04th-06th July 2026

1. NBA Notifies Assam’s ‘Borjuli Site’ as a Biodiversity Heritage Site
2. MoCA Approves First-Ever Satellite-Guided Landing Procedure for Helicopter Operations
3. CCEA Approves Rs 14,115 Crore for Two Highway Projects in Delhi and UP
4. IIT Delhi and DRDO Develop Indigenous Tactical Aerostat for Surveillance up to 20 km
5. ADB Approves USD 182.89 Million Loan to Upgrade Karnataka Public Schools
6. Razorpay Partners with NBBL to Launch Banking Connect Mobile-First NetBanking Solution
7. IRDAI Grants Health Insurance Licence to Prudential HCL Joint Venture
8. West Bengal Adds 23 New GI-Tagged Products; Ranks Third Nationally with 59 Registrations; Jalbhara Sandesh, Janai’s Manohara and Balagarh’s Traditional Boats Receive GI Tags
9. Bijay Kumar Mohanty Assumes Additional Charge as CMD of IREDA
10. BPCL Acquires 100% Stake in IBV Brazil Petroleo for Rs 2,312 Crore
11. International Plastic Bag Free Day 2026 – July 3
12. Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Launches Namo Swachhta Abhiyan and Amrutpan Abhiyan in Gandhinagar
13. Air India Signs MoU with SIA Engineering Company to Develop MRO Ecosystem in India
14. ADB Approves USD 230 Million Loan for Chennai Water Supply and Sanitation Modernisation
15. Paytm Europe Secures Payment Institution Licence from Luxembourg Regulator
16. RBI Imposes Rs 66.7 Lakh Penalty on Bank of Baroda and GIC Housing Finance
17. Nita Ambani Receives AAPI Humanitarian Award and Key to the City of Tampa for Philanthropic Contributions
18. Keiko Fujimori Wins Peru Presidential Election 2026 in a Runoff
19. Rear Admiral C. Raghuram Assumes Charge as CMD of HSL
20. Agnikul Cosmos Partners with ICEYE to Develop and Launch India’s SAR Satellite Systems
21. CMFRI Discovers New Deep-Sea Fish Species Cyttopsis indica in the Arabian Sea
22. International Day of Cooperatives 2026 – July 4
23. AEL and IRH Partner for USD 11.5 Billion Integrated Aluminium Project in Odisha
24. Australia Clinches Record Seventh ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Title
25. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Becomes Youngest India Debutant at 15
26. UIDAI Launches Free Email Update Service in Aadhaar App: Everything You Need to Know
27. Bihar’s 700-Year-Old Munger Banyan Identified as the Oldest Scientifically Dated Banyan Tree
28. NCW Women Helpline 14490: How the National Commission for Women’s 24×7 Support Service Helps Women in Distress
29. India and Mali Launch First Export Promotion Forum to Strengthen Trade and Investment Ties
30. ACME Signs USD 1 Billion Green Methanol Deal with Japan, Boosting India’s Green Fuel Ambitions
31. UP Rashtriya Parivarik Labh Yojana 2026: Eligibility, Benefits, Online Application Process & Required Documents
32. India’s Passport Ranked 125th in Global Passport Index 2026
33. World Zoonoses Day 2026
34. PM Modi Inaugurates CG Semi OSAT Facility in Sanand, Strengthening India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem
35. Neymar Announces Retirement from International Football After Brazil’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Exit
36. Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s 125th Birth Anniversary: Remembering the Visionary Leader and Nation Builder

National News

UIDAI Allows Aadhaar Email Updates via App

• What: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) officially permitted citizens to add or update their personal email IDs directly through the official mobile application to eliminate physical centre visits entirely.
• Tell me more:
  • This free application service became effective on 1 July 2026 for a fixed period of six months.

National Commission For Women Operates Digital Helpline

• What: The National Commission for Women (NCW) runs a dedicated twenty-four-seven digital helpline system to support women in distress and handle safety complaints effectively.
• Tell me more:
  • The National Commission for Women (NCW) has launched a 24×7 Digital Complaint Registration System through the toll-free helpline 14490.
  • The number is linked to the existing helpline 7827170170 to provide immediate help to adult women facing violence or abuse.
  • Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar is the current Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW).

