Daily Current Affairs- 23rd July 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 23rd July 2026

Samudra Pradakshina: India’s First Tri-Service All-Women Sailing Expedition Creates History

In the News:  Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh flagged-in Samudra Pradakshina, India’s first Tri-Service all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition, on July 22, 2026. Nine women officers returned to Mumbai aboard IASV Triveni after completing a 314-day voyage covering nearly 25,500 nautical miles across four oceans. The expedition had been flagged off from Mumbai on September 11, 2025.

Key Points:

• Mission Profile: The expedition brought together nine women officers from the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. They sailed for more than ten months on the Indian Army Sailing Vessel Triveni, demonstrating coordinated planning and teamwork among the three Services.
• Circumnavigation Requirements: The crew crossed every meridian of longitude, crossed the Equator twice and passed the International Date Line. It also rounded the three major capes—Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope—fulfilling internationally recognised circumnavigation criteria.
• IASV Triveni: Triveni is an indigenously built sailing vessel measuring about 50 feet in length. The successful voyage highlighted India’s domestic vessel-building capacity and the ability of the armed forces to undertake extended oceanic expeditions with shore-based logistical support.
• Cape Horn Achievement: The crew crossed the difficult Drake Passage and successfully rounded Cape Horn, one of the most demanding maritime routes in the world. This achievement earned the officers membership of the recognised fraternity of “Cape Horners”.

What is Rule 267 in Rajya Sabha?

In the News: Opposition members submitted notices under Rule 267 during the Monsoon Session of Parliament in July 2026. They sought a discussion on the NEET controversy, alleged police action against student protesters and the detention of opposition leaders. The Deputy Chairman stated that the rule had been accepted only on rare occasions.

Key Points:

• Meaning of Rule 267: Rule 267 forms part of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States. It permits a member, with the consent of the Chairman, to move that a particular rule be suspended temporarily in its application to a motion.
• Listed Business Requirement: The formal text requires the motion to relate to the business listed before the Rajya Sabha for that day. If the House carries the motion, the concerned procedural rule remains suspended for the time being.
• Role of the Chairman: A member cannot invoke Rule 267 automatically; the consent of the Rajya Sabha Chairman is necessary before the motion can be moved. The Chairman examines whether the notice satisfies the procedural conditions and is connected with the day’s listed business.
• Amendment in 2000: The present wording of Rule 267 came into effect on July 1, 2000. The amendment was intended to ensure that a request for suspension of rules remained relevant to the List of Business placed before the House.
• Not an Adjournment Motion: Rule 267 is not the Rajya Sabha equivalent of an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha. An adjournment motion interrupts normal business to discuss a definite urgent matter and may involve criticism of the government, while Rule 267 formally concerns the temporary suspension of a procedural rule.

Internet Shutdowns in India

In the News: Mobile internet services were reportedly suspended in parts of central Delhi on July 23, 2026, during large student-led protests. The disruption affected ordinary communication as well as digital payments used by shops, restaurants and street vendors. The incident renewed debate over the legality, necessity and economic consequences of internet shutdowns.

Key Points:

• Meaning of an Internet Shutdown: An internet shutdown is an intentional disruption of internet or electronic communication services for a specific population, geographical area or period. It may involve mobile data, broadband services or particular communication platforms.
• Present Legal Framework: Internet suspensions are governed by Section 20 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, read with the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024. The 2024 Rules replaced the earlier Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services Rules, 2017.
• Competent Authority and Duration: A suspension order must ordinarily be issued by the Union Home Secretary or the State Home Secretary, with reasons recorded in writing. It must identify the geographical area, the service to be suspended and a duration not exceeding 15 days. The order must also be published.
• Review Mechanism: A copy of the order must be sent to the appropriate Review Committee within 24 hours. The committee must meet within five days and may set aside an order that does not comply with Section 20 of the Telecommunications Act.
• Supreme Court Guidelines: In Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020), the Supreme Court held that indefinite internet suspension is impermissible. Shutdown orders must be published, remain open to judicial review and satisfy the test of proportionality, since speech and professional activity conducted through the internet are protected under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(g).
• Recent Data: According to Access Now, India recorded 65 internet shutdowns in 2025 across 12 States and Union Territories—the country’s lowest annual figure since 2017. The reported causes included protests, communal violence, conflict and sensitive religious events.

