1. India's bid for a non-permanent UNSC seat, opened by EAM S. Jaishankar with 'SHANTI' at UN Headquarters, is for which term?
Answer: E. SHANTI stands for Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity and was unveiled on 13 July 2026. The election is slated for June 2027 at the 81st UNGA, and Jaishankar pointed to India-financed projects across 79 countries and backed Women, Peace and Security. The UNSC was founded on 24 October 1945 and has five veto-holding permanent members plus ten others elected for two years, with half replaced annually.
2. Madanapalle Municipality is emerging as a model 'Zero Waste City' under SBM-Urban 2.0. Which state is it in?
Answer: D. Madanapalle in Andhra Pradesh segregates waste at source under SWM Rules 2016, processes it locally by composting wet waste and sorting dry waste at MRFs, supplies RDF to cement plants, runs RRR Centres and bio-mines old dumpsites. SBM-Urban 2.0, begun 1 October 2021 at roughly ₹1.41 lakh crore, targets Garbage Free Cities with ODF+, ODF++ and Water+ status, legacy waste clean-up, 1-7 star ratings and the Swachh Survekshan survey, the largest of its kind worldwide.
3. At the ICM in Philadelphia, the Fields Medal 2026 was awarded. Who became only the third woman in the medal's 90-year history to win it?
Answer: C. The International Mathematical Union presented the medals on 23 July to Yu Deng, John Pardon, Jacob Tsimerman and Hong Wang. Wang, of NYU Courant and IHES, is credited with work on the 3D Kakeya Conjecture with Joshua Zahl; she and Deng are China-born, the first since Shing-Tung Yau won in 1982. The medal was set up in 1936 from a trust of John Charles Fields.
4. The e-Zero FIR system for cybercrime relies on which BNSS, 2023 provision that lets information on a cognizable offence be given electronically regardless of jurisdiction?
Answer: A. Section 173(1) replaces Section 154 CrPC and enables jurisdiction-free electronic reporting. The system, active in 18 States/UTs with I4C of MHA as nodal body, links NCRP/Helpline 1930, State e-Crime Police Stations and NCRB's CCTNS to avoid jurisdictional delay, freeze defrauded funds quickly and restore money. In 2025 over 12,000 e-Zero FIRs were registered, Delhi leading with 6,115 and Chandigarh next with 4,174; each must turn into a regular FIR within 3 days.
5. The Panchayati Raj Ministry's 'DAANVEER' initiative lets citizens voluntarily donate what to Gram Panchayats through the Meri Panchayat app?
Answer: B. MoPR Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj launched it, linking the app with the DigiHaat marketplace, which offers bundles matching each State's specifications. Needs are verified, tracking is end-to-end, delivery is direct with no cash intermediaries, and a digital certificate is issued; it builds on e-GramSwaraj, Meri Panchayat, Sabha Saar, AuditOnline and Gram Manchitra.
6. IRDAI cleared the Policyholders' Education and Protection Fund (PEPF) with an initial corpus of ₹800 crore. Under which provision is it created?
Answer: D. The fund, created under Section 16A of the IRDAI Act 1999 (added by the SBSR Act 2025), will work on insurance awareness, handling grievances, technology-based services and tracing unclaimed insurance money, similar to RBI's Depositor Education and Awareness Fund. The 28 July 2026 meeting also approved permanent registration with an annual fee for intermediaries, compulsory tagging of salespersons on every proposal or policy, and the Penalties Regulations, 2026.
7. Which firm got IRDAI registration as the fourth new general insurer approved since January 2026?
Answer: A. The approval points to heightened competition in the sector. IRDAI itself is a statutory body under the IRDA Act, 1999, based in Hyderabad.
8. The fertiliser industry wants a mid-season Kharif 2026 hike in the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS). When was NBS launched, and which fertiliser falls outside it?
Answer: B. NBS covers phosphatic and potassic fertilisers, with subsidy tied to N, P, K and S content and paid directly to companies, whereas heavily subsidised urea sits outside and fuels excess nitrogen use. The industry wants a raise as the West Asia conflict lifted ammonia and sulphur costs; rates change only twice a year. DAP has 18% N and 46% P, MOP is wholly imported, and the balanced N:P:K ratio is 4:2:1.
9. According to ICAR, what return does every ₹1 invested in agricultural research generate?
Answer: C. Extension spending returns ₹7.40 per rupee. Research drove about a third of the rise in farm output value in 2024-25; the 2026-27 Agricultural Research & Education Budget is ₹9,266 crore against ₹4,836 crore in 2014-15, and 386 varieties were released in 2025 (94% climate-resilient, 29 biofortified). About 73% of agri spending goes to subsidies and welfare, R&D is only 0.6-0.7% of GDP, and ANRF was created under the ANRF Act, 2023.
