Daily Current Affairs – 06-07-2026

Important Days

World Zoonoses Day

World Zoonoses Day is observed every year on 6 July to raise awareness about zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that spread from animals to humans. The day commemorates the successful administration of the first rabies vaccine by Louis Pasteur on 6 July 1885. It highlights the importance of disease prevention, vaccination, animal health, and the One Health approach to protect public health.

Sports News

Ferrari Secures 250th Formula One Grand Prix Victory Ferrari Secures 250th Formula One Grand Prix Victory Charles Leclerc won the British Grand Prix to secure Ferrari’s 250th Formula One Grand Prix victory. It was Leclerc’s ninth Grand Prix victory and his first since winning the United States Grand Prix at Austin in October 2024. George Russell of Mercedes finished second, while Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari finished third. Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, who started from pole position and won the sprint race, finished 16th but continued to lead the Drivers’ Championship with 179 points, followed by George Russell (154) and Lewis Hamilton (147). In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes led with 333 points, followed by Ferrari (255) and McLaren (179).

Charles Leclerc won the British Grand Prix to secure Ferrari's 250th Formula One Grand Prix victory. It was Leclerc's ninth Grand Prix victory and his first since winning the United States Grand Prix at Austin in October 2024. George Russell of Mercedes finished second, while Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari finished third. Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, who started from pole position and won the sprint race, finished 16th but continued to lead the Drivers' Championship with 179 points, followed by George Russell (154) and Lewis Hamilton (147). In the Constructors' Championship, Mercedes led with 333 points, followed by Ferrari (255) and McLaren (179).

Djokovic Sets Wimbledon Match-Win Record

Novak Djokovic of Serbia defeated Roman Safiullin of Russia 7-6(6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 on July 5 to reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon. With this victory, Djokovic recorded his 106th match win at the All England Club, becoming the player with the highest number of men's match victories in Wimbledon history, surpassing Roger Federer. Seeded seventh, Djokovic is also aiming to equal Roger Federer's record of eight Wimbledon titles and is competing for his 25th Grand Slam singles title.

Australia Wins 7th ICC Women’s T20 World Cup

Australia won the 10th ICC Women's T20 World Cup by defeating England by 7 wickets in the final held at Lord's, London, on July 5. This was Australia's 7th Women's T20 World Cup title, having previously won in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, and 2023. England scored 150/4 in 20 overs, while Australia chased the target by scoring 153/3 in 17.1 overs. Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield played key innings for Australia, while Nat Sciver-Brunt remained unbeaten with 58 runs for England. Australian bowlers Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Sophie Molineux, and Annabel Sutherland took one wicket each.

National News

Teejan Bai Passes Away at 70

Teejan Bai, the renowned Pandavani folk artist from Chhattisgarh, passed away at the age of 70 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur, after a prolonged illness. Pandavani is the traditional folk art form of Chhattisgarh that presents the Mahabharata through musical narration. She was instrumental in popularising this art form in more than 17 countries. Breaking tradition, she performed in the Kapalika style, unlike the traditional Vedamati style followed by women performers. She was honoured with Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award. She had been undergoing treatment at AIIMS Raipur since May 27, 2026, and was given a state funeral at her native village, Ganiyari.

First Instalment Released under VB-G RAM G Scheme First Instalment Released under VB-G RAM G Scheme The Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, released the first instalment of ₹25,863 crore to States under the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB-G RAM G) for the rural employment programme. The VB-G RAM G Act came into effect on July 1 and has replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Uttar Pradesh received the highest allocation of ₹3,210.76 crore, followed by Andhra Pradesh (₹2,545.5 crore), Rajasthan (₹2,274.37 crore), Tamil Nadu (₹2,176.84 crore) and Kerala (₹925.33 crore). The scheme begins with the preparation of a Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan (VGPP), which will use Yuktdhara, a GIS-based planning portal developed by ISRO, and PM Gati Shakti, a national master plan integrating more than 16 Ministries, to map assets and identify development gaps for village-level planning.

The Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, released the first instalment of ₹25,863 crore to States under the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB-G RAM G) for the rural employment programme. The VB-G RAM G Act came into effect on July 1 and has replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Uttar Pradesh received the highest allocation of ₹3,210.76 crore, followed by Andhra Pradesh (₹2,545.5 crore), Rajasthan (₹2,274.37 crore), Tamil Nadu (₹2,176.84 crore) and Kerala (₹925.33 crore). The scheme begins with the preparation of a Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan (VGPP), which will use Yuktdhara, a GIS-based planning portal developed by ISRO, and PM Gati Shakti, a national master plan integrating more than 16 Ministries, to map assets and identify development gaps for village-level planning.

