Why in the News:
The Ministry of Earth Sciences, or MoES, marked its 20th Foundation Day at Prithvi Bhawan, New Delhi, on 27 July 2026. The occasion highlighted two decades of work in meteorology, ocean studies and polar research.

Key Highlights:
•   MoES Secretary Dr. N. Kalaiselvi presided over the programme.
•   Dr. A. E. Muthunayagam, founding Director of the Department of Ocean Development, and Dr. Chandramouli Gaddamanugu attended as Guests of Honour.
•   The India Meteorological Department has created 13 specialised Centres of Excellence, including centres for desert meteorology in Jaipur and thunderstorm research in Patna.
•   The Cyclone Warning Centre at Thiruvananthapuram has been upgraded to an Area Cyclone Warning Centre.
•   WAADRU, a weather-driven animal-disease risk forecasting unit, was launched with ICAR-NIVEDI for district-level livestock advisories.
•   The WINGS app from NCMRWF provides numerical-weather and AI/ML based forecasts on one platform.
•   NCCR launched the AI-based Sagar Prahari application to geo-tag beach-cleaning activity and identify marine litter.
•   IMD NOVA has been introduced as an online platform for tracking and storing thunderstorm nowcasts.
•   The National Centre for Seismology released the Strong Motion Atlas of India 2010-2020 for earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 and above.
•   SAHAV 2.0 was introduced as a GIS-enabled tool for marine spatial planning and ocean accounting.
•   A Ballast Water Treatment Test Facility was inaugurated at Pamanji, Andhra Pradesh.
•   Ocean Olympiad India 2026 was announced to build ocean literacy among undergraduate students.

Additional Information:
•   MoES was formed in 2006 by combining the Department of Ocean Development with IMD.
•   It is headquartered at Prithvi Bhawan, New Delhi, and oversees initiatives such as Mission Mausam and the Deep Ocean Mission.

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Why in the News:
The Ministry of Civil Aviation started hub-and-spoke international flight operations from Amritsar on 28 July 2026. With this launch, Amritsar became India's second airport to function as a spoke in the international aviation hub strategy.

Key Highlights:
•   Varanasi was the first airport brought under this framework on 25 June 2026.
•   Delhi serves as the main hub for the network.
•   The system enables onward access to more than 20 international destinations through Delhi.
•   Passengers can finish check-in, immigration and customs procedures at Amritsar before beginning their journey.
•   A single baggage tag will be used for the full international itinerary.
•   The model expands Amritsar's international connectivity from 7 direct destinations to more than 20 destinations through the hub.
•   The initiative is projected to add USD 30 billion to the economy and generate 0.4 million jobs by 2030.
•   By 2047, the expected cumulative impact is USD 1.4 trillion and 16 million jobs.
•   About 250 travellers per day from Amritsar are expected to benefit, while the next phase has a national target of 4.5 lakh passengers each year.

Additional Information:
•   The Airports Authority of India develops, upgrades and manages civil aviation infrastructure in the country.
•   AAI was formed in 1995 through the merger of the International Airports Authority of India and the National Airports Authority.

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Why in the News:
The Kerala government joined hands with IIT Ropar on 28 July 2026 to install ANNAM.AI, an AI-enabled network of smart weather stations. The project is part of the state's 100-day action plan for climate-smart agriculture.

Key Highlights:
•   ANNAM.AI is designed as an advanced hyper-local weather intelligence system.
•   The stations will provide real-time information relevant to sowing, irrigation and harvesting decisions.
•   Farmers will receive local weather-based guidance to support crop protection.
•   The system is intended to improve agricultural resilience over the long term.
•   It seeks to reduce crop damage by enabling data-based decisions at the farm level.
•   IIT Ropar designed and will deploy the ANNAM.AI infrastructure.

Additional Information:
•   IIT Ropar was established in 2008 as a second-generation IIT.
•   It is located in Rupnagar, Punjab, and functions under the Ministry of Education.
•   Climate-smart agriculture combines approaches that help farms adapt to climate change, raise productivity and strengthen food security.

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Why in the News:
The Union Defence Minister introduced two policy changes for the Indian Coast Guard on 28 July 2026 at Kartavya Bhavan-2, New Delhi. The reforms relate to gender-neutral recruitment and a simpler ex-gratia process for personnel missing at sea while on duty.

