July 2026: Monthly Current Affairs

Month in Brief

July 2026 opened with a welfare reset and closed with a crisis of trust. On July 1 the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G-RAM-G) replaced MGNREGA, raising the rural work guarantee from 100 to 125 days, while the four Labour Codes moved into enforcement through a new EPF Scheme, 2026. By the last week, the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak had produced weeks of youth-led protest, the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan (July 25), a Nandan Nilekani task force on the National Testing Agency (NTA), and an amendment, passed by both Houses on July 29 and 30, that sharply raised the penalties for paper leaks. The Monsoon Session (from July 20) also took up the Supreme Court judge-strength Bill and passed statutory protection for Vande Mataram.

Abroad and in the economy, the story was capacity and connectivity. The India-UK CETA entered into force on July 15; the Cabinet approved Semicon 2.0 (Rs 1,27,500 crore), the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (Rs 62,500 crore) and a new urea investment policy on the same day; and Skyroot’s Vikram-1 became India’s first privately built rocket to reach orbit (July 18). The Prime Minister hosted Japan’s Prime Minister and travelled to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, while the US-Iran war kept the Strait of Hormuz, and India’s energy bill, in the headlines. Sarnath became India’s 45th World Heritage property. For revision, prioritise the exam-integrity cluster (GS2, GS4), the welfare and labour transition (GS2, GS3), the semiconductor and trade package (GS3) and the Indo-Pacific summits (GS2).

This compilation covers events from July 1 to 31, 2026, drawn from Ujiyari’s daily editions. Every story links to its full article.

Top 10 Stories of July 2026

1. NEET-UG 2026 leak, and a minister resigns (July 25 to 30). Dharmendra Pradhan quit as Education Minister; Pralhad Joshi took charge; a six-member Nilekani task force was set up on NTA reform; Parliament passed the Public Examinations Amendment Bill. GS2, GS4. Read
2. VB-G-RAM-G replaces MGNREGA (July 1). Guarantee raised to 125 days, with an interim base wage of about Rs 300 a day. GS2, GS3. Read
3. India-UK CETA and the Double Contribution Convention in force (July 15). Duty-free access on about 99 per cent of UK tariff lines. GS2, GS3. Read
4. Semicon 2.0, MPMS and NIPU-2026 cleared (July 15). About Rs 1.9 lakh crore for chips and phone components, plus a new urea investment policy. GS3. Read
5. Sarnath inscribed on the World Heritage List (July 25). India’s 45th property, Uttar Pradesh’s fourth. GS1. Read
6. Vikram-1 reaches orbit (July 18). India’s first privately developed orbital rocket, from Sriharikota. GS3. Read
7. Indo-Pacific summitry (July 2 to 11). Japan (economic security, AI), Indonesia (BrahMos, Astra), Australia (uranium), New Zealand (Strategic Partnership). GS2. Read
8. Vande Mataram gets statutory protection (July 29 to 30). Both Houses passed the National Honour amendment. GS2. Read
9. Supreme Court on citizenship and green clearances. Deletion from the roll is not loss of citizenship (July 17); a 2021 memorandum allowing ex-post-facto clearances quashed. GS2, GS3. Read
10. Hormuz and the US-Iran war (July 29). Fresh strikes near Bandar Abbas and Kish choked the Strait again, testing India’s crude and LNG supply. GS2, GS3. Read

GS1: History, Art & Culture

Sarnath Becomes India’s 45th World Heritage Property (July 25)

At the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, Republic of Korea, the Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath near Varanasi was inscribed on the World Heritage List under cultural criteria (iii) and (vi). It is India’s 45th World Heritage property and Uttar Pradesh’s fourth, and had been on India’s Tentative List since 1998. The inscribed components include the Chaukhandi Stupa and the archaeological remains, among them the Dhamek Stupa and the Dharmarajika Stupa. Sarnath is where the Buddha delivered his first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, to the five ascetics. Full article

India and Kyrgyzstan Pair Manas With the Mahabharata

A new International Centre for Civilizational Studies in Bishkek pairs the Kyrgyz epic Manas (on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list) with the Mahabharata, and the first Hindi translation of Manas was released. It is cultural diplomacy for India’s Central Asia outreach. Full article

Shabdalok, a Museum of the Word (July 19)

Shabdalok, described as India’s first immersive language museum, opened at the National Library, Belvedere Estate, Kolkata, under the Ministry of Culture. Revise the Eighth Schedule with it: 22 languages, with Sindhi added by the 21st Amendment (1967) and Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali by the 71st (1992). Full article

Crafts, Heritage and Traditional Knowledge

• 6th Lok Samvardhan Parv, Dehradun (July 11 to 15), held under PM VIKAS, the 2023 scheme that merged five minority-welfare schemes. Full article
• Saushrutam 2026, a seminar on Ayurvedic surgery (Shalya-tantra) at the All India Institute of Ayurveda, marked Sushruta Jayanti. Full article
• GI tags: eight for Himachal Pradesh (including Spiti Seabuckthorn), taking the state to 17, and 28 products facilitated by NABARD. NABARD article
• Angen, a short film by Ravi Raj Murmu, became the first Santhali film honoured in the Non-Feature section of the National Film Awards (Best Debut Film of a Director, 72nd awards, announced July 18).

