Daily Current Affairs – 21-07-2026

Important Days

International Moon Day – 21 July

International Moon Day is observed annually on 21 July. It was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2021 to commemorate the first human landing on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. The day promotes the peaceful and sustainable exploration of outer space.

National Flag Adoption Day – 21 July

National Flag Adoption Day is observed on 21 July every year to commemorate the adoption of the National Flag of India by the Constituent Assembly on 21 July 1947. The flag was based on the design of Pingali Venkayya, with the Ashoka Chakra having 24 spokes replacing the Charkha at the centre. The flag became the official National Flag of India on 15 August 1947.

International News

Judit Polgar Declines Hungary President Post

Chess legend Judit Polgar declined an offer from Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar to become the President of Hungary. She had been nominated as a non-political candidate to support a political transition after the 16-year tenure of Viktor Orban. Judit Polgar declined the offer, stating that she would not accept the responsibility of leading a divided nation. President Tamas Sulyok was removed from office through a constitutional amendment introduced in the previous week.

RBI Foreign Currency Swap Facility Attracts Over $20 Billion

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that its foreign currency swap facility, introduced to mobilise foreign exchange through Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) [FCNR(B)] deposits, External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) and Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings (OFCBs), has attracted $20.72 billion in foreign exchange inflows as of July 17, 2026. The inflows include $17.4 billion through FCNR(B) deposits, $1.97 billion through OFCBs, and $1.34 billion through ECBs. The RBI announced this facility on June 5, 2026 to strengthen India’s Balance of Payments (BoP) and encourage capital inflows, and the swap facility has been operational since June 8, 2026.

India Joins WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement

India has joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which prohibits government support for illegal fishing, unreported and unregulated fishing, and the over-exploitation of fish stocks. The agreement focuses on subsidies related to marine wild capture fishing and fishing-related activities at sea. It was adopted by consensus at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference held in Geneva in 2022. This is the first multilateral agreement of the WTO with an environmental sustainability objective.

Andy Burnham Becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Andy Burnham (56), leader of the Labour Party, officially assumed office as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on July 20. He became the 7th Prime Minister since 2016 and delivered his first address from the Prime Minister’s official residence at 10 Downing Street, London. Former Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned from office, after which King Charles invited Andy Burnham from Buckingham Palace to form the new government. Andy Burnham was elected unopposed as the leader of the ruling Labour Party before assuming office.

Khalil al-Hayya Appointed as New Hamas Leader

Khalil al-Hayya has been appointed as the new leader of the Hamas organization. He succeeds Yahya Sinwar, who was killed during the conflict with Israeli forces in October 2024.

India and Moldova Agree to Strengthen Trade and Supply Chains

President Droupadi Murmu, during her State Visit to Moldova, held bilateral talks with President Maia Sandu in Chisinau and both countries agreed to strengthen trade, investment, and supply chains. The cooperation will focus on agriculture, logistics, infrastructure, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, public digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and innovation. The India–Moldova Business Forum was organised as part of this initiative, and India will double training slots for Moldovan experts in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. The two leaders also discussed increasing cooperation between educational institutions. Droupadi Murmu became the first Indian President to undertake a State Visit to Moldova. The visit to Moldova is the first leg of her three-nation tour, followed by North Macedonia on July 21–22 and Romania from July 23–25.

States’ News

Karnataka Launches Doorstep Delivery of Caste and Residence Certificates

The Karnataka Government has launched a doorstep service to issue Permanent Residence Certificates (PRCs) and Caste Certificates during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar inaugurated the initiative. The Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) is one of the 11 documents accepted by the Election Commission (EC) for voter verification during the SIR process. To speed up certificate issuance, the State Government has authorised Deputy Tahsildars, in addition to Tahsildars, to issue PRCs. A mobile application has also been developed to record beneficiaries' details and acknowledgements after certificate delivery.

Telangana Launches Indiramma Housing Scheme

The Telangana Government has launched the Indiramma Housing Scheme for the construction of houses in the Hyderabad Core Urban Region. Applications will be accepted from July 21 to August 10 through MeeSeva Centres, the MeeSeva portal, and WhatsApp services. Under the scheme, the Government subsidy is ₹5 lakh, while the beneficiary's tentative contribution is ₹6 lakh.

Reports and Indices

Karnataka to Introduce AI in Place of Third Language

The Karnataka Government has decided to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) under Skill Education in place of the third language in 1,652 Government High Schools from the 2026–27 academic year under the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF). Samagra Shikshana–Karnataka (SSK) has issued a circular to appoint Guest Teachers for teaching Artificial Intelligence (AI) and to make the necessary preparations for implementing the programme.