Key Highlights:
•   Women will now be inducted into both Short Service Appointments and Permanent Appointments on terms comparable with male officers.
•   Short Service Appointments have also been opened for male candidates.
•   Women officers already serving under Short Service Appointment may move to Permanent Appointment if they meet the prescribed conditions.
•   The revised ex-gratia policy allows an ICG member missing at sea in the line of duty to be treated as presumed dead for compensation purposes.
•   This will simplify the release of compensation and terminal benefits to the Next of Kin.
•   The measures are expected to strengthen morale and operational effectiveness within the force.
•   They were announced ahead of the Coast Guard's Swarnim Jayanti, or Golden Jubilee, in 2027.

Additional Information:
•   The Indian Coast Guard was established on 18 August 1978 under the Coast Guard Act, 1978.
•   It functions as an armed force of the Union under the Ministry of Defence.
•   Its motto is Vayam Rakshamah, meaning We Protect.
•   Vice Admiral V. A. Kamath was the first Director General of the Indian Coast Guard.

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Why in the News:
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on 28 July 2026 that India’s space launch vehicles will soon carry domestically made semiconductor components. The announcement followed the successful orbital mission of Vikram-1.

Key Highlights:
•   Vikram-1 Test Flight-1 successfully entered orbit on 18 July 2026.
•   It was the maiden mission of India’s first privately built orbital-class launch vehicle.
•   With this success, India became the third country with private orbital launch capability.
•   The rocket placed payloads into an orbit close to 450 km above Earth.
•   Future versions will use Made in Bharat semiconductor chips in place of imported electronic components.
•   The initiative is led by Skyroot Aerospace founders Pawan Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka.
•   The development plan supports indigenous semiconductor production and stronger digital infrastructure for India’s private space industry.

Additional Information:
•   Vikram-1 is India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket.
•   It has been developed by the space technology startup Skyroot Aerospace.

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Why in the News:
Union Minister Piyush Goyal announced a task force for India's toy sector on 27 July 2026. The announcement was made at the Team Up for Toys meeting held at Vanijya Bhawan in New Delhi.

Key Highlights:
•   The task force has been formed with the goal of securing a 5 percent share in the global toy market by 2032.
•   It will work towards linking the Indian toy sector with global value chains.
•   Strengthening manufacturing capacity, removing supply-chain bottlenecks and developing skilled manpower are major focus areas.
•   The initiative will also promote design, innovation and ease of doing business.
•   A Toy Sector Playbook was launched for MSMEs, startups and investors.
•   The playbook offers practical guidance on production ecosystems, standards and product innovation.
•   It also covers compliance needs, intellectual-property issues and new export opportunities.

Additional Information:
•   DPIIT functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and handles initiatives such as Start-up India.
•   SCALE stands for Steering Committee for Advancing Local Value Add and Employment and is chaired by Dr. Pawan Goenka.
•   BIS is India's national standards body and operates under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

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Why in the News:
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare observed World Hepatitis Day on 28 July 2026. The observance also marked eight years of the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme, or NVHCP.

Key Highlights:
•   The global theme for 2026 is Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down.
•   India aims to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public-health threat by 2030, in line with SDG Target 3.3.
•   Under NVHCP, more than 21 crore beneficiaries have been screened and free treatment has been provided to over 6 lakh patients.
•   The programme has set up 1,153 treatment centres, exceeding the objective of one centre in every district.
•   Screening and treatment facilities have been extended to over 1.85 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
•   Hepatitis-B birth-dose coverage has crossed 92 percent.
•   A total of 7.64 crore pregnant women have been screened for viral hepatitis.
•   Hepatitis-B Immunoglobulin was administered within 24 hours to 2.24 lakh newborns born to hepatitis-positive mothers.
•   The programme uses the Case-Based Management Information System for patient tracking and follow-up care.
•   NVHCP works in convergence with the National AIDS Control Programme and the Universal Immunisation Programme.

Additional Information:
•   NVHCP was launched on 28 July 2018 under the National Health Mission.
•   It focuses on preventing, diagnosing and treating Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

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Why in the News:
Union Minister of Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh launched the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme, the SAMARTH Panchayat Portal and the Model OSR Rules in New Delhi on 27 July 2026. These initiatives are aimed at increasing the financial capacity of Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Key Highlights:
•   The Atmanirbhar Panchayat Programme plans to develop 350 projects in four years.
•   Fifty projects are planned for the first year, followed by 100 projects each in the next three years.
•   NABARD and HUDCO will provide financing and technical support as institutional partners.
•   Eligibility requires an Own Source Revenue of at least Rs. 50 lakh for Gram Panchayats and Rs. 1 crore for Block Panchayats.
•   SAMARTH is a national digital platform that manages the Own Source Revenue cycle, including taxpayer enrolment, demand generation and real-time monitoring.
•   Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh have completed onboarding on the portal.
•   The portal has registered 51 lakh taxpayers and recorded collections of Rs. 27 crore so far.
•   Model OSR Rules provide advisory guidance to States and Union Territories on property tax, user charges and fee assessment and collection.
•   The rules were framed using recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission.

