NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India Represents at Funeral of Former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain represented India at the funeral ceremony of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. They paid their respects on behalf of the Government and the people of India after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, was laid to rest.
2. Digital India Programme Completes 11 Years with Focus on AI and Semiconductor Manufacturing: The Digital India Programme, launced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 1 July 2015, completed 11 years on 1 July 2026 and is implemented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The programme aims to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy, with an increased focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and semiconductor manufacturing. Digital India is built on three key visions: accessible and secure digital infrastructure for every citizen, on-demand digital government services, and promotion of digital literacy and universal digital access.
3. Ministry of Tourism Partners with Google India to Boost Tourism Through AI and Digital Technology: The Ministry of Tourism signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Google India to strengthen the digital promotion of India’s tourism destinations. The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, marking a significant step towards technology-driven tourism promotion. The partnership will leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI), data-driven insights, analytics, and Google’s digital platforms to enhance the global visibility of India’s tourism sector.
4. AICTE Closes 58 Engineering Colleges: 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. Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra recorded 12 closures each as of 5-6 July 2026. Madhya Pradesh recorded eight closures, while Telangana and Punjab recorded four closures each during the same academic year. Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan recorded three closures each. Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu recorded two closures each, while Haryana, Odisha, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, and Puducherry recorded one closure each. The closures were linked to low student enrolment, shortage of required faculty strength, non-compliance with AICTE infrastructure norms, and administrative or financial issues. Of the 58 institutions, three were government-aided and the remaining institutions were privately financed.
5. VB-GRAM G Scheme Gets First Instalment of ₹25,863 Crore: The Union Ministry of Rural Development released the first instalment of ₹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 5 July 2026 through video conferencing from Bhopal, and the Act came into effect across rural India on 1 July 2026. The revised wage structure under VB-GRAM G fixed an interim base wage rate of ₹300 per day from 1 July 2026. The national average daily wage increased by ₹28.6 to ₹327.4 per day, compared with ₹298.8 under MGNREGA. The funding pattern under the scheme follows a 60:40 Centre-State ratio for most States and a 90:10 ratio for North-Eastern and Himalayan States. An interim allocation of ₹95,692.31 crore has been made for States and Union Territories for wage payments and works under the new framework.
6. India Launches First Greenfield Refinery-Cum-Petrochemical Complex: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s first greenfield integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complex at Pachpadra in Balotra district, Rajasthan, on 4 July 2026. The project is a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and the Government of Rajasthan, with equity shares of 74% and 26% respectively. The Pachpadra complex has been developed with an investment of more than ₹79,450 crore. The refinery has a refining capacity of 9 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum and a petrochemical production capacity of 2.4 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum. A greenfield project is a new industrial facility built on undeveloped land. The complex includes a crude oil refinery and petrochemical units in one integrated industrial site. The petrochemical output is linked to downstream industries such as plastics, polymers, and chemical processing. The project is planned as an anchor for a Petrochemical and Plastic Park in the region.
7. Gujarat Revises Land Compensation Policy : 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. The policy covers land used for transmission towers and the Right of Way corridor for overhead lines. Compensation for the Right of Way corridor will be linked to the committee’s assessment. Farmers in rural areas will receive 30% of the market value, municipal areas will receive 45%, and municipal corporation areas will receive 60%. The compensable area for transmission towers has been increased by one metre on all four sides of the tower base.
8. Maharashtra Bans Energy Drinks Near Schools: 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 3 July 2026. The restriction was announced in the Vidhan Sabha during the monsoon session by the Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal. The order covers sales near schools and directs the Food and Drug Administration to take immediate action against violators. Schools have been asked to conduct awareness programmes on the health risks linked with energy drinks, which often contain high levels of caffeine and sugar. FDA Commissioner Tukaram Munde stated on 3 July 2026 that manufacturers have been instructed to stop mislabelling products as energy drinks. The state also plans a statewide campaign against harmful energy drinks, flavoured tobacco products, and food adulteration, along with new food testing laboratories.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India Hosts BRICS Anti-Drugs Meeting in Guwahati: India is hosting the two-day BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting in Guwahati, Assam, on 6-7 July 2026. The meeting is organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau under the Union Home Ministry and brings together anti-drug agencies from the expanded BRICS grouping. BRICS is an intergovernmental grouping that originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The expanded BRICS grouping includes Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. The BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting is a platform for cooperation among national drug-control institutions. The agenda includes intelligence sharing, operational coordination, capacity building and institutional cooperation among member states.
