Daily Current Affairs โ 16 July 2026
Daily Current Affairs ยท 16 July 2026
10 fully-analysed topics ยท 30 bilingual MCQs ยท 3 embedded videos ยท built for UPSC Prelims & Mains
๐ฏ 30 MCQs
๐ฌ 3 Videos
๐ฎ๐ณ Hindi + English
UPSC Current Affairs MCQ โ 16 July 2026
10 UPSC-standard bilingual MCQs covering today's top stories ยท 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.
Polity
SC Stays Madras HC's Blanket Ban on Cow Slaughter in Tamil Nadu
The Supreme Court of India has issued an interim stay on a Madras High Court directive that mandated a blanket ban on the slaughter of cows and calves in Tamil Nadu.
- The State Government's Argument: The Tamil Nadu government challenged the High Court's order
- Mohd. Hanif Quareshi v. State of Bihar (1958): The Supreme Court upheld the ban on the slaughter of cows and calves but struck down the total ban onโฆ
- State of Gujarat v. Mirzapur Moti Kureshi Kassab Jamat (2005): Upheld Gujarat's complete ban on cow slaughter
- Akhil Bharat Krishi Goseva Sangh v. State of A.P
Show 1 more facts
- Fundamental Rights Interplay: Bans on cow slaughter frequently test the balance between DPSPs (Article 48) and Fundamental Rights
Which statement correctly describes SC Stays Madras HC's Blanket Ban on Cowโฆ?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Polity
Cow Vigilantism and Mob Lynching
Recent incident of killing and burning of two men in Haryana on suspicion of illegal transportation, smuggling or slaughtering of cows by cow vigilantes highlight the issue of Mob Lynching.
- Mob lynching refers to targeted violence by a large group of people which includes offenses against the human body or property
- The mob believes they are punishing the victim for some perceived wrongdoing
- Biases: Mob lynching is a hate crime that is rising due to the biases or prejudices among various castes, classes of people, and religions.
- In Hindu religion, cows are revered and worshipped. This sometimes leads to Cow vigilantism.
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- It is perpetrated by the majority towards the minority on the presumption that the minorities are in regular consumption of bovine meat.
- Inefficient working of justice rendering authorities is the primary reason why people take law into their own hands and have no fear of theโฆ
- Ineffective investigation and lack of trust in the legal process is one reason that promotes people to take matters in their own hands.
- Mob lynching is a violation of human dignity, Article 21 of the Constitution, and a gross infringement of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Such incidents violate the Right to Equality and Prohibition of discrimination
- However, it is nowhere mentioned in the law of the land and is hence simply put as murder since it has not been yet incorporated under the Indianโฆ
Which statement correctly describes Cow Vigilantism and Mob Lynching?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Polity
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960
The Supreme Court (SC) has asked the Centre to either withdraw or amend rules notified in 2017 for confiscating animals of traders and transportersโฆ
- About the 2017 Rules: The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Care and Maintenance of Case Property Animals) Rules
- The Rules allow a Magistrate to forfeit the cattle of an owner facing trial under the Act
- The authorities can further give such animals for "adoption".
- The Rules are plainly contrary to Section 29 of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act
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- It asked the government to either change the rule or face a stay from the court.
- The legislative intent of the Act is to "prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals".
- The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) was established in 1962 under Section 4 of the Act.
- This Act provides for punishment for causing unnecessary cruelty and suffering to animals. The Act defines animals and different forms of animals.
- Discusses different forms of cruelty, exceptions, and killing of a suffering animal in case any cruelty has been committed against it, so as toโฆ
- Provides the guidelines relating to experimentation on animals for scientific purposes.
Which statement correctly describes Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Polity
Doctrine of Separation of Powers
Recently, Vice-President of India has rekindled the debate over the doctrine of separation of powers by citing the Supreme Court's landmark 1973โฆ
- Separation of powers is the division of the legislative, executive, and judicial functions of government
- Legislature Control: On Judiciary: Impeachment and the removal of the judges
- On Executive: Through a no-confidence vote it can dissolve the Government
- On Judiciary: Making appointments to the office of Chief Justice and other judges.