ISRO Tests SOLVE for Gaganyaan Mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the first ground test of the Sub-Orbital Launch Vehicle for Experiments (SOLVE) at the Static Test Facility of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on July 3. SOLVE is a solid motor-based test platform developed for the Gaganyaan Mission to conduct Integrated Parachute Tests for validating the crew module's deceleration system under different test conditions. During the tests, the crew module will be carried to an altitude of 10 km to 17 km, separated from the vehicle, and its descent will be controlled using 10 parachutes before sea splashdown. The SOLVE solid stage has been developed from the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) Strap-on Motor with modifications, including a slow burn rate propellant and a straight nozzle with secondary injection thrust vector control. ISRO has also recently conducted the Second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) and Mission MITRA (Mapping of Interoperable Traits and Response Assessment) in Leh as part of the Gaganyaan Mission preparations.

INS Sudarshini Participates in U.S. 250th Anniversary Maritime Event

The Indian Navy's sail training ship INS Sudarshini participated in the International Naval Review and Sail 4th 250 celebrations held in New York to mark the 250th anniversary of the Independence of the United States. On July 4, the ship entered New York Harbour carrying the Indian Tricolour and sailed past the Statue of Liberty. The visit forms part of the ship's 10-month transoceanic expedition, Lokayan 2026.

Padma Vibhushan Awardee Teejan Bai Passes Away

Teejan Bai (24 April 1956 – 5 July 2026), renowned Pandwani folk artist and Padma Vibhushan awardee, passed away at AIIMS Raipur after a prolonged illness. She popularised Pandwani, the traditional musical narration of the Mahabharata, from Chhattisgarh to the international stage through performances in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Australia. Belonging to the Pardhi community, she performed in the Kapalik style of Pandwani. She was honoured with the Padma Shri (1988), Padma Bhushan (2003), Padma Vibhushan (2019), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Nritya Shiromani, Kala Shiromani, and honorary D.Litt degrees from several universities.

IIT Madras Finds Mamallan Reservoir Hydrologically Feasible

IIT Madras has found that the proposed Mamallan (Kovalam Sub-basin) Reservoir is hydrologically feasible to store 1.655 TMC of rainwater. The findings were submitted as part of the Tamil Nadu Government's additional counter-affidavit before the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The proposed reservoir will cover 17.71 sq. km with a storage depth of 3 metres, enabling storage of 1.655 TMC in a single filling and 2.25 TMC annually. The technical evaluation was prepared by Soumendra Nath Kuiry and S. A. Sannasiraj of IIT Madras in collaboration with the Water Resources Department (WRD). The study estimated a total run-off availability of 4.25 TMC and a dependable annual yield of 2.97 TMC based on 31 years of rainfall data from the Kelambakkam Rain Gauge Station. The findings were also found to be broadly consistent with the independent hydrological assessment of the Centre for Water Resources, Anna University.

NPCI Subsidiaries and SWIFT Supervisory Board

Under the leadership of Dilip Asbe, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has established four subsidiaries: NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) to globalise UPI and RuPay, NPCI Bharat BillPay for bill payment services, NPCI BHIM Services for BHIM UPI, and NPCI Tech Solutions to develop payment solutions, including infrastructure for Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Other members of the SWIFT Global Supervisory Board include Manish Kohli of HSBC, Arthur Ambrose of Citi, Patrick Colle of BNP Paribas, and Mark Monaco of Bank of America.

NPCI CEO Dilip Asbe Joins SWIFT Global Supervisory Board

Dilip Asbe, Managing Director and CEO of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has been inducted into the Global Supervisory Board of the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT). The appointment was approved at SWIFT's Annual General Meeting and is subject to regulatory approval expected in October. SWIFT is transitioning from a single-tier board to a two-tier governance model consisting of a Supervisory Board and a Management Board. The appointment gives India representation in shaping global payment policies and standards. Unified Payments Interface (UPI), developed under NPCI, processes more than 20 billion transactions every month. Dilip Asbe has been leading NPCI since January 2018 and has played a key role in the development of IMPS, AePS, RuPay, FASTag, and UPI.

Ladakh Approves Measures to Promote Pashmina Industry

Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved two measures to strengthen the Pashmina industry and improve the livelihoods of the Changpa pastoral communities. At the first meeting of the newly constituted Ladakh Pashmina Development Board, approval was given for the Livestock Development Incentive Programme, which provides a 25% top-up incentive on the total Pashmina procurement value to herders. He also approved a ₹8 crore revolving fund for the All Changthang Pashmina Growers Cooperative Marketing Society Ltd to procure raw Pashmina from nomadic herders and make upfront payments for their produce.

Indian Army Announces Five-Year Defence Procurement Plan

The Indian Army has approved a five-year procurement plan worth over ₹75,000 crore for the refurbishment and modernization of Soviet-era tanks and armoured vehicles to strengthen India's defence manufacturing ecosystem. The plan includes the modernization of 500 BMP Infantry Combat Vehicles at a cost of less than ₹5,000 crore, which will be carried out by AVNL's Ordnance Factory Medak. The Army has also approved the restoration of 230 Armoured Recovery Vehicles over five years at a cost of ₹1,400 crore. These vehicles were built by Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML).

