🏛️ POLITY & CONSTITUTION

1. Kerala Renamed to Keralam – Article 3

President’s Assent: President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to Bill renaming Kerala as Keralam.

Key Dates:

Static Link:

• Article 3: Parliament may by law change name/area/boundaries of any State
• First Schedule – lists States and Union Territories
• Requires President’s recommendation (Article 3 proviso)

2. SC: Black Money in Elections – Article 324

SC Judgment: Ridding electoral process from black money is responsibility of Election Commission.

Key Directions:

Case: Karnataka government’s plea (2014 Lok Sabha polls, Bellary district)

Static Link:

• Article 324: Election Commission – constitutional body
• Election Commission: Superintendence, direction, and control of elections

3. SC: No State Can Block Elephant Corridors

SC Observation:

• “No State can block their [elephants] paths”
• “Construction of any kind of obstacle or creating blockades in elephant corridors is not acceptable”

Background:

• 2018: SC prohibited fireballs, burning rods, spikes to chase elephants – called “barbaric and illegal”
• Elephants are Schedule I under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable

Static Link:

• Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 – Schedule I = absolute legal protection
• Project Elephant – launched in 1992

4. High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes – Jammu

Committee: High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC)

Head: Former SC judge Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar (retd)

Mandate: Study demographic changes in border areas (Jammu & Kashmir)

Static Link: Rohingyas (~13,000 in Jammu as per 2017 Home Ministry estimate)

🌍 GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENT

5. Ken-Betwa River-Linking Project

Project Details:

Ken River:

• Origin: Vindhyan plateau
• Joins Yamuna in Banda, Uttar Pradesh

Betwa River:

• Origin: Vindhyas
• Joins Yamuna in Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh

Protected Area: Panna Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh)

Static Link:

• Interlinking of Rivers – National Water Development Agency (NWDA)
• Forest Rights Act, 2006 – protects forest rights of STs
• Panna Tiger Reserve – Project Tiger (1973)

6. Elephant Corridors – SC Directives

Static Link:

• Elephant: Schedule I (Wildlife Protection Act, 1972)
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable
• Project Elephant: 1992

7. Ken-Betwa – Displacement Protest

Protest: Chita Andolan (symbolic pyre protest) – led by Adivasi women

Demands: “Forest for forest, land for land, water for water, village for village”

Compensation: ₹12.5 lakh per individual (18+ as of Feb 2024) + ₹5 lakh per acre

Static Link: Panna Tiger Reserve – Madhya Pradesh; Forest Rights Act, 2006

💰 ECONOMY

8. India’s Merchandise Exports – Data

Key Data (July 2026):

Drivers:

Petroleum Products Growth (April-July 2026 vs 2025): 42.6%

Static Link: Export growth driven by price effect (West Asia conflict increased oil prices)

9. Rupee Depreciates to 95.61

Key Data: ₹95.61 = 1 USD (depreciated 19 paise)

Reasons:

• Weak domestic equity markets
• Surge in crude oil prices
• Delay in US-Iran deal

Static Link: Rupee depreciation = imported inflation

10. SEBI’s Closing Auction Session (CAS)

News: CAS mechanism for determining closing prices is here to stay.

Replaces: Volume-Weighted Average Price (VWAP) method

Static Link:

• SEBI: Established under SEBI Act, 1992
• Headquarters: Mumbai

11. CEA: Bring Back Lower-Ethanol Petrol

Chief Economic Adviser: V. Anantha Nageswaran

Key Argument: E20 policy could pose problems for India’s large fleet of older two-wheelers (240 million legacy vehicles not E20-compatible)

Static Link: CEA – under Ministry of Finance; Economic Survey prepared by CEA

12. Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS)

Approvals: ₹7,877 crore projects approved

Components manufactured in India for first time:

• Metalised films for capacitors
• Hermetic terminals (defence-grade)
• Coils

States covered: 10 (TN, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, etc.)

Static Link: ECMS – under Ministry of Electronics and IT

🌐 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

13. Trump Orders Scaling Back US-South Korea Drills

Key Facts:

• Exercise: Ulchi Freedom Shield (11-day annual drill)
• Trump called exercises “inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea
• Ordered Pentagon to “substantially reduce” the drills

Static Link:

• Ulchi Freedom Shield – US-South Korea annual military exercise
• US-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty – 1953

14. DR Congo Ebola Outbreak

Key Data:

Key Fact: No specific vaccine/treatment exists for Bundibugyo strain

Static Link:

• Ebola – viral hemorrhagic fever
• First identified: 1976 (DR Congo)
• WHO – coordinates global response

15. Indian Army Chief Gets Honorary Nepalese General Rank

News: General Dhiraj Seth conferred honorary rank of General of Nepalese Army.

Tradition: India and Nepal reciprocally confer honorary rank of General on each other’s Army Chiefs.

Static Link: Symbol of close bilateral military ties

🔬 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

16. Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) – India’s Breakthrough

News: India’s D-Propulse successfully demonstrated RDE at DRDO facility, Hyderabad.

What is RDE?

• Combustion at constant volume (not constant pressure)
• Detonation speed: >1,500 m/s
• 10-25% more thermodynamic efficiency than conventional combustors

Physics:

Global Developments (2026):

Static Link:

• DRDO: Defence Research and Development Organisation – Ministry of Defence
• Newton’s Third Law: Action-Reaction (thrust)

17. E20 Fuel – Static Knowledge

Issues with Legacy Vehicles:

• Ethanol is a polar solvent – scours rust → clogs filters
• Hygroscopic – absorbs moisture → phase separation → corrosion
• 30-35% less energy per unit volume → mileage drop

Static Link:

• BS 6 Phase 2 RDE: Real Driving Emissions norms – implemented April 2023
• RON: Research Octane Number
• SIAM: Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers

🏛️ DEFENCE & SECURITY

18. ISI-Backed Shahzad Bhatti Network – Nationwide Crackdown

Key Data:

Modus Operandi:

• Bhatti operates from UAE – social media influencer
• Contacts youth via Instagram/Facebook
• Offers money for tasks (posters, grenades, planting explosives)
• Uses Chinese-made CCTV cameras for surveillance near airbases, railway stations

Static Link:

• NIA: National Investigation Agency – NIA Act, 2008
• ISI: Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency

🏅 SPORTS (Exam-Relevant Facts)

19. Badminton Worlds – Ayush Shocks World No. 1

News: Ayush Shetty defeated World No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi.

Score: 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 (73 minutes)

Static Link: BWF World Championships – Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Delhi

20. Ravindra Jadeja – 350 Test Wickets

News: Jadeja became 5th Indian (28th overall) to take 350 Test wickets.

Indian List:

All-Rounders with 4,000 runs + 350 wickets: Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, Daniel Vettori, Ravindra Jadeja

Static Link: Test cricket – 5-day format; India’s 600th Test was played on August 15, 2026

21. Hockey World Cup – India Loses to England

News: India lost 4-2 to England in Pool D.

India’s Goals: Harmanpreet Singh (PC), Dilpreet Singh

Static Link: FIH Hockey World Cup – Netherlands & Belgium co-hosts

📌 STATIC CORNER – QUICK REVISION

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