Which Union Ministry serves as the nodal implementing authority for the National Quantum Mission (NQM)?

A. Ministry of Science and Technology

B. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

What is the physical qubit development roadmap targeted under the National Quantum Mission over an eight-year timeline?

C. 20-50 qubits in 3 years, 50-100 in 5 years, and 50-1000 in 8 years

A. 5-10 qubits in 3 years, 20-30 in 5 years, and 100 in 8 years

B. 100 qubits in 3 years, 500 in 5 years, and 2000 in 8 years

C. 20-50 qubits in 3 years, 50-100 in 5 years, and 50-1000 in 8 years

D. 50 qubits in 2 years, 250 in 4 years, and 5000 in 8 years

Under Article 316 of the Indian Constitution, what is the prescribed tenure of office for the Chairman and members of the Union Public Service Commission?

A. 6 years or until attaining 65 years of age

B. 5 years or until attaining 65 years of age

C. 5 years or until attaining 62 years of age

D. 6 years or until attaining 68 years of age

In macroeconomics and cultural policy, what does the term 'Orange Economy' denote?

B. The creative economy encompassing cultural, artistic, design, and intellectual property sectors

A. Citrus fruit cultivation and agricultural horticulture export supply chains

B. The creative economy encompassing cultural, artistic, design, and intellectual property sectors

C. Renewable solar energy generation in semi-arid tropical regions

D. Mining and processing of radioactive nuclear fuels like thorium

What is the core legal distinction between Police Custody and Judicial Custody under criminal procedural jurisprudence?

A. In police custody the accused is detained in a police lock-up under investigating officers, while in judicial custody the accused is lodged in jail under the magistrate's supervision

B. Police custody is granted only after filing a chargesheet, while judicial custody is granted during investigation

C. Police custody allows bail within 24 hours, whereas judicial custody does not allow any bail

D. Judicial custody is executed by the military police, while police custody is executed by civil police

Which new component was incorporated into India's Gender Budget Statement starting from Union Budget 2024-25?

C. Part C, covering schemes having less than 30% allocation for women

A. Part D, covering international gender parity funding

B. Part C, covering corporate social responsibility for women

C. Part C, covering schemes having less than 30% allocation for women

D. Part D, covering gender-neutral urban infrastructure

Under Dr. Homi Bhabha's Three-Stage Nuclear Power Programme, which fuel cycle forms the core of Stage 3 for long-term energy self-reliance?

B. Thorium-232 converted into fissile Uranium-233 in Advanced Heavy Water Reactors

A. Enriched Uranium-235 in Light Water Reactors

B. Thorium-232 converted into fissile Uranium-233 in Advanced Heavy Water Reactors

C. Plutonium-239 in Fast Breeder Reactors without breeding blanket

D. Tritium fusion in thermonuclear magnetic confinement reactors

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BPSC Bihar Special • Current Affairs20 September 2026

Bihar Current Affairs: National Quantum Mission, Amaravati Quantum Valley & 100 Years of UPSC

Source: Information & Public Relations Department (IPRD Bihar) / Official Gazettes•Exam Target: BPSC 71st & 72nd CCE Prelims

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BPSC 72nd Special Dossier — Track A, Day 11

1. National Quantum Mission (NQM) & Amaravati Quantum Valley

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Mission Overview & Outlay: Approved by the Union Cabinet with a budget of ₹6,003.65 crore spanning eight years (2023-24 to 2030-31), implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology.

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Amaravati Quantum Valley (Andhra Pradesh):

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Foundation stone laid for the prestigious 'Quantum Valley' at Amaravati to develop world-class quantum research infrastructure and deploy India's first 133-qubit quantum computer by 2026.

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Four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs):

Quantum Computing: Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

Quantum Communication: IIT Madras.

Quantum Sensing & Metrology: IIT Bombay.

Quantum Materials & Devices: IIT Delhi.

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Milestone Roadmap:

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Intermediate Quantum Computers: 20–50 physical qubits (within 3 years), 50–100 physical qubits (within 5 years), and 50–1000 physical qubits (within 8 years) on superconducting and photonic platforms.

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Quantum Communication: Satellite-based secure quantum communication over ground stations exceeding 2,000 kilometres; inter-city Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) over 2,000 kilometres utilizing existing optical fiber infrastructure; multi-node quantum network testbeds.

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Precision Sensing: Magnetometers with femto-Tesla sensitivity and atomic clocks with fractional frequency instability of 10^{-19} for strategic navigation.

2. Centenary of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC: 1926–2026)

•

Historical Genesis:

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Established on 1 October 1926 as the Public Service Commission under the provisions of Section 96C of the Government of India Act, 1919.

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Set up pursuant to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Superior Civil Services in India (Lee Commission, 1924).

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First Chairman: Sir Ross Barker, a seasoned member of the Home Civil Service of the United Kingdom.

•

Constitutional Architecture (Part XIV):

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Articles 315 to 323: Govern the Public Service Commissions for the Union and the States.

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Article 315: Mandates a Public Service Commission for the Union and a Public Service Commission for each State.

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Article 316: Appointment and tenure of members. The Chairman and members of the UPSC are appointed by the President of India for a term of 6 years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

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Article 317: Removal and suspension of members on grounds of misbehaviour after inquiry by the Supreme Court.

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Article 320: Functions and duties, including conducting examinations for civil services, advising on recruitment rules, promotions, and disciplinary matters.

3. Emerging Economic & Legal Frameworks

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The 'Orange Economy':

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Refers to the Creative Economy—economic sectors encompassing arts, culture, design, multimedia, digital gaming, literature, audiovisual production, and architectural heritage.

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Emphasizes intellectual property value creation and human ingenuity, driving high-value employment and cultural soft power.

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Custodial Jurisprudence: Police Custody vs. Judicial Custody:

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Statutory Basis: Governed under Section 167 of the CrPC / Section 187 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Article 22 of the Constitution.

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Police Custody: The suspect is detained in a police lock-up under direct control and interrogation of the investigating officers. Can only be granted for a maximum cumulative period of 15 days during the initial remand period upon magistrate order.

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Judicial Custody: The accused is committed to a District/Central Jail under the custody and supervision of the competent Magistrate. Police cannot interrogate the accused without prior formal permission from the Magistrate.

•

Gender Budgeting Evolution (Union Budget):

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Part A: Encompasses schemes with 100% allocation targeted exclusively at women (e.g., Mission Shakti, Sukanya Samriddhi).

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Part B: Schemes with 30% to 99% allocation for women.

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Part C (Introduced in 2024-25): Covers major schemes with less than 30% gender allocation to broaden oversight of public expenditure benefiting women.

4. Strategic Geopolitics & Nuclear Energy Self-Reliance

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Shaksgam Valley Controversy:

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Strategic territory in the Trans-Karakoram Tract historically belonging to the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir.

•

Illegally ceded by Pakistan to China under the Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963.

•

India maintains sovereignty over Shaksgam Valley, lodging formal protests against Chinese infrastructure projects connecting PoK with Xinjiang.

•

Thorium-Based Energy Roadmap:

•

India possesses ~25% of the world's thorium reserves, predominantly found in the monazite beach sands of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha.

•

Dr. Homi Bhabha's Three-Stage Nuclear Power Programme:

◦

Stage 1: Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) using natural uranium to produce Plutonium-239.

◦

Stage 2: Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR) utilizing Pu-239 to breed more fuel and irradiated thorium blankets. Exemplified by the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam constructed by BHAVINI.

◦

Stage 3: Advanced Heavy Water Reactors (AHWR) utilizing Thorium-232 converted into fissile Uranium-233, ensuring century-scale energy independence.

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