🏛️ POLITY & GOVERNANCE

1. Cauvery Water Dispute – Constitutional Mechanism

• News: Karnataka released 25,000 cusecs from Kabini Dam; water expected to reach Mettur Dam by Monday/Tuesday.
• Static Facts:
• CWMA: Cauvery Water Management Authority (Apex body).
• CWRC: Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (Technical body).
• Both function under Article 262, which bars the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court over interstate river disputes.
• Key Dams & Data (Must-Know):
• Kabini Reservoir (Karnataka): FRL 2,284 feet.
• Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS – Karnataka): Capacity 49.45 tmc ft.
• Mettur Dam (Tamil Nadu): FRL 120 feet; Capacity 93.47 tmc ft.
• Mahadayi River: Another interstate dispute mentioned (Karnataka vs Goa).

2. National Security Act (NSA), 1980

• News: Congress accused Assam government of misusing NSA against activist Pranab Doley (arrested a day after getting bail).
• Static Facts:
• Preventive Detention law (not punitive).
• Allows detention up to 12 months without trial.
• Safeguard: Advisory Board must review within 3 weeks (Article 22).
• Prelims Pointer: Detained person does not have the right to be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours.

3. Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 & School Closures

• News: 94,000 government schools closed over the past decade under “rationalisation”.
• Static Facts:
• Guarantees free & compulsory education for 6–14 years.
• Neighbourhood School Norm: Primary within 1 km; Upper primary within 3 km.
• School Management Committees (SMCs): Formal mechanism for parental voice (largely non-functional).
• Education is in the Concurrent List.

4. Uniform Civil Code (UCC)

• News: Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin called for UCC in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
• Static Facts:
• Article 44: Directive Principle of State Policy (not justiciable).
• West Bengal government has set up a committee headed by a retired SC judge.

🌍 GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENT

5. Kerala Floods & Western Ghats Vulnerability

• News: Death toll rose to 11; over 7,600 people shifted to 273 relief camps.
• Static Facts (High Yield):
• Gadgil Committee (2011): Recommended 64% of Western Ghats as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
• Kasturirangan Committee (2013): Recommended 37% as ESA (excluded populated areas).
• Kerala’s vulnerability: Lateritic soil + Steep slopes + Orographic rainfall.
• IMD Alerts: Red (take action), Orange (be prepared), Yellow (watch).

6. Bhitarkanika National Park

• News: Reopened after annual nesting closure.
• Static Facts:
• Location: Kendrapara, Odisha.
• Famous for: World’s largest population of Estuarine (Saltwater) Crocodiles.
• Status: Ramsar site.
• Closed annually from May 1 – July 31 for nesting.

7. Leptospirosis – Disease Mapping

• News: Leptospirosis claimed 50 lives in Kerala in July.
• Static Facts:
• Zoonotic bacterial disease caused by Leptospira.
• Transmission: Contaminated water/soil, contact with infected animals (rodents).
• Endemic in Kerala since 1983 due to heavy monsoon and flooding.

8. Census 2027 – Self-Enumeration

• News: Self-enumeration began in Assam barring flood-hit Sivasagar and Charaideo districts.
• Static Facts:
• Portal active until August 16.
• House-listing operation begins August 17.
• Census Act, 1948: Protects confidentiality of information provided by citizens.

9. Places in News (Map-Based)

💰 ECONOMY

10. Fuel Consumption Trends (July 2026)

• Key Data:
• Diesel: +9.4% YoY (driven by below-average monsoon → irrigation pumping).
• Petrol: +8.7% YoY.
• ATF (Jet Fuel): -1.44% (marginal decline).
• Coal Production: 69.75 MT (+7.5% YoY).
• Coal Dispatches: 86.33 MT (+17.34%).
• Static Pointer: Diesel consumption is a key indicator of economic activity.

11. Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) Reversal

• News: FPIs turned net buyers after 4 months – ₹20,200 crore inflow in July.
• Previous Outflows: ₹1.17 lakh cr (Mar), ₹60,847 cr (Apr), ₹32,963 cr (May), ₹49,340 cr (June).
• Static Concept: SEBI regulates FPIs. FPI is short-term portfolio investment (vs long-term FDI).