2. OPEC+ Approves 188,000 Bpd Oil Output Hike: OPEC+ agreed on 5 July 2026 to raise its collective oil production ceiling by 188,000 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. The August increase forms part of a phased rollback of a 1.65 million barrels per day supply cut agreed in 2023. After the August hike, about 379,000 barrels per day of the original 2023 cuts will still remain to be restored to the market.
3. Scientists Create New Exotic Quantum State: Physicists at the University of Innsbruck created a new exotic form of matter called a fractional Fermi sea on 3 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. Researchers at the University of Innsbruck, with theoretical physicist Alvise Bastianello of CNRS and Université Paris-Dauphine, reported the deliberate creation of fractional Fermi seas on 29 June 2026. Their work linked the state to behaviour beyond Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid theory, which describes interacting particles in one dimension. On 6 June 2026, researchers at the University Of Chicago Pritzker School Of Molecular Engineering proposed a theoretical method for generating and controlling entangled quantum states. The study was published in Physical Review X and was connected with quantum sensing and quantum computing. On 4 May 2026, a study led by Cal Poly Physics Department Lecturer Ian Powell and student researcher Louis Buchalter examined time-varying magnetic fields and new stable forms of matter. The work appeared in Physical Review B.
4. Bihar Banyan Tree Named World’s Oldest Accurately Dated: 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. The tree stands on the Indian Tobacco Company campus in Munger and has been linked to the historic Burra Bunglow area. The study used radiocarbon dating, a method that measures the decay of carbon-14 in organic material and is used in archaeology, geology, and palaeosciences. Tropical broadleaf trees such as banyans usually do not form distinct annual growth rings, which makes conventional dendrochronology difficult. The use of alpha-cellulose from wood samples provides a more precise material for radiocarbon analysis in long-lived trees.
5. India Designates 23 JeM and LeT Operatives as Terrorists: On 4 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. The list includes operatives associated with JeM and LeT, both of which are Pakistan-based terrorist organisations active in Jammu and Kashmir. Among the named persons are Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, Mohammad Mussadiq alias Doctor, and Mufti Muhammad Asghar Khan alias Abu Saad from JeM, along with Abdul Rauf, Hafiz Khalid Waleed, and Rana Iftikhar linked to LeT. Masood Ilyas Kashmiri is based in Rawalkot in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Mohammad Mussadiq alias Doctor is linked to infiltration operations and drone-based arms supply across the border. Mufti Muhammad Asghar Khan alias Abu Saad is linked to the 29 November 2016 attack on an Indian Army camp in Nagrota, Jammu.
6. Modified UDAN Scheme Expands Regional Air Connectivity: 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. The modified scheme proposes 200 modern helipads for remote and difficult terrain. This component carries an investment of Rs. 3,661 crore over eight years. Viability Gap Funding support of more than Rs. 10,000 crore will continue for airlines. The subsidy window under the scheme extends from three years to five years. The initiative includes indigenous aircraft and helicopters such as HAL Dhruv and Dornier platforms. These platforms are linked with the Atmanirbhar Bharat framework for domestic capability in aviation. The scheme targets the development of 100 existing airstrips into UDAN airports. The planned investment for this component is over Rs. 12,000 crore. An additional Rs. 2,500 crore has been earmarked for operations and maintenance support for regional airports during their initial years of operation.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. INS Sudarshini Reaches New York for Sail4th 250: INS Sudarshini, the Indian Naval Sail Training Ship, arrived in New York Harbor on 4 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. Sail4th 250 marks the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence. The events in New York are scheduled from 4 July to 8 July 2026, and public viewing of tall ships is planned from 5 July to 8 July 2026. INS Sudarshini participated in SAIL 250 events in Norfolk and Baltimore before reaching New York. The ship sailed along the Hudson River during the Parade of Sail and flew the Indian Tricolour. The visit is linked with maritime cooperation, international goodwill, and engagement with partner navies. Lokayan 2026 is a 10-month transoceanic expedition.
