24th July, 2026

1. DRDO Signs Two Contracts for the AEW&C Mk-II Programme to Strengthen India’s Airborne Surveillance Capability
2. Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi Visits India
3. NCVET Recognises NIRDPR as a Dual Awarding Body for NSQF-Aligned Skill Certification
4. DIBD and the Goa Government Organise ‘BHASHINI Rajyam’ to Promote AI-Powered Governance in Konkani and Other Indian Languages
5. NABARD Signs MoU with MAHAPREIT to Promote Green Infrastructure in Rural India
6. Microsoft India and IIT Delhi Launch ‘UNNATI AI 2.0’ to Boost India’s AI Innovation Ecosystem
7. EbixCash Becomes India’s First AD-II Entity to Receive RBI Approval for Trade Remittances
8. EnKash Launches India’s First Meal Card with UPI Payments
9. Paras Semiconductors and MPSeDC Sign MoU to Establish a Greenfield OSAT Facility in Madhya Pradesh
10. Centre Appoints Senior IAS Officer Anurag Jain as CEO of NITI Aayog
11. RBI Approves Areion Group’s ₹936 Crore Acquisition of Aviom India Housing Finance
12. PCI and CPSFI Sign MoU to Bid for the 2029 World Abilitysport Games
13. India Achieves 99.6% Railway Electrification, Becoming the World’s Second Most Electrified Rail Network
14. Killai Becomes Tamil Nadu’s First Climate-Resilient Village
15. Lokmanya Tilak Jayanti 2026 – July 23
16. India Develops Its First Indigenous Expendable Turbojet Engine in the 350 kg Thrust Class
17. DRDO Successfully Conducts Maiden Flight Test of the Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile Kusha
18. India Reiterates Commitment to an Open, Rules-Based Multilateral Trading System at the WTO
19. India and Romania Sign Several MoUs During Delegation-Level Talks Between President Droupadi Murmu and President Nicușor Dan
20. India and Romania Sign Three Agreements in Science and Technology, Education and Sports
21. India and the UAE Reaffirm Commitment to the Safety, Dignity and Well-Being of Their Citizens
22. MoS Bandi Sanjay Inaugurates the All India Police Judo Cluster 2026 in Hyderabad

National News

Zanzibar President Mwinyi Concludes Official Visit to India

• What: President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, completed an official visit to India from 17 to 20 July 2026.
• Tell me more:
  • Vice President of India, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, held bilateral discussions with President Mwinyi to review India-Tanzania ties and expand collaboration.
  • The two sides explored new avenues of cooperation in the blue economy, tourism, technology, health, and education.
  • President Mwinyi attended the 63rd Convocation of the IIT Madras as Chief Guest and unveiled the master plan for the permanent campus of IIT Madras Zanzibar, established two years ago.
  • External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, met President Mwinyi to discuss development partnerships, including IIT Madras Zanzibar as a Centre of Excellence.
  • Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous archipelago off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean.

NCVET Recognises NIIT Foundation as Awarding Body

• What: The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) signed an agreement with the NIIT Foundation, recognising it as an Awarding Body (Dual).
• Tell me more:
  • The recognition allows the NIIT Foundation to provide training, conduct assessments, and issue National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) aligned certifications through its national network.
  • NCVET approved two AI-based qualifications developed by the NIIT Foundation: Fundamentals of Digital Productivity with AI Tools and Fundamentals of Data Management with AI Tools.

Indian Railways Achieves 99.6% Broad Gauge Electrification

• What: Indian Railways (IR) achieved 99.6% electrification of its Broad Gauge (BG) network, becoming one of the world’s most extensively electrified large railway systems.
• Tell me more:
  • The International Union of Railways (UIC) June 2025 report ranked India second globally with 99.6% electrification, behind Switzerland (100%).
  • Indian Railways commissioned 1,161 Mega Watt (MW) of solar power and 103 MW of wind power by June 2026 to support sustainable electric traction.

President Murmu Visits Romania to Deepen Bilateral Ties

• What: President Droupadi Murmu visited Romania on 23 July 2026, marking the first State Visit by an Indian President to the country in nearly three decades.
• Tell me more:
  • President Murmu held delegation-level talks with Romanian President Nicusor Dan at Cotroceni Palace to strengthen bilateral relations.
  • Both leaders agreed to double bilateral trade within three years and build resilient supply chains.
  • Both countries signed three agreements in education, culture, and science, and doubled Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme training slots.
  • An Indian Studies Chair will be established at the University of Bucharest through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
  • Both countries will celebrate the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2028 as the “India–Romania Year of Innovation.”

