Current Affairs July 2026 – Monthly Compilation

July was a Cabinet month: a run of scheme approvals with outlays attached, which is exactly the material objective papers feed on. It also produced a bill that bears directly on anyone reading this — an anti-paper-leak measure aimed at malpractice in public examinations.

National

The Union Cabinet approved a new anti-paper-leak bill on 24 July 2026, directed at leaks and malpractice in public examinations, including cases arising from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). For candidates sitting recruitment examinations, the enforcement provisions are what will actually bear on how those examinations are conducted.

Resignations

Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on 25 July 2026, submitting his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after weeks of nationwide protests over irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination. In his letter he said the decision was driven by concern for students rather than personal considerations.

The sequence is the part worth learning, because the two events are a day apart and are easily reported as one. The NEET-UG 2026 paper was conducted on 3 May 2026; irregularities were detected; a re-examination was held on 21 June 2026 for more than two million candidates; the Cabinet approved the anti-paper-leak bill on 24 July; and the minister resigned on 25 July. The bill came before the resignation, not in response to it.

Economy

Approved on 31 July 2026, the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) funds floating solar photovoltaic projects with energy storage, at a total outlay of ₹5,070 crore. It targets 5,000 MW of floating solar by 2030-31, with support of up to ₹1 crore per MW. Storage must be at least two hours, which is 10,000 MWh across the target capacity.

The name trap is common and deliberate: PM-SSY is floating solar on reservoirs and inland water bodies, while PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is rooftop solar for households.

Sports

The Cabinet approved a revamped Khelo India scheme together with enhanced Assistance to National Sports Federations, at a combined outlay of ₹36,441 crore for 2026-27 to 2030-31. The Khelo India Mission was announced in the February Budget; July is where it acquired a number.

Science and Technology

The National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) assessed India's floating solar potential at about 102.18 GWp across reservoirs and other inland water bodies — the assessment that PM-SSY was built on. Floating solar matters technically because it avoids competing for land and reduces evaporation from the water body it covers.

International

India launched its official campaign on 13 July 2026 for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2028-29 term. Hold the distinction: five permanent members, and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. India is contesting the latter.

Persons in News

• Dharmendra Pradhan — resigned as Union Education Minister on 25 July 2026 over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.
• Narendra Modi, Prime Minister — received the resignation; his Cabinet approved the anti-paper-leak bill the previous day.

Books and Authors

• The Simp — by Roshan Sethi.
• Some People — by Parini Shroff.
• The First House — by Avni Doshi.

Abbreviations

Quick revision

1. Anti-paper-leak bill approved by Cabinet on 24 July 2026, covering public examinations including NEET.
2. PM-SSY — ₹5,070 crore, 5,000 MW of floating solar by 2030-31, up to ₹1 crore per MW.
3. PM-KISAN extended 2026-27 to 2030-31 at ₹3.15 lakh crore.
4. Khelo India revamped with NSF assistance — ₹36,441 crore over the same five years.
5. India's UNSC campaign launched 13 July 2026, for a non-permanent seat in 2028-29.