01st-03rd August, 2026

1. Union Territory of Ladakh Declares 23 Heritage Sites as Protected Monuments
2. IIT Guwahati and IAIRO Sign MoU to Advance AI Research and Talent Development
3. NSDC and AVPL International Partner to Establish 350 Advanced Drone Skill Centres
4. Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List 2026: Roshni Nadar, Priya Nair, Avani Lekhara and Sudha Murty Among the Top Leaders
5. ADB Approves USD 1 Billion Loan to Support Urban Transformation in India
6. Indian Navy Inducts Indigenous Diving Support Vessel Nipun
7. World Ranger Day 2026 – July 31
8. World Wide Web Day 2026 – August 1
9. World Lung Cancer Day 2026 – August 1
10. Odisha Signs Tripartite Agreement for the ₹3,385 Crore BharatNet Programme
11. Tamil Nadu Signs Four MoUs to Establish Global Capability Centres and the University of Western Australia Campus in Chennai
12. Gujarat’s Pithora Painting Receives GI Tag
13. Air Marshal Tejpal Singh Takes Charge as Deputy Chief of Air Staff
14. PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates the ₹5,000 Crore Bhogapuram International Airport
15. PM Narendra Modi Launches 100-Week ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan’
16. 4th Edition of the Tri-Services Future Warfare Course to Begin in New Delhi
17. BRICS Heads of National Statistical Offices Meeting Begins in Lucknow
18. NFDC to Organise BRICS WAVES Bazaar in Mumbai on August 6–7
19. SBI Research Projects India’s Economy to Grow Around 7% in Q1 FY27
20. Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan and PM Narendra Modi Pay Tribute to Pingali Venkayya on His Birth Anniversary
21. New Delhi to Host GI & Beyond 2.0 Summit on August 5
22. Ministry of Textiles to Inaugurate ‘Worlds Within Cloth: New Orders of Woven Making’ Exhibition in New Delhi
23. Ramkumar Ramanathan and Vijay Sundar Prashanth Win Bonn Open Doubles Title
24. India–China Cross-Border Trade Resumes Through Shipki La After Six Years
25. Ministry of Defence Launches Indigenous Diving Support Craft DSC A24
26. PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates Swami Vivekananda Cultural Youth Centre in Mysuru
27. Centre Approves Advance Release of Over ₹2,000 Crore for Flood-Affected States
28. Air Marshal Tejpal Singh Assumes Charge as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
29. President Droupadi Murmu to Attend the 12th National Handloom Day Function at Rashtrapati Bhavan
30. PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport in Andhra Pradesh
31. Railways Approves ₹976 Crore Danapur–Fatuha Multitracking Project
32. India and Rwanda Reaffirm Commitment to Expand Bilateral Trade
33. Ministry of Women and Child Development to Observe World Breastfeeding Week 2026 (August 1–7)
34. Ministry of Ayush and IndiaAI Partner to Promote AI in Traditional Medicine
35. National Manuscript Digitisation Drive Honours India’s Knowledge Heritage
36. Union Minister Jitendra Singh Reviews Progress of the Ujh Multipurpose Project in Jammu & Kashmir
37. 166th Birth Anniversary of Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy Observed Across West Bengal
38. 2nd Edition of Handloom Hackathon 2.0 – Weaving Innovations Concludes at IIT Delhi
39. Tanvi Sharma Wins Her Maiden BWF World Tour Title at the Taipei Open

National News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Launches Nasha Mukt Campaign

• What: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan through nationwide video conference, addressing over one crore young citizens connected across twenty eight thousand locations.
• Tell me more:
  • The initiative originated as a pilot project in Kashi and expanded into a national project supported by over 125 spiritual organizations under the Kashi Declaration.
  • The Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) platform connects to advance this mission through sustained engagement.

NFDC to Host BRICS WAVES Bazaar in Mumbai

• What: The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, will host the BRICS WAVES Bazaar in Mumbai on 6–7 August 2026.
• Tell me more:
  • The event will bring together over 500 delegates from BRICS member and partner countries to strengthen cooperation in the creative economy.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India’s BRICS Presidency defines BRICS as “Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability” with a people-centric approach.

