VELS Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies (VISTAS) inaugurated its landmark Thiruvanmiyur Campus, envisioned as India's First AI-Integrated Vertical University Campus, marking a significant milestone in its mission to build a future-ready higher education ecosystem.
The campus was inaugurated by Padma Shri Sridhar Vembu, Chief Scientist and Co-Founder of Zoho Corporation, in the presence of His Excellency Ahmed Mir Hashim Khoori, Member of the Federal National Council, UAE, and Board Member of the Emirates Airline Foundation, who attended as the Guest of Honour.
A major highlight of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between VELS Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies (VISTAS), Aspin Holding LLC Group, and MH Cockpit to establish a Flying School in the UAE.
The partnership aims to promote collaboration in aviation education, pilot training, faculty exchange, internships, skill development, research, and international career opportunities for students.
VELS also announced that it will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zoho Corporation to collaborate in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, emerging technologies, research, innovation, entrepreneurship, digital skill development, and industry-academia initiatives.
A major highlight of the campus is its Industry-Academia Centres of Excellence, established in collaboration with Intel Unnati, TCS iON, Microsoft, and Oracle Academy, enabling students to gain hands-on experience in Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing, high-performance computing, and other emerging technologies.
The Financial Inclusion (FI) Index of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stood at 70 for the financial year ended March 2026, compared with 67 in March 2025, mainly on account of an uptick in usage. There was also growth across all sub-indices.
The FI Index was introduced in 2021 to capture the extent of financial inclusion across the country through three broad parameters—Access (35 per cent), Usage (45 per cent), and Quality (20 per cent)—each consisting of various dimensions computed on the basis of a number of indicators.
It is a comprehensive index incorporating details of the banking, investment, insurance, postal and pension sectors in consultation with the government and the respective sectoral regulators.
The index captures information on various aspects of financial inclusion in a single value ranging from 0 to 100, where 0 represents complete financial exclusion and 100 indicates full financial inclusion.
National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) and National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, an autonomous body of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India signed agreement on 21 July 2026 for NCVET Recognition as Awarding Body (AB - Dual).
Through this recognition NIRD&PR will be eligible to award, assess and certify the learners where training is directly being imparted by the Awarding Body in campuses or training centers owned or fully managed by it for its approved or adopted qualifications.
As part of the initial rollout, the ‘Industrial General Pest Management Technician’ Qualification and a Micro credential on the Generation and Mobilisation of Own Source Revenue by Panchayats, submitted by NIRD&PR have already been approved by NCVET.
NIRD&PR has planned to roll out NCVET approved courses in the categories of industry relevant courses for rural youth, entrepreneurship-oriented courses suitable for Self Help Groups (SHGs) and professional skill courses for the functionaries in Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.
India on July 20, 2026 announced it had joined the WTO’s agreement on fisheries subsidies, which prohibits government support to illegal fishing activities and over-exploitation of stocks.
The agreement focuses on subsidies related to marine wild-capture fishing and fishing-related activities at sea.
However, aquaculture and inland fisheries remain outside the scope of this pact, which came into force on September 15, 2025. It was adopted by consensus at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva in June 2022 and is the first multilateral WTO agreement with an environmental sustainability objective.
The formal acceptance was handed over by the Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal to the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Geneva.
The agreement, it said, protects the livelihoods of traditional and small-scale fishers by promoting sustainable fisheries.
It prohibits subsidies linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and fishing of overfished stocks, as it aims to address unsustainable fishing practices that threaten marine resources.
The pact also creates a more equitable global fisheries regime by disciplining harmful subsidies that support large, heavily subsidised industrial fishing fleets being operated by distant water fishing nations.
The agreement entered into force only after two-thirds of WTO members (166 at present) deposited their instruments of acceptance.
It added that India’s domestic fisheries management framework is in alignment with the agreement and safeguards the interests of traditional and small-scale fishers.
Once that threshold was reached, the pact became legally effective for those countries that had accepted it.
The government has increased the windfall gains tax on exports of diesel and ATF, while lowering the levy on petrol for the fortnight beginning on July 16, 2026.
The rate of Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED) on diesel exports has been increased to Rs. 15.5 a litre from Rs. 8.5 a litre.
Similarly, SAED on ATF exports has been raised to Rs. 14.5 per litre from Rs. 7.5 per litre till July 15, 2026.