India and Mali Launch Inaugural Export Forum

• What: India and Mali established the inaugural India–Mali Forum for the Promotion of Exports in Bamako to strengthen bilateral economic ties and deepen commercial trade investments between both nations.
• Tell me more:
  • The Malian Agency for the Promotion of Exports (APEX-Mali) organised the two-day forum with government ministries to promote trade and investment between the two countries.
  • India–Mali bilateral trade reached US$326.61 million in 2025–26, a 55% increase over the previous year.
  • India’s Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) Scheme has helped increase trade in raw materials and manufactured goods.
  • Both countries identified automobiles, pharmaceuticals, textiles, mining, and renewable energy as key sectors for future cooperation.
  • Mali will host another investment forum on 3–4 December 2026 to showcase more investment-ready projects to global investors.

Government Celebrates Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s 125th Birth Anniversary

• What: The Government of India launched a two year-long celebration from July 6, 2025, to July 6, 2027, to honor the 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
• Tell me more:
  • The Ministry of Culture organized the inaugural event at Siri Fort Auditorium in Delhi to showcase the life and legacy of the late leader.

State News

Cabinet Approves Mega Highway Infrastructure Projects in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh

• What: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved two major highway infrastructure projects worth a combined ₹14,114.81 crore in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to improve connectivity under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.
• Tell me more:
  • Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the approval of an 8.1-km tunnel connecting the Dwarka Expressway with Vasant Kunj in Delhi at a cost of ₹6,969.67 crore.
  • The tunnel will be built under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM), where the government will pay 40% of the construction cost, and the remaining amount will be paid during the operation period.
  • The CCEA also approved the 117.7-km Kanpur–Kabrai Greenfield Highway in Uttar Pradesh at a cost of ₹7,145.14 crore, which will reduce travel time by about two hours.
  • The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will develop the four-to-six-lane highway under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll model, allowing private companies to recover their investment through toll collection.

Borjuli Wetland Becomes Biodiversity Heritage Site

• What: The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) notified the Borjuli wetland in Assam as a Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS) to strengthen the conservation of a disease-resistant and climate-resilient variety of wild rice.
• Tell me more:
  • The Borjuli site in Sonitpur district contains Oryza rufipogon, a wild rice species that can tolerate flooding and saline conditions while acting as the progenitor of cultivated rice.
  • The National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare funds this ecological project which has been under active implementation since 2022.
    • NRAA Chief Executive Officer Chandra Shekhar Kumar emphasized replicating similar conservation models for other crop wild relatives to improve long-term food security and agricultural sustainability.
  • The ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR), New Delhi, executes this in-situ management program in close collaboration with the Assam State Biodiversity Board.

Asian Development Bank Funds Karnataka School Transformation

• What: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a USD 182.89 million loan under the Strengthening Karnataka Public Schools Program to establish 500 integrated school clusters and upgrade the state’s public education system.
• Tell me more:
  • The project supports NEP 2020 by providing continuous education from pre-primary to secondary school, increasing secondary school completion rates, and equipping young people with job-ready skills.
  • It will update the curriculum, improve teacher training, and introduce STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education.
  • Along with the ADB loan, the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd) will provide a USD 10 million grant and a USD 25 million guarantee.
    • The International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd) was launched at the Transforming Education Summit in September 2022 by UN to address the education crisis and funding shortages in lower-middle-income countries.

West Bengal Secures Twenty Three New Geographical Indication Tags

• What: The Government of India added 23 traditional products from West Bengal to its registered Geographical Indication (GI) list to protect the unique identity of authentic local goods and elevate artisan livelihood.
• Tell me more:
  • State Science and Technology Minister Kalyan Chakraborty confirmed that this massive addition expands West Bengal’s cumulative tally to 59 GI registrations, ranking the state third among all Indian states.
    • The top two states in India with the highest number of Geographical Indication (GI) registrations are Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
  • The recent additions include specific local delicacies and crafts such as ‘jalbhora’ sandesh from Chandernagore, Santiniketan batik, Banglar ‘nolen gur’, and the famous clay dolls of Krishnanagar.
  • The state administration will introduce dedicated GI logos and quick response (QR) codes across certified packaging systems to ensure product authenticity for consumers.
  • The state government has actively applied for legal recognition for seven additional items, including radhatilak rice, Bengal ‘rasamalai’, and ‘mishti doi’.

