NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. PM Modi inaugurates 75 redeveloped railway stations across country under Amrit Bharat Scheme: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated 75 redeveloped railway stations across 20 states under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) at a cost of ₹1,570 crore. Major redeveloped stations include Jalandhar Cantonment, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Sri Muktsar Sahib, Sri Anandpur Sahib (Punjab); Pratapnagar, Godhra, Porbandar, Bhaktinagar (Gujarat); Barpali, Balangir, Paralakhemundi, Talcher, Kesinga, Bimalgarh, Baripada (Odisha), along with 9 stations under Southern Railway. The stations have been modernised with passenger-friendly amenities while preserving local culture, heritage, and architecture under the theme “Virasat Bhi, Vikas Bhi”. PM Modi also flagged off the Kartoli–Ambala train and Sant Ravidas Express (Amritsar–Varanasi).
2. NITI Aayog Unveils Roadmap to Make India a Global BioEconomy Powerhouse by 2035: NITI Aayog released the report titled “Roadmap for Building India as a Leading BioEconomy Powerhouse by 2035.” India’s BioEconomy has grown 16-fold, from US$10 billion in 2014 to US$195.3 billion in 2025, and currently contributes 4.8% to India’s GDP. The report targets expanding India’s BioEconomy to US$691 billion by 2035 and US$2.6 trillion by 2047, positioning India as a global bioeconomy leader.
3. 21 July – National Flag Adoption Day: National Flag Adoption Day is observed in India on 21 July every year to commemorate the adoption of the Tiranga by the Constituent Assembly on 21 July 1947. The Indian National Flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya, and its final form was approved before India’s independence.
4. 21 July – International Moon Day: International Moon Day is observed annually on 21 July to commemorate the first human landing on the Moon during NASA’s Apollo 11 mission in 1969. The day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2021 to promote international cooperation in the peaceful exploration and sustainable use of outer space. It aims to raise awareness about lunar exploration, scientific advancements, and the benefits of space research for humanity.
5. President Murmu’s first Moldova visit : Key Outcomes: President Droupadi Murmu visited the Republic of Moldova on 20 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. India and Moldova established diplomatic relations in 1992 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, and its capital is Chisinau. Bilateral relations between India and Moldova cover political, economic, educational, and cultural cooperation. The visit focused on the “3 Ts”, namely Trade, Technology, and Talent. Both sides discussed ways to expand bilateral trade and to increase cooperation in emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, cyber diplomacy, pharmaceuticals, and information technology. India also expressed support for wider business engagement through investment and innovation links.
6. India Approves First 100 MWh Flow Battery Project: 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 20-21 July 2026, and the system is scheduled for deployment in 2027 with 10 years of operations and maintenance services. A vanadium redox flow battery is a type of rechargeable battery that stores energy in liquid electrolyte solutions containing vanadium ions. The technology separates energy storage capacity from power output, which allows larger systems to be designed by increasing the size of the electrolyte tanks. VRFB systems use vanadium in multiple oxidation states, which reduces cross-contamination between the positive and negative electrolytes. This battery chemistry is classified as a flow battery and is used for stationary grid storage applications.
7. DGCA to Launch Digital Aviation Incident Reporting Platform: 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. The DGCA is India’s civil aviation regulator under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It regulates aircraft operations, airworthiness, flight crew licensing, and aviation safety standards for aircraft and airport operators in India. Mandatory occurrence reports are formal safety reports used in aviation to record incidents, hazards, and operational irregularities. These reports are part of safety management systems and are used for regulatory monitoring and corrective action.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Khalil al-Hayya Elected Hamas Political Bureau Chief: 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. The political bureau is Hamas’s top decision-making body for external political and diplomatic activity. Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist organisation that emerged from the Muslim Brotherhood in 1987 during the First Intifada. Al-Hayya has served as Hamas’s lead negotiator in indirect ceasefire and hostage-release talks with Israel. These talks have involved mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the United States, and they have continued during the Gaza war that began after the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.
