Welcome to the Ujiyari Rajasthan Current Affairs notes for 5 August 2026, prepared for RPSC, RAS and other State PCS aspirants. The day’s principal Rajasthan-specific development is the deployment of a national outbreak response team to the state over Chandipura virus. It is paired with the monetary policy decision, which carries direct consequences for Rajasthan’s borrowers and small-enterprise clusters. Each item has a Prelims fact table and a Mains angle, followed by five practice MCQs.
1. National Outbreak Response Team Deployed to Rajasthan Over Chandipura Virus
Why in News: On 5 August 2026 the Union Health Ministry deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to Rajasthan and Gujarat for the ongoing Chandipura Virus Disease outbreak.
Background: Gujarat carries the higher caseload this monsoon, with 184 suspected infections, 35 laboratory-confirmed cases and 22 child deaths, and seven children still under treatment. Rajasthan’s inclusion in the deployment reflects the contiguity of the affected zone across the two states, since the vector and the ecology do not respect the administrative boundary.
The virus. Chandipura virus belongs to the family Rhabdoviridae, genus Vesiculovirus, and was first identified in 1965 at Chandipura village in Maharashtra. It causes Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, overwhelmingly in children under 15. There is no licensed vaccine and no specific antiviral, so management is entirely supportive, and the illness progresses very rapidly, frequently within 24 to 48 hours in severe cases.
The vector point matters for Rajasthan specifically. Transmission is by sandflies of the genus Phlebotomus, not mosquitoes. Sandflies breed in cracks and crevices in mud and masonry walls, in organic debris and around animal shelters, not in standing water. That has a direct operational consequence in a state where kachcha and semi-pucca housing with mud plaster and adjoining livestock shelters is common across rural districts: the anti-larval and source-reduction routine built for mosquito control does not transfer. The interventions that work are indoor residual spraying of the right surfaces and plastering or sealing of wall crevices, both of which are household-by-household and labour-intensive.
The response architecture. Surveillance runs under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, coordinated by the National Centre for Disease Control with state surveillance units. Scientific support comes from ICMR-NIE Chennai, ICMR-NIVCR Puducherry, ICMR-NIV Pune and ICMR-NIPCR Hyderabad, together with ICAR-NIVEDI Bengaluru, a veterinary institute whose presence is the One Health element of the response.
Rajasthan Relevance:
- Prelims: NJORT deployed to Rajasthan and Gujarat, 5 August 2026; Chandipura virus, family Rhabdoviridae, genus Vesiculovirus, identified 1965 at Chandipura village, Maharashtra; vector is the Phlebotomus sandfly, not a mosquito; causes Acute Encephalitis Syndrome in children under 15; no vaccine, no specific antiviral; surveillance under the IDSP, coordinated by the NCDC; ICAR-NIVEDI Bengaluru supplies the One Health arm.
- Mains: Examine why sandfly-borne disease control requires a different operational approach from mosquito-borne disease control, and assess what that implies for pre-monsoon vector control in Rajasthan’s rural housing conditions.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deployment | National Joint Outbreak Response Team to Rajasthan and Gujarat, 5 August 2026 |
| Gujarat caseload | 184 suspected, 35 confirmed, 22 child deaths |
| Virus | Chandipura virus; Rhabdoviridae, genus Vesiculovirus; identified 1965, Chandipura village, Maharashtra |
| Vector | Phlebotomus sandflies; breed in wall cracks, organic debris and animal shelters, not standing water |
| Disease | Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, overwhelmingly in children under 15 |
| Treatment | No licensed vaccine, no specific antiviral; supportive management only |
| Surveillance | Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, coordinated by the NCDC |
| One Health element | ICAR-NIVEDI Bengaluru alongside four ICMR institutes |
2. The RBI’s Fourth Hold and What It Means for Rajasthan
Why in News: The Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously on 5 August 2026 to hold the policy repo rate at 5.25 per cent and retain the neutral stance, a fourth consecutive hold. The FY27 CPI inflation projection was cut to 5.0 per cent from 5.1, and FY27 real GDP growth raised to 6.7 per cent from 6.6.
Background: The full corridor stands at SDF 5.00 per cent, repo 5.25, MSF and Bank Rate 5.50, a symmetric corridor of 25 basis points either side of the repo. Governor Sanjay Malhotra explained the hold by distinguishing headline from underlying inflation: headline CPI is above the 4 per cent target but the pressure sits in food and fuel, while core inflation is projected at 4.3 per cent for FY27, and stood at 2.3 to 2.5 per cent excluding precious metals in May and June 2026. He described the Committee as neither dovish nor hawkish.
Why the food-and-fuel point has particular force in Rajasthan. Monetary policy operates on demand. Food price pressure in a state with Rajasthan’s agro-climatic profile is substantially a function of monsoon performance, groundwater availability and crop cycles in bajra, mustard, gram and cumin, none of which responds to the policy rate. A rate rise intended to address food inflation would compress demand in construction, trade and small manufacturing to offset a price movement originating in rainfall, which is a real cost for no corresponding benefit. That is the case for looking through; the case against is that the statutory target is headline CPI, food carries roughly 46 per cent weight in the basket, and repeated looking-through risks de-anchoring expectations.
The regulatory announcement matters more for a small borrower than the rate. The Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies proposed to harmonise and standardise the framework for interest rates on advances across all regulated entities, including standardising the day-count convention, the basis on which interest accrual is computed. For a small enterprise in Bhilwara’s textile cluster or Jaipur’s gems and jewellery trade borrowing on a floating rate, the day-count convention and the reset mechanics can affect the effective cost of credit more than a 25 basis point repo movement. Malhotra clarified that NBFCs are not being moved to the External Benchmark Linked Lending Rate regime.
