JULY 18,2026 CURRENT AFFAIRS
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Anti-Doping Compliance Framework The Centre has notified the commencement of the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Act, 2025. » These were enacted to regulate anti-doping activities in sports and to give effect to the ‘UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport, 2005’ (India ratified in 2007). What is Doping? » Definition: It is the act of consuming artificial and often illegal substances to gain an advantage over others in sporting competitions (e.g., anabolic steroids, human growth hormones, stimulants and diuretics). » Doping in India: Indian athletes'' use of banned substances like stanozolol is rising sharply. » Stanozolol is prohibited at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List in the category of Anabolic Agents. Key Provisions National Anti-Doping Act, 2022 » Statutory Bodies: Establishes the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for execution and the National Board for Anti-Doping for oversight and advisory roles. » Dispute Resolution: Creates Disciplinary and Appeal Panels to adjudicate doping violations and hear grievances. » Search & Seizure: Empowers NADA personnel to search premises and seize evidence. » Testing Labs: Provides legal recognition to National Dope Testing Laboratories. National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Act, 2025 » Appeal Panel: Transfers the authority to constitute the Appeal Panel from the Board to the Central Government. » Lab Accreditation: Makes WADA accreditation mandatory for all testing laboratories » WADA Code: Gives the World Anti-Doping Code the force of law in India via a detailed schedule. » Operational Independence: Mandates strict autonomy for NADA staff from sports federations, Olympic committees, and the government. » Expanded Appellate Rights: Grants international bodies (like WADA and the IOC) the right to appeal decisions directly to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). |
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Central African Colobus Scientists have categorised Colobus Congoensis monkey from Africa as a new species. Colobus Congoensis » Known locally as the ‘Likweli’ and belongs to the genus Colobus. Characteristics: » Small size, a striking orange cream patch surrounding the mouth, and a white perianal patch that is covered with fine white hairs in males and is glabrous (hair free) in females. » Habitat: Tropical rainforests of Central Africa, especially the Congo Basin. » Behaviour: Arboreal (tree-dwelling), diurnal, and lives in social groups. » Ecological Role: Important seed disperser and helps maintain forest ecosystems. » Threats: Habitat loss, deforestation, hunting (bushmeat), and forest fragmentation. |
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Gateway of the Indian Ocean US Central Command (CENTCOM) destroyed a surveillance tower at Iran''s Shahid Kalantari Port in Chabahar. Chabahar Port » Location: Sistan and Baluchestan province on the Makran coast in South-eastern part of Iran, on the Gulf of Oman and outside Strait of Hormuz » It is the only deep-sea port in Iran with direct ocean access. » There are two terminals in Chabahar Port project i.e. Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari. Significance for India: » It offers India a direct maritime gateway to Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia. » Counter- balance Pakistan’s Gwadar Port and China’s Belt and Road Initiative. |
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India Rupee Clearing Accounts RBI issued consolidated circular on Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVAs), rationalising instructions. SRVAs » SRVAs are INR denominated accounts held by overseas banks with Indian Banks. » The framework, introduced by RBI in 2022, enables seamless cross-border trade by facilitating transactions in Indian Rupees (INR). Salient features: » Invoicing: All exports and imports under this arrangement denominated and invoiced in Rupee (INR). » Exchange Rate: Exchange rate between the currencies of the two trading partner countries is market determined. » Settlement: The settlement of trade transactions under this arrangement takes place in INR. » Benefits: Reducing reliance on third-party currencies and enhancing financial stability. |
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India’s First Geothermal Wells Report Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh commissioned the country''s first and deepest (1,000 m) geothermal wells (Executed by ONGC) at Puga Valley. » These two wells are critical to implementation of the 1 MW geothermal power project at Puga, which will be India’s first demonstration-scale geothermal power project. Geothermal Energy » It harnesses heat stored within Earth''s crust.
