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Daily Current Affairs: 19 & 20 July 2026

Current affairs of 19 & 20 July 2026: Exercise Pitch Black 2026: IAF Sends Rafales to Australia; Operation Southern Readiness 26-2: Navy Training at Kochi; Puga Valley Geothermal Wells: India’s First 1 MW Pilot Base, and 22 more topics. Key facts for every exam, with a quiz.

Take the quiz (22 questions)July 2026

In this issue: 25 topics

National Affairs

PV Sindhu Enters Japan Open 2026 Women’s Singles Final
Saushrutam 2026: AIIA’s International Ayurveda Seminar
Chhattisgarh Ease of Doing Business Act 2026: Risk-Based Approvals

Government Schemes

India Post Mascot Design Contest on MyGov

Banking & Finance

RBI Penalises Muthoot Finance and Five Other NBFCs

Economy

MoSPI’s PAIMANA Dashboard Now Tracks 165 Indicators
Cabinet Nod for NIPU-2026, Two Rail Projects and Varanasi Corridors

International Affairs

Day of International Criminal Justice: 17 July and Rome Statute
Nelson Mandela International Day 18 July: 2026 Theme

Science & Technology

Vikram-1: Skyroot’s Maiden Orbital Launch, Mission Aagaman
58th International Chemistry Olympiad 2026: India’s Four Golds
Skyroot Vikram-1: India’s First Private Orbital Launch
Aman Johri’s Astra Farm Mission Tests Crops in Microgravity
Jio Gets IN-SPACe Nod for 1,600-Satellite LEO Network
Telangana-Microsoft Green Skills Centre of Excellence MoU

Environment & Ecology

Puga Valley Geothermal Wells: India’s First 1 MW Pilot Base
Invasive Plants and Butterflies in Raimona National Park
Akasa Air-BPCL MoU to Boost Sustainable Aviation Fuel
India’s First River Kinetic Energy Project: Arunachal-Norway MoU

Defence & Security

Exercise Pitch Black 2026: IAF Sends Rafales to Australia
Operation Southern Readiness 26-2: Navy Training at Kochi

Awards & Persons

72nd National Film Awards: Article 370 Wins Best Feature Film
IBO 2026: India Wins One Gold, Three Silver in Vilnius
Agriculture Leadership Award 2026 Won by Gujarat for Horticulture
Sir Garfield Sobers, West Indies Cricket Great, Dies at 89

National Affairs

1. PV Sindhu Enters Japan Open 2026 Women’s Singles Final

P. V. Sindhu reached the Women's Singles final of the Japan Open 2026 in Tokyo.
China's Chen Yu Fei retired in the semifinal while Sindhu led 21-19, 15-10.
Earlier, Japan's Nozomi Okuhara gave her a walkover.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Science & Technology

2. Saushrutam 2026: AIIA’s International Ayurveda Seminar

AIIA (All India Institute of Ayurveda) organised the three-day international seminar Saushrutam 2026 in New Delhi.
Its themes were Ayurvedic surgery, integrative healthcare and medical research.
Experts, researchers and academicians from India and abroad took part.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

3. Chhattisgarh Ease of Doing Business Act 2026: Risk-Based Approvals

The state Assembly in Chhattisgarh passed its Ease of Doing Business Act, 2026.
Chhattisgarh is India's first state with a full risk-based, trust-based framework for business approvals.
The law offers low-risk firms self-certification, plus deemed approvals and easier compliance.
Over 15 lakh MSMEs are expected to benefit.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Government Schemes

Government Schemes

4. India Post Mascot Design Contest on MyGov

The Department of Posts launched the India Post Mascot Design Contest.
The contest runs on the Innovate India MyGov Platform.
It is open to citizens nationwide, who are invited to design the official mascot of India Post.
The Department of Posts functions under the Ministry of Communications.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Banking & Finance

Banking & Finance

5. RBI Penalises Muthoot Finance and Five Other NBFCs

RBI fined six companies, including Muthoot Finance, amounts from ₹2.70 lakh to ₹6.20 lakh for compliance lapses.
Avail Financial Services paid the largest penalty, ₹6.20 lakh; Muthoot Finance was fined ₹5.80 lakh.
The fines rest on the RBI Act, 1934 (Sections 58G(1)(b) and 58B(5)).
RBI said the fines concern compliance gaps, not the validity of any customer transaction.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Economy

6. MoSPI’s PAIMANA Dashboard Now Tracks 165 Indicators

MoSPI released the latest quarterly update of the PAIMANA dashboard for monitoring India's infrastructure sector.
PAIMANA stands for Project Assessment, Infrastructure Monitoring & Analytics for Nation-building.
The dashboard now has 165 indicators, of which 44 are new.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

7. Cabinet Nod for NIPU-2026, Two Rail Projects and Varanasi Corridors

The CCEA approved the National Investment Policy for Urea-2026 (NIPU-2026) to add 1 crore metric tonnes of domestic gas-based urea capacity.
Two railway multitracking projects in Odisha and Jharkhand were approved.
Two elevated corridor projects in Varanasi were cleared, worth over ₹25,000 crore.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

International Affairs

Polity & Governance

8. Day of International Criminal Justice: 17 July and Rome Statute

17 July is the Day of International Criminal Justice.
It recalls 1998, when the Rome Statute was adopted and the ICC came into being.
It encourages accountability for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and aggression.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

International Relations

9. Nelson Mandela International Day 18 July: 2026 Theme

The United Nations observes Nelson Mandela International Day on 18 July, marking his birth anniversary.
Mandela was the first democratically elected President of South Africa.
The 2026 theme was It's in our hands, urging people to help build a better society.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Science & Technology