2. Defence Acquisition Council Clears ₹52,000 Crore Purchases: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) granted Acceptance of Necessity for capital acquisition proposals worth about ₹52,000 crore on 3 July 2026. The DAC is the highest decision-making body of the Ministry of Defence for capital procurement and is chaired by the Defence Minister. The Defence Acquisition Council was set up after the Kargil War to speed up defence procurement and reduce delays in acquisition. It deals with capital purchases such as weapons, platforms, sensors, and support systems for the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force. Acceptance of Necessity, or AoN, is the first formal approval in the defence procurement process under the Defence Acquisition Procedure. It permits the services to begin the next stages of tendering, technical evaluation, and contract finalisation for capital acquisition proposals.
SPORTS
1. Stan Wawrinka Announces Retirement After Illustrious Tennis Career: Swiss tennis legend Stan Wawrinka has announced that he will retire from professional tennis after a remarkable career spanning more than 20 years on the ATP Tour. Wawrinka won three Grand Slam singles titles—the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open—cementing his place among tennis greats. He also won the Olympic Gold Medal in Men’s Doubles alongside Roger Federer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Hayabusa2 Performs Torifune Asteroid Flyby: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft performed a high-speed flyby of asteroid Torifune, also called 2001 CC21, on 5 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. Hayabusa2 is a Japanese sample-return spacecraft developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The probe completed its primary mission in 2020 by returning samples from asteroid Ryugu to Earth. It is now operating on an extended mission with additional asteroid encounters. Asteroid Torifune has the designation 2001 CC21. Its estimated diameter is about 450 to 500 metres. The flyby enabled observations of the asteroid’s surface, structure, and temperature. JAXA confirmed that the spacecraft remained in normal condition at 6:35 p.m. Japan Standard Time on 5 July 2026.
2. ISRO Conducts First SOLVE Ground Test for Gaganyaan: 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 3 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. SOLVE stands for Sub-Orbital Launch Vehicle for Experiments. It is designed to carry the crew module to an altitude of 10 to 17 km, after which the module separates and a sequence of 10 parachutes deploys for descent before splashdown in the sea. The solid stage of SOLVE is derived from the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle Strap-on Motor. The modified configuration includes a slow burn-rate propellant and a straight nozzle with secondary injection thrust vector control.
3. Indian scientists develop placenta-on-chip platform: Indian researchers from Mumbai have developed a lab-grown placenta-on-chip platform that recreates key placental functions. The device is linked to pregnancy research, drug testing, and reduced dependence on animal models in biomedical studies. The work involves IIT Bombay and the Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, also known as NIRRCH, in Parel, Mumbai. The project includes Prof. Abhijit Majumder from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Prof. Debjani Paul from the School of Biosciences and Bioengineering, and Dr. Deepak Modi from NIRRCH. The devices were built using photolithography and soft lithography, which are standard fabrication methods in microengineering. The platform is designed to mimic the placenta as a gatekeeper that controls nutrient transfer and blocks harmful substances. The models are also intended for testing medicines for the pharmaceutical industry and for studying pregnancy-related conditions such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. PayGlocal Launches Google Pay Card Payments for International Transactions : PayGlocal, India’s leading cross-border payments platform, has launched Google Pay Card Payments on its International Payment Gateway, becoming one of the first payment platforms in India to enable Google Pay for international transactions. With Apple Pay already available on its gateway, PayGlocal now enables Indian merchants to reach over one billion customers across key global markets, including the US, UK, Australia, Canada, UAE, Singapore, and Western Europe. Google Pay supports transactions in 86+ countries and 60+ currencies, allowing global customers to make single-tap payments in their local currency, thereby simplifying international checkout for Indian merchants.
2. Kotak Mahindra Bank to Acquire Deutsche Bank India’s Retail and Wealth Business: Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMBL) has announced the acquisition of Deutsche Bank India’s retail banking, private banking, and wealth management business for ₹281.7 crore. The acquisition is expected to be completed by September 2027, strengthening Kotak Mahindra Bank’s presence in the retail and wealth management segments.
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