UPSC current affairs quiz, 8 November 2026

With reference to the 2016 demonetisation, consider the following statements:
1. The notification withdrawing legal tender status was issued under Section 26(2) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
2. According to the RBI, less than 90% of the specified bank notes in circulation returned to the banking system.
3. In 2023, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the decision unanimously.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Consider the following statements about the 2016 demonetisation:
1. It withdrew the legal tender status of ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes.
2. The withdrawn notes made up about 86% of currency in circulation by value.
3. According to the RBI, about 99.3% of the withdrawn notes came back to the banking system.
How many of the statements given above are correct?

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

Consider the following statements about cash and digital payments in India:
1. Currency in circulation as a share of GDP was lower in 2025-26 than in 2016-17.
2. Currency in circulation as a share of GDP in 2025-26 was about the same as in 2015-16.
3. In 2025, UPI accounted for most payment transactions by value.
4. UPI transactions in 2025-26 were more than 10,000 times those of 2016-17.
How many of the statements given above are correct?

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

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Cash in circulation as a share of GDP recovered to its pre-demonetisation level within a decade.
Statement-II: Almost all of the demonetised currency returned to the banking system and was replaced with new notes.
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

With reference to the Supreme Court's 2023 verdict on demonetisation, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. The majority held that the process passed the test of proportionality.
2. The dissenting judge held that demonetising all notes of a denomination required a law of Parliament or an ordinance.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Under Section 26(2) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, a series of bank notes can be declared to cease to be legal tender by:

1. The RBI Governor by a circular to banks
2. The Central Government by notification, on the recommendation of the RBI's Central Board
3. Parliament alone, by passing a special law each time
4. The Monetary Policy Committee by a majority vote

With reference to the Home Ministry's classification of districts after the March 2026 review of Left Wing Extremism, consider the following statements:
1. The 'LWE-affected district' category has been discontinued.
2. A 'Legacy and Thrust' district is one that is free of insurgency but needs sustained security and development measures.
3. No district has been placed in the 'District of Concern' category.
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

Consider the following statements about the PM's address in Bastar on 8 November 2026:
1. He said more than 230 districts in about 20 States were once in the grip of Naxalism.
2. He said more than 9,500 mobile towers were installed in LWE-affected areas.
3. He said nearly 500 Eklavya schools were opened for tribal children.
How many of the statements given above are correct?

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

Consider the following States:
1. Bihar
2. Telangana
3. Kerala
4. West Bengal
How many of the above were among the nine States to which the Home Ministry wrote on 8 April 2026 about LWE classification?

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

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The Home Ministry kept 37 districts in a 'Legacy and Thrust' category even after declaring that no district is LWE-affected.
Statement-II: 'Legacy and Thrust' districts are free of insurgency but need sustained security and development measures to prevent a resurgence.
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

Which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. The CPI (Maoist) was formed in 2004 through a merger of armed groups.
2. The 2010 attack in Dantewada in which 76 CRPF personnel were killed took place in Jharkhand.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

The Home Ministry's April 2026 review of Left Wing Extremism was carried out under which framework?

1. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967
2. The National Policy and Action Plan to Address Left Wing Extremism, 2015
3. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958
4. The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution

Under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, a second appeal against an order relating to the electoral roll lies to the:

1. Election Commission of India
2. Chief Electoral Officer of the State
3. High Court of the State
4. Delimitation Commission

Consider the following statements about the West Bengal SIR appellate tribunals:
1. They were set up under a Supreme Court order of 10 March 2026.
2. They are headed by serving judges of the Calcutta High Court.
3. Their cost is borne by the State government of West Bengal.
How many of the statements given above are correct?

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

Consider the following statements about Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950:
1. It provides for appeals against orders of the Electoral Registration Officer under Sections 22 and 23.
2. A first appeal can lie to a district magistrate or an officer of equivalent rank.
3. A second appeal lies to the Election Commission of India.
4. The time and manner of appeal are to be prescribed.
How many of the statements given above are correct?

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

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The Supreme Court ordered special appellate tribunals of retired judges for West Bengal's SIR exclusions.
Statement-II: In West Bengal, claims and objections were decided by judicial officers whose orders the Court had said could not be appealed to any executive forum.
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

Which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Biswajit Basu is the first judge to resign from the West Bengal SIR appellate tribunals.
2. Former Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam headed one of the tribunals before resigning.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Under the Constitution of India, the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls is vested in the:

1. President of India
2. Election Commission of India
3. Ministry of Home Affairs
4. Registrar General of India

Consider the following statements about the sun compass used by migratory birds:
1. To use the Sun for direction, a bird must account for the time of day.
2. A bird whose internal clock lags behind local time will misjudge the Sun's position.
3. A sun compass works independently of the bird's circadian (body) clock.
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

Consider the following statements about the Oxford study on Manx shearwaters:
1. It used GPS tracking data collected over about two decades.
2. It found that the birds' drift was better explained by changes in the Earth's magnetic field than by sun-compass error.
3. It found that the birds corrected their course when they saw a coastline, so no error persisted near land.
How many of the statements given above are correct?

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

Consider the following statements:
1. The Sun appears to move across the sky by about 15 degrees an hour.
2. A circadian rhythm is an internal cycle of about 24 hours that is reset mainly by light.
3. Jet lag occurs when the body clock and local time are out of step after rapid travel across time zones.
4. The Manx shearwater is closely related to the albatross.
How many of the statements given above are correct?

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

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Manx shearwaters flying east tended to drift clockwise from their intended course.
Statement-II: After eastward flights, the birds' internal clocks lagged behind local time, so they misjudged the Sun's position.
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

Which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. A time-compensated sun compass requires the animal to know the time of day.
2. The navigational errors found in the shearwater study were large enough to stop most birds returning to their colonies.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

The Manx shearwater, recently in news for a study on navigation, breeds mainly on:

1. Coral islands of the Lakshadweep
2. Sea cliffs of Antarctica
3. Islands off the western coasts of the UK and Ireland
4. Inland lakes of Central Asia

Consider the following air bases and airfields in Ladakh:
1. Leh
2. Kargil
3. Thoise
4. Nyoma
Which of the above is/are functioning as air force bases?

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

Consider the following statements about the Nyoma air base:
1. It is located in eastern Ladakh, about 25 km from the Line of Actual Control.
2. It was built by the Border Roads Organisation.
3. It can handle only helicopters and light transport aircraft.
How many of the statements given above are correct?

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

Consider the following statements:
1. The IL-76MD is a Russian-origin, four-engine transport aircraft.
2. It is known in the IAF as 'Gajraj'.
3. It was inducted into the IAF in 1985.
4. It cannot carry tanks.
How many of the statements given above are correct?

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

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Landing a heavy transport aircraft at a high-altitude airfield is more difficult than at a sea-level airfield.
Statement-II: Thinner air at high altitude reduces both the lift produced by the wings and the thrust produced by the engines.
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

Which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Daulat Beg Oldi is an Advanced Landing Ground at about 16,700 feet.
2. Nyoma was the first air force base to be set up in Ladakh.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

The IAF described the IL-76MD's landing at Nyoma on 7 November 2026 as a milestone for which capability?

1. Aerial refuelling
2. Strategic airlift
3. Electronic warfare
4. Maritime patrol