• pDate of Event: July 23, 2026
• Organizer: FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry)
• Venue: Federation House, New Delhi
• Theme: "Positioning India as a Global Hydrogen Hub"
• Key Objectives: To capture approximately 10% of the global green hydrogen market by 2030 and strengthen export infrastructure.
• Report Launch: On this occasion, the FICCI-EY report titled 'Towards a Green Hydrogen Economy: India's Export Competitiveness and Strategic Outlook' was released.
• FICCI:
• Full Name: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)
• Establishment: Year 1927
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Nature: It is a non-governmental and non-profit organization.

• Between 2014 and 2026, 48,072 route-kilometers of electrification were added to the network, whereas only 21,801 kilometers had been electrified in the approximately 60 years prior to 2014.
• Diesel consumption for train operations has dropped from 293 crore liters in 2015-16 to 108 crore liters in 2024-25.
• Over 1,260 MW of solar and wind energy capacity has been commissioned to reduce carbon emissions.
• Top Countries: Switzerland (100%), India (99.6%), China (82%), Spain (67%), Japan (64%).

• Lead Agency: Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN)
• Key Partners: Includes national and international institutions such as UNICEF India, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), World Health Organization (WHO), FSSAI, 'Resolve to Save Lives' (RTSL), and Lady Irwin College.
• Nature: It is the outcome of approximately three years of multidisciplinary research, stakeholder consultations, and grassroots policy discussions.

Key Priorities and Recommendations of the Policy Document:

• Healthy Food Environments in Schools: Regulating the availability of unhealthy food in school canteens and their immediate vicinity.
• Front-of-Pack Nutritional Labeling (FOPL): Providing clear nutritional information on the front of packaged food products so consumers can easily understand the levels of fat, salt, and sugar.
• Taxation on HFSS Foods: Implementing fiscal measures or higher taxes on unhealthy foods high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS)—such as junk food and soft drinks.
• Regulation of Marketing: Enforcing legal bans or regulations on advertisements and marketing of unhealthy foods targeted at children and adolescents.
• Nutrition Literacy: Raising awareness about healthy eating habits among youth and families through Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) initiatives.
• Sodium Reduction: Promoting measures to reduce salt in food and introducing low-sodium salt alternatives.

• New Name: Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme.
• Announcement/Order Date: July 15, 2026 (Order issued on K. Kamaraj's birth anniversary and made public on July 22).
• Current Chief Minister: C. Joseph Vijay (TVK Government).
• Scheme Expansion: Previously, the scheme was only for children in classes 1 to 5, but it has now been extended to include students in classes 6 to 8.
• Expansion Implementation Date: September 17, 2026, the birth anniversary of social reformer Periyar E.V. Ramasamy.
• Total Beneficiaries: Following the expansion, the total number of beneficiaries in the state will reach approximately 35 lakhs (3.5 million).
• Inception: It was originally launched as the 'Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme' in September 2022 by the then DMK government.
• Objective: To eliminate malnutrition among primary school students in government schools and increase school attendance.
• Nutritional Value: This breakfast provides children with approximately 293 calories, 9.85 grams of protein, iron, and calcium daily.

Kumaraswami Kamaraj:

• Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu: He served as the Chief Minister of Madras State (now Tamil Nadu) from 1954 to 1963.
• Kingmaker: He is known as a 'Kingmaker' in Indian politics because he played a pivotal role in the elevation of Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi to the post of Prime Minister.
• Father of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme: K. It was Kamaraj who first introduced the free mid-day meal scheme for school children in 1956, ensuring that children from poor families would not be deprived of education.
• Highest Honor: He was posthumously awarded India's highest civilian honor, the 'Bharat Ratna', in 1976.

