Daily Current Affairs- 20th July 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 20th July 2026

What Is Shabdalok? India’s First Immersive Language Museum Explained

In the News: Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the first phase of Shabdalok, also called the Museum of Word, in Kolkata on July 19, 2026. Located within the National Library campus, it has been described as India’s first immersive museum devoted to languages, scripts and literary traditions. The project has been developed under the Union Ministry of Culture.

Key Points:

• Location and Institution: Shabdalok is housed in the historic Belvedere House on the National Library campus in Kolkata. The National Library functions under the Ministry of Culture and traces its origins to the Calcutta Public Library, established in 1836.
• Coverage of Indian Languages: The museum presents the history, development and present status of languages. These include the 22 languages recorded in the Census of India 2011, along with several historical languages that are no longer commonly spoken.
• Nine Thematic Galleries: Its galleries include First Word, My Mother Tongue, Navrasa, Journey of Languages, Honouring the Legends, Oral Traditions, Performing Traditions, Global Dialogue and Public Library Movement. They trace the development of speech, scripts, literature and communication across different periods.
• Immersive Presentation: The museum uses audio-visual displays, interactive installations, augmented and virtual reality, gesture-reading sensors and acoustically designed spaces. Its exhibits include inscriptions, copper plates, Bhojpatra manuscripts, handwritten texts and printed books.
• Project Development: The project has an estimated outlay of ₹41 crore and is being implemented in phases. The first phase covers approximately 2,282 square metres, while later phases are expected to include additional galleries, projection mapping and visitor facilities.

Is staging a protest legal in India: What rights, restrictions the law gives

In the News: The legality of public protests came under discussion after police stopped a march towards Parliament in New Delhi on July 20, 2026. Authorities stated that permission had not been granted and prohibitory orders were operating in the New Delhi district. The incident renewed attention on the constitutional right to protest and the restrictions that may be imposed upon it.

Key Points:

• Constitutional Protection: The right to protest is derived mainly from Article 19(1)(a), which guarantees freedom of speech and expression, and Article 19(1)(b), which protects the right to assemble peacefully and without arms. These guarantees are available to citizens but are not absolute.
• Reasonable Restrictions: Freedom of speech may be restricted on grounds listed in Article 19(2), including public order, security of the State, sovereignty and integrity of India, decency and incitement to an offence. Peaceful assembly may be restricted under Article 19(3) in the interests of public order and national integrity.
• Police Permission: Authorities may regulate the location, route, duration and size of demonstrations under state police laws and local regulations. Prior permission is commonly required for rallies, processions and demonstrations to manage traffic, security, emergency access and competing use of public spaces.
• Section 163 of BNSS: Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which replaced Section 144 of the CrPC, permits urgent preventive orders where danger, obstruction or disturbance of public tranquillity is anticipated. Such orders may temporarily prohibit assemblies, marches or gatherings in specified areas.
• Judicial Position: The Supreme Court has held that public streets cannot be occupied indefinitely and that protests may be confined to identified locations. Violent demonstrations, armed gatherings, destruction of property and prolonged obstruction of roads fall outside the protection available to peaceful democratic protest.

India Tightens Tax Treaty Rule with Sri Lanka

In the News: India has notified a protocol amending its Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement with Sri Lanka. The amendment introduces a Principal Purpose Test, allowing tax authorities to refuse treaty benefits where securing a tax advantage was among the principal purposes of an arrangement. The protocol entered into force on June 19, 2026.

Key Points:

• Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement: A DTAA allocates taxing rights between two countries and prevents the same income from being taxed twice. It may provide reduced withholding-tax rates or exemptions for eligible residents earning cross-border income.
• Principal Purpose Test: Under the PPT, treaty relief may be denied when it is reasonable to conclude that obtaining the relief was one of the principal purposes of a transaction or arrangement. Relief may still be granted when it remains consistent with the object and purpose of the treaty provision.
• Prevention of Treaty Shopping: Treaty shopping involves routing investments or income through an entity located in a treaty country mainly to obtain lower taxes or exemptions. The revised provision enables authorities to examine the commercial substance and genuine economic purpose of such arrangements.
• Effective Application: The revised rule will apply in India to income arising from financial year 2027-28 onwards. Businesses and investors using the India-Sri Lanka treaty will therefore need to demonstrate valid commercial reasons for their structures and transactions.
• Alignment with BEPS Framework: The amendment does not change existing tax rates or impose a new tax. It brings the bilateral treaty closer to the OECD-G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting framework, particularly Action 6 concerning the prevention of inappropriate treaty benefits.

UK Appoints Kanishka Narayan as First AI Minister

In the News: The United Kingdom appointed Kanishka Narayan as Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence. The appointment was made by new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham as part of a wider reshuffle, in which he appointed Jonathan Reynolds as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade and dissolved the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), merging it into the Business and Trade department, with the Culture department taking on digital transformation and online harms.

