Defence Exams (NDA, CDS, CAPF) Current Affairs – July 2026

National

2 one-liners

2 National — 1 Jul – 26 Jul.

• 1 Jul — VB-G RAM G guarantees 125 days of work in a financial year, against 100 days under MGNREGA. It focuses on water security, basic rural infrastructure such as roads, livelihood infrastructure linked to self-help groups, and climate-resilience works.
• 26 Jul — PM Narendra Modi formed a six-member task force on examination reforms headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, after the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. Former ISRO chief S. Somanath and IIT Madras director V. Kamakoti are members.

International

3 one-liners

3 International — 30 Jul.

• Ukraine and nine Western European countries (France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands) announced Project Freya, an alliance to build a joint air-defence shield against Russian ballistic missiles.
• The USA announced that Syria is no longer on its list of state sponsors of terrorism, which lifts financial and military-export restrictions on Syria.
• 30 Jul — Saudi Arabia and other countries announced a multinational maritime defence coalition after a meeting in Riyadh attended by 43 countries. It aims to protect shipping through the Bab al-Mandab, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Economy & Banking

2 one-liners

2 Economy & Banking — 4 Jul.

• The Jodhpur terminal has a built-up area of about 23,342 sq m, 20 check-in counters, 6 aerobridges, modern baggage handling and advanced security screening.
• 4 Jul — Under the India-Israel treaty, only investments that follow the host country's laws are protected. Investors must first use domestic courts before international arbitration, and tax and national-security decisions stay outside arbitration.

Science & Technology

1 one-liners

1 Science & Technology — 3 Jul.

• 3 Jul — ISRO held the first successful ground test of the solid motor of SOLV (Sub-Orbital Launch Vehicle for Experiments) at Sriharikota on 3 July 2026. This test rocket is made to check the parachute system of the Gaganyaan crew module.

Defence & Security

12 one-liners

12 Defence & Security — 11 Jul – 31 Jul.

• Hyderabad-based Azad Engineering built India's first indigenous 350-kg-class expendable turbojet engine, using a design of GTRE (Gas Turbine Research Establishment). Such engines power unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles and drones.
• 11 Jul — INS Mahendragiri, the sixth stealth frigate of Project 17A, joined the Navy's Eastern Fleet at Visakhapatnam on 11 July 2026. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mumbai, built it with over 75% indigenous content.
• 11 Jul — INS Mahendragiri is named after the Mahendragiri hill range of the Eastern Ghats.
• 18 Jul — DRDO successfully test-fired the long-range guided rocket Pinaka at Chandipur on 18 July 2026. The rocket crossed the fixed minimum range of 60 km.
• 22 Jul — The anti-submarine vessel INS Malvan, built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, was commissioned at Karwar on 22 July 2026. It has over 80% indigenous content.
• 22 Jul — INS Malvan is named after the coastal town of Malvan in Maharashtra, linked to the naval tradition of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
• 29 Jul — Cochin Shipyard launched INS Machilipatnam, the seventh of eight anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft being built for the Navy. The vessel has more than 80% indigenous content.
• 30 Jul — The Indian Navy took delivery of the diving support vessel Nipun from Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam. It is the second ship of its class and can support deep-sea saturation diving and submarine rescue.
• 30 Jul — Nipun is equipped for long deep-sea diving, remotely operated vehicles and rescue of a distressed submarine.
• 31 Jul — The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) met on 31 July 2026 and cleared arms-purchase proposals of about ₹52,000 crore for the three services.
• 31 Jul — In the DAC approvals, the Army gets an anti-UAV electronic warfare system and anti-tank missiles, the Navy gets anti-submarine mines and ship-borne drones, and the Air Force gets a high-altitude long-endurance pseudo-satellite.
• 31 Jul — Army chief General Dhiraj Seth launched the Extreme Weather Grade (XWG) diesel on 31 July 2026. Unlike ordinary diesel, it does not freeze or block fuel filters and works down to minus 42°C.

Awards & Honours

2 one-liners

2 Awards & Honours — Defence Exams (NDA, CDS, CAPF) Current Affairs – July 2026.

Summits, Agreements & Exercises

4 one-liners

4 Summits, Agreements & Exercises — 1 Jul – 10 Jul.

• 1 Jul — India and Japan agreed on the UNICORN (Unified Complex Radio Antenna) project. It is the first joint co-development agreement between the two countries in the defence sector.
• 6 Jul — PM Modi visited Indonesia from 6 to 8 July 2026, his fourth visit there. The two sides agreed on missile-technology cooperation, wider space cooperation, and a SAIL partnership to set up a stainless steel plant in Indonesia.
• 8 Jul — During PM Modi's Australia visit on 8 to 10 July 2026, the two countries agreed on eight agreements, including uranium supply, renewal of the 2009 security cooperation declaration and cyber-technology cooperation.
• 10 Jul — PM Modi visited New Zealand on 10 and 11 July 2026. The countries signed agreements on defence cooperation, disaster management (earthquakes and tsunamis) and maritime security, and raised ties to a strategic partnership.

