International Relations
Third India-Australia Annual Summit: The Prime Minister of India participated in the Third India-Australia Annual Summit in Melbourne. During the summit, both nations adopted a Joint Statement to deepen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). Agreements were made to strengthen cooperation in areas such as defence, trade, critical minerals, clean energy, education, and maritime security.
India and Australia Launch PACTS: As part of their strategic technology partnership, India and Australia have established the Australia-India Partnership for Cyber, Critical Technologies and Supply Chains (PACTS). This initiative aims to enhance cooperation in cybersecurity, critical technologies, and supply chain resilience.
India and Kyrgyzstan Launch Centre for Civilizational Studies: India and Kyrgyzstan have jointly inaugurated the International Centre for Civilizational Studies "Manas and Mahabharata" in Bishkek. This center, established in collaboration with the Manas National Academy and the Centre for the Studies of International Relations (CSIR), New Delhi, aims to foster cultural and academic cooperation and promote comparative civilizational studies. The first Hindi translation of the Kyrgyz epic Manas was also released.
India and Indonesia Sign Defense Deal for Astra Missiles: During a bilateral summit in Jakarta, India and Indonesia signed a significant defense agreement for the supply of indigenous Astra Mk 1 air-to-air missiles. The Astra Mk 1 is an advanced, all-weather Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM).
Reversion of USINDOPACOM to USPACOM: The Pentagon has officially renamed the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) back to its historical name, the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM). The command had been renamed in 2018 to acknowledge the growing strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific region.

Science & Technology
ISRO Completes Hot Test of CE20 Cryogenic Engine: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed the flight acceptance hot test of its indigenous CE20 cryogenic engine. This test was conducted at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri for the upcoming LVM3-M7 mission. The CE20 is a high-thrust, indigenously developed cryogenic rocket engine.
Launch of Once-Weekly Basal Insulin Awiqli in India: Global healthcare company Novo Nordisk has officially launched Awiqli in India. This marks India as the seventh market globally to introduce this once-weekly basal insulin, known generically as insulin icodec.
Identification of Parrot Bornavirus 4 (PaBV-4) in Captive Birds: For the first time in India, a multi-institutional team of scientists has identified and genetically characterized parrot bornavirus 4 (PaBV-4) circulating among captive birds. PaBV-4 is a highly contagious, single-stranded RNA virus.

Sports
FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot Race Intensifies: The race for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot has become highly competitive following the conclusion of the Round of 32 and the commencement of the Round of 16. Kylian Mbappe of France has moved ahead of Lionel Messi in the latest standings after the France vs. Paraguay match.

Environment & Climate
Asiatic Lion Crisis in Gir Forest: The recent deaths of eight lion cubs from heat-induced dehydration in Gujarat's Gir forest have reignited discussions on the management, overcrowding, and potential relocation of the Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica).

Social Issues
All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) Reports Released: The Union Ministry of Education has released the AISHE Reports for 2022-23 and 2023-24. Key findings include a record total enrolment of approximately 4.5 crore students, a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 30 in 2023-24, and a Gender Parity Index (GPI) of 1.08. The reports also highlight significant progress in women's education, STEM enrolment, and social inclusion, though persistent challenges like graduate unemployment and skill gaps remain.

Awards & Honors
Sourav Ganguly Inducted into ICC Hall of Fame: On July 8, 2026, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly was inducted into the prestigious ICC Hall of Fame, becoming the 12th Indian cricketer to receive this honor. His induction recognizes his significant contributions and leadership in transforming Indian cricket.