Anniversaries of the Freedom Struggle

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak (born July 23, 1856): Swaraj is my birthright; Home Rule League (1916); Gita Rahasya, written in Mandalay jail. Full article
• Chandrashekhar Azad (born July 23, 1906), who reorganised the HRA into the HSRA in 1928.
• Batukeshwar Dutt (died July 20, 1965), who threw the Central Legislative Assembly bombs with Bhagat Singh on April 8, 1929. Full article
• National Flag adoption by the Constituent Assembly, July 22, 1947.

📌 Facts Corner, History, Art & Culture

• Sarnath: inscribed July 25, 2026; 48th WHC session, Busan; India’s 45th, UP’s 4th; criteria (iii) and (vi); on Tentative List since 1998
• Four Buddhist life sites: Lumbini (birth), Bodh Gaya (enlightenment), Sarnath (first sermon), Kushinagar (mahaparinirvana)
• ASI: 1861; enforces the AMASR Act, 1958
• PM VIKAS merged Seekho aur Kamao, USTTAD, Hamari Dharohar, Nai Roshni and Nai Manzil
• GI Act, 1999 (in force 2003); GI Registry, Chennai; first GI, Darjeeling Tea; a GI is valid for 10 years, renewable

GS1: Geography

A Weak Monsoon Under a Strengthening El Nino

June 2026 closed about 40 per cent below normal rainfall, blamed on a strengthening El Nino, an unfavourable Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) phase and few low-pressure systems. In late July the WMO’s Global Seasonal Climate Update forecast a strong El Nino developing rapidly, with the Indian Ocean Dipole as the main moderating factor for India. A CREA analysis warned the El Nino year (July 2026 to June 2027) could open an 18 TWh power gap, most likely filled by coal. Monsoon article · CREA article

The Indian Plate and the Tibetan Plateau

A Nature Geoscience study used thermochronology on rocks from Rutog and Gerze to show that underthrusting of the Indian plate beneath Eurasia built the plateau and explains why western Tibet rose faster than central Tibet. The India-Eurasia collision began about 50 million years ago. Full article

Himalayan Hazards: Teesta Stage-VI and the Assam Floods

On July 20, a suspected methane burst in the head race tunnel of NHPC’s 500 MW Teesta Stage-VI project in Namchi district, Sikkim, killed all 25 trapped workers (the last bodies were recovered on July 23), renewing scrutiny of tunnelling in the young Himalaya. Through mid-July the Brahmaputra flooded Assam and parts of Kaziranga, where animals move along corridors to the Karbi Anglong hills. Teesta article · Assam article

Rivers and Inter-State Water

• Cauvery (July 28): the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee directed Karnataka to ensure 3,500 cusecs at Biligundlu for 15 days (ratified by the CWMA two days later), as the state’s reservoir inflows ran about 66 per cent below the 30-year average. Full article
• Narmada (July 7): Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra signed a one-time payment pact settling dues on the Sardar Sarovar and Indira Sagar projects under the NWDT Award (1979). Full article
• Manasbal Lake (Ganderbal, J&K), the deepest lake in the Kashmir Valley, showed an ecological revival after de-weeding. Full article

📌 Facts Corner, Geography

• El Nino: warm phase of ENSO; MJO: an eastward-moving tropical rainfall pulse with a 30 to 60 day cycle
• Southwest monsoon: about 75 per cent of India’s annual rainfall; normal Kerala onset around June 1
• India-Eurasia collision: about 50 million years ago; Tibetan Plateau averages about 4,500 m
• Brahmaputra: Tsangpo in Tibet, Jamuna in Bangladesh; Kaziranga NP 1974, UNESCO 1985
• Inter-state water disputes: Article 262 and the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956
• Cauvery: tribunal award 2007, modified by the Supreme Court in 2018; CWMA and CWRC implement it
• NWDT: constituted 1969, final award 1979

GS1: Social Issues

Maharashtra Recognises Women as Farmers

The Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill, 2026 passed the Assembly unanimously on July 2 and was reported as law on July 16. Maharashtra is the first state to recognise women in farming and allied work as farmers regardless of land title, through a Woman Farmer Certificate that unlocks credit, insurance and procurement, backed by a dedicated state fund. Women do an estimated 65 to 75 per cent of farm labour but own under 14 per cent of farmland. Full article

Schools, Literacy and Free Education

• UDISE+ 2025-26 (July 8): about 1.02 crore school teachers, above the one-crore mark first crossed in 2024-25; secondary dropout fell from 8.2 to 7.0 per cent. PGI 2.0 was released alongside. Full article
• Odisha’s Gyanodaya (July 1): the first universal free-education scheme from KG to PG in government and aided institutions, about Rs 5,467.55 crore over five years. Full article
• Uttarakhand was declared fully literate under ULLAS, the New India Literacy Programme.

