July 2018 Current Affairs Important Highlights (One-Liners)

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Friends, here are the Major Current Affairs Highlights of July 2018. These one-liners cover all important International, National, MOUs, Indexes, Banking, Technology, Books & Authors, Committees and Sports affairs of July month (from 1st to 31st July 2018). You will get pdf versoin of this list by this evening. All the Best and Happy Reading :)

July 2018 Current Affairs Highlights (One-Liners) 

• 10th BRICS Summit was recently held at Johannesburg , South Africa with the Theme 'BRICS in Africa: collaboration for inclusive growth and shared prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution'.
• 1st July 2018 was observed as 'GST Day' as the indirect tax regime completes one year on this day.
• 10th edition of Delhi Dialogue (DD X) was recently held in New Delhi. Theme of 10th DDX : “Strengthening India-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation”.
• 11th July 2018 was observed as World Population Day with the theme "Family Planning is Human Right".
  
• 15th July 2018 was observed as World Youth Skills Day with the theme  ‘Improving the image of TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training)’.
• 19th Kargil Victory Day (Kargil Vijay Diwas) was observed on 26th July 2018.
• 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Bajrang Punia emerged champion at the Tbilisi Grand Prix in the 65kg category by defeating Iranian wrestler Mehran Nasiri in the final in Georgia.
• "The International Congress of Parliamentary Women's Caucuses" will be held at Dublin Castle, Ireland during 9th and 10th of September 2018.
• 28th July 2018 was observed as World Hepatitis Day with the theme "Test. Treat. Hepatitis".
• 2-day Unified Commanders' Conference (UCC) 2018 was recently held at New Delhi.  
• 2nd Young Superintendent of Police Conference was held in New Delhi. Theme of this conference : “Predictive Policing and Contemporary Challenges for Indian Police Forces”.
• 30th July 2018 was observed as World Day against Trafficking in Persons, with the theme ‘Responding to the trafficking of children and young people’.
• 4th edition of BIMSTEC Summit will be held in Khatmandu (Nepal's capital) from 30th to 31st August 2018. BIMSTEC - Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.
• 5th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) intersessional ministerial meeting was held in Tokyo, Japan.
• 6th India-UK Science & Innovation Council (SIC) meeting was held at New Delhi.
• 6th meeting of BRICS Education Ministers was recently held at Cape Town, South Africa. Theme of the Meeting : “Deepening BRICS Education Partnerships and Exchanges”.
• 8th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting was held at Durban, South Africa. Indian delegation was led by J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare.
• A book titled "The Dhoni Touch" was recently released. This book has been authored by Bharat Sundaresan.
• A book titled ‘Gandhi The years that changed the world (1914-1948)’ written by Sahitya Akademy winner Ramachandra Guha will be released in September 2018. This book will be published by Penguin Random House India.
• A Museum dedicated to all former and future Prime Ministers will be built at Delhi's Teen Murti Bhavan, which served as Jawaharlal Nehru's official residence as PM until his death in office.
• A panel headed by retired Supreme Court judge B N Srikrishna submitted its report to the government on suggestions for a data protection law that will also cover Aadhaar. The panel recommended certain measures for protecting personal information, defining obligations of data processors and the rights of individuals.
• According to a recently released World Bank report, India is the 6th largest economy in the world, with a GDP of $2.59 trillion in 2017. India surpassed France and is behind the US, China, Japan, Germany and the UK.
• Airtel Payments Bank received the requisite approvals from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to resume taking new customers. The payments bank has also been permitted by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to resume adding new customers using Aadhaar based eKYC.
• All 50 states of United States now allow Breastfeeding in public, with Utah and Idaho recently joining the rest of the country in legalising it.
• All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) and IIT (Indian Institute of Technology)-Delhi have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance research in the field of Ayurveda.
• American and Spanish scientists have discovered a new 3D shape called 'Scutoid' while studying human tissue folds which form the skin, cavity and organ linings. The twisted prism-like shape has 5 sides at one end and 6 sides at the other end, besides a triangular surface on one of its longer edges.
• American multinational retail corporation Walmart has signed a five-year partnership with Microsoft to use the company's cloud services in retail.
• Arjuna-awardee gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who finished fourth at Rio Olympics, clinched the Gold medal in the vault event of Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup.
• As many as 1 lakh students in 100 schools across India will assemble Solar Lamps on October 2 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary and celebrate IIT-Bombay's diamond jubilee.
• As part of its preparations to send an Indian astronaut into space using an indigenous rocket in the future, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully tested the Crew Escape System, which is critical to ensure safety of the astronauts in case a rocket explodes on the launch pad.
• As per recently released Prime Database Investment Bankers League table for FY 2017-18, IIFL Holdings Ltd. (IIFL) is India’s top investment bank for equity issuances by private sector companies.
• Australia's Sydney Airport is starting to test the first phase of biometric technology for check-in alongside Qantas airlines eliminating the requirement of a passport.
• Banks and financial institutions, including State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB) and the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) entered into an overarching Inter-Creditor Agreement (ICA) to fast track resolution of stressed assets of Rs 50 crore or more which are under consortium lending. The ICA is being signed by 22 public sector banks (including India Post Payments Bank), 19 private sector banks and 32 foreign banks.
• Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government has won No Confidence motion moved in Lok Sabha. This was first no-confidence motion against Narendra Modi government after it came to power in May 2014 and less than year before the next general elections.
• Bogibeel, India’s longest rail-cum-road bridge, is likely to be inaugurated in October this year. Built over the Brahmaputra river, 4.94 kilometres long rail-cum-road bridge connects the North and South banks of river Brahmaputra and is situated in the eastern region of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
• Bollywood Actress Kangana Ranaut and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh  launched a smartphone distribution scheme titled 'Mobile Tihar' under Sanchar Kranti Yojana. The scheme includes distribution of smartphones to 45 lakh women and 5 lakh children, and setting up of 556 new mobile towers.