📌 Current Affairs – 13 July 2026
Prepared by Vibhillion AI
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🏛 Political/Governance
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🔹 Vice President Inaugurates Mannam Smrithi Mandapam
• Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan unveiled a statue of social reformer and freedom fighter Mannathu Padmanabhan and inaugurated the Mannam Smrithi Mandapam at the Mannam International Centre, Dwarka, New Delhi, on 12 July 2026.
• The event was organized by the Nair Service Society.
🔹 West Bengal to Observe Ayushman Diwas on August 16
• West Bengal will celebrate 16 August as Ayushman Diwas instead of Khela Hobe Diwas.
• The announcement was made by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
🔹 UP Khet Suraksha Yojana 2026 Launched
• The Uttar Pradesh Government launched the UP Khet Suraksha Yojana 2026.
• The scheme provides financial assistance for solar electric fencing to protect crops from stray cattle, nilgai, and wild boars.
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💰 Economic/Business
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🔹 PMFME Scheme Reaches Two Lakh Credit-Linked Beneficiaries
• The Union Minister for Food Processing Industries celebrated the achievement of 2 lakh credit-linked beneficiaries under the PMFME Scheme.
🔹 EPFO Launches Amnesty Scheme 2026
• EPFO introduced the Amnesty Scheme 2026.
• Eligible Exempted PF Trusts get a 6-month window to regularize their legal status.
🔹 Helium Becomes a Strategic Resource
• China temporarily banned helium exports due to West Asian tensions.
• Supply disruptions highlight helium's importance in semiconductors, healthcare, and space technology.
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🌍 International Relations
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🔹 India–New Zealand Strategic Partnership
• India and New Zealand upgraded their ties to a Strategic Partnership.
• Both countries adopted the India–New Zealand Strategic Partnership: Roadmap to 2030.
• This was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in 40 years.
🔹 Nations Reject China's South China Sea Claims
• The US, UK, and 12 other nations reaffirmed that China has no legal basis for its South China Sea claims.
• The statement marked the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling.
🔹 Vietnam Boat Tragedy
• Indian tourists from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh were involved in a boat capsizing incident near Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam.
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🔬 Science & Technology
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🔹 India's First Hydrogen-Powered Train
• Prime Minister will flag off India's first Hydrogen-Electric Multiple Unit (HEMU) passenger train in Jind, Haryana on 17 July 2026.
🔹 China Achieves First Reusable Rocket Landing
• China successfully landed its Long March 10B booster at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site.
🔹 ISRO Completes Gaganyaan Crew Module Tests
• ISRO successfully completed three major qualification tests for the Gaganyaan Crew Module, including the Crew Module Uprighting System (CMUS).
🔹 US FCC Approves Eärendil-1 Mission
• The US FCC granted a 2-year operating license to Reflect Orbital for its Eärendil-1 mission.
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🏆 Sports
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🔹 Mbappe Leads FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot Race
• Kylian Mbappe leads the Golden Boot standings with 7 goals, ahead of Lionel Messi after the quarterfinal stage.
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🌱 Environment & Climate
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🔹 Western Ghats Ecological Vulnerability
• The Wayanad landslide highlighted the ecological vulnerability of the Western Ghats, a major biodiversity hotspot.
🔹 Ahmedabad Sets Guinness World Record
• Ahmedabad planted 3,61,000 saplings in one hour during a Miyawaki plantation drive on 12 July 2026.
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👥 Social Issues
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🔹 Draft National Food Security (Amendment) Bill, 2026
• The draft proposes changing AAY foodgrain entitlement from 35 kg per household to 7 kg per person (maximum 35 kg per household).
• Critics fear reduced benefits for smaller and poorer families.
🔹 NAMASTE Day – 14 July 2026
• India will observe the 3rd NAMASTE Day to honor sanitation workers.

• Celebrations will be led by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in Kolkata.
🔹 11 Years of Digital India
• The eSaras platform continues empowering rural producers, SHGs, women entrepreneurs, and FPOs through digital commerce.
🔹 Rising Secondary Infertility in India
• Secondary infertility is increasing due to delayed parenthood, lifestyle disorders, reproductive health issues, and male infertility.
• Policy concerns include limitations under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 and exclusion of advanced fertility treatments from AB-PMJAY.