Health: Mothers, Dengue and Research

• Dengue: CDSCO approved the Qdenga vaccine, reported as India’s first, and an ICMR-linked study found all four serotypes co-circulating in at least eight states, a hyper-endemic pattern that raises the risk of severe secondary infection. Full article
• A draft National Health Research Policy 2026 was released for consultation, updating the 2011 policy. Full article
• World Hepatitis Day (July 28): the NVHCP (2018) has screened over 21 crore people. Full article

Dignity at Work and Online Safety

• Third NAMASTE Day (July 14), for 100 per cent mechanisation and zero deaths in sewer and septic-tank cleaning. Full article
• Creche standards came into focus after a Bengaluru daycare abuse case; the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 mandates a creche for establishments with 50 or more employees. Full article
• France’s Parliament passed a social-media ban for under-15s (July 21); the Constitutional Council struck down its core on August 14 as overbroad. Both steps inform India’s age-assurance debate under the DPDP Act, 2023. Full article
• World Day against Trafficking in Persons (July 30) carried the theme “Trapped Behind the Scam”, on victims forced into online scam compounds. Full article

Population and Social Protection

World Population Day (July 11) came as India’s fertility sits at or below replacement and Kerala’s crude birth rate fell below 10 for the first time. In mid-July India announced that its social protection coverage had crossed one billion people (about 68.4 per cent), a figure acknowledged by the ILO at the BRICS Labour Ministers’ meeting in Hyderabad. Population article

📌 Facts Corner, Social Issues

• Women farmers: 65 to 75 per cent of farm labour, under 14 per cent of farmland; Article 15(3) permits special provisions for women
• UDISE+ 2025-26: about 1.02 crore teachers; secondary dropout 7.0 per cent; secondary retention 51.9 per cent
• Gyanodaya: Odisha, approved July 1, 2026; about 32 lakh students a year
• Dengue: Aedes aegypti; four serotypes (DENV-1 to 4); ADE raises severe-dengue risk on secondary infection
• NAMASTE: National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem; MoSJE and MoHUA
• World Population Day: since 1989, inspired by the “Five Billion Day” (July 11, 1987)

GS2: Polity & Governance

NEET-UG 2026, a Resignation and the Nilekani Task Force

NEET-UG 2026, held on May 3, was cancelled after a leak and re-held on June 21 for more than 20 lakh candidates. Youth-led protests centred on Jantar Mantar ran through July; on July 25 Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, and Pralhad Joshi was given charge of the Ministry of Education (taking over on July 26) while keeping his existing portfolios. On July 26 a six-member task force chaired by Nandan Nilekani (with S. Somanath, Tapan Deka, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Anita Karwal and Amrit Lal Meena) was set up to reform the NTA’s whole examination cycle, including AI and blockchain-based verification. The Supreme Court (CJI Surya Kant’s bench) ordered the release of minors detained in the protests. For GS4, the episode is a live case of individual ministerial responsibility, a Westminster convention not written into the Constitution, as distinct from collective responsibility under Article 75(3). Full article · Resignation article

Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 (passed July 29 and 30)

Approved by the Cabinet on July 24, introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 27, and passed by the Lok Sabha on July 29 and the Rajya Sabha on July 30, the Bill amends the 2024 Act. For a person using unfair means, the punishment rises from 3 to 5 years and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh to 5 to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh. For organised crime, the minimum rises to 7 years and a fine of at least Rs 10 crore (from Rs 1 crore). Service providers face fines of up to Rs 5 crore (from Rs 1 crore). Convicts’ assets can be attached, and cases go to special fast-track courts. Full article

Supreme Court Judge Strength: 33 to 37

The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, moved by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, raises the number of judges other than the CJI from 33 to 37 (total 38), replacing an ordinance of May 16, 2026. It was introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 20; Parliament passed it in August (Lok Sabha August 3, Rajya Sabha August 5). Pendency stood at 92,823 cases (April 30, 2026). Parliament fixes the strength by law under Article 124(1). Full article

Statutory Protection for Vande Mataram (passed July 29 and 30)

The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 passed the Rajya Sabha on July 29 and the Lok Sabha on July 30. It extends to the National Song the protection the 1971 Act gives the Anthem, Flag and Constitution: up to 3 years, or fine, or both, and a minimum of 1 year for a repeat offence. The debate turns on Article 19(1)(a), Article 25 and Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala (1986). Full article

Elections and Citizenship

• SIR in West Bengal (July 17): a bench of CJI Surya Kant with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana held that deletion from the electoral roll is not loss of citizenship; the ECI (Article 324) assesses citizenship only to prepare rolls, while the Centre decides citizenship under the Citizenship Act, 1955. Full article
• One Nation, One Election: the JPC on the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 (chair P.P. Chaudhary) got an extension to the Winter Session on July 29, after stating on July 11 that the framework “conforms to the Constitution”. Full article
• Delimitation: debate revived over an 850-seat Lok Sabha after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 fell short of the two-thirds majority in April; the seat freeze dates from the 42nd Amendment (1976), extended by the 84th (2001). Full article

Criminal Procedure and Rights

• Written grounds of arrest: the Supreme Court indicated a possible reference to a larger bench on whether written grounds are mandatory in every case (Pankaj Bansal, 2023; Prabir Purkayastha, 2024; Article 22(1)). Full article
• Trial in absentia: a Jammu NIA court issued a non-bailable warrant against Hafiz Saeed in the Pahalgam case, a step towards the NIA seeking a trial in absentia under Section 356 BNSS. Full article
• Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026: passed by the Lok Sabha on July 31; delayed registration beyond two years now needs a Judicial Magistrate First Class. Full article

