Why in the News:
The Rajya Sabha passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Amendment Bill, 2026 on 29 July 2026 to make deliberate insult to the National Song, Vande Mataram, a criminal offence.

Key Highlights:
•   The Bill seeks to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
•   The 1971 Act earlier protected the National Flag, the Constitution and the National Anthem.
•   Intentionally preventing the singing of Vande Mataram or disturbing an assembly engaged in its singing may lead to imprisonment of up to three years, a fine, or both.
•   A second or subsequent conviction carries a mandatory minimum jail term of one year.
•   The amendment seeks to remove the legal disparity between disrupting Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram.
•   The Bill was piloted by the Ministry of Home Affairs; Minister of State Nityanand Rai represented the ministry.

Additional Information:
•   Vande Mataram was written and composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in the 1870s and featured in Anandamath.
•   It was adopted as India’s National Song on 24 January 1950.
•   Rabindranath Tagore first sang it in a political context at the 1896 Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.

Main Point :-

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched the DAANVEER initiative on 29 July 2026 to improve digital infrastructure in Gram Panchayats through voluntary contributions from citizens.

Key Highlights:
•   The initiative was developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj with the National Informatics Centre and DigiHaat.
•   It can be accessed through the Meri Panchayat mobile application.
•   The platform is integrated with the DigiHaat marketplace to enable donors to select quality-verified computer bundles.
•   Donors can monitor their contribution from dispatch through installation in real time.
•   DAANVEER aims to reduce the digital gap in around 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats through structured donations of IT equipment.
•   Its official tagline is Give Back to Your Village.
•   Contributors receive a digital certificate of appreciation.
•   Computer bundles are matched with technical requirements specified by individual States.
•   The initiative seeks to strengthen grassroots democracy and improve citizen-service delivery through digital empowerment.

Additional Information:
•   The Ministry of Panchayati Raj was established in May 2004 for implementation of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act.
•   NIC was set up in 1976 under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Main Point :-

The Indian Navy launched Machilipatnam (BY 529), the seventh of eight Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, on 29 July 2026.

Key Highlights:
•   The vessel was built by Cochin Shipyard Limited under the ASW SWC project for the Indian Navy.
•   It has more than 80 percent indigenous content, supporting Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence production.
•   Machilipatnam is equipped for underwater surveillance and anti-submarine warfare operations.
•   It can perform Low Intensity Maritime Operations and mine-warfare duties.
•   The ship will strengthen coastal defence and maritime-domain awareness in the Indian Ocean Region.
•   The vessel is named after the historic port city of Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna district.
•   The city has a long maritime-trade legacy.

Additional Information:
•   Mahe-class ASW SWCs are designed for anti-submarine operations in shallow waters and coastal surveillance.
•   They are intended to replace the Indian Navy’s ageing Abhay-class ASW corvettes.
•   Cochin Shipyard Limited was established in 1972 and is headquartered in Kochi, Kerala.

Main Point :-

Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia conferred the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Telecom Excellence Awards-2025 on 29 July 2026 for notable contributions to telecom technology and innovation.

Key Highlights:
•   Two Indian organisations received the award for excellence in telecom innovation.
•   The recipients were Amantya Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and Finaara.
•   The awards are instituted and administered by the Department of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Communications.
•   Nominations were processed through the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal.
•   The portal is managed by the Director General, Awards, under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
•   The awards recognise contributions in telecom manufacturing, telecom skilling and telecom innovations.
•   They encourage technology-driven solutions for fields such as agriculture, commerce, health and education.

Additional Information:
•   The awards are given annually to skilled individuals and institutions in India’s telecom sector.
•   The Department of Telecommunications handles policy, licensing and coordination related to telegraphs and wireless communications.
•   DoT functions under the Ministry of Communications and is headquartered in New Delhi.

Main Point :-

Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia unveiled Scale without boundaries as the theme of the 10th edition of India Mobile Congress 2026 on 31 July 2026.

Key Highlights:
•   India Mobile Congress 2026 will be held from 7 to 10 October 2026.
•   The venue will be Yashobhoomi India International Convention and Expo Centre, New Delhi.
•   The event is organised by the Department of Telecommunications in association with the Cellular Operators Association of India.
•   The 2026 edition will be built around four pillars: Srishti, Suraksha, Sashakt and Samvardhan.
•   Srishti focuses on next-generation digital infrastructure.
•   Suraksha emphasises secure and resilient digital ecosystems.
•   Sashakt aims to create opportunities for citizens and startups.
•   Samvardhan focuses on economic growth, investment and employment creation.
•   The programme will highlight 5G, 6G, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and satellite communications.
•   Its ASPIRE initiative connects emerging startups with investors and incubators.

