1. What proportion of mining and metals sites face major physical water risk, according to ICMM's first Global Mining and Metals Water Dataset report, which examined 12,000 sites across 148 countries?
Answer: D. Released in London on 22 July 2026 with the WWF Water Risk Team and WRI, it assessed floods, droughts, baseline water stress, baseline depletion and interannual variability. Some 38% of sites are under severe stress, 27% are drought-prone (80.7% in Africa-Middle East) and 5% carry three or more combined risks. Central India stands out as a hotspot, which matters for the National Critical Mineral Mission 2025 and the MMDR Amendment Act 2023.
2. SOFI 2026, themed on the high cost of a healthy diet, is a joint publication of which five UN agencies?
Answer: B. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, released 21 July 2026, tracks SDG Targets 2.1 (hunger) and 2.2 (malnutrition). It reports 645 million hungry in 2025, or 7.8% against 8.1% in 2024, and 2.69 billion people (32.7%) unable to afford a healthy diet.
3. Which region has now overtaken Asia as the centre of world hunger, per SOFI 2026?
Answer: E. Africa has 309 million hungry (20.0%, one in five) against Asia's 292 million (6.0%), and 66.6% of Africans cannot afford a healthy diet. Healthy-diet cost is mostly animal-source foods, fruits and vegetables (about 70%), while starchy staples give half the calories for a sixth of the cost; women's anaemia rose to 30.7%, adult obesity to 16.2%, and 510-520 million may still be hungry in 2030. India pulled Southern Asia's undernourishment from 13.9% in 2021 to 9.3% in 2025.
4. The Union Cabinet cleared the 'BHAVYA - Rasayan' Scheme on 24 July 2026 with a ₹3,030 crore outlay. How many dedicated Chemical Parks will it create?
Answer: A. BHAVYA-Rasayan, short for Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana - Rasayan, is a central sector scheme of the Chemicals & Petrochemicals Department for FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. Three parks get ₹3,000 crore for shared infrastructure, plus ₹30 crore for administration; the Centre gives up to ₹1,000 crore a park, the State at least ₹500 crore, parks are picked by the Challenge Route and each needs 2,000 acres (8 sq km) of land free of encumbrances. It forms the chemicals arm of the March 2026 BHAVYA scheme for 100 plug-and-play industrial parks costing ₹33,660 crore.
5. DRDO carried out the first flight test of the 'Kusha' LR-SAM, often described as India's home-grown counterpart to which foreign system?
Answer: C. Held on 23 July 2026 at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha, the test destroyed an electronic target mimicking a fast, high-altitude threat. Kusha fits the 'Sudarshan Chakra' air umbrella vision with M1 (150 km), M2 (250 km) and M3 (350 km) interceptors, indigenous AESA radars, command centres and precision seekers; Defence Secretary and DRDO Chairman Rajesh Kumar Singh watched.
6. The 2026 amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 cleared by Cabinet propose a maximum fine of what amount for organised paper leaks?
Answer: A. The draft Bill cleared by Cabinet on 24 July 2026 raises minimum jail from 3 to 5 years, maximum jail to 10 years and the top fine to ₹10 crore, with investigations due in three months and statutory fast-track courts. The original 2024 law, in force from 21 June 2024, treats offences as cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable, allows CBI transfer, and set 3-5 years plus up to ₹10 lakh for individuals (Sec 10) and 5-10 years plus at least ₹1 crore for organised crime (Sec 11).
7. The Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA), now with 90 members, was set up in July 2023 after the PM unveiled the Bharat 6G Vision in which month and year?
Answer: E. B6GA is an industry-led platform that the government facilitates and DoT supports, arising from the Bharat 6G Vision of March 2023 and formed in July 2023. Its 90 members push 6G research, IP and standards, and it has bilateral MoUs with groups in the USA, Europe, South Korea and Japan, with 6G Brasil and with ESA.
8. What is the annual family income ceiling for eligibility under the PM-YASASVI scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment?
Answer: B. The scheme serves OBC, EBC and DNT students who are not in the creamy layer and whose family income is at most ₹2.50 lakh. It has Pre-Matric, Post-Matric, Top Class Schools and Top Class Colleges tiers; top class school students get up to ₹75,000 a year (Classes 9-10) and ₹1,25,000 (Classes 11-12). NTA runs the YASASVI Entrance Test, applications use the National Scholarship Portal with DBT to Aadhaar-seeded accounts, and the hostel component began in 1998-99.
9. What is the ceiling on a transaction made with no internet connection under NPCI's upcoming offline NFC 'Tap-and-Pay' UPI facility?
Answer: C. Payers just tap NFC-enabled devices to pay up to ₹2,000 to the recipient's UPI ID/VPA without scanning a QR. It extends UPI Lite X and seeks to bring UPI closer to contactless card payments; NFC is Near Field Communication, a wireless technology working over short distances.
10. Under Mission Golden Spice for Lakadong Turmeric, MDoNER/NEC supplies 50% of funds. What is the target for doubling farmers' earnings by 2030?
Answer: D. Jyotiraditya Scindia and Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma launched the ₹175.45 crore mission on 21 July 2026, which also aims for a ₹100-crore local value chain by 2028-29. The rest is paid by the Agriculture Ministry (33.1%) and Meghalaya (16.9%); it falls under the Ashtalakshmi strategy's initiative to unlock the Northeast's economic potential, with APEDA, Spices Board, National Turmeric Board, ICAR, NABARD and SFAC as partners.
