Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC Prelims — July 2026

Q1. At the July 2026 PAC hearing, the Education Secretary's principal argument for keeping the CBSE Chairperson outside the Committee's questioning rested on which one of the following claims?

  • A. That CBSE does not receive direct grants from the Union government
  • B. That CBSE is a constitutional body immune from committee scrutiny
  • C. That CBSE is accountable only to the Supreme Court
  • D. That CBSE is a body wholly controlled by the State governments

Q2. In the context of the 2026 CBSE controversy, 'On-Screen Marking (OSM)' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A system in which physical answer scripts are scanned and evaluated digitally by examiners on a secure online platform
  • B. An artificial-intelligence system that automatically grades answer scripts without human examiners
  • C. A facility that lets students view their provisional marks in real time while the exam is in progress
  • D. The replacement of pen-and-paper examinations by answering questions directly on a computer screen

Q3. Which one of the following statements correctly describes CBSE's adoption of the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system that triggered the 2026 controversy?

  • A. OSM has always been CBSE's exclusive evaluation method since the Board's inception
  • B. OSM was rolled out at scale for Class 12 answer-script evaluation for the first time in 2026
  • C. OSM was adopted for Class 12 only after being used for Class 10 for a full decade
  • D. OSM was mandated for CBSE by a specific Act of Parliament passed in 2026

Q4. Consider the following pairs of body and its role in India's AYUSH/Ayurveda governance. Which of the above is/are NOT correctly matched?

  1. NITI Aayog — released the 'Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global'
  2. Ministry of Ayush — nodal ministry for the AYUSH systems of medicine
  3. AYUSHEXCIL — the notified nodal Export Promotion Council for the AYUSH sector
  4. Ministry of External Affairs — the authority that notified AYUSHEXCIL as the nodal export council
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 3

Q5. Consider the following statements relating to India's traditional-medicine diplomacy. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine is located at Jamnagar, Gujarat.
  2. The 12th International Day of Yoga (2026) was observed with the theme 'Yoga for Healthy Ageing'.
  3. AYUSH and herbal product exports declined from USD 688.89 million in 2024–25 to USD 649.2 million in 2023–24.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. The vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 is described as spanning certain broad pillars. Consider the following. Which of the above is/are NOT correctly listed as such a pillar?

  1. Economic growth
  2. Social progress
  3. Environmental sustainability
  4. A policy of non-alignment in foreign affairs
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 4 only
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 2 and 3

Q7. In the vision 'Viksit Bharat@2047', to which one of the following does the year 2047 specifically correspond?

  • A. The 100th year (centenary) of India's independence
  • B. Seventy-five years of the Constitution of India coming into force
  • C. The centenary of the establishment of the Planning Commission
  • D. One hundred years of India becoming a Republic

Q8. The 'Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global' frames Ayurveda's globalisation around certain objectives. Consider the following. Which of the above is/are correctly identified as such objective(s)?

  1. Strengthening of exports
  2. Employment generation
  3. Attainment of net-zero carbon emissions
  4. Economic value creation
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q9. The report 'Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global' (2026) was released by which one of the following bodies?

  • A. NITI Aayog
  • B. Ministry of Ayush
  • C. Ministry of External Affairs
  • D. Indian Council of Medical Research

Q10. The PinS instrument approach procedure approved at Undavalli Heliport represents which numbered such procedure to be approved in India?

  • A. The first
  • B. The second
  • C. The third
  • D. The fifth

Q11. With reference to India's first PinS approval and the related satellite-navigation demonstrations of 2026, consider the following statements: 1. The recently demonstrated GAGAN-based precision approach at Udaipur involved a commercial fixed-wing airliner, whereas the PinS procedure was approved for helicopter operations. 2. India's first PinS procedure was approved under the Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) framework. 3. India's first PinS procedure was classified as a 'Public/published' PinS procedure. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The recently demonstrated GAGAN-based precision approach at Udaipur involved a commercial fixed-wing airliner, whereas the PinS procedure was approved for helicopter operations.
  2. India's first PinS procedure was approved under the Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) framework.
  3. India's first PinS procedure was classified as a 'Public/published' PinS procedure.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3
  • NRAA-Funded Wild Rice Conservation Project Secures Major Milestone in Assam
    NRAA-Funded Wild Rice Conservation Project Secures Major Milestone in Assam

    The notification of Borjuli site in Sonitpur, Assam as a Biodiversity Heritage Site under an NRAA-funded wild rice conservation project is a named, verifiable fact. Biodiversity Heritage Sites and wild crop genetic resource conservation are tested Prelims topics.