Also announced: a decision to resume “on tap” licensing of Urban Co-operative Banks after nearly two decades, with the draft guidelines still to be issued for consultation. That is directly relevant in a state with a substantial urban co-operative banking presence.
Rajasthan Relevance:
- Prelims: repo 5.25 per cent, SDF 5.00, MSF and Bank Rate 5.50; stance neutral; unanimous; fourth consecutive hold. FY27 CPI cut to 5.0 per cent, FY27 GDP raised to 6.7 per cent; core inflation 4.3 per cent for FY27, and 2.3 to 2.5 per cent excluding precious metals in May and June 2026. The inflation target of 4 per cent with a plus or minus 2 per cent band is notified by the Central Government under Section 45ZA of the RBI Act, 1934; the MPC is constituted under Section 45ZB and has six members with the Governor holding a casting vote. Next meeting 5 to 7 October 2026.
- Mains: Assess whether a monetary authority should look through food-price inflation in a state economy where food prices are driven principally by monsoon performance, and examine the consequences for expectations if it does so repeatedly.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Repo rate | 5.25 per cent, held, unanimous, neutral stance, fourth consecutive hold |
| Corridor | SDF 5.00; MSF and Bank Rate 5.50 |
| FY27 CPI projection | Cut to 5.0 per cent from 5.1 |
| FY27 real GDP projection | Raised to 6.7 per cent from 6.6 |
| Core inflation | 4.3 per cent projected for FY27; 2.3 to 2.5 per cent excluding precious metals in May-June 2026 |
| Inflation target | 4 per cent CPI, band of plus or minus 2 per cent; notified by the Central Government under Section 45ZA |
| MPC | Six members, constituted under Section 45ZB; Governor has a casting vote |
| Regulatory proposal | Harmonised interest-rate-on-advances framework, including day-count convention; NBFCs not moved to EBLR |
| Also announced | Decision to resume “on tap” licensing of Urban Co-operative Banks; draft guidelines still to be issued |
Practice MCQs
1. Chandipura virus, over which a national response team was deployed to Rajasthan and Gujarat on 5 August 2026, is transmitted by which vector?
a) Aedes aegypti mosquitoes b) Culex mosquitoes c) Sandflies of the genus Phlebotomus d) Hard ticks of the family Ixodidae
Answer: c Explanation: Chandipura virus is transmitted by sandflies of the genus Phlebotomus. The distinction from mosquitoes is operationally decisive, because sandflies breed in cracks and crevices in walls, in organic debris and around animal shelters rather than in standing water, so anti-larval measures designed for mosquito control do not transfer. Indoor residual spraying and sealing of wall crevices are the relevant interventions.
2. Which of the following is true of Chandipura Virus Disease?
a) There is no licensed vaccine and no specific antiviral; management is supportive, and the disease overwhelmingly affects children under 15 b) A licensed vaccine exists and is part of the Universal Immunisation Programme c) It affects adults over 60 almost exclusively d) It is a bacterial infection treatable with standard antibiotics
Answer: a Explanation: Chandipura virus causes Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, overwhelmingly in children under 15. No licensed vaccine and no specific antiviral exist, so management is entirely supportive and survival depends heavily on how quickly a child reaches a facility capable of providing intensive care. The illness progresses rapidly, frequently within 24 to 48 hours in severe cases.
3. Which institution coordinates the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, under which the Chandipura outbreak was detected?
a) The Indian Council of Medical Research b) The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation c) The National Disaster Management Authority d) The National Centre for Disease Control
Answer: d Explanation: The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme is coordinated by the National Centre for Disease Control with state surveillance units. The ICMR institutes, including NIE Chennai, NIVCR Puducherry, NIV Pune and NIPCR Hyderabad, provide laboratory confirmation and research support rather than running the surveillance programme itself. ICAR-NIVEDI Bengaluru, a veterinary institute, supplies the One Health element.
4. Who notifies India’s inflation target, and under which provision?
a) The Reserve Bank of India, under Section 45ZB of the RBI Act, 1934 b) The Monetary Policy Committee, by simple majority c) The Central Government, in consultation with the RBI, under Section 45ZA of the RBI Act, 1934 d) Parliament, by an annual resolution
Answer: c Explanation: The target of 4 per cent CPI inflation with a tolerance band of plus or minus 2 per cent is notified by the Central Government, in consultation with the RBI, under Section 45ZA of the RBI Act, 1934, once every five years. Section 45ZB is the provision constituting the Monetary Policy Committee. The division reflects the standard design of inflation targeting: the elected government sets the objective and the central bank is operationally independent in pursuing it.
5. In the RBI’s liquidity corridor as it stood on 5 August 2026, what is the Standing Deposit Facility?
a) The floor, at which the RBI absorbs surplus liquidity without collateral, at 5.00 per cent b) The ceiling, at which banks borrow overnight against SLR securities c) A refinance window for priority-sector lending d) The rate charged on ways and means advances to State Governments
Answer: a Explanation: The Standing Deposit Facility, introduced in April 2022, is the floor of the Liquidity Adjustment Facility corridor and stood at 5.00 per cent, against a repo of 5.25 and an MSF and Bank Rate of 5.50. Its defining feature is that it is uncollateralised, which removed the constraint that the RBI’s own securities holdings had placed on its ability to absorb liquidity under the earlier fixed-rate reverse repo. The MSF is the collateralised ceiling.