» Sources
» Potential In India
» Benefits: Reliable and uninterrupted electricity generation, low carbon emissions, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, ideal for remote areas etc. » Challenges: High initial investment, exploration risks, limited to certain regions, requires advanced technology, etc. » Policy: MNRE formulated National Policy on Geothermal Energy 2025 for exploration and development of geothermal resources in India. |
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India’s Rural Lending Landscape NABARD’s Rural Economic Conditions and Sentiments Survey reveal expanded formal credit access and rising rural household consumption. Institutional Architecture for Rural Credit » Apex Body: NABARD coordinates rural finance, supervising cooperative networks and 28 Regional Rural Banks (RRB) with over 22,000 branches. » Delivery Channels: Scheduled Commercial Banks (rural branches increased 35% to 56,193 by July 2025) and computerization of grassroots Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) undergoing digital transformation. » Priority Sector Lending (PSL): RBI mandates banks to allocate 18% of Adjusted Net Bank Credit to agriculture (10% sub-target for small and marginal farmers). » Ground Level Credit: GLC targets reached ₹32.50 lakh crore for FY26 (including ₹5 lakh crore to allied sectors). Key Initiatives: » Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) provides short-term credit to farmers at affordable interest rates through KCC.
» The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) converges 36 Central schemes across 100 low-performing districts. Significance of Rural Credit Growth » Creation of Rural Demand: Enhances purchasing power, with 77.2% of rural households reporting increased consumption levels.
» Women Empowerment: Empowers rural women (10.05 crore mobilised into SHGs) and mitigates dependency on informal debt. » Boosts Rural Growth: Supports farm productivity, allied sectors (dairy, fisheries) and rural entrepreneurship. Evolution of Rural Credit System » 1955-1982: Establishing the SBI, nationalising banks, and creating NABARD built a formal framework. » 1992-2015: The SHG-Bank Linkage, Kisan Credit Card (KCC), JAM trinity (PMJDY), and MUDRA schemes successfully expanded direct and affordable credit. » 2022 onwards: Digital initiatives such as the Jan Samarth Portal, e-KCC and others. |
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International Artificial Intelligence Alliance China recently launched the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO) in Shanghai. » Concurrently, China''s Moonshot AI introduced Kimi K3, a 2.8-trillion-parameter (highest in the world) open-weight AI model with 1-million-token context. WAICO (HQ: Shanghai) » Genesis: Inter-governmental body formally established July 16, 2026. » Members: 29 nations, including Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia, South Africa, Senegal, Russia and Pakistan. (India is not a member yet). » Core Objectives: To promote international AI cooperation, shape global AI regulation, ensure equitable Global South access. » Geopolitical Significance: Counterbalances US tech dominance by opposing the weaponization of national security constraints in global AI development and semiconductor trade. |
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Life Stream of Central India Madhya Pradesh’s Sleemanabad Tunnel, a key component of Bargi Diversion Project, is on the verge of completion. » Part of 197 km long Right Bank Main Canal, Sleemanabad Tunnel is India’s longest underground water conveyance tunnel. » Tunnel will carry Narmada waters from Bargi reservoir to drough prone Vindhya region and Son basin through gravity flow. Narmada River » Narmada is fifth largest river in India and its basin extends over states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh. » Bounded by Vindhyas, Maikala range, Satpuras, and Arabian Sea. » Originates from Amarkantak in Maikal Hills in Madhya Pradesh and flows westward through rift valley. » Tributaries: Tawa, Banjar, Dudhi, Hiran, Kolar etc. |
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Liver Metabolic Dysfunction Syndrome The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) recently approved Novo Nordisk’s weight loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide) for treating MASH. » It is the first and only GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy to be approved both globally and in India for the treatment of noncirrhotic MASH. MASH » Formerly called NASH (Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis), it is an advanced, progressive form of fatty liver disease. » Mechanism: Caused by excess fat accumulation in liver cells, triggering chronic inflammation, scarring (fibrosis), and cell damage. » Health Impact: Untreated MASH can progress to cirrhosis, liver failure, liver cancer, or need for transplant. » Risk Factors: It is intrinsically linked to metabolic syndromes such as obesity, insulin resistance, and type-2 diabetes.
