🔥 UPSC/PCS Current Affairs | 21 July 2026

1. Revised Index of Core Industries: Iron Ore Added as Ninth Sector

Why in News?

The government released a revised series of the Index of Core Industries with 2022–23 as the new base year, replacing 2011–12. Iron ore has been added as the ninth core industry. The index recorded 5% year-on-year growth in June 2026, the highest rate in five months.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for industrial growth, economic indicators, infrastructure sectors, Index of Industrial Production, base-year revision, mining and the interpretation of high-frequency economic data.

Prelims Facts

• The revised ICI has nine sectors: coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement, electricity and iron ore.
• The new base year is 2022–23.
• The Office of the Economic Adviser under DPIIT compiles the Index of Core Industries.
• Core industries have a major weight in the Index of Industrial Production.
• A base effect can make current growth appear high when the corresponding previous-year base was unusually low.

Mains Perspective

GS-III: Indian Economy, Industrial Growth, Infrastructure and Mining

Revision Note: Revised ICI = New base year + iron ore as ninth sector + updated weights + better measurement of industrial structure.

2. India Approves Its First Dengue Vaccine

Why in News?

The Drugs Controller General of India granted market authorisation to QDENGA, also known as TAK-003, for prevention of dengue in people aged four to 60 years. It is the first dengue vaccine approved for use in India.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Relevant for communicable diseases, vaccine regulation, vector-borne illnesses, public-health preparedness, disease surveillance and India’s immunisation ecosystem.

Prelims Facts

• Dengue is caused by a virus and is mainly transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
• Aedes mosquitoes generally breed in clean, stagnant water near human habitation.
• QDENGA is also known as TAK-003.
• DCGI functions under the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.
• Dengue has four major virus serotypes: DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4.

Mains Perspective

GS-II: Health, Public Policy and Government Regulation
GS-III: Science and Technology

Revision Note: Dengue control = Vaccination + vector control + surveillance + community awareness + effective urban sanitation.

3. India–U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group Meeting

Why in News?

Bengaluru will host the next meeting of the India–U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group in August. Experts from ISRO, NASA and other government agencies are expected to discuss bilateral cooperation in civilian space activities.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for India–U.S. relations, space diplomacy, Earth observation, climate monitoring, satellite technology and collaboration between ISRO and NASA.

Prelims Facts

• The Civil Space Joint Working Group was established in 2005.
• NISAR stands for NASA–ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar.
• Synthetic Aperture Radar can collect Earth-observation data during day and night and through cloud cover.
• ISRO is India’s national space agency.
• NASA is the civilian space agency of the United States.

Mains Perspective

GS-II: India–U.S. Relations
GS-III: Space Technology and Disaster Management

Revision Note: Space cooperation = Scientific research + Earth observation + climate data + strategic technology partnership.

4. Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill, 2026

Why in News?

The proposed FCRA Amendment Bill is scheduled for consideration during the Monsoon Session. Religious and civil-society organisations have raised concerns over provisions relating to foreign donations, compliance requirements and possible government takeover of assets created partly with foreign funds.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Relevant for NGO regulation, national security, transparency, freedom of association, administrative accountability and the balance between State oversight and civil-society autonomy.

Prelims Facts

• FCRA regulates the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and organisations.
• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs administers the FCRA framework.
• Foreign contributions must be received through designated banking channels.
• Registered organisations must maintain accounts and submit prescribed returns.
• Foreign contribution regulation is distinct from income-tax exemption.

Mains Perspective

GS-II: Governance, Civil Society, Fundamental Rights and Internal Security

Revision Note: FCRA debate = National security + financial transparency + proportional regulation + civil-society freedom.

5. No Decision on Ethanol Blending Beyond 20%

Why in News?

The Union government informed Parliament that no decision has been taken to raise ethanol blending in petrol beyond the present level of 20%.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for biofuels, energy security, crude-oil import dependence, sugarcane and grain use, vehicle compatibility, emissions and food-versus-fuel concerns.

