Daily Quiz 29 April 2026

Answer: (d)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is Incorrect: The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is the second stage of India’s three-stage nuclear power programme. The first stage consists of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) that use natural uranium as fuel.
Statement 2 is Correct: A “breeder” reactor is designed to generate more fissile material than it consumes. In the PFBR, fertile Uranium-238 absorbs neutrons to transmute into fissile Plutonium-239, effectively “breeding” new fuel during operation.
Statement 3 is Correct: The PFBR acts as a crucial stepping stone for the third stage of the programme. It is designed to use thorium as a “blanket” material, which then transmutes into fissile Uranium-233. This U-233 will eventually serve as the principal fuel for the third-stage reactors, enabling the full utilisation of India’s vast thorium reserves.

Answer: (b)
Explanation:

• Statement 1 is Incorrect: The new method explicitly moves beyond relying solely on Dispersion Measures (DM). Traditional methods often struggled because DM only accounts for the total electron density along the line of sight, often ignoring the “distortion” or broadening of pulses. The refined technique uses both dispersion and scattering to improve accuracy.
• Statement 2 is Correct: The method incorporates scattering effects (specifically “scatter broadening”) caused by turbulence in the interstellar plasma. When pulsar signals travel through these turbulent clouds, they are deflected and delayed, creating a “scattering tail.” By measuring this distortion, astronomers can better map the density and position of intervening plasma, leading to more precise distance calculations.

Statement 3 is Correct: While pulsars are primarily studied within our galaxy, the principles of this new method—refining distance by combining DM and scattering—are critical for analyzing Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) and extragalactic pulsars. This potentially allows astronomers to estimate distances to sources beyond the Milky Way, aiding in the mapping of the “cosmic web” and the intergalactic medium.

Answer: (a)
Explanation:

• Statement 1 is Incorrect: India is not implementing a “complete ban” on all uses of HFCs starting from 2028. Under the Kigali Amendment (which India ratified in 2021), India is required to freeze its HFC consumption at a baseline level (average of 2024–2026) starting from January 1, 2028. A gradual phase-down will then follow, starting in 2032, aiming for an 85% reduction by 2047.
• Statement 2 is Correct: In April 2026, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) directed all state and central authorities to stop granting environmental clearances for new or expanded HFC production capacities for “controlled applications” after December 31, 2027. This is a proactive step to ensure India meets its 2028 “freeze” commitment under the Kigali Amendment.

Statement 3 is Incorrect: HFCs were specifically introduced to replace ozone-depleting substances (like CFCs and HCFCs) because they have zero or negligible ozone-depleting potential. However, they are potent greenhouse gases with extremely high Global Warming Potential (GWP)—often hundreds to thousands of times higher than

Answer: (c)
Explanation:

• Statement 1 is Correct: Only Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can participate as sellers on the TReDS platform. Buyers can be corporates, government departments, and PSUs, while financiers are banks and NBFC-Factors.
• Statement 2 is Incorrect: Participation is not mandatory for all buyers and financiers. While the Ministry of MSME has mandated registration for certain segments (such as CPSEs and companies with a turnover exceeding ₹250 crore as of late 2024), actual participation (conducting transactions) remains optional. There is no mandate for all banks or financiers to participate.

Statement 3 is Correct: The primary objective of TReDS is to facilitate the discounting of trade receivables, helping MSMEs receive payments early. Once an invoice is accepted by a buyer, financiers bid on it, and the MSME receives the funds (minus a discount) almost immediately, usually within 24–72 hours.

Answer: (b)
Explanation:

• Statement 1 is Incorrect: Climate change is widely recognized by global and national health organizations, including the World Health Organization and the Lancet Countdown, as a threat multiplier or health-risk multiplier. It exacerbates existing health risks—such as poverty, poor sanitation, and weak healthcare infrastructure—rather than being a direct cause of most diseases in isolation.
• Statement 2 is Correct: Rising global temperatures are shifting the geographical range of disease vectors like mosquitoes. This has led to the expansion of vector-borne diseases (e.g., malaria and dengue) into previously cooler high-altitude regions (like the highlands of Sub-Saharan Africa or the Hindu Kush Himalayas) where these diseases were formerly rare or absent.

Statement 3 is Correct: Substantial medical evidence, highlighted in assessments like. those from the IPCC and the Lancet Countdown, confirms that extreme heat exposure during pregnancy is linked to adverse birth outcomes, including a significantly increased risk of preterm births and stillbirths.