NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Virendra Kumar Inaugurates 31st Divya Kala Mela in Kolkata to Promote Divyang Entrepreneurs: Union Minister Virendra Kumar inaugurated the 31st Divya Kala Mela at Ravindra Sadan, Kolkata (West Bengal). The mela aims to promote and market products, handicrafts, and craftsmanship created by Divyang (persons with disabilities) entrepreneurs, encouraging their economic empowerment. This is the first edition of Divya Kala Mela jointly organised by the Central Government and the Government of West Bengal, strengthening support for inclusive entrepreneurship.
2. NITI Aayog Releases Investment Friendliness Index; Gujarat Tops Rankings with Four Other States: NITI Aayog has launched the Investment Friendliness Index (IFI) to rank States and Union Territories based on the quality of their investment ecosystem. The IFI evaluates regions on key parameters including infrastructure, business climate, financial health, regulatory environment, and government policies. States and UTs are classified into four categories: Top Performers (above 50), Frontrunners (45–50), Emerging Performers (40–<45), and Aspiring States (below 40).
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Odisha have emerged as the Top Performers in the Investment Friendliness Index.
3. GAIL Signs MoU with KABIL to Strengthen India’s Critical Minerals Security: GAIL (India) Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) to enhance cooperation in the critical minerals sector. The partnership aims to strengthen India’s long-term resource security by ensuring access to critical and strategic minerals essential for economic growth and clean energy technologies.
4. Harjit Singh Grewal Appointed Chairperson of National Commission for Minorities: Harjit Singh Grewal was appointed as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, filling the vacancy left after Iqbal Singh Lalpura’s tenure ended in April 2025. The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) is a statutory body established under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, to safeguard the rights and interests of minority communities in India. Harjit Singh Grewal will serve a three-year term from the date of assuming office. Munawari Begum has been appointed as Vice-Chairperson, while Glenn E. Souza Ticlo has been appointed as a Member of the Commission.
5. Omicron RF.5 Sub-Variant Detected in Andhra Pradesh: 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. RF.5 is a sub-lineage of Omicron and belongs to the JN.1 evolutionary branch through LF.7 and PY.1.1.1. Symptoms linked with RF.5 include sore throat, cough, fever, headache, runny or blocked nose, fatigue, and body aches. Health officials in Andhra Pradesh stated that there was no scientific evidence that RF.5 was more severe than earlier Omicron sub-variants. The Andhra Pradesh Health Department issued an alert across all districts on 20 July 2026. Hospitals were kept ready with isolation wards, testing kits, and related infrastructure for disease surveillance and case management.
6. ICAR Works on Genome-Edited 40 Crop Varieties: 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. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It coordinates agricultural research, education and extension through a network of national institutes, research centres and agricultural universities. Genome editing is a technique that makes targeted changes in a plant’s own DNA. The SDN-1 and SDN-2 categories are used for such edits, and these methods do not introduce foreign genes into the plant genome. The Department of Biotechnology issued Standard Operating Procedures in 2022 for the regulatory review of genome-edited plants under SDN-1 and SDN-2 categories. Transgene-free edited crops are exempted under this framework.
7. Madhya Pradesh Archaeology Department Collects Rare 1857 Mutiny Records: 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. The Revolt of 1857 is also called the First War of Indian Independence in Indian historiography. Tatya Tope was one of the prominent rebel leaders associated with the uprising, and Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi became a major figure in the resistance against the East India Company. The newly collected document bearing Tatya Tope’s signature was earlier given to the government by the princely state of Shivpuri after India’s Independence. Such records are used in the study of colonial administration, rebellion networks, and princely-state archives.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. FATF Updates Global Watchlists; Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq Added to Grey List: FATF updated its monitored jurisdictions list after the June 17–19, 2026 Plenary, removing Algeria and Namibia from the increased monitoring (Grey List) while adding Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iraq. Myanmar continues on the High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action (Black List), while the status of Iran and North Korea (DPRK) also remains unchanged. FATF urged countries to apply enhanced due diligence for high-risk jurisdictions but clarified that humanitarian aid, remittances, legitimate NGO activities, and lawful trade and business transactions should not be disrupted.
