Daily Challenge
Wednesday, 28 October 2026
Daily Challenge — 28 October 2026
Three UPSC Prelims-pattern questions — one each from the GS I, GS II and GS III subject areas. Attempt all three before checking your answers.
Vedic and Later Vedic Age
Consider the following statements about the Boghazkoi inscription:
- It was found in Asia Minor (modern Turkey).
- It invokes the gods Indra, Mitra, Varuna and the Nasatyas.
- It is written in the Brahmi script.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Correct answer: D
Statements 1 and 2 are correct: the inscription, a treaty between the Hittites and the Mitanni of about the 14th century BCE, invokes gods also found in the Rigveda, and is used to date the Vedic age. Statement 3 is wrong: it is a cuneiform record, not a Brahmi inscription; Brahmi appears in India only much later, with Ashoka’s edicts.India and the Major Powers
The term ‘123 Agreement’, often seen in the news, refers to which of the following?
Correct answer: C
The 123 Agreement is the bilateral India-US civil nuclear cooperation agreement signed in October 2008, named after Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act, 1954. The NSG waiver (September 2008) is a separate multilateral decision; the India-Japan agreement was signed in 2016.Biodiversity and Conservation
With reference to the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, consider the following statements:
- The National Biodiversity Authority is headquartered in Chennai.
- Biodiversity Management Committees are responsible for preparing People’s Biodiversity Registers.
- A foreign entity requires the approval of the National Biodiversity Authority to obtain biological resources occurring in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Correct answer: D
All three are correct. The NBA was set up in 2003 in Chennai. BMCs, constituted by local bodies, prepare People’s Biodiversity Registers. Foreign entities need NBA approval for access to Indian biological resources, while Indian entities deal with State Biodiversity Boards for commercial use.