Backtested — 12 question(s) with English PIB source
Q50
Miyawaki method
Hit · rank 1
Miyawaki — known for creation of mini forests in urban areas.
Trigger event
Miyawaki plantations by SECL, CAG office, multiple municipal corporations 2020-22
2020-07
Ministry
MoEFCC / Ministry of Coal
PIB hit · full
PIB source
released 2020-07-08
Rank in week's basket
1 of 60
top 100%
PIB title: Unique Urban Forest inaugurated at the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in New Delhi
Depth vs. question: PIB covered fully
Notes: CAG office Miyawaki forest inauguration July 2020. Also SECL plantation PIB release. Direct topic coverage.
NFT — ownership of digital asset, blockchain-based, not exchangeable like crypto.
Trigger event
NFT mainstreaming 2021 (Beeple sale March 2021, Crypto Punks); India crypto/VDA tax in Budget Feb 2022
2022-02-01
Ministry
Ministry of Finance
PIB hit · partial
PIB source
released 2022-02-01
Rank in week's basket
1 of 168
top 100%
PIB title: RBI TO ISSUE DIGITAL RUPEE STARTING FROM 2022-23
Depth vs. question: PIB mentioned but UPSC went deeper
Notes: Budget 2022 covered VDA / NFT taxation broadly; PIB does not explain NFT mechanics. UPSC sourced from tech/business press.
G20 Common Framework — endorsed with Paris Club, supports Low Income Countries with unsustainable debt.
Trigger event
G20 Common Framework agreed November 2020 (DSSI extension); 2021-22 implementation for Zambia, Chad, Ethiopia
2020-11-13
Ministry
Ministry of Finance
PIB hit · partial
PIB source
released 2020-10-14
Rank in week's basket
2 of 41
top 98%
PIB title: Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman attends the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting through video conferencing
Depth vs. question: PIB mentioned but UPSC went deeper
Notes: FM Sitharaman attended G20 FMCBG via video conferencing where DSSI/Common Framework discussed Oct 2020. Major substantive coverage of Common Framework appears in India's G20 Presidency 2023 docs — well after exam.
ABDM — adoption mandatory? UHC for every citizen? portability?
Trigger event
PM launched ABDM nationwide on 27 September 2021
2021-09-27
Ministry
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
PIB hit · full
PIB source
released 2021-09-27
Rank in week's basket
2 of 64
top 98%
PIB title: Prime Minister of India launches countrywide Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
Depth vs. question: PIB covered fully
Notes: Direct PIB launch release; Cabinet approval PIB release PRID=1801322 (Feb 2022) also adds detail.
Q31
Open source digital platforms — Aarogya Setu, CoWIN, DigiLocker, DIKSHA
Hit · rank 2
Which platforms built on open source?
Trigger event
Aarogya Setu open source May 2020; CoWIN open source offered as digital public good 5 July 2021
2021-07-05
Ministry
MeitY / PMO / MoHFW
PIB hit · full
PIB source
released 2021-07-05
Rank in week's basket
2 of 35
top 97%
PIB title: PM addresses CoWin Global Conclave as India offers CoWIN platform as a digital public good to the world to combat COVID19
Depth vs. question: PIB covered fully
Notes: Aarogya Setu open source PIB release PRID=1626979 (May 2020). CoWIN Global Conclave PRID=1732812. Strong PIB coverage.
Sputnik V viral vector? mRNA? Covishield viral vector?
Trigger event
Sputnik V EUA approval in India 12 April 2021
2021-04-12
Ministry
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
PIB hit · full
PIB source
released 2021-04-13
Rank in week's basket
2 of 71
top 99%
PIB title: The National Regulator grants Permission for Restricted Use in Emergency Situations to Sputnik-V vaccine
Depth vs. question: PIB covered fully
Notes: PIB release describes Sputnik-V as recombinant adenovirus vector vaccine — direct mapping to question.
Sanitation/CDRI institute statements — intergovernmental coalition.
Trigger event
CDRI categorised as International Organization by Cabinet 13 July 2022 (post-exam); but founding at UN Climate Summit Sept 2019; member growth 2020-22
2019-09-23
Ministry
Ministry of Home Affairs / NDMA
PIB hit · full
PIB source
released 2019-09-23
Rank in week's basket
2 of 61
top 98%
PIB title: Prime Minister announces Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure at UN Climate Action Summit 2019
Depth vs. question: PIB covered fully
Notes: Strong PIB coverage from 2019 launch; multiple subsequent releases on CDRI member expansion.
SRI cultivation results — seed/methane/water reductions.
