Daily Current Affairs Quiz for UPSC Prelims 2027 — 19 July 2026

The prolonged disruption to oil tanker movement through the Strait of Hormuz has renewed attention on how trade in physical commodities such as crude oil is governed at the multilateral level. At the WTO, trade in goods (including commodities like crude oil) is governed principally by which of the following agreements?

Why this answer

The answer is 'General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994' — GATT is the WTO's foundational agreement governing international trade in goods, which includes physical commodities like crude oil moving through chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz. 'General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)' is wrong because it governs cross-border trade in services (banking, telecom, tourism), not physical goods. 'Agreement on TRIPS' is wrong because it sets minimum standards for intellectual property protection, unrelated to commodity trade. 'Agreement on TRIMS' is wrong because it only disciplines investment measures (like local-content requirements) that distort trade in goods — it does not itself govern trade in goods the way GATT does.

The static concept

WTO's four core pillars — GATT (trade in goods), GATS (trade in services), TRIPS (intellectual property), and TRIMS (investment measures linked to trade in goods).

The Strait of Hormuz has drawn renewed attention amid regional tensions in West Asia. With reference to its legal status under international law and India's dependence on it, which one of the following statements is correct?

Why this answer

The correct statement is that transit passage under Part III (Articles 37-44) of UNCLOS grants ships and aircraft the right of continuous, expeditious transit, including submerged submarine passage and overflight, and coastal states cannot suspend this right. Iran has NOT ratified UNCLOS and instead claims the narrower 'innocent passage' regime applies, so the first statement is wrong on both the ratification and the restriction claim. India's Hormuz-linked crude dependence has actually fallen, from around 70% to roughly 30% as of July 2026, due to import diversification, so the claim of a rising, largest-ever share is false. Finally, the Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman, and Oman has ratified UNCLOS, so the strait is squarely within UNCLOS's international-straits regime, not Iranian domestic law alone.

The static concept

Part III (Articles 37-44) of UNCLOS, 1982 — the transit passage regime governing straits used for international navigation, such as the Strait of Hormuz.

The Governor of a State also holds the position of Chancellor of State universities — an arrangement recently back in focus amid a proposal to bring undergraduate colleges directly under a State's higher education department. Which one of the following best describes the constitutional and legal basis of the Governor's chancellorship?

Why this answer

The Governor's chancellorship is conferred by State university laws, not by the Constitution — this is confirmed by reporting on the Bihar episode and is distinct from the executive power vested in the Governor under Article 154(1). The first option wrongly elevates it into a constitutional discretionary power under Article 163(1); in reality, Article 163(1) confines the Governor's discretion to functions the Constitution itself requires, and routine executive functions are exercised on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. The third option misreads Article 154(1) — it vests executive power in the Governor, but that power is ordinarily exercised through the Council of Ministers, not the Governor's 'personal discretion' exclusively. The fourth option invents a Presidential-delegation route that has no basis in Articles 154 or 163; there is no such Union residuary-control mechanism over State higher education administration.

The static concept

Article 154(1) + Article 163(1) — Governor's executive power and its exercise on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, versus the narrow scope of constitutionally-required discretion.

The recent scrutiny of pension-payment delays under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), amid a shift to digital fund-flow platforms, has drawn attention to the scheme's implementation architecture. In this context, which one of the following statements is correct?

Why this answer

The correct statement is the one on grievance redressal: scheme guidelines mandate a tiered mechanism from Gram Panchayat/Intermediate Panchayat up to District/Municipality level, with a designated officer of appropriate seniority and fixed timelines for resolving complaints. The Ministry-attribution statement is wrong — NSAP sits under the Ministry of Rural Development, not Social Justice and Empowerment, and beneficiary identification is done by Gram Panchayats/Municipalities, not independently by the Ministry. The 'DBT is the sole mode' statement is wrong because it overstates the rule with an absolute — guidelines explicitly retain cash-at-doorstep disbursement for beneficiaries who cannot physically reach a bank or post office, precisely the contingency gap the recent Odisha case exposed. The NMBS statement is wrong on chronology — the National Maternity Benefit Scheme was carved out of NSAP and transferred to the Department of Family Welfare in 2001, so it is not one of today's five active sub-schemes (IGNOAPS, IGNWPS, IGNDPS, NFBS, Annapurna).

