22nd September 2025

Explanation – A party has to fulfill any of the following conditions for recognition as a state party: 

• Secure at least 6% of valid votes polled in an election to the state legislative assembly and win at least 2 seats in that state assembly. 

• Secure at least 6% of valid votes polled in an election to Lok Sabha and win at least 1 seat in Lok Sabha. 

• Win a minimum of three per cent of the total number of seats or a minimum of three seats in the Legislative Assembly, whichever is higher. 

• If it wins 1 seat in the Lok Sabha for every 25 seats or any fraction thereof allotted to the state. 

• If it secures 8% of the total valid votes polled in the state at a General Election to the Lok Sabha from the state or to the legislative assembly of the state. 

Explanation – As per the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, an independent candidate must choose from a list of 'free' symbols available with the Election Commission. Two or more recognized political parties can have the same symbol, provided they are not contenders in the same State or Union Territory. For example, the Federal Party of Manipur and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) both use the 'Rising Sun' as their symbol. 

Explanation – Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid made entirely in laboratories with no natural ingredients. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine (not 50 times), making statement 2 incorrect. Because of its extreme potency, only a few grains of fentanyl can be lethal, leading to high rates of overdose deaths. 

Explanation – The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has proposed the IRIS scale to measure the impact of biomedical research. Under this scale, a research paper cited in policies or guidelines is assigned 10 publication-equivalents (PEs), whereas a patented invention is assigned 5 PEs, making statement 1 correct. The scale measures impact in standardized units called PEs, making statement 2 correct. However, IRIS does not aim to replace peer-reviewed publications but rather provides a standardized metric to recognize diverse forms of impactful research beyond conventional citations. 

Explanation – Isobutanol is only moderately soluble in water, making statement 1 incorrect. It is less corrosive and less hygroscopic than ethanol, making it suitable for existing fuel infrastructure. Its addition to gasoline does not increase the fuel blend's vapour pressure to the same extent as ethanol, making statement 3 incorrect. It has a higher heating value and a higher octane rating compared to ethanol, making it an attractive biofuel.