Today Current Affairs MCQ 21 September 2026 | UPSC, BPSC & UPPCS

September 21, 2026
Today Current Affairs MCQ 21 September 2026 for UPSC BPSC UPPCS with 15 questions on biodiversity economy health waste skills and infrastructure

Today Current Affairs MCQ – 21 September 2026

UPSC CSE • BPSC • UPPCS | 15 Exam-Focused Questions
Q1. With reference to India's wildlife conservation landscape, consider the following statements:
  1. The number of tiger reserves has increased to 58.
  2. The number of elephant reserves has increased to 33.
  3. The number of Ramsar sites has increased to 101.

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: D
All three are correct. The WWF Global Conservation Conference highlighted the expansion of India's protected-area network along with tiger reserves, elephant reserves and Ramsar sites.
Q2. India is a party to which of the following international environmental agreements?
  1. Convention on Biological Diversity
  2. Convention on Migratory Species
  3. CITES
  4. Ramsar Convention

How many of the above are correct?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. Only three
  4. All four
Show Answer
Answer: D
India is a party to all four. These conventions address biodiversity, migratory species, international wildlife trade and wetlands respectively.
Q3. A “landscape approach” to wildlife conservation most appropriately implies:
  1. Confining all conservation activity strictly within National Parks
  2. Managing species, habitats, corridors and human-use areas across a wider ecological landscape
  3. Replacing protected areas with captive breeding centres
  4. Protecting only forest ecosystems and excluding grasslands and wetlands
Show Answer
Answer: B
Large species often move beyond formal protected-area boundaries. Landscape conservation therefore includes corridors, surrounding habitats and coexistence with local communities.
Q4. With reference to the revised Index of Core Industries (ICI), consider the following statements:
  1. Its base year is 2022–23.
  2. It now includes nine core industries.
  3. Iron ore has been added to the revised basket.

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: D
Under the revised 2022–23 base-year series, iron ore was added, increasing the number of core industries from eight to nine.
Q5. Consider the following statements regarding the Index of Core Industries for August 2026:
  1. Overall ICI recorded 4.8% year-on-year growth.
  2. Cement recorded double-digit growth.
  3. Electricity recorded double-digit growth.
  4. Coal recorded positive year-on-year growth.

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
Statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct. Cement grew 12.5% and electricity 11.6%, while coal recorded negative year-on-year growth.
Q6. Which one of the following best distinguishes the Index of Core Industries from the Index of Industrial Production?
  1. ICI covers selected key infrastructure industries, while IIP has a broader industrial coverage.
  2. ICI measures only agricultural production.
  3. IIP measures only services-sector output.
  4. There is no conceptual difference between the two indices.
Show Answer
Answer: A
ICI focuses on selected industries that are important inputs for the wider economy, whereas IIP measures a much broader basket of industrial production.
Q7. With reference to the National Formulary of India (NFI), consider the following statements:
  1. It is published by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission.
  2. It promotes rational and safe use of medicines.
  3. NFI 2026 is the seventh edition.

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: D
All three are correct. NFI provides evidence-based guidance to healthcare professionals for appropriate and rational prescribing and use of medicines.
Q8. Consider the following pairs:
  1. Pharmacovigilance — Adverse effects related to medicines
  2. Materiovigilance — Adverse events related to medical devices
  3. Biovigilance — Safety monitoring linked with biological products and transplantation

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. All three
  4. None
Show Answer
Answer: C
All three are correctly matched. These programmes together strengthen post-market and patient-safety monitoring.
Q9. With reference to legacy dumpsites, consider the following environmental concerns:
  1. Methane generation
  2. Leachate contamination
  3. Landfill fires
  4. Groundwater contamination

Which of the above may be associated with legacy dumpsites?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 1, 2 and 3 only
  3. 2, 3 and 4 only
  4. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Show Answer
Answer: D
Unscientifically accumulated municipal waste can generate methane, fires, leachate and contamination of soil and groundwater.
Q10. “Biomining”, in the context of municipal legacy waste, refers to:
  1. Extraction of minerals from deep-sea organisms
  2. Scientific excavation, segregation and recovery of useful fractions from old dumpsites
  3. Mining coal using microorganisms only
  4. Conversion of all municipal waste directly into electricity
Show Answer
Answer: B
Biomining of dumpsites involves processing old waste to recover recyclables, soil-like material, refuse-derived fuel and inert fractions while reclaiming land.
Q11. With reference to PM-SETU, consider the following statements:
  1. It aims to upgrade 1,000 Government ITIs.
  2. It follows a 200 Hub ITI and 800 Spoke ITI model.
  3. Industry partners are expected to participate in curriculum, training, apprenticeships and placements.

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: D
PM-SETU seeks an industry-led transformation of Government ITIs using the Hub-and-Spoke model and stronger labour-market linkages.
Q12. The most appropriate rationale behind greater industry participation in ITIs is to:
  1. Replace vocational education completely with university degrees
  2. Align skills, equipment and curricula more closely with changing labour-market demand
  3. Remove apprenticeship training from vocational education
  4. Restrict ITI courses only to traditional trades
Show Answer
Answer: B
Industry participation can improve curriculum relevance, practical exposure, apprenticeships and employment pathways in emerging sectors.
Q13. With reference to NHAI's new high-speed highway guidelines, consider the following statements:
  1. They apply to upcoming access-controlled high-speed National Highways other than expressways.
  2. They cover both Greenfield and Brownfield corridors.
  3. They seek to standardise planning, design and road-safety provisions.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 1 and 2 only
  3. 2 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show Answer
Answer: D
The guidelines apply to future 4/6-lane Greenfield and Brownfield high-speed access-controlled National Highways outside the expressway category.
Q14. Access control on a high-speed highway primarily seeks to:
  1. Permit unrestricted roadside entry from every property
  2. Regulate entry and exit through designated points to improve safety and traffic flow
  3. Ban all freight traffic
  4. Remove the need for interchanges
Show Answer
Answer: B
High-speed corridors require controlled access because random entry, exits and intersections increase accident risks and disrupt traffic flow.
Q15. Consider the following statements:
  1. Landscape-level wildlife conservation may require protection of ecological corridors outside formal protected areas.
  2. Post-market surveillance is important even after a medicine or medical device has been approved.
  3. Legacy-waste remediation alone is insufficient unless cities prevent creation of new dumpsites.
  4. Skill development contributes to a demographic dividend only when skills are linked with productive employment.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 1, 2 and 3 only
  3. 2, 3 and 4 only
  4. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Show Answer
Answer: D
All four are correct. These are the broader conceptual linkages UPSC can test from today's developments rather than simply asking headline facts.

Related reading: Today Current Affairs MCQ 20 September 2026 | UPSC, BPSC & UPPCS · Today Current Affairs MCQ 22 September 2026 | UPSC, BPSC & UPPCS

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