1. Which ministry commissioned NIRD&PR Hyderabad to prepare the National Study Report on Low Participation in Gram Sabha, which came out on 30 June 2026?
Answer: B. NIRD&PR produced this two-volume report for the Panchayati Raj Ministry, and NITI Aayog Member Dr. R. Balasubramaniam released it. The survey reached about 7,790 people in 400 Gram Panchayats spread over 26 States and UTs.
2. The constitutional footing for the Gram Sabha is found in which Article?
Answer: D. The 73rd Amendment, in force from 24 April 1993, added Article 243A, which defines the Gram Sabha as the body of all registered voters of a Gram Panchayat's village area.
3. Through which Schedule of the Constitution does the PESA Act, 1996 carry the 73rd Amendment's provisions into Scheduled Areas?
Answer: E. PESA was enacted on 24 December 1996 and applies to the Fifth Schedule areas of 10 states. It gives Gram Sabhas rights such as prior informed consent before land acquisition or mining.
4. Who released the 'Delegation of Financial Powers to DRDO (DFP-2026)', which gives DRDO greater financial freedom for defence research?
Answer: A. Rajnath Singh launched DFP-2026 in New Delhi on 29 June 2026 together with DFPDS-2026 for procurement. It funds trial campaigns, lets DRDO sanction pre-project R&D, and has separate schedules for EMRPs, DIA-CoEs and TDF grants.
5. 'Swar Prerna Veethika' is a permanent photo gallery for great musicians that opened on 1 July 2026. Which Akashvani anniversary was being marked?
Answer: C. Padma Vibhushan Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia opened the gallery at Akashvani Bhavan, New Delhi, as part of the 90-year celebrations before radio broadcasting in India reaches its centenary in 2027. AIR began on 8 June 1936 and took the name Akashvani in 1956.
6. A community effort to protect the Himalayan Ray-Finned Fish (Schizothorax pelzami), known locally as 'Ngarsing', is led by the Sangno clan of which tribe?
Answer: C. In East Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh, the Nyishi Sangno clan moved 52 fingerlings from Lapabung stream to Richaso stream. The fish, a cyprinid also called Transcaspian marinka, is listed as Endangered by IUCN.
7. Which company built 'Vikram-1', described as India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket, to fly under Mission Aagaman?
Answer: A. Hyderabad's Skyroot Aerospace has set a launch window of 12 July to 4 August 2026 from Sriharikota. Aagaman aims for a 450 km low Earth orbit at 60 degrees inclination with payloads up to 350 kg; its earlier suborbital flight was Vikram-S in November 2022.
8. Mission SAKSHAM, started by RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, builds skills and capacity in which segment of banking?
Answer: D. Mission SAKSHAM (Sahakari Bank Kshamta Nirman) began on 28 April 2026 for UCBs. Across 24 months it plans to train roughly 1.40 lakh people, from board members to IT and cybersecurity staff, via classroom and e-learning in over twelve languages.
9. In March 2026, the gross NPA ratio of Scheduled Commercial Banks fell to a record low of what level, according to the RBI's June 2026 Financial Stability Report?
Answer: E. Released on 30 June 2026, the report puts SCB GNPA at its lowest in several decades. The baseline scenario sees only a slight increase to 1.9% by March 2028, while severe stress could push it to roughly 3.8 to 4.1%.
10. The RBI's Financial Stability Report is described as the joint view of a sub-committee of which body?
Answer: B. The report comes out twice a year, in June and December, and the first one appeared in March 2010. It reflects the FSDC Sub-Committee headed by the RBI Governor, while the non-statutory FSDC, set up in December 2010, is chaired by the Finance Minister.
11. Which sector showed the highest GNPA ratio, 5.1%, in the June 2026 Financial Stability Report?
Answer: D. Agriculture's 5.1% was the top figure and the sector made up 37.2% of all SCB gross NPAs. In contrast, large borrowers saw GNPA drop from 2.4% in September 2024 to 1.2% in March 2026.
12. Which emerging risk did the RBI cite in the June 2026 Financial Stability Report as capable of eroding monetary sovereignty and dulling policy transmission?
Answer: E. The central bank cautioned that wide use of stablecoins pegged to foreign currencies could weaken its control over policy and ease money laundering. It also pointed to AI-fuelled market optimism and fintech multi-lending, meaning unsecured loans from five or more lenders.
13. ICGV 201214 and ICGV 181030, two high-oleic groundnut varieties picked for national release, were bred by which institute together with partner institutions?
Answer: C. ICRISAT developed both medium-duration Spanish bunch types, with Junagadh Agricultural University on ICGV 201214 and UAS Dharwad on ICGV 181030. The AICRP-G Varietal Identification Committee selected them at its Pune meeting on 21 to 23 April 2026.