2. UK Appoints Kanishka Narayan as First AI Minister: On 21 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. Kanishka Narayan was born in Muzaffarpur in Bihar, India, and moved to Cardiff in Wales at the age of 12. He is an Indian-origin British politician and represented the Vale of Glamorgan in the House of Commons from 2024. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Online Safety from September 2025 to July 2026. The United Kingdom created the AI Minister position within its ministerial structure in 2026. The role is linked to policy areas such as artificial intelligence, online safety, and digital regulation. The appointment placed AI policy at Cabinet level for the first time in the UK government.
3. India Tightens Tax Treaty Rule with Sri Lanka: 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. A tax treaty is a bilateral agreement between two countries that allocates taxing rights on income such as dividends, interest, royalties, and business profits. India has signed Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements with many countries to reduce double taxation and to define tax treatment for cross-border income. An anti-abuse rule is a legal provision used to prevent the misuse of tax treaties for obtaining unintended tax advantages. In international taxation, such rules are linked to treaty shopping, where a person routes income through a jurisdiction mainly to secure lower tax rates or exemptions. The principal purpose test is a common anti-abuse standard in modern tax treaties. Under this test, treaty benefits can be denied if one of the principal purposes of an arrangement or transaction is to obtain those benefits.
4. DGCA Issues 1,331 Commercial Pilot Licences in 2026: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued 1,331 commercial pilot licences (CPLs) in India up to 30 June 2026. The data was placed before the Rajya Sabha on 20 July 2026 by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol. A commercial pilot licence is a licence that permits a pilot to fly aircraft for remuneration under civil aviation rules. In India, the DGCA is the statutory authority that regulates pilot licensing, flight crew standards, and aviation safety under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Out of the 1,331 CPLs issued in 2026 up to 30 June, 540 cadets, or 41%, received training from foreign Flying Training Organisations (FTOs). The remaining 791 cadets obtained their CPLs after training at Indian Flying Training Organisations (FTOs).
5. India Introduces Digital Monthly Toll Pass: 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. The digital Local Pass uses consent-based integration with DigiLocker and VAHAN for verification. The system retrieves residential address, vehicle registration details, and linked FASTag information, and it also uses GIS-based validation for eligibility checks. The facility was first rolled out at the Mundka–Bakkarwala Toll Plaza on Urban Extension Road-II in Delhi. Users can complete the pass application digitally through the RajmargYatra app without visiting the toll plaza in person.
6. Amul Bengal Dairy to Host World’s Largest Curd Plant: 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. The integrated dairy plant is planned with an investment of around ₹700 crore. The complex is designed to process 30 lakh litres of milk per day when fully operational. It will also produce curd and other cultured dairy products at a scale of 1,000 metric tonnes daily. The plant will function as a multi-product dairy unit. Its output will include curd, paneer, ghee, sweets, flavoured milk, and ice cream. Such integrated dairy plants combine milk reception, pasteurisation, processing, packaging, and cold-chain handling within one facility.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. China Conducts Live-Fire Drill in Japan-Claimed EEZ: China conducted a live-fire naval exercise on 20 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. An Exclusive Economic Zone is a maritime zone defined under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It extends up to 200 nautical miles from a coastal state’s baseline, and the coastal state has sovereign rights over natural resources in the water column, seabed, and subsoil. Other states retain freedom of navigation and overflight in an EEZ under UNCLOS. Military exercises in an EEZ have been a subject of legal and diplomatic debate in several maritime disputes.
2. Centre Announces 50% Quota for Ex-Agniveers in CAPFs: 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 21 July 2026 through a written reply by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai. The Ministry of Home Affairs has created a separate category called Ex-Agniveers for recruitment into CAPFs and the Assam Rifles. The arrangement applies to Constable (GD) and Rifleman posts, which are entry-level uniformed positions in India’s internal security structure. CAPFs include the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Sashastra Seema Bal, and Assam Rifles. These forces function under the Ministry of Home Affairs and handle border guarding, internal security, counter-insurgency, and protection of vital installations. Eligible Ex-Agniveers will receive a three-year relaxation over the prescribed upper age limit for recruitment. The first batch of Agniveers will receive an additional five-year relaxation, which makes the total age relaxation eight years for that batch.
