Current Affairs - Persons

Basant Meghwal created history by becoming the first Indian athlete to win a high jump medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships. At the 2026 championships in Eugene, Oregon, he secured the silver medal by clearing a personal-best height of 2.21 metres. The top three athletes all cleared 2.21 metres, with the final rankings decided through countback rules. Algeria’s Younes Ayachi won gold, while Great Britain’s Otis Poole took bronze. Meghwal, who represents the Indian Navy through the sports quota, had earlier won gold at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong in 2026.

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.

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.

Rohit Sharma created history by becoming the first Indian men's cricketer to score an ODI century at Lord's, achieving the milestone against England on July 19, 2026. His remarkable innings not only guided India's run chase but also silenced speculation regarding his retirement from white-ball cricket. At 39 years and 80 days, Rohit became the oldest Indian to score an international century across all formats, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's previous record. He also set several other milestones, including becoming the visiting batter with the most ODI centuries in a single country and surpassing Tendulkar's tally of international centuries as India's designated opening batter.

Anil Menon, an Indian-origin NASA astronaut, launched his first mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on July 15, 2026, aboard Russia's Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The mission is scheduled to last for eight months, with his return planned for April 2027. During his stay aboard the ISS, he will conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. His successful launch marks an important milestone in his career and highlights continued international cooperation in space exploration and scientific research.