However, the export duty on petrol has been cut to Rs. 2.5 per litre, from Rs. 4 per litre. The Finance Ministry, in a notification, said the duty hikes will be effective from July 16.
Beginning May 16, an export duty was also imposed on petrol.
The Ministry also said that there is no change in the existing duty rates on petrol and diesel cleared for domestic consumption.
The windfall tax was levied to increase domestic availability of the fuel amid the war in West Asia.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 19, 2026 inaugurated the Museum of Word at the National Library campus here and called it a step to preserve the virasat (heritage) of India, highlighting that a country’s language carries its heritage and offers a window into its culture.
Developed by the National Library under the aegis of the Union Culture Ministry, the first immersive language museum in the country, also known as Shabdalok, celebrates India’s rich linguistic heritage and showcases the evolution of its oral and written traditions through interactive and technology-driven exhibits.
The museum features nine galleries exploring different facets of the history of languages and their influence on India’s civilisation and culture. It seeks to present language as a living entity that has continuously shaped society while also being shaped by it.
The first phase of the museum chronicles the diversity of Indian languages, scripts, and literature. Rather than a conventional repository, it has been designed as an immersive cultural experience using digital displays, holograms, and motion-sensor technology to engage visitors.
Shabdalok celebrates India’s 22 official languages and traces their journey from oral traditions and ancient manuscripts to printed works and modern electronic texts, highlighting the country’s enduring linguistic diversity.
India has approved its first dengue vaccine, QDENGA, in a step against a disease that has become an increasingly large public health challenge in the country. The approval comes as dengue cases in the country have risen dramatically over the past two decades, from just 3,306 reported infections in 2001 to a record 2,89,235 cases in 2023.
The vaccine, approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), is the first dengue vaccine cleared for use in India. Developed by Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda, QDENGA is designed to protect against all four dengue virus types.
It can be administered to individuals aged 4 to 60 years and follows a two-dose schedule, with the second shot given three months after the first. Also, it does not require prior dengue testing before vaccination.
India's approval adds to a growing list of countries that have already authorised the vaccine.
QDENGA has received approval in more than 43 countries and has also secured World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification.
The historical trend of dengue in India helps explain why the vaccine's arrival is important. As per the data by National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC), reported cases remained below 30,000 annually until 2010.
Since then, the numbers have climbed sharply, crossing 1 lakh for the first time in 2016 and approaching near 3 lakhs in 2023.
The state-wise data by NCVBDC show that the disease remains concentrated in southern and western states. Tamil Nadu reported the highest number of dengue cases in 2025 at 23,407, accounting for nearly one in every five cases recorded in the country.
Maharashtra followed with 14,168 cases, while Kerala reported 10,923 infections.
However, after years of rising infections and recurring outbreaks, India now has a new tool in its fight against a disease that has steadily expanded its footprint across the country.
The Indian Air Force IAF will start Exercise Pitch Black 2026 at the Royal Australian Air Force RAAF Base Darwin. Scheduled from 20th July till 7th August, Exercise Pitch Black is the RAAF’s premier biennial multinational air combat exercise.
The exercise derives its name from its emphasis on night flying over the vast unpopulated areas of northern Australia.
In the exercise’s 45-year-long history, this edition features a large quantum of participating forces, bringing together military personnel for complex large force employment and multinational air combat operations.
The contingent will operate the Rafale multirole fighter aircraft, supported by the C-17 Globemaster III and the IL-78 Air-to-Air refueling aircraft,
in combat support roles.
The Indian Air Force has previously participated in the 2018, 2022 and 2024 editions of the exercise, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening defence cooperation and regional security.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has been selected for the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award for his significant contribution to national security, the Tilak Smarak Trust announced.
Doval, 81, has handled crucial assignments in sensitive regions, including Mizoram, Sikkim, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
He also served in diplomatic roles at Indian missions in Islamabad and London.
He is the longest-serving National Security Advisor of India. Doval has also served as India’s special representative for the India-China boundary talks and is credited with playing an important role in diplomatic efforts that helped resolve the Doklam standoff.
Instituted in 1983, the Lokmanya Tilak Award was first conferred on socialist leader S M Joshi. It is awarded every year on August 1, the death anniversary of freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, to individuals who have made a remarkable contribution to the nation’s progress and development.
