Daily Current Affairs UPSC: News Based MCQs Quiz | 23rd September 2025

Answer: (B) 2 only

Detailed Explanation

• The highest peak in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is Tirich Mir, which is also the highest mountain in the Hindu Kush range, standing at 7,708 meters (25,289 ft). Located in the Chitral District, it is a prominent feature overlooking the town of Chitral.
• The Khyber Pass connects Afghanistan and Pakistan, linking the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, with the city of Peshawar in Pakistan. This historically significant mountain pass serves as a vital route for trade and military movements between Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent and has been a part of the ancient Silk Road.

Answer: (D) Mali

Detailed Explanation

• Morocco’s borders are with Spain (to the north, via the Strait of Gibraltar and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla), Algeria (to the east), and the disputed territory of Western Sahara (to the south). Additionally, Morocco has extensive coastlines on the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea

Answer: (D) None of the above

Detailed Explanation

• INS Amulya is not a navy ship; it is a Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) belonging to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), not the Indian Navy. Launched on January 5, 2025, the Amulya was indigenously designed and built by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) as part of a series of eight FPVs to enhance the ICG’s coastal security and surveillance capabilities.
• Purpose: To bolster India’s coastal security, anti-smuggling efforts, rescue operations, and surveillance of offshore assets and exclusive economic zones.
• Significance: Represents a milestone in India’s push for self-reliance (Aatmanirbharta) in the defence sector, as the vessel features significant indigenous content. The vessel is part of a contract to build a total of eight such FPVs for the ICG.
• INS Androth is the second Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) in the Arnala class, built for the Indian Navy by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE). It is designed to strengthen India’s coastal defenses against submarine threats.
• Arnala class: The Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) project was initiated to replace the Indian Navy’s aging Abhay-class corvettes.
• Origin of name: The ship is named after Androth Island, the largest island in the Lakshadweep archipelago, to emphasize the strategic maritime importance of India’s island territories.
• Strategic significance: The ship’s induction boosts India’s naval capabilities, particularly in the Indian Ocean Region, and is a strategic response to the increased presence of rival navies in the area.
• INS Tamal (F71) is a Talwar-class stealth frigate of the Indian Navy, commissioned in July 2025.
• Built in Russia, it’s the eighth and last of the Talwar-class frigates procured by India from Russia, marking the end of foreign-built major warships for the Indian Navy.
• The frigate is a versatile, multi-role vessel equipped with a range of advanced Indian and Russian technologies, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, and is designed for blue-wateroperations.

Answer: (C) Low dissolved oxygen and high BOD.

Detailed Explanation

• BOD is the amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by aerobic microorganisms to break down organic matter in water.
• It is a measure of the organic pollution in water and is used to assess the impact of wastewater effluents on receiving water bodies.
• Higher BOD values indicate a greater amount of organic matter and potentially higher levels of pollution.
• When algae and phytoplankton grow in large quantities, they consume oxygen during photosynthesis, but at night or when sunlight is limited, they also respire, consuming oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide.
• This high respiration rate, combined with the eventual decomposition of dead algae, leads to a significant decrease in dissolved oxygen levels.

Answer: (B) 2 only

Detailed Explanation