The static concept

National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) — Article 41 social security architecture: administering ministry, DBT/SNA-SPARSH fund flow, and the mandated grievance-redressal and cash-contingency safety net.

With reference to Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in India, and in light of recent field research on their ecological role, consider the following statements:

1. 1.The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) defines an invasive alien species as one whose introduction and/or spread outside its natural distribution threatens biological diversity.
2. 2.Recent field research in Assam's Raimona National Park found that invasive plants such as Lantana camara and Chromolaena odorata act as major nectar sources for butterflies when native wildflowers are scarce.
3. 3.Since these invasive plants have now been shown to support butterfly populations, they no longer meet India's regulatory definition of an 'invasive alien species'.
4. 4.The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 defines 'invasive alien species' more broadly than the CBD definition, since it covers any alien species regardless of the ecological impact it causes.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Why this answer

The answer is 'Only two' — statements 1 and 2 are correct, statements 3 and 4 are wrong. Statement 1 correctly states the CBD's definition of an invasive alien species as one whose introduction/spread threatens biodiversity. Statement 2 correctly reflects the Raimona National Park finding that Lantana camara and Chromolaena odorata serve as important nectar sources for butterflies when native wildflowers are scarce. Statement 3 is wrong — providing a documented benefit to pollinators does not remove a plant's invasive-alien-species status; these species continue to outcompete native flora and remain classified and regulated as invasive. Statement 4 is wrong — the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 definition is actually NARROWER than the CBD's, since it applies only to species not native to India whose introduction or spread may adversely impact wildlife or habitat, not to every alien species regardless of impact.

The static concept

Invasive Alien Species (IAS) — CBD and domestic (Wild Life Protection Amendment, 2022/Bill 2021) definitions, and their impact on native biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Recent litigation before the Supreme Court seeking distinct constitutional recognition for intersex persons has renewed attention on the exact right guaranteed under each Article of Part III. With reference to the following Articles and the right each is paired with, consider the following pairs:

1. 1.Article 14 — Equality before law and equal protection of the laws
2. 2.Article 15 — Prohibition of discrimination by the State on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth
3. 3.Article 19 — Right to constitutional remedies for enforcement of Fundamental Rights
4. 4.Article 21 — Right to life and personal liberty, judicially expanded to include dignity, privacy, and bodily autonomy
5. 5.Article 23 — Prohibition of discrimination on the ground of sex in matters of public employment

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Why this answer

The answer is 'Only three pairs'. The pairing of Article 14 with equality before law and equal protection of the laws is accurate — this is the article's verbatim guarantee. The pairing of Article 15 with the prohibition on State discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth is also accurate, per Article 15(1). The pairing of Article 21 with life, personal liberty, and their judicial expansion into dignity, privacy, and bodily autonomy is accurate too — this is the very article the Supreme Court read transgender rights into in NALSA (2014) and privacy into in Puttaswamy (2017), and the article now invoked in the pending plea for intersex recognition. However, the pairing that attributes the right to constitutional remedies to Article 19 is wrong — that guarantee belongs to Article 32, while Article 19 instead protects six freedoms such as speech, assembly, and movement. Likewise, the pairing that attributes the prohibition on sex discrimination in public employment to Article 23 is wrong — that guarantee is Article 16(2), while Article 23 actually prohibits traffic in human beings and forced labour (begar). That leaves exactly three of the five pairings correctly matched.

The static concept

Fundamental Rights — Articles 14, 15, 19, 21, 23, and 32, and the precise guarantee each protects within the equality-freedom-remedies architecture of Part III.

The Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear diplomacy have drawn renewed attention amid regional tensions in West Asia. In this context, consider the following statements:

1. 1.The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, with Iran forming its northern coastline and Oman's Musandam exclave forming the southern coastline.
2. 2.Close to two-fifths of the world's seaborne crude oil trade transits through the Strait of Hormuz, making it the single largest maritime oil chokepoint.
3. 3.The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was concluded in 2015 between Iran and the G7 grouping of advanced economies, in exchange for sanctions relief.
4. 4.The United States formally withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and progressively re-imposed sanctions on Iran under a policy of 'maximum pressure'.
5. 5.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which verifies Iran's compliance with its nuclear-related commitments, functions as a subsidiary organ of the United Nations Security Council.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Why this answer