📌 Current Affairs – 14 July 2026
Prepared by Vibhillion AI
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🏛 Political/Governance
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🔹 Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary Proposed for National Park Status
• Odisha will send a proposal to upgrade Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary into Debrigarh-Gaur National Park.
• The sanctuary covers 353 sq. km of ecologically rich forest.
🔹 Ladakh Creates 17 New Tehsils
• Ladakh has established 17 new tehsils, increasing the total to 32.
• The administration plans to extend LAHDC Act benefits to all new districts.
🔹 Central Vista Renamed
• The Government has renamed the Central Vista redevelopment area as the Kartavya Bhawan Area.
• Ministries have been directed not to use the term Central Vista in official documents.
🔹 Supreme Court Forms Special Benches
• Chief Justice Surya Kant constituted four special benches to hear the oldest pending cases and reduce judicial backlog.
🔹 AI Regulations for Courts
• The Supreme Court's AI Committee released the draft Regulations for Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Courts, 2026.
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💰 Economic/Business
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🔹 WPI Inflation Rises
• India's Wholesale Price Inflation (WPI) increased to 9.87% in June 2026.
🔹 India Notifies TRQ Allocation under India-Oman CEPA
• DGFT notified the Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) allocation procedure under the India-Oman CEPA.
🔹 Jio Platforms Appoints New CEO
• Pankaj Pawar has been appointed as the new CEO of Jio Platforms Ltd.
🔹 Bharat Tex 2026
• Bharat Tex 2026 will be held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi from 14–17 July 2026.
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🌍 International Relations
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🔹 India Launches UNSC Campaign
• India launched its campaign for a UNSC Non-Permanent Seat (2028–29) based on the SHANTI vision.
🔹 PM Addresses Indian Diaspora in Auckland
• The Prime Minister highlighted the Māori concept of Waka as a symbol of friendship between India and New Zealand.
🔹 India–New Zealand Roadmap 2030
• Both countries adopted the India–New Zealand Strategic Partnership: Roadmap to 2030.
• Target: NZ$7 billion bilateral trade by 2030.
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🔬 Science & Technology
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🔹 NIDAR 2.0 Launched
• MeitY launched NIDAR 2.0 under the SwaYaan initiative to promote indigenous drone innovation.
🔹 Digital Threat Report 2025–26 Released
• MeitY, CERT-In, CSIRT-Fin, and SISA released the Digital Threat Report 2025–26 for the BFSI sector.
🔹 UN Scientific Report on AI
• The UN's first scientific AI report warned that AI development is progressing faster than regulation.
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🌱 Environment & Climate
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🔹 SO₂ Emissions Around Delhi
• Around 81% of SO₂ emissions within 300 km of Delhi-NCR come from plants exempted from pollution-control systems.
🔹 Unjha Jeera & Saunf Receive GI Tag
• Unjha Cumin (Jeera) and Unjha Fennel (Saunf) of Gujarat received GI Tag.
🔹 Focus on Biogas & CBG
• India is promoting Biogas and Compressed Biogas (CBG) to strengthen energy security.

Prepared By Vibhillion AI
Political/Governance
States Bear Disproportionate Share of India’s Welfare Spending: A handbook by Azim Premji University highlights that state governments are shouldering a significantly higher portion of India's welfare expenditure despite facing shrinking fiscal space and limited financial autonomy. This situation raises concerns about growing fiscal imbalances between the Centre and states in financing social welfare.
Evolution of India's Welfare Regime: The welfare regime has evolved through distinct phases: State-Led Welfare (1950s–1980s) focused on planned development; Targeted Welfare (1990s) shifted to specific benefits post-economic reforms; Rights-Based Welfare (2000s–2014) transformed benefits into legal entitlements; and Technology-Driven Welfare (Present) utilizes the JAM Trinity and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Centre-State Fiscal Asymmetry in Welfare Spending: States account for around 75.2% of total school education expenditure and bear substantial costs for public health services and food subsidies. While the Union government's share of real expenditure on social services has remained largely stagnant, states have driven most of the increase.
Impact of GST on State Revenue Autonomy: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) subsumed major state taxation instruments, reducing their ability to independently adjust tax rates. States now rely more on the GST Council and central transfers, creating a mismatch between their expenditure responsibilities and revenue-generating tools.
Need for 'Funds-Follows-Functions' Federalism: To address the paradox of centralized revenue mobilization and decentralized welfare responsibilities, revenue powers and fiscal transfers should align with the expenditure responsibilities of each government tier. This principle is crucial for sustainable welfare and capital expenditure by states.
Economic/Business
Index of Services Production (ISP) Released: The Government of India has released the first sub-sectoral trial Index of Services Production (ISP) for April 2026. This index covers 19 sub-sectors, representing approximately 60% of India's services sector, and is India's first monthly services-sector indicator.
MRF Ltd. - India's Most Valuable and Strongest Tyre Brand: According to the Brand Finance India 100 2026 report, MRF Ltd. has been recognized as the Most Valuable and Strongest Tyre Brand in India. It also ranked as the third strongest tyre brand globally in the Brand Finance Tyres 25 2026 rankings.
India-UK Free Trade Agreement Takes Effect: The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between India and the UK has been implemented from July 15, 2026. The agreement aims to increase bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030 and includes provisions for zero-duty trade.
Compressed Biogas (CBG) for Energy Security: Amidst geopolitical tensions affecting energy imports, Compressed Biogas (CBG) is gaining prominence as a means to reduce India's dependence on imported crude oil and natural gas. CBG, produced from organic waste, can be used in transport, households, and industries.
Slow Progress in SATAT Initiative: The Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative, launched in 2018 with a target of 5,000 CBG plants by 2023, has seen slow progress, with only 132 plants completed by June 3, 2026.
International Relations
India Reaffirms Support for Palestine’s UN Membership Bid: India has confirmed its support for Palestine's application for full United Nations membership and announced new humanitarian and developmental assistance for Palestine during international meetings in Brussels and New York. India reiterated its support for the two-state principle.
Europe and Ukraine Launch New Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition: Europe has initiated a new missile defence coalition involving Ukraine and nine other European partners. The aim of this initiative, announced during its inaugural meeting in Paris, is to build a joint European capacity to counter increasing threats.