Gujarat Launches Namo Swachhata And Amritpan Campaigns

• What: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launched the state-wide ‘Namo Swachhata Abhiyan’ and ‘Amritpan Abhiyan’ from Gandhinagar to clean government healthcare institutions and safeguard maternal and child health.
• Tell me more:
  • The ‘Namo Swachhata Abhiyan’ will run from 1–7 July across 11,935 government health facilities, focusing on cleanliness, removal of obsolete items, and urgent infrastructure repairs to improve patient care.
  • The ‘Amrutpan Abhiyan’ aims to improve newborn nutrition through public awareness, supported by the launch of campaign guidelines and an educational flip chart to promote health and cleanliness.

Asian Development Bank Funds Chennai Water Project

• What: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a USD 230-million loan to modernise and expand water supply and sanitation infrastructure for 4.5 million residents in the Greater Chennai area.
• Tell me more:
  • This financial injection targets the critical infrastructure gaps of India’s fourth-largest city and major industrial hub where water supply facilities lagged behind rapid urban growth.
  • The initiative supports the flagship urban development interventions of the Government of India, including the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 and the Urban Challenge Fund.
  • ADB Country Director for India – Mio Oka

Bihar Banyan Tree Confirmed as World’s Oldest

• What: The Press Information Bureau (PIB) announced that scientists officially identified a massive banyan tree in Bihar’s Munger district as the oldest accurately dated banyan tree in the world.
• Tell me more:
  • Researchers from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) used radiocarbon dating to determine that the tropical tree is about 700 years old.
  • The study, published in the journal Quaternary Research, shows that this method can also be used to accurately estimate the age of tropical trees worldwide.

Uttar Pradesh’s National Family Benefit Scheme Provides Financial Support

• What: The National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS), implemented under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), provides one-time financial help of ₹30,000 to dependent family members following the death of their primary breadwinner.
• Tell me more:
  • The deceased earning member must belong to a Below Poverty Line (BPL) household and be between 18 and 60 years of age.
  • The eligible applicant must hold permanent residency in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
  • The scheme sets the maximum annual family income limit at ₹46,080 for rural households and ₹56,460 for urban households.

Prime Minister Inaugurates Semiconductor Facility in Gujarat

• What: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the CG Semi Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in Sanand, Gujarat to advance commercial chip packaging under the Make in India initiative.
• Tell me more:
  • This facility is manufactured and operated as a joint venture by CG Semi (a joint venture). The company, headquartered in Chennai, has 29 businesses, including 10 companies listed on the NSE and BSE.
  • The company’s third manufacturing plant has started commercial production with an annual capacity of 20 crore units.
  • The joint venture brings together Indian, Japanese, and Thai partners to build a technology manufacturing hub in Sanand, Gujarat.

Banking and Economy

Razorpay and NBBL Launch Banking Connect Solution

• What: Fintech firm Razorpay has partnered with NPCI Bharat BillPay Limited (NBBL) to introduce a mobile-first solution called Banking Connect to simplify NetBanking payments.
• Tell me more:
  • National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) wholly owns the subsidiary firm NBBL.
  • The new platform allows businesses to connect with multiple participating banks using a single integration instead of building separate bank-by-bank systems.

Insurance Regulator Approves Prudential HCL Health Insurance

• What: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) granted a certificate of registration to Prudential HCL Health Insurance to conduct health insurance operations as a standalone insurer.
• Tell me more:
  • United Kingdom-based Prudential Plc owns 70% of the joint venture while HCL Group’s promoter firm, Vama Sundari Investments (Delhi), holds the remaining 30%.
  • This new approval marks the third corporate entity to successfully secure an operational license from IRDAI during the calendar year 2026.
  • The registration increases the total number of standalone health insurers (SAHI) operating within the domestic market to eight.
  • Prudential Plc separately agreed to acquire a 75% stake in Bharti Life Insurance while gradually lowering its existing 21.97% equity stake in ICICI Prudential Life Insurance.

Bharat Petroleum Acquires Full Ownership of Brazilian Venture

• What: State-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) acquired Videocon’s remaining stake in IBV Brasil Petroleo Ltda through its subsidiary to take full ownership of the Brazilian joint venture and bolster long-term energy supplies.
• Tell me more:
  • Through its subsidiary Bharat PetroResources Ltd (BPRL), BPCL increased its stake in IBV from 65.4% to 100% after receiving approval from Brazilian regulators.
  • BPRL bought the remaining stake from Videocon by exercising its right of first refusal under the shareholders’ agreement.

