World Population Day is an annual event, observed on July 11 every year, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989.
It was inspired by the public interest in Five Billion Day on July 11, 1987, the approximate date on which the world's population reached five billion people. World Population Day aims to increase people's awareness on various population issues such as the importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and human rights.
The day was suggested by Dr. K.C.Zachariah in which population reached five billion when he worked as Sr Demographer at World Bank. This year's World Population Day theme is "Realizing the hopes and aspirations of young people – today and for the future."
The theme draws on a new report based on one of the largest global surveys of its kind, capturing the views of more than 108,000 internet-connected young adults aged 18 to 39 across 73 countries.
Titled Lives, Choices and Futures: What young people want and what shapes their decisions about relationships and parenthood, the report offers a global snapshot of what young adults today want from relationships, family life and the future — and what they feel is standing in their way.
World Horse Day is celebrated globally on July 11th to honor the profound historical, economic, and cultural contributions horses have made to human civilization. Officially established by the United Nations, the day also highlights vital issues like equine welfare, conservation, and the ongoing care of working equids.
In recognition of this lasting partnership, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 79/291 on 3 June 2025, declaring 11 July “World Horse Day.” The resolution calls on governments, schools, businesses and individuals to celebrate the role of horses — and to tackle the challenges they face in the modern world.
The numbers speak for themselves: the FAO’s 2023 data counts around 60.8 million horses globally, athough they are unevenly distributed. The United States has 2.41 million horses and ponies on over 63,000 farms (2022 USDA Census), while the European Union supports a herd of about 7 million equines and 800,000 jobs in breeding, sport and tourism.
Recognizing that sand and dust storms and their negative impacts at different scales are issues of international concern, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 12 July as the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms.
The theme for the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms in 2026 is "From Source to Impact: Protecting Land and Life from Sand and Dust Storms".
Sand and dust storms (SDS) present a formidable and wide-spread challenge to achieving sustainable development in its economic, social and environmental dimensions.
Sand and dust storms impacts are felt in all regions of the world, both in developed and developing countries
In its July 2026 World Economic Outlook (WEO) Update, the IMF projected India's economy to grow by 6.4% in FY2026-27, slightly lower than the 6.5% forecast made in April.
At the same time, it raised its growth estimate for FY2027-28 to 6.7%, up from the earlier projection of 6.5%.
The IMF said India continues to be one of the fastest-growing major economies.
India remains among the fastest-growing major economies, with growth projected at 6.4 per cent, supported by strong momentum in private consumption and services activity.
The Centre for Studies of International Relations (CSIR), New Delhi, in collaboration with the Manas National Academy, has established the International Centre for Civilizational Studies “Manas and Mahabharata” in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, marking a new academic and cultural bridge between India and Central Asia.
The centre was inaugurated during the July 4-7 visit of an Indian delegation to Kyrgyzstan. The ceremony also saw the the release of the first Hindi translation of the Kyrgyz epic Manas, one of the country’s most important cultural texts.
Trilateral cooperation agreements were signed between the Manas National Academy, CSIR and seven leading universities of Kyrgyzstan, including KNU, BSU, AUCA and Ala-Too.
The centre is expected to focus on comparative civilisational studies, epic traditions of the Mahabharata and Manas, shared cultural heritage, humanitarian diplomacy and training of young researchers.
The Indian delegation included scholars Hem Chandra Pande and Ramakant Dwivedi, who translated Manas into Hindi. The delegation also held meetings with senior Kyrgyz officials and visited key cultural sites in Bishkek.
QCI and NSIC signed a five‑year Memorandum of Understanding to build a unified support ecosystem aimed at strengthening quality, competitiveness and market access for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The agreement pairs the Quality Council of India’s accreditation and certification expertise with the National Small Industries Corporation’s expansive MSME outreach to accelerate adoption of global standards and scale digital commerce opportunities.
Key national initiatives will be integrated under the partnership, including the MSME Sustainable (ZED) Certification Scheme, MSME Global Mart, the TEAM Initiative and NSIC’s Single Point Registration Scheme (SPRS).
