Top 20 UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | July 20 to July 26, 2026

— The index covers all 28 states and eight union territories (UTs) and evaluates what makes a state attractive for investors, as well as the challenges investors face.

— The Index uses 8 pillars for evaluating the 28 states and eight union territories (UTs). It comprises 84 indicators, incorporating both secondary data and perception-based measures derived from a primary survey of investors. 

— The highest weight of 25% is assigned to infrastructure, followed by business climate, resources, government policy, regulatory ease, financial health, institutional environment and environmental resilience.

— The index categorises Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka among other states as “frontrunners” and Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Puducherry, Punjab, West Bengal as “emerging performers”.

— Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Mizoram and Sikkim were categorised as “aspiring states”.

Events

• Kargil Vijay Diwas

— Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (July 26) opened his monthly “Mann Ki Baat” radio address by commemorating Kargil Vijay Diwas, which marked the successful conclusion of the 1999 Kargil war.

— The Kargil War officially ended on July 26, 1999, with the eviction of the last remaining Pakistani troops and infiltrators from positions on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC).

— The conflict was triggered when infiltrators from Pakistan crossed the LoC and occupied high positions in Ladakh’s Kargil district. First reported to the Indian Army on May 3, the infiltrators were initially thought to be jihadis. But over the next few weeks, as the sheer scale of the invasion came to light, the role of the Pakistani state became undeniable.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lays a wreath at the Kargil War Memorial on the occasion of 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas, in Dras on July 26, 2026. (Photo: PIB/ANI)

— Between mid-May and July, the Indian forces slowly recaptured critical positions from the Pakistanis, in the face of heavy casualties. On July 26, the Army announced the complete withdrawal of all Pakistani regular and irregular troops from Kargil.

— Kargil is located at the northern edge of the LoC, some 200 km northeast of Srinagar and 230 km west of Leh. Kargil town lies at an altitude of 2,676 m (8,780 ft), Dras lies at a height of 3,300 m (10,800 ft), and the surrounding peaks rise to altitudes of 4,800 m (16,000 ft) to 5,500 m (18,000 ft).

 

Art & Culture

• Sarnath now a UNESCO World Heritage site 

— Sarnath, the ancient site where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment, has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, becoming India’s 45th and Uttar Pradesh’s fourth World Heritage Site.

— The announcement came Saturday (July 25) during the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Busan, South Korea.

— Sarnath, one of the holiest sites of Buddhism, has recorded its significance on the global platform for heritage recognition. The state government stated this would strengthen Uttar Pradesh’s Buddhist Circuit on the international tourism and cultural heritage map.

What is a World Heritage Site? World Heritage Site is a location recognised for its “outstanding universal value”. This signifies “cultural and/or natural significance which is so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity”. The Sites fall into three categories: cultural heritage, natural heritage, and mixed heritage (cultural as well as natural).

— According to the UP Tourism Department, Sarnath was included in UNESCO’s tentative list on July 3, 1998. Twenty-eight years on, it has been officially designated a World Heritage Site. Until now, the state’s three World Heritage Sites were the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri — all in the Agra region.

Sarnath has become India’s 45th and Uttar Pradesh’s fourth site to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. (AP)

— Sarnath is the sacred land where Lord Buddha, after attaining enlightenment, delivered his first sermon to humanity and set in motion the ‘Dharmachakra Pravartan’. Counted among the holy pilgrimage sites of Buddhism, Sarnath is described in ancient Buddhist scriptures such as Rishipattan. 

 

Polity

• CJP Protest Related Developments

Fast track courts

— For the first time since nationwide protests over alleged NEET paper leaks gathered momentum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday (July 23) addressed the issue, announcing fast-track courts to ensure speedy justice in such cases. 

— There is no single, central legislation that governs fast track courts. The push to dedicate courts to specific demographics came from the Fourteenth Finance Commission (2015–2020), which recommended setting up 1,800 FTCs to expedite the trial of heinous crimes such as murder, kidnapping, and extortion, as well as property disputes pending for over five years.

— It also recommended them for cases involving vulnerable demographics, including women, children, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and individuals afflicted with terminal illnesses.