14. For which region is ICGV 181030 the first high-oleic groundnut variety to be cleared for cultivation?
Answer: A. With about 78% oleic acid, ICGV 181030 is approved for Zone IV, covering Odisha and the North-East, and is also recommended for Zone II. Groundnuts with at least 78% oleic acid keep 5 to 10 times longer and are better for the heart.
15. Where is the headquarters of ICRISAT, the institute behind the new groundnut varieties?
Answer: B. ICRISAT was founded on 28 March 1972 as an intergovernmental research centre linked to CGIAR and sits at Patancheru near Hyderabad. Dr. Himanshu Pathak, its Director General since 6 March 2025, is the first Indian in that role.
16. Balwaan Krishi, a farm-equipment startup, opened logistics hubs in Chennai and Visakhapatnam. In which city is the company headquartered?
Answer: C. Rohit Bajaj and Shubham Bajaj founded the firm in 2016 and it is based in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Its 14,000 sq ft Chennai hub, backed by Rs 50 lakh, will serve all 38 Tamil Nadu districts via 34 dealers, and it launched India's first ISI-marked farm equipment line in July 2023.
17. What is the compensation cap for financial loss under the RBI-Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS) 2026, which took effect on 1 July 2026?
Answer: D. The 2026 scheme replaced the 2021 version from 1 July 2026 and covers banks, NBFCs, PPI issuers and credit information companies. It allows up to ₹30 lakh for financial loss and ₹3 lakh for mental harassment.
18. The CCEA approved lowering the permitted broken-rice share in raw rice supplied under PDS and PMGKAY from 25% to what figure?
Answer: B. Under the tighter quality standard, raw rice may contain only 10% broken grains instead of 25%, and parboiled rice 5% instead of 16%. This is expected to lift quality, aid ethanol production and trim logistics costs.
19. Ravi Shankar became an RBI Executive Director on 1 July 2026. Which department will he lead?
Answer: E. With more than three decades at the RBI behind him, he takes charge of DSIM, which looks after economic statistics and surveys.
20. Who will chair the High-Level Study Group set up by the I&B Ministry to look at opportunities and challenges for Indian cinema?
Answer: A. The ministry announced two reforms for the film industry: this study group under Prasoon Joshi and a set of Model State Cinema Regulations. Both target better global competitiveness and more cinema infrastructure.
21. Interest rates on small savings schemes were left unchanged for Q2 FY27. Counting back, this is which straight quarter with no revision?
Answer: C. The Finance Ministry kept rates for PPF, NSC, Sukanya Samriddhi Account and the other schemes as they were, extending the freeze to nine quarters in a row.
22. Which two states signed the ₹34,102 crore water-sharing agreement with the Centre for the Yamuna Water Project?
Answer: E. The pact with Haryana and Rajasthan settles an interstate water dispute that had dragged on, and will bring drinking water and irrigation to several districts.
23. SEBI has set up an expert group to examine rules for debenture trustees. Who is its head?
Answer: D. Led by Ananta Barua, the group will suggest reforms that strengthen protection for investors. SEBI accepts public comments on the matter up to 15 July 2026.
24. The 'Bharat AI & Cyber Innovation Hub' is a tie-up between SBI Life Insurance and which institute?
Answer: A. The hub with IIT Bombay will build home-grown, AI-driven cybersecurity tools to improve the digital resilience of the insurance sector.
25. At which airport did the DGCA complete India's first satellite-based SLS approach landing trial on an Airbus A320 using GAGAN?
Answer: B. The test used GAGAN, the GPS-Aided GEO Augmented Navigation system, to guide the A320 down at Udaipur, showing that satellite-guided precision landings are feasible and marking a notable aviation milestone.
26. Ravi Agrawal received a six-month reappointment, taking his tenure to 31 December 2026, as head of which organisation?
Answer: D. He continues as Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, and the extension runs until the end of December 2026.
27. Vijaya Mehta died in Mumbai aged 92. In which field was she a noted pioneer?
Answer: B. She was a trailblazer of Marathi stage and film work and was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1987.
28. What is the 2026 theme of the International Day of Parliamentarism, marked on 30 June?
Answer: A. The UN marks this day every 30 June. This year's theme draws attention to how legislatures shape democracy, governance and human rights.
29. National Doctors' Day on 1 July honours the birth and death anniversary of which noted physician?
Answer: C. The day recalls Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, who was born and died on 1 July. The 2026 theme is 'Behind the Mask: Who Heals the Healers?'
30. ICAI came into being on 1 July 1949, which is celebrated as National Chartered Accountants Day. Which year of the institute's foundation does the 2026 observance mark?
Answer: E. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India was set up on 1 July 1949, so the 2026 event counts as its 78th foundation year.