The Weekly Current Affairs Tracker
WEEK 1: July 1–5, 2026
The first week of July 2026 was dominated by top defense appointments, a landmark rural-employment law replacing MGNREGA, a fresh judicial verdict in a major terror case, and India’s expanding global footprint in digital payments and skills. Here are the ten most important GK topics for competitive exam aspirants.
July 2026 — Important Days at a Glance
July 1 : National Doctors’ Day (India) | GST Day – 9th Anniversary | Chartered Accountants Day
July 2 : World UFO Day | World Sports Journalists Day
July 3 : International Plastic Bag Free Day
July 4 : International Day of Cooperatives (first Saturday of July)
Exam Tip: Important Days are easy scoring areas – 2-3 MCQs guaranteed in SSC CGL, RRB NTPC, IBPS PO General Awareness. Memorize theme + host country + UN body for each day.
1.General Dhiraj Seth Takes Charge as 31st Chief of the Army Staff [Defense / Appointments]
General Dhiraj Seth assumed charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army on June 30, 2026, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi, who retired on attaining superannuation. General Seth was earlier serving as Vice Chief of Army Staff and was commissioned into the Rajputana Rifles, the oldest rifle regiment of the Indian Army.
Exam Tip: Track top defense appointments regularly Army, Navy, and Air Force Chiefs, RBI Governor, SEBI Chairman, CJI, CAG, and CEC. Know the constitutional/statutory appointment process for each. A near-guaranteed single-mark MCQ in SSC CGL, IBPS and RRB.
2.VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 Replaces MGNREGA from July 1, 2026 [Governance / Rural Development]
The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G) came into force across India from July 1, 2026, strengthening the rural employment guarantee framework. It raises guaranteed wage employment from 100 to 125 days per eligible rural household, introduces a mandatory interim base wage of Rs 300/day, and restricts public works to four thematic heads: water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood infrastructure, and extreme-weather mitigation.
Exam Tip: Compare VB-G RAM G with the earlier MGNREGA (2005): note the jump from 100 to 125 guaranteed days, the new CPI-AL-linked annual wage revision, and the role of Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans. A high-probability question for UPSC GS-II and state PSC Governance sections.
3.GST Day 2026 Marks Nine Years of ‘One Nation, One Tax’ [Indian Economy]
GST Day was observed on July 1, 2026, marking nine years since the Goods and Services Tax replaced multiple central and state levies in 2017. Registered taxpayers have grown from 66.5 lakh in 2017 to about 1.65 crore in 2026. The GST 2.0 reforms of 2025 simplified the rate structure into 5% and 18% slabs, with a 40% rate reserved for luxury and sin goods.
Exam Tip: Know the four GST components – CGST, SGST, IGST, UTGST – the GST Council under Article 279A, and the 2025 GST 2.0 slab simplification. A recurring UPSC GS-III and SSC CGL Economy favourite.
4.India-UK CETA and Double Contribution Convention Set for July 15 Rollout [Foreign Trade / Economy]
Union Minister Piyush Goyal undertook a three-day visit to London (June 25–27, 2026) ahead of the formal implementation of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the companion Double Contribution Convention (DCC), both set to come into force on July 15, 2026. He held bilateral talks with UK Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle on regulatory alignment and customs coordination.
Exam Tip: CETA was signed to boost India-UK bilateral trade; the Double Contribution Convention prevents double social-security contributions for professionals working across both countries. Know the signing date and key tariff-reduction sectors for UPSC GS-II/III.
5.Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit Assumes Charge as 51st Vice Chief of Air Staff [Defence / Appointments]
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit took charge as the 51st Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) of the Indian Air Force on July 1, 2026, as announced by DD News. The Vice Chief is the second-highest-ranking officer in the IAF hierarchy after the Chief of the Air Staff.
Exam Tip: Maintain a running list of the top brass of all three services – Chief and Vice Chief of Army, Navy and Air Force – updated through the year. Frequently tested single-mark GK question.
6.Indian Army Operationalised First Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) [Defence]
The Indian Army operationalised its first Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) on July 1, 2026, raised from the Panagarh-based XVII Corps (Mountain Strike Corps) in West Bengal. IBGs are self-contained, agile combat formations combining infantry, armour, artillery and air-defense assets for rapid mobilisation.
Exam Tip: Know the concept of IBGs as part of Indian Army restructuring for faster mobilisation on both western and northern fronts, and the role of XVII Corps as the Mountain Strike Corps raised for the China border.
7.NPCI: UPI to Go Live in Seychelles by End of 2026 [Banking / Digital India]
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced that India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) will become operational in Seychelles by the end of 2026, extending its international footprint beyond Singapore, UAE, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and France.
Exam Tip: Keep an updated country-list of UPI’s international rollout — a favourite recurring topic for IBPS PO, SBI PO and RBI Grade B banking-awareness sections.
8.India Wins 5 Medals, Including 3 Gold, at Global Skills Challenge 2026 [Skill India / Sports]
India secured five medals, including three gold, at the Global Skills Challenge 2026 held in Australia, an international competition showcasing vocational excellence and technical competencies among young professionals across industry-oriented skill categories.
Exam Tip: Link this achievement to the Skill India Mission, PMKVY, and NSDC. Competitive skill events abroad are increasingly asked in General Awareness sections of banking and SSC exams.
9.Gujarat High Court Upholds Death Sentences in 2008 Ahmedabad Bombings Case [Judiciary / Internal Security]
On July 7, 2026, the Gujarat High Court upheld the conviction of 49 accused — including 38 sentenced to death and 11 to life imprisonment — in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bombings case, one of the largest terror-conspiracy trials in Indian judicial history.
Exam Tip: Know the timeline of the 2008 Ahmedabad blasts, the role of the Indian Mujahideen, and the trial-court-to-High-Court appeal process under the CrPC/BNSS framework — relevant for UPSC GS-II and state judicial exams.
10.Indian Navy Participates in RIMPAC 2026 in Hawaii, USA [Defense / International Relations]
The Indian Navy took part in the 30th edition of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, the world’s largest multinational maritime warfare exercise, hosted by the US Navy at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, from June 24 to July 31, 2026, under the theme ‘Partners: Integrated and Prepared’.
Exam Tip: RIMPAC is held biennially and hosted by the US Pacific Fleet. Know India’s participation history and how it fits into the broader Indo-Pacific strategic framework alongside the Quad.