• British cyclist Chris Froome won his third consecutive and fourth overall Tour de France title in Paeis.
• British Racer Lewis Hamilton has won the 2018 German Grand Prix.
• Cambodia’s ruling party CPP ( Cambodian People's Party) has won an expected victory in an election Sunday widely considered illegitimate after the only credible opposition was silenced.
• Canada's smartARM has won Microsoft's global competition Imagine Cup 2018 for creating an affordable, robotic arm prosthetic. As part of their winnings, smartARM received ₹58 lakh, a mentoring session with CEO Satya Nadella, and ₹34.5-lakh Azure grant.
• Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh-led BJP government has defeated the no-confidence motion that the Congress moved against it in the state assembly.
• China has built an unmanned automatic weather observation station in Tibet near its border with India.
• China is planning to launch 300 low-orbit satellites to provide worldwide communication services. The first in the 300-satellite array — known as the Hongyan constellation — is set to be launched by the end of this year.
• China successfully launched two remote sensing satellites PRSS-1 and PakTes-1A of Pakistan on board of Long March-2C rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre.
• Commercial banks in India will no longer be able to transact in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin from (6th July 2018) in view of an RBI directive in April.
• Consumer or Retail Inflation accelerated to 5% to hit a five-month high in June this year, well above May's 4.87%, majorly due to rise in the fuel prices.
• Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal along with the spiritual leader Dalai Lama launched a 'Happiness Curriculum' for students studying in Class Nursery to Class 8 in government schools.
• Delhi Metro recently became the 1st Metro system in the World to go Completely Green.
• Digital payments major Paytm's parent company One97 Communications is going to build the Headquartes of Paytm at Noida's Sector 137.
• Drawing inspiration from the highly-successful 'Amma' canteens in Tamil Nadu, the Andhra Pradesh government launched its own 'Anna' canteens across the state. The canteens will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner at Rs 5 a meal.
• Egypt defeated England to win the Boy's title at the WSF-World Junior Squash team championship held in Chennai.
• Elon Musk-led space startup SpaceX launched the Telstar 19 Vantage satellite through it's Falcon 9 rocket. Weighing over 7,000 kg, this is the world's heaviest commercial communications satellite .
• External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was on a two-day visit to Manama (Bahrain). During this visit, She co-chaired the second high joint commission meeting with her Bahraini counterpart Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.
• Ex-world number one Novak Djokovic clinched his fourth Wimbledon title and overall 13th Grand Slam by defeating Kevin Anderson in Men's Singles category.  
• Facebook has announced that it is working on a new satellite project, named Athena, which will provide broadband internet connections to rural and underserved areas.
• Facebook's 34-year-old CEO Mark Zuckerberg has dethroned Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett to become the world's third-richest person with $81.6 billion wealth, according to Bloomberg. Amazon's Jeff Bezos remains the world's richest followed by Microsoft's Bill Gates.
• Fertiliser major Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) has launched e-commerce platform IFFCO iMandi (an mobile application and web portal) to address all needs of the farming community associated with it.
• For the first time, Rajya Sabha members can speak in any of the 22 languages listed in the eighth schedule of the Constitution, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has recently announced.
• For the first time, the Indian Air Force is going to participate in Exercise Pitch Black, a three-week multinational warfare exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force.
• Former captain MS Dhoni has become the first-ever Indian wicketkeeper to take 300 catches in ODI cricket.
• Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was arrested by anti-corruption investigators over his links to misappropriation of $4.5 billion from the state-run 1MDB wealth fund, which was set up to promote economic development.  
• Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to 10 years in prison in a corruption case. The case pertains to the purchase of flats in London and came to light after the Panama Papers leak in 2016.
• Former Team India captain Rahul Dravid has become the 5th Indian cricketer to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. Other 4 Indian Cricketers in ICC Hall of Fame are : Anil Kumble, Sunil Gavaskar, Bishan Singh Bedi and Kapil Dev.
• Former world number one Angelique Kerber defeated seven-time champion Serena Williams in the women's singles final to clinch her first-ever Wimbledon title.  
• Four-time world champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) won the German Grand Prix 2018.  
• France has won the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals by defeating first-time finalists Croatia.
• From the upcoming Monsoon Session, Lok Sabha MPs will be allowed to ask a maximum of five questions in the house per day.
• Germany's Mesut Özil announced his retirement from international football over "disrespect and racism".  
• Germany's multinational conglomerate company Thyssenkrupp and India's Tata Steel signed a final agreement to establish a steel joint venture, marking the European steel industry's largest deal in 12 years. The deal will create Europe's second-largest steelmaker after ArcelorMittal.
• Google is working on a new operating system (OS) titled 'Fuchsia' which will replace Android.
• Gujarat Government has granted religious minority status to Jews living in the state. With this, Gujarat becomes the third state in India to grant religious minority status to Jews after West Bengal and Maharashtra.
• Gujarat Government’s Industries and Mines Department has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) to strengthen trade, industrial relations.
• Harry Potter fantasy series autor J. K. Rowling has announced her next book titled "Lethal White". Rowling is writing this novel with the pen name "Robert Galbraith".
• Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur announced a ₹1.55-crore project to set up a cow sanctuary at Kotla Barog.
• Home Minister Rajnath Singh along with his Bangladeshi counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal inaugurated India's largest visa centre in the world in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka. It will replace India's four other visa application centres in Bangladesh in two phases.
• Homegrown e-commerce startup Flipkart is set to enter financial services business and has applied for an NBFC (Non-Banking Financial Company) license to focus on consumer lending. The startup will start its services with microlending and micro-insurance for e-commerce purchases on its website.
• Hungary will withdraw from the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration agreement which will be adopted in December,.
• Iceland  was elected to take up the seat left vacant at the United Nations Human Rights Council after the United States quit the body over what it charges was anti-Israel bias.
