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Monthly Edition

July 2026

UPSC Monthly Current Affairs — 12 sections, 60 topics. Each topic includes key facts, data points, and context structured for quick revision.

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National News

5 items
1

Parliament's Monsoon Session Begins July 20 with Two Bills Passed

The Monsoon Session of Parliament commenced on July 20, 2026 with 19 sittings planned. Five bills were introduced during the session, of which two have been passed. Among the bills…

2

Parliament Passes Bill Cracking Down on Paper Leaks in Public Exams

Parliament passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, which strengthens penalties for leaks and malpractices in public examinations. The amen…

3

Vande Mataram Gets Statutory Protection at Par with National Anthem

Parliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which extends to the National Song Vande Mataram the same statutory protection against intent…

150th
4

Bill Introduced to Raise Supreme Court Strength from 33 to 37 Judges

A bill was introduced in the Monsoon Session to increase the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The proposed legislati…

5

Sarnath Inscribed as India's 45th UNESCO World Heritage Site

Sarnath, the sacred site where the Buddha delivered his first sermon, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as India's 45th World Heritage Site. The decision was announce…

45th48th

International Relations & Summits

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1

16th India-Japan Annual Summit Held in New Delhi

PM Modi hosted Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi for the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit in New Delhi in early July. The two leaders signed landmark agreements on economic security, artifi…

16th
2

PM Modi Receives Indonesia's Highest Civilian Honour

PM Modi was conferred the 'Bintang Adipurna', the highest civilian honour of Indonesia, by President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on July 7, 2026. He became the first Indian Prime M…

3

PM Modi Undertakes State Visits to Australia and New Zealand

Continuing his July diplomatic tour, PM Modi paid state visits to Indonesia and Australia and concluded his visit to New Zealand with a stop in Auckland on July 10. The visits focu…

4

Mumbai to Host Prince William's Earthshot Prize 2026

Mumbai has been announced as the host city for the Earthshot Prize 2026, founded by Britain's Prince William to recognise innovative solutions to environmental challenges. The awar…

rs 1
5

India to Host International Type 1 Diabetes Summit 2026

India will host the International Type 1 Diabetes Summit 2026 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, from July 30 to August 1. The summit is being organised jointly by The Friends of Mewar, Breakt…

Economy & Finance

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1

Forex Reserves Recover to Around $675 Billion in July

India's foreign exchange reserves rose by $964 million to $675.16 billion in the week ended July 10, 2026, according to RBI data. The reserves had touched an all-time high of $728.…

16 billion49 billion$964 million$675
2

Q1 FY27 Inflation at 3.9% with Wholesale Prices Up 9.3%

Consumer price inflation averaged 3.9% in the first quarter of 2026-27, with food inflation at 4.8%, according to official data. Wholesale price inflation, however, remained elevat…

9%8%3%
3

Bank Credit Growth Hits Two-Year High of 18.6%

Bank credit growth accelerated to 18.6% in the fortnight ending late June 2026, the highest in two years, driven by strong demand from retail, industry and services. Deposit growth…

6%
4

India's Seafood Exports Hit Record Rs 73,891 Crore

India recorded seafood exports of Rs 73,891 crore in 2025-26, its highest ever, despite global trade disruptions. The government has invested over Rs 39,000 crore in the fisheries …

73,891 crore39,000 croreRs 73,891 croreRs 39,000 crore
5

FIU-IND Runner-Up at Best Egmont Case Award 2026

The Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) was named runner-up for the Best Egmont Case Award 2026 at the Egmont Group Plenary in Baku, Azerbaijan in July. The award recognise…

868 croreRs 868 crore

Environment & Ecology

5 items
1

IMD Forecasts Below-Normal July Rainfall at 280.4 mm

The India Meteorological Department forecast below-normal rainfall for July 2026 at 280.4 mm against the 1971-2020 long-period average. The outlook cited weak ENSO conditions and a…

2

Monsoon Covers Entire Country as Seasonal Deficit Narrows to 15%

The southwest monsoon covered the entire country by around July 10, 2026, ahead of the normal schedule. Heavy rainfall in the first week of July sharply reduced the seasonal defici…

40%15%
3

June 2026 Becomes Third Driest June in 100 Years

June 2026 recorded the third-lowest rainfall for the month in a century, with nearly three-quarters of the country reporting deficient precipitation. The dry spell delayed sowing i…

4

Cloudbursts Trigger Flash Floods in Himalayan States

A series of cloudbursts in the Himalayan states in July 2026 triggered flash floods, landslides and loss of life and property. The India Meteorological Department defines a cloudbu…

