Current Affairs for JPSC | BPSC | UPSC

UPSC CSE 2026-27 | JHARKHAND PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (JPSC) | BPSC

🏛️ POLITY & GOVERNANCE

1. Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) – Repo Rate Unchanged

News Context: RBI’s MPC voted unanimously to keep repo rate unchanged at 5.25%.

GDP Growth Projection (2026-27): 6.7% (10 bps higher than earlier)

Inflation Outlook: Headline inflation increasing due to supply-side pressures (food & fuel); core inflation remains moderate.

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• MPC: Constituted under RBI Act, 1934 (amended 2016)
• Composition: 6 members – 3 RBI officials + 3 external members
• Goal: Maintain price stability while keeping growth in mind (inflation target: 4% ± 2%)

2. Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill – Rajya Sabha Passes

News Context: Rajya Sabha passed the Bill to increase SC judges from 34 to 38.

Key Facts:

• Passed in Lok Sabha: August 3, 2026
• Passed in Rajya Sabha: August 5, 2026
• Total judges now: 38 (including CJI)
• Replaces an Ordinance issued in May 2026

Static Link:

• Article 124: Parliament can increase SC judge strength by law
• Article 123: President’s ordinance-making power

3. Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026

News Context: Rajya Sabha passed the Bill amid Opposition protests.

Key Provisions:

• Amends Section 13(3) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969
• Makes provisions for delayed registration more stringent
• Delays >2 years: Judicial magistrate verification
• Delays up to 2 years: District/Subdivisional magistrate order

Objective: Encourage timely reporting of births and deaths

Static Link: Birth certificates are near-conclusive proof of date/place of birth for school admission, voter rolls, passports, Aadhaar, driving licence, government jobs.

4. Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026 – Passed in Lok Sabha

News Context: Passed by voice vote without debate.

Key Provisions:

• Replaces Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891
• Recognises electronic, digital, virtual and cloud-based banking records as admissible evidence

Static Link: This Bill modernises evidence law for the digital age.

5. Uniform Civil Code (UCC) – Chhattisgarh Invites Suggestions

News Context: Chhattisgarh UCC committee invited suggestions.

Key Facts:

• Last date: October 15, 2026
• 5-member panel studying legal, social, administrative aspects
• States with UCC: Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Assam, Madhya Pradesh
• Expected introduction: Winter Session 2026

Regulates: Marriage, divorce, inheritance, live-in relationships

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• Article 44: Directive Principle – “State shall endeavour to secure UCC”
• Not justiciable – cannot be enforced by courts

6. Delimitation – BJP’s Electoral Calculus

News Context: Bankipur defeat may make early delimitation less attractive for BJP.

Key Points:

• Gerrymandering: Engineering constituency boundaries to advance political outcomes
• Assam Example: Delimitation reduced Muslim-influenced seats – worked in BJP’s favour

Gen Z Factor:

• Young voters are caste-conscious but converge in scepticism towards BJP
• New horizontal category (Gen Z) complicates vertical structures of caste/religious mobilisation

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• Delimitation freeze under 42nd (1976), 84th (2001), 87th (2003) Amendments
• Basis: 1971 census; next delimitation based on 2026 census

7. Anti-Defection Law – SC Ruling

News Context: SC ruled that MLAs/MPs cannot override party directives even if they hold majority.

Key Observation by Justice Bagchi:

• “Maturity of democracy measured by constancy of political parties and their members to their ideology”

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• Tenth Schedule – Anti-Defection Law (added by 52nd Amendment, 1985)
• Grounds for disqualification: Voluntarily giving up party membership; voting against party whip
• Exceptions: Merger with another party (if 2/3rd members agree)
• Deciding Authority: Speaker/Chairman (subject to judicial review)

8. Section 163 BNSS – Jharkhand Protests

News Context: Jharkhand government issued prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS around Assembly.

Key Provisions:

• Prohibits unlawful assembly of 5 or more persons
• Prohibits processions, marches, demonstrations
• Effective: August 6-12, 2026 (750-metre radius)

Static Link:

• BNSS = Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 – replaced CrPC
• Section 163 BNSS: Power to issue orders to prevent public nuisance/danger

9. Prison Occupancy – 2024 Data

Key Data:

Static Link: Prisons are a State subject under Schedule VII – List II (State List).