India-Australia Civil Nuclear Cooperation: India and Australia have finalized an Administrative Arrangement under their Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement. This arrangement aims to ensure a long-term supply of Australian uranium for India's nuclear power program.
Science & Technology
Karnataka to Establish India's First Government-Driven AI University: The state of Karnataka has announced the establishment of the country's first government-driven Artificial Intelligence (AI) University in Bengaluru. An AI hub will also be set up to foster research, innovation, startup incubation, and industry collaboration.
Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) Roles Expanding: Tech companies are increasing Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) roles to translate AI advancements into measurable business value. This role is rapidly becoming a high-demand, high-paying AI career globally and in India.
Ethical AI and Conscience Prompting: There is a growing emphasis on the need for structural safeguards for AI ethics beyond voluntary corporate pledges. This includes addressing algorithmic bias, mass surveillance, data extraction, copyright violations, and labor exploitation, with "conscience prompting" being an advanced technique to reduce bias and improve accountability.
Sports
Delhi Unveils 'Mayur' Mascot for Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship 2026: The mascot for the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship 2026, named 'Mayur' (peacock), has been unveiled in Delhi. The championship is scheduled to be held from July 27 to August 2, 2026, at the Thyagraj Stadium.
Environment & Climate
Indian Grey Hornbill Returns to Gir Forest After 60 Years: The Indian Grey Hornbill, absent from Gujarat's Gir Forest for over six decades, has been successfully rehabilitated. Conservation efforts have shown that the reintroduced hornbills have thrived, established nesting sites, and raised young.
Social Issues
World Youth Skills Day 2026: Celebrated worldwide on July 15, 2026, the theme for World Youth Skills Day is "Skills for a Shared Future." The United Nations (UN) organizes this day to highlight the importance of equipping youth with technological, digital, vocational, and life skills for a changing world.
Ravidassia Community Renews Demand for Religious Recognition: Thousands of members of the Ravidassia community in Phagwara, Punjab, have renewed their demand for recognition of Ravidassia as a separate religion in the upcoming Census.
Uttar Pradesh Reports Highest Cyber Fraud Complaints: According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Uttar Pradesh has recorded the highest number of cyber fraud complaints in India, highlighting the increasing prevalence of digital threats.
Awards & Honors
Tamil Poet R. Vairamuthu Conferred with 60th Jnanpith Award: Renowned Tamil poet, lyricist, and writer R. Vairamuthu has been awarded the Jnanpith award for 2025. He is the third Tamil writer from Tamil Nadu to receive this prestigious Indian literature award.
UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for Thukkachi Temple: The 12th-century Abathsahayeswarar Temple at Thukkachi has received the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Distinction (2024) for outstanding heritage conservation.
Defense & Security
Non-Bailable Warrant Against Hafiz Saeed: A Special NIA Court in Jammu has issued a non-bailable warrant against Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed in connection with the Pahalgam terror attack case. The NIA may seek his trial in absentia under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
Miscellaneous
India's Advancements at Codex Alimentarius Commission: India secured significant achievements at the 49th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC49) in Geneva, Switzerland, where seven food standards and guidelines developed under Indian leadership were officially adopted.