Current Affairs - July 25, 2026 Current Affairs

Kerala launched a comprehensive Global Capability Centre (GCC) feasibility report and strategic roadmap during the Kerala GCC Outlook 2026 conclave held at Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram, on July 21, 2026. The state aims to attract 150 GCCs and create around 2 lakh jobs by 2031, building on its existing base of over 45 operational GCCs. As part of the initiative, Technopark signed an MoU with Collabera, while Infoparks Kerala partnered with ANSR to strengthen the state's IT ecosystem. The roadmap focuses on leveraging Kerala's skilled workforce, robust digital infrastructure, and mature IT sector to attract global investments and establish the state as a preferred destination for multinational companies.

Spain declared a national emergency for the first time in its history as severe wildfires spread across central parts of the country. The move enabled the national government to coordinate firefighting efforts and emergency response more effectively after over 10,000 residents were evacuated from affected areas near Madrid and Avila. At the same time, France sought assistance through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism as massive fires forced the evacuation of around 63,000 people from Cap Ferret. Authorities attributed the worsening wildfire situation to extreme heat, prolonged drought, strong winds, dense vegetation, and the growing impact of climate change, highlighting the need for stronger disaster preparedness and international cooperation.

Harjit Singh Grewal assumed charge as the Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on July 21, 2026. The NCM is a statutory body established under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, and functions under the Ministry of Minority Affairs. It is responsible for safeguarding the rights and interests of six notified religious minority communities in India—Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis (Zoroastrians), and Jains. Along with Grewal's appointment, S. Munawari Begum took charge as Vice Chairperson, while Glenn Souza Ticlo and Berjis Desai joined the Commission as members representing the Christian and Parsi communities, respectively.

Pralhad Joshi was assigned the additional charge of the Ministry of Education after President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan on the recommendation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi under Article 75(2) of the Constitution. Joshi will continue to handle his existing portfolios of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy while overseeing the Education Ministry until further orders. A senior BJP leader and Member of Parliament from Dharwad, Karnataka, he has previously served as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal, and Mines, bringing extensive administrative and ministerial experience to his new responsibility.

Meghalaya launched Mission Golden Spice on July 21, 2026, to promote the globally renowned GI-tagged Lakadong Turmeric, which is known for its high curcumin content of 7–10%, significantly higher than the global average. With an investment of ₹175.45 crore, the five-year mission (2025–2030) aims to strengthen the turmeric value chain, double farmers' income, expand cultivation from 2,500 hectares to 7,500 hectares, and establish the Northeast's largest integrated organic turmeric processing and curcumin extraction facility. The initiative is led by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) and the North Eastern Council (NEC) under the "Ashtalakshmi" vision.

Madhya Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Paras Semiconductors on July 22, 2026, to establish a ₹6,200 crore greenfield Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in the Indore-Ujjain region. The project will focus on advanced integrated circuit (IC) packaging technologies, including 2.5D and 3D packaging, chiplet integration, wafer bumping, and heterogeneous integration. The agreement was signed with the Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation (MPSeDC), reinforcing the state's ambition to become a major semiconductor and electronics manufacturing hub. The initiative is also expected to attract further investments, generate employment, and strengthen India's semiconductor ecosystem.

Bangladesh has been invited by India as a special guest to the BRICS Summit 2026, scheduled to be held in New Delhi from September 17 to 19, 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the invitation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, reflecting India's commitment to strengthening regional partnerships and engagement with the Global South. Although Bangladesh is not a BRICS member, it has previously expressed interest in joining the grouping, with support from countries such as China and Russia. The invitation also aligns with India's BRICS Chairmanship theme of promoting resilience, innovation, collaboration, and sustainability while enhancing cooperation in areas such as health, disaster management, digital transformation, climate resilience, and sustainable development.

Odisha has been selected as the location for HCLTech's first AI-optimised data centre and global technology centre, with an estimated investment of ₹15,000 crore. The project will be developed at the Odisha Sovereign AI Park in Bhubaneswar in partnership with Sarvam AI and the Odisha Government. Expected to become operational by 2028, it will generate around 5,000 jobs and strengthen India's sovereign AI ecosystem. The facility will provide secure AI computing infrastructure, high-performance computing, cloud services, AI training capabilities, and multilingual AI solutions, supporting sectors such as healthcare, governance, education, finance, and manufacturing while promoting the Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.

GitHub was directed by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs, to remove repositories associated with the Bluetooth-based messaging app Bitchat. The action was taken under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and Rule 3(1)(d) of the Information Technology Rules, 2021, citing national security concerns. Bitchat is a decentralised, open-source messaging application that uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks instead of the internet or centralised servers. Authorities expressed concerns that its anonymous and offline communication capabilities could be misused by terrorists, cybercriminals, organised crime groups, and other anti-national elements, making monitoring and law enforcement more challenging.

Satya Pal Kumar, a 2005-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the Income Tax cadre, has been appointed as the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)-India. The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) as part of a major bureaucratic reshuffle involving around 20 senior officers. FIU-India, functioning under the Ministry of Finance, is responsible for collecting, analysing, and sharing intelligence on suspicious financial transactions. The agency plays a vital role in combating money laundering, terror financing, financial fraud, and other illicit financial activities while supporting domestic and international enforcement agencies in maintaining the integrity of India's financial system.