Daily Current Affairs - Week 31, 2026 (27 Jul 2026 - 02 Aug 2026)

• Lok Sabha passes Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 on 30 July.
• Strengthens 2024 Act with stricter penalties: up to 10 years jail and ₹50 lakh fine; organised crime – min. 7 years + ₹10 crore fine.
• Investigation within 2 months; trials in fast-track courts within 3 months of charge sheet.
• Special Task Force for major cases; introduced by Dr. Jitendra Singh.
• Covers UPSC, SSC, NTA, RRBs etc.; aims to deter organised exam fraud after recent leaks.
• Passed amid Opposition protests over NEET issue.

• Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia unveils theme for 10th India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026: “Scale without Boundaries”.
• Event: 7–10 October 2026, New Delhi; organised by DoT and COAI.
• Four pillars: Srishti (Future), Suraksha (Trust), Sashakt (Opportunities), Samvardhan (Growth).
• Highlights: ~500 million 5G users in 2.5 years, ₹4.5 lakh crore investment, 5 lakh towers.
• Focus on 5G/6G, AI, IoT, satellite, quantum and green technologies; Bharat 6G Alliance and PLI schemes.
• Aims to position India as global exporter of telecom innovations.

• DBS Bank becomes the first Southeast Asian bank to win “World’s Best Corporate Bank” at Global Finance Global Bank Awards 2026.
• Also named Asia’s Best Bank and Singapore’s Best Bank.
• First regional winner since the category began in 2005.
• Headquartered in Singapore; operates in 19 markets serving SMEs, corporates, MNCs and institutions.
• Strengths: corporate financing, trade finance, cash management, treasury, AI-driven digital solutions.
• Recognition highlights digital innovation, financial performance and Singapore’s status as a financial hub.

• MoSPI will replace Wholesale Price Index (WPI) with Output Producer Price Index (PPI) as the GDP deflator for quarterly and annual estimates.
• PPI, released by DPIIT in June 2026, measures average price changes received by producers and better reflects production costs.
• Double deflation method will adjust output with Output PPI and inputs with relevant indices for accurate Real GVA.
• New GDP base year: 2022–23 (from 2011–12).
• Implementation from April–June 2026–27 quarter with revised back series.
• WPI continues to be published; CPI used for select items.
• Aims to align with international standards and improve real GDP accuracy.

• Day 6 at Commonwealth Games 2026, Glasgow: India adds 1 gold + 2 silver in athletics.
• Dilip Mahadu Gavit (Maharashtra) wins Men’s 100m T47 gold in 10.71s (Games Record) – India’s 3rd gold.
• Mohammed Basil (Kerala) takes silver (10.83s) – historic Indian 1-2 finish.
• Murali Sreeshankar (Kerala) wins Men’s Long Jump silver with 8.09m (missed gold by 6 cm); second consecutive CWG silver.
• Strong para-athletics and long-jump performances boost India’s medal tally.

• Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane (“Jinx”) announces retirement from international cricket via Instagram video.
• Hailing from Dombivli, Thane, Maharashtra, debuted in 2011.
• Known for solid technique, overseas Test performances and calm leadership (former Test captain/vice-captain).
• Thanked BCCI, MCA, family and wife Radhika.
• May continue in coaching, mentoring or administration.
• Marks end of a dependable all-format career, especially valued in Test cricket.

• Indian Navy launches Machilipatnam, seventh of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts built by Cochin Shipyard.
• Over 80% indigenous content; supports Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• Roles: underwater surveillance, ASW, Low Intensity Maritime Operations and mine warfare.
• Named after the historic Andhra Pradesh port city.
• Strengthens coastal defence, maritime domain awareness and readiness in the Indian Ocean Region.
• Enhances capability against underwater threats in shallow waters.

• India’s first Telecom Manufacturing Zone (TMZ) to be set up in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh on ~350 acres.
• MoU between MP Government and DoT; CM Mohan Yadav to attend; Special Purpose Company to implement.
• Central funding: ₹493 crore (Phase 1); expected investment ₹12,000–15,000 crore; ~5,000 direct jobs.
• Will manufacture mobile phones, telecom equipment, optical fibre, semiconductors, 5G/6G products.
• Boosts Make in India, reduces import dependence and strengthens domestic telecom supply chain.
• Positions Madhya Pradesh as a key electronics and telecom hub.

• Observed on 30 July; 2026 theme: “Trapped Behind the Scam”.
• Focuses on trafficking into cyber-enabled financial scams (romance, crypto, online fraud) via fake job offers.
• Victims face passport confiscation, violence, debt bondage and forced scam work in compounds.
• UNODC estimates $18–37 billion losses in East/South-East Asia (2023).
• Blue Heart Campaign symbolises solidarity against trafficking.
• UN Convention Against Cybercrime (2024) and cross-border cooperation key tools.
• Proclaimed by UNGA in 2013 to raise awareness and protect victims.

• Chhattisgarh launches DWEEPTI Yojana (July 2026), India’s first women-led distributed Renewable Energy policy.
• Aims to create 5,000 women-led solar enterprises and 50,000 green jobs via Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
• Targets clean energy for 5 lakh families and solar solutions for 10,000 public institutions.
• 13 Cluster Level Federations registered as vendors; implemented under PMSGMBY with CSPDCL.
• Kabirdham is the first district; “Solar Didis” trained by Tata in installation and maintenance.
• Financial support includes flexible loans and linkage with the Lakhpati Didi initiative.
• Promotes women’s entrepreneurship, rural livelihoods, and green energy transition.

• On 27 July 2026, the Union Environment Ministry issued the seventh draft notification for an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) covering 56,825.7 sq. km across six states.
• State-wise: Karnataka 20,668; Maharashtra 17,340; Kerala 9,993.7; Tamil Nadu 6,914; Goa 1,461 (108 villages retained); Gujarat 449 sq. km.
• Western Ghats is a global biodiversity hotspot of forests, grasslands, rivers and hills.
• Under Environment (Protection) Act 1986, ESA prohibits mining, quarrying, sand mining, new thermal plants, certain industries and large construction; regulates hydel power.

• Microporellus kolhapurensis, a new polypore (bracket) fungus species, found on 27 July 2026 on rotting wood in Bediv area, Bhudargad taluka, Kolhapur district, Maharashtra.
• Identified by Dr Anjali Patil (Rajaram College) and scholar Yogesh Patil; published in Botanical Survey of India’s journal Nelumbo.
• Saprotrophic; yellowish-orange to greyish-brown umbrella-shaped fruiting body with lateral stalk, large pores, teardrop spores and thick-walled cystidia.
• First new Microporellus from Maharashtra after M. obovatus; genus has ~36 species globally.

• Border trade through Nathu La Pass (East Sikkim) resumed from 1 August 2026 after six-year suspension (COVID-19 and border tensions from 2020).
• Pass reopened for trade in 2006; seasonal (May–November); one of two India-China trade points (other: Lipulekh, Uttarakhand).
• Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Chinese Vice Minister Sun Haiyan on 27 July 2026.
• India strengthened connectivity via the 45-km Sivok-Rangpo railway (nearing completion) with plans for further extension towards Nathu La.

• The 16th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2026 started on 28 July 2026 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu with 30 teams in Divisions A, B and C.
• Opening results (Division B): Himachal 1-0 Maharashtra (Shubhdeep Singh); Uttarakhand 5-2 Kerala; Andhra Pradesh 2-1 Bihar; Chandigarh 9-2 Chhattisgarh (Gurpreet Singh 5 goals).
• Division C: Goans 3-3 Rajasthan; Le Puducherry 10-0 Gujarat.
• The event identifies junior talent; Division A hosts stronger sides with promotion/relegation pathways.

• The 6th LG Cup Horse Polo Championship concluded on 27 July 2026 in Drass, Ladakh; LG Vinai Kumar Saxena attended the final.
• Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre defeated Animal Husbandry Department, Leh to win the title.
• The tournament (21–27 July) featured 18 men’s and 4 women’s teams from across Ladakh.
• Prize money raised: winners Rs 1 lakh, runners-up Rs 50,000 (previous: Rs 50,000 & Rs 25,000); winner’s purse to rise to Rs 2 lakh next season.

• On 28 July 2026, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh announced two reforms at Kartavya Bhavan-2, New Delhi.
• Gender-neutral induction: women can join Short Service and Permanent Appointments on equal terms with men, with equal career progression from training; existing SSA women officers may convert to Permanent Appointment.
• Simplified ex-gratia procedure for families of personnel missing at sea on duty.
• ICG (est. 1977, Coast Guard Act 1978) under Ministry of Defence handles maritime law enforcement, SAR, environment protection and wartime naval support.

• Gunther von Hagens, German anatomist and inventor of plastination, died on 24 July 2026 at age 81 in Heidelberg, Germany.
• He suffered a cerebral haemorrhage on 23 July 2026.
• He invented plastination in 1977, a technique that replaces body fluids with plastic for long-term preservation.
• Body Worlds exhibitions, which display preserved human bodies, began in Japan in 1995 and have been seen by over 58 million people.
• He founded the Plastinarium in Guben, Germany, in 2006.
• Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2008, he lived with the progressive neurological disorder for many years.

• On 27 June 2026, China completed expert acceptance and full-parameter testing of two domestically developed superconducting magnets at the Institute of Plasma Physics, CAS, Hefei.
• Systems tested: D-shaped toroidal field magnet (21 m long, 12 m wide, 582 tonnes) — largest fusion reactor superconducting magnet so far — and high-temperature superconducting central solenoid coil.
• Toroidal magnet confines plasma; central solenoid induces and drives plasma current in tokamaks.
• 100% domestic supply chain; linked to CRAFT “artificial sun” project. Magnet has 1.3× volume and 3× stored energy of ITER counterparts. China targets fusion power ~2030.

• On 28 July 2026, Maharashtra Cabinet under CM Devendra Fadnavis approved new courts under NDPS Act and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, plus two additional courts in Karjat and Kurduwadi.
• One NDPS special court in Pune (1,425 pending cases) with Rs 1.26 crore for one judge and seven staff.
• Five exclusive SC/ST Act courts in Ahilyanagar, Parbhani, Solapur, Nanded and Yavatmal (Rs 4.51 crore; one judge each).
• The state had 17,023 pending SC/ST cases (Ahilyanagar 1,014; Nanded 735).

• On 27 July 2026, Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary laid foundation stone for a 20 MTPD modern curd and lassi processing plant at Biharsharif Dairy Project, Nalanda.
• Linked to COMFED’s Sudha brand; expands value-added dairy (fermented curd and yoghurt-based lassi) capacity.
• The event included distribution of deep freezers to 300 retailers and flagging-off of eight animal transport vehicles.
• COMFED (Bihar State Milk Cooperative Federation) runs cooperative milk procurement, processing and distribution under “Sahkar Se Samriddhi”.

• Government approved RBI proposal for 1 billion polymer notes each of ₹10 and ₹20 for field trials.
• Announced by MoS Finance Pankaj Chaudhary.
• Polymer notes last longer, resist moisture/dirt, have better security and lower replacement cost.
• Paper notes will continue; polymer will not replace them.
• Aimed at durability, reduced printing costs and performance testing across climates.
• Earlier attempt (2012) abandoned; ~60 countries already use polymer notes.
• Printing cost rose to ₹6,372.8 crore in 2024–25.

• Delhi Cabinet (CM Rekha Gupta) approved Delhi Lakshmi Yojana.
• ₹2,500 monthly financial assistance via DBT to eligible women.
• Budget: ₹5,110 crore for 2026–27.
• Expected to benefit over 17 lakh women.
• Registration portal opens 1 August 2026.
• Eligibility: Delhi resident, age 21–60 years, family income ≤ ₹2.5 lakh.
• Aims: economic empowerment, social security, education, healthcare, skill development, financial inclusion and greater social participation.
• Focuses on self-reliance and inclusive growth for economically weaker women.

• Sharmila Dhankar won gold in Women’s F57 Shot Put (9.81 m – season best).
• First-ever Indian gold (and first medal) in Para Athletics at CWG; ends 20-year wait.
• Shilpa Shyla took bronze (7.26 m – personal best).
• First time India won two medals in the same para-athletics event at CWG.
• Sharmila (Haryana, polio-affected) trained under Tek Chand; national champion since 2021.

• Esha Singh (21) won gold with 40 hits (final); Zhang Yueyue (China) silver (37).
• Manu Bhaker won bronze after shoot-off (28 hits).
• Esha’s gold gives direct qualification for ISSF World Cup Final 2026 in Rome.
• Event held in Hangzhou, China.
• ISSF (founded 1907, HQ Munich) governs Olympic shooting sports.
• Continues India’s strong showing in women’s pistol events.

• Gulveer Singh: first Indian to win CWG medal in men’s 10,000 m (silver, 27:49.78).
• Gold: Australia’s Ky Robinson.
• Harjinder Kaur: silver in women’s 69 kg weightlifting (227 kg total); second consecutive CWG medal.
• India secured 7 medals from 8 weightlifting events.
• Four boxers reached the semis (assured bronze): Lovlina Borgohain (75 kg), Preeti Pawar (54 kg), Priya Ghanghas (60 kg), Jadumani Singh (55 kg).
• India’s medal tally: 2 Gold, 7 Silver, 3 Bronze (Total 12).

• Opened 28 July 2026 in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.
• India’s first Integrated Precision Oncology programme.
• Focus: genetic research for cancer diagnosis and therapy, especially lung and breast cancer.
• Uses next-generation genetic testing, AI-powered X-rays and bioinformatics.
• Partners: Strand Life Sciences and Qure.ai.
• Aims at earlier detection, personalised treatment and stronger healthcare ecosystem in Andhra Pradesh.

• Observed on 28 July (birth anniversary of Dr. Baruch Blumberg).
• Theme: “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down.”
• Focus: remove barriers to testing, vaccination, treatment and end stigma.
• 2024 data: 287 million living with HBV/HCV; 1.3 million deaths; only 45% newborns get timely HBV birth dose.
• Types: A, B, C, D, E (B & C main causes of chronic disease).
• Prevention: vaccination (A & B), safe water, hygiene, sterile equipment, safe sex.
• Goal: eliminate viral hepatitis as a public-health threat by 2030.

• Observed every year on 28 July.
• Aims to promote conservation of forests, wildlife, water, soil and biodiversity.
• Linked to 1972 Stockholm Conference and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
• 2026 marks five years of global biodiversity goals.
• Highlights: >48,000 species endangered, forest loss, climate impacts.
• Stresses sustainable use of natural resources, eco-friendly living and ecosystem services (carbon absorption, water regulation, food security).

• Observed worldwide on 29 July 2026 (Wednesday).
• Theme: “Securing the Future of Tigers with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities at the Heart.”
• Started after 2010 St. Petersburg Tiger Summit (TX2 goal).
• India hosts >70% of world’s wild tigers; has 58 tiger reserves.
• Key initiatives: Project Tiger (1973), NTCA (2005), All India Tiger Estimation, anti-poaching measures.
• Major threats: poaching, habitat loss, climate change, human-wildlife conflict.
• Tigers are found in 13 range countries across Asia.

• Launched 27 July 2026 by Dy CM Harsh Sanghavi in Gandhinagar.
• Enables cyber financial fraud victims to file FIR without visiting the police station.
• Complaint via 1930 helpline auto-generates e-Zero FIR, sent electronically to local police.
• Police contact the complainant, complete formalities and start investigation immediately.
• Developed with Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
• Goals: faster response, better recovery chances, tech-based policing and simplified citizen services.

• A new freshwater shrimp species, Caridina sharmai, was discovered in the upper reaches of the Gomti River in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on 27 July 2026.
• Belongs to the atyid shrimp group (family Atyidae); first such record from the Gomti at Lucknow.
• Named in honour of Professor U.D. Sharma, a pioneer in carcinology (study of crustaceans).
• Measures 15–24 mm; dark brown/black body with yellowish-grey stripes that camouflage with the riverbed.
• Short, knife-shaped rostrum with 15–22 upper and 4–9 lower teeth.
• Observed in groups clinging to underwater vegetation and filter-feeding.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi formed a high-powered Exam Security Task Force to curb paper leaks, impersonation and malpractice.
• Headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani.
• The six-member panel includes experts in logistics, education, technology, space and security.
• Members: Amrit Lal Meena, Anita Karwal, Dr. V. Kamakoti, S. Somanath and Tapan Deka.
• Objectives: introduce technology-driven reforms, strengthen digital infrastructure, improve transparency and restore public confidence in competitive exams.
• Nilekani’s experience with Aadhaar and digital public infrastructure is seen as key to the reforms.

• On 26 July 2026, UNESCO inscribed Mount Olympus (Greece) and the D-Day Landing Beaches (Normandy, France) on the World Heritage List at its 48th session in Busan.
• Mount Olympus (2,918 m) was listed as a mixed cultural-natural site for its mythological significance and biodiversity.
• D-Day beaches (Omaha, Utah, Sword, Gold, Juno + Pointe du Hoc) recognised for their WWII historical value and remembrance landscape.
• ICOMOS has urged stronger monitoring of the Normandy sites due to tourism, climate change and development pressures.

• Anahat Singh became the first Indian to win the World Junior Squash Championships title (any category).
• The 18-year-old top seed defeated Egypt’s Ruqayya Salem 3-0 (11-3, 11-7, 11-9) in the women’s singles final on 25 July 2026 in Canada.
• She dropped only two sets across six matches.
• Surpassed Joshna Chinappa’s 2005 runner-up finish, India’s previous best.
• First non-Egyptian women’s champion since Amanda Sobhy in 2010.
• Currently ranked world No. 20 on the senior PSA Tour; had won bronze in the previous edition.

• Indian weightlifter Raja Muthupandi won silver in the men’s 65kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow.
• He lifted a total of 286kg (snatch + clean & jerk).
• Gold went to Malaysia’s Aznil Bin Bidin Muhamed with a Games-record 299kg.
• Papua New Guinea’s Morea Baru took bronze.
• In snatch, Raja recovered from a failed attempt to lift 126kg; Aznil led with 130–133kg.
• In clean & jerk, Raja set a temporary Games record at 160kg after failing 158kg; Aznil lifted 162kg and 166kg.
• Raja’s failed 170kg attempt still secured silver as Baru’s final lift failed.

• Former Uttarakhand minister Hira Singh Bisht died of cardiac arrest on 26 July 2026 in Dehradun at the age of 85.
• Senior Congress leader and three-term MLA from Doiwala and Rajpur constituencies.
• Served as cabinet minister under former CM N.D. Tiwari, holding portfolios of transport, labour and technical education.
• Born on 4 November 1940; remained active in state politics for decades.
• Founder member of the Cricket Association of Uttarakhand and helped secure land for Raipur Cricket Stadium in Dehradun.
• Served as president of the Uttarakhand unit of INTUC (Indian National Trade Union Congress).

• An AI Holobox of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee was inaugurated at Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, New Delhi on 26 July 2026.
• Features a hyper-realistic 3D avatar that answers questions based on historical records.
• Similar interactive AI avatars already exist for Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
• Inauguration coincided with the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas.
• The museum also displayed a special Kargil exhibition with microfilms, videos, photos and personal letters.
• Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya documents the lives and legacies of India’s Prime Ministers.

• CRPF observed its 87th Foundation Day on 27 July 2026.
• The force was founded in 1939 as Crown Representative’s Police under British rule.
• Renamed the Central Reserve Police Force on 28 December 1949 under the CRPF Act.
• It is India’s largest Central Armed Police Force.
• Key roles: counter-terrorism, anti-LWE operations, election security, riot control, VIP protection, disaster relief, and UN peacekeeping.
• Notable history includes integration of princely states and the 1959 Hot Springs incident (now Police Commemoration Day).
• Day honours personnel who uphold internal security, democracy and constitutional values.

• Rajasthan launched the State Water Plan 2047 on 24 July 2026, focusing on river-linking, groundwater conservation and public participation.
• Key projects: Ramjal Setu Link (drinking water to 17 districts, irrigation for 4.84 lakh ha) and Yamuna Water Agreement (1,917 cusecs to Shekhawati region via 295-km pipeline).
• AMRUT 2.0: ₹5,100 crore approved for 178 urban local bodies.
• Jal Jeevan Mission: over 1.5 million rural households now have tap connections.
• Atal Bhujal Yojana works worth ₹485 crore completed; Jal Sanrakshan Abhiyan allocated ₹500 crore.
• Monitoring via Chief Minister Irrigation Task Force and Kisan Saathi App.

• Kerala launched Digital Square on 26 July 2026 as part of its 100-day education action plan.
• Inaugurated by General Education Minister N. Samsudheen; implemented by KITE for LP and UP classes in government schools.
• Uses FOSS-based educational tools and an edutainment package.
• Includes accessibility features: audio assistance for visually impaired students and high-contrast interfaces for CWSN.
• Related measures: Cyber Safety Protocol 2026, Tharapadham monitoring platform, School Wiki-thon, ARISE project and expansion of Little KITEs IT clubs.
• Over 4,000 headmasters joined the statewide orientation workshop.

Indian sports broadcasting veteran Sanjog Gupta has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the ICC, replacing Australian Geoff Allardice who stepped down earlier in 2025 citing personal reasons. Gupta, formerly CEO at JioStar (Sports & Live Experiences), assumes the role immediately. His selection followed a global search process that shortlisted 12 candidates from 25 countries out of more than 2,500 applications.

• The 133rd edition of the Durand Cup will feature matches in Kolkata, Kokrajhar, Jamshedpur, and Shillong, showcasing its widest geographic spread in recent history.
• With 24 teams organized into six groups, the competition will involve a total of 43 matches played in a round-robin league-cum-knockout format, culminating in the finals at Kolkata's Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK).

Sub Lieutenant Aastha Poonia has made history as the first woman to be trained as a fighter pilot in the Indian Navy. She is expected to fly MiG-29K or the naval variant of Rafale from India’s aircraft carriers. This milestone adds to the Navy’s inclusion of women in aerial roles across reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters.

• Neeraj Chopra, the defending men's javelin throw champion and the first Indian track and field athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, will lead a 28-member Indian athletics team at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
• The 2024 Summer Olympics, branded as Paris 2024, will be held from July 26 to August 11, 2024, with some events starting on July 24, 2024, in Paris and 16 other cities across Metropolitan France, and one subsite in Tahiti.
• Neeraj Chopra will be joined by Olympic debutant Kishore Jena in the javelin throw event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, as announced by the Athletics Federation of India on June 4.

Sunil Jayawant Kadam has assumed the role of Executive Director at the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). He will oversee critical departments including IT, Investor Education & Assistance, Economic & Policy Analysis, General Services, Board Cell, RTI & PQ, and will liaise with the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM).

• Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announce retirement from T20 International cricket.
• Viswanathan Anand wins Leon Masters for record 10th time.

• IPS officer Parag Jain appointed new RAW chief; played key role in Operation Sindoor.  
• Kesavan Ramachandran appointed as Executive Director at RBI.
• Air Marshal S Sivakumar assumes charge as Air Officer-in-Charge Administration.
• Sudhanshu Mittal Re-elected President of Kho Kho Federation of India.
• IndiGo’s parent company has brought on ex-G20 Sherpa and former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant to its board, enhancing leadership expertise.

NITI Aayog, along with MoDoNER and UNDP support, released the second edition of the North Eastern Region District SDG Index (2023-24). Mizoram’s Hnahthial was named top-performing district. Sikkim and Tripura joined the front runner group. The report showed that 85% of districts improved their composite score, with 93 districts marking better performance in health indicators.

• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has partnered with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as the official principal partner for four years, covering the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
• The partnership aims to support and salute the determination of Indian athletes, particularly those from humble backgrounds and remote areas of India.
• BPCL will launch various campaigns to uplift and support the Indian contingent participating in the Paris Olympics 2024.

IndiGo’s parent, InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., has announced the appointment of Amitabh Kant as a non-executive director on its Board. Kant, who recently served as India’s G20 Sherpa and is now a senior adviser to Canada’s Fairfax Financial, brings with him notable experience from his tenure as NITI Aayog CEO and board director at NHAI.

• ₹1,000 crore Green Data Centre foundation laid in Ghaziabad by UP CM and Union Minister.
• Govt launches WhatsApp chatbot on MY Bharat portal for youth interaction.
• ₹3,626 crore sanctioned for Pune Metro Phase‑2 to connect key IT suburbs.
• CBSE to hold Class 10 board exams twice a year from 2026 session; first phase mandatory, second optional.  
• MNRE issues revised guidelines for Biomass Programme to promote clean energy adoption.
• India restricts import of jute and fabrics from Bangladesh to Nhava Sheva seaport only.
• Cabinet approves National Sports Policy 2025 to prepare for global sporting events.
• The report outlines India’s potential in global chemical value chains and suggests strategic reforms.

• India topped the medal tally at the Under 23 Asian Wrestling Championship 2024 held in Amman, Jordan, with a total of eight medals in freestyle wrestling, including four gold, two silver, and two bronze medals.
• Abhimanyu (70 kg), Jointy Kumar (92 kg), Sahil Jaglan (97 kg), and Anirudh Kumar (125 kg) secured the gold medals for India in their respective weight categories.
• This performance marks an all-time best for India at this championship, showcasing the strength and talent of young Indian wrestlers on the international stage.

Sudhanshu Mittal has been re-elected as the President of the Kho Kho Federation of India during elections held in New Delhi. Upkar Singh Virk was elected as the new General Secretary. The election marks a step forward in streamlining administration and promoting traditional Indian sports.

NITI Aayog has launched its report titled “Chemical Industry: Powering India’s Participation in Global Value Chains”, offering deep insights into the sector’s challenges and growth opportunities. The report outlines strategies for India to emerge as a key global player amid rising demand for specialty and sustainable chemicals.

• Viswanathan Anand won the Leon Masters Chess Championship for the 10th time, showcasing his enduring prowess in the chess world.
• Anand defeated Jaime Santos Latasa of Spain in the final with a score of 3-1, adding another significant victory to his illustrious career.
• The prestigious Leon Masters tournament in 2024 featured top players including Viswanathan Anand (India), Arjun Erigaisi (India), Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria), and Jaime Santos Latasa (Spain).

On July 1, Kesavan Ramachandaran assumed the role of Executive Director at the Reserve Bank of India. He brings deep experience in banking and non-banking supervision and training, having served as Principal of the RBI Staff College and represented the RBI on Canara Bank’s board and ICAI’s auditing board.

Replacing the outdated 2001 sports policy, the Cabinet approved the National Sports Policy 2025 to reshape India's sporting ecosystem. It lays out a long-term vision to prepare Indian athletes for global events like the 2036 Olympics and aims to build inclusive, accessible, and competitive sports infrastructure across the country.

• India's two stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, announced their retirement from T20I cricket following India's victory in the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup. 
• India clinched the T20 World Cup title by defeating South Africa.
• The BCCI announced a significant prize money of Rs 125 crore for the team.

Air Marshal S Sivakumar, an HRM post-graduate with over three decades of service, assumed the position of Air Officer-in-Charge Administration (AOA) at Air HQ on July 1, 2025. He has extensive academic and operational experience, including a tenure as Principal at the Reserve Bank Staff College.

India has imposed new restrictions on imports of jute, yarn, and woven fabrics from Bangladesh, disallowing their entry through land ports along the India-Bangladesh border. Imports will now be routed only via Nhava Sheva seaport, following similar restrictions applied in May 2025 on garments and food products.

The Central Government has named Parag Jain, a 1989-batch IPS officer from the Punjab cadre, as the new head of India’s external intelligence agency, RAW. Jain, currently heading the Aviation Research Centre, played a vital role in Operation Sindoor by delivering key intelligence for precision strikes on terror targets. He will take charge from July 1 for a fixed two-year tenure, succeeding Ravi Sinha.

Former Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit was found dead in his car just hours after being sacked by President Vladimir Putin. Authorities have reported it as a suicide. His abrupt dismissal followed reported operational disruptions in Russia’s aviation and maritime sectors, raising speculation over political fallout.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has approved the conduct of Class 10 board exams twice annually beginning 2026. The first phase will be held in mid-February (results in April), and the optional second phase in May (results in June). Students must appear for the first exam but may choose the second to improve performance in up to three subjects among science, math, social science, and languages.

Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, aged 28 and playing for Liverpool, tragically died in a car accident near Zamora in northwestern Spain. A Porto-born talent, Jota advanced through Gil’s ranks and had stints with Atlético Madrid, Porto (loan), Wolves (loan and permanent) before joining Liverpool, known for his sharp finishing.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has notified significant amendments to its Biomass Programme guidelines under the National Bioenergy Programme (Phase-I), applicable till 2025–26. The revised guidelines are intended to enhance clean energy use, improve regulatory clarity, and encourage widespread adoption of biomass technologies across the country.

Noted Hypnotist BV Pattabhiram Passes Away at 75 in Hyderabad.

Renowned hypnotist, magician, psychologist, and motivational speaker Dr. BV Pattabhiram passed away at the age of 75 following a heart episode. Known for his wide-reaching workshops on stress relief and personal growth across India and abroad, he authored several influential books and was respected for his contributions to mental well-being.

• Hong Kong tops Mercer's 2024 Cost of Living City rankings as the most expensive global city for expatriates, driven by high costs of living including accommodation and transport.
• Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland rank third and fourth respectively, highlighting the region's expensive living standards, particularly in accommodation and daily expenses.

• Organ transplant treatments for foreign citizens in India are regulated under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994. Treatment is permitted only on a Medical Visa, and all living organ donors must be at least 18 years old. Prior approval from the Authorization Committee is required when the donor or recipient is a foreign national.
• Commercial dealing in human organs is strictly prohibited in India and is considered a punishable offense under THOTA, 1994. This regulation ensures ethical practices in organ transplantation.

