UPSC Current Affairs Quiz — 31 July 2026

1.

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), which appears in routine blood reports, is best described as:

a bile pigment formed when red blood cells are broken down a hormone secreted by the pancreas to control blood glucose an enzyme that takes part in the body's amino-acid metabolism an antibody formed in response to infection of the liver

From: Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT): Liver Injury Marker Explained Open full article →

2.

With reference to the Kh-101 cruise missile, which fell in eastern Poland in July 2026, consider the following statements:

1.It is released from strategic bombers such as the Tu-95MS and Tu-160.

2.It carries a conventional warhead, while the related Kh-102 is reported to be nuclear-armed.

3.It is a hypersonic weapon flying at more than five times the speed of sound.

Select the answer using the code given below:

1 only 1 and 2 2 and 3 3 only

From: Kh-101 Missile: Russian Air-Launched Cruise Missile Features Open full article →

3.

The Moken, an Indigenous maritime people known for the underwater vision of their children, live mainly along the coasts and islands of:

the Andaman Sea, off Myanmar and Thailand the Sulu Sea, off the southern Philippines the Banda Sea, in eastern Indonesia the Gulf of Mannar, between India and Sri Lanka

From: Moken People: Sea Nomads, Underwater Vision & Maritime Skill Open full article →

4.

Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), usually measured alongside alanine aminotransferase in a liver panel, differs from ALT in that AST:

is produced only in the bile ducts and rises when they are obstructed reflects the liver's capacity to make proteins rather than cell injury is a pigment rather than an enzyme, and is measured in the urine occurs in heart and skeletal muscle as well, and is less specific to the liver

From: ALT Blood Test: Interpretation, Related Markers & Limits Open full article →

5.

Nipun, handed over to the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam in July 2026, is a vessel of which one of the following types?

Diving Support Vessel Landing Platform Dock Fleet replenishment tanker Missile range instrumentation ship

From: INS Nipun: Second Indigenous Diving Support Vessel Delivered Open full article →

6.

The Urban Challenge Fund, for which operational guidelines were issued in 2026, is administered by which one of the following ministries?

Ministry of Finance Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry of Rural Development Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

From: Urban Challenge Fund: Market-Linked City Infrastructure Finance Open full article →

7.

The NAKSHA programme, under which urban and peri-urban land parcels are being mapped, is implemented by a department of which one of the following ministries?

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry of Science and Technology Ministry of Rural Development Ministry of Earth Sciences

From: NAKSHA Programme: Geospatial Urban Land Records Mapping Open full article →

8.

Crete, in the news in July 2026 because of large wildfires, is the largest island of:

Italy Greece Turkey Croatia

From: Crete Island: Geography, History & the July Wildfires Open full article →

9.

The India Meteorological Department classifies a rainfall event as a cloudburst when the rainfall recorded is at least:

50 millimetres in one hour over a small area 100 millimetres in twenty-four hours over a district 100 millimetres in one hour over a small area 200 millimetres in three hours over a river basin

From: Cloudburst: Definition, Formation & Common Misclassification Open full article →

10.

The Arctic Council was established through which one of the following?

the Rovaniemi Declaration of 1991 the Ottawa Declaration of 1996 the Ilulissat Declaration of 2008 the Antarctic Treaty of 1959

From: Arctic Council: India's Observer Role & Structure Explained Open full article →