Current Affairs - July 31, 2026 Current Affairs

Canara HSBC Life Insurance launched the Promise2Secure plan on July 29, 2026, as a non-linked, non-participating individual life insurance product. The plan offers two variants, Life Secure and Life Secure with Return of Premium and provides protection against accidental death, permanent disability, and 40 specified critical illnesses. It also includes features such as Child Care Benefit, Waiver of Premium on terminal illness, premium deferment, instant claim payouts, legacy planning support, teleconsultation services, and a premium lock feature. Established in 2007, Canara HSBC Life is headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana, and primarily operates through the bancassurance model.

Dilip Gavit won the gold medal in the Men's 100m T47 para-athletics event at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow. He completed the race in 10.71 seconds, setting a new Commonwealth Games record and registering his season's best performance. His victory helped India secure its third gold medal of the Games. Mohammed Basil Morssinganakathi won the silver medal with a timing of 10.83 seconds, creating India's first-ever one-two finish in the Men's 100m T47 event. Murali Sreeshankar also added a silver medal in the men's long jump with a leap of 8.09 metres.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved an $850 million loan on July 30, 2026, to support Subprogram 2 of the Accelerating Affordable and Inclusive Rooftop Solar Systems Development Program under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. The initiative aims to install rooftop solar systems for 10 million low- and middle-income households, achieve 30 GW of residential solar capacity by FY2027, train 6,000 individuals with at least one-third women, and reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 28.8 million tonnes, while promoting sustainable solar infrastructure and clean energy adoption across India.

Chhattisgarh launched the DWEEPTI Yojana in July 2026 to promote women-led solar entrepreneurship and expand renewable energy access across rural areas. The scheme aims to establish 5,000 women-led solar enterprises and generate around 50,000 green jobs by empowering Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with training, financial support, and business opportunities. It also targets providing clean energy to 5 lakh families and 10,000 public institutions. Implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the initiative links renewable energy adoption with women's economic empowerment and sustainable rural development.

Satya Pal Kumar, a 2005-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer from the Income Tax Department, was appointed as the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) on July 30, 2026. The FIU functions under the Union Finance Ministry and is responsible for receiving, processing, analyzing, and disseminating information related to suspicious financial transactions to combat money laundering and financial crimes. Established in 2004 and headquartered in New Delhi, the FIU reports to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC), which is chaired by the Union Finance Minister.

OmniCard launched India's first UPI-based Flexi Benefits Wallet, called the Flexi Benefits Basket, in July 2026. Developed by Eroute Technologies Private Limited, the platform enables employees to manage tax-efficient benefits through a single digital wallet and make UPI Scan-and-Pay transactions at nearly 60 million UPI-enabled merchants. Built on an RBI-licensed Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) platform, it supports benefits such as meals, fuel, telecom, books, and gadgets. The solution also uses Merchant Category Code (MCC)-based controls to ensure tax compliance and aligns with the Income-tax Rules, 2026, enhancing employee tax savings and digital payment convenience.

Kerala approved the Special Asset Management Platform for Administration Tracking and Harmonisation Portal on July 29, 2026, to strengthen digital governance and improve the management of government assets. The platform will maintain a comprehensive asset register covering land, buildings, roads, dams, bridges, vehicles, machinery, and other public infrastructure across 591 government institutions. The Cabinet also approved Plan Space 2.0 with GIS-based mapping of nearly 1,900 capital projects, initiated legislative reforms to simplify citizen services, and sanctioned additional land for the BrahMos Aerospace project, reflecting the state's commitment to efficient governance and infrastructure development.

NVIDIA is one of the founding members of the Open Secure AI Alliance, a collaborative initiative launched with global technology companies including Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell Technologies, Cloudflare, Red Hat, Hugging Face, Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, and the Linux Foundation. The alliance aims to improve AI security by developing standardised tools to detect, investigate, and respond to AI-related cybersecurity threats. It also promotes the sharing of open-weight AI models, curated datasets, and cybersecurity research to enable safe and responsible adoption of artificial intelligence across industries.

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is observed annually on July 30 to raise awareness about human trafficking and promote the protection of victims' rights. Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013, the observance encourages global cooperation to prevent trafficking, prosecute offenders, and support survivors. The 2026 theme, "Trapped Behind the Scam," highlights the growing threat of cyber-enabled trafficking, where victims are deceived through fake job offers and forced into online financial fraud and other criminal activities.

Assam exported its first international consignment of 5,627 litres of Purabi Ice Cream to Bhutan on July 28, 2026. The consignment was flagged off by Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma. The ice cream was manufactured by West Assam Milk Producers' Cooperative Union Limited (WAMUL) and exported through North East Dairy and Foods Limited (NEDFL). APEDA supported the initiative by facilitating export documentation, regulatory compliance, and market access. The shipment is aimed at expanding the presence of Made-in-Assam dairy products in international markets, particularly in Bhutan's major cities such as Thimphu, Paro, Phuentsholing, and Wangdue.

India's first Telecom Manufacturing Zone (TMZ) will be established in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, to strengthen domestic telecom and electronics manufacturing. The project will be developed over approximately 350 acres through a collaboration between the Madhya Pradesh Government and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). It is expected to attract investments of ₹12,000–15,000 crore and create around 5,000 direct jobs. The manufacturing zone will produce mobile phones, telecom equipment, semiconductors, optical fibre, and 5G/6G technology products, supporting the Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives while reducing dependence on imports.