BRICS Special Conference on Preventing Drug Trafficking

A two-day special conference of BRICS on preventing drug trafficking begins in Guwahati, Assam. India holds the BRICS Chairmanship this year, and the BRICS Summit is scheduled to be held in Delhi on September 12 and 13. The BRICS member countries are Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. The conference brings together the heads of the drug enforcement agencies of BRICS member countries to discuss measures to prevent drug trafficking, curb illegal transactions through cryptocurrency, identify darknet websites used for drug-related activities, strengthen information sharing on drugs used for abuse, and disrupt the international supply chain of drug trafficking networks.

Restrictions on LNG Lifted by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has announced the removal of all restrictions on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The restrictions had been imposed following disruptions caused by the US–Iran conflict, during which the Strait of Hormuz was closed, affecting the global supply of crude oil and causing shortages of petrol, diesel, LPG, and LNG in India. After cargo shipping through the Strait of Hormuz returned to normal following the temporary peace agreement signed on June 18, the Ministry had already removed restrictions on petrol, diesel, and LPG on July 1, and has now also lifted restrictions on LNG. About 65% of India's LNG requirement is imported from Gulf countries.

INS Sanshodhak Joins Southern Naval Command

INS Sanshodhak, the fourth Survey Vessel Large (SVL) of the Indian Navy, joined the Southern Naval Command at Kochi, Kerala, on July 5. The vessel was among the three indigenously designed and built naval ships—INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak, and INS Agray—dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kolkata on June 21. After sailing from Kolkata via Visakhapatnam and Chennai, INS Sanshodhak reached Kochi. It is the second SVL to be inducted into the Southern Naval Command, after INS Ikshak. The vessel will be used for hydrographic and oceanographic surveys, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations during emergencies, and is equipped with a helicopter landing deck.

125th Birth Anniversary of Syama Prasad Mookerjee

Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, celebrated his 125th birth anniversary on July 6. He served as India’s first Minister of Industry and Supply and played an important role in ensuring that West Bengal remained an integral part of India during the Partition of India. He died while in custody during his movement related to Jammu and Kashmir. In 2019, the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35(A) of the Constitution of India was highlighted in connection with his vision. During his tenure, he contributed to the establishment of the Damodar Valley Corporation, the Sindri Fertilizer Factory, and the formulation of a strong industrial policy. During the Bengal Famine of 1943, he organized relief kitchens and relief centres for affected people and authored the book "Panchashar Manwantar". He also participated in relief efforts following the 1942 Midnapore cyclone.

Reports and Indices

Informal Workers in India’s Major Cities

A report released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on urban unincorporated enterprises in cities with a population of more than 10 lakh (based on the 2011 Census) stated that 1.98 crore informal workers are employed in 1 crore informal establishments across 46 major cities in India. Greater Hyderabad has the highest number of informal workers with 15.7 lakh, while Kolkata has the highest number of informal establishments with 8.84 lakh. The report noted that six cities—Greater Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Surat, Greater Mumbai, and Jaipur—account for 40% of all informal workers in these 46 cities. In 2025, India had 12.81 crore informal workers, and among the 1.98 crore workers in the 46 cities, about 52 lakh (26%) were women. Greater Visakhapatnam recorded the highest share of women informal workers at 42.5%, followed by Surat (41.4%), while Srinagar had the lowest at 10.5%. According to the ASUSE 2025 Survey, these 46 cities account for about 13% of establishments, 16% of workers, and 21% of Gross Value Added (GVA) in the unincorporated non-agricultural sector. This is the second report by MoSPI on India's major cities, following its earlier report based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025.

MoSPI Report on Labour Market in Million-Plus Cities

According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) report titled "Labour Market Dynamics in Million-plus Cities", Prayagraj and Patna recorded the highest unemployment rates among 46 cities with a population of 10 lakh or more, with overall unemployment rates of 23.8% and 20.9% respectively, while Ahmedabad (2.3%) and Kolkata (2.4%) recorded the lowest unemployment rates. The report is based on Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) first-visit data collected during the January–December 2025 survey cycle from over 19,000 households covering around 60,000 persons aged 15 years and above. The average unemployment rate across million-plus cities was 6.8%, the same as the overall urban unemployment rate in India. The report also states that regular wage/salaried employment in million-plus cities was 58.5%, compared to 47.6% in urban India.

States’ News

Hindi Introduced as Fourth Official Language in Assam Legislative Assembly

From the Budget Session beginning on July 6, Hindi has been introduced as the fourth official language of the Assam Legislative Assembly. The Assembly already uses Assamese, English, and Bodo as official languages. The decision was taken at the meeting of the General Purpose Committee and was announced by Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass. The Assembly also decided to rename ALA TV, which broadcasts Assembly proceedings, as Assam Vidhan Sabha TV (Assam Legislative Assembly TV). Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma clarified that Bodo will continue as an official language of the Assembly and that there is no proposal to remove it.