Governance and Federal Relations

• Ladakh (July 14): an Autonomous Hill Development Council for each of the seven districts, and 17 new tehsils (15 to 32). Full article
• Ministry of Cooperation at five (July 6): a “Cooperation 2.0” roadmap; cooperatives sit in Part IX-B (97th Amendment, 2011). Full article
• Viksit Vibrant Village Programme 2026: the PM interacted with youth who spent June in 74 border villages; border settlements are “first villages”, not last. Full article
• Passport fees rose on July 1 for the first time in about 14 years; a passport is a travel document, not proof of citizenship. Full article

📌 Facts Corner, Polity & Governance

• Article 75(3): collective responsibility to the Lok Sabha; Article 75(2): ministers hold office during the President’s pleasure
• NTA: registered as a society (2018) under the Societies Registration Act, 1860; Radhakrishnan Committee (2024) made 101 recommendations
• Public Examinations Act, 2024: offences cognisable, non-bailable, non-compoundable; 2026 amendment: individuals 5 to 10 years and fine up to Rs 50 lakh; organised crime minimum 7 years and fine of at least Rs 10 crore
• SC strength: 33 to 37 plus CJI (38); ordinance May 16, 2026; Article 124(1); Constitution Bench minimum five judges (Article 145(3))
• National Honour Act, 1971; Vande Mataram published in Bangadarshan 1875, in Anandamath 1882; equal status January 24, 1950
• ONOE: proposed Article 82A; Kovind Committee reported March 2024
• Section 356 BNSS: trial of an absconding proclaimed offender; BNSS in force July 1, 2024

GS2: International Relations

India and Japan: 16th Annual Summit (July 2, New Delhi)

PM Modi hosted Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi on her first India visit as Prime Minister. The summit produced a Joint Declaration on Economic Security (semiconductors, critical minerals, clean energy, pharmaceuticals, and a rejection of “economic coercion”) and a Joint Statement on AI Cooperation, and launched the first bilateral defence co-development project, the UNICORN integrated stealth mast for future Indian Navy warships, built by BEL with Japanese firms. Summit article · UNICORN article

Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand (July 6 to 11)

• Indonesia (summit July 7): 20 outcomes with President Prabowo Subianto, headlined by the supply of BrahMos missiles and the first export order for the Astra Mk1 air-to-air missile, plus critical minerals (nickel) and Sabang port. Indonesia article · Astra article
• Australia (third Annual Summit, Melbourne): an Administrative Arrangement (July 9) operationalised the 2014 civil nuclear agreement for uranium supply, along with defence and critical-minerals outcomes. Full article
• New Zealand (July 10 to 11, Auckland): ties elevated to a Strategic Partnership with a “Roadmap to 2030”; the first Indian PM visit in about 40 years. Full article

India’s UN Security Council Campaign: SHANTI

India launched its campaign for a non-permanent seat for 2028-29 at UN Headquarters (July 13 to 14), branded SHANTI (Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity). The Asia-Pacific seat election is due in June 2027. India has served eight terms, the last in 2021-22. Full article

Neighbourhood and the Bay of Bengal

• BIMSTEC: the 5th meeting of National Security Chiefs, chaired by NSA Ajit Doval in New Delhi (July 16), adopted guidelines on maritime HADR and law-enforcement conduct at sea. Full article
• Maldives (July 30): the Favara instant payment system went live with UPI for cross-border transfers. Roundup
• Bhutan (July 31): a Rs 4,000 crore line of credit for 13th Five-Year Plan energy projects. Full article
• China: EAM Jaishankar met Wang Yi in Manila (July 22), repeating that border peace is the prerequisite for normal ties; Foreign Secretary Misri visited Beijing (to July 28). Full article
• East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (Manila, July 23): India backed a legally binding South China Sea Code of Conduct compliant with UNCLOS. Full article

Multilateral and Trade Diplomacy

• WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (July 20): India deposited its instrument of acceptance as the 123rd member. Full article
• India-EU Trade and Technology Council (third meeting, Brussels, July 15): formal talks to open on India’s association with Horizon Europe. Full article
• UNCTAD: India chaired the 9th session of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Consumer Protection (Geneva, July 6 to 8). Full article
• BRICS under India’s chairship: the Chandigarh Declaration of health ministers (July 22 to 24), the Guwahati Declaration on anti-narcotics, and the labour ministers’ meeting in Hyderabad. Full article

West Asia

The US-Iran war, begun on February 28, 2026, escalated again with US strikes near Bandar Abbas and Kish on July 29, collapsing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries a large share of India’s crude and LNG. The US and Saudi Arabia signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement (July 22) with no enrichment renunciation, and on July 30 Washington announced that Hamas had agreed in principle to a Gaza disarmament roadmap. India’s stated positions: de-escalation, freedom of navigation, and a two-state solution. Hormuz article · US-Saudi article

On July 30 Saudi Arabia launched a standing 14-member maritime coalition for the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab and the Gulf of Aden, with a permanent Saudi headquarters. Pakistan and Bangladesh joined; India did not, and keeps its own deployments (Gulf of Aden patrols since 2008, Operation Sankalp). Red Sea article