Seventh India-UAE Joint Committee on Consular Affairs Meets

• What: The 7th India-United Arab Emirates (UAE) Joint Committee on Consular Affairs (JCCA) meeting was held in New Delhi to strengthen consular cooperation and citizen welfare.
• Tell me more:
  • Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa & Overseas Indian Affairs) Sripriya Ranganathan and UAE Undersecretary Obaid Mohammed AlHesan AlShamsi co-chaired the meeting.
  • Both countries reviewed progress made since the previous Joint Committee on Consular Affairs (JCCA) meeting held in Abu Dhabi in November 2025.
  • Both sides discussed integrating India’s DigiLocker with UAE platforms for seamless academic document verification.
  • Both countries agreed to hold the next JCCA meeting in Abu Dhabi on mutually convenient dates.

State News

DIBD Organises BHASHINI Rajyam Workshop in Goa

• What: The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under Digital India Corporation (DIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), organised the ‘BHASHINI Rajyam: State Engagement Workshop’ in Panaji, Goa, to advance multilingual AI and language-first digital public infrastructure.
• Tell me more:
  • The event focused on the Konkani language to enable citizens to access government services through artificial intelligence tools.
  • Technical sessions introduced participants to National Hub for Language Technology (NHLT) and tools like BHASHINI App Mitra, BHASHINI Mitra, and BHASHINI Pravakta.
  • DIBD currently powers over 800 government websites and supports 36 Indian text languages and 23 Indian voice languages.

Paras Defence Unit Invests ₹6,200 Crore in Chip Packaging in Madhya Pradesh

• What: Paras Semiconductors Private Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation (MPSeDC) to establish a ₹6,200 crore greenfield semiconductor facility.
• Tell me more:
  • The Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility will be set up in the Indore-Ujjain region to package integrated circuits.
  • Spain-based Submer Group also announced a $2 billion investment to establish liquid cooling manufacturing systems in Madhya Pradesh.

Killai Becomes Tamil Nadu’s First Climate-Resilient Village

• What: Killai became Tamil Nadu’s first fully operational Climate Resilient Village (CRV) under the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission (TNCCM) through ecosystem restoration, renewable energy, and community-led initiatives.
• Tell me more:
  • The Department of Environment and Climate Change implemented the project to protect the coastal village from cyclones, sea-level rise, saline intrusion, coastal erosion, and biodiversity loss.

11th All India Police Judo Cluster 2026 in Hyderabad Inaugurated

• What: Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar inaugurated the 11th All India Police Judo Cluster 2026 at the GMC Balayogi Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad.
• Tell me more:
  • The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is organising the event from 23 to 30 July 2026, with over 1,600 sportspersons from 36 State Police and Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) organisations competing in five sports.
  • The Government of India increased the national sports budget to ₹4,480 crore, over ₹1,100 crore higher than the previous year, aiming to make India one of the top five Olympic sporting nations by 2047.

International News

India Concludes Eighth Trade Policy Review at WTO in Geneva

• What: India successfully concluded its Eighth Trade Policy Review at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva under the leadership of Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal to showcase economic progress.
• Tell me more:
  • Total 68 WTO members made interventions while 44 members submitted 1,094 written questions across two sessions held on July 21 and July 23.
  • Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal emphasized tariff reforms, customs simplification, acceptance of the Fisheries Subsidies agreement, and expanding Free Trade Agreement (FTA) strategies.
  • India defended agricultural tariffs to protect small farmers while highlighting Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), logistics modernization, and support for MSMEs.
  • The delegation reaffirmed commitment to rules-based multilateral trading, limited trade remedies under the Lesser Duty Rule, and developmental Quality Control Orders.
  • WTO Trade Policy Review Body Chair Nella Pepe Tavita-Levy (Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations) and Discussant Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota (Brazil) praised India as a leading voice of the Global South.

Banking and Economy

Microsoft India and FITT Launch Unnati AI 2.0

• What: Microsoft India and the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi, launched Unnati AI 2.0 – Unnati se Pragati to expand Artificial Intelligence (AI) access and strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
• Tell me more:
  • The flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative builds AI talent, supports startups and innovation, and provides capacity building, training, partnerships, and pilot deployments across India’s innovation ecosystem.
  • The first edition accelerated 10 startups, trained over 1,000 developers, achieved a portfolio valuation of ₹1,690 crore, and created over 200 jobs.