• India has been elected to the Inter-governmental Committee of UNESCO's 2003 Convention for safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) for four years.
• This is the third time that India has been elected to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the IHC. India has previously served as a member of the ICH Committee twice - from 2006 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2018.
• The Intergovernmental Committee of the 2003 Convention consists of 24 members, which are elected by the General Assembly of the States Parties.

• FAO forecasts global cereal production in 2024 to reach a new all-time high of 2854 million tonnes, driven by improved maize harvests in Argentina, Brazil, Turkiye, and Ukraine.
• Total cereal utilization for 2024/25 is expected to increase to 2856 million tonnes, with significant contributions from rice and coarse grains.
• World cereal stocks are projected to grow by 1.3% in 2025, maintaining a nearly unchanged global stocks-to-use ratio of 30.8% for 2024/25, despite a 3.0% decline in international cereal trade.

• United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Mohan Subramanian of India as his new Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
• Lt General Subramanian succeeds Lt General Shailesh Tinaikar of India.
• Lt General Subramanian has a distinguished military career with the Indian Army spanning over 36 years.
• Lt General Subramanian served as India’s Defence Attaché to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia (2008-2012) and as a Staff Officer with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone in 2000.

• Air India, in collaboration with the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC), is set to launch South Asia’s largest Flying Training Organisation (FTO) at Amravati's Belora airport, aiming to enhance India’s pilot training capacity and support the airline's transformation journey.
• The DGCA-licensed FTO will begin operations in Q1 FY26 and aims to graduate 180 commercial pilots annually, featuring 31 single-engine and three twin-engine aircraft for comprehensive training.

• Scientists in the US have developed a rapid Covid-19 test that can accurately detect all current variants of SARS-CoV-2 within hours.
• The test, CoVarScan, detects the signatures of eight hotspots on the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19.
• The researchers at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center in the US tested CoVarScan on samples collected from more than 4,000 patients.
• CoVarScan hones in on eight regions of SARS-CoV-2 that commonly differ between viral variants.

• Sikkim celebrates 'Gwala Diwas' to honor its milk producers.
• India will host the 46th UNESCO World Heritage Committee Session.

• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson named his Iraqi-born education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, as finance minister after the shock resignation of Rishi Sunak.
• The 55-year-old Nadhim Zahawi co-founded the prominent polling company YouGov and was active in local Conservative politics in London, before becoming an MP in 2010.
• The prime minister named another loyalist, Michelle Donelan, to take Zahawi's place at the education ministry.

• The 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which is being hosted by India from July 21-31, will be held at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
• The event will be attended by over 2,500 delegates from State Parties, advisory bodies, senior diplomats, heritage experts, scholars, and researchers from 195 countries, a senior official said. State Parties are countries which have adhered to the World Heritage Convention.

• The United States made history as Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
• The 51-year-old Jackson is the court’s 116th justice, and she took the place of the justice she once worked for.
• Ms Jackson, 51, will replace Justice Stephen Breyer, joining the court's three-member liberal minority.
• Jackson is the 116th justice, sixth woman and third Black person to serve on the Supreme Court since its 1789 founding.
• Biden appointed Jackson last year to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit after she spent eight years as a federal district judge.

• India is among 25 countries attending the third UN-led conference on Afghanistan in Doha, focusing on improving lives in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
• India is represented by MEA official J P Singh. The UN denies the talks aim to recognize the Taliban. Criticized for excluding Afghan women, the conference includes the EU, OIC, and SCO. India emphasizes its economic and security interests, combating terrorism, and supporting humanitarian aid, investing over $3 billion in 500 Afghan projects.

• Yair Lapid officially became the 14th Prime Minister of Israel.
• Yair Lapid's term will be short, as he takes over as a caretaker government ahead of Israel's election on November 1.
• Yair Lapid is an Israeli politician and a former journalist who is serving as the Prime Minister of Israel since July 1, 2022.
• He also previously served as the Alternate Prime Minister of Israel and the Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2021 to 2022.
• Yair Lapid will remain the 14th Prime Minister of Israel until a new government is formed after the new election.

• In Jharkhand, HUL DIWAS is celebrated annually on June 30 to honor tribal leaders Sidhu-Kanhu, Chand-Bhairav, and Phoolo-Jhano, who led the Hul Rebellion of 1855 against British rule. The day commemorates their sacrifice and contributions to India's independence movement.
• During the celebrations, Governor CP Radhakrishnan, Chief Minister Champai Soren, and other dignitaries paid homage to the tribal freedom fighters at Bhognadih in Sahibganj, where the main function was held. 
• The occasion included the inauguration of developmental schemes worth over ₹300 crore, underscoring the state's commitment to honoring and promoting the legacy of these brave heroes.

• Biomedical student Khushi Patel won "Miss India Worldwide 2022"
• "2022 UN Ocean Conference" begins in Lisbon
• 'Swapner Padma Setu' built on Padma River in Bangladesh inaugurated
• Ferdinand Marcos Jr. became the 17th President of the Philippines by defeating Rodrigo Duterte
• Iran and Argentina apply to join BRICS grouping

• Smriti Biswas, who passed away at 100 in Nashik, Maharashtra, was a revered actor in Hindi, Marathi, and Bengali cinema. She began her career as a child artist and collaborated with legendary filmmakers such as Guru Dutt and Raj Kapoor.
• Biswas made her debut in Bengali cinema with the film Sandhya in 1930 and concluded her Hindi film career with Model Girl in 1960, leaving behind a notable legacy spanning decades in Indian cinema.

• The 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was held on July 4, 2024, in Astana, Kazakhstan, hosted by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Belarus was admitted as the 10th full member of the SCO.
• The Indian Prime Minister skipped the meeting, with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar representing India. Dr. Jaishankar delivered Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address, emphasizing that terrorism in any form cannot be justified or condoned.
• The summit saw participation from 16 world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. 
• Prime Minister Modi's address highlighted the need for combating terrorism, countering terrorism financing and recruitment, and preventing the spread of radicalization among youth.

• Ferdinand Marcos Jr has been sworn in as the Philippine president, succeeding the outgoing leader Rodrigo Duterte.
• Sara Duterte, daughter of the outgoing populist president Rodrigo Duterte, was sworn in as the country's 15th vice president.
• She succeeded her father to become the first female mayor of Davao in 2010.

• Former Indian footballer Bhupinder Singh Rawat passed away at the age of 85.
• Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning writer of 'Chinatown,' has passed away at the age of 89.

• The Bornean elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis), the smallest subspecies of Asian elephants, is now classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to a significantly dwindling population of around 1,000 individuals.
• These elephants inhabit the forests of Borneo and Sumatra, facing severe threats from habitat loss caused by logging and oil palm plantations, which have led to a drastic reduction in their numbers.
• Bornean elephants are distinguished by their smaller size compared to mainland Asian elephants, with males growing to approximately 2.5 meters in height, whereas mainland Asian elephants reach about 3 meters.

• Two new countries – Iran and Argentina – have applied to join the influential BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – grouping.
• Both the countries applied for membership after the recent 14th BRICS Summit which was held from 23 to 24 June 2022 under the Chairmanship of President Xi Jinping of China.
• 1st BRIC summit: 16 June 2009, Russia
• South Africa joined the group in 2010.

• Robert Towne was renowned for his Oscar-winning screenplay for 'Chinatown' (1974), a classic in American cinema known for its intricate plot and dialogue.
• Towne made significant contributions as a script doctor, enhancing scripts for iconic films such as 'The Godfather' and 'Bonnie and Clyde', contributing to their enduring success.
• Apart from 'Chinatown', Towne's career included writing for blockbuster films like 'Mission: Impossible' and 'The Firm'. He also received Academy Award nominations for his screenplays for 'The Last Detail' (1973) and 'Shampoo' (1975), showcasing his versatility and talent in screenwriting.

• Japan started issuing new 10,000 yen, 5,000 yen, and 1,000 yen banknotes on 3rd July 2024, marking the first redesign since 2004.
• The new banknotes incorporate three-dimensional hologram technology, the first use of this technology on any country’s currency, to combat counterfeiting.
• The new banknotes have a universal design to accommodate the visually impaired and foreigners, and the current banknotes will remain legal tender.

• Bhupinder Singh Rawat, former India winger, passed away in Surat, Gujarat, on June 29, 2024, following a short illness.
• He was 85 years old at the time of his death.
• The All India Football Federation expressed condolences on his passing, honoring his contributions to Indian football.
• Bhupinder Singh Rawat, a former Indian footballer known for his speed as a winger during the 1960s and 1970s, represented India in the prestigious 1969 Merdeka tournament held in Malaysia.
• Rawat played for prominent domestic football teams including Delhi Garrison, Gorkha Brigade, and Mafatlal. He also represented Services and Maharashtra in the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy, showcasing his talent and dedication to the sport.

• Sikkim celebrated 'Gwala Diwas' on July 1, honoring the state's milk producers. Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang extended their congratulations, highlighting the vital contributions of dairy farmers.
• Governor Acharya praised the initiative for empowering milk producers and strengthening the rural economy, acknowledging the farmers' dedication to providing high-quality dairy products.
• Chief Minister Tamang commended farmers for their contributions to natural farming and animal husbandry, mentioning government initiatives such as the Milk Person of the Year award and animal health services. 

• On June 30, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released three books via video conferencing, detailing the life and journey of former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, at an event organized at Anvaya Convention Centre in Gachibowli, Hyderabad.
• The released books include a biography titled "Venkaiah Naidu: Life in Service" by S. Nagesh Kumar, a photo chronicle "Celebrating Bharat: The Mission and Message of Shri M Venkaiah Naidu as 13th Vice-President of India" compiled by Dr. I.V. Subba Rao, and a pictorial biography in Telugu "Mahaneta: Life and Journey of Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu" by Sanjay Kishore.
• Prime Minister Modi praised Naidu's 75-year journey, stating that the books would serve as a source of inspiration and guidance for the nation, highlighting Naidu's significant milestones and contributions.

• The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved Tata Sons' Rs 650 crore project to build a 'museum of temples' in Ayodhya, highlighting the history and architecture of India's renowned temples, with land provided on a 90-year lease for a nominal fee.
• The state cabinet sanctioned Rs 100 crore for further development in Ayodhya and endorsed helicopter services in Lucknow, Prayagraj, and Kapilvastu. Additionally, three dormant heritage buildings will be transformed into tourist attractions.
• A significant expansion of the sewage system in Ayodhya's outer areas under the Amrit Yojana-2 programme was announced, with a budget of Rs 351.40 crore, and the financial contribution share by local bodies towards the scheme was reduced.

1. Nobel-winning lithium battery inventor John Goodenough dies at 100

India and Mali held the inaugural India–Mali Forum for Promotion of Exports in Bamako on July 3, 2026. Bilateral trade reached US$326.61 million in FY 2025–26, growing 55%. Focus areas include cotton, textiles, mining, energy, pharmaceuticals, and social infrastructure. The forum featured B2B, B2G, and G2G meetings and exhibitions of Indian vehicles. Mali announced an investment forum for December 2026. India’s Duty-Free Tariff Preference Scheme has boosted trade. Both sides aim to deepen economic ties under Mali’s Vision 2063.

1. Chandigarh University Clinches Top Spot among India's Private Universities in QS World University Rankings 2024

• ACME Green Molecules, part of India’s ACME Group, signed a long-term agreement with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company on July 3, 2026, to supply 100,000 tonnes per annum of green methanol, valued at around USD 1 billion. Produced at ACME’s Paradip, Odisha facility, the low-carbon fuel will meet EU RFNBO standards and IMO regulations for maritime use.
• Green methanol, with formula CH₃OH, is made from renewable feedstocks and requires minimal infrastructure changes for ships. This marks ACME’s third major investment in Odisha and supports sustainable industrial and shipping applications.

• Chandigarh University (CU) has achieved a significant milestone by securing the first rank among India’s private universities in the latest edition of the coveted Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Ranking.
• As per QS WUR-2024, in which 2963 institutions were evaluated, Chandigarh University – keeping continuing its success streak – has secured an overall rank of 771-780, which is higher than its 801-1001 rank in the previous edition of the ranking released last year. 
• The university’s overall score in this year’s ranking is 15.2.
• The university also stood at 233rd spot in Asia.
• While Chandigarh University (CU) climbed up the ladder as India’s number one ranked private University, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has emerged as the number one ranked Indian public institute, in this year’s coveted QS World University Rankings 2024.
• Last year, Chandigarh University became the Youngest University to feature in the Top 200 QS Asia University Rankings 2023.

• NPCI has partnered with HSBC India and JP Morgan Payments to enable real-time foreign exchange (FX) conversion and settlement for cross-border UPI transactions.
• The move will make international UPI payments faster, transparent, and efficient.
• Benefits include instant currency conversion, immediate exchange rates, reduced settlement risks, and quicker payment confirmation.
• This partnership strengthens UPI’s global footprint and addresses delays in traditional cross-border payments.

1. A.K. Bhattacharya wrote a new book titled "Finance Minister of India"
2. Cyclone Biparjoy sets record as longest-duration storm in northern Indian Ocean since 1977
3. Indian author Rupa Pai wrote a new book called "The Yoga Sutras for Children"

• GST, launched on 1 July 2017, completes nine years on 1 July 2026, transforming India’s indirect tax system under the vision of “One Nation, One Tax.”
• It replaced 17 taxes and 13 cesses, creating a unified destination-based consumption tax with CGST, SGST, and IGST.
• GST 2.0 reforms, effective from 22 September 2025, simplify tax slabs to mainly 5% and 18%, impose 40% on luxury/sin goods, and ease compliance for MSMEs, exporters, and startups.
• Key achievements include digital ecosystem via GSTN, higher collections (₹22.27 lakh crore in 2025-26), and taxpayer base growth to 1.65 crore.

• The Union Cabinet approved ₹30,000 crore additional investment in National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) on 29 June 2026.
• Takes government’s total commitment to NIIF to ₹60,000 crore.
• Supports creation of NIIF Infrastructure Fund II with target corpus of ₹30,000 crore.
• The fund will invest in transportation, energy, digital infrastructure, urban infrastructure, and e-mobility.
• The government holds a 49% stake in NIIF.

• Boards of Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and REC Limited approved the merger of REC into PFC on 30 June 2026.
• The merger will create a giant financing entity with a combined loan book exceeding ₹11 lakh crore.
• Share exchange ratio: 88 PFC shares for every 100 REC shares.
• Subject to approvals from shareholders, creditors, regulators, and maintaining Government company status with majority GoI control.
• Deloitte and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas are key advisors.

• India and Seychelles signed an MoU for Unified Payments Interface (UPI) implementation during PM Modi’s visit.
• UPI is expected to become operational in Seychelles by the end of 2026 to facilitate seamless digital payments, especially for Indian tourists.
• The agreement was signed between NPCI and the Central Bank of Seychelles.
• It is part of broader bilateral cooperation in digital transformation, healthcare, education, and maritime security. India has similar UPI arrangements with several countries.

• Siddhartha Mohanty served as Chairman of LIC from April 2023 until June 29, 2024, was appointed MD and CEO starting from June 2024 until June 7, 2025, initially held the interim chairman position from March 2023 for a term of 3 years, and currently, LIC has four other Managing Directors: M. Jagannath, Tablesh Pandey, Sat Pal Bhanoo, and R. Doraiswamy. 
• Mohanty was appointed as the chairperson of LIC in April 2023 until June 29, 2024.
• Siddhartha Mohanty began his career with LIC as an apprentice officer in 1985, held various roles including Executive Director (Legal) and COO at LIC Housing Finance Limited (HFL), served as MD and CEO of LIC HFL from 2019 to 2021, held positions such as Senior Divisional Manager in Raipur and Cuttack, and is currently a Director on the Board of Kenindia Assurance Limited.

• Senior Indian Information Service officer Dhirendra Ojha has been appointed as the Director General of the Press Information Bureau, replacing Sheyphali Sharan, who has been appointed as the Director General of the Publications Division.
• The Press Information Bureau (PIB), headquartered in Delhi, is the nodal agency of the Government of India responsible for disseminating information to the print and electronic media.

• Dr. Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi was recommended for the position by the Supreme Court Collegium on 27-12-2023, and his appointment as the 15th Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court was notified by the Ministry of Law and Justice on 03-07-2024.
• Dr. Justice Sarangi succeeds Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra, who retired on 28-12-2023, as the Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court.
• Before his elevation to the High Court of Orissa, Justice Sarangi had 27 years of regular practice at the Bar before the High Court of Orissa and the Supreme Court.

• Freedom fighter P. Gopinathan Nair passed away at the age of 100.
• P Gopinathan Nair was known for following Gandhian ideology in his life and was honoured with the Padma award in 2016. He had participated in the freedom struggle.
• Sri P.Gopinathan Nair had taken part in the Quit India movement.

• Reformist leader Masoud Pezeshkian has won Iran's presidential election, defeating hardline leader Saeed Jalili.
• In the result on 6 July 2024, he defeated radical Saeed Jalili. 
• During his election campaign, he promised the people that he would implement the mandatory headscarf law after winning. 
• This law was created after several years of restrictions and protests on the Islamic Republic.

• Mohammad Barkindo, Nigerian politician and secretary-general of oil producer group OPEC, has died at the age of 63.
• His second term as head of OPEC was set to end in three weeks on July 31. 
• He'd held the post for six years since 2016.
• OPEC's 13 member-states have 1.24 billion proven crude oil reserves among them, or 80% of the world's share.
• Saudi Arabia is by far the biggest exporter of crude within OPEC, with 6.23 million barrels per day of crude exports last year. Non-OPEC producer, Russia, exported 4.5 million barrels of crude last year.

• Antonio Costa of Portugal has been elected as the President of the European Council.
• Vikram Misri has been appointed as India’s new Foreign Secretary.
• IRS officer Ravi Agrawal appointed as the new CBDT chief, succeeding Nitin Gupta.
• IAS officer Manoj Kumar Singh assumes office as Uttar Pradesh's new chief secretary, succeeding Durga Shankar Mishra.
• Former spy chief Dick Schoof has been sworn in as the new Dutch prime minister.
• CS Setty has received approval from FSIB to lead SBI as its next chairman.
• IAS officer Sujata Saunik has become Maharashtra’s first female Chief Secretary.
• Dr. B.N. Gangadhar has been appointed as the Chairperson of the National Medical Commission.
• Justice Sheel Nagu has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
• Hemant Soren has taken oath as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand for his third term.

• Veteran film director Tarun Majumdar, who was known for his compelling work in Bengali cinema, has passed away at the age of 91 due to prolonged illness.
• Born on 8 January 1931 in the Bengal Presidency of British India, Majumdar's father Birendranath Majumdar was a freedom fighter.
• Notable among his works are 'Kancher Swarga' (1962), 'Palatak' (1963), 'Kuheli' (1971), Shriman Prithviraj (1972), 'Balika Badhu' (1976), 'Thagini' (1974), 'Ganadevata' (1978), Dadar Kirti (1980), 'Bhalobasa Bhalobasa' (1986).
• He's the recipient of four National Awards, seven BFJA Awards, five Filmfare Awards and an Anandalok Award. 
• The Government of India honoured him with the fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri, in 1990.

• Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren was sworn in as Jharkhand Chief Minister for the third term on July 4, 2024. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi.
• Champai Soren resigned from the post of Chief Minister paving the way for his predecessor. Mr. Soren's father and party supremo Shibu Soren, mother Rupi Soren and wife Kalpana Murmu Soren were present along with other leaders of the alliance partners. 
• It was a simple ceremony at the Raj Bhavan in which no one took the oath of Cabinet Minister.

• Former India goalkeeper E N Sudhir died in Mapusa, Goa.
• EN Sudhir made his international debut against Indonesia in Rangoon (currently Yangon) in the Olympic qualifiers in 1972. 
• He represented India in nine matches.
• He was also part of the national team in the 1973 Merdeka Cup and the Asian Games squad in 1974.

• The Centre on 4 July 2024 notified the appointment of Justice Sheel Nagu as the Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court.
• Justice Nagu was serving as the Acting Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court after Chief Justice Ravi Malimath demitted the office on May 24, 2024.

• Olympic and World Cup medallist Varinder Singh, who was an integral part of some of India's memorable victories in the 1970s, died in Jalandhar.
• He was 75. 
• Varinder Singh was part of the gold-medal winning Indian team at the 1975 men's Hockey World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
• This remains India's only gold medal at the prestigious tournament where the country had beaten arch-rivals Pakistan 2-1 in the final.
• Singh was also part of the bronze medal-winning team at the 1972 Munich Olympics and silver medal at 1973 World Cup in Amsterdam.
• In 2007, Varinder was conferred with the prestigious Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award.

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) recommended Dr. B.N. Gangadhar was appointed as the Chairman of the National Medical Commission. 
• Prior to this, he was the chairman of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board. Dr. Sanjay Bihari, Director, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, has been appointed as the Chairman of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board. 
• Their appointments are for a period of four years, until they attain the age of 70 years.

• Senior IAS officer Sujata Saunik made history on June 30 by becoming Maharashtra’s first female Chief Secretary.
• Ms. Saunik, a member of the 1987 IAS batch, was appointed Chief Secretary by the MahaYuti government following the retirement of incumbent Chief Secretary Nitin Kareer. 
• She will be serving a one-year tenure before retiring in June next year.

• Challa Srinivasulu Shetty has been selected as the next chairman of State Bank of India (SBI) by the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB), an arm of the central government. 
• The other two contenders were Ashwini Tewari and Vinay Tons. 
• Shetty will replace incumbent president Dinesh Khara, whose term ends on August 28. 
• Shetty is the managing director of the country's largest government bank SBI.

• Dick Schoof, a former spy chief, has been sworn in as the new Dutch prime minister, leading a broad right-wing coalition.
• The new cabinet, under Schoof's leadership, promises to implement the "strictest-ever" immigration policy in the Netherlands.
• Schoof takes over from Mark Rutte, who is set to become the next secretary-general of NATO, following protracted negotiations after far-right leader Geert Wilders' electoral victory.

• NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (NTPC REL), a fully-owned subsidiary of NTPC, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) to collaborate in setting up India's first commercial-scale Green Ammonia and Green Methanol projects.
• GACL is a Gujarat government PSU engaged in the production of industrial chemical products.
• NTPC Limited has been at the forefront of renewable energy capacity development and has been credited for bringing the lowest ever solar tariff in the country.

• Manoj Kumar Singh, a 1988-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the new chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh, succeeding Durga Shankar Mishra, a 1984-batch IAS officer.
• Prior to this appointment, Singh held various significant positions including the agriculture production commissioner, infrastructure and industrial development commissioner, and additional chief secretary of the Panchayati Raj department in Uttar Pradesh.
• The official statement confirming Singh's new role highlighted his extensive bureaucratic experience and his previous contributions to key sectors in the state administration.

• Odisha has topped the ranking of States for implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), followed by Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
• This was announced by Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal at the Conference of Food Ministers on Food & Nutrition Security in India in New Delhi.
• Odisha received an index score of 0.836.
• Uttar Pradesh has been ranked second, with index score of 0.797.
• Andhra Pradesh has been third, with score of 0.794.
• Tripura has topped among Special Category States/UTs.

• Ravi Agrawal, a 1988-batch IRS officer, has been appointed as the new chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), succeeding Nitin Gupta, whose tenure ended on June 30, 2024.
• Agrawal's appointment extends until June 2025, with a reappointment on a contract basis to ensure continuity in the CBDT’s policy framework and leadership.
• Previously serving as a member (administration) in the board, Agrawal will oversee critical tax policy decisions and manage the upcoming Union government budgets in July 2024 and February 2025.

• 4-day-long festival "Ambubachi Mela" begins at Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati

• Vikram Misri, a senior diplomat of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and current Deputy National Security Adviser, has been appointed as India's new Foreign Secretary, succeeding Vinay Mohan Kwatra.
• Misri brings extensive diplomatic experience, having served as India's ambassador to key countries including China, Spain, and Myanmar. His tenure as ambassador to China was particularly noted for his role during the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes.
• Born in Srinagar and educated at Delhi University and XLRI, Misri began his diplomatic career with postings in Brussels and Tunis. He has also served as private secretary to three Indian Prime Ministers, showcasing his strategic acumen and diplomatic proficiency.

• In India, Mumbai is the most expensive city for expats, in terms of both living expenses and accommodation costs, followed by New Delhi, according to Mercer's 2022 Cost of Living survey.
• However, these two Indian metro cities are cost-effective globally, as per the survey.
• Mumbai featuring at number 127 globally is the costliest city in India for expatriates in terms of both living expenses and accommodation costs followed by New Delhi (155), Chennai (177), Bengaluru (178) and Hyderabad (192). 
• While Pune at number 201 and Kolkata at 203 are the least expensive Indian cities in the ranking.
• Globally, Hong Kong ranked first followed by Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, Tel Aviv etc.

• Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has been chosen as the next President of the European Council, succeeding Charles Michel from Belgium, effective from October 1, 2024.
• The President of the European Council is elected by the heads of state or government of the EU member states for a term of 2.5 years, renewable once, making a maximum tenure of five years. This role involves chairing and representing the European Council, which sets the EU's overall political direction and priorities.
• Concurrently, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has been selected as the next High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, enhancing the EU's diplomatic and security capabilities under the new leadership structure.

• Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav launched "Lokpath" mobile app prepared for reporting potholes and patches on the roads of Public Works Department through single click.
• Public Works Department Minister Rakesh Singh was present on the occasion. 
• On this app, the Public Works Department will have to take photos of the potholes of the roads and send it, if the potholes of the road are not filled within the time limit, action will be taken against the engineer of the concerned area.
• On the direction of Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav and special initiative of Public Works Minister Rakesh Singh, 'Lokpath' mobile app has been prepared to strengthen the road information and management system. 
• Through the 'Lokpath' mobile app, the general public will be able to report the problems of the roads and the accountability of the officials will be ensured. 
• Through this app, timely identification and quick rectification of potholes on roads will be possible.

• Five and a half crore saplings will be planted in Madhya Pradesh under the 'Ek Tree Maa Ki Naam' campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The campaign was launched by Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav.
• "In Madhya Pradesh, the 'Ek Tree Maa Ke Naam' campaign is being launched on the birth anniversary of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. In Bhopal district alone, a target has been set to plant 20 lakh saplings in 480 hectare area. 
• 12 lakh saplings are being planted at various places in Bhopal district.
•  There is a plan to plant 51 lakh saplings in Indore, the industrial capital of the state and the cleanest city of the country. Till July 15, a campaign 'Ek Tree Maa Ke Naam' is being run on a war footing in all cities and villages of the state.

• The AI for Good Global Commission was launched on July 3, 2026, to promote responsible and inclusive AI development. Founding Indian members include Mukesh Ambani, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Lakshmi N. Mittal, and Vishal Talwar. Led by ITU and Salesforce, with over 40 global leaders, it aims to build trust in AI, reduce digital divides, and address global challenges.
• Co-chaired by Rwanda President Paul Kagame, the commission focuses on ethical governance, digital inclusion, and sustainable development. The first meeting will be at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva (July 7–10, 2026).

• NITI Aayog launched the Sampoornata Abhiyan to achieve saturation in 12 key social sector indicators across 500 aspirational blocks and 112 aspirational districts, focusing on themes such as health, nutrition, agriculture, social development, and education.
• Running until September, the campaign includes awareness activities like Gram Sabhas, Nukkad Natak, Paushtik Aahar Mela, health camps, exhibitions, and competitions in all aspirational blocks and districts, involving district and block officials, elected representatives, and community members.
• The launch events saw the active involvement of officials, frontline workers, and local representatives from regions spanning Jammu and Kashmir to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with significant participation in health and nutrition-focused activities in districts like Ratlam, Singrauli, Udham Singh Nagar, Nuh, and Annamayya.

Microsoft and Singapore-based Lightstorm are leading a consortium to build the I-2SEA (India-2-Southeast Asia) undersea cable system connecting India with Malaysia and Singapore. Key partners include Tata Communications, Singtel, ASEAN Cableship, and NEC Corporation. The 3,600-km cable will enhance high-capacity, low-latency connectivity to support AI, hyperscale cloud, and data centres. A major landing station will be in Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The project is expected to become operational in Q4 2029 and expand Lightstorm’s connected AI and cloud zones in India from 19 to 29.

• Central Zone has installed the first-ever floating solar plant of Indian Railways, marking a pioneering initiative in renewable energy adoption.
• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Petroleum successfully concluded its "One Week, One Theme" campaign focused on the Energy and Energy Devices theme.
• PM Modi releases three books on the life and journey of former Vice President Venkaiah Naidu.
• MoSPI launches eSankhyiki portal to enhance data access and dissemination.
• Mansukh Mandaviya and Hardeep Singh Puri unveiled the ceremonial dress and playing kit for the Paris Olympics.
• Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy inaugurates DMF Gallery in Shastri Bhawan.
• CM Bhajan Lal Sharma launches 'Mukhyamantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana' from Tonk.
• Chandrababu Naidu launches distribution of NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme.
• The deadline to apply for the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana in Maharashtra's budget has been extended until August 31.
• India participated in the UN's Doha meeting on Afghanistan, which was also attended by representatives of the Taliban.
• Women Entrepreneurship Platform and TransUnion CIBIL have partnered to launch the SEHER program aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs.
• BPCL has partnered with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as the principal sponsor for the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
• LIC has launched the agency transformation initiative 'Jeevan Samarth'.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'NAMO Drone Didi' Scheme aims to empower women in the agriculture sector by utilizing drones.
• India has launched UPI payments at the world-renowned Galeries Lafayette in Paris.

