July 2026 UPSC Current Affairs — 100 MCQs

Explanation

PM-KISAN credits support directly into farmers’ bank accounts via the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, typically in three installments totaling ₹6,000 annually. Cash handouts or paper vouchers are not used under this scheme, as they risk delays and leakages. Nor is the money routed as reimbursements through state treasuries; funds go straight to beneficiaries’ accounts. **Source:** Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme: A Key Agricultural Policy — The Hindu, 31 Jul 2026 · https://www.thehindu.com/business/agri-business/centre-extends-pm-kisan-for-four-more-years-allocates-315-lakh-crore/article71290390.ece

Explanation

India's R&D statistics are compiled by the Department of Science and Technology through its NSTMIS, which publishes GERD and sectoral data used for policy. NITI Aayog focuses on strategy and evaluation, not the official R&D statistical series. MoSPI produces national accounts and large surveys, while CSIR is a research performer; neither is the designated compiler of R&D statistics. **Source:** India's Research and Development Spending and Innovation Policy — The Hindu, 29 Jul 2026 · https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/indias-rd-spending-crosses-08-of-gdp-for-first-time-since-2010/article71282374.ece

Explanation

PM-KISAN’s design includes a fixed annual support of ₹6,000 delivered via the Direct Benefit Transfer architecture to beneficiaries’ bank accounts. This amount is split into three, not four, equal instalments each year. Therefore, the feature about DBT and the ₹6,000 entitlement are correct, while the statement claiming four quarterly releases is inconsistent with the scheme’s triannual disbursal. **Source:** Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme: A Key Agricultural Policy — The Hindu, 31 Jul 2026 · https://www.thehindu.com/business/agri-business/centre-extends-pm-kisan-for-four-more-years-allocates-315-lakh-crore/article71290390.ece

Explanation

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) publishes India’s official long-range monsoon forecasts, benchmarked to the Long Period Average, which guide agricultural planning and inflation management. The National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting supports numerical weather prediction but is not the statutory issuer of the monsoon forecast. ISRO provides satellite observations that aid weather models but does not release official seasonal forecasts. The Central Water Commission monitors rivers and reservoirs and handles flood management, not nationwide monsoon rainfall outlooks. **Source:** Impact of Monsoon Variability on Agriculture and Food Inflation — Livemint, 31 Jul 2026 · https://www.livemint.com/news/india/imd-sees-below-normal-august-september-rains-reviving-inflation-fears-11785504521750.html

Explanation

GERD is defined as the total R&D expenditure performed within a country irrespective of the source of funding, so it includes government, business enterprise, higher education and others—making the first claim incorrect. In India, the Department of Science and Technology disseminates R&D statistics via its National Science and Technology Management Information System (NSTMIS). Policymakers commonly track R&D intensity as GERD-to-GDP. Hence two statements are correct, and the trap is mistaking GERD for a government-only aggregate. **Source:** India's Research and Development Spending and Innovation Policy — The Hindu, 29 Jul 2026 · https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/indias-rd-spending-crosses-08-of-gdp-for-first-time-since-2010/article71282374.ece

Explanation

IMD benchmarks seasonal rainfall against the LPA and labels 96–104% as Normal, a classification widely used in monsoon assessment. Key kharif crops such as paddy, soybean, and cotton are typically sown with the southwest monsoon’s onset, making their acreage sensitive to rain timing. ENSO teleconnections show El Niño episodes are statistically associated with an elevated risk of weaker Indian monsoons, even if not deterministic. Therefore, all three statements hold; options suggesting only one, only two, or none are inconsistent with these established facts. **Source:** Impact of Monsoon Variability on Agriculture and Food Inflation — Livemint, 31 Jul 2026 · https://www.livemint.com/news/india/imd-sees-below-normal-august-september-rains-reviving-inflation-fears-11785504521750.html

Explanation

Gaganyaan follows a phased approach with three uncrewed flights (e.g., G1–G3) before the crewed mission, and includes a Crew Escape System for launch-phase aborts—both core design features. However, the human-rated launcher is HLVM3 (the human-rated LVM3), not a PSLV derivative; PSLV is a different class and is not the vehicle being human-rated for this mission. Thus two statements are correct, and the PSLV linkage is the trap. **Source:** Gaganyaan Mission: India's Ambitious Human Spaceflight Program — Livemint, 30 Jul 2026 · https://www.livemint.com/news/india/gaganyaan-mission-update-govt-shares-details-says-ganganyatris-training-in-bengaluru-as-first-uncrewed-launch-nears-11785401829768.html

Explanation

Sylhet Limestone represents middle-Eocene shallow-tropical marine carbonate deposition, a setting well established by sedimentary structures and fossil content. Foraminiferal assemblages are standard micropaleontological proxies for paleo-bathymetry and relative sea-level variation in carbonate platforms. Its mineralogy is dominantly calcite and dolomite, reflecting marine carbonate precipitation and diagenetic alteration. Therefore all three statements are correct; choices suggesting fewer or no correct statements are inconsistent with these established geological facts. **Source:** Geological History of Assam: Evidence of Ancient Marine Environments — The Hindu, 21 Jul 2026 · https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/assam/parts-of-assam-were-once-under-sea-study/article71245831.ece

Explanation

India’s increasing business share in GERD mirrors the prevalent pattern in advanced economies where business enterprises typically dominate R&D spending; this makes Statement II correct and explanatory of Statement I. However, higher R&D intensity alone does not guarantee growth—outcomes depend on research quality, diffusion, human capital, competition, and institutions—so Statement III is false. Therefore only one of the candidate explanations (II) is correct and it explains I; options asserting both are correct or neither are incorrect. **Source:** India's Research and Development Spending and Innovation Policy — The Hindu, 29 Jul 2026 · https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/indias-rd-spending-crosses-08-of-gdp-for-first-time-since-2010/article71282374.ece

Explanation

REER is an inflation-adjusted index, incorporating price differentials across trading partners; it is not constructed solely from nominal bilateral rates. India operates a market-determined exchange rate under FEMA, with the RBI intervening to curb volatility rather than upholding any legally mandated rupee–dollar peg. In contrast, the MPC’s decision rule is well-defined: six members vote, and the policy repo rate is set by majority—making only that statement accurate. **Source:** Understanding Currency Valuation and Its Economic Implications — The Hindu, 29 Jul 2026 · https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/why-rbi-seem-to-believe-that-the-rupee-is-undervalued-explained/article71279656.ece