Ministry of Textiles to Host GI and Beyond 2.0 Summit

• What: The Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), in association with the Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC), will organise the GI and Beyond 2.0 Summit at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi on 5 August 2026.
• Tell me more:
  • GI and Beyond 2.0 Summit
    • The summit will showcase over 100 Geographical Indication (GI)-registered products and bring together buyers from 10 countries and industry stakeholders.
    • The Ministry of Textiles will launch the Digital Handloom Atlas and unveil the HEPC Diamond Jubilee logo, while technical sessions will cover GI registration, intellectual property rights, domestic promotion, and AI applications by IIT-Madras experts.
  • ‘Worlds Within Cloth: New Orders of Woven Making’ Exhibition
    • The Office will also inaugurate the textile exhibition ‘Worlds Within Cloth: New Orders of Woven Making’ on the sidelines of this summit at Virasat Hall, New Delhi.
    • As part of the 12th National Handloom Day (7 August) celebrations, the exhibition, curated by Sreyansi Singh, showcases works by contemporary textile artists, designers, and craft collectives.
    • Live demonstrations of Kani weaving (handloom art from Kashmir) and Wall Hanging weaving will be organised.
  • Book Publications:
    • Two publications – “Earth. Root. Thread – Aal Dyed Handloom Textiles of Central India” and the Handloom Awards Book 2025 – will also be unveiled during the event.
  • Awards:
    • A total of 22 awards, including three Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and 19 National Handloom Awards, will be conferred on outstanding handloom weavers in recognition of their craftsmanship, innovation and contribution to preserving India’s handloom traditions.
• Knowledge Nuggets:
  • National Handloom Day celebrations first began in 2015. It commemorates the Swadeshi Movement launched on the same day in 1905.

Handloom Hackathon 2.0 Concludes at IIT Delhi

• What: The Ministry of Textiles, alongwith the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at the IIT Delhi, successfully concluded Handloom Hackathon 2.0: “Weaving Innovations” to promote technology-driven solutions for India’s handloom sector.
• Tell me more:
  • IIT Delhi announced the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology to improve standardisation and productivity.
  • The hackathon recognised winners in four categories: Weaver Livelihoods & Financial Inclusion, Market Access & Digital Integration, Sustainability & Environmental Impact, and Innovation in Design & Operations.
  • Development Commissioner (Handlooms) M. Beena highlighted the Indian Handmade Portal, an e-commerce platform enabling weavers to directly access global markets without intermediaries.

Indian Railways Approves ₹976-Crore Multitracking Project

• What: Indian Railways approved a ₹976-crore multitracking project on the 29-km Danapur–Fatuha section of the East Central Railway (ECR) to increase capacity on the Patna rail corridor.
• Tell me more:
  • The project includes third and fourth railway lines between Danapur–Patna and Patna Saheb–Fatuha, and a third line between Rajendra Nagar and Patna Saheb.
  • The additional lines will enable 22 new passenger trains, 18 new freight trains, and movement of 5.2 million tonnes of additional freight annually.
  • The section is part of the Delhi–Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction–Patna–Kiul–Bhagalpur–Khana–Howrah quadrupling project under the Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor.
  • The project will also improve freight connectivity for the upcoming 2,120-MW thermal power plant at Chausa in Buxar district.

India and Rwanda Hold First Joint Trade Committee Meeting

• What: India and Rwanda held the first meeting of the India–Rwanda Joint Trade Committee (JTC) in New Delhi on 30–31 July to strengthen bilateral trade, investment, and economic cooperation.
• Tell me more:
  • The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary Amit Kumar, while Director General Virgile Rwanyagatare headed the Rwandan delegation.
  • Both countries agreed to diversify bilateral trade, address regulatory bottlenecks, and designate Invest India and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) as nodal investment agencies.
  • India expressed interest in strengthening critical mineral supply chains, including tin, tungsten, and tantalum, through cooperation between the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board.
  • Both sides also agreed to deepen healthcare cooperation by finalising a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and aligning standards between the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB).