The collaboration targets wider uptake of Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) certification, improved digital market access via MSME Global Mart and onboarding to the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) through the TEAM Initiative, plus AI‑enabled product cataloguing and export promotion on dedicated platforms.
The MoU also envisages technical strengthening: support for NABL accreditation of NSIC testing facilities, NABET‑led assessment and customised capacity‑building programmes for NSIC training centres and laboratories, and closer convergence between ZED certification and SPRS to streamline benefits for certified firms.
To oversee implementation, the two bodies will form a Joint Coordination Committee with representatives from both organisations, meeting quarterly to monitor progress and identify new collaboration areas over the MoU’s five‑year term.
The signing took place at QCI’s World Trade Centre office in New Delhi and was attended by NSIC Chairman‑cum‑Managing Director Dr. Subhransu Sekhar Acharya.
Sourav Ganguly, Kevin Pietersen and Anjum Chopra have become the latest inductees to the ICC Hall of Fame, unveiled at a ceremony in Edinburgh. Their induction takes the total number of ICC Hall of Fame members to 125.
Ganguly, considered one of India's best captains, played 113 Tests and 311 ODIs. He started his Test career against England in 1996 and made two hundreds in his first two Tests. In all, he scored 7212 runs at an average of 42.17 in Test cricket and 11,363 at 41.02 in ODIs.
In white-ball cricket, he formed a prolific opening pair with Sachin Tendulkar. The two opened together 136 times, adding a record 6609 runs with 21 century stands.
Under his captaincy, India won the NatWest Series in England in 2002 and were the joint-winners of the Champions Trophy later that year.
England's Pietersen played 104 Tests, scoring 8181 runs at 47.28. In his very first Test series, the 2005 Ashes, he played a key role in England winning the urn after 17 years with a stroke-filled 158 at The Oval on the final day of the series. In 2012-13, he was also instrumental in England winning a Test series in India for the first time in 28 years.
Chopra, a left-hand batter who captained India in all three formats, made her international debut in 1995. She was the first Indian woman to reach 1000 ODI runs and the first to play 100 ODIs. She also made notable contributions for India in the 2000 and 2005 ODI World Cups. Overall, she scored 2856 runs in 127 ODIs.
China has successfully landed a reusable rocket for the first time in a major breakthrough for the country's space programme.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said the Long March 10B rocket lifted off from Hainan in southern China at 12:15 local time (04:15GMT).
Around six minutes after separating from the rocket's upper stage, its booster returned to Earth vertically and was recovered on a floating platform.
It signals that China may be able to challenge America's dominance in reusable rockets after successful landings by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Blue Origin, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Rockets are typically considered expendable - their various segments being discarded and destroyed during ascent - which makes launching spacecraft expensive.
By reusing boosters - which are generally seen as the most valuable part of a rocket - the cost of satellite launches and space exploration can be significantly lowered.
In December 2015, SpaceX landed a reusable Falcon 9 rocket from an orbital flight for the first time, followed by Blue Origin's New Glenn in November 2025.
The Falcon 9 now launches about 150 times a year with boosters that are capable of being reused dozens of times.
China made its first attempt at reusable rocket recovery in February, with a Long March 10A rocket.
It completed a controlled descent and splashed down next to a recovery platform.
The Long March 10B, which can carry a payload of at least 16 metric tons to low-Earth orbit, has been compared to SpaceX's Falcon 9.
But unlike the Falcon 9, the Long March 10B does not autonomously land on a ground pad or drone ship.
Instead "landing hooks" on the rocket catch a net attached to a floating platform.
Shares in Chinese space firms jumped following the news, with China Spacesat and China Satellite Communications each rising by 10%, the daily limit allowed by the country's financial market regulations.
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia hailed the Department of Telecommunications’ flagship Samriddh Gram: Integrated Phygital Service Delivery Model Enabled by Bharat Net project on being declared the Global Winner of the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society Prizes 2026.
The initiative has been awarded under Action Line C6: Enabling Environment by the International Telecommunication Union. The Minister described the recognition as a proud moment for India and a global endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat and an inclusive Digital India.