• China’s LineShine became the world’s fastest supercomputer in the June 2026 TOP500 rankings, surpassing leading U.S. systems.
• India commissioned the world’s first nuclear process heat hydrogen production facility at IGCAR, Kalpakkam using the indigenous Cu-Cl thermochemical cycle.
• India successfully conducted its first GAGAN-based satellite landing approach on an IndiGo Airbus A320 at Udaipur airport.
• Astronomers using the Murchison Widefield Array discovered a new millisecond pulsar, PSR J0125-5854, in a binary system.
• The Technology Development Board provided financial assistance to commercialize India’s first fully contactless programmable load measurement system using magnetic sensors.

• India has launched the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at Paris' historic department store Galeries Lafayette after a successful launch at the iconic Eiffel Tower.
• This significant step is towards realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of globalising UPI, which is an Indian instant payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016.
• "On July 3, 2024, the UPI became live at the flagship store of the world-renowned Galeries Lafayette in Haussmann, Paris. This expands the acceptance of UPI in Paris after a successful launch at the iconic Eiffel Tower.

1. Chamari Athapaththu Becomes First Sri Lanka Player To Top Women's ODI Player Rankings
2. India's Yuki Bhambri bags maiden ATP doubles title in Mallorca
3. Defending champions Haryana emerges as champions at 6th Youth Women's National Boxing Championships in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
4. Olympian Manna Patel breaks record in women's 100 m backstroke event in National Swimming Championships 2023
5. Max Verstappen wins Austrian Grand Prix 2023 title
6. Durand Cup's 132nd edition in 2023 to host foreign teams in Kolkata after 27 years
7. 1975 and 1979 champions, the West Indies, failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup in India for the first time
8. Fantasy gaming company Dream11 Replaces BYJU’S, Bags Indian Cricket Team’s Lead Sponsor Rights
9. India defeats Iran in the final of the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023 to win the eighth title of this championship
10. Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra wins Lausanne Diamond League 2023 title in Switzerland, finishes 1st with 87.66m throw
11. Lallianzuala Changte and Manisha Kalyan were named men's and women's AIFF Player of the Year for 2022-23 respectively
12. India beat Kuwait 5-4 in penalty shootout to win SAFF Championships title for 9th time
13. Parth Salunkhe tops the Ranking round of the World Archery Youth Championships
14. 37th Hyderabad Sailing Week & Laser National Championship takes off in Hyderabad
15. Gujarat's Aryan Nehra creates another national record, won gold in men's 800m freestyle event at the national swimming championships 2023

• On 30 June 2026, Technology Development Board (under DST) provided financial assistance to Puretronics India Private Limited for commercialising the Load Magnetic Overload (LMO) Sensor.
• LMO is India’s first fully contactless programmable load measurement system using magnetic sensors and digital processing instead of traditional strain gauges.
• Designed for integration with PLC, SCADA, and IoT systems in elevators, cranes, hoists, and material handling equipment.
• Aims to improve safety, reduce maintenance, and boost globally competitive industrial technologies.

• The development of the drone ecosystem and the deployment of drones in villages across India, as highlighted by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, are aligned with the 'NAMO Drone Didi' initiative. This initiative focuses on empowering women in the agriculture sector through drone technology.
• The 'NAMO Drone Didi' scheme aims to empower rural women by training them as drone pilots and equipping them with drones for agricultural activities such as crop monitoring and fertiliser spraying, thereby enhancing productivity and efficiency in farming practices.

• The prestigious 37th Hyderabad Sailing Week and Laser National Championship has taken off under the aegis of EME Sailing Association (EMESA), Laser Class Association of India, and Secunderabad Sailing Club at Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad.
• Lieutenant General JS Sidana, Commandant MCEME, Commodore EME Sailing Association, and Vice President Laser Class Association of India formally flagged off the event.
• The annual National Regatta, Hyderabad Sailing Week, is conducted every year at the Hussain Sagar Lake and the National Laser Championship serves as a trial event for the Asian Games. Organisers informed that 89 individuals, representing 11 clubs. 
• These include 11 women and 17 from Telangana. Murali Kanuri (72) is the oldest participant this year.  
• The week-long event will conclude on the 9th of this month.

• Astronomers using Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) discovered millisecond pulsar PSR J0125-5854 during the SMART survey.
• The pulsar has a 24-millisecond spin period and was found in the southern sky at low radio frequencies (140–170 MHz).
• It is in a binary system with an orbital period of approximately 833 days and lies at a distance of 0.5–1 kiloparsecs.
• Published on arXiv (17 June 2026) and accepted in The Astrophysical Journal Letters; first such discovery in deep-pass SMART searches.

• The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) and TransUnion CIBIL launched the SEHER program to empower women entrepreneurs in India with financial literacy and business skills to enhance credit access and business growth.
• Accelerating women's entrepreneurship could create over 30 million new women-owned enterprises in India, potentially generating 150 to 170 million more jobs.
• Demand for business loans by women in India has increased 3.9 times from FY 2019 to FY 2024, with women now holding 38% of all live business loans.

• The All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced the winners of its annual awards after the executive committee.
• Blue Tigers winger Lallianzuala Chhangte, an integral member of the Indian team at the SAFF Championship, has been adjudged the men’s senior player of the year, as Manisha Kalyan, who plays for Apollon in Cyprus, has been feted with the women’s player of the year accolade.
• The Mizoram player Lallianzuala Chhangte bagged the award on the back of some stellar performances for the Indian national team and Mumbai City FC, his club.
• Akash Mishra, 21, and Shilji Shaji, 16, have been accorded the Emerging Player of the Year awards in men’s and women’s categories.
• Meanwhile, Clifford Miranda, who guided Odisha FC to Super Cup triumph, has been named men’s Coach of the Year. 
• Priya PV, the head coach of the India U-17 women’s team and an assistant with the senior women’s team, has won the women’s coach of the year honour.

• The Bangladesh Navy signed a contract with India's Garden Reach Shipbuilding and Engineers (GRSE) for the acquisition of an 800-ton Ocean Going Tug. 
• This agreement aims to bolster Bangladesh's maritime capabilities and strengthen bilateral cooperation in naval technology.
• The contract was finalized during the visit of India’s Chief of Naval Staff to Bangladesh, underscoring the strategic importance of enhancing maritime collaboration between India and Bangladesh through joint naval initiatives and technology transfers.

• Asian Games-bound swimmer Aryan Nehra broke yet another national record en route to his gold-winning performance in the men's 800m freestyle event at the national swimming championships 2023.
• Aryan breached the Asian Games qualifying standard for the second time this year by clocking 8:01.81.
• In a repeat of 400m freestyle event, Aryan once again got the better of national record holder Delhi’s Kushagra Rawat, who clinched a silver with a timing of 8:09.25, while Karnataka swimmer Aneesh Gowda (8:16.92) came third.
• The Gujarat swimmer had booked his place in the continental event in April during a meet in Chicago where he swam a personal best of 8:03.15 in the 800m freestyle event.
• He has also breached the 1500m freestyle qualification time.
• Karnataka’s Harshika Ramachandra and Maharashtra swimmer Anannya Nayak also rewrote national marks in the the women’s 200m medley and 100m freestyle events respectively.

• Maharashtra launched the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme in July 2024, offering a monthly financial support of ₹1,500 to women aged 21 to 60. 
• This initiative aims to empower women and improve their socio-economic status.
• Inspired by Madhya Pradesh's successful 'Ladli Behna' scheme, Maharashtra's initiative underscores the state government's dedication to promoting women's welfare and development through direct financial assistance.

• India defeated Kuwait by 5-4 in the penalty shootout of the final of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
• This was the second time India won in the penalty shootout.
• They had made it to summit clash after beating Lebanon 4-2 in penalty shootout in the semifinal on July 1. 
• Chhangte was named AIFF Men's Player of the Year.
• This is India's third title this season after lifting the Tri-nations and Intercontinental Cup.

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu launched the distribution of Rs 4,408 crore under the NTR Bharosa pension scheme for 65.31 lakh beneficiaries on 1st July 2024.
• The Telugu Desam Party-led government hiked the pension, which was earlier known as YSR Pension Kanuka under the earlier YSRCP government, from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 per month. Similarly, the pension for specially-abled persons has been increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 per month.

• Parth Salunkhe scored 672 points to take the number one spot in the ranking round of recurve men’s under-21 individual category in the World youth archery championships in Limerick, Ireland
• Aishwarya Sharma finished atop the compound women’s under-18 individual chart with a total of 401 points. 
• India also topped the compound men, women and mixed team rankings.
• Priyansh and Avneet met Spain's Paula Diaz Morillas and Kevin Arias in the second round, which they won by 144-141.
• The World Youth Archery Championships will end on 9 July 2023.

• Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma will launch the Mukhyamantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana in Tonk on 7 July 2024. 
• The district level function for Jaipur and Jaipur Rural districts will also be held at 11 am at Rajasthan International Centre, Jaipur.
• The objective of the scheme is to provide additional financial assistance to the farmers who are already benefiting from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. 
• The eligible farmers will get an additional Rs 2,000 per year from the state government, in addition to the Rs 8,000 provided annually under the central scheme.

• Shreyanka Patil became the first Indian cricketer to be signed for the Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL).
• She is the first Indian player to get a contract in a foreign league before making her international debut.
• He has been selected to represent the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the WCPL, which will take place from 31 August to 10 September.
• Shreyanka Patil was awarded the title of 'Player of the Tournament' in the Women's Emerging Asia Cup held in Hong Kong.
• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) allowed Indian women cricketers to participate in overseas cricket leagues.
• Senior players like Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh have played in leagues like the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) and The Hundred.

• Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated the DMF gallery at Shastri Bhawan, showcasing products of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) supported by District Mineral Foundation (DMF) and mining companies under CSR initiatives.
• The gallery features products from SHGs funded by DMF in Keonjhar and Koraput districts of Odisha, including millet food items, Tasar silk products, Lemongrass, and Japanese Mint Oil products.
• Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) and HINDALCO are recognized for supporting over 25 SHGs across various districts, benefiting more than 3000 artisans through initiatives like rejuvenating Chhattisgarh Kosa weaves, bamboo crafts, and bio-composite artefacts from Lantana weed.

• Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu has been rewarded for her superb recent form by becoming the new No.1 ranked batter on the latest ICC Women's ODI Batting Rankings.
• It helped Athapaththu become the first Sri Lankan women to top the women's ODI rankings, joining male compatriot Sanath Jayasuriya as the only two players from the island nation to have held the No.1 spot in the history of the ODI rankings.
• The opener fellow Sri Lankan, Sanath Jayasuriya who is the only male player to top the ODI rankings having held top spot for 181 days from September 2002 to May 2003.
• Athapaththu managed win two ‘Player of the Match’ awards and the ‘Player of the Series’ award by scoring two centuries in three matches. She scored 108 not out of 83 balls in the first match and scored 140 not out of 80 deliveries in the third match.
• Other Sri Lankan players to advance in the rankings include Kavisha Dilhari who jumped 19 places to be ranked 37th among batters and Prabodhani who climbed 14 places to be ranked 32nd among bowlers.
• The Kiwi’s captain Sophie Devine shot up six positions to secure the 13th spot after scoring 137 in Galle to win the second ODI of the series.

• India will be sending a contingent of nearly 120 athletes to the Paris Olympics, scheduled from 26th of next month till 11th August.
• Sports Minister Mr. Mandaviya highlighted the government's special focus on sports under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, expressing confidence in sustaining India’s growth trajectory in sports.
• Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Puri congratulated the Indian contingent, emphasizing the crucial role of various oil and gas PSUs in facilitating optimal preparation for the athletes, aiming to achieve success at the Olympics.

• Yuki Bhambri created history by winning his maiden ATP title in Spain on July 2. The Indian player won the men's doubles title at the ATP Mallorca Open. He partnered with Lloyd Harris of South Africa to lift the trophy.
• Bhambri also became the first Indian to win a title at Mallorca Open.
• Also, Harris became the first South African to win a title on an ATP tour since Raven Klassen.
• The tournament began on June 24 and ran until July 1. 
• The Bhambri and Harris duo began their tournament with a 6-3, 6-2 win over the Austrian pair of Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler. The duo got past the fourth seeds Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-4 in the quarter-finals.
• Yuki Bhambri has achieved a career-best ranking in men's doubles with his maiden ATP title at Mallorca. 

• MoSPI launched the eSankhyiki portal to centralize and streamline access to comprehensive national statistical data. The initiative aims to support planners, policymakers, researchers, and the public by providing easy access to over 2291 datasets, including crucial statistics like National Accounts Statistics and Consumer Price Index.
• The eSankhyiki portal includes a Data Catalogue Module that offers detailed metadata and visualization tools. These features enhance data usability and reusability, facilitating informed decision-making and research across various sectors of the economy and society.

• The Durand Cup 2023 football tournament will be held from August 3 to September 3.
• The 132nd edition of the Durand Cup, the oldest football tournament in Asia, will be played across four venues - Guwahati and Kokrajhar in Assam, Shillong in Meghalaya and Kolkata in West Bengal.
• The Durand Cup 2023 will see 24 teams - four more than the previous edition - compete for the prestigious trophy.
• All 12 Indian Super League (ISL) teams, including new entrants Roundglass Punjab FC, who got promoted to the ISL after winning the I-League 2022-23, will participate in the Durand Cup 2023.
• Established in 1888, the Durand Cup has been dominated by the West Bengal clubs. 
• It was named after Mortimer Durand, who was then the Foreign Secretary in charge of India.
• Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are the joint most successful sides, each winning the Durand Cup 16 times.
• Mohun Bagan (1963, 1964, 1965 and 1984, 1985, 1986) and East Bengal (1989, 1990, 1991) also hold the record for most consecutive wins - three.
• Bengaluru FC are the defending Durand Cup champions. Sunil Chhetri and Co. defeated Mumbai City FC 2-1 in the final in Kolkata last year.

• Assam's inaugural Witness Protection Scheme, introduced by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and aligned with Section 398 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, allows witnesses to apply for protection through a prescribed form before a competent authority.
• The scheme aims to safeguard witnesses facing threats during investigations and trials, ensuring fair trials and security against intimidation, thus bolstering the justice delivery system.

• Defending champions Haryana retained the Women’s Youth Boxing National Championship, clinching 9 medals, including eight gold.
• With 63 points, 8 gold and 1 bronze medal Haryana finished top of the table.
• Uttarakhand and Delhi claimed the second and third spot with 32 and 20 points respectively. 
• Led by 2 times Asian Junior Champion Nikita Chand, Uttarakhand won 3 gold and 1 silver medal. Delhi ended their campaign with 3 silver and 1 bronze medal.
• Haryana’s Priya (57kg) was adjourned best boxer due to her phenomenal display in the 57kg category while Madhya Pradesh’s Anjali Singh won the most promising boxer award.

• Central Railway has installed a pioneering 10 MWp floating solar plant in Igatpuri lake, located in the Western Ghats. This initiative marks Indian Railways' first-of-its-kind effort to harness renewable energy through innovative means.
• The installation of solar plants, including the floating solar plant and rooftop installations across railway stations and buildings, underscores Central Railway's commitment to leveraging renewable energy sources. This move aligns with the railways' objective to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability.
• Central Railway aims to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2030. The commissioning of solar plants and other green initiatives are pivotal steps in this direction, contributing significantly to environmental conservation and sustainable development goals.

• Max Verstappen took a stunning victory in the Austrian Grand Prix 2023.
• The Austrian Grand Prix victory marked Verstappen's fifth consecutive victory and seven from nine races in the current season.
• The previous year's winner at this circuit, Charles Leclerc, finished second at the Austrian Grand Prix, crossing the finish line 5.2 seconds behind Verstappen.
• Sergio Pérez, driving for the Red Bull team, finished third, 17.2 seconds behind the race leader.

List of Previous Race Winners:

1. Canadian Grand Prix 2023: Winner - Max Verstappen
2. Spanish Grand Prix 2023: Winner - Max Verstappen
3. Monaco Grand Prix 2023: Winner - Max Verstappen
4. Bahrain Grand Prix 2023: Winner - Max Verstappen
5. Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023: Winner - Sergio Perez
6. Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2023: Winner - Sergio Perez

• Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Department (USDMA) to conduct a vulnerability study of 13 glacial lakes, five of which are in high-risk zones, to prevent glacial lake outburst floods during the monsoon.
• The high-risk lakes are located in Darma, Lasaryanghati, and Kutiyangti valleys in Pithoragarh district, and Vasudhara Tal Lake in Dhauli Ganga basin in Chamoli district, all situated at elevations above 4,000 meters.
• Himalayan glaciers are in danger due to climate change, necessitating continuous monitoring and satellite identification of new glacial lakes to mitigate potential hazards.

• Olympian swimmer Maana Patel set a new national record in the women’s 100m backstroke event, while Lineysha AK achieved the same feat in the women’s 200m breaststroke.
• Notably, swimmer Nina Venkatesh also set a new National record in Women’s 50m butterfly event with a timing of 28.01.
• The National Swimming Championships commenced on Sunday and will continue until July 5. 
• In its 76th edition, the championships feature competitive events for men and women in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and individual medley.
•  The program also includes freestyle, medley, and mixed team relays.

• In line with the new education policy, the Government of Himachal Pradesh is all set to launch 'Himachal Pradesh Early Childhood Care and Education Tutor Scheme' which aims at holistic development of children in the age group of 3 to 6 years.
• Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, the government is currently running 6,297 pre-primary sections in primary schools in the state, in which about 60,000 children are receiving education and along with these primary schools, 2,377 Anganwadis are also being run.
• In line with the National Education Policy, 2020, which recommends comprehensive early childhood care and education (ECCE), the education department will soon implement a combination of all four ECCE models in the state.

• Two-time champions West Indies failed to qualify for 2023 ODI World Cup in India after suffering a shock seven-wicket defeat against Scotland in a Super Six match of the qualifier in Harare.
• The champions of 1975 and 1979 editions, this is the first time in the 48 years of tournament history that West Indies won't feature among the top 10 teams in limited overs cricket. 
• It was also Scotland's first-ever win over the Caribbean side in the ODIs.

• Andhra Pradesh introduced peanut millet jaggery chikki in government schools under the Dokka Seethamma Mid-Day Meal Scheme from 6 July 2026. The nutrient-rich snack, made with peanuts, millets, and jaggery, replaces regular chikki and is served three times a week to boost dietary fibre and calcium intake.
• The initiative aligns with efforts by Akshaya Patra Foundation and promotes millets for better nutrition. It supports the broader goal of improving student health, attendance, and nutrition under state nutrition programmes.

• Fantasy gaming company Dream11 will be the lead sponsor of India's national cricket team for three years.
• The Dream11 logo will be seen on India’s jerseys starting from the test series against the West Indies this month, which will be the team’s first assignment in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.
• Dream11 replaces Byju’s as lead sponsor, after the BCCI’s contract with the education technology firm ended in March.
• Byju’s had become the principal sponsor in 2019 after the smartphone brand Oppo decided to transfer the remaining period of its sponsorship term, having been associated with Team India for two and a half years.
• Wills and ITC were the sponsors of the jerseys for close to a decade in the 90s before Sahara came on board and remained for the longest time. 
• The group led by Subrata Roy sponsored the jerseys between 2002 and 2013 before monetisation of cricket entered a very competitive space and saw Star India on the team jerseys between 2014 and 2017.

• The Uttar Pradesh Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana 2026–27 has invited online applications until 5:00 PM on July 15, 2026. The scheme aims to empower traditional artisans by providing free skill training, a training stipend, and modern toolkits to support self-employment. Eligible applicants must be permanent residents of Uttar Pradesh, 18 years or older, engaged in a traditional occupation, and not loan defaulters, with only one member per family eligible to apply.
• The scheme covers trades like carpenter, blacksmith, tailor, and potter. It complements the central PM Vishwakarma Scheme and targets OBC, SC, ST, minorities, and EWS. Eligible applicants must be UP residents above 18 engaged in traditional occupations. Applications are submitted online via the official MSME portal.

• The Indian men’s kabaddi team beat Iran 42-32 in a high-voltage final to defend its Asian Championships title 2023 at the Dong-Eui Institute of Technology Seokdang Cultural Center in Busan, Republic of Korea.
• Indian captain Pawan Sehrawat led from the front with a super 10.
• It was India’s eighth title in the continental championships.
• Six teams - India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong - participated in the Championships. India won all five matches in the league stage and topped the points table.
• India had beaten arch-rivals Pakistan in the final in the last edition held in Iran in 2017.

• Punjab launched the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar scheme providing 125 days of rural employment annually, effective from 1 July 2026.
• Uttar Pradesh launched the second phase of the School Chalo Abhiyan from Saharanpur to ensure 100% school enrollment for the 2026-27 session.

• India’s Neeraj Chopra won the men’s javelin throw event at the Lausanne Diamond League 2023 in Switzerland.
• Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, who won the javelin throw event at the season-opening Doha leg with an 88.67m attempt in May, picked up his second successive victory with an 87.66m effort, which came in his fifth attempt.
• Chopra won his first Diamond League Trophy when he won the Lausanne leg in August 2022. 
• This is Neeraj's second gold medal this year i.e. 2023. 
• He has also won a gold medal in the Doha Diamond League in May. 
• This is Neeraj's 8th international gold medal. Earlier, Neeraj has also won gold medals in Asian Games, South Asian Games, Olympics and Diamond League.

• Uttar Pradesh launched the second phase of School Chalo Abhiyan on 1 July 2026 from Saharanpur, running till 15 July 2026.
• The campaign aims for 100% school enrolment, bringing back out-of-school children and dropouts for the 2026-27 session.
• ₹163.60 lakh allocated; involves multiple stakeholders including teachers, Gram Panchayats, Urban Local Bodies, ASHA workers, and SHGs.
• Activities include door-to-door surveys, rallies, parent meetings, and enrolment camps. Textbooks, bags, and stationery were distributed during the launch along with inauguration of development projects worth ₹620 crore.

• Table Tennis, Indian women’s doubles pair of Sutirtha and Ayhika clinches WTT Contender tournament title in Tunis
• Hockey Madhya Pradesh wins Hockey India Junior Men National Championship
• India’s Diksha Dagar wins Czech Ladies Open 2023 Golf Title
• Indonesia Appointed by FIFA to Host the 2023 U-17 World Cup
• Carlos Alcaraz wins Queen’s Club title
• Lionel Messi wins 'Best Foreign Player' award in France
• Jeddah named host city for 2023 Club World Cup
• India ends Special Olympics 2023 campaign with 202 medals
• Adani launches 'Jeetenge Hum' campaign for 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup
• Kolkata Team Emerges Victorious in Historic Dubai Women’s Kabaddi Final
• Tamil Nadu win Senior Women's National Football Championship for second time
• India defeats Iran in the final of the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023 to win the eighth title of this championship
• Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra wins Lausanne Diamond League 2023 title in Switzerland, finishes 1st with 87.66m throw
• Sporting legend and India’s first-ever Olympic medalist in women’s boxing, Mary Kom named Global Indian Icon at UK-India Awards in Windsor, south-eastern England

• Tamil Nadu beat Haryana 2-1 in the final to clinch the senior women’s National football championship at the Guru Nanak stadium in Amritsar.
• Tamil Nadu had last won the title in 2018.
• Haryana started both halves with a better tempo, while Tamil Nadu took some time to gain momentum.
• Tamil Nadu enjoyed more possession, while Haryana created more chances and took the upper hand following Dhurga P's own goal.
• However, Tamil Nadu bounced back with goals from Priyadharshini S and Indumathi Kathiresan to regain the national crown.

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey has launched 'Bitchat', a peer-to-peer messaging app that operates using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks. Designed with privacy in mind, the app enables encrypted communication without the need for Wi-Fi or cellular networks. Currently available to iPhone users via TestFlight, it allows direct message transfer across localised device clusters.

In a major leap for India’s space-based internet services, Ananth Technologies has received approval from IN-SPACe to launch India’s first private satellite broadband service. The plan includes launching a 4-tonne geostationary satellite capable of providing 100 Gbps broadband coverage across India. With an initial investment of ₹3,000 crore, the project aims to compete globally with giants like Starlink and OneWeb and is expected to go live in 2028.

• MiPhi becomes first Indian firm to design and manufacture enterprise-grade SSDs.
• Alembic Pharma gets USFDA approval for generic cancer drug Doxorubicin Liposome.
• In 2024, India added 683 animal species and 433 plant taxa to its biodiversity record.
• The gas giant is six times Jupiter’s mass and lies 400 light years away from Earth.
• A new Garcinia species discovered in Assam has been named Garcinia kusumae to honour Jatindra Sarma’s mother.

NASA’s TESS mission and citizen scientists have discovered TOI‑4465 b, a ‘cool’ gas-giant exoplanet located ~400 light-years away. It boasts six times Jupiter’s mass and orbits its host star at less than half the Earth-Sun distance in an elliptical orbit.

Researchers in Assam have identified a new Garcinia tree species, dubbed Garcinia kusumae, locally known as thoikora. Named after Kusum Devi, mother of study co-author and Assam State Expert Appraisal Committee chair Jatindra Sarma, the discovery, co-authored with BARC’s Hussain A. Barbhuiya, was published in the botanical journal Feddes Repertorium.

MiPhi Semiconductors Pvt. Ltd., a venture between Micromax Informatics and Taiwan’s Phison, has become the first Indian company to design and produce enterprise-level Solid State Drives (SSDs) domestically. This move significantly advances India’s ambition to lead in indigenous data storage solutions.

In a major public distribution reform, Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in India to implement Aadhaar-based face authentication (FaceAuth) for PDS ration delivery. This move aims to solve challenges with existing biometric and OTP methods, which often fail due to poor connectivity or mismatches, particularly among elderly and rural beneficiaries.

Alembic Pharmaceuticals has secured final approval from the USFDA for its generic Doxorubicin Hydrochloride Liposome injection (20 mg/10 mL and 50 mg/25 mL). This key oncology treatment approval under ANDA allows Alembic to market a cost-effective alternative for various cancers in the US.

Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has launched what officials call India’s first digital house address system, featuring QR-coded plates installed outside every home. The pilot rollout began in Ward 82, Sudama Nagar, aiming to modernize urban address systems through quick digital verification.

In 2024, India recorded 683 new animal species and 433 new plant taxa, with Kerala leading in faunal discoveries and Western Ghats and North-East India contributing over 35% of the total. Key new flora included 154 angiosperms and 156 fungi, while faunal hotspots such as Arunachal Pradesh and Andaman-Nicobar yielded several new species and records.

Ladakh hosts first Astro Tourism Festival to boost science-based tourism.

Ladakh concluded its inaugural Astro Tourism Festival in Leh, organized by the Tourism Department in partnership with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. The event showcased Ladakh’s unique potential for stargazing and celestial exploration, thanks to its high altitude, dry weather, and minimal light pollution, making it ideal for promoting science-based tourism.

• Himachal Pradesh prepares to launch the Early Childhood Care Education Tutor Scheme aimed at enhancing early education across the state.
• Uttarakhand initiates a study to assess the risk posed by 13 glacial lakes during the monsoon season.
• The UP government plans to establish a bioplastic park in Lakhimpur Kheri at a cost of Rs. 2,000 crore.
• Assam government introduces its first witness protection scheme aimed at enhancing justice delivery in the state.
• Jharkhand celebrates Hul Diwas to commemorate the sacrifice of tribal leaders Sidhu-Kanhu, Chand-Bhairav, and Phoolo-Jhano in their struggle against British colonial rule.

1. Govt extends Brajendra Navnit’s tenure as India’s ambassador to WTO by 9 months
2. P M Prasad appointed as Chairman and Managing Director in Coal India Limited
3. Harsh Chouhan resigns as NCST chairman eight months before end of term
4. Debadatta Chand takes charge as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Baroda
5. SBI appoints Kameshwar Rao Kodavanti as CFO with effect from July 1
6. Vice Admiral Atul Anand takes over as Additional Secretary, Department of Military Affairs
7. Gernot Döllner Succeeds Markus Duesmann as the New CEO of AUDI in Volkswagen’s Group Board of Management
8. Tushar Mehta re-appointed as Solicitor General for India, six ASGs for Supreme Court re-appointed
9. Air Commodore V.M. Reddy assumes charge as Deputy Director General (DDG) of NCC Directorate (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana)
10. Basketball Federation of India (BFI) appoints president of the Tamil Nadu Basketball Association (TNBA) Aadhav Arjuna as its new President
11. Ajit Agarkar appointed chairman of Team India's senior selection committee

• The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is establishing a bioplastic park in Kumbhi village, Gola Gokarnnath tehsil, Lakhimpur Kheri district, spread over 1000 hectares with an estimated cost of Rs 2000 crore.
• Bioplastics are biodegradable materials made from renewable sources like sunflower, corn, and sugarbeets, containing natural polymers from agricultural crops or starch waste. 
• They offer a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics, which decompose slowly and contribute significantly to environmental pollution.
• Bioplastics are increasingly used in agriculture, textiles, medicine, and packaging industries due to their biodegradable nature and potential to reduce environmental impact compared to conventional plastics.

• HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh announced his retirement.
• Having dedicated 46 years to the firm, Parekh had earlier indicated that he would step down from his position on June 30 following the merger of HDFC and HDFC Bank.
• The Reserve Bank of India appointed Parekh as the chairman of the Advisory Group for Securities Market Regulation, highlighting his deep understanding of market dynamics and regulatory frameworks. 
• Additionally, he served as the chairman of an expert committee established by the Ministry of Power, tasked with spearheading reform efforts in the power sector.
• He has served on board of various companies including Siemens Ltd, DP World (UAE), Fairfax Financial Holdings Corporation (Canada) and Economic Zones World FZE (UAE). He is also on the board of National Investment and Infrastructure Fund.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has fallen to 12th place on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index after his net worth dropped by 30% in just seven days, now standing at $124 billion. He was previously ranked 5th, but has now been overtaken by Microsoft’s former CEO Steve Ballmer.

• The government has appointed Lt Gen M U Nair as the new National Cybersecurity Coordinator (NCSC). 
• He is the third cyber security chief after Lt Gen Pant and first chief Gulshan Rai.
• Lt Gen Nair, who assumed the role of the 28th Signal Officer-in-Chief in July 2022, brings with him experience and expertise in the field of cyber warfare, signal intelligence, and communication and information technology.
• Prior to his appointment as the NCSC, Lt Gen Nair served as the commandant of the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering.
• His appointment follows in the footsteps of Lt Gen Rajesh Pant, a veteran of the Corps of Signals of the Indian Army, who previously held the position of NCSC chief. 
• The NCSC, operating under the National Security Council Secretariat, plays a pivotal role in coordinating with various central-level agencies on matters of national and critical importance pertaining to cybersecurity.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh revealed India’s ambitious goal to expand its bioeconomy to $300 billion by 2030 during the World Bioproduct Day celebrations. He emphasized citizen participation and regional innovations such as agri-residue utilization. Highlighting the biotech ecosystem’s rapid growth—from 50 startups a decade ago to 11,000 today—he credited supportive policies and strong institutional collaboration for the sector’s success.

• The president of the Tamil Nadu Basketball Association (TNBA), Aadhav Arjuna was elected as president of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in the election.
• Aadhav got 38 of the 39 votes, against the outgoing president K Govindaraj.
• A former player and the president of the Madhya Pradesh Basketball Association, Kulvinder Singh Gill was elected secretary general.
• The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) is the governing body of basketball in India. It was founded in 1950 and is affiliated to FIBA Asia and the Indian Olympic Association.
• The history of basketball in India can be traced back to the early 1900s, when the game was introduced by Christian missionaries and YMCAs. 
• The first national basketball championships were held in 1934, and India became a member of FIBA in 1936.

In a significant entry into the Indian mutual fund sector, JioBlackRock Asset Management, a 50:50 joint venture between Jio Financial Services and global investment firm BlackRock, concluded its maiden New Fund Offer (NFO) by raising over ₹17,800 crore (approximately USD 2.1 billion). The funds were mobilized through three schemes: JioBlackRock Overnight Fund, Liquid Fund, and Money Market Fund, marking a robust debut in the asset management space.

• The Board of Control of Cricket (BCCI) appointed Cricketer Ajit Agarkar as the chairman of the Senior Men’s Selection Committee. 
• The decision was made by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), consisting of Sulakshana Naik, Ashok Malhotra, and Jatin Paranjape.
• The Senior Men's Selection Committee now consists of Ajit Agarkar (Chairperson), Shiv Sundar Das, Subroto Banerjee, Salil Ankola, and Sridharan Sharath.
• Ajit Agarkar, The former India all-rounder represented the country in 26 Tests, 191 ODIs, and four T20Is, in addition to playing 110 first-class, 270 List A, and 62 T20 matches.
• As a former fast bowler, he was part of India's victorious squad in the inaugural T20 World Cup held in South Africa in 2007.

The World Bank has ranked India as the 4th most income-equal society globally, with a Gini index of 25.5. The country also saw a sharp drop in extreme poverty, now down to 2.3% in 2022–23. Between 2011 and 2023, around 171 million Indians exited extreme poverty, showcasing significant strides in inclusive growth.

• The government has extended the tenure of Brajendra Navnit as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for nine months till 31 March next year.
• Navnit had assumed charge as Ambassador on 29 June 2020, and his tenure was till 28 June 2023.
• This decision comes ahead of the crucial 13th ministerial conference of the WTO in 2024.
• Navnit’s extended term demonstrates India’s commitment to promoting its key priorities on the global trade stage.
• World Trade Organization was founded on 1 January 1995 & is headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland.
• Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the Director General of the World Trade Organisation.
• 13th Ministerial Conference will take place in Abu Dhabi in February 2024.

At an international mining conference in Hyderabad, India unveiled its Aluminium Vision 2047 and Copper Vision 2047, aiming to scale aluminium output sixfold and boost copper demand similarly by 2047. The copper plan also targets an additional 5 million tonnes of smelting and refining capacity by 2030. Coal & Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy highlighted these as foundational for establishing India as a globally competitive and eco-conscious metals industry under the Viksit Bharat mission.

• P M Prasad has been appointed as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Coal India Limited (CIL).
• P M Prasad, is currently serving as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL).
• CIL is a Schedule 'A' Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE).
• He started his career in Coal India in 1984 as a Management Trainee in Western Coalfields Limited.
• Prasad served as Executive Director (Coal Mining) in NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) for three years.
• Pramod Agarwal, former chairman-cum-managing director of Coal India, retired on June 30.
• Coal India Limited (CIL) is an Indian Central Public Sector Undertaking owned by the Ministry of Coal, Government of India.
• It is the world's largest state-owned coal producer.

SEBI has barred Jane Street Group entities—including Jane Street Singapore and Asia—from trading in Indian markets, accusing them of manipulating the Bank Nifty index and unlawfully earning a total of ₹4,843.6 crore. The group, part of the U.S. investment firm, is now prohibited from Indian securities activities.

• Debadatta Chand has assumed charge as the managing director and chief executive officer of Bank of Baroda (BoB).
• He takes over from Sanjiv Chadha, whose tenure ended on June 30, 2023.
• Prior to his appointment as MD & CEO, Chand served as the executive director at Bank of Baroda since March 2021. 
• In his role as executive director, he was overseeing corporate & institutional credit, corporate & institutional banking, treasury & global markets, mid-corporate business, and trade & foreign exchange.
• With over 29 years of experience in commercial banking and developmental financial institutions, Chand has built a strong foundation in the banking sector. 
• He began his career in 1994 as an officer at Allahabad Bank and later worked as a manager at the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) from 1998 to 2005.
• Chand also currently serves on the boards of BOB Capital Markets, India Infradebt, Baroda Financial Solutions, Bank of Baroda (Tanzania), Bank of Baroda (Uganda), and Bank of Baroda (Kenya). 
• Previously, he served on the boards of PNB Principal Mutual Fund and SWIFT India Pvt. Ltd. as a nominee director of Punjab National Bank.

According to recent data from the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Gujarat has become the third state—after Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh—to surpass 1 crore registered investors in the stock market, reflecting a rising trend in retail participation in equity markets.

• National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) Chairman Harsh Chouhan resigned with eight months left for his term to end.
• Chouhan, a social rights activist who hails from Madhya Pradesh, resigned on June 26. 
• His resignation was accepted by President Droupadi Murmu. 
• He was appointed as the chairman of the NCST in February 2021 for a three-year term.
• Chouhan has worked extensively for tribals in Madhya Pradesh and has been associated with Sangh bodies, including the Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram.
• The NCST has now been left with just one member, as the post of Vice Chairperson has remained vacant since July 2019 after Anasuya Uikey was appointed Governor.
• The chairperson, vice-chairperson and members of the NCST are appointed by the President for three years from the date of assumption of charge.
• The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes is a constitutional body that was established by the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003. The Commission is an authority working for the economic development of Scheduled Tribes in India.

Nvidia’s market capitalization surged to $3.92 trillion, briefly surpassing all-time highs set by Apple, driven by investor enthusiasm over its AI-focused chipsets. Its advanced processors, essential for training large-scale AI models, have sparked a wave of demand, positioning Nvidia to potentially become the most valuable company in history.

• Country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) appointed Kameswar Rao Kodavanti as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
• Kameswar Rao Kodavanti officially assumed the position of CFO on July 1, 2023.
• Kodwanti's appointment follows the resignation of Charanjit Surinder Singh Attra.
• As CFO, Kodwanti will play a key role in overseeing the financial operations of State Bank of India and ensuring regulatory compliance.
• State Bank of India is one of the largest and oldest banks in India.
• It was established in 1806 as the Bank of Calcutta and later renamed as the Imperial Bank of India.
• In 1955, the Government of India nationalised the bank and it became the State Bank of India.

• Roscosmos has approved a comprehensive schedule for the Russian orbital station, targeting completion by 2033.
• Initial launches of scientific and energy modules are planned for 2027, followed by core modules in 2030 and additional modules by 2033.
• The project is estimated to cost approximately 608.9 billion rubles, covering module construction, testing of new-generation manned spacecraft, and development of necessary Earth-based space infrastructure.

• India launches Sagarmala Finance Corporation—first NBFC for maritime sector.
• Sugamya Bharat App revamped to enhance accessibility for elderly and disabled.
• India exports first rose-scented litchi consignment from Pathankot to Qatar.
• Cabinet approves establishment of International Potato Centre’s South Asia hub in Agra.
• Power Ministry forms task force to develop 'India Energy Stack' for digital power infrastructure.  
• Meesho gets shareholder approval to raise ₹4,250 crore via IPO after shifting domicile to India.  
• Reliance Defence signs ₹20,000 crore pact with US firm for military MRO services.
• India’s FY25 GST collection hits all-time high of ₹22.08 lakh crore, doubling in five years.
• ITI to implement ₹1,901 crore BharatNet Phase-3 project in North Eastern Region.
• WAVEX Start-up Challenge 2025 launched to build AI-based multilingual platform ‘BhashaSetu’.
• Hero Motors files for ₹12 billion IPO to expand and reduce debt.
• ₹1 Lakh Cr RDI scheme approved to promote private innovation in key sectors.
• Cabinet approves Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme to boost job creation.
• Railways launches ‘RailOne’ app as all-in-one digital platform for passengers.
• ESIC Launches SPREE 2025 to Widen Social Security Coverage.
• PNB Ends Minimum Balance Charges in All Savings Accounts from July 1, 2025.
• CCI Approves Viggo Investment’s Stake Acquisition in Groww’s Parent Company
• India and UAE Expand Cooperation on Green Steel and Aluminium under CEPA
• Sri Lanka becomes Starlink’s third South Asian market after Bhutan and Bangladesh.
• SBI flagged fund diversion in RCom’s ₹48,216 crore loan, escalating legal risk for Anil Ambani.
• MobiKwik’s broking arm can now operate in trading and settlement of equity markets.
• The third Bharat Mobility Global Expo will showcase innovations in mobility and auto sector.
• Mashreq Bank of UAE received in-principle approval to open a banking unit in Gujarat’s GIFT City.

• Vice Admiral Atul Anand took over as Additional Secretary, Department of Military Affairs on July 03, 2023. The post was previously held by Lt Gen Anil Puri, who superannuated on February 28, 2023.
• Vice Admiral Atul Anand was commissioned into the executive branch of the Indian Navy on January 01, 1988. 
• He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy (71st Course, Delta Squadron); Defence Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur (Bangladesh) and National Defence College, New Delhi. 
• He has also attended the Advanced Security Cooperation course at Asia Pacific Centre of Security Studies, Hawaii, USA.
• A recipient of Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM), Vice Admiral Atul Anand has held several key appointments in his career, including the command of Torpedo Recovery Vessel INTRV A72; missile boat INS Chatak; corvette INS Khukri and the destroyer INS Mumbai. 
• He also served as the Navigating Officer of IN ships Sharda, Ranvijay & Jyoti and was the Direction Officer of the Sea Harrier squadron INAS 300 and the Executive Officer of the destroyer INS Delhi.

• The Indian Space Station, named Bharatiya Antariksha Station, is planned to be constructed and operated by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).
• The station will consist of five units, with the first two units slated to be launched using the existing Launch Vehicle Mark 3. The remaining three units, larger in size, will require new-generation launch vehicles. ISRO aims to have the entire space station operational by 2028.

SpaceX’s Starlink has launched its satellite-based Internet service in Sri Lanka, becoming the third South Asian country after Bhutan and Bangladesh to gain access. Plans range from ₹3,430–4,280/month for home users to ₹4,280–8,560 for portable roaming, with upfront hardware costing ₹17,185–33,685.

• German luxury car maker Audi AG has appointed Gernot Dollner as the new CEO of the management board.
• Gernot Dollner, who currently heads Volkswagen Group's product and group strategy, will replace Markus Deussmann as chairman of the management board of Audi AG with effect from September 1, 2023.
• The appointment of Gernot Dollner is part of Audi's strategy to strengthen its product strategy and market position.
• Dollner has held various management positions at Porsche AG, including leading Concept Development and the Panamera Series. 
• Since 2021, he has been overseeing the Product and Group Strategy as well as the General Secretariat of the Volkswagen Group. 
• Dollner’s comprehensive understanding of the automotive industry and his strategic acumen make him an ideal candidate to further shape Audi’s future.

• A 51,200-year-old cave painting of a wild pig and human-like figures was discovered in a limestone cave on Indonesia's Sulawesi Island, making it the oldest known cave art, surpassing the previous record by 10,000 years.
• The age of the painting was determined using laser analysis of calcium carbonate crystals on the pigment, highlighting early narrative storytelling in visual art.

In a major legal setback for Anil D. Ambani, State Bank of India has classified its loan to Reliance Communications (RCom) as a fraud account, citing fund diversions and breach of terms. With RCom under IBC since 2018 and carrying a ₹48,216 crore debt (as of Mar 2025), SBI’s action could prompt further CBI and civil/criminal investigations.

• The Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet approved the re-appointment of Tushar Mehta as Solicitor General for India, for a period of three years.
• He has been appointed along with his team of six additional solicitor generals (ASG) in the Supreme Court.
• Vikramjit Banerjee, KM Nataraj, Balbir Singh, SV Raju, N Venkataraman and Aishwarya Bhati have been re-appointed as Additional Solicitors General (ASGs).
• Mehta has been continuing as SG since October 2018.
• In addition, the ACC has also approved the re-appointment of ASG Chetan Sharma for the Delhi high court, ASG Satya Pal Jain for Punjab & Haryana high court, ASG Devang Girish Vyas for Gujarat high court and ASG Krishna Nandan Singh for Patna high court.
• The SGI is the second highest law officer in the country, assists the Attorney General, and is assisted by the Additional Solicitor General of India (Additional SGI).
• The Attorney General for India is the highest law officer of the country. Senior advocate R Venkataramani was appointed AG on October 1 last year and has a tenure of three years till 2025

• France joins China in launching a satellite to study gamma-ray bursts.
• Indian Institute of Science (IISc) develops 3D lung model for tuberculosis research.
• ISRO's Aditya-L1 spacecraft has successfully completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1).

Mobikwik Securities Broking, a 100% subsidiary of MobiKwik, has received regulatory approval from SEBI to function as a stockbroker and clearing member, enabling operations in equity trading, clearing, and settlement. CEO B.P. Singh hailed it as a significant milestone.

• Air Commodore V.M. Reddy assumed charge as Deputy Director General of NCC Directorate (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana).
• He is a Hyderabad resident and an alumnus of Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada and Andhra University, Visakhapatnam.
• Air Commodore Reddy was commissioned in the Fighter Stream of the Indian Air Force in 1989. He is a Pilot Attack Instructor and has over 2000 hrs of flying experience on fighter aircraft.
• NCC Cadets presented a Guard of Honour to Air Commodore VM Reddy, on arrival at the NCC Directorate (Andhra Pradesh & Telangana), Secunderabad on 30 June 2023.
• He was also an Instructor at the Institute of Aerospace Safety, New Delhi and College of Air Warfare, Secunderabad during his career in the Indian Air Force.

• Aditya-L1, India's first solar observatory mission, successfully completed its first halo orbit at Lagrange Point 1, approximately 1.5 million km from Earth, after being launched on September 2, 2023, and reaching its targeted orbit on January 6, 2024.
• To maintain its orbit, Aditya-L1 underwent three station-keeping maneuvers, with two critical adjustments on February 22 and June 7, 2024, ensuring it remained on its intended path despite perturbing forces.
• The Aditya-L1 spacecraft takes 178 days to complete one revolution around the L1 point in its halo orbit, demonstrating the intricate dynamics and precision required for such long-duration space missions.

The third edition of the Bharat Mobility Global Expo (BMGE) is scheduled for 4–9 February 2027 in the Delhi-NCR region. Backed by the Ministries of Commerce & Industry and Heavy Industries, the expo will unite practitioners, policymakers, and technologists across the automotive and mobility ecosystem.

1. Kyriakos Mitsotakis Re-elected as Prime Minister of Greece
2. Ruby Sinha appointed as the President of BRICS CCI WE
3. DBS Bank India appoints Rajat Verma as head of institutional banking
4. Indian-origin satellite expert Aarti Holla-Maini appointed as UN Outer Space Affairs director
5. Rohit Jawa takes charge as MD and CEO of Hindustan Unilever
6. Federal Bank Limited appoints Mr. A P Hota as the Part Time Chairman
7. UN chief appoints Xu Haoliang of China as deputy head of UNDP
8. IPS officer Ajay Bhatnagar appointed as Special Director in the CBI
9. Air Commodore V.M. Reddy assumes charge as Deputy Director General (DDG) of NCC Directorate (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana)

• The 3D hydrogel culture system replicates human lung tissue using collagen, allowing for prolonged observation periods and offering a more realistic model than traditional 2D cultures. 
• This advancement enhances the study of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection dynamics and the effectiveness of TB drugs.
• The development aims to provide deeper insights into TB pathogenesis and drug response mechanisms. 
• It holds promise for developing more effective treatments and strategies to combat tuberculosis, a significant global health challenge.

1. Centre launches 'Mission Vatsalya' scheme for minors abandoned by kin due to rape-related pregnancy
2. PM Modi Inaugurates Sai Hira Global Convention Centre in Andhra Pradesh
3. PM Modi launches ‘National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission’ from MP
4. States told to equip all panchayats to accept digital payments by August 15
5. India adds 664 animal species to its faunal database in 2022, 339 taxa to its flora

UAE’s Mashreq Bank has become the first from the Emirates to receive in-principle approval from IFSCA to open a Banking Unit in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), marking a significant milestone in cross-border financial integration.

• Senior IPS officer Ajay Bhatnagar has been appointed as Special Director in the CBI, while Anurag has been promoted to the position of Additional Director.
• Manoj Sashidhar has also been appointed as Additional Director, and Sharad Agarwal's deputation tenure as Joint Director has been extended.
• Senior IPS officer Ajay Bhatnagar belongs to the 1989 batch of Jharkhand cadre. 
• Currently serving as Additional Director in the agency, Bhatnagar's appointment is effective until his superannuation on November 20, 2024. 
• This appointment showcases his experience and competence in handling critical roles within the federal probe agency.

• France and China collaborated to launch the Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) satellite, focusing on studying gamma-ray bursts. 
• This joint effort underscores international cooperation in space exploration and scientific research.
• The SVOM satellite launch follows the successful collaboration between France and China on the China-France Oceanography Satellite in 2018. 
• This partnership highlights France's ongoing involvement in significant space initiatives with China, enhancing mutual capabilities in space technology and exploration.

• India added 664 animal species to its faunal database in the year 2022. These comprise 467 new species and 197 new records [species found in India for the first time].
• The country also added 339 new plant taxa – 186 taxa that are new to science and 153 taxa as new distributional records from the country in 2022.
• These discoveries were published in two publications; It has been compiled in "Animal Discoveries - New Species and New Records 2023" by Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and "Plant Discoveries 2022" by Botanical Survey of India (BSI). 
• Major discoveries include new species and records of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
• Invertebrates constitute the majority of new faunal discoveries, with insects comprising 384 species.
• Vertebrates account for 81 species, with fish being the most dominant group.
• The fauna diversity of the country increased to 1,03,922 species.

During its 196th meeting in Shimla, the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation launched SPREE 2025, a scheme aimed at encouraging the registration of employers and employees under ESIC. Chaired by Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the initiative seeks to broaden the reach of social security coverage across organized and semi-organized sectors.

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has announced the appointment of Xu Haoliang from China as the new Undersecretary-General and Associate Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
• Mr. Xu will succeed Usha Rao-Monari of India, to whom the Secretary-General has expressed his appreciation for her service and commitment during her tenure as Associate Administrator.
• Xu has been serving as the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support at the UNDP since 2019.
• Prior to that, from 2013 to 2019, he held the position of UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific.
• Before joining the United Nations, Xu worked in the field of civil engineering in China and the United States.
• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the leading agency of the United Nations.

• The Central Government has started a new relief scheme under the 'Mission Vatsalya' scheme in relation to the abandonment of the families of minor girls who are victims of rape when they become pregnant.
• Under this, arrangements have been made to provide shelter, food and legal aid to those minors.
• According to Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani, the new scheme launched under the aegis of 'Nirbhaya Yojana' aims to ensure institutional and financial support to pregnant minor victims who have no means to take care of themselves.
• Under this, the administrative structure of 'Mission Vatsalya' has also been used in collaboration with state governments and child care institutions to provide help to minor victims at the grassroots level.
• This additional assistance under the scheme will be available at the level of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) for girls up to 18 years of age and care centers for young women up to 23 years of age.
• Along with legal aid, the victim will also be provided safe transportation to attend court hearings.
• To facilitate access to justice for minor victims, the Center has set up 415 POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) fast track courts in the country.

In a move towards inclusive banking, Punjab National Bank has removed charges for non-maintenance of minimum average balance in all savings accounts effective July 1, 2025. The bank has also revised interest rates downward across all balance slabs, aiming to ease banking access for low-income groups, women, and farmers.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the Sai Hira global convention centre at Prasanthi Nilayam at Puttaparthi in Sri Sathya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh.
• The inauguration ceremony witnessed the presence of prominent dignitaries and devotees from around the world.
• The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust has constructed a new facility, Sai Hira Global Convention Centre, at Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi. Prasanthi Nilayam is the main ashram of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
• Its world-class amenities and infrastructure will facilitate conferences, seminars, and cultural events, fostering dialogue and understanding among individuals from all walks of life
• The sprawling complex also features meditation halls, serene gardens and facilities for accommodation.
• The Convention Centre, donated by philanthropist Shri Ryuko Hira, is a testament to the vision of promoting cultural exchange, spirituality, and global harmony.

The Competition Commission of India approved Viggo Investment Pte. Ltd.'s acquisition of a 2.143% stake in Billionbrains Garage Ventures Limited, the parent company of Groww. The deal, part of a Share Subscription Agreement dated April 28, 2025, aims to boost foreign participation in India’s growing fintech sector.

• The “National Sickle Cell Elimination Mission” is officially launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 01 July with the goal of eradicating the disease by 2047.
• This mission will be implemented in 278 districts of 17 states of India.
• The targeted states include Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar and Uttarakhand.
• The mission focuses on creating awareness and universal testing among about seven crore people in the age group of 0-40 years in the affected tribal areas.
• Collaborative efforts of Central Ministries and State Governments will be employed for consultation and implementation.

Union Steel Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy held strategic talks with UAE Economy Minister H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri to strengthen bilateral cooperation in green steel and high-grade aluminium production under the India-UAE CEPA. The meeting emphasized boosting trade, innovation, and raw material security, with PSUs like SAIL playing a vital role by importing 2.5 million tonnes of low-silica limestone annually from Stevin Rock, UAE.

• All panchayats in India will be required to adopt digital payments for development projects and revenue collection starting this Independence Day, according to a letter issued by the Panchayati Raj Ministry.
• Panchayats have also been asked to hold meetings with service providers and vendors on June 30. A list with details of contact persons from UPI platforms GPay, PhonePay, PayTm, BHIM, Mobikwik, WhatsApp Pay, Amazon Pay and Bharat Pe has been shared by the ministry.
• By July 15, panchayats have to choose appropriate service providers and finalise vendors by July 30, as per guidelines by the ministry.
• Panchayats have also been asked to choose a single vendor which covers the whole area so as to allow economies of scale. It has also been recommended to create a centralised dashboard for monitoring transactions in real time.
• Training camps will be held at the district and block levels for officials.

Hero Motors has filed for a ₹12 billion ($140 million) IPO, with ₹8 billion in fresh equity and ₹4 billion offered by existing shareholders. The funds will help reduce debt and finance new equipment for expanding its manufacturing unit in Uttar Pradesh, signaling the company's growth ambitions in the auto parts sector.

1. Amit Shah lays foundation stone of 'Balidan Stambh' in Srinagar
2. Union Minister Anurag Thakur flagged off "Bharat in Paris" campaign at Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi
3. Shri Parshottam Rupala launched NANDI (NOC Approval for New Drug and Inoculation System) Portal
4. Sarbananda Sonowal launches New CSR guidelines ‘Sagar Samajik Sahayog’
5. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to organise International Conference on Green Hydrogen
6. PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate 17th Indian Cooperative Congress in New Delhi
7. India's First Hydrogen Train to Run from Jind
8. Union Cabinet approved PM-PRANAM scheme
9. Chandigarh University Clinches Top Spot among India's Private Universities in QS World University Rankings 2024

In a move to elevate India's innovation ecosystem, the Union Cabinet approved the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme with a funding pool of ₹1 lakh crore. The scheme promotes private sector-led R&D in strategic sectors, provides support for high-TRL projects, helps acquire critical technologies, and includes plans to establish a dedicated Deep-Tech Fund of Funds.

• The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 28 June approved the PM-PRANAM Scheme.
• The scheme is aimed at incentivising states to use alternative, non-chemical fertilisers.
• The cavinet also decided to continue the current urea subsidy for three years starting FY23, with an outlay of Rs 3.68 trillion.
• The full name of PM PRANAM is Promotion of Alternative Nutrients for Agriculture Management Scheme.
• Reducing the subsidy burden on chemical fertilisers, which is projected to reach Rs 2.25 lakh crore in 2022-23 - 39 per centmore than last year's figure of Rs 1.62 lakh crore.

The Union Cabinet led by PM Narendra Modi has approved the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme. This initiative is designed to stimulate job creation and improve workforce employability and social security. While applicable to all sectors, the scheme will particularly emphasize the manufacturing sector to strengthen industrial employment.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the all-in-one mobile application 'RailOne' on the 40th Foundation Day of CRIS at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The app provides a seamless digital interface for passengers, offering services like live train tracking, e-catering, porter booking, last-mile taxi, grievance redressal, and ticket booking (including unreserved and platform tickets with a 3% discount). Available on both Android and iOS platforms, the app is set to enhance passenger convenience significantly.

Reliance Defence, a unit of Reliance Infrastructure, has entered into a ₹20,000 crore strategic pact with US-based Coastal Mechanics Inc, a DoD-authorised entity. The partnership aims to provide MRO and upgrade support for India's military aircraft and platforms, including Jaguar, MiG-29, Apache helicopters, L-70 air guns, and other legacy systems.

India’s gross GST collections surged to a record ₹22.08 lakh crore in FY 2024–25, reflecting a 100% increase from FY21’s ₹11.37 lakh crore. This 9.4% YoY rise also marks the highest-ever collection since the GST regime began in 2017, signifying robust economic compliance and tax base expansion.

ITI Ltd., India’s pioneering PSU in telecom, has signed an agreement with BSNL and USOF to execute the ₹1,901 crore BharatNet Phase-3 Package-15 for the North Eastern Region (NER-II). The project includes both capital and operational costs and will bolster internet and telecom infrastructure across the remote North-East.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has unveiled the WAVEX Start-up Challenge 2025, a national initiative to discover innovative start-ups capable of creating ‘BhashaSetu’, an AI-based multilingual translation platform. The hackathon encourages real-time translation, transliteration, and voice localisation across at least 12 major Indian languages, with no eligibility barrier for participation.

The Ministry of Power has initiated efforts to create the 'India Energy Stack' — a unified and secure digital backbone for India’s power sector. A task force has been set up to conceptualize and implement this interoperable infrastructure, aiming to streamline power systems through technology and digital innovation.

E-commerce platform Meesho, backed by SoftBank, secured shareholder approval to raise up to ₹4,250 crore through an IPO. The decision was made during an Extraordinary General Meeting held on June 25. The move follows Meesho’s transition of domicile from the U.S. to India. The IPO will involve fresh equity issuance, and Co-Founder Vidit Aatrey will now serve as Chairman and Managing Director.

• India skipper Rohit Sharma became the first captain in cricketing history to win 13 consecutive T20Is.
• Rohit achieved this feat during the first T20I match of the three-match series against England at Southampton.
• Pandya became the first Indian player to take four wickets and score a half-century in a single T20I match.
• Rohit Sharma has now surpassed Virat Kohli by reaching the 1000 runs mark in T20I as India captain in his 29th innings. Rohit Sharma has become the second fastest captain to achieve the feat in the world.

• World number two Ons Jabeur became the first Arab woman to reach the semi-final of a Wimbledon Grand Slam.
• Jabeur, the only top 15 seed to make the last-eight in the women's tournament, battled back to see off 66th-ranked Bouzkova of the Czech Republic.
• Jabeur is going to face in the semi-finals another newcomer Tatjana Maria.
• Jabeur and Maria both are bosom friends.

1. NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter reconnects with mission controllers after 63 days of blackout
2. European Space Agency’s ‘Euclid’ space telescope launched on 01st July to discover dark energy and dark matter
3. US government approves world's first flying car ‘Alef Model A’, fully electric with a flight range of 177 km
4. American spaceflight company Virgin Galactic completes first commercial rocket plane flight to space on 29 June 2023

• Reigning Youth World Boxing champions Alfiya Pathan and Gitika have won gold medals at the Elorda Cup in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
• Two other Indian female boxers Kalaivani Srinivasan and Jamuna Boro signed off with silver medals.
• With the acquisition of two gold medals, two silver medals and 10 bronze medals on the conclusion day, the 33-member Indian delegation concluded its campaign with a total grand tally of 14 medals.
• It was also the debut senior international event for both the youngsters, Alfiya and Gitika. The tournament witnessed top players in action from countries such as India, Uzbekistan, and hosts Kazakhstan, Cuba, China, and Mongolia.

• Chandrayaan 3 spacecraft has been integrated with GSLV Mark III launch vehicle at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota Spaceport on 5 July 2023.
• The Propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configuration to a 100km lunar orbit.
• The Propulsion module will orbit the Moon, similar to Chandrayaan I and II.
• ISRO is making improvements in the lander based on lessons learned from the Chandrayaan 2 mission in 2019.
• The Chandrayaan-3 mission is slated to launch on July 13 to the Moon as it looks to explore the geology of the only natural satellite of Earth.
• The Chandrayaan-3 mission will explore the Souther Polar Region of the Moon and will attempt to soft land on the lunar surface, making India only the fourth country in the world to reach that milestone.

1. NCP leader Aditi Tatkare becomes first woman minister in Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government
2. Chennai cops get India's 1st drone unit worth Rs 3.6 crore
3. Nagpur's Itwari railway station to be named after Subhash Chandra Bose
4. Ajit Pawar appointed deputy CM of Maharashtra, 8 other NCP MLAs take oath as ministers in Eknath Shinde government

• New Zealand Cricket and the players' association signed a five-year deal that will see male and female cricketers receive equal pay.
• The agreement will see women's players at both international and domestic level receive the same match fees as men across all formats and competitions.

• Instagram owner Meta has launched its new social media network Threads, aiming to capitalise on the turmoil at Twitter under billionaire owner Elon Musk.
• Threads aims to capitalise on the perceived volatility of Twitter, which is currently owned by billionaire Elon Musk.
• The app is now available in over 100 countries and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
• Similar to Twitter, threads allow users to share short text messages that can be liked, reposted, and replied to by other users.
• Threads does not include direct messaging features, which differentiates it from Twitter.
• On threads, users can create posts with up to 500 characters and can also share links, photos and videos of up to five minutes.

• Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) in Madhya Pradesh, India, has made history by becoming the first urban body in the country to receive Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) credit for recycling banned single-use plastic items. 
• Indore has implemented a complete ban on single-use plastic items within the city.
• In recent times, the IMC seized approximately eight tonnes of such plastic, preventing its circulation.
• Moreover, Indore has also been recognized as India’s cleanest city for the sixth consecutive year in the central government’s annual cleanliness survey.
• According to reports IMC earned its first installment of EPR credit valued at Rs. 8,100 through an empaneled agency for Material Recovery Facility under PPP mode. 
• The credit is earned on the EPR portal of the Central Pollution Control Board.

• Team India’s pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah has got another feather in his decorated cap as he becomes the sixth Indian bowler to pick 100 wickets in the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries.
• On the fourth day of the Test, Bumrah completed 100 wickets in SENA countries and became only the sixth Indian bowler, and the fifth pacer to achieve this feat.
• The division of Bumrah’s total wickets in SENA countries is as follows – England (37), Australia (32), South Africa (26) and New Zealand (6). Notably, Jasprit Bumrah reached the landmark on his 24th test match in SENA countries.
• The other notable names that have scalped over 100 wickets in the SENA countries are – Anil Kumble (141), Ishant Sharma (130), Zaheer Khan (119), Mohammed Shami (119), and Kapil Dev (117).

• The first IIT campus to be set up outside India will be in Zanzibar, Tanzania. 
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed for setting up of a campus of IIT Madras in Zanzibar, which is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa.
• The campus, named IIT Madras at Zanzibar, is set to commence operations in October 2023 and will initially admit 50 undergraduate students and 20 master's students. 
• The IIT is about to set up three campuses outside India, including Zanzibar, Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur.

• NCP leader Aditi Tatkare became the first woman minister in the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government.
• She was elected as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Shrivardhan on October 24, 2019. Hailing from Roha town in Maharashtra, Aditi took the oath as an MLA on November 26, 2019.
• During her tenure as minister, Aditi Tatkare has handled various departments, including tourism, information and public relations, law, judiciary, food and civil supplies, water resources, energy, and finance, among others.
• Along with other members of her party, including Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dilip Walse Patil, Dhananjay Munde, Anil Bhaidas Patil, Baburao Atram, and Sanjay Bansode, Aditi took the oath as a minister.

• Indian runner Parul Chaudhary on 2 July 2022 broke the women’s 3000m national record at the Sound Running meet in Los Angeles.
• She covered the distance at 8:57.19 to finish third.
• She broke the six-year-old national record set by Suriya Loganathan (9:04.5) in April 2016.
• She has become the first athlete from India to clock a sub-nine-minute time in the women’s 3000m event.

• NASA has re-established contact with the intrepid Ingenuity Mars Helicopter after more than two months of radio silence. 
• NASA sent a mission to Mars in February 2021. Under this mission, a mini helicopter Ingenuity and Preservation Rover were sent to Mars. 
• Ingenuity's 52nd flight launched on April 26, but mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California lost contact as it descended to the surface following its two minute, 1,191-foot (363-meter) hop.
• Under this mission, the Ingenuity helicopter has to send pictures of Mars to NASA while flying and the rover has to collect samples from the ground of Mars.
• The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which also manages the project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
• At NASA Headquarters, Dave Lavery is the program executive for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter.

• Nationalist Congress Party's senior leader Ajit Pawar joined Eknath Shinde-led government and was sworn-in as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.
• While Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister by Governor Ramesh Bais at the ceremony held in the Raj Bhawan, eight other NCP leaders took oath as ministers.
• Those who were sworn in as ministers are Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Aditi Tatkare, Dharmarao Atram, Anil Patil and Sanjay Bansode.
• On June 30, 2022, Shinde sworn in as the CM with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis as the deputy CM.

• Adani Sportsline, the sports arm of the Adani Group, has become an official partner with the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) for the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022, Hangzhou Asian Games 2022, and Paris Olympic Games 2024. 
• This is the second time that the Adani Group has partnered with the IOA, prior to it becoming an official participant in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
• Adani Sportsline owns teams with prominent Indian and global platforms, including Pro Kabaddi League, Ultimate Kho Kho League, Big Bout Boxing League, and International League T20 (Cricket). 
• It also organises the annual Adani Ahmedabad Marathon, which has now moved up to be among the top four marathons in India.

• Named after the Egyptian Greek mathematician, the Euclid Space Telescope begins its mission to observe the dark universe.
• A European-built orbital satellite has launched into space on 01st July 2023 from Florida on a mission to shed new light on dark energy and dark matter, the mysterious cosmic forces scientists say account for 95% of the known universe.
• Scientists aim to uncover the mysterious roles of gravity as well as the nature of dark energy and dark matter. About 85% of the matter in the universe is dark matter, while dark energy accounts for about 70% of its energy.
• The Euclid telescope, named for the ancient Greek mathematician known as the “father of geometry”, was carried in the cargo bay of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket which blasted off about 11am EDT (1500 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Space Force station
• Euclid was designed and built entirely by ESA, with the US space agency, NASA, supplying photodetectors for its near-infrared instrument. 
• The Euclid consortium comprises more than 2,000 scientists from 13 European nations, the US, Canada and Japan.

• Greater Chennai Police, in India, established a ‘Drone Police Unit’ to assist cops in aerial surveillance.
• The project costs approximately Rs 3.6 crore, according to a press release by the GCP. 
• The project was inaugurated by outgoing Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) C Sylendra Babu, in the presence of Chennai Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal at Besant Avenue, Adyar.
• A total of nine drones under three categories are available in this unit: Quick Response Surveillance Drones (6), Heavy Lift Multirotor Drone (1), and Long Range Survey Wing Place (2). 
• These all drones are equipped with built-in artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and can be operated up to a distance of 5-10 km from the ground station.
• Heavy Lift Drone, equipped with thermal cameras, is capable of detecting and rescuing people caught in sea waves by deploying life jackets, even during the night.

• Carlos Sainz Jr. won his first career Formula One race with a victory at the British Grand Prix 2022.
• Lewis Hamilton was in the battle for victory but finished third behind Red Bull's Sergio Perez after a frantic final nine laps following a late safety car.
• Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was in fourth with Alpine’s Alonso in fifth.

• US-based automotive and aviation company Alef Aeronautics has announced that it's flying car has received a Special Airworthiness Certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
• Formed in 2015, the company had aimed to create world's 1st flying car and now in 2023, the company has become the first to receive an approval for their flying car Alef Model A from the US government.
• The car is 100 percent electric and can be driven on public roads. The flying range is the car is 110 miles which is 177 km while the driving range is 200 miles which is 322 km.
• The car will carry one or two occupants.

• The Maharashtra government has decided to change the name of Itwari station in Nagpur district to 'Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Itwari.
• No-objection certificate to the name change had been received from the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 23.
• It is located about five km from Nagpur railway station.
• In 2022, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation passed a resolution in this regard. The Maharashtra Cabinet approved the plan on 23 August, 2022, and referred it to the Central Government for approval.
• The Maharashtra Cabinet also renamed Aurangabad as Sambhaji Nagar and Osmanabad as Dharashiv in June 2022.

• West Indies legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been appointed as the head coach of the USA’s senior women’s and U-19 teams for a period of 18 months.
• Chanderpaul is one of only 14 cricketers to score more than 10,000 Test runs. He has played 164 Tests and 268 One Day Internationals for the West Indies.
• The 47-year-old, who is based in Orlando, Florida in the United States, is currently the head coach of the Caribbean Premier League side Jamaica Tallawahs, and recently served as the batting consultant for the U19 West Indies men’s team for the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022.

• Virgin Galactic, the space venture established by British entrepreneur Richard Branson, has achieved a significant milestone as it successfully completed its first manned mission to the edge of space.
• The inaugural commercial flight, which took place on June 29, marks a momentous achievement for Virgin Galactic after two decades of dedicated efforts.
• The mission featured two Italian Air Force personnel who were funded by the organisation. 
• Colonel Walter Villadei, who is also slated for a future paid SpaceX mission to orbit, and Lieutenant Colonel Angelo Landolfi, a physician trained as a crew surgeon for Russian cosmonauts, were among the passengers.
• The mission aimed to assess the flight's comfort and functionality, providing valuable feedback to enhance Virgin Galactic's rocket-powered spaceplane, VSS Unity.

1. Telangana CM inaugurates Medha Rail Coach Factory at Sangareddy
2. Odisha cabinet approves Rs 1,000 cr for transforming Puri
3. QCI and Odisha Government launch Odisha Gunvatta Sankalp in Bhubaneswar
4. Assam to construct first underwater tunnel in Brahmaputra between Gohpur and Numaligarh
5. Yogi Adityanath launched "Operation Conviction" in Uttar Pradesh
6. Historical Kharchi Puja commences in Tripura
7. Kerala restaurant Paragon ranks 11th in ‘world's most legendary' list
8. TS Singh Deo appointed Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister
9. Seven products from Uttar Pradesh gets Geographical Indication tag
10. States told to equip all panchayats to accept digital payments by August 15

• India’s Rishabh Pant become the youngest wicketkeeper-batter in the history of Test cricket to reach the landmark of 2,000 runs.
• Pant, 24, reached this landmark during the fifth and final Test against England at Edgbaston.
• Pant also broke the record for the fastest century by an Indian wicket-keeper batsman in England. He now holds the record for the third-fastest century by an Indian outside Asia.
• Pant also became the only Indian wicketkeeper-batsman to score two overseas hundred in a calendar year.
• Earlier, W Saha, MS Dhoni and Budhi Kunderan had achieved this feat.

1. Scientists discover the Ripple Effect of Gravitational Waves across the Universe
2. Chandrayaan-3 to be launched on July 13 at 2:30 pm
3. American spaceflight company Virgin Galactic completes first commercial rocket plane flight to space on 29 June 2023
4. US government approves world's first flying car ‘Alef Model A’, fully electric with a flight range of 177 km

• Kerala restaurant Paragon, which has branches in Dubai under the name Calicut Paragon, has been named as one of the “world's most legendary restaurants”.
• The restaurant, located in the coastal city of Kozhikode, is 11th in the list of 150 dining spots across the globe published by online food guide TasteAtlas. The list also includes each restaurant's most iconic dishes, which is biryani in Paragon's case.
• The Indian restaurant, which has been around since 1939, has outlets in Al Nahda and Al Karama, Dubai, and serves traditional Malabar cuisine.
• The extensive list spans several countries and cuisines. Clinching the top spot is Figlmuller in Vienna, which is known for specialising in a single dish, the Schnitzel Wiener Art.
• Katz's Delicatessen in New York City comes second with its pastrami on rye listed as an iconic dish. It is followed by Warung Mak Beng in Bali, La Polar in Mexico City and L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele in Naples.
• Aside from Paragon, several other restaurants from India made it on to the list, including Lucknow's Tunday Kababi at number 12 and Kolkata's Peter Cat at number 17.

• England's World Cup winning captain Eoin Morgan announces retirement from international cricket with immediate effect
• Deepak Punia won the bronze medal for India in the 86 kg freestyle weight category at the U23 Asian Wrestling Championship 2022
• Third edition of National Kite Boarding Championship begins in Thoothukudi (Tuticorin), Tamil Nadu
• After Saraswati Saha and Hima Das, Dhanalakshmi Sekar became the third fastest Indian woman to run in the event of 200 m.
• Novak Djokovic became the first man to win 80 matches in all 4 Grand Slams with a Wimbledon court victory
• African nations Gabon and Togo join Commonwealth Group of Nations
• American sprinter and Olympic champion Sidney McLaughlin sets a new record in the 400m hurdles
• Madhya Pradesh clinch first ever Ranji Trophy title with six-wicket win against Mumbai
• Indian women's discus thrower Navjeet Dhillon won the gold medal at the 'Kosanov Memorial Athletics Meet 2022'
• Neeraj Chopra won silver medal in Diamond League 2022 held in Stockholm

• Chandrayaan 3, India’s Lunar Exploration Mission, is scheduled to be launched on the 13th July around 2:30 PM, according to ISRO.
• The mission is being carried out by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and aims to demonstrate critical technology for landing the spacecraft on the Moon.
• Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 and is designed to showcase the capability of safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.
• The mission consists of a Lander module, Propulsion module, and a Rover, all of which are indigenous.
• The primary objectives of Chandrayaan-3 include achieving a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, rover roving on the Moon, and conducting in-situ scientific experiments.
• Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has confirmed that Chandrayaan-3 has successfully completed the essential tests.

• The seven products of Uttar Pradesh have been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai.
• ‘Amroha Dholak’, ‘Mahoba Gaura Patthar Hastashlip’, ‘Mainpuri Tarkashi’, ‘Sambhal Horn Craft’, ‘Baghpat Home Furnishings’, ‘Barabanki Handloom Product’ and ‘Kalpi Handmade Paper’ are the products that been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• The Amroha Dholak is a musical instrument made of natural wood. Mango, jackfruit and teakwood is preferred for making the dholak’s.
• Baghpat and Meerut are famous for their exclusive handloom home furnishing product and running fabrics in cotton yarn since generations, and only cotton yarn are used in the handloom weaving process.
• The Barabanki Handloom Product has also being bestowed with a GI tag.
• For Kalpi Handmade Paper, the application was filed by Hasht Nirmit Kagaj Samiti, Industrial Estate, Kalpi, Uttar Pradesh. Kalpi has historically been a centre of handmade paper manufacturing.
• The Mahoba Gaura Patthar Hastashlip is a stone craft.
• Tarkashi, a popular art form from Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, is primarily brass wire inlay work on wood.
• In the Sambhal Horn Craft, the raw material is procured from dead animals. They are completely hand-made.

• Tokyo Olympic Gold Medalist Neeraj Chopra has clinched silver medal in Diamond League 2022.
• Neeraj Chopra in the Diamond League in Stockholm threw 89.94 meters and while doing so he broke his own National Record.
• The Olympic Champion, Neeraj Chopra finished second to the World Champion Anderson Peters.
• It was the first time that Neeraj Chopra had finished in the top three in a Diamond League event.
• Peters won the Gold Medal while Julian Weber of Germany bagged the Bronze Medal after throwing 89.08 m in his fifth attempt.

• A team of international scientists have found the first evidence of a cosmic gravitational wave background across the universe.
• Supermassive black holes generate gravitational waves as they merge. NANOGrav, has collected high-precision data for over 15 years using ground-based radio telescopes. 
• Background ripples detected by NANOGrav help understand gravitational wave creation and the dynamics during propagation.
• The discovery complements LIGO’s 2015 detection of shorter-wavelength gravitational waves from black holes 30 times the mass of the Sun. NASA supports the future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission for detecting gravitational waves in a wavelength range between NANOGrav and LIGO.
• NANOGrav is a National Science Foundation-funded Physics Frontiers Center of more than 190 scientists from the United States and Canada, including scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and other NASA centers.

• TS Singh Deo was appointed Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
• Singh Deo had given up panchayati raj and rural development portfolio in July 2022 accusing chief minister Bhupesh Baghel of sidelining him in the functioning of his own department.
• The 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly poll is scheduled to be held by November this year to elect all 90 members of the state's Legislative Assembly.
• Tribhuvaneshwar Saran Singhdeo or TS Singhdeo represents the Ambikapur constituency in Chhattisgarh, which is part of the Sarguja district. 
• Popularly known as ‘TS Baba’ or ‘Maharaj’, Singhdeo is unmarried and holds a Master’s degree in History.
• He first became an MLA in 2008 and was re-elected in 2013. 

• Tokyo Olympian Deepak Punia won a bronze medal after defeating Maksat Satybaldy in the 86kg freestyle weight category at the U23 Asian wrestling championships 2022 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
• India won 25 medals in all in the U23 meet in the event, including 10 gold medals.
• Last month, Deepak Punia was included in the Indian wrestling team for the Commonwealth Games 2022 with Tokyo 2020 medallists Bajrang Punia and Ravi Kumar Dahiya.

• RBI has cancelled the licences of several co-operative banks since January 2024, including Sumerpur Mercantile Urban Cooperative Bank, Jai Prakash Narayan Nagari Sahakari Bank, Shree Mahalaxmi Mercantile Co-operative Bank, and Hiriyur Urban Co-operative Bank, due to their deteriorating financial health.
• In June 2024, licences of Mumbai’s City Co-operative Bank and Purvanchal Co-operative Bank in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, were revoked for inadequate capital and earning prospects.
• Banaras Mercantile Co-operative Bank has ceased its banking operations as of July 4, 2024, with the RBI directing Uttar Pradesh's Cooperative Societies Commissioner to initiate the winding-up process and appoint a liquidator.

• 2019 World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan announced his retirement from international cricket.
• Morgan, who led England to 50-over World Cup glory in 2019, captained England in a record 126 ODIs and 72 T20s. 
• His 118 wins as skipper across the two formats is also a record.
• The 35-year-old, who made his ODI debut as a 16-year-old with Ireland in 2006 before he was called up by England in 2009, has played 248 ODIs and 115 T20Is, scoring 10,159 runs in total. 
• He has also played in 16 Tests, scoring 700 runs.

• Tata Sons plans to construct a Museum of Temples in Ayodhya with an estimated investment of Rs. 650 crore.
• CloudThat recognized as Microsoft Training Services Partner of the Year for 2024.
• World Bank approves $1.5 billion loan to support India's green hydrogen initiative.
• Tata Group has retained its position as India's most valuable brand with a brand value of $28.6 billion, approaching the $30-billion mark, setting a milestone as the first Indian brand to do so.
• SBI has launched an online quick loan solution tailored for MSMEs, aiming to provide efficient access to financial support through digital platforms.

• World Asteroid Day 2022 (also known as International Asteroid Day) is marked and celebrated globally on June 30 every year.
• It is usually observed in order to raise public awareness about asteroid's hazardous effect and the measures that should be taken in case of a near-Earth object threat.
• This day is declared by United Nations General Assembly in   December 2016.
• The date was chosen to observe the anniversary of the Tunguska asteroid impact over Siberia, on June 30, 1908.
• The theme for International Asteroid Day 2022 is 'small is beautiful'.
• The Asteroids are the celestial rocks that are smaller than a planet but revolve around the sun like them.

• LIC has launched 'Jeevan Samarth' to revamp its agency ecosystem, partnering with a global consulting firm for an end-to-end review and transformation of agency operations at branch, division, and zonal levels.
• The initiative aims to establish global best practices in response to the evolving insurance sector and regulatory landscape, focusing on enhancing long-term savings, protection, health insurance, ULIP, and pension solutions for Indian families.
• LIC's CEO and Managing Director, Siddhartha Mohanty, highlighted that 'Jeevan Samarth' seeks to align the agency ecosystem with the dynamic needs of Indian families, ensuring they receive appropriate financial products and services.

• The State Bank of India (SBI) launched "MSME Sahaj," an online loan solution tailored for MSMEs, offering quick access to loans up to ₹1 lakh against GST-registered sales invoices. 
• This initiative is facilitated through SBI's digital platform Yono, ensuring swift processing and automated credit assessments.
• MSME Sahaj aims to address cash flow challenges faced by micro SME units by providing timely financial support based on their GST filings. 
• The initiative is designed to streamline loan disbursal processes and promote financial inclusion among MSMEs through efficient digital solutions.

• Tata Group has been named India's most valuable brand with a brand value of $28.6 billion, making it the first Indian brand to approach the $30-billion mark.
• Infosys ranked second with a brand value of $14.2 billion, followed by HDFC Group. Other notable brands in the top rankings include LIC Group, Reliance Industries, SBI Group, Airtel, HCL Tech, Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra, and Zetwerk.

• The World Bank has approved a $1.5 billion loan to support India's low-carbon energy development, focusing on promoting green hydrogen and renewable energy initiatives. This funding is aimed at accelerating India's transition towards sustainable energy sources.
• The loan aligns with India's ambitious targets, including achieving 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and aiming for net-zero emissions by 2070. It underscores international support for India's efforts to mitigate climate change and enhance energy sustainability.

• Boris Johnson has resigned as Conservative leader and will step down as prime minister of UK.
• Mr Johnson, 58, announced that he would step down after a slew of resignations from his top team in protest at his leadership but would stay on as Prime Minister until a replacement is found.
• He survived a no-confidence vote last month.

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah virtually unveiled a 4-feet-tall ‘Statue of Peace’, in Sonwar, commemorating Sri Ramanujacharya who promoted the idea of equality in all aspects of living, and drove home the 11th century Bhakti saint's message of equality of all.
• Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the saint’s 216-feet statue in Hyderabad in February.
• Saint Ramanujacharya, also known as Ramanuja, is considered to be a great thinker, philosopher and social reformer, a south Indian Brahmin born in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur.
• He is a follower of Vaishnavism and taught people the principles of salvation.
• Sri Ramanujacharya visited Kashmir in the 11th Century to get an important manuscript called Bodhayana Vritti, a treatise on the Brahma Sutras.

• Private life insurer Aviva Life Insurance Company India has appointed Asit Rath as its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director.
• He will take up his role on July 11 and succeed Amit Malik who is leaving the business after 10 years.
• Rath is currently the CEO of Prudential Myanmar Life Insurance and has 22 years of banking and insurance experience in India and Myanmar.
• Aviva India is a joint venture between Dabur Invest Corp and Aviva International Holdings Limited, a UK-based insurance group.

• Iconic composer Ilaiyaraaja, celebrated athlete PT Usha, Indian philanthropist Veerendra Heggade and screenwriter V Vijayendra Prasad Garu have been nominated to Rajya Sabha.
• The President nominates 12 members to the Rajya Sabha from people who have special knowledge or practical experience in art, literature, science and social service.
• The rationale behind this principle of nomination is to provide eminent persons a place in the Rajya Sabha without going through the process of election.
• The Rajya Sabha should consist of no more than 250 members—238 members representing the States and Union Territories and 12 members nominated by the President.

• The Indian Army will operationalise its first Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) under the XVII Mountain Strike Corps from 1 July 2026.
• The Indian Air Force concluded its six-month-long fifth Warfare & Aerospace Strategy Programme (WASP) with a Capstone Seminar and the release of its inaugural journal in New Delhi.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the DFP-2026 framework to expand the financial and administrative powers of DRDO for accelerating the development of defence technologies.
• President Droupadi Murmu conferred 105 Distinguished Service Decorations, including Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medals, on Armed Forces and Coast Guard personnel during the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026.

• Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Suranjan Das has been appointed as the president of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
• Das, an eminent historian, was appointed the vice-president of AIU a year ago.
• His tenure as president will be for one year from July 1.
• Association of Indian Universities is an organisation and association of major universities in India. It is based in Delhi. 
• It evaluates the courses, syllabi, standards, and credits of foreign Universities pursued abroad and equates them in relation to various courses offered by Indian Universities.

• Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying inaugurated First India Animal Health Summit 2022.
• The first India Animal Health Summit 2022 was held at the NASC Complex in New Delhi.
• Rupala was the keynote speaker at the inauguration of the 'India Animal Health Summit 2022,' which was co-hosted by the Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) and the Agriculture Today Group.

• President Droupadi Murmu conferred 105 Distinguished Service Decorations on Armed Forces and Coast Guard personnel on 29-30 June 2026.
• Awards included 7 Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medals, 30 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, 12 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, and 56 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals.
• Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai and Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti received Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal for Operation Sindoor.
• Vice President and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the event.

• Iraqi official Mohamed Jalud appointed new president of International Weightlifting Federation
• Central Government extends the term of Attorney General of India KK Venugopal for 3 more months
• Government appoints Indian Revenue Service officer Nitin Gupta as new chairman of CBDT
• Avinash Kulkarni appointed as head of India Debt Resolution Company IDRCL
• Akash Ambani became the new chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm after the resignation of Mukesh Ambani
• Justice Satish Chandra Sharma sworn in as Chief Justice of Delhi High Court by Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena
• Sandeep Kumar Gupta to be the next chairman of gas transmission and gas marketing company GAIL

• Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Jyotiraditya Scindia have been assigned additional charges of Minority Affairs and Ministry of Steel respectively after two Union Ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Ram Chandra Prasad Singh resigned from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect. 
• Post their resignations, the President of India Ram Nath Kovind, as advised by PM Modi, accepted the resignations of Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Ram Chandra Prasad Singh from Union Council of Ministers. 
• This is the first time two sitting ministers are out of both Houses of Parliament.

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the DFP-2026 framework for DRDO on 29 June 2026 in New Delhi.
• Expands financial and administrative powers for research, testing, and development activities.
• Introduces provisions for trial campaigns, pre-project R&D, and grants-in-aid for innovation initiatives.
• Aims to accelerate development and induction of defence technologies into the Armed Forces.

• Sandeep Kumar Gupta, Director for Finance at Indian Oil Corporation, has been picked to head India's largest gas utility GAIL (India) Ltd.
• The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) selected Gupta, 56, for the post of chairman and managing director of GAIL after interviewing 10 candidates.
• He will replace Manoj Jain, who is scheduled to retire on August 31.
• GAIL is India's largest gas transmission and gas marketing company.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched multiple digital portals at the ongoing Digital India Week 2022 including a single sign-in portal ‘Meri Pehchaan’, a website IndiaStack.Global, MyScheme.
• The launch came amid the ongoing Digital India Week 2022 in Gandhinagar.
• ‘MyScheme’ – is a service discovery platform facilitating access to Government Schemes. It aims to offer a one-stop search and discovery portal where users can find schemes that they are eligible for.
• He also launched ‘Digital India Bhashini’ and ‘Digital India GENESIS’.

• Indian Air Force concluded fifth Warfare & Aerospace Strategy Programme (WASP) with Capstone Seminar on 29 June 2026 in New Delhi.
• Six-month Professional Military Education programme conducted by CAPSS and College of Air Warfare.
• Air Marshal AP Singh was Chief Guest; inaugural WASP CAW Journal released.
• Focused on evolution of aerospace power and future-proofing through innovation and integration.

• The Union government has extended the tenure of senior advocate KK Venugopal as the Attorney General (AG) for three more months.
• Venugopal’s tenure was to end on June 30.
• Venugopal, 91, was appointed by the President as Attorney General for India in July 2017 for a three-year term. His term was subsequently extended twice for a year each.
• The 15th person to serve as Attorney General for India, he had succeeded Mukul Rohatgi, who was the Attorney General from June 2014 to June 2017.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 30-feet bronze statue of Alluri Sitarama Raju at Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district on the 125th birth anniversary of the freedom fighter.
• The 15-tonne statue was carved out at a cost of Rs 3 crore and installed by the Kshatriya Seva Samiti in the Municipal Park at ASR Nagar in Bhimavaram, as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
• Believed to have been born in present-day Andhra Pradesh in 1897 or 1898, Alluri Sitarama Raju is known for leading guerrilla resistance against the British in the region.

• The Indian Army plans to operationalise its first Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) by 1 July 2026 from the Panagarh-based XVII Mountain Strike Corps (China border).
• Each IBG is a self-contained brigade-sized formation with over 5,000 troops including infantry, artillery, engineers, and medical units.
• Designed for rapid response (within 48 hours) in mountainous terrain.
• Concept proposed by Gen. Bipin Rawat; full rollout targeted by 2029.