• In a bid to cut costs incurred by the state government, the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee set a “one person one car” policy for ministers and bureaucrats and mandated economy class for all domestic air travel.
• In a first of its kind initiative, the Madhya Pradesh state govt is going to appoint Girls as a District Brand Ambassador who have recorded significant achievements in any field under the Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao scheme.
• In a first, Indian Navy's P-8I long-range Maritime Patrol Aircraft has been inducted at Hawaii for participating in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, which is the world's largest international maritime exercise.
• In its all India final of US Open, HS Pranoy defeated P Kashyap to lift his 3rd US Open Grand Prix Gold Tournament.
• India and Sri Lanka signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a Sanitation Sector Project under which 3400 toilets would be constructed in Batticaloa District of Sri Lanka.
• India and the United States are going to hold the inaugural 2+2 dialogue led by India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and their US counterparts in New Delhi on September 6.
• India and United Kingdom has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the sphere of Law & Justice and establishing Joint Consultative Committee.
• India formally joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). With this India became 69th member of the London-based multilateral lender.
• India has become the Vice-Chair (Regional head) of the Asia Pacific Region of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) for two years from July 2018 to June 2020. By becoming the Vice Chair, India will be able to take up the leadership role at the WCO.
• India has extended ₹1,378 crore ($200 million) Lines of Credit (LOCs) to Rwanda after PM Narendra Modi held talks with the nation's President Paul Kagame.
• India has invited US President Donald Trump to be the Chief Guest for next year's Republic Day parade.
• India has won 9 Medals (4 Silver and 5 Bronze medals) at the 7th World Junior Wushu Championships 2018 in Brazil.
• India is going to buy the Russian S-400 Triumf air defence missile despite US sanctions on military transactions with Russia, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced.
• India is going to develop Sri Lanka's loss-making Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Hambantota, which is known as the 'world's emptiest airport'. With India's investment, the project is expected to handle 5 million passengers, 50,000-ton cargo, and over 6000 air traffic operations every year by 2028.
• India is going to procure National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System-II (NASAMS-II), an advanced air defence system at $1 billion from United States. This will be used to defend National Capital Region (NCR) from aerial attacks.
• India is going to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh to ease visa restrictions for citizens from the neighboring country.
• India ranks 109th in overall 4G mobile internet speeds with an average download speed of 9.12 Mbps which is less than Pakistan (14.03 Mbps), according to data speed tester Ookla. Out of the list comprising 124 countries, Qatar ranked first in the list with 63.22 Mbps average download speed, followed by Norway with 62.14 Mbps download speed.
• India Under-19 batsman Pavan Shah slammed 282 runs off 332 balls against Sri Lanka Under-19 to record the highest-ever score by an Indian in a Youth Test.
• India’s Department of Telecommunications has approved Net Neutrality Rules that ban blocking, throttling, and zero-rating internet data, with some exceptions. With this, access to internet will remain unrestricted and non-discriminatory.
• India’s Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy won the Men’s doubles title at Lagos International Badminton 2018 in Lagos, Nigeria.
• India’s upper house of parliament Rajya Sabha and Senate of Rwanda has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for promoting inter-parliamentary dialogue capacity building and cooperation.
• Indian Army has awarded Rs. 100-crore contract for 81 high mobility 10×10 vehicles to India’s leading vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland.
• Indian Army has singed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with State bank of India (SBI) on Defence Salary Package.
• Indian badminton player Lakshaya Sen bagged the Gold medal by defeating Indonesia’s top-seeded Kunlavut Vitidsaran in the final match of the Badminton Asia Junior Championship in Jakarta.
• Indian banking and financial services company HDFC Bank has gone past Russia's Sberbank to become the most valuable bank in the emerging market outside China. HDFC Bank’s current market capitalisation is $78.4 billion against Sberbank's $74.4 billion.
• Indian Captain Virat Kohli has become the 1st Indian and fastest overall to reach 2,000 runs in men's T20I cricket.
• Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. This announcement came exactly 16 years after Kaif leading India to victory in the NatWest Series final.
• Indian e-commerce payment system and digital wallet company, Paytm is going to launch its services in Japan.
• Indian IT industry apex body NASSCOM (National Association of Software & Services Companies) has opened Centre of Excellence for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (CoE-DSAI) in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Aim of CoE-DSAI : To nurture innovation in emerging disruptive technologies such as AI and to leverage the power of data science.
• Indian shuttler Sourabh Verma won the 2018 Russian Open Men's Singles title by defeating Koki Watanabe of Japan.
• Indian Skipper Virat Kohli has become the fastest cricketer to score 3,000 runs as captain in ODIs, reaching the milestone against England in his 49th innings as skipper yesterday.
• Indian sprinter Hima Das won the women's 400m event at the IAAF World Junior Championships. With this, she the first-ever Indian to clinch track gold in a world championship across all age groups.
• Indian state-owned telecommunications company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has became the country's first telephone network to launch 'internet telephony' service, which makes landline work like mobile.
• Indian track and field athlete Neeraj Chopra has won Gold medal at Sotteville Athletics meet in France.
• Indian wicketkeeper MS Dhoni surpassed Pakistan's Kamran Akmal to be the player with the most stumpings in T20I history.
• Indian Women's Compound Archery Team created history by becoming the World No. 1.
• India's  Muhammad Anas Yahiya won Gold medal at 400-meter race event in Czech Republic.
• India's 1983 Cricket World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev has been selected in the National Golf team to take part in the 2018 Asia-Pacific Senior Amateur Championship, which will be held from October 17 to 19 in Japan.
• India's 2nd largest credit card issuer,  SBI Card announced the launch of a virtual assistant for customer support and services titled 'ELA' (Electronic Live Assistant).
• India's biggest power producer NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) Limited has signed a term loan agreement with HDFC Bank for availing a loan of ₹1,500 crore.