Additional Information:
•   The Ministry of Panchayati Raj was created as an independent ministry in May 2004.
•   The 16th Finance Commission is constituted under Article 280 of the Constitution and is chaired by Arvind Panagariya.
•   Panchayati Raj Day is observed on 24 April each year.

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Why in the News:
International Tiger Day is observed every year on 29 July to promote tiger conservation and renew global commitment towards safeguarding wild tiger populations.

Key Highlights:
•   India is home to nearly 70 percent of the global wild tiger population.
•   India’s conservation progress has been attributed to long-term scientific management and policy support.
•   The Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit was held in November 2010 and involved 13 tiger-range countries, including India.
•   At the summit, leaders adopted the Tx2 Goal to double the world’s wild tiger population by 2022.
•   The estimated global wild tiger population increased from about 3,200 in 2010 to nearly 5,711 recently.
•   This represents an increase of roughly 78 percent in tiger numbers since 2010.

Additional Information:
•   The Royal Bengal Tiger was declared India’s National Animal in 1972.
•   The Tx2 initiative was created in 2010 to reverse the decline in wild tiger numbers across the 13 tiger-range countries.

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Why in the News:
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched the Mukhyamantri Machhuara Samman Nidhi Yojana on 29 July 2026. The scheme is meant to assist fishermen during the annual closed fishing season.

Key Highlights:
•   Eligible fishermen will receive annual financial assistance of Rs. 3,500 for household needs during the fishing-ban period.
•   The scheme is expected to cover around 3,700 fisher families dependent on major reservoirs in the state.
•   The state has earmarked an annual budget of about Rs. 1.20 crore for implementation.
•   The programme covers Gobind Sagar, Pong Dam, Kol Dam, Chamera and Ranjit Sagar reservoirs.
•   Applicants must have a valid fishing licence and membership of a registered Fisheries Cooperative Society.
•   A valid NFDP registration number and Aadhaar card are also required.
•   Fisheries Cooperative Societies scrutinise applications, while final approval is given by the district Deputy Director or Assistant Director of Fisheries.

Additional Information:
•   Gobind Sagar is a large man-made reservoir on the Sutlej River.
•   Pong Dam on the Beas River is a Ramsar Site and an important commercial fishing centre.
•   The annual fishing ban is imposed to support breeding and sustainable fisheries management.

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Why in the News:
The Ministry of Tourism signed an MoU with Air India Limited on 27 July 2026 to strengthen global promotion of India under the Incredible India brand. The arrangement is intended to encourage inbound travel and improve India’s profile as a transit and tourism destination.

Key Highlights:
•   Air India’s international network will be used to reach overseas travellers and promote Indian destinations.
•   The MoU is non-commercial, non-binding and non-exclusive in nature.
•   Neither party has made a financial commitment under the agreement.
•   Destination promotion may use aircraft liveries, boarding passes and in-flight entertainment systems.
•   The partnership will also support joint international campaigns and digital storytelling across Incredible India channels.
•   A Joint Working Group will monitor implementation and review the progress of activities.
•   The agreement has an initial validity of two years, with an option to extend it by one additional year.

Additional Information:
•   The Incredible India global marketing campaign was launched in 2002.
•   The Ministry of Tourism is headquartered in New Delhi and manages schemes such as Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD.
•   Air India began as Tata Airlines, founded by J. R. D. Tata in 1932.
•   It was handed over to the Tata Group after privatisation in January 2022.

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Why in the News:
A new polypore bracket fungus named Microporellus kolhapurensis was identified in the Bhudargad taluka of Kolhapur district, Maharashtra, on 27 July 2026. The discovery adds to the documented fungal diversity of the Western Ghats.