The answer is 'Only two' — only the statement on the Strait's geography and the statement on the US withdrawal are correct. The geography statement is right: the Strait separates Iran (north) from Oman's Musandam exclave (south), linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. The oil-share statement is wrong — the widely cited figure is closer to a fifth of global oil consumption, not two-fifths; the number is inflated. The JCPOA statement is wrong — the deal was negotiated between Iran and the P5+1 (the five UNSC permanent members plus Germany, coordinated by the EU), not the G7. The US-withdrawal statement is correct — Washington exited the JCPOA in 2018 and rebuilt sanctions under 'maximum pressure'. The IAEA statement is wrong — the IAEA is an autonomous intergovernmental organisation linked to the UN system that reports to the UNSC and UNGA; it is not a UNSC subsidiary organ.

The static concept

Global maritime chokepoints (Strait of Hormuz) and the nuclear non-proliferation/diplomacy architecture (JCPOA, P5+1, IAEA) governing Iran's nuclear programme.

The successful orbital launch of a private rocket has renewed attention on India's gradual opening of strategic, historically public-sector-reserved industries to private participation. With reference to such reforms, consider the following pairs:

1. 1.Indian Space Policy, 2023 — Permits private companies to independently build, launch, and operate satellites and launch vehicles
2. 2.New Industrial Policy, 1991 — Abolished industrial licensing for all industries except a short list retained on security, strategic, and environmental grounds
3. 3.Mineral Laws (Amendment) Act, 2020 — Ended the captive-use-only restriction, permitting private companies to sell coal commercially in the open market
4. 4.Atomic Energy Act, 1962 (as administered) — Permits private companies to independently own and operate nuclear power plants for commercial electricity generation

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Why this answer

The answer is 'Only three pairs' — pairs 1, 2, and 3 are correctly matched; pair 4 is wrong. Pair 1 is correct: the Indian Space Policy, 2023 explicitly opened end-to-end space activities — including satellite building, launch, and operation — to private (non-governmental) entities. Pair 2 is correct: the New Industrial Policy, 1991 abolished industrial licensing except for a short list of industries retained on security, strategic, and environmental grounds. Pair 3 is correct: the Mineral Laws (Amendment) Act, 2020 ended the captive-use-only restriction on private coal mining, allowing commercial sale in the open market. Pair 4 is wrong: the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 keeps nuclear power generation a public-sector function — private Indian companies may only hold minority equity stakes in joint ventures with NPCIL, not independently own or operate nuclear power plants, unlike the genuinely opened-up space and coal sectors.

The static concept

Industrial Policy Resolution, 1956 and the New Industrial Policy, 1991 — progressive private-sector entry into industries historically reserved for the public sector (space, coal, defence, atomic energy), with atomic energy remaining the principal holdout.

Why this answer

The correct answer is 'A is true, but R is false'. Assertion A is true: NEP 2020 explicitly envisages permitting high-performing foreign universities to operate in India, and this has materialised through institutions such as Deakin University establishing a campus in GIFT City under the IFSCA framework built to operationalise that NEP vision. Reason R is false: this domestic higher-education reform originates from NEP 2020's own internationalization goals and India's ambition to become a global education hub — it was not caused by, or a response to, tightened U.S. F/J/I-category visa rules. The timeline and rationale are independent; foreign campuses in India were being planned and approved years before any such U.S. visa tightening, so R cannot explain A even though A stands true on its own.

The static concept

National Education Policy 2020 — Internationalization of Higher Education, including foreign university campuses in India.

Why this answer

Both statements are factually true, but R does not explain A. Statement A is correct: field research shows coastal Asiatic lions rely predominantly on wild prey (nilgai, wild pig) rather than livestock even outside the core Protected Area. Statement R is also correct as a standalone fact: the WPA, 1972 does allow a State Government to notify land adjoining or connecting Protected Areas as a Conservation Reserve, permitting continued human use while granting it conservation status. However, R is about a legal land-designation mechanism, not about why lion diet is prey-dominated — the diet finding is explained by wild-ungulate abundance in multi-use landscapes, not by the legal category those landscapes may or may not carry. So R, though true, is not the correct explanation of A.

The static concept

Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 — Protected Area categories (National Park, Sanctuary, Conservation Reserve, Community Reserve) and prey-predator dynamics in multi-use landscapes outside core Protected Areas.