Current Affairs 24 July 2026

‘Mee Bhoomi–Blockchain’ Land Records Project

The Andhra Pradesh government launched the ‘Mee Bhoomi–Blockchain’ pilot project on 23 July 2026 to improve the security, transparency and reliability of land records. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the platform virtually from the State Secretariat.

The project integrates land records maintained separately by the Revenue, Survey and Registration departments into a unified digital platform. It aims to create a single and reliable source of information for land ownership and transactions, addressing inconsistencies and delays arising from separate departmental databases.

The platform was jointly developed by the National Informatics Centre, Andhra Pradesh, and the Centre of Excellence in Blockchain Technology at NIC Bengaluru. It uses Hyperledger Fabric, a permissioned blockchain framework in which only authorised participants can access or update records. Every land parcel will receive a unique blockchain identity, and all authorised changes will be permanently recorded with a complete audit trail.

The pilot covers seven mandals in seven districts, comprising 89 re-survey villages and 1,37,763 land-parcel maps. The selected mandals are Aspari, Penumuru, Repalle, Gannavaram, Kadiyam, Gummalakshmipuram, and Kothavalasa.

Key Points for Exams:

• Objective: Secure and transparent management of land records
• Technology used: Hyperledger Fabric
• Pilot coverage: Seven mandals in seven districts
• Pilot mandals: Aspari, Penumuru, Repalle, Gannavaram, Kadiyam, Gummalakshmipuram and Kothavalasa.

Internet Shutdowns in India

-Important for APPSC Group 1 Mains Exam

Internet shutdowns in India are currently governed by Section 20 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024. These provisions replaced the earlier framework under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and the 2017 Suspension Rules.

Under Section 20(2)(b), telecom services may be temporarily suspended only during a public emergency or in the interest of public safety. The suspension must relate to specified grounds such as maintaining public order, protecting national security or preventing incitement to an offence. A protest by itself is not an automatic legal ground for shutting down internet services.

The 2024 Rules require a shutdown order to be issued by the competent authority, record reasons in writing and clearly specify its geographical area, type of service, and duration. The competent authority is the Union Home Secretary for the Central Government or the State Home Secretary for a State government. An order cannot remain in force for more than 15 days, and it must be reviewed by a designated Review Committee.

Internet-shutdown orders may be challenged before a High Court under Article 226 or before the Supreme Court under Article 32. Courts can examine whether the order was issued by the competent authority, whether a genuine public emergency existed, and whether less restrictive alternatives could have achieved the same objective.

India recorded 65 internet shutdowns in 2025, according to Access Now. This placed India among the countries with the highest number of recorded shutdowns, although Myanmar recorded more during that year.

Key Points for Exams:

• Section 20(2)(b) in the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
• Earlier law: Indian Telegraph Act, 1885
• Internet services may be suspended only during a public emergency or in the interest of public safety.
• Orders must record reasons in writing.
• Maximum duration of a suspension order: 15 days
• Important judgment: Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020)
• Indefinite internet shutdowns are impermissible.
• Shutdowns must satisfy legality, necessity, and proportionality.
• Article 19(1)(a) protects freedom of speech and expression.
• Article 19(1)(g) protects the freedom to practise a profession or carry on trade or business.
• Shutdown orders may be challenged under Articles 226 and 32.
• India recorded 65 internet shutdowns in 2025.

Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak

India observed the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak on 23 July 2026. Born on 23 July 1856 in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, Tilak was one of the earliest leaders to demand complete self-rule and is remembered by the title “Lokmanya”, meaning one who is accepted by the people.

Tilak popularised the declaration, “Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it.” He used the Marathi newspaper Kesari and the English newspaper The Maratha to spread nationalist ideas and criticise British colonial policies.

He transformed public celebrations of Ganeshotsav and Shivaji Jayanti into platforms for political awareness and mass mobilisation. Tilak was also a member of the nationalist group Lal–Bal–Pal, along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal.

In 1916, he established the Indian Home Rule League to demand self-government. His famous work Gita Rahasya was written during his imprisonment in Mandalay, Burma.

Chandra Shekhar Azad

India commemorated the birth anniversary of revolutionary freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad on 23 July 2026. He was born on 23 July 1906 at Bhavra, now located in the Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh.

Azad joined the Non-Cooperation Movement at a young age. After being arrested, he reportedly identified himself as “Azad”, meaning free, declared his father’s name as “Swatantrata” and gave his residence as “jail”. The name Azad subsequently became permanently associated with him.

He became a prominent member of the Hindustan Republican Association, which was later reorganised as the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). He worked with revolutionaries such as Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, and Ram Prasad Bismil.

Chandra Shekhar Azad participated in revolutionary activities connected with the Kakori train action and the struggle against British rule. On 27 February 1931, he died while fighting British police at Alfred Park in Allahabad, now Prayagraj. The park was later renamed Chandra Shekhar Azad Park.

Q1. Internet shutdowns in India are presently governed by which provision of the Telecommunications Act, 2023?
A. Section 8
B. Section 14
C. Section 20
D. Section 32

Q2. Which blockchain technology is used in Andhra Pradesh’s ‘Mee Bhoomi–Blockchain’ land records platform?
A. Ethereum
B. Hyperledger Fabric
C. Solana
D. Bitcoin Core

Q3. With reference to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, which of the following statements is incorrect?
A. He founded the Indian Home Rule League in 1916
B. He was associated with the newspapers Kesari and The Mahratta
C. He wrote Gita Rahasya during his imprisonment in Mandalay
D. He presided over the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress in 1929

Q4. With reference to Chandra Shekhar Azad, which of the following statements is incorrect?
A. He was associated with the Hindustan Republican Association and later the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
B. He participated in revolutionary activities connected with the Kakori train action
C. He died in an encounter with British police at Alfred Park in Allahabad
D. He founded the Ghadar Party in San Francisco