Monthly Current Affairs: July 2026 – UKPSC Upper PCS Notes

July 2026 at a Glance

July 2026 at a Glance Key dates, locator map, headline numbers and mind maps

Key dates of the month 29 Jun

BRO’s Project BRAHMANK Raising Day at Ranaghat, Arunachal Pradesh

Jul

ICC Hall of Fame 2026 inducts Ganguly, Anjum Chopra, Pietersen (Edinburgh)

1 Jul

Gujarat Police’s 28-day “Operation Surakshit Cyberspace” begins (to 28 Jul)

18 Jul

1 Jul

Ravi Agrawal’s six-month CBDT tenure begins (to 31 Dec 2026)

Jul

Mirabai Chanu wins CWG gold in Glasgow; PV Sindhu wins Japan Open

5 Jul

First batch of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra flagged off by CM Dhami

Jul

Anahat Singh: first Indian World Junior squash champion; AVC Volleyball Cup bronze

Jul

Uttarakhand recognised as India’s sixth fully literate state (Governor’s approval)

Jul

6th Lok Samvardhan Parv, Dehradun (five days); 16th CCHFW: Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan

Jul

16th India–Japan Annual Summit; PM Modi in Jakarta receives Bintang Adipurna

Jul

Sinner retains Wimbledon title; Spain win the FIFA World Cup (1–0 v Argentina)

72nd National Film Awards (for 2024) announced

India’s first dengue vaccine (Qdenga) approved by CDSCO

Jul

29 Jul

International Tiger Day 2026

UN SDG Index and EPI 2026 released: India 94th and 176th

Aug

Ahead: Gems of India Challenge window 1–31 Aug; Lokmanya Tilak Award to Ajit Doval in Pune

Jul

Headline numbers

4.5 million

2,026

94th / 167

Char Dham pilgrims in two months (highest ever)

Wild elephants in Uttarakhand (2020 census)

India in UN SDG Index 2026

176th / 177

₹60,000 cr

Indian unicorns (4th globally)

Government commitment to NIIF after top-up

Agreements at India–Japan Summit

6th Fully literate state: Uttarakhand

India in Environmental Performance Index

Uttarakhand locator map Where did it happen? (July 2026 news) Dehradun: Lok Samvardhan Parv, animal-cruelty committee, 5th Science City

Haridwar: Kumbh Mela 2027 preparations; elephant radio-collaring

Haldwani: first dedicated GI Products Gallery (Forest Training Academy)

Kashipur (Udham Singh Nagar): frozen French fries for Iraq

Kedarnath region: Kedar Khand temple circuit; Char Dham Yatra record

Rajaji–Corbett corridor: main elephant landscape (Terai and Shivalik)

Schematic map – boundaries and positions approximate, not to scale

Mind map: Uttarakhand in July 2026

6th fully literate state ULLAS: adult literacy Literacy above 98%

Heritage and Products

UTTARAKHAND Jul 2026

GI Products Gallery, Haldwani 30+ GI products 18 GI tags in one day (Dec 2023)

Social Milestone

Exports and Culture

Spiritual capital vision Kumbh Mela 2027 Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

Science and Innovation 5th Science City: Dehradun First STI Policy Labs on Wheels, STEM labs

Wildlife and Welfare Radio-collaring elephants Animal cruelty measures

First frozen French fries to Iraq 6th Lok Samvardhan Parv

Spiritual Tourism

Uttarakhand: Society, Culture and Economy

Mind map: National and international Persons and Awards

Governance and Appointments

72nd National Film Awards Ajit Doval: Tilak Award Akashvani 90 years

NCM: Harjit Singh Grewal NITI CEO: Anurag Jain Nilekani NTA task force

Sports

Economy and Technology NIIF top-up ₹30,000 crore CG Semi OSAT, Sanand GAGAN jet landing

Sinner at Wimbledon Spain: FIFA World Cup Mirabai Chanu: CWG gold Sindhu: Japan Open

NATIONAL Jul 2026

Reports and Indices

Health and Environment

SDG Index: 94th EPI: 176th Hurun: 4th Gujarat tops IFI

Qdenga dengue vaccine Anemia Mukt Bharat 7x7x7 Omega Block heatwave

International India–Japan 16th Summit Indonesia’s highest honour France under-15 social media ban

Defence and Frontier

Samudra Pradakshina Project BRAHMANK Mongla Port: China role

Uttarakhand: Society, Culture and Economy

Full literacy, Lok Samvardhan Parv, GI gallery, exports and animal welfare

6th Recognition

98%+

June 2026

July 2026

Literacy rate crossed

State Cabinet approval

Governor’s approval

Fully literate state in India

Uttarakhand: India’s sixth fully literate state

• Recognised as the sixth fully literate state after meeting adult literacy benchmarks under NEP 2020 and the ULLAS – New India Literacy Programme.