— In 2019, following an amendment to the criminal laws and a directive from the Supreme Court, the Union government launched a centrally sponsored scheme to establish fast-track special courts (FTSCs). 

— Notably, the creation of special courts must satisfy Article 14, which guarantees equality before the law. 

— In FTCs,  litigants do not have an automatic, statutory right to a fixed deadline for their trials. The Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita recommends that trials should ideally be completed within two years and trials for sexual offences within two months.

— Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of FTSC, each FTSC is expected to dispose of 41 to 42 cases per quarter, which translates to a target of at least 165 cases annually.

Rapid Action Force 

— The chief of Rapid Action Force (RAF) is learnt to have told all the personnel that the “force gradient” adopted for crowd control during CJP’s Sansad Chalo march on June 20 was not in accordance with prescribed standards and RAF training, The Indian Express has learnt. 

In the context of policing, a force gradient refers to the different levels of force that police may use depending on the threat or resistance they face. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

— The RAF, a specialised unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was raised in 1992 to deal with riots and other public disturbance. 

— It is a zero-response force that can be deployed to crisis situations within a minimal time, instilling confidence, and security among the general public.

— The RAF has a separate flag that signifies peace, and it was awarded the President’s Colour on 7th October 2003 for its selfless service to the nation. The RAF also trains male and female contingents for UN peacekeeping missions. 

• APAAR ID

— The Supreme Court has asked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to implement on a pan-India basis the Orissa High Court’s direction that parents be provided with the option to refuse consent to sharing Aadhaar details of their children for creation of Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) ID or to opt out of the scheme. 

— APAAR IDs are unique, 12-digit identifiers for students in India, part of the “One Nation, One Student ID” initiative under the National Education Policy 2020. 

CBSE and schools are encouraging students to create APAAR IDs. (Image: AI generated)

— It is a special ID system for all students in India, starting from childhood. Under the initiative, each student gets a lifelong APAAR ID, making it easy for the learners, schools, and governments to track academic progress from pre-primary education to higher education.

— APAAR also serves as a gateway to Digilocker, a digital system where students can store their important documents and achievements, such as exam results and report cards, digitally, making it easier to access and use them in the future for, say, pursuing higher education or finding a job.

 

International Cooperation

• President Droupadi Murmu state visits

— To bolster ties with the Eastern European region, President Droupadi Murmu embarked on a week-long state visit to Moldova, Romania and North Macedonia, starting July 19. 

Moldova

— The first leg of the visit by the President was to Moldova. President hold delegation-level talks with her counterpart Maia Sandu, and met Igor Grosu, president of Moldovian Parliament. 

— As a special gesture of friendship, Murmu presented a bust of Mahatma Gandhi to President Sandu. The President laid a wreath at the Monument of Stefan cel Mare si Sfant (Stephen the Great), paying tribute to one of Moldova’s most revered national figures. 

— Murmu is the first Indian head of state to visit the landlocked Eastern European country since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992. 

— It is bounded by Ukraine to the north, east, and south and by Romania to the west. The bulk of the republic lies between the great meandering Prut and Dniester rivers.

— Its capital city is Chisinau, located in the south-central part of the country.

North Macedonia

In the second part, Murmu visited North Macedonia for a two-day visit on July 21. This is also the first ever visit by an Indian President to the nation. The President held bilateral talks with President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, met Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, and also addressed the Assembly of North Macedonia. 

Romania

In the final leg of the three-nation tour, President Murmu landed in Romania on July 23, a visit by an Indian President after three decades. She met her counterpart Nicușor Dan and interim PM Ilie Bolojan. Murmu also addressed the India-Romania Business Forum and interacted with the members of the Indian diaspora. 

• US-Saudi nuclear pact

— The US and Saudi Arabia have signed a deal reportedly allowing the Gulf kingdom to develop a civilian nuclear programme.

— Described as a “peaceful nuclear co-operation agreement”, the deal will provide “great access for American companies in the Saudi nuclear energy programme”, the US energy department said.

— According to experts, the deal would mark a first for the US and hold the risk of future nuclear proliferation in an already unstable region.

