Monthly Current Affairs July 2026
National
1. Van Mahotsav is India’s annual week-long tree plantation festival observed from 1st July to 7th July. The campaign began in 1950 under K. M. Munshi, then Union Minister for Agriculture and Food, to promote tree planting and tree protection. Van Mahotsav is also called the “festival of forests” in India.
2. On 1st July 2026, the Union Cabinet approved two highway infrastructure projects with a combined cost of Rs. 14,114.81 crore. The projects include an 8.1 km six-lane road tunnel in Delhi and a 117.7 km access-controlled highway in Uttar Pradesh.
3. Odisha Cabinet approved the Deep Sea Fishing Mission on 1st July 2026. The mission is a flagship initiative of the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department under the administrative control of the Odisha government. The mission will run for 10 years, from 2026 to 2036.
4. On 2nd July 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued notices to Telegram and Signal over their username features. The action followed a notice issued to WhatsApp on 1st July 2026 on its proposed username feature. Username features allow users to connect on messaging platforms without sharing their phone numbers.
5. NITI Aayog released a report titled Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global on 2nd July 2026 in collaboration with PwC. The roadmap sets a phased plan up to 2047 for Ayurveda as an evidence-based healthcare system with wider international recognition.
6. The National Conference on “Electric Mobility: Building India an Electric Mobility Hub for Viksit Bharat” was held in New Delhi on 2nd July 2026. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav attended the conference as Chief Guest, and the event was convened by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
7. The BAT-BMS app is a mobile application linked to Battery Management Systems for lithium-ion batteries. On 2nd July 2026, the Delhi Transport Minister directed the Transport Department to verify claims about the app after videos showed its use in disabling e-rickshaws through Bluetooth access.
8. Lokhande Prashant Sitaram, a 2001-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the AGMUT cadre, was appointed Additional Secretary in the Department of Home under the Ministry of Home Affairs on 2nd July 2026. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment, and the Department of Personnel and Training issued the order on the same date.
9. The Government of India amended the Drugs Rules, 1945, on 2nd July 2026 through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The amendment, notified on 29th June 2026 and titled the Drugs (Eighth Amendment) Rules, 2026, brings advanced cell and gene therapies under the Centrally License Approving Authority framework.
10. A two-day national conference and table-top simulation exercise on “One Health: Integrating Health Security and Biosecurity” began on 2nd July 2026 in Chennai. The event was organised by the Deccan Centre for International Relations in collaboration with the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation and LEAD at IFMR/KREA University.
11. India’s energy storage requirement is projected to reach 888 GWh by 2035-36, against an installed base of about 1 GWh. The projection appears in the latest India BESS Market Review and matches the Central Electricity Authority estimate of 174 GW/888 GWh for the same period.
12. Assam became the first state in India to commercially produce Matcha tea on 3rd July 2026. The first commercial production took place at the Chota Tingrai Tea Estate in Tinsukia district, and the first lot was sold at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre.
13. India unveiled its first EXIM-grade shipping container on 3rd July 2026 at the Maersk-CONCOR Inland Container Depot in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal unveiled the container, which was manufactured by DCM Shriram Group.
14. A banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) in Munger, Bihar, has been identified as the world’s oldest accurately dated banyan tree. Scientists estimated its age at about 700 years through high-precision radiocarbon dating of alpha-cellulose from wood samples.
15. Maharashtra announced a ban on the sale of Sting energy drinks and other intoxicating substances within a 500-metre radius of schools across the state on 3rd July 2026. The restriction was announced in the Vidhan Sabha during the monsoon session by the Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal.
16. Gujarat revised its land compensation policy for electricity transmission towers and power lines in 2026. The policy applies to farmers whose land is used for power transmission projects and to projects that are still under execution. The revised policy replaces the jantri-based system, which used circle rates, with compensation fixed at twice the prevailing market value of the land.
17. India’s peak electricity demand is projected to reach 300 GW in the fiscal year 2027, after touching 271 GW in May 2026. The country’s available generation capacity has risen to 284 GW, while battery energy storage system capacity has increased to 8.7 GWh in the first half of 2026.
18. Cyananthus hookeri, a rare purple-blue alpine herb of the Campanulaceae family, was rediscovered in Arunachal Pradesh after 158 years. The first confirmed Indian record since 1867 was made in the Chuna Valley near Mago village in Tawang district at an altitude of about 3,600 metres.
19. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a notice to Telegram on 4th July 2026 over the circulation of pirated films and Over-The-Top content on the messaging platform. The notice asked Telegram to submit an Action Taken Report within 15 days and to strengthen systems for detecting, reporting, disabling access to, and removing infringing audio-visual content.
20. West Bengal approved the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana (PMCSPY) on 5th July 2026 for tea garden workers in North Bengal. The state sanctioned Rs. 313.30 crore for education, healthcare, and welfare infrastructure under the scheme.
21. Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah announced a plan to establish a cooperative life insurance company on 6th July 2026 in New Delhi during the 5th Foundation Day celebration of the Ministry of Cooperation. The initiative is linked to the cooperative sector, insurance distribution, and the expansion of cooperative institutions in India.
22. India hosted the BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting in Guwahati, Assam, on 6th – 7th July 2026. The meeting covered cooperation against narcotics trafficking, synthetic drugs, precursor diversion, darknet-linked trafficking, and crypto-based trafficking.
23. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off two new express train services on 6th July 2026. The services are the Nanded-Mumbai Express and the Tanakpur-Nanded Express. He also inaugurated the extension of the Tanakpur-Pilibhit train service up to Shahjahanpur through video conferencing from Rail Sadan in Bhubaneswar.
24. The Central government appointed new heads for the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), and the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) on 6th July 2026. The appointments were approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), which is chaired by the Prime Minister of India.
25. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued notices on 6th July 2026 to Heritage Foods Limited, Dia Foods, and Cipzer Nutraceuticals for alleged misleading claims and labelling violations. The authority functions under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and regulates food safety, advertising claims, and product labelling in India.
26. The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved the renaming of Jalalabad town in Shahjahanpur district as Parshurampuri on 6th July 2026. The decision also applies to the municipal body, which will be known as Parshurampuri Nagar Palika Parishad.
27. Gujarat is constructing its first two air-filled rubber dams across the Heran River in Chhota Udepur district and the Ambika River in Tapi district. The projects use South Korean technology and are designed for water storage, irrigation, and flood management.
28. Girish Bharadwaj, a Padma Shri awardee known as the “Bridge Man of India”, died at the age of 76 on 7th July 2026 in a private hospital in Sullia in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka. He was a mechanical engineering graduate from PES College of Engineering in Mandya and had been receiving treatment for a heart-related ailment at KVG Hospital.
29. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) completed drilling its second geothermal well, Puga-OEC-GT#03, in Puga Valley in Ladakh around July 2026. The well was drilled by the ONGC Energy Centre to a depth of 1,000 metres at an altitude of more than 14,000 feet.
30. Indian Institute of Management Bangalore will establish its first overseas campus in Indonesia at the Singhasari Special Economic Zone in Malang, East Java. The announcement was made on 7th July 2026 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Jakarta after talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
31. The Natural History Museum at Mizoram University in Aizawl was designated as a repository under the Biological Diversity Act on 19th June 2026. The Union Environment Ministry announced the designation on 7th July 2026 after a recommendation from the National Biodiversity Authority. The museum became India’s 21st designated repository for biological material.
32. Tripura made the full version of the National Song Vande Mataram and the National Anthem Jana Gana Mana compulsory in all schools across the state on 7th July 2026. The order applies to government schools, government-aided schools, private schools, and recognised madrassas in Tripura.
33. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is preparing India’s first Indian Standard for the restoration of mangrove ecosystems. The draft standard, titled Restoration of Mangrove Ecosystem – Guidelines, was made public in March 2026 and received hundreds of inputs from stakeholders.
34. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare notified Navi Mumbai Airport in Maharashtra as an authorised port for the import of drugs on 8th July 2026. The notification amended Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, 1945, and increased the total number of notified ports of entry for drug imports in India to 42.
35. India’s higher education enrolment reached 4.5 crore in the academic year 2023-24. The figure marked a rise from 3.42 crore in 2014-15, and female enrolment stood at 2.24 crore in 2023-24. The data were placed in the All India Survey on Higher Education for 2022-23 and 2023-24, released by the Union Ministry of Education on 8th July 2026.
36. Drone-based transport of sputum samples for tuberculosis testing has been studied in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana. The study was conducted by AIIMS Bibinagar and linked to the Indian Council of Medical Research’s i-DRONE programme. It measured patient expenditure, diagnostic turnaround time, and reporting delays in remote villages connected to district health facilities.
37. On 9th July 2026, the Indian government waived basic customs duty on goods used in the manufacture of display assemblies, lithium-ion cells, and inductor coil modules. The exemption applies to inputs used in electronics manufacturing and remains valid until 31st March 2029.
38. India launched Awiqli, the world’s first once-weekly basal insulin, on 9th July 2026. The drug contains insulin icodec and is marketed by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. In India, Awiqli is approved for adults with Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes.
39. India has started pilot trials for hydrogen fuel transport on 10 routes under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The projects were sanctioned on 26th March 2025 under the National Green Hydrogen Mission and involve 37 hydrogen-powered buses and trucks, 15 with fuel cells and 22 with hydrogen internal combustion engines.
40. The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is a critically endangered bird species found mainly in the Thar desert of Rajasthan, with fewer than 150 birds left in the wild. A second chick produced through the “jumpstart” technique in Naliya, Kutch district, Gujarat, survived beyond the critical 40-day period after hatching on 21st May 2026.
41. Tamil Nadu recorded a Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) of 52.3% in higher education for the 2023-24 academic year. The Union government released this figure in the latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report for 2023-24. The state ranked first among Indian states in higher education GER.
42. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) granted in-principle approval on 9th July 2026 for a 1.75 million metric tonnes Strategic Petroleum Reserve at Mangaluru in Karnataka. The project is a Phase-I extension and falls under India’s strategic crude storage network, which is managed by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd. (ISPRL).
43. The 28th Meeting of the reconstituted Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Society was held on 9th July 2026 at the Central Academy for State Forest Service (CaSFOS) in Coimbatore. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, who is the President of the WII Society, presided over the meeting.
44. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) inaugurated the first edition of the ICAI Global Orbit Summit 2026 in New Delhi on 11th July 2026. The summit series is linked to Global Capability Centres (GCCs), which are also called captive centres or global in-house centres in corporate and professional usage.
45. Ladakh approved 17 new tehsils on 12th July 2026, taking the total number of tehsils in the Union Territory from 15 to 32. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approved the reorganisation of tehsils and revenue villages in Ladakh.
46. The rhino population in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh has risen to 53 after the fourth rhino census conducted between 25th June and 27th June 2026. The census counted 17 adult males, 25 adult females, and 11 calves older than one year. The Indian rhinoceros, also called the greater one-horned rhinoceros, is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
47. The Election Commission of India has added a declaration on the online Form 6 for new voter registration. The applicant must state whether their name, or the name of a parent or grandparent, appeared in the last Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
48. Government schools in India increased internet connectivity from 46.2% in 2023-24 to 63.1% in 2025-26, while the gap with aided and private schools narrowed from 28 percentage points to 16 percentage points. The UDISE+ report for 2025-26 also recorded internet facilities in 67.4% of all schools in India, compared with 53.9% in 2023-24.
49. Renowned Tamil writer Poomani, also known as Pulithurai Manickavasagam, died on 12th July 2026 at the age of 79 due to age-related health issues. He was a novelist and short-story writer from Tamil Nadu, and his works focused on rural life, marginalised communities, and social realities in Tamil literature.
50. The Central Vista redevelopment area in New Delhi is being referred to as the Kartavya Bhawan Complex or Kartavya Bhawan Area from 12th July 2026. The renamed precinct covers the government buildings, Kartavya Marg, and future structures within the Central Vista zone.
51. The Union Home Ministry approved Puducherry’s Rs. 14,300 crore budget for the financial year 2026-2027 on 12th July 2026. The draft budget was examined with the Finance Ministry and received presidential approval before presentation in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly.
52. Assam launched a statewide drug disposal campaign on 12th July 2026 at the 14th Assam Police Battalion ground in Daulasal, Nalbari district. The campaign involved the destruction of seized narcotics and psychotropic substances valued at Rs. 472.51 crore, along with the inauguration of Assam’s first narcotics incinerator at Daulasal.
53. NABARD launched Gramodyam on 13th July 2026 on its 45th Foundation Day. Gramodyam is an entrepreneurship development programme for rural youth, and it is designed to support the creation of sustainable businesses in rural India.
54. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports launched the next phase of the nationwide Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat campaign through Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) on 13th July 2026. The campaign includes district-level competitions in five creative categories and follows a three-tier structure from district to state and then to a national finale.
55. The Supreme Court of India constituted four special division benches on 13th July 2026 to hear its oldest pending civil and criminal cases. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant issued a new roster notification effective from 13th July 2026 for this purpose.
56. Ladakh administration decided on 13th July 2026 to constitute Autonomous Hill Development Councils for all seven districts of the Union Territory. The decision covers Leh, Kargil, Nubra, Changthang, Sham, Zanskar, and Drass, after the creation of five new districts in April 2026.
57. Uttarakhand opened its first Geographical Indications (GI) Products Gallery at the Uttarakhand Forest Training Academy in Haldwani on 13th July 2026. The gallery displays more than 30 GI-tagged products from the state, including agricultural produce, handicrafts, and cultural items.
58. India launched its official campaign on 13th July 2026 for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2028-29 term. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar unveiled the campaign and India’s SHANTI vision at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
59. The All India Water Secretaries’ Conference was held in New Delhi on 13th and 14th July 2026 under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The conference brought together around 200 senior officials, including Secretaries from States and Union Territories, for discussions on water governance and resource management.
