UPSC Daily Current Affairs Quiz : 29 May 2026

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter data indicate the possible presence of sub-surface water-ice in doubly shadowed craters within the lunar south polar region.
• Statement 2 is correct: Doubly shadowed craters receive neither direct sunlight nor secondary reflected/thermal radiation, creating extremely cold conditions that can preserve ice for billions of years.
• Statement 3 is correct: The findings were made using the Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR), an advanced radar payload onboard Chandrayaan-2 capable of probing the lunar surface and sub-surface.
• Statement 4 is incorrect: LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration Mission) is a joint mission of ISRO and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), not NASA. It aims to conduct in-situ analysis of lunar water ice using a lander and rover.

Answer: (a) 1 and 4 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct. Article 48, a Directive Principle of State Policy, directs the State to take steps for preserving and improving breeds and prohibiting the slaughter of cows, calves, and other milch and draught cattle.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. Several States, such as Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and parts of Manipur, do not have blanket prohibitions on cow slaughter.
• Statement 3 is incorrect. In Mohd. Hanif Quareshi vs State of Bihar (1958), the Supreme Court held that cow slaughter on Bakr-Eid is not an essential religious practice in Islam.
• Statement 4 is correct. The K.S. Puttaswamy (2017) judgment recognised the right to privacy as a fundamental right under Article 21, and it has been invoked in discussions concerning individual autonomy, including food choices and personal liberty.

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

• Brinkmanship is inherently riskier. It pushes the situation so close to the edge of war that the adversary fears losing control. The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) is the classic example – the US and USSR came to the brink of nuclear war.
• Coercive diplomacy (a term popularised by Alexander George) uses threats, limited force, or sanctions to persuade an adversary to change behavioura, but it deliberately stops short of uncontrolled escalation.
• Option (a) is wrong because brinkmanship can include economic actions (e.g., US blockade of Iran) and coercive diplomacy can include military actions (e.g., show of force).
• Option (c) is factually incorrect – non-nuclear states and even non-state actors engage in brinkmanship (e.g., Hamas).
• Option (d) is false – the distinction is well-established in strategic studies.

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 4 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct. Brinkmanship is a strategy in which a state (or actor) deliberately pushes a crisis close to the edge of war to force the opponent to back down, negotiate, or make concessions.
• Statement 2 is correct. The concept emerged during the Cold War and was prominently associated with crises such as the Berlin Blockade (1948–49) and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).
• Statement 3 is incorrect. North Korea's brinkmanship is largely based on its nuclear weapons and missile capabilities, which provide leverage despite its limited economic and conventional military strength.
• Statement 4 is correct. India is generally viewed as following a policy of strategic restraint and responsible use of force, preferring calibrated responses over brinkmanship.

Answer: (c) Only three

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct. The article states: "The government was initially expected to introduce a National Litigation Policy (NLP) to reduce the overwhelming volume of cases involving the Union, State governments, and public sector undertakings."
• Statement 2 is correct. The article states: "The government eventually withdrew its assurance to introduce it, leaving unanswered questions about how decisions relating to government litigation are actually taken."
• Statement 3 is incorrect. The article states the opposite: "The government's litigation strategy often appears to be driven by a highly result-oriented, case-to-case approach rather than any coherent policy... Changes in law officers often lead to shifts in legal strategy."
• Statement 4 is correct. The article states: "Ultimately, it is the individual litigant, lacking the State's resources and institutional capacity, who suffers the most."