— The US Department of Energy stated that along with the said deal, a “bilateral safeguards agreement” was also signed.

— The nuclear agreement is set to run for 30 years and is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars, the Journal reported.

Abraham Accords — U.S. President Donald Trump conditioned a civilian nuclear cooperation deal with ​Saudi Arabia on Riyadh normalizing relations with Israel, an action the kingdom has so far refused to take.Trump said the deal ‌would take effect only if Saudi Arabia joined the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords under which several Arab states established ties with Israel. The kingdom has long rejected joining the accords absent a pathway toward Palestinian statehood. — The Abraham accords are essentially a series of peace agreements to normalise relations between Israel and Muslim-majority nations, stemming from the fact that upon the establishment of Israel in 1948, Arab states refused to accord diplomatic recognition to it. The agreements were presented by the US as a framework for peace, regional stability and economic cooperation between Israel and the Arab states. — The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords during Trump’s first term in 2020, breaking a longstanding taboo to become the first Arab states to recognize Israel in a quarter century. Morocco and Sudan followed suit.

• Section 301 

— A day after US imposed fresh tariffs on 60 countries including 10% duty on India, two US small businesses have filed a case against United States Trade Representative (USTR) for the use of Section 301 to impose tariffs impacting “99.4% of all imports into the United States”, case documents have shown. 

— The USTR announced tariffs of 10 to 12.5 per cent on 60 economies on Thursday (July 23), directed by President Donald Trump, over what it called inadequate steps to ban the import of goods made with forced labour. India is among 17 economies placed in the lower 10 per cent band, alongside the UK, Canada, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Mexico.

— The move comes as the US administration under Donald Trump has begun its efforts to reconstruct its International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs that were declared illegal by the US Supreme Court in February.

— Titled “Relief from Unfair Trade Practices,” and collectively called  “Section 301”  of the Trade Act of 1974 enables US Congress to grant the Office of USTR a range of responsibilities and authorities to investigate and take action (e.g., impose a tariff) to enforce U.S. rights under trade agreements or respond to certain foreign trade practices.

—  The section empowers the executive branch to unilaterally investigate, adjust, or place retaliatory tariffs on specific imports from targeted trading partners.

 

Defence

• INS Malvan

— INS Malvan, the second vessel in the Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) series, was commissioned in Karwar, Karnataka on 22nd July.

— INS Malvan is the second of eight ASW-SWCs, being indigenously built by CSL, Kochi, and the sixth of 16 ASW-SWCs to be commissioned into the Indian Navy. 

— With over 80 per cent indigenous content, the ship reinforces the Government of India’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and India’s expanding ecosystem of naval design, equipment, system integration, and growing self-reliance in defence shipbuilding.  

— The vessel is equipped for underwater surveillance, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations, and low-intensity maritime operations (LIMO), along with mine warfare capability. 

— INS Malvan derives its name from the historic coastal town of Malvan in Maharashtra, a region associated with the illustrious maritime heritage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The vessel also encapsulates the legacy of her predecessor, an inshore Indian Naval Minesweeper that remained in service until 2003. 

• Kusha

— In a major step towards the development of indigenous long-range air defence capabilities, the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) on 23rd July successfully conducted the first flight test of the ‘Kusha’ Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM), at the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. A long-range SAM typically has a range of over 200 km.

— The DRDO has been developing Project Kusha — an indigenous long-range SAM system — to protect strategic military and civilian assets and infrastructure from a range of aerial threats, including fighter jets, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and large enemy aircraft within a wide range and altitude envelope.

Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS)  Last year, the DRDO successfully conducted maiden flight tests of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) — a multi-layered air defence system comprising all indigenous Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missiles (QRSAM), Advanced Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missiles, and a high-power laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW).

— Together, Kusha and the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System are understood to be major steps towards bringing India closer towards developing a home-grown nationwide security shield from multi-domain enemy attacks under Mission Sudarshan Chakra in the next 10 years.

 

Economy

• NSE’s Ahimsa Index

— Launched on July 10, the Nifty 500 Ahimsa index is a thematic index designed to provide investors with exposure to the top 500 companies on the NSE whose business practices are aligned with the principles of “Ahimsa” or non-violence. 