60. The Department of Health Research under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare unveiled the Draft National Health Research Policy 2026 on 13th – 15th July 2026. The draft is India’s first comprehensive national framework for health research across biomedical science, clinical medicine, public health, epidemiology, digital health, and artificial intelligence.
61. On 14th July 2026, the Odisha Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved a proposal to enact a new agricultural marketing law in the state. The proposed legislation seeks to repeal the Odisha Agricultural Produce Markets (OAPM) Act, 1956, which has been in force since 1957.
62. The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs approved a Rs. 26 crore incentive for the Nashik Municipal Corporation on 14th July 2026. The incentive was linked to the corporation’s Rs. 200 crore public issue of the Clean Godavari Bond, which was listed on the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai on 2nd December 2025.
63. The Indian Grey Hornbill, also known as Chilotro, has been reintroduced into the Gir forests of Gujarat after an absence of more than six decades. A scientific study in the peer-reviewed journal Birds records that the reintroduced birds are surviving and breeding in the wild.
64. Manohari Gold Tea is a rare speciality tea from the Manohari Tea Estate in Assam. It is made from tender tea buds of the P126 tea clone and is processed through hand-plucking, hand-rolling, and natural sun-drying during the second flush season in June.
65. The Election Commission of India approved a one-time honorarium of Rs. 6,000 for Booth Level Officers and Booth Level Supervisors engaged in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls on 14th July 2026. The payment is in addition to annual remuneration and applies to personnel involved in the door-to-door enumeration exercise across 22 states and Union Territories.
66. The 31st Divya Kala Mela was inaugurated on 14th July 2026 at Ravindra Sadan in Kolkata. Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar inaugurated the eight-day event, which will continue till 22nd July 2026.
67. The Pichavaram mangrove forest in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, has been assessed for ecosystem services at Rs. 2,485.38 crore, or about US$289 million. The valuation placed the total economic value at Rs. 1.83 crore per hectare and included carbon storage, fisheries support, tourism, coastal protection, biodiversity conservation, and local livelihoods.
68. The Madhya Pradesh archaeology department collected a set of historical documents in July 2026 that includes a rare record of the 1857 mutiny against British rule. The collection also contains a document linked to rebel leader Tatya Tope and an original portrait of the Queen of Jhansi, commissioned in 1853.
69. Indian Railways announced eight structural freight reforms under the “Reform Express” initiative on 14th July 2026. The reforms raised the total number of implemented measures to 17 out of a target of 52 reforms in 52 weeks.
70. The Supreme Court of India directed the Union Government to constitute a committee within two weeks to frame uniform guidelines on post-retirement facilities for former Chief Justices and judges of High Courts. The direction was issued in a matter concerning security and other post-retirement benefits for retired High Court judges across Indian states.
71. The BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting was held in Hyderabad, India, on 15th July 2026 under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026. Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya chaired the ministerial session with labour ministers and delegates from all BRICS member states.
72. Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) commenced scheduled international operations on 15th July 2026. Air India Express launched the first international service from NMIA with a direct flight to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
73. Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Limited (ASHVINI) is set to invite bids for a Rs. 28,000 crore Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) tender for the Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project in Banswara district, Rajasthan. The package is named the Nuclear Island Mega EPC Package (NIMEP) and covers four 700 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor units with a combined capacity of 2,800 MWe.
74. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) disconnected over five crore fake mobile connections in a two-year period up to July 2026. The action formed part of telecom fraud control measures linked to cybercrime prevention, recovery of lost or stolen phones, and verification of mobile subscriber records.
75. Jharkhand received Geographical Indication tags for four traditional products in June 2026: Bhagaiya Silk, Kuchai Silk, Munda Jewellery, and Jharkhand Bamboo Craft. A Geographical Indication tag is a form of intellectual property protection used for goods that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities, reputation, or characteristics linked to that place.
76. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved two highway projects for Varanasi on 15th July 2026. The projects involve an investment of over Rs. 25,400 crore and form part of the Varanasi Decongestion Plan. The works are designed to improve road connectivity between major highways, the Varanasi Ring Road, railway access points, and key religious sites in the city.
77. President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated Saushrutam 2026 on 15th July 2026 at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi. The three-day international seminar on Ayurvedic surgery was organised by the Ministry of Ayush on Sushruta Jayanti and included a pre-conference workshop on 14 July 2026.
78. Project INROAD, or Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development, is a plantation expansion initiative for natural rubber in North-East India and West Bengal. By 15th – 16th July 2026, the project had created 1.8 lakh hectares of new rubber plantations against a target of 2 lakh hectares across 113 districts.
79. The Central Government has planned a network of 44 airports under the Hub-and-Spoke model, with 4 hub airports and 40 spoke airports. The model is designed to connect Tier-II and Tier-III cities with international destinations through major hub airports in India.
80. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has tested drone-assisted transport of tuberculosis sputum samples under its i-DRONE initiative in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana. The programme used a hub-and-spoke model to move samples from nearby health facilities to diagnostic centres and reduced the median turnaround time for TB diagnosis from 15 days to 5 days in a study involving 840 participants.
81. NITI Aayog released a roadmap on 16th July 2026 titled Roadmap for Building India as a Leading BioEconomy Powerhouse by 2035. The roadmap proposes a Rs. 50,000 crore BioEconomy Growth Fund for the 2026-2035 period and sets targets for India’s biotechnology sector, bioeconomy expansion, and industrial scale-up.
82. Goa’s bird checklist reached 502 species in its eighth edition on 16th July 2026. The updated list was published as a scientifically peer-reviewed paper in the Indian BIRDS Journal and added five new species to the state record.
83. Ethanol ATMs are proposed dispensing kiosks in India for selling ethanol in canisters for cooking use. The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is preparing a policy for wider use of ethanol as a mainstream cooking fuel, with a target timeline around September 2026.
84. The Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway is a 667 km access-controlled highway corridor under development by the National Highway Authority of India under the Bharatmala Pariyojana. On 17th July 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Packages 1 to 5, covering 157.92 km in Jind, Haryana, and Package 6, covering 30.9 km in Jalandhar, Punjab.
85. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched multiple development projects in Chandigarh on 17th July 2026 across healthcare, education, and road infrastructure. The package included hospital facilities at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and highway works linked to the Tricity Ring Road network.
86. India’s first immersive language museum, named Shabdalok or Museum of Word, was inaugurated on 19th July 2026 at the National Library campus in Kolkata. The museum functions under the Union Ministry of Culture and is housed in Belvedere House.
87. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued 1,331 commercial pilot licences (CPLs) in India up to 30th June 2026. The data was placed before the Rajya Sabha on 20th July 2026 by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol.
88. India has approved its first utility-scale 100 MWh Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Energy Storage System (VRFB BESS) for deployment at Khavda Solar Park in Gujarat. NTPC Renewable Energy Limited awarded the contract for the project on 20th – 21st July 2026, and the system is scheduled for deployment in 2027 with 10 years of operations and maintenance services.
89. The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 20th July 2026 during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The Bill seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 and raise the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India, which would make the total strength 38 including the Chief Justice of India.
90. The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 is scheduled for introduction in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon Session beginning on 20th July 2026. The proposed amendment seeks to extend statutory protection to Vande Mataram under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
91. The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) has unearthed more than 1,000 artefacts from the Noyyal river bed at Vellalore in Coimbatore. The finds date to the early historical and historical periods, with some artefacts placed between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD.
92. The 46th Raising Day of the 21st Bihar Battalion was observed on 20th July 2026 at the Bihar Regiment Centre in Danapur cantonment. The battalion was raised on 20th July 1981 by Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Mansoor Malik and has served in several operational deployments in India.
93. The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference organised protests in New Delhi and at district headquarters across Jammu and Kashmir on 20th July 2026, demanding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The Delhi protest began from Prithviraj Road after permission was denied for a gathering at Jantar Mantar.
94. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is developing a digital aviation incident reporting platform for electronic submission and processing of mandatory occurrence reports. The platform will be integrated with the eGCA portal, which stands for e-Governance of Civil Aviation, and it will be used in India’s civil aviation regulatory system.
95. Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang presented the State Budget for 2026-27 in the Legislative Assembly on 20th July 2026. The budget size is Rs. 19,215 crore, with a net expenditure of Rs. 18,455 crore after recoveries.
96. The National Payments Corporation of India is developing an offline Unified Payments Interface feature for tap-to-pay transactions at merchant point-of-sale terminals. The system is designed to work when both the customer’s mobile device and the merchant’s terminal do not have an active internet connection.
97. The first direct commercial freight train from Kolkata Port reached the Nepal Customs Yard in Biratnagar, eastern Nepal, on 20th July 2026. The train carried 40 forty-foot containers of canola grain and was operated by the Container Corporation of India Limited.
98. The Udmaroo Bridge over the Shayok River was inaugurated in the Nubra district of Ladakh on 21st July 2026. The bridge was built at a cost of Rs. 27.18 crore under the Union Territory Administration’s Special Development Package and is designed to improve road connectivity in a remote border region.
99. India launched a nationwide Campus Biodiversity Register initiative for higher educational institutions on 21st – 22nd July 2026. The exercise is being implemented by the Nature Conservation Foundation, a Mysuru-based wildlife research and conservation organisation, and the National Biodiversity Authority under India’s biodiversity documentation framework.
100. Indian Railways reached 99.6% electrification of its broad gauge network as of 22nd July 2026. This level placed it as the world’s second-most electrified large railway system, after Switzerland, which has 100% electrification.
101. Raghu Vamsi Aerospace Group announced on 22nd July 2026 a ₹600 crore integrated superalloy manufacturing facility in Telangana. The project is planned as one of India’s few integrated plants for nickel-based superalloys and is linked to aerospace and defence manufacturing.
102. On 22nd July 2026, the Centre appointed Anurag Jain as the Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog for a period of two years. Jain is a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, and the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment.
103. President Droupadi Murmu and North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova jointly unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the Museum of the City of Skopje on 22nd July 2026. The event took place during President Murmu’s two-day state visit to North Macedonia, which began on 21st July 2026 and marked the first visit by an Indian head of state to the country.
104. Killai in Cuddalore district became Tamil Nadu’s first fully operational Climate Resilient Village on 22nd July 2026. The project was implemented under the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission of the Department of Environment and Climate Change and used ecosystem restoration, renewable energy, and community-led climate action.
105. Jharkhand Film Development Corporation Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute on 22nd July 2026 to establish the Jharkhand Film and Television Institute in Ranchi. The institute will function as Jharkhand’s first dedicated film and television training centre and will begin operations from Suchna Bhawan in Ranchi.
106. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs ordered GitHub to remove the Bluetooth-based chat application Bitchat on 23rd July 2026. The order was made public on 24th July 2026 by Jack Dorsey, the developer of Bitchat and former Chief Executive Officer of Twitter.
107. An Electric Boat Conversion Pilot Project was launched on 23rd July 2026 on the Ganga River in Varanasi. The project involves the conversion of traditional passenger boats into electric boats for operation between ghats on the river.
108. The Ministry of Coal released AAROH: Annual Report on Mine Closure in New Delhi on 23rd July 2026. The report is India’s first comprehensive documentation on scientific mine closure and repurposing practices and covers 42 scientifically closed coal mines across the country.
109. The International Type 1 Diabetes Summit 2026 will be held in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, from 30th July to 1st August 2026. The summit was unveiled at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi on 23rd July 2026 and is being organised through a collaboration involving The Friends of Mewar, Breakthrough T1D, and the William J. Clinton Foundation.
110. Naresh Pal Gangwar, a 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Rajasthan cadre, was appointed Secretary of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education on 23rd July 2026. He replaced Vineet Joshi, who was transferred as Secretary in the Department of Panchayati Raj. The appointment formed part of a 13-secretary-level reshuffle approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
111. The Supreme Court of India on 23rd July 2026 stated that it is prima facie unacceptable for bureaucrats to decide land compensation disputes under the National Highways Act, 1956. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana urged the Union government to amend the law so that judicially trained adjudicators handle such disputes.
112. The Union Cabinet approved a new anti-paper leak bill on 24th July 2026. The bill is scheduled for introduction in Parliament on Monday, during the second week of the Monsoon session. The proposed law is linked to measures against paper leaks in public examinations, including cases related to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test.
113. On 24th July 2026, the Government of India barred communication infrastructure providers from sharing telecommunication data outside India. The Department of Telecommunications issued a notification dated 20th July 2026 and created an authorisation framework for telecom-related data storage and access within India.
114. The Union Cabinet approved the Ballari-Guntakal rail multitracking project on 24th July 2026. The project covers the construction of third and fourth railway lines on the Ballari-Guntakal section across Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,264 crore.
115. The Supreme Court of India issued an interim order on 24th July 2026 that prohibits the posting, reposting, uploading, sharing, editing, modification, dissemination, or monetisation of audio-video recordings of court proceedings on social media and other digital platforms without prior permission. The order applies to recordings of judicial proceedings and covers clips extracted from live-streamed hearings.
116. The Weaves of India Festival is being held from 24th July to 7th August 2026 in New Delhi. The festival is organised by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms) under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, at the Central Cottage Industries Emporium on Janpath.
117. Indian Railways launched an AI-based stain detection pilot project on 24th July 2026 at mechanised laundries to inspect washed linen. The pilot is being implemented in the Pune Division of Central Railway and the Jaipur and Jodhpur divisions of North Western Railway.
118. India has 386 operational private FM radio channels as of 24th July 2026. The Private FM Radio Policy requires each broadcaster to ensure that at least 20% of daily broadcast content is in the local language of the city.
119. Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on 25th July 2026 amid nationwide student protests linked to alleged irregularities in competitive examinations. The resignation followed protests over the alleged paper leak in NEET-UG 2026 and demands for action on examination-related misconduct.