Prelims Facts

• E20 petrol contains 20% ethanol and 80% petrol by volume.
• Ethanol can be produced from sugarcane molasses, damaged foodgrains and other biomass feedstocks.
• The Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme is implemented by the Union government through oil-marketing companies.
• Ethanol is hygroscopic and can absorb moisture.
• Higher blending requires compatible engines, materials and fuel-storage infrastructure.

Mains Perspective

GS-III: Energy Security, Agriculture, Environment and Biofuels

Revision Note: Ethanol policy = Import reduction + farmer income + cleaner fuel + water use + vehicle compatibility.

6. Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls

Why in News?

Karnataka launched doorstep delivery of Permanent Residence Certificates and caste certificates to assist eligible citizens during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Permanent Residence Certificates are among the documents accepted for voter verification.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Relevant for the Election Commission, electoral-roll accuracy, voting rights, citizenship documentation, inclusion and exclusion errors, and administrative access to public services.

Prelims Facts

• Article 324 vests the superintendence, direction and control of elections in the Election Commission of India.
• Electoral rolls are prepared under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
• Registration as a voter is linked to ordinary residence in a constituency.
• Revision exercises may be summary, intensive or special in nature.
• The right to vote is a statutory right, while free and fair elections form part of the constitutional democratic framework.

Mains Perspective

GS-II: Election Commission, Electoral Reforms and Democratic Participation

Revision Note: Electoral-roll revision = Accuracy + inclusion + documentation + transparency + accessible grievance redressal.

7. India Joins WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

Why in News?

India announced that it had joined the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. The agreement restricts subsidies linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and the over-exploitation of marine fish stocks.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for WTO negotiations, marine conservation, blue economy, livelihood security of small-scale fishers, sustainable development and international trade rules.

Prelims Facts

• The agreement was adopted at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva in 2022.
• It is the WTO’s first multilateral agreement centred on environmental sustainability.
• IUU fishing means illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
• The agreement mainly concerns marine wild-capture fishing and fishing-related activities at sea.
• The WTO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Mains Perspective

GS-II: International Institutions and WTO
GS-III: Fisheries, Blue Economy and Environment

Revision Note: Fisheries agreement = Sustainable stocks + action against IUU fishing + trade discipline + livelihood safeguards.

8. Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Project at Khavda Solar Park

Why in News?

NTPC Renewable Energy awarded a project for developing a 100 MWh Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Energy Storage System at Khavda Solar Park in Gujarat.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Relevant for renewable-energy integration, grid stability, long-duration storage, critical minerals, clean-energy transition and alternatives to conventional lithium-based batteries.

Prelims Facts

• Flow batteries store energy in liquid electrolytes held in external tanks.
• Vanadium can exist in multiple oxidation states, enabling reversible electrochemical reactions.
• Energy capacity can be increased by enlarging electrolyte tanks.
• Flow batteries are suited to stationary and long-duration energy storage.
• Khavda Renewable Energy Park is located in Gujarat’s Kutch region.

Mains Perspective

GS-III: Renewable Energy, Energy Storage, Critical Minerals and Infrastructure

Revision Note: VRFB = Liquid electrolyte + long cycle life + scalable storage + renewable-grid balancing.

9. Rising Inflation: Fuel Costs and Food-Supply Shocks

Why in News?

An economic analysis argued that the recent rise in Wholesale Price Index inflation has been driven mainly by higher fuel and power costs, manufacturing input costs and food-supply pressures rather than excessive aggregate demand.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important for inflation measurement, monetary policy, fiscal policy, supply-side shocks, fuel taxation, food security and the limits of demand-focused inflation control.

Prelims Facts

• WPI measures price changes mainly at the wholesale or producer level.
• India’s headline retail inflation is measured through the Consumer Price Index.
• WPI broadly includes primary articles, fuel and power, and manufactured products.
• Cost-push inflation can arise from higher energy, transport or raw-material costs.
• Countercyclical tax policy may involve reducing fuel duties when global crude prices rise sharply.

Mains Perspective

GS-III: Indian Economy, Inflation, Monetary Policy and Fiscal Policy

Revision Note: Supply-driven inflation = Fuel costs + food shocks + input-price transmission + targeted fiscal response.