  • India Advances Global Green Hydrogen Leadership under National Green Hydrogen Mission

    Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), a landmark commercial deal for green ammonia and methanol export to Japan (IHI Corporation named) is a concrete outcome. India's green hydrogen ambitions and NGHM are recurring Prelims themes; this adds a factual export-deal hook.

  • NITI Aayog launches report on "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global"
    NITI Aayog launches report on "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global"

    A named NITI Aayog report on Ayurveda's global expansion is testable as a policy document. NITI Aayog reports, AYUSH sector initiatives, and traditional medicine diplomacy are recurring Prelims themes; the report's launch date and authoring body are clean factual hooks.

  • INDIAN NAVAL SHIP TRIKAND RESPONDS TO PIRACY ATTEMPT ON MV GOLDEN ARSENAL IN THE GULF OF ADEN

    A named Indian Navy anti-piracy operation with specific ship (INS Trikand — identified as a stealth frigate), vessel flag state (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), and location (Gulf of Aden) offers testable facts. India's maritime security operations are plausible Prelims hooks but appear occasionally, not frequently.

  • Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches nationwide ‘Viksit Bharat – G-Ram G Act’ from Andhra Pradesh with Chief Minister Shri Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Shri Pawan Kalyan

    A newly named nationwide scheme launched by the Rural Development ministry that explicitly positions itself as moving 'beyond MGNREGA' is potentially testable. However, the excerpt lacks concrete numbers or statutory grounding, keeping it at 3 rather than 4.

  • MANAS: A Digital Shield Against Drugs

    MANAS is a named government digital initiative (national narcotics helpline) with a specific mandate under Nasha Mukt Bharat. Named government portals/helplines with specific functions are tested in Prelims, though this release is a backgrounder without new launch data.

  • VB-G RAM G Act comes into force across the country from today; “A historic day for rural India”: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    The VB-G RAM G Act (likely a renamed/revised MGNREGA or rural employment guarantee framework) came into force across India from July 1, 2026. Key facts: national launch in Tirupati on July 2; revised wage rates notified with no daily wage below ₹300; national average wage increased by over 10%. A new central Act coming into force with specific wage figures is high-priority Prelims material.

  • India Achieves Major Milestone with Approval of Country’s First PinS Instrument Approach Procedure for Helicopter Operations

    DGCA approved India's first Private Point-in-Space (PinS) Instrument Approach Procedure for helicopter operations, implemented at Undavalli Heliport (developed by AAI). This is a named first in Indian aviation with a specific location and implementing body — classic Prelims material for science/tech and aviation sections.

  • 11 Years of Digital India: Better Healthcare & Digital Markets Making Lives Easier

    This release contains high-quality testable data: Greece is named as the 10th country to adopt UPI; every second real-time digital transaction globally is processed via India's UPI; 13 lakh Anganwadi workers connected via Poshan Tracker covering 9 crore beneficiaries. Multiple concrete facts that are prime Prelims material.

  • India, EU Advance Cooperation on Sustainable Ship Recycling; Three Indian Yards Ready for EU Recognition

    India has a 35.4% global market share in sustainable ship recycling. Three Indian ship-recycling yards are ready for EU recognition. India committed $8 billion to strengthen shipbuilding and recycling, with a target of recycling 16,000 ships. These are specific, verifiable figures in a sector where India leads globally — strong Prelims material on maritime/shipping sector.

  • GAGAN: Navigating India’s Skies with Precision

    Detailed backgrounder on GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation), India's Satellite-Based Augmentation System developed jointly by ISRO and Airports Authority of India (AAI). It enhances GPS accuracy for aviation, is certified to international standards, and supports satellite-based landing approaches. GAGAN is a recurring Prelims topic and this backgrounder consolidates key testable facts about its developers, purpose, and certification status.

  • The Hindu

    Latest PIB

    Latest from The Hindu

    Explore