📌 Facts Corner, International Relations

• India-Japan: Special Strategic and Global Partnership (2014); UNICORN = Unified Complex Radio Antenna
• BrahMos buyers before Indonesia: the Philippines and Vietnam; Indonesia joined BRICS as a full member in January 2025
• India-Australia: CSP since June 2020; civil nuclear agreement signed 2014; ECTA in force December 29, 2022
• UNSC: 15 members, 10 elected for two-year terms by a two-thirds UNGA vote; India’s bid is for 2028-29
• BIMSTEC: 1997 Bangkok Declaration; Secretariat Dhaka; Charter in force May 20, 2024; India leads the Security pillar
• East Asia Summit: 2005; 19 participants (11 ASEAN states, including Timor-Leste since October 2025, plus 8 partners); US and Russia joined in 2011
• WTO: 1995; Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies accepted by India July 20, 2026
• Strait of Hormuz: between Iran and Oman (Musandam); links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman

GS3: Economy & Development

VB-G-RAM-G Replaces MGNREGA (July 1)

The VB-G-RAM-G Act, 2025 took effect on July 1, 2026, raising the guarantee from 100 to 125 days per rural household per year. The interim base wage is about Rs 300 a day, with annual indexation; work must be provided within 15 days of demand or an unemployment allowance is paid; works fall under four heads (water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood infrastructure, and extreme-weather mitigation). Full article

Labour Codes in Force: EPF Scheme, 2026 and a Single PF System

The four Labour Codes moved into active enforcement, bringing in the 50 per cent wage rule (basic pay at least half of pay). The EPF Scheme, 2026, notified on June 29 under the Code on Social Security, 2020, replaced the 1952 scheme; contributions stay at 12 per cent each. EPFO’s CITES 2.01 moved about 34 crore member accounts into one national system. EPF article · CITES article

India-UK CETA Enters Into Force (July 15)

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement gives India duty-free access on about 99 per cent of UK tariff lines (marine products, engineering, leather, textiles, chemicals). The Double Contribution Convention exempts Indian professionals on temporary UK postings from UK social-security contributions for up to five years. The agreement was signed on July 24, 2025; agriculture and dairy stay protected. Full article

Industrial Policy: Chips, Phones, Urea and Chemicals

• Semicon 2.0 (July 15): the second phase of the India Semiconductor Mission, Rs 1,27,500 crore, with six pillars from chip design to fabs and talent. Full article
• Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (July 15): Rs 62,500 crore over FY27 to FY31, a shift from assembly to components and sub-assemblies. Full article
• NIPU-2026 (July 15): an investment policy for eight to nine new gas-based urea plants, adding about 10 million tonnes of capacity. Full article
• BHAVYA-Rasayan (July 24): Rs 3,030 crore for three chemical parks, selected through a challenge route. Full article
• CG Semi OSAT, Sanand (July 4): a Rs 7,600 crore assembly-and-test plant inaugurated by the PM. Full article
• Critical minerals (July 15): the eighth tranche of auctions offered 20 blocks in nine states. Full article

Prices, Output and Growth

• CPI June 2026: 4.38 per cent, above the RBI’s 4 per cent target for the first time in over a year; repo held at 5.25 per cent. BS editorial
• IIP June 2026: 7.3 per cent, a 23-month high; manufacturing 7.8 per cent.
• First Index of Services Production (July 14): MoSPI’s monthly services counterpart to the IIP, a trial series for April 2026 on base 2024-25. Full article
• GST at nine (July 1): June gross collections about Rs 1,94,812 crore, up 13.9 per cent. Full article
• Forecasts: IMF WEO Update cut India’s FY27 growth to 6.4 per cent; ADB to 6.6 per cent; the World Bank kept India in the lower-middle-income group. IMF article

Finance, Banking and Markets

• RB-IOS 2026 (July 1): compensation for financial loss raised to Rs 30 lakh and for harassment to Rs 3 lakh. Full article
• Polymer banknotes: the government approved a field trial of 1 billion notes each of Rs 10 and Rs 20 (Section 25, RBI Act). Full article
• MSMEs: all CPSEs must settle MSME invoices through TReDS, and the MSMED (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced on July 28. Full article
• Crypto: CBDT guidance aligned India with the OECD’s CARF; cross-border exchange from April 2027. Full article
• NATGASIND: NSE’s first natural gas futures on a domestic benchmark (from July 27). Full article
• Aviva set to become India’s first 100 per cent foreign-owned life insurer. Full article

Cabinet Decisions of July 31

The Cabinet’s last sitting of the month, reported in the August 1 edition, cleared four big-ticket items:

• Samudra Manthan, a National Offshore Exploration Scheme: Rs 84,084 crore to FY 2030-31, a Central Sector Scheme of the Petroleum Ministry targeting over 600 MMTOE of reserve accretion. Full article
• PM Surya Sarovar Yojana: Rs 5,070 crore for 5,000 MW of floating solar, with at least 2 hours of storage per project. Full article
• PM-KISAN continued for 2026-27 to 2030-31 with Rs 3.15 lakh crore.
• Khelo India revamp and support to national sports federations: Rs 36,441 crore for 2026-31, of which Khelo India is Rs 29,054 crore. Roundup

