Daily Current Affairs- 29th July 2026

Daily Current Affairs- 29th July 2026

Kalpasar Project: Gujarat’s Ambitious Multipurpose Water Infrastructure Project Explained

In the News: The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti recently informed the Rajya Sabha about the socio-economic impact and technