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UPSC current affairs quiz, 16 September 2026

30 Prelims-style questions on the day's news, in the formats UPSC uses (statement-based, How many, Statement-I and II), each with the answer and an explanation. Try each one before you open the answer.

Read 16 September 2026 first15 September 2026 quiz17 September 2026 quizTimed test in the app

Six States sign the Kishau dam pact on the Tons; Centre to bear about 90% of the cost

  1. Consider the following statements about the Kishau Multipurpose Project:
    1. It is being built on the Tons river, a tributary of the Yamuna.
    2. The dam lies on the border of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
    3. It is designed as a rock-fill embankment dam.
    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only. Statement 1 is correct: Kishau is on the Tons, a Yamuna tributary. Statement 2 is correct: the dam sits on the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border. Statement 3 is wrong: it is planned as a 232.6-metre concrete gravity dam, not a rock-fill embankment dam.

  2. Consider the following statements:
    1. The Kishau agreement was signed by six States including Delhi and Rajasthan.
    2. Punjab is one of the signatories of the Kishau agreement.
    3. The Kishau dam will be built on the Tons river.
    How many of the statements given above are correct?

    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) Only two. Statement 1 is correct: the six are Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana. Statement 2 is wrong: Punjab is not a signatory. Statement 3 is correct: the dam is on the Tons, a Yamuna tributary. So two are correct.

  3. Consider the following statements:
    Statement-I: Each of the Upper Yamuna storage projects, such as Lakhwar and Kishau, needed its own inter-State agreement.
    Statement-II: The 12 May 1994 Upper Yamuna agreement provided that separate agreements would be made for each storage project in the basin.
    Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

    1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
    2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
    3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
    4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I. Both are correct. The Home Ministry release says the 1994 agreement required a separate agreement for every storage project, which is exactly why Lakhwar, Renukaji and Kishau each needed their own pacts. Statement-II explains Statement-I.

  4. Consider the following statements about the Kishau project as described by the Home Ministry:
    1. It will store 1,562 million cubic metres of water.
    2. It will irrigate about 97,000 hectares.
    3. It will generate 1,476 million units of hydroelectricity.
    4. The States will bear about 90% of its financial burden.
    How many of the statements given above are correct?

    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. All four
    Show answer

    Answer: (c) Only three. Statements 1, 2 and 3 match the Home Ministry release. Statement 4 is wrong: the Government of India, not the States, will bear about 90% of the financial burden. So three are correct.

  5. Which of the following best describes a concrete gravity dam?

    1. A dam that transfers water pressure to the valley sides through a curved shape
    2. A dam that resists the water mainly through its own weight
    3. A dam made of compacted earth with a clay core
    4. A low barrier that diverts river flow into a canal without storing water
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) A dam that resists the water mainly through its own weight. A gravity dam relies on its mass to resist the water's push, so it is wide at the base. The curved design that pushes load into the valley sides is an arch dam; compacted earth with a clay core is an embankment dam; a low diversion structure is a barrage or weir.

  6. Under the funding pattern agreed on 16 June 2026 for Kishau, what did Himachal Pradesh give in lieu of sharing the cost of the power component?

    1. A higher share of hydropower revenue to the Centre
    2. Its allocated water, to be supplied to Delhi and Rajasthan
    3. Land for a second dam on the Giri
    4. Its share of the National Project grant
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) Its allocated water, to be supplied to Delhi and Rajasthan. The Home Ministry said that, in lieu of sharing the cost of the power component, the water allocated to Himachal Pradesh would be supplied to Delhi and Rajasthan. The other options are not part of the agreed pattern.