— The index was developed by the exchange in collaboration with the Ahimsagain Foundation, a non-profit organisation started in November 2024 by ethical finance advocates to provide a transparent medium to invest in animal cruelty-free companies. 

— The new index consists of companies that meet Ahimsagain Foundation’s Ahimsa Investment Movement (AIM) framework. This framework classifies companies into green, orange, and red bands, with the green band signifying companies that are fully compliant with its animal-cruelty-free criteria. The index comprises companies belonging only in the green band. 

— The index comes after the BSE launched its Saatvik 100 index on June 17, another thematic index with a broader focus on the “Saatvik” philosophy, which stands against animal cruelty and exploitation, addictive and toxic products, and activities considered harmful or violent. 

• Plurilateral agreements on e-commerce and investments 

— As India remains among the few large countries opposing plurilateral agreements on e-commerce and investments, a group of countries across developed and developing nations questioned its approach, alleging that New Delhi was holding up the WTO reform process.

— Plurilateral agreements, which are negotiated and implemented by exclusive groups rather than by all members, have begun being featured prominently in various World Trade Organisation (WTO) reform-related proposals.

— India has argued that incorporating the IFD through a plurilateral route raises broader questions about the WTO’s future, which is traditionally based on multilateralism and consensus. 

— India argues that plurilaterals undermine the balance of interests in WTO negotiations between developed and developing countries. It warns such deals could sideline issues like farm subsidies and create a two-tier WTO dominated by major economies. 

• Vizhinjam Port as a customs port

— The Vizhinjam International Transshipment Seaport has been notified as a customs port, paving the way for export and import (EXIM) cargo operations at a facility that has so far functioned exclusively as an international transshipment hub. 

— With the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs notifying the port as a customs port, Vizhinjam is expected to emerge as another gateway for India’s exports and imports. 

— Besides boosting container movement, the country’s first international deepwater transshipment port is expected to provide a major fillip to Kerala’s economy and generate jobs in shipping, logistics and allied sectors.

Built at a cost of around Rs 8,900 crore under public-private partnership (PPP) mode, the Vizhinjam transshipment port is operated by the Adani Group, with the Kerala government holding the majority stake. (Photo Credit: X/PortOfVizhinjam)

— Notably, on 2nd May, 2025, PM Modi inaugurated the Vizhinjam International Sea Port in Kerala. Currently, India has 13 major ports and 217 non-major ports, including private ports like Adani’s Mundra port and the Krishnapatnam port. Navi Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port and the Mundra Port are the largest container ports in the country, each handling upwards of 7 million containers per annum.

What is a  transshipment port? A transshipment port includes terminals, where cargo containers are shifted from one vessel to another before they reach their final destination. Countries with robust global trade networks tend to use such ports to efficiently process large amounts of international cargo.

Health

• India’s first dengue vaccine

— The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved Japanese company Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India’s dengue vaccine, Qdenga, making it the first such vaccine to be greenlighted in India. 

— It is designed to protect against all four dengue virus strains (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4) and can be administered regardless of prior dengue exposure. It does not require pre-vaccination testing, the company said. 

— The vaccine is administered subcutaneously meaning the injection is given in the fatty tissue, just under the skin. It comes as a two-dose regimen of 0.5 mL each, with doses given three months apart. 

— India continues to account for nearly one-third of the global dengue burden. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that poses a significant global public health threat, with prevalence in over 125 countries. India accounts for nearly one-third of the global dengue burden. 

— Dengue is a disease that is caused by a family of viruses. It is transmitted by female Aedes mosquitoes. According to the World Health Organisation, there are four distinct stereotypes of Dengue virus–DEN 1, DEN 2, DEN 3 and DEN 4–that cause the fever. 

— Dengue has some flu-like symptoms but it shouldn’t be confused with flu. Symptoms of Dengue include severe pain of the joints and muscles, high fever, swelling of lymph nodes, severe exhaustion and rashes.

• Lipfendra 

 — The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a pill version called Lipfendra (enlicitide) that can bring LDL (low-density lipoprotein) down by up to 60%. 