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Meridional Plasma Transport in Sun Indian researchers have shown that the slow movement of plasma (hot gases) from the Sun’s equator to poles (known as meridional flow) continues much higher (nearly 3000 Km) into the Sun’s atmosphere than previously known. » The new study helps in understanding space weather that affect satellites, communication systems, navigation networks and even power grids on Earth. Meridional Flow » It acts like a giant conveyor belt, helping transport the Sun’s magnetic fields across its surface. » It plays an important role in controlling the Sun’s 11-year solar cycle, which influences the appearance of sunspots and other forms of solar activity. » The "Magnetic Tree" Hypothesis: The study strongly supports this long-standing hypothesis which proposes that magnetic structures extending high into the solar atmosphere remain structurally tied to deeper layers, much like the branches of a tree are connected to its trunk and roots. |
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Mexico: Regional Developments Mexico (Capital: Mexico City) A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Mexican Pacific coast. Political features » Land Boundaries: United States (North), Guatemala (Southeast), Belize (Southeast). » Maritime: Pacific Ocean (West), Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea (East). » Mexico is a member of the United Nations, G20, OECD. Geographical Features » Natural Resources: Silver (World’s leading producer), Petroleum, antimony, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber. » Major mountain ranges: Sierra Madre. » Major rivers: Rio Grande, Usumacinta, and Grijalva. |
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Naval Multi-Mission Rotorcraft The Indian Navy has received another MH-60R Seahawk multi-role naval helicopter from the United States. » India had signed a deal in 2020 to procure 24 MH-60R helicopters from the U.S. to replace the ageing Sea King fleet. MH-60R Seahawk » Manufactured by Lockheed Martin under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. Features: » MH-60R is among the world’s most advanced shipborne helicopters. » It is designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search and rescue (SAR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and vertical replenishment (VERTREP). » It is equipped with a dipping sonar, sonobuoys, a multi-mode radar, electro-optical sensors and Mk-54 lightweight torpedoes. » It can also carry AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and machine guns to engage surface threats. |
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NITI Aayog Business Environment Study Announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, the Index aims to strengthen the spirit of both competitive and cooperative federalism by encouraging states to adopt best practices and continuously improve their investment ecosystems. Key Findings of the Report » Evaluation Framework: Evaluates all 28 States and 8 UTs across 84 indicators grouped under 8 pillars (refer infographic). Performance Categories and Results: States are scored out of 100 and classified into four performance tiers: » Top Performers (Score > 50): Gujarat (Score 56.6), Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Odisha. » Frontrunners (Score 45–50): Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, etc. » Emerging Performers (Score 40–44.9): Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, etc. » Aspiring States (Score < 40): Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, etc. Peer-Group Rankings (3 Categories): » Large States: Gujarat » Hilly and North-Eastern States: Uttarakhand » UTs and City States: Goa Why Investments are Significant for Growth? » Historical Driver of Growth: Investments have accounted for over half of India''s economic growth since the economic reforms of 1992. » Multiplier Effects: Capital investments stimulate industrialisation, drive innovation, build critical infrastructure, and generate large-scale employment. » The Economic Survey 2022-23 estimated that economic output can increase by at least four times the amount of capital expenditure incurred. Significance of State-level Reforms for Private Capital Flow » Jurisdiction over Key Inputs: Such as industrial land allotment, labour regulations, and utility access fall strictly under state governance. » Approval and Clearance Timelines: Implementing centralised single-window portals drastically reduces business setup times, replacing bureaucratic delays with predictable, fast-tra ck approvals. » Fiscal and Infrastructure Enablers: States influence location decisions by offering targeted incentives like capital subsidies and developing robust local logistics, transport, and energy networks. |
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Smart Railway Station Initiative The Prime Minister inaugurated 75 newly redeveloped railway stations across India under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Amrit Bharat Station Scheme » Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Railways. » Core Aim: Envisions the holistic transformation of railway stations through a phased, long-term master planning approach.
Key Features: » Incorporates local cultural heritage, art, and traditional architecture into the design profiles of newly upgraded buildings. » Elevates accessibility by integrating standard Divyangjan-friendly facilities. » Promotes indigenous local crafts and regional economies by establishing dedicated ''One Station One Product'' display and sale kiosks. |
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