UPSC Daily Current Affairs Quiz : 24 February 2026

Answer: (c) 2, 3 and 4 only

Explanation: 

• Statement 1 – Incorrect The PRAHAAR policy explicitly states that India does not link terrorism to any specific religion, ethnicity, nationality or civilisation. Hence, this statement is incorrect.
• Statement 2 – Correct The policy recognises that apart from cross-border sponsored terrorism, criminal hackers and hostile nation states pose cyber threats to India’s critical infrastructure. Thus, it includes both state and non-state actors.
• Statement 3 – Correct The policy flags concerns regarding access to and misuse of CBRNED (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive, Digital) materials, and highlights emerging threats from drones, robotics, encryption technologies, dark web, and crypto wallets.
• Statement 4 – Correct The Union Home Ministry has proposed the creation of a uniform anti-terrorism structure across States, emphasising standardisation of procedures for synergistic and coordinated responses.

Answer: (b) 1, 3 and 4 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 – Correct The Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a penalty of ₹213.14 crore on WhatsApp, holding that its 2021 “take-it-or-leave-it” privacy policy amounted to abuse of dominant position under competition law.
• Statement 2 – Incorrect The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) did not fully uphold the five-year ban on data-sharing for advertising purposes. It found that portion “redundant,” especially since users were to be given opt-in/opt-out choices.
• Statement 3 – Correct During the Supreme Court proceedings, it was noted that the matter involves not just privacy under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, but also competition law concerns — particularly regarding market dominance and consumer exploitation.
• Statement 4 – Correct WhatsApp informed the Supreme Court that it would comply with NCLAT directions regarding user consent for data-sharing with Meta by March 2026.

Answer: (b) 2, 3 and 4 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 – Incorrect The High Court clarified that the Uttar Pradesh anti-conversion law does not prohibit interfaith marriages per se. It applies only when unlawful conversion is involved.
• Statement 2 – Correct The Court held that the Act is attracted only in cases of actual religious conversion brought about by misrepresentation, force, coercion, undue influence, allurement, fraud, or through marriage/relationship as a tool for conversion.
• Statement 3 – Correct The Bench directed the State authorities to provide police protection to the 12 interfaith live-in couples and refrain from interfering with their life, liberty, and privacy.
• Statement 4 – Correct The Court emphasised the freedom of choice of consenting adults, stating that living together voluntarily cannot deprive them of their fundamental rights.

Answer: (b) 2 and 4 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 – Incorrect Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is heat-stable, meaning it is not destroyed by conventional cooking methods.
• Statement 2 – Correct TTX is one of the most powerful marine neurotoxins known. It blocks sodium channels in nerve cells, leading to rapid onset of paralysis, respiratory failure, and sometimes death within hours.
• Statement 3 – Incorrect There is no specific antidote for tetrodotoxin poisoning. Treatment is mainly supportive (ventilatory support, monitoring).
• Statement 4 – Correct Clinical presentation includes neurological symptoms such as numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, paralysis, and respiratory distress - often occurring quickly after ingestion.

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 – Incorrect The CEO clarified that this was not a digital or electronic transfer fraud, but a traditional fraud involving forged physical cheques.
• Statement 2 – Correct The fraud reportedly involved collusion between bank employees and outsiders, with forged cheques cleared to third-party accounts.
• Statement 3 – Correct The bank expects partial recovery (₹35 crore) through Employee Dishonesty Insurance, which covers internal fraud by staff.
• Statement 4 – Incorrect The Reserve Bank of India supervises banks and monitors fraud developments as part of its regulatory oversight