• India's first government-sponsored 'Transgender Poets' Meet' was recently held at the Sahitya Akademi in West Bengal's Kolkata.
• India's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) hiked its Fixed Deposit (FD) interest rates for select tenures. FDs below ₹1 crore for 1 year to 2 years will now provide 6.70% interest as against 6.65% earlier while senior citizens will get 7.2%. For deposits from 2 years to 3 years, the interest rate has been revised to 6.75% from 6.65%.
• India's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Bank of Baroda (BoB) are planning to introduce a performance-linked salary structure for the senior management.
• India's para-athlete Yogesh Kathuniya smashed the world record in the Men's discus F36 while winning Gold in the Para-Athletics Grand Prix in Berlin.
• India's richest person Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) beat Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to become the Most Valued Company in India.  
• Inflation in Venezuela could top 1,000,000% by the end of the year as the country faces its worst economic crisis, the International Monetary Fund has recently announced.
• Insurance regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has constituted a 16-member committee to examine motor third party insurance pricing aspects and make recommendations on the premium rates for 2019-20. Head of this Committee : P. J. Joseph.
• Interpol issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against fugitive Indian diamantaire Nirav Modi. This Red Corner Notice will enable Modi's arrest in any country for extradition to India.
• Invest India and Business France have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote investment facilitation and cooperation between startups of India and France.
• Iran has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become the 2nd largest oil supplier to Indian state-owned firms during the June quarter. Note : Iraq is the largest oil supplier to India.
• Iran is planning to jointly manufacture Defence Equipment with Pakistan and present them as a joint achievement of Muslim nations.
• Israel’s Parliament approved a controversial piece of legislation that defines the country as the nation-state of the Jewish people.
• Japanese city Tokyo unveiled the world’s first all-digital art museum. This museum features around 50 kaleidoscopic installations triggered by motion sensors, which are projected across every surface of the 100,000-square-foot exhibit space with the help of lights.
• Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and European Union (EU) leaders signed a free trade agreement, eliminating tariffs on a majority of their products to enhance business between the two sides.
• Japan's parliament passed a controversial law to legalise casino gambling paving way for up to three casino resorts to open.
• Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das announced that the first 'Khadi mall' of India will be opened in the state soon.  
• Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy presented the 1st budget of his Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition government in the Vidhana Soudha. Presenting this budget, he announced a farm loan waiver of ₹34,000 crore.
• Kylie Cosmetics' 20-year-old Founder Kylie Jenner, with a net worth of $900 million, became the youngest member in Forbes list of America's richest self-made women 2018 released.
• Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas was formally inducted into Indian Air Force (IAF)'s 'Flying Daggers' squadron, which earlier had Russian MiG-21s.
• Lok Sabha has passed Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018 by voice vote to replace Ordinance promulgated by President in May 2018. This bill amends Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973 which sets up Central Council of Homoeopathy and regulates homoeopathic education and practice
• Lok Sabha passed The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Second Amendment) Bill, 2017 to abolish the ‘no detention policy’ in schools.
• Lok Sabha passed the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018. This bill calls for punishment ranging from 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of not less than ₹1 lakh to offenders.
• Lok Sabha passed Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, a Bill on cheque bounce cases. This bill provides for allowing a court trying an offence related to cheque bouncing to direct the drawer to pay interim compensation to the complainant.
• London has launched the 'Walking Action Plan' in a bid to make London the 'world's most walkable city'.
• Madhya Pradesh government has launched an outstanding power bill waiver scheme and subsidized power scheme titled ‘Sambal’ for laborers and poor families. Under the Sambal scheme, the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families would be provided electricity at a cost of 200 rupees per month.
• Madras High Court has ruled that mentioning father's name in birth certificates is optional.
• Maharashtra Food Supplies Minister Ravindra Chavan announced that people will be allowed to carry food items along with them in cinema halls and multiplexes in the state.
• Maharashtra’s women commission signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for rescue and rehabilitation of women who are victims of sex trafficking, acid attack and domestic violence.
• Messaging app WhatsApp has announced that it is testing a limit on forwarding messages to five chats at one time in India. This move comes in the wake of violent incidents triggered by the spread of fake news on the platform.
• Ministry of Earth Sciences has unveiled state-of-the-art Air Quality and Weather Forecast System– SAFAR at Chandni Chowk in Delhi. SAFAR - System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research
• Ministry of Home Affairs sponsored Student Police Cadet (SPC) Programme was launched nationally in Gurugram, Haryana. Aim of Student Police Cadet (SPC) Programme : To build bridge between Police and larger community through school students by inculcating values and ethics in them through classes in school and outside.
• Ministry of Railways approves Digital Aadhaar and Driving License from Digital Locker as proof of identity of passengers for undertaking journey by Train.
• More than 34 years after coming into existence, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) is set to be renamed as Sports India.
• Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Limited crossed the $100-billion market cap mark. With this, the company will join with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as the only two $100-billion companies in India.
• NABARD celebrated it's 36th Foundation Day on 12th July 2018.
• National Broadcasting Day‬ was observed on 23rd July 2018.
• National Film Archive of India hosted European Union Film Festival 2018 from 6th July to 12th July in Mumbai.
• Neeraj Chopra, who became the 1st Indian to win gold in javelin throw at Commonwealth Games in April this year, won gold at the Savo Games in Finland.
• Nigeria overtook India as the Country with the largest number of extreme poor in early 2018, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo could soon take over the number 2 spot.
• NITI Aayog has signed Statement of Intent (SoI) with Lupin Foundation to collaborate in Aspirational Districts Programme to create templates for concerted development policy.
• Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL), Assam has became first oil Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) in India to adopt an online legal compliance system by introducing ‘Legatrix‘. Legatrix is cloud-based compliance management system to serve as onestop solution for effectively managing organisations legal and regulatory compliances through monitoring control at different levels.  
• Odisha government ordered a ban on the use of plastic bags and single-use plastic in the state starting from October 2.
