1 President Draupadi Murmu to inaugurate ‘Saushrutam 2026’ on July 15
President Draupadi Murmu will inaugurate the three-day international seminar ” Saushrutam 2026 ” at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) on Wednesday, July 15. Organized under the Ministry of AYUSH, the seminar will run from July 15 to 17 , with a pre-workshop on July 14. The event is being held to mark the birth anniversary of Acharya Sushruta, the father of surgery. Experts from India and abroad will deliberate on the integration of Ayurveda and modern surgery. The national study ” Assessment of the Professional Career of Women Ayurveda Graduates, ” prepared by NCISM, will also be released during the event. Additionally, a state-of-the-art 3-Tesla high-field MRI system, installed at a cost of ₹14.5 crore , will be inaugurated. This system will feature AI-enabled workflows, biometrics, and advanced imaging features.
2 Vice President releases book ‘The Voice of Justice: Justice Gavai Speaks’
The Vice President of India, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan , released the book ” The Voice of Justice: Justice Gavai Speaks ” at Upa-Rashtrapati Bhavan . Edited by Prof. (Dr.) S. Sivakumar and published by Thomson Reuters in collaboration with the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA), the book presents a compilation of speeches, lectures, and thoughts by Justice B.R. Gavai, former Chief Justice of India . Present at the event were Justice Surya Kant, Chief Justice of India; Justice Vikram Nath, Judge of the Supreme Court of India; Justice B.R. Gavai, former Chief Justice of India; Prof. (Dr.) S. Sivakumar, President and Editor of the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA); Shri Gowri Shankar Natesan, Publisher of Thomson Reuters; and several other dignitaries from the legal fraternity.
India will host the BRICS Labor and Employment Ministers’ Meeting in Hyderabad on July 15-16, 2026, under its BRICS presidency . The meeting will focus on issues such as formalization of the labor market, workforce skills training, social protection, and women’s participation in employment, and will include representatives from BRICS member countries and international organizations . India’s 2026 BRICS presidency is based on the theme ” Continuity, Innovation, Collaboration, and Building for Sustainability .” The second Employment Working Group meeting under this presidency was held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala , on May 6-7, 2026. It focused on issues such as social protection systems, formalization of the labor market, women’s participation in the workforce, and cooperation on skills and employability.
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh inaugurated Bharat Tex 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi . The four-day event witnessed record international participation. Over 6,000 buyers from over 130 countries, over 1.3 lakh trade visitors, and over 20,000 textile products are part of the event. Organized by the Bharat Tex Trade Federation (BTTF) in collaboration with the Ministry of Textiles , Government of India, Bharat Tex 2026 saw participation from the eight sponsoring states —Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu—along with nine other states and union territories, including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Manipur, Rajasthan, and West Bengal, showcasing their industrial infrastructure, investment opportunities, and policy initiatives.
On July 13th , Ukraine and nine European countries formed a new defense alliance to counter Russia’s ballistic missile threat . Officials from all countries, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Zelensky , attended the meeting. The new alliance aims to develop a common ballistic missile defense system for the entire Europe. This decision was made at a meeting in Paris between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders. Ukraine, France, Germany, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Spain, and Sweden participated in the meeting. The aim of this meeting is to protect Europe from Russian ballistic missile threats. An integrated missile defense system for the entire Europe will be developed. The alliance will develop missile warning systems and share information. All these countries will work together to promote joint military exercises and defense cooperation. This will also include Ukraine’s experiences fighting a four-year war against Russia.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off the 13-day Shaurya Vijay Yatra from the National War Memorial in New Delhi . Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that Operation Vijay of 1999 is not just a military victory, but an immortal chapter of courage, fortitude, discipline, and indomitable patriotism. The Defense Minister praised the Yatra’s motto, ” One Ride, One Nation, One Salute,” saying it symbolizes national unity and respect for the armed forces. He said, “The name ‘Shaurya Vijay Yatra’ itself is inspiring.” The ‘Shaurya Vijay Yatra’ will cover approximately 1,900 kilometers in 13 days. It will begin at the National War Memorial (Delhi) and travel through Chandi Mandir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh, reaching the Kargil War Memorial on July 26th . The Yatra is being organized to mark the 27th anniversary of Operation Vijay. Kargil Vijay Diwas will be celebrated across the country on July 26th .
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta unveiled the official mascot of the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, ” Peacock, ” in New Delhi . The official mascot, “Peacock,” is inspired by India’s national bird, which exudes energy, enthusiasm, vibrancy, and positivity. The peacock’s feathers are beautifully intertwined with the national flags of all participating countries, reflecting the universal message of ” Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam ” and the spirit of sportsmanship. The championship will be held at the Thyagaraj Stadium from the 27th of this month to the 2nd of next month . Top paddlers from over 25 Commonwealth countries are participating in the championship. The tournament is jointly organized by the Delhi Government and the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) .
8 Country’s first Space Exploration Gallery inaugurated in Bhopal
Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated the country’s first Space Exploration Gallery in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh . Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav was also present on the occasion . This gallery, located at the Regional Science Center in Bhopal, was designed by the National Council of Science Museums . The Nehru Science Center in Mumbai provided technical support. Its purpose is to promote public interest in science and foster scientific thinking. Equipped with modern digital technology, this gallery provides information about the universe and India’s space missions. It showcases India’s ancient knowledge tradition, as well as achievements such as Aryabhata, Chandrayaan, and Gaganyaan . Visitors will also be able to experience space walks and flight simulators. Three-dimensional images of the Moon and Mars can also be viewed.
