NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. NHAI Expands RajmargYatra App with Digital Local Pass & MargMitra Help Centre: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced a Digital Local Pass facility and MargMitra Help Centre on the RajmargYatra mobile application to enhance citizen-centric digital services under the Digital India initiative. The Digital Local Pass allows eligible residents living within a 20-km radius of a toll plaza to purchase a monthly unlimited travel pass online using DigiLocker, VAHAN, FASTag, and GIS-based verification, eliminating the need to visit toll plazas. The MargMitra Help Centre provides a single-window digital support system, enabling users to access services, register grievances, and receive assistance through text or voice in all 22 Indian languages. The platform also offers services such as FASTag recharge, KYC, refund status, Annual/Local Pass management, complaint tracking, blacklisted FASTag status, pending e-notices, and road safety reporting, improving transparency and commuter convenience
2. I&B Ministry Launches ‘Gems of India Challenge’ to Promote Grassroots Digital Creators: Ministry of Information & Broadcasting launched the pilot phase of the “Gems of India Challenge” to identify, nurture, and promote grassroots digital creators across India. The challenge invites citizens to submit 1–3 minute videos showcasing the unique stories, culture, and heritage of their districts through the MyWAVES section on the WAVES OTT platform from 1–31 August. The pilot phase will be implemented in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Goa, and Ladakh, with plans for nationwide expansion based on its success. The initiative offers ₹50,000 district-level awards (up to 20 creators per district), ₹2 lakh state-level awards, and ₹5 lakh national awards to encourage and recognize outstanding digital storytelling.
3. PFRDA Opens Continuous ‘On-Tap’ Registration Window for New NPS Pension Fund Managers: The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has opened an ‘on-tap’ registration window for prospective Pension Fund Managers (PFMs) to manage the corpus under the National Pension System (NPS). Under the new framework, applications for registration can now be submitted continuously, replacing the earlier system of accepting applications only during specified registration windows. The last ‘on-tap’ licensing window for Pension Fund Managers was opened by PFRDA in May 2022. The regulator stated that the continuous registration process will remain open until further notification, aiming to enhance competition and participation in the NPS ecosystem.
5. Centre Launches ₹175-Crore Lakadong Turmeric Mission ‘Golden Spice’ to Boost Northeast Economy: Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched the Lakadong Turmeric Mission – Golden Spice in New Delhi along with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. The mission, launched under the Ministry of DoNER’s Unlock the Economic Potential of India’s Northeast (USP) initiative, has an outlay of over ₹175 crore. The GI-tagged Lakadong Turmeric, known for having the world’s highest naturally occurring curcumin content, will be promoted through a farm-to-global-market ecosystem to enhance its quality, authenticity, scale, and global competitiveness.
The mission aims to expand cultivation to 7,000 hectares, double farmers’ incomes, create over 3,000 women-led jobs, and build a ₹100-crore Lakadong Turmeric economy by FY 2028–29. Designed as a five-year roadmap (2025–2030), the mission will be implemented in two phases—Value Chain Strengthening and Expansion & Scale-up—to promote Meghalaya’s unique agricultural products and strengthen the Northeast’s role in global value chains.
6. Tamil Nadu Renames and Expands Breakfast Scheme as Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme: Tamil Nadu renamed the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme as the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme. The scheme was originally launched in September 2022 for students of Classes 1 to 5 in government primary schools. From 17 September 2026, the scheme will be expanded to students of Classes 6 to 8 in government and government-aided schools, with the launch date coinciding with the birth anniversary of Periyar E.V. Ramasamy. The expansion is expected to cover an additional 15 lakh students, taking the total beneficiaries to over 34 lakh. The expanded scheme has an estimated annual cost of ₹343.55 crore, with ₹217.63 crore sanctioned for FY 2026–27.
7. Centre Appoints Anurag Jain as CEO of NITI Aayog for Two-Year Term: The Central Government has appointed Anurag Jain, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog for a two-year term, with the appointment approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). Before this appointment, the CEO post was being handled on an additional-charge basis by Nidhi Chhibber. NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India), established on 1 January 2015, serves as the Government of India’s policy think tank, replacing the Planning Commission. The Prime Minister of India is its Chairperson.