30 sq km
5

NHM Mizoram Notified as India's 21st Designated Repository

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Natural History Museum of Mizoram University, Aizawl, as India's 21st Designated Repository under the Biological…

21st

Science & Technology

5 items
1

DRDO Flight-Tests 'Kusha' Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile

DRDO conducted the maiden flight-test of the indigenous 'Kusha' Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha, on July 23, 2026. The test intercepted a s…

2

DCGI Approves QDENGA as India's First Dengue Vaccine

The Drug Controller General of India granted market authorisation to QDENGA (TAK-003) as India's first approved dengue vaccine in July 2026. Developed by Takeda, the tetravalent li…

3

India's Science Olympiad Teams Register Record Haul

Indian student teams recorded their best-ever results at the 2026 science olympiads. At the 56th International Physics Olympiad in Bucaramanga, Colombia, all five Indian students w…

56th7th67th37th
4

Hong Wang Becomes Third Woman to Win Fields Medal

Mathematician Hong Wang became only the third woman in history to win the Fields Medal, awarded at the International Congress of Mathematicians in July 2026. She was honoured along…

5

India Opens First AI-Based Bird Detection Centre

India's first AI-based bird detection and monitoring centre was established at the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary in Maharashtra at a cost of Rs 45 crore. The centre uses artificia…

45 croreRs 45 crore

Government Schemes & Policies

5 items
1

Cabinet Approves BHAVYA Rasayan Scheme for Chemical Parks

The Union Cabinet approved the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana Rasayan (BHAVYA Rasayan) scheme on July 24, 2026, with an outlay of Rs 3,030 crore to set up three dedicated chemical pa…

3,030 crore1,000 crore500 croreRs 3,030 crore
2

Mission Golden Spice Launched for Lakadong Turmeric

The Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region launched 'Mission Golden Spice' with an outlay of Rs 175.45 crore to strengthen the value chain of Meghalaya's GI-tagged …

45 crore12%4%Rs 175
3

India Launches High-Seas Fishing Authorisation Framework

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan launched the national Letter of Authorisation (LoA) framework for sustainable fishing in the high seas at Bhubaneswar on July 9, 2026. It is India…

4

Rules Notified for Direct Benefit Transfers Under VB-G RAM G Act, 2025

The government notified rules under the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, mandating direct benefit transfers for wage and unemployment allowance payments. The rules institutionalise digital, c…

5

First Batch of Towns Approved Under PM SVANidhi Street Food Hubs

The government approved the first batch of towns for the PM SVANidhi Street Food Hubs initiative, which provides upgraded common infrastructure for street food vendors. The hubs in…

Important Reports & Indices

5 items
1

India Ranks 176th in Environmental Performance Index 2026

India ranked 176th out of 177 countries in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2026 released by Yale and Columbia universities, with a score of 22.46. Estonia topped the inde…

176th
2

ADR Report: 45% of India's Chief Ministers Face Criminal Cases

A report by the Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch found that 45% (14 of 31) of India's sitting Chief Ministers have criminal cases against them. The an…

45%
3

World Population Projected to Reach 8.2 Billion in 2026

On World Population Day (July 11), the US Census Bureau projected that the world population will reach 8.2 billion in 2026 and 9 billion by 2039. India remained the world's most po…

2 billion9 billion
4

NITI Aayog Releases Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global

NITI Aayog released the 'Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global' on July 2, 2026, in collaboration with the Ministry of Ayush. The report outlines a phased framework for stan…

5

Monsoon Deficit Narrows to 15% by End-July, Reports Show

Monsoon tracking agencies reported that the seasonal rainfall deficit narrowed to around 15% by July 28, 2026, from about 40% in early July. The sharp improvement followed intense …

15%40%

Awards & Honours

5 items
1

PM Modi Conferred Indonesia's Highest Civilian Honour

PM Narendra Modi was conferred the 'Bintang Adipurna', the highest civilian honour of Indonesia, by President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on July 7, 2026. The award recognises his …

2

72nd National Film Awards Announced

The 72nd National Film Awards were announced in July 2026 for films certified in 2024. 'Article 370' won the Best Feature Film award and Yami Gautam the Best Actress award for the …

72nd
3

Sunil Bharti Mittal Gets 2026 USISPF Global Leadership Award

Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, was honoured with the 2026 Global Leadership Award by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) in July. Th…

4

National Awards for e-Governance 2026 Conferred in Jaipur

The 29th National Conference on e-Governance, held in Jaipur on July 1-2, 2026, saw the conferral of the National Awards for e-Governance 2026. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj's Pan…

