July 2026

National and State News 

• Launch of Bharat Taxi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched Bharat Taxi in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, as a cooperative-based mobility platform. 

• Pilot Project of PM-FCT: Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the pilot project of the Prime Minister Family Care Tracker (PM-FCT) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. 

• India’s First Offshore Airport Project: Maharashtra approved the development of India’s first offshore airport project off the coast of Palghar district. 

• Establishment of Bureau of Port Security: The Government of India established the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. 

• Enactment of Gramin Act, 2025: The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 came into force across India on 1 July 2026, increasing wage employment guarantee to 125 days. 

• Decline in Unemployment Rate: India’s unemployment rate declined to an eight-year low of 3.1% in 2025, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO). 

• Miniratna Status for MECON Limited: The Ministry of Steel granted Miniratna Category-I status to MECON Limited. 

• GI Tags for West Bengal Products: West Bengal received Geographical Indication (GI) tags for three traditional products: Chandannagar’s Jalbhara Sandesh, Janai’s Manohara, and Balagarh’s Dingi Boats. 

• GI Tags for Himachal Pradesh Products: Himachal Pradesh received GI tags for eight traditional products, taking its total to 17. 

• Free Email ID Update Facility: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) launched a facility to update email IDs through the official mobile application free of cost for six months. 

• Inauguration of Semiconductor OSAT Facility: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the CG Semi Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) Facility at Sanand, Gujarat. 

• Launch of Mission Kayakalp: The Delhi Government launched Mission Kayakalp to modernise government school infrastructure. 

• India to Chair UNCTAD Session: India will chair the Ninth Session of the UNCTAD Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Consumer Protection Law and Policy in Geneva. 

• Approval of Clean Air Project: The Delhi Government approved the ₹8,300 crore ‘Clean Air, Healthy Delhi’ Project. 

• Renaming of Jalalabad Town: The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved renaming Jalalabad town in Shahjahanpur district as Parashurampuri. 

• First GI Tag for Haryana Fruit: Sirsa Kinnow became the first fruit from Haryana to receive a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. 

• Construction of Air-Filled Rubber Dams: Gujarat is constructing its first two air-filled rubber dams on the Heran River and Ambika River using South Korean technology. 

• Inauguration of Jodhpur Airport Terminal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a newly developed terminal building worth ₹480 crore at Jodhpur Airport. 

• Notification of 21st Designated Repository: The Natural History Museum of Mizoram University was notified as India’s 21st Designated Repository. 

• Launch of TribeX Platform: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched TribeX, India’s first digital learning platform for tribal heritage. 

• Cashless Medical Scheme for Teachers: Uttar Pradesh launched the ‘Guru Dakshina’ Cashless Medical Scheme for teachers. 

• Designated Port Notification for Navi Mumbai Airport: Navi Mumbai International Airport was notified as a designated port for drug imports under the Drugs Rules, 1945. 

• Unveiling of AI Policy Roadmap: Jharkhand unveiled the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy 2026-31 Roadmap. 

• Mandatory Pink Saheli Smart Card: Delhi made the Pink Saheli Smart Card mandatory for free bus travel starting 1 August 2026. 

• Implementation of Mahila Udyam Nidhi Yojana: Uttar Pradesh implemented the Mahila Udyam Nidhi Yojana 2026 to provide affordable credit to women entrepreneurs. 

• Guinness World Record in Sapling Plantation: Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation created a Guinness World Record by planting 3.61 lakh saplings in one hour using the Miyawaki technique. 

• Renaming of Khela Hobe Diwas: West Bengal renamed ‘Khela Hobe Diwas’ as ‘Ayushman Diwas’ (August 16). 

• Renaming of Central Vista Area: The Union Government officially renamed the Central Vista redevelopment area as the Kartavya Bhawan Area. 

• GI Tags for Unjha Cumin and Fennel: Unjha Cumin (Jeera) and Unjha Fennel (Saunf) received the GI tag. 

• Introduction of Trial Index of Services Production: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation introduced India’s first trial version of the Index of Services Production (ISP) with base year 2024-25. 

• India’s First Government-Driven AI University: Karnataka announced the establishment of India’s first government-driven AI University. 

• Driverless Trains in Kolkata Metro: Kolkata Metro introduced driverless train operations on the Green and Purple Lines. 

• Replacement of WPI as GDP Deflator: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation announced that the Output Producer Price Index (PPI) will replace the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) as the GDP deflator. 

Govt Scheme & Policies 

• PM Family Care Tracker (PM-FCT): Launched as a pilot project to digitally monitor maternal and child health, nutrition, and welfare benefits from pregnancy up to 18 years.  

• Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): Statutory scheme providing 125 days of guaranteed wage employment to rural households with a record allocation of 95,692 crore.  

• Modified UDAN Scheme: Relunched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to enhance regional air connectivity in underserved areas.  

• Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana (PMCSPY): Approved by West Bengal with a 313.3 crore package for tea garden worker welfare.  

• PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana: Backed by additional World Bank and ADB financing packages to install rooftop solar systems in 10 million households.  

• DWEEPTI Yojana: Launched by Chhattisgarh as the country’s first women-led distributed renewable energy policy.  

Banking & Financial News 

• RBI Call, Notice and Term Money Markets Draft Directions: Proposed allowing AIFIs, eligible NBFCs, and HFCs as borrowers/lenders, and companies as lenders.  

• RBI Secondary Market G-Secs Draft Framework: Simplified regulations including When Issued trading, short selling, and retail investments via demat accounts starting at a minimum of 10,000.  

• NIIF Capital Infusion: The Union Cabinet approved an additional 30,000 crore investment, increasing the government’s total commitment to 60,000 crore.  

• Kakinada Cooperative Town Bank: Achieved RBI Tier-III status with deposits crossing 2,000 crore and zero Net NPAs.  

• RBI Financial Stability Report (FSR): Stated that Scheduled Commercial Banks’ GNPA ratio declined to a multi-decade low of 1.8% in March 2026 (and 1.73% by March 2026). 

• IRDAI General Insurance Licences: Approved two new general insurance licences following the increase of FDI limit to 100% under the automatic route.  

• Prudential HCL Health Insurance: Granted a standalone health insurance licence by IRDAI, making it the 8th SAHI company in India.  

• RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme 2026 (RB-IOS): Implemented effective July 1, 2026, replacing the 2021 framework.  

• ADB GDP Projections: Lowered India’s FY27 growth forecast to 6.6% while raising inflation projection to 5.2%.  

• IMF World Economic Outlook: Projected India’s FY27 economic growth at 6.4%. 

• India’s External Debt: Reached USD 762.8 billion at the end of March 2026, with an external debt-to-GDP ratio of 20.8%.  

• TReDS Mandate: The Ministry of MSME mandated all operating CPSEs to settle MSME invoices through RBI-authorised TReDS platforms.  

• World Bank Country Classification (FY2027): Maintained India as a Lower-Middle-Income Economy with GNI per capita at USD 2,760.  

• UNCTAD World Investment Report 2026: Positioned India as the world’s 11th-largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2025 at USD 38.89 billion.  

• Standard Chartered SWIFT Milestone: Became the first bank to process a cross-border retail remittance under SWIFT’s framework in 37 seconds.  

• EbixCash Authorisation: Became the first Authorised Dealer Category-II (AD-II) entity authorised by RBI to offer trade remittance services up to 25 lakh per transaction.  

• RBI Financial Inclusion-Index: Rose to 70.0 in March 2026 from 67.0 in March 2025.  

• State Bank of India Perpetual Bonds: Set to issue Basel III-compliant AT-1 Perpetual Bonds worth 5,000 crore in 2026.  

• RBI Polymer Banknotes Field Trials: Approved field trials of 1 billion polymer banknotes each in the 10 and 20 denominations.  

• Revolut Bank Australia: Received a full ADI licence from APRA, marking its first APAC banking entity.  

 International News 

• UAE Etihad Rail: Successfully conducted trial runs of the first inter-emirate passenger rail service from Fujairah to Abu Dhabi.  

• ITU AI for Good Global Commission: Launched in Geneva with 44 founding members, including Indian leaders Mukesh Ambani, Sunil Bharti Mittal, and Lakshmi N. Mittal.  

• 16th India-Japan Annual Summit: Held in New Delhi with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, producing 16 key bilateral outcomes.  

• WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement: India formally accepted the agreement, becoming its 123rd member.  

Awards & Honours 

• FIU-IND BECA 2026: Financial Intelligence Unit-India won the Runner-up recognition at the Best Egmont Case Award 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan, for cyber fraud investigation.  

• DBS Bank Global Bank Awards 2026: Named the World’s Best Corporate Bank by Global Finance magazine.  

 Appointments 

• Ananta Barua: Appointed by SEBI as Chair of the Expert Working Group to review Debenture Trustee regulations.  

• Nandan Kekani (Nandan Nilekani): Appointed to chair the High-Powered Exam Security Task Force.  

• Paul Pathy: Serves as the President of BIMCO for 2026.  

 Summits & Conferences 

• India-France Economic & Financial Dialogue (EFD): Co-chaired by Nirmala Sitharaman and Roland Lescure in Aix-en-Provence.  

• 29th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) 2026: Held in Jaipur, Rajasthan, under the theme “Viksit Bharat 2047: AI-enabled, Data-driven & Secure Digital Governance”.  

• BRICS Science Academies Forum Meeting 2026: Hosted at IIT Hyderabad, Telangana.  