• Name of Missile/Project: Project Kusha
• Developed by: DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation)
• Type of Missile: LR-SAM (Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile)
• Date of First Successful Test: July 23, 2026
• Test Location: Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island (off the coast of Odisha)
• Strike Capability (Maximum Range): 350 to 400 kilometers (It is India's indigenous alternative to the S-400 missile system)
• Speed: Its missiles can fly at Mach 5.5—that is, 5.5 times the speed of sound.
• Mission Sudarshan Chakra: Announced by the Prime Minister, this national mission aims to establish a multi-layered air defence shield across the country by 2035. Project Kusha is part of this mission.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):

• Establishment: January 1, 1958
• Headquarters: DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi
• Ministry: It operates under the Ministry of Defence
• Motto: 'Balasya Mulam Vigyanam' (The source of strength is science)
• Current Chairman (2026): Dr. Samir V. Kamat (Serving since August 2022)

• Which state approved it? The Chhattisgarh government (under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai) approved the 'Chhattisgarh Agniveer Soldier Reservation Rules-2026'.
• Extent of reservation? 10% horizontal reservation for direct recruitment posts.
• For which posts? Class-III posts – primarily Constables, Forest Guards, and Jail Guards.
• Eligibility? Agniveers who have completed 4 years of service in the Army.

'Agnipath Scheme':

• Launch Date: The scheme was announced on June 14, 2022.
• Ministry: The scheme falls under the Ministry of Defence.
• Designation: Soldiers recruited under this scheme are called 'Agniveers'.
• Service Period: Total service duration is 4 years (including the training period).
• Age Limit: The prescribed age for recruitment is between 17.5 and 21 years.
• Retention (Regularization): After 4 years, a maximum of 25% of Agniveers will be retained in the Army's regular cadre (for the next 15 years).
• Seva Nidhi Package: A lump-sum tax-free amount of ₹11.71 lakh is provided upon completion of 4 years of service.
• Contribution Ratio: 30% of the Agniveer's monthly salary is deducted for the Seva Nidhi, and the government contributes an equal 30%.
• Insurance Cover: Agniveers receive a non-contributory life insurance cover of ₹48 lakh during their service.
• Gratuity and Pension: Agniveers leaving after the 4-year contractual service will not receive any pension or gratuity.

• What was developed? India's first indigenous disposable/expendable (single-use) turbojet engine.
• What is the thrust capacity? 350 kg thrust category.
• Who designed it? GTRE (Gas Turbine Research Establishment), a DRDO laboratory based in Bengaluru.
• Who manufactured/assembled it? Azad Engineering, Hyderabad.
• What is the primary application? Cruise missiles and long-range Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs/drones).

• App Name: 'Mukh Arogya'
• Technology: Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based oral cancer screening device
• Name of Institution: Gandhi Medical College (GMC), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)
• Achievement: The design of this device has been granted a patent by the Patent Office of the Government of India.
• Main Objective: To detect oral cancer at an early stage.
• Target Users: ASHA workers and Community Health Officers (CHOs)
• Where is Gandhi Medical College located? Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (Established: 1955)
• What is the study of cancer called? Oncology
• When is World Cancer Day observed? February 4

• Who visited?: President of India Droupadi Murmu undertook an official state visit to Romania.
• After how many years?: This is the first visit by an Indian President to Romania in the last 30 years (3 decades).
• Number of agreements signed: A total of 3 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between the two countries.
• Three key sectors: Science and technology, education and culture, and sports.
• Trade target: India and Romania have set a goal to double their bilateral trade over the next 3 years.
• Diplomatic anniversary: ​​The year 2028 will mark the completion of 80 years of diplomatic relations between India and Romania.
• Theme for 2028: Both countries have announced that they will celebrate the year 2028 as the "India-Romania Year of Innovation."
• ITEC seats: India has doubled the training seats for Romania under the 'Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation' (ITEC) program; these will include courses on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and cyber diplomacy.

Romania:

• Capital: Bucharest (also known as 'Little Paris' due to its architecture)
• Official language: Romanian (a language belonging to the Latin family)
• Currency: Romanian Leu
• Current President (2026): Nicușor Dan
• Continent: Europe

• Date and Venue: Held on July 23, 2026, in Manila, Philippines.
• Edition: This was the 33rd edition of the ASEAN Regional Forum.
• Philippine Chair: The proceedings were chaired by the Philippines' Foreign Secretary, Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro.
• Newly Approved Member: A consensus was reached at the meeting to admit the United Kingdom (UK) as the 28th member of the ARF.
• Key Agreement (Policy): The ‘Manila Plan of Action (2026–2036)’ was adopted for the coming decade.
• Main Theme/Focus: Enhancing maritime security.
• India's Representation: India's External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, participated in the meeting.