11. What is special about Lakadong Turmeric, grown mainly in Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills?
Answer: D. That high curcumin level is its main edge. It carries a GI tag for Meghalaya, gained global attention when the PM showcased it at the G7 Summit, and targets markets in the US, EU, Japan and the Gulf.
12. Himachal farmers pioneered a sustainable stolon-based cultivation model for Kutki (Picrorhiza kurroa). What are its IUCN and CITES statuses?
Answer: B. Destructive wild harvesting pushed it to Endangered. This Himalayan herb grows at 2,700-4,500 m from Kashmir to Sikkim, and its medicinal value lies in the stolon, so Mandi farmers take only lateral stolons and let the mother rhizome regrow, harvesting in about 2-2.5 years. Its active principle kutkin (kutkoside plus Picroside I and II) is in 2,000-plus formulations, Picroliv protects the liver, and it is key to Arogyavardhani Vati.
13. India's first full annual report on scientific mine closure, restoration and later land use is called 'AAROH'. Which ministry published it and which body compiled it?
Answer: E. The Ministry of Coal released the Annual Report on Mine Closure, compiled by the CCO, which lists 42 coal mines closed on scientific lines, 33 of them within the last year. The launch also included a virtual opening of Coal India's Coal NEER Plants and a three-party MoU among BCCL, JRDA, Hindalco Industries and Rajdhani Universal Fabrics.
14. Under the ₹19,000 crore AEW&C Mk-II Programme, for which DRDO signed contracts, six aircraft of which type will be turned into airborne early-warning platforms?
Answer: A. The Cabinet Committee on Security approved the programme, with induction planned for 2032-33, to boost airborne surveillance and air defence.
15. During Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi's 17-20 July 2026 India visit, the master plan of which campus, India's first international IIT campus, was revealed?
Answer: C. The trip strengthened the India-Tanzania Strategic Partnership across blue economy, trade, tourism, health, education and technology. Elsewhere, NCVET recognised NIRDPR as a Dual Awarding Body for NSQF-aligned qualifications, bringing the count to 107 by July 2026, and DIBD with the Goa government held the 'BHASHINI Rajyam' workshop on AI-driven multilingual governance, centred on Konkani.
16. NABARD signed an MoU with which entity to co-finance green, climate-resilient rural infrastructure, starting with Maharashtra?
Answer: A. The pact covers renewable energy, Gram Panchayat infrastructure, biogas, solar cold storage and decarbonised public institutions, backing the circular economy and rural sustainability. Microsoft India and IIT Delhi's FITT also introduced UNNATI AI 2.0, aimed at AI skilling and innovation in smaller Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
17. Which firm became India's first Authorised Dealer Category-II (AD-II) entity approved by the RBI for trade remittances of up to ₹25 lakh per transaction?
Answer: D. EbixCash is the first AD-II entity the RBI has cleared for trade remittances, and also for family maintenance remittances, which can help MSME importers and exporters. Another launch: EnKash brought India's first UPI-enabled meal card, where meal balances pay through eligible UPI QR codes with tax benefits.
18. What real GDP growth range has ICRA projected for Q1 FY27?
Answer: C. ICRA expects strong industrial activity, infrastructure growth and better high-frequency indicators to support growth, even with higher energy prices and input cost pressures.
19. Paras Semiconductors signed an MoU with MPSeDC for a ₹6,200 crore greenfield facility of which kind in Madhya Pradesh?
Answer: B. The plant will make advanced semiconductor packages for strategic uses, boosting India's semiconductor ecosystem and backing the India Semiconductor Mission.
20. Who has been appointed CEO of NITI Aayog for a two-year term?
Answer: E. The 1989-batch IAS officer replaces Nidhi Chhibber, who held additional charge. Separately, the RBI approved Areion Group's ₹936 crore takeover of Aviom India Housing Finance under CIRP, with an estimated 65% lender recovery, subject to NCLT approval.
21. Two cities are under consideration as hosts for the 2029 World Abilitysport Games, for which the Paralympic Committee of India and CPSFI have agreed to bid together. Which are they?
Answer: C. The MoU aims to bring this multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities to India in 2029, with Chennai and Bhubaneswar as the candidate venues.
22. National Flag Adoption Day on 22 July marks the Constituent Assembly's adoption of the Tiranga in which year?
Answer: D. The flag was adopted on 22 July 1947, so 2026 is the 79th anniversary. National Broadcasting Day on 23 July recalls the first organised radio broadcast by the Indian Broadcasting Company in 1927, making 2026 its 99th anniversary.
23. Which company developed 'Qdenga', India's first dengue vaccine?
Answer: E. Takeda's vaccine is licensed in over 40 countries with WHO prequalification and covers all four dengue serotypes; unlike Dengvaxia, it needs no prior dengue screening. It takes two doses three months apart, though protection against DENV-3 and DENV-4 in people never infected before looks weaker and affordability remains a worry.
24. From 24 July 2026 the US applied a Section 301 tariff on Indian goods over weak action against forced labour. What rate was applied to India?
Answer: B. The rate was set at 10% rather than the proposed 12.5% because DGFT amended the Foreign Trade Policy on 13 July 2026 to forbid imports made using forced labour, and because the four Labour Codes made headway. FIEO felt this gave exporters an advantage over countries taxed at 12.5%, while gems and jewellery and textile sectors still feared margin and reputation hits.