21st July, 2026

1. Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena Commissions India’s First Two Geothermal Wells in Ladakh
2. CGPDTM Signs MoU with CSIR-NIScPR to Join the National Knowledge Resource Consortium
3. NIELIT to Establish Two Centres of Excellence for Semiconductor Skilling in Ahmedabad and Guwahati
4. Ministry of Railways Appoints Rahul Himalayan as Additional CMD of IRCTC
5. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Unveils ‘Peacko’ as the Official Mascot of the BWF World Championships 2026
6. World Chess Day 2026 – July 20
7. Andhra Pradesh Signs MoU with UN-Habitat to Promote Sustainable Urban Development
8. Uttar Pradesh Launches Kaushal Setu and Kaushal Sarathi Portals for Skill Development
9. Karnataka Gruha Jyothi Scheme 2026
10. India Wins Four Gold Medals at the International Chemistry Olympiad 2026
11. Indian Students Win Four Medals at the International Biology Olympiad 2026
12. Shabdalok: India’s First Immersive Language Museum
13. Harjeet Grewal Appointed Chairman of the National Minorities Commission
14. Indian Navy to Host Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 in Kochi
15. Indian Navy to Commission INS Malvan, the Second Mahe-Class ASW Shallow Water Craft
16. World Day for International Justice 2026 – July 17
17. India’s First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Train
18. India and the European Union Strengthen Partnership on AI, EVs and Resilient Supply Chains
19. Kolkata Metro to Introduce Driverless Trains on Green and Purple Lines
20. Europe and Ukraine Launch Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition
21. Spain Wins Its Second FIFA World Cup Title, Defeats Argentina in the 2026 Final
22. FIFA World Cup 2030: Hosts, Format and Key Details
23. Lionel Messi Becomes the First Player to Start Three FIFA World Cup Finals
24. Rohit Sharma Breaks Sachin Tendulkar’s Record with India’s First ODI Century at Lord’s
25. Axis Max Life Launches ‘Smart RISE’ Retirement Plan with Guaranteed and NIFTY 50-Linked Variable Annuity
26. Delhivery’s Financial Services Arm Receives RBI Approval for Type II NBFC Licence

National News

NIELIT Sets up Semiconductor Centres of Excellence

• What: The National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT) is establishing two Centres of Excellence (CoE) in Ahmedabad and Guwahati to boost skill development under India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 (ISM 2.0).
• Tell me more:
  • Union Cabinet approved India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 (ISM 2.0) with a total outlay of approximately ₹1.28 lakh crore.
  • NIELIT Director General Madan Mohan Tripathi stated that these centres will provide specialised training in Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) and Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP) processes.
  • NIELIT signed MoUs with Tata Electronics for the Guwahati facility and Infineon for the Ahmedabad facility.
• Knowledge Nuggets:
  • Tripathi said the India AI Mission has set up 28 AI labs, mainly in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. NIELIT runs 42 AI programmes, has trained over 20,000 people, and developed grassroots AI solutions.
  • NIELIT is a Deemed to be University under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, set up under the UGC Regulations, 2023 to offer industry-relevant IT and Electronics education and research.
    • The main campus of is at Ropar, Punjab, with 11 constituent centres.

Union Home Minister Inaugurates India’s First Language Museum

• What: Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated Shabdalok, India’s first immersive language museum named “Museum of Word”, at the National Library campus in Kolkata.
• Tell me more:
  • Developed by the Ministry of Culture at an outlay of ₹41 crore, the museum showcases nearly 380 languages across nine thematic galleries.
  • The museum displays linguistic evolution starting from the Indus-Saraswati Civilization symbols and Gunjala Gondi script up to modern communication.