Additional Information:
•   India Mobile Congress is recognised as Asia’s largest digital technology and telecom forum.
•   DoT is headquartered at Sanchar Bhawan, New Delhi.

Main Point :-

The Ministry of Home Affairs sanctioned 111 road projects worth Rs. 2,481.93 crore on 28 July 2026 to provide all-weather connectivity to 134 villages along the China border under the Vibrant Villages Programme.

Key Highlights:
•   The approved projects will connect 134 previously unconnected northern-border villages through all-weather roads.
•   Mobile connectivity has reached 528 villages through 4G services.
•   Piped drinking-water coverage has been extended to 625 villages.
•   A total of 621 villages have received on-grid or off-grid electricity access.
•   Under VVP-I, 140 off-grid solar projects and seven micro-hydel projects have been sanctioned.
•   The Ministry of Power has earmarked Rs. 238.30 crore for 43 projects to improve electricity-distribution networks.
•   Forty mobile medical units have been approved for Arunachal Pradesh.
•   A total of 146 school-construction and upgradation projects have been sanctioned.

Additional Information:
•   The Vibrant Villages Programme is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2023 for comprehensive development of northern border villages.
•   It covers border areas of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh.
•   The Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal ministry for the programme.

Main Point :-

The Assam Assembly passed the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation Amendment Bill, 2026 on 29 July 2026 to regulate land ownership around historic and religious heritage institutions.

Key Highlights:
•   The legislation amends the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886.
•   It creates a protected zone within a 5 km radius of eligible heritage and religious institutions.
•   Institutions must be at least 250 years old to qualify for protection under the law.
•   Land transactions within the protected areas are limited to original inhabitants, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
•   An original inhabitant is a person whose family lived in the area for three generations as on 1 January 2006.
•   For this purpose, one generation has been defined as 25 years.
•   The restriction applies to buyers from outside the protected zone irrespective of religion.
•   Existing landowners with valid pattas retain their rights of residence and property ownership.
•   District Commissioners are empowered to remove unauthorised occupants from notified areas.
•   The law aims to prevent encroachment in historic places such as Barpeta, Bardowa and Majuli.

Additional Information:
•   The Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886 is the principal law for land and revenue administration in Assam.
•   Majuli, situated on the Brahmaputra River, is recognised as the world’s largest river island and became India’s first island district in 2016.
•   Assam’s capital is Dispur.

Main Point :-

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy awarded 12 pilot projects on 29 July 2026 for deploying hydrogen-powered vehicles on 21 routes under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

Key Highlights:
•   The projects will deploy 70 hydrogen-powered vehicles, including 27 buses and 43 trucks.
•   The fleet includes Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles and Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine vehicles.
•   A total of 16 hydrogen refuelling stations will be established to support the identified routes.
•   The sanctioned financial assistance is Rs. 410.77 crore, with an initial release of Rs. 41.582 crore.
•   NTPC and Ashok Leyland will operate on Greater Noida–Delhi–Agra and Kandla–Gandhidham routes.
•   Tata Motors and IOCL will operate on Ahmedabad–Vadodara–Surat and Pune–Mumbai routes.
•   NHPC will run projects in and around Chamba, Himachal Pradesh.
•   ANERT and BPCL will operate on Thiruvananthapuram–Kochi and Kochi–Edappally routes.
•   Agencies must submit performance reports on efficiency, fuel consumption and safety.

Additional Information:
•   The National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to produce 5 MMT of green hydrogen annually by 2030.
•   Its nodal ministry is the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
•   NTPC, established in 1975, is India’s largest power utility and a Maharatna PSU.

Main Point :-

India and Nepal jointly inaugurated the restored Shree and Agam of Prathamshree Mahavihar Gusthal Mahavihar at Guita Tole, Patan, on 28 July 2026. The monument had been damaged in Nepal’s 2015 earthquake.

Key Highlights:
•   The restoration was supported by a Government of India grant of about NPR 12 crore, equivalent to around USD 9 million.
•   The project was executed by Nepal’s Central Level Project Implementation Unit–Building Housing.
•   The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage provided design and project-management consultancy.
•   India’s post-earthquake support includes restoration of 30 cultural heritage sites across eight districts.
•   It also includes reconstruction of 50,000 private houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts.
•   A total of 85 educational institutions and 133 health facilities were also reconstructed.
•   The monument is located in Lalitpur, historically called Patan, which is known for Buddhist monasteries and heritage sites.

