May 2026 – Week 1 Current Affairs Quiz (1-7 May)
Practice 15 UPSC and State PSC-oriented MCQs from important May 1-7, 2026 current affairs. The quiz covers polity, governance, environment, culture, science and technology, disaster management, geography, and Andhra Pradesh-specific developments.
Easy Level
Question 1
The newly notified South Coast Railway Zone will have its headquarters at which city?
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Correct Answer: B. Visakhapatnam
The Ministry of Railways notified the South Coast Railway Zone with headquarters at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. For exams, remember that it is linked to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 and is expected to become fully operational from June 1, 2026.
Question 2
The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) is headquartered in:
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Correct Answer: C. New Delhi
IBCA is a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation headquartered in New Delhi. It focuses on conservation of seven major big cat species: tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma.
Question 3
Mission Drishti Satellite was developed by which Bengaluru-based private space startup?
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Correct Answer: B. GalaxEye
Mission Drishti was developed by GalaxEye. It is important for prelims because it represents India’s private space ecosystem and uses OptoSAR technology for advanced Earth observation.
Question 4
Scheduled Castes are specified under which Article of the Indian Constitution?
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Correct Answer: B. Article 341
Article 341 empowers the President to specify Scheduled Castes, subject to parliamentary modification. This article is central to the ongoing debate on whether SC status should extend to Dalit converts to Christianity or Islam.
Question 5
The headquarters of INCOIS, which won the Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2025, is located at:
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Correct Answer: A. Hyderabad
INCOIS stands for Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services. It is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Earth Sciences and provides ocean information and early warnings for hazards such as tsunamis, storm surges, and high waves.
Medium Level
Question 6
The Union Cabinet approved increasing the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38. Which constitutional provision is most directly connected with Parliament’s power to prescribe the number of Supreme Court judges?
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Correct Answer: B. Article 124
Article 124 deals with the establishment and constitution of the Supreme Court. Article 124(1) states that the Supreme Court shall consist of the Chief Justice of India and such number of other judges as Parliament may by law prescribe. The increase aims to address pendency of nearly 92,000 cases.
Question 7
The proposed Vande Mataram legal protection is linked to amendment of which law?
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Correct Answer: C. Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971
The Union Cabinet approved amendments to make insult to, or obstruction during the singing of, Vande Mataram punishable. For exams, connect this with the National Song, national symbols, and Fundamental Duties under Article 51A.
Question 8
With reference to Andhra Pradesh’s Kalyana Laxmi Scheme 2026, which pair is correctly matched?
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Correct Answer: B. Implementing agencies – SERP and Stree Nidhi
The scheme is meant for DWCRA women and provides low-interest financial assistance for daughters’ marriage expenses. Key facts: loan amount Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 1,00,000, 4 percent annual interest, repayment up to 48 monthly instalments, and Rs. 250 crore allocation for 2026-27.
Question 9
Ru-Soam bridges, recently documented by UNESCO and the Sikkim government, are associated with which community?
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Correct Answer: B. Lepcha
Ru-Soam are traditional cane and bamboo suspension footbridges built by the Lepcha community in the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve. They are examples of indigenous engineering and Traditional Ecological Knowledge, built without nails or metal fasteners.
Question 10
The Lipulekh Pass dispute is primarily linked to differing interpretations of the origin of which river?
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Correct Answer: B. Kali
The India-Nepal boundary issue in the Lipulekh-Kalapani region is linked to different interpretations of the origin of the Kali River. Nepal points to Limpiyadhura, while India considers the origin near Kalapani. The historical reference is the Treaty of Sugauli, 1815.
Difficult Level
Question 11
Consider the following statements about Scheduled Caste status and conversion:
1. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 was issued under Article 341.
2. The 1950 Order originally limited SC status to Hindus only.
3. Sikhs and Buddhists were later included in 1956 and 1990 respectively.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct Answer: D. 1, 2 and 3
All three statements are correct. The Balakrishnan Commission is examining whether SC status should be extended to Dalits who converted to Christianity or Islam. Remember the contrast: SC status is religion-linked under the present framework, while ST status under Article 342 is generally not religion-linked.
Question 12
Which of the following species is NOT among the seven big cats covered by the International Big Cat Alliance?
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Correct Answer: D. Wolf
IBCA covers tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma. The inaugural IBCA Summit in New Delhi is expected to discuss global cooperation and the proposed Delhi Declaration on big cat conservation.
Question 13
With reference to Mission Drishti Satellite, consider the following statements:
1. It uses OptoSAR technology by combining SAR and Electro-Optical sensors.
2. SAR enables imaging through clouds and during night-time.
3. The satellite operates at around 500 km altitude.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct Answer: D. 1, 2 and 3
Mission Drishti combines Synthetic Aperture Radar and Electro-Optical sensors. SAR uses microwave signals and supports all-weather, day-night imaging. The satellite operates around 500 km above Earth and is relevant to disaster management, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and border surveillance.
Question 14
Which of the following statements about Vande Mataram is incorrect?
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Correct Answer: D. The term National Song is explicitly mentioned in the Constitution of India.
The term National Song is not specifically mentioned in the Constitution. Vande Mataram was written in 1875, included in Anandamath in 1882, and publicly sung by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 Indian National Congress session in Calcutta. On January 24, 1950, it was accorded respect along with Jana Gana Mana.
Question 15
Which of the following correctly describes the South Coast Railway Zone?
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Correct Answer: B. It became India’s 18th railway zone and includes Vijayawada, Guntur, Guntakal, and the newly formed Visakhapatnam Division.
The zone was created by reorganising parts of South Central Railway and East Coast Railway. It fulfils a commitment linked to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. Its operational date and Visakhapatnam headquarters make it especially important for APPSC and State PSC exams.