SPORTS
1. Spain Defeats Argentina to Win FIFA World Cup 2026 Title: Spain won the FIFA World Cup 2026, defeating Argentina in the final to claim their second FIFA World Cup title, having previously won in 2010. The FIFA World Cup 2026 was jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, marking the first 48-team edition of the tournament. Spain’s victory ended a 16-year wait for the World Cup title and reaffirmed its status as one of the world’s leading football nations. With this victory, Spain became the first country to simultaneously hold both the FIFA Men’s and FIFA Women’s World Cup titles. France’s Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot, becoming the first player to finish as the tournament’s top scorer at multiple FIFA World Cups. Spain captain Rodri was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s Best Player, while Unai Simón won the Golden Glove for Best Goalkeeper. Pau Cubarsí of Spain received the FIFA World Cup 2026 Young Player Award for his outstanding performances throughout the tournament.
2. PV Sinhu Creates History, Becomes First Indian to Win Japan Open Title: PV Sindhu became the first Indian shuttler to win the Japan Open title by defeating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 in the final. The 31-year-old clinched her maiden BWF Super 750 Japan Open title, ending a more than two-year title drought. Sindhu became the first Indian woman to reach the Japan Open final and secured her biggest title since winning the 2019 BWF World Championships.
3. Cricket Legend Sir Garfield Sobers Dies at 89: West Indies cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers, widely regarded as the greatest all-rounder in cricket history, passed away at the age of 89 at his home in Barbados. Sobers represented the West Indies from 1954 to 1974, playing 93 Test matches, scoring 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78, taking 235 wickets, and famously becoming the first cricketer to hit six sixes in a single over in first-class cricket. Knighted in 1975, inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009, and the namesake of the ICC Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Men’s Cricketer of the Year.
4. Rithvik Wins Silver, Rohith Krishna Takes Gold at Menuires Chess: The Menuires International Chess Championship was held in Menuires, France, on 19 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. The tournament was part of the 1st Open International d’Échecs des Menuires, which took place from 11 July to 18 July 2026 at Le Break des Menuires in the French Alps. The event featured 86 players from different countries and used a nine-round format. Rohith Krishna and Raja Rithvik each scored seven points from nine rounds and remained unbeaten throughout the event. Rohith Krishna won the gold medal on tie-break score of 43, while Rithvik finished with a tie-break score of 41.5. Rithvik was seeded fourth in the tournament and recorded five wins and four draws. In the ninth round, he defeated French Grandmaster Maxime Lagarde, who had a rating of 2622, while Rithvik had a rating of 2521.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. India Achieves Historic Milestone with Successful Launch of Private Orbital Rocket Vikram-1: India’s first privately developed orbital rocket, Vikram-1, built by Skyroot Aerospace under Mission Aagaman, successfully reached a 450 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO) after launching from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. With the successful launch of Vikram-1, India became the third country in the world to achieve private orbital launch capability, marking a major milestone for the country’s private space sector. Developed by the Hyderabad-based startup Skyroot Aerospace, Vikram-1 is a three-stage solid-propellant launch vehicle with a liquid-fuelled Raman engine, designed to provide cost-effective and flexible launch services for small satellites.
2. Kerala Unveils State Action Plan for Snakebite Control: Kerala unveiled its State Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (SAPSE) on 20 July 2026. The plan sets a target of zero snakebite deaths and disabilities by 2030 and aligns with World Health Organization and national targets. Snakebite envenoming is a medical emergency caused by venom injected through a snakebite. Kerala declared snakebite envenoming a notifiable disease under the Kerala Public Health Act, 2023, by 13 October 2025. Notifiable disease status requires systematic reporting and surveillance by health authorities. The action plan focuses on surveillance of snakebite cases and deaths through the Integrated Health Information Platform, Health Management Information System, and the SARPA app. Hospitals are being mapped to identify red flag hotspots, which will receive additional support. The plan also provides for stronger primary care, better referral hospitals, and additional anti-snake venom facilities in high-risk areas.