• P. Karthikeyan beat former National champion G. Akash to become the Commonwealth chess champion 2018 held in New Delhi. Tania Sachdev won the Women's title by defeating Shantanu Bhambure.
• Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan declared his party's victory in the Pakistan general elections.
• PM Narendra Modi inaugurated 13 infrastructure projects worth ₹2,100 crore in Rajasthan.
• Policy think tank of the Government of India, NITI Aayog, in collaboration with various ministries and industry partners, is organising ‘MOVE: Global Mobility Summit’ in New Delhi on 7th and 8th September, 2018. This will be the first Global Mobility Summit of its kind, with over 1,200 expected participants from across the world.
• President Ram Nath Kovind has given his assent to Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2015. The law aims to eliminate superstition from society by making such offences under it as non-bailable, non-compoundable and cognizable.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Dharohar Bhawan’ – the new headquarters building of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at 24, Tilak Marg in New Delhi.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 81 investment projects worth ₹60,000 crore in a record breaking event in Uttar Pradesh.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a 5 day visit to Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa from 23rd July 2018. Modi is the 1st Indian Prime Minister to visit Rwanda.
• Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay was on a three-day visit to India. Aim of this visit : To discuss about economic cooperation and security ties.
• Puducherry Tourism has announced the first Pondicherry International Film Festival (PIFF), which will showcase over 100 films from more than 25 countries.
• Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has announced that the government has decided to seek Death Penalty for drug peddling and smuggling.
• Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered a mandatory dope test for all government employees, including police personnel, from the time of their recruitment through every stage of their service.
• Rajasthan will soon have its 1st ‘cow sanctuary’, a shelter for 10,000 bovines spread over an area of more than 220 hectares in Bikaner district.
• Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Austrian Grand Prix 2018 title in Austria.  
• Reliance Industries Chairman and India's richest person Mukesh Ambani dethroned Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba's Co-founder Jack Ma to become Asia's richest person as RIL shares hit an all-time high.
• Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani announced that Reliance is India’s largest payer of Goods and Services Tax (GST), Excise and Customs Duty, and Income Tax in the Private Sector.
• Richard Branson-led commercial spaceflight Virgin Galactic has announced that it is going to launch its commercial space flights from Italy.
• Russia is going to build two Nuclear Power Units in China which are expected to be operational by 2026 and 2027 respectively.
• Satyarup Siddhanta has become the 2nd Indian mountaineer after Malli Mastan Babu to climb Mt Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano in the world (6,893 metres or 22,615 ft).
• Scientists from New Zealand have performed the first-ever 3-D, colour X-ray on a human body, using the imaging technology developed for the Large Hadron Collider at the CERN physics lab.
• South Africa has unveiled the 64-dish MeerKAT radio telescope, slated to be the world's largest and most powerful telescope on its completion in 2030. It is said to have 50 times better resolution than NASA's Hubble Space Telescope when fully operational.
• South Korean multinational conglomerate Samsung opened the world's largest mobile phone manufacturing factory in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
• South Korean President Moon Jae-in was on his first state visit to India. During this 4 day visit, he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on key issues such as the situation on the Korean peninsula, and ways to boost trade and defence cooperation.
• Sri Lanka’s government signed an agreement to sell a 70% stake in a $1.5 billion Hambantota port to China in a bid to recover from the heavy burden of repaying a Chinese loan obtained to build the facility.
• State-owned defence electronics company Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Swedish Aerospace and defence firm Saab for jointly marketing L-Band 3D air surveillance radar (RAWL-03) which is co-developed by the companies.  
• State-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) is going to set up state-of-the-art Civil Aviation Research Organization (CARO) at Hyderabad’s Begumpet Airport.
• Striker Rani Rampal is going to lead the 18-member Indian women’s hockey team at the Asian Games 2018 to be held in Indonesia from August 18 to September 2. Goalkeeper Savita has been named as the vice captain of the team.
• Tamil Nadu based political party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President M Karunanidhi became the 1st Indian political figure to lead a party for 50 years.
• Team India opener Rohit Sharma has become the first Indian cricketer to smash three centuries in T20I cricket. Rohit is only the second cricketer after Colin Munro (New Zealand) to register three tons in T20I cricket.
• The 1st cruise service between Mumbai and Goa will begin from August 1.
• The 1st Meeting of Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on coordination between MGNREGA and Agriculture was recently held at NITI Aayog.
• The 1st meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Committee on Border Haats was held in Agartala, Tripura.
• The 1st-ever land-based communication link between China and Pakistan was recently inaugurated. It is a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
• The 2nd meeting of the Joint Working Group on Tourism Cooperation between India and Nepal was concluded in Kathmandu, Nepal. Both sides agreed to jointly promote Buddhist and Ramayana circuits and Adventure tourism.
• The 42nd session of World Heritage Committee (WHC) meeting of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held in Manama, Bahrain has inscribed four cultural sites on the World Heritage List. They are : Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai (India), Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars region (Iran), Hidden Christian Sites in Nagasaki Region (Japan) and Sansa Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea (South Korea).
• The 5 member Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has approved US $6.69 billion dollar budget for 13 peacekeeping operations for year 2018-19.
• The 9th Heads of Mission Conference is being held in New Delhi from June 30-July 2, 2018. Theme of the Conference : ‘Unprecedented Outreach: Unparalleled Outcomes’.  
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved Lining Project of Son canal in Shahabad-Bhojpur region of Bihar.
• The Assam government has made it mandatory for its staff to take care of their elderly parents and differently-abled siblings who don't have an income source. Employees found neglecting their dependent parents and siblings will face a 10% and 15% salary cut respectively.
• The Bihar government has raised the compensation awarded to Acid Attack Victims from ₹3 lakh to ₹7 lakh, while victims aged under 14 years will receive 50% more compensation.
• The Bihar government is going to grant reservation in promotions to employees belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) / Scheduled Tribes (ST) categories.