• Earlier fully literate states: Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

• Standards laid down by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Union Ministry of Education.

• Proposal approved by Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Gurmit Singh in July 2026, after State Cabinet approval in June 2026.

EXAM POINTER

ULLAS and the vision

• ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) is the New India Literacy Programme: adult literacy, lifelong learning, digital and financial literacy, life skills and continuing education.

• CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said the achievement strengthens Uttarakhand’s contribution to Viksit Bharat 2047.

Order of full-literacy recognition to remember: Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand (Uttarakhand is the sixth).

6th Lok Samvardhan Parv, Dehradun Firsts and aims

• A five-day festival of India’s artisanal heritage inaugurated in Dehradun by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju with CM Dhami and Minority Welfare Minister Khajan Dass.

• Organised by the Ministry of Minority Affairs with the Uttarakhand Minorities Welfare and Waqf Development Corporation.

• Nearly 90 women artisans take part (Nari Shakti); showcases handicrafts, handloom, cuisines and culture.

• First Lok Samvardhan Parv held in partnership with a State Government under the PM VIKAS Scheme.

• Uttarakhand is the first state to collaborate with the Ministry of Minority Affairs for this flagship event.

• Aim: market access, business development and livelihood support for artisans, weavers, craftspersons and entrepreneurs.

Event

First dedicated GI Products Gallery, Haldwani

30+

GI-tagged products of Uttarakhand

GI tags in a single day, Dec 2023 (record)

FTA Haldwani

Forest Training Academy gallery

Products displayed

Agricultural

Tejpatta (Indian bay leaf), Munsiyari White Rajma, Kumaon Kachyura Oil, Almora Lakhori Chilli, Berinag Tea, Uttarakhand Kala Bhat, Ramnagar Litchi, Ramgarh Peach, Bedu (Himalayan Fig)

Traditional crafts

Kumaoni Aipan Art, Chamoli’s Ramman Masks, Tamta Copperware, Ringal Bamboo Craft

Special products

Nainital Candles; Buransh Squash (made from rhododendron flowers)

Category

Purpose

Static: GI tag

• Inaugurated by the state government to showcase GI-tagged products and promote cultural and agricultural heritage.

• Familiarises trainees, government officials and visitors with the state’s GI products.

• Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999; registration administered by DPIIT (Ministry of Commerce and Industry).

• A registered GI is protected for 10 years and can be renewed.

First export of frozen French fries to Iraq Farmers

Facts

Processing

Container

APEDA

Iraq

Flash-freezing at a Kashipur facility

One 40-foot reefer: 24 tonnes

Facilitated the first-ever export

New destination for value-added Indian exports

400+ small and marginal farmers, Udham Singh Nagar plains

Impact

• APEDA facilitated the first-ever export of 24 metric tonnes of ready-to-fry frozen French fries from Uttarakhand to Iraq.

• Supports India’s Agriculture Export Policy (AEP): moving from raw commodities to value-added processed food exports.

• Links local farmers to international markets and improves price discovery; reduces dependence on middlemen.

• Processing potatoes into frozen goods cuts post-harvest loss.

• Iraq has traditionally been a market for Indian Basmati rice and buffalo meat.

Uttarakhand: Faith, Science and Wildlife

Dehradun: stronger measures against animal cruelty Welfare facilities

• Meeting at Rishiparna Auditorium, Dehradun, chaired by District Magistrate Savin Bansal.

• Dog breeders and pet shops must be registered; illegally operating pet shops to be closed immediately.

• A committee headed by the SDM (with the Chief Veterinary Officer, Municipal Corporation and Food Safety Officer) will survey unregistered dairies and illegal meat shops and report within 15 days.

• Two vehicles approved to transport and treat injured and sick animals, with staff.

• Two more cow shelters in rural areas to be made operational by the following month.

• Educational institutions and public forums to run awareness programmes on compassion towards animals.

