NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. CSIR celebrates women researchers through ASPIRE-SHAKTI initiative: The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) organised ASPIRE-SHAKTI, titled “Celebrating Women in STEM & Initiating Project Review Sessions”, on 13 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. The CSIR-ASPIRE Research Scheme is a dedicated programme for women researchers under CSIR-HRDG. It was envisioned by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of Science & Technology, and launched on International Women’s Day in 2023. The scheme provides competitive funding to women scientists as independent Principal Investigators. It is linked with project review sessions and a compendium of research outcomes under the ASPIRE-SHAKTI initiative.
2. All India Water Secretaries’ Conference Held in New Delhi: The All India Water Secretaries’ Conference was held in New Delhi on 13 and 14 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. The conference was chaired by Union Minister for Jal Shakti C. R. Patil. Minister of State Raj Bhushan Choudhary and Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, V. L. Kantha Rao, also co-chaired the event. The Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation functions under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
3. Grey Hornbill returns to Gujarat’s Gir forests after six decades: 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. The Gir landscape in Gujarat is known for the Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, which is the only natural habitat of the Asiatic lion in India. The reintroduction programme released 40 hornbills in two phases, with 28 birds in 2021-2022 and 12 birds in 2023. Eleven male hornbills were fitted with satellite transmitters to track movement, habitat use, and breeding behaviour. Two tagged males were named LK and RSD in memory of ornithologists Lavkumar Khachar and R.S. Dharmakumarsinhji.
4. DoT Disconnects Over Five Crore Fake Mobile Connections: 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. Fake mobile connections are SIM cards issued using forged, incomplete, or misused identity documents. In August 2025, the government blacklisted nearly 40 lakh SIM cards, flagged 68 lakh mobile numbers for re-verification, and blacklisted 52,000 Point of Sale agents for facilitating fake registrations.
5. Dhruva Space Gets ₹60 Crore from Antariksh Fund: Hyderabad-based spacetech company Dhruva Space secured ₹60 crore from the Antariksh Venture Capital Fund on 13 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 ₹1,600 crore. The ₹60 crore investment forms part of Dhruva Space’s ongoing pre-Series B round. The round now totals ₹275 crore, including ₹150 crore in equity and ₹125 crore in debt financing. Dhruva Space is a full-stack space engineering solutions provider based in Hyderabad. Its business areas include satellite platforms, space infrastructure, mission services, and strategic national programmes. The company plans to use the new capital for satellite manufacturing, space infrastructure development, and critical technology development. It also serves domestic and international customers in the space sector. Dhruva Space has an order book of more than ₹500 crore across satellite platforms, space infrastructure, mission services, and strategic national programmes.
6. Uttarakhand Opens First GI Products Gallery: Uttarakhand opened its first Geographical Indications (GI) Products Gallery at the Uttarakhand Forest Training Academy in Haldwani on 13 July 2026. The gallery displays more than 30 GI-tagged products from the state, including agricultural produce, handicrafts, and cultural items. A Geographical Indication is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities, reputation, or characteristics linked to that place. In India, GI registration is governed by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, and the registration is administered by the Geographical Indications Registry under the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks. The gallery includes items such as Bedu, Ramnagar litchi, Ramgarh peach, Tejpat, Munsiyari white rajma, Kumaon chyura oil, and Almora Lakhori chilli. It also features Aipan art, Chamoli wooden Ramman masks, and Uttarakhand Tamta copperware, which represent the state’s artisanal traditions.
7. Rare Laudankia Vine Snake Documented in Udaipur: The Laudankia Vine Snake, scientifically named Ahaetulla laudankia, was photographed in the Ubeshwar wildlife area of Udaipur on 12 July 2026. The record was made by wildlife photographer Rohit Dwivedi with guidance from Sharad Agrawal and Deepal Kalra. Ahaetulla laudankia was scientifically described in 2019 and is endemic to India. The species belongs to the vine snake group and is known for a slender, elongated body adapted to arboreal life. The Laudankia Vine Snake has a chestnut-brown body with fine black speckles and pale white patches on the lower part of the head. It usually measures between 80 cm and 1.5 metres in length. The species is diurnal, which means it is active during the day.