• Mohammed Jalood has been elected as the new IWF President.
• Iraqi official Jalood has also served as IWF general secretary for the past five years.
• Jalood is the first permanent president since Tamás Aján stepped down in 2020 after 44 years.
• Jaloud, one of 11 candidates for the presidency, was a weightlifter himself for 13 years, and also holds citizenship status in Kazakhstan.
• Ursula Garza Papandrea is the first female vice president of the IWF.

• Union Minister Piyush Goyal has released the results of the third edition of Ranking of States’ Exercise 2021 on Support to Startup Ecosystems in New Delhi.
• In the third edition of Ranking of States’ Exercise 2021, Gujarat and Karnataka emerged as the Best Performers in a category of States.
• States’ Startup Ranking 2021 rankings, released by the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT).
• Meghalaya bagged the top honour among UTs and North-eastern (NE) states.
• This is the third consecutive year that Gujarat has been recognised as the best performer.

• India has added 540 species to its fauna database in 2021, taking the total number of animal species to 1,03,258.
• India has added 315 species to the Indian flora during 2021, taking the number of flora in the country to 55,048.
• Among the new species discovered was new mammal species discovered,Crocidura narcondamica, a white-toothed shrew, from Narcondam Island in Andaman.

• Railway Protection Force (RPF) seized narcotics worth over Rs 7.40 crore in June 2022.
• In a crackdown on narcotic substances, RPF recovered various narcotic products, including designer drugs, valued at over Rs 7.40 crore last month and arrested 165 people with Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS).
• RPF started a month-long pan-India drive against smuggling of narcotics through rail, named Operation ‘NARCOS’ in the month of June.

• Ban on manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of identified single use plastic items has come into force from 1 July 2022 across the country.
• Single-use plastic are those items that are used only once and discarded.
• National and state level control rooms will be set up for checking illegal manufacture and use of banned single for the effective enforcement of ban.

• The Punjab government appointed 1989-batch IAS officer Vijay Kumar Janjua as the new chief secretary.
• Janjua replaces Anirudh Tewari, a 1990-batch IAS officer, who has been posted as director general, Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration, relieving Jaspreet Talwar.
• He has worked in various departments of Punjab, including rural development, industries, labour and animal husbandry. 
• Janjua has also served in the Centre for three years as Director, Industries, in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

• PM Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the new smart 'Spark.NXT' campus of Bosch India, a leading supplier of technology and services in Bengaluru.
• The Spark.NXT campus will provide inspiring working conditions for associates to focus on the development of user-centric innovations for a better quality of life in India.
• Bosch first arrived in India as a German corporation a century ago; now, it is equally as Indian as it is German. This is a fantastic illustration of Indian energy and German engineering.
• Soumitra Bhattacharya is the Managing director of Bosch Limited and president of the Bosch Group, India.

• Indian Institute of Science (IISc) researchers have developed a design framework to build next-generation analog computing chipsets.
• Using this design framework, they have built a prototype of an analog chipset called ARYABHAT-1 (Analog Reconfigurable technologY And Bias-scalable Hardware for AI Tasks).
• These chipsets may operate faster. It will use less power as compared to digital processors used in different electronic gadgets.
• It has been designed by Pratik Kumar, who is a Ph.D. student at IISc.
• ARYABHAT-1stands for “Analog Reconfigurable Technology and Bias-scalable Hardware for AI Tasks”.

• Odisha has applied for the geographical indications (GI) registry of ‘Kai Chutney’ under food category.
• ‘Kai Chutney’ made from red ants by the tribals of Mayurbhanj district in Odisha.
• This food item, rich in proteins, calcium, zinc, vitamin B-12, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, copper, fibre and 18 amino acids, is known to boost the immune system and keep diseases at bay.
• Applied under food category, the GI tag will help develop a structured hygiene protocol in the preparation of Kai chutney for standard wider use.
• Geographical Indications labels enhance the reputation and value of local products and support local businesses.

• India's first indigenously developed mRNA vaccine GEMCOVAC™-19 gets DCGI nod
• Education Ministry releases Performance Grading Index (PGI-D) for districts for 2018-19 and 2019-20
• India's largest floating solar project started in Kerala
• Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) approved as an international organization
• Mumbai tops in Indian cities according to 'Mercer's 2022 Cost of Living Survey'
• Bengaluru tops in Indian cities in “Asia Pacific Sustainability Index 2021”

1. IDFC to merge with IDFC First Bank to create single entity
2. Housing Development Finance Corp Ltd (HDFC) and HDFC Bank merges, HDFC merger to create world's fourth largest bank by mkt cap
3. RBI grants non-banking institution licence to Mahalaxmi Cooperative Bank, cancels bank permit
4. InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of budget carrier Indigo becomes India's leading airline to cross ₹1 trillion in market capitalization (Mcap)
5. Bandhan Mutual Fund launches Bandhan Financial Services fund, offer to open on 10 July

• CBSE Board launched a portal named ‘Pariksha Sangam’ on 3 July to connect students, school regional offices and CBSE board headquarters to integrate examination-related processes.
• A single window will from now be available for board examination results, sample papers, and other details.
• CBSE’s pariksha sangam portal can be accessed at ‘parikshasangam.cbse.gov.in’.
• The portal is divided into three parts, namely- Schools (Ganga), Regional Offices (Yamuna) and Head Office (Saraswati).

• BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar, son-in-law of NCP leader Ramraje Naik has been elected as the new speaker of Maharashtra assembly.
• He has become the youngest Speaker of an Assembly across the country.
• Narwekar has been associated with Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party before joining the BJP before the 2019 assembly elections.
• The post of the Speaker was vacant since February last year after Nana Patole of Congress quit. The Deputy Speaker, Narhari Zirwal, was acting as the Speaker.

• Recently, Cabinet has approved the categorization of the Coalition of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) as an international organization.
• The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• It also approved signing of the Headquarters Agreement (HQA) with CDRI for granting it the exemptions, immunities and privileges under the United Nations (Privileges & Immunities) Act, 1947.
• Since its launch, 31 countries, six international organisations and two private sector organisations have joined as members of CDRI, which has been expanding its membership consistently by attracting a wide variety of economically advanced countries, developing countries and countries that are most vulnerable to climate change and disasters.
• The Cabinet had on August 28, 2019, approved the setting up of CDRI with its Secretariat in New Delhi along with a support of ₹480 crore.
• CDRI was launched by the Prime Minister of India during the United Nations Climate Action Summit on September 23, 2019, in New York.
• CDRI is a global partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, academic and knowledge institutions that aim to promote the resilience of infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks, thereby ensuring sustainable development.

• Bandhan Mutual Fund has announced the launch of the Bandhan Financial Services Fund, an open-ended equity scheme that allows investors to benefit from the multi-year growth opportunities in the financial services sector.
• The New Fund Offer will open for subscription on July 10 and will close on July 24.
• Sumit Agrawal is the fund manager for this scheme.

• India’s first Autonomous Navigation facility, TiHAN has inaugurated by Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science & Technology at the IIT Hyderabad campus.
• Developed at a budget of ₹130 crore by the Union Ministry of Science & Technology, TiHAN (Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation) is a multidisciplinary initiative that will make India a global player in the futuristic and next generation ‘smart mobility’ technology.
• It’s a state-of-the-art “Autonomous Navigation” facility to develop unmanned ground and aerial vehicles.

• Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has launched a 'Naari Ko Naman' scheme.
• The chief minister had announced the 50 per cent concession on bus fares to women on April 15, Himachal Day.
• The scheme was launched at the Government College Auditorium in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.

• Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has been sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
• He was administered the oath of office by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at the Raj Bhawan in Mumbai on June 30, 2022.
• Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis took the oath as the deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. 

• IDFC First Bank and IDFC Ltd have announced their merger plans, with a share exchange ratio of 155 equity shares of IDFC First Bank for every 100 equity shares of IDFC. 
• The merger aims to simplify the corporate structure, increase the book value per share, and streamline regulatory compliances. 
• The merger is expected to be completed in the current financial year, subject to unforeseen circumstances.
• In March 2023, IDFC Ltd and IDFC Financial Holding Company Ltd appointed Axis Capital Ltd to determine the fairness of the share exchange ratio for the merger.
• The merger is expected to increase the book value per share of IDFC First Bank by 4.9 percent, based on audited financials as of March 31, 2023. It will consolidate IDFC FHCL, IDFC Limited, and IDFC First Bank into a single entity, simplifying the corporate structure.
• IDFC First Bank is a prominent banking institution in India.
• The bank was formed through the merger of IDFC Bank Ltd and Capital First Ltd in December 2018.

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) received the Gold Award in the “Innovation through AI and New Age Technologies” category at the National Awards for e-Governance 2026. The award was presented on 1-2 July in Jaipur for its ICMR-MINDS platform.
• This AI-powered initiative integrates mental health services with primary healthcare, providing clinical decision support, standardized screening, evidence-based treatment, and multilingual offline functionality. It aims to reduce dependence on specialists and improve access across India through trained frontline workers. Participating institutions include AIIMS centres and other medical colleges.

• NASA launches first rocket from Australian commercial spaceport outside the United States
• NASA launches CAPSTONE mission from New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula

• Menar village of Udaipur district to be declared as new wetland of Rajasthan
• Shiv Sena's rebel leader Eknath Shinde became the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra

• Four Indian cities--Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai--made it to the list of top 20 sustainable cities, as per the Asia Pacific Sustainability Index 2021.
• Singapore, Sydney, Wellington, Perth, and Melbourne were the top five green-rated cities in commercial real estate in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Bengaluru led the sustainability index amongst the top Indian cities and ranked 14th in the APAC region. 
• Bengaluru was the only Indian city to achieve the ‘Gold’ standard category.
• Delhi ranked second amongst the Indian cities (ranked 17th in the APAC region) followed by Hyderabad (ranked 18th) and Mumbai (ranked 20th).

• The boards of directors of Housing Development Finance Corp Ltd (HDFC) and HDFC Bank, approved the merger between the two institutions effective from July 1 creating the world's fourth biggest bank by market value behind J P Morgan, ICBC and Bank of America.
• All share and warrant holders of HDFC as of July 13 would be eligible for HDFC Bank shares.
• Termed as the biggest transaction in India’s corporate history, HDFC Bank on April 4 last year agreed to take over the biggest domestic mortgage lender in a deal valued at about USD 40 billion, creating a financial services titan.

ICMR’s flagship project ICMR-MINDS received the Gold Award under the Innovation in AI category at the National Awards for e-Governance 2026 in Jaipur. The AI-enabled Clinical Decision Support System helps frontline healthcare workers deliver standardised mental healthcare by integrating screening and management of mental health with non-communicable diseases. Implemented across seven states, it features offline functionality, multilingual support, and continuity-of-care pathways. The award recognises its role in task-shifting and reducing specialist dependency.

• NASA launched a new mission codenamed CAPSTONE to test a new type of lunar orbit, which will help take NASA's Artemis missions to the Moon.
• The CAPSTONE stands for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment.
• The mission launched at Rocket Lab's Electron rocket from the Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on the Mahia Peninsula of New Zealand.
• CAPSTONE is currently in low-Earth orbit, and it will take the spacecraft about four months to reach its targeted lunar orbit.
• The spacecraft,about the size of a microwave oven, will study a specific orbit where NASA plans to build a small space station for astronauts to stop at before and after going to the moon’s surface.

• India’s first indigenously developed mRNA vaccine against the COVID-19 gets the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), to be sold under the brand name GEMCOVAC™-19 and will be rolled out soon.
• The vaccine will be available for adults above 18 years of age.
• It is a two-dose vaccine to be administered intramuscularly at 28 days apart.
• GEMCOVAC-19™ is the very first mRNA vaccine developed in India and the only third mRNA vaccine to be approved for COVID-19 in the world.
• It is developed by The Pune-based subsidiary of Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on June 27 has granted non-banking institutions licence to Mahalaxmi Cooperative Bank Ltd, Dharwad, Karnataka, after cancelling its banking permit.
• Accordingly, RBI has cancelled the licence dated March 23, 1994, granted to Mahalaxmi Cooperative Bank Ltd, Dharwad, Karnataka to carry on banking business in India, with effect from the close of business on June 27.
• This will not stop the bank from conducting the business of ‘banking’ and acceptance of deposits from non-members with immediate effect.
• In April 2023, the central bank cancelled the banking licence of Adoor Co-operative Urban Bank and allowed it to operate only as NBFC.

• From 2027, the International Booker Prize will be renamed the Bukhman International Booker Prize following a 10-year funding agreement with Bukhman Philanthropies. Prize money will double to £100,000 (≈₹1.28 crore), shared between author and translator. Shortlisted titles will receive £5,000 each.
• Founded by Daria and Dmitri Bukhman, the philanthropy supports literature and culture. The 2027 prize, chaired by Katie Kitamura, is for translated fiction published in the UK/Ireland between May 2026 and April 2027. Longlist: March 16; Shortlist: April 15; Winner: May 2027.

• IndiGo operator InterGlobe Aviation’s market capitalisation became the first Indian aviation company to cross Rs 1 trillion mark.
• The low-cost carrier's shares closed at Rs 2,620 (up 3.5%) on the BSE, taking its market cap to Rs 1 lakh crore.
• The Rahul Bhatia-founded IndiGo has since 2005 placed orders for 1,330 Airbus A320 planes and is scheduled to receive the remaining 980 of them by 2035.
• Indigo ranks 10th in terms of market value among the world’s top-10 listed aviation firms. Delta Airlines Inc is the world’s biggest airline by value, with a market cap of $29.62 billion followed by South West Airlines Co and Ryanair Holdings PLC. 
• United Airlines Holdings PLC ranks at number four, followed by Air China, Singapore Airlines, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines Co and Deutsche Lufthansa.

• Seven Indian schools secured places in the Top 10 of the World’s Best School Prizes 2026, the highest by any country in a single year.
• Delhi Metro won the UITP Achievement Award for Operational Excellence for its AI-powered integrated mobility application, 'Sarthi'.
• Sunil Bharti Mittal was honoured with the 2026 Leadership Award by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum in Washington, D.C.

1. InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of budget carrier Indigo becomes India's leading airline to cross ₹1 trillion in market capitalization (Mcap)

• Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder & Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, was honoured with the 2026 Leadership Award by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).
• The award was presented at the IX USISPF Annual Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.
• He was recognised for strengthening India-US economic ties and transforming India’s telecom sector.
• Other awardees included Christopher T. Calio (RTX) and V. Prem Watsa (Fairfax).
• Mittal expressed optimism about the impending India-US bilateral trade deal.

• Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) received the UITP Achievement Award for Operational Excellence on 23 June 2026 in Brussels.
• The award recognizes the Sarthi App — an AI-powered integrated mobility platform for door-to-door journey planning, multimodal connectivity, and single-ticket fare system.
• It integrates first-mile and last-mile services with real-time information.
• UITP is the global body for public transport; the award highlights innovation and service quality in urban mobility.

The Indian Navy formally commissioned INS Tamal (F71), a modern multi-role stealth frigate, at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia, on July 1, 2025. The vessel is the eighth in the Project 1135.6 series and the second ship under the Tushil-class follow-on order. The ceremony was attended by Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command.

• World Zoonoses Day is observed annually on 6 July to raise awareness about zoonotic diseases transmitted between animals and humans. The date commemorates Louis Pasteur’s first successful rabies vaccine administration in 1885.
• Zoonoses, caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi, account for 60% of known human infectious diseases. Common examples include rabies, COVID-19, Ebola, and anthrax. The day promotes the One Health approach, emphasizing collaboration among medical, veterinary, and environmental experts for prevention through vaccination, surveillance, hygiene, and safe food practices.

Under the Defence Acquisition Council (headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh), India approved ten proposals totaling about ₹1.05 lakh crore for indigenously sourced missiles and electronic warfare systems. India’s domestic defence production now stands at an all‑time high of ₹1.46 lakh crore, with exports reaching ₹24,000 crore in FY 2024–25.

• The International Day of Cooperatives was observed on July 4, 2026, with the UN theme “Cooperatives for a Peaceful World!”. Celebrated annually on the first Saturday of July, it highlights the role of cooperatives in promoting social justice, inclusion, solidarity, democratic participation, and economic equality.
• Cooperatives contribute significantly to employment, financial inclusion, rural development, women’s empowerment, and sustainable agriculture. The day strengthens collaboration between the UN and the global cooperative movement while advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Events include conferences, campaigns, and community programmes worldwide.

• ICG inducts ‘Adamya’, its first fast patrol vessel with CPP technology.
• Indian Navy hosts maritime security meeting of IONS in New Delhi.
• India and South Africa sign agreements on submarine cooperation during defence talks.  

• India observed the 20th National Statistics Day on 29 June 2026, commemorating Prof. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis with the theme “Unlocking the Potential of Administrative Data”.
• International Asteroid Day was observed on 30 June 2026 with the theme “Planetary Defence and Asteroid Impact Hazards”.
• India celebrated CA Day on 1 July 2026, marking the 77th Foundation Day of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
• National Doctors’ Day was celebrated on 1 July 2026 with the theme “Behind the Mask: Who Heals the Healers?” to focus on doctors' mental health and well-being.

During the 9th Joint Defence Committee (JDC) meeting in Johannesburg, India and South Africa inked two agreements focused on submarine technology and cooperation. Led by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, the Indian delegation emphasized India’s defence production capabilities and reaffirmed bilateral defence ties.

• National Doctors’ Day is celebrated on 1 July every year to honour doctors’ dedication and services to public health.
• The 2026 theme “Behind the Mask: Who Heals the Healers?” focuses on doctors’ mental health, burnout, long hours, and well-being.
• It commemorates the birth and death anniversaries of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy (1882-1962), a legendary physician, educator, and former Chief Minister of West Bengal, honoured with Bharat Ratna.
• Celebrations include felicitation ceremonies, health camps, seminars, and awareness drives highlighting doctors’ role in prevention, treatment, and emergencies.

• CA Day, also known as Chartered Accountants Day, is observed annually on 1 July 2026 (Wednesday) across India.
• It marks the 77th Foundation Day of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), established on 1 July 1949 under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949.
• ICAI, the second-largest accounting body globally with over 3.5 lakh members, regulates the profession and upholds high ethical standards.
• The day honours CAs for their contributions to auditing, taxation, financial advisory, corporate governance, and economic growth through seminars, awards, and awareness programmes.

• International Asteroid Day is observed annually on 30 June to raise awareness about asteroid impact hazards and planetary defence.
• The 2026 theme is “Planetary Defence and Asteroid Impact Hazards”, emphasizing global cooperation in detection, research, and emergency preparedness.
• It commemorates the 1908 Tunguska event in Siberia, the largest recorded asteroid impact.
• UNGA proclaimed the day in 2016. Scientists monitor over 36,000 Near-Earth Asteroids; 2029 has been declared the International Year of Asteroid Awareness coinciding with Apophis flyby.

• India ranked 125th out of 197 countries in the Global Passport Index 2026 by Global Citizen Solutions, slipping one position from last year. However, its composite score improved to a record 45.1. The index evaluates Enhanced Mobility (50%), Quality of Living (25%), and Investment Opportunities (25%).
• India ranked 136th in mobility (visa-free access to ~26 destinations), 118th in quality of living, and 94th in investment. It performs better than neighbours like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan but trails China (104th). Sweden topped the index.

• India is set to chair the Ninth Session of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts (IGE) on Consumer Protection Law and Policy, organized by UNCTAD. The three-day meeting will be held from 6th to 8th July 2026 at Palais des Nations, Geneva. It will bring together policymakers, regulators, and international organizations to discuss emerging challenges and strengthen global cooperation on consumer rights.
• Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, will lead the Indian delegation. Key highlights include the launch of UN Principles for Consumer Product Safety and Argentina’s peer review. India will showcase its achievements like the National Consumer Helpline and e-Jagriti AI platform.

India will host the BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting on July 6–7, 2026, in Guwahati, Assam. Organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau, the meeting will focus on combating synthetic drugs, intelligence sharing, and capacity building. Discussions will cover darknet trafficking, New Psychoactive Substances, precursor diversion, and demand reduction. The meeting aims to strengthen operational cooperation among BRICS nations and will conclude with a Joint Declaration.

India will chair the Ninth Session of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts (IGE) on Consumer Protection Law and Policy at UNCTAD in Geneva from July 6–8, 2026. Smt. Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, will preside. Key highlights include the launch of United Nations Principles for Consumer Product Safety and discussions on UNGCP implementation, sustainable consumption, and cross-border protection. India will showcase its National Consumer Helpline and e-Jagriti platform.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reduced Super Visa processing time for Indian applicants to 50 days as of July 3, 2026, down from 66 days. The new timeline remains well within the 112-day service standard. The Super Visa allows multiple long-stay entries for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. For comparison, Indian study permit processing rose to 5 weeks, while visitor visa processing fell to 21 days. Super Visa times for Indians are currently shorter than those in the United States.

• Bangladesh became the 27th member of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), strengthening global big cat conservation efforts.
• Iran invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral ceremonies of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran.
• The SCO Women’s Forum 2026 was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where India highlighted its women-led development initiatives.
• PM Narendra Modi's three-day visit to Seychelles resulted in the signing of 19 landmark bilateral initiatives across multiple sectors.
• India and Saudi Arabia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Jeddah on June 29, 2026, to enhance cooperation and planning in water resource management.

• India-born Gita Gopinath became the first woman and second Indian to feature on the 'wall of former chief economists' of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• The first Indian to achieve the honour was Raghuram Rajan who was Chief Economist and Director of Research of IMF between 2003 and 2006.
• Gopinath was appointed as IMF Chief Economist in October 2018 and was later promoted as the IMF's First Deputy Managing Director in December last year.
• Gopinath had served as the first female chief economist of the Washington-based global lender for three years.

• India and Saudi Arabia signed a MoU for cooperation in water resource management on 29 June 2026 in Jeddah.
• Signed during inaugural Saudi Water Week by India’s Ambassador Dr Suhel Khan and Saudi Minister Eng Abdulrahman AlFadley.
• Covers water resources planning, sustainable management, capacity building, irrigation systems, and exchange of best practices.
• Aims to enhance collaboration in water security and related areas.

• Edelweiss General Insurance has launched Switch - India’s first on-demand comprehensive motor insurance product, under the IRDAI’s Sandbox initiative.
• SWITCH is a completely digital, mobile telematics-based motor policy. 
• The app detects motion and automatically activates insurance when the vehicle is driven, making it convenient and hassle-free for customers.
• It is the only on-demand motor product in the country that places complete control in the hands of customers.
• Shanai Ghosh is executive director & CEO, Edelweiss General Insurance.

• PM Narendra Modi’s three-day visit to Seychelles (June 2026) resulted in 19 bilateral initiatives covering defence, maritime security, digital payments, healthcare, space, education, and infrastructure.
• Key highlights: Gift of Fast Patrol Vessel, utility vehicles, UPI implementation, healthcare projects, Line of Credit, and humanitarian aid (rice & cement).
• Modi received “Guardian of the Blue Horizon” award; reiterated MAHASAGAR vision for Indian Ocean security and growth.
• Seychelles is a key partner in the Colombo Security Conclave.

• Google announced the launch of Startup School India (SSI) as part of the Google for Startups initiative.
• This is a platform under which Google will bring together investors, successful entrepreneurs and programmers that startups from the smaller cities can to tap into and learn from the best.
• Topics covered will include fintech, language, social media and networking, job search, and business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-commerce.

PM Modi Conferred Ghana’s Top Civilian Honour for Global Leadership.

• The oldest commercial bank in the country, State Bank of India, is celebrating its 67th year on 1st July. 
• SBI descends from the Bank of Calcutta founded in 1806 through the Imperial Bank of India.
• The Bank of Madras merged into the other two presidency banks, the bank of Calcutta and the bank of Bombay to form the Imperial Bank of India which in turn became the SBI in 1955.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama in recognition of his exceptional global leadership. Modi dedicated the honour to India’s youth, rich cultural diversity, and strong diplomatic ties between India and Ghana.

• Jaipur Military Station becomes the second in India to implement a plastic waste road, following Narangi Military Station in Guwahati, Assam.
• DRDO's High-Speed Expendable Aerial Target has successfully completed its developmental trials, marking a significant milestone in its testing phase.
• The Indian Navy has joined the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) in Hawaii, the world's largest naval military wargame.
• Indian Army contingent departs for Indo-Thailand joint military exercise Maitri.
• India-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise Nomadic Elephant begins in Meghalaya, fostering bilateral military cooperation and tactical training.

• The 16th edition of Indo-Mongolia joint military exercise Nomadic Elephant commenced today at Foreign Training Node at Umroi (Meghalaya). The exercise is scheduled to be conducted from 03 to 16 July 2024.
• The 45-member Indian contingent is being represented by a battalion of the Sikkim Scouts and other branches and military personnel. 
• The Mongolian contingent is being represented by personnel from the 150 Quick Reaction Force Battalion of the Mongolian Army. 
• Exercise Nomadic Elephant is an annual training event conducted alternately in India and Mongolia. The previous edition was held in Mongolia in July 2023.
• The inaugural ceremony of Exercise Nomadic Elephant was attended by Shri Dumbajavin Gunbold, Ambassador of Mongolia to India and Major General Prasanna Joshi, General Officer Commanding, 51 Sub Area of the Indian Army.
• The aim of this exercise is to enhance the combined military capability of both sides to conduct counter-terrorism operations in a sub-conventional scenario under Chapter VII of the United Nations Mandate. The exercise will focus on operations to be carried out in semi-urban and hilly areas.

• Indian Army contingent left for the 13th edition of India-Thailand joint military exercise Maitree. The exercise will be conducted at Fort Wachiraprakan in Tak Province, Thailand from 1 to 15 July 2024. 
• The previous edition of the same exercise was conducted at Umroi, Meghalaya in September 2019.
• The Indian Army contingent comprises 76 personnel, mainly a battalion of Ladakh Scouts as well as personnel from other branches and services. 
• The contingent of the Royal Thailand Army also consists of 76 personnel, mainly from the 1st Battalion of the 4th Infantry Regiment of the 14th Division.
• The aim of the friendship exercise is to promote military cooperation between India and Thailand. The exercise will enhance joint capabilities in carrying out joint insurgency/terrorist operations in jungle and urban environments under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
• The exercise will focus on high level of physical fitness, joint planning and joint tactical exercises.

• The Indian Navy has joined the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) in Hawaii, which is the world's largest naval military wargame.
• India has deployed its frontline warship, INS Shivalik, for the RIMPAC exercise. The multi-role stealth frigate is currently stationed in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.
• RIMPAC involves 29 nations, including India, with 40 surface ships, three submarines, over 150 aircraft, and more than 25,000 personnel participating in training and operations around the Hawaiian Islands.

• DRDO successfully tested the High-Speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) 'ABHYAS' at Chandipur, Odisha, demonstrating its improved Radar Cross Section and performance in various conditions. It is now ready for production and induction into the Indian armed forces.
• Designed by DRDO's Aeronautical Development Establishment in Bengaluru, ABHYAS is being produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T). Its booster and navigation system were developed by DRDO laboratories in Hyderabad.
• ABHYAS serves as a dummy enemy aerial vehicle for target practice by the Indian armed forces, controlled via ground-based laptops to simulate realistic combat scenarios and enhance weapon system proficiency.

• Jaipur Military Station inaugurates India's second plastic waste road, following Narangi Military Station in Guwahati, Assam, on June 26, 2024, led by Major General R S Godara.
• The 100-meter plastic road, constructed with the help of Deep Constructions Pvt Ltd, is more durable, suffers less wear and tear, reduces water induction, and increases sustainability compared to conventional roads.
• In line with the Indian Army’s sustainable and green policies, the use of plastic waste in road construction helps tackle the mounting plastic waste problem in India by repurposing non-biodegradable materials that would otherwise contribute to pollution.

• Brazilian star Neymar Jr. announced his retirement from international football after Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to Norway in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at MetLife Stadium. The 34-year-old ended his 16-year career with 80 goals in 130 matches, becoming Brazil’s all-time top scorer.
• He scored his first international goal at the same stadium in 2010 and his last in his farewell match, completing a symbolic journey. Despite achievements like the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2016 Olympic gold, a World Cup title eluded him.

On July 4, 2026, 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest player to represent India in international cricket. He received his T20I cap before the second T20I against England at Old Trafford, Manchester. Suryavanshi broke Sachin Tendulkar’s 37-year-old record (16 years 205 days). He also surpassed Washington Sundar’s T20I debut age. Among full ICC members, he is now the youngest men’s T20I debutant. The record for the youngest globally remains with Romania’s Marian Gherasim (14 years 16 days).

The 7th edition of the Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Memorial Hockey Tournament was held from June 23 to July 3, 2026, at Air Force Station Jalahalli. Sixteen teams participated. The Indian Air Force defeated the Indian Navy 2-1 in the final. Sgt Anand Lakra was Man of the Match, and AGV (S) Agyapal was Player of the Tournament. Air Marshal Seethepalli Shrinivas was Chief Guest, with Indian hockey stars Baljeet Kaur and PR Sreejesh as Guests of Honour. The winner received Rs 10 lakh and runner-up Rs 8 lakh.

• FIE and FAI signed an MoU to promote fencing in India ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
• England captain Ben Stokes announced his retirement from international cricket after the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
• India won 5 medals, including 3 Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze, at the Global Skills Challenge Australia 2026 held from June 23 to 29 under the Skill India Mission.
• Indian Army Havildars Lakshay and Ujjwal Kumar Singh won India's first gold medal in the Lightweight Men's Double Sculls event at the World Rowing Cup Stage 3 in Switzerland.