Mr Scindia noted that the recognition is a testament to India’s growing leadership in Digital Public Infrastructure, inclusive connectivity and citizen-centric digital innovation. He said that Samriddh Gram is not merely about providing internet connectivity.
Mr Scindia said that the project brings together healthcare, education, agriculture, digital banking, e-Governance, skilling and livelihood services through village-level Samriddhi Kendras by leveraging BharatNet fibre connectivity.
The Minister underlined that the integrated phygital model combines the power of digital platforms with the trust and accessibility of physical service delivery at the village level.
The WSIS Prizes are among the world’s most prestigious recognitions for projects harnessing Information and Communication Technologies to advance sustainable development.
Built on the Bharat Net backbone, Samriddh Gram establishes village-level Samriddhi Kendras as one-stop hubs delivering integrated citizen-centric services spanning healthcare, education, agriculture, financial inclusion, skilling, e-Governance, e-commerce and digital connectivity.
The initiative demonstrates how robust telecom infrastructure can evolve beyond connectivity into measurable socio-economic transformation through an integrated service delivery model supported by local facilitation and community participation.
US Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh announced the names of leaders of five task forces constituted to examine the central bank’s approach to monetary policy, and propose transformational changes.
Among the leaders named by Warsh, academics, former central bankers and corporate executives, are three people of Indian origin, namely, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, Harvard University economics professor Raj Chetty and Microsoft XBOX Chief Executive Officer Asha Sharma.
The Reserve Bank on July 9, 2026 launched three key surveys, including one to gauge inflation expectations among households, aimed at providing critical inputs for formulating monetary policy.
The July 2026 round of the 'Inflation Expectations Survey of Households' aims at capturing subjective assessments on price movements and inflation, based on their individual consumption baskets, across 19 cities, the central bank said in a statement.
The survey seeks qualitative responses from households on price changes (general prices as well as prices of specific product groups) in the three months ahead as well as in the one year ahead period and quantitative responses on current, three months ahead and one year ahead inflation rates, it said.
The RBI also announced the launch of 'the July 2026 round of the Rural Consumer Confidence Survey'.
The survey collects current perceptions and one-year-ahead expectations of households on general economic situation, employment scenario, overall price situation, own income and spending from the households residing in the rural and semi-urban areas across 31 states/ UTs.
In another statement, it said the July 2026 round of Urban Consumer Confidence Survey seeks qualitative responses from households, regarding their sentiments on general economic situation, employment scenario, price level, households' income and spending.
Like the inflation expectation survey, it will also be conducted across 19 cities, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram.
The results of the surveys provide useful inputs for monetary policy, the Reserve Bank said.
The next meeting of the rate-setting panel, Monetary Policy Committee - is scheduled for August 3 to 5, 2026
In the latest Global Liveability Index, New Delhi ranked 120, followed by Mumbai (121), Chennai (123), and Bengaluru (127) while Copenhagen (Denmark) remains the world's most liveable city, edging out Vienna (Austria) and Melbourne (Australia), which are in second and third place.
The Economist Intelligence Unit Global Liveability Index 2026 released this week assessed 173 cities that were ranked on livability parameters. While New Delhi and Mumbai showed no change from last year, 10 Chinese cities improved their ranking this year compared to 2025.
It said western Europe is still the strongest region for liveability, but its average score has stagnated, while Asia's has risen. "The Iran war has undermined stability across the Gulf."
Srikanth Viswanathan, CEO of Janaagraha, an entity working on urban governance, said: "A worse ranking means we become less attractive to global investors and talent- we need to make our cities stronger and more liveable."
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a financing package of $890 million for India’s rooftop solar programme, comprising an $820 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), a $60 million concessional loan from the Clean Technology Fund and a $10 million grant from the IBRD’s Livable Planet Fund.
The multilateral lender will also mobilise an estimated $4.2 billion in private financing through commercial loans to help households install rooftop solar systems.
The financing will support the Centre’s PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which aims to install rooftop solar systems in 10 million rural and urban households, reducing electricity bills while boosting domestic manufacturing of rooftop solar equipment.
The World Bank said the programme is expected to create around 1.7 million jobs across renewable energy manufacturing, installation and related services.