2. Ukraine Parliament Approves Serhii Koretskyi as New Prime Minister: Ukraine’s Parliament approved Serhii Koretskyi as the new Prime Minister following a nomination by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a major government reshuffle. Koretskyi previously served as CEO of Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company, since May 2025 and was chosen for his expertise in strengthening the country’s energy sector ahead of another wartime winter.
3. 20 July – International Chess Day: International Chess Day is observed every year on 20 July to celebrate the game of chess and promote its role in education, culture, and international cooperation. The day commemorates the establishment of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) on 20 July 1924 in Paris, France. The United Nations officially proclaimed 20 July as International Chess Day in 2019, recognising chess as a game that promotes fairness, inclusion, critical thinking, and peace.
4. India, Spain Advance UPI-Bizum Payment Talks: India and Spain agreed on 19 and 20 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. The Unified Payments Interface, or UPI, is India’s real-time digital payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India. It enables instant bank-to-bank transfers through mobile applications and supports merchant payments, peer-to-peer transfers, and QR-based transactions. Bizum is a mobile-payment service in Spain that enables instant account-to-account transfers through participating banks. The proposed UPI-Bizum linkage is intended to support cross-border digital transactions for travellers and businesses and to improve financial connectivity between India and Spain.
5. OpenAI Appoints Uday Ruddaraju as CTO of Compute: OpenAI appointed Indian-origin technology executive Uday Ruddaraju as Chief Technology Officer, Compute, on 19 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. The Chief Technology Officer, or CTO, is a senior executive responsible for technology strategy, engineering direction, and infrastructure planning in a company. In large artificial intelligence firms, the CTO role can cover compute systems, hardware, data centres, and large-scale software platforms. Compute infrastructure refers to the hardware and software systems used to train and run artificial intelligence models. It includes distributed systems, servers, networking equipment, storage, accelerators, and data centre facilities. Large language models require high-performance compute resources for training and inference.
6. National Conference Holds Statehood Protests in Jammu and Delhi : The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference organised protests in New Delhi and at district headquarters across Jammu and Kashmir on 20 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. Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory on 31 October 2019 after the reorganisation of the former State of Jammu and Kashmir. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has a legislative assembly, while the Union Territory of Ladakh does not have one. Article 370 of the Constitution of India granted special status to the former State of Jammu and Kashmir. In December 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Centre’s decision on Article 370 and stated that statehood should be restored at the earliest.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Indian Navy to Host Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 Maritime Exercise in Kochi: Operation Southern Readiness 26-2, a multinational maritime security training exercise, will be held at the Southern Naval Command, Kochi, from 20–23 July 2026. The Indian Navy will conduct the four-day exercise in collaboration with the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) under Combined Task Force (CTF) 154. CTF 154, the CMF’s dedicated training task force, focuses on maritime security training, professional development, and operational coordination among partner navies.
2. Indian Navy to Commission Indigenous Mahe-Class ASW Craft INS Malvan: The Indian Navy will commission INS Malvan on 22 July 2026, the second Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi. INS Malvan has over 80% indigenous content, showcasing India’s growing self-reliance in naval shipbuilding under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Designed for coastal and shallow-water operations, the Mahe-class ASW-SWC enhances the Indian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare and maritime security capabilities with advanced indigenous technology.
3. Bangladesh and United States Launch Tiger Lightning 2026: Bangladesh and the United States began the annual bilateral military exercise Tiger Lightning 2026 on 19 July 2026. The exercise involves more than 160 service members from both countries and runs for 13 days until 31 July 2026. Tiger Lightning is a bilateral military exercise between the Bangladesh Army and the United States Army Pacific Command (USARPAC). The exercise began in 2017 and resumed after a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. The opening ceremony took place at the Para Commando Brigade in Jalalabad Cantonment, Sylhet, Bangladesh. U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen and Chief of General Staff of the Bangladesh Army Lieutenant General Md Mainur Rahman attended the ceremony on 19 July 2026.
SPORTS
1. Odisha’s Debadatta Wins Gold at International Chemistry Olympiad: 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 10 July to 19 July 2026, and India finished with four gold medals in the event. India secured four gold medals at the 58th IChO 2026, which was the country’s best-ever performance in the competition. The other Indian gold medallists were Harshit Singla of Punjab, Kabeer Chhillar of Delhi, and Sandeep Kuchi of Telangana. India finished first in the country-wise medals tally jointly with China, Vietnam, and Individual Participants Group B from Russia. The 2026 edition had 363 students from 93 countries, which made it the largest IChO held so far.
