National News

32nd edition of the Fit India Sundays

• The 32nd edition of the Fit India Sundays on Cycle culminated at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus in Varanasi.

STATE SPECIAL NEWS

Team for natural disasters in Himachal Pradesh

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the formation of a multi-sectoral central team in view of the rising frequency and intensity of natural disasters in Himachal Pradesh.
• Central government has already deputed an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) in advance for on-the-spot assessment, without waiting for a formal memorandum from the State.

Himachal Pradesh

“e-Sakshaya” Mobile App for Tamil Nadu Police

• Tamil Nadu Police will soon receive “e-Sakshaya” Mobile App developed by Union Ministry of Home Affairs to collect audio-visual evidence, upload photographs of crime scenes or witnesses, and generate immutable SID packets (secure, geo-tagged, time-stamped evidence with hash verification).

Tamil Nadu

Milk Subsidy Scheme by Assam

• The Assam government has launched a “Milk Subsidy Scheme” to provide subsidy of 5 rupees per litre of milk to farmers in a bid to boost the dairy sector in the state.

Assam

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Iran- Russia

• Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Ali Larijani, top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader on nuclear issues, to discuss Tehran’s nuclear programme in the Kremlin.

ECONOMY & BANKING

India's electronics exports

• According to the commerce ministry data, India's electronics exports surged by 47% to $12.41 billion in April-June 2025-26, with the US, UAE, and China as top destinations.

UPI Payments in India

• According to a recent IMF note titled ‘Growing Retail Digital Payments: The Value of Interoperability’, India leads the world in fast payments with Unified Payments Interface (UPI) recording 18.39 billion transactions worth over 24.03 lakh crore rupees in June this year.

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Commercial flights from Hindon Civil Terminal

• Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, inaugurated the ten new commercial flights from Hindon Civil Terminal, Gaziabad, which will provide direct air service Bengaluru, Kolkata, Varanasi, Indore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Patna, Goa and Mumbai.

Major Airports of India

LW rolled 2,500th electric locomotive

• Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) has rolled out its 2,500th electric locomotive, a WAP-7 class engine with 6,000 horsepower.

India's largest green hydrogen plant

• L&T Energy GreenTech Ltd will set up India's largest green hydrogen plant at Indian Oil Corporation Ltd’s (IOCL) Panipat Refinery in Haryana.

Norms on bank ownership

• According to RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is reviewing its norms on bank ownership, which may include allowing foreign banks a greater stake in local lenders.
• Currently, while foreign investors, including portfolio investors, can own up to 74 per cent in Indian banks, regulations cap a strategic foreign investor’s stake at 15 per cent.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Moon Day: 20 JULY

• International Moon Day is celebrated every year on July 20 to commemorate humankind’s first landing on the moon by the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
• The UN General Assembly formally recognised this date in 2021, following a proposal recommended by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

About Moon

PERSON IN NEWS

Koneru Humpy

• Koneru Humpy created history by becoming the first-ever Indian to reach the FIDE Women’s World Cup semifinals.

Master Shvan Singh

• The Indian Army has decided to sponsor all educational needs of the Youngest Warrior of ‘Operation Sindoor’ from Punjab, Master Shvan Singh.
• This decision comes in recognition of his bravery and dedication in providing essential refreshments to Indian Army troops during the operation in the border district of Ferozepur.

Chandra Barot

• Veteran filmmaker Chandra Barot, best known for directing the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Don, passed away.

ART & CULTURE

Bonalu festival

• Bonalu Hindu festival was celebrated in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and other parts of Telangana, dedicated to the goddess Mahakali.
• It takes place during the Ashada Masam, which usually falls in July/August and involves various rituals, including offering "Bonam" (cooked food) in decorated pots to the goddess, and culminates with a grand procession.

ENVIRONMENT + SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

AdFalciVax

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology-National Institute of Immunology (DBT-NII) is developing India’s first indigenous recombinant chimeric malaria vaccine named AdFalciVax.

Indian Council of Medical Research

DEFENCE NEWS

NDRF trains dogs

• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will press into service its first contingent of cadaver dogs who can sniff out the dead or human remains in a disaster zone.

SPORTS

Historic Bronze in Badminton at FISU World University Games

• Indian badminton team led by Sathish Kumar Karunakaran scripted history by clinching its first-ever medal in badminton at the FISU World University Games in Berlin, Germany.

3 editions of WTC finals

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) awarded the hosting rights for the next three editions of World Test Championship finals to England.

Oriental Cup 2025

• The third edition of the Oriental Cup, Delhi’s emerging youth football tournament, kicked off at Dr. Ambedkar Stadium.

UWW Ranking Series

• India’s Greco-Roman wrestlers Sumit bagged Silver & Anil Mor gets Bronze at UWW Ranking Series held in in Budapest, Hungary.

Murali Sreeshankar

• In Athletics, Murali Sreeshankar has clinched the Long Jump title at the Portugal Sports Meet, with a leap of 7.75 metre.

Japan Open 2025

• China's Shi Yuqi claimed the men's singles title at badminton's Japan Open, while Olympic champion An Se-young of South Korea secured the women's crown.