Current Affairs for Competitive Exams

Delhi Cabinet Approves Private Universities Bill With Mandatory 25% Local Student Quota

The Delhi Cabinet cleared the Delhi Private Universities Bill 2026, enabling the establishment of private higher education institutions while reserving a 25% admission quota for local residents.

Science & Tech Cybersecurity

Meta Briefs Indian Government on New Tactics to Combat Deepfakes and AI Misinformation Bots

Technology giant Meta concluded a three-day consultation with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), detailing automated AI detection tools to counter deepfakes and bot networks.

Economy Banking

RBI Proposes Updated Leverage Ratio Norms for Commercial Banks in Draft Amendment

The Reserve Bank of India issued draft Eleventh Amendment Directions 2026, updating the Leverage Ratio framework for commercial banks to align with Basel III international banking standards.

Environment Ecology

Centre Reissues Draft Notification for Eco-Sensitive Zones in Western Ghats

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change reissued the draft notification declaring 56,800 square kilometers across six Western Ghats states as Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA).

Art & Culture Heritage

Sarnath Officially Designated as India's 45th UNESCO World Heritage Site

Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh, where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon (Dharmachakra Pravartana), was officially inscribed as India's 45th UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Polity Governance

Manipur Government Informs Centre of Readiness to Conduct National Register of Citizens

The Government of Manipur officially notified the Union Ministry of Home Affairs of its administrative readiness to execute the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to identify illegal migration.

IR Global Geopolitics

US Senate Passes Legislation Targeting Nations Buying Russian Energy

The United States Senate passed secondary sanctions legislation imposing trade and financial penalties on international entities purchasing Russian crude oil and natural gas above price cap thresholds.

Defence IAF

Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth Qualifies as India's First Woman Fighter Combat Leader

Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth completed the elite 20-week Fighter Combat Leader course, becoming the first woman pilot in the Indian Air Force authorized to lead complex aerial strike missions.

Economy Banking

RBI Finalizes Fair Practice Conduct Rules for Loan Recovery Agents Effective January 2027

The Reserve Bank of India finalized comprehensive fair practice conduct guidelines for loan recovery agents, prohibiting harassment, unannounced visits, and intrusive digital remote access tools.

Polity Judiciary

CJI Establishes Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee for Nationwide Court Standardization

Chief Justice of India constituted a national Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee to establish uniform standards for court complexes, digital connectivity, and barrier-free access across district courts.

IR South Asia

Bangladesh Election Commission Schedules Presidential Polls for August 20, 2026

The Election Commission of Bangladesh announced the official schedule for the presidential election, setting polling for August 20, 2026, following nomination filings ending August 13.

IR Maritime

Iran Proposes Strait of Hormuz Maritime Traffic Control Framework With Oman

Iran presented a revised bilateral maritime traffic control proposal to Oman, seeking joint navigational management and vessel tracking schemes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Environment Biodiversity

Meghalaya Launches Mission to Protect Clouded Leopard Populations

The Government of Meghalaya launched Project Clouded Leopard, a dedicated habitat conservation initiative protecting the state animal in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.

Polity Judiciary

CJI Constitutes Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee to Unify Nationwide Court Facilities

Chief Justice of India constituted a national Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee to standardize court facilities, digital infrastructure, and accessibility across trial courts.

Economy Monetary Policy

RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25 Percent Amid Global Economic Uncertainty

The Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India unanimously voted to keep the benchmark repo rate unchanged at 5.25%.

Polity Judiciary

Parliament Passes Bill Increasing Supreme Court Judge Strength To 37

Parliament passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill 2026, increasing maximum judicial strength from 34 to 37 judges.

Economy Banking

RBI Appoints Monisha Chakraborty as Executive Director Over Foreign Exchange and Markets

The Reserve Bank of India appointed Monisha Chakraborty as Executive Director overseeing the Foreign Exchange Department, Financial Markets Operations Department, and International Department.

Polity Judiciary

J&K High Court: Domicile-Based Physical Relaxation Does Not Bar Open Merit Selection

High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh held that candidate relaxation in physical measurement standards granted to hilly domicile candidates does not disentitle them from Open Merit selection.

Governance Public Health

Gujarat FDCA Bans Sales of Analogue Paneer, Cheese, and Butter

Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration issued a state-wide ban on selling synthetic analogue dairy products labeled as natural paneer, cheese, or butter.