The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between India and the UK came into effect on July 15th . Along with this, the Social Security Agreement, also known as the Dual Contribution Agreement (DCC), also came into effect, which will boost the mobility and competitiveness of Indian businesses in the UK. Under this historic agreement, Indian exports will receive zero-duty access on 99% of tariff lines in the UK market . This zero-tariff benefit will extend to Indian exports such as textiles, apparel, leather, gems and jewellery, marine products, and engineering. The agreement aims to promote trade, investment, services, and economic cooperation between the two countries. With the implementation of CETA, customs duties (tariffs) will be reduced on many goods between the two countries. This will enhance cooperation in the service sector, including IT, financial services, education, and health. Additionally, the average tariff on goods imported from the UK will be reduced from 15% to 3%. Additionally, 85% of goods will become completely tariff-free within 10 years . Under this agreement, there will be a major reduction in the duty on products like Scotch whisky, gin, chocolate, biscuits and cosmetics coming to India from Britain. CETA will facilitate easy access of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to the global market. India and Britain first started talks on the Free Trade Agreement in 2022 and 14 rounds of talks have been held in 3 years. On 24 July 2025, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and British Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds signed this agreement in the presence of PM Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Keir Starmer. Under this agreement, the target was set to double the trade to US$ 100 billion by 2030.
Scientists have developed an advanced ammonia sensing platform capable of detecting harmful ammonia gas even at extremely low concentrations while operating at room temperature . Ammonia is widely used in industries such as fertilizer production, refrigeration, chemical manufacturing, and agriculture. However, accidental exposure to ammonia can cause severe irritation to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract, while prolonged exposure can lead to serious health problems. To address this challenge, researchers at the Bengaluru -based Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have developed a highly sensitive gas sensor based on a hybrid vanadium oxide-vanadium sulfide (VOx/VS2) heterostructure . This newly developed sensor demonstrated exceptional performance, successfully detecting extremely low ammonia concentrations as low as 319 parts per billion (ppb) , well below the recommended safety limits for occupational workplaces. In addition to its ultra-low sensing capability, the sensor exhibited excellent selectivity toward other common gases, stable operation over repeated sensing cycles, long-term reliability of over ten weeks, and effective performance across a wide concentration range. The researchers demonstrated a self-powered ammonia detection device by integrating the sensor with a flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator. The device harvests mechanical energy from ordinary human movements and converts it into electrical power, enabling gas detection without the need for an external power source. This feature opens up opportunities for autonomous environmental monitoring in remote or resource-limited areas.
11 Enhancing Urban Climate Resilience: The Legacy of CapaCITIES and the Way Forward’ event held in New Delhi today to celebrate the progress of the CapaCITIES programme
Celebrating a decade of progress under the CapaCITIES program , an event titled ” Enhancing Urban Climate Resilience: The Legacy of CapaCITIES and the Way Forward ” was organized by ICLEI South Asia and the National Institute of Urban Affairs on July 14, 2026 , at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. The CapaCITIES program has provided Indian cities with knowledge, tools, and institutional capacities to mainstream low-carbon and climate-resilient development into urban governance. Funded by the Embassy of Switzerland in India and Bhutan and launched in 2016 , the Capacity Building Project on Low-Carbon and Climate-Resilient Urban Development in India (CapaCITIES) program has accelerated low-carbon and climate-resilient urban development. By directly strengthening local capacities, the program has supported India’s 2070 net-zero emissions target by linking local action with national missions and state-level targets. The initiative was implemented through a collaborative partnership between ICLEI South Asia, South Pole, and eConcept, with the National Institute of Urban Affairs as the knowledge partner. The cities of Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, Udaipur, and Siliguri in Tamil Nadu, as well as the state governments of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, received support from the project.
12 Jammu and Kashmir: Government declares leprosy a notifiable disease with immediate effect
In Jammu and Kashmir , as ordered by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha , the government has declared leprosy a notifiable disease with immediate effect . Under the new directive, all government and private health facilities must report every leprosy case to health authorities. The aim is to strengthen disease surveillance, ensure early diagnosis and timely treatment, and prevent its spread.
13 The government released the country’s first-ever Services Production Index.
The government released the country’s first pilot Index of Services Production (ISP) . This will provide monthly assessments of formal service sector activity for the first time. This first index, prepared with 2024-25 as the base year , is for April 2026. It covers 19 sub-sectors of the service sector , representing approximately 60 percent of India’s service sector . The Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MOSPI) described this as an important step towards better assessing the country’s service sector and strengthening the statistical system. The ministry stated that the overall Index of Services Production will be released after reviewing and expanding the scope of the test series. According to April data, the services sector recorded broad-based growth. Fourteen out of 19 sub-sectors recorded double-digit growth compared to April of the previous year, while almost all other sectors also experienced positive growth. According to the MOSPI, the fastest growth in the Index of Services Production was recorded in accommodation and food services, at 37.2 percent, and in retail trade, at 30.8 percent. The ministry said that these figures will also be available on the e-statistics portal.
14 India has 24 operational nuclear power reactors, with 10 new reactors under construction.
India currently operates 24 nuclear power reactors with a total installed capacity of 8.78 gigawatts at seven locations . Additionally, ten more reactor units with a combined capacity of 8,000 megawatts are under construction. These reactors include pressurized heavy water reactors , boiling water reactors , and light water reactors . The country primarily uses natural uranium fuel to operate pressurized heavy water reactors and generate nuclear power. A key outcome of the third India-Australia Annual Summit held in Melbourne last week was the finalization of administrative arrangements under the India-Australia Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement . This paves the way for long-term uranium exports from Australia to India for peaceful purposes. Australia’s uranium will ensure a steady supply of primary fuel for these nuclear power reactors.