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- On Legislature: Powers under delegated legislation
- On Executive: Judicial review i.e., the power to review executive action to determine if it violates the Constitution.
- On Legislature: Unamendability of the constitution under the basic structure doctrine pronounced by the Supreme Court in Kesavananda Bharati Caseโฆ
- Weakened Opposition in India: Democracy works on the principle of checks and balances
- However, the majority of a single party in the Lok Sabha has diminished the role of an effective opposition in the Parliament.
- The NJAC could guarantee the independence of the system from inappropriate politicization
Which statement correctly describes Doctrine of Separation of Powers?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
Weaving Sustainability into Indiaโs Textile Future
India's textile sector is moving towards circular and sustainable production through policy support for organic fibres
- Cleaner technologies, responsible sourcing and waste reduction are being promoted to improve resource efficiency and keep Indian textiles competitiveโฆ
- About: India's textile and apparel sector is a major pillar of the manufacturing economy
- Global and Employment Role: India is the world's sixth-largest exporter of textiles and apparel
- Need for Sustainability: Given its large economic footprint
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- Shift towards Circularity: Circular production is gaining importance by building on India's tradition of resource-conscious textile practices andโฆ
- Value-Chain Approach: Sustainability can be understood across different stages of the production cycle
- About: A circular textile economy keeps fibres
- Core Principle: It focuses on maintaining circularity in the use of inputs so that textile materials repeatedly re-enter the value chain instead ofโฆ
- Environmental Importance: Reusing materials lowers textile waste, emissions, landfill pressure and the consumption of water, energy and chemicals.
- Export Competitiveness: India is the world's sixth-largest textile and apparel exporter, with around 4% of global exports
4. What is the significance of textile waste recycling? Textile waste recycling reduces landfill pressure
Which statement correctly describes Weaving Sustainability into Indiaโs Textileโฆ?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
๐บ๏ธ Indian Geography MCQ Quiz ยท เคญเคพเคฐเคคเฅเคฏ เคญเฅเคเฅเคฒ
10 bilingual MCQs ยท Indian Geography ยท Members Only on YouTube
Today's rotation: Indian Geography. Take this break between news topics to sharpen the core concept.
Economy
Indiaโs Textile Industry
India's textile industry has the potential to become a global leader, driven by a growing domestic market, and rising global interest.
- However, key issues such as high production costs, fragmented supply chains, and sustainability challenges have slowed growth and exports.
- Economic Contribution: The textile industry contributes 2.3% to India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), projected to reach 5% by 2030
- In FY24 exports stood at USD 35.9 billion, with key markets in the US, EU, and UAE.
- India is the 2nd largest producer of cotton in the world (23.83% of world cotton production)
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- India is the largest producer of jute in the world
- Market Growth Projections: India's textile and apparel market is projected to reach USD 350 billion by 2030.
- Government Initiatives: PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (MITRA) Parks
- Lack of Trade Agreements: Countries like Vietnam and China benefit from Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with major markets
- Apparel exports fell from USD 15.5 billion in FY20 to USD 14.5 billion in FY24.
- Polyester fibre in India is 33-36% costlier than in China, while viscose fibre is 14-16% more expensive.
Which statement correctly describes Indiaโs Textile Industry?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
Gross Domestic Product and Net Domestic Product
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)
- Alongside, India is planning to shift from GDP to Net Domestic Product (NDP) as the primary measure of economic activity, in line with the Unitedโฆ
- The First Advance Estimates for FY 2025โ26 project a robust 7.4% real GDP growth
- India plans to transition from GDP to Net Domestic Product (NDP) in line with SNA 2025 to better capture net
- About: GDP is the total monetary value of all final goods and services produced within a country's borders during a specific period (usually a yearโฆ
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- Types of GDP: Nominal GDP: Measured at current market prices, without adjusting for inflation
- Real GDP: Adjusted for inflation using the GDP deflator. Reflects the actual quantity of goods and services produced
- Before 2015: India computed GDP with 2004โ05 as the base year, and measured GDP at factor cost, excluding indirect taxes and subsidies
- The revised GDP series will continue to follow SNA 2008, while the NDP shift aligns with SNA 2025.
