18 FEBRUARY 2026

18 FEBRUARY 2026

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding India’s recent power generation capacity addition:

  1. India added over 50,000 MW of electricity generation capacity in the current financial year.
  2. Renewable energy contributed the largest share to the total capacity added.
  3. Wind energy accounted for the largest share among renewable sources added this year.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A) 1 and 2 only

B) 2 and 3 only

C) 1 and 3 only

D) 1, 2 and 3

Q2. With reference to the LHS 1903 planetary system and the CHEOPS mission, consider the following statements:

  1. LHS 1903 is a red dwarf star system located about 117 light-years from Earth.
  2. In LHS 1903, a rocky planet exists beyond gaseous planets, challenging traditional planet formation theory.
  3. The system contains only gas giant planets similar to Jupiter.
  4. CHEOPS is operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) to study exoplanets’ size, composition, and orbit.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A) 1 and 2 only

B) 1, 2 and 4 only

C) 2, 3 and 4 only

D) 1, 3 and 4 only

Q3. Assertion (A): India’s push for bio-based chemicals and enzymes under the BioE3 policy can help reduce industrial carbon emissions and support its Net Zero 2070 target.

Reason (R): Bio-based chemicals are produced from renewable biomass instead of fossil fuels and generally have a lower carbon footprint.

Choose the correct answer:

A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.

B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.

C. A is true, but R is false.

D. A is false, but R is true.

Q4. Which of the following statements correctly distinguishes between drop-in and drop-out biomaterials?

  1. Drop-in biomaterials are chemically identical to petroleum-based materials and can use existing infrastructure.
  2. Drop-out biomaterials require new processing or disposal systems due to chemical differences.
  3. Polylactic Acid (PLA) is an example of a drop-in biomaterial.

Options:

A. 1 only

B. 1 and 2 only

C. 2 and 3 only

D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. With reference to Namma Saras Mela 2026, which of the following statements is correct?

A. Entry to the mela is ticketed and restricted to SHG members only.

B. The mela will feature 120 product stalls and 30 live food court stalls, with free public entry.

C. Akka Cafés are yet to be launched in Karnataka.

D. The mela will be organised only for SHGs from Karnataka state.