Uttarakhand: Faith, Science and Wildlife Devbhoomi vision, Kumbh 2027, Science City and elephant tracking

Decisions of the District Committee

Devbhoomi as the spiritual capital of the world

5 July 2026

Kumbh 2027

Char Dham pilgrims in two months (highest ever)

First batch of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra flagged off

Haridwar mega gathering being prepared

4.5 million

Vision

Projects named

• CM Pushkar Singh Dhami announced the aim of making Devbhoomi Uttarakhand the spiritual capital of the world by promoting its spiritual and cultural heritage.

• He linked it to the “cultural renaissance” under PM Modi, inspired by Sanatan Dharma and “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”.

• Aim: strengthen religious tourism, preserve the legacy and promote sustainable pilgrimage development.

• Kedar Khand–Manas Khand Temple Circuit Mission

• Haridwar–Rishikesh Corridor

• Sharda Corridor

• Conservation and beautification of ancient temples.

• Preparations for a grand and safe Kumbh Mela 2027 under the theme “Development as well as Heritage”.

India’s 5th Science City in Dehradun Announcement

• CM Dhami said India’s 5th Science City, being built in Dehradun, is progressing rapidly to promote scientific temper, innovation and research.

• Said at the conference “Mainstreaming Science, Technology and Innovation for a Prosperous Uttarakhand”, organised by the Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST).

• Uttarakhand has implemented its first Science, Technology and Innovation Policy to turn youth from job seekers into job creators.

Infrastructure and vision

• Expanding Science and Innovation Centres, Labs on Wheels, STEM Labs, GIS-based dashboards, digital libraries and Patent Information Centres.

• Promoting AI, robotics, drones and semiconductors in healthcare, education, agriculture, tourism and disaster management.

• Vision: ‘Land of Science and Innovation’ alongside ‘Devbhoomi’, ‘Veerbhoomi’ and ‘Khelbhoomi’.

• National links cited: Digital India, National Quantum Mission, Semiconductor Mission.

National: Governance, Policy and Appointments

Radio-collaring of elephants before Kumbh 2027 Wild elephants in Uttarakhand

1,839 (2017)

2,026 (2020)

before

now

Elephant numbers

• The Forest Department will fit radio collars on herd-leading elephants ahead of the 2027 Haridwar Kumbh Mela to monitor movement and reduce human-elephant conflict.

• Partner: the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), whose researchers identify herd leaders through herd size, routes, timings and settlements visited.

• The collared elephant acts as a proxy for the whole herd; real-time alerts let rapid-response teams guide elephants back and warn communities.

• A proposal for permission was sent to the MoEFCC.

• 2020 Uttarakhand Elephant Census: 2,026 wild elephants, up from 1,839 in 2017 (about 10% rise).

• Most are in the Terai and Shivalik landscapes, including the Rajaji–Corbett corridor around Haridwar.

• Link: World Elephant Day notes (12 August) in the August 2026 booklet.

The plan

National: Governance, Policy and Appointments

Key appointments of the month

Posts, task forces, welfare schemes and digital governance

Person

Chairman, CBDT

Ravi Agrawal (reappointed)

Six-month extension, 1 Jul to 31 Dec 2026 (or until further orders); 1988-batch IRS; was due to retire on 30 Jun 2026

Chairman, National Commission for Minorities

Harjit Singh Grewal

Post vacant since April 2025; three-year tenure; Vice-Chair S. Munawari Begum; member Glenn E. Souza Ticlo

Union Minister of Education

CBDT (static)

Anurag Jain

1989-batch IAS (Madhya Pradesh cadre); two years or until further orders; appointed by the ACC

Pralhad Joshi

Took charge amid restructuring after the NEET-UG controversy

CEO, NITI Aayog

Key facts

Post

• Statutory body constituted under the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963; functions under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.

• Headed by a Chairman and six Members.

• Agrawal: appointed June 2024 for a year, extended June 2025, now a six-month extension.

NCM (static)

• Appointments under Sections 3 and 4 of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.

• Protects six notified communities: Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains.

• Composition: Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and five Members; currently four active members.

• Mandate: evaluate minority development, probe complaints of rights deprivation, research socio-economic disparities.

NITI Aayog (static)

• Established 1 January 2015; neither constitutional nor statutory; promotes competitive and cooperative federalism; Chairperson: Prime Minister; Vice-Chairperson appointed by the Prime Minister.