120. Sarnath, an ancient Buddhist site in Uttar Pradesh, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 25th July 2026 during the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea. The inscription makes Sarnath India’s 45th World Heritage Site and Uttar Pradesh’s fourth World Heritage Site.
121. Pralhad Joshi was appointed Union Education Minister on 25th July 2026 after the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan from the Union Council of Ministers. He took charge of the Ministry of Education at Kartavya Bhavan on 26th July 2026 and continued to hold the portfolios of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy.
122. The AI Holobox of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was inaugurated at the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya in New Delhi on 26th July 2026. The installation uses a hyper-realistic 3D avatar and interactive dialogue features to present factual material on Vajpayee’s life, public career, and political legacy.
123. Three chicks of the Great Indian Bustard were released on 26th July 2026 into a specially designed rewilding tunnel at the Godawan Conservation Centre in Ramdevra, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The birds, identified as R9, R10 and R11, are one month old and include two males and one female.
124. Former Uttarakhand minister Hira Singh Bisht died on 26th July 2026 at the age of 85 in Dehradun. He died of cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment in a hospital. Bisht was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and served as a three-term Member of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly from Doiwala and Rajpur constituencies.
125. A new freshwater shrimp species, Caridina sharmai, was discovered in the Gomti River in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on 27th July 2026. The species belongs to the atyid shrimp group and was recorded from the upper reaches of the Gomti River, a tributary of the Ganges.
126. CRPF Raising Day 2026 was observed on 27th July 2026 to mark the 88th anniversary of the Central Reserve Police Force. The force was established on 27th July 1939 as the Crown Representative’s Police and later became the Central Reserve Police Force under the Central Reserve Police Force Act, 1949.
127. Madurai in Tamil Nadu marked the 107th birthday of a banyan tree in the Meenakshipuram area on 27th July 2026. The tree stands near the Sellur-Kulamangalam road, close to the Sellur tank, and is treated as the last surviving centenarian tree in its immediate locality.
128. The Malvi camel, also called the white camel, is one of nine recognised camel breeds in India and has been classified as endangered after a sharp population decline recorded in the 2019 livestock census. As of 27th July 2026, only 102 animals remained, and scientists classify camel breeds with fewer than 300 breeding females as at risk.
129. A new polypore fungus species, Microporellus kolhapurensis, was discovered in Bhudargad taluka of Kolhapur district on 27th July 2026. The species was found on rotting wood in the Bediv area on the Ajra border of Bhudargad taluka and was named after Kolhapur.
130. The Union Environment Ministry reissued the seventh draft notification for an Ecologically Sensitive Area across the Western Ghats on 27th July 2026. The proposed Ecologically Sensitive Area covers 56,825.7 sq. km across six states: Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Gujarat.
131. Indian Railways sanctioned a Rs. 163 crore project on 28th July 2026 for the upgradation of the electric traction system on the Parbhani-Mudkhed double line section. The section falls under the Nanded Division of the South Central Railway and covers 164 track kilometres.
132. World Nature Conservation Day is observed annually on 28th July across the world. The National Zoological Park in Delhi marked the day on 28th July 2026 with awareness activities, a plastic removal drive, and visitor outreach on conservation themes.
133. The Maharashtra Cabinet approved new courts on 28th July 2026 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The package also included two additional courts in Karjat and Kurduwadi.
134. Rajasthan’s tiger population reached 149 across five tiger reserves as of 28th July 2026, up from 135 in 2025. The state’s tiger population includes adults and cubs, and the figures were released ahead of International Tiger Day, which is observed on 29th July.
135. The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 29th July 2026 by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai. The Bill seeks to amend the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 and to regulate delayed registration of births and deaths through stricter procedural requirements.
136. Assam passed the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on 29th July 2026. The Bill regulates land ownership and land transactions within a protected zone of up to 5 km around heritage and religious institutions that are at least 250 years old.
137. The Lok Sabha passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, by voice vote on 29th July 2026. The Bill amends the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which applies to public examinations conducted by bodies such as the Union Public Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission, Railway Recruitment Boards, Institute of Banking Personnel Selection, and National Testing Agency.
138. The Rajya Sabha passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, on 29th July 2026. The Bill amends the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and extends legal protection to the national song, Vande Mataram, alongside the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
139. The Lok Sabha granted an extension on 29th July 2026 to the 41-member Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the One Nation, One Election proposal. The committee is examining the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, which relates to simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, and local bodies.
140. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) suspended the nutraceutical licence of Dior Pharmaceuticals on 30th July 2026. The suspension order followed findings of serious violations and deficient good manufacturing practices at the company’s nutraceutical plant in Punjab.
141. India moved from 82nd to 57th place in a global ranking on reducing anti-competitive market distortions. The ranking was published on 30th July 2026 in a report titled India’s Next Growth Frontier: Reducing Anti-Competitive Market Distortions to Build on India’s 2010–2023 Reform Progress.
142. On 30th July 2026, the Ladakh administration declared 23 heritage sites across the Union Territory as Protected Monuments under the Jammu and Kashmir Ancient Monuments Preservation Act. The list includes petroglyph clusters, rock carvings, ancient caves, monasteries, forts, palaces, and inscriptions from different parts of Ladakh.
Monthly Current Affairs July 2026
International
1. Mount Erebus is an active volcano on Ross Island in East Antarctica, about 1,350 kilometres from the South Pole. It is the southernmost active volcano on Earth and has been continuously erupting since 1972. The volcano releases microscopic crystals of elemental gold into the atmosphere, and the crystals can travel up to 1,000 kilometres from the volcano.
2. GJ 3378b is an exoplanet orbiting the red dwarf star Gliese 3378, which lies about 25 light-years from the Solar System in the northern constellation Camelopardalis. The planet was first identified in 2024 and later re-analysed by astronomers at the University of California, Irvine, with revised measurements published on 1st July 2026.
3. China’s mega hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet has been linked to the active Paizhen Fault, which lies directly beneath the dam site in Medog County. The project is also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo downstream hydropower station and the Medog Hydropower Station, and construction formally began in July 2025.
4. India and Japan expanded their strategic partnership at the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit in New Delhi on 2nd – 3rd July 2026. The two sides signed agreements on artificial intelligence, defence co-development, and economic security cooperation.
5. I-2SEA is a new submarine cable system unveiled on 2nd July 2026 for connectivity between Singapore, India and Malaysia. The consortium includes Lightstorm, Microsoft, Singtel and Tata Communications, and the system supplier is NEC Corporation. Submarine cables are fibre-optic communication lines laid on the seabed for international data transmission.
6. Pakistan faced a UNESCO warning on 2nd July 2026 over restoration work at two sites in the Taxila World Heritage complex, Mohra Moradu and Sirkap. UNESCO asked Pakistan to reverse the reported reconstructions and sought documentation on the conservation work at the ancient Buddhist and urban archaeological sites.
7. On 2nd July 2026, the World Health Organization added the first molecular diagnostic test for Bundibugyo virus to its Emergency Use Listing. The test detects viral genetic material in blood samples and is designed for laboratory confirmation of infection.
8. China suspended Japan-bound exports of several critical minerals, including rare earths and rare metals, from January 2026. The restrictions covered materials used in defence, automotive, electronics, and aerospace supply chains, and they followed diplomatic tensions linked to remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November 2025 on a possible Taiwan contingency.
9. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada reduced the Super Visa processing time for Indian applicants to 50 days as of 3rd July 2026. The earlier processing time was 66 days, and the reduction was 16 days. The 50-day timeline remained within the service standard of 112 days for Super Visa applications.
10. An Indian delegation visited Kyrgyzstan from 4th July to 7th July 2026 for the inauguration of the International Centre for Civilizational Studies “Manas and Mahabharata” in Bishkek. The centre was established through cooperation between the Manas National Academy in Kyrgyzstan and the Centre for Studies of International Relations (CSIR) in New Delhi.
11. On 4th July 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs designated 23 Pakistan-based operatives linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The designation was made under Section 35 of the Act, which allows the Central Government to add names to the Fourth Schedule of the UAPA.
12. OPEC+ agreed on 5th July 2026 to raise its collective oil production ceiling by 1,88,000 barrels per day for August. The decision was taken by seven core members of the alliance during an online ministerial meeting. OPEC+ is a grouping of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allied producers that coordinates oil output policy. The seven core members involved in the August decision were Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman.
13. India, through the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), is involved in heritage conservation projects at several ancient temple and monastery sites in Southeast Asia. These sites include Hindu, Buddhist, and mixed religious monuments in Laos, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
14. India is participating in the inaugural United Nations Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva, Switzerland, on 6th – 7th July 2026. The Indian delegation is led by Minister of State for External Affairs and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh. The dialogue is the first universal, multi-stakeholder forum on AI governance under the United Nations system.
15. China conducted a submarine-launched ballistic missile test in the South Pacific on Monday, 6th July 2026. The missile carried a dummy warhead and was launched at 12:01 p.m. local time, or 0401 GMT, from one of China’s nuclear-powered submarines.
16. On 6th July 2026, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission recognised 9,909 previously uncommemorated British Indian Army servicemen from World War I. The revision is the largest change to the CWGC casualty database in more than 80 years.
17. Thailand’s Fine Arts Department announced the discovery of two Indian gold rings, each about 2,000 years old, at the Don Yai Thong archaeological site in Phetchaburi province in western Thailand. One ring carries an inscription in ancient Brahmi script, and the other ring is plain.
18. The 49th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC49) was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 6th July to 10th July 2026. India led the adoption of seven Codex standards and guidelines at the session, and the Indian delegation was headed by Rajit Punhani, Chief Executive Officer of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
19. The 23rd National-Level Border Coordination Meeting between India and Myanmar was held on 7th – 8th July 2026 in New Delhi. The Indian delegation was led by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, and the Myanmar delegation was led by Major General Min Thu, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs.
20. Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas leader born in 1960 in the Gaza Strip, has been elected head of the group’s political bureau after the death of Yahya Sinwar. He has been part of Hamas since its formation in 1987 and has served as one of its most prominent external political figures.
21. New Delhi was ranked 120th out of 173 cities in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index 2026, which was released on 8th July 2026. The city scored 48.1 in the 2026 index, and its scores varied across the five assessment categories used in the ranking.
22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Prambanan Temple complex in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on 8th July 2026 during a three-day state visit from 6th to 8th July 2026. He visited the site with President Prabowo Subianto and offered prayers at the Hindu temple dedicated to the Trimurti, namely Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Brahma.
23. The Handloom Hackathon 2026, titled “Weaving Innovation”, was launched on 8th July 2026 by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms) under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. The national innovation challenge is linked to the National Handloom Day 2026 celebrations and focuses on technology, design, entrepreneurship, and sustainable solutions for the handloom sector.
24. India and Australia finalised an administrative arrangement on 9th July 2026 to operationalise the 2015 Australia-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement. The arrangement allows Australia to export uranium to India for civilian nuclear energy programmes.
25. India, Australia and Canada launched the Australia–Canada–India Technology and Innovation Partnership, or ACITI, on 9th July 2026. The trilateral framework covers artificial intelligence, green energy technologies, critical minerals, and resilient supply chains.
26. Australia announced the repatriation of three antiquities linked to temples in Tamil Nadu on 9th and 10th July 2026. The objects include a Chola-era bronze trident of Goddess Bhadrakali from the 11th century, a granite Nandi idol from the 11th – 12th century, and a basalt sculpture of the six-headed Karthikeya from the 12th century.
27. India and Panama held bilateral discussions in July 2026 on trade, investment, logistics, maritime cooperation, and digital connectivity. The talks involved Union Minister for Commerce Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, and Panama’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Javier Eduardo Martinez-Acha Vasquez.
28. On 13th July 2026, nine European countries and Ukraine formed an Integrated Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition in Paris, France. The founding members are Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. The coalition has been set up to develop anti-ballistic capabilities and a shared missile defence architecture for Europe.
29. India declared one-day national mourning on 13th July 2026 for Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the former Emir of Qatar and the Father Amir of the State of Qatar. The National Flag was flown at half-mast on all buildings where it is regularly displayed, and no official entertainment was held in India on the day of mourning.
30. Ladakh is scheduled to send its first fresh apricot export consignment to the United Arab Emirates on 14th July 2026. The shipment is part of a 1,000 metric tonne apricot export initiative linked to a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ladakh administration and Lulu Retail.
31. Iran is expected to receive a first shipment of Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers within weeks in July 2026. The reported deal covers 300 to 400 man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), including QW-12 and FN-16 missiles, and is valued at about US60 million to US70 million.
32. India and the European Union held the third Trade and Technology Council meeting in Brussels from 14th to 16th July 2026. The two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, clean technologies, high-performance computing, quantum technologies and 6G.
33. India announced the “Seafarer-First” emergency maritime safety plan on 15th July 2026 in New Delhi after attacks on the merchant vessels MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa in the Strait of Hormuz. The plan covers Indian seafarers operating in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman, and it includes operational tracking, family liaison, and emergency coordination measures.
34. The Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) welcomed the India-UK trade agreement that came into effect on 15th July 2026. The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the United Kingdom and covers trade in goods, services, investment, and regulatory cooperation.
35. China established high-altitude drone testing and research facilities in Tibet in 2025 and 2026, including a testing base in Ngari and a Plateau Drone R&D Application Centre at Xizang University near Mount Everest. These facilities are located on the Tibetan Plateau, where low oxygen levels, cold temperatures, rugged terrain, and rapidly changing weather create conditions for unmanned aerial vehicle testing.
36. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Lipfendra, also called enlicitide, on 16th July 2026 for lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults. It is the first FDA-approved oral proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9, or PCSK9, inhibitor and is given as a once-daily 20-mg tablet.
