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A roundup of the key current affairs for July 24, 2026, covering the items not taken up as separate deep-dive articles.

Income Tax Day, July 24

🗞️ Why in News July 24 is observed every year as Income Tax Day (Aaykar Diwas).

Key Points

  • Income Tax Day marks July 24, 1860, the day income tax was first introduced in India by Sir James Wilson, the first Finance Member of British India, to make good the losses of the 1857 revolt.
  • The day is used to spotlight the role of direct taxes in nation-building; the modern regime is governed by the Income-tax Act, 1961, with the new Income-tax Act, 2025 set to replace it, and administered by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) under the Department of Revenue.

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • Income Tax Day: July 24 (income tax introduced in India in 1860 by James Wilson).
  • Governing law: Income-tax Act, 1961; the Income-tax Act, 2025 is set to replace it.
  • Administered by: the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

SOFI 2026 Report on Global Hunger

🗞️ Why in News The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report was released by UN agencies.

Key Points

  • The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report is published jointly by the FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, and tracks progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger).
  • The report estimates the number of people facing hunger (undernourishment) worldwide and flags the gap between current trends and the 2030 Zero Hunger target, while noting the continuing burden of the high cost of a healthy diet for billions of people.

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • SOFI: published by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO.
  • Tracks: SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and the affordability of a healthy diet.
  • FAO headquarters: Rome, Italy.

New NITI Aayog CEO Appointed

🗞️ Why in News The government appointed a new Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog.

Key Points

  • Anurag Jain, a senior IAS officer, was appointed the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog, the government’s apex public-policy think tank that replaced the Planning Commission in 2015.
  • The CEO of NITI Aayog holds the rank of Secretary to the Government of India and is appointed by the Prime Minister; NITI Aayog is chaired by the Prime Minister, with a Vice-Chairperson heading it in practice.

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • NITI Aayog: National Institution for Transforming India, set up in 2015.
  • Chairperson: the Prime Minister; the CEO ranks as Secretary to the Government.
  • CEO: Anurag Jain (IAS).

EPFO 3.0 IT Overhaul

🗞️ Why in News The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation moved ahead with its next-generation “EPFO 3.0” system.

Key Points

  • EPFO 3.0 is a major technology upgrade of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation aimed at delivering bank-like, real-time services, including easier withdrawals, faster claim settlement and a revamped member portal for over seven crore active subscribers.
  • The EPFO is a statutory body under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, administering the Employees’ Provident Fund, Pension (EPS) and insurance (EDLI) schemes; the overhaul complements the wider push on social security for workers.

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • EPFO: under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
  • EPFO 3.0: next-generation IT system for bank-like, real-time services.
  • Schemes: EPF, EPS (pension) and EDLI (insurance).

Ballari-Guntakal 3rd and 4th Railway Lines Approved

🗞️ Why in News The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs cleared a railway multi-tracking project.

Key Points

  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the addition of the third and fourth railway lines on the Ballari-Guntakal section (about 46 km, Rs 1,264 crore) in the South Central and South Western Railway zones, spanning Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, to ease a congested freight corridor.
  • Multi-tracking adds parallel lines to an already double-tracked route, raising capacity and reliability on a corridor that carries heavy iron-ore, cement, coal and agricultural traffic, in line with the goal of a modern, high-capacity rail network.

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • Project: 3rd and 4th line, Ballari-Guntakal section (about 46 km, Rs 1,264 crore, Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh).
  • Approved by: the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
  • Benefit: higher capacity on a congested freight corridor.

UPSC Relevance

These items span GS Paper 2 (institutions, governance) and GS Paper 3 (economy, infrastructure, food security). Revise them as quick prelims pointers alongside the day’s deep-dive articles.

Facts Corner

📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia

  • Income Tax Day: July 24 (1860, James Wilson); law now the Income-tax Act, 1961, being replaced by the Income-tax Act, 2025.
  • SOFI: published jointly by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO; tracks SDG 2.
  • NITI Aayog: set up 2015, chaired by the PM; new CEO Anurag Jain.
  • EPFO 3.0: next-generation IT overhaul under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
  • Ballari-Guntakal: 3rd and 4th line (multi-tracking) approved by the CCEA.

Sources: Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Finance, FAO

Source: Current Affairs Today, July 24, 2026 — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Current Affairs