— Lipfendra is a PCSK9 inhibitor, which works differently from statins. While statins reduce the liver’s production of cholesterol, PCSK9 inhibitors help the liver remove bad cholesterol from the bloodstream. 

— They do this by blocking (inhibiting) the PCSK9 protein, which normally destroys LDL receptors. With more LDL receptors available, the liver can clear much more LDL cholesterol, often reducing levels by 50-60%.

— Developed by Merck, the once-daily tablet is approved as an add-on to diet and exercise for adults with abnormally high bad cholesterol, including those with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HeFH), an inherited condition that causes very high cholesterol levels.

Persons in News

(Just FYI: Noting historical personalities’ anniversaries aids UPSC prep. UPSC often includes such personalities in questions, so revisiting their lives refreshes your static syllabus.)

• Andy Burnham

— Andy Burnham was appointed the UK’s new Prime Minister on 20th July, following the resignation of his predecessor, Keir Starmer. 

— Burnham was elected as Mayor of Manchester in 2017 and was re-elected twice, but his standout moment came during a Covid-era lockdown standoff in 2020 with the Central government. 

— He organised an unscripted press conference in response to the then Conservative government’s attempts to force Greater Manchester into strict tiers without requisite financial support. 

— His strongly worded statement branding the central government’s approach as “brutal” and “disgraceful” earned him the moniker “King of the North” while cementing his position as a leader looking out for smaller, forgotten communities. 

• Kanishka Narayan 

— Kanishka Narayan, the India-born MP who made history as Wales’ first ethnic minority MP, has kept his post as Minister of State for AI in Andy Burnham’s new cabinet.

— Narayan, who was born in Bihar and moved to Cardiff as a child, is one of several familiar faces retained as Burnham assembles his top team following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation on Monday. 

 

Places in News

(Just FYI: The location of the place is important, considering that UPSC has asked several questions about places that were in the news, such as Aleppo and Kirkuk, in the 2018 UPSC Prelims. The best way to remember them is to plot them on a world map.)

• Jizan and Yanbu

— Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants fired on Saudi oil installations ​in two ports on the Red Sea coast on Saturday (July 25), but the U.S. held back from launching air strikes on Iran for the first night in two ‌weeks.

— Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had successfully struck sites belonging to Saudi state oil giant Aramco in Jizan and Yanbu. 

— Yanbu is Saudi Arabia’s main Red Sea oil port, where millions of barrels a day are loaded, and has become the main route out for Saudi oil skirting the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded by Iran. 

— Jizan, on the Red Sea close to the Yemeni border, is the site of a refinery with a capacity of 400,000 barrels per day.

Awards

• 72nd National Film Awards

— The winners of the 72nd National Film Awards were announced in New Delhi on July 18, with Article 370 emerging as the Best Feature Film. 

— While Yami Gautam won the Best Actress award for her performance in Article 370, Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion) and Mammootty (Bramayugam) shared the Best Actor honour. Rajkumar Periasamy was named Best Director for Amaran. 

Sports

• 1st Indian Squash World Jr Champion 

— Indian squash prodigy Anahat Singh created history on Saturday (July 25), as she became the first Indian to win a squash world title at any level after winning the World Junior Championships in Ontario, Canada. 

— The 19-year-old Indian defeated second seed Ruqayya Salem of Egypt in straight games 11-3, 11-7, 11-9.

The teenage prodigy from Delhi had a dominant start to the final, winning the first game 11-3, leaving her opponent Salem with little to no chance.

— Prior to this achievement, she had already become the second Indian woman after Joshna Chinappa to enter the final of the world junior title.  

Test Your Knowledge

(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)

(1) Consider the following statements:

1. The 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Busan, South Korea.

2. Sarnath has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List as India’s 45th World Heritage Site.

3. Sarnath is described in ancient Buddhist scriptures such as Rishipattan.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

(2) Consider the following statements with reference to Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) ID:

1. APAAR IDs are unique 12-digit identifiers for students in India.

2. It is part of the “One Nation, One Student ID” initiative under the National Education Policy 2020.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 Nor 2

Prelims Answer Key

1. (c)   2. (c)

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