Science & Technology

10. Vikram-1: Skyroot’s Maiden Orbital Launch, Mission Aagaman

Skyroot's Vikram-1 flew its maiden orbital mission, Aagaman, from Sriharikota on 18 July 2026.
It is called the first commercial Indian rocket to reach orbit; India is the third nation with private orbital launch ability.
Vikram-1 has three solid stages and a liquid Orbit Adjustment Module.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Science & Technology

11. 58th International Chemistry Olympiad 2026: India’s Four Golds

India won four gold medals at the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) 2026.
This was India's best-ever performance at the event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the team for the achievement.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Science & Technology

12. Skyroot Vikram-1: India’s First Private Orbital Launch

Skyroot Aerospace of Hyderabad launched Vikram-1 under Mission Aagaman, India's first privately developed orbital-class launch vehicle.
The mission put multiple payloads into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Reports describe India as the third country after the US and China with private orbital launch capability.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Agriculture & Rural Development

13. Aman Johri’s Astra Farm Mission Tests Crops in Microgravity

Captain Aman Johri, an Indian Analog Astronaut, wrapped up a reduced-gravity research mission named Project Astra Farm.
The study examined how Maharashtra-grown onions and potatoes behave in reduced gravity.
The project seeks to advance space agriculture research for future space missions.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Science & Technology

14. Jio Gets IN-SPACe Nod for 1,600-Satellite LEO Network

IN-SPACe gave Reliance Jio Infocomm technical approval for a LEO constellation of about 1,600 satellites.
Planned services: satellite broadband, direct-to-device connectivity and enterprise communication.
It is described as India's first indigenous satellite internet network.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

15. Telangana-Microsoft Green Skills Centre of Excellence MoU

Telangana signed an MoU with Microsoft for a Green Skills Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Hyderabad.
Training will cover Artificial Intelligence, sustainable manufacturing and green technologies.
It supports Telangana's Green Pharma City and next-generation life sciences strategy.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Environment & Ecology

Environment & Ecology

16. Puga Valley Geothermal Wells: India’s First 1 MW Pilot Base

Ladakh LG V.K. Saxena opened India's first twin geothermal wells, the deepest so far, at Puga Valley in eastern Ladakh.
Executed by ONGC Energy Centre, each well is 1,000 m deep and will support a 1 MW demonstration geothermal power plant.
135°C was recorded at 400 m; deeper sections are expected to exceed 200-240°C.
The heat is linked to the Indus Suture Zone, where the Indian and Eurasian plates collided.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Environment & Ecology

17. Invasive Plants and Butterflies in Raimona National Park

A study in Raimona National Park, Assam, found invasive plants act as key nectar and larval host plants for butterflies.
It documented 220 butterfly species, 56 larval host plants and 41 nectar plants.
Researchers stressed balancing invasive-species management with biodiversity conservation.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

18. Akasa Air-BPCL MoU to Boost Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Akasa Air and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) signed an MoU on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
The pact backs long-term SAF supply and higher blending levels.
It supports aviation decarbonisation and aligns with ICAO's CORSIA framework.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Environment & Ecology

19. India’s First River Kinetic Energy Project: Arunachal-Norway MoU

Arunachal Pradesh signed an MoU with Norway's Tidal Sail AS for India's first River Kinetic Energy Demonstration Project.
Capacity: 500 kilowatts.
Power will come from river currents without building dams.
The project promotes renewable energy and India-Norway green cooperation.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Defence & Security

International Relations

20. Exercise Pitch Black 2026: IAF Sends Rafales to Australia

India's four Rafale jets took part in Exercise Pitch Black for the first time in 2026.
The IAF contingent also had two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and over 120 personnel.
Pitch Black is a biennial air combat exercise run by the Royal Australian Air Force.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

International Relations

21. Operation Southern Readiness 26-2: Navy Training at Kochi

The Indian Navy hosted Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 at Southern Naval Command, Kochi, from 20 to 23 July 2026.
It is a multinational maritime security training engagement, not a standard combat exercise.
It runs under Combined Task Force 154, the Training Task Force of the Combined Maritime Forces.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Awards & Persons

History, Art & Culture

22. 72nd National Film Awards: Article 370 Wins Best Feature Film

Hindi film Article 370 won Best Feature Film at the 72nd National Film Awards.
Yami Gautam won Best Actress for her role in Article 370.
Mammootty (Bramayugam) and Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion) shared Best Actor; it was Mammootty's fourth such National Award.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Science & Technology

23. IBO 2026: India Wins One Gold, Three Silver in Vilnius

India took home a gold and three silvers from the 37th IBO, held in 2026.
The Olympiad took place in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Bhavyaa Gunwal of Haryana took the gold.
Silver went to three students, from West Bengal, Rajasthan and Punjab.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Agriculture & Rural Development

24. Agriculture Leadership Award 2026 Won by Gujarat for Horticulture

Gujarat won the Agriculture Leadership Award 2026 for achievements in horticulture.
The honour was presented at the 17th Agriculture Leadership Conclave in New Delhi.
Better irrigation, modern farming methods and farmer-friendly initiatives drove the state's horticulture expansion.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Awards & Persons

25. Sir Garfield Sobers, West Indies Cricket Great, Dies at 89

West Indies great Sir Garfield Sobers died at the age of 89.
He played 93 Tests, scoring 8,032 runs and taking 235 wickets.
He is widely regarded as one of cricket's greatest all-rounders and is an ICC Hall of Fame inductee.

Full notes and 3 MCQs ›

Test yourself

22 questions from the news of 19 & 20 July 2026, with answers and explanations.