All daily digests
Daily DigestArchive
Current Affairs — Monday, 20 July 2026
33 items
Tamil Nadu
- TVK Government faces political storm over VB-GRAMG scheme
— CM Vijay's new village-level governance initiative has triggered political controversy, with opposition parties questioning its constitutional basis and administrative overlap with existing panchayat structures. - Tamil Nadu to extend Free Breakfast Scheme to Middle School students
— The TVK government announced expansion of the popular school breakfast programme (originally launched under the previous DMK administration) to cover middle school students, increasing its beneficiary base significantly. (Welfare scheme; GS Paper II — State schemes) - TVK government to establish Investor Promotion Commission
— As announced in the Governor's address, the CM Vijay-led government plans a dedicated commission to fast-track investment approvals, signalling a shift in industrial policy. (GS Paper II — Governance, Economy) - Tamil Nadu to maintain two-language policy
— A state minister confirmed that the TVK government will continue Tamil Nadu's long-standing two-language (Tamil and English) policy, ruling out adoption of the three-language formula. (GS Paper II — Education policy, federalism) - PMK demands notification of Pallikaranai marshland extent
— PMK president organised a signature campaign urging the state government to officially demarcate the Pallikaranai marshland, criticising the previous administration's CMDA oversight failures. (Environment; GS Paper III) - Farmers' body urges DMK to drop Mekedatu tribunal demand
— The Coordination Committee of All Farmers Associations of Tamil Nadu stated that pushing for a Mekedatu tribunal would harm the state's water interests and violates existing legal frameworks. (GS Paper II — Interstate water disputes)
India — National
- Government to move Bill in Rajya Sabha to criminalise insult to Vande Mataram
— The 1971 Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act is to be amended; simultaneously, Lok Sabha will take up a Bill to increase the number of Supreme Court judges. (GS Paper II — Parliament, Judiciary; Constitution) - CJP's march to Parliament draws thousands at Jantar Mantar
— The Cockroach Janta Party's protest, linked to activist Sonam Wangchuk's hospitalisation controversy, drew unprecedented crowds; Delhi Police imposed prohibitory orders till August 22, noting no permission was sought for the march. (GS Paper II — Fundamental Rights, Article 19) - India advises citizens to postpone travel to Iran amid rising instability
— The Ministry of External Affairs issued a travel advisory urging Indians already in Iran to exit using available flights, amid escalating West Asia tensions. (GS Paper II — MEA; India's diaspora policy) - At least 8 killed in Nagaland landslide
— Heavy rainfall and a cloudburst near Mon town caused widespread destruction; the state government announced ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh for kin of deceased and ₹74,000 per injured. (Disaster Management; GS Paper III) - Maharashtra government extends hospitality hours till 4 a.m. for FIFA World Cup final
— The Home Department issued the directive following a request from the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), Mumbai. (GS Paper II — State executive powers) - Maharashtra panel formed to study ST benefits after Christian conversion allegations
— A state panel will examine whether conversions are depriving Scheduled Tribes of constitutional benefits in Navapur taluka. (GS Paper II — Tribal rights, Scheduled Tribes; Articles 341–342) - Srinagar's Vichar Nag temple holds puja after decades
— Scores of Kashmiri Pandits attended the ceremony, with the L-G calling it "a historic bridge," marking a symbolic milestone in the return of displaced Pandits. (GS Paper I — Society; J&K)
Economy & Finance
- Gujarat tops NITI Aayog's first Investment Friendliness Index 2026
— Gujarat scored 56.6 points, followed by Maharashtra (53.7) and Tamil Nadu (53.3) among 17 major states assessed. (GS Paper III — NITI Aayog; Investment indices — key ranking for exams) - India's retail inflation crosses 4% in June after 16 months
— Fuel price hikes and weak monsoon rains drove inflation above the RBI's 4% target, reducing room for interest rate cuts. (GS Paper III — Monetary policy; RBI) - RBI Governor flags West Asia crisis and uncertain monsoon as major growth risks
— The RBI Monthly Bulletin also noted that monsoon shortfall could weigh on both growth and inflation outlook. (GS Paper III — RBI; Macroeconomic risks) - Goldman Sachs raises India's GDP growth forecast
— The investment bank revised upward its projection for India's economic growth, citing strong middle-class consumption, as highlighted by FM Nirmala Sitharaman at a panel in France. (GS Paper III — GDP) - Government moves Bill to replace FII tax-exemption Ordinance
