Daily Current Affairs — 13 July 2026
Daily Current Affairs · 13 July 2026
10 fully-analysed topics · 30 bilingual MCQs · 3 embedded videos · built for UPSC Prelims & Mains
🎯 30 MCQs
🎬 3 Videos
🇮🇳 Hindi + English
UPSC Current Affairs MCQ — 13 July 2026
10 UPSC-standard bilingual MCQs covering today's top stories · 10-sec timer per question
Score yourself as you go. Get a feel for how UPSC-level questions are framed around the day's news.
History
1st UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance
Recently, the inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance was held in Geneva, bringing together governments, industry, academia and civil society to develop a common approach to governing artificial intelligence.
- About: The Dialogue was established under UN General Assembly Resolution 79/325 following the Global Digital Compact adopted in 2024
- India's Position: India called for a human-centric
- Foundational Principles: India argued that responsible AI governance must protect human rights
- Global South and Capacity Gaps: India stressed that developing countries must receive technological
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- India's Domestic Approach: India's National Strategy for AI and National AI Governance Guidelines follow the philosophy of "AI for All," seeking to…
- Major Global Concerns: The Dialogue highlighted risks including deepfakes
- Significance: India and the UN called for consensus-based multilateral governance
Which statement correctly describes 1st UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
UN Charts New Path for Global AI Governance
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has launched the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial intelligence (AI) and the Global…
- Global Dialogue on AI Governance: It will provide an inclusive platform within the United Nations for states and stakeholders to discuss the critical…
- Independent International Scientific Panel on AI: It acts as a bridge between AI research and policymaking
- India currently lacks a dedicated AI law. It is regulated through existing frameworks like the Information Technology Act of 2000 (cybercrimes
- NITI Aayog's National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence
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- India is active in global AI forums. It hosted the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit in 2023
Which statement correctly describes UN Charts New Path for Global AI Governance?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
IR
India Calls for UN Reforms at 80th UNGA Session
India's External Affairs Minister addressed the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York
- Effect of Policies & Politics of Countries on India's Interests
- Gridlock in Decision-Making: The UN often faces paralysis in decision-making due to conflicts, limited resources, and terrorism
- Rising powers like India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan lack permanent membership, while the Global South remains underrepresented, limiting the UN's…
- The UN has struggled to prevent or resolve large-scale conflicts due to internal divisions and weak peacekeeping mandates
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- For instance, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reported 434 new investigations, including procurement fraud and sexual misconduct…
- This criticism challenges the UN's authority and global acceptance.
- Security Council Expansion: As a member of the G4 group (India
- India's neutral stance, favoring negotiation over military action, underscores its role in peaceful conflict resolution
- Text-Based Negotiations: Move from broad "dialogue" to text-based negotiations under the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) process
- Reform or Limit Use of Veto: Introduce binding restrictions on veto use in situations involving genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity
Which statement correctly describes India Calls for UN Reforms at 80th UNGA Session?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
History
Deepfakes
Denmark has proposed a landmark copyright amendment to ban the sharing of deepfakes without consent, protecting individuals' voices, faces, and likenesses.
- The proposed law treats realistic deepfakes as copyright violations
- About: Deepfakes are synthetic media (videos, images, or audio) that are digitally altered using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make it look like…
- Technology Used: Deepfakes are powered by deep learning, a subset of machine learning, which itself is a subset of AI
- Natural Language Processing (NLP) is used for cloning voices. Lip-syncing techniques align deepfake audio with video.
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- Face swaps: Replace a person's face in a video with another's.
- Voice clones: Imitate someone's voice to say anything.
- Source Video Manipulation: Make someone appear to do or say things they never did.
- Clues: unnatural blinking, facial distortions, mismatched audio, lighting glitches.
- Tools: Adobe, Microsoft, Sensity AI, and others offer deepfake detection software
- India doesn't have a dedicated law for deepfakes, but several existing laws offer partial protection.
Which statement correctly describes Deepfakes?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
History
Child Sexual Abuse
Recently, a report titled the Global Threat Assessment Report 2021, released by WeProtect Global Alliance has revealed that Covid-19 had contributed to a significant spike in child sexual exploitation and abuse online.
- The report outlines the scale and scope of child sexual exploitation and abuse online, as well as an overview of the global response to the issue.
- WeProtect Global Alliance is a global movement of more than 200 governments
- Highlights of the Report: In the past two years, the reporting of child sexual exploitation and online abuse has reached its highest level
- During the pandemic, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicated 106% increase in reports of suspected child sexual…
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- Multi-layered Problem: Child sexual abuse is a multi-layered problem which negatively impacts children's physical safety
- Amplification Due to Digital Technologies: Mobile and digital technologies has further amplifies child abuse and exploitation
- Ineffective Legislaton: Although Government of India has enacted the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act 2012 (POCSO Act)
- Judicial Delay: The Kathua Rape case took 16 months for the main accused to be convicted whereas the POCSO Act clearly mentions that the entire trial…
- Unfriendly to Child: Challenges related to age-determination of the child. Especially laws that focus on biological age and not mental age.
- Comprehensive Framework: The report calls for prioritising prevention activities against abuse
Which statement correctly describes Child Sexual Abuse?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
⚖️ Indian Polity MCQ Quiz · भारतीय राजव्यवस्था
10 bilingual MCQs · Indian Polity · Members Only on YouTube
Today's rotation: Indian Polity. Take this break between news topics to sharpen the core concept.
