Daily Current Affairs (DCA) 09 July, 2026

Why in News?

The Union Ministry of Education released the UDISE+ Report 2025-26 on 7 July 2026. It is India’s largest school education database.

What is UDISE+?

• Full Form: Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+)
• Launched: 2018-19 (successor to UDISE)
• Under: Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education
• Type: Online Education Management Information System (EMIS)
• Coverage: All schools from Pre-primary to Class 12
• Purpose:
  • Collect school education data
  • Help in policy making
  • Monitor schemes like Samagra Shiksha and PM POSHAN

Key Highlights of UDISE+ Report 2025-26

Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR)

NEP 2020 Benchmark: 30:1

Exam Point: All stages perform better than the NEP target.

Key Indicators of UDISE+ Report 2025-26

Practice MCQs

Q1. With reference to the UDISE+ Report 2025-26, consider the following statements:

1. It was released by the Union Ministry of Education on 7 July 2026.
2. It covers 14.67 lakh schools, 1.03 crore teachers, and 24.72 crore students.
3. It is one of the world’s largest school management information systems.
4. It is prepared by NITI Aayog.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; UDISE+ is prepared by the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education — NOT NITI Aayog.)

Q2. With reference to Pupil-Teacher Ratios (PTRs) per UDISE+ 2025-26, consider the following pairs:

1. Foundational — 10.
2. Preparatory — 12.
3. Middle — 17.
4. Secondary — 30.

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Pair 4 is wrong; PTR at Secondary is 21 — NOT 30. In fact, 30:1 is the NEP 2020 BENCHMARK; India’s actual PTR at all 4 stages is BETTER than this benchmark.)

Answer Key

1. (c) — Statement 4 wrong: UDISE+ by Ministry of Education, not NITI Aayog.
2. (c) — Pair 4 wrong: Secondary PTR is 21, not 30 (30 is NEP benchmark).

Context

On Tuesday, 7 July 2026, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) approved the pan-India nationwide rollout of the ₹60,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme across 200 Industrial Training Institute (ITI) clusters — moving beyond the pilot phase — along with clearance for Strategic Investment Plans (SIPs) worth ₹1,237.58 crore for 5 clusters spread across Odisha, Gujarat, and Telangana. The decision was taken at the 4th meeting of the National Steering Committee (NSC) chaired by Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, MSDE.

The scheme at a glance

• Scheme: Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU).
• Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
• Outlay: ₹60,000 crore over 5 years.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
• Announced: Union Budget 2024-25.
• Union Cabinet approval: May 2025.
• Formal launch by PM Modi: 4 October 2025.
• Nationwide rollout approved: 7 July 2026.
• Global co-financing: World Bank + Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Key Objectives

• Modernise India’s ITI ecosystem.
• Upgrade 1,000 government ITIs into industry-aligned training institutions.
• Bridge the skills-jobs mismatch.
• Align vocational training with current + future industry requirements.
• Prepare a future-ready workforce.

Practice MCQs

Q1. With reference to the PM-SETU Scheme, consider the following statements:

1. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with a total outlay of ₹60,000 crore over 5 years.
2. It aims to upgrade 1,000 government ITIs across India.
3. It follows a hub-and-spoke model with 200 hub ITIs and ~800 spoke ITIs.
4. It was announced in the Union Budget 2023-24.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; PM-SETU was announced in the Union Budget 2024-25 — NOT 2023-24. It was approved by the Union Cabinet in May 2025 and formally launched by PM Modi on 4 October 2025.)

Answer Key

1. (c) — Statement 4 wrong: Announced in Budget 2024-25, not 2023-24.

Why in News?

The Ministry of Education released the AISHE Reports 2022-23 and 2023-24 on 8 July 2026. The report provides the latest data on higher education in India.

What is AISHE?

