Monthly current affairs for July 2026

India has deposited its Instrument of Acceptance for the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS), becoming a party to the agreement. India is the 123rd member to deposit its acceptance for the same.

The AFS, adopted at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva in 2022, is the first multilateral WTO agreement with an environmental sustainability objective.

It prohibits government support for illegal fishing and overexploitation of stocks, contributing to the protection of marine life. It is to be noted that the agreement entered into force in September 2025, following acceptance by two-thirds of WTO members.

Mindaugas Sinkevicius, the leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), has been sworn in as the 20th Prime Minister (PM) of Lithuania. He succeeds Inga Ruginiene.

The Parliament of Ukraine (Verkhovna Rada) has approved the appointment of Sergii Koretskyi as the new Prime Minister (PM). He succeeds Yulia Svyrydenko.

Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (Jio) has received technical approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to deploy a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation consisting of 1,600 satellites.

The company intends to file for global orbital slots under the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to launch India's first home-grown satellite broadband constellation. The project aims to provide a capacity of 4.5–5 Tbps, supported by 20–22 ground stations in India.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has granted marketing authorisation for the Dengue Tetravalent Vaccine (Live, Attenuated), known as "Qdenga". This is the first dengue vaccine to be approved in India for the prevention of the disease.

Manufactured by Takeda GmbH, Germany, and imported by Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India Pvt Ltd, the vaccine is indicated for individuals aged between 4 and 60 years. It is produced in Vero cells. It is to be noted that the vaccine has already received regulatory approval in 42 countries.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has successfully conducted the inaugural lift-off and landing test of its reusable rocket prototype, 'RV-X', at the Noshiro Testing Center in Japan.

The prototype is developed in partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). It measures 7.3 m in length and 1.8 m in diameter, featuring an enhanced-durability engine and 4 shock-absorbing landing legs.

The Arunachal Pradesh government has signed an MoU with Norway-based Tidal Sail AS to implement a 500 kW River Kinetic Energy Demonstration Project.

Being executed under the India-Norway Green Partnership through the Centre for Earth Sciences & Himalayan Studies (CES&HS), this initiative marks the development of the first River Kinetic Energy Demonstration Plant in India.

Google India has signed an MoU with the Tripura government to enhance AI capabilities, strengthen cloud infrastructure, and modernize citizen services in the state.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved format changes for the Men's One Day International (ODI) World Cup and the Men's Twenty20 (T20) World Cup during its annual board meetings held in Edinburgh, Scotland.

From 2027, the 14-team ICC Men's ODI World Cup will transition to a 4-stage format, increasing the total number of matches from 48 to 57 and introducing a 'Super 7' round-robin stage. The 20-team ICC Men's T20 World Cup will feature 5 groups of 4 teams, followed by a 'Super 10' stage (replacing the Super 8) and Eliminators.

World Population Day

Day – July 11

Theme 2026 – “Realizing the hopes and aspirations of young people – today and for the future”

Observed since – 1990

World Youth Skills Day

Day - 15 July

Theme 2026 - "Skills for a Shared Future"

Observed since - 2015

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Arjun Ram Meghwal has launched the electronic - Vidhi Sahitya Prakashan (e-VSP) portal. It is a digital platform designed to provide seamless access to legal books, publications, and educational resources.

Developed in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the Official Languages Wing, the portal facilitates access to legal publications in Hindi.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has launched the pilot phase of the 'Gems of India' Challenge to identify, nurture, and promote grassroots digital creators across the country.

The initiative is built upon MyWAVES, the citizen creator platform under WAVES OTT, which was launched by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to enable citizens to create, upload, and share original content and strengthen the digital creator ecosystem of India. The ministry is collaborating with YouTube and Meta to mobilize creator communities and extend the outreach of the challenge.

The 49th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC49) was held in Geneva, Switzerland. During the session, 7 codex standards and guidelines developed under the chairmanship and co-chairmanship of India were adopted.

The commission also approved a proposal by the Government of India (GoI) to initiate new work for developing a codex standard for cashew kernels under the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables (CCPFV).

PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for rail and road infrastructure projects worth over ₹5,470 crore at Jalandhar Cantonment in Punjab.

This includes the inauguration of 75 redeveloped railway stations across 20 states under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, executed at a cost of ₹1,570 crore.

The central government has approved the development of two new Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMCs) in Tamil Nadu under the 'EMC 2.0' scheme to expand the Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) ecosystem.

The projects, managed by the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamilnadu Ltd (SIPCOT), involve a combined investment of ₹1,012.02 crore. This includes the Manallur EMC in Tiruvallur district (474.3 acres) costing ₹587.47 crore, and the Pillapaikkam EMC in Kancheepuram district (379.3 acres) costing ₹424.55 crore.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has approved projects worth ₹2,719.80 crore under the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) initiated by PM Narendra Modi. The funding is designated for 6 transformative urban development initiatives in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Akasa Air has signed an MoU with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) to promote the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The partnership aims to reduce carbon emissions from the aviation sector in India.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has signed an MoU with Nalanda University (NU) to foster institutional collaboration.

The partnership aims to promote initiatives in technology deployment, sustainability, rural development, skill enhancement, and scientific outreach. It seeks to integrate the indigenous technological capabilities of CSIR with the international academic ecosystem of NU.

According to the 'Brand Finance India 100 Report 2026', Tata Group is ranked as the most valuable brand in India for the 10th consecutive year, with a brand value of $33.6 billion. It is followed by Infosys and LIC Group.

Adani Group is ranked 8th in the list, becoming the fastest company to enter India's 'Top 10 Most Valuable Brands'. Suzlon Energy is the fastest-growing Indian brand in 2026, while Taj Hotels is ranked as India's strongest brand for the 5th consecutive year.