1. The new national deep-sea fishery report deals with the Exclusive Economic Zone. Up to what distance from a country's coast does an EEZ reach?
Answer: C. Within its EEZ a coastal state alone may explore and use marine resources such as fish, minerals and energy, while other countries keep freedom of navigation. The Ministry of Earth Sciences released the report for the Silver Jubilee of the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology.
2. Roughly how large is India's Exclusive Economic Zone?
Answer: D. India's EEZ spans about 2.37 million sq km, which exceeds two-thirds of the country's land area. Surveys covered the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Lakshadweep, the Andaman Sea and the Southern Ocean, and hotspots include Kollam Bank, Angria Bank and the Trivandrum Terrace.
3. At what depth does the oceanic Twilight Zone lie, which the report discusses for moving carbon into the deep ocean?
Answer: E. Creatures such as lanternfish and shrimps in this layer swim up at night to feed and sink by day, carrying carbon downward and helping regulate the climate. The study relied on underwater acoustics, environmental DNA, satellites and AI.
4. Under which ministry does the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), which marked its Silver Jubilee, operate?
Answer: A. Marine scientific research of this type belongs to Earth Sciences, whereas the Fisheries Ministry looks after production and livelihoods. The report maps habitats of tuna, billfish, sharks, squid and Antarctic krill so vulnerable areas can be protected.
5. Which provision gave the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) statutory status?
Answer: B. CARA began in 1990 as an autonomous body under the Women and Child Development Ministry, and the 2015 Act as amended in 2021 gave it legal footing. It is India's Central Authority under the 1993 Hague Convention on inter-country adoption.
6. Where is the IFSC Banking Unit through which IDFC FIRST Bank completed its first USD 500 million bond issue?
Answer: C. The three-year bonds, due in 2029 with a 5.625 per cent fixed coupon and a BBB- Stable rating from S&P, were sold under Regulation S. This was the bank's debut in global debt markets via India's only functioning IFSC.
7. In what capacity were former ISRO Chairman S. Somanath and Anand Mahindra appointed to the RBI Central Board?
Answer: D. Both serve as part-time non-official directors for four years from 20 August 2026. Somanath headed ISRO from January 2022 to January 2025, during which Chandrayaan-3 landed softly near the lunar south pole.
8. In which month and year did SEBI bring in the framework for Online Bond Providers Platforms (OBPPs), for which an advertisement code is now proposed?
Answer: E. The framework asks such platforms to register as stock brokers in the debt segment of a recognised exchange. They split bonds into small units on an app, opening a market once dominated by large institutional lots to small investors.
9. What outlay does the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) notified by MeitY carry?
Answer: A. The Cabinet approved this five-year scheme on 15 July, and it lasts to 2030-31, replacing the 2020-FY26 PLI scheme for large-scale electronics. It aims at deeper domestic value addition and offers design and R&D support to Indian-owned handset brands.
10. What was the value of the loan India and the Asian Development Bank signed for the Chennai Climate-Resilient Water Security and Sewerage Project?
Answer: B. The loan will modernise and extend water supply and sanitation in Chennai while improving climate resilience and public health. It aims for a financially sustainable urban water system and ties in with AMRUT 2.0 and the Urban Challenge Fund.
11. Wizzmoni Financial Services launched a multi-currency travel card with Oman Air. Under which RBI-authorised dealer category does it operate?
Answer: C. The Wizz Voyager card is a prepaid Visa instrument that supports more than 35 currencies for students, professionals and tourists. FEMA's dealer categories set which foreign exchange transactions an entity may carry out.
12. At which location did the Union Cabinet approve a permanent bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh?
Answer: D. Ladakh will be the common High Court's third location after Jammu and Srinagar. Residents of far-off Leh and Kargil, who now travel long distances for hearings, should gain easier access to justice.
13. Material for World Senior Citizen's Day 2026 projects India to have more than how many senior citizens by 2050?
Answer: E. The global 60-plus population is expected to touch 2.1 billion by 2050. World Senior Citizen's Day falls on 21 August after a 1988 proclamation by US President Ronald Reagan, whereas the UN marks 1 October as the International Day of Older Persons.
14. Which propellant combination powers the Zhuque-3 Y2 reusable launch vehicle, whose first stage soft-landed in Gansu Province?
Answer: A. The Beijing-based private company LandSpace built this methalox vehicle with a stainless-steel frame, and it recovers the booster through vertical landing. Reusing the costly first stage lowers launch prices and supports large low Earth orbit constellations.
15. An Exclusive Economic Zone extends up to how many nautical miles from the coast?
Answer: B. The notes state an EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles.