Option D (4.097%) is Tamil Nadu's new share.

Explanation

Sunset clauses mandate a periodic review and automatic expiry of schemes unless explicitly renewed. This prevents open-ended fiscal commitments, especially for subsidies on 'non-merit private goods', thereby promoting fiscal discipline and reducing the long-term burden on state finances, as highlighted in the Commission's report.

Explanation

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the committee in her Budget speech on February 1, 2026. The Budget is the government's annual financial statement presented to Parliament under Article 112 of the Constitution.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Finance Minister clarified the committee's mandate is broader (creating a banking blueprint for Viksit Bharat), not narrowed to PSB mergers. Statement 2 is correct: PFC acquired REC for ₹14,500 crore in March 2019. Statement 3 is incorrect: Both are Navratna CPSEs, not Maharatna (a higher autonomy category).

Explanation

The article explicitly states: "In March 2019, PFC completed the acquisition of a majority stake in REC Ltd by transferring ₹14,500 crore to the government." This is a precise data point often asked in Prelims.

Explanation

The Budget proposal, as stated in the article, aims "to achieve scale and improve efficiency in the public sector NBFCs, as a first step." Both entities operate in the same space (power sector financing), and consolidation reduces duplication and creates a stronger entity for larger projects.

Explanation

The judgment explicitly references the celebrated proverbial passage, 'No society is free until the last damsel in distress is free', attributed to Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, a stalwart of judicial activism and social justice in India.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Calcutta High Court SET ASIDE the trial court's discharge order; it did not discharge the accused. Statement 2 is correct as per the article. Statement 3 is incorrect: The child was a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, not a son.

Explanation

The article clearly states that witness statements disclosed that soon after the victim’s marriage, the husband and his family demanded an additional amount of Rs 5 lakh from her father if a girl child was born.

Explanation

The court's rejection of a 'straitjacket formula' underscores the judiciary's move towards a more holistic understanding of 'cruelty' under Section 498A IPC. This includes psychological abuse, harassment for giving birth to a girl child, and other non-physical forms of violence, which is crucial for effective legal protection of women.

Explanation

The National Quantum Mission (NQM) was launched by the central government in 2023 with an outlay of Rs 6,000 crore to develop quantum technologies. The AP Quantum Valley is a state-level project that complements this national strategic mission.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct as per the article. Statement 2 is incorrect; the project is located in Uddandarayunipalem village in the Amaravati capital region, not Visakhapatnam (where Google's AI data centre is coming up). Statement 3 is correct as Wipro is providing training through a Centre of Excellence.

Explanation

The article explicitly states that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said they are preparing an action plan to train 3.5 million students in quantum computing by 2035. This is a key data point for prelims-oriented questions.

Explanation

The project's core vision is to transform Amaravati into a global capital for quantum technologies (computing, sensing, materials, communications) and make India's 'bold declaration of quantum leadership'. It is not about shifting existing IT, focusing on traditional software exports, or being a data recovery centre.

Explanation

UIDAI is the statutory authority established under the Aadhaar Act, 2016, responsible for Aadhaar enrolment and updates, including the Mandatory Biometric Update (MBU) process.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: The drive involved camps at 83,000 schools, in addition to updates at Aadhaar centres. Statement 2 is correct: Integration with UDISE+ helped identify children due for MBU. Statement 3 is correct: MBU is required upon crossing ages 5 and 15 as per Aadhaar regulations.

Explanation

UIDAI made MBU free for children in the age group of 7 to 15 years for a one-year period starting October 1. This is a specific data point from the article; other ages relate to different rules (0-5 for initial enrolment, 5 & 15 for mandatory updates).

Explanation

The article explicitly states that lack of MBU may lead to difficulties during authentication for receiving benefits under various government schemes and for registering in competitive and university examinations like NEET, JEE, and CUET.

Explanation

The CBI derives its power to investigate cases in a state from the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946. Section 6 of this Act mandates that the CBI must obtain the consent of the state government concerned before investigating any offense within that state's jurisdiction.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct as per the article. Statement 2 is incorrect because Kerala granted consent under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, not the BUDS Act. Statement 3 is incorrect as the article states the Justice Govindaraj Committee has NOT been able to auction any assets for nearly three years.

Explanation

The depositors told the Supreme Court that they lost life-savings aggregating to about ₹1,000 crore. The other figures are close distractors. Memorizing exact financial figures from important economic fraud cases is crucial for prelims.