8. Gujarat’s Unjha Cumin and Fennel Get GI Tags: Unjha Cumin (Jeera) and Unjha Fennel (Variyali) from North Gujarat received Geographical Indication (GI) tags from the Geographical Indications Registry of India. The certificates were issued on 28 March 2026, and the registration was made in the name of the Unjha Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), Unjha, under Class 30 for spices. A Geographical Indication is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities, reputation, or characteristics linked to that origin. In India, GI registration is governed by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, and the registry functions under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India Launches SHANTI Campaign for UNSC Bid: India launched its official campaign on 13 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. The United Nations Security Council has 15 members, including 5 permanent members and 10 non-permanent members elected by the United Nations General Assembly. Non-permanent members serve two-year terms, and elections are held by regional group allocation. The Asia-Pacific Group has one seat in the 2028-29 election cycle, and India will contest that seat against Tajikistan in elections scheduled for June 2027. India has served eight terms as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, including the 2021-22 term.
2. India to Host BRICS Labour Ministers’ Meeting: India will host the BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting in Hyderabad on 15 and 16 July 2026 under its BRICS presidency. The meeting is linked to BRICS cooperation on labour markets, workforce skilling, social protection, and employment policies. BRICS is a grouping of major emerging economies that conducts ministerial meetings on sector-specific issues, including labour and employment. The labour ministers’ meeting is one of the formal mechanisms used by BRICS members to coordinate policy positions on employment and social security. The 2026 meeting in Hyderabad is expected to bring together representatives from member countries and international organisations. The agenda includes labour market formalisation, employability, skills development, and women’s participation in the workforce.
3. Ladakh to Form Hill Councils in Seven Districts: Ladakh administration decided on 13 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. Autonomous Hill Development Councils are district-level elected bodies in Ladakh that function under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Act. Leh has had such a council since 1995, and Kargil has had one since 2003. Each council will have powers over land ownership and allotment, recruitment and promotions for district cadre posts, and levy of taxes and fees. The councils will also handle health, education, tourism, local infrastructure, and social welfare schemes, with each district maintaining its own revenue base and development plans.
4. UN Releases First Scientific Report on AI: 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. Artificial intelligence is a branch of computer science that enables machines to perform tasks linked to learning, reasoning, pattern recognition, and language processing. The report covers seven themes, including AI science, healthcare, education, agriculture, economic effects, security, environmental impacts, human rights, democracy, cultural well-being, individual well-being, governance, and reliability. The Independent International Scientific Panel on AI was created to assess scientific evidence on AI and not to prescribe policy. The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated that governments need independent scientific evidence before making policy choices, and the report was prepared for use in the Global Dialogue on AI Governance.
5. ICAI Inaugurates Global Orbit Summit 2026 in New Delhi: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) inaugurated the first edition of the ICAI Global Orbit Summit 2026 in New Delhi on 11 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. Global Capability Centres are offshore units set up by multinational companies to provide services such as finance, information technology, research and development, analytics, human resources, and customer support. India has more than 2,100 GCCs, which employ nearly 2.36 million professionals and generate close to USD 100 billion in annual revenue.
6. India Declares One-Day National Mourning for Former Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani: India declared one-day national mourning on 13 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. National mourning in India is declared by the Union Government on occasions of death of prominent national or foreign dignitaries. During such mourning, the National Flag is flown at half-mast under the Flag Code of India and official entertainment is suspended for the notified period. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the death of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani on 12 July 2026. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju was expected to travel to Qatar to convey India’s condolences on behalf of the Government of India.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. INS Sudarshini Joins Sail Boston 2026 Parade: INS Sudarshini, the Indian Naval Sail Training Ship, arrived in Boston on 12 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 12 July to 15 July 2026. INS Sudarshini is a sail training ship of the Indian Navy. Sail training ships are used for seamanship training, navigation practice, and ceremonial naval participation. The ship flew the Indian Tricolour during its Parade of Sail in New York on 4 July 2026. Before reaching Boston, INS Sudarshini took part in the International Naval Review 250 and Sail4th 250 celebrations in New York, and its port call there ended on 8 July 2026. The ship also made port calls at Norfolk from 19 June to 23 June 2026 and at Baltimore on 26 June 2026.