Nandan Nilekani-led task force on exam reforms Members and safeguards

• PM Modi constituted a high-powered multi-disciplinary task force led by Nandan Nilekani (Infosys co-founder; architect of Aadhaar and DPI) to overhaul the National Testing Agency (NTA), after the backlash over the NEET-UG controversy.

• Task: recommend structural, technological and data-security reforms to make NTA exams leak-proof and transparent.

• Roadmap to move major national entrance tests from pen-and-paper to secure Computer-Based Testing (CBT).

• Members: S. Somanath (former ISRO Chairman), Tapan Deka (former IB Director), V. Kamakoti (IIT Madras Director), Anita Karwal (former education secretary), Amrit Lal Meena (logistics expert).

• Safeguards to be examined: AI surveillance, cybersecurity protocols and secure logistics networks.

Mandate

₹2,500

17 lakh+

Monthly aid to eligible women

Women expected to benefit

Delhi: Lakshmi Yojana and Mission Kayakalp

21–60 yrs

₹2.5 lakh

Eligible age

Family income limit (annual)

How the money is paid

Eligibility and exclusions

• Option 1: the full ₹2,500 into a Recurring Deposit (RD) or Fixed Deposit (FD).

• Option 2: ₹1,500 into an RD/FD and ₹1,000 into a CBDC (digital rupee) wallet.

• CBDC wallet funds are locked: cannot be used for liquor, tobacco or online gaming.

• Approved by the Delhi Cabinet.

• Women aged 21–60; family annual income up to ₹2.5 lakh; 10 years’ continuous residence in Delhi and a registered Delhi voter.

• One woman per family (priority to the eldest).

• Excluded: income tax payees, GST return filers, regular or contractual government employees, families with a four-wheeler or electricity use above 2,400 units a year, and women with more than three living children.

Delhi Government: Mission Kayakalp (schools)

• Upgrades government school infrastructure: repairs, sanitation and drainage, RO plants and water coolers, modern science labs and libraries, facilities for children with special needs, greenery.

• Supported by district administrations, the Education Department, CSR, social organisations, market associations and local communities; works completed or under way in North, South, West, North-East and Outer North districts.

Technology in governance

UP: Digi Rover (GNSS) land survey campaign

Gujarat: Operation Surakshit Cyberspace

• CM Yogi Adityanath launched it from Saharanpur; runs till 15 August 2026 in all tehsils.

• Uses Digi Rover based on GNSS for accurate surveys, ending land disputes and encroachments, and time-bound clearance of pending measurement cases.

• Divisional Commissioners and District Magistrates to implement in mission mode.

• 28-day statewide campaign, 1 to 28 July 2026, for online safety of women and children.

• Tackles cyberstalking, financial fraud, identity theft and online exploitation; police commit to preliminary action within 24 hours of every cyber complaint involving women and children; reporting via the National Cyber Helpline.

National: Economy, Infrastructure and Technology

AI Rural Internal Audit Portal

BHASHINI Rajyam; Gems of India

• Launched by Shivraj Singh Chouhan at the Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Sammelan, New Delhi; India’s first unified digital platform for end-to-end internal audits (risk-based and compliance).

• Conceived by the Chief Controller of Accounts, Ministry of Rural Development; developed with NIC.

• Pilot in Chandauli (UP) from 1 April 2025; all core modules operational from October 2025.

• BHASHINI (National Language Translation Mission) launched ‘BHASHINI Rajyam’ in Goa, focused on Konkani; Bhasadaan crowdsources speech and text data.

• I&B Ministry’s ‘Gems of India’ Challenge (pilot) on MyWAVES: 1–3 minute videos, submissions 1–31 August 2026; pilot covers A&N Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, DNH and DD, Goa and Ladakh; prizes up to ₹5 lakh nationally.

ICMR-MINDS: Gold at National Awards for e-Governance 2026

National: Economy, Infrastructure and Technology Funds, semiconductors, aviation firsts, new materials and startups

• Won Gold in the category for AI and new-age technologies for citizen-centric services; presented by Jitendra Singh at the 29th National Conference on e-Governance, Jaipur; awards organised by DARPG.

• Uses an AI-enabled Clinical Decision Support System for frontline providers to deliver standardised mental healthcare; implemented across seven states.

• Static: ICMR, HQ New Delhi, under the Health Ministry; founded 1911 as the Indian Research Fund Association; renamed 1949.

Cabinet approves ₹30,000 crore more for NIIF

₹30,000 cr (added) before

Facts

Government commitment to NIIF

• Additional commitment to new and upcoming NIIF funds; NIIF Infrastructure Fund II to invest in transportation, energy, digital, urban infrastructure and e-mobility.