What new fast-track courts can address: Lapses in exam leak probes, weak legal provisions

In the News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced fast-track courts for examination paper-leak cases on July 23, 2026. The Delhi High Court subsequently designated a court at the Rouse Avenue Courts to hear cases under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, along with connected offences.

Key Points:

• Purpose of the Courts: Fast-track courts are intended to conduct trials within shorter timelines by giving priority to designated categories of cases. They do not create separate offences but accelerate proceedings under the Public Examinations Act and other applicable criminal laws.
• Low Conviction Record: An Indian Express investigation examined 45 major examination leaks between 2002 and 2025, each affecting at least one lakh candidates. Only two of these cases had resulted in convictions, indicating serious weaknesses in investigation and prosecution.
• Investigative Lapses: Courts have rejected closure reports or acquitted accused persons because of inadequate evidence and procedural deficiencies. In the 2016 Karnataka PUC Chemistry paper-leak case, 19 accused were acquitted in 2024 after the court identified serious shortcomings in the investigation.
• Public Examinations Act, 2024: The central law came into force on June 21, 2024, and targets organised unfair means in examinations conducted by specified public authorities. Organised crime under the Act may attract imprisonment of five to ten years, a minimum fine of ₹1 crore and attachment of institutional property.
• Delay in Trials: The 2006 Railway Group-D examination case had undergone 142 hearings between 2012 and 2026 but remained at the witness stage. Dedicated courts can reduce such delays through continuous hearings, stricter scheduling and quicker examination of witnesses.
• Technology and Supply-Chain Gaps: Modern leak networks use Bluetooth devices, remote-access software and compromised printing or logistics firms. Faster trials must therefore be supported by digital forensics, secure printing arrangements, proper preservation of electronic evidence and a reliable chain of custody.

New Exoplanet Discovered Around Beta Pictoris

In the News: Astronomers announced the discovery of Beta Pictoris d, the third known planet orbiting the young star Beta Pictoris, in July 2026. The planet was identified through observations made by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope. It had remained hidden in archival observations for more than a decade.

Key Points:

• Beta Pictoris System: Beta Pictoris is a young star located approximately 63 light-years from Earth in the constellation Pictor. It is surrounded by a prominent disk of dust and planetary debris and was already known to host Beta Pictoris b and Beta Pictoris c.
• Discovery Method: One team detected the planet using the ERIS instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope and later traced it in older SPHERE observations. A separate team used the Near-Infrared Spectrograph Integral Field Unit aboard the James Webb Space Telescope to isolate the chemical signature of its atmosphere.
• Physical Features: Beta Pictoris d is a gas giant estimated to have about 2.4 times the mass of Jupiter. It is around 100 times fainter than Beta Pictoris b and is among the least massive exoplanets detected through ground-based direct imaging.
• Orbit: The planet follows the widest orbit among the three known planets in the system. Estimates place it roughly 25–30 astronomical units from its star, within the inner boundary of the surrounding debris disk.
• Scientific Importance: Beta Pictoris is only the second planetary system known to contain at least three directly imaged planets. The presence of Beta Pictoris d may help explain the sharp inner edge and other unusual structures observed in the system’s debris disk.
• New Detection Technique: Beta Pictoris d became the first directly imaged planet discovered primarily through moderate-resolution spectroscopy. The method identifies atmospheric molecules while filtering out scattered light from the star and surrounding dust.

Naresh Pal Gangwar Appointed Higher Education Secretary

In the News: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed senior IAS officer Naresh Pal Gangwar as Secretary, Department of Higher Education. He succeeds Vineet Joshi, who has been transferred as Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj. The appointments were notified on July 23, 2026.

Key Points:

• Officer Profile: Naresh Pal Gangwar is a 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Rajasthan cadre. Before this appointment, he served as Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
• Administrative Experience: Gangwar has held senior positions in the Rajasthan government and the Union government. He previously served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, dealing with pollution control and hazardous substances.
• Educational Background: He holds a B.Tech. in Electronics and Communication from the University of Roorkee and an M.Tech. in Communication from IIT Delhi. He also holds a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Rajasthan.
• Department of Higher Education: The department functions under the Ministry of Education and deals with policy concerning universities and higher educational institutions. Its administrative domain includes central universities, IITs, NITs and institutions associated with the University Grants Commission.
• Appointments Committee of the Cabinet: The ACC approves appointments to several senior posts in the Union government. Its composition includes the Prime Minister and the Union Minister of Home Affairs.