Infrastructure, Food and Trade Shocks

• PDS rice norms (July 1): broken grains cut from 25 to 10 per cent in raw rice. Full article
• Vizhinjam cleared for EXIM cargo from August 18; Navi Mumbai airport began international flights (July 15). Vizhinjam article
• US tariff on generic drugs (July 22): a phased tariff hits India, the largest supplier of generics to the US. Full article
• Data centres: Wood Mackenzie projects India’s capacity rising from 2.2 GW (2025) to 12 GW by 2030. Full article
• Anniversaries: 35 years of the 1991 reforms (July 24) and 57 years of bank nationalisation (July 19, 1969). 1991 article

📌 Facts Corner, Economy & Development

• VB-G-RAM-G: 125 days; interim base wage about Rs 300 a day, indexed annually; allowance if work not given within 15 days
• EPF Scheme, 2026: notified June 29, 2026 under the Code on Social Security, 2020; replaces the 1952 scheme
• India-UK CETA: signed July 24, 2025; in force July 15, 2026; DCC exemption up to five years
• Semicon 2.0: Rs 1,27,500 crore; MPMS: Rs 62,500 crore; BHAVYA-Rasayan: Rs 3,030 crore
• CPI June 2026: 4.38 per cent; RBI target 4 per cent plus or minus 2 per cent; repo 5.25 per cent
• IIP June 2026: 7.3 per cent; ISP base year 2024-25
• GST: 101st Amendment (2016); GST Council, Article 279A
• TReDS: RBI-authorised under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007; MSMED Act: 45-day payment rule (Section 15)

GS3: Environment & Ecology

Tigers: STRIDES and a Rescue Strategy

The 29th NTCA meeting (July 9, Coimbatore) released STRIDES 2026 and a Roadmap to Rescue. On International Tiger Day (July 29) India reaffirmed that it holds about 70 per cent of the world’s wild tigers. Full article

A Week of Wildlife Decisions at Coimbatore (July 9 to 10)

• 91st Standing Committee of the NBWL: discussed a long-term rhino strategy built on the RhoDIS DNA database and the inclusion of the pygmy hog in the Species Recovery Programme. Full article
• National CAMPA, 7th Governing Body: four species projects (river dolphins, snow leopard Phase-II, rhino, wild water buffalo) and an Aastha Van Sanrakshan Yojana of about Rs 3,000 crore for some 15,000 sacred groves. Full article
• Centre of Excellence on Human-Wildlife Conflict at WII-SACON, with a national HWC portal (July 10). Full article

Species Recovery on the Ground

• Great Indian Bustard (July 26): three chicks entered India’s first rewilding tunnel at Ramdevra, Jaisalmer. Full article
• Borjuli, Assam: India’s first Biodiversity Heritage Site for wild rice (Oryza rufipogon), declared under Section 37 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. Full article
• Asiatic lion: with about 891 lions in the Saurashtra landscape (2025 census), the “second home” debate returned. Full article
• Indian Grey Hornbill re-established in Gir after reintroduction from 2021. Full article

Law and Regulation

• Ex-post-facto clearances: the Supreme Court quashed a 2021 MoEFCC Office Memorandum allowing indefinite retrospective environmental clearances; only a statutory notification can create exceptions to the EIA Notification, 2006. Full article
• Western Ghats ESA, seventh draft (July 27): 56,825.7 sq km across six states; new mining, quarrying and thermal plants barred; 60 days for objections. Full article
• Draft CAFE-III norms (July 16): fleet-average CO2 limits for passenger cars for FY2027-28 to FY2031-32, issued by BEE. Full article

Clean Air, Clean Fuels and Emissions

• Delhi EV Policy 2.0 (notified July 1): only electric three-wheelers and N1 goods vehicles (light commercial vehicles) newly registered from January 1, 2027; no new petrol or CNG two-wheelers from April 1, 2028. Full article
• PARIVARTAN (guidelines July 16): Rs 9,585 crore to replace old trucks and buses in the NCR. Full article
• ACME’s green ammonia and methanol export deals with Japanese buyers, under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. Full article
• Ken-Betwa: displaced tribal families revived the “Chita Andolan” near Kupi village in Chhatarpur district from July 3. Full article

New Species of the Month

Canscora agni (a fire-adapted savanna herb, Pune), Lestes paloti (a damselfly, Kerala Western Ghats), Cyttopsis indica (a deep-sea dory off Kerala), two solitary bees from the Siang valley including Habropoda adi, and Sheathia meghalayensis (a freshwater red alga). Canscora article · Lestes article

On July 30 the Zoological Survey of India completed India’s first comprehensive catalogue of butterflies and moths: 13,703 species after a 12-year effort. Roundup

📌 Facts Corner, Environment & Ecology

• Tiger reserves: 58; Project Tiger 1973; NTCA statutory under the WPA amendment of 2006
• NBWL: chaired by the PM (Section 5A, WPA); its Standing Committee, chaired by the Environment Minister, sits under Section 5B
• Greater one-horned rhino: IUCN Vulnerable; pygmy hog: IUCN Endangered; Great Indian Bustard: IUCN Critically Endangered
• National CAMPA: Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016
• Biodiversity Heritage Site: declared by the state under Section 37, BD Act, 2002
• EIA Notification, 2006 under Section 3, Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
• Western Ghats ESA: Gadgil (2011) vs Kasturirangan (2013)
• CAFE: regulates fleet-average CO2 in g/km; BEE under the Energy Conservation Act