12. Gold & Silver Price Trends

🔬 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

13. Lepidoptera – Butterflies & Moths

• News: India is home to 13,703 species – 8.25% of the world’s total.
• Static Fact: The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) published the “Catalogue of Lepidoptera”. ZSI is under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

14. ISRO Scientist Exodus

• News: Nearly 120 scientists resigned from ISRO.
• Reasons: Bureaucratic power, rigid hierarchies, colonial administrative mindset.
• Destination: Private research, deep-tech companies, universities abroad.
• Static: ISRO was established in 1969 under the Department of Space.

🌐 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

15. Ceuta Migration Crisis

• News: Death toll reached 72; 50,000+ crossed from Morocco.
• Static Facts:
• Ceuta & Melilla: Spanish Autonomous Cities in North Africa.
• Border with Morocco – only EU land border with Africa.
• Part of both EU and Schengen Area.

16. UK’s Unwritten Constitution

• News: UK PM Andy Burnham signaled support for a written Constitution.
• Static Fact: UK has an uncodified/unwritten constitution (statutes, common law, conventions). India has a written constitution (longest in the world).

17. Israel-Hamas Conflict

• News: Israeli strikes killed 13 in Gaza; no deal to halt attacks.
• Fact: Israel controls 70% of Gaza.

🏅 SPORTS (Current Affairs)

18. Commonwealth Games 2026 – Glasgow

• India’s Final Tally: 13 Gold, 17 Silver, 9 Bronze (4th position).
• Boxing: India’s best-ever – 7 Gold, 3 Silver. Women dominated (7 of 10 medals).
• Athletics Highlights:
• Gulveer Singh: Silver (10000m – India’s first) & Bronze (5000m).
• Tejaswin Shankar: Bronze in Decathlon – First Indian ever.
• Weightlifting: Mirabai Chanu – Third consecutive CWG Gold.
• Judo: Historic Golds by Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh.

19. Taipei Open – Badminton

• News: Tanvi Sharma (17 years) won Taipei Open Super 300.
• Facts: Youngest champion in history (17 yrs 222 days); first Indian woman since Saina Nehwal (2008).

20. Duleep Trophy – Cricket

• News: Tilak Varma to lead South Zone.
• Static: Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class tournament played between zonal teams. Named after K.S. Duleepsinhji.

21. Durand Cup – Football

• News: Samaleswari Sporting defeated Mohammedan Sporting 3-2.
• Static: Asia’s oldest football tournament (started in 1888).

📌 QUICK STATIC REVISION

🎯 PRELIMS MCQs

Q1. Which constitutional provision bars the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction over interstate river water disputes?
(a) Article 256
(b) Article 262
(c) Article 263
(d) Article 280

✅ Answer: (b)

Q2. With reference to the National Security Act (NSA), 1980, which of the following is NOT correct?
(a) It is a preventive detention law.
(b) The maximum detention period is 12 months.
(c) The detained person must be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours.
(d) An Advisory Board reviews the detention order.

✅ Answer: (c) (Production before a magistrate does not apply to preventive detention laws).

Q3. The Bhitarkanika National Park, recently reopened, is specifically known for:
(a) Royal Bengal Tigers
(b) One-horned Rhinoceros
(c) Estuarine Crocodiles
(d) Asiatic Lions

✅ Answer: (c)

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding the Western Ghats:

1. The Gadgil Committee recommended 64% of the area as ESA.
2. The Kasturirangan Committee recommended 37% of the area as ESA.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

✅ Answer: (c)

Q5. Which Indian athlete won two medals (Silver & Bronze) in athletics at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026?
(a) Neeraj Chopra
(b) Tejaswin Shankar
(c) Gulveer Singh
(d) Avinash Sable

✅ Answer: (c)

Q6. The Spanish exclave of Ceuta, recently in news for a migration crisis, shares its land border with which country?
(a) Algeria
(b) Morocco
(c) Tunisia
(d) Libya

✅ Answer: (b)