Current Affairs - July 21, 2026 Current Affairs

Assam is home to the Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, where a 12-year biodiversity survey conducted between 2012 and 2024 documented 281 butterfly species. The findings were published in the book Butterflies of Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, released on 20 July 2026. Located in Jorhat district, the 20.98 sq km sanctuary is the only protected area in India named after the Hoolock Gibbon, the country's only ape. The sanctuary, designated in 1997, is known for its evergreen forest canopy and rich biodiversity, making it an important centre for wildlife conservation and ecological research.

Amul is establishing the world's largest curd manufacturing plant at the Howrah Food Park in West Bengal under the Amul Bengal Dairy Project. The project involves an investment of ₹700 crore and will have a final milk processing capacity of 30 lakh litres per day, along with a daily curd and cultured dairy production capacity of 10 lakh kilograms. The initiative is expected to directly benefit around 1.20 lakh dairy farmers and promote the White Revolution 2.0. It also includes modern infrastructure, cooperative development initiatives, and advanced livestock breeding facilities to strengthen the dairy sector in the state.

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Goa on 17 July 2026 to develop and implement infrastructure projects in the state. Under the agreement, RVNL will serve as the primary executing agency for identified projects, while both parties will jointly identify and undertake infrastructure initiatives based on mutually agreed terms. In addition to this partnership, RVNL also secured a ₹967.93 crore contract from East Coast Railway for the construction of a railway bridge. Established in 2003, RVNL functions under the Ministry of Railways and is headquartered in New Delhi.

Andy Burnham became the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after being appointed by King Charles III on 20 July 2026 following the resignation of Keir Starmer. As per the UK's constitutional process, the monarch appoints the politician who is most likely to command the confidence of the House of Commons. After meeting King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, Burnham formally assumed office and delivered his inaugural speech outside 10 Downing Street. In his address, he pledged to restore political and economic stability, rebuild public trust in government, and introduce a decade-long national plan to address the country's key social and economic challenges.

According to SBI Research, Indian scheduled commercial banks recorded a credit growth of 18.6% for the fortnight ended June 30, 2026, while deposit growth stood at 13.3%. This widened the gap between credit and deposit growth to 5.3%. The report highlighted that lending activity was driven by increased credit flow to agriculture, industry, and services, with working capital loans growing faster than term loans. It also noted that Indian banks are in a strong financial position due to healthy capital buffers and low non-performing assets, while the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) continues to support credit expansion across productive sectors.

Sukma district in Chhattisgarh achieved an impressive 98.6% institutional delivery rate under the Mukhyamantri Swasth Bastar Abhiyan, marking a significant improvement from the previous 96–97% level. The campaign, launched on 14 April 2026, focused on strengthening maternal and child healthcare in remote and Left Wing Extremism-affected areas of the Bastar region. Along with increasing institutional deliveries, the initiative helped reduce maternal deaths to single digits, expanded door-to-door screening for diseases such as anaemia and sickle cell disease, ensured timely ambulance services, and improved access to essential medical care for pregnant women and vulnerable communities.

Madhya Pradesh approved a financial outlay of ₹776.13 crore on 21 July 2026 to strengthen healthcare infrastructure by upgrading and expanding 73 health institutions across the state. The plan includes converting sub-health centres into Primary Health Centres, expanding PHCs into Community Health Centres, upgrading CHCs into 50-bed civil hospitals, and developing selected institutions into 100-bed hospitals. The Cabinet also approved ₹122.83 crore annually for operation and maintenance, created 1,600 regular posts along with contractual and outsourced positions, and focused on improving healthcare access and bed capacity in rural and semi-urban areas.

QDENGA, developed by Takeda, became India's first approved dengue vaccine after receiving authorisation from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). The live attenuated vaccine provides protection against all four dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4) and is approved for individuals aged 4 to 60 years without requiring pre-vaccination screening. Administered in two doses, the vaccine demonstrated high efficacy in global clinical trials involving over 28,000 participants. It has already been approved in 43 countries, prequalified by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and is expected to significantly strengthen India's efforts to prevent dengue infections and related hospitalisations.

The Parivartan Scheme was approved by the Delhi Government to promote cleaner transportation and reduce vehicular pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR). The scheme encourages owners of old BS-IV and older commercial vehicles to replace them with BS-VI-compliant or electric vehicles through incentives such as tax exemptions, registration fee waivers, interest subsidies, and manufacturer discounts. It covers goods vehicles and buses and is expected to benefit around 2.7 lakh operators in Delhi-NCR. The initiative also supports the objectives of the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2026 and aims to accelerate the transition toward sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility.

India's Index of Core Industries (ICI) recorded a year-on-year growth of 5% in June 2026, according to the provisional estimates released by the Office of Economic Adviser under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The data was published under the revised 2022-23 base year series, which introduced methodological improvements such as the inclusion of Iron Ore as the ninth core industry. Growth was mainly driven by strong performance in Electricity, Iron Ore, Cement, Coal, and Steel, reflecting improved industrial activity and strengthening momentum in infrastructure-related sectors during the first quarter of FY 2026-27.