The European Commission fined Google €890 million on 23 July 2026 for breaches of European Union online competition rules. The penalty was imposed under the European Union’s 2022 Digital Markets Act, which regulates large digital platforms designated as gatekeepers.
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on 25 July 2026 amid nationwide student protests linked to alleged irregularities in competitive examinations. The resignation followed protests over the alleged paper leak in NEET-UG 2026 and demands for action on examination-related misconduct.
India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is developing a policy framework to introduce ethanol as a cooking fuel in households. The proposal is linked to India’s surplus ethanol output, LPG import dependence, and ongoing work on ethanol-based stoves and refill systems.
China suspended Japan-bound exports of several critical minerals, including rare earths and rare metals, from January 2026. The restrictions covered materials used in defence, automotive, electronics, and aerospace supply chains, and they followed diplomatic tensions linked to remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November 2025 on a possible Taiwan contingency.
India and Spain agreed on 19 and 20 July 2026 to advance technical discussions on interoperability between the Unified Payments Interface and Bizum. The talks took place during Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to Spain in July 2026.
Bangladesh and the United States began the annual bilateral military exercise Tiger Lightning 2026 on 19 July 2026. The exercise involves more than 160 service members from both countries and runs for 13 days until 31 July 2026.
The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) has unearthed more than 1,000 artefacts from the Noyyal river bed at Vellalore in Coimbatore. The finds date to the early historical and historical periods, with some artefacts placed between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD.
Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approved the draft Uniform Civil Code Bill on 19 July 2026 in a special meeting at Jagdishpur near Bhopal. The Bill is scheduled for introduction in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly during the Monsoon Session that began on 20 July 2026.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 20 July 2026 during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The Bill seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 and raise the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India, which would make the total strength 38 including the Chief Justice of India.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has introduced the Small River Rejuvenation (SRR) Framework for the restoration of India’s smaller rivers. The draft framework separates small river conservation from the large-river model used for the Ganga basin and places emphasis on local, nature-based measures, scientific assessment, and community participation.
NITI Aayog released the Investment Friendliness Index 2026 on 17 July 2026 to rank Indian States and Union Territories on investment-related conditions. The index covered 28 States and eight Union Territories across eight pillars, including infrastructure, business climate, resources, government policy, regulatory ease, institutional environment, financial health, and environmental resilience.
The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) revised the credit rating framework for the International Financial Services Centre in GIFT City, Gujarat, through Circular No. IFSCA-CMIR/1/2026-CMIR dated 16 July 2026. The circular amended the Master Circular for Credit Rating Agencies in the IFSC dated 5 August 2025 and became effective immediately.