India has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 and increasing the share of non-fossil fuel sources in its electricity mix to 60 per cent by 2035.
“The World Bank has been supporting India’s solar rooftop sector for over a decade, mobilising more than $2 billion to catalyse market growth from 500 MW to over 27 GW of installed capacity,” said Paul Procee, Acting Country Director for India at the World Bank.
“This new financing will help India scale up residential solar, while creating job opportunities across the supply chain and installation ecosystem.”
According to the World Bank, the programme seeks to remove financial barriers to rooftop solar adoption while strengthening the capacity of electricity distribution companies, banks and vendors to deliver integrated services.
The latest financing builds on the World Bank’s long association with India’s rooftop solar sector. In 2016, it approved a $648 million package for the Grid-Connected Rooftop Solar Programme, focused largely on commercial and industrial consumers, and followed it up with $165 million in additional financing in 2022 to expand support to the residential segment.
According to the Bank, its cumulative support has helped India’s installed rooftop solar capacity grow from around 500 MW to more than 27 GW.
State Bank of India (SBI) has sold 1.42% stake in its asset management arm, SBI Funds Management Ltd (SBIFM), to 30 investors for ₹1,655 crore in a pre-IPO placement round, the bank said.
The lender sold the stake at ₹574 per share, which is also the higher end of the IPO price band, according to an exchange filing.
SBI Funds Management's ₹11,600-crore maiden public equity offering will open on July 14 and conclude on July 16. The entire IPO is an Offer for Sale (OFS) by promoters SBI and Amundi India Holding.
SBI sold the shares to investors including 360 ONE funds, Tata AIG General Insurance Company, Go Digit General Insurance, Bennett Coleman, Anand Rathi Global Finance, Capri Global Ventures and Carnelian Bharat Amritkaal Fund.
"State Bank of India has entered into share purchase agreements each dated July 9, 2026 to sell, in aggregate, 2,88,32,748 equity shares of SBIFM of face value ₹1 each being equivalent to 1.415% of pre-offer share capital of SBIFM, to a total of 30 investors at ₹574 per equity share, for an aggregate consideration of ₹1,655 crore," the bank said in a filing on July 9, 2026.
The sale is part of the pre-IPO placement ahead of the proposed initial public offering (IPO) of SBIFM, the asset management arm of SBI.
One of the largest IPOs in the recent times, it is set to be succeeded by mega issuances from largest stock exchange NSE and telco Jio Platforms.
The Happy City Index 2026 has named the world’s happiest cities. London tops the rankings, while Jaipur becomes the only Indian city in the top 10 at sixth place.
The Happy City Index 2026 includes cities with high quality of life, good governance, healthcare and overall well being. The latest global rankings has been released.
London tops the list, while Jaipur secured 6th position globally. Keep reading about the happiest cities in the world.
London tops in the Happy City Index 2026, London, United Kingdom. The city tops in various aspects such as multiple indicators, including governance, economy, healthcare, environment, mobility and quality of life.
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda will lay the foundation stone of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) centre for high altitude medicine and public health research at Keylong, Himachal Pradesh. The Health and Family Welfare Ministry said that the centre will strengthen climate-resilient healthcare and biomedical research across India’s Himalayan region.
It will upgrade ICMR’s existing field station at Keylong into a full-fledged, multidisciplinary hub for research, innovation and capacity building focused on India’s high-altitude and climate-sensitive regions.
The Ministry informed that the Keylong centre will generate context-specific scientific evidence and scalable solutions across a wide research mandate including high-altitude physiology and acclimatisation, maternal and child health and disaster medicine.
It is expected to support national priorities in tribal health, disaster preparedness and digital health innovation, while feeding into global research on high-altitude medicine.
The Centre will build institutional collaborations with the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Himachal Pradesh Government, and academic and research institutions in the country and abroad.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Human–Wildlife Conflict at Coimbatore.
The inauguration was followed by a National Workshop on Human–Wildlife Conflict, bringing together senior policymakers, forest managers, scientists, researchers, technology experts and conservation practitioners from across the country to deliberate on effective strategies for mitigating human–wildlife conflict.
