Daily Current Affairs UPSC: News Based MCQs Quiz | 26th September 2025

Answer: (B) 2 only

Detailed Explanation

• The GATT was signed and established in 1947 as a multilateral trade agreement by 23 countries, including the United States, under the auspices of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment, which was established to promote international trade by reducing trade barriers like tariffs and quotas. It served as a de facto international organization until it was replaced by the World Trade Organization(WTO) in 1995.
• The Marrakesh Agreement refers to the “Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO),” signed in Marrakesh, Morocco, on April 15, 1994, by 123 countries. It concluded the Uruguay Round negotiations, replaced the GATT, established the WTO on January 1, 1995, and set out the framework for a modern multilateral trading system, including rules on trade in goods, services, intellectual property, and a dispute settlement mechanism
• Functions of WTO:
• Administering WTO Trade Agreements: The WTO oversees the implementation and administration of trade agreements covering goods, services, and intellectual property.
• Forum for Trade Negotiations: It provides a platform for member countries to negotiate new trade agreements and for discussions on further trade liberalization.
• Handling Trade Disputes: The WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism allows member nations to bring trade disputes before a neutral body for resolution, promoting fairness and stability.
• Monitoring National Trade Policies: The WTO reviews the trade policies of its member countries to ensure they comply with international trade rules, promoting transparency and accountability.
• Providing Technical Assistance and Training: The organization offers technical assistance and training to developing countries to help them improve their trade capacity and benefit from the global trading system.
• Cooperating with Other International Organizations: The WTO collaborates with other international bodies, such as the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund, to promote global economic cooperation and management.

Answer: (A) 1 only

Detailed Explanation

• In August 2023, at the 15th BRICS summit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that 6 emerging market group countries (Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) had been invited to join the bloc. Full membership was scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2024.
• The social pillar of BRICS is indeed called “People-to-People” (P2P)cooperation, focusing on cultural, educational, and youth exchanges to foster mutual understanding and closer ties between BRICS societies and civil society. This pillar aims to ensure that the voices and needs of BRICS citizens are heard and considered in the broader decision-making processes of the bloc, reinforcing its social dimensions.

Answer: (A) 1 only

Detailed Explanation

• Agni Prime missile weighs approximately 50% less than the Agni 3 missile, making it the lightest and smallest in the Agni series due to technological advancements like new composites and propulsion systems. This lighter weight enhances its mobility, allowing for greater flexibility in deployment from road and rail platforms.
• Salvo mode means firing multiple missiles in quick succession, either simultaneously or at short intervals, to overwhelming a target or a group of targets with a concentrated burst of firepower. This tactical approach is designed to overwhelm defences and achieve greater destructive impact by hitting a target with many projectiles in a short period, rather than firing them individually over a longer duration.
• A soft launch for a missile is a system where a separate, low-power motor ejects the missile from its launch tube before the main rocket motor ignites. This process prevents the missile’s powerful exhaust from hitting the launcher or operator, allowing for safer operation in confined spaces and reducing recoil for shoulder-fired weapons. The missile is expelled to a safe distance before its primary propulsion system activates to propel it to the target.

Answer: (D) (2) and (3) only

Detailed Explanation

• Substitute goods are products that consumers perceive as interchangeable, meaning that if the price of one good increases, the demand for the other tends to increase and vice versa as consumers switch to the cheaper alternative. Eg Tea and Coffee; Coke and Pepsi etc.
• The correct statements are 2 and 3.

Answer: (C) Both 1 and 2

Detailed Explanation

• LCA Tejas is a 4. 5 generation, all weather and multi-role fighter aircraft. The aircraft is designed to be a multi-role aircraft capable of taking up offensive air support, close combat and ground attack role at ease. It is also designed to undertake Ground Maritime Operations. The different variants of aircraft under production and development are:
• Single seater fighter for Air Force
• Single seater fighter for Navy
• Twin Seater trainer aircraft for Air Force
• Twin Seater trainer version for Navy
• Further LCA Mk1A is the most advanced version of the LCA Tejas. It is equipped with AESA Radar, EW suite consisting of radar warning and self-protection jamming, Digital Map Generator (DMG), Smart Multi-function Displays (SMFD), Combined Interrogator and Transponder (CIT), Advanced Radio Altimeter and other advances features.