Ethics · 18 Jul 2026

Vaishno Devi shrine silver purity

Match the following items relating to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine silver testing controversy: List I (Item) List II (Detail) A. Statute constituting the Shrine Board 1. Rs 550 crore B. Approximate value of silver sent for testing 2. 5-6% C. Actual silver purity found on testing 3. 1988 D. Purity of gold offerings tested separately 4. 70-75% How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

AOnly two pairs
BOnly three pairs
CAll four pairs
DNone of the pairs

Tests precise multi-fact retention across a single news event - distinguishing the silver purity finding from the separately tested gold purity figure - rather than a single headline detail.

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This question is based on: The Vaishno Devi Silver Test: When a Shrine Board Must Investigate Itself
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About this question

Why in news

A Jammu court is hearing a plea alleging large-scale adulteration of silver offerings at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, after roughly 20 tonnes of accumulated silver, worth an estimated Rs 550 crore, was tested and found to contain only 5-6% actual silver.

Why for UPSC

This tests precise retention of multiple related figures from a single news event - a format UPSC uses to check whether a candidate has engaged with the full factual texture of a story rather than just its headline number.

Prelims summary

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, constituted under the 1988 Act, faces scrutiny after ~Rs 550 crore worth of silver tested at only 5-6% purity, while separately tested gold offerings showed 70-75% purity.

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