6 lakh29th
5

NTPC Wins Golden Peacock Environment Management Award

NTPC Limited was conferred the Golden Peacock Environment Management Award 2026 in the Power sector category by the Institute of Directors. The award recognised NTPC's implementati…

60 GW

Appointments

5 items
1

Pralhad Joshi Appointed Union Education Minister

Pralhad Joshi was appointed as the Union Minister of Education in July 2026, taking charge on July 26 after the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. Joshi, a senior BJP leader from K…

2

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit Named Vice Chief of Air Staff

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit was appointed as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) of the Indian Air Force in July 2026. The appointment was part of a series of top-level military …

3

Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar Takes Over Army's Southern Command

Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar assumed command as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Army's Southern Command on July 1, 2026. The Southern Command, headquarte…

4

Air Marshal Jasvir Singh Mann Heads Southern Air Command

Air Marshal Jasvir Singh Mann assumed charge as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the IAF's Southern Air Command on July 1, 2026. He succeeded Air Marshal Manish Khanna…

5

Ravi Shankar Appointed Executive Director of RBI

Ravi Shankar was appointed as an Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India in July 2026. The appointment strengthens the central bank's top management amid ongoing monetary a…

Obituaries

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1

S. Janaki, Legendary Playback Singer, Dies at 88

S. Janaki, known as the 'Nightingale of South India', passed away on July 11, 2026, in Mysuru at the age of 88. Over a career spanning nearly six decades, she recorded over 48,000 …

2

Tamil Writer Poomani Passes Away at 79

Poomani, one of Tamil literature's most celebrated writers, passed away on July 12, 2026, at the age of 79. He won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2014 for his novel 'Agnyaadi', and h…

3

'Bridge Man of India' Girish Bharadwaj Dies

Girish Bharadwaj, popularly known as the 'Bridge Man of India', passed away in July 2026. He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2017 for his contributions to rural infrastructure …

4

Veteran Politician Mudragada Padmanabha Reddy Dies at 73

Mudragada Padmanabha Reddy, a veteran politician of Andhra Pradesh, passed away on July 14, 2026, at the age of 73. A former minister, he was known for his political activism and f…

5

Cinematographer Chezhiyan Passes Away at 57

Chezhiyan, a renowned Tamil film cinematographer, passed away on July 10, 2026, at the age of 57. He was known for his evocative visuals and atmospheric lighting in acclaimed Tamil…

Sports

5 items
1

India Finish Fourth at Commonwealth Games 2026 with 39 Medals

India finished fourth at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow (July 23-August 2) with 39 medals - 13 gold, 17 silver and 9 bronze. Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won her third consec…

2

Spain Win Second FIFA World Cup Title

Spain defeated defending champions Argentina 1-0 in extra time at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, on July 19, 2026, to win their second FIFA World Cup title. Rodri was awarded the…

3

Sinner and Noskova Win Wimbledon 2026 Singles Titles

Jannik Sinner defended his Wimbledon men's title, defeating Alexander Zverev in four sets, while Linda Noskova won the women's crown with an all-Czech final victory over Karolina M…

139th
4

Australia Win ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026

Australia defeated host England by seven wickets in the final at Lord's on July 5, 2026, to win the ICC Women's T20 World Cup. The victory added another title to Australia's domina…

5

Shravani Sangle Shines at Asian U23 Athletics Championships

Shravani Sachin Sangle was the standout performer for India at the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships in Ordos, China, winning gold in the mixed and women's 4x400m relays …

Summits, Conferences & Important Days

5 items
1

World Population Day Observed on July 11

World Population Day was observed on July 11, 2026, against the backdrop of the US Census Bureau's projection that the world population will reach 8.2 billion in 2026 and 9 billion…

2 billion9 billion
2

Kargil Vijay Diwas Marks 27th Anniversary of Operation Vijay

India observed the 27th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26, 2026, honouring the armed forces' victory in the 1999 Kargil War. The Defence Minister released 'Kargil: The U…

27th
3

International Tiger Day Celebrated on July 29

International Tiger Day was observed on July 29, 2026, highlighting the conservation of tiger habitats and the fight against poaching. India, home to around three-quarters of the w…

4

Akashvani Marks 90 Years of All India Radio

2026 marks the 90th anniversary of Akashvani (All India Radio), India's public broadcaster, with year-long celebrations launched in July. The milestone comes ahead of the centenary…

90th
5

Bharat 6G Alliance Review Meeting Held in New Delhi

The Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) review meeting was held in New Delhi on July 28, 2026, where awards were conferred under the Department of Telecommunications' 100 5G Use Case Labs In…

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