37. The United Kingdom launched the Royal Air Force’s new collaborative combat aircraft programme, named Storm Fighter, on 16th July 2026. The programme seeks to develop autonomous loyal wingman drones for operations with crewed combat aircraft such as Typhoon, F-35 and the future Tempest fighter.
38. Bangladesh and the United States began the annual bilateral military exercise Tiger Lightning 2026 on 19th July 2026. The exercise involves more than 160 service members from both countries and runs for 13 days until 31st July 2026. The exercise began in 2017 and resumed after a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.
39. India and Spain agreed on 19th and 20th July 2026 to advance technical discussions on interoperability between the Unified Payments Interface and Bizum. The talks took place during Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to Spain in July 2026.
40. Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approved the draft Uniform Civil Code Bill on 19th July 2026 in a special meeting at Jagdishpur near Bhopal. The Bill is scheduled for introduction in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly during the Monsoon Session that began on 20th July 2026.
41. China conducted a live-fire naval exercise on 20th July 2026 inside an area that Japan claims as its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) near Okinotorishima, a remote Pacific island that Japan treats as its southernmost island. The drill took place about 180 kilometres southwest of Okinotorishima and involved a Chinese Luyang III-class missile destroyer firing live rounds, while a Russian frigate was also present in the area.
42. Andy Burnham became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on 20th July 2026 after accepting an invitation from King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. He succeeded Keir Starmer, who resigned after pressure linked to local election results. Burnham was declared leader of the governing Labour Party on 17th July 2026 after an uncontested leadership contest.
43. The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 20th July 2026 during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The Bill seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 and raise the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India, which would make the total strength 38 including the Chief Justice of India.
44. India became a party to the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies by depositing its Instrument of Acceptance on 20th July 2026. India became the 123rd WTO member to deposit the acceptance instrument for the agreement.
45. President Droupadi Murmu visited the Republic of Moldova on 20th July 2026 at the invitation of President Maia Sandu. The visit was the first state visit by an Indian President to Moldova since diplomatic relations between India and Moldova began in 1992. The two leaders held bilateral talks at the Presidential Palace in Chisinau and discussed cooperation in trade, technology, education, healthcare, agriculture, renewable energy, and clean energy.
46. On 21st July 2026, the United Kingdom appointed Kanishka Narayan as Minister for Artificial Intelligence. The post became the first AI Minister role to attend the Prime Minister’s Cabinet. Narayan is a Labour politician from Wales and has served as the Member of Parliament for the Vale of Glamorgan since 2024.
47. France’s parliament approved a law on 21st July 2026 that bans social media access for children under 15 years of age. France became the first European Union member state to adopt a nationwide restriction of this kind for social media use by minors.
48. On 21st July 2026, the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UAE Food Cluster to establish a food processing cluster in Andhra Pradesh. The agreement was signed in Amaravati in the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri.
49. The BRICS Network University (BRICS NU) is a multilateral university network of BRICS member countries that promotes academic mobility, joint research, and institutional cooperation. India hosted the International Governing Board meeting of BRICS NU virtually on 21st July 2026 during its BRICS Presidency 2026, and also convened a conference on Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems on 20th July 2026.
50. On 22nd July 2026, the United States approved a 30-year civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia. The agreement is a bilateral civil nuclear arrangement under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, which governs nuclear cooperation between the United States and foreign states.
51. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Safran Aircraft Engines signed a long-term agreement on 22nd July 2026 for the production and supply of turbine ring forgings in superalloys for the CFM LEAP engine programme. HAL will manufacture these components at its Ring Rolling facility in the Foundry and Forge Division in Bengaluru, India.
52. China launched the Gravity-1 carrier rocket on 22nd July 2026 and placed nine satellites into their designated orbits. The launch took place at 10:54 a.m. Beijing time from a maritime platform in the East China Sea, east of Shanghai. The rocket is described as the world’s most powerful solid-fuel rocket.
53. India delivered 4.5 tonnes of medical assistance to Kenya on 22nd July 2026 for Ebola preparedness and response to other infectious diseases. The first consignment was handed over at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi by Indian High Commissioner Adarsh Swaika to Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health, Aden Duale.
54. India hosted the 16th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting in Chandigarh from 22nd to 24th July 2026 under its BRICS Chairship 2026. The meeting brought together health ministers, senior officials, and technical experts from the 11-member BRICS grouping, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia.
55. Dr. Gunther von Hagens was a German anatomist, inventor of plastination, and creator of the Body Worlds exhibitions. He died on 24th July 2026 at the age of 81 in Heidelberg, Germany, after a cerebral haemorrhage on 23rd July 2026.
56. India concluded its Eighth Trade Policy Review at the World Trade Organization in Geneva on 24th July 2026. The review sessions were held on 21st July and 23rd July 2026, and the exercise covered India’s trade policies from 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2025.
57. India and Romania signed three agreements in Bucharest on 23rd July 2026 during the state visit of President Droupadi Murmu to Romania. The agreements cover science and technology, sports, and Indian studies, and they were concluded after delegation-level talks between President Droupadi Murmu and President Nicuşor Dan.
58. The European Commission fined Google €890 million on 23rd July 2026 for breaches of European Union online competition rules. The penalty was imposed under the European Union’s 2022 Digital Markets Act, which regulates large digital platforms designated as gatekeepers.
59. Wildfires in southwestern France and central Spain led to large-scale evacuations on 24th July 2026. More than 80,000 people left affected areas in both countries, and France and Spain sought assistance from the European Union.
60. The United States imposed new Section 301 tariffs on 60 countries on 24th July 2026 under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974. India was placed in the lower 10% additional tariff bracket instead of the initially proposed 12.5% rate, and the tariffs took effect on 25th July 2026.
61. A pyrocumulonimbus cloud, also called a fire cloud or pyroCb, formed over a wildfire near Saumos in the Gironde region of southwest France on 24th July 2026. The blaze began on 22 July 2026 and had burned more than 420 square kilometres of forests and scrubland by 27th July 2026.
62. UNESCO added Mount Olympus in Greece and the D-Day Landing Beaches in northern France to the World Heritage List on 26th July 2026. The decision was taken at the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea. Mount Olympus is Greece’s highest mountain and rises to 2,918 metres. The D-Day Landing Beaches in Normandy include Omaha, Utah, Sword, Gold and Juno beaches, along with Pointe du Hoc.
63. India became the world’s second-largest supplier of seafarers as of 28th July 2026, with 3,11,936 maritime professionals in the global workforce. India accounted for 12.16% of the world’s seafaring workforce and ranked behind the Philippines in the BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2026.
64. India and Nepal jointly inaugurated the restored Shree Gusthal Mahavihar and Agam of Prathamshree Mahavihar at Guita Tole in Patan, Lalitpur, on 28th July 2026. The project was funded by a Government of India grant of about NPR 12 crores and was executed by Nepal’s Central Level Project Implementation Unit under the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction.
65. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) charged Pavel Durov, the founder and owner of Telegram, with aiding terrorist activities under Article 205.1, Part 1.1 of the Russian Criminal Code on 29th July 2026. The FSB also placed him on an international wanted list.
66. Real-time digital transfers between Maldives and India began on 30th July 2026 through the Favara-UPI cross-border payment corridor. The service connects the Maldives’ instant payment system, Favara, with India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for person-to-person transfers credited instantly to UPI-enabled bank accounts in India.
67. Switzerland will host a global AI summit in Geneva on 21st – 22nd June 2027. The summit is linked to international discussions on artificial intelligence governance, trustworthy AI, and multilateral cooperation among governments, international organisations, scientists, businesses, and civil society.
Monthly Current Affairs July 2026
Defence
1. The Indian Army has decided to raise specialised units called Baaz Battalions for drone warfare. These units will operate under the Army Aviation Corps and will focus on long-range drones for surveillance and attack roles. Baaz Battalions are planned as dedicated formations for military drone operations.
2. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit assumed charge as the 51st Vice Chief of the Air Staff on 1st July 2026. He succeeded Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, who superannuated on 30th June 2026 after nearly four decades of service in the Indian Air Force.
3. The Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB) is a proposed multilateral financial institution for military, security, and supply chain projects across allied nations. It is planned to have its headquarters in Canada and a European hub in Luxembourg, with a target to raise up to £100 billion, or about $134 billion.
4. INS Sudarshini, the Indian Naval Sail Training Ship, arrived in New York Harbor on 4th July 2026 for the United States International Naval Review 250 and Sail4th 250 celebrations. The three-masted barque is berthed at Brooklyn and is part of a 10-month transoceanic expedition named Lokayan 2026.
5. The Department of Military Affairs, headed by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, is reviewing a proposal to raise the retention rate of Agniveers under the Agnipath scheme. The scheme was launched in June 2022 and allows 25% of Agniveer recruits to enter permanent service after a four-year tenure.
6. Adani Defence & Aerospace laid the foundation stone for a Rs. 2,500 crore missile manufacturing facility in Pali, Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh, on 5th July 2026. The project is planned as a private-sector missile ecosystem for medium and long-range missile systems.
7. India and Rwanda held the second Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting in New Delhi on 6th – 7th July 2026. The two countries agreed to expand cooperation in military training, military exercises, medical cooperation, and defence industries.
8. The Indian Navy received another MH-60R Seahawk helicopter in Kochi in July 2026, taking the number inducted to 21 out of 24 ordered from the United States. The remaining helicopters are expected to be delivered by the end of 2026 under the original procurement programme.
9. The Ugram is an indigenous 7.62×51mm assault rifle developed in India by the Armament Research and Development Establishment, a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, and Dvipa Defence India Private Limited. It cleared the Indian Army’s General Staff Qualitative Requirement trials and the Ministry of Home Affairs Board trials in July 2026.
10. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a flight test of the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR) on 8th July 2026 at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha. The rocket was tested for a user-defined minimum strike range of 60 km and completed all planned in-flight manoeuvres before hitting the designated target.
11. Military Station Zakhama conducted an Ex-Servicemen Outreach Programme on 9th July 2026 in Kohima district, Nagaland. The programme covered welfare issues of ex-servicemen, war widows, and dependents, and included sessions on the SPARSH pension system and veteran-related welfare measures.
12. INS Mahendragiri (F38) is the sixth indigenous stealth frigate of the Indian Navy and is scheduled for commissioning on 11th July 2026 at Visakhapatnam. The warship will join the Eastern Fleet under the Eastern Naval Command after delivery to the Navy on 30th April 2026.
13. INS Malvan is the second vessel of the Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) built for the Indian Navy. The ship was designed and constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi and was delivered to the Navy on 31 March 2026.
14. INS Sudarshini, the Indian Naval Sail Training Ship, arrived in Boston on 12th July 2026 for the Grand Parade of Sails at Sail Boston 2026. The vessel joined an international fleet of more than 60 tall ships from over 20 nations and was open to visitors in Boston from 12th July to 15th July 2026.
15. Brigadier (Retired) Basant Kumar Ponwar, founder of the Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare College in Kanker, Chhattisgarh, died at the age of 77 in Mhow in Madhya Pradesh. He was a veteran of the 1971 India-Pakistan War and served in the Indian Army from December 1969 after commissioning into the 1st Battalion of the Maratha Light Infantry.
16. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the Border Roads Organisation Strategic Infrastructure Conclave in New Delhi on 16th July 2026. He stated that border infrastructure, including roads, tunnels, airfields and ports, will remain central to military operations in technology-driven warfare.
17. The Indian Air Force contingent reached Australia on 17th July 2026 for Exercise Pitch Black 2026. The deployment includes four Rafale fighter jets, two C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft, and more than 120 Air Warriors.
18. Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 is a multinational maritime security training engagement scheduled at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi from 20th to 23rd July 2026. The Indian Navy will conduct the four-day exercise with the Combined Maritime Forces under Combined Task Force 154, which functions as the CMF’s dedicated training task force.
19. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) signed two contracts on 22nd July 2026 for the Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Mk-II programme. The programme was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in July 2025 with an outlay of Rs. 19,000 crore and is linked to the Indian Air Force’s airborne surveillance capability.
20. India realised its first indigenous expendable turbojet engine in the 350 kg thrust class on 22nd July 2026. The engine was designed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment, a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, and manufactured and assembled by Azad Engineering of Hyderabad.
21. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the maiden flight test of the indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) Kusha on 23rd July 2026. The test took place from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha, and the missile intercepted an electronic target simulating a high-speed and high-altitude aerial threat.
22. Bhargavastra is an indigenous, vehicle-mounted, multi-layered Counter-Swarm Drone System developed by Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd. (SDAL) for the Indian Army. It was demonstrated in Nagpur on 24th July 2026 during a Make-II programme status review.
23. INS Sudarshini, an Indian Naval Ship and sail training ship, departed from Boston, United States, on 26th July 2026 for Ponta Delgada in the Azores, Portugal. The movement formed part of the transoceanic Lokayan 26 expedition, which began from Kochi on 20th January 2026.
24. On 28th July 2026, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh announced two policy reforms for the Indian Coast Guard at Kartavya Bhavan-2 in New Delhi. The reforms cover gender-neutral induction and service conditions for officers, and administrative procedures for ex-gratia support to families of personnel missing at sea while on duty.
25. Misir Besra, a senior member of the banned CPI (Maoist), was arrested on 29th July 2026 in the Maniadih area near the Dhanbad-Giridih border in Jharkhand. He was the last active Politburo and Central Committee member of the organisation and carried a reward of over Rs. 1 crore.
26. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated the Department of Military Medicine at Command Hospital (Central Command), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on 29th July 2026. It is India’s first dedicated academic and operational department exclusively focused on military medicine.
27. Cochin Shipyard Limited launched the seventh Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, INS Machilipatnam (BY 529), for the Indian Navy on 29th July 2026 in Kochi. The vessel belongs to the eight-ship Mahe-class ASW SWC project and is designed for coastal anti-submarine operations, low-intensity maritime operations, mine-laying, and subsurface surveillance.
28. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh felicitated nine women officers in New Delhi on 30th July 2026 for completing the first-ever Tri-service all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition named Samudra Pradakshina. The expedition was undertaken on the Indian Army Sailing Vessel Triveni and covered about 25,500 nautical miles across four oceans in 314 days.
29. General Dhiraj Seth, the Chief of the Army Staff, launched the indigenously developed Xtreme Weather Grade (XWG) Diesel in New Delhi on 31st July 2026. The fuel has been developed jointly by the Indian Army and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited for use in extreme climatic conditions.
Monthly Current Affairs July 2026
Business, Economy & Banking
1. The Reserve Bank of India appointed Ravi Shankar as Executive Director with effect from 1st July 2026. He previously served as Adviser-in-Charge of the Department of Statistics and Information Management at the RBI and will continue to oversee the same department in his new role.
2. ACME Green Molecules Business, part of India’s ACME Group, signed a binding long-term Purchase and Sale Agreement with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company on 3rd July 2026. The agreement covers the supply of 100,000 tonnes per annum of green methanol and has an estimated value of about USD 1 billion.
3. India has introduced an anti-abuse rule in its tax treaty framework with Sri Lanka. The rule allows tax authorities to deny treaty benefits when obtaining those benefits was one of the principal purposes of an arrangement or transaction.
4. India has emerged as the world’s largest hub for retail and fast-moving consumer goods Global Capability Centers, with 180 centres and more than 2,72,000 professionals as of 8th July 2026. The retail GCC workforce in India is 34% larger than the combined total in Poland, the Philippines, Mexico, Germany, and Egypt.
5. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched three household surveys on 9th July 2026 for use in monetary policy formulation. The surveys are the July 2026 round of the Inflation Expectations Survey of Households, the Rural Consumer Confidence Survey, and the Urban Consumer Confidence Survey.
6. The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved an $890 million financing package for India’s national rooftop solar programme on 9th and 10th July 2026. The package supports PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, a residential rooftop solar scheme for households in rural and urban India.
7. Kerala has set a target of 150 Global Capability Centres by 2031 under the strategic roadmap titled Kerala GCC Outlook 2026. The plan also projects the creation of about 2 lakh jobs in the state by 2031.
8. India issued a notification on 13th July 2026 through the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to prohibit the import of goods manufactured wholly or in part through forced labour. The measure was inserted into the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), 2023, through Paragraph 2.20B and became the first Indian import restriction linked specifically to forced labour.
9. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released India’s first trial Index of Services Production (ISP) for April 2026 on 14th July 2026. The trial index covers 19 formal services sub-sectors and uses 2024-25 as the base year. The Index of Services Production is a monthly indicator for measuring short-term changes in the output of the formal services sector.
10. Bharat Tex 2026 is a textile trade exhibition scheduled from 14th July to 17th July 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, also known as Pragati Maidan, and the India International Convention and Expo Center, also called Yashobhoomi, in New Delhi. The event is organised by the Bharat Tex Trade Federation with support from the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
11. India will host the 5th BIMSTEC National Security Advisers’ Meeting in New Delhi on 16th July 2026. BIMSTEC is the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, a regional grouping of seven member states in South and South-East Asia.
12. The Government of India has introduced the Index of Services Production (ISP). This new macroeconomic indicator tracks the performance of the services sector. It is the first high-frequency indicator dedicated to measuring the output volume of the formal services sector relative to a base year. Services constitute the largest share of India’s economy. The ISP aims to strengthen economic monitoring, improve national accounts estimation, and support data-driven policy choices.
13. Amul has begun work on an integrated dairy project in West Bengal that will include the world’s largest curd manufacturing facility. The project is located at Howrah Food Park in Sankrail, Howrah district, and the foundation stone was laid at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in New Town, Kolkata.
14. Nepal Rastra Bank has permitted Indian and Nepalese citizens to carry Indian currency notes of ₹200 and ₹500 denominations across the India-Nepal border. The permitted notes must have been issued on or after 9th November 2016, the date linked with India’s demonetisation exercise.
15. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the National Investment Policy for Urea-2026 (NIPU-2026) on 15th July 2026 to expand domestic manufacturing, scale up indigenous production, and phase out dependency on fertilizer imports. The policy, administered by the Department of Fertilizers, establishes a structured framework to attract fresh capital into gas-based greenfield and brownfield urea manufacturing units across the country.
16. Visakhapatnam Port, also known as Vizag Port, handled 50.87% of India’s total marine product exports in FY 2024-25. The port accounted for 48.89% of India’s marine product exports in FY 2025-26, after a share of 29.67% in FY 2023-24. India’s marine product exports reached Rs. 72,325.82 crore, or $8.28 billion, in FY 2025-26, with a volume of 1.93 million tonnes.
17. The Centre launched the eighth tranche of auctions for 20 critical and strategic mineral blocks in India on 15th July 2026. The blocks are spread across nine states: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana and West Bengal.
18. The Ministry of Heavy Industries invited global bids on 15th July 2026 for giga-scale Advanced Chemistry Cell battery manufacturing facilities with a cumulative capacity of 10 GWh in India. The capacity is reserved for Grid-Scale Stationary Storage applications under the National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage, which is a Production Linked Incentive scheme for domestic battery manufacturing.
19. India revised its windfall tax on petroleum product exports with effect from 16th July 2026. The Ministry of Finance issued the revised rates on 15th July 2026 under the fortnightly review mechanism for fuel export duties.
20. India has extended the anti-dumping duty on seamless tubes, pipes, and hollow profiles of iron, alloy, or non-alloy steel imported from China until 27th January 2027. The measure covers products under tariff heading 7304 with an outer diameter not exceeding 355.6 mm.
21. The Government of India released the draft Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) III norms on 16th July 2026. The draft applies to M1 category passenger vehicles manufactured or imported for sale in India during 2027-28 to 2031-32.
22. On 16th July 2026, the Centre for Trade and Investment Law at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry, launched a guidebook titled Going Global: A Practical Guide for Indian MSMEs in New Delhi. The guidebook is a practical resource for Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises that covers export opportunities, market access requirements, trade intelligence tools, international standards, and sustainability norms.
23. The Reserve Bank of India’s concessional forex swap facility had attracted over $20.7 billion, or about Rs. 2 lakh crore, in foreign exchange inflows by 17th July 2026. The facility was announced on 5th June 2026 and became operational on 8th June 2026 to support India’s balance of payments and encourage capital inflows.
24. The Electronics Development Fund (EDF) is a Fund of Funds set up by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to support venture capital funds that invest in electronics and information technology enterprises. As of 30th June 2026, the EDF had invested Rs. 257.77 crore in eight SEBI-registered venture capital funds, called Daughter Funds.
25. India and North Macedonia agreed to expand cooperation in trade, technology, tourism, talent and healthcare during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to North Macedonia on 21st – 22nd July 2026. The visit was the first bilateral visit by an Indian President to North Macedonia since diplomatic relations were established in 1995.
26. EnKash, an Indian business payments and spend management platform, launched India’s first meal card with Unified Payments Interface-based payments on 22nd July 2026. The card allows employees to pay from their meal card balance by scanning eligible UPI QR codes at food and grocery merchants across India.
27. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) released a consultation paper on 23rd July 2026 for a comprehensive review of the SEBI (Portfolio Managers) Regulations, 2020. The proposal covers Portfolio Management Services (PMS), mutual fund schemes, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), Specialised Investment Funds (SIFs), and investment limits for portfolio managers.
28. India’s first domestic benchmark-based natural gas futures contract will launch on 27th July 2026 on the National Stock Exchange. The contract has received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India and will trade under the ticker symbol NATGASIND.
29. The Government of India approved a proposal of the Reserve Bank of India to introduce one billion polymer banknotes each in the Rs. 10 and Rs. 20 denominations on 27th July 2026. The approval covers field trials, and regular issuance will begin only after successful trials. The proposal was placed under Section 25 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, after a recommendation from the RBI Central Board.
30. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) approved the acquisition of Magma General Insurance by Patanjali Ayurved and the DS Group on 28th July 2026. The transaction is valued at about Rs. 4,500 crore and involves the purchase of equity stakes from existing shareholders.
31. Assam exported its first international consignment of dairy products to Bhutan on 28th July 2026. The 5,627-litre consignment consisted of Purabi ice cream, which is produced in Assam and supplied to Bhutanese markets. Purabi ice cream is manufactured by the West Assam Milk Producers’ Cooperative Union Limited, also known as WAMUL.
32. The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 28th July 2026. The Bill seeks to amend the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 and contains provisions on delayed payments, dispute resolution, digital registration, and graded penalties for certain offences.
33. India exported 7 metric tonnes of value-added flavoured Makhana from Darbhanga in Bihar to Canada on 29th July 2026. The shipment moved through Mundra Port in two containers and was processed and packaged by Nutrivin Agro Private Limited for ZKV Foods in Canada.
34. Brookfield launched a renewable energy platform named Lumara in India on 30th July 2026. The platform will deploy about $600 million for solar, wind, and battery storage projects, and it will begin with an initial portfolio of more than 6 GW of capacity.
35. India launched its first sovereign-backed Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurance product under the Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool (BMIP) on 30th July 2026. The product was issued by The New India Assurance Company Limited and handed over to the Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. by the Department of Financial Services.
36. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated the first-ever air shipment of Neelam and Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka to the Maldives on 30th July 2026. The consignment weighed one metric tonne and was flagged off by Shri Abhishek Dev, IAS, Chairman of APEDA.
37. India and Bhutan signed a concessional Line of Credit (LoC) worth Rs. 4,000 crore, or Nu 40 billion, on 31st July 2026. The agreement was exchanged between the Export-Import Bank of India and Bhutan’s Ministry of Finance during the Fifth India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks in Thimphu.
38. The Central Government imposed stockholding limits on sugar dealers across India from 1st August to 30th November 2026. The order was issued to regulate sugar availability, control hoarding, and restrict speculative trading during a period of rising retail and ex-mill prices.
39. India and China are set to resume border trade through the Nathu La Pass in East Sikkim from 1st August 2026. The trade route remained suspended from 2020 for six years because of the COVID-19 pandemic and border tensions.
Monthly Current Affairs July 2026
Science & Technology
1. Agnikul Cosmos, an Indian private space transportation company, and ICEYE, a Finnish Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite company, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 30th June 2026 and 1st July 2026 to explore building, launching and operating SAR earth observation systems from India. The MoU was signed at Bharat Innovates in Nice, France.
2. The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is a NASA space telescope launched in 2004 for high-energy astrophysics observations. NASA is preparing a robotic servicing mission for Swift to prevent atmospheric re-entry and to raise its orbit from about 360 kilometres to about 600 kilometres.
3. Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs) are large solar eruptions that travel from the Sun to Earth and interact with the solar wind and the geomagnetic field. A long-term statistical study by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, examined ICME thermal behaviour at 1 Astronomical Unit (AU) using observations from 1995 to 2024 across Solar Cycles 23, 24 and the rising phase of 25.
4. Researchers used artificial intelligence to analyse more than a century of hand-drawn solar observations from the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory in Tamil Nadu. The study used digitised solar charts from 1904 to 2022 and created a long continuous record of solar magnetic activity.
5. GAGAN stands for GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation. It is India’s indigenous Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) developed jointly by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The system has been operational since 2015 and supports satellite navigation for aircraft operations in Indian airspace.
6. DeepSeek is a Chinese artificial intelligence startup based in Hangzhou. In July 2026, it was linked to the development of a custom AI chip designed for inference workloads and for reducing dependence on foreign semiconductor technology.
7. Physicists at the University of Innsbruck created a new exotic form of matter called a fractional Fermi sea on 3rd July 2026. The experiment used about 70,000 cesium atoms cooled to a few nanoKelvin and confined in one-dimensional tubes with repeated interaction cycles.
8. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) conducted the first ground test of the solid motor for the Sub-Orbital Launch Vehicle for Experiments (SOLVE) on 3rd July 2026 at the Static Test Facility, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. SOLVE is a compact test vehicle developed for integrated parachute tests for the deceleration system of the Gaganyaan Crew Module.
9. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) closed 58 engineering and technical colleges during the 2025-26 academic year through a progressive closure process. Under this process, existing students can complete their degrees, while no new first-year admissions are permitted in the affected institutions.
10. The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways plans to centralise the National Bridge Health Monitoring Software by involving the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing. The system is linked to the Bridge Health Monitoring System, which uses sensors for real-time monitoring of bridges on the national highway network.
11. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft performed a high-speed flyby of asteroid Torifune, also called 2001 CC21, on 5th July 2026. The spacecraft passed at about 800 metres from the asteroid’s centre and moved at around 5 kilometres per second relative to the asteroid.
12. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) conducted a flight acceptance hot test of the CE20 cryogenic engine on 6th July 2026 at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. The engine is meant for the upper stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle for its seventh operational mission, LVM3-M7.
13. The Indian Space Research Organisation conducted the Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test-05 (IMAT-05) for the Gaganyaan Mission on 7th July 2026. The test took place at the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment drop zone in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh, and involved a simulated main parachute assembly with a dummy mass.
14. CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) in Bengaluru completed the design phase of the Saras MkII on 8th July 2026. The Saras MkII is an indigenous 19-seater light transport aircraft developed for smaller airports and regional air connectivity in India.
15. Project SAMARTH, or the Silicon and Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Research and Training Hub, is being established at IIT Gandhinagar in Gujarat with a total budget of Rs. 190 crore. Work on the training facility began on 2nd March 2026, and the centre is linked to semiconductor manufacturing, research, and skill development.
16. The United Nations released its first scientific assessment of artificial intelligence in July 2026 under the title Preliminary Report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI. The panel has 40 members and is co-chaired by Turing Award laureate Yoshua Bengio and Nobel laureate Maria Ressa.