• The board of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) gave its approval to buy up to 51% stake in public sector lender IDBI Bank. LIC's stake buy will help the debt-ridden state-owned bank get a capital support of ₹10,000-13,000 crore.
• The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has secured a Trademark for its iconic building Phiroze Jeejeebhoy Towers at Dalal Street in Mumbai.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the proposal to expand the scope of the Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) to mobilize Rs 1 lakh crore for research and academic infrastructure for higher education institutions by 2022.
• The Central Board of Direct Taxation (CBDT) has extended the deadline for the PAN-Aadhaar linking from June 30, 2018, to March 31, 2019.
• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested two senior retired officers of Bank of India (BOI) in connection with alleged loan fraud of Rs 2,654 crore by Vadodara-based Diamond Power Infrastructure Ltd. (DPIL) in the bank.
• The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has launched Saathi, a mobile help centre to reach out to people undertaking annual pilgrimage to 3,880-metre high holy cave shrine of Amarnath.
• The Centre approved the raise in Minimum Support Price (MSP) for kharif crops in line with its budget announcement to ensure that farmers get at least 1.5 times of the production cost.
• The Centre announced a 4-member committee to suggest laws against lynching and mob violence. Head of this Committee : Rajiv Gauba (Union Home Secretary)
• The Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik launched the 'Green Mahanadi Mission'. Objective of Green Mahanadi Mission : To stop soil erosion on river banks and recharge the groundwater reserve.
• The Department of Telecommunications has approved merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular that will create India's largest telecom operator.
• The Egyptian parliament passed an amendment offering citizenship to foreigners who deposit at least 7 million Egyptian pounds (over ₹2.5 crore) in the country's Treasury.
• The finance ministry approved infusion of Rs 11,336 crore in five state-owned lenders namely Punjab National Bank (PNB), Allahabad Bank, Corporation Bank, Andhra Bank and Indian Oversease Bank (IOB).
• The Finance Ministry has conveyed to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that it has no objection to allowing the Tehran-based Bank Pasargad to open its branch in India.
• The government gave final approval to the mega merger of Vodafone and Idea Cellular which will create India's largest mobile operator with 35 per cent market share and around 430 million subscribers.
• The government has decided to set up a committee to suggest measures to strengthen National Cadet Corps (NCC) & National Service Scheme (NSS). Chairman of this Committee : Anil Swarup (former Secretary, School Education)
• The growth rate of India's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows recorded a five-year low of 3% to $44.85 billion in 2017-18.
• The GST Council has decided to  exempt Sanitary Napkins from Goods and Services Tax. The current GST rate on sanitary napkins is 12%.
• The Haryana government has announced that the individuals accused of Rape and Molestation will be barred from government services including losing their driving and arms licenses and old-age pension till their trial is completed.
• The Health Ministry has clarified it's not mandatory for beneficiaries to submit Aadhaar details for seeking ₹5-lakh health insurance under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which is also known as 'Modicare'.
• The heritage city of Udaipur has been ranked 3rd among a list of 15 best cities in the world by Travel + Leisure. The first two cities on the list are San Miguel de Allende and Oaxaca, both in Mexico.
• The high-level committee on restructuring stressed assets and creating more value for public sector banks (PSBs) has suggested a transparent market-based solution with a focus on asset turnaround to ensure job protection and creation. Head of this Committee : Sunil Mehta (Non-Executive Chairman of Punjab National Bank)
• The Himachal Pradesh government has banned the use and sale of Thermocol Cutlery including cups, plates, glasses, spoons or any other item in the state.
• The Home Ministry of India has liberalized the process for granting Long-Term Visas (LTVs) to minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
• The Income Tax Department has launched instant Aadhaar-based e-PAN allotment service for individuals seeking PAN (Permanent Account Number) service for the first time.
• The India-Korea Technology Exchange Centre was inaugurated at National Small Industries Corporation premises in New Delhi.  
• The Indian contigent at the World Para Athletics Championship ended its campaign with 5 medals (1 Gold, 2 Silver and 2 Bronze medals) in London finishing at 32nd place.
• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras has commissioned remotely operable Local Electrode Atom Probe (LEAP) Microscope. It is claimed to be world’s first remotely operable LEAP microscope, as it can be remotely operated through special terminal by researchers divided geographically.
• The Indian kabaddi team beat Iran to lift the Kabaddi Masters 2018 title in Dubai.
• The Indian men's hockey team lost to Australia in penalty shootout to end as runners-up in the last-ever Champions Trophy.  
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted ground test of its high thrust version of Vikas Engine that would improve the payload capability of the space agency's launch vehicles.
• The International Conference on strengthening economic ties between India and Vietnam was recently held at New Delhi. Aim of this conference : To enhance the bilateral economic partnership in the fast approaching Asian Century for upholding economic prosperity not only in South-east Asia but the entire Asian region.
• The International Criminal Court has brought into effect a New Law under which politicians and military leaders can be held individually responsible for invasions and other major attacks. This law will apply to the leaders of the member states of ICC which have ratified it.
• The Iranian rial plunged to a record low of 100,000 against the US dollar on the unofficial market, as the country faces US sanctions.
• The Japan International Cooperation Agency is going to invest around ₹72 crore in Bengaluru to install smart signals that will reduce the waiting time by 30%.  
• The Kerala government has set up a panel of eminent writers and language experts to choose a 'Kerala Ganam', an official song for the state. Head of this Panel : Rani George.
• The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launched its in-house developed, single-umbrella e-marketing system named Khadi Institution Management and Information System (KIMIS) in New Delhi.
• The Lok Sabha passed the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018. This bill aims to allow authorities to attach and confiscate properties of economic offenders who flee the country.
• The Lok Sabha passed the National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill to grant retrospective recognition to Central/State institutions that are conducting teacher education courses without NCTE approval.
• The Maharashtra government has announced a special package worth over ₹21,000 crore for the development of industries, agriculture and tourism in the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions.
• The Ministry of Finance has extended the Deadline for filing of income tax returns to August 31, 2018, for categories of taxpayers who were to file their returns by July 31.
• The Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) of Union Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has included entire Men’s Hockey team of India under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). This is first instance that entire team has been made beneficiary of the scheme as earlier only individual athletes from different sports were included as beneficiaries of the scheme.
• The month of September to be celebrated as National Nutrition Month every year
• The National Advisor Bureau Limited (NABL) of the UAE has proposed to tow icebergs from Antarctica to use them as new sources of water in the Middle East. With an estimated cost of $50-60 million, the project will begin with the pilot phase in 2019.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched ‘Remote Sensing Toolkit’ to promote commercial use of satellite data. This toolkit makes it easier for users to find, analyse and utilise the most relevant satellite data for their research, business projects or conservation efforts.  
• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has launched Centre for Climate Change in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. This is first of its kind centre in South East Asia.
• The National Board of Wildlife has recommended that states use Section 144, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people, during wildlife emergencies. The provision will be used to "prevent people gathering in large numbers, which aggravates wildlife emergency situations".
• The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has initiated process of introducing QR code (Quick Response code) in their textbooks. This move is aimed at helping students understand chapters better by watching film or reading additional content on laptops and digital boards.
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) formed a monitoring committee on the cleaning of the Yamuna and directed it to submit an action plan on the issue. Members of the Committee : B S Sajwan and Shailaja Chandra.
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has decided to block transactions made within the same account using different UPI IDs, effective August 1.
• The Odisha government has constituted a ‘Heritage Cabinet’ to preserve the Odia language and the state’s culture. The cabinet comprises eight members and will be headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
• The Odisha Government has unveiled 1st-ever ‘Tribal Atlas of Odisha’. This is a compilation of demographic and cultural information of the tribal population in the state.
• The Power Grid Corporation of India (POWERGRID) has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL) for energy efficiency and agricultural demand side management programme.  
• The Punjab government has announced that it is going to provide ₹5 lakh to every village that turns free of drugs to purchase sports and gym equipment for the youth.
• The Rajasthan government announced 1% reservations for five communities– Gujjar, Banjara, Gadia-Lohar, Raika, and Gadariya– under the Most Backward Classes (MBC) category.  
• The Rajya Sabha passed the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013. This bill prescribes that anyone who is caught bribing government officials can be sentenced to a jail term of up to seven years.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that it is going to issue new ₹100 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series with lavender colour.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cancelled the licences of as many as 35 Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). These companies will not be able to do the business of a non-banking financial institution from now on.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that the license of Alwar Urban Co-operative Bank in Alwar, Rajasthan has been cancelled as it is not in a position to pay its depositors in full as and when their claims accrue, among other reasons.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a licence to Bank of China to operate in India. Note : Bank of China is one of China's four major state-owned banks and has a market capitalisation of $153 billion.
• The Sports Ministry has postponed the National Sports Day to September 25, 2018. Every year, the Sports Day is traditionally celebrated on 29th August. But this year, with the Asian Games going on, the ministry has decided to postpone the event.
• The Sri Lankan Cabinet has unanimously approved a move to bring back capital punishment for drug-related crimes.
• The standing committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has recently added four species into Centre’s Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species. They are : Northern River Terrapin, Clouded Leopard, Arabian Sea Humpback Whale and Red Panda.
• The Supreme Court ordered that the Third-party insurance for a term of three years will be mandatory for Cars being sold from September 1. The apex court also ruled that third-party insurance for a period of five years will be mandatory for two-wheelers.
• The Supreme Court upheld the death penalty for the convicts of the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case, after hearing a review petition seeking reduction of sentence.
• The two-day International Round Table Conference on “Data for New India” was held at New Delhi.
• The UK has topped 2018 'Soft Power 30' index, an annual Global Ranking of Nations' Soft Power which does not feature India. France stood at the 2nd spot followed by Germany and US in the 3rd and 4th spots respectively.
• The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has entered into partnership with search engine giant Google to monitor impacts of human activity on global ecosystems by using sophisticated online tools.
• The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2428 a resolution to impose an Arms embargo (an official ban on trade or other commercial activity) on South Sudan.
• The Union Cabinet has approved The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill 2018. The Bill aims at expanding application of DNA-based forensic technologies to support and strengthen justice delivery system of the country.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) amongst BRICS Nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) on Regional Aviation Partnership Cooperation. The objective of this MoU is to benefit BRICS countries from establishing of institutional framework to cooperate in field of civil aviation.
• The Union Government constituted a high-level task force to identify various items and policy interventions to reduce dependence on imports. Head of this Task force : PK Sinha (Cabinet Secretary)
• The Union Government has constituted 13-member Committee for Sub-National Accounts to upgrade the norms for computation of economic data at states and districts level in backdrop of plans to revise the base year for National Accounts or Gross Domestic Production (GDP) calculation. Head of this Committee : Ravindra H Dholakia  
• The Union Government has reduced minimum yearly deposit required under popular girl child savings scheme, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana to Rs 250 from Rs 1,000 earlier. This has been lowered to enable more people to enjoy benefits of this scheme.
• The Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced that 21 Nuclear Reactors with a total installed capacity of 15,700 megawatt are currently under construction. Currently, there are nine nuclear power reactors at various stages of construction which are expected to be completed by 2024-25.
• The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has announced that over 51 lakh houses have been approved under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) in the three years of its implementation.
• The United Kingdom has launched new visas that will be open to overseas scientists and researchers, including Indians, to encourage growth of the country's research sector. This will enable them to work and train in the UK for maximum period of two years.
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has come into an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh government to set up a 'Design University for Gaming' in Visakhapatnam.
• The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) declared that Migrants do not have the unfettered right to choose their host nation.