U.S. says it has 'space control' weapons in orbit, exposing gaps in space law

  1. With reference to the Outer Space Treaty, 1967, consider the following statements:
    1. It prohibits placing nuclear weapons in orbit around the Earth.
    2. It expressly prohibits all conventional weapons in Earth's orbit.
    3. It forbids any state from claiming sovereignty over the Moon.
    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 1 and 3 only
    3. 2 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only. Statement 1 is correct: Article IV bans nuclear weapons and other WMD in orbit. Statement 2 is wrong: conventional weapons in orbit are not expressly banned, which is the gap the U.S. announcement exposes. Statement 3 is correct: Article II bars national appropriation of celestial bodies.

  2. Consider the following statements:
    1. The Outer Space Treaty bans military bases on the Moon.
    2. The Outer Space Treaty expressly bans jammers placed in orbit.
    3. The Outer Space Treaty makes states responsible for space activities of their private companies.
    How many of the statements given above are correct?

    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) Only two. Statement 1 is correct: Article IV bars military bases on celestial bodies. Statement 2 is wrong: conventional weapons such as jammers in orbit are not expressly banned. Statement 3 is correct: Article VI makes states responsible for national activities, including non-governmental ones. So two are correct.

  3. Consider the following statements:
    Statement-I: The U.S. can place conventional 'space control' weapons in orbit without breaching the Outer Space Treaty.
    Statement-II: Article IV of the Outer Space Treaty bans only nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit.
    Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

    1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
    2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
    3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
    4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I. Both are correct. Article IV's orbital ban covers nuclear weapons and other WMD, so conventional weapons in Earth's orbit fall outside it. That is why Statement-II explains Statement-I.

  4. Consider the following countries:
    1. United States
    2. China
    3. India
    4. Japan
    How many of the above have destroyed a satellite with a missile in a test?

    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. All four
    Show answer

    Answer: (c) Only three. The U.S. (1985, 2008), China (2007) and India (2019) have done so; the fourth ASAT power is Russia (2021), not Japan. So three of the listed countries.

  5. Which one of the following anti-satellite tests was conducted at the highest altitude?

    1. India's Mission Shakti, 2019
    2. China's Fengyun-1C test, 2007
    3. U.S. Operation Burnt Frost, 2008
    4. Russia's Kosmos 1408 test, 2021
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) China's Fengyun-1C test, 2007. China's 2007 test was at 865 km. Russia's 2021 test hit a satellite about 50 km above the International Space Station's orbit, Mission Shakti at roughly 283 to 300 km, and Burnt Frost at about 247 km. The high altitude is why China's debris has lasted so long.

  6. Consider the following statements about PAROS:
    1. It first appeared on the UN General Assembly agenda in 1981.
    2. It has produced a binding treaty that bans anti-satellite missiles.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) 1 only. Statement 1 is correct: the first PAROS resolution was in 1981. Statement 2 is wrong: PAROS discussions have not produced a binding treaty, and anti-satellite missiles remain unbanned.

Unemployment steady at 5% in August 2026 as rural rate falls to 4.1%, says PLFS

  1. With reference to the Periodic Labour Force Survey, consider the following statements:
    1. The unemployment rate is calculated as a share of the total population aged 15 years and above.
    2. The monthly bulletins use the Current Weekly Status approach.
    3. The survey's sampling design was revamped from January 2025 to provide monthly estimates.
    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only. Statement 1 is wrong: the unemployment rate is the unemployed as a share of the labour force, not of the whole population; LFPR and WPR use the population. Statement 2 is correct: monthly estimates are on Current Weekly Status. Statement 3 is correct: the design was revamped from January 2025.

  2. Consider the following statements about the PLFS bulletin for August 2026:
    1. Rural unemployment was lower than urban unemployment.
    2. The Worker Population Ratio was the highest since March 2026.
    3. Urban LFPR was higher than in August 2025.
    How many of the statements given above are correct?

    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) Only two. Statement 1 is correct: rural 4.1% against urban 6.8%. Statement 2 is correct: WPR of 52.8% was the highest since March 2026. Statement 3 is wrong: urban LFPR was 50.4%, below 50.9% in August 2025. So two are correct.