17. Scientists using artificial intelligence have identified structured communication patterns in sperm whales, including 156 distinct codas and repeated click sequences that function as a phonetic-like system. The research has been linked to Project CETI, a non-profit international initiative founded in 2020 with a base in Dominica.
18. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) identified thorium-bearing mineral deposits in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, on 9th July 2026. The deposits were mapped across about 700 acres in Koothanur and nearby villages, and 20 acres were marked as a core area for excavation and mining auction preparation.
19. S. Somanath, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, has joined Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos as an observer on its board of directors. He served as ISRO Chairman from January 2022 to January 2025 and worked in India’s space programme for nearly 40 years.
20. Two new solitary bee species, Elaphropoda triangulata and Habropoda adi, were identified in Arunachal Pradesh on 11th July 2026. The discovery was made by researchers from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru, during the Siang Expedition, and the findings were published in the European Journal of Taxonomy.
21. The Indian Council of Medical Research is establishing India’s first dedicated centre for high-altitude medicine and public health research in Himachal Pradesh. The ICMR Centre for High Altitude Medicine and Public Health Research will come up at Keylong in the Lahaul and Spiti district and will upgrade the existing ICMR field station into a multidisciplinary research hub.
22. Skyroot Aerospace has announced a launch window for Vikram-1 from 12th July to 4th August 2026. The mission, named Mission Aagaman, is planned from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre-SHAR in Sriharikota and involves India’s first privately built orbital rocket.
23. The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) organised ASPIRE-SHAKTI, titled “Celebrating Women in STEM & Initiating Project Review Sessions”, on 13th July 2026 at CSIR Headquarters, Anusandhan Bhawan, New Delhi. The event was held through the CSIR Human Resource Development Group (CSIR-HRDG), and Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) and Director General of CSIR, presided over the function.
24. Spain’s Submer Group announced a $2 billion investment in Madhya Pradesh’s semiconductor sector on 13th July 2026. The project includes a semiconductor facility and a 1-gigabyte data centre facility in the state, with nearly 5,000 direct jobs projected.
25. Hyderabad-based spacetech company Dhruva Space secured ₹60 crore from the Antariksh Venture Capital Fund on 13th July 2026. The company became the first recipient of investment from the fund, which is India’s sovereign space-tech fund with a corpus of Rs. 1,600 crore.
26. NASA astronaut Anil Menon is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on 14th July 2026. He will travel aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10:47 a.m. EDT.
27. Karnataka announced a plan to establish India’s first government-driven Artificial Intelligence University on 14th July 2026. The announcement was made in Bengaluru during the inauguration of Google I/O Connect India 2026, and the proposed institution is linked with an AI Hub for startups, researchers, and companies.
28. India has initiated the Airship-based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (AS-HAPS) programme for indigenous stratospheric airships designed for long-endurance surveillance missions. The programme has an estimated outlay of Rs. 15,000 crore and is linked to border monitoring, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and long-range communications.
29. Indian scientists developed a portable, self-powered and wearable ammonia sensing device on 14th July 2026. The device was developed at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bengaluru, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and it detects ammonia at concentrations as low as 319 parts per billion (ppb).
30. Agnikul Cosmos is preparing Mission 02, which is planned as India’s first private-sector attempt at orbital-class rocket reusability. The mission involves the Agnibaan rocket, a launch vehicle developed for small satellite missions, and a first-stage booster recovery attempt through controlled descent and ocean recovery.
31. The Department of Space issued an internal memorandum on 14th July 2026 to tighten rules for voluntary retirement and resignation of scientists associated with the Indian Space Research Organisation. The directive applies to Group A scientific and technical personnel up to the Scientist/Engineer-SG level and covers personnel linked with missions such as Gaganyaan.
32. Researchers have recorded multiple new damselfly species from the Western Ghats of Kerala between 2023 and 2026. The discoveries include Lestes paloti, Euphaea wayanadensis, Melanoneura agasthyamalaica, Protosticta armageddonia, and Protosticta sanguinithorax, along with other odonates from Silent Valley National Park.
33. A new monkey species, Colobus congoensis, has been identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The species is locally called “Likweli” and belongs to the colobus monkeys, a group of Old World monkeys found in Africa.
34. Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, a foodborne intestinal infection linked to contaminated fresh produce. As of 15th July 2026, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 1,645 domestically acquired cases across 34 states and is reviewing more than 5,100 additional cases for confirmation.
35. Scientists announced the discovery of Beta Pictoris d, a new exoplanet in the Beta Pictoris star system, on 15th July 2026. The planet was identified through observations made with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile.
36. LHS 1140b is a rocky exoplanet about 48 to 49 light-years away in the constellation Cetus. It has a mass of 5.6 Earth masses and a radius of 1.73 Earth radii. Researchers have detected helium escaping from its atmosphere, which places it among the few rocky, temperate exoplanets with observational evidence of an atmosphere in the habitable zone of its star.
37. The Pichhore orbicular granite near Kutawali village in Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh, has been dated to about 2.56 billion years. It is the second-oldest known orbicular rock in the world, after a similar formation in Western Australia.
38. India’s drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), approved Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide injection 2.4 mg) on 17th July 2026 for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in adults. The approval covers noncirrhotic MASH in adults with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis, along with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
39. OpenAI appointed Indian-origin technology executive Uday Ruddaraju as Chief Technology Officer, Compute, on 19th July 2026. He joined OpenAI in July 2025 as Head of Compute and Infrastructure and later moved to the CTO, Compute role after one year.
40. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is working on genome-editing of about 40 crop varieties across 34 research institutes in India. The initiative covers field crops and horticultural crops, including pulses, wheat, banana, tomato, cotton, soybean and rice.
41. The Omicron RF.5 sub-variant of SARS-CoV-2 was detected in Andhra Pradesh in mid-July 2026. Genome sequencing at the National Institute of Virology, Pune, confirmed the RF.5 sub-lineage in samples from Kadapa district. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19, and Omicron is one of its major variants first identified in 2021.
42. The Jacobian Conjecture, proposed in 1939 by German mathematician Eduard Ott-Heinrich Keller, is a long-standing problem in algebraic geometry and polynomial mappings. On 20th July 2026, mathematician Levent Alpöge, associated with Harvard University and Anthropic, announced that the AI model Claude Fable 5 helped disprove the conjecture by finding a counterexample.
43. India granted market authorisation to QDENGA (TAK-003) on 20th July 2026 through the Drug Controller General of India. QDENGA became India’s first approved dengue vaccine and is approved for people aged 4 to 60 years. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the dengue virus, which belongs to the genus Flavivirus.
44. Paninian India Private Ltd. unveiled the Yantur 4.5 kN turbofan engine programme in New Delhi on 20th July 2026. The programme is linked to indigenous propulsion technology for long-range autonomous systems, including combat drones and cruise missiles.
45. IIT Tirupati hosted the fifth meeting of the BRICS Working Group on Geospatial Technologies and its Applications at its Yerpedu campus from 20th to 22nd July 2026. The three-day event was organised under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and brought together delegates from BRICS and partner countries in hybrid mode.
46. The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur announced on 20th July 2026 that it will establish a Centre of Excellence on Green Hydrogen named the Centre of Excellence on Innovative and Integrated Ecosystem for Green Hydrogen, or ECOGEN. The proposal has been approved by the Uttar Pradesh government and sanctioned by the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency under the Uttar Pradesh Green Hydrogen Policy 2024.
47. Five new species of lichen-forming fungi from the genus Allographa have been identified in the Western Ghats of India. The discovery was made by scientists from the MACS Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, which functions as an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology.
48. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) transferred indigenous medical technologies for commercialisation through its Medical Innovations Patent Mitra initiative. On 21st July 2026, ICMR licensed three biomedical technologies to Indian pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturers, including Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Biological E Ltd.
49. India’s first AI-powered bird sanctuary has been announced for development at the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The project is named Bhandup Bird Park and has received administrative approval with an allocation of Rs. 45 crore from the District Planning Committee’s special fund.
50. The Museum of Innovation, Startup & Technology (MIST) is a planned museum in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and it is legally registered as the Karnataka Technology Innovation Museum Foundation (KTIMF). The project is being developed as a public-private partnership between the UnboxingBLR Foundation and the Karnataka Department of Electronics, Information Technology and Biotechnology (ITBT).
51. Indian researchers have developed multiple zinc-air battery technologies in 2024 and 2025, including low-cost electrolytes, catalysts, and mechanically rechargeable systems. Zinc-air batteries use zinc as the anode and oxygen from air as the cathode reactant, and they are studied as alternatives to lithium-ion batteries for stationary storage and electric vehicles.
52. Paras Semiconductors Private Limited, a subsidiary of Paras Defence and Space Technologies Limited, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the MP State Electronics Development Corporation on 22nd July 2026. The MoU covers a greenfield advanced integrated circuit packaging and Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test facility in the Indore-Ujjain region of Madhya Pradesh.
53. The Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition-led Let’s Fix Our Food Consortium released a policy document on 22nd July 2026 in New Delhi. The document is titled Priority Policy Actions to Promote Healthier Diets and Food Environments for Children and Adolescents in India and contains evidence-based recommendations for children and adolescents in India.
54. INSAT-3DR is an Indian meteorological satellite launched on 8th September 2016 aboard GSLV-F05. It operates in geostationary orbit and provides real-time data for weather forecasting, cyclone tracking, disaster management, and search and rescue services over India and adjoining regions.
55. The 2nd Bharat Green Hydrogen Summit 2026 was held on 23rd July 2026 in New Delhi. The summit was organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, and it focused on green hydrogen, hydrogen-based mobility, and export competitiveness in the energy sector.
56. The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) has made the Semiconductor Laboratory’s (SCL) indigenous 1.2-micrometre Process Design Kit (PDK) available through eChipHub. The PDK is linked to 1.2µm CMOS technology and is intended for integrated circuit design, prototyping, and semiconductor education in India.
57. India has set a target to develop and operationalise at least five indigenously designed Small Modular Reactors by 2033. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is designing three reactor types, including the 220-MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor, the 55-MWe Small Modular Reactor, and an up to 5-MWth High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor.
58. Private investment in India’s space sector crossed USD 618.5 million by 31st March 2026. The cumulative funding rose from USD 100.5 million in 2021-22 to USD 618.5 million by 31st March 2026, and USD 187 million was recorded in 2026 alone. The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, informed the Rajya Sabha about these figures on 23rd July 2026.
59. The ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) launched DeepDATA on 23rd July 2026 as a mobile application for deep-sea fish documentation. The app provides scientifically verified information on deep-sea fish species and allows users to upload field observations for a national digital repository.
60. Karnataka has planned a 200-acre Semiconductor Park at KWIN City near Bengaluru, with operationalisation targeted for December 2026. The park is part of the Knowledge, Wellbeing and Innovation City project and is designed for chip manufacturing, packaging, testing, and electronics production.
61. IIT Roorkee has advanced research on solid-state batteries through studies on lithium-ion transport in solid materials, technology transfer in rechargeable batteries, and collaboration on sustainable battery ecosystems. The work includes research on garnet solid electrolytes, commercial transfer of lithium-ion battery technologies, and a memorandum of understanding with WRI India on clean energy transition.
62. HCLTech announced on 24th July 2026 that it will establish its first AI Data Centre in Odisha with a planned capital outlay of Rs. 14,257 crore. The project will come up at the upcoming Odisha Sovereign AI Park and will involve HCLTech, Indian AI startup Sarvam, and the Government of Odisha.
63. SpaceX launched Starship from Starbase, Texas, on 24th July 2026 for Flight 13, its 13th test mission. The upper stage deployed 20 upgraded Starlink V3 satellites into suborbital space, and the mission included an in-space Raptor engine relight test.
64. NASA proposed the PRAXIS mission on 26th July 2026 for direct study of planetary ring particles. PRAXIS stands for Planetary Rings Autonomous EXploration with In-situ Sampling and is designed to collect and analyse real particles from Saturn’s rings.
65. India has set a target of connecting 100 crore people to 5G technology by 2030. The country launched 5G services on 1st October 2022 and has expanded the network across almost all districts in a short period.
66. India is set to use domestically produced semiconductors in space launch vehicles after an announcement by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on 27th July 2026. The development follows a meeting with Skyroot Aerospace after the Vikram-1 Test Flight-1 reached orbit, making it India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket.
67. Kerala has begun integrating ANNAM.AI smart weather stations under its 100-day action plan for climate-smart agriculture as of 28th July 2026. The stations use artificial intelligence to provide hyper-local weather and farm data for decision-making at the field level.
68. AstraZeneca India announced an Integrated Genomic Solutions Centre in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, on 28th July 2026. The centre is part of India’s first Integrated Precision Oncology programme and focuses on genetic research for cancer diagnosis and therapy.
69. GMR Aero Technic signed a licence agreement with Honeywell Aerospace on 28th July 2026 for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul services in Hyderabad, India. The agreement covers seven Honeywell Aerospace Line Replaceable Units installed on LEAP engines used in commercial aviation.
70. NLC India Ltd has announced a 900 MW solar power project through its wholly owned subsidiary, NLC India Renewables Ltd (NIRL). The project received a Letter of Intent from Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited for development in Gujarat under a tariff-based competitive bidding process.
71. SHetA2 is an oral small-molecule therapy linked to Human Papillomavirus-related cervical disease. On 29th July 2026, the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research validated the molecule for further development in India.
72. Rajasthan became the first state in India to execute an exploration licence for rare earth elements on 29th July 2026. The licence covers 207.63 square kilometres in the Navatala-Devigarh (Pachpadra) region of Balotra district and Shergarh tehsil of Jodhpur district.