• Havildars Lakshay and Ujjwal Kumar Singh won India’s first gold medal at World Rowing Cup Stage 3 in Lucerne, Switzerland on 27 June 2026.
• Victory came in the Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x) event with timing 6:26.09.
• Both soldiers are from the Indian Army’s Rowing Node in Pune.
• Hong Kong and the Netherlands took second and third place.

• India won 5 medals (3 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) at Global Skills Challenge Australia 2026 held from 23-29 June.
• Gold winners: Pavan Bhadravati Suresha (Additive Manufacturing), Mausam Kumar Giri (Cloud Computing), Vishnupriya Sunil (Health & Social Care).
• Silver: Harsh Ramesh Pawar (3D Digital Game Art); Bronze: Muskan (Painting & Decorating).
• A 30-member Indian team competed in 15 skill categories under the Skill India Mission.

• World Brain Tumour Day is observed every June 8 to raise awareness about the deadly disease and need to support those suffering from it.
• Brain tumour, one of the most debilitating brain diseases, can disrupt brain function and cause a range of neurological issues and disabilities including difficulty in walking, short-term memory loss or problems with focusing. 
• It is an unusual growth of tissues in the brain or its covering and can be either cancerous or non-cancerous. If untreated, all brain tumours could lead to disabilities and even death.
• The theme of World Brain Tumour Day 2024 is 'Brain Health and Prevention'. Taking care of your brain health and eliminating possible risk factors can greatly contribute in avoiding the risk of the disease.

• The 18th Statistics Day was observed on June 29, 2024.

• India celebrates Statistics Day on June 29 each year to honor Prof. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, emphasizing his pivotal role in advancing statistics and its application in socio-economic planning and policy formulation.
• Government Recognition: The decision to observe Statistics Day annually was made during the tenure of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, highlighting Mahalanobis's contributions to India's economic planning and statistical development.
• The theme of Statistics Day 2024, "Use of data for decision-making," underscores the importance of leveraging statistical data in contemporary governance and policy-making processes to enhance informed decision-making.

After nearly 70 years of sustained health initiatives, Suriname has achieved the milestone of being certified malaria-free by the World Health Organization. It is the first country in the Amazon basin to attain this status. With this, 46 countries and 1 territory, including 12 from the Americas, are now officially malaria-free.

On the first standalone visit by an Indian prime minister in 57 years, PM Narendra Modi is in Argentina for talks with President Javier Milei. Discussions will cover defence, agriculture, mining, and oil & gas cooperation. This visit—a follow-up to his presence at the 2018 G20 summit in Buenos Aires—is the third leg of Modi's five-nation diplomatic tour, following Trinidad & Tobago.

Russia has officially recognised the Taliban regime, making it the first country to do so since the group seized power in 2021. The Kremlin stated that this move will "open avenues for bilateral cooperation," while the Taliban praised it as a "brave initiative." Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi expressed hope that other nations—hesitant due to the Taliban's strict Sharia-based laws and severe limitations on women's rights—might follow Russia’s lead.

• NATO agrees to increase defence spending target to 5% of GDP by 2035 at The Hague summit.
• G7 nations back ‘side-by-side’ global tax model for U.S. and UK companies.
• QUAD nations launch joint maritime observer mission under Wilmington Declaration.
• Quad Nations Launch Initiative to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains.
• Pakistan Assumes UNSC Presidency for July 2025 After Over a Decade.

• Sopna Kallingal received the Spice Award 2024 from ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research for her innovative approaches in enterprise diversification and integrated crop management, focusing on sustainable spice-based cropping systems.
• efforts at Kallingal Plantation in Thrissur highlight her commitment to agricultural innovation and holistic farming practices, combining diverse crops and livestock to enhance productivity and sustainability in agriculture.

In a strategic move to counter global supply disruptions and reduce dependence on China, Quad nations announced a major initiative to diversify and stabilize the global supply of critical minerals. The project aims to fortify collective economic security and supply chain resilience across the Indo-Pacific region.

• P. Geetha has won the inaugural K. Saraswathi Amma Award.
• Singareni CMD Balaram has been honored with the "Tree Man of Telangana" award.
• India finishes on top at U23 Asian Wrestling Championship in Jordan.
• Shah Rukh Khan honored as 'Living Legend' with Career Achievement Award at Locarno.
• Bank of India receives Atal Pension Yojana Annual Award for FY2023-24 from PFRDA.
• Kate Winslet was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Munich Film Festival.

Marking its first tenure since 2013, Pakistan has assumed the presidency of the United Nations Security Council for July 2025. The country is expected to organize at least two major events during its term, according to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

1. Maiden embarkation of scientist’s onboard India’s research vessel ‘Sagar Nidhi’ to participate in Colombo Security Conclave
2. Indian Naval Air Squadron 324 celebrates first anniversary on 04 Jul 2023 at INS Dega in Visakhapatnam

• Kate Winslet received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Munich Film Festival, recognizing her extensive and acclaimed career in film.
• Kate Winslet, celebrated for her performances in 'Titanic', 'Finding Neverland', and 'The Holiday', has amassed a distinguished array of honors, including an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards.
• Winslet discussed the European premiere of her latest film, "Lee," directed by Ellen Kuras, where she portrays war photographer Lee Miller.
• Kate Winslet, known for her roles in "Titanic," "Finding Neverland," and "The Holiday," has previously won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards.

The G7, under Canada’s presidency, endorsed a new ‘side-by-side’ taxation framework, allowing U.S.-based companies to pay taxes only in their home country on both domestic and international profits. This reform exempts such firms from some global tax rules, aiming to streamline and stabilize cross-border corporate taxation.

• The seventh edition of the bilateral Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JIMEX 23) 2023 being conducted by the Indian Navy is being conducted at Visakhapatnam from 5 to 10 July 2023.
• The seventh edition marks the 11th anniversary of JIMEX since its inception in 2012.
• Units of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) under the command of RADM Nishiyama Takahiro while Indian Navy ships under the command of Admiral Gurcharan Singh are participating in the exercise.
• The exercise will see the participation of INS Delhi, India's first indigenously built Guided Missile Destroyer, INS Kamorta, an indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette, Fleet Tanker INS Shakti, Maritime Patrol Aircraft P-8I and Dornier.
• The exercise will be conducted over six days in two phases - a harbor phase at Visakhapatnam which will include professional, sports and social interactions.

• Bank of India (BOI) has been honored with the Atal Pension Yojana Annual Award for FY2023-24 by PFRDA (Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Awards) for the second consecutive year. This award recognizes BOI's excellence in promoting pension schemes.
• In addition to the annual award, BOI has also received the APY Ultimate Champions Cup, highlighting its exceptional performance and leadership in implementing the Atal Pension Yojana.
• Three branches of Bank of India have been acknowledged among the top five branches nationwide, underscoring their exemplary service and contribution to financial inclusion and customer service.

In a collaborative maritime effort, the coast guards of India, the U.S., Japan, and Australia launched the 'QUAD At Sea Observer Mission'. Officers, including women representatives from all four nations, have joined the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton for joint observation exercises en route to Guam, under the Wilmington Declaration to enhance Indo-Pacific maritime security and interoperability.

• Indian Naval Air Squadron 324 (INAS 324) celebrated its maiden anniversary on 04 Jul 2023 at INS Dega in Visakhapatnam.
• INAS 324, equipped with indigenous ALH Mk III helicopters, embodies the spirit of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. 
• Their deployment significantly enhances maritime surveillance capability and strengthens coastal security along the east coast. 
• With inclusion of removable medical ICUs, the aircraft also has the ability to provide critical medical support during emergencies.

• Superstar Shah Rukh Khan will be feted with the career achievement honour, at the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, the organisers announced on 2 July 2024. 
• He is also the first Indian personality to be honoured with the 'Pardo alla Carriere Ascona-Locarno Tourism'.
• His iconic film "Devdas" (2002), directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, will be screened during the festival gala, highlighting his significant cinematic journey.
• Shah Rukh Khan will participate in a public conversation at the Forum @Spazio Cinema on August 11, allowing fans and attendees to engage with him about his illustrious career spanning 32 years in cinema.

At the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague, alliance members agreed to a new defence spending target of 5% of GDP, significantly increasing from the current 2% goal. The decision, pushed by U.S. President Donald Trump, will see member nations increase annual defence budgets by hundreds of billions over the next decade.

• Scientists from Bangladesh and Mauritius embarked onboard India’s research vessel Sagar Nidhi on June 29 to participate in a joint ocean expedition.
• The event took place under the framework of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) between the nations of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• The expedition will last nearly 35 days. 
• The cruise is conducted by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• The scientists will collaboratively research ocean data to predict and manage changes in the marine environment and variations in ocean parameters.
• The decision to embark on the expedition was a direct outcome of the maiden CSC Oceanographers and Hydrographers conference held at Goa and Hyderabad in November 2022.
• Constructed at Fincantieri, Italy, ORV Sagar Nidhi is a multidisciplinary vessel operated by the National Institute of Ocean Technology. The 104 m-long vessel is powered by fully automatic diesel-electric propulsion.
• The members of the Colombo Security Conclave include India, Maldives, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka, while Bangladesh and Seychelles are the two observer nations.

• Writer, critic and feminist activist P. Geetha was presented with the first K. Saraswathi Amma Award, instituted by WINGS (Women’s Integration and Growth Through Sports) Kerala, for feminist studies.
• Her work Aan Thachukal (male creations) about M.T. Vasudevan Nair’s scripts won the award.
• It’s a poetic justice that an award in the name of Saraswathi Amma, a writer who was largely sidelined by the mainstream patriarchal literary world during her time, has been given to Ms. Geetha, who has been subjected to many brickbats for her strong stands, especially in issue related to gender justice.

1. Indian Air Force carries out ‘Exercise Ranvijay’ with focus on integrated operations
2. Israel Defense Forces receive first new Namer 1500 APC
3. DRDO organises ‘Anusandhaan Chintan Shivir’ to encourage defence R&D in industry, academia
4. India set to host historic multilateral air force exercise ‘Tarang Shakti’
5. IAF’s Rafale fighter jets to take part in Bastille Day parade in Paris

• CloudThat, a cloud training and consulting services company, received the Microsoft Training Services Partner of the Year Award for 2024. This accolade highlights their excellence in implementing customer solutions based on Microsoft technology through innovative approaches.
• CloudThat becomes the first India-headquartered company to be honored with the Microsoft Training Services Partner of the Year Award, underscoring their leadership and expertise in cloud technology education and consulting services.

• In a significant development for India’s military prowess and global alliances, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is gearing up to host its first-ever multilateral air force exercise later this year. 
• The exercise, named `Tarang Shakti’, will witness the participation of twelve nations, with six nations joining with their aircraft and the remaining six as observers. 
• This major air exercise marks a momentous occasion for the IAF and underscores its growing importance in international military cooperation.
• Set to take place in the Rajasthan sector, `Tarang Shakti’ aims to enhance coordination, interoperability, and integration among the participating air forces, sending a strong message to potential adversaries in the region.
• By hosting Tarang Shakti, India emphasizes its commitment to strengthening regional security and its role as a reliable partner in the global defence ecosystem.

• Japan has renewed its banknotes in new form for the first time in 20 years.
• The Bornean elephant has been classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
• Belarus has joined the SCO as its 10th member, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opted not to attend the summit meeting held in Astana.
• The Bangladesh Navy has signed a contract with India's Garden Reach Shipbuilding and Engineers (GRSE) for the acquisition of an 800-tonne ocean-going tug.

1. National Doctor's Day 2023 observed on 1 July
2. National Chartered Accountants Day or CA Day 2023 observed on July 1
3. International Day of Parliamentarianism 2023 observed on June 30
4. Dharma Chakra Pravartan Diwas 2023 observed on July 03, full moon day of Ashadha

• On July 1st, 2023, the State Bank of India (SBI) celebrated its 68th Bank Day. 
• The bank, which was established by an Act of Parliament on July 1st, 1955, marked the occasion by organizing various programs across different centers throughout the country.
• State Bank of India (SBI) is the largest commercial bank in India and one of the largest banks in the World.
• It was founded on 1st July 1806 as the Bank of Calcutta, and it was renamed the Imperial Bank of India in 1921.
• In 1955, the Imperial Bank of India was nationalized, and it was renamed the State Bank of India.
• SBI has a network of over 24,000 branches and 63,000 ATMs across India.
• In 1994 the State Bank of India becomes a public limited company.
• SBI launches its first Internet banking service in 2000.
• SBI launches its first mobile banking service in 2010.

• During the Dharma Chakra Pravartan Divas celebrations (3rd July), the President of India emphasized the significance of Buddha's teachings and urged the youth to find inspiration in them.
• The President highlighted the importance of embracing Sheel (morality), Sadhachar (good conduct), and Pragya (wisdom) to empower the younger generation and make a positive contribution to society.
• The dharma chakra, also known as the wheel of dharma, holds significant symbolism in various Indian religions, including Hinduism, Jainism, and notably, Buddhism.
• Within Buddhism, the dharma chakra symbolizes the Buddha's teachings and the universal moral order known as Dharma.
• Dharma Chakra Day is celebrated to commemorate Buddha’s first teaching after attaining enlightenment.
• It is observed on the full moon day of Asadha in the Indian sun calendar. It is also observed as Guru Purnima.

• India commemorated the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee on 6 July 2026. Born in 1901, he was a prominent educationist, politician, and nationalist. He served as the youngest Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University and as India’s first Minister for Industry and Supply.
• Mookerjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (precursor to BJP) and championed national unity, especially full integration of Jammu & Kashmir. His slogan “One country, one constitution” remains influential. He is remembered for contributions to education, democracy, and nation-building.

• Indian Naval Air Squadron 324 was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.
• INAS 324 has been named "KESTRELS”, which are birds of prey and have good sensory capabilities, symbolising the envisaged role of the aircraft and the air squadron.
• The unit is the first naval squadron on the Eastern Seaboard operating the indigenously designed advanced light helicopter (ALH) MK III (MR) helicopters.

• CA Day is observed every year on July 1 to mark the establishment of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) in 1949 by an Act of Parliament in India.
• ICAI is the second-largest professional body of Chartered Accountants in the world.
• To commemorate the start of its 75th-year celebrations, ICAI unveiled a new logo with the tagline: '75 Years of Trust'.
• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament, viz. The Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 (Act No.XXXVIII of 1949) for regulating the profession of Chartered Accountancy in the country.
• The Institute, functions under the administrative control of the ministry of corporate affairs.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the CG Semi Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in Sanand, Gujarat, on 4 July 2026. The facility will boost India’s semiconductor ecosystem under the Semicon India Programme by enhancing chip packaging and testing capabilities.
• It features collaboration with Indian, Japanese, and Thai partners, with an initial capacity of 20 crore units annually, expandable to 500 crore. This marks progress in building a complete semiconductor value chain, supporting electronics manufacturing and self-reliance in high-tech sectors.

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out the maiden flight of the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator from the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga, and Karnataka.
• Powered by a small turbofan engine, the unmanned aerial vehicle is designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru, a premier research laboratory of DRDO.
• The airframe, undercarriage and entire flight control and avionics systems used for the aircraft had been developed indigenously.

• National Doctor's Day is observed on 1 July every year in India for the past 32 years.
• The day is celebrated in India to recognize the selfless service and efforts of doctors for the betterment of the people.
• The Indian Medical Association (IMA) organises various programs and activities on National Doctor's Day.
• The theme for National Doctor's Day 2023 is "Celebrating Resilience and Healing Hands".
• It aims to recognize and appreciate the tireless efforts of medical professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The day is celebrated in the memory of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, a physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal.
• Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy was born on 1st July 1882 and died on the same day in 1962.
• He was a well-known doctor, educator, freedom fighter, and politician. He treated many individuals, saved their lives, and became an inspiration for many. 
• Dr B.C. Roy was awarded the "Bharat Ratna" for his works and achievements.

• Mission Kayakalp is a major initiative by the Delhi Government to modernize infrastructure in government schools. Led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, it focuses on repairing buildings, upgrading laboratories, improving sanitation, providing safe drinking water, and creating inclusive, green campuses.
• The programme aims to create safer, cleaner, and more inspiring learning environments. Key features include better water facilities, RO plants, modern educational infrastructure, and accessibility for children with disabilities. It emphasizes community participation involving district administrations, CSR, and local stakeholders to enhance overall education quality.

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the PSLV-C53 with three Singapore Satellites onboard.
• The launch was scheduled for 6 PM from the Second Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space, Sriharikota.
• This is also the 55th mission of PSLV, often described as ISRO’s trusted workhorse, and the 15th one using the PSLV-Core Alone variant.
• PSLV-C53 is the second dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). 
• It is designed to orbit the DS-EO satellites along with the two other co-passenger satellites from Singapore. NSIL is the commercial arm of ISRO.

• International Day of Parliamentarism is celebrated every year on June 30 to commemorate the founding date of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). 
• The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Parliaments for the Planet.’ 
• The IPU was established with the noble objective of promoting democratic governance, fostering accountability, and encouraging collaboration among national parliaments.
• This special day, established by a United Nations General Assembly Resolution in 2018, serves as an opportunity to reflect on the progress made by parliaments worldwide in achieving predetermined goals.
• The inaugural UN International Day of Parliamentarism was celebrated in 1899 upon the establishment of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. 
• Subsequently, the day was officially designated in 2018 through a United Nations General Assembly Resolution.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that CG SEMI’s OSAT facility in Sanand, Gujarat, has commenced commercial production, marking India’s third semiconductor plant operational this year. The facility, built with Japanese partner Renesas Electronics, will produce chips for automobiles and industrial equipment. Five semiconductor plants are expected by the end of 2026. The minister highlighted employment for young women from multiple states and its role in advancing Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Paralympian Harvinder Singh ended a six-year wait for individual gold by defeating Thailand’s Hanreuchai Netsiri 7-1 in the recurve men’s open final at the Asian Para-Archery Championships in Beijing. He also won gold in the mixed recurve event with Bhawna and silver in the men’s team recurve with Vivek Chikara, bagging medals in all his events.

• Rajnish Kumar, Controller General of Defense Accounts (CGDA), Ministry of Defense launched the centralized pay system PADMA for the Indian Coast Guard
• Indian’s INS Satpura and Boeing P8I aircraft ready to participate in RIMPAC-22
• "Abhyaas" designed and developed by DRDO's Aeronautical Development Establishment successfully test-fired from ITR in Chandipur off the Odisha coast
• Laser-guided anti-tank missile (ATGM) successfully test fired from Arjun tank at KK range in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra
• Iran launched a solid fueled rocket called "Zuljana"

1. World Drug Day 2023: 26 June 
2. World MSME Day 2023:  27 June
3. World Hepatitis Day 2023:  28 July
4. National Statistics Day 2023: 29 June
5. International Asteroid Day 2023: 30 June
6. International Day of Parliamentarianism 2023 observed on June 30

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the next phase of the UDAN scheme — Viksit UDAN — and inaugurated the new terminal building at Jodhpur Airport on July 4, 2026. The Modified UDAN Scheme, with ₹29,000 crore outlay, aims to develop 100 aerodromes, 200 helipads, and sustain regional connectivity. Since 2016, UDAN has operationalised 669 routes. The Jodhpur terminal, built at ₹480 crore, will boost tourism and economic growth in Rajasthan.

Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra emerged victorious in the inaugural edition of the 'Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025'—a World Athletics Gold-level event held at Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium. He secured the win with a throw of 86.18 metres. Kenya’s Julius Yego and Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage claimed second and third places respectively, both posting their season-best performances.

• India successfully flight-tested the indigenously developed high-speed expendable aerial target (HEAT), ABHYAS, from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off the Odisha coast.
• ‘ABHYAS’ is designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment of DRDO
• The aircraft is programmed for a fully autonomous flight, meaning that it flies under the control of automatic systems and needs no intervention from a human pilot.
• India also test-fired the Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) in Chandipur last week.

• In December 2016, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution (A/RES/71/90) establishing June 30th as International Asteroid Day. The purpose of this day is to annually commemorate the Tunguska impact that occurred in Siberia, Russian Federation, on June 30, 1908.
• Additionally, the day aims to raise public awareness about the potential hazards posed by asteroid impacts and educate people about the global crisis communication measures to be taken in the event of a credible near-Earth object threat.
• This decision by the General Assembly was based on a proposal put forth by the Association of Space Explorers and received endorsement from the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

On July 3, 2026, the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) launched three initiatives during its 5th Executive Committee meeting in New Delhi. These include a Research Methodology textbook under the Ayurved Prabodhini Granthamala series, the CCRAS PRAYATNA 2026–27 programme for postgraduate and doctoral scholars, and the CCRAS Digital Ecosystem Dashboard. Chaired by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, the initiatives aim to strengthen evidence-based Ayurveda research, scientific writing, and digital access to resources.

Indian boxer Sakshi Chaudhary clinched gold in the women's 54kg category at the World Boxing Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan. Her unanimous win over American Yoseline Perez marked her maiden World Cup title. India’s women’s team finished strong, taking home three gold medals and reaffirming their position as global contenders in the sport.

• INS Satpura entered Pearl Harbour in Hawaii Islands to participate in RIMPAC-22.
• INS Satpura and one P8I maritime patrol aircraft from the Indian Navy are participating in one of the largest multilateral Naval Exercises, the US Navy-led biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise 2022.
• The exercise spanning over six weeks of intense operations and training is aimed at enhancing interoperability and building trust among Navies of friendly foreign countries. 
• 27 countries are participating in the current edition of the multi-dimensional exercise.
• INS Satpura is an indigenously designed and built 6000-tonne guided missile stealth frigate equipped to seek and destroy adversaries in air, surface and underwater.

West Bengal secured GI tags for three Hooghly district products: Chandannagar’s Jalbhara Sandesh, Janai’s Manohara, and Balagarh’s traditional wooden boats (Dingi Boats). Jalbhara Sandesh, created in the 19th century by Surya Modak, is famous for its liquid-filled centre. Manohara is known for its sugar-coated exterior and chhena filling. Balagarh’s 500-year-old boat-making tradition dates back to the Saptagram Port era. The GI tags will protect authenticity, boost market recognition, and support local economies.

British Formula One driver Lando Norris celebrated a long-awaited maiden win at his home race during the 75th anniversary of Silverstone’s first Grand Prix in 1950. Driving with skill and composure, Norris took the chequered flag amid loud cheers from fans, including 10,000 supporters gathered at his own “Landostand” at Stowe corner.

• Pay Roll Automation for Disbursement of Monthly Allowances (PADMA), an automated Pay & Allowances module for the Indian Coast Guard was inaugurated by Rajnish Kumar, Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), Ministry of Defence.
• PADMA has been developed under the aegis of Defence Accounts Department and will be operated by Pay Accounts Office of the ICG in Noida.
• PADMA is an automated platform leveraging latest technology which will provide seamless and timely disbursal of pay and allowances to around 15,000 ICG personnel

From July 1, 2026, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) enabled Aadhaar holders to update or add their email ID directly through the official Aadhaar App. This eliminates the need to visit Aadhaar centres. The service is free for six months. Within two days, over 2.5 lakh users updated their emails. The app already supports mobile number and address updates, with over 40 lakh and 10 lakh updates respectively. This digital initiative enhances convenience and encourages accurate Aadhaar data.

Six-year and nine-month-old Teghbir Singh from Ropar, Punjab, has become the youngest climber in the world to successfully summit Mount Elbrus—Europe’s highest mountain at 18,510 feet (5,642 metres). Teghbir began his climb on June 20 and reached the peak on June 28, 2025, showcasing extraordinary endurance and determination at a young age.

• Delhi government launched the ‘Delhi Next – Code, Create and Change’ civic-tech innovation programme on July 2, 2026. It aims to pilot 60 technology-driven projects addressing urban challenges like traffic management, waterlogging, waste management, air pollution, smart parking, and grievance redressal.
• Over 2.5 lakh participants registered, with more than 5,000 proposals shortlisted to 1,000. Final 60 teams demonstrated solutions before the Chief Minister. Selected teams will develop minimum viable products with mentorship and government integration support. The initiative promotes collaboration among students, startups, and researchers for better urban governance.

India’s 19-year-old reigning World Chess Champion D. Gukesh continued his dominant run by winning the Rapid Section of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour held in Zagreb, Croatia. He sealed the title by defeating America’s Wesley So in the final round in just 38 moves, securing his 7th win of the tournament with the white pieces.

• Civil Aviation Minister K. Ramohan Naidu launched the first Easy Connect flight from Varanasi to enhance international connectivity via Delhi.
• The Centre removed all restrictions on the supply of 19-kg commercial LPG cylinders with immediate effect.
• NCERT introduced the 1975 Emergency in its Class 9 Social Science textbook for the first time.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched Bharat Taxi, India’s first driver-owned cooperative ride-hailing service with zero commission, in Gujarat.
• India launched the Vision Document on Drug Control (2026-2029) focusing on enforcement, precursor control, demand reduction, and capacity building.
• Haryana and Rajasthan signed an MoU to implement the Yamuna Water Project via a ₹34,102 crore underground pipeline.
• Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda launched Aarogya Setu 2.0, transforming it into a Personal Health Record platform under ABDM.
• The NTCA has approved resuming tiger reintroduction in Odisha's Satkosia Tiger Reserve under strict habitat and community conditions following the failed 2018 attempt.
• Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda launched the Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK) to provide comprehensive care and digital tracking for children from birth to 36 months.
• Delhi approved two heritage conservation schemes to allow private adoption and provide financial grants for restoring 75 historical monuments outside ASI jurisdiction.
• The VB-G RAM G Act came into force on 1 July 2026, replacing MGNREGA and increasing guaranteed rural employment from 100 to 125 days annually.
• The 29th National Conference on e-Governance 2026 commenced in Jaipur, focusing on advanced digital infrastructure, AI, and emerging technologies.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the digital FCRA 2.0 Portal and the e-OCI Card initiative to streamline compliance and services.
• Akashvani launched Swar Prerna Veethika, a permanent photo gallery honouring legendary Indian musicians, in New Delhi on its 90th anniversary.
• The Ministry of Steel granted Miniratna Category-I status to Ranchi-headquartered MECON Limited on July 1, 2026.
• Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the 'Viksit Bharat – G-Ram G' yojana from Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, which upgrades MGNREGA by guaranteeing 125 days of employment.

India’s teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi made history by scoring the fastest known century in Youth One Day Internationals, reaching the three-figure mark in just 52 balls against host nation England. Batting at Worcester, he smashed 13 fours and 10 sixes and stitched a 219-run second-wicket stand with Vihaan Malhotra, who also scored an unbeaten century. India posted a commanding total of 393/9 in 50 overs.

• Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the ‘Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin)’ from Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, on July 2, 2026.
• The scheme upgrades MGNREGA by guaranteeing 125 days of employment.
• It aims to ensure “every hand has work, every stomach has food” with transparent wage payments and massive rural infrastructure funding.
• Special package of ₹7,707 crore announced for Andhra Pradesh. CM Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan were present.

• Khelo India University Games 2025 to be hosted in Jaipur this November.
• Odisha wins women’s title in first Hockey India Masters Cup; Tamil Nadu enters men’s final.
• ICC updates powerplay rules for shortened T20 matches effective from July 2025.
• R. Praggnanandhaa wins UzChess Cup Masters 2025 and becomes top-ranked Indian chess player.
• Lando Norris wins Austrian Grand Prix 2025; Verstappen retires mid-race.
• Ayush Shetty wins US Open 2025; Tanvi Sharma ends runner-up in women’s singles.
• Divyanshi Bhowmick Wins Gold in U-15 Girls’ Singles at Asian Youth TT Championship.
• Gill scored 254+ in a Test innings, surpassing Virat Kohli’s previous high of 254*.

• The Ministry of Steel granted Miniratna Category-I status to MECON Limited on July 1, 2026.
• MECON, a Schedule ‘A’ CPSE headquartered in Ranchi, has shown consistent profitability for three years with a net worth of ₹535.42 crore.
• Established in 1959, it provides engineering, consultancy, and project management services in steel, mining, power, oil & gas, and infrastructure.
• The status grants greater financial autonomy and operational flexibility to enhance competitiveness.

Indian captain Shubman Gill recorded the highest-ever Test score by an India skipper—254+ runs—in the first innings at Edgbaston against England, surpassing Virat Kohli’s 254* against South Africa in Pune (October 2019).

1. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak honours 101-yr-old Sikh and World War-II veteran Rajinder Singh Dhatt with 'Points of Light' award
2. Children’s Author Michael Rosen wins 2023 PEN Pinter prize for ‘fearless’ body of work
3. Sporting legend and India’s first-ever Olympic medalist in women’s boxing, Mary Kom named Global Indian Icon at UK-India Awards in Windsor, south-eastern England

• Akashvani launched Swar Prerna Veethika, a permanent photo gallery honouring legendary Indian musicians, at New Delhi on its 90th anniversary.
• Inaugurated by Padma Vibhushan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.
• The first phase features 20 icons, including six Bharat Ratna recipients: M.S. Subbulakshmi, Ravi Shankar, Lata Mangeshkar, Bismillah Khan, Bhimsen Joshi, and Bhupen Hazarika.
• The gallery celebrates Akashvani’s role in preserving Indian classical, folk, and devotional music ahead of radio broadcasting’s centenary in 2027.