Explanation

The petitioners argued that fragmented state-level investigations lead to a denial of the right to a fair investigation, which is encompassed within the broader Right to Life and Personal Liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution, as interpreted by the judiciary.

Explanation

The news states that the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) recommended approval for the Kopra irrigation project. The NBWL is the apex body for wildlife conservation policies in India, constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect because India has specifically safeguarded sensitive sectors and has NOT extended duty concessions on dairy products and poultry. Statement 2 is correct as per the US executive order. Statement 3 is correct as India secured concessions including a tariff rate quota for generic pharmaceuticals.

Explanation

The article clearly states: 'While the US will reduce tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from 50 per cent...'. This is a key data point from the agreement that is highly testable in prelims.

Explanation

While ISM 1.0 focused on fabs and packaging, ISM 2.0's top priority is to support indigenous chip design companies and startups, aiming to create 'the next Qualcomm from India'. This represents a strategic shift towards capturing higher value in the semiconductor value chain.

Explanation

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), established under the NGT Act, 2010, is the specialized judicial body for environmental cases. It banned rat-hole mining in Meghalaya in 2014 due to its environmental and safety hazards.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: Rat-hole mining is defined by narrow tunnels and is common in Meghalaya. Statement 2 is incorrect: The ban was imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014, not the Supreme Court. Statement 3 is correct: The article highlights that wages are higher than MGNREGA and enforcement is weak, leading to its continuation.

Explanation

The article explicitly states that according to Meghalaya police records, between April 2014 and November 2018, there were at least 477 violations of the NGT order banning rat-hole mining. This precise data point is crucial for Prelims.

Explanation

The article's referenced editorial clearly states that in northeastern states, rat-hole mining offers much higher wages than MGNREGA and other government schemes, and it gets a 'free run' when the 'politician-bureaucracy nexus turns an unseeing eye.' This highlights the socio-economic and governance roots of the problem.

Explanation

The research was conducted at the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. CCMB is a premier research institute under the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), focusing on frontier areas of modern biology.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect because the study revealed shape-shifting is driven NOT only by genes but also by metabolism. Statement 2 is correct as per the lab experiments described. Statement 3 is incorrect as the article explicitly mentions the dual crisis for public health and agriculture.

Explanation

The researchers examined a strain of Candida albicans, which is mentioned in the article as a leading cause of fungal infections worldwide. The altered strain with disrupted metabolism showed reduced virulence in mouse studies.

Explanation

As stated by Dr. Varahan, since these metabolic pathways are fundamental for fungal growth and shape-shifting, targeting them may represent an 'Achilles' heel' that is harder for fungi to escape through resistance, unlike drugs targeting specific proteins which can mutate.

Explanation

The Sahyog Portal was developed by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). MeitY is the nodal ministry for IT policy and internet governance in India.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The petition argues the Sahyog Portal and Rule 3(1)(d) bypass the procedure under Section 69A and the 2009 Blocking Rules. Statement 2 is incorrect: The amended rule specifies a 36-hour window for removal, not 24 hours. Statement 3 is correct: The petitioners contend the provisions violate Article 14 (equality) and Article 19(1)(g) (right to profession).

Explanation

The article states that RTI data revealed more than 2,300 blocking orders were sent to 19 online platforms (like WhatsApp, Facebook) via the Sahyog Portal between October 2024 and October 2025. This data point highlights the scale of the portal's operation.

Explanation

The core legal argument is that the portal and rule confer wide, unchecked powers to thousands of government officers to issue takedown orders without due process, bypassing the safeguards of Section 69A. This, the petitioners argue, results in an unconstitutional restriction on freedom of speech (implied in Article 19) and violates the right to equality before law (Article 14).

Explanation

Article 164(4) of the Constitution explicitly states that a minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the legislature of the state shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a minister.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct as per Article 164(4). Statement 2 is correct; the SC upheld the appointment of UP CM Tribhuvan Narain Singh in 1971. Statement 3 is incorrect; B.P. Mandal was not directly appointed. First, Satish Prasad Singh was made CM for five days to facilitate Mandal's nomination to the Legislative Council.

Explanation

Satish Prasad Singh served as Chief Minister for a deliberately short stint of five days (from January 28, 1968, until February 1, 1968) to facilitate B.P. Mandal's nomination to the Legislative Council.

Explanation

The primary objective of Article 164(4) is to provide a grace period of six months to a person appointed as a minister (including CM) to secure membership of the state legislature, either by election or by nomination to the Legislative Council, thereby ensuring the principle of collective responsibility to the house is eventually fulfilled.