73. India issued the Norms, Guidelines and Procedures for Authorisation for Undertaking Planned Re-entry of Space Objects on 23rd July 2026. The framework was made public on 29th – 30th July 2026 and applies to planned re-entry of space objects into Earth’s atmosphere by Indian and foreign operators.
74. The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), headquartered in Kolkata, completed the first comprehensive Catalogue of Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths) of India on 30th July 2026. The catalogue lists 13,703 species of butterflies and moths from India and covers 3,705 genera, 240 subfamilies, 102 families, and 31 superfamilies.
75. India’s first dedicated Telecom Manufacturing Zone (TMZ) will be established in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. The Department of Telecommunications and the Government of Madhya Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Phase I of the project on 30th July 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
76. Sarvam AI launched Epoch Builder Edition on 30th July 2026 as a developer and enterprise platform for building, fine-tuning, and deploying large language models for Indian languages and use cases. The platform includes 7-billion and 70-billion parameter multilingual models trained on 2 trillion tokens and supports more than 10 Indian languages, including Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Marathi, and Bengali.
77. The Ministry of Ayush and the IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 31st July 2026 to expand artificial intelligence use in the Ayush sector. The agreement covers research, digital health, capacity building, innovation, medicinal plants, and drug administration in traditional medicine systems.
78. IIT Madras will host the 3rd Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Symposium 2026 on 1st – 2nd August 2026 at the IIT Madras Research Park in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The event is being organised with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, and RISC-V International.
Monthly Current Affairs July 2026
Government Schemes
1. Delhi approved two heritage conservation schemes on 30th June 2026 for 75 monuments under the archaeology department of the Delhi government. The schemes apply to monuments protected under the Delhi Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 2004, and outside the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India.
2. Uttar Pradesh launched the second phase of the statewide School Chalo Abhiyan on 1st July 2026 from Saharanpur. The campaign will run across Uttar Pradesh from 1st July to 15th July 2026 for the 2026-27 academic session. The second phase of School Chalo Abhiyan aims at 100% school enrolment in Uttar Pradesh.
3. eSARAS is the official online marketplace of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) for products made by women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and their federations. The platform was launched on 28th October 2022 by Union Minister of State for Rural Development Faggan Singh Kulaste and was developed by the Digital India Corporation under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission.
4. Punjab launched the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste students for the 2026-27 academic session. The application process began on 1st July 2026 through the National Scholarship Portal, and eligible students can apply until 15th November 2026.
5. Delhi launched the ‘Delhi Next – Code, Create and Change’ programme on 2nd July 2026 as a civic-tech innovation initiative for government departments in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The programme plans to pilot 60 projects for urban problem-solving through technology-based solutions.
6. The National Narcotics Helpline MANAS, or Madak Padarth Nishedh Asoochna Kendra, was launched on 18th July 2024 by the Union government under the Narcotics Control Bureau in the Ministry of Home Affairs, with support from the Digital India Corporation. The platform provides a national channel for reporting drug trafficking, peddling, illegal cultivation, and substance abuse-related concerns.
7. Jai Prakash Narayan Sarvodaya Vidyalaya (JPNSV) schools are a network of free residential schools in Uttar Pradesh managed by the Uttar Pradesh Social Welfare Department. The scheme provides hostel accommodation, meals, uniforms, books, stationery, and residential schooling for eligible students from economically weaker and socially disadvantaged families.
8. Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh will get a full-fledged airport under the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagarik) scheme. The proposed airport is planned for Mandasa mandal in the Uddanam region, while Palasa has been earmarked for a domestic airport on 1,261 acres.
9. Jaisalmer Railway Station in Rajasthan has been redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, with the project completed in July 2026 at an estimated cost of around Rs. 140 crore. The station combines local architectural elements such as yellow sandstone and traditional Rajasthani designs with modern passenger facilities.
10. The Union Ministry of Rural Development released the first instalment of Rs. 25,863 crore for the rural employment programme under the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025. The release took place on 5th July 2026 through video conferencing from Bhopal, and the Act came into effect across rural India on 1st July 2026.
11. India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is developing a policy framework to introduce ethanol as a cooking fuel in households. The proposal is linked to India’s surplus ethanol output, LPG import dependence, and ongoing work on ethanol-based stoves and refill systems.
12. Andhra Pradesh introduced peanut millet jaggery chikki in government schools under the Dokka Seethamma Mid-Day Meal Scheme on 6th July 2026. The new snack replaces conventional peanut chikki and is prepared with peanuts, blended millets and jaggery syrup.
13. The Union Cabinet approved the Modified UDAN scheme for a ten-year period from FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36 with a total outlay of Rs. 28,840 crore. The scheme continues the UDAN, or Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik, framework for regional air connectivity in India.
14. The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved the Data Centre Policy, 2026, on 6th July 2026 in Lucknow. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The policy replaces the Data Centre Policy, 2021, which expired on 27th January 2026. Data centres are facilities that store, process, and distribute digital data through servers, storage systems, and network equipment.
15. Uttar Pradesh cabinet approved the Startup Policy 2026 on 6th July 2026. The policy provides seed funding support, incubator assistance, prototype grants, cloud service reimbursement, and special provisions for selected social groups and regions.
16. Four Indian states, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, signed an agreement in New Delhi on 7th July 2026 to settle a long-running payment dispute linked to the Narmada project. The pact covers cost-sharing issues for the Sardar Sarovar Project and the Indira Sagar Project, both associated with the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal Award.
17. On 7th July 2026, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched the Mission 70 Lakh Tree Plantation Campaign and the Delhi Ridge Rejuvenation Campaign in New Delhi. The plantation drive is part of the Green Action Plan 2026-27, and the Ridge plan covers scientific restoration of forest land in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
18. On 7th July 2026, the Karnataka government decided to recommend Hampi, Mysuru and Lakkundi to the Union Tourism Ministry for the Global Destination Development project. The proposal was finalised after a state-level consultation meeting held in Hampi on 6th – 7th July 2026.
19. The TribeX digital learning platform was launched on 7th July 2026 by Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram during the National Workshop on Strengthening Tribal Research Institutes in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The platform is designed to preserve, promote, and disseminate India’s tribal arts, languages, culture, and traditional knowledge through digital learning resources.
20. The Indian government approved the nationwide rollout of the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme on 7th July 2026. The approval was taken at the 4th National Steering Committee meeting chaired by Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
21. The National Highways Authority of India introduced a digital Local Pass facility on the RajmargYatra mobile application in July 2026. The facility allows residents living within a 20-kilometre radius of an eligible toll plaza to buy a monthly pass for unlimited travel through that toll plaza.
22. Uttarakhand was declared India’s sixth fully literate state on 8th July 2026. The declaration was made under the National Education Policy 2020 and the ULLAS programme, which stands for Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society.
23. Uttar Pradesh launched the Chief Minister Teacher Cashless Medical Scheme, also called Mukhyamantri Shikshak Cashless Chikitsa Yojana, in Varanasi on 8th July 2026. The scheme provides cashless medical treatment for teaching and non-teaching staff and their dependents in Uttar Pradesh.
24. On 9th July 2026, the Vice President of India, C. P. Radhakrishnan, launched the national programme for the issuance of Letters of Authorisation (LoAs) for Sustainable Harnessing of Fisheries in the High Seas in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He also launched the Odisha Deep Sea Fishing Mission Document (2026-2036), and the event was organised by the Department of Fisheries, Government of India.
25. Gujarat launched its first Data Centre Policy 2026-29 on 9th July 2026 in Gandhinagar. The policy targets investment of Rs. 6 lakh crore and a data centre capacity of 7.5 GW. It covers hyperscale data centres, cloud infrastructure, and AI-powered digital services.
26. Andhra Pradesh launched the latest phase of the Mee Bhoomi-Mee Hakku programme on 9th July 2026 in Banaganapalle in Nandyal district. The programme involves the distribution of digitally updated Pattadar Passbooks to farmers and landowners in villages where resurvey has been completed.
27. Gujarat has approved Rs. 14.90 crore for setting up de-addiction centres in all 34 district hospitals in the state for the 2026-27 financial year. The project is part of the state’s Drug-Free Gujarat campaign and covers inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment services.
28. The Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme is a Central Sector scheme launched in June 2020 under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. By 11th July 2026, the scheme had sanctioned loans to over two lakh micro food processing enterprises across India.
29. Bihar launched the Mukhyamantri Bihar Heli-Tourism and Air Tourism Service Scheme 2026 in Patna on 12th July 2026. The scheme is a joint initiative of the tourism department and the civil aviation department, and it provides subsidised helicopter and air tourism services to selected destinations in the state.
30. Rajasthan launched the Mukhyamantri Yuva Suyog platform in July 2026 from the Chief Minister’s official residence in Jaipur. The platform is linked with youth participation in sports, skill development, employment opportunities, and community engagement at the panchayat and ward levels.
31. Tamil Nadu launched the Nalam TN integrated digital platform in Chennai on 14th July 2026. The portal was introduced by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at Presidency College, Chennai, under the State Health and Family Welfare Department. The Nalam TN portal is a single digital interface for government healthcare services in Tamil Nadu.
32. Maharashtra expanded its Pink E-Rickshaw Scheme on 14th July 2026 by increasing the subsidy for women beneficiaries from 20% to 40% of the total vehicle cost. The State Cabinet approved the revision under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and the scheme now covers more districts across the State.
33. India’s social security coverage crossed 100 crore beneficiaries by July 2026, with official estimates placing coverage at more than 64% of the population in 2025. The expansion was linked to labour welfare, digital registration systems, and formal sector protection measures across multiple central schemes.
34. On 14th July 2026, the Delhi Cabinet approved the Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound and Ease of Delivery of Services) Bill, 2026. The Bill seeks to make time-bound delivery of public services a legal entitlement in Delhi and to replace the Delhi Right of Citizens to Time-Bound Delivery of Services Act, 2011.
35. The National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) is a Central Sector Scheme launched in July 2023 by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The scheme covers sewer and septic tank workers, Personal Protective Equipment kits, safety devices, and mechanised sanitation operations.
36. The Union Cabinet approved Semicon Mission 2.0 and the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme on 15th July 2026. Semicon Mission 2.0 has an outlay of Rs. 1.27 lakh crore, while the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme has a budgetary outlay of Rs. 62,500 crore.
37. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved two Ministry of Railways multi-tracking projects on 15th July 2026 for Odisha and Jharkhand. The projects cover the doubling of the Paradeep–Haridaspur railway line and the construction of a fourth line on the Rajkharsawan–Dangoaposi route.
38. Uttar Pradesh launched Kaushal Setu and Kaushal Sarathi on 15th July 2026 in Lucknow during the state-level celebration of World Youth Skills Day-2026 at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. Kapil Dev Aggarwal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Vocational Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, inaugurated both digital platforms.
39. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has approved the upgradation of two lakh Anganwadi Centres across India into Saksham Anganwadis for improved nutrition and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) activities. The upgradation is part of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, which combines Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan, and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls.
40. The Delhi Cabinet approved the Delhi Startup and Incubation Policy on 16th July 2026. The policy allocates more than Rs. 400 crore over five years for innovation, entrepreneurship, and research in Delhi. The policy is a state-level startup support framework for incubation, mentoring, and funding.
41. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) marked its 98th Foundation Day in New Delhi on 16th July 2026 with the release of a roadmap for Viksit Krishi and Samruddh Kisan under the broader framework of Viksit Bharat 2047. The roadmap sets targets for climate-resilient agriculture, technology adoption, and wider farmer outreach by 2047.
42. India has constituted a high-powered task force on examination reforms to review the National Testing Agency (NTA) examination system and recommend measures for reliability, transparency, and technology use. The task force is chaired by Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys and founding chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
43. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to virtually inaugurate 75 redeveloped railway stations across 20 states on 17th July 2026, under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. The main ceremony is anchored from Jalandhar Cantt station in Punjab, which has been redeveloped at a cost of Rs. 125 crore.
44. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for agriculture and allied sectors in India. Maharashtra became the first State to qualify for the second instalment under RKVY after utilising about Rs. 260 crore out of the Rs. 335 crore released in the first instalment, which is above the 75% utilisation benchmark.
45. The Delhi Government approved the Programme for Accelerated Renewal and Incentivisation of Vehicle Assets for Reducing Transport Air Pollution and Network Emissions (PARIVARTAN) on 20th July 2026. The scheme is a Centre-backed vehicle scrappage and replacement programme for commercial vehicles in Delhi-NCR.
46. Kerala unveiled its State Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (SAPSE) on 20th July 2026. The plan sets a target of zero snakebite deaths and disabilities by 2030 and aligns with World Health Organization and national targets.
47. The Union Government approved the Kosi-Mechi intra-state link project in Bihar under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana’s Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (PMKSY-AIBP). The project has an estimated balance cost of Rs. 6,143.22 crore and a target completion date of March 2029.
48. The Union government announced a 50% reservation for retired Agniveers in recruitment to Constable (General Duty) posts in the Central Armed Police Forces and Rifleman posts in the Assam Rifles. The policy was placed before the Lok Sabha on 21st July 2026 through a written reply by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai.
49. Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma launched Mission Golden Spice – Integrated Lakadong Turmeric Value Chain Enhancement Project in New Delhi on 21st July 2026. The project is a five-year initiative from 2026 to 2030 with a financial outlay of Rs. 175.45 crore
50. The Government of India launched a corpus of about Rs. 40,000 crore on 22nd July 2026 for scientific closure of coal mines in New Delhi. The plan covers 147 coal mines over the next two to three years and includes a 25% allocation of approved mine closure cost for community development over the next decade.
51. Chhattisgarh approved 10% reservation for Agniveers in direct recruitment to selected Class-III state government posts on 22nd July 2026. The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, and the state approved the Chhattisgarh Reservation of Vacancies in Class-III Civil Services for Agniveer Soldiers Rules, 2026.