Paytm Subsidiary Secures Luxembourg Payment Institution Licence

• What: One 97 Communications step-down subsidiary, Paytm Europe Payments SA, secured a payment institution licence from the Luxembourg financial regulator, Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), to provide regulated financial services.
• Tell me more:
  • The Luxembourg entity was officially registered on 2 July 2026, allowing it to provide fund transfers, standing credit orders, and merchant payment services across Europe.
  • Paytm Cloud Technologies Limited (PCTL) owns the company entirely and infused an additional €9 million in May 2026 to support its expansion.

Reserve Bank Imposes Penalties on Two Financial Institutions

• What: The RBI imposed a ₹63.6 lakh penalty on Bank of Baroda for charging higher interest than agreed from customers and not uploading customer data to the Central KYC Records Registry (CKYCR).
• Tell me more:
  • GIC Housing Finance Ltd was fined ₹3.1 lakh for not reviewing customers’ risk categories every six months, as required.

Adani Partners with IRH for Aluminium Project

• What: Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) and Abu Dhabi-based International Resources Holding (IRH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Odisha government to develop an integrated greenfield aluminium project costing around ₹1.08 lakh crore.
• Tell me more:
  • The two companies will set up India’s largest foreign direct investment (FDI) project in the aluminium sector through a 50:50 joint venture.
  • Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the project will help make Odisha a global aluminium manufacturing hub.

ACME Signs Long Term Green Methanol Deal

• What: ACME Green Molecules signed a binding agreement with Japan based Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. to supply 100,000 tonnes of eco-friendly green methanol fuel annually under the guidelines of the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
• Tell me more:
  • ACME Group will invest nearly US$1 billion to set up a green fuel manufacturing plant at Paradip, Odisha, with the Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Ltd.
  • It is India’s first export agreement for green shipping fuel that meets Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) standards.
  • The green methanol fuel can significantly reduce carbon emissions and be used with existing port infrastructure after only minor modifications.

Reports and Indices

Indian Passport Ranks 125th in Global Index in Global Passport Index

• What: The Indian passport ranked 125th among 197 countries in the fifth annual edition of the Global Passport Index (GPI) published by residency and citizenship advisory firm Global Citizen Solutions (GCS).
• Tell me more:
  • The assessment system calculates final outcomes by evaluating enhanced mobility at 50%, investment potential at 25%, and quality of living indicators at 25%. These are based on 14 separate indicators.
  • India reached a five-year high composite score of 45.1 despite slipping one position from its previous rank in 2025.
  • Holders of the Indian passport can secure visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry into 26 distinct destination nations worldwide.
  • The domestic passport secured 136th rank in mobility, 118th rank in quality of life, and 94th rank in the business investment category.
  • Sweden ranked first as the world’s strongest passport, while Afghanistan ranked last in the global passport rankings.

Defence News

India Approves First Helicopter Satellite Navigation Procedure

• What: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approved India’s first Private Point-in-Space (PinS) Instrument Approach Procedure for helicopter operations at Undavalli heliport in Andhra Pradesh to transition toward advanced satellite-based aviation navigation.
• Tell me more:
  • The Airports Authority of India (AAI) developed this advanced procedure in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
  • This specific system utilizes Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals to guide helicopters to predefined points safely without relying on conventional ground-based landing infrastructure.
  • The technology will improve flight safety, all-weather operations, and regional connectivity, while supporting emergency medical services, disaster relief, and helicopter services on pilgrimage routes like Char Dham.
  • The approval follows the successful demonstration of the indigenous GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) satellite-based precision landing system by a commercial aircraft.

IIT Delhi and DRDO Demonstrate Indigenous Tactical Aerostat

• What: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and a domestic startup, demonstrated an indigenously developed low-cost tactical aerostat to reduce reliance on imported systems.
• Tell me more:
  • DRDO and IIT Delhi developed the required materials in India, reducing dependence on imports from the United States.
  • A homegrown startup, founded by a former project trainee named Dr Neeraj Mandlekar, manufactured the platform using the newly developed material.
  • The tactical aerostat can monitor large areas for a long time, carry more equipment than drones, support logistics operations, and may also be used for civilian purposes in the future.

Science and Technology

ICAR-CMFRI Discovers New Deep Sea Fish Species

• What: The ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI), Kochi discovered a new species of deep-sea fish named Cyttopsis indica, or Indian dory, in the Arabian Sea off the southern Kerala coast.
• Tell me more:
  • Researchers discovered the new marine species at a depth of 350–500 metres in the eastern Lakshadweep Sea.
  • A team led by Dr. Ratheesh Kumar R collected six specimens from deep-sea trawl catches at Sakthikulangara Fishing Harbour in Kollam.
  • The findings were published in the Indian Journal of Fisheries.