2. Spain Wins FIFA World Cup 2026 Final: Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final on 19 July 2026. Ferran Torres scored the only goal in the 106th minute of extra time at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, near New York. The FIFA World Cup final is the last match of the tournament and is decided by extra time and penalties if the score remains level after 90 minutes. The 2026 FIFA World Cup used a 48-team format, which was the largest field in the history of the competition. Argentina played with 10 men for the whole of extra time after Enzo Fernández received a second yellow card in second-half stoppage time. Emiliano MartÃnez made 12 saves in the final, and Ferran Torres received the Man of the Match award.
3. Pakistan to Host 2027 South Asian Games: Pakistan will host the 14th South Asian Federation Games, officially called the XIV South Asian Games, from 23 March to 31 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. The South Asian Games are a regional multi-sport event for countries of South Asia. The event is organised under the South Asian Olympic Council, which is the governing body for the Games. The participating countries are members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation sporting framework. The South Asian Olympic Council announced Pakistan as the host in December 2019. Pakistan Olympic Association President Arif Hassan received the Games flag at that time. The Games were first planned for March 2023 and were later postponed to March 2024, January 2026, and then March 2027.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. MAHE and Dhruva Space Partner to Establish ASCENT Space Technology Centre in Manipa: Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) and Dhruva Space signed an MoU to establish the ASCENT (Advanced Space Capability, Engineering and New-space Technologies) Centre at the MAHE Manipal campus, Karnataka. The ASCENT Centre will promote space systems engineering, applied research, mission development, and technology validation, with dedicated facilities for spacecraft development, integration, testing, and qualification. Expected to be inaugurated in late 2026, the centre will support student-led satellite and hosted payload missions, offering hands-on experience from spacecraft design to launch and on-orbit operations.
2. Kerala-Based HEX20 Launches Second Satellite ‘KOYO’ Aboard SpaceX Transporter-17 Mission: Kerala-based private spacetech startup HEX20 successfully launched its second satellite, KOYO (Kinetic Optical Yaw Observer), aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-17 mission. The launch took place from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA, marking another milestone for India’s private space sector. KOYO was developed for National Central University (NCU), Taiwan, and is designed as a multi-payload technology demonstration and space qualification satellite.
3. TNSDA Uncovers Over 1,000 Artefacts at Vellalore: 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. Vellalore is located on the southern bank of the Noyyal river in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The first season of excavation at Vellalore has identified evidence of an ancient settlement spread over about 100 acres. The work is being carried out at four locations across three sites near the Theneeswarar Temple. The excavated material includes Roman copper coins, household items, ornaments, stone structures, water channels, floor materials, and a round pit with lime plaster. The assemblage also includes evidence of bead-making, iron and steel making, weaving tools, shell ornament making, and pottery production.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. IndusInd Bank Integrates with EPFO to Enable Seamless Digital PF Contributions: IndusInd Bank has integrated with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), enabling organisations to make Provident Fund (PF) contributions directly through the EPFO portal. Employers can now select IndusInd Bank as the payment option on the EPFO portal and complete transactions using the Bank’s Corporate Internet Banking and Mobile Banking platforms. The integration simplifies digital statutory payments, allowing IndusInd Bank customers to remit EPFO contributions seamlessly through the EPFO portal.
2. RBI Grants NBFC Registration to Delhivery Financial Services: Delhivery Financial Services Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delhivery Limited, has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a Certificate of Registration (CoR). The approval allows the company to operate as a Type-II Non-Banking Financial Company – Non-Deposit Taking (NBFC-ND), enabling it to provide financial services without accepting public deposits.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Indian Chess Stars Nominated for Inaugural FIDE Excellence Awards: The inaugural FIDE Excellence Awards will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, alongside the 46th Chess Olympiad in September to honour outstanding chess players. World Champion D. Gukesh, R. Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi have been shortlisted among the 10 nominees for the Best Male Chess Player award, along with World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. Divya Deshmukh, Koneru Humpy, and R. Vaishali have been nominated for the Best Female Chess Player award, recognising their exceptional performances in international chess.
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