Key Points:

• Cabinet Status: Narayan will attend meetings of the UK Cabinet, although he holds the rank of Minister of State rather than Secretary of State. His position has been placed across two departments to coordinate AI policy throughout the government.
• Previous Ministerial Role: He had served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Online Safety since September 7, 2025. His earlier responsibilities covered the AI Security Institute, semiconductors, intellectual property, online safety and technology-led economic growth.
• Parliamentary Profile: Narayan belongs to the Labour Party and has represented the Vale of Glamorgan constituency since the July 2024 general election. His victory made him the first person from an ethnic-minority background elected as an MP from Wales.
• Institutional Arrangement: The Cabinet Office supports the Prime Minister and coordinates policies across government departments. Narayan’s joint appointment indicates that artificial intelligence will be handled as a cross-government subject involving public administration, regulation, economic policy and innovation.
• Role of the AI Minister: The portfolio covers the development and adoption of artificial intelligence, AI security and the growth of the technology sector. It also involves oversight of policies concerning intellectual property, emerging technologies and the safe deployment of AI systems.

India Joins WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement

In the News: India deposited its Instrument of Acceptance of the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on July , 2026. With this step, India formally became a party to the agreement. The treaty seeks to restrict subsidies associated with destructive and unsustainable marine fishing practices.

Key Points:

• Origin of the Agreement: The agreement was adopted by consensus at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference in June 2022. It entered into force on September 15, 2025, after formal acceptance by two-thirds of WTO members.
• Major Prohibitions: WTO members cannot provide subsidies to vessels or operators engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The agreement also restricts subsidies for fishing overfished stocks and for unregulated fishing in parts of the high seas.
• Scope of the Treaty: The agreement primarily covers marine wild-capture fishing and fishing-related activities conducted at sea. Inland fishing and aquaculture, including a substantial part of India’s shrimp-production sector, remain outside its scope.
• Protection of Indian Fishers: India stated that the agreement protects the interests of traditional and small-scale fishing communities. India’s fisheries sector is dominated by smaller operators and is not a major participant in distant-water industrial fishing.

Next FIFA World Cup 2030: Hosts, Dates, Qualified Teams, Format

In the News: The FIFA World Cup 2030 will mark the centenary of the men’s World Cup, whose inaugural edition was held in Uruguay in 1930. Morocco, Portugal and Spain will serve as the principal hosts, while Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will stage one centenary match each. The tournament is scheduled to conclude on July 21, 2030.

Key Points:

• Principal Host Countries: Most matches will be staged in Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Their joint candidature was approved by acclamation at an Extraordinary FIFA Congress attended virtually by all 211 FIFA member associations in December 2024.
• Centenary Matches: Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each host one opening-stage match. Uruguay was selected because it hosted and won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930, while Argentina was the inaugural runner-up and Paraguay houses the CONMEBOL headquarters.
• Tournament Dates: The centenary ceremony and South American matches are planned for June 8 and 9, 2030. The principal opening ceremony and opening matches in Morocco, Portugal or Spain are scheduled for June 13 and 14, while the final will be held on July 21.
• Qualified Teams: Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay have secured automatic qualification because of their hosting responsibilities. As of July 2026, the remaining participating teams had not been determined through confederation qualification competitions.
• Competition Format: The approved arrangement continues with 48 teams and 104 matches, following the expanded format introduced in 2026. A proposal to increase the centenary edition to 64 teams has been discussed, but it had not received FIFA approval as of July 2026.

Sharma Breaks Sachin Tendulkar’s Record with Historic First-Ever Indian ODI Century at Lord’s

In the News: Rohit Sharma scored 138 runs from 110 balls against England in the third ODI at Lord’s on July 19, 2026. He became the first Indian men’s batter to register an ODI century at the ground. Despite his innings, India lost the match by 27 runs and the three-match series by 2-1.

Key Points:

• Historic Lord’s Innings: Rohit struck 17 fours and five sixes during his 138-run innings. He became the first Indian men’s player to score an ODI hundred at Lord’s, widely known as the “Home of Cricket”.
• Age Record: At 39 years and 80 days, Rohit became the oldest Indian to score an ODI century. He surpassed Sachin Tendulkar, who was 38 years and 327 days old when he recorded his final ODI hundred.
• Centuries as an Opener: The innings was Rohit’s 46th international century while opening the batting. He moved past Tendulkar’s previous Indian record of 45 international centuries as an opener.
• Record in England: Rohit completed his eighth ODI century in England, drawing level with former England opener Marcus Trescothick. Joe Root remained ahead of them with ten ODI centuries scored in England.
• About Lord’s: Lord’s Cricket Ground is located in St John’s Wood, London, and has occupied its present site since 1814. It is owned by the Marylebone Cricket Club, which is also the guardian of the Laws of Cricket.