Current affairs
News for UPSC, SSC and defence exams, with the reason it matters.
July 2026
Cochin Shipyard launches ‘Machilipatnam’, seventh Mahe-class anti-submarine shallow water craft for the Navy
- Cochin Shipyard launched Machilipatnam on 29 July 2026.
- It is the seventh of eight Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft.
- The craft will hunt submarines, guard the coast and lay mines in shallow waters.
Why it matters
[Security] Big warships cannot work well in shallow coastal waters. These smaller craft fill that gap. The class is named after ports on India's coast, such as Mahe and Machilipatnam.
Rajnath Singh opens India’s first Department of Military Medicine at Command Hospital, Lucknow
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh opened it virtually on 29 July 2026.
- It is at the Command Hospital (Central Command), Lucknow.
- It is India's first department devoted only to military medicine.
Why it matters
[Security] Treating wounded soldiers on a battlefield is different from hospital care. Fast first aid in the first hour saves the most lives. The department will also support disaster response.
India marks 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas; Rajnath Singh pays tribute at Kargil War Memorial, Drass
- India observed the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas on 26 July 2026.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid a wreath at the Kargil War Memorial in Drass, Ladakh.
- Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth also led the tributes.
Why it matters
[Security] The day marks India's victory in the 1999 Kargil War with Pakistan. The Army's campaign was called Operation Vijay. The Air Force's part was called Operation Safed Sagar.
Navy commissions INS Malvan, second Mahe-class anti-submarine shallow water craft, at Karwar
- INS Malvan was commissioned at Karwar on 22 July 2026.
- Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, the Chief of the Air Staff, presided.
- It is the second of eight such craft built by Cochin Shipyard.
Why it matters
[Security] The ship is named after Malvan, a coastal town in Maharashtra. Malvan is linked to the naval heritage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Craft of this class hunt submarines in shallow coastal waters.