Current Affairs 23 July 2026 — Part 1

Attempt the quiz above first, then review every question with its correct answer and a short explanation below.

1. Q1.Which NHAI mobile app added a digital 'Local Pass' facility for toll plaza residents in July 2026?

   • A.RajmargYatra✓ Correct Answer
   • B.FASTag Connect
   • C.Setu Bandhan
   • D.Path Nirman

   Explanation: RajmargYatra is NHAI's official app for highway users; the Local Pass feature lets nearby residents get discounted toll passes online without visiting the toll booth in person.

2. Q2.The National Investment Policy for Urea-2026 (NIPU-2026), approved on 16 July 2026, primarily aims to:

   • A.Attract investment in domestic urea manufacturing✓ Correct Answer
   • B.Subsidise urea exports
   • C.Deregulate fertiliser pricing entirely
   • D.Merge state fertiliser corporations

   Explanation: NIPU-2026 was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister, and sets a Return on Equity band of 12-16% to attract new gas-based urea plants.

3. Q3.The draft Telecommunication Rules, 2026 — open for public comments till 27 July 2026 — bring broadcasting guidelines under which law?

   • A.Telecommunications Act, 2023✓ Correct Answer
   • B.Information Technology Act, 2000
   • C.Cable Television Networks Act, 1995
   • D.Indian Telegraph Act, 1885

   Explanation: The rules consolidate television, radio and related broadcasting guidelines into a single regulatory framework under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

4. Q4.Whose term as RBI Deputy Governor was extended by two years effective 26 June 2026?

   • A.Swaminathan Janakiraman✓ Correct Answer
   • B.T. Rabi Sankar
   • C.M. Rajeshwar Rao
   • D.Michael Patra

   Explanation: Janakiraman is the senior-most of RBI's Deputy Governors and oversees banking supervision, inspection, financial inclusion and consumer protection functions.

5. Q5.RBI approved which executive as the new MD & CEO of South Indian Bank, effective 1 October 2026?

   • A.Mahesh Muralidhar Pai✓ Correct Answer
   • B.Murali Ramakrishnan
   • C.V.G. Mathew
   • D.Shyam Srinivasan

   Explanation: Pai's appointment is for a three-year term and is subject to shareholder approval at the bank's board meeting.

6. Q6.India's current account balance in April 2026, as reported alongside RBI's revised FY2025-26 GDP forecast, was a:

   • A.Surplus of $4.7 billion✓ Correct Answer
   • B.Deficit of $4.7 billion
   • C.Surplus of $27.9 billion
   • D.Balanced account (zero)

   Explanation: The surplus came even as the merchandise trade deficit widened to $27.9 billion, helped by stronger services exports and a surge in remittances to $16 billion.

7. Q7.Indo MIM's ₹3,811 crore IPO, opening 23-27 July 2026, is listed on which exchanges?

   • A.BSE and NSE✓ Correct Answer
   • B.NSE only
   • C.BSE only
   • D.International Financial Services Centre (GIFT City) only

   Explanation: Indo MIM's issue is part of a busy end-of-July IPO window spanning mining, healthcare, dairy, renewable energy and industrial machinery companies.

8. Q8.Which state officially rolled out Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY starting July 2026, after staying outside the scheme for years?

   • A.West Bengal✓ Correct Answer
   • B.Delhi
   • C.Odisha
   • D.Tamil Nadu

   Explanation: PM-JAY provides health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation; West Bengal and Delhi had previously not implemented it.

9. Q9.As of 1 July 2026, how many LPG connections had the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana provided to eligible beneficiaries?

   • A.10.58 crore✓ Correct Answer
   • B.5 crore
   • C.8 crore
   • D.12 crore

   Explanation: Ujjwala Yojana was launched to provide free LPG connections to women from below-poverty-line households, reducing dependence on unclean cooking fuels.

10. Q10.PM-AJAY, a scheme for the socio-economic upliftment of Scheduled Castes, is implemented by which ministry?

    • A.Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Ministry of Rural Development
    • C.Ministry of Tribal Affairs
    • D.Ministry of Minority Affairs

    Explanation: PM-AJAY merges three earlier schemes — PMAGY, SCA to SCSP, and Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana — and is 100% centrally funded.

11. Q11.The deadline for nominations for the next Padma Awards cycle is set for which date?

    • A.31 July 2026✓ Correct Answer
    • B.15 August 2026
    • C.26 January 2026
    • D.2 October 2026

    Explanation: Padma Awards — Vibhushan, Bhushan and Shri — are announced each year on the eve of Republic Day (26 January) in three categories of civilian honour.

12. Q12.Srinivasa Kumar Tummala was appointed Secretary of which Union ministry on 7 July 2026?

    • A.Ministry of Earth Sciences✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
    • C.Ministry of Science and Technology
    • D.Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

    Explanation: The Ministry of Earth Sciences oversees agencies like IMD and INCOIS for weather, climate and ocean research.

13. Q13.Which agency, along with BPR&D and NCRB, got a new chief in the Centre's 7 July 2026 police leadership appointments?

    • A.Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA)✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
    • C.National Investigation Agency (NIA)
    • D.Intelligence Bureau (IB)

    Explanation: SVPNPA in Hyderabad is the premier training institution for IPS officers, while NCRB compiles India's official crime statistics.

14. Q14.TCS's large land acquisitions in Vizag and Pune in 2026 are meant to build capacity for:

    • A.AI data-centre infrastructure✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Automobile manufacturing
    • C.Steel production
    • D.Textile export hubs

    Explanation: The move reflects a broader trend of Indian IT majors investing directly in AI compute capacity through large-scale data-centre land banks.

15. Q15.PM Modi inaugurated conservation work in July 2026 on which famous Hindu temple in Indonesia?

    • A.Prambanan✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Angkor Wat
    • C.Borobudur
    • D.Pura Besakih

    Explanation: Prambanan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Yogyakarta, is being restored under a bilateral India-Indonesia cultural heritage agreement — part of India's wider heritage diplomacy in Asia.