8. 24 July – National Thermal Engineer Day: National Thermal Engineer Day is observed every year on 24 July to recognize the contributions of thermal engineers in advancing power generation, industrial processes, energy efficiency, and sustainable development. The day highlights the vital role of thermal engineers in the design, operation, maintenance, and innovation of thermal power plants, heating and cooling systems, and energy technologies.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. President Murmu unveils bust of Mahatma Gandhi in North Macedonian capital: President Droupadi Murmu unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the Museum of the City of Skopje during her state visit to North Macedonia, highlighting India’s cultural and diplomatic ties with the country. Addressing the gathering, the President said that Mahatma Gandhi’s message of truth and non-violence belongs to all humanity, emphasizing that his ideals of dialogue, compassion, and peaceful coexistence remain relevant in today’s world.
2. France Becomes First EU Nation to Ban Social Media for Children Under 15: France’s Parliament approved a law banning children under 15 years old from accessing social media, making it the first European Union country to introduce a nationwide restriction on social media use by minors. Major social media platforms will be required to implement age verification systems to comply with the law, under France’s digital regulatory framework supervised by Arcom, the country’s audiovisual and digital communications regulator. The law will be implemented in phases: from 1 September 2026, children under 15 cannot create new social media accounts, and from January 2027, the restriction will also apply to existing accounts. Online encyclopedias, educational directories, and scientific directories are exempt from the ban.
3. India Hosts 16th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting in Chandigarh: India is hosting the 16th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting in Chandigarh as a three-day event, bringing together Health Ministers and senior officials from BRICS countries to strengthen cooperation on global health issues. The meeting is being held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, highlighting India’s commitment to advancing collective action on global health priorities. Key discussion areas include health security, pandemic preparedness, digital health, affordable medicines, innovation, traditional medicine, tuberculosis, mental wellness, healthy lifestyles, and resilient health systems.
4. 22 July – World Brain Day: World Brain Day is observed every year on 22 July to raise awareness about brain health, neurological disorders, and the importance of early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Theme 2026 – Brain Health: Access for All. The day is organised by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) in collaboration with neurological societies worldwide to promote education, research, and improved access to neurological care.
5. France Bans Social Media for Children Under 15: France’s parliament approved a law on 21 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. The ban will be introduced in two stages. From 1 September 2026, children under 15 will be blocked from creating new social media accounts, and from January 2027, the restriction will extend to existing accounts. The law includes exceptions for online encyclopedias, educational directories, and scientific directories. These categories are treated separately from social networking services under the legislation.
6. India and UAE sign MoU for food processing cluster: On 21 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. Dubai-based Floor Masters International announced an initial investment of ₹100 crore on 21 July 2026 for a food processing unit at Gangadhara Nellore in Chittoor district. The unit is planned as an export base for nearly 25 countries, with food products manufactured for overseas markets. The collaboration covers an integrated value chain for horticultural products such as mangoes, bananas, and cocoa. It also includes trade in seafood, dairy, poultry, pulses, and other products through cold-chain facilities and shipping links.
7. Udmaroo Bridge Inaugurated Over Shayok River in Nubra: The Udmaroo Bridge over the Shayok River was inaugurated in the Nubra district of Ladakh on 21 July 2026. The bridge was built at a cost of ₹27.18 crore under the Union Territory Administration’s Special Development Package and is designed to improve road connectivity in a remote border region. The bridge connects settlements in the Nubra region of Ladakh. It shortens the distance between Udmaroo and Hundri villages, and between Terchey and Skuru villages, by about 35 kilometres. The project includes around 230 metres of approach roads. The Udmaroo Bridge is a modern three-span Truss System Bridge. It has a 70R loading capacity, which is used for bridges that must carry heavy vehicular loads. The structure spans the Shayok River, which is a major river system in the Ladakh region.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Operation Jal Rahat: Indian Army Launches Flood Rescue Mission in Assam: Operation Jal Rahat has been launched by the Indian Army to support the Assam Government in rescue and relief operations amid severe floods affecting over 57,100 people across seven districts. Army and Assam Rifles teams have been deployed in the worst-hit districts of Charaideo, Sivasagar, and Jorhat, while the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been kept on standby for aerial assistance if required.
SPORTS
1. Rajasthan Launches ‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Suyog’ Platform to Promote Youth Development and Sports: Rajasthan launched the Mukhyamantri Yuva Suyog platform in July 2026 from Jaipur to promote sports, skill development, employment opportunities, and community engagement among youth at the panchayat and ward levels. The initiative has been launched on a pilot basis in the Bagru Assembly constituency and Baran district, with youth participation facilitated through the Yuva Suyog portal using a registration-based system. The platform features sports such as cricket, volleyball, kabaddi, and football, with winning teams progressing from the local level to the Assembly constituency level. It also includes digital mapping of sports grounds to create a comprehensive database of sports infrastructure across rural and urban areas.