EbixCash World Money Receives Perpetual AD-II RBI Licence

• What: EbixCash World Money Ltd received a perpetual Authorised Dealer Category-II (AD-II) licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to handle trade remittances and family maintenance remittances.
• Tell me more:
  • The company became India’s first non-bank entity authorised to process trade remittances up to ₹25 lakh per transaction.
  • The approval follows the May 2026 amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) rules, allowing AD-II entities to undertake specific current account transactions.
  • MSMEs can now process cross-border payments directly through the company without relying on traditional banking channels.
  • The RBI licence allows the company to maintain Nostro accounts for direct international settlements without third-party correspondent banks.

EnKash Launches India’s First Unified UPI Meal Card

• What: EnKash launched India’s first Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-enabled Meal Card, allowing users to make direct UPI payments using their meal benefit balance.
• Tell me more:
  • Employees can make tax-free meal payments of up to ₹200 per meal through UPI, while employers manage cards, balances, spending limits, and transactions on a centralised RuPay-enabled platform.

RBI Clears Areion Group Acquisition of Aviom Housing

• What: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved Areion Group’s ₹936 crore acquisition of Aviom India Housing Finance and granted ‘fit-and-proper’ approval to promoter Manish Lalwani.
• Tell me more:
  • The resolution process will now move to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for final approval after lenders accepted the ₹936 crore unconditional bid over a higher ₹977.5 crore offer.
  • Areion Group appointed Suresh Khatanhar, former Deputy Managing Director of IDBI Bank, as its Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
  • Aviom India Housing Finance entered corporate insolvency after defaulting on debt following National Housing Bank (NHB) investigations that found overstated mutual fund investments.

Defence News

DRDO Inks Contracts for Airborne Surveillance Project

• What: The Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS), a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), signed two contracts in New Delhi for the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) ‘Netra Mk II’ programme.
• Tell me more:
  • AI Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) will convert six commercial Airbus A321 aircraft into military-ready “green” base platforms.
  • Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Ltd (ADSTL) was selected as the Development-cum-Production Partner (DcPP) to develop and produce the indigenous mission systems.
  • CABS and ADSTL will integrate the mission systems onto aircraft platforms supplied by the original equipment manufacturer Airbus Defence & Space.
  • Netra Mk II provides greater endurance, payload capacity, and power than the existing Embraer ERJ-145-based Netra system, strengthening India’s air defence capabilities.

India Develops First Indigenous Expendable Turbojet Engine

• What: The Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed India’s first indigenous expendable turbojet engine in the 350 kg thrust class, manufactured by Azad Engineering.
• Tell me more:
  • Hyderabad-based Azad Engineering manufactured and assembled the engine as the key industry partner for GTRE.
  • Azad Engineering Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rakesh Chopdar handed over the engine to DRDO officials K. Rajalakshmi Menon and S. V. Ramanamurty.

Important Days

Lokmanya Tilak Jayanti 2026 – July 23

• Lokmanya Tilak (1856-1920) was an Indian nationalist and self-rule activist in the Indian independence movement.

Memorandum of Understanding

NABARD and MAHAPREIT Partner for Green Rural Infrastructure

• What: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) signed an MoU with Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology (MAHAPREIT) to finance green and climate-resilient infrastructure projects in rural India.
• Tell me more:
  • The partnership will initially focus on Maharashtra to support sustainable projects for villages, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), and community infrastructure.

PCI and CPSFI Partner to Bid for 2029 Games

• What: The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Cerebral Palsy Sports Federation of India (CPSFI) to jointly bid for hosting the 2029 World Abilitysport Games.
• Tell me more:
  • Chennai and Bhubaneswar are being considered as host cities based on infrastructure, transport, accessibility, and government support.
  • The Games will include Para Athletics, Para Swimming, Para Badminton, Para Fencing, CP Football, Para Table Tennis, and 3-a-side Para Wheelchair Basketball.
  • India previously hosted the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) World Games in Bengaluru in 2009.

Appointments

Government Appoints Anurag Jain as NITI Aayog CEO

• What: The Centre appointed Anurag Jain, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog for two years.
• Tell me more:
  • Jain currently serves as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh and previously worked as Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.

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