Daily Current Affairs

In July 2026, Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare – MoA&FW) launched VB-GRAM G (Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin Yojana) nationwide from Mukkavaripalli village, Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh. It is a major flagship rural livelihood and employment guarantee scheme under the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

• Full form: Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Yojana.
• Other dignitaries present: Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan; Union Ministers of State Dr. Chandrashekhar Pemmasani and Kamlesh Paswan.
• Vision: Underpins the Viksit Bharat 2047 goal of a developed India by 2047 through rural employment and livelihood guarantees.

On 1 July 2026, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) completed over 10 years of advancing irrigation-led agricultural transformation through sustainable water management and expansion of irrigation coverage. The scheme was launched on 1 July 2015 by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by PM Narendra Modi, with an initial outlay of Rs 50,000 crore for 5 years.

• Extension: Scheme extended in December 2021 for 5 more years (2021–26) with total outlay of Rs 93,068.56 crore.
• Key Achievements: Benefited 27+ million farmers; created/restored irrigation potential across 24.61 million hectares; 110.92 lakh ha under micro-irrigation under PDMC; sprinkler irrigation increased crop yields by 25–30%.
• Budgetary support: Rs 64,407 crore as of August 2025.

In July 2026, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) notified the Borjuli site in Sonitpur district, Assam, as a Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS) under Section 37 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. With this, Assam now has 3 officially notified BHS: Majuli BHS, Borjuli Wild Rice BHS, and Hajong Tortoise Lake BHS.

• Background: Borjuli was declared a BHS by the Assam Government in 2022; NBA notification now provides statutory recognition for long-term conservation.
• Project: NRAA-funded ‘In-situ Conservation and Management of Wild Rice (Oryza rufipogon) in Sonitpur District of Assam’; implemented since 2022 by ICAR-NBPGR with Assam State Biodiversity Board (ASBB).
• About NBA: Statutory body under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC); established under Biological Diversity Act, 2002; HQ: Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

In July 2026, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) approved India’s first Private Point-in-Space (PinS) Instrument Approach Procedure for helicopter operations at Undavalli Heliport, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and approved by DGCA.

• Technology: Satellite-Guided Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and India’s GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) system.
• Capability: Enables safe, accurate helicopter approaches without ground-based radar or Instrument Landing System (ILS); supports IFR operations in hilly, remote areas and low-visibility conditions.
• Applications: Emergency medical services, disaster relief, tourism, offshore operations, pilgrimage services, corporate aviation, and regional connectivity.
• Significance: First PinS procedure in India — a milestone for aviation in remote and mountainous terrain.

In July 2026, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved two major highway projects with a combined investment of Rs 14,114.81 crore — a tunnel project in Delhi and a greenfield highway in Uttar Pradesh, both under the Pradhan Mantri GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS-NMP).

• Delhi Tunnel: Connects Dwarka Expressway (NH-248BB) with Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj; 3.14 km twin-tube tunnel beneath Southern Ridge; developed by NHAI under Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) as part of NH(O) scheme.
• UP Greenfield Highway: 117.7 km long, 4-lane access-controlled greenfield highway between Kanpur and Kabrai (Mahoba district); NHAI under BOT toll model; part of Bhopal-Kanpur Economic Corridor under NH(O) scheme.
• Framework: Both projects under Pradhan Mantri GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS-NMP); aim to enhance connectivity and reduce travel time.

In July 2026, IIT Delhi, in collaboration with DRDO and a domestic startup, developed India’s first indigenous tactical aerostat — a low-cost, high-altitude, balloon-based platform for surveillance and communication with operational coverage up to 20 km.

• Features: Carries Electro-optical (EO) cameras, Infrared (IR) sensors, and Communication relay systems; offers higher endurance and payload capacity compared to drones.
• Applications: Defence surveillance, border security, disaster response, emergency communication, and civilian connectivity.
• Significance: Reduces import dependence; promotes academia–DRDO–startup collaboration for India’s indigenous defence ecosystem.
• About DRDO: India’s premier military research agency; established 1958; headquartered in New Delhi.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a USD 182.89 million (Japanese Yen equivalent) loan to Karnataka to strengthen the public school system by establishing 500 integrated school clusters, benefiting over 1 million students from pre-primary to secondary levels under the ‘Strengthening Karnataka Public Schools Program’.

