UPSC Prelims Practice
Current Affairs Quiz 4 July 2026
Test Your Knowledge
15 questions based on today’s current affairs & editorials
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Question 1 of 15
Facts
The EPF Scheme, 2026 is framed under the Code on Social Security, 2020, one of the four Labour Codes, replacing the EPF Scheme, 1952 after about 74 years.
Analysis
It retains the 12 per cent contribution by each of employer and employee and introduces the AMNESTY 2026 and VISHWAS provisions.
Concept note
The Code on Social Security, 2020 consolidated nine central social-security laws, including the EPF and ESI Acts, and, for the first time, brought gig and platform workers within the ambit of social-security schemes.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 governance (social security), GS3 economy (labour). |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | formalisation, gig workers, ease of compliance. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | placing the EPF scheme under the Code on Wages. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | four Labour Codes; EPF Scheme 2026 sits under the Social Security Code. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** How to balance worker protection with employer compliance costs. |
Question 2 of 15
Which of the statements is/are correct?
Facts
Statement 1Correct
Ect. The four Labour Codes (Code on Wages, Industrial Relations Code, Code on Social Security, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code) consolidate 29 central labour laws.
Analysis
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 is a separate data-protection law, not a Labour Code.
Concept note
The Code on Wages was enacted in 2019 and the other three in 2020. The EPF Scheme, 2026 operationalises part of the Code on Social Security.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 governance, GS3 economy. |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | labour reform, consolidation, compliance. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | counting the DPDP Act among the Labour Codes. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | 29 laws to 4 codes. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Will simpler codes actually improve enforcement. |
Question 3 of 15
Facts
In Accra, PM Modi was conferred The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana, Ghana highest national honour, by President John Mahama.
Analysis
India and Ghana elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Partnership and exchanged four MoUs; it was the first visit by an Indian PM to Ghana in over 30 years. (Corrected September 23, 2026: the visit took place in July 2025, not July 2026.)
Concept note
Ghana was the opening leg of a five-nation Global South tour that also covered Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil (for the BRICS Summit) and Namibia.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 international relations. |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | Global South, India-Africa, DPI diplomacy. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | confusing this with an Egyptian or French honour. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | Star of Ghana = highest Ghanaian honour. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** India development-partnership model versus the debt-trap model. |
Question 4 of 15
Facts
The tactical aerostat was demonstrated by IIT Delhi with DRDO funding and a domestic startup.
Analysis
It is a helium-filled lighter-than-air platform that can operate up to about 20 km altitude for surveillance and communication relay, aligning with Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Concept note
An aerostat is tethered, unlike a free balloon; it offers persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and is meant to replace imported systems.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS3 science and technology, defence. |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | indigenisation, ISR, import substitution. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | confusing an aerostat with a drone. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | aerostat is tethered, up to 20 km. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Academia-DRDO-startup innovation triad. |
Question 5 of 15
Facts
The WHO added the first molecular diagnostic for the Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), a species of Ebola virus in the family Filoviridae, to its Emergency Use Listing on July 2, 2026.
Analysis
WHO had declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern for a Bundibugyo outbreak in the DR Congo on May 17, 2026.
Concept note
The Emergency Use Listing lets WHO fast-track unlicensed vaccines, tests and treatments during public-health emergencies.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 health and international bodies, GS3 biotech. |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | global health security, One Health, diagnostic equity. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | classing Ebola with the coronaviruses. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | Bundibugyo is a Filovirus (Ebola). |
| 🎤 Interview | ** India diagnostics capacity for the Global South. |
Question 6 of 15
Facts
Bundibugyo is a species of Ebola virus in the family Filoviridae, which also includes the Marburg virus.
Analysis
Ebola is a zoonotic disease with a fruit-bat reservoir and a case fatality typically in the 30 to 50 per cent range.
Concept note
Nipah belongs to Paramyxoviridae, while dengue and Zika belong to Flaviviridae.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS3 science and technology. |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | zoonoses, spillover, reservoir host. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | placing Ebola in Flaviviridae. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | Ebola and Marburg are both Filoviridae. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Why zoonotic spillover is rising. |
Question 7 of 15
Facts
The DGCA approved India first private Point-in-Space (PinS) Instrument Approach Procedure for helicopters at Undavalli Heliport in Andhra Pradesh, developed by the Airports Authority of India.
Analysis
PinS uses satellite-based navigation to allow precise approaches to heliports without ground-based landing aids.
Concept note
PinS procedures are designed in line with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS3 infrastructure and space applications. |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | GNSS, GAGAN, all-weather safety, UDAN. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | thinking PinS needs ground-based aids. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | Undavalli, Andhra Pradesh; AAI-developed. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Satellite navigation for remote-area connectivity. |
Question 8 of 15
Facts
The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 mandates a creche facility in establishments with 50 or more employees and allows working mothers four creche visits a day.
Analysis
The norms came into focus after a Bengaluru daycare abuse case in early July 2026.
Concept note
The government targets about 17,000 Anganwadi-cum-Creches (AWCCs) under Mission Shakti.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS1 society (women), GS2 governance. |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | care economy, FLFPR, women-led development. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | attributing the creche mandate to the Factories Act. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | 50-plus employees; four visits a day. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Childcare as enabling infrastructure for women workers. |
Question 9 of 15
Facts
The CCEA, chaired by the Prime Minister, cleared two highway projects worth about Rs 14,114.81 crore in July 2026.
Analysis
These included the Kanpur-Kabrai greenfield highway and a six-lane tunnel on NH-148AE in Delhi on the Hybrid Annuity Mode.
Concept note
The Hybrid Annuity Mode blends public funding (40 per cent) with private investment (60 per cent); both projects align with PM GatiShakti.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS3 infrastructure, GS2 governance. |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | PM GatiShakti, HAM, multimodal connectivity. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | thinking the Finance Minister chairs the CCEA. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | the PM chairs the CCEA and the CCS. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Public-private financing of highways. |
Question 10 of 15
Facts
Nameri Tiger Reserve is in Sonitpur district of Assam, on the Assam-Arunachal border along the Jia Bharali (Kameng) river.
Analysis
Its tiger count rose from 3 in 2022 to 12 by the end of 2025, validated by the Wildlife Institute of India, with tigers returning to the Sonai-Rupai sanctuary.
Concept note
India runs tiger conservation through Project Tiger (1973) and the statutory National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS3 environment. |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | Project Tiger, prey base, corridor. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | placing Nameri in Arunachal Pradesh. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | Nameri is in Assam on the Jia Bharali river. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Site-level recovery versus national tiger counts. |
Question 11 of 15
Facts
The GI Registry is at Chennai, operating under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
Analysis
West Bengal received 23 new GI tags in July 2026, raising its total to 59 and lifting it to the third rank among states.
Concept note
India first GI tag was granted to Darjeeling Tea; a GI registration is valid for 10 years and is renewable.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS3 economy (IPR), GS1 culture. |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | GI, rural livelihoods, brand protection. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | placing the GI Registry in Delhi. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | GI Registry is at Chennai; GI Act 1999. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** GI tags for artisan and farmer incomes. |
Question 12 of 15
Facts
The ADB, headquartered in Manila, the Philippines, approved USD 182.89 million for 500 integrated school clusters in Karnataka.
Analysis
The loan supports the school-complex vision of NEP 2020; the ADB was founded in 1966 and India is a founding member.
Concept note
The New Development Bank of BRICS is headquartered in Shanghai, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 international institutions, education. |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | NEP 2020, school complexes, external funding. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | confusing the ADB with the AIIB (Beijing). |
| 📌 Exam Tip | ADB HQ is Manila; founded 1966. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Multilateral funding for school reform. |
Question 13 of 15
Which of the following statements about the July 2026 Henley Passport Index is correct?
Facts
The July 2026 Henley Passport Index placed India at 80th, a slight slip from 78th in the May 2026 update, though still higher than 85th in 2025, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to around 56 destinations.
Analysis
Singapore retained the top spot.
Concept note
The index is published by Henley and Partners using International Air Transport Association (IATA) data.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 global mobility. |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | passport power, visa-free access, soft power. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | assuming India rose in July 2026. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | India 80th (from 78th in May); Singapore first. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** What passport strength signals about a country diplomacy. |
Question 14 of 15
Facts
Making cancer a notifiable disease would mandate reporting of every diagnosed case.
Analysis
This would strengthen the ICMR National Cancer Registry Programme, giving India accurate, real-time incidence data to plan prevention and treatment under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases.
Concept note
Health is a State subject, so notifiable-disease status is typically declared at the state level, creating uneven national data.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS2 health governance. |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | notifiable disease, cancer registry, NCDs. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | thinking notification is a central mandate. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | health is a State subject. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Why reliable disease data drives policy. |
Question 15 of 15
Facts
The Ken-Betwa Link is the first project under the National Perspective Plan for the interlinking of rivers, transferring surplus water from the Ken to the Betwa, both Yamuna tributaries.
Analysis
It includes the Daudhan Dam on the Ken within the Panna Tiger Reserve, which is why it faces environmental scrutiny.
Concept note
India per-capita water availability has fallen from 5,177 cubic metres in 1951 to about 1,486 today, with a projection of roughly 1,367 cubic metres by 2031; below 1,700 is water-stressed.
🎯 Concept Kit tap to expand
| 🔗 Cross-Paper Links | GS1 geography, GS3 environment and economy. |
| ✍️ Mains Keywords | river interlinking, water stress, Panna. |
| ⚠️ Common Mistake | treating river-linking as free of ecological cost. |
| 📌 Exam Tip | Ken-Betwa is the first NPP link; Daudhan Dam is in Panna. |
| 🎤 Interview | ** Mega-projects versus decentralised recharge. |
Performance
Question-wise Result
