Daily Current Affairs- 25th July 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 25th July 2026

Supreme Court Bars Unauthorized Sharing of Live-Streamed Court Proceedings on Social Media

In the News: The Supreme Court passed an interim order restricting the unauthorized extraction, editing, uploading, reposting, dissemination or monetization of audio-video recordings of court proceedings. Prior permission from the Supreme Court or the concerned High Court is now required before such recordings can be shared on social media or other digital platforms.

Key Points:

• Scope of the Restriction: The order covers transmitting, storing, uploading, posting, reposting, editing and monetizing clips obtained from live-streamed judicial proceedings. Permission must be secured from the court whose proceedings are involved or from its authorized judicial officials.
• Reason Behind the Order: The Court noted that selectively edited courtroom exchanges were being circulated with sensational or biased commentary. Such clips may remove statements from their legal context, misrepresent judicial observations and undermine the dignity and integrity of court proceedings.
• Live Streaming and Open Justice: The order does not discontinue the live streaming of hearings. Live streaming promotes transparency and public access, while the restriction regulates the subsequent misuse of recordings on commercial and social-media platforms.
• Swapnil Tripathi Judgment: In Swapnil Tripathi v. Supreme Court of India (2018), the Supreme Court supported live streaming of proceedings in matters of constitutional and national importance. It linked public access to judicial proceedings with the open-court principle and access to justice.
• Constitutional Examination Link: The Supreme Court is a “court of record” under Article 129 of the Constitution and possesses the power to punish for contempt. High Courts enjoy a similar status under Article 215, making judicial dignity, accurate reporting and courtroom decorum important constitutional concepts.

Cabinet Clears Tougher Anti-Paper Leak Bill: Up to 10-Year Jail, ₹10 Crore Fine

In the News: The Union Cabinet approved proposed amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, to impose tougher punishment for examination paper leaks and organized cheating. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 proposes imprisonment of up to ten years, fines reaching ₹10 crore, asset confiscation and time-bound trials.

Key Points:

• Legislative Status: Cabinet approval does not itself make the proposal a law. The Amendment Bill must be passed by both Houses of Parliament and receive the President’s assent before its provisions become legally enforceable.
• Enhanced Punishment: The proposed law provides imprisonment extending to ten years and substantially higher fines for serious offences. Organized paper-leak networks, institutions, examination centres and service providers may face fines of up to ₹10 crore and confiscation of assets linked to the offence.
• Time-Bound Investigation and Trial: Investigations are proposed to be completed within two months. Special Fast Track Courts may conduct day-to-day hearings, with a mechanism aimed at completing trials and delivering judgments within three months.
• Meaning of Unfair Means: The 2024 Act covers question-paper or answer-key leaks, unauthorized possession of papers, tampering with OMR sheets, manipulation of computer systems, fake examinations, fake admit cards and deliberate violation of security arrangements.
• Examinations Covered: Authorities listed under the central law include UPSC, SSC, Railway Recruitment Boards, IBPS and the National Testing Agency. Central government departments and other authorities notified by the government may also be brought within its scope.

BRICS Summit 2026: India Invites Bangladesh as Special Guest While Hosting Key Ministerial Meetings

In the News: India invited Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to participate as a special guest at the 18th BRICS Summit, scheduled in New Delhi on September 12–13, 2026. The invitation forms part of India’s outreach to neighbouring countries and regional organizations while it holds the BRICS Chairship for 2026.

Key Points:

• India’s 2026 Chairship: India assumed the rotating BRICS Chairship in 2026. Its official theme is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” highlighting institutional reform, technological cooperation, sustainable development and Global South priorities.
• 18th BRICS Summit: The leaders’ summit is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, 2026. As chair, India is responsible for coordinating the summit agenda, ministerial meetings, working groups and the final leaders’ declaration.
• Bangladesh’s Participation: Bangladesh has been invited as an outreach or special-guest participant and not as a full BRICS member. The invitation is also significant because Bangladesh holds an important position in BIMSTEC, the Bay of Bengal regional grouping headquartered in Dhaka.
• Ministerial Engagements: India hosted the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on May 14–15, 2026, chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Meetings of national security advisers, health officials, energy ministers and other sectoral groups are also part of the annual chairship process.
• Static BRICS Facts: The first BRIC leaders’ summit was held at Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009, while South Africa joined the grouping in 2011. The BRICS-founded New Development Bank was established in 2014 and has its headquarters in Shanghai, China.