• Funding Mechanism: Results-based lending; aligned with Karnataka government education reforms and NEP 2020.
• Additional Support: USD 10 million grant + USD 25 million guarantee from International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd).
• Objective: Develop future-ready public schools especially in underserved areas; strengthen learning foundations; improve pathways to jobs and higher education.

In July 2026, Razorpay in partnership with NPCI Bharat BillPay Limited (NBBL) — a wholly owned subsidiary of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) — launched ‘Banking Connect’, a mobile-first NetBanking solution in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The platform modernises NetBanking through unified multi-bank integration and QR-based payment flows.

• Key Feature: Replaces multiple bank-specific integrations and complex reconciliation processes with a single integration layer connecting merchants to multiple participating banks.
• Participating Banks at Launch: SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Federal Bank, AU Small Finance Bank, and YES Bank; more banks to join.
• About NBBL: Wholly owned subsidiary of NPCI; responsible for operating the Bharat BillPay System (BBPS).

In June 2026, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) granted the final (R3) Certificate of Registration (CoR) to Prudential HCL Health Insurance Limited — making it the 8th standalone health insurer in India. The licence was granted during IRDAI’s 136th meeting on 29 June 2026 — the 3rd such registration in CY26.

• Ownership: Joint venture — UK’s Prudential Group (70% stake) and India’s HCL Group (30% stake); announced March 2025.
• Capital Requirement: Minimum paid-up equity capital of Rs 100 crore; 5-year business plan required.
• Significance: 8th standalone health insurer in India; 3rd IRDAI insurance registration in Calendar Year 2026.

In July 2026, the Ministry of Steel (MoS) granted Miniratna Category-I status to MECON Limited — a Schedule ‘A’ Central Public Enterprise (CPE) working under MoS — after fulfilling eligibility criteria prescribed by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), Ministry of Finance (MoF).

• Miniratna Category-I Criteria: Consecutive profit for 3 years; pre-tax profit ≥ Rs 30 crore in at least 1 of 3 years; positive net worth.
• Benefits: Greater operational flexibility; autonomous investment decisions; faster modernisation projects.

In June 2026, West Bengal (WB) received 23 new Geographical Indication (GI) tags, taking its total to 59 GI registrations — making it the 3rd highest GI-tagged state in India, after Uttar Pradesh (83) and Tamil Nadu (76). The announcement was made by Minister Kalyan Chakraborty (Science & Technology and Biotechnology, WB).

• Selected New GI Products: Jalbhora sandesh (Chandernagore), Monohara (Janai), Santiniketan batik, Ektara (Birbhum), Mecha sandesh (Bankura), Banglar nolen gur, Krishnanagar clay dolls, Sitalpati (Cooch Behar), Bengal singing bowl (Bikrampur), Balagarh boats (Hooghly), traditional jewellery from Kolkata.

In June 2026, the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) — a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) — presented the 2026 Leadership Award to Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises Limited, at the IX Leadership Summit in Washington D.C., USA, themed ‘America At 250’.

• Recognition for: Transforming India’s telecommunications sector; expanding digital connectivity; fostering innovation; attracting international investment.
• About USISPF: Non-Profit Organisation focused on advancing strategic, commercial, and innovation-driven partnerships between India and the USA.
• Summit Theme: ‘America At 250’ — marking the 250th anniversary of the USA.

The United Nations (UN) International Day of Cooperatives (ICD), also known as CoopsDay, is observed on the first Saturday of July each year. In 2026, it falls on 4 July 2026, marking the 104th International Day of Cooperatives and the 32nd UN International Day of Cooperatives.

• UN Resolution: A/RES/47/90 (December 1992) established the UN International Day of Cooperatives; first observed in 1995.
• Joint Observance: Since 1995, jointly observed with the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) — one of the world’s oldest NGOs.
• Origin: The first Cooperative Day was observed on 7 July 1923.