Current Affairs Quiz 20 July 2026

FACT: The 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee opened in Busan, Republic of Korea, running July 19 to 29, 2026, to examine about 30 new nominations. ANALYSIS: India nominated the ancient Buddhist site of Sarnath for inscription.

FACT: Sarnath, near Varanasi, is where the Buddha delivered his first sermon, the Dhammachakra Pravartana or turning of the wheel of law. ANALYSIS: The Ashokan Lion Capital from Sarnath is India’s national emblem.

FACT: Lestes paloti is a new spreadwing damselfly described from Kerala’s Western Ghats, the first new Lestes species from the Western Ghats since 1929. ANALYSIS: It was named after Dr Muhamed Jafer Palot of the Zoological Survey of India.

FACT: The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), established in 1916 and headquartered in Kolkata, is the nodal body for faunal surveys in India. ANALYSIS: The Western Ghats, where the damselfly was found, is a UNESCO natural World Heritage site and one of India’s four biodiversity hotspots.

FACT: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) launched the E-Commerce Council of India (ECCI), the country’s first national e-commerce council, to unify a roughly USD 120 billion digital-commerce ecosystem. ANALYSIS: IAMAI is an industry body, not a statutory regulator.

FACT: The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is the government-backed open network aimed at democratising e-commerce, distinct from the industry-led ECCI. ANALYSIS: The sector is also governed by the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020.

FACT: Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 was hosted by the Indian Navy at the Southern Naval Command, Kochi, with the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). ANALYSIS: The exercise focused on maritime-domain awareness and coordinated responses to threats like piracy and trafficking.

FACT: The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a multinational naval partnership of more than 40 nations, is headquartered in Bahrain. ANALYSIS: India, a CMF partner since 2023, hosted Operation Southern Readiness to strengthen maritime-security cooperation.

FACT: Manasbal Lake, in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, is regarded as India’s deepest natural freshwater lake, at roughly 13 metres. ANALYSIS: Its 2026 revival, after de-weeding and dredging, saw the return of Siberian migratory birds along the Central Asian Flyway.

FACT: The Siberian and other migratory waterfowl that winter at Manasbal Lake travel along the Central Asian Flyway, for which India has a National Action Plan. ANALYSIS: Wetland restoration at Manasbal supports these migratory species.

FACT: World Chess Day, observed on July 20, marks the founding of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in Paris in 1924; the United Nations proclaimed the day in 2019. ANALYSIS: July 20 is also the anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing of 1969.

FACT: At the 72nd National Film Awards, for films of 2024, “Article 370” was named Best Feature Film. ANALYSIS: The Best Actor award was shared by Kartik Aaryan and Mammootty, with Yami Gautam as Best Actress.

FACT: The 2026 FIFA World Cup, in which Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time, was the first edition with 48 teams, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. ANALYSIS: The expanded format increased participation from around the world.

FACT: The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 proposes raising the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India, to help address case pendency. ANALYSIS: Parliament fixes the Supreme Court’s judge strength by law under Article 124.

FACT: Mount Olympus, Greece’s highest peak at about 2,918 metres and the mythological home of the twelve Olympian gods, is up for mixed cultural and natural World Heritage status at the Busan session. ANALYSIS: Mixed sites have both cultural and natural value and are evaluated by ICOMOS and IUCN.