Asia 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
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
Skyroot's Vikram-1 becomes India's first privately developed rocket to reach orbit
Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1, India's first privately developed orbital launch vehicle, reached Low Earth Orbit from Sriharikota on 18 July 2026 under Mission Aagaman.
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.
Amit Shah reviews border technologies at Jhumagachh BOP in Siliguri, lays foundation for BSF projects
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inspected a radio-based fence breach detection system at the Jhumagachh Border Outpost in Siliguri, West Bengal, on 18 July 2026 and laid the foundation for BSF projects worth about ₹77 crore.
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 announces ex-gratia after fireworks factory mishap in Ahmedabad
PM Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in a fireworks factory mishap in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on 18 July 2026 and announced PMNRF ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh per deceased and ₹50,000 per injured.
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.
PM Modi launches India's first hydrogen train on the Jind–Sonipat route
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India's first hydrogen train, running on the 90-km Jind–Sonipat route, at Jind, Haryana, on 17 July 2026 while launching projects worth about ₹14,700 crore.
Census 2027: self-enumeration begins in Tamil Nadu and Tripura
Self-enumeration for the Houselisting and Housing Census (Phase I of Census 2027) began in Tamil Nadu and Tripura on 17 July 2026 and will remain open till 31 July 2026.
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.
Dashehari and Langra mangoes reach Dubai by sea from Amroha under ICAR-CISH–APEDA protocol
A 12.5-tonne consignment of Dashehari and Langra mangoes from Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, reached Dubai by sea on 17 July 2026 using a sea-route protocol developed by ICAR-CISH and APEDA.
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.
PM Modi launches ₹4,700-crore projects in Chandigarh, inaugurates two advanced centres at PGIMER
PM Narendra Modi launched projects worth over ₹4,700 crore in Chandigarh on 17 July 2026 and inaugurated the Advanced Mother and Child Centre and Advanced Neurosciences Centre at PGIMER.
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
Pralhad Joshi inaugurates White Rabbit-based Indian Standard Time distribution network in Bengaluru
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the 'White Rabbit Technology'-based Indian Standard Time (IST) Distribution Demonstration Network at RRSL, Jakkur, Bengaluru, on 16 July 2026 under the 'One Nation, One Time' vision.
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.
APEDA flags off first export of Areko cherries and Scentrose plums from Jammu & Kashmir to Singapore
APEDA flagged off the first export shipment of premium Areko cherries and Scentrose plums from Shopian and Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir, to Singapore on 16 July 2026.
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.