• Aim: accelerate infrastructure, catalyse institutional capital.

₹60,000 cr (total) now

NIIF (static)

• Set up in February 2015 as a sovereign wealth fund (announced in Budget 2015–16).

• Governing Council chaired by the Union Finance Minister.

• Government holds 49% equity; the rest from domestic and global institutional investors.

Semiconductors: CG Semi OSAT facility, Sanand

20 crore

500 crore

₹76,000 cr

2021

Units a year (current capacity)

Units a year (target)

Semicon India Programme outlay

Programme launched

Facility

Semicon India Programme

• Inaugurated by PM Modi at Sanand, Gujarat: Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT), i.e. chip assembly, packaging and testing; commercial packaging has begun.

• Built through a partnership of Indian, Japanese and Thai companies.

• Aims: self-reliance, domestic value chain, less import dependence.

• Launched in 2021 with an outlay of ₹76,000 crore; under MeitY; implemented through the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).

• Link: South India’s first chip packaging unit (Visakhapatnam) in the August 2026 notes.

Aviation firsts: GAGAN landing, PinS approach and eVTOL IndiGo A320

GAGAN

Udaipur Airport

DGCA

Satellite-guided approach

SBAS by ISRO and AAI

First SLS landing of a jet

Conducted the approach

First PinS approach for helicopters

• India’s first Satellite-Based Landing System (SLS) approach on a jet: an IndiGo Airbus A320 landing at Udaipur Airport, conducted by the DGCA.

• GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation): a Space-Based Augmentation System built by ISRO and AAI; certified by DGCA in 2015.

• Static: DGCA is an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, HQ New Delhi, working with ICAO.

• India’s first Private Point-in-Space (PinS) instrument approach procedure, at Undavalli Heliport; developed by AAI, approved by DGCA as per ICAO standards.

• A satellite-based procedure (Performance-Based Navigation) letting helicopters land precisely at heliports without conventional instrument landing infrastructure.

GAGAN: first satellite-guided jet landing

India’s first eVTOL air taxi prototype

New materials, space and energy

HEX20 (Technopark, Kerala)

Himadri: first commercial CNT unit

• Unveiled by The ePlane Company (IIT Madras-incubated); commercial operations planned by 2028: air ambulance first, then airport transfers and urban transport.

• eVTOL: battery-powered aircraft that takes off and lands vertically, then flies forward like an aeroplane; no runway; lower noise and maintenance cost than helicopters; part of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).

• Challenges: airworthiness certification, vertiport infrastructure, better batteries and regulatory frameworks (pilot licensing, maintenance, air traffic management).

• Himadri Speciality Chemical Ltd. (Kolkata) plans a 200 MTPA CNT facility in West Bengal; capex ₹70 crore; commissioning in Q4 FY27 (January–March 2027).

• Also a ₹170 crore expansion to convert 6,000 MTPA into Super Speciality Carbon Black for EV batteries.

• India meets 100% of its high-purity CNT demand through imports; CNTs help extend battery life.

• Space-tech startup lining up six satellite missions in 12 months (MAYA-V1, DINK-N1 and others) after launching its second satellite KOYO on a SpaceX Falcon 9 (Transporter-17).

• Developing an Asteroid Impactor Probe for the Emirates Asteroid Mission (asteroid Justitia); aligned with the Indian Space Policy 2023.

First geothermal wells: Puga Valley, Ladakh

• Twin wells (GT#02, GT#03) commissioned at over 14,000 feet, depth target 1,000 m; executed by the ONGC Energy Centre with the Ladakh Administration and LAHDC-Leh; to set up India’s first 1 MW pilot geothermal plant.

• Reservoir tests: 135°C at 400 m; deeper sections expected above 200°C. Geothermal gives 24x7 baseload clean power; supports a Carbon-Neutral Ladakh and net-zero by 2070.

Health, Science and Environment

Trade, tourism, rural enterprise and education NABARD ‘Gramodyam’

• Held in July 2026 as part of Seafood Expo Bharat 2026; regional rounds at Mumbai (West Coast) and Vijayawada (East Coast); top 10 reach the finale; first prize ₹1 lakh.

• India’s record seafood exports: USD 8.45 billion in FY 2025–26; target to raise value-added share from about 10% to 25% by 2030.

