Current affairs

News for UPSC, SSC and defence exams, with the reason it matters.

July 2026

• Science and Technology18 Jul 2026UPSCSSCDefence★ Important

  Skyroot’s Vikram-1 becomes India’s first privately built rocket to reach orbit

  • Skyroot Aerospace launched Vikram-1 on 18 July 2026 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
  • The mission was named 'Aagaman'. The rocket placed its payloads in a 450 km low-Earth orbit.
  • It carried Skyroot's own SCOPE satellite and customer payloads from Grahaa Space, Cosmoserve and DCubed.
  Why it matters

  [Science] Skyroot, based in Hyderabad, was founded in 2018 by two former ISRO engineers. The 2020 space reforms opened rocket launches to private firms. Its suborbital Vikram-S flew in November 2022.

  Al Jazeera ↗Read the explainer →Practice →✨ Ask doubt
• Science and Technology17 Jul 2026UPSCSSCDefence★ Important

  PM Modi flags off India’s first hydrogen-powered train on Jind–Sonipat route in Haryana

  • PM Narendra Modi flagged off the train at Jind railway station, Haryana, on 17 July 2026.
  • It runs on the 89 km Jind–Gohana–Sonipat section of Northern Railway.
  • The train has two power cars and eight passenger cars. It can carry about 2,600 passengers.
  Why it matters

  [Science] A hydrogen fuel cell makes electricity from hydrogen and oxygen. Its only exhaust is water vapour. Such trains suit routes that have no overhead electric lines.

  All India Radio ↗Read the explainer →Practice →✨ Ask doubt
• Science and Technology15 Jul 2026UPSCSSCDefence★ Important

  Cabinet approves Semicon 2.0 with ₹1,27,500 crore outlay for chip design and manufacturing

  • The Union Cabinet approved Semicon 2.0 on 15 July 2026. Its outlay is ₹1,27,500 crore.
  • It covers six areas: chip design, equipment and materials, fabs, assembly and packaging, R&D, and workforce training.
  • Under Semicon 1.0, 12 manufacturing units were approved, with ₹1.64 lakh crore of investment.
  Why it matters

  [Economy] Semicon 1.0 was the India Semiconductor Mission, launched in 2021 with ₹76,000 crore. Semicon 2.0 moves beyond building plants to equipment, materials and design.

  MediaNama ↗Read the explainer →Practice →✨ Ask doubt
• Science and Technology11 Jul 2026UPSCSSCDefence★ Important

  INS Mahendragiri, sixth Project 17A stealth frigate, commissioned at Visakhapatnam

  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned INS Mahendragiri at Visakhapatnam on 11 July 2026.
  • It is the sixth Project 17A stealth frigate and joins the Eastern Fleet.
  • Over 75% of its content is indigenous.
  Why it matters

  [Science and Technology] Project 17A frigates follow the Shivalik class (Project 17). The ships are named after Indian hill ranges.

  Akashvani News ↗Read the explainer →Practice →✨ Ask doubt