1. UNCCD COP17, the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, was held from 17-28 August 2026 in which city?
Answer: D. The session in Ulaanbaatar carried the theme "Restoring Land. Restoring Hope." and overlapped with the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026), fitting for a country built on pastoral grazing. Bhupender Yadav represented India, and Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh will host COP18 in 2028.
2. Up to what sum is the Drought Resilience Investment Facility (DRIF), unveiled at UNCCD COP17, meant to raise?
Answer: D. DRIF aims for USD 400 million and was one of three drought launches, the others being IDRO Phase-II and the AI-powered Drought Resilience Index. Together they move the convention's emphasis from tracking land degradation toward funding preparedness.
3. India Post Payments Bank celebrated its 9th Foundation Day on 1 September 2026. What proportion of its customers, as of 31 March 2026, lived in rural areas?
Answer: B. Rural customers made up 77 per cent of the base, reflecting a bank built on the postal network, while women are 49 per cent of its 13.25 crore customers. On the day, it introduced the DakPay Sound Box plus digital insurance and mutual fund platforms, extending into third-party product distribution.
4. How much did India Post Payments Bank hold in customer deposits at 31 March 2026?
Answer: A. Deposits of Rs 29,104 crore spread over 13.25 crore customers imply very small average balances, typical of last-mile inclusion accounts. Because payments banks cannot lend, the money sits in government securities and bank deposits, and income comes mainly from fees and commissions.
5. Two insurance plans were introduced by LIC on 1 September 2026. Which plan number belongs to LIC Jeevan Raksha, the pure protection one?
Answer: B. Jeevan Raksha is Plan 894, with Basic Sum Assured from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 24 lakh and no savings component; the other launch, LIC Bima Platinum (Plan 770), blends savings with cover from Rs 3 lakh. Both are non-linked and non-participating, so returns do not depend on markets or on LIC's surplus.
6. After InsuranceDekho and RenewBuy merged, what is the premium book of the combined firm?
Answer: E. The merged entity, trading as InsuranceDekho under CEO Ankit Agrawal, has a premium book above Rs 6,600 crore and lists over 750 products from 52 insurers across motor, health, life, travel and commercial cover. Aggregator consolidation continues as IRDAI encourages reach into smaller cities.
7. In early September 2026, Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) lifted India's sovereign rating by a single notch. Which rating did India receive?
Answer: B. JCR raised India from BBB+ to A- and lifted the country ceiling to A, pointing to growth near 7 per cent, GST reforms, Digital Public Infrastructure and stronger bank balance sheets. A higher ceiling limits the best rating domestic borrowers can get, so it eases their overseas borrowing costs.
8. Which base year does the new national accounts series in MoSPI's National Accounts Statistics 2026 use?
Answer: C. The 2022-23 base underlies NAS 2026, which has 60 statistical statements spanning GDP, income, consumption, savings, capital formation and public-sector and external transactions. The revision also brings new or refreshed indices such as the Producer Price Index, IIP and a Banking Services Price Index.
9. What real GDP growth rate for Q1 FY27 does the 2022-23 base-year series, as clarified by MoSPI, show for India?
Answer: A. The figure is 7.8 per cent; MoSPI clarified it after a negative manufacturing deflator raised doubts. When input and output prices fall, a deflator can turn negative, which makes real growth in that segment exceed nominal growth.
10. The Gender Parity Index in higher education was what value according to AISHE 2023-24, released by the Ministry of Education?
Answer: A. The GPI stood at 1.08, meaning female enrolment exceeds male relative to the eligible population, and it has stayed above 1.0 for a seventh year running. Over the ten years between the 13th and 14th AISHE editions, total enrolment grew from 3.42 crore to 4.50 crore, with women rising faster from 1.57 crore to 2.24 crore.
11. An MoU between the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment and Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission launches "Creating Intergenerational Bonding". In how many schools will it be piloted?
Answer: E. The pilot covers 200 schools and uses co-learning games, school activities, a bilingual resource platform and teacher certification to bring children, parents and grandparents closer. It sits alongside AVYAY and Elderline, run by the same department for senior citizens.
12. According to UNEP's "Limiting Overshoot" report, what would peak warming be if all countries fulfil their national climate plans and net-zero targets?
Answer: C. The report puts it near 1.8 degrees Celsius. It is UNEP's first detailed overshoot, peak and decline pathway, accepting that 1.5 degrees will be crossed soon and aiming to return below it by 2100 through net-negative emissions, while current policies lead to about 2.6 degrees. UNEP is headquartered in Nairobi.
13. The Foundation for Quantum Computing Innovation, a thematic hub under the National Quantum Mission, was set up at IISc Bengaluru. What is the total outlay of the mission?
Answer: C. The mission's outlay is Rs 6,003.65 crore for 2023-24 to 2030-31, aiming at quantum computers of 50 to 1,000 qubits. FQCI will cover photonic, superconducting, semiconductor, neutral-atom and trapped-ion approaches instead of backing one technology.
14. Suman Ray assumed office as Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India on 1 September 2026. Which responsibility will she hold?
Answer: D. She will look after the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation and the Premises Department. Previously Regional Director for Maharashtra, she has over 30 years at the RBI, and DICGC, its wholly owned subsidiary, insures deposits up to Rs 5 lakh per depositor per bank.
15. Which bodies form the special purpose vehicle for the NSHIPOL project?
Answer: A. Sources say the project will be developed through an SPV involving the Odisha Maritime Board and the Paradip Port Authority.