White-bellied Heron

In the News: The proposed 1,200 MW Kalai-II Hydroelectric Project on the Lohit River in Arunachal Pradesh has received in-principle forest clearance. Conservationists have raised concerns because the project landscape contains habitats of the critically endangered White-bellied Heron. The project involves the diversion of nearly 869 hectares of forest land.

Key Points:

• Species Profile: The White-bellied Heron is scientifically known as Ardea insignis and belongs to the family Ardeidae. It is also called the Imperial Heron and is distinguished by its dark-grey body and contrasting white underparts.
• Conservation Status: The species is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List because of its extremely small and declining population. It is also included in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Habitat and Distribution: It inhabits undisturbed rivers, wetlands and freshwater ecosystems in the eastern Himalayan foothills. Its surviving population is principally distributed across Bhutan, north-eastern India and northern Myanmar.
• Kalai-II Project: The THDC India Limited project is proposed in Anjaw district on the Lohit River, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra. It is designed as a run-of-the-river project involving a concrete gravity dam and an underground powerhouse.
• Major Threats: River regulation, hydropower construction, hunting, sand and gravel extraction, forest loss and human disturbance threaten the species. The Forest Advisory Committee has required special conservation measures for its habitat and review of the wildlife management plan by the Wildlife Institute of India.

Bharat Green Hydrogen Summit 2026

In the News: The second edition of the Bharat Green Hydrogen Summit was held on July 23, 2026, at FICCI Federation House in New Delhi. Organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the summit carried the theme “Positioning India as a Global Hydrogen Hub.” It brought together government representatives, industries, investors and technology providers.

Key Pointers:

• Summit Focus: Discussions covered demand creation, cost competitiveness, domestic electrolyser manufacturing, hydrogen hubs and export infrastructure. Affordable renewable electricity, financing, skilled manpower and technological innovation were also major subjects.
• Green Hydrogen: Green hydrogen is commonly produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis powered by renewable electricity. It can reduce emissions in sectors where complete electrification is difficult, including steel, fertilizers, refining and long-distance transport.
• National Mission: The Union Cabinet approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission on January 4, 2023. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is responsible for its overall coordination and implementation.
• Financial Outlay: The Mission has an initial outlay of ₹19,744 crore. Of this amount, ₹17,490 crore has been allocated to the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition, or SIGHT, programme.
• 2030 Target: The Mission envisages at least five million metric tonnes of annual green-hydrogen production capacity by 2030. It is also expected to support approximately 125 GW of additional renewable-energy capacity and promote production, utilisation and export of hydrogen derivatives.

Lokmanya Tilak Jayanti 2026

In the News: Lokmanya Tilak Jayanti was observed on July 23, 2026, marking the 170th birth anniversary of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. National leaders paid tribute to his contribution to the freedom struggle, political awakening and the demand for Swaraj. Tilak was born on July 23, 1856, in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.

Key Points:

• Nationalist Leader: Bal Gangadhar Tilak was popularly called “Lokmanya”, meaning accepted or honoured by the people. Along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal, he formed the nationalist trio known as Lal-Bal-Pal.
• Newspapers: Tilak helped establish Kesari, a Marathi newspaper, and The Mahratta, an English weekly, in 1881. These publications criticised colonial policies and spread nationalist and political ideas among Indian readers.
• Cultural Mobilisation: He promoted the public celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi from 1893 and used cultural gatherings to encourage unity and political participation. He also promoted the Shivaji festival as a platform for nationalist mobilisation.
• Home Rule Movement: Tilak established his Home Rule League at Belgaum in April 1916, while Annie Besant organised a separate league later that year. Both organisations demanded self-government for India within the British constitutional framework.
• Mandalay Imprisonment: Following his 1908 sedition conviction, Tilak was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in Mandalay, Burma. During this period, he wrote Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Rahasya, which emphasised Karma Yoga and the philosophy of action.