2. Pakistan to Host 14th South Asian Games in March 2027 Across Three Cities: Pakistan will host the 14th South Asian Games (XIV South Asian Games) from 23–31 March 2027, with competitions to be held in Lahore, Islamabad, and Faisalabad, featuring over 3,500 athletes from eight South Asian nations across 27 sports. The South Asian Games are a regional multi-sport event organized by the South Asian Olympic Council (SAOC) for member countries under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) sporting framework. Pakistan will host the Games for the third time, after 1989 and 2004, and for the first time events will be held outside Islamabad, with Lahore and Faisalabad also serving as host cities.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. NCBS Launches INvenTree Dataset for Indian Forests: The National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, has compiled INvenTree-meta, a meta-dataset of tree inventory studies from India. The dataset covers 465 published studies conducted between 1991 and 2023 and includes forest data from more than 4,650 hectares across India’s major biomes. INvenTree-meta is designed to bring Indian forest data into global ecological analyses and climate studies. The dataset addresses the limited representation of South Asia in international forest databases and creates a structured resource for comparative research. The dataset compiles information from studies carried out in multiple forest regions and records a large volume of tree sampling in India. More than 80% of the underlying datasets are not publicly available, and data accessibility remains a major constraint in forest research.
2. ICMR Transfers Indigenous Medical Technologies for Commercialisation: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) transferred indigenous medical technologies for commercialisation through its Medical Innovations Patent Mitra initiative. On 21 July 2026, ICMR licensed three biomedical technologies to Indian pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturers, including Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Biological E Ltd. SHetA2 is a novel anti-HPV therapeutic candidate developed for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN), a precancerous condition of the cervix. ICMR licensed SHetA2 to Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd. for further development and commercial use. SHetA2 was developed through collaboration between Dr. Showket Hussain of ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (ICMR-NICPR) and Dr. Doris M. Benbrook of the Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, USA. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major cause of cervical cancer, and CIN is classified as a precursor lesion in cervical disease.
3. India’s First AI-Powered Bird Sanctuary Announced: 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 ₹45 crore from the District Planning Committee’s special fund. The sanctuary will come up over about 20.09 hectares along the Thane Creek shoreline. Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary is a designated Ramsar site, which places it among wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Only 0.35 hectares of the project area will be used for physical infrastructure. The remaining area will be retained for ecological features and habitat-related facilities.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. India’s Debt-to-GDP Ratio Moderates to 58.2% in FY26; Capital Expenditure Continues to Drive Infrastructure Growth: India’s debt-to-GDP ratio moderated to 2% (provisional) in FY26, down from 58.5% in FY25, reflecting an improvement in the country’s fiscal position. As of 31 March 2026, the Central Government’s total debt stood at ₹201.17 lakh crore (provisional), while the debt is projected to rise to ₹228.27 lakh crore in FY27. The debt servicing ratio (interest payments to revenue receipts) declined from 41.6% in FY21 to 37.6% in FY26 (provisional), indicating an improved ability of the government to meet debt obligations through revenue receipts. In the Union Budget 2026–27, the government earmarked ₹17.15 lakh crore for effective capital expenditure, which exceeds the fiscal deficit (fresh borrowings) of ₹16.96 lakh crore, implying that borrowings are being fully utilised for asset creation. The government highlighted that capital expenditure of ₹44.03 lakh crore during FY21–FY26 has boosted infrastructure development, employment generation, logistics efficiency, and private investment, supported by initiatives such as PM GatiShakti, the National Logistics Policy, and the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI).
2. Government Announces ₹40,000 Crore Mine Closure Corpu: The Government of India launched a corpus of about ₹40,000 crore on 22 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. The Ministry of Coal signed an implementation agreement with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, a German development agency, for technical cooperation on mine closure and repurposing. The project is supported by Germany’s BMZ, co-financed by the European Union, and has a total project volume of €10 million until 2030. India has already scientifically closed 42 coal mines, including 33 mines in the previous year. Closed mine land has been converted into productive assets through uses such as water bodies, green cover, and other post-mining land uses.
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