The bill introduced in July 2026 concerning Vande Mataram seeks to amend which Act?

Correct answer: The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. FACT: The bill seeks to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, to extend to the national song Vande Mataram the criminal protection currently given to the National Anthem. ANALYSIS: The 1971 Act already covers the National Flag, the Constitution and the National Anthem.

Vande Mataram, the national song, was written by:

Correct answer: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. FACT: Vande Mataram was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and was published in his novel Anandamath (1882). ANALYSIS: The Constituent Assembly gave it a status of honour equal to the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana, on January 24, 1950.

The e200X, unveiled in July 2026, is India's first full-scale prototype of what kind of aircraft?

Correct answer: An electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi. FACT: The e200X, from the IIT Madras-incubated The ePlane Company, is India's first full-scale electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air-taxi prototype. ANALYSIS: The roughly 2.2-tonne aircraft carries one pilot and two passengers or about 200 kg of cargo.

The ePlane Company, developer of the e200X, is incubated at which institution?

Correct answer: IIT Madras. FACT: The ePlane Company is a Chennai-based start-up incubated at IIT Madras. ANALYSIS: The e200X is intended for air taxi, urban cargo and air-ambulance uses, with high indigenous content.

The Rs 37,500 crore scheme in focus in July 2026, implemented by the Ministry of Coal, promotes:

Correct answer: Surface coal and lignite gasification. FACT: The Scheme for Promotion of Surface Coal and Lignite Gasification Projects, with an outlay of Rs 37,500 crore, aims to convert coal into gas for value-added products rather than direct burning. ANALYSIS: Downstream products include synthetic natural gas, methanol, ammonia and synthetic fuels.

Coal gasification, promoted by the 2026 scheme, primarily produces which of the following?

Correct answer: Synthetic natural gas, methanol and ammonia. FACT: Coal gasification converts coal into synthesis gas, which is used to make synthetic natural gas (SNG), methanol, ammonia, direct reduced iron and synthetic fuels and chemicals. ANALYSIS: This adds value and can substitute imports of methanol and ammonia.

India's rank in the world in cotton, as highlighted by the Mission for Cotton Productivity, is:

Correct answer: First in cotton-growing area. FACT: India ranks first in the world in cotton-growing area, at about 114.84 lakh hectares (roughly 38 per cent of the world's cotton area), and is among the top two in production and consumption. ANALYSIS: However, India's per-hectare yield lags the world average, which the Mission for Cotton Productivity aims to raise.

The Kasturi Cotton Bharat initiative, linked to India's cotton sector, is primarily about:

Correct answer: Branding and traceability of Indian cotton. FACT: Kasturi Cotton Bharat is a branding and traceability initiative for Indian cotton, aimed at establishing quality and a distinct identity in global markets. ANALYSIS: It complements the Mission for Cotton Productivity and the Minimum Support Price operations of the Cotton Corporation of India.

Batukeshwar Dutt, remembered on his death anniversary in July, is associated with which 1929 event?

Correct answer: The Central Legislative Assembly bombing with Bhagat Singh. FACT: Batukeshwar Dutt, along with Bhagat Singh, threw non-lethal bombs and leaflets in the Central Legislative Assembly on April 8, 1929, courting arrest to publicise the revolutionary cause. ANALYSIS: Both were members of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).

Batukeshwar Dutt was a member of which revolutionary organisation?

Correct answer: The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). FACT: Batukeshwar Dutt was a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), the organisation associated with Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and others. ANALYSIS: The HSRA combined revolutionary action with a socialist vision for free India.

Angen, in the news in July 2026, is notable as the first film in which language to be honoured in the Non-Feature section of the National Film Awards?

Correct answer: Santhali. FACT: Angen, directed by Ravi Raj Murmu, became the first Santhali film honoured in the Non-Feature section of the National Film Awards, taking the Best Debut Film of a Director (Non-Feature). ANALYSIS: Santhali is a language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, spoken by the Santhal tribal community.

Santhali, the language of the film Angen, is:

Correct answer: A language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. FACT: Santhali is one of the languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, spoken by the Santhal, a major tribal community of eastern India. ANALYSIS: It was added to the Eighth Schedule by the 92nd Amendment in 2003, along with Bodo, Dogri and Maithili.

The Reserve Bank of India, in mid-2026, revised its FY27 real GDP growth forecast to about:

Correct answer: 6.6 per cent. FACT: The RBI trimmed its real GDP growth forecast for 2026-27 to about 6.6 per cent, citing global uncertainty and trade headwinds. ANALYSIS: It held the repo rate at 5.25 per cent with a neutral stance.

The national flag of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on which date?

Correct answer: July 22, 1947. FACT: The Constituent Assembly adopted the national flag, the tricolour, on July 22, 1947. ANALYSIS: The design is based on the Swaraj flag, with the Ashok Chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, replacing the charkha.

Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, whose election is marked on July 21, served as the:

Correct answer: Sixth President of India, elected unopposed. FACT: Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was declared elected as the sixth President of India, notably unopposed, on July 21, 1977. ANALYSIS: He had earlier served as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

Current Affairs Quiz 21 July 2026 - UPSC Prelims MCQs with Answers

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🔗 Cross-Paper Links	GS2 polity, national symbols.
✍️ Mains Keywords	national symbols, freedom of expression, national song vs anthem.
⚠️ Common Mistake	confusing the National Song with the National Anthem.
📌 Exam Tip	the parent law is the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
🎤 Interview	** National symbols and citizenship.

🔗 Cross-Paper Links	GS1 modern history and culture, GS2 rights.
✍️ Mains Keywords	national song, freedom of conscience.
⚠️ Common Mistake	attributing Vande Mataram to Tagore (who wrote the Anthem).
📌 Exam Tip	Vande Mataram = Bankim Chandra, from Anandamath.
🎤 Interview	** Symbols and the freedom struggle.

🔗 Cross-Paper Links	GS3 science-tech.
✍️ Mains Keywords	urban air mobility, deep-tech start-ups, decarbonising transport.
⚠️ Common Mistake	confusing eVTOL with conventional drones.
📌 Exam Tip	e200X is an eVTOL air taxi.
🎤 Interview	** Regulating novel aircraft.

🔗 Cross-Paper Links	GS3 science-tech, innovation ecosystem.
✍️ Mains Keywords	incubation, Atmanirbhar aerospace.
⚠️ Common Mistake	attributing it to ISRO.
📌 Exam Tip	The ePlane Company is incubated at IIT Madras.
🎤 Interview	** Academic incubators and deep tech.

🔗 Cross-Paper Links	GS3 economy and energy.
✍️ Mains Keywords	coal gasification, import substitution, energy security.
⚠️ Common Mistake	confusing gasification with coal-fired power.
📌 Exam Tip	the scheme promotes coal and lignite gasification.
🎤 Interview	** Cleaner use of coal.

🔗 Cross-Paper Links	GS3 economy and agriculture.
✍️ Mains Keywords	productivity, value chain, farmer incomes.
⚠️ Common Mistake	assuming India leads in yield (it leads in area).
📌 Exam Tip	India is first in cotton area, not yield.
🎤 Interview	** Raising farm productivity.

🔗 Cross-Paper Links	GS1 modern history and the freedom struggle.
✍️ Mains Keywords	revolutionary nationalism, HSRA, propaganda by deed.
⚠️ Common Mistake	confusing the Assembly bombing with the Kakori action.
📌 Exam Tip	Dutt and Bhagat Singh carried out the 1929 Assembly bombing.
🎤 Interview	** Revolutionary vs Gandhian methods.

🔗 Cross-Paper Links	GS1 modern history.
✍️ Mains Keywords	revolutionary movements, HSRA, socialism.
⚠️ Common Mistake	confusing the HSRA with the Ghadar Party or INA.
📌 Exam Tip	Dutt and Bhagat Singh belonged to the HSRA.
🎤 Interview	** Ideology of the revolutionaries.

🔗 Cross-Paper Links	GS1 art, culture and society.
✍️ Mains Keywords	tribal culture, linguistic diversity, Eighth Schedule.
⚠️ Common Mistake	misidentifying the language.
📌 Exam Tip	Angen is the first Santhali film honoured in the Non-Feature section.
🎤 Interview	** Cinema and tribal identity.

🔗 Cross-Paper Links	GS1 society, GS2 Constitution.
✍️ Mains Keywords	Eighth Schedule, linguistic rights, tribal identity.
⚠️ Common Mistake	treating Santhali as a dialect of another language.
📌 Exam Tip	Santhali is an Eighth Schedule language (added 2003).
🎤 Interview	** Protecting tribal languages.

🔗 Cross-Paper Links	GS3 economy.
✍️ Mains Keywords	growth forecast, monetary policy, global headwinds.
⚠️ Common Mistake	confusing the growth forecast with the repo rate.
📌 Exam Tip	RBI FY27 forecast about 6.6 per cent.
🎤 Interview	** Reading central-bank signals.

🔗 Cross-Paper Links	GS1 modern history, national symbols.
✍️ Mains Keywords	national flag, Constituent Assembly.
⚠️ Common Mistake	confusing flag adoption (July 22, 1947) with Independence Day.
📌 Exam Tip	the flag was adopted on July 22, 1947.
🎤 Interview	** Symbols of the nation.

🔗 Cross-Paper Links	GS2 polity, constitutional offices.
✍️ Mains Keywords	President, election, constitutional history.
⚠️ Common Mistake	misremembering his ordinal number.
📌 Exam Tip	Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was the 6th President, elected unopposed.
🎤 Interview	** The office of the President.