• 10th India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026: Scheduled in New Delhi under the theme “Scale without Boundaries”.  

MoUs & Agreements 

• SBI Life and IIT Bombay: Signed an MoU to establish the “Bharat AI & Cyber Innovation Hub for Insurance”.  

• NPCI, HSBC India, and JP Morgan: Partnered for real-time Foreign Exchange settlement in cross-border UPI transactions.  

• GIFT City and VIFC-Da Nang: Signed an MoU to strengthen bilateral financial and fintech cooperation between India and Vietnam.  

• Digital India BHASHINI and PNB: Signed an MoU to introduce multilingual AI solutions for inclusive digital banking.  

• PNB and Andhra Pradesh Government: Signed an MoU to establish India’s first bank-led Quantum Finance Hub in Amaravati.  

• DoT and Madhya Pradesh Government: Signed an MoU to establish India’s first Telecom Manufacturing Zone in Gwalior.  

Acquisition & Mergers 

• Bank of Baroda & Mizuho Bank: Forged a strategic alliance to strengthen M&A financing and cross-border banking cooperation.  

• Bank of Baroda NMC Settlement: Entered into a joint out-of-court settlement of USD 600 million to resolve the NMC Health lending dispute.  

Science & Tech 

• Nifty500 Ahimsa Index: Launched by NSE as India’s first animal-friendly, values-based stock market index.  

• Electronic Gold Receipts (EGRs): Launched by NSE to provide exchange-traded ownership of physical gold.  

• EnKash UPI-Enabled Meal Card: Launched as India’s first UPI-enabled meal card for employee benefits.  

• Indian Natural Gas Futures: Launched by NSE as India’s first domestic benchmark-based energy derivative contract.  

• Bitchat Repositories Removal: Directed by I4C/MHA on national security grounds under IT Act provisions.  

Defense News 

• Operation Vajra: Conducted by the Central Bureau of Narcotics, dismantling an illegal Mephedrone lab in Pune and arresting key kingpins.  

 

 Ranking & Indexes 

• Grievance Redressal Assessment & Index (GRAI – May 2026): The Department of Financial Services Insurance Division secured 2nd position in Group A.  

• UNCTAD World Investment Report: Ranked India as the 11th-largest FDI recipient globally for 2025.  

• BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2026: Ranked India as the world’s second-largest supplier of seafarers (12.16% share).  

Environment News 

• POWERGRID Green Loan: Secured a JPY 80 billion green loan from JBIC for the Khavda-Nagpur HVDC Transmission Project.  

• World Bank Rooftop Solar Financing: Approved an USD 890 million package to expand India’s rooftop solar programme.  

• AAROH Report: Released by the Ministry of Coal documenting the scientific closure of 42 coal mines.  

• Killai Village: Recognized as Tamil Nadu’s first Climate-Resilient Village.  

• Indian Railways Electrification: Achieved 99.6% Broad Gauge network electrification, ranking as the world’s second most electrified railway system.  

Sports News 

• SBI Life Insurance & Paralympic Committee of India: Partnered for the 2026 season making SBI Life the Principal Partner of India’s Para Sports Team.  

 Important Days 

• Goods and Services Tax (GST) Day: Observed on 1 July 2026 (marking the 9th anniversary of the GST regime).  

• Chartered Accountants Day: Observed on 1 July 2026 (marking the 77th anniversary of ICAI).  

• National Doctors’ Day: Observed on 1 July 2026 (honouring Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy).  

• World Sports Journalists Day: Observed on 2 July 2026.  

• World UFO Day: Observed on 2 July 2026 (commemorating the Roswell Incident).  

• International Plastic Bag Free Day: Observed on 3 July 2026.  

• International Day of Cooperatives: Observed on 4 July 2026 under the theme “Cooperatives for a Peaceful World”.  

• World Zoonoses Day: Observed on 6 July 2026.  

• World Population Day: Observed on 11 July 2026. 

• World Malala Day: Observed on 12 July 2026.  

• World Youth Skills Day: Observed on 15 July 2026.  

• World Day for International Justice: Observed on 17 July 2026.  

• Nelson Mandela International Day: Observed on 18 July 2026.  

• World Chess Day: Observed on 20 July 2026 (marking FIDE’s establishment).  

• International Moon Day: Observed on 20 July 2026 (57th anniversary of Apollo 11).  

• World Brain Day: Observed on 22 July 2026.  

• National Broadcasting Day: Observed on 23 July 2026 (commemorating the first radio broadcast in 1927).  

• Kargil Vijay Diwas: Observed on 26 July 2026 (marking 27 years of victory in the Kargil War).  

• World Nature Conservation Day: Observed on 28 July 2026.  

• World Day Against Trafficking in Persons: Observed on 30 July 2026 under the theme “Trapped Behind the Scam”.  

• International Friendship Day: Observed on 30 July 2026 globally.