• Rural entrepreneurship programme launched by NABARD Chairman Dr. Shaji K. V.; target about 4,000 rural enterprises in three years (pilot).

• With NSDC (MSDE) and the Institute for Industrial Development; digital-first hybrid model; help with bankable DPRs, RRB links and e-KYC through NSDC; tracks GST and UDYAM registrations.

Tourism MoUs

Education and AI skilling

• Google India: digital promotion, AI, data insights and capacity building; non-commercial, non-binding, non-exclusive, no financial implications.

• Air India: joint promotion using its global network; ‘Chalo India’ diaspora campaign, ‘Incredible India’ content, FAM trips; niche segments: spiritual, wellness and Ayurveda, eco-tourism, MICE, cruise.

• VELS Thiruvanmiyur Campus (VISTAS, Chennai), inaugurated by Sridhar Vembu: described as India’s first AI-integrated vertical university campus.

• UNNATI AI 2.0 (Microsoft India and FITT, IIT Delhi): CSR initiative adding AI skilling and incubation support; first edition (April 2025) accelerated 10 startups and skilled 1,000+ developers.

MPEDA: Seafood Skill Olympiad

Health, Science and Environment

Dengue vaccine, anaemia mission, health app, heatwave science and Tiger Day

Qdenga: India’s first dengue vaccine

4–60 years

2 doses

Takeda

Age group

Three months apart, subcutaneous

Serotypes covered (DEN-1 to DEN-4)

Developer (Germany)

Facts

• Approved after review under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Drugs Rules, 1945, with global data and a local Phase III trial in India.

• Complements, not replaces, vector control, early diagnosis and surveillance under the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.

• CDSCO granted marketing authorisation to Qdenga: a live-attenuated tetravalent vaccine made with recombinant DNA technology.

• Developed by Takeda GmbH (Germany); imported and distributed by Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India Pvt. Ltd.

• Can be given without pre-vaccination screening or proof of past dengue infection.

Regulation and role

Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: 7×7×7 strategy Beneficiary groups

Interventions

7 (+LBW babies)

7 (+Eating Right)

before

now

before

now

Institutional mechanisms

Approach

7 (+digital M&E)

T3

T4 (+Track)

before

now

before

now

Launch

Digital ecosystem

• Operational Guidelines released by Health Minister J.P. Nadda at the 16th Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW), Vigyan Bhawan; the programme is now Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (from AMB).

• Aim: early detection, treatment, dietary improvement, digital monitoring and community participation.

• Data from the JANANI Portal (maternal screening), RBSK Portal (child screening, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram) and U-WIN (universal immunisation tracking) will merge into one AMB Abhiyaan Portal for real-time monitoring.

Aarogya Setu 2.0: national health app

Omega Block and the European heatwave What is an Omega Block?

• Launched by Health Minister J.P. Nadda as a Personal Health Record (PHR) and single gateway to services under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

• Originally built for COVID-19 contact tracing; MeitY handed it to the National Health Authority (NHA) after the pandemic.

• Features: ABHA creation, record management, Scan and Register for hospital registration, AI to digitise records, search PM-JAY empanelled hospitals, e-RaktKosh blood availability, family records and consent control.

Why it matters in 2026

• Europe’s severe heatwave: temperatures above 42°C in parts of France.

• Climate change makes block-related heatwaves 2–4°C hotter than in earlier decades; rapid Arctic warming reduces the Arctic–equator temperature difference, weakening the jet stream.

• Spain’s wildfires (Chapter 7) were linked to the heatwave crossing Southern Europe.

• The jet stream bends into the shape of the Greek letter Omega (Ω) and stops moving eastward, so weather systems stay stationary for days or weeks.

• Its centre has a high-pressure system that traps hot, dry air and prevents clouds; sinking air compresses and warms, forming a heat dome.

• Can cause heatwaves in one region and heavy rain or floods in neighbouring areas.

International Tiger Day (29 July)

Observed every year

Facts

2010

TX2

1 Apr 1973

Established, St. Petersburg Tiger Summit

Goal: double wild tigers by 2022

Project Tiger launched in India

29 July

• 2026 theme: “Securing the Future of Tigers with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities at the Heart”.

• India has the largest wild tiger population; the Royal Bengal Tiger is the National Animal.

• Tigers are apex predators that regulate prey and keep ecosystems healthy.

Threats

• Habitat loss, poaching, illegal wildlife trade, declining prey base and human-wildlife conflict.