Spain Declares National Emergency as Wildfires Sweep Europe

In the News: Spain declared a national emergency in July 2026 after severe wildfires spread near Madrid, Ávila and other regions. Extreme heat, dry vegetation and simultaneous fires overwhelmed regional capabilities, forcing evacuations and the deployment of national and international firefighting resources.

Key Points:

• National Emergency Declaration: Under Spain’s National Civil Protection System, the declaration places overall coordination under the Interior Minister. It permits centralized deployment of personnel, aircraft, military units and resources from different public administrations.
• Causes and Severity: High temperatures, drought, strong winds and dried vegetation contributed to the rapid spread of the fires. Spain recorded dozens of major fires and more than 150,000 hectares of burned land during the 2026 season, significantly exceeding the corresponding 2025 figures.
• Military Emergencies Unit: Spain deployed the Unidad Militar de Emergencias, or UME, to assist civilian firefighting agencies. The UME is a permanent joint military force created in 2005 to provide rapid assistance during wildfires, floods, earthquakes and other major emergencies.
• European Assistance: Spain received aircraft, personnel and equipment through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. The mechanism coordinates disaster assistance among participating countries, while the rescEU reserve supplies additional firefighting aircraft and emergency resources.
• EFFIS and Copernicus: The European Forest Fire Information System provides near-real-time information, fire-danger forecasts and historical wildfire data. EFFIS operates under the Copernicus Emergency Management Service and supports authorities across Europe and neighbouring regions.

India Orders GitHub to Remove Bitchat App Over Security Concerns

In the News: The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre directed GitHub to remove or disable access to repositories associated with Bitchat, a decentralized messaging application. Authorities cited security concerns arising from its ability to facilitate anonymous communication without conventional internet, mobile-network or centralized-server infrastructure.

Key Points:

• How Bitchat Works: Bitchat enables nearby devices to communicate through Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networking. Messages can move from one device to another through peer-to-peer relays, allowing communication even when internet and cellular services are unavailable.
• Developer and Platform: Bitchat was developed by Jack Dorsey, co-founder and former CEO of Twitter. Its source code was hosted on GitHub, the Microsoft-owned software-development platform widely used for storing and collaboratively developing open-source projects.
• Agency Involved: The direction was issued by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, commonly called I4C, which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Approved in 2018, I4C became an attached office of the Ministry of Home Affairs on July 1, 2024.
• Section 79 of the IT Act: The notice reportedly relied on Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Under this provision, an intermediary may lose safe-harbour protection if it fails to expeditiously remove unlawful material after receiving legally valid notice from the government or a competent court.
• Section 79 and Section 69A: Section 79 primarily concerns intermediary liability and safe-harbour protection. Section 69A separately empowers the government to block public access to online information on specified grounds such as sovereignty, national security, public order and friendly relations with foreign states.

Kargil Vijay Diwas 2026: Honouring India’s Bravehearts and the Legacy of Operation Vijay

In the News: India observed the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26, 2026, commemorating the country’s victory in the 1999 Kargil War. The day honours the soldiers who fought under Operation Vijay to recapture strategic mountain positions occupied by Pakistani forces and intruders.

Key Points:

• Date and Significance: Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed annually on July 26 because Indian forces successfully completed the eviction of intruders from occupied positions in 1999. The conflict lasted for more than two months in the high-altitude Kargil, Dras, Batalik and Mushkoh sectors.
• Operation Vijay: The Indian Army’s campaign to reclaim the occupied heights was called Operation Vijay. The Indian Air Force joined through Operation Safed Sagar on May 26, 1999, while the Indian Navy deployed forces to create strategic pressure in the maritime domain.
• Strategic Geography: The infiltrators occupied commanding heights overlooking the Srinagar–Leh Highway, an important road connecting Kashmir with Ladakh. India conducted its military campaign without crossing the Line of Control, strengthening international support for its position.
• Major Battles and Honours: Tololing was recaptured on June 13, while Tiger Hill was recaptured on July 4, 1999. Four soldiers received the Param Vir Chakra for their actions in the conflict, while nine were awarded the Maha Vir Chakra and 55 received the Vir Chakra.
• Legacy and 2026 Commemoration: Lessons from Kargil emphasized jointness, intelligence coordination, surveillance, high-altitude capability and defence modernization. In 2026, commemorative initiatives included the Shaurya Vijay Yatra from the National War Memorial in New Delhi to the Kargil War Memorial at Dras.