IR Global Trade

China Announces Trade Countermeasures Against U.S. Sanctions

China's Ministry of Commerce announced targeted trade countermeasures, restricting critical mineral exports and imposing tariffs on select US technology components.

IR Maritime

Iran and Oman Reach Agreement on Strait of Hormuz Maritime Coordinates

Iran and Oman signed a bilateral maritime agreement finalizing technical boundary coordinates and joint navigational safety protocols in the Strait of Hormuz.

History Art & Culture

Kalaburagi Marks 679th Foundation Day of the Bahmani Empire

Kalaburagi observed the 679th Foundation Day of the Bahmani Empire, honoring founder Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah at his historic mausoleum.

Polity Judiciary

Supreme Court Suggests Replacing Pharmacy Council of India with Statutory Commission

The Supreme Court described the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) as an obsolete institution, recommending its replacement with a modern National Pharmacy Commission.

Economy Banking

RBI Mobilizes $40.8 Billion in Forex Inflows via Concessional Swap Facility

RBI confirmed that its concessional foreign currency swap window successfully mobilized $40.8 billion in total foreign exchange reserves.

Economy Disinvestment

Government to Sell 6.5 Percent Stake in LIC for Over ₹30,000 Crore

The Union Government plans to sell an additional 6.5% stake (over 82.22 crore shares) in Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) through an Offer for Sale (OFS).

Polity Judiciary

BCI Permits Two-Year Practice for Provisionally Enrolled Advocates Pending AIBE

Bar Council of India confirmed that law graduates provisionally enrolled with state bar councils may practice in trial courts for two years before passing the All India Bar Examination.

IR Conflict

Sudanese Army Drone Strike on Darfur Court Session Kills Thirty Five People

A Sudanese Armed Forces drone strike targeting an outdoor community court session in Darfur resulted in 35 civilian fatalities.

Polity Judiciary

Supreme Court Demands Report on Jharkhand Murder Trial Delayed for 44 Years

Supreme Court demanded explanations from Jharkhand Government and High Court over a criminal murder trial lingering for 44 years.

Economy Infrastructure

Government Launches Barrier-Free Satellite-Based Toll System on Manesar-Jaipur Highway

Ministry of Road Transport launched a GNSS-based barrier-free satellite toll system pilot on the Manesar-Jaipur highway stretch.

Economy Forex

RBI Concessional Swap Facility Mobilizes $40.8 Billion in Forex Inflows

RBI's concessional dollar-rupee swap facility mobilized $40.8 billion in foreign exchange inflows as of July 31, 2026.

Education Skill Development

ITI Trainees Granted Class 10 and 12 Academic Equivalency via NIOS

National Institute of Open Schooling launched an academic equivalency framework granting Class 10 and 12 certificates to ITI trainees.

IR Maritime

China Implements New Maritime Patrol Rules for Disputed South China Sea Shoals

China implemented new maritime patrol regulations establishing routine administrative jurisdiction over contested South China Sea shoals.

Polity Judiciary

Supreme Court Rejects Gender-Based Exclusion in Bihar's Compassionate Appointment Policy

Supreme Court invalidated rules excluding married daughters from compassionate appointment eligibility in Bihar government service.

Economy Banking

RBI Streamlines Supervision by Consolidating 628 Circulars into 64 Master Directions

Reserve Bank of India consolidated 628 legacy regulatory circulars into 64 streamlined Master Directions to simplify banking compliance.

IR Trade

New Delhi Monitors US Senate Bill Targeting Russian Oil With 100% Tariffs

India's Ministry of External Affairs and Commerce Ministry are assessing economic impacts of a proposed US Senate bill imposing 100% tariffs on refined products derived from Russian crude.

IR Geopolitics

Myanmar President Sets Five-Year Roadmap, Rejects ASEAN Peace Consensus

Myanmar's military leadership announced a new five-year political roadmap while rejecting the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus.

Polity Judiciary

Madras High Court Reviews Tamil Nadu’s Unanimous Resolution Against Mekedatu Dam

Madras High Court reviewed legal petitions concerning Tamil Nadu Assembly's resolution opposing Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu reservoir project.

IR Diplomacy

PM Modi Orders Dedicated Support Mechanism for Indian Seafarers Following Middle East Security Review

Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a dedicated emergency support mechanism for Indian seafarers navigating high-risk maritime zones.

