Daily Current Affairs Quiz: March 15, 2026

Option (a) is correct: Tephra refers to all fragmented volcanic material such as ash, cinders, and rock particles ejected into the atmosphere during a volcanic eruption. Larger fragments fall near the volcano, while fine ash can travel long distances before settling on the ground.

Option (b) is incorrect: Lava refers to molten rock that flows on the Earth’s surface after emerging from a volcanic vent. Tephra, in contrast, consists of solid fragments explosively ejected into the air, not molten material flowing along the ground.

Option (c) is incorrect: Volcanic gases such as water vapour, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide are released from vents during eruptions. These gases are different from tephra, which specifically refers to solid volcanic fragments expelled during explosive eruptions.

Option (d) is incorrect: Magma chambers are underground reservoirs of molten rock beneath volcanoes. While they supply magma for eruptions, tephra refers only to the solid material blasted into the atmosphere during volcanic activity, not subsurface magma storage.

Option (a) is incorrect: While many insects exhibit migration, lichen moths are not primarily known for large seasonal migrations. Their ecological importance lies mainly in their association with lichens, which act as sensitive indicators of environmental conditions.

Option (b) is incorrect: Pollination in high-altitude ecosystems is largely carried out by insects such as bees, butterflies, and certain flies. Lichen moths are not major pollinators; their ecological significance is linked to their feeding relationship with lichens.

Option (c) is correct: Lichen moth caterpillars feed on lichens, organisms that are highly sensitive to air pollution and environmental disturbances. Therefore, the presence or absence of lichen moths can help scientists monitor air quality and ecosystem health, particularly in fragile environments like the Eastern Himalayas.

Option (d) is incorrect: Lichen moths are primarily terrestrial insects found in forested and mountainous regions, including the Himalayas. They are not marine organisms and do not inhabit coastal ocean environments.

Option (a) is incorrect: Administering lethal drugs to intentionally cause death is known as active euthanasia. Under Indian law, active euthanasia remains illegal and may attract criminal liability because it involves a deliberate act to end life rather than allowing natural death.

Option (b) is correct: Passive euthanasia involves withdrawing or withholding life-sustaining treatment such as ventilator support, artificial nutrition, or hydration, allowing the underlying illness to take its natural course. In India, it has been permitted under judicial safeguards and is linked to the constitutional principle of dignified end-of-life care.

Option (c) is incorrect: Assisted suicide involves helping a person intentionally end their own life, often by providing means or instructions. This is distinct from passive euthanasia and is not legally permitted in India as a form of medical end-of-life care.

Option (d) is incorrect: The use of sedatives to relieve pain or distress in terminal illness is known as palliative care or palliative sedation. Its objective is to reduce suffering while continuing supportive care, not to withdraw life-sustaining treatment as in passive euthanasia.

Option (a) is correct: Black rain refers to rainfall contaminated with soot, hydrocarbons, particulate matter, and toxic combustion residues released during large fires, industrial explosions, or warfare. Rain droplets capture these airborne pollutants through atmospheric scavenging, producing dark or oily precipitation that can contaminate soil, water, and ecosystems.

Option (b) is incorrect: Volcanic eruptions can release ash into the atmosphere, but precipitation associated with volcanic ash is typically referred to as ash fall or volcanic ash deposition, not black rain. Black rain specifically involves pollutants from combustion of petroleum or industrial materials.

Option (c) is incorrect: Rain mixed with desert dust during sandstorms may produce mud rain or dust-laden precipitation. However, black rain differs because its colour and toxicity arise from soot, hydrocarbons, and industrial combustion products, not natural mineral dust.

Option (d) is incorrect: Acid rain forms mainly when sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) react with water vapour to produce sulfuric and nitric acids. While acid rain is chemically corrosive, it usually appears clear, unlike black rain which contains visible soot and petroleum residues.

Option (a) is incorrect: Special administrative provisions for Union Territories are addressed through different constitutional arrangements and statutes. The Sixth Schedule specifically focuses on tribal self-governance in certain northeastern states, not on governance structures for Union Territories.

Option (b) is incorrect: Reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes in Parliament and State legislatures is provided under Articles 330 and 332 of the Constitution. The Sixth Schedule does not deal with legislative reservation but instead establishes autonomous councils for tribal areas.

Option (c) is incorrect: Financial grants for development of specific areas may be provided through various constitutional and statutory mechanisms. While Article 275 allows grants for tribal areas, the Sixth Schedule primarily concerns institutional arrangements for autonomous governance, not a nationwide grant system for backward districts.

Option (d) is correct: The Sixth Schedule provides special administrative arrangements for certain tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram through Autonomous District Councils (ADCs). These councils exercise legislative, judicial, and financial powers to protect tribal customs, land rights, and local self-governance.