History
Rising Secondary Infertility in India
Secondary infertility is emerging as a growing reproductive health concern in India.
- Delayed parenthood, age-related fertility decline, lifestyle disorders, reproductive health complications, and male infertility are among the major…
- Infertility: It is a disease of the male or female reproductive system
- Infertility may result from male factors, female factors, a combination of both, or unexplained causes.
- Demographic Shift towards Delayed Family Completion: Career consolidation
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- The rising incidence of Caesarean sections can cause pelvic adhesions or isthmocele (uterine scar defect)
- Untreated postpartum infections may also cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and fallopian tube blockage.
- Postpartum thyroiditis and hypothyroidism can similarly disrupt menstrual cycles and fertility.
- Legal and Regulatory Bottlenecks: The current legal framework governing assisted reproduction in India inadvertently penalizes couples facing…
- This can restrict options for couples with medically diagnosed secondary infertility and has raised questions over reproductive autonomy under…
- Advanced fertility treatments like In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) are highly capital-intensive
3. What is the significance of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act
Which statement correctly describes Rising Secondary Infertility in India?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
Decline in India’s Total Fertility Rate
The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 has revealed a steep decline in India's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) over the decades.
- This raises concerns about socio-economic and political repercussions, particularly in southern states.
- India's Fertility Trends: India's TFR dropped from 6.18 in the 1950s to 1.9 in 2021, below the replacement level of 2.1
- By 2036, Kerala's aged population is expected to surpass children (23%)
- The demographic shift was driven by high literacy, women's empowerment, and advances in social and health sectors.
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- Socio-Economic and Cultural Factors: India has one of the oldest birth control/family planning programs
- The availability and social acceptance of abortions have likely contributed to the falling fertility rates.
- More young people are moving abroad for education and jobs, settling there, which reduces fertility rates in India.
- Total Fertility Rate (TFR): The TFR is the average number of children a group of women would have by the end of their reproductive years (ages 15 to…
- A TFR lower than 2.1, however, can lead to negative population growth, potentially causing long-term demographic challenges, including an ageing…
- Aging Populations: With fewer births and longer life expectancy, the population is aging rapidly
Analyze the impact of declining fertility rates on India's socio-economic structure.
Which statement correctly describes Decline in India’s Total Fertility Rate?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
NFHS-5 National Report
Recently, the National Report of the 2nd phase of fifth round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) was released.
- The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households throughout India.
- About: It comprises detailed information on key domains of population
- The scope of NFHS-5 is expanded in respect of the earlier round of the survey (NFHS-4) by adding new dimensions such as: Death registration
- The main objective of successive rounds of the NFHS has been to provide reliable and comparable data relating to health and family welfare and other…
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- Total Fertility Rate (TFR): Overall: The Total Fertility Rate (TFR), has further declined from 2.2 to 2.0 at the national level between NNFHS 4 and 5.
- There are only five states in India which are above replacement level of fertility of 2.1
- Bihar and Meghalaya have the highest fertility rates in the country, while Sikkim and Andaman and Nicobar Islands have the lowest.
- In rural areas, TFR has declined from 3.7 children per woman in 1992-93 to 2.1 children in 2019-21.
- The corresponding decline among women in urban areas was from 2.7 children in 1992-93 to 1.6 children in 2019-21.
- Muslims' fertility rate has seen the sharpest decline among all religious communities over the past two decades.
Which statement correctly describes NFHS-5 National Report?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
Maternal Healthcare in India
A study in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women's Health highlights that although India has reduced maternal mortality significantly since…
- Despite a significant decline in maternal mortality (MMR) in India
- Strengthening healthcare quality, infrastructure, midwifery, and addressing social determinants like anemia and early marriage is essential to…
- Pace of Progress and Persistent Burden: Despite maternal mortality dropping to a fifth of its 1990 levels, progress has worryingly slowed since 2015
- While states like Kerala, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu have achieved an MMR below 70, others, such as Assam (195), Madhya Pradesh (173), Uttar Pradesh…
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- It also highlights that expanding medical infrastructure alone will be insufficient unless the social determinants of health are adequately addressed.
- Maternal Mortality: It is defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy
- It is a key indicator used to assess the quality of maternal healthcare and access to medical services during pregnancy and childbirth.
- Human Resource Crisis in Rural India: According to the Rural Health Statistics (RHS) 2021-22
- Underutilized Midwifery Cadre: Unlike Scandinavian countries or the UK
- Postpartum Haemorrhage (severe bleeding) is the leading cause of maternal death in India
Which statement correctly describes Maternal Healthcare in India?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
PCOS Renamed as PMOS
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) has officially been renamed Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), effective May 2026.
- This change follows a 14-year global effort to accurately reflect that the condition is a complex metabolic and hormonal disorder
- Key Reasons for the Change to PMOS: Scientific Accuracy: The term "cysts" was considered misleading because the condition does not involve abnormal…
- Multi-systemic Nature: The new name reflects the disorder's broader endocrine
- Prevalence and Diagnosis: Affecting one in eight women globally
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- About: It is a common, chronic, and complex disorder affecting women of reproductive age
Which statement correctly describes PCOS Renamed as PMOS?
✅ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
❌ Not quite — that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Simple Current Affairs MCQ — 13 July 2026
10 accessible MCQs covering the same topics · great for quick revision
End your study session with these simpler MCQs to lock in recall of today's current affairs.
