UPSC Current Affairs — 15 August 2026

Today's five questions

Attempt these before you read the answers. Each explanation says why the tempting wrong option fails.

1. Consider the following statements regarding the Prakash Singh case (2006): 1. The Supreme Court directed that the Director General of Police should be selected from a panel prepared by the Union Public Service Commission. 2. The Court fixed a minimum tenure of two years for the DGP. 3. The directives are binding on all states and union territories. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. 1 and 2 only
   2. 2 and 3 only
   3. 1 and 3 only
   4. 1, 2 and 3
   Answer

   1 and 2 only

   Statements 1 and 2 are correct: the Prakash Singh case directed that DGPs be selected from a UPSC-prepared panel and given a fixed two-year tenure. Statement 3 is incorrect because the directives are not automatically binding on all states; implementation has been uneven, and the Supreme Court has had to intervene repeatedly, as in the current Odisha case. The trap is assuming that a Supreme Court judgment automatically ensures compliance across all states.

2. With reference to the Forest Rights Act, 2006, consider the following statements: 1. It recognizes both individual and community rights of forest dwellers. 2. It covers only Scheduled Tribes and not other traditional forest dwellers. 3. The Gram Sabha is the authority to initiate the process for determining rights. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. 1 and 3 only
   2. 1 and 2 only
   3. 2 and 3 only
   4. 1, 2 and 3
   Answer

   1 and 3 only

   Statements 1 and 3 are correct: the FRA recognizes individual and community rights, and the Gram Sabha initiates the process. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Act covers both Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers. The common mistake is to think the FRA is only for STs; the Act explicitly includes 'other traditional forest dwellers' who have resided in forests for generations.

3. Consider the following statements about the Uniform Civil Code (UCC): 1. Article 44 of the Constitution directs the State to secure a UCC. 2. The UCC is part of the Fundamental Rights under Article 25. 3. Only Parliament can legislate on a UCC for the whole country. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. 1 only
   2. 1 and 2 only
   3. 1 and 3 only
   4. 2 and 3 only
   Answer

   1 only

   Only statement 1 is correct: Article 44, a Directive Principle, directs the State to secure a UCC. Statement 2 is incorrect because Article 25 guarantees freedom of religion, not a UCC. Statement 3 is incorrect because personal laws fall under the Concurrent List, so states can legislate on UCC within their territory, as Uttarakhand and now Rajasthan have done. The trap is confusing Directive Principles with Fundamental Rights and assuming exclusive central jurisdiction.

4. With reference to the Census in India, consider the following statements: 1. 2. The inclusion of caste in Census 2027 is a constitutional mandate under Article 246. 3. Aadhaar linkage in the Census raises data privacy concerns. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. 1 and 3 only
   2. 1 and 2 only
   3. 2 and 3 only
   4. 1, 2 and 3
   Answer

   1 and 3 only

   Statement 2 is incorrect because Article 246 deals with the distribution of legislative powers, not a mandate for caste enumeration. The trap is linking caste enumeration to a constitutional provision when it is actually a policy decision responding to social justice demands.

5. Consider the following statements about El Niño: 1. El Niño typically weakens the Indian monsoon. 2. El Niño is associated with cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. 3. A strong El Niño can lead to higher food inflation in India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. 1 and 3 only
   2. 1 and 2 only
   3. 2 and 3 only
   4. 1, 2 and 3
   Answer

   1 and 3 only

   Statements 1 and 3 are correct: El Niño weakens the Indian monsoon and can cause agricultural distress leading to higher food inflation. Statement 2 is incorrect because El Niño is associated with warmer-than-normal, not cooler, sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The common mistake is confusing El Niño with La Niña, which involves cooler temperatures.