Polity Parliament

Parliament Clears Strict Anti-Paper Leak Bill Following Rajya Sabha Voice Vote

Parliament passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill following a voice vote in the Rajya Sabha.

Economy Markets

SEBI Penalizes Moksh Ornaments Over Social Media Stock Manipulation

SEBI penalized Moksh Ornaments promoters and social media finfluencers for manipulating stock prices via messaging channels.

Polity Judiciary

Supreme Court Challenges Bihar on TET Requirement for Special Educators

Supreme Court questioned Bihar government over mandating Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for specialized special education teachers.

Economy Banking

RBI Schedules ₹34,000 Crore Underwriting Auction for July 31, 2026

RBI announced a ₹34,000 crore underwriting auction for Primary Dealers supporting central government debt issuances.

Economy Markets

Gen Z Investors Lead Indian Market Boom with 59 Percent of New Entrants

SEBI market data revealed Gen Z investors accounted for 59% of new retail demat account additions across Indian stock exchanges.

Polity Judiciary

Calcutta High Court Halts PDS Suspension Linked to Voter List Deletions

Calcutta High Court issued an interim stay halting the suspension of Public Distribution System (PDS) food grain benefits linked to voter list deletions.

IR Geopolitics

President Trump Vows Retaliation After Attacks on U.S. Bases in Jordan

US President Donald Trump vowed decisive retaliation following drone strikes on forward US military positions in Jordan.

Polity State Governance

Kerala SC/ST Commission Reports Thiruvananthapuram Leads in Complaint Volume

Kerala State SC/ST Commission released annual report showing Thiruvananthapuram district registered highest complaint volume.

IR Diplomacy

Brazil Withholds Approval for U.S. Ambassador Nominee

Government of Brazil withheld diplomatic approval (Agrément) for the nominated US Ambassador following bilateral foreign policy differences.

IR Migration

Thousands of Migrants Breach Morocco-Ceuta Border

Thousands of migrants attempted mass entry across the border fence separating Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

Polity Judiciary

Interest on Delayed Gratuity Not Mandatory for Appeals, Says J&K High Court

Jammu & Kashmir High Court ruled that pre-depositing interest on delayed gratuity is not a mandatory pre-condition for filing statutory appeals.

IR Security

Twenty-Six Dead Following Armed Assault on Pakistani Police Post

An armed terror assault on a police check post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, resulted in 26 fatalities.

Disaster Environment

Death Toll From China Landslide Rises to 51

The death toll from a massive mountain landslide in China's Hunan province rose to 51 following torrential monsoon rainfall.

Economy Global Trade

Cuba Approves Private Foreign Investment in Fuel and Pharmacy Sectors

Cuba authorized direct private foreign investment in retail fuel distribution and pharmaceutical supply sectors to ease economic shortages.

Economy Energy

Tata Power to Launch ₹5,750 Crore Renewable Projects in Andhra Pradesh's Rayalaseema

Tata Power announced ₹5,750 crore investment in hybrid solar-wind renewable projects in Andhra Pradesh's Rayalaseema region.

Polity Judiciary

Supreme Court Quashes Criminal Proceedings Against Former PM Manmohan Singh in Coal Case

Supreme Court quashed all criminal proceedings against former PM Manmohan Singh in a long-pending coal block allocation case.

Economy Banking

RBI Accepts ₹12,604 Crore in Government Securities Buyback Against ₹20,000 Crore Target

RBI conducted a G-Sec buyback auction accepting ₹12,604 crore against ₹20,000 crore notified target to manage liquidity.

Polity Judiciary

Supreme Court Rejects Lokpal Challenge Over CBI Probe Into Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh

Supreme Court rejected Lokpal's challenge affirming High Court jurisdiction over preliminary anti-corruption inquiries.

IR Sanctions

U.S. Senate Fast-Tracks Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026

U.S. Senate fast-tracked bipartisan legislation expanding secondary sanctions on entities trading with Russian and Iranian defense sectors.

Health Governance

Maharashtra Bans High-Fat, Sugar, and Salt Foods Around School Campuses

Maharashtra government issued executive order banning HFSS junk food sales within 50 meters of all school campuses.

Polity Judiciary

Supreme Court Orders SIT Probe into Student Protest Violence, Bars Coercive Action

Supreme Court ordered an independent SIT probe into student protest clashes while barring coercive action against student leaders.