Daily Current Affairs MCQ: 16th July 2025 - UPSC MCQ

Statement 1: This statement is correct. The text indicates that the United States has moved towards unilateralism by emphasizing national self-sufficiency and bilateral agreements over multilateral cooperation. This shift underlines the U.S.'s focus on prioritizing its own national interests, which is a key aspect of unilateralism.

Statement 2: This statement is incorrect. The text emphasizes India's need to balance its relationships with major powers while maintaining its strategic autonomy. India aims to pursue its core interests without being overly aligned with either the United States or China. Hence, the statement suggesting that India's strategic autonomy is challenged by a need to closely align with one of these powers is misleading.

Statement 3: This statement is correct. According to the text, the upcoming BRICS Summit is highlighted as an opportunity for India to assert its influence by focusing on South-South cooperation and realigning the priorities of the Global South. This supports India's strategy to enhance its role in international affairs through multilateral platforms like BRICS.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 3 Only.

- Statement 1 is correct. The Prime Minister Professorships program indeed aims to use the expertise of retired scientists and industry professionals to mentor state universities, enhancing the mentoring capabilities of these institutions as they develop their research ecosystems.

- Statement 2 is incorrect. According to the program details, the hub and spoke model involves a hub that can mentor up to seven spokes, not ten. Hubs are top-ranking institutions and spokes are public universities and selected NITs/IIITs.

- Statement 3 is correct. The program allows Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) to apply, with the condition that they are willing to relocate full-time to the host university. This inclusivity helps in bringing diverse expertise to the mentoring process.

Thus, only statements 1 and 3 are correct. Hence, the correct answer is Option C: 1 and 3 Only.

1. Gurugram's Urban Crisis is correctly matched. The city indeed faces recurrent urban flooding and the collapse of public infrastructure, highlighting significant governance failures.

2. ICAR's Major Achievement is correctly matched. The "One Scientist One Product" initiative is one of the initiatives launched by ICAR to enhance agricultural productivity and research impact.

3. Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 is incorrectly matched. It was enacted under Article 35 to implement the provisions of Article 17, not Article 25, which pertains to freedom of religion.

4. Untouchability is correctly matched. It is addressed under Article 17 of the Indian Constitution, which abolishes untouchability and prohibits its practice in any form.

Thus, three pairs are correctly matched: 1, 2, and 4.

- Statement 1: This statement is correct. Gurugram's urban planning is criticized for maintaining rural exclusivity, which emphasizes private gains and neglects the concept of public good, thus undermining civic life.

- Statement 2: This statement is incorrect. Although digital tools are intended to enhance transparency, in Gurugram, they are often manipulated to serve private interests, complicating the governance landscape and not effectively enhancing public welfare.

- Statement 3: This statement is incorrect. The historical context of privatization in Gurugram's urban development, beginning with the DLF corporation, has been characterized by exclusionary practices, prioritizing private benefits over public welfare.

Thus, only Statement 1 is correct, confirming that the correct answer is Option A: 1 Only.

- Statement 1 is correct. The Skill India Mission was indeed launched in 2015 with the objective of empowering India's youth with employable skills. It aims to train 40 crore individuals by 2022 across various economic sectors.

- Statement 2 is incorrect. The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0) does not focus exclusively on rural youth aged 15 to 25 years, nor does it focus solely on traditional trades. Instead, it targets youth aged 15 to 59 years and offers over 400 new courses, including those in emerging technologies, for short-term training, reskilling, and upskilling.

- Statement 3 is correct. The courses under the Skill India Mission are integrated with digital platforms like DigiLocker and the National Credit Framework. This integration facilitates secure storage of certifications and makes academic progression easier for individuals undergoing training.

Thus, the correct statements are 1 and 3, making Option C: 1 and 3 Only the right answer.

1. BRICS Summit 2026 - Planned to be held in India: This statement is correct. The upcoming BRICS Summit in 2026 is indeed scheduled to be held in India, aligning with India's opportunity to assert its influence and realign the priorities of the Global South.

2. RhODIS - Originally developed in India: This statement is incorrect. The Rhino DNA Index System (RhODIS) was originally developed in South Africa, not India. It has been adapted for implementation in India to assist in wildlife forensics and the fight against rhino poaching.

3. One-Horned Rhinoceros - Majorly found in Kaziranga National Park: This statement is correct. Kaziranga National Park is home to the largest population of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros, with Assam housing around 80% of the global population.

4. Article 343 - Establishes English as the official language of India: This statement is incorrect. Article 343 of the Indian Constitution establishes Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union of India, not English.

Thus, there are two correctly matched pairs: 1 and 3.

Gurugram faces a significant challenge due to inadequate civic infrastructure and recurring urban flooding, despite being a hub for Fortune 500 companies. This issue highlights the failure of basic civic amenities and the contradiction between high real estate expectations and the city's infrastructure capabilities.

The upcoming BRICS Summit in India in 2026 aims to realign the priorities of the Global South. This summit provides an opportunity for countries like India to assert their influence by focusing on national prosperity and fostering South-South cooperation. It signifies a strategic move towards redefining global dynamics and strengthening cooperation among emerging economies.

Statement-I correctly reflects the objectives of the PM Professorships program, which aims to strengthen research and innovation in emerging institutions by engaging retired scientists and industry professionals as mentors for state universities. This aligns with the details provided in the text about the program leveraging the knowledge of retired scientists for mentoring state universities.

Statement-II discusses the importance of transitioning to green fuels in global shipping to reduce carbon emissions, with India seeking to play a significant role in producing and exporting green marine fuels. This aligns with the key takeaways from the text regarding India's aspirations and challenges in decarbonizing the global shipping sector.

While both statements are factually correct based on the provided information, they are independent of each other and do not explain or directly relate to one another. Hence, the correct answer is option (b), indicating that both statements are correct but not interrelated in a way that one explains the other.

1. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0) - Incorrect. PMKVY 4.0 focuses on short-term training, reskilling, and upskilling for youth aged 15 to 59 years, not specifically on apprenticeship training for individuals aged 14 to 35 years.

2. Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (PM-NAPS) - Incorrect. PM-NAPS specifically promotes apprenticeship training with financial support for individuals aged 14 to 35 years, not community-based vocational training for women and rural youth.

3. Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Scheme - Incorrect. JSS Scheme is a community-based vocational training initiative aimed at empowering women, rural youth, and economically weaker sections, not offering short-term training in emerging technologies.

4. Zographetus mathewi - Correct. Zographetus mathewi is indeed a new butterfly species discovered in the low-elevation forests of the Western Ghats.

Thus, only one pair is correctly matched.