• Full Form: All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE)
• Started: 2010-11
• Conducted by: Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education
• Type: Annual web-based survey of higher education institutions (HEIs)
• Coverage: Universities, colleges and standalone institutions across India

Key Highlights

Major Trends

• Total enrolment increased by 31.5% since 2014-15.
• Female enrolment increased by 42.2% (faster than overall growth).
• GER reached 30 for the first time.
• Female GER (31.2) is higher than the national GER.
• GPI remained above 1.0 for the 7th consecutive year, showing higher female participation.
• ST enrolment recorded the highest growth (75.7%) among disadvantaged groups.

Key Terms

Why in News?

The International Gas Union (IGU) released the World LNG Report 2026 on 8 July 2026. India became the 4th largest LNG regasification market in the world, surpassing Spain.

What is the IGU World LNG Report?

• Published by: International Gas Union (IGU)
• Released: Annually
• Purpose: Provides global data on LNG production, trade, imports, exports and regasification infrastructure.

Key Highlights

What is LNG?

• Full form: Liquefied Natural Gas.
• Natural gas cooled to −162°C to convert it into liquid for easy transport and storage.
• Composition: ~95% Methane (CH₄) + trace ethane, propane, nitrogen.
• Uses: Power generation, city gas, transport fuel, fertilizer feedstock.

Exam Relevance

• UPSC Prelims & Mains: CRITICAL — GS-III (Energy, Infrastructure, Environment, External Sector); GS-II (International Institutions); Prelims (LNG, IGU, PNGRB, Petronet, Dahej); Mains-Essay on energy transition.
• NABARD Grade A: Medium — General awareness on energy sector.
• State PCS (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha): CRITICAL — LNG terminals in these states.

Context

SEBI has amended the Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) Regulations by replacing the existing US dollar-denominated registration fee with an Indian Rupee (INR)-denominated fee structure. The new rules will become effective after six months.

Key Changes

1. Registration Fee in INR

• Earlier: USD 2,500 for Category-I FPIs and FVCIs.
• Now: ₹2.3 lakh.
• Objective: Remove dependence on US dollar-based payments.

2. Mandatory PAN-related Information

• Applicants must provide:
  • Date of Birth (Individuals), or
  • Date of Incorporation (Entities)
• This will facilitate Permanent Account Number (PAN) allotment.

3. Fee Remittance by DDPs

• Designated Depository Participants (DDPs) must transfer the registration fee collected from FPIs to SEBI within 5 working days of granting registration.

• Simplifies fee collection.
• Eliminates issues arising from foreign currency transactions.
• Improves accounting and reconciliation.
• Enhances operational efficiency and transparency.

Important Terms

Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI)

• A foreign investor investing in Indian financial assets such as shares, bonds and mutual funds.
• Regulated by SEBI.

Foreign Venture Capital Investor (FVCI)

• A foreign investor investing in Indian venture capital funds or start-up companies.
• Registered with SEBI.

Designated Depository Participant (DDP)

• SEBI-authorised intermediary responsible for processing FPI registration and compliance.

FPI vs FDI

Context

Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the PRAGATI initiative on 9 July 2026. The initiative aims to create a nationwide ecosystem of 20,000 agri entrepreneurs to promote regenerative agriculture and rural transformation.

The initiative at a glance

• Programme: PRAGATI.
• Launched by: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
• Date: 8 July 2026 (event coverage 9 July 2026).
• Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW)
• Nature: Multi-stakeholder + privately-led nationwide initiative.
• Focus: Regenerative + climate-resilient agriculture through inclusive agri-entrepreneurship.

What is PRAGATI?

8 States Covered

• Madhya Pradesh + Bihar + Uttar Pradesh + Assam + West Bengal + Jharkhand + Maharashtra + Rajasthan.

What Will Agri-Entrepreneurs Do?

Core Services at Village-Level Kiosks:

• Agronomy advisory — crop guidance + best practices.
• Soil health services — soil testing + nutrient recommendations.
• Mechanisation solutions — access to farm equipment + tools.
• Credit linkages — connecting farmers to bank + microfinance credit.
• Market access — helping farmers sell at better prices.
• Livelihood opportunities — beyond primary farming.

Financial + Digital Inclusion Push:

• Credit access.
• Insurance (linked to PMFBY etc.).
• Savings products.
• Government entitlements (PM-KISAN, DBTs).