10. Public Grievances – Data

Key Data:

Static Link: CPGRAMS is under Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).

11. Voting Age – Demand to Reduce to 16

News Context: CPI(ML) Liberation leader demanded voting age be reduced from 18 to 16.

Static Link:

• Article 326: Elections based on adult suffrage
• Original voting age: 21 (reduced to 18 by 61st Amendment Act, 1988)

💰 ECONOMY

12. UPI Transaction Charges – RBI Governor’s Statement

News Context: RBI Governor said “someone will have to pay the cost” of UPI transactions.

Key Data:

Growth Comparison:

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• UPI: Launched in 2016 by NPCI
• NPCI: Umbrella organisation for retail payments in India
• MDR: Merchant Discount Rate – fee charged to merchants for digital payments

13. Polymer Currency Notes – Pilot

News Context: RBI Governor said polymer notes will be in circulation from next financial year.

Key Facts:

• Currently at pilot stage
• Testing for Indian conditions and climate
• Will have several security features
• Target: Beginning of next financial year (2027-28)

Static Link: Polymer notes are more durable, cleaner, and harder to counterfeit.

14. Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) – Licensing to Resume

News Context: RBI to resume licensing of UCBs on “on tap” basis after pause of over two decades.

Key Data:

• Total UCBs in India: 1,457
• Licensing paused for more than 20 years

Static Link:

• Cooperative banks are regulated by RBI and NABARD
• NABARD: Established in 1982 under NABARD Act

15. Services PMI – Four-and-a-Half Year Low

News Context: HSBC India Services PMI fell from 57.4 (June) to 53.2 (July).

Key Fact:

• Weakest growth rate in close to four-and-a-half years
• PMI: Purchasing Managers’ Index – indicator of economic activity

Static Link: PMI > 50 = expansion; PMI < 50 = contraction.

16. RBI Surplus Transfer – Data

Key Data:

Growth: 857%

Static Link: RBI transfers surplus to government under Section 47 of RBI Act, 1934.

🌐 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

17. Sheikh Hasina’s Press Conference

News Context: Deposed Bangladesh PM addressed virtual press conference from Delhi.

Key Points:

• Said she will return to Bangladesh in December 2026
• Demanded ban on Awami League be lifted
• Called India “always a friend” – supported in 1971 and 1975
• Bangladesh government expressed “outrage” – said event could “harm” bilateral relations

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• Awami League: Founded in 1949 – Sheikh Hasina is its president
• Sheikh Hasina arrived in India on August 5, 2024 after the uprising

18. Iran-Oman – Strait of Hormuz Route

News Context: Iran and Oman agreed on a route for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Key Facts:

• Iran has de facto control of the strait since February 28, 2026 (US-Israel war began)
• Geographical coordinates agreed upon
• Joint statement in final drafting stage

Static Link:

• Strait of Hormuz – between Iran and Oman; connects Persian Gulf to Arabian Sea
• 30% of global seaborne oil passes through Hormuz

19. Russian Attacks on Kyiv

Key Facts:

• 17 killed in Russian attacks on Kyiv
• Ukraine’s air defences failed to stop any of Moscow’s missiles
• Ukraine critically short of Patriot system interceptors

Static Link: Patriot is a U.S.-made surface-to-air missile system.

20. China Countermeasures against US

Key Facts:

• Export controls on drones to US
• Ban on dealings with 6 American entities
• Response to US restrictions (FCC ban on Chinese drones, Homeland Security adding 43 Chinese companies to list)

Static Link: China-US tensions over trade, technology, and Taiwan.

🔬 SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

21. Asiatic Lion Conservation – Gir National Park

News Context: Article on Asiatic lion conservation challenges.

Key Facts:

Threats:

• Disease: Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) – killed 20+ lions in 2018
• Babesiosis – reported in May 2026
• Habitat fragmentation
• Limestone mining proposed near corridors

Corridors: Babarkot area designated as lion movement corridor in Gir Management Plan

Static Link:

• Gir National Park: Only home of Asiatic lions – located in Gujarat
• Project Lion: Launched in 2022 – conservation programme
• CDV: Viral disease affecting carnivores

22. Clouded Leopard – Meghalaya Mission

News Context: Meghalaya launched “Mission Clouded Leopard”.