52. Tamil Nadu renamed the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme as the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme on 22nd July 2026. The scheme was first launched in September 2022 for students in Classes 1 to 5 in government primary schools.
53. Gujarat launched the statewide Samras Vidyasetu Mega Campaign on 22nd July 2026 from Ahmedabad to re-enrol more than 80,000 school dropout children in classes 1 to 12. The campaign is linked to the state’s stated goal of achieving “Zero Dropout” through school re-entry, tracking, and retention measures.
54. Andhra Pradesh launched the Mee Bhoomi–Blockchain pilot project on 23rd July 2026 for digital land record management. The project uses blockchain technology to create a tamper-proof platform for land information across departments and to integrate records from the revenue, survey and registration departments.
55. India approved the manufacture and use of anhydrous ammonia as a fertiliser for a three-year period on 23rd July 2026. Anhydrous ammonia contains 82% nitrogen and is used as a direct nitrogen source in agriculture.
56. The Union Cabinet approved the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana Rasayan (BHAVYA Rasayan) scheme on 24th July 2026. The scheme provides Rs. 3,030 crore for three dedicated chemical parks in India and will run from Financial Year 2026-27 to FY 2030-31.
57. Rajasthan launched the Rajasthan State Water Plan 2047 on 24th July 2026 with a long-term framework for river-linking projects, groundwater conservation, and public participation. The state also listed major drinking water and irrigation works, including the Ramjal Setu Link Project, the Yamuna Water Agreement, and urban water supply projects under AMRUT 2.0.
58. Telangana issued G.O.Ms. No. 172 on 25th July 2026 to create a statewide electronic Family Register and to introduce the Family Register Certificate as a citizen service on the MeeSeva platform. The register will use data mainly from the Food Security Card database maintained by the Civil Supplies Department.
59. The Mission Shakti App is a digital platform for women and child safety in India. It provides access to seven helpline services, including Women Helpline 181, Emergency Response Support System 112, National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930, Child Helpline 1098, and Tele-MANAS 14416.
60. Kerala launched the Digital Square education initiative as part of its 100-day action plan for the education sector. The programme was inaugurated on 26th July 2026 by General Education Minister N. Samsudheen at a statewide orientation workshop in Malappuram, Kerala. The initiative is implemented by the Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) for lower primary and upper primary classes in government schools.
61. Indian shooter Esha Singh won the gold medal in the women’s 25m pistol event at the ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun) in Hangzhou, China, on 27th July 2026. Manu Bhaker won the bronze medal in the same final, and India finished with three medals at the competition.
62. Gujarat launched the Gujarat Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Policy 2026 on 27th July 2026 to expand shipbuilding, ship repair, and maritime manufacturing in the state. The policy targets investments of more than Rs. 27,000 crore and aims to raise Gujarat’s shipbuilding capacity to over 5 million deadweight tonnage by 2047.
63. A modern 20 Metric Tonne Per Day (MTPD) curd and lassi processing plant was launched at the Biharsharif Dairy Project in Nalanda, Bihar, on 27th July 2026. The foundation stone was laid by Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary for the plant, which is linked to COMFED’s flagship dairy brand, Sudha.
64. Gujarat launched the Cyber Financial Fraud e-Zero FIR service in Gandhinagar on 27th July 2026. The system allows victims of cyber financial fraud to register complaints from home through the national cybercrime helpline 1930, and it generates an e-Zero FIR for transfer to the concerned police station.
65. The Union government proposed a revised validity period for the Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) for BS-VI-compliant private vehicles on 27th July 2026. The draft notification was issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) under the PUCC 3.0 plan.
66. President Droupadi Murmu launched multiple public-centric and green initiatives at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 28th July 2026 to mark four years in office. The initiatives included an e-Audio Guide, the third edition of e-Upahaar, Bachpan Bal Parisar, the Rashtrapati Bhavan Access and Heritage Interconnector, and a new service block under the Net Zero Energy Strategy.
67. The Union government implemented the “One Entitled Officer, One Official Car” policy on 28th – 29th July 2026. The Department of Expenditure under the Ministry of Finance issued an Office Memorandum to all Union ministries and departments for immediate compliance.
68. The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration issued a compliance order on 28th July 2026 to regulate the sale, advertisement, and free distribution of High Fat, Sugar, and Salt food items near schools. The order applies within 50 metres of school premises and covers children from 22 months of age up to Class 12 students in Maharashtra.
69. The Kerala Cabinet approved five governance reforms on 29th July 2026 to strengthen public administration, improve transparency, and reduce revenue leakages linked to project delays. The reforms include a digital asset platform, a GIS-based project registry, a registry of government institutions, legal review measures, and a process re-engineering programme.
70. The Government of India approved 111 road projects on 29th July 2026 for all-weather connectivity to 134 previously unconnected villages along the India-China border. The projects were sanctioned under the Vibrant Villages Programme and carry an estimated cost of Rs. 2,481.93 crore.
71. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched DAANVEER on 29th July 2026 in New Delhi as a citizen participation initiative for strengthening digital infrastructure in Gram Panchayats. The platform works through the Meri Panchayat mobile application and enables contributions of standardised, quality-verified computer bundles for eligible Gram Panchayats across India.
72. The Directorate of Sainik Welfare, Assam contributed Rs. 25 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund on 29th July 2026. The cheque was presented to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for relief and rehabilitation work for families affected by floods in Upper Assam.
73. The Pink Saheli Smart Card is a digital travel card for women and transgender commuters in Delhi. From 1st August 2026, it will be mandatory for free bus travel on Delhi Transport Corporation and cluster buses, while pink paper tickets will remain valid only until 31st July 2026.
74. The Nasha Mukta Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyaan is a 100-week youth mobilisation campaign scheduled for launch on 2nd August 2026. The initiative is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports through MY Bharat, and it is linked with the goal of a drug-free India.
Monthly Current Affairs July 2026
Awards & Honours
1. Jalbhara sweet from Chandannagar in Hooghly district, West Bengal, received the Geographical Indication tag on 26th June 2026. The sweet is also known as Jalbhora Sandesh and has a recorded legacy of more than 220 years in Bengal’s confectionery tradition.
2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Indonesia’s highest civilian honour, Bintang Adipurna, on 7th July 2026 at Istana Merdeka, the Presidential Palace in Jakarta. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto presented the award during Modi’s official state visit to Indonesia from 6th to 8th July 2026.
3. The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar-2025 was announced for the years 2024-25 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi under the Union Ministry of Culture. Acharya Shri Ranchhodlalji Goswami, a Haveli Sangeet scholar from Ahmedabad, received the honour for the Pushtimarg Haveli Sangeet tradition.
4. The Department of Telecommunications’ Samriddh Gram Integrated Phygital Services Project won the Global Winner title in the WSIS Prizes 2026 under the Enabling Environment category on 9th July 2026 in Geneva. The project uses a phygital service delivery model that combines physical access points with digital connectivity through BharatNet.
5. Debadatta Priyadarshi of Bhubaneswar, Odisha, won a gold medal at the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) 2026. The competition was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from 10th July to 19th July 2026, and India finished with four gold medals in the event.
6. Ahmedabad set a Guinness World Record on 12th July 2026 by planting 3.61 lakh, or 3,61,000, saplings in one hour at Bhadaj in Gujarat. The plantation drive was organised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and used the Miyawaki method across an area of about 76,000 square metres.
7. Wang Jibing, a food delivery rider and poet from Jiangsu province, won the poetry category of China’s Lu Xun Literary Prize on 15th July 2026 for his collection Low Flight. The ninth edition of the prize recognised 35 works across seven categories, and the award was established in 1996 in memory of the Chinese writer Lu Xun.
8. Indian-American doctor Amish Shah won the Democratic nomination for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District on 21st July 2026. He is an emergency physician and a three-term member of the Arizona House of Representatives. He will contest the November 2026 general election against Republican Jay Feely.
9. Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain secured India’s first medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland, before the opening ceremony on 23rd July 2026. She is assured of at least a bronze medal in the women’s 75 kg boxing category after receiving a bye into the semifinals.
10. Viswanathan Anand, a five-time world chess champion, took over as the interim president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) on 24th July 2026. He assumed the post after Arkady Dvorkovich suspended his duties as FIDE president following European Union and Swiss sanctions.
11. American filmmaker James Gray will receive the Pardo alla Carriera, also called the Honorary Career Pardo Award, at the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Locarno, Switzerland. The award ceremony is scheduled for 9th August 2026 in Piazza Grande, the open-air screening venue in the Swiss city.
12. Ngulkham Jathom Gangte was appointed India’s next Ambassador to Mexico on 29th July 2026. He is an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1994 batch and was serving as Special Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs before this appointment.
Monthly Current Affairs July 2026
Sports
1. Hokato Hotozhe Sema is an Indian para-athlete from Nagaland and a Subedar in the 9 Assam Regiment of the Indian Army. He became World No. 1 in the men’s Shot Put F57 category on 2nd July 2026. He won a bronze medal in the men’s Shot Put F57 event at the Paris 2024 Paralympics with a personal best throw of 14.65 metres at the Stade de France.
2. S. Aswath, a 17-year-old chess player from Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu, became India’s 98th Grandmaster on 8th July 2026. He earned his third and final Grandmaster norm at the Pune International GM tournament in July 2026. The Grandmaster title is awarded by the International Chess Federation, also known as FIDE.
3. Delhi unveiled Mayur as the mascot for the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships 2026 on 14th July 2026. The 22nd edition of the championship will be held at Thyagaraj Stadium in Delhi from 27th July to 2nd August 2026.
4. The 135th IndianOil Durand Cup Trophy Tour began in Guwahati on 16th July 2026 with the unveiling of three historic trophies at Hotel Taj Vivanta. The trophies are the Durand Cup, the President’s Cup, and the Simla Trophy. Guwahati is scheduled to host six Group F matches of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Sarusajai, from 1st to 13th August 2026.
5. The Menuires International Chess Championship was held in Menuires, France, on 19th July 2026. Grandmaster S. Rohith Krishna of Tamil Nadu won the gold medal, and Grandmaster Raja Rithvik of Telangana won the silver medal in the open event.
6. The Commonwealth Games 2026 are being held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23rd July to 2nd August 2026. On 26th July 2026, Mirabai Chanu won gold in the women’s 48kg weightlifting event, and Rishikanta Singh won silver in the men’s 60kg category.
7. Anahat Singh won the World Junior Squash Championships 2026 women’s singles title on 25th July 2026. She became the first Indian to win the World Junior Squash Championships title in any category. The 18-year-old Indian top seed defeated Egypt’s second seed Ruqayya Salem in the final at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada.
8. Sarvesh Kushare won the silver medal in the men’s high jump at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on 27th July 2026 at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow. He cleared 2.25 metres and finished behind Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford, who won gold on countback after clearing the same height with fewer attempts.
9. Indian weightlifter Gyaneshwari Yadav won the silver medal in the women’s 53kg weightlifting event at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland, on 27th July 2026. The 23-year-old from Chhattisgarh lifted a personal best total of 199kg, with 88kg in the snatch and 111kg in the clean and jerk.
10. Valluri Ajaya Babu is an Indian weightlifter from Andhra Pradesh who won the silver medal in the men’s 79kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland, on 27th July 2026. He lifted a total of 330kg, with 149kg in the snatch and 181kg in the clean and jerk.
11. Sharmila Dhankar won the gold medal in the women’s F57 shot put event at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on 27th July 2026. She recorded a season-best throw of 9.81 metres. Her victory ended India’s 20-year wait for a para athletics medal at the Commonwealth Games, with India’s previous medal in this category dating to 2006.
12. The 6th LG Cup Horse Polo Championship concluded on 27th July 2026 in Drass, Ladakh. Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena attended the final, and the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre won the title by defeating the Animal Husbandry Department, Leh.
13. The 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2026 began on 28th July 2026 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The tournament features 30 teams and is organised across three divisions, namely Division A, Division B, and Division C.
14. India won two silver medals at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on 29th July 2026. Gulveer Singh finished second in the men’s 10,000m race with a timing of 27:49.78, and Harjinder Kaur won silver in the women’s 69kg weightlifting event with a combined lift of 227kg.
15. India recorded a 1-2 finish in the men’s 100m T47 para athletics final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on 29th and 30th July 2026. Dilip Mahadu Gavit won gold with a Games record and season-best time of 10.71 seconds, while Mohammed Basil Morssinganakath won silver in 10.83 seconds.
16. Murali Sreeshankar won the silver medal in the men’s long jump at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, on 29 July 2026. His jump measured 8.09 metres, and Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle won gold with 8.15 metres, while Scotland’s Stephen Mackenzie took bronze with 8.08 metres.
17. The 11th All India Police Judo Cluster Championship 2026 concluded on 30th July 2026 at Hyderabad in Telangana. The event was held from 23rd July to 30th July 2026 at the GMC Balayogi Indoor Stadium in Gachibowli and was hosted by the Central Industrial Security Force under the aegis of the All-India Police Sports Control Board.
18. Lovepreet Singh won a silver medal for India in the men’s +110kg weightlifting event at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow on 30th July 2026. He lifted a combined total of 388kg, with 176kg in the snatch and 212kg in the clean and jerk.
19. India won both the men’s and women’s team titles at the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships on 30th July 2026 at Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi. The men’s team defeated Malaysia 3-2 in the final, while the women’s team beat Malaysia 3-0 in the title match.
20. Franco Baresi, the former AC Milan captain and Italy international footballer, died on 31st July 2026 at the age of 66. He played his entire senior club career for AC Milan from 1977 to 1997 and made 719 appearances for the club.
21. Pakistan will host the 14th South Asian Federation Games, officially called the XIV South Asian Games, from 23rd March to 31st March 2027. The multi-sport event will be held in Lahore, Islamabad, and Faisalabad, and more than 3,500 athletes from eight South Asian nations are expected to compete in 27 sports.