India and EU Hold Third Trade Technology Council Meeting

• What: India and the European Union (EU) held the third Ministerial Meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Brussels to deepen cooperation in digital technology, green transition, and trade resilience.
• Tell me more:
  • Both sides agreed to upgrade the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) structure to focus on specific strategic value chains and enhance business engagement.
  • India and the European Union (EU) will start formal negotiations for India to join Horizon Europe, the EUR 93.5 billion research and innovation funding programme, by the end of 2026.
  • Both partners will set up the first India-EU Innovation Hub focusing on electric vehicle charging technologies and testing between the Joint Research Centre and Automotive Research Association of India.
  • The two sides agreed to explore a pilot project linking DigiLocker with the EU Digital Identity Wallet for digital trust services and identity interoperability.
  • Both entities committed to establishing a Deep-Tech Startup Partnership connecting Start-Up India with the European Innovation Council to support market access and commercialisation.
  • The partners will jointly invest €60 million over four years in waste-to-hydrogen projects, AI-based marine pollution monitoring across four oceans, and Hydrogen Valleys and hydrogen safety cooperation.

State News

India Commissions First Deep Geothermal Wells in Ladakh

• What: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh V. K. Saxena commissioned India’s first two 1,000-metre-deep geothermal wells, developed by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Energy Centre at Puga Valley.
• Tell me more:
  • The wells, located at more than 14,000 feet, will supply power to India’s first 1 Megawatt (MW) pilot geothermal power project at Puga Valley.
  • In June, V. K. Saxena approved a five-year extension of the MoU between the Ladakh Administration, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, and the ONGC Energy Centre.

Andhra Pradesh Signs MoU with UN-Habitat

• What: The Municipal Administration Department of Andhra Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to support inclusive urban development.
• Tell me more:
  • The partnership will establish a Centre of Excellence for Urban Affairs in Amaravati.
  • It will support Sustainable Urban Development and Growth for AP (SURGE AP), Resilience and Inclusive Development for AP (RISE AP), and Urban Poverty Alleviation for Inclusive Transformation AP (UPLIFT AP).
  • Both sides will work on urban planning, climate resilience, digital governance, municipal finance, and the United Nations SDGs, while the People-Public-Private Partnership (P4) Programme aims to reduce poverty.

Uttar Pradesh Launches Skill Development Portals

• What: Minister of State for Vocational Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Kapil Dev Aggarwal launched the Kaushal Setu and Kaushal Sarathi digital portals during the World Youth Skills Day (July 15) celebration in Lucknow.
• Tell me more:
  • Kaushal Setu offers a paperless online platform for the registration and empanelment of training partners under the Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission (UPSDM).
  • Kaushal Sarathi helps young people find nearby training centres, courses, and training partners through digital maps.
  • UPSDM signed MoUs with KLK Private Limited and Winsome Textile Industries Limited to provide training in robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and textiles.
  • Kapil Dev Aggarwal also released the coffee table book ‘Skilling the Future Uttar Pradesh, Journey from Training to Transformation’.

Karnataka Energy Department Begins Gruha Jyothi Verification Drive

• What: The Karnataka Energy Department launched a door-to-door verification drive for Gruha Jyothi scheme beneficiaries to check supporting documents like voter identity cards, rental agreements, and Aadhaar cards.
• Tell me more:
  • The Gruha Jyothi scheme is a welfare initiative by the Karnataka government providing up to 200 units of free electricity per month to eligible residential households across the state.
  • Seva Sindhu is Karnataka’s online government services portal, where people can apply for schemes, access public services, and resolve issues related to services such as the Gruha Jyothi scheme.

Kolkata Metro Receives Approval for Driverless Train Operations

• What: The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) cleared Kolkata Metro’s Green Line running from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V to operate autonomous driverless trains.
• Tell me more:
  • Kolkata becomes the third Indian city to adopt driverless train operations after Delhi Metro and Bengaluru Metro.