10. Magnetic Levitation and High-Speed Maglev Trains

Why in News?

A science explainer discussed how magnetic levitation allows high-speed trains to float above specially designed guideways, reducing rolling friction and enabling speeds above 400 km per hour.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Relevant for electromagnetism, transport technology, high-speed rail, infrastructure costs, energy efficiency and applications of linear motors and magnetic fields.

Prelims Facts

• Maglev means magnetic levitation.
• Electromagnetic suspension uses controlled attractive magnetic forces.
• Electrodynamic suspension generally uses repulsive magnetic forces.
• Linear motors generate motion along a straight path instead of rotational motion.
• Maglev systems require dedicated and precisely engineered guideways.

Mains Perspective

GS-III: Science and Technology, Transport Infrastructure and Innovation

Revision Note: Maglev = Magnetic lift + linear propulsion + low rolling friction + high speed + high infrastructure cost.

11. Punjab PCS Focus: Behbal Kalan Police-Firing Investigation

Why in News?

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal appeared before a Punjab Police Special Investigation Team in connection with the 2015 Behbal Kalan police-firing case.

UPSC/PCS Importance

Important specifically for Punjab PCS current affairs, police accountability, commissions and special investigation teams, public-order administration and the political history of Punjab.

Prelims Facts

• Behbal Kalan is located in Faridkot district of Punjab.
• The incident occurred in 2015 during protests linked to sacrilege cases.
• A Special Investigation Team is constituted to investigate a particular case or group of connected cases.
• Police and public order are subjects in the State List.
• Criminal procedure and evidence involve both State agencies and laws enacted by Parliament.

Mains Perspective

Punjab PCS: Punjab Administration, Law and Order, Accountability and Contemporary Punjab

Revision Note: Behbal Kalan case = Police accountability + prolonged investigation + public trust + political contestation.

📰 Editorial Focus – Why Inflation Is Rising in India

Theme

The analysis challenges the idea that inflation is always caused by excess demand. It highlights how global crude-oil prices, fuel taxation, weak monsoons, food-supply constraints and higher manufacturing costs can generate persistent cost-push inflation.

Key Concepts

• Wholesale Price Index
• Consumer Price Index
• Demand-Pull Inflation
• Cost-Push Inflation
• Imported Inflation
• Fuel-Tax Pass-Through
• Food-Supply Shocks
• Inflation Targeting
• Countercyclical Fiscal Policy
• Irrigation and Food Security

Mains Takeaway: Inflation management requires a coordinated mix of monetary policy, fuel-tax adjustments, supply-chain improvement, irrigation investment and measures to reduce vulnerability to imported energy shocks.

📰 Editorial Focus – Clear Language in Insurance Contracts

Theme

The Supreme Court observed that ambiguous and poorly drafted insurance policies often harm ordinary policyholders and delay compensation claims. Standard-form contracts must use precise, understandable language and should not allow insurers to benefit from uncertainty created by their own drafting.

Key Concepts

• Standard-Form Contracts
• Consumer Protection
• Insurance Regulation
• Doctrine of Contra Proferentem
• Motor Accident Compensation
• Information Asymmetry
• Policyholder Rights
• Plain-Language Drafting
• Regulatory Accountability
• Access to Justice

Mains Takeaway: Consumer-facing financial contracts should be transparent, precise and easy to understand; ambiguity created by the stronger drafting party should not prejudice weaker consumers.

🔥 Most Important Topics for UPSC/PCS Today

• Revised Index of Core Industries and New Base Year
• Iron Ore as the Ninth Core Industry
• India’s First Approved Dengue Vaccine
• India–U.S. Civil Space Cooperation and NISAR
• FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026
• E20 Petrol and Ethanol-Blending Policy
• Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls
• WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
• Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Storage
• Supply-Side Inflation and Fuel Costs
• Magnetic Levitation Technology
• Behbal Kalan Investigation – Punjab PCS

One-Line Fact: The revised Index of Core Industries has 2022–23 as its base year and includes iron ore as India’s ninth core industry.

🎯 UPSC • PCS • IAS Foundation