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Current Affairs — Friday, 3 July 2026
35 items
Tamil Nadu
- TN government to extend Free Breakfast Scheme to Middle School students
— CM Vijay's administration announced expansion of the existing scheme (launched under the previous DMK government) to cover middle school students, broadening its welfare reach. (State welfare scheme; GS Paper 2 — social sector) - TN to move KMUT beneficiaries above 60 to pension scheme, hike aid to ₹1,500
— The Vijay government announced that Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam beneficiaries aged above 60 will be shifted to the pension scheme with enhanced monthly assistance of ₹1,500. (State welfare; women's financial inclusion) - TN government to continue free bus pass scheme for students
— The Vijay administration confirmed continuation of the free bus pass scheme for students, signalling policy continuity from the previous government. (State welfare scheme) - Cauvery realisation by Tamil Nadu in June back to deficit pattern
— Tamil Nadu received just under 3,000 mcft against the stipulated 9.19 tmc ft for June, reviving concerns over inter-state water-sharing compliance. (Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal; inter-state river; GS Paper 2) - VB-GRAMG scheme sparks political storm in Tamil Nadu
— The Centre's Viksit Bharat-Grameen Aajeevika Mission (Gram) rollout from Mukkavaripalli, Andhra Pradesh, has created political debate in TN regarding rural employment and farmer welfare focus. (Central rural employment scheme; GS Paper 2) - Madras HC penalises MEA & MHA officials ₹50,000 over narcotics convict transfer
— Justices Anita Sumanth and Sunder Mohan directed two joint secretaries to pay ₹50,000 to the High Court Legal Services Committee over delay in transferring a narcotics convict from Sri Lanka. (Judiciary accountability; Legal Services Authority; GS Paper 2)
India — National
- Passport is a travel document, not proof of citizenship: MEA
— MEA clarified that under the Passports Act 1967, a passport is only a travel document; citizenship is governed by the Citizenship Act 1955 and Articles 5–11 of the Constitution. (GS Paper 2 — Fundamental Rights, Citizenship; frequently asked in UPSC/SSC) - PM Modi to make first official visit to New Zealand next week
— The visit will be the first by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties on trade, defence, and diaspora matters. (India's foreign policy; GS Paper 2) - WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal receive government notices on username feature
— Following directions to WhatsApp to pause its username feature over scam and impersonation concerns, the government extended notices to Telegram and Signal. (IT Act; digital regulation; GS Paper 2) - Kuki village torched in Manipur's Noney district in pre-dawn attack
— The attack follows similar strikes on Kuki and Naga villages in Kamjong district near the India-Myanmar border on July 1, escalating ethnic tensions. (Internal security; North-East India; GS Paper 3) - INS Trikand foils piracy attempt on merchant vessel in Gulf of Aden
— The Indian Navy warship successfully thwarted a piracy attempt, reinforcing India's maritime security role in the Indian Ocean Region. (Indian Navy; IOR security; GS Paper 3) - Women Farmers' Empowerment Bill passed unanimously in Maharashtra Assembly
— The Bill, drafted with input from Chennai-based M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), recognises women farmers' rights; M.S. Swaminathan was remembered in the House. (State legislation; women empowerment; agriculture; GS Paper 1 & 2) - Material science expert appointed new Secretary, Department of Science and Technology
— The appointment heads India's apex science policy body under the Ministry of Science and Technology. (Key appointment; S&T governance)
Economy & Finance
- Labour Ministry makes EPF contributions beyond ₹1,800/month voluntary
— Under the amended EPF Scheme 1952, contributions exceeding the ₹1,800 statutory minimum (calculated on a ₹15,000 wage ceiling) are now voluntary for employees. (EPF; Labour law; GS Paper 3 — social security) - GST completes 9 years; June 2026 revenues up 14%
— GST collections rose 14% year-on-year in June 2026, but experts noted rising dependence on import-driven revenues with lagging domestic consumption. (GST; indirect taxation; GS Paper 3) - Goldman Sachs raises India's GDP growth forecast
— The global investment bank revised upward its projection for India's GDP growth, citing improved industrial output and consumption recovery. (Macroeconomics; GS Paper 3) - FPIs withdraw ₹49,340 crore from Indian equities in June; total outflow ₹2.7 lakh crore in 2026
— Sustained foreign portfolio investor selling has put pressure on Indian capital markets amid global risk-off sentiment. (Capital markets; GS Paper 3) - India's current account surplus narrows to $7.1 billion in Q4 amid gold import surge
— Rising gold imports and foreign investor outflows reduced the current account surplus in the January–March 2026 quarter. (Balance of Payments; GS Paper 3) - Sri Lanka upgraded to upper-middle income economy by World Bank
