UPSC Current Affairs 27 July 2026

• Organising Agency: Launched by the Department of Youth Affairs under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports through the Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) platform.
• Inter-Ministerial Collaboration: Implemented in close coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
• Strategic Coverage: Conducted in two phases from 4 June to 30 June 2026, covering 74 vibrant border villages across Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
• Rigorous Selection: Over 400 youth volunteers representing all Indian States and Union Territories were selected via a nationwide online quiz that drew over 3 lakh participants.
• Immersive Ground Activities: Volunteers lived with local border communities to conduct Swachhta drives, Tree plantation, Mini Model Panchayat simulations, and government scheme awareness campaigns.
• Core Focus: Fosters deep national integration, border tourism, and a grassroots understanding of the strategic importance of border security and local craftsmanship.
• Broader Framework: Aligns with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, turning frontier areas into self-reliant, comprehensive development models to mitigate out-migration.

• Host City: Glasgow, Scotland (making it the city's second time hosting, following 2014).
• Duration: Underway from 23 July to 2 August 2026.
• Compact Footprint: No dedicated Games Village was constructed. Athletes are housed in local hotels and university setups. All events are concentrated within a 13-kilometre corridor across four existing venues: Scotstoun Stadium, Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, and the Scottish Event Campus (SEC).
• The event has captured global attention due to its highly controversial, scaled-down format and a last-minute shift in the host country.

• Athletics & Para Athletics
• Swimming & Para Swimming
• Track Cycling & Para Track Cycling
• Weightlifting & Para Powerlifting
• Boxing
• Judo
• Artistic Gymnastics
• Netball
• Lawn Bowls & Para Bowls
• 3×3 Basketball & Wheelchair Basketball

• Squad Strength: India is competing with a 122-member athlete contingent.
• Flag Bearers: Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu served as the flag bearer, and boxer Lovlina Borgohain was the baton bearer at the opening ceremony.
• Recent Medal Status: India has opened its account with four medals (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze). Mirabai Chanu claimed gold (Women's 48kg), Rishikanta Singh and Raja Muthupandi secured silvers in weightlifting, and Jhandu Kumar won a bronze in para-powerlifting.
• Marquee Event: Track and field focus shifts heavily to Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who is returning to regain his Commonwealth crown in the javelin throw.

1. Nandan Nilekani (Chairman): Infosys co-founder and former UIDAI Chief chosen to spearhead tech-driven structural solutions.
2. S. Somanath: Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman.
3. Tapan Deka: Former Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
4. V. Kamakoti: Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.
5. Anita Karwal: Former Union Education Secretary.
6. Amrit Lal Meena: Prominent national logistics expert.

• Leveraging Digital Technology: Implementing foolproof, cutting-edge digital public infrastructure to conduct highly secure competitive examinations.
• Revamping NTA Operations: Reviewing and overhauling the inner workflows, data security protocols, and operational frameworks of the National Testing Agency (NTA).
• Preventing Paper Leaks: Crafting an airtight, advanced cyber-security framework to permanently mitigate malpractices and leaks.
• Evaluating Formative Systems: Studying how the current lack of continuous internal assessments in institutions fuels an over-reliance on private coaching center modules.
• Addressing Seat Imbalances: Analysing rising competition metrics versus the actual availability of limited seats in premier institutions.
• Regulating Coaching Advertisements: Recommending corrective oversight rules to curb misleading success claims advertised by commercial institutes.

• New Anti-Leak Legislation: Moving a stringent bill in Parliament proposing heavy fines up to ₹10 crore and a 10-year prison sentence for perpetrators of malpractice.
• Criminal Investigations: Entrusting ongoing paper leak cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to fix judicial accountability.

• Definition: Also known as Bright Leaf or Virginia Tobacco, it is a blond tobacco variety defined by its specific, well-standardised artificial drying process.
• The Curing Method: Harvested green leaves are hung inside curing barns and dried using controlled heat distributed through metal flues (pipes). This prevents direct contact with smoke while safely removing moisture.
• Key Characteristics: The process preserves natural sugars, giving the leaf a yellow-to-orange colour, high sugar content, rich natural tannins, and a mild, slightly sweet aroma.
• Primary End-Use: It is predominantly used as the primary leaf component for manufacturing cigarettes.

• Indian Cultivation: It is a key commercial crop grown during the Kharif season as a rainfed crop. It thrives predominantly on red sandy loam soils.
• Key States: In India, FCV tobacco is exclusively grown in two states: Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka (where light soil production is referred to as "Mysore style tobacco").
• Global Standing: India is one of the top producers and exporters of tobacco globally. FCV tobacco accounts for roughly 25% of India’s total tobacco production but commands a staggering 70% of India's overall tobacco export value.