Awards

Nita Ambani Receives American Humanitarian Award

• What: The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) honoured Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita M. Ambani with the AAPI Humanitarian Award in Florida for her extensive social welfare contributions.
• Tell me more:
  • The award recognises the Reliance Foundation’s significant contributions to disaster relief, rural development, and women’s empowerment through its philanthropic initiatives.

Important Days

International Plastic Bag Free Day 2026 – July 3

International Day of Cooperatives 2026 – July 4

• 2026 Theme: Cooperatives for a Peaceful World

World Zoonoses Day – July 6

• World Zoonoses Day, observed every year on 6 July, raises awareness about zoonotic diseases—infections that spread between animals and humans, such as rabies, COVID-19, Ebola, Lassa fever, bovine tuberculosis, and avian influenza.

Sports

Australia Wins Seventh Women’s T20 World Cup

• What: Australia won a record-extending seventh International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20 World Cup title after defeating England by seven wickets in the final match at Lord’s.
• Tell me more:
  • Australia remained unbeaten throughout the tournament and completed the highest successful run chase in a Women’s T20 World Cup final by chasing 151 runs with 17 balls to spare.
  • Australia’s T20 captain – Sophie Molineux

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Becomes Youngest Indian International Cricketer

• What: Batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to represent India in international cricket after making his debut during a Twenty20 International (T20I) match against England in Manchester.
• Tell me more:
  • At 15 years and 99 days, he became India’s youngest international debutant, breaking the record previously held by Sachin Tendulkar. He is a left-handed batter.
  • He earned his place in the national team after finishing as the highest run-scorer in the IPL.

Neymar Announces Retirement From International Football

• What: Brazil forward Neymar retired from international football after Brazil’s 2–1 defeat to Norway in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16.
• Tell me more:
  • The 34-year-old ended his 16-year international career at MetLife Stadium (aka New York New Jersey Stadium) as Brazil’s all-time leading men’s goalscorer.
  • He scored 80 goals and provided 59 assists in 130 international matches since making his debut in 2010.
  • Neymar represented Brazil in four FIFA World Cups and won an Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Memorandum of Understanding

Air India Partners with SIA Engineering Company

• What: Air India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SIA Engineering Company Limited (SIAEC) to explore a partnership in Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) activities to develop India as a global aviation hub.
• Tell me more:
  • Air India Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Campbell Wilson and SIAEC CEO Chin Yau Seng signed this legally non-binding agreement in Mumbai.
  • The partnership aims to establish a joint MRO venture in India, expand aircraft maintenance facilities, strengthen Airbus A320 support, and build local maintenance capacity to meet the growing aviation demand.

Agnikul Cosmos Partners with ICEYE for Satellites

• What: Private launch vehicle company Agnikul Cosmos signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Finnish space technology firm ICEYE to build, launch, and operate Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Earth observation systems from India.
• Tell me more:
  • The partnership combines ICEYE’s radar satellite technology with Agnikul’s rocket launch capability to build a complete satellite manufacturing and launch ecosystem in India.
  • Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites use radar instead of cameras, allowing them to capture high-resolution images day and night, even through clouds.
  • The two companies plan to set up satellite manufacturing facilities in India to serve both domestic and global customers.
  • ICEYE operates the world’s largest radar satellite constellation, with more than 70 satellites in orbit.
  • The partnership will help make India a satellite manufacturing hub for the Asia-Pacific region and strengthen Agnikul’s international presence.

Appointments

Bijay Kumar Mohanty Assumes Additional Charge as IREDA Chief

• What: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) entrusted the additional charge of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) to Bijay Kumar Mohanty following the superannuation of Pradip Kumar Das.
• Tell me more:
  • He simultaneously serves as a director on the board of IREDA Global Green Energy Finance IFSC, which operates as a wholly owned corporate subsidiary.

Keiko Fujimori Wins Presidential Runoff Election in Peru

• The national election authority of Peru officially declared conservative leader Keiko Fujimori as the winner of the presidential runoff election after a campaign focused heavily on combating surging national crime.

Chandrasekharan Raghuram Assumes Charge as HSL Chief

• Rear Admiral Chandrasekharan Raghuram assumed charge as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam to lead the premier defense shipyard.
• He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 10 November 1989, has over 35 years of experience in naval engineering and strategic planning, and received the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) in 2017.

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