GK Express of 19/02/2026

🚆 GK Express 2.0

Discipline • Clarity • Competitive Preparation

TODAY’S FOCUS → ECONOMIC AND SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA

🧠 Thought of the Day

“The science of today is the technology of tomorrow.”

— Edward Teller

📰 Current Affairs

1. Vibrant Village Programme: The Centre is set to launch the Second Phase of the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP), significantly expanding its strategic scope beyond the China border to now include 1,954 strategic villages along the borders with Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar.
2. 80 years of RIN Revolt: 18th February, 2026 marks the 80th anniversary of the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) Revolt of 1946, a short-lived but momentous armed uprising, symbolising militant anti-colonial resistance and rare Hindu-Muslim unity in the final phase of British rule.

📘 Concept of the Day

Subject: Indian Economy

Concept: Types of Inflation

Inflation is the persistent rise in the general price level of goods and services. It is broadly classified into two main types based on its causes:

• 1. Demand-Pull Inflation: Occurs when the demand for goods and services exceeds their supply ("too much money chasing too few goods"). This usually happens in a growing economy where consumer income increases.
• 2. Cost-Push Inflation: Occurs when the overall price level goes up due to an increase in the cost of wages and raw materials. Supply decreases while demand remains the same (e.g., a sudden hike in crude oil prices globally).
• Key Indices: In India, inflation is primarily measured by the WPI (Wholesale Price Index) for goods at the wholesale level, and the CPI (Consumer Price Index) which tracks the retail level and is used by the RBI for policy making.

🤔 Think About This (Mains Focus)

Tap a question to reveal the answer

1. What is 'Financial Inclusion'? Discuss the role of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in achieving it in India.

Answer:
Financial Inclusion implies providing access to affordable and useful financial products (banking, credit, insurance) to the unbanked and marginalized sections.

Role of DPI:
1. JAM Trinity: Jan Dhan accounts linked with Aadhaar and Mobile numbers created a massive digital foundation.
2. UPI (Unified Payments Interface): Democratized digital payments, bringing millions of street vendors and rural citizens into the formal financial fold.
3. DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer): Eradicated middlemen, ensuring welfare funds directly reach the beneficiaries' accounts securely.

2. What is 'Space Debris'? Discuss the potential threats it poses and the initiatives taken by ISRO to tackle this issue.

Answer:
Space Debris refers to defunct human-made objects in space—like old satellites and spent rocket stages—orbiting the Earth.

Threats: It poses a collision risk to active satellites and the International Space Station (ISS). A chain reaction of collisions is feared, known as the Kessler Syndrome.

ISRO's Initiatives:
1. Project NETRA: An early warning system in space to detect debris and other hazards to Indian satellites.
2. IS4OM: ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations Management was launched to safeguard space assets and monitor debris.

📝 Let’s Write an Exam (PYQs)

Q.1 (UPSC 2015) When the Reserve Bank of India reduces the Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) by 50 basis points, which of the following is likely to happen?

A. India's GDP growth rate increases drastically

B. Foreign Institutional Investors may bring more capital into our country

C. Scheduled Commercial Banks may cut their lending rates

D. It may drastically reduce the liquidity to the banking system

Correct Answer: C
Explanation: SLR is the percentage of deposits that banks must keep in liquid assets (like gold or govt securities) with themselves. If the RBI reduces the SLR, banks have more disposable funds available. To lend these excess funds to the public, banks generally reduce their lending rates (interest rates on loans).

Q.2 (UPSC 2021) Water can dissolve more substances than any other liquid because:

A. It is dipolar in nature

B. It is a good conductor of heat

C. It has high value of specific heat

D. It is an oxide of hydrogen

Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Water is called the "universal solvent" because of its dipolar nature. A water molecule has a partial positive charge on the hydrogen atoms and a partial negative charge on the oxygen atom. This allows it to easily attract and break apart other polar and ionic compounds.

✍️ Answer These Questions

1. Which institution calculates and publishes the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data of India?

2. What is the common chemical name of 'Baking Soda'?

GK Express @ Juniors Hostel
Curated with discipline by Nikhil Dasari