  3. Consider the following statements:
    Statement-I: The unemployment rate can fall even when no new jobs are created.
    Statement-II: The unemployment rate is measured as a share of the labour force, which shrinks when discouraged job-seekers stop looking for work.
    Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

    1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
    2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
    3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
    4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I. Both are correct. Because the unemployment rate uses the labour force as its denominator, people who stop seeking work drop out of both the numerator and the denominator, lowering the rate without any new jobs. Statement-II explains Statement-I.

  4. Consider the following statements:
    1. LFPR is the share of the population that is working or seeking work.
    2. WPR is the share of the labour force that is employed.
    3. Under Current Weekly Status, the reference period is the last 365 days.
    4. The PLFS is conducted by the National Sample Survey Office.
    How many of the statements given above are correct?

    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. All four
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) Only two. Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: WPR is employed persons as a share of the population. Statement 3 is wrong: CWS uses the last seven days; 365 days is Usual Status. Statement 4 is correct: the NSSO under MoSPI conducts the PLFS. So two are correct.

  5. In August 2026, which group recorded the lowest unemployment rate among the following, according to the PLFS?

    1. Urban persons aged 15 and above
    2. Rural women aged 15 and above
    3. All persons aged 15 and above
    4. Men aged 15 and above
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) Rural women aged 15 and above. Rural women's unemployment was 3.9%. Urban persons were at 6.8%, all persons at 5.0% and men at 4.9%.

  6. Consider the following statements about the monthly PLFS:
    1. The first monthly bulletin, for April 2025, reported an unemployment rate of 5.1%.
    2. The August 2026 estimates were based on more urban than rural respondents.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) 1 only. Statement 1 is correct: the April 2025 bulletin put unemployment at 5.1% and LFPR at 55.6%. Statement 2 is wrong: of 3,70,160 persons, 2,11,353 were rural and 1,58,807 urban.

Op-ed: China's cheap open-weight AI models may not stay open for long

  1. In the context of artificial intelligence, the term 'open-weight model' refers to a model whose:

    1. training data must be made public by law
    2. trained parameters are released for anyone to download and run
    3. outputs are free of copyright
    4. source code is certified by an international standards body
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) trained parameters are released for anyone to download and run. An open-weight model publishes its trained parameters (weights), so it can be downloaded, run locally and fine-tuned. Releasing the weights does not by itself mean the training data or full code is public, and it has nothing to do with copyright status or certification.

  2. Consider the following statements:
    1. An open-weight model always publishes its full training dataset.
    2. Open-weight models can be run on a user's own servers.
    3. Open-weight models can be fine-tuned on a company's own data.
    How many of the statements given above are correct?

    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) Only two. Statement 1 is wrong: releasing weights does not mean releasing training data. Statements 2 and 3 are correct: downloaded weights can be run locally and fine-tuned. So two are correct.

  3. Consider the following statements:
    Statement-I: Knowledge distillation can reduce the cost of building a capable AI model.
    Statement-II: In distillation, a smaller model learns from the outputs of a larger model that has already been trained.
    Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

    1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
    2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
    3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
    4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I. Both are correct, and Statement-II explains Statement-I: because the teacher model has already done the expensive learning, the student needs far less compute to reach good performance.

  4. Consider the following statements about the IndiaAI Mission:
    1. It was approved in 2024.
    2. Its outlay is over ₹10,300 crore over five years.
    3. The first round of its common computing facility approved providers to supply 18,693 GPUs.
    4. It has Centres of Excellence in healthcare, agriculture and sustainable cities.
    How many of the statements given above are correct?

    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. All four
    Show answer

    Answer: (d) All four. All four are correct: the mission was approved in 2024 with over ₹10,300 crore over five years, a first compute round in 2025 that approved 18,693 GPUs, and three AI Centres of Excellence in healthcare, agriculture and sustainable cities.