Over the years, the award has been presented to several eminent personalities, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former PMs Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, former President Pranab Mukherjee and veteran politician Sharad Pawar.
Pakistan is planning to host the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games in early 2027, as part of its endeavour to revamp the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister highly commended Ambassador Sarwar for his dedicated leadership and impactful contributions to strengthening the South Asian regional framework.
Ambassador Sarwar assumed office as the 15th Secretary-General of SAARC in October 2023 and is scheduled to complete his tenure in October 2026.
On 26 November 1981, the South Asian Federation Games were established in Delhi to promote friendship and goodwill among the people of the seven SAARC Countries.
On 17 September 1984, Nepal organised the first South Asian Federation Games in Dasarath Stadium in Kathmandu. Out of a total of 373 athletes, 105 were from the host country Nepal, 98 from India, 53 from Bangladesh, 41 from Sri Lanka, 35 from Bhutan, 24 from Maldives, and 16 from Pakistan took part in this first South Asian Federations Games.
Established in 1985, SAARC comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Its secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal, and it aims to promote economic cooperation, regional integration and development across South Asia.
Kevin Keegan, the two-time Ballon d'Or-winning soccer star who captained and coached England and won the European Cup with Liverpool, has died. He was 75.
For a time in the 1970s, Keegan transcended the English game with his celebrity status.
Keegan, one of just four Englishmen to win the Ballon d'Or, wasn't just a brilliant soccer player who dovetailed nimbleness and an eye for goal with a relentless hunger and work rate stemming from his working-class upbringing in northern England.
Keegan was also something of a trailblazer in his sport as one of the first English players to move to a continental team when he left Liverpool, where he'd just won the European Cup, for German club Hamburger SV in 1977.
It was in Hamburg where Keegan won the Ballon d'Or then called the European Footballer of the Year award in 1978 and 1979 and featured in another European Cup final, a 1980 loss to Nottingham Forest.
He scored 21 times in 63 games for England and played at the 1982 World Cup, his only appearance on soccer's biggest stage after the country failed to qualify in 1974 and 1978.
The Ministry of Coal is set to release 'AAROH – Annual Report on Mine Closure' in New Delhi on 22nd July 2026. For the first time since independence, 42 coal mines have been scientifically closed, in accordance with approved mine closure plans.
The Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Jyotiraditya M. Scindia with the CM of Meghalaya Conrad K. Sangma launched the “Mission Golden Spice – Integrated Lakadong Turmeric Value Chain Enhancement Project”, a Rs. 175.45-crore convergence-led initiative for turmeric cultivation and value-chain development in the Meghalaya.
The Mission is designed as a phased, five-year roadmap (2025–2030), to be implemented in two phases — Value Chain Strengthening (Phase 1) followed by Expansion & Scale-up (Phase 2) — for promotion of Meghalaya’s Unique Selling Proposition (USP), the GI-tagged Lakadong Turmeric.
India's outward foreign direct investment (FDI), measured by financial commitment, declined 47.9 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to $3 billion in June 2026 from $5.74 billion in the same month 2025, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
On a sequential basis, outward FDI fell from $4.5 billion in May 2026.
Outbound FDI comprises three components — equity, debt (loans), and guarantees.
Equity commitments declined to $738 million in June from $2.2 billion a year ago and were also lower than $1.25 billion in May 2026.
Debt commitments fell to $469.87 million in June from $568.54 million in the corresponding month of 2025 and from $645.75 million in May 2026.
Guarantees issued for overseas entities declined to $1.78 billion in June from $2.97 billion a year earlier and $2.61 billion in May 2026.
For the financial year 2025-26 (FY26), India's outward FDI commitments stood at $48.6 billion, compared with $43.7 billion in FY25.
India is aiming to increase its share of global merchandise exports from about 1.8 per cent in 2024 to around 10 per cent by 2047, according to a World Trade Organisation (WTO) report.
To promote exports, India maintained various duty exemption, remission, and rebate schemes.
The government said that Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes have resulted in actual investments of over Rs. 2.40 trillion and generated over 1.415 million jobs until March 2026.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said that the schemes have collectively enabled exports of over Rs. 15.2 trillion since their inception, reflecting India's growing integration with global value chains.
