UKPSC Current Affairs — Last 12 months
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Sun, 19 Jul 2026
P. V. Sindhu becomes first Indian to win the Japan Open badminton title
P. V. Sindhu won the Japan Open 2026 women's singles title on 19 July 2026, beating Japan's Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17, and became the first Indian to win the Japan Open.
All four Indian students win gold at the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad
All four Indian students won gold medals at the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (10–19 July 2026), India's best-ever IChO result and first all-gold haul.
CCPA acts against 41 restaurants for levying service charge by default
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) initiated suo motu action against 41 restaurants for adding service charge to bills by default, it said on 19 July 2026.
India wins 1 gold and 3 silver at the 37th International Biology Olympiad
All four Indian students won medals – 1 gold and 3 silver – at the 37th International Biology Olympiad (IBO) in Vilnius, Lithuania, held from 12 to 19 July 2026.
NAMASTE scheme: over 89,000 sewer workers and 2.81 lakh waste pickers validated
Over 89,000 sewer and septic tank workers and over 2,81,000 waste pickers have been validated under the NAMASTE scheme, Union Minister Dr Virendra Kumar said on 19 July 2026.
All-party meeting held ahead of Monsoon Session 2026
An all-party meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was held in Parliament House Complex on 19 July 2026 ahead of the Monsoon Session, attended by 58 leaders from 40 political parties.
PM pays tribute to Mangal Pandey on his birth anniversary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to the revolutionary Mangal Pandey on his birth anniversary on 19 July 2026.
Sat, 18 Jul 2026
72nd National Film Awards announced: Article 370 named Best Feature Film
The 72nd National Film Awards for 2024 were announced on 18 July 2026, with Article 370 winning Best Feature Film and Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan sharing Best Actor.
PM Modi dedicates 75 redeveloped Amrit Bharat Stations across 20 States
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated 75 redeveloped Amrit Bharat Stations in 20 States, built at about ₹1,570 crore, to the nation on 18 July 2026.
First direct express train between Ramnagar and Dehradun flagged off
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the Ramnagar–Dehradun Express, the first direct express train between the two Uttarakhand cities, on 18 July 2026.
Aadhaar App crosses 40 million downloads; email update free till December 2026
UIDAI said on 18 July 2026 that the Aadhaar App has crossed 40 million (4 crore) downloads, with about 49 lakh mobile number updates and 11.65 lakh address updates done through the App.
Draft Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2026 released for public consultation
The Bar Council of India hosted the Draft Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on its website on 18 July 2026, inviting comments from stakeholders and the public by 31 July 2026 (3 PM).
MNRE extends ALMM List-II exemption for net-metering and open-access projects to December 2026
MNRE said on 18 July 2026 that there is no change in ALMM List-II policy for solar PV cells, but net-metering and open-access RE projects can commission without ALMM List-II cells till 31 December 2026.
Piyush Goyal concludes Europe visit; co-chairs 3rd India–EU Trade and Technology Council meeting
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal concluded a visit to Spain, Belgium, Finland and Estonia (13–18 July 2026), co-chairing the 3rd India–EU Trade and Technology Council ministerial meeting in Brussels.
PM condoles passing of Chennamma, wife of former PM Deve Gowda
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow on 18 July 2026 over the passing of Smt. Chennamma, wife of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda.
Fri, 17 Jul 2026
NITI Aayog releases Investment Friendliness Index; Gujarat ranks first among Large States
NITI Aayog released the Investment Friendliness Index (IFI) on 17 July 2026, naming Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Odisha as Top Performers.
Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya confers its first-ever honorary Ph.D. on E. Sreedharan at 4th Convocation
Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) held its 4th Convocation on 17 July 2026, conferring its first-ever honorary Ph.D. on 'Metro Man' E. Sreedharan; Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu was chief guest.
CCPA imposes ₹1 lakh penalty on SpiceJet for dark patterns on its booking platform
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) imposed a ₹1 lakh penalty on SpiceJet, announced on 17 July 2026, for dark patterns such as pre-ticked enrolment into its loyalty programme.
Centre notifies commencement of National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 and Amendment Act, 2025
The Government of India announced on 17 July 2026 that it has notified the commencement of the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Act, 2025.
Bharat Tex 2026 draws ₹14,300 crore in textile investment commitments in first three days
Bharat Tex 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, drew about ₹14,300 crore of textile investment commitments with 30+ MoUs and 1,647 exhibitors in its first three days, the Textiles Ministry said on 17 July 2026.
12th meeting of National Committee on Dam Safety agrees to frame regulation on dam surveillance and security
The 12th meeting of the National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS), chaired by the Central Water Commission Chairman, was held in New Delhi on 17 July 2026.
Vice-President releases book 'RSS @100: A Century of Service, Unity & Sacrifice'
Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan released the book 'RSS @100: A Century of Service, Unity & Sacrifice', authored by Shyam Jaju and Anupam Trivedi, on 17 July 2026.
Thu, 16 Jul 2026
NITI Aayog launches roadmap to make India a leading bioeconomy powerhouse by 2035
NITI Aayog's 'Roadmap for Building India as a Leading Bioeconomy Powerhouse by 2035', launched by Dr Jitendra Singh on 16 July 2026, aims to grow India's bioeconomy to $691 billion by 2035 and $2.6 trillion by 2047.
Oceanographer Srinivasa Kumar Tummala appointed Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of oceanographer Dr Srinivasa Kumar Tummala as Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, for two years, as announced on 16 July 2026.
ICAR marks 98th Foundation Day; 386 improved crop varieties developed in the past year
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) celebrated its 98th Foundation Day on 16 July 2026, with Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan saying ICAR developed 386 improved varieties across 44 crops in the past year.
PM Modi speaks with Amir of Qatar, conveys condolences on passing of Father Amir
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on 16 July 2026 and conveyed condolences on the passing of the Father Amir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
PM Modi greets the nation on Rath Yatra
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings on the occasion of Rath Yatra on 16 July 2026, seeking the blessings of Mahaprabhu Jagannath.
Wed, 15 Jul 2026
India–UK CETA and Double Contribution Convention enter into force
The India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Agreement on Social Security (Double Contribution Convention) entered into force on 15 July 2026, giving zero-duty access to nearly 99% of India's exports.
Cabinet approves Semicon 2.0 with ₹1,27,500 crore outlay
The Union Cabinet approved Semicon 2.0 on 15 July 2026 with a total outlay of ₹1,27,500 crore to build India's semiconductor design and manufacturing ecosystem on six pillars.
World Youth Skills Day 2026: IndiaSkills 2026–27 guidelines and Skills Outcomes Fund unveiled
On World Youth Skills Day, 15 July 2026, MoS Jayant Chaudhary unveiled the IndiaSkills Competition 2026–27 guidelines covering 63 skill categories, launched the WorldSkills India Champions Club and announced a ~₹530-crore Skills Outcomes Fund.