Daily Current Affairs — 29 July 2026: MSME Bill, RBI Banking Health, CWG 2026 & International Tiger Day

The MSME (Development) Amendment Bill, 2026 was set to be introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 28 July 2026, as part of the Monsoon Session's legislative agenda that also carried the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences marked its 20th Foundation Day in July 2026, unveiling 13 new initiatives including research centres, public weather-forecast mobile apps, and expanded seismic and ocean-monitoring databases.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj rolled out an 'Atmanirbhar' capacity-building programme for Panchayati Raj Institutions in July 2026, along with the SAMARTH portal and model revenue-generation rules to help gram panchayats become more financially self-reliant.

UPSSSC declared the eligibility result for its Excise Constable recruitment (Advertisement No. 08-Exam/2026) on 28 July 2026, covering 820 posts — revised up from an initially notified 722 — for candidates who applied using their PET-2025 scorecard.

RBI data showed India's scheduled commercial banks closed FY2025-26 with a capital-to-risk-weighted-assets ratio (CRAR) of 17.7% and a Common Equity Tier-1 ratio of 15.3% — both multi-decadal highs — while combined profit after tax rose to ₹4,05,268 crore from ₹3,78,163 crore the previous year.

Edelweiss Mutual Fund launched India's first passive index fund tracking listed Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), giving retail investors low-cost exposure to India's REIT market.

The Commerce Ministry constituted a task force to boost India's toy manufacturing sector, targeting a 5% share of the global toy market by 2032.

Indian equity benchmarks ended nearly flat on 28 July 2026 — the Sensex closed at 76,765.92 (down 69.86 points) and the Nifty 50 at 23,985.35 — as IT-stock gains offset broader selling amid lingering West Asia tensions.

As India holds the BRICS chairship for 2026, the bloc's Rio declaration reiterated support for India's permanent UN Security Council membership and welcomed India's candidacy to host COP33, the UN climate conference, in 2028.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh met Ivory Coast's Major General Alfred on 27 July 2026 to discuss expanding defence cooperation, including support for building the capabilities of the Ivory Coast Air Force.

During PM Modi's official visit to France on 13-14 July 2026 as guest of honour at Bastille Day, both countries adopted the 'Horizon 2047' roadmap and agreed to set up a mechanism to double bilateral trade within five years.

Google announced a $15-billion investment (2026-2030) to build its first AI hub outside the US — a 1-gigawatt AI data-centre in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, developed with AdaniConneX and Airtel and including a new international subsea cable gateway.

ISRO's Centralised Recruitment Board opened applications on 28 July 2026 for 92 Scientist/Engineer 'SC' vacancies across disciplines including Electronics, Mechanical, Computer Science and Architecture, with GATE-score-based shortlisting; the window closes 17 August 2026.

CSIR transferred four indigenous technologies to industry, launched an IoT-enabled rural water-monitoring system, and earned $177,660 in royalty from licensed indigenous defence technologies, as reported in July 2026.

DRDO successfully flight-tested the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR) at a 60-km range from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, on 8 July 2026, with the rocket following its predicted trajectory to hit the target with precision.

The Indian Army held a live operational demonstration at Drass, Ladakh, as part of the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorations, showcasing small-team tactics and the use of drones and remotely piloted aerial systems in high-altitude combat.

International Tiger Day, observed on 29 July 2026, highlighted India's tiger conservation record — home to nearly 70% of the world's wild tigers, with the 2022 All India Tiger Estimation counting 3,682 tigers (up from 1,706 in 2010) and Madhya Pradesh remaining the 'Tiger State' with 785 tigers.

India currently has 573 Wildlife Sanctuaries covering about 1,23,762.56 sq km — close to 3.76% of the country's total area — according to figures cited in July 2026.

Coal India Limited secured a Letter of Award to develop a 600 MW (2x300 MW) solar power project at Jalaun Solar Park, Uttar Pradesh, at an estimated investment of ₹2,831.11 crore.

India's medal tally at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow rose to 12 (2 gold, 7 silver, 3 bronze) after Day 5, with weightlifter Mirabai Chanu's gold headlining the campaign.

On Day 6 (29 July) of CWG 2026, India's medal hopes included weightlifter Sanjana in the women's 77kg final, Sreeshankar Murali and Lokesh Satyanathan in the men's long jump final, and Manpreet Kaur in the women's shot put final.

Six Indian boxers — Sakshi Choudhary, Jaismine Lamboria, Arundhati Choudhary, Sachin Siwach, Ankush Yadav and Narender Berwal — advanced to the quarterfinals at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow.

The Railway Ministry gave Rahul Himalian, Director (Tourism & Marketing), additional charge as Chairman & Managing Director of IRCTC with effect from 20 July 2026, following Sanjay Kumar Jain's resignation.

The Sahitya Akademi announced its 2026 Award winners across 24 Indian languages, with Devabrat Das (Assamese), Sahaisuli Brahma (Bodo) and Haobam Nalini (Manipuri) among the recipients honoured for outstanding literary works.

Uttar Pradesh's ICDS department is running a 2026 district-wise recruitment drive for Anganwadi Worker, Mini Anganwadi Worker and Sahayika (Helper) posts across all 75 districts, targeting around 61,601 vacancies reserved exclusively for women, selected purely by merit list with no written exam.

The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approved Rs 2,480 crore for infrastructure, irrigation, sports and technology on 28 July 2026, including Rs 198.59 crore for Mission Shakti women's-safety schemes and Rs 857 crore for tech initiatives including a Drone Technology Centre of Excellence.

The Gujarat Cabinet approved 32 applications worth Rs 1,978.04 crore under the Incentives to Industries Scheme on 27 July 2026, expected to create 871 direct jobs, including three new textile units worth Rs 165 crore.

Himachal Pradesh received Geographical Indication (GI) tags for eight more traditional products in July 2026, taking the state's total GI-tagged products to 17.

Jharkhand showcased six GI-tagged handloom products — including Bhagaiya Silk, Kuchai Silk, Munda Jewellery and Jharkhand Bamboo Craft — at the Bharat Tex 2026 trade fair in New Delhi.

Kerala's Malabar River Festival returns for its 12th edition from 30 July to 2 August 2026, celebrating the region's riverine culture and adventure sports.