ASEAN:

• A major organization of Southeast Asian nations, established on August 8, 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand.
• Its 11 member countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste.
• Its main secretariat is located in Jakarta, Indonesia. India is not a member of ASEAN because, geographically, it is part of South Asia.
• India became a 'Regional Dialogue Partner' of ASEAN in 1992. In 2022, marking the completion of 30 years of India-ASEAN relations, the partnership was elevated to a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership."
• The 'ASEAN-India Free Trade Area' (AIFTA) agreement is in force between India and ASEAN.

• Beginning: Celebrating this day started in the year 2014.
• Initiator: It was started by the American company 'Advanced Thermal Solutions Inc' (ATS).
• Objective: To appreciate the contribution of heat controlling engineers in electronics, automobile and energy sectors.
• Why only 24th July?: This time of July is considered to be one of the hottest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Other important days:

• National Thermal Engineer Day: 24th July
• National Engineer's Day (India): 15 September (birthday of the great Indian civil engineer Sir M. Visvesvaraya)
• National Science Day: 28 February (to commemorate the discovery of Raman effect by CV Raman)
• List of thermal power plants in India:
• Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power Station: Madhya Pradesh (It is the largest thermal power plant in India)
• Sasan Ultra Mega Power Plant: Madhya Pradesh
• Mundra Ultra Mega Thermal Power Plant: Gujarat
• Mundra UMPP (Adani/CGPL): Gujarat
• Sipat Thermal Power Plant: Chhattisgarh
• Korba Super Thermal Power Plant: Chhattisgarh
• Talcher Super Thermal Power Station: Odisha
• Talcher Thermal Power Station: Odisha
• NTPC Ramagundam: Telangana
• Maithon Thermal Power Plant (MPL): Jharkhand
• Tata Power's Jojobera Thermal Power Plant: Jharkhand
• Trombay Thermal Power Plant: Maharashtra
• Prayagraj Thermal Power Plant: Uttar Pradesh

• Introduction of Income Tax: The first income tax in India was implemented on July 24, 1860.
• Person who introduced it: Sir James Wilson, the first Finance Member of the British government.
• Reason: To compensate for the financial losses incurred due to the Revolt of 1857 (Sepoy Mutiny).
• Inception of Income Tax Day: It was observed for the first time in 2010 (marking the completion of 150 years).
• Type of Income Tax: It is a Direct Tax.

Tax Structure and Organization:

• Regulatory Body: The Income Tax Department is administered by the CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes).
• Ministry: It falls under the Ministry of Finance.
• Nature of Tax: Income tax in India is progressive (the tax rate increases as income rises).
• Agricultural Income: The Central Government in India does not levy tax on agricultural income (it is a subject under the State List).
• Founder of the Budget System in India: Sir James Wilson (he presented India's first budget in 1860).

Exam-relevant Facts:

• Type of GST: Indirect Tax
• Type of Income Tax: Direct Tax
• Date of GST Implementation: July 1, 2017 (101st Constitutional Amendment Act)
• Income Tax Regulator: CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes)
• GST Regulator: GST Council (Chairperson: Union Finance Minister)

• NITI Aayog: National Institution for Transforming India
• It is the Government of India's premier policy 'think tank'.
• Establishment: 1 January 2015
• Predecessor body: Planning Commission
• Nature: It is a non-constitutional and non-statutory body.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairperson: Prime Minister (ex-officio Chairperson)
• Vice-Chairperson: Appointed by the Prime Minister (holds the rank of a Cabinet Minister); currently Ashok Kumar Lahiri (appointed in April 2026; he succeeded Suman K. Bery)
• Full-time Members: Hold the rank of Minister of State
• Ex-officio Members: Maximum of 4 ministers from the Union Council of Ministers (nominated by the Prime Minister)
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Ms. Nidhi Chhibber (assigned additional charge; she succeeded B.V.R. Subrahmanyam)

• Replaced whom: Naresh Pal Gangwar has succeeded Vineet Joshi, a 1992-batch IAS officer. Vineet Joshi has now been appointed as Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
• Vineet Joshi has been appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
• Previous Post: Immediately before this assignment, he served as Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
• Appointment at a critical juncture: This change comes at a time when nationwide student protests are underway regarding alleged irregularities and paper leak controversies surrounding the NEET-UG examination.
• T.K. Anil Kumar has been appointed as the new Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy.