UPSC Daily Current Affairs Quiz : 15 December 2025

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 – Correct: The MH-60R Seahawk is developed by Lockheed Martin (Sikorsky) for the U.S. Navy as a multi-role maritime helicopter.
• Statement 2 – Correct: India signed an FMS agreement in 2020 with the U.S. for 24 MH-60R helicopters.
• Statement 3 – Incorrect: MH-60R helicopters are designed to operate from aircraft carriers, destroyers, and frigates, not exclusively from aircraft carriers.
• Statement 4 – Correct: With advanced sensors like dipping sonar and sonobuoys, the MH-60R substantially enhances India’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) posture in the Indian Ocean Region.

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1- Correct: Article 19(2) lists exhaustive grounds (such as public order, morality, defamation, security of the State) on which reasonable restrictions can be imposed. No new grounds can be added judicially.
• Statement 2- Incorrect: In Kaushal Kishor v. State of UP (2023), the Supreme Court explicitly held that no new restrictions on free speech can be introduced beyond Article 19(2), even for balancing other rights.
• Statement 3 - Correct: Indian jurisprudence strongly disfavors prior restraint, as reiterated in cases like Sahara India v. SEBI (2012), where pre-censorship was allowed only as a last resort under strict conditions.
• Statement 4 - Correct: Traditionally, courts act as constitutional arbiters, examining the validity of laws, not as bodies that design or recommend regulatory frameworks.

Correct Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1  Correct: Addis Ababa hosts the African Union (AU) headquarters, providing Ethiopia with disproportionate diplomatic and political influence in continental affairs.
• Statement 2  Correct: Ethiopia was the pilot country for India’s Pan-African e-Network (2007), a flagship initiative in tele-education and tele-medicine.
• Statement 3 – Correct: India’s engagement is increasingly shifting towards mining of gold, rare earths, and critical minerals, essential for renewable energy, battery storage, and semiconductor ecosystems.
• Statement 4  Incorrect: Ethiopia is landlocked; it does not have direct maritime access, though it is actively seeking diversified port access through neighbouring countries.

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 – Correct: CbMRV is a people-led climate intelligence model that integrates community-generated data into formal climate planning and governance systems.
• Statement 2 – Correct: The initiative supports India’s obligations under the Paris Agreement, especially in strengthening domestic MRV systems for emissions tracking, adaptation progress, and climate finance transparency.
• Statement 3 – Incorrect: Unlike conventional MRV systems, CbMRV does not rely exclusively on remote sensing or external experts; instead, it values local ecological knowledge and field-based community monitoring.
• Statement 4 – Correct: The pilot landscapes-Aracode (Nilgiris), Vellode (Erode), and Killai (Cuddalore)-represent mountain, agricultural-wetland, and coastal ecosystems, respectively.

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 – Correct: Methane is a short-lived climate pollutant that is about 84 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20-year period, making it a critical driver of near-term warming.
• Statement 2 – Incorrect: India’s official inventories largely depend on model-based estimates using aggregated waste data, not on fine-resolution satellite measurements at city or landfill levels.
• Statement 3 – Correct: Satellite observations show that individual landfills (e.g., Ghazipur, Bhalswa, Kanjurmarg, Pirana) can emit methane at levels comparable to or higher than entire city or state waste-sector estimates.
• Statement 4 – Correct: A hybrid approach-satellites for hotspot detection and ground teams for validation-can significantly enhance Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) and enable targeted mitigation.