3. Indian Startup Unveils Yantur Turbofan Engine Programme: Paninian India Private Ltd. unveiled the Yantur 4.5 kN turbofan engine programme in New Delhi on 20 July 2026. The programme is linked to indigenous propulsion technology for long-range autonomous systems, including combat drones and cruise missiles. A turbofan engine is a gas turbine engine that uses a fan to generate thrust and is widely used in aircraft propulsion. Compact turbofan engines are also relevant for unmanned aerial systems and cruise missile platforms because they combine thrust, fuel efficiency, and reduced size. The Yantur engine is being developed as part of a private-sector aerospace propulsion effort in India. The programme has completed conceptual design and detailed design phases and has moved to subsystem testing, validation, and engine certification. The engine core is designed at 4.5 kN thrust and can be scaled to 12.5 kN for the Svayatt CCAV platform.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. MoSPI Releases India’s First Trial Index of Services Production (ISP): The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released India’s first Trial Index of Services Production (ISP), with the first trial index covering April 2026. The trial ISP includes 19 service sub-sectors, representing about 60% of India’s services sector, providing a high-frequency measure of service sector performance. 14 out of 19 sub-sectors recorded double-digit year-on-year growth, with the fastest-growing sectors being Accommodation & Food Services (37.2%), Retail Trade (30.8%), Administrative & Support Services (28.7%), Real Estate (27.7%), and Telecommunications (22.8%). Monthly trial ISP data will be released with a lag of around 60 days and published on the 29th of every month (or the next working day if the 29th is a holiday).
2. RBI Forex Swap Facility Attracts Over $20.7 Billion: The Reserve Bank of India’s concessional forex swap facility had attracted over $20.7 billion, or about ₹2 lakh crore, in foreign exchange inflows by 17 July 2026. The facility was announced on 5 June 2026 and became operational on 8 June 2026 to support India’s balance of payments and encourage capital inflows. A forex swap facility is a foreign exchange arrangement in which the central bank provides a swap cover for eligible foreign currency liabilities. In this case, the RBI covers the full hedging cost for certain inflows, which reduces the cost for banks and depositors. Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) deposits formed the largest share of the inflows at 17.406 billion by 17 July 2026. Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings contributed 1.97 billion, while External Commercial Borrowings added $1.342 billion during the same period.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Vairamuthu Chosen for the 60th Jnanpith Award 2025: Renowned Tamil poet, lyricist, and writer R. Vairamuthu has been selected for the 60th Jnanpith Award (2025), India’s highest literary honour. The award recognises Vairamuthu’s outstanding contribution to Tamil literature, celebrated for its emotional depth, cultural richness, and distinctive poetic style developed over several decades. The selection was made by the Bharatiya Jnanpith Selection Committee, chaired by Pratibha Ray, and the announcement was made in March 2026. The Jnanpith Award, instituted in 1961 by Bharatiya Jnanpith, is India’s highest literary honour. It is conferred for lifetime contribution to Indian literature and is open to authors writing in any language listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The award carries a cash prize of ₹21 lakh, a bronze statue of Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), and a citation.
2. ‘Article 370’ Tops the 72nd National Film Awards 2024 with Best Feature Film Honour: The 72nd National Film Awards (2024) were announced, with Article 370 winning the Best Feature Film award and Yami Gautam receiving the Best Actress award for the same film. The Best Actor award was jointly won by Mammootty (Bramayugam) and Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion). Rajkumar Periasamy won the Best Director award for Amaran, while Kalki 2898 AD was adjudged Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Randeep Hooda’s Swatantrya Veer Savarkar won the Best Debut Film of a Director, while Captain Miller received the award for Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values. In the Non-Feature Film category, Bhangaar won Best Non-Feature Film, Ram-Nami was named Best Documentary, and Kenchanuru Pradeep Kumar Shetty received the Best Book on Cinema award.
3. India Creates History with Four Gold Medals at International Chemistry Olympiad 2026: India achieved its best-ever performance at the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) 2026, with all four team members winning gold medals for the first time. The 58th IChO 2026 was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from 10–19 July 2026, with 363 students from 93 countries, making it the largest edition of the Olympiad. India finished joint first in the country-wise medal tally alongside China, Vietnam, and Individual Participants Group B (Russia). The four Indian gold medal winners were Debadatta Priyadarshi (Odisha), Harshit Singla (Punjab), Kabeer Chillar (Delhi), and Sandeep Kuchi (Telangana). The Indian team was trained by the Chemistry Olympiad Cell at HBCSE, Mumbai, under the guidance of Prof. Subhajit Bandyopadhyay and Dr. Indrani Sen, with support from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Department of Science and Technology (DST), and the Ministry of Education.
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