Current Affairs — Friday, 17 July 2026

Mains themes

• UPSC can frame this topic around the causes of inflation, the difference between consumer and wholesale inflation, the role of imported crude oil and exchange-rate movement, and the limits of monetary policy when inflation is driven by supply-side shocks. A Mains answer can discuss inflation targeting, food and fuel transmission, and policy coordination between monetary and fiscal responses.
• UPSC may ask how constitutional protection for peaceful protest coexists with the State’s duty to protect life, or may test the Supreme Court’s approach to public order, medical intervention, and the limits of coercive response during a hunger strike.
• UPSC may frame Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant cyber incidents around cyber resilience of critical infrastructure, the distinction between operational technology and administrative networks, vendor-risk management, and the tension between public trust and disclosure after a breach. A Mains answer can also discuss the role of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), and contractual ecosystems in protecting sensitive installations.