Key Highlights:
•   The fungus was found growing on decaying wood in the Bediv area near the Ajra border.
•   The location lies within the Western Ghats ecosystem.
•   Dr. Anjali Patil of Rajaram College and research scholar Yogesh Patil identified the new species.
•   The scientific study was published in Nelumbo, the journal of the Botanical Survey of India.
•   The species is saprotrophic, meaning it breaks down dead organic material and helps recycle nutrients in forest ecosystems.
•   It generally produces fruiting bodies from July to September.
•   It has an umbrella-like form and distinctive thick-walled cystidia on its spore-bearing surface.
•   Around 36 species of the Microporellus genus are recognised globally.
•   Before this discovery, Microporellus obovatus was the only known Microporellus species reported from Maharashtra.

Additional Information:
•   The Botanical Survey of India was established on 13 February 1890 and is headquartered in Kolkata.
•   The Western Ghats are known as the Sahyadri range in Maharashtra and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.

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Why in the News:
The Union Agriculture Minister reviewed the implementation of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana in Maharashtra on 27 July 2026. Following the review, the second instalment of RKVY funding was approved for the state.

Key Highlights:
•   Maharashtra became India's first state to meet the utilisation condition required for release of the second RKVY instalment.
•   The first instalment released to the state was Rs. 335 crore.
•   Around Rs. 260 crore of this amount was utilised.
•   The state crossed the required 75 percent utilisation threshold within the prescribed period.
•   The sanctioned second instalment is also Rs. 335 crore.
•   Maharashtra transferred Rs. 14,000 crore as direct assistance to flood-affected farmers through bank accounts within five days.
•   The state showed strong performance in Farmer ID generation and satisfactory progress under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture.
•   Digital Agriculture, agroforestry and oilseeds were identified as areas requiring faster implementation.
•   It was clarified that both Kisan Credit Card and non-KCC farmers can access PMFBY, provided their KCC status is correctly declared.

Additional Information:
•   RKVY began in 2007 and was renamed RKVY-RAFTAAR in 2017-18.
•   PMFBY was launched on 18 February 2016.

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Why in the News:
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a draft proposal on 27 July 2026 to revise the validity period of Pollution Under Control Certificates, or PUCC, for private vehicles compliant with BS-VI emission standards. The proposal seeks to reduce the compliance burden for newer and cleaner vehicles.

Key Highlights:
•   For BS-VI private vehicles up to six years old, PUCC validity is proposed to be raised from one year to three years.
•   BS-VI vehicles between six and ten years old would need annual certificate renewal.
•   BS-VI vehicles older than ten years would need renewal every six months.
•   BS-IV vehicles would continue to renew their PUCC every six months.
•   BS-I, BS-II and BS-III vehicles would require PUCC renewal once every three months.
•   Emission norms regulate pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulate matter.
•   The proposal recognises the lower emissions of BS-VI vehicles and the use of low-sulphur BS-VI fuel.

Additional Information:
•   Bharat Stage norms are Indian standards used to control air pollutants released from internal-combustion engines.
•   India moved directly from BS-IV to BS-VI, without introducing BS-V, to speed up emissions control.
•   BS-VI standards became compulsory for vehicles sold in India from 1 April 2020.

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Why in the News:
The Ministry of Finance reported that Public Sector Banks achieved a record-low Gross Non-Performing Assets ratio of 1.9 percent and a record net profit of Rs. 1.98 lakh crore in FY 2025-26.

Key Highlights:
•   Aggregate business of public sector banks reached Rs. 283.3 lakh crore as of 31 March 2026.
•   Total deposits were Rs. 156.3 lakh crore and total loans and advances stood at Rs. 127.0 lakh crore.
•   Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio improved to 16.6 percent, compared with 14.6 percent in 2022.
•   Retail lending recorded the highest growth at 19.8 percent.
•   MSME credit increased by 19.6 percent, while agriculture credit grew by 16.2 percent.
•   Infrastructure lending in the industrial sector rose by 4.9 percent.
•   ECLGS 5.0 was introduced in May 2026 to address liquidity risks linked to the West Asia Crisis.
•   The scheme is administered by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited.
•   Total credit flow under ECLGS 5.0 is capped at Rs. 2,55,000 crore for eligible Member Lending Institutions.
•   The scheduled passenger airline sector has been allocated Rs. 5,000 crore under the scheme.
•   Loans up to Rs. 1,500 crore per borrower will receive 90 percent guarantee coverage.

Additional Information:
•   CRAR is also called Capital-to-Risk Weighted Assets Ratio and measures a bank’s capital in relation to its risk exposure.
•   NCGTC was set up by the Ministry of Finance in 2014 under the Companies Act and is headquartered in Mumbai.

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