• India’s response: more tiger reserves, anti-poaching, monitoring and habitat management.

• Link: Corbett Literature Festival and elephant radio-collaring in the Uttarakhand chapters.

International Relations and Defence

India–Japan summit, honours abroad, Mongla Port, BRICS Health and women’s sailing

16th India–Japan Annual Summit

16th

2027

75th

Agreements and joint statements

Annual Summit

Year of Shared Horizons

Anniversary of diplomatic ties

Other agreements

• Held between PM Narendra Modi and Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi.

• 2027 to be celebrated as the India–Japan Year of Shared Horizons (75th anniversary of diplomatic relations).

• Joint Declaration on Economic Security: projects in semiconductors, critical minerals, ICT (including AI), clean energy and pharmaceuticals.

• Ties elevated to a strategic AI research and development partnership (safe, secure, trusted, inclusive, human-centric AI); SarvamAI and Preferred Networks MoU on foundation models.

• Cooperative Biogas for Growth (CBG) Initiative: MoC for 1,000 biogas and organic fertiliser plants via dairy cooperatives.

• Energy resilience: joint statement on strategic petroleum reserves and maritime energy transport; MoC on geology and mineral exploration.

• Pharma: resilient supply chains for APIs and Key Starting Materials (KSMs).

• IndiaAI Mission–METI MoC; Next Generation Mobility Partnership (NGMP) (railways, autos, roads, aviation, shipbuilding, ports, logistics).

Leaders and headline outcomes

Science, AI models and finance

Honour

PM Modi in Indonesia

• MoUs of C-CAMP and NCBS-TIFR with RIKEN (life sciences, healthcare, agriculture, neuroscience).

• IIT Bombay, BharatGen Technology Foundation and Japan’s National Institute of Informatics to develop Large Language Models for scientific reasoning.

• IFSCA and Japan’s FSA exchanged letters on financial regulation, FinTech and RegTech.

• President Prabowo Subianto conferred the Bintang Adipurna, Indonesia’s highest civilian honour, on PM Modi in Jakarta, for strengthening the India–Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

• Modi is the second Indian PM to receive it, after Jawaharlal Nehru.

Outcomes

• Delegation-level talks on trade, defence, maritime security, digital technology, health, education and culture.

• MoUs on defence, critical minerals, agriculture, steel, maritime cooperation and emerging technologies.

• Agreement to set up a branch campus of IIM Bangalore in Jakarta.

Mongla Port: China to develop the economic zone Why Mongla matters

• BEZA (Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority) signed an MoU with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for the China–Bangladesh Mongla Port Economic Zone.

• The land had earlier been earmarked for an Indian economic zone, which was delisted under the Muhammad Yunus-led administration amid worsening India–Bangladesh ties.

• China also backed Bangladesh’s Teesta River rehabilitation project, which draws India’s attention.

• Bangladesh’s second-largest and second-busiest seaport after Chattogram.

• About 188 km from Kolkata and close to the Sundarbans.

• Agreed cooperation: connectivity, technology, ICT, green energy, disaster management, climate change.

Development

First-ever state visit by an Indian Head of State

President Murmu in North Macedonia

• President Droupadi Murmu and President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the Museum of the City of Skopje.

• Visited the Memorial of Mother Teresa (born in Skopje); India announced doubling of ITEC slots for North Macedonia; aims to deepen ties with Southeastern Europe.

16th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting, Chandigarh Outcomes

More

• Held under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026, theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”; 16th BRICS Health Ministerial Declaration adopted unanimously.

• BRICS Network of Centres of Excellence on Mental Wellness, coordinated by NIMHANS.

• Sub Working Group on a BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for mass infectious diseases.

• BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyle and Roadmap (2026–2029); Expert Working Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM).

• Compendium on Digital Health Architecture for Continuum of Care; support for the BRICS TB Research Network, Vaccine R&D Centre, nuclear medicine and regulatory cooperation.

• Link: 18th BRICS Summit, New Delhi (September notes).

France: first EU nation to ban social media for under-15s Law

• Bars children under 15 from creating new accounts from September 2026; existing accounts banned from January 2027.

• Covers Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, X and Snapchat; companies must run age verification.

• Awaiting approval of the French Constitutional Council.

Why and what next

• Protects children from content on suicide, self-harm and eating disorders and from cyber risks.

• The European Commission is preparing an EU-wide framework; many countries (Greece, Germany, Spain, Italy and others) have shown interest.

Awards,