Additional Information:
•   INTACH was founded in 1984 to promote heritage awareness and conservation.
•   It is headquartered in New Delhi and registered as a non-profit society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
•   Lalitpur is located in Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley and is known for Patan Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Main Point :-

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing a solar-power scheme under PM-JANMAN and DAJGUA to provide 100 percent Central Financial Assistance for electrification of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups as of 29 July 2026.

Key Highlights:
•   The scheme provides 100 percent CFA for off-grid solar systems where grid supply is not techno-economically feasible.
•   PVTG households will receive 0.3 kW off-grid solar systems.
•   The cost support is Rs. 50,000 per unit or actual cost, whichever is lower.
•   The plan targets electrification of one lakh un-electrified households identified by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
•   Under PM-JANMAN, solar street lighting receives Rs. 1 lakh support per Multi-Purpose Centre across 1,500 MPCs.
•   Under DAJGUA, public institutions in tribal habitations can be solarised at Rs. 1 lakh per kW, subject to a maximum capacity of 20 kW.
•   As of 30 June 2026, Rs. 57.10 crore in CFA had been released and 11,838 households had received off-grid solar electrification.
•   Grid-connectivity works worth Rs. 521.45 crore were sanctioned across 13 States, with gross budgetary support of Rs. 331.49 crore.

Additional Information:
•   PM-JANMAN stands for Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan.
•   It focuses on 11 critical interventions for 75 PVTG communities.
•   DAJGUA stands for Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan.

Main Point :-

Rajasthan became the first State in India to execute an exploration licence for a Rare Earth Elements block on 30 July 2026 under the Centre’s critical-minerals policy.

Key Highlights:
•   The exploration block covers 207.6 square kilometres in the Nawatala–Devigarh region of Balotra and Jodhpur districts.
•   The licence was granted to Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited.
•   Geological studies indicate the presence of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium and neodymium in the block.
•   The block was auctioned under the 2024 framework for critical and strategic minerals.
•   The first round of auctions under this framework was held in 2025.
•   Rare earth elements are important for electric vehicles, semiconductors, aerospace and telecommunications.
•   The initiative is aimed at reducing India’s dependence on imports of strategic minerals.

Additional Information:
•   CMPDI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Coal India Limited.
•   It is a Miniratna Category-I company, established in 1975 and headquartered in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
•   Rare Earth Elements include 17 chemical elements: 15 lanthanides, scandium and yttrium.

Main Point :-

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced India’s target of connecting 100 crore people to 5G services by 2030 during the India Mobile Congress 2026 theme launch on 29 July 2026.

Key Highlights:
•   India has reached 50 crore 5G users within 2.5 years of the rollout.
•   Nearly five lakh telecom towers have been deployed across the country.
•   The 5G rollout has attracted investment of around Rs. 4.5 lakh crore.
•   India’s first Telecom Manufacturing Zone has been launched to increase domestic telecom production.
•   India has 1.33 billion total mobile subscribers.
•   Average monthly data consumption is 27 GB per user.
•   Mobile-data prices have declined from Rs. 287 per GB a decade ago to around Rs. 8 per GB.

Additional Information:
•   India Mobile Congress is South Asia’s largest digital technology forum.
•   It is jointly organised by the Department of Telecommunications and Cellular Operators Association of India.
•   Digital Public Infrastructure includes UPI, Aadhaar and DigiLocker, following the principle of Antyodaya.

Main Point :-

IN-SPACe issued a new safety framework for planned re-entry of space objects, requiring a maximum human-casualty risk of 1 in 10,000 from re-entering debris.

Key Highlights:
•   Private operators must establish through engineering studies that risk of human casualty from re-entry debris does not exceed 1 in 10,000.
•   Private companies bear full liability for damage caused globally by their spacecraft.
•   Re-entry operations are performed at the operator’s own risk and peril, with the Government of India exempted from liability.
•   Operators are encouraged to obtain third-party liability insurance.
•   The rules cover re-entry capsules, cargo-return vehicles and crewed spacecraft.
•   Satellites that naturally burn up during orbital decay do not need a separate re-entry authorisation.
•   Foreign space firms must operate through an Indian-incorporated entity or joint venture and cannot apply directly.
•   Applications for re-entry manoeuvres must be filed at least six months before the planned date.
•   Operators must issue NOTAMs and maritime warnings 45 days before the impact.

Additional Information:
•   IN-SPACe is an autonomous nodal agency under the Department of Space.
•   It was established in June 2020 to facilitate private-sector participation in India’s space sector.
•   Its headquarters is in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Main Point :-

Why in the News:
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration issued a directive on 28 July 2026 banning the sale, distribution and advertisement of junk food inside and around school premises.

