28th October 2025

Explanation - The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific. APEC's 21 members aim to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration. Of the countries listed, Japan, USA, South Korea, China, and Russia are all members of APEC. Only India is not a member of APEC. 

Explanation - The Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) scheme was launched after India joined the 'Mangrove Alliance for Climate' launched during COP27 in November 2022. The scheme aims to increase mangrove cover along the coastline and on salt pan lands. It is implemented in a participatory manner, involving local communities and NGOs. However, the scheme is not solely funded through CAMPA - it leverages multiple sources including MGNREGS, CAMPA Fund and other relevant sources. Therefore, statements 1, 3, and 4 are correct. 

Explanation - At the national level, Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) are the key committees involved in the top-level decision making with respect to Disaster Management (DM). It deals with major crisis which have serious or national ramifications and oversees the Command, Control and Coordination of the disaster response. The NCMC is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary (not the Prime Minister), with Secretaries of Ministries/Departments and agencies with specific Disaster management responsibilities as members. 

Explanation - The IUCN World Heritage Outlook is the only global assessment that evaluates all natural and mixed World Heritage sites every 3–5 years. It tracks their conservation status, identifies threats, and highlights best management practices to enhance long-term preservation. Implemented by the IUCN World Heritage Team and World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), it provides reliable, transparent, and independent data about the state and prospects of these globally significant natural sites. This initiative supports stakeholders in aligning conservation strategies with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) goals for 2030. It categorises sites as "good," "good with some concerns," "significant concern," and "critical," reflecting their conservation status and urgency of action. 

Explanation - MoSPI is preparing to launch the country's first-ever National Household Income Survey (NHIS) in February 2026, a landmark initiative to gather comprehensive income data from Indian households. The survey aims to fill a critical information gap in India's economic landscape by providing a reliable estimate of income distribution, data that has long been missing from the country's statistical system. According to MoSPI, the NHIS will be one of the "toughest" surveys ever conducted by the ministry due to the sensitive nature of the data being collected. The results of the survey are expected to be available by mid-2027. While India regularly conducts large-scale surveys on consumption, employment, and household expenditure, there has never been a successful nationwide effort to measure household income. Earlier attempts, dating back to the 1950s, failed because the income data collected were often inconsistent, in many cases showing household income to be lower than the sum of consumption and savings. The absence of reliable income data has long hindered evidence-based policymaking.