Culture Ministry Holds National Digitization Drive Workshop

• What: The Ministry of Culture organised the National Digitization Drive Workshop under the Gyan Bharatam Mission in New Delhi to develop a unified framework for digitising ancient manuscripts.
• Tell me more:
  • The Central Government will provide funds to strengthen infrastructure, equipment, and skilled manpower, while developing an AI-enabled National Digital Manuscript Ecosystem with standardised digitisation and access protocols.

State News

Ladakh Declares 23 Heritage Sites as Protected Monuments

• What: The Union Territory (UT) Administration of Ladakh declared 23 heritage sites across Leh, Sham, Nubra, Zanskar, and Kargil as Protected Monuments under Section 3(1) of the Jammu & Kashmir Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, Samvat 1977 (1920 AD).
• Tell me more:
  • The protected sites include ancient forts, petroglyph complexes, meditation caves, Buddhist sculptures, rock inscriptions, and monastic heritage structures.
  • Important sites include the Maitreya Buddha Rock Carving at Shey, Tingmosgang Fort, Sumoor Fort, Saspol Caves, and Stongday Gonpa.

Odisha Signs Tripartite Agreement for BharatNet Programme

• What: The Odisha Government signed a tripartite agreement with Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to implement the ₹3,384.82-crore amended BharatNet Programme, connecting 6,799 Gram Panchayats.
• Tell me more:
  • BSNL will serve as the Single Project Management Agency (SPMA), while Creative Newtech Private Limited will act as the Project Implementing Agency (PIA).
  • The Odisha Computer Application Centre (OCAC) also signed an agreement with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) to collaborate on Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and digital governance.
  • The project will establish an IP-MPLS ring-topology network to provide high-speed Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) broadband connectivity in rural areas.

Tamil Nadu Signs Global Investment MoUs

• What: The Tamil Nadu Government signed multiple MoUs with Nordex, Chubb, the University of Western Australia (UWA), and Motivelink Co. Ltd. to boost investment in technology, education, and manufacturing.
• Tell me more:
  • The University of Western Australia (UWA) will establish a 70,000-square-foot campus in Velachery with an investment of ₹125 crore, offering eight programmes to 300 students from October 2026 under University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations.
  • Nordex will establish a Research and Development (R&D) centre employing 1,000 people for engineering, supply chain management, and digital transformation.
  • Switzerland-based Chubb will set up its first Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Chennai for advanced analytics and engineering, with Nordex and Chubb together creating 1,220 jobs.
  • South Korea’s Motivelink Co. Ltd. will invest ₹300 crore in an auto-components manufacturing facility at Pillaipakkam Industrial Park, increasing the total employment generation from these projects to 2,920 jobs.

Gujarat’s Pithora Painting Receives GI Tag

• What: Pithora painting, the traditional wall art of Gujarat’s Rathwa tribal community, received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag to protect the art form and promote tribal livelihoods.
• Tell me more:
  • Pithora painting is an important cultural tradition of the Rathwa, Bhil, Bhilala, and Nayaka communities in Chhota Udepur district.
  • Lakharas (painters) create sacred Pithora paintings using natural colours.

PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates Bhogapuram International Airport

• What: PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh. The airport was developed by the GMR Group at a cost of nearly ₹5,000 crore.
• Tell me more:
  • The Prime Minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for development projects worth nearly ₹18,000 crore across the state.

India Hosts BRICS National Statistical Offices Meeting in Lucknow

• What: India is hosting the Heads of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) meeting of BRICS countries in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, from 3–4 August 2026.
• Tell me more:
  • Under its 2026 BRICS Chairship, India has adopted the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, while the statistics track follows the theme of “Quality Statistics as Driver of Change.”
  • The meeting aims to strengthen statistical cooperation, knowledge sharing, system innovation, and the publication of the Joint Statistical Publication (JSP) and Snapshot BRICS JSP.

India-China Border Trade Resumes Through Shipki La Pass

• What: India and China resumed cross-border trade through the Shipki La Pass in Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh, after a gap of nearly six to seven years.
• Tell me more:
  • The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce, and the Customs Department approved the export of 36 categories and import of 20 categories of goods.
  • The trade route, suspended since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is expected to boost local trade, employment, transport, and the border economy.

PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates Viveka Smaraka in Mysuru

• What: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Youth Centre (Viveka Smaraka) in Mysuru, Karnataka, to promote youth empowerment and nation-building.
• Tell me more:
  • The centre commemorates the historic association between Swami Vivekananda and the Maharaja of Mysuru (Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar X), who supported him more than 130 years ago.

Centre Releases SDRF Assistance to Seven Flood-Hit States

• What: Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved the advance release of ₹2,117.85 crore under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to support seven flood-affected states during the southwest monsoon.
• Tell me more:
  • The assistance includes ₹44.55 crore for Arunachal Pradesh, ₹379.35 crore for Assam, ₹193.95 crore for Himachal Pradesh, and ₹500 crore each for Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Odisha.
  • The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) has been constituted in each State under Section 48 (1) (a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
  • The fund is the primary fund available with State Governments for responses to notified disasters. The Central Government contributes 75% to the SDRF in general States and 90% in North-East and Himalayan States.

Union Minister Reviews Ujh Multipurpose Project

• What: Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh reviewed the progress and phased implementation plan of the long-pending Ujh Multipurpose Project in Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir.
• Tell me more:
  • WAPCOS Limited, a Government of India enterprise, will implement the project in phases alongside land acquisition.
  • The project, on the Ujh River, a major tributary of the Ravi River, will generate 186–212 MW of electricity.
  • It will provide irrigation to nearly 90,000 hectares of farmland in Kathua and Samba districts of Jammu and Kashmir, and Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts of Punjab.

Banking and Economy

ADB Approves $1.85 Billion Loans for India

• What: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved loans worth $1.85 billion to support urban reforms and accelerate rooftop solar systems deployment in India.
• Tell me more:
  • ADB approved a $1 billion loan for the government’s Urban Transformation and Investment Program.
  • The urban program strengthens urban institutions, improves integrated planning, and helps urban local bodies enhance financial capacity through the Urban Challenge Fund.
  • ADB provides $3 million in technical assistance to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for fund implementation.
  • ADB approved an $850 million loan for the second phase of the Accelerating Affordable and Inclusive Rooftop Solar Systems Development Program.
  • The solar program supports Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, which aims to provide rooftop solar systems to 10 million households and add 30 GW residential capacity by FY27.

Reports and Indices

2026 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List Released

• What: The 2026 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List was released, recognising 117 women leaders across 12 categories based on five key pillars, representing a combined business valuation of ₹39 trillion.
• Tell me more:
  • The list expanded from nine categories in 2025 to 12 categories in 2026, with Olympic and Paralympic medallists forming the largest category with 20 honourees.
  • Para-archer Sheetal Devi, aged 19, was the youngest honouree, while entrepreneur Rajni Bector, aged 89, was the oldest.
  • Top-ranked women leaders across categories:

GDP Forecasts

SBI Research Projects 7% GDP Growth for Q1 FY27

• What: State Bank of India (SBI) Research projected India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth at around 7% for the first quarter of FY2026–27 (Q1 FY27) in its Pre-Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) report.
• Tell me more:
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had earlier lowered its Q1 FY27 GDP growth forecast from 6.9% to 6.6% due to uncertainties arising from the Middle East conflict.
  • Despite the higher growth projection, SBI Research expects the RBI to keep interest rates unchanged at the upcoming Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting.

Defence News

Indian Navy Receives Indigenous Diving Support Vessel Nipun

• What: The Indian Navy took delivery of Nipun, the second indigenous Diving Support Vessel (DSV) built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) at Visakhapatnam, to enhance deep-sea diving and submarine rescue capabilities.
• Tell me more:
  • HSL built the vessel with nearly 75% indigenous content under the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS).
  • Nipun carries advanced diving systems, a side diving stage, and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to conduct deep-sea diving, underwater inspections, salvage work, and submarine rescue missions.

Fourth Tri-Services Future Warfare Course Begins

• What: The fourth edition of the Tri-Services Future Warfare Course commenced at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, under the aegis of the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) and coordinated by the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS).
• Tell me more:
  • The programme covers Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum technologies, cyber warfare, and other emerging domains to strengthen joint understanding of future warfare challenges.