India’s Divyanshi Bhowmick created history by winning the U-15 Girls’ Singles title at the 29th Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships in Tashkent, defeating China’s Zhu Qihi 4-2. Her victory also secured her a berth at the World Youth Championships, contributing to India’s overall medal tally of one gold, one silver, and two bronzes.

• National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) has recently been honored with two prestigious awards by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). 
• The awards recognize NMDC’s remarkable contribution to mineral development and its commendable employer brand.
• The awards were presented by Anurag Srivastava, IAS, Secretary of the Industry, Commerce, and Enterprise Department, Government of West Bengal, during the Indian Mining and Minerals Conclave 2023.
• As the largest producer of iron ore in India and the sixth largest in the world, NMDC plays a pivotal role in the country’s mineral development.
• NMDC, established in 1958, is a state-controlled mineral producer owned by the Government of India.

• On 30 June 2026, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the FCRA 2.0 Portal and e-OCI Card initiative in New Delhi.
• FCRA 2.0 enables online registration, renewal, Aadhaar-based authentication, real-time monitoring, and reduced paperwork for foreign contributions.
• e-OCI Card introduces fully digital services for over 50 lakh OCI cardholders; physical cards remain valid. Online passport update mandatory within three months.
• Hosted on MeghRaj cloud with integration to PAN, Aadhaar, and other systems.

Lando Norris secured his third Formula 1 win of the season by clinching the Austrian Grand Prix 2025 in Spielberg, finishing in 1:23:47.693. He beat teammate Oscar Piastri by 2.695 seconds, while Max Verstappen did not finish the race (DNF). Ferrari’s Leclerc and Hamilton placed third and fourth, respectively.

• 101-year-old man Rajinder Singh Dhatt was awarded the Points of Light award by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
• The award ceremony took place during the UK-India Week reception at 10 Downing Street.
• Rajinder Singh Dhatt was recognized for his outstanding service and unwavering commitment to uniting veterans of the British Indian War.
• He played an important role as the driving force behind the "Undivided Indian Ex-Servicemen Association".
• Rajinder Singh Dhatt served in the British Indian Army during World War II, which highlights his devotion to his country.

• The 29th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) 2026 will be held on 1-2 July 2026 at Rajasthan International Centre, Jaipur.
• Jointly organised by DARPG, MeitY, and Rajasthan Government with NASSCOM and MNIT Jaipur as knowledge partners.
• Focus areas: AI, Deep Tech, Quantum Computing, Voice-First Solutions, and Secure Digital Infrastructure through plenary and breakout sessions.
• Over 2,700 delegates, 1,000+ startups, and an exhibition of 40+ digital initiatives. National e-Governance Awards 2026 to be presented.

20-year-old Ayush Shetty made history by winning the US Open 2025—becoming the first Indian to claim a BWF World Tour title this season after defeating Canada’s Brian Yang 21-18, 21-13 in the final. His victory followed a sensational semifinal win against World No. 6 Chou Tien Chen. Tanvi Sharma also performed well, finishing runner-up in the women's category.

• 2001-batch IAS officer Lokhande Prashant Sitaram (AGMUT cadre) was appointed Additional Secretary in the Department of Home, Ministry of Home Affairs, on July 2, 2026. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the move, with DoPT issuing the order.
• He will continue holding additional charge as Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) until a regular appointment. An Additional Secretary is a senior position handling policy and coordination. This follows his recent full-time CBSE Chairperson role in June 2026.

• Michael Rosen, the author of more than 200 books for children and adults, has won the 2023 PEN Pinter prize for what judges called a “fearless” body of work that provides a “lesson in humanity.”
• Rosen will receive the prize during a ceremony at the British Library in October. Established in memory of English playwright Harold Pinter, the award honours a writer based in the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth who – in the words of Pinter’s 2005 Nobel Prize acceptance speech – shows a “fierce intellectual determination” to “define the real truth of our lives and our societies.”
• Rosen was the sixth British Children’s Laureate between 2007 and 2009 and is known for making poetry accessible to children through his work and performances. His themes are often social, political and ethical.
• In more than 140 books, he has endorsed a way of writing for children that reflects their everyday world, using humor and words to validate their imaginative ways of thinking.
• Rosen’s first book of children’s poems, Mind Your Own Business, came out in 1974. At present, he is a professor of children’s literature at Goldsmiths, University of London.

• The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 came into force on 1 July 2026 across rural India.
• It replaces MGNREGA, increasing guaranteed wage employment from 100 to 125 days per rural household annually.
• National average daily wage revised to ₹327.4 (interim floor ₹300). Funding pattern: 60:40 (Centre: State); 90:10 for NE & Himalayan states.
• Existing MGNREGA job cards remain valid during transition; new Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards to be issued.

In the inaugural women’s final of the Hockey India Masters Cup held in Chennai, Odisha triumphed over Punjab with a narrow 1–0 win. Haryana defeated Tamil Nadu 4–3 to claim third place in the women’s category. In the men’s bracket, Tamil Nadu is set to face Maharashtra in the final, while Chandigarh clinched third place with a 2–1 victory over Odisha.

• Mahesh Dixit was appointed as the new Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), succeeding Tapan Kumar Deka.
• OpenAI appointed Prabhjeet Singh, former Uber India President, as its Managing Director for India effective September 2026.
• Former Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has been appointed as the Part-Time Chairman of HDFC Bank for a three-year term.
• General Dhiraj Seth assumed charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff on June 30, 2026, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi.
• Air Marshal Tejinder Singh took charge as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) on 1 July 2026.
• RBI appointed Ravi Shankar as Executive Director effective July 1, 2026.
• The Government of India extended Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s tenure by one year, effective July 1, 2026.
• Air Marshal Jasvir Singh Mann assumed charge as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Air Command on July 1, 2026.
• Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar took charge as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Command on July 1, 2026, at Pune.
• Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit assumed charge as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, while Air Marshal Tejinder Singh took over as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff.

• Sporting legend and India’s first-ever Olympic medallist in women’s boxing, Mary Kom, has been honoured with the Global Indian Icon of the Year award at the annual U.K.-India Awards in Windsor, south-eastern England.
• The 40-year-old boxer received the award from Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami at a ceremony held here.
• The awards were selected from a shortlist by a jury of industry experts and marked the penultimate event of the six-day UK-India Week, which included a special reception hosted by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street during which he committed to working towards a “truly ambitious” free trade agreement (FTA) with India.
• These awards are given for outstanding contributions of people in trade, professional services, government, culture and social influence and their remarkable achievements in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. 

• On 30 June 2026, Delhi approved two heritage schemes for 75 monuments under the state archaeology department.
• Monument Adoption Scheme: Allows private entities, NGOs, and individuals (Monument Mitras) to adopt monuments for five years under PPP model for maintenance, cleanliness, and amenities.
• Grant-in-Aid Scheme: Provides up to ₹2 crore for conservation, restoration, and development works.
• Covers monuments protected under the Delhi Ancient and Historical Monuments Act, 2004 (outside ASI jurisdiction). Expected savings: ₹4.5 lakh per monument annually.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revised its Playing Conditions for shortened T20 matches, clearly specifying new powerplay overs based on innings duration. For instance, an 8-over game will now have 2.2 overs of powerplay, while a 5-over match will include 1.3 overs. The updated rules, effective from July 2025, aim to standardize fielding restrictions during truncated matches.

• Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit assumed charge as Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) on July 1, 2026, succeeding Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor.
• Commissioned in 1986, he is a qualified flying instructor, experimental test pilot with over 3,300 flying hours on 20+ aircraft types.
• Key appointments: Commanded Mirage-2000 Squadron, led fighter bases, and served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff.
• Simultaneously, Air Marshal Tejinder Singh took over as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC).

1. PM Modi conferred Egypt’s highest state honour
2. Sahitya Akademi announces winners of ‘Bal Sahitya Puraskar’ and ‘Yuva Puraskar’
3. India ranked 40th in 2023 Global Competitiveness Index
4. Dr. K.Venugopal in Pazhaveedu, Alappuzha bags IMA award
5. Singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan receives honorary doctorate in UK
6. Department of Health and Family Welfare of the Union Health Ministry (MOHFW) wins ‘Kreta Vikreta Gaurav Sammaan Samaaroh’ 2023
7. Priya A.S. received Sahitya Akademi Award 2023 for children’s literature
8. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced honorary Oscar awards to Angela Bassett and Mel Brooks 
9. Pt P. D. Baul awarded 1st Kala Kranti Lifetime Achievement Award
10. World Bank president Ajay Banga named in 2023 list of Great Immigrants

• Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda launched SSBSK for comprehensive care of children from birth to 36 months.
• Integrates Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) and Home-Based Care for Young Child (HBYC) with risk-stratified approach.
• At-risk children to get extra home visits, joint ANM-CHO assessments, and developmental screening via Well-Baby Sessions & Shishu Shivirs.
• Focuses on early childhood development, maternal mental health, and digital tracking through national health portals.

Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa clinched the UzChess Cup Masters title in Tashkent, pushing his live rating to 2778.3. With this win, he surpassed all Indian players to become the top-ranked Indian in chess and rose to World No. 4 in live FIDE ratings — the highest rank of his career.

• Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar, AVSM, VSM, took charge as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Southern Command on July 1, 2026, at Pune.
• He succeeds Lt Gen Sandeep Jain, who has been appointed Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
• An Armoured Corps officer commissioned in 1988, he is an alumnus of NDA.
• Notable commands: 2 Corps (Kharga), Infantry Division, Independent Armoured Brigade, and international assignments in Bhutan and Russia.

• Approval Granted: The NTCA gave in-principle approval on June 30, 2026, to resume tiger reintroduction in Odisha's Satkosia Tiger Reserve, which currently has zero tigers.
• Past Failure: A previous 2018 attempt failed due to poaching, low prey density, and human-wildlife conflict.
• Strict Conditions: Resumption requires meeting strict conditions, including village relocation, prey augmentation, and creating inviolate spaces.

• Air Marshal Jasvir Singh Mann, AVSM, VSM, assumed charge as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of Southern Air Command on July 1, 2026, at Thiruvananthapuram.
• He succeeds Air Marshal Manish Khanna, who retired on June 30, 2026.
• Commissioned in 1989, Mann has over 3,000 flying hours on aircraft including Rafale, Su-30, MiG-29, and Jaguar.
• Key roles: Commanded fighter squadron & base, Director General (Weapon Systems), Senior Air Staff Officer at Western Air Command.

• Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda launched Aarogya Setu 2.0 on 29 June 2026, transforming the former COVID app into a Personal Health Record platform under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
• Users can create ABHA IDs, manage health records, and access schemes via scan-and-share.
• Other launches: National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), Drug Registry, and Bharat Health Terminology Service.
• ABDM has generated over 90 crore ABHA accounts.

• The Government of India extended Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s tenure by one year, effective July 1, 2026.
• A 1989-batch IFS officer, Misri assumed charge on July 15, 2024, succeeding Vinay Mohan Kwatra.
• He has served in key roles in MEA, PMO, and diplomatic missions in Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America.
• Notable postings include Ambassador to China (2019-2021), Deputy NSA (Strategic Affairs), and Private Secretary to multiple Prime Ministers.
• The extension ensures continuity in foreign policy.

• Haryana and Rajasthan signed an MoU on 29 June 2026 in New Delhi to implement the 1994 Upper Yamuna River Board Agreement.
• The pact enables transfer of Rajasthan’s share of Yamuna water through a 295.5-km underground pipeline under the Yamuna Water Project (cost: ₹34,102 crore).
• Consensus was reached in a meeting chaired by Union Minister C.R. Patil.
• The agreement will ensure equitable water distribution among basin states.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) appointed Ravi Shankar as Executive Director effective July 1, 2026.
• He was promoted from Adviser-In-Charge of the Department of Statistics and Information Management (DSIM).
• With over 30 years of experience, Ravi Shankar is an expert in corporate & banking statistics, government securities, settlement systems, public debt management, economic surveys, and macroeconomic statistics.
• His elevation highlights RBI’s trust in his expertise in statistical analysis, data management, and central banking operations.

• Every year, 4 July is marked as the death anniversary of the youth icon of India, Swami Vivekananda.
• The foremost follower of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, is still regarded as one of India's greatest spiritual figures. 
• He was born on January 12, 1863, in Calcutta, and from an early age, he was very interested in religion and spirituality.
• He was a philosopher who introduced the concepts of "Yoga" and "Vedanta" to the west.
• He founded the Ramakrishna Mission at Belur Math by the river Ganga.

• Air Marshal Tejinder Singh assumed charge as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) on 1 July 2026.
• An alumnus of NDA, DSSC, and NDC, he was commissioned into the IAF fighter stream in 1987 with over 4,500 flying hours.
• Previously served as AOC-in-C, South Western Air Command and held key appointments including Deputy Chief of the Air Staff.
• Decorated with the Vayu Sena Medal (2007), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (2022), and Param Vishisht Seva Medal (2026). He paid homage at the National War Memorial.

• International Plastic Bag Free Day is celebrated on July 3 all over the world with an aim to encourage countries to ban single-use plastic.
• Single-use plastics are plastic products that are discarded after one-time usage and cannot be recycled. 
• India has imposed strict ban on single-use plastics starting July 1.
• Bangladesh become the first country in the world to implement a ban on thin plastic bags in 2002.

• General Dhiraj Seth assumed charge as 31st Chief of the Army Staff on 30 June 2026.
• He succeeded General Upendra Dwivedi, who retired the same day.
• Previously served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff from April 2026.
• Commissioned into Armoured Corps in 1986; first Armoured Corps officer to head Indian Army since 1997.
• Tenure till 31 August 2028.

• World Asteroid Day 2022 celebrated all over the world on 30 June
• National Statistics Day 2022 celebrated in India on 29th June
• International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: 26 June
• Obituaries
• Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Awardee and Hockey World Cup winner Varinder Singh dies at 75
• Automobile stalwart V. Krishnamurthy passed away at the age of 97
• Former Kerala Kalamandalam Vice President Chauvalur Krishnankutty passed away
• Pallonji Mistry, chairman of Shapoorji Pallonji group, passes away at 93
• National Doctor's Day 2022 celebrated in India on 01 July

1. UAE establishes new Ministry of Investment to Boost Economic Competitiveness
2. Iran becomes a permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
3. Startup20 Shikhar summit under India’s G20 presidency begins in Gurugram, Haryana
4. India Ranked 67th on Energy Transition Index, Sweden on Top: World Economic Forum
5. UAE India Economic Summit begins in Abu Dhabi's Al Maria Island
6. Global Peace Index 2022: Afghanistan remains the world’s least peaceful country
7. New Zealand becomes first country to ban thin plastic bans for fresh produce from supermarkets
8. Turkmenistan opens a $5 billion 'smart city'dedicated to its former president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, named 'Arkadag'
9. India passes Startup20 Shikhar Summit torch to Brazil, Saudi Arabia Becomes First Country to Extend Support towards $1 Trillion Milestone for global Startups

• HDFC Bank appointed former Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as Part-time Chairman for a 3-year term, subject to RBI approval.
• He was also appointed as Additional Director (Independent) for 4 years effective 30 June 2026, subject to shareholder approval.
• Kumar, a 1984-batch IAS officer, previously served as Secretary, Department of Financial Services (2017-2020) and led key banking reforms including PSU bank consolidation and capital infusion.
• He will replace interim chairman Keki Mistry after Atanu Chakraborty’s resignation in March 2026.

• National Doctors' Day is celebrated on 01 July every year in INDIA.
• National Doctors' Day is being celebrated in INDIA to appreciate and recognize the importance of the doctors’ roles in the society
• In India, National Doctors’ Day was first observed on 01 July 1991 in the honour of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, to pay tribute to his contributions in health domain.
• Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy (01 July 1882 - 01 July 1962) was a renowned physician, an educationist, a freedom fighter, a social worker and a politician.
• He also served West Bengal for 14 years as a chief minister (1948 – 1962). He was awarded with the highest Indian civilian award, THE BHARAT RATNA on 04 February 1961.
• The theme of National Doctor’s Day in India 2022 is ‘Family Doctors on the Front Line’.

• King Charles III has been presented with Scotland's crown jewels in Edinburgh in a ceremony to mark his Coronation.
• He received the crown and sceptre which form part of the Honours of Scotland.
• The national thanksgiving service at St Giles' Cathedral also featured a new sword named after the late Queen Elizabeth.
• The service echoed an event held in 1953 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne.
• The Scottish Crown Jewels, also known as the Honours of Scotland, consist of a crown, sword of state, and sceptre, which are integral symbols of the monarch’s authority in Scotland.

• South Asia Regional Anti-Doping Organization (SARADO) and India's National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an aim to strengthen regional cooperation in anti-doping efforts. 
• The MoU was signed by Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Information & Broadcasting, Government of India in the presence of other distinguished representatives at the NADA India-SARADO collaboration meeting in New Delhi. 
• SARADO comprises the anti-doping organizations of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

• During the closing ceremony of Startup20 Gurugram Summit, Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Chair of Startup20, officially handed over the torch to Brazil, as the country has G20 presidency for the next year and has committed to continue the Startup20 initiative in 2024.
• Underlining the importance of Startup20, Saudi Arabia's Prince Fahd bin Mansour announced an ambitious allocation of $1 trillion per year to the startup ecosystem by 2030.
• Saudi Arabia became the first country to provide support for global startups to reach $1 trillion.
• This initiative of Saudi Arabia will be helpful in strengthening startups for global welfare.
• The Startup20 Gurugram Shikhar Summit serves as a critical platform for startup ecosystem, ecosystem builders, industry experts, Government, policymakers, and thought leaders to collaborate and shape the trajectory of startups on a global scale.

• Almost 15 years after its request to join the alliance, Iran formally became a full member of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
• Iran has joined the SCO as the ninth member.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the SCO Summit virtually and conveyed his best wishes to President Ebrahim Raisi.
• PM Modi highlighted the growing interest of other countries in joining the SCO, emphasizing the organization’s importance. 
• The interest shown by nations to become part of the SCO demonstrates the organization’s relevance and influence on regional and global affairs.
• The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. 
• India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced the establishment of a new Ministry of Investment aimed at developing the investment vision of the country and enhancing its competitiveness in the global market.
• Under the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE Cabinet approved the establishment of the Ministry of Investment and appointed Mohamed Hassan Al Suwaidi as the minister.
• The establishment of the Ministry of Investment reflects the UAE's commitment to attracting investments in various sectors and leveraging its world-class infrastructure as a global platform. 
• The ministry will work in coordination with relevant authorities to support the country's business objectives and investment policies.
• These cabinet policies and approvals are updates to the UAE’s National Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to decrease the country’s reliance on traditional oil and gas and shift to renewable and clean energy in the near future.

• The World Economic Forum (WEF) published a report titled 'Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2023' which ranked 120 countries on the basis of energy transition.
• In this ranking, WEF has placed India at 67th position (a jump of 20 places) globally in the Energy Transition Index (ETI). Because in the year 2021, India was at 87th position among 115 countries.
• India and Singapore (70th) are the only major economies showing transition momentum by advancing sustainability, energy security and equity in a balanced way, according to the report titled ‘Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2023’.
• According to WEF, India is the only major economy where the pace of energy transition is accelerating in all dimensions.
• Sweden topped the list and was followed by Denmark, Norway, Finland and Switzerland in the top five on the list of 120 countries.
• The Paris Agreement, signed 2015 to beat climate change, aims  to keep the global temperature rise this century below 2 degrees Celsius, and to further limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

• The Startup20 Shikhar summit under India’s G20 presidency began in Gurugram, Haryana.
• The Startup20 Engagement Group is hosting the two day Startup20 Shikhar summit.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the startup movement in 2016.
• During the summit, startup 20 communique was released, which urged G20 leaders to raise the joint investment in the global startup ecosystem to one trillion US dollar by 2030.
• Six hundred stakeholders from different countries are participating in the summit. 
• Two hundred international delegates from Sixteen G20 nations and Six invitees nation are participating in the summit. 
• The Startup20 Engagement Group operates under the India G20 Presidency, aiming to shape the future of the global startup ecosystem.

• Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced the setting up of Dr Rajendra Prasad Memorial Award in public administration for academic excellence, in memory of the first President of India.
• Dr. Singh chaired meeting of Executive Council of Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) in New Delhi.
• The institute has to have a futuristic vision for the next 25 years to attain the goals set by Prime Minister NarendraModi. IIPA has the capacity and it needs to continue performing by having an enlarged pool of experts and a wide spectrum of activities.

• The UAE-India Economic Summit took place on July 3, 2023, at the ADGM Auditorium in Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi. 
• The theme of this summit was "Fostering Synergies – Uniting the Falcon and Tiger Economies."
• The event, jointly hosted by SBI Capital Markets Limited (SBICAPS) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), brought together industry leaders from India and the UAE, and marked the official opening of SBICAPS ADGM Branch Office.
• The summit featured engaging panel discussions on topics such as startups, sustainability, green energy, capital markets, and stressed asset resolution. Prominent figures in attendance included Shri. Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman of State Bank of India, Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador to UAE, Hamad Sayah Al Mazrouei, CEO of ADGM Registration Authority, along with senior representatives from ADGM and SBICAPS.
• The UAE-India Economic Summit has not only strengthened trade ties but has also paved the way for increased investments, promoting growth and prosperity for both nations. 
• The event served as a platform to explore further avenues of collaboration and leverage the immense potential of bilateral cooperation between the UAE and India.

• Michelle Poonawalla has received the Shiromani Award at NRI World Summit 2022 in the United Kingdom for her contribution to the field of art.
• In addition to Poonawalla, the Shiromani Award was also awarded to Shri Sadhu Bhramvihari, Lord Rami Ranger, and Rita Hinduja Chhabria.
• Michelle Poonawalla was a key note speaker at the House of Lords and accepted the Shiromani Award for her contribution to the field of Art. 
• Poonawalla unveiled her artwork ‘Reserve’ at the JMS Foundation Charity Gala on 23 June. 
• Her film ‘Reserve’ highlighted water scarcity as a global crisis and accentuated pollution and contamination of water reserves.

• Afghanistan is the least peaceful country in the world for the fifth consecutive year, according to the 'Global Peace Index 2022' report released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). 
• Taliban reacted to the findings and called it ‘unjust’.
• Yemen, Syria, Russia, and South Sudan are followed by Afghanistan in the Global Peace Index 2022 report.
• It also stated that Afghanistan recorded the largest reduction in deaths from armed conflicts last year with the number of conflict deaths from almost 43,000 has fallen to just more than 4,000.
• The Index said that terrorist incidents in Afghanistan reduced by 75 per cent in 2022 and deaths from terrorism reduced by 58 per cent.

• Ukrainian mathematician, Maryna Viazovska, has become only the second woman to receive the prestigious Fields Medal.
• Often regarded as the Nobel Prize for mathematics, she won for her work on a 400-year-old puzzle about sphere packing.
• The other Fields medal winners were France's Hugo Duminil-Copin of the University of Geneva, Britain's James Maynard of Oxford University, and June Huh of Princeton in the United States.
• The medal is awarded every four years to outstanding mathematicians under the age of 40.
• The only previous female recipient of the Fields medal in its 86 year history was Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, in 2014.

• New Zealand has become the first country to ban the thin plastic bags that supermarket customers use to collect their fruit and vegetables.
• The new ban will also extend to plastic straws and silverware.
• The government is expanding a campaign against single-use plastics that it started in 2019, when it banned the thicker plastic shopping bags that customers used to carry home their grocery items.
• Lightweight plastic bags are banned in every state and territory across Australia, with some jurisdictions also banning or on track to ban plastic straws, cutlery and food and drink containers.

• The UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Indian Traditional Sciences (ITSappg) conferred the Ayurveda Ratna award on Tanuja Nesari, Director of All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), for her exceptional service of the highest order for the promotion of Ayurveda.
• The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Indian Traditional Sciences was formed in 2014 with an aim to spread the knowledge of Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotish, Vastu, Unani and Sangeetam in United Kingdom and abroad.
• The European Parliament every year celebrates the International Day of Yoga on June 21.

• Turkmenistan opened a new, futuristic "smart" city dedicated to its former president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov.
• The city is named Arkadag, or protector.
• The city designed for 70,000 is named Arkadag (Protector), a title used by former president Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who led the country for 15 years before being succeeded last year by his son Serdar.
• The first phase of Arkadag cost an estimated $3.3 billion.
• All buildings in Arkadag are white and all apartment blocks are seven storeys high.
• Only electric vehicles are allowed in the city.

• Karnataka’s Sini Sadanand Shetty has been crowned as the ‘Femina Miss India World 2022’ at the JIO World Convention Center in Mumbai.
• She will now represent India at the prestigious 71st Miss World pageant.
• Rajasthan's Rubal Shekhawat emerged as Femina Miss India 2022 first runner-up and Shinata Chauhan from Uttar Pradesh was named Femina Miss India 2022 second runner-up.
• Sini Shetty is pursuing a professional course called CFA. She is also a trained Bharatanatyam Dancer.
• Sini Shetty Miss India has also added another glory gem to the state of Karnataka, as prior to her many beauties from the state including Sarah Jane Dias, Lara Dutta, Sandhya Chib, Rekha Hande, Nafisa Joseph, and Lymaraina D’Souza have marked milestones for Karnataka.

1. ADB provides 400 million USD for SE Bangladesh rail project
2. New York Declares Diwali as School Holiday
3. India has become second largest Road Network by beating China
4. IIT Bombay ranked 1st in India and 149th in world in QS World University Rankings
5. India dropped from UNSG report on impact of armed conflict on children after 12 years
6. Canada Unfolds New Digital Nomad Strategy to Attract Foreign Workers
7. New Zealand becomes first country to ban thin plastic bans for fresh produce from supermarkets
8. Turkmenistan opens a $5 billion 'smart city'dedicated to its former president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, named 'Arkadag'

• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla along with Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari gave away National Highways Excellence Awards-2021 to the stakeholders and companies engaged in the highway construction and maintenance of road assets in New Delhi.
• These Excellence Awards were constituted in 2018 with an aim to incentivize stakeholders in the highway construction and maintenance process and to create a spirit of healthy competitiveness amongst them.
• National Highways Excellence Awards-2021 were given away in nine categories, including Excellence in Project Management, Excellence in Highway Safety, Excellence in Toll Management, Excellence in Operation and Maintenance, Innovation, Green Highways, Outstanding Work in Challenging Condition, Bridge Construction and Tunnel Construction.

• Canada launched the "Digital Nomad Strategy" to address its skilled labour shortage, particularly in the tech industry.
• The strategy aims to attract talented individuals from around the world.
• The shortage of skilled workers, particularly in the tech industry, has prompted Canada to take proactive measures.
• The strategy focuses primarily on the technology industry, recognizing its importance in driving innovation and economic growth.
• Under New Digital Nomad Strategy Foreign workers are allowed to stay in Canada for up to six months under the Digital Nomad Strategy.
• If digital nomads receive job offers during their stay, they have the option of extending their time in the country.

• Ashok Soota, founder and Executive Chairman of Happiest Minds Technologies, has been conferred with CII Quality Ratna Award 2021.
• The annual CII Quality Ratna Award, instituted in the year 2019, is given in recognition of outstanding leadership, contribution and distinguished service to the quality movement in India.
• The CII Awards Committee unanimously concurred to bestow the 2021 Award to Mr. Soota considering his significant contribution to building the competitiveness of the Indian industry through quality Initiatives.

• Three Indian Air Force Rafale fighter jets, as part of a military contingent, are poised to participate in the Bastille Day flypast over the Champs Elysees, Paris, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the guest of honour.
• The French traditional military parade is held in Paris during Bastille Day on July 14. PM Modi's visit will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the "strategic partnership" between France and India.
• India procured 36 Rafale jets from France under an inter-governmental framework.
• The Rafale jets are India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 year after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia.

• SM Krishna, Narayana Murthy, Prakash Padukone selected for Kempegowda Award
• IG Drones awarded "Best Drone Organization - Start-up Category" by Airwards
• Indian tennis great Vijay Amritraj honored with 2021 Golden Achievement Award
• Odisha's 'Mo Bus' service wins prestigious United Nations Public Service Award

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has removed India from his annual report on the impact of armed conflict on children, citing measures taken by the Indian government to better protect them.
• India had been included in the report since 2010, alongside other countries, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Lake Chad Basin, Nigeria, Pakistan and the Philippines.
• Initially, India was included on the list due to allegations of the recruitment of young boys by armed groups in Jammu and Kashmir and the detainment of boys by the security forces on grounds of association with armed groups.
• In 2022, the United Nations verified 27,180 grave violations, with 24,300 committed in 2022 and 2,880 committed earlier but verified during that year.
• The report identified killing, maiming, recruitment and use, abduction, and detention of children as the most prevalent violations.

• Ajay Banga, the President of the World Bank, has been recognised on the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s annual “Great Immigrants” list. 
• He is lauded for his contributions and efforts in enriching America and its democracy. 
• The Foundation has been preparing an annual list of eminent immigrant Americans since 2006 to mark immigrants' contributions to the country and their support to strengthening democracy.
• With over 30 years of experience in key positions, 63-year-old Banga is expected to usher in transformative policies at the World Bank to combat poverty and address climate change, opening opportunities for people around the globe.
• This year, the corporation honours 35 individuals from 33 countries and a wide range of backgrounds. Among the honourees are individuals who have fostered opportunities for others through their work as educators, mentors, philanthropists, job creators, public servants, storytellers, and advocates.
• Mr. Banga started his career in India, spending 13 years at Nestle India and two at PepsiCo. In 1996, he joined Citigroup, eventually leading the Asia-Pacific region as CEO.