International News

Ten European Nations Form Joint Anti Ballistic Missile Coalition

• What: Ten founding countries announced a joint programme in Paris to develop Europe’s own Integrated Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition (IABMC) through collective effort and shared industrial capacity.
• Tell me more:
  • Leaders from Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom (UK), and Ukraine signed the agreement to build an integrated missile defence architecture.
  • The defensive alliance aims to reduce dependence on United States (US) Patriot and French-Italian SAMP/T missile defence systems during ballistic missile attacks.
  • Ukraine will contribute its experience in countering Iskander and Kinzhal missiles and its Freyja interceptor programme to help develop low-cost, mass-produced anti-ballistic systems.

Banking and Economy

Axis Max Life Launches Index-Linked Pension Plan

• What: Axis Max Life Insurance Limited launched the Smart Retirement Income with Sustained Earnings Plan, a retirement plan that combines a guaranteed annuity with a NIFTY 50 Index-linked annuity.
• Tell me more:
  • An index-linked pension plan provides a fixed guaranteed pension along with an additional pension linked to the performance of a market index, such as the NIFTY 50 Index, after retirement.

Delhivery Unit Receives Reserve Bank of India Approval

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved Delhivery Financial Services Private Limited for a Certificate of Registration (CoR) as a Type II Non-Banking Financial Company – Non-Deposit Taking (NBFC-ND).

Defence News

Indian Navy Hosts Operation Southern Readiness Exercise

• What: The Indian Navy is hosting a four-day multinational maritime security training engagement named Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi from July 20 to 23.
• Tell me more:
  • The Indian Navy-led Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154) conducts the event in partnership with the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
  • The exercise includes 254 participants from 26 countries, 74 facilitators, international organisations, and experts, with classroom, simulator, and onboard naval training in maritime law and counter-narcotics.
  • The event marks the first edition of Operation Southern Readiness hosted in India to enhance interoperability and regional capacity building among participating nations.

Indian Navy to Commission Shallow Water Craft Malvan

• What: The Indian Navy will commission Malvan, its second Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), on 22 July 2026.
• Tell me more:
  • Built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi, the warship has over 80% indigenous content.

Science and Technology

Indian Railways Launches First Indigenous Hydrogen-Powered Train

• What: Indian Railways inaugurated India’s first indigenous hydrogen fuel cell-powered train on July 17, 2026, to run on the Jind-Sonipat section of the Northern Railway.
• Tell me more:
  • The project supports the National Green Hydrogen Mission and positions India alongside nations like Germany, Japan, China, and the United States.
  • Research, Design & Standards Organisation (RDSO) prepared the design and technical standards for the 10-coach train, which can carry about 2,600 passengers.
  • The train uses a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), which combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water vapour and heat as the only by-products.

Awards

India Secures Joint Top Rank at 58th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

• What: India registered its best-ever performance at the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, by winning four gold medals and securing joint first rank.
• Tell me more:
  • Indian students Debadatta Priyadarshi, Harshit Singhal, Kabeer Chhillar, and Sandeep Kuchi won four gold medals at the competition involving 363 participants from 93 countries.
  • India finished joint first in the overall rankings alongside China, Vietnam, and an individual participant from Russia during its 27th appearance at the event.
  • Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata Head Mentor Subhajit Bandyopadhyay and Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) Mentor Indrani Das Sen led the team.
  • Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), managed the national selection with funding from Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Department of Science and Technology (DST), and Ministry of Education.

Indian Team Wins Four Medals at Biology Olympiad in Vilnius, Lithuania

• What: The four-member Indian team won one gold and three silver medals at the 37th International Biology Olympiad (IBO), which concluded on 19 July.
• Tell me more:
  • Bhavyaa Gunwal won the gold medal, while Soumil Maity, Nishit Kalani, and Anmol Kumar won silver medals.
  • Anupama Ronad and Rekha Vartak mentored the team, while Ranjitsingh Devkar and Siddhesh Ghag joined as scientific observers.