Trigger event
SRI adopted in NFSM, climate-resilient agriculture initiatives 2021-22
2021-08
Ministry
Ministry of Agriculture
PIB hit · partial
PIB source
released 2020-08-21
Rank in week's basket
10 of 30
top 69%
PIB title: SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION TO ENSURE RECORD FOOD GRAIN OUTPUT
Depth vs. question: PIB covered partially
Notes: SRI is long-running technique; periodic PIB mentions in NFSM context. No single PIB release matches question deeply. PRID 1646376 'SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION TO ENSURE RECORD FOOD GRAIN OUTPUT' (Tamil Nadu, Aug 2020) is closest match.
BBB role — RBI Governor not chair, recommends PSB head selection, helps strategy.
Trigger event
BBB recommendations for PSB heads; BBB held incompetent by Delhi HC; replaced by FSIB on 1 July 2022
2022-04
Ministry
Ministry of Finance
PIB hit · partial
PIB source
released 2021-08-26
Rank in week's basket
16 of 75
top 80%
PIB title: Finance Minister unveils 4th edition of Public Sector Bank Reforms Agenda - EASE 4.0 in Mumbai
Depth vs. question: PIB covered partially
Notes: EASE 4.0 PSB Reforms Agenda PIB release covers PSB governance landscape but doesn't drill into BBB structure. UPSC question is essentially static institutional knowledge.
Territorial sea, innocent passage, EEZ — UNCLOS provisions.
Trigger event
Recurring UNCLOS-themed news around China-Japan, Quad maritime affairs, India MDA 2021-22
2021-04
Ministry
Ministry of External Affairs / Ministry of Defence
PIB hit · partial
PIB source
released 2021-12-13
Rank in week's basket
21 of 82
top 75%
PIB title: Commitment Towards Freedom of Navigation
Depth vs. question: PIB covered partially
Notes: PRID 1780870 'Commitment Towards Freedom of Navigation' references UNCLOS but as policy statement not expository content. UPSC question is static international-law knowledge.
Q77
Polar Code (IMO)
Missed · rank 36
Polar Code — international code for ships in polar waters.
Trigger event
Polar Code (IMO) in effect since 2017; renewed news cycle 2021-22 with Arctic shipping route discussions and India's Arctic Policy launch March 2022
2022-03-17
Ministry
Ministry of Earth Sciences
PIB hit · partial
PIB source
released 2022-03-17
Rank in week's basket
36 of 110
top 68%
PIB title: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh releases India’s Arctic Policy in New Delhi today
Depth vs. question: PIB mentioned but UPSC went deeper
Notes: India's Arctic Policy release coincides with Polar Code awareness; Code itself is IMO instrument not detailed in PIB.
WHO AQG pollutants covered — which match the standards?
Trigger event
WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines updated 22 September 2021 (first update since 2005)
2021-09-22
Ministry
Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change
PIB hit · full
PIB source
released 2022-02-04
Rank in week's basket
47 of 168
top 72%
PIB title: Revision of Air Quality Standards
Depth vs. question: PIB covered partially
Notes: PIB 'Revision of Air Quality Standards' Lok Sabha reply referenced WHO AQG 2021 in context of India's NAAQS — partial coverage.
Skipped — 2 source release was not in English
These questions did map to a PIB PRID, but the release was published only in a regional-language edition. Our pipeline filters baskets to English, so we did not rank these in the backtest. The question and PRID are still listed for transparency.
Vietnam — multi-party? cheap labour + stability? part of global supply chains?
Trigger event
Vietnam emerged as 'China+1' alternative 2020-22; India-Vietnam Virtual Summit Dec 2020; Lok Sabha Speaker visit April 2022; Rajnath Singh visit June 2022
2020-12-21
Ministry
Ministry of External Affairs
PIB hit · partial
PIB source
released 2020-12-21
Rank in week's basket
source not English (lang detect, prid=1684147)
PIB title: उपराष्ट्रपति ने एकल उपयोग वाली प्लास्टिक के बारे में लोगों को जागरूक करने के लिए बड़े पैमाने पर मीडिया अभियान चलाने का आह्वान किया
Depth vs. question: PIB mentioned but UPSC went deeper
Notes: India-Vietnam Virtual Summit PIB release exists but doesn't deal with Vietnam's economic structure (multi-party / supply chain). UPSC sourced from business press / IBEF.
Q84
Solar energy in India — Kerala airport, Madhya Pradesh park
Skipped — non-English source
750 MW solar park in MP? Kerala airport on solar? Goa floating solar?
Trigger event
Rewa solar park (MP) operationalized; Cochin Airport — first fully solar-powered airport (2015 baseline, recurring news 2021-22)
2020-07
Ministry
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
PIB hit · full
PIB source
released 2020-07-10
Rank in week's basket
source not English (lang detect, prid=1637863)
PIB title: செயலிகளுக்கு தடை - தற்சார்புக்கு வாய்ப்பு
Depth vs. question: PIB covered fully
Notes: PM's dedication of 750 MW Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Project on 10 July 2020 — direct PIB coverage.