Indian Navy Launches Fifth Diving Support Craft

• What: Mrs. Kamal Singh launched DSC A24, the fifth and final Diving Support Craft (DSC), at Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL) in Kolkata, West Bengal, on 1 August 2026.
• Tell me more:
  • The vessels were designed and built in accordance with the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) Naval Rules and Regulations.

Important Days

World Ranger Day 2026 – July 31

• Theme: “Rangers: Guardians of a Changing Planet”

World Wide Web Day 2026 – August 1

• The World Wide Web was created by British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 while working at CERN.

World Lung Cancer Day 2026 – August 1

World Breastfeeding Week 2026 – 1st to 7th August

• Theme: Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works

Sports

Ramkumar Ramanathan and Vijay Sundar Prashanth Win Bonn Open Doubles Title

• What: India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan and Vijay Sundar Prashanth won the men’s doubles title at the Bonn Open 2026 ATP Challenger clay-court tennis tournament after defeating Scott Duncan of England and Adam Heinonen of Sweden at Bonn, Germany.
• Tell me more:
  • The title was Ramkumar Ramanathan’s second ATP Challenger doubles title of 2026 and the 13th ATP Challenger doubles title of his career.
  • Ramkumar Ramanathan has now won 13 ATP Challenger titles in his career.
  • Jan Choinski (British) won the men’s singles tournament.

Tanvi Sharma Wins Maiden Taipei Open Title

• What: India’s Tanvi Sharma (from Punjab) won her maiden Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour title by defeating Vietnam’s Nguyen Thuy Linh in the women’s singles final of the Taipei Open Super 300.
• Tell me more:
  • She became the youngest Taipei Open champion and the first Indian woman to win the title since Saina Nehwal in 2008.
  • Tanvi Sharma had earlier become the first Indian to win silver in girls’ singles and bronze in the mixed team event at a single World Junior Championships.

Memorandum of Understanding

IIT Gandhinagar Signs MoU with IAIRO for AI Research

• What: The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) signed an MoU with the Indian AI Research Organisation (IAIRO) to strengthen collaboration in artificial intelligence research, academic programmes, innovation, and talent development.
• Tell me more:
  • IAIRO, located in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), will work with IITGN to align technology development with national priorities.

NSDC Partners with AVPL International for Drone Skill Development

• What: The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) partnered with AVPL International to establish 350 Advanced Skill Centres (ASCs) for drone technology across India over the next three years.
• Tell me more:
  • The initiative will establish 75 advanced drone skill centres offering industry-focused training, internships, placements, and academic credits through collaboration between NSDC and AVPL International.

IndiaAI Partners with Ministry of AYUSH for AI Integration

• What: IndiaAI, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of AYUSH to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into traditional medicine.
• Tell me more:
  • The partnership enables secure sharing of AYUSH health data and AI tools to develop evidence-based healthcare solutions using IndiaAI infrastructure without financial obligations.

Appointments

Air Marshal Tejpal Singh Assumes Charge as DCAS

• What: Air Marshal Tejpal Singh assumed charge as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS) of the Indian Air Force (IAF), succeeding Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, who retired after 39 years of service.
• Tell me more:
  • He has received the Vayu Sena Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.

Miscellaneous

Leaders Pay Tribute to Pingali Venkayya

• What: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan paid tribute to freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya on his 150th birth anniversary, honouring his contribution as the designer of the Indian National Flag.
• Tell me more:
  • Pingali Venkayya (2 August 1876/8 – 4 July 1963) was an Indian freedom fighter.

Nation Marks 166th Birth Anniversary of Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy

• What: India observed the 166th birth anniversary of Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy, a pioneering scientist, educator, industrialist, and champion of self-reliance.
• Tell me more:
  • Born on 2 August 1861 in Khulna, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy, regarded as the father of modern chemical science in India, established the country’s first modern research school in chemistry and discovered mercurous nitrite.
  • He authored A History of Hindu Chemistry and founded Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, India’s first pharmaceutical company.

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