MoC Unveils ‘AAROH’: India’s First Comprehensive Report on Scientific Mine Closure
In July 2026, the Ministry of Coal (MoC) released the ‘AAROH: Annual Report on Mine Closure’, at the Oberoi, New Delhi, Delhi showcasing India’s advancements in scientific mine closure, ecological restoration and sustainable utilization of post-mining land.
Prepared by: The Coal Controller Organisation (CCO) developed the “ARROH report”, India’s 1st comprehensive documentation of scientific mine closure and repurposing practices.
Objective: The report documents the transformative journey of 42 scientifically closed coal mines (33 closed in the last year alone), highlighting structured mine closure and reclamation processes.
Virtual Inauguration: The minister also virtually inaugurated Coal NEER Plants established by Coal India Limited through its subsidiaries:
- Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL),
- Central Coalfields Limited (CCL),
- Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), and
- South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL).
Cotton Blossoms as India’s ‘White Gold’: India Tops in Cultivation, 2nd in Both Production & Consumption
In July 2026, the Government of India (GoI) released a factsheet highlighting Cotton as India’s “White Gold”, supporting the livelihoods of around 6 million farmers and 40–50 million people across the textile value chain.
- India ranks 1st globally in cotton cultivation area, with 114.84 lakh hectares(ha) (38% of the world’s cotton area), and 2nd in both cotton production and consumption.
DRDO Signs Two Contracts for AEW&C Mk-II Programme to Enhance India’s Airborne Surveillance Capability
On 22 July 2026, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) signed two major industry contracts for the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Mk-II Programme to enhance India’s indigenous airborne surveillance and air defence capabilities.
The integrated aircraft will undergo flight testing with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and certification by Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) and Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA).
Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi Visits India from 17–20 July 2026
President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Hussein Ali Mwinyi, paid an official visit to India from 17–20 July 2026 at the invitation of Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan, accompanied by First Lady Mariyam Mwinyi and a high-level delegation comprising ministers and senior officials.
- During the visit, both sides welcomed the expansion of bilateral trade, investment, and capacity-building initiatives, further reinforcing the India–Tanzania Strategic Partnership.
NCVET Recognises NIRDPR as Dual Awarding Body to Strengthen NSQF-Aligned Skill Certification
In July 2026, the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) signed an agreement with National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR), under the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), granting NCVET recognition as an Awarding Body (AB-Dual).
- The agreement-signing ceremony was chaired by Niranjan Kumar Sudhansu, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), and Executive Member of NCVET, in the presence of officials from NCVET and NIRDPR.
DIBD and Goa Government Organised ‘BHASHINI Rajyam’ to Advance AI-Powered Governance in Konkani and Indian Languages
On 21 July 2026, the Digital India BHASHINI (BHASHa INterface for India) Division (DIBD) under Digital India Corporation (DIC), the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology (IT), Electronics & Communications (EC), Government of Goa, organised the ‘BHASHINI Rajyam: State Engagement Workshop’ in Panaji, Goa.
NABARD Signs MoU with MAHAPREIT to Promote Green Infrastructure in Rural India
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology Limited (MAHAPREIT), a Government of Maharashtra enterprise, to jointly finance and promote green, climate-resilient and sustainable infrastructure projects across rural India, with an initial focus on Maharashtra.
Key Details of MoU:
Partnership Role: The partnership seeks to combine NABARD’s expertise in rural development finance and climate financing with MAHAPREIT’s experience in Renewable Energy(RE) and sustainable infrastructure projects
Priority Areas: In the initial phase, the partnership will focus on green energy, decarbonisation of government buildings, Gram Panchayat(GP) infrastructure, rural public institutions, and water pumping schemes.
Clean Energy Projects: The collaboration will deploy clean energy solutions across Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) institutions, government and district hospitals, and other rural public service institutions.
Sustainable Financing: The partnership will finance biogas and bioenergy projects using agricultural residues and biomass, creating additional income opportunities for farmers and promoting the circular economy.