• Market Fragility: Farmers frequently exceed authorized crop quotas set by the regulatory Tobacco Board, leading to localized supply gluts and sudden economic instability.
• Deforestation Footprint: Traditional flue-curing relies heavily on heat generated by burning fuelwood or coal. This massive consumption of firewood makes the FCV curing process a recognized driver of regional deforestation.
• Green Shift: Due to ecological concerns, the sector is gradually exploring alternatives like electric curing barns, bio-sources, and alternative solar/air-cured sustainable practices.

• Classification: It is a third-generation, domestic surface-to-surface medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) belonging to the fourth generation of the Khorramshahr missile family.
• Etymology: The name Kheybar Shekan translates to "Castle Breaker" or "Breaker of Khaybar" in Arabic, referencing a historic 7th-century battle.
• Range: It possesses an operational strike range of approximately 1,450 kilometers (900 miles), placing Israel, the Gulf nations, and regional US bases well within reach from deep inside western Iran.
• Propulsion & Fuel: It runs on advanced solid fuel, allowing it to be kept indefinitely in a combat-ready state.
• Rapid Deployment: Unlike liquid-fuelled variants, it can be prepared and launched from a mobile platform in less than 15 minutes, making the launch sites highly elusive to enemy reconnaissance aircraft.
• Payload & Physical Dimensions: The missile is roughly 4 meters long, has a total weight of 1,500 kg, and transports a high-explosive warhead weighing about 550 to 600 kg.

• Maneuverable Reentry Vehicle (MaRV): The missile is fitted with a specialized guidance warhead that allows it to execute complex, terminal-phase manoeuvres. It zigzags while descending to throw off tracking sensors.
• Stealth-Optimized Aerodynamics: Built with lightweight composite materials, its unique body lacks traditional structural fin ailerons, which significantly reduces its radar cross-section and visibility.
• Near-Hypersonic Terminal Speeds: The missile accelerates drastically as it nears its target, reportedly exceeding Mach 8 inside the earth's atmosphere and making interception extremely difficult.
• Camouflage Mastery: It operates an integrated internal engine built right within its fuel tank, optimizing its compact size so that it can easily be hidden and fired from regular commercial vehicles.

• Instrument Type: It is a traditional bowed string musical instrument belonging to the Tat Vadya category.
• Alternative Name: Locally, the indigenous instrument is also widely recognized as Sarinda Uakhrap.
• Craftsmanship: The body is carefully hand-carved out of a single block of wood or specially selected bamboo.
• Design Structure: It features an open upper portion, a narrowly shaped waist, and a hollow oval-shaped lower resonator.
• Sound Mechanism: The bottom vibrating chamber is covered with skin, while three tuning pegs hold strings made of metal, Muga thread, or animal gut.
• The Bow: Musicians play the instrument using a basic, crude bow made from horsehair.
• Resemblance: It shares structural and tonal similarities with the classical Indian Sarangi but features distinct regional modifications.
• Community Ties: The instrument is deeply rooted in the heritage of the Tripuri and other tribal communities.
• Usage: It is played during tribal folk songs, traditional dances, weddings, socio-religious events, and devotional Kirtans.
• State GI Portfolio: The Sarinda marks Tripura's fourth milestone GI-tagged product, joining the Tripura Queen Pineapple, Risha/Pachra (Rignai) attire, and Matabari Peda.

• Location: Situated in the Undavalli Village of Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, overlooking the scenic Krishna River near Vijayawada.
• Architecture: Carved out of solid sandstone hillsides using a highly skilled top-down monolithic excavation method.
• Historical Timeline: Believed to have originated around the 4th to 5th centuries CE during the Gupta Empire era.
• Dynastic Patronage: Developed extensively under the Vishnukundina Kings (420–620 CE) and later patronized by the Reddy and Vijayanagara dynasties.
• Religious Pluralism: Originally functioning as a Jain monastery/abode, they later transitioned into a Buddhist retreat before being converted into Hindu rock-cut temples.
• Structure layout: Features a unique four-story layout, where the ground floor remains unfinished, and the higher floors reflect a distinct Buddhist Vihara blueprint.
• Main Attraction: A massive 5-meter-long monolithic sculpture of Lord Anantasayana Vishnu (reclining posture), intricately carved from a single piece of granite on the second floor.
• Deities Presided: Houses shrines dedicated to the holy Trimurti—Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva—alongside delicate carvings of celestial lions and elephants on facades.
• Protection Status: Preserved as a monument of national importance, strictly protected and managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

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