  5. Consider the following statements about DeepSeek:
    1. Its R1 model was released in January 2025.
    2. It is a subsidiary of Alibaba.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) 1 only. Statement 1 is correct: R1 came out on 20 January 2025. Statement 2 is wrong: DeepSeek was founded by Liang Wenfeng and is backed by the hedge fund High-Flyer; Qwen is the Alibaba model.

  6. Which one of the following does the op-ed recommend as India's main response to dependence on Chinese open-weight models?

    1. A ban on the use of foreign AI models by startups
    2. Complete self-sufficiency in every layer of AI
    3. Model-agnostic systems and a focus on applications, industrial data and fine-tuning
    4. Joining China's AI governance body as a founding member
    Show answer

    Answer: (c) Model-agnostic systems and a focus on applications, industrial data and fine-tuning. The article advises model-agnostic architectures that make switching cheap, and a focus on applications, industrial data and domain-specific fine-tuning, rather than complete self-sufficiency or a ban.

Op-ed: What India's smallholder farming model can teach other developing nations

  1. With reference to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), consider the following statements:
    1. It is a specialised agency of the United Nations.
    2. It was established as an outcome of the 1974 World Food Conference.
    3. Its headquarters is in Geneva.
    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only. Statements 1 and 2 are correct: IFAD is a UN specialised agency, set up in 1977 as a major outcome of the 1974 World Food Conference. Statement 3 is wrong: its headquarters is in Rome.

  2. Consider the following statements about IFAD:
    1. It has 180 member states.
    2. Its members are grouped into Lists A, B and C.
    3. Its Executive Board has full decision-making authority over all matters.
    How many of the statements given above are correct?

    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) Only two. Statements 1 and 2 are correct: IFAD has 180 members in Lists A, B and C. Statement 3 is wrong: full decision-making authority rests with the Governing Council of all members; the 18-member Executive Board manages operations. So two are correct.

  3. Consider the following statements:
    Statement-I: NABARD was created as a separate institution for agricultural and rural credit.
    Statement-II: The CRAFICARD committee recommended a new organisation that would give undivided attention to rural credit.
    Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

    1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
    2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
    3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
    4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I. Both are correct. The Sivaraman-led CRAFICARD, formed in 1979, called for a new body to give rural credit undivided attention, which led to the NABARD Act, 1981 and NABARD's creation in 1982. Statement-II explains Statement-I.

  4. Consider the following statements about the 'Pension Sakhis' initiative announced on 15 September 2026:
    1. It is based on an MoU between the Department of Rural Development and PFRDA.
    2. Pension Sakhis will be drawn from self-help group networks.
    3. It aims to enrol rural households in the National Pension System.
    4. It is implemented by NABARD through regional rural banks.
    How many of the statements given above are correct?

    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. All four
    Show answer

    Answer: (c) Only three. Statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct per the government release. Statement 4 is wrong: the partners are the Department of Rural Development and PFRDA, working through DAY-NRLM networks, not NABARD. So three are correct.

  5. Consider the following statements about NABARD:
    1. It was established in 1982 under an Act of Parliament.
    2. Its headquarters is in New Delhi.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) 1 only. Statement 1 is correct: NABARD began on 12 July 1982 under the NABARD Act, 1981. Statement 2 is wrong: its headquarters is in Mumbai.

  6. According to the op-ed, which of the following best captures what makes smallholder farming viable at scale?

    1. Consolidating small plots into large corporate farms
    2. An ecosystem of organisation, commercial opportunity and resilience built by many institutions
    3. Raising minimum support prices for all crops
    4. Replacing self-help groups with direct cash transfers
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) An ecosystem of organisation, commercial opportunity and resilience built by many institutions. The article says success rests on "organisation, commercial opportunity, and resilience at scale", created by an ecosystem of government, NGOs, private firms, digital infrastructure, NABARD, FPOs and SHGs. It does not argue for land consolidation, MSP increases or replacing SHGs.