Important Days

2 one-liners

2 Important Days — 26 Jul – 27 Jul.

• 26 Jul — India marked Kargil Vijay Diwas on 26 July 2026, the 27th anniversary of its 1999 victory in the Kargil War. The Army operation that cleared the intruders from the heights was called Operation Vijay.
• 27 Jul — The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) observed its Raising Day on 27 July. The force began in 1939 at Neemuch as the Crown Representative's Police and received its present name in 1949.

Obituaries

1 one-liners

1 Obituaries — 31 Jul.

• 31 Jul — General Vishwa Nath Sharma (retd), who was the 14th Chief of the Army Staff from 1988 to 1990, died in New Delhi. He was the younger brother of Major Somnath Sharma, the first Param Vir Chakra recipient.

International

5 one-liners

5 International — 1 Jul – 28 Jul.

• Japan's government under PM Sanae Takaichi approved about ₹3,885 crore for a new National Intelligence Bureau, said to be Japan's first own intelligence agency since World War II.
• France banned children under 15 years of age from using social media.
• Two humanoid robots, Robert and Matilda, had a symbolic 'wedding' at the Pushkin Library in Moscow, Russia. It had no legal validity and aimed to raise interest in AI and robotics.
• 1 Jul — China's Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law took effect on 1 July 2026 under President Xi Jinping. It aims to unify language, education, culture and national identity, and there is concern that minority identities will weaken.
• 28 Jul — The BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2026 ranked India the world's second-largest supplier of seafarers, with 311,936 people or 12.16% of the global total. Only the Philippines is ahead of India.

Summits, Agreements & Exercises

13 one-liners

13 Summits, Agreements & Exercises — 1 Jul – 30 Jul.

• India announced help in restoring the Prambanan temple complex in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and the gift of 100 tonnes of improved wheat seed.
• China announced a new platform, the World AI Cooperation Organisation, to connect AI needs and technologies across the world.
• The USA and Saudi Arabia signed a 30-year civil nuclear cooperation agreement.
• The Department of Telecommunications and Madhya Pradesh signed an MoU for India's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone at Gwalior, a plug-and-play cluster of about 350 acres for phones, fibre and 5G/6G equipment.
• 1 Jul — The 6th India-Japan annual summit was held in New Delhi from 1 to 3 July 2026 between PM Narendra Modi and Japan's PM Sanae Takaichi. It was Takaichi's first visit to India.
• 1 Jul — At the summit, India and Japan agreed to reduce dependence on any single country in semiconductors, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals and ICT. India's IndiaAI Mission and Japan's GENIAC programme also began cooperating.
• 4 Jul — The India-Israel bilateral investment treaty came into force on 4 July 2026. It replaces the 1996 treaty that India ended in 2017, and Israel is the first OECD country to sign India's new model investment agreement.
• 8 Jul — Australia will now supply uranium to India, as the 2014 civil nuclear cooperation agreement has been put into practice. Australia also returned three old Indian idols.
• 8 Jul — India signed a trilateral agreement with Australia under the ACITI (Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation Partnership).
• 10 Jul — India and New Zealand set a target to raise their bilateral trade to about NZD 7 billion (around ₹35,000 crore) by 2030.
• 19 Jul — President Droupadi Murmu visited Moldova, North Macedonia and Romania from 19 to 25 July 2026. It was the first visit to Moldova by any Indian President.
• 19 Jul — During her visit, India announced that it will double ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) training slots for Moldova and North Macedonia, including special courses on artificial intelligence.
• 30 Jul — The Maldives' instant payment system Favara was linked with India's UPI on 30 July, allowing real-time money transfers. Bank of Maldives and Maldives Islamic Bank joined first, and QR payments for shops will follow.

Science & Technology

17 one-liners

17 Science & Technology — 4 Jul – 30 Jul.

• Rajasthan introduced the 'Prasav Sakhi' arrangement for high-risk pregnant women admitted to government hospitals, with a dedicated companion from admission to discharge.
• A Prasav Sakhi will be a posted nursing staff member, an ANM or a chosen woman health worker, identified by a pink apron. It will be rolled out in phases in medical college hospitals, district hospitals and first referral units.
• The Prasav Sakhi stays with the woman through check-ups, treatment, referral, delivery, discharge and after-care, and gives the family health information. It links to 104 Jananee Express and mother-child help desks to reduce maternal and newborn deaths.
• The hackathon aims to build AI language models for the Marwari, Mewari, Dhundhari, Hadoti, Mewati and Bagri dialects of Rajasthan.
• Bhashini, built by MeitY under the National Language Translation Mission, is an AI language platform supporting 36 written Indian languages, 23 Indian spoken languages and 35 foreign languages.
• At the Jaipur conference, India's first handheld multilingual AI device, "Suno Sutra", was shown, along with speech-to-text translation, voice AI services, dictation and language-contribution tools.
• Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched Vikram-1, India's first fully private orbital rocket, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, in its very first attempt.
• Vikram-1 can carry about 350 kg to low Earth orbit and is about 22 metres long. It has a carbon-composite structure and a 3D-printed liquid engine.
• Skyroot Aerospace, founded in 2018, became the first Indian unicorn in the space sector after this launch. In 2022 it had flown a sub-orbital mission named Vikram-S.
• All five Indian students won gold at the International Physics Olympiad in Colombia. India shared the top position with China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan.
• India's six-member team won 6 medals, 2 gold and 4 silver, at the International Mathematical Olympiad in China, ranking unofficially seventh among more than 110 countries.
• All four Indian participants won gold medals (4 out of 4) at the International Chemistry Olympiad in Uzbekistan.
• Scientists found teeth of Purgatorius, an early mammal about 66 million years old, in Colorado, USA. The find helps explain the first mammals after the dinosaurs went extinct.
• 4 Jul — NASA astronaut Anil Menon, from a family of Indian origin, began his first spaceflight on 4 July 2026 on Russia's Soyuz MS-29. He will stay about eight months at the International Space Station to study space's effects on the human body.
• 27 Jul — The Ministry of Earth Sciences celebrated its 20th Foundation Day in New Delhi on 27 July. The India Meteorological Department announced 13 Centres of Excellence and several new forecasting and monitoring tools were released.
• 30 Jul — The International Type-1 Diabetes Summit 2026 was held in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, from 30 July to 1 August 2026. It was organised with The Friends of Mewar, Breakthrough T1D and the William J. Clinton Foundation.
• 30 Jul — The Jodhpur summit discussed insulin access, continuous glucose monitoring, mental-health support and digital treatment methods. It aimed to bring governments, hospitals, institutes and patient groups together to prepare concrete recommendations on Type-1 diabetes.

Environment & Ecology

8 one-liners

8 Environment & Ecology — Defence Exams (NDA, CDS, CAPF) Current Affairs – July 2026.

• A national workshop at Alwar marked 18 years of tiger reintroduction at Sariska Tiger Reserve, organised by the Environment Ministry with the NTCA and Rajasthan Government. Union Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurated it.
• Tigers were completely wiped out from Sariska in 2005. After reintroduction, 56 tigers now live there, seen as a global example of species recovery.
• At the Sariska workshop, a tiger management roadmap, a booklet on reintroduction and revival, and the annual report of Project Cheetah (September 2024 to December 2025) were released.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), India's main statutory tiger body, was set up in December 2005 on the advice of the Tiger Task Force.
• The NGT formed a joint committee to probe mining near Sariska Tiger Reserve, with a detailed report due in 6 weeks.
• The allegation before the NGT is that distance records of some mining leases from the protected area were altered so they could be restarted.
• The committee will check whether mining approvals follow environment and wildlife rules and how they affect Sariska's ecology. Mining, habitat fragmentation and human activity are the main threats in the Aravalli range.
• Spain declared a national emergency across the country because of severe forest fires.

Sports

5 one-liners

5 Sports — 26 Jul – 30 Jul.

• Mauritius is set to become a new member country of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
• Spain won the FIFA World Cup 2026, the 23rd edition, beating Argentina 1-0 in the final. The USA, Mexico and Canada hosted it jointly, with 48 teams.
• 26 Jul — Mirabai Chanu won the women's 48 kg weightlifting gold at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games with a total lift of 190 kg. It was her third Commonwealth Games gold in a row and India's first gold of these Games.
• 27 Jul — At the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, China, Esha Singh won gold in the women's 25 m pistol with 40 hits, and Manu Bhaker took bronze after a shoot-off. India finished the event with four medals in all.
• 30 Jul — Ajinkya Rahane retired from international cricket on 30 July 2026. He played 85 Tests and 90 ODIs for India and captained the side to a 2-1 series win in Australia in 2020-21.

Awards & Honours

11 one-liners

11 Awards & Honours — 8 Jul.

Appointments

7 one-liners

7 Appointments — 30 Jul – 31 Jul.

Important Days

6 one-liners

6 Important Days — 26 Jul – 31 Jul.

• 26 Jul — The International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem is observed every year on 26 July. UNESCO adopted the day in 2015 and it was first marked in 2016; mangroves are disappearing faster than forests as a whole.
• 28 Jul — World Hepatitis Day was observed on 28 July, the birthday of Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus. The global goal is to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.
• 29 Jul — International Tiger Day is observed on 29 July. It began after the 2010 St Petersburg Tiger Summit, and India is home to roughly 70% of the world's wild tigers.
• 30 Jul — The World Day against Trafficking in Persons on 30 July had the 2026 theme 'Trapped Behind the Scam', which draws attention to people trafficked and forced to run online fraud.
• 30 Jul — The International Day of Friendship is observed on 30 July. The UN General Assembly proclaimed the day in 2011 to promote peace and understanding between peoples.
• 31 Jul — World Ranger Day on 31 July honours forest rangers killed or injured on duty. It was first marked in 2007 in memory of eight rangers killed at Virunga National Park.