— Sri Lanka re-entered the upper-middle-income category after falling to lower-middle-income status during its 2022 economic crisis; it had first achieved the status in 2019. (World Bank income classifications; India's neighbourhood; GS Paper 2)
Science & Technology
- India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket Vikram-1 set for launch (Mission Aagaman)
— Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 has a launch window between July 12 and August 4, marking a landmark in India's private space sector under IN-SPACe. (ISRO/private space; GS Paper 3 — space technology) - Indian team discovers rare 'bow and arrow' radio galaxy 2 billion light years away
— Researchers identified RAD-BAARG, described as one of the clearest radio signatures of a galaxy falling supersonically into a cluster environment — a significant astrophysics find. (Science achievement; GS Paper 3) - Mandsaur, MP, emerges as model district for HPV vaccination delivery
— The district's grassroots strategies for HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination demonstrate scalable public health models relevant to cervical cancer prevention. (Public health; National Immunisation Programme; GS Paper 2) - India-Japan roadmap released covering strategic stockpiling to AI ecosystem
— The bilateral roadmap outlines cooperation in critical mineral stockpiling, artificial intelligence, and supply chain resilience. (India-Japan relations; technology diplomacy; GS Paper 2)
Environment
- Union Environment Minister inaugurates 18 Namo Oxygen Parks in Delhi
— The parks were inaugurated on World Environment Day 2026 as part of a joint Union-Delhi government green initiative to improve urban air quality. (Environment policy; urban greening; GS Paper 3) - CSE-DTE releases State of Environment (SOE) in Figures 2026
— The Centre for Science and Environment and Down to Earth launched the annual data compendium on India's environmental status on the eve of World Environment Day. (Environment report; GS Paper 3)
Sports
- FIFA World Cup 2026: Spain beat Austria 3-0 to reach Round of 16
— Spain, unbeaten and yet to concede in the tournament, qualified for the last 16; Oyarzabal scored twice; Spain has not won a knockout match since their 2010 World Cup triumph. (FIFA World Cup 2026; GS Paper 4 — general awareness) - FIFA World Cup 2026: Portugal beat Croatia in dramatic comeback
— Goncalo Ramos's stoppage-time goal and Ronaldo's penalty sealed Portugal's win; a late Croatian goal was ruled out by VAR. (FIFA 2026) - Women's T20 World Cup: England reach final on skipper Sciver-Brunt's knock
— England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt's innings guided England to the final after South Africa's top order collapsed to Sophie Ecclestone's bowling. (Women's T20 World Cup; cricket) - Tanvi Khanna enters women's final of HCL Squash PSA Challenger Tour-Mumbai
— In the men's draw, Indian top seed Velavan Senthilkumar was eliminated in the semifinals by Egypt's Yassin Shohdy. (Indian squash; sports achievement)
Appointments & Awards
- Justice K.T. Thomas (retd.) conferred Padma Vibhushan
— The former Supreme Court judge, known for his role in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case verdict, was honoured with India's second-highest civilian award. (Padma Awards; SC judiciary; GS Paper 2) - Justice M. Fathima Beevi conferred Padma Bhushan
— India's first female Supreme Court judge was honoured with the Padma Bhushan; she served as a SC judge from 1989 and later as Governor of Tamil Nadu. (Historic first; Padma Awards — frequently asked in exams) - Material science expert appointed Secretary, Department of Science and Technology
— The new DST Secretary will oversee India's national science policy and research funding ecosystem. (Key appointment; S&T Ministry)
International
- PM Modi and Japan's PM Sanae Takaichi discuss West Asia crisis, Ukraine, condemn cross-border terror from Pakistan
— The bilateral talks reaffirmed the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership while jointly condemning Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. (India-Japan relations; GS Paper 2 — international relations) - Iran warns oil tankers to use approved routes in Strait of Hormuz or face action
— Iran threatened a "rapid and decisive reaction" against U.S. military presence in the strait, raising concerns over crude oil supply disruptions relevant to India's energy security. (Strait of Hormuz; India's energy imports; GS Paper 2 & 3) - ICE arrests 10,000 migrants in five days in US deportation surge
— The sharp late-June escalation in Trump administration deportations has implications for Indian diaspora and visa-holders in the United States. (US immigration policy; Indian diaspora; GS Paper 2)
- Quick Revision:
- 🔹 Vikram-1 (Mission Aagaman) — India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket by Skyroot Aerospace; launch window July 12–August 4, 2026
- 🔹 Justice M. Fathima Beevi — India's first woman Supreme Court judge, conferred Padma Bhushan; Justice K.T. Thomas (former SC judge) conferred Padma Vibhushan
- 🔹 GST turns 9 (July 1, 2017 → July 1, 2026); June 2026 collections up 14% YoY; FPIs withdrew ₹2.7 lakh crore from Indian equities in 2026 so far