Microsoft India and IIT Delhi Unveil ‘UNNATI AI 2.0’ to Accelerate India’s AI Innovation Ecosystem
In July 2026, Microsoft India, in collaboration with the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, launched UNNATI AI 2.0 (‘Unnati se Pragati’ means progress through growth), second phase of its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
UN SOFI report: Global hunger Marginally Declines in 2025 but world remains off track for zero hunger goal
In July 2026, the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) released its latest report titled “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI 2026): Understanding and Addressing the High Cost of a Healthy Diet”. The report estimated 645 million people (accounting for 7.8% of the global population) faced hunger in 2025, marking a slight decline compared to the previous year (8.1%).
- However, the world is still far off track to meet the UN-mandated Sustainable Development Goal(SDG-2) i.e. zero hunger by 2030.
- The report further estimated that the number of chronically undernourished people could decrease to nearly 511 million by 2030 under a quick-recovery scenario.
- But, if disruption to oil, gas and fertilizer supplies persists, then, the number could be as high as 522 million.
EbixCash Became India’s 1st AD-II Entity to Receive RBI Approval for Trade Remittances
EbixCash World Money Limited became the first Authorised Dealer Category-II (AD-II) entity in India to secure the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) authorisation to offer trade remittances and family maintenance remittances, which was previously dominated by banks.
EnKash Introduces India’s First Meal Card with UPI Payments
Enkash, India’s leading business payments and spend management platform, became the 1st company in India to launch Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-based payments on the meal card.
- This move will enable the employees to make direct payments from their meal balance by scanning eligible UPI Quick Response (QR) codes at food and grocery merchants.
ICRA Projects India’s GDP Growth at 6.4–6.6% in Q1 FY27
ICRA Limited, a domestic credit rating agency, projected India’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth at 6.4–6.6% for the first quarter (Q1) (April–June) of Financial Year 2026-27 (FY27), driven by broad-based economic activity despite elevated energy prices and limited input availability affecting margins across key sectors.
- India’s real GDP grew by 7.8% in Q4(January–March) of FY26.
Paras Semiconductors, MPSeDC Sign MoU to Establish Greenfield OSAT Facility in MP
Paras Semiconductors Private Limited, a subsidiary of Paras Defence and Space Technologies Limited (PDST), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation (MPSeDC) to establish a greenfield Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in the Indore–Ujjain region of MP with a proposed investment of Rs.6,200 crore.
- The project aims to strengthen India’s semiconductor packaging ecosystem, enhance indigenous semiconductor capabilities, generate employment, and support the India Semiconductor Mission.
Centre Appoints Senior IAS Officer Anurag Jain as NITI Aayog CEO
In July 2026, Government of India (GoI) appointed Anurag Jain as new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of (National Institution for Transforming India) NITI Aayog, approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) as per the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) order.
- He succeeds Nidhi Chhibber, , Director General (DG) of NITI Aayog’s Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), who had been holding the additional charge of CEO since February 24, 2026, following the completion of B.V.R. Subrahmanyam’s extended tenure in February 2023.
- He assumes charge immediately for a tenure of two years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
RBI Approves Areion Group’s Rs. 936 Crore Acquisition of Aviom India Housing Finance
In July 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved Areion Group’s Rs. 936 crore acquisition of Aviom India Housing Finance, a fraud-hit housing finance company marking a key step in the company’s insolvency resolution process.
- The RBI also granted ‘fit-and-proper’ approval to Manish Lalwani, promoter of Areion Group, which is mandatory for a change in control of a regulated financial institution.
PCI and CPSFI Sign MoU to Bid for 2029 World Abilitysport Games
Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) and the Cerebral Palsy Sports Federation of India (CPSFI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi, Delhi to jointly pursue India’s bid to host the 2029 World Abilitysport Games.
- The partnership aims to prepare and submit a competitive bid to bring the international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities to India, strengthening the country’s role in the global Paralympic movement.
National Flag Adoption Day 2026 – July 22
National Flag Adoption Day is observed annually on 22 July to commemorate the adoption of the Indian National Flag (Tiranga) by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947, honouring its role as a symbol of freedom, justice, liberty, and equality.
- 22 July 2026 marks the 79th National Flag Adoption Day.
National Broadcasting Day 2026 – July 23
National Broadcasting Day is observed annually on 23 July across India to commemorate the first radio broadcast by the Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC) from Bombay (now Mumbai, Maharashtra) in 1927, highlighting the role of radio broadcasting in public service communication, education, entertainment and cultural preservation.
- 2026 marks the 99th anniversary of India’s first organised radio broadcast.