Weekly Current Affairs Practice for Preliminary Examination
Source:Indian Express ↗
Why It Matters
Regular practice with current affairs quizzes is essential for UPSC aspirants to consolidate their reading, improve accuracy in the Preliminary exam, and stay updated on fast-moving national and global developments.
Summary
This article presents a Weekly Current Affairs Quiz designed for UPSC preparation, covering important news and events from April 20 to April 26, 2025. Such compilations are crucial for aspirants to test their knowledge of contemporary issues, practice MCQ-solving skills, and align their preparation with the dynamic nature of the UPSC Preliminary examination.
Key Points
- Serves as a weekly self-assessment tool for UPSC Preliminary exam preparation.
- Covers diverse current affairs themes spanning national and international importance from the week of April 20 to April 26, 2025.
- Helps aspirants practice multiple-choice questions (MCQs) structured around recent news developments.
- Aids in revision, memory retention, and identification of knowledge gaps regarding contemporary events.
Prelims Trap
State Governments can grant statutory remission to all life convicts at any time based on good behavior.
Under Section 475 of the BNSS (formerly 433A CrPC), life convicts for offenses punishable by death must serve a mandatory minimum of 14 years before statutory remission.
Static Concepts Connected
How do Constitutional and Statutory remission powers differ?
- Constitutional: Vested in the President (Art 72) and Governor (Art 161); sovereign powers not strictly bound by the statutory 14-year minimum rule.
- Statutory: Exercised by State Governments under the BNSS/CrPC; subject to procedural checks and a mandatory minimum 14-year prison term for specific life convicts.
What are Air-Breathing Propulsion Systems (Scramjets)?
- Mechanism: They ingest ambient atmospheric oxygen for combustion, eliminating the need to carry heavy onboard oxidizers.
- Payload Advantage: Reduces the overall weight of the launch vehicle, substantially increasing the proportion of payload it can carry into space.
- Scramjet vs Ramjet: Scramjets (Supersonic Combustion Ramjets) maintain supersonic airflow through the engine, unlike Ramjets which slow incoming air to subsonic speeds.
Cross-Topic Patterns
AMOC collapse & Climate Tipping Points
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is often tested alongside other climate tipping points like Amazon deforestation and polar ice melt, linking static physical oceanography directly to climate change impacts.
Localizing SDGs via Panchayats
The Panchayat Advancement Index links international SDG targets with grassroots governance under the 73rd Amendment, reflecting an increasing UPSC focus on localizing global development frameworks.
A multi-statement question contrasting Constitutional pardons (Art 72/161) with Statutory remission under the new BNSS is highly likely.
Linked PYQs · 3
Linked PYQs · 3
- 2022PrelimsGS1
Consider the following pairs: Country Important reason for being in the news recently 1. Chad - Setting up of permanent military base by China 2. Guinea - Suspension of Constitution and Government by military 3. Lebanon - Severe and prolonged economic depression 4. Tunisia - Suspension of Parliament by President How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
- 2023PrelimsGS1
In the recent years Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan caught the international attention for which one of the following reasons common to all of them?
- 2016PrelimsGS1
'Belt and Road Initiative' is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of