10. MoRD, through DAY-NRLM, signed a 3-year Non-Financial MoU with which organisation to help Women-Led Enterprises gain access to public procurement?
Answer: E. The 2026-29 agreement creates a National Resource Cell inside DAY-NRLM, designs incubation frameworks and SOPs, and coaches SHGs in GeM registration, bids, quality norms and compliance, beginning in Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and UP in 2026-27. Under the 2012 MSE procurement policy, 25% of buying is from MSEs, with 3% for women-owned and 4% for SC/ST-owned units. DAY-NRLM has organised over 10 crore rural women and now aims at 6 crore Lakhpati Didis by 2029-30.
11. President Murmu marked four years in office by launching initiatives at Rashtrapati Bhavan. What does 'RAAHI' stand for?
Answer: C. Other launches alongside it were an e-Audio Guide, the third e-Upahaar, a children's 'Bal Parisar' called Bachpan and a Net Zero Energy Strategy. Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan also released five books commemorating her term.
12. Which institution signed three MoUs with Tripura on financial literacy, skills and investor awareness, and will finance the programme itself?
Answer: A. Under the agreements NSE pays for the programme and Tripura offers training infrastructure, covering investor awareness, banking and capital market courses, certification and industry links. Also, the Central University of Kerala signed an MoU with the Indian Navy for research in maritime studies, AI, cybersecurity and ocean sciences.
13. FSID, C-DOT and IISc Bengaluru signed an agreement to set up a Telecom Centre of Excellence on 5G, 6G, AI and quantum communication. Which CoE of C-DOT will it be?
Answer: E. The IISc centre will also cover cybersecurity, prototype development, IP creation and industry-academia collaboration.
14. ADB approved a USD 850 million loan for the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, helping India reach what rooftop solar capacity by FY27?
Answer: B. This is Subprogram 2 of the Accelerating Affordable and Inclusive Rooftop Solar Systems Development Program. It backs the scheme's aim of 30 GW rooftop solar by FY27, widening access to cheap solar and avoiding 28.8 million tonnes of CO₂.
15. Which alliance did NVIDIA, Microsoft, IBM and over 35 other tech firms launch to make AI systems more secure, transparent and resilient?
Answer: D. It came after recent AI-related cyber incidents and promotes secure-by-design AI, shared cybersecurity standards and information sharing on AI threats. Separately, the ACC named Satya Pal Kumar (2005-batch IRS) Director of FIU-IND for five years, succeeding Pankaj Kumar Mishra.
16. CCI approved the merger of Go Digit Infoworks with Go Digit General Insurance, the first such merger under which law?
Answer: C. The merger removes the holding company layer so shareholders hold shares directly in the insurer. Separately, a new polypore fungus, Microporellus kolhapurensis, was found in Kolhapur, Maharashtra and published in BSI's journal Nelumbo.
17. World Nature Conservation Day on 28 July traces its roots to which 1972 event?
Answer: A. The Stockholm conference of 1972 is the origin, and the day supports SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
18. The Delhi Government approved the 'Delhi Lakshmi Yojana'. What monthly assistance does it give eligible women aged 21-60?
Answer: B. Eligible women get ₹2,500 each month, with income and residency conditions and a 2026-27 budget of ₹5,110 crore; the first payment is set for 28 August 2026. Separately, Chhattisgarh's DWEEPTI Yojana plans 5,000 solar enterprises run by women, 50,000 green jobs and clean power for 5 lakh families through Solar Didis.
19. Following Sunil Agrawal's resignation, whom did LIC appoint as Executive Director (Finance & Accounts) and Chief Financial Officer?
Answer: D. At the same time, Varadarajan Muthuvenkataraman became ED (Enterprise Risk Management) and Chief Risk Officer.
20. In RBI Ombudsman data for FY25, total complaints grew 13.55% to 1.33 million. Which city or UT had the highest complaint rate, more than 4.5 times the national average?
Answer: E. Also, private banks drew more complaints than PSBs for the first time since FY21, and NBFC complaints rose. Deputy Governor Swaminathan J urged regulated entities to strengthen Internal Ombudsman systems, as many grievances reached the RBI without internal resolution.
21. Launched at Cochin Shipyard on 29 July 2026, 'Machilipatnam (BY 529)' is which number in the series of eight Mahe-class ASW Shallow Water Craft?
Answer: B. It carries the name of a historic port town in Andhra Pradesh and boosts the Navy's anti-submarine warfare capability along the coast.