GS3: Science & Technology

Vikram-1: India’s First Private Orbital Launch (July 18)

Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 lifted off from Sriharikota on the Aagaman mission and placed payloads in a low-earth orbit of about 450 km. Skyroot had become India’s first spacetech unicorn in May 2026 (about USD 1.1 billion). IN-SPACe, set up in 2020 and headquartered in Ahmedabad, authorises private space activity. Full article · Funding article

Space: Gaganyaan and Test Platforms

• CE20 cryogenic engine: a flight-acceptance hot test at IPRC Mahendragiri (July 6) for the next LVM3 mission; the engine type is human-rated for Gaganyaan. Full article
• SOLVE, a sub-orbital test vehicle, ground-tested at Sriharikota.
• Re-entry rules: IN-SPACe issued India’s first guidelines for authorising the planned re-entry of space objects (made public July 29): casualty risk must stay below 1 in 10,000, under the Outer Space Treaty (1967) and the Liability Convention (1972). Full article
• Antariksh Venture Capital Fund: first investment, about Rs 60 crore, in Dhruva Space. Full article

Data, AI and Digital Sovereignty

• Data localisation: DoT barred certain telecom data from leaving India, and I4C ordered GitHub to remove the Bitchat mesh app. Full article
• I-2SEA cable (July 2): a 3,600 km AI-ready cable landing at Machilipatnam and Chennai, linking Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Full article
• Odisha Sovereign AI Park: HCLTech and Sarvam AI plan about Rs 14,257 crore for an AI data centre. Full article

Frontier Technology

• Quantum Key Distribution (July 15): DRDO field-tested a fibre-based QKD system with Taqbit Labs, Bengaluru. Full article
• White Rabbit IST network (Bengaluru): sub-nanosecond time dissemination over fibre, independent of foreign GNSS. Full article
• HFO-1234yf: CSIR-IICT’s first indigenous process for a low-GWP refrigerant under the Kigali Amendment. Full article
• Hydrogen train: the Railway Board cleared India’s first regular hydrogen passenger service on the 89 km Jind-Sonipat section. Full article
• PinS approach (July 1): DGCA approved India’s first private Point-in-Space helicopter approach, at Undavalli heliport, using GAGAN. Full article

Health Science

• World Zoonoses Day (July 6): NCDC finalised a priority list led by zoonotic influenza, anthrax and Japanese encephalitis. Full article
• WHO Emergency Use Listing (July 2) for the first diagnostic for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus. Full article
• ICMR i-DRONE cut TB diagnosis turnaround from about 15 to 5 days in Telangana; ICMR licensed an anti-HPV therapeutic candidate. i-DRONE article

📌 Facts Corner, Science & Technology

• Vikram series named after Vikram Sarabhai; Skyroot founded 2018; IN-SPACe (2020) HQ Ahmedabad
• CE20: LOX and LH2; powers the C25 stage of LVM3
• QKD relies on the no-cloning theorem; National Quantum Mission (2023) Rs 6,003 crore
• IST: UTC+5:30, 82.5 degrees East; White Rabbit technology originated at CERN
• Kigali Amendment (2016): India ratified 2021; HFC phase-down from 2032
• Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940; CDSCO headed by the DCGI

GS3: Security & Defence

Missiles and Air Defence

• Project Kusha (July 23): maiden test of India’s indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile from APJ Abdul Kalam Island. Full article
• Astra Mk1: first export order, from Indonesia, reported at 150-plus units. Full article
• Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket tested to 60 km at Chandipur (July 8). Full article
• 350 kgf expendable turbojet from GTRE for cruise missiles and loitering munitions (July 22). Full article

The Navy’s Month

• INS Mahendragiri, a Project 17A (Nilgiri-class) stealth frigate built by MDL, commissioned at Visakhapatnam.
• INS Malvan, the second Mahe-class anti-submarine shallow water craft, commissioned at Karwar on July 22, the first ship commissioned there. Full article
• Machilipatnam, the seventh of eight Mahe-class craft, launched at Cochin Shipyard (July 29). Full article
• INS Nipun, the second Nistar-class diving support vessel, delivered by Hindustan Shipyard (July 30). Full article
• INS Trikand answered a piracy distress call in the Gulf of Aden (July 1 to 2). Full article

Surveillance and Exercises

• UFOSS: DRDO’s seabed fibre-optic sensing network to track submarines in the Indian Ocean. Full article
• AS-HAPS: the IAF invited private industry to develop a Rs 15,000 crore stratospheric airship programme under Make-I, cleared by the DAC in February. Full article
• Exercise Pitch Black 2026: IAF Rafales took part for the first time. Full article
• Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 at Kochi (July 20 to 23) with the Combined Maritime Forces. Full article

Institutions and Internal Security

• 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas (July 26) at the Drass war memorial. Full article
• Coast Guard reforms (July 28): gender-neutral officer induction and a “presumed dead” ex-gratia mechanism. Full article
• BRO Strategic Infrastructure Conclave (July 15 to 16). Full article
• Gujarat’s e-Zero FIR (July 27): a complaint to helpline 1930 auto-generates a Zero FIR under Section 173(1), BNSS. Full article

