UPSC Daily Current Affairs Quiz : 13 December 2025

Correct Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 4 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 – Correct CPI inflation at 0.7% in November 2025 was the second-lowest in the current CPI series, after the historic low of 0.25% in October 2025.
• Statement 2 – Correct. The marginal uptick in headline inflation was mainly due to a rise in fuel and light inflation, which increased to 2.3%.
• Statement 3 – Incorrect Food and beverages inflation remained in contraction (−2.8%). Prices of vegetables and pulses declined, not increased. Hence, food inflation did not turn positive.
• Statement 4 – Correct Housing inflation remained sticky at around 2.95%, especially in urban areas, showing resistance to the broader disinflationary trend.

Correct Answer: (a) 1, 3 and 4 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 - Correct During UNCLOS negotiations (1970s–80s), India aligned with small island and vulnerable states and supported the principle that the seabed beyond national jurisdiction is the “common heritage of mankind”.
• Statement 2- Incorrect. The Indian Ocean is one of the most climate-vulnerable ocean basins, facing ocean warming, acidification, sea-level rise, coral bleaching, and coastal erosion.
• Statement 3 - Correct The BBNJ Agreement (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) focuses on conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, including marine genetic resources and environmental impact assessments.
• Statement 4 – Correct India’s proposed blue economy framework for the Indian Ocean rests on three pillars:
  • Stewardship of the commons
  • Climate resilience building

Inclusive blue growth. This reflects a sustainability-centred and cooperative vision.

Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 - Correct. The IMF awarded India’s national accounts statistics a ‘C’ grade, the second-lowest rating, pointing to limitations in reliability, coverage, and estimation techniques.
• Statement 2 - Incorrect: India does not rely primarily on direct, real-time surveys for informal sector GDP estimation. Instead, it faces a lack of timely granular data for the unorganised sector.
• Statement 3 - Correct India uses proxy-based estimation, assuming that organised and unorganised sectors move together, an assumption that often fails during economic disruptions.

• Statement 4 – Incorrect  During structural shocks (demonetisation, GST rollout, COVID-19), the organised sector expanded while the unorganised sector contracted, leading to divergence rather than similarity.

Correct Answer: (a)

Explanation:

• Assertion (A) is true. During structural shocks such as demonetisation, GST rollout, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the organised sector showed relative resilience while the informal sector contracted sharply. This divergence can lead to overestimation of GDP growth.
• Reason (R) is true. India’s national accounts rely on proxy-based estimation for the informal sector, assuming that trends in the organised sector reflect those in the unorganised sector.
• R correctly explains. When the proxy assumption fails during shocks, informal sector distress is not adequately captured, directly explaining why GDP may be overstated.

Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 – Correct. The Census of India is conducted under the Census Act, 1948, which provides the legal framework for population enumeration.
• Statement 2 – Correct Census 2027 will be the first Census in independent India to enumerate caste, marking a major social and political development.
• Statement 3 – Incorrect.t The Union Cabinet did not approve any separate budgetary allocation or operational mandate for updating the NPR. This indicates a decoupling of NPR from Census 2027, unlike the 2019 approval.
• Statement 4 – Incorrect Census 2027 involves extensive Centre–State coordination and fieldwork by government teachers appointed by State governments. It is not based solely on self-enumeration.