• The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has adopted Resolution 2427 aimed at providing legal framework for mainstreaming protection, rights, well-being and empowerment of children throughout the conflict cycle.
• The United States has granted Strategic Trade Authorization-1 (STA-1) status to India. This status allow India's easier access to sensitive and high-technology products.
• The United States has released $200 million in military assistance to Ukraine. This aid will provide the funding for "training, equipment, and advisory efforts to build the defensive capacity of Ukraine's forces".
• The United States obsered Independence Day on 4th July 2018.
• The USA won the first Athletics World Cup at the London Stadium. Poland and Great Britain finished Second and Third respectively.
• The Uttarakhand government has announced that it will make provisions for awarding death penalty to rapists of minor girls. Currently, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana have approved death penalty for rapists of girls aged upto 12.
• The Uttarakhand high court has declared the entire Animal Kingdom, including birds and aquatic animals, as a legal entity having rights of a “living person”.
• The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu released a book titled ‘Two Classical Plays from India’. This book is an English translation of Hindi plays written by well-known playwright D.P. Sinha.
• The West Bengal Assembly has passed the resolution to change the state's name to 'Bangla'.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognized Sex addiction as a mental health disorder in its International Classification of Diseases list.
• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has designated India as Nodal Centre for developing customized model to issue advance warning of floods to Asian countries, including Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. The model will be called as Flash Flood Guidance System.
• Thetford, a small town in the United Kingdom will be converted into a twin city of Amritsar in the memory of the last king of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Duleep Singh.  
• To control viral hepatitis C, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day (July 28). Aim of this programme : To combat viral hepatitis and reduce mortality and morbidity associated with it.
• To increase green cover in the state, the Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has launched a unique program titled ‘Paudhagiri campaign’. Under this campaign, 22 lakh students studying in Class 6th to 12th of all government and private schools will plant  sapling each, during three months of monsoon ( July, August and September).  
• To protect interest of consumers, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has developed and launched a mobile app named ‘GST Verify’. The application will verify if the person collecting GST from the consumer is eligible to collect it or not.
• To reduce air pollution in the city, the Delhi Cabinet approved the engagement of 1,000 low-floor environment-friendly electric buses.  
• To wipe out corruption, the Indian Railways has launched a new programme titled Mission Satyanishtha. It was first of its kind event organised by any government organization in the country.
• Trinity supercomputer, hosted at the Los Alamos National Lab, US, has made a world record of creating 1 trillion files in two minutes.
• Turkey is going to sell four corvette warships to Pakistan which will be the country's largest single export deal.
• Turkey signed a deal to sell 30 T129 ATAK helicopters to Pakistan.
• Two Indians Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk are among the winners of this year's Ramon Magsaysay Award 2018, regarded as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize.
• UK Space Agency has selected site at Sutherland on A’Mhoine peninsula on north coast of Scotland for its first spaceport to launch rockets vertically and put satellites in orbit.
• Ukrain's Oleksandr Usyk beat Russian rival Murat Gassiev by a unanimous decision to become the first man to hold all four world cruiserweight titles.
• Undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather has been named the world's highest paid celebrity by Forbes with earnings of $285 million in the last 12 months.
• Union Cabinet has approved extension of scheme of recapitalization of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) for next three years (upto 2019-20). Note : Currently, there are 56 RRBs in the country.  
• Union Finance Ministry has hiked Threshold Monetary Limit for tax departments to file appeals in tax cases. The move is aimed at significantly decreasing taxpayer greivances and litigation burden of tax departments in courts and tribunals across the country.
• Union Government has constituted High Level Empowered Committee headed by Cabinet Secretary to address issues of Stressed Thermal Power Projects.
• Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda confirmed that fruit bats are the source of the Nipah virus infection, which killed 17 people in Kerala.
• Union home minister Rajnath Singh was on a 3-day visit to Bangladesh. During this visit he met his Bangladeshi counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan and held discussions on various issues including anti-terror co-operation, attempts by terror groups to radicalise youths and Rohingya refugees.
• Union Minister Nitin Gadkari flagged off India's first taxi ambulance services in Delhi, a service by a Gurugram-based startup Wagon Cab.
• Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) has launched Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018 (SSG 2018) in New Delhi. Swachh Survekshan is a rural cleanliness survey to rank all states and districts on basis of qualitative and quantitative evaluation.
• Union Ministry of Earth Sciences has unveiled blueprint of Deep Ocean Mission (DOM). This mission proposes to explore deep-ocean by emulating success of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in designing and launching satellites.
• Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is going to create National Database of Arms Licenses system from April 2019. This system will include names of all arms licence holders, new or old and they will be issued a unique identification number (UIN).
• Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has amended Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules 1959 to include 'shale' in definition of petroleum. This change will allow private companies to explore and produce the resource in the blocks they already operate.
• United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres has established first-of-its-kind Panel on Digital Cooperation aimed at addressing concerns of cybersecurity threats and rise in hate speech. The high-level panel on digital cooperation will be co-chaired by US philanthropist Melinda Gates and China-based Alibaba founder Jack Ma.
• US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held their first official summit at Helsinki, Finland.
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a ban on plastic in the state effective July 15, days after Maharashtra announced a plastic ban from June 23.  
• Venezuela is going to remove five zeroes from its bolivar currency rather than the three zeroes originally planned. The announcement comes two days after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected that Venezuela's inflation could top 1,000,000% this year.
• Vice President Venkaiah Naidu has asked state governments to make their respective mother tongues a mandatory subject in schools.
• With an aim to improve health of school children, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje launched a scheme titled 'Annapurna milk distribution scheme' to provide milk to the students of class 1 to 8.
• World's richest person Jeff Bezos-founded aerospace startup Blue Origin successfully launched its space capsule, New Shepard, breaking its own record of highest-ever test flight at nearly 120 km.
• Yogi Adityanath became the 1st Uttar Pradesh CM to visit all the 75 districts in the state in 16 months of his government's rule.  

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