RAS question
What was Delhi’s daily average AQI on 4 May 2026 when GRAP Stage-I was revoked across NCR?
Correct answer: (A) 88.
Delhi's daily average AQI was 88 on 4 May 2026 when GRAP Stage-I was revoked across the NCR.
Explanation
The PIB release records that the CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP revoked all Stage-I actions across the NCR with immediate effect because Delhi's average AQI had improved and IMD/IITM forecasts expected air quality to remain in the Satisfactory to Moderate range in the coming days. The key data point is the daily average AQI: Delhi recorded 175 on 03.05.2026, and this improved to 88 on 04.05.2026, owing to rain and favourable meteorological conditions, as per the CPCB AQI Bulletin. That is why option A is the answer. The question is not asking when Stage-I was invoked; it is asking for the AQI on the day it was revoked.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) 125 is not reported in the PIB release as Delhi's daily average AQI for either 03.05.2026 or 04.05.2026.
- (C) 175 was Delhi's daily average AQI on 03.05.2026, the previous day, not on 04.05.2026 when Stage-I was revoked.
- (D) 205 is not cited in the release; the official figure for 04.05.2026 is 88.
Concept
This tests AQI-linked GRAP action under Environment and Ecology: the decision depends on matching the regulatory stage with the official AQI figure. It is a RAS-style current-environment fact pattern because the answer turns on the exact value in an official release, not on a general description of air pollution.