Key Facts:

• State Animal of Meghalaya
• Scientific name: Neofelis nebulosa (mainland clouded leopard)
• Mission covers: Habitat protection, scientific research, monitoring, landscape connectivity, community participation

Static Link:

• Project Tiger – NTCA
• Clouded Leopard is a Schedule I species under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

23. Space X Rocket to Hit Moon – Follow-up

News Context: Space X rocket stage expected to hit the moon.

Key Facts:

• Impact: August 5, 2026, 12:05 p.m. IST
• Location: Einstein Crater (88° W, 15° N)
• Speed: 8,700 km/hr
• Crater expected: 20-30 m across

Static Link:

• Outer Space Treaty, 1967 – no sovereignty in outer space
• Moon Agreement, 1979 – India has not ratified
• UN’s ATLAC (Action Team on Lunar Activity Consultation) – building consensus on debris rules

24. Neutrino Detection – Spent Nuclear Fuel

News Context: Double Chooz Collaboration measured neutrinos from spent nuclear fuel for first time.

Key Facts:

• Neutrinos: Subatomic particles – interact very weakly with matter
• Detector: 400 m from Chooz B nuclear power plant (France)
• Application: Could help IAEA inspectors detect nuclear fuel diversion without entering reactor

Static Link:

• IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency – nuclear watchdog
• Neutrinos were first detected in 1956

25. Cyclist Deaths – Heat-Related

Key Data:

Static Link: Heatwave declaration – IMD criteria based on temperature departures.

🏅 SPORTS (Current Affairs)

26. Badminton World Championships – Draw

News Context: Draw for BWF World Championships (Delhi, August 17-23) announced.

Key Matchups:

Static Link: BWF World Championships last held in India in 2009 (Hyderabad).

27. F1 2026 Season – Mid-Season Review

Key Facts:

• Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 5 wins in first 6 races
• Became youngest points leader in F1 history
• No DRS in 2026 (rule change)
• 5 different winners in 5 races
• Antonelli leads championship by 50 points heading into summer break

Static Link: F1 is governed by FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile).

📌 STATIC CORNER – ESSENTIAL ARTICLES & DATA

🎯 PRELIMS PRACTICE MCQs

Q1. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of RBI was constituted under which Act?
(a) RBI Act, 1934
(b) Banking Regulation Act, 1949
(c) SEBI Act, 1992
(d) FEMA Act, 1999

✅ Answer: (a) – MPC was added to RBI Act, 1934 through amendments in 2016.

Q2. What is the current repo rate as of August 2026?
(a) 5.00%
(b) 5.25%
(c) 5.50%
(d) 6.00%

✅ Answer: (b)

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the Tenth Schedule (Anti-Defection Law):

1. It was added by the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985
2. A merger is valid only if at least 2/3rd members agree
3. The Speaker/Chairman is the deciding authority

Which of the above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

✅ Answer: (d)

Q4. The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill increases the number of SC judges from 34 to:
(a) 36
(b) 37
(c) 38
(d) 40

✅ Answer: (c)

Q5. Which of the following is the State Animal of Meghalaya?
(a) Hoolock Gibbon
(b) Clouded Leopard
(c) Elephant
(d) Tiger

✅ Answer: (b)

Q6. The Asiatic lion population is currently classified under which IUCN category?
(a) Critically Endangered
(b) Endangered
(c) Vulnerable
(d) Near Threatened

✅ Answer: (b) – It was moved from Critically Endangered to Endangered.

Q7. India’s prison occupancy rate in 2024 was:
(a) 98.7%
(b) 105.3%
(c) 112.7%
(d) 120.1%

✅ Answer: (c)

Q8. UPI transactions in 2025-26 totalled approximately:
(a) 15,000 crore
(b) 20,000 crore
(c) 24,000 crore
(d) 30,000 crore

✅ Answer: (c) – 24,161.69 crore transactions.

Q9. The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 requires judicial magistrate verification for registration delays exceeding:
(a) 1 year
(b) 2 years
(c) 3 years
(d) 5 years

✅ Answer: (b)

Q10. Which Strait connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea?
(a) Bab-el-Mandeb
(b) Strait of Hormuz
(c) Malacca Strait
(d) Sunda Strait

✅ Answer: (b)

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