— The Bill will formalise the June Ordinance exempting foreign institutional investors and the Bank of International Settlements from capital gains tax and interest tax. (GS Paper III — Taxation; FII)
Science & Technology
- Skyroot's Vikram-1 makes India only the third country with a private orbital launch
— Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket successfully placed payloads in orbit, making India the third nation (after the US and New Zealand) where a private company has independently achieved orbital delivery. (GS Paper III — Space; ISRO ecosystem) - India chose domestic bullet train design as Japan could not deliver E10 before 2034
— A Railway official confirmed India opted for its own bullet train technology for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor after Japan's timeline for the E10 series proved incompatible. (GS Paper III — Infrastructure; Railways) - CIC directs IITs to form high-level committees to curb student suicides
— The Central Information Commission ordered IITs to proactively disclose information about anti-suicide panels on their official websites. (GS Paper II — RTI; Higher education)
Environment
- Budget 2026-27 cuts air quality management outlay by 10%
— The allocation for air quality management and pollution control has been reduced in the Union Budget, raising concerns among environmentalists about India's air pollution targets. (GS Paper III — Environment policy; Budget) - Geo-tagging of forest locations enabling trespassers, Kerala forest dept warns
— The forest department flagged 23 Google Maps listings inside reserve forests in Kozhikode as misleading, with unauthorised pins encouraging illegal entry into protected areas. (GS Paper III — Forest conservation; Wildlife Protection Act) - Illegal shark fin trade hotspot identified at Dakar port
— Global shark populations have declined 71% since 1970; the Dakar port has been identified as a major hub for illegal shark fin trade, with implications for India's marine biodiversity commitments. (GS Paper III — Biodiversity; CITES)
Sports
- Spain beats Argentina 1-0 to win FIFA World Cup 2026
— Ferran Torres scored in extra time to give Spain their second FIFA World Cup title, 16 years after their first in 2010 (Andrés Iniesta's goal). (Static GK; FIFA World Cup) - Garry Sobers, cricket's greatest all-rounder, passes away
— The West Indian legend, widely regarded as the greatest cricketer of all time, has died; he was the first to hit six sixes in an over in first-class cricket (1968). (Sports GK) - England clinches ODI series vs India at Lord's despite Rohit's 138
— Sam Curran's bowling strangled India's batting; England chased down a massive total with contributions from Duckett, Bethell, Root, and Buttler. (Sports current affairs)
Appointments & Awards
- Justice K.T. Thomas conferred Padma Vibhushan
— The former Supreme Court judge, known for urging magnanimity towards Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts, has been awarded India's second-highest civilian honour. (GS Paper II — Judiciary; Padma Awards) - Justice M. Fathima Beevi conferred Padma Bhushan
— The first female judge of the Supreme Court of India has been awarded the Padma Bhushan, recognising her historic judicial contribution. (GS Paper II — Judiciary; Women firsts — highly exam-probable) - Andy Burnham replaces Keir Starmer as UK Prime Minister on July 20
— The former Mayor of Greater Manchester, dubbed 'King of the North,' assumed office as UK PM; he dropped a planned digital ID scheme to prioritise cost-of-living issues. (International GK)
International
- Iranian missile hits Jordan's Aqaba Airport; Israel intercepts missiles
— West Asia conflict escalates as Iran launches missiles towards Aqaba; the Israeli military reported interception; MEA has advised Indians to leave Iran. (GS Paper II — International relations; West Asia) - At least 50 Malian soldiers killed in rebel-jihadist attack
— An attack on an army convoy near Anefis on July 18 marked one of the deadliest incidents in Mali's ongoing conflict with rebel and jihadist groups. (GS Paper II — Global security) - U.S. imposes 25% tariff on select Brazilian imports from July 22
— Washington cited unfair trade practices; the move has implications for India as global trade tensions continue to reshape supply chains. (GS Paper III — International trade; WTO)
- Quick Revision:
- 🏆 Spain won FIFA World Cup 2026, beating Argentina 1-0; Ferran Torres scored in extra time — Spain's second World Cup title (first was in 2010)
- 📊 Gujarat topped NITI Aayog's first-ever Investment Friendliness Index 2026 with 56.6 points; Tamil Nadu ranked third (53.3)
- ⚖️ Justice M. Fathima Beevi (first woman SC judge) awarded Padma Bhushan; Justice K.T. Thomas awarded Padma Vibhushan — both highly exam-probable for judiciary + awards questions
- 🚀 Skyroot's Vikram-1 makes India the third country where a private company independently achieved orbital payload delivery