- Non-adjustment for Capital Depreciation: GDP measures gross output and does not deduct depreciation of physical capital such as machinery
- Exclusion of Environmental Costs: GDP treats resource extraction and pollution-intensive activities as value addition
Which statement correctly describes Gross Domestic Product and Net Domestic Product?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
Gross Value Added
According to the provisional data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO)
- In February, the NSO had pegged year-on-year GVA growth rates in the first three quarters at 5.4%, 4.8% and 4.5%, respectively.
- However, the latest estimates saw significant downward revisions in the GVA data pertaining to the first three quarters to 4.8%, 4.3% and 3.5%โฆ
- The revisions combined with dull performance in the fourth quarter ultimately lowered the overall annual GVA growth estimate for 2019-20 by as muchโฆ
- The significant revisions in GVA data point to a deeper weakness in the service sectors
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- Financial, Real Estate and Professional Services contributes almost one-fourth of the overall GVA.
- Q1, Q2 and Q3 growth has been cut from 5.7%, 5.8% and 5.9%, respectively to 3.5%, 4.1% and 4.3%, respectively.
- These services contribute almost 20% to GVA and are the second largest component of GVA.
- The Public Administration sector's Q1, Q2 and Q3 growth have been revised from 8.7%, 10.1% and 9.7%, respectively, to 7.7%, 10.9% and 10.9%.
- In 2015, India opted to make major changes to its compilation of national accounts and decided to bring the whole process into conformity with theโฆ
- It describes a coherent, consistent and integrated set of macroeconomic accounts in the context of a set of internationally agreed conceptsโฆ
Which statement correctly describes Gross Value Added?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
Circular Economy in Mobility
NITI Aayog launched three thematic reports on Enhancing Circular Economy in End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs)
- The reports outline challenges and policy pathways to strengthen India's circular economy ecosystem.
- NITI Aayog's reports highlight that rapid urbanisation
- Adopting a strong circular economy frameworkโthrough infrastructure expansion
- Rapid urbanisation and rising vehicle ownership, including the surge in electric vehicles, are accelerating the generation of ageing vehicles in India
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- The number of End-of-Life Vehicles is projected to rise from 23 million in 2025 to 50 million by 2030
- Weak financial viability of formal scrappage units, procedural delays, and low consumer awareness sustain informal dismantling practices.
- Growth in vehicle ownership and EV adoption is driving higher tyre consumption, leading to a sharp increase in End-of-Life Tyres (ELTs).
- The tyre recycling ecosystem remains fragmented, with poor traceability, lack of standards, and dominance of informal recyclers.
- High-value recycling pathways such as recovered Carbon Black (rCB) and tyre retreading remain underutilised due to weak standards and market mandates
- Digitalisation and the clean energy transition are rapidly increasing E-waste and Lithium-ion battery waste in India
Which statement correctly describes Circular Economy in Mobility?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Economy
8th Edition of the National Programme for Organic Production
The 8th edition of the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) was launched in New Delhi, highlighting India's potential in organic farming.
- About: The NPOP, launched in 2001 implemented by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Ministry ofโฆ
- Recognition for Organic Grower Groups: Simplified certification requirements
- Technological Advancements: NPOP Portal: Provides visibility and ease of operations for organic stakeholders.
- Organic Promotion Portal: Connects farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and exporters with global buyers, offering trade leads, trainingโฆ
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- TraceNet 2.0: An upgraded system for transparency
- AgriXchange Portal: Facilitates data analysis and connects international buyers and sellers.
- About: Organic farming is an agricultural system that emphasizes the health of soils
- While generally Organic farming avoids external inputs
- Sikkim became the world's first fully organic state, and North East India has traditionally practiced organic farming with lower chemical use.
- India has the largest number of organic producers in the world, with 2.3 million farmers.
Which statement correctly describes 8th Edition of the National Programme forโฆ?
โ Correct! That fact belongs to this topic.
โ Not quite โ that fact is from another headline. The green option is right.
Simple Current Affairs MCQ โ 16 July 2026
10 accessible MCQs covering the same topics ยท great for quick revision
End your study session with these simpler MCQs to lock in recall of today's current affairs.