What is Regenerative Agriculture?

• Definition: Farming approach that regenerates soil health, biodiversity, water cycles, and ecosystem functions.
• Key practices:
  • No-till / minimum-till farming.
  • Cover crops.
  • Crop rotation.
  • Agroforestry.
  • Livestock integration.
• Benefits: Improved soil carbon, reduced chemical dependency, better climate resilience.
• Contrasts with: Conventional industrial farming (soil-depleting).

What is Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA)?

• Coined by: FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization).
• 3 Pillars of CSA:
  1. Sustainably increase productivity + incomes.
  2. Adapt + build resilience to climate change.
  3. Reduce/remove greenhouse gases where possible.

What is an Agri-Entrepreneur?

• Local rural individual trained to provide agronomy advisory + input services + market linkages to smallholder farmers.
• Runs a village-level kiosk (Agri Business Centre).
• Serves as the last-mile delivery mechanism for climate-smart + technology-driven farming.

Practice MCQs

Q1. With reference to the PRAGATI initiative launched on 8 July 2026, consider the following statements:

1. It was launched by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
2. It aims to create a nationwide ecosystem of 20,000 agri-entrepreneurs.
3. It targets impact on 20 lakh (2 million) smallholder farmers.
4. It is fully funded by the Government of India with no private participation.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; PRAGATI is a PRIVATELY-LED multi-stakeholder initiative — NOT fully government-funded. It is backed by corporate CSR arms (PepsiCo, SBI Foundation), global philanthropies (Gates Foundation), and NGOs — set to be India’s largest privately-led agri-entrepreneurship programme.)

Answer Key

1. (c) — Statement 4 wrong: PRAGATI is privately led, not fully government-funded.

Exam Relevance

• UPSC Prelims & Mains: CRITICAL — GS-II (Government Policies, Public-Private-Philanthropic Partnership); GS-III (Agriculture, Rural Economy, Climate Change); Prelims (PRAGATI, coalition partners, key persons); Mains-Essay on agri-entrepreneurship + climate-resilient farming.
• NABARD Grade A: CRITICAL — Direct subject: rural economy, agri-entrepreneurship, farmer livelihoods, FPOs; ARD paper must-know.

Context

On 8 July 2026, Prof. S. Mahendra Dev, Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), delivered a keynote address at the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG). He emphasized that India’s agricultural problem can be solved by creating more non-farm employment opportunities in rural areas.

About EAC-PM

• Full Form: Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister
• Established (Present Form): 26 September 2017
• Nature:
  • Non-Constitutional
  • Non-Statutory
  • Advisory Body
• Advice is not binding on the Prime Minister.
• Current Chairman: Prof. S. Mahendra Dev (since 5 June 2025)

Key Data (Important for NABARD)

• Agriculture contributes ~17% to India’s GDP.
• Agriculture employs ~43% of India’s workforce.
• Agriculture has grown at 4.5% annually over the last decade.
• 86% of Indian farmers are small and marginal farmers.

Major Recommendations

1. Structural Transformation

• Shift surplus labour from agriculture to rural non-farm sectors.
• Develop rural industries, MSMEs and services to increase farm incomes.

2. Income-Centric Agriculture

• Focus on farmer income, not just food production.
• Promote:
  • High-value crops
  • Horticulture
  • Livestock
  • Fisheries
  • Agro-processing
  • Better marketing infrastructure

3. Crop Diversification

• Reduce dependence on rice and wheat.
• Encourage cultivation of:
  • Pulses
  • Oilseeds
  • Millets

4. Strengthen Farmer Institutions

• Promote:
  • Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)
  • Cooperatives
  • Aggregation platforms
• Important because 86% of farmers own small landholdings.

5. Technology in Agriculture

• Use:
  • AgriStack
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Drones
  • Biotechnology
  • Satellite technology
  • Gene Editing (allowed in India)

6. Export Policy

• Maintain a stable and predictable export policy.
• This will improve farmers’ income and India’s credibility in global markets.