10 August 2026, Daily Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC Prelims: 5 High-Yield Questions (The Hindu, The Indian Express, PIB, etc.)

1. With reference to the intersection between the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 and the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, consider the following statements:

1. Section 44(3) of the DPDP Act amends Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act by replacing its qualifying conditions with a broader exemption for information that relates to personal information.

2. Despite the removal of the specific public interest exception within Section 8(1)(j), a Public Information Officer (PIO) can still disclose personal data if satisfied under Section 8(2) that the larger public interest outweighs the harm to privacy.

3. The amendment removes the statutory proviso under Section 8(1)(j) which previously ensured that information that cannot be denied to Parliament or a State Legislature shall not be denied to any person.

4. Following the amendment, the newly established Data Protection Board of India (DPB) replaces the Central Information Commission (CIC) as the final appellate body for adjudicating appeals regarding rejected RTI applications involving personal data.

Which of the statements given above are CORRECT?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 and 4 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

2. With reference to anti-conversion laws enacted by various States in India and their constitutional scrutiny under Article 25 of the Constitution, consider the following statements:

1. The Right to Freedom of Religion under Article 25 includes the right to profess, practise, and propagate religion, but the Supreme Court has ruled that the right to "propagate" does not include the fundamental right to convert another person.

2. Under the constitutional scheme, State Legislatures derive their competence to enact anti-conversion laws primarily from Entry 1 ("Public Order") of the State List (List II) in the Seventh Schedule.

3. If a State anti-conversion bill contains provisions that conflict with an existing Central law or raises constitutional questions, it can be reserved by the Governor for the consideration of the President under Article 200, and becomes law upon receiving Presidential assent under Article 201.

4. A statutory requirement mandating prior state declaration before voluntary religious conversion becomes immune from judicial review upon receiving Presidential assent.

Which of the statements given above are CORRECT?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1, 2 and 3 only

(c) 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

3. With reference to the physical geography and key maritime features of the South China Sea, consider the following statements:

1. The Paracel Islands lie to the north of the Spratly Islands and are located closer to the coastlines of Vietnam and Hainan Island.

2. The Luzon Strait connects the South China Sea to the Philippine Sea in the Pacific Ocean, separating Taiwan from the Luzon Island of the Philippines.

3. Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island) lies within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Philippines in the central-western part of the South China Sea, near the coast of Vietnam.

4. The Natuna Islands, located at the southern margin of the South China Sea, form part of the archipelagic territory of Indonesia.

Which of the statements given above are CORRECT?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1, 2 and 4 only

(c) 2, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

4. With reference to the Ceuta Migration Corridor, consider the following statements:

1. Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city located on the northern coast of Africa and, together with Melilla, constitutes the European Union’s only land borders with the African continent.

2. The corridor refers to the irregular migration route used primarily by Moroccan and sub-Saharan African migrants attempting to enter the Schengen Area by crossing the fortified land border or swimming around coastal barriers into Ceuta.

3. Ceuta lies on the southern shore of the Strait of Gibraltar and is geographically closer to mainland Spain than to the Moroccan hinterland.

4. Morocco does not recognise Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla and has periodically used migration pressure as a diplomatic tool in bilateral relations with Spain.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1, 2 and 4 only (c) 2, 3 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

5. With reference to the "Yen Carry Trade" and its implications for global financial stability, consider the following statements:

1. It involves borrowing in a low-interest-rate currency like the yen and investing the proceeds in higher-yielding assets denominated in other currencies.

2. An unwinding event is typically triggered by a narrowing of interest rate differentials, often due to monetary policy tightening by the Bank of Japan.

3. The unwinding of yen-funded carry trades generally leads to a surge in capital inflows into emerging market economies.

4. A sharp unwinding can create a self-reinforcing cycle where yen appreciation forces more position closures, amplifying market volatility.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1, and 2 only (b) 1, 2 and 4 only (c) 3 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4