Important Days

World Chess Day 2026 – July 20

• FIDE’s Focus: Celebrate, create and make a difference

World Day for International Justice 2026 – July 17

Sports

Officials Launch Peacko and Anthem for BWF Championships

• What: Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Badminton Association of India (BAI) President Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the official mascot, Peacko, and the official anthem for the BWF World Championships, New Delhi 2026.
• Tell me more:
  • The launch marked the final 30-day countdown to the 30th edition of the tournament, which is returning to India after 17 years.
  • More than 400 players from over 50 countries will compete in New Delhi from 17 to 23 August.
  • Peacko is inspired by the Indian Peafowl and wears a shuttlecock-shaped skirt.
  • The rap anthem features all 16 Indian players, including five-time medallist P. V. Sindhu.

Spain Wins 2026 FIFA World Cup

• What: Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium (New York New Jersey Stadium), USA.
• Tell me more:
  • Spain won its second FIFA World Cup title, adding to its 2010 victory. Argentina finished runner-up after failing to defend its World Cup title.
  • FIFA President – Gianni Infantino
  • Awards:

2030 FIFA World Cup

• What: The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) scheduled the 2030 FIFA World Cup across six countries and three continents, featuring centenary matches in South America alongside main hosts in Europe and Africa.
• Tell me more:
  • Spain, Portugal, and Morocco serve as main hosts, while Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay stage opening centenary matches to celebrate 100 years of the tournament.
  • Six host nations automatically qualified for the 48-team tournament, while FIFA examines a proposal to expand the competition to 64 teams.
  • FIFA confirmed Saudi Arabia as the sole host nation for the subsequent 2034 FIFA World Cup.

Lionel Messi Sets World Cup Captaincy Record

• What: Argentina’s Lionel Messi became the first player in FIFA World Cup history to captain his country in three World Cup finals.
• Tell me more:
  • The 39-year-old captained Argentina against Spain in 2026 FIFA World Cup, after leading the team in the 2014 and 2022 finals.

Rohit Sharma Becomes First Indian to Score ODI Century at Lord’s

• What: Rohit Sharma became the first Indian batter to score a One Day International (ODI) century at Lord’s Cricket Ground during the third ODI against England.
• Tell me more:
  • At 39 years and 80 days, Rohit Sharma became the oldest Indian batter to score an ODI century, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 38 years and 327 days.
  • It was his eighth ODI century in England, the most by a visiting batter in any country.
  • England scored 387/3, the highest ODI total at Lord’s.
  • Rohit Sharma scored 138, but England won by 27 runs to take the three-match ODI series 2-1.

Memorandum of Understanding

CGPDTM Joins National Knowledge Resource Consortium

• What: The Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) and CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR) signed an MoU for CGPDTM to join the National Knowledge Resource Consortium (NKRC).
• Tell me more:
  • CGPDTM joined the digital knowledge network during the Silver Jubilee year of the National Knowledge Resource Consortium (NKRC).
  • The consortium gives CGPDTM access to international journals, patent databases, standards, and research tools, while reducing costs.
  • The NKRC was established in 2009. It is a network of libraries and information centres of 43 Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) institutes and 26 Department of Science and Technology (DST) institutes.

Appointments

Rahul Himalian Takes Charge as IRCTC CMD

• What: The Ministry of Railways has given Director (Tourism & Marketing) Rahul Himalian the additional charge of Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) following the resignation of Sanjay Kumar Jain.
• Tell me more:
  • IRCTC is a Schedule ‘A’ Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise.

Harjeet Singh Grewal Appointed NCM Chairman

• What: The Central Government appointed 69-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Harjeet Singh Grewal as the Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) with the rank of a Union Cabinet Minister.
• Tell me more:
  • He is the third Sikh leader to head the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), after Iqbal Singh Lalpura and Trilochan Singh.
  • The post had been vacant since April 2025, after Iqbal Singh Lalpura completed his three-year term.

Start Quiz of 21st July 2026 on Mobile

Start Quiz of 21st July 2026 on Desktop