Key Highlights:
•   The restriction covers HFSS foods, meaning foods high in fat, trans-fat, sugar and salt.
•   Items covered include vada pav, samosas, deep-fried snacks, carbonated drinks and chocolates.
•   Sale and promotion of such items are prohibited inside schools and within a 50-metre radius around them.
•   The directive applies to government and private schools, covering around two crore students aged from 22 months to 17 years.
•   School canteens must obtain a food-safety licence from the FDA.
•   Vendors must comply with the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2021.
•   FDA inspectors must inspect compliance at every school at least twice a year.

Additional Information:
•   The Maharashtra FDA regulates food safety and drug quality in the State and is headquartered in Mumbai.
•   The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 established the legal framework for FSSAI and food regulation in India.

Main Point :-

Why in the News:
Senior diplomat Ngulkham Jathom Gangte was appointed as India’s next Ambassador to Mexico on 30 July 2026.

Key Highlights:
•   Gangte is a 1994-batch Indian Foreign Service officer.
•   He is an alumnus of Hansraj College and has an academic background in Chemistry.
•   Before this appointment, he was serving as Special Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
•   He served as India’s Ambassador to Tunisia from 2021, with concurrent accreditation to Libya.
•   He was India’s High Commissioner to Zambia between 2017 and 2021.

Additional Information:
•   The capital of Mexico is Mexico City.
•   Mexico’s currency is the Mexican Peso.
•   Mexico is a member of the G20 and the OECD.

Main Point :-

Why in the News:
Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from all formats of international cricket on 30 July 2026.

Key Highlights:
•   Rahane represented India in 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20 Internationals.
•   He scored 5,077 Test runs at an average of 38.46, including 12 centuries and 26 fifties.
•   He scored 2,962 ODI runs, including three centuries and 24 half-centuries.
•   He was India Test cap number 278.
•   His major leadership achievement was captaining India to a historic 2-1 Test-series victory in Australia in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
•   He led the side in the final three Tests after regular captain Virat Kohli’s absence.
•   Rahane represented Mumbai Cricket Association in domestic first-class cricket for more than 20 years.

Additional Information:
•   Ajinkya Rahane made his international debut in 2011.
•   He was the first player to receive the Mullagh Medal as Player of the Match in the 2020 Boxing Day Test.
•   The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is a Test series between India and Australia, established in 1996.

Main Point :-

Why in the News:
Indian para-athletes Dilip Mahadu Gavit and Mohammed Basil Morssinganakath achieved a historic one-two finish in the men’s 100-metre T47 final at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games on 30 July 2026.

Key Highlights:
•   Dilip Mahadu Gavit won the gold medal with a Games record and season-best time of 10.71 seconds.
•   Mohammed Basil Morssinganakath won silver with a season-best timing of 10.83 seconds.
•   Kevin Santos of England won bronze with 10.85 seconds.
•   Murali Sreeshankar won silver in the men’s long jump.
•   Sreeshankar became the first Indian male long jumper to win two Commonwealth Games medals in his career.
•   Mirabai Chanu won gold in the women’s 48-kg weightlifting category.
•   Sharmila Dhankar won gold in women’s shot put F57 para athletics.
•   India reached eighth place in the medal standings, with 15 medals: three gold, nine silver and three bronze.

Additional Information:
•   The inaugural Commonwealth Games took place in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930.
•   Commonwealth Games Federation is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
•   T47 is a classification for athletes with a unilateral upper-limb impairment below the elbow or wrist amputation.

Main Point :-

Why in the News:
The Asian Development Bank approved a USD 850 million loan on 30 July 2026 to support expansion of India’s rooftop-solar initiative, PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.

Key Highlights:
•   The financing supports Subprogram 2 of the Accelerating Affordable and Inclusive Rooftop Solar Systems Development Program.
•   Subprogram 1 was approved in November 2025.
•   The programme seeks to improve incentives, grid readiness and engagement of distribution utilities.
•   It aims to provide rooftop solar systems to one crore low- and middle-income households.
•   The target is 30 GW of residential rooftop-solar capacity by FY 2027.
•   Financial assistance will directly support at least 35 lakh installations.
•   The programme supports training and certification of 6,000 people, with at least one-third of trainees being women.
•   It is expected to reduce carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions by 28.8 million tonnes.
•   It also provides protocols for safe handling and recycling of solar PV panels and battery waste.

Additional Information:
•   ADB was established on 19 December 1966 and is headquartered in Mandaluyong, Philippines.
•   It has 68 members, including 49 from the Asia-Pacific region.
•   PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana was launched in February 2024 to provide up to 300 units of free electricity monthly through solar power.

Main Point :-