Daily notes mapped to syllabus topics, with “Asked before” PYQs and original practice MCQs.
Housing and Urban Affairs told Parliament that urban planning sits with States and urban local bodies under the Twelfth Schedule. NDMA's 2019 heat-wave guidelines ask cities to assess urban heat islands. Heat Action Plans exist in 23 States, 195 districts and 64 cities.
UPSC angle: Prelims: 12th Schedule.
20 Jul 2026
NPCI reported 55.49 crore users on UPI as of June 2026. In FY 2025-26, UPI handled 24,161.69 crore transactions worth Rs 314.23 lakh crore. UPI runs under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. Security steps include risk-based limits and NPCI's CUISF 2025.
UPSC angle: Prelims: UPI stats.
20 Jul 2026
On 20 July 2026 DPIIT released the Index of Core Industries on base year 2022-23, replacing the 2011-12 series. Iron ore is added as a ninth core industry. Provisional June 2026 ICI rose 5.0% year-on-year. The linking factor between old and new overall indices is 1.47.
UPSC angle: Prelims: base years.
20 Jul 2026
The Bar Council of India hosted the draft Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on its website on 18 July 2026 for stakeholder comments. The Law Ministry said the draft was prepared with BCI. Comments are due by 31 July 2026, 3:00 PM, to designated email IDs.
UPSC angle: Prelims: BCI.
20 Jul 2026
A PIB backgrounder on 20 July 2026 notes India is the only country growing all four cultivated cotton species, first in acreage and second in production and consumption. Provisional 2025-26 output is 290.91 lakh bales; consumption 328 lakh bales. The Mission for Cotton Productivity aims at 498 lakh bales by 2031.
UPSC angle: Prelims: cotton facts.
20 Jul 2026
The Indian Air Force is taking part in Exercise Pitch Black 2026 at Darwin, Australia. Pitch Black is a biennial multilateral air combat exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force. Participation builds interoperability with partner air forces in the Indo-Pacific.
UPSC angle: Prelims: exercises.
19 Jul 2026
The Central Consumer Protection Authority began suo motu action against 41 restaurants for adding service charge by default without explicit consent, based on National Consumer Helpline complaints. The practice breaches CCPA's 4 July 2022 guidelines and is an unfair trade practice under Section 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Delhi High Court upheld the guidelines on 28 March 2025.
UPSC angle: Prelims: CCPA.
19 Jul 2026
Following the Prime Minister's 28 June 2026 Mann Ki Baat call, a nationwide Catch the Rain campaign ran from 4 July to 4 August 2026. Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari 2.0, launched 1 June 2026, integrates with Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain. Against a target of 1 crore recharge structures by 31 May 2026, more than 1.5 crore were reported.
UPSC angle: Prelims: JSA.
19 Jul 2026
On 18 July 2026 the Consumer Affairs Minister commissioned a White Rabbit-based Indian Standard Time dissemination network in Bengaluru. Secure IST transfer between RRSL Bengaluru and NSE Chennai was verified with CSIR-NPL, ISRO, SEBI, NSE and BSNL. The project supports the "One Nation, One Time" push.
UPSC angle: Prelims: IST keepers.
18 Jul 2026
On 18 July 2026 the Prime Minister dedicated 75 redeveloped railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme across 20 States, at a combined cost of about Rs 1,570 crore. This is the second nationwide dedication after 103 stations on 22 May 2025 across 18 States and UTs.
UPSC angle: Prelims: ABSS.
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