No PIB anchor — 12 question(s) sourced from elsewhere
These questions did not have a verifiable PIB source. They came from RBI / SEBI / Supreme Court / international press / ministry-website notifications. pibtracker does not claim to catch these — they are listed here so you can see the full universe of 2021–2026 CA questions, not just the ones we score.
Rapid Financing Instrument and Rapid Credit Facility relate to lending by which organization?
Trigger event
IMF emergency COVID-19 lending instruments heavily used 2020-21; India related coverage in IMF Article IV consultations
2020-04
Depth vs. question: no PIB
Notes: Pure IMF instrument knowledge; PIB does not cover IMF lending instruments in detail. UPSC sourced this from international financial press.
Q32
Web 3.0
Not in backtest
Web 3.0 — user data control, blockchain social networks, user-collective operation.
Trigger event
Web 3.0 surge in tech discourse 2021-22; crypto/NFT/blockchain mainstreaming
2021-12
Depth vs. question: no PIB
Notes: Web3 PIB releases (Vishvasya stack, Web3 Sangam, FOSS4GOV) all post-date the 2022 exam. UPSC sourced from tech/business press.
FOBS — missile deployed to low orbit, deorbited over target.
Trigger event
China's reported FOBS hypersonic test, Aug 2021 (revealed by FT in Oct 2021)
2021-08
Depth vs. question: no PIB
Notes: PIB does not cover foreign weapons systems. Pure international defence-press story.
Climate Action Tracker — what kind of body?
Trigger event
Frequently cited at COP26 Glasgow (Oct-Nov 2021) on India's NDC ambition
2021-11
Depth vs. question: no PIB
Notes: CAT is independent research consortium (Climate Analytics + NewClimate Institute); not Indian government — no PIB coverage.
Q42
Climate Group initiatives — RE100, EP100, EV100, Under2
Not in backtest
Which initiatives are run by The Climate Group?
Trigger event
Climate Group COP26 commitments / India business pledges Oct-Nov 2021
2021-09
Depth vs. question: no PIB
Notes: Climate Group is UK-based NGO; PIB covers Indian climate policy but not Climate Group's specific initiatives by name.
Q45
Gucchi mushroom
Not in backtest
Gucchi — what is it? (mushroom from Himalayan region)
Trigger event
Gucchi/Morchella increased media coverage 2021-22 due to GI tag advocacy, premium pricing
2022-02
Depth vs. question: no PIB
Notes: No direct PIB feature. UPSC sourced from regional press / culinary-agri coverage.
Q49
Biorock technology
Not in backtest
Biorock — used for restoration of damaged coral reefs.
Trigger event
Biorock pilots in Gulf of Kachchh by ZSI / NIO India in 2020-21
2021-01
Ministry
Ministry of Earth Sciences
PIB hit · partial
Depth vs. question: PIB covered partially
Notes: Indirect PIB coverage through ZSI activities; no dedicated Biorock PIB release found via site:pib.gov.in search. UPSC sourced from ZSI/Hindu/Drishti coverage.
Q66
Senkaku Islands
Not in backtest
Senkaku Islands — China-Japan East China Sea dispute.
Trigger event
China Coast Guard Law Feb 2021; sustained CCG presence around Senkaku 2020-22
2021-02-01
Depth vs. question: no PIB
Notes: Foreign territorial dispute; MEA does not formally take sides, no dedicated PIB release.
Q80
Greenwashing
Not in backtest
Greenwashing — false eco-friendly impression?
Trigger event
Greenwashing concerns rose with ESG/Sovereign Green Bonds discourse 2021-22
2022-02
Depth vs. question: no PIB
Notes: CCPA Greenwashing guidelines came 2023 (consultation) and 2024 (final) — well after the 2022 exam. UPSC sourced from sustainability/finance press.
Bidibidi/Dadaab — refugee settlements in Africa.
Trigger event
Continuous refugee crisis coverage 2020-22; UNHCR reports
2021-06
Depth vs. question: no PIB
Notes: Pure foreign-geography knowledge from UNHCR / international news. No PIB angle.
Members of Organization of Turkic States.
Trigger event
Turkic Council renamed to Organization of Turkic States at 8th Summit, Istanbul, 12 November 2021
2021-11-12
Depth vs. question: no PIB
Notes: Foreign regional bloc; not covered by PIB. Clear coaching-aggregator news pickup.
Among ant/cockroach/crab/spider, which cultivates fungus as food?
Trigger event
No clear datable event; biology general knowledge
—
Depth vs. question: no PIB
Notes: Borderline static; included only because leafcutter-ant fungus farming featured in popular science media. Likely static — could be excluded.