📌 Facts Corner, Security & Defence

• APJ Abdul Kalam Island (formerly Wheeler Island), Odisha: DRDO’s main missile test range
• Astra Mk1: DRDL design, BDL production; beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile
• Project 17A: seven frigates, four by MDL and three by GRSE
• Karwar: INS Kadamba, Project Seabird
• Kargil War: victory declared July 26, 1999; Kargil Review Committee chaired by K. Subrahmanyam
• Indian Coast Guard: raised February 1, 1977; Coast Guard Act, 1978
• I4C: 2018, MHA; cyber-fraud helpline 1930

Prelims: Reports, Indices & Schemes

Reports and Indices

New Schemes, Acts and Bills

Days and Anniversaries, July 2026

Prelims: Persons & Awards in News

Mains Themes and Editorial Map

Each theme pulls together July’s news and the month’s editorials on it. Use it to build a Mains answer: the news gives the hook, the editorials give the argument.

1. Exam integrity and institutional accountability

News: NEET-UG leak, minister’s resignation, Nilekani task force, Public Examinations Amendment Bill, SC order on detained minors. Editorials: Rounding Up the Usual Suspects (BS) · A Fresh Slate (BS) · Restoring Trust (IE) · Responsibility Without Fault (TH) · Jobless Growth Behind the Exam-Protest Anxiety (Mint) Practice question: “A resignation settles political accountability but not institutional failure.” Examine this with reference to the reform of public examinations in India. (GS2, 250 words)

2. Courts, elections and the federal balance

News: SC judge strength, SIR and citizenship, ex-post-facto clearances, ONOE JPC, the 850-seat delimitation debate. Editorials: Justice on Vacation (TH) · Fair Before Final (TH) · One Nation One Election Will Not Fix What Is Actually Broken (IE) · One Person, One Vote, One Anxiety (TH) · A Law That Waits (BS) · Reforming the Anti-Defection Law (IE) Practice question: Raising the number of judges is necessary but not sufficient to reduce pendency. Discuss. (GS2, 150 words)

3. Trade deals in a tariff-war world

News: India-UK CETA in force, US tariff on generic drugs, Canada CEPA talks, WTO fisheries subsidies. Editorials: Free Trade Deals Are a Start (BS) · Quotas at the Gate (BS) · The Pharmacy of the World Meets a Tariff Wall (IE) · The Deal That Matters (IE) · Rented Credibility: BITs and FDI (BS) Practice question: Free trade agreements open markets; domestic reform decides whether exporters can use them. Evaluate with reference to the India-UK CETA. (GS3, 250 words)

4. Technology sovereignty: chips, data and cables

News: Semicon 2.0, MPMS, CG Semi OSAT, telecom data localisation, I-2SEA cable, data-centre growth. Editorials: From Packaging to Fabrication (IE) · India’s AI Edge Lies in Deployment (IE) · AI’s Hidden Footprint (BS) · Cables Under the Sea (TH) · Code as Contraband (TH) Practice question: Why has India begun its semiconductor journey with assembly and testing rather than fabrication? What must Semicon 2.0 change? (GS3, 150 words)

5. Energy security under the Hormuz shock

News: US-Iran war and Hormuz, gas-supply curbs lifted and then strained again, El Nino power gap, NATGASIND. Editorials: Nine Days of Cushion (ET) · Hormuz Is Not Malacca (IE) · Energy Security in a Restless West Asia (TH) · Food, Fuel and Forex: Strategic Buffers (IE) Practice question: Assess the adequacy of India’s strategic petroleum reserves in the light of repeated disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. (GS3, 150 words)

6. The Indo-Pacific pivot

News: Japan summit, Indonesia (BrahMos, Astra, nickel), Australia (uranium), New Zealand, EAS, SHANTI. Editorials: Spanning Two Oceans (BS) · Acting East, Not Just Looking (IE) · Nickel Diplomacy (IE) · Australian Uranium (IE) · Beyond the Three Cs (TH) · SHANTI and the Bay of Bengal (TH) Practice question: Defence exports have become an instrument of India’s Act East policy. Discuss with examples from 2026. (GS2, 150 words)

7. Conservation beyond the protected area

News: STRIDES 2026, HWC Centre of Excellence, GIB rewilding, lion second home, Ken-Betwa protest, Western Ghats ESA. Editorials: Human-Wildlife Conflict Is a Crisis of Forest Governance (DTE) · Tigers Outside the Lines (TH) · One Landscape, One Risk (TH) · Water Gained, Forest Lost (DTE) · Who Counts as Displaced (TH) Practice question: India’s conservation success has pushed wildlife beyond its reserves. Suggest a governance framework for landscapes shared by people and wildlife. (GS3, 250 words)

8. Welfare and work, redesigned

News: VB-G-RAM-G, Labour Codes and EPF 2026, PDS rice norms, social protection above one billion, women farmers, the care economy. Editorials: Making the Labour Codes Work (TH) · A Universal Social Safety Net (TH) · From Calories to Nutrients (BS) · A Crisis of Care (IE) · She Farms, She Owns Nothing (TH) · Distress in the Fields (IE) Practice question: Does recognising women as farmers without land titles empower them, or formalise their distress? Examine with reference to Maharashtra’s 2026 law. (GS1, 150 words)