2. What is Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB)?: 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. The DSRB is designed to provide low-cost, long-term financing for defence-related procurement and industrial capacity. It uses the creditworthiness of sovereign shareholders to issue triple-A-rated bonds, which is a high credit rating used in international finance for low-risk debt instruments. The founding and supporting nations include Albania, Belgium, Canada, Greece, Latvia, Luxembourg, Romania, Türkiye, and Ukraine. Private financial backers include JPMorgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, ING, Commerzbank, RBC, BMO, CIBC, Scotiabank, TD Bank, and National Bank of Canada.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Indigenous Surveillance Airships to Strengthen India’s Border Monitoring: 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 ₹15,000 crore and is linked to border monitoring, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and long-range communications. High Altitude Pseudo Satellites (HAPS) are lighter-than-air or fixed-wing platforms that operate in the stratosphere, usually at altitudes of 20 km to 30 km. These platforms remain below low-Earth orbit satellites, which generally operate between 500 km and 2,000 km, and above many high-altitude drones that fly at around 12 km.
2. Karnataka Announces India’s First Government-Driven AI University: Karnataka announced a plan to establish India’s first government-driven Artificial Intelligence University on 14 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. Artificial Intelligence is a branch of computer science that develops systems capable of tasks such as learning, pattern recognition, language processing, and decision support. An AI university can offer undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programmes in AI, Machine Learning, Robotics, Data Science, and related digital technologies. Karnataka has a large information technology base, and Bengaluru is one of India’s major technology centres. The state contributes nearly 40% of India’s software exports, and Bengaluru has more than 17,000 startups.
3. Two New Solitary Bee Species Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh: Two new solitary bee species, Elaphropoda triangulata and Habropoda adi, were identified in Arunachal Pradesh on 11 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. Solitary bees are bees that do not form large colonies with a queen, workers, and drones. Many solitary bees are ground-nesting insects, and the two newly identified species belong to the Anthophorinae subfamily of ground-nesting bees. Wild bees are part of pollinator diversity in forest, grassland, and agricultural ecosystems. Pollination by bees supports the reproduction of many flowering plants and crop species.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Bihar Launches Subsidised Heli-Tourism Service: Bihar launched the Mukhyamantri Bihar Heli-Tourism and Air Tourism Service Scheme 2026 in Patna on 12 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. The state government will provide a subsidy of up to ₹15,422 per ticket under the scheme. Online booking began on 13 July 2026, and operations are scheduled to start on 18 July 2026. The service will run initially on Saturdays and Sundays. In the first phase, the service connects Patna with Valmikinagar, Maa Mundeshwari Temple in Kaimur, and Rajgir. The fare for a 10-minute Patna joy ride is ₹2,100, while the Patna-Rajgir fare is ₹4,000, the Patna-Valmikinagar fare is ₹5,000, and the Patna-Kaimur fare is ₹6,000.
2. What is PMFME Scheme?: 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 11 July 2026, the scheme had sanctioned loans to over two lakh micro food processing enterprises across India. The PMFME Scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries for the formalisation and support of micro food processing units. The scheme provides credit-linked support, seed capital, training, and assistance for common infrastructure in the food processing sector. About 90% of the beneficiaries are first-generation entrepreneurs, and 44% are women entrepreneurs. More than 75,000 supported enterprises have entered the formal economy through registrations such as Udyam Aadhaar, Udyam Assist, FSSAI, and GST.
3. Centre Approves Rs 14,300 Crore Puducherry Budget: The Union Home Ministry approved Puducherry’s Rs 14,300 crore budget for the financial year 2026-2027 on 12 July 2026. The draft budget was examined with the Finance Ministry and received presidential approval before presentation in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly. The approved budget estimates revenue receipts of Rs 11,965.07 crore for 2026-2027. This includes Rs 7,890.41 crore from Puducherry’s own tax and non-tax revenues and Rs 4,074.66 crore as grants-in-aid from the Government of India. Central grants in the budget include Rs 3,512.86 crore under Normal Central Assistance, Rs 531.80 crore for Centrally Sponsored Schemes and flagship programmes, Rs 25 crore for the Central Road Fund, and Rs 5 crore for the Union Territory Disaster Response Fund. The Central Road Fund is used for road development and maintenance, while the Union Territory Disaster Response Fund is used for disaster response and relief.
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