Tamil Nadu News

Public Examination Analysis Reports Released on EMIS Portal

The School Education Department has released the Class 10 and Plus 2 Public Examination Analysis Reports on the EMIS (Education Management Information System) Portal to help schools prepare action plans for improving students' learning outcomes. The reports are based on the 2025–26 public examination results and are available as school-wise analysis reports. The Directorate of School Education has instructed Chief Educational Officers (CEOs) to ensure that Headmasters use these reports to review students' performance with teachers and prepare action plans to improve students' learning and academic performance.

Economy News

Core Infrastructure Sectors Record 5% Growth in June

The production growth of India’s 9 Core Infrastructure Sectors increased to 5% in June, the highest level in the last five months. This is the first monthly data released with 2022–23 as the base year, replacing 2011–12, and after iron ore was included as the 9th core infrastructure sector. The nine sectors are coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement, electricity, and iron ore. In June, iron ore production grew by 43.9%, cement and electricity by 9.8%, steel by 4.6%, and coal by 1.4%. During the April–June quarter, the cumulative growth of these sectors was 3.6%. These 9 core sectors contribute more than 40% to the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), whose base year has also been revised to 2022–23.

Sports News

Arjun Erigaisi Leads Chennai Grand Masters Chess Tournament

In the Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters Chess Tournament held in Chennai, Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi defeated World Champion D. Gukesh in the 5th round and moved to the top of the standings. The tournament features 8 Grandmasters competing in a double round-robin format with a ₹75 lakh prize fund. Arjun Erigaisi defeated D. Gukesh on the 63rd move. In other matches, M. Pranesh drew with Hans Niemann, Nodirbek Abdusattorov defeated Nihal Sarin, and Alireza Firouzja drew with Dmitry Andreikin. After the fifth round, Arjun Erigaisi and Alireza Firouzja shared the top position with 3.5 points each.

Spain Wins the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Spain won the 2026 FIFA World Cup by defeating Argentina 1–0 in the final held at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, securing its second FIFA World Cup title. The tournament was jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with 48 teams participating and 104 matches being played. Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the 106th minute of extra time. During the final, Enzo Fernández and Leandro Paredes of Argentina were sent off with red cards. Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot with 10 goals, Rodri (Spain) received the Golden Ball, Unai Simón (Spain) won the Golden Glove, and Pau Cubarsí (Spain) was named the Best Young Player. Spain conceded only one goal throughout the tournament, and Luis de la Fuente became the oldest FIFA World Cup-winning coach at 65 years and 29 days. Spain received ₹430 crore as prize money, while Argentina received ₹320 crore, England ₹260 crore, and France ₹220 crore. The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by Spain, Morocco, and Portugal.

National News

India Approves First Dengue Vaccine

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted marketing approval for the first dengue vaccine in India. The approved vaccine is QDENGA (TAK-003), developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda. QDENGA is a live-attenuated, tetravalent dengue vaccine that provides protection against all four dengue virus serotypes—DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4. It is administered in a two-dose schedule, with the second dose given three months after the first, and does not require prior blood testing for previous dengue infection. The vaccine is approved for individuals aged 4 to 60 years, irrespective of their previous dengue infection history. It has received World Health Organization (WHO) Prequalification and is already in use in more than 40 countries, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, Argentina, and Australia.

Bill Introduced to Increase Supreme Court Judges to 38

A Bill to replace the Ordinance increasing the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. The Union Cabinet had approved the proposal in May, following which the Central Government promulgated the Ordinance. Based on the Ordinance, five new judges were appointed to the Supreme Court. As of January 1, the Supreme Court had 92,101 pending cases. During 2025, 75,410 new cases were filed, while 65,615 cases were disposed of. The Bill states that increasing the number of judges is necessary to address the growing pendency of cases. It also notes that an Ordinance must be placed before Parliament and passed into law within six weeks of the commencement of a parliamentary session, failing which it will lapse.

NHAI Expands Digital Local Toll Pass System Nationwide

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced that motorists residing within a 20 km radius of toll plazas can obtain Local Passes through the Rajmarg Yatra mobile application. Initially introduced in Delhi, the system has now been expanded across India. The digital platform is integrated with the DigiLocker, Vahan, and FASTag systems based on user consent, and uses Geographic Information System (GIS)-based verification for address validation. NHAI has also introduced the Marg Mitra helpdesk platform, which provides information, grievance redressal, FASTag renewal, KYC services, and annual and local pass-related services in 22 Indian languages.

Supreme Court Directs Centre to Frame Uniform Policy for Retired Judges

The Supreme Court of India directed the Central Government to constitute a committee within two weeks to formulate a national policy ensuring uniform post-retirement benefits for former judges across the country. The direction came while hearing a petition filed by V.S. Dave, former judge and President of the Association of Retired Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, regarding disparities in post-retirement benefits among States. The case was heard by a Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana. The Court also directed that the committee should submit its report on ensuring uniform post-retirement benefits for retired judges across India within three months.