Current Affairs Quiz 5 July 2026

FACT: The I-2SEA (India-Southeast Asia) Submarine Cable System is a 3,600 km undersea fibre-optic cable linking Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to two landing stations on India east coast, Machilipatnam and South Chennai. ANALYSIS: It is purpose-built for AI training workloads and hyperscale cloud data, with Ready-for-Service targeted for Q4 2029.

FACT: ACME Group signed a 10-year deal for 405,000 tonnes per year of green ammonia to IHI Corporation and a deal for 100,000 tonnes per year of green methanol (worth about $1 billion) to Mitsubishi Gas Chemical. ANALYSIS: The deals position India as a clean-fuel export hub under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

FACT: The National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), launched in 2023 by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, targets 5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of green hydrogen production per year by 2030. ANALYSIS: The mission also aims to add associated renewable-energy capacity and includes the SIGHT programme for incentives.

FACT: The Drugs (Eighth Amendment) Rules, 2026 brought cell and stem-cell products, gene therapeutic products (including CAR-T and gene-editing therapies) and xenografts under the Central License Approving Authority (CLAA) framework. ANALYSIS: These are termed Advanced Therapeutic Products (ATPs), ensuring uniform national regulation.

FACT: Under the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0, operational from July 1, 2026, only electric two-wheelers will be registered from April 1, 2028, while only electric three-wheelers and N1-category goods vehicles will be registered from January 1, 2027. ANALYSIS: The policy targets 30 per cent fleet electrification by March 2030.

FACT: On July 2, 2026, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly unanimously passed the Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill, 2026, making Maharashtra the first Indian state to grant women legal recognition as independent farmers. ANALYSIS: It introduces a “Women Farmer Certificate” that delinks access to farm-welfare schemes from land ownership.

FACT: On July 1 to 2, 2026, the stealth frigate INS Trikand foiled a piracy attempt on the bulk carrier MV Golden Arsenal in the Gulf of Aden, about 300 nautical miles east-north-east of Djibouti, with MARCOS commandos sanitising the vessel. ANALYSIS: The action underscores India role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region.

FACT: The Gulf of Aden connects to the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which lies between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa. ANALYSIS: This chokepoint is vital for shipping between Europe, via the Suez Canal, and Asia.

FACT: Assam became the first Indian state to commercially produce matcha tea, at the Chota Tingrai Tea Estate in Tinsukia district, after a decade of collaboration with Japanese tea experts. ANALYSIS: The first batch was sold through the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre.

FACT: The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) report found that onshore wind was the cheapest source of new electricity in 2025, at about USD 33 per MWh, with solar photovoltaic at around USD 44 per MWh. ANALYSIS: More than 90 per cent of newly added utility-scale renewable capacity in 2025 was cheaper than the cheapest fossil-fuel option.

FACT: The GST Council is constituted under Article 279A of the Constitution. ANALYSIS: Gross GST collection in June 2026 was about Rs 1,94,812 crore, up 13.9 per cent year on year, the fastest monthly growth in 13 months, though import GST surged 34.6 per cent.

FACT: Pashujanya Yudh Abhyas was a national One Health mock drill held at Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying to test preparedness for zoonotic-disease outbreaks and animal-health emergencies. ANALYSIS: It was conducted under the National One Health Mission.

FACT: Both statements are correct. Green hydrogen is made by electrolysis of water powered by renewable electricity, and it can be converted into green ammonia and green methanol, which are easier to transport and can serve as low-carbon shipping fuels.
ANALYSIS: ACME July 2026 deals with Japan are for exactly these derivatives.

FACT: Submarine cables carry about 95 per cent of intercontinental internet and data traffic, making them critical digital infrastructure. ANALYSIS: Incidents such as cable cuts in the Red Sea and the Baltic have raised concerns about the resilience of these cables against accidental damage and sabotage.

FACT: The feminisation of agriculture refers to the rising share of women in agricultural labour as men increasingly migrate to non-farm and urban jobs, leaving women to do most farm work. ANALYSIS: Maharashtra July 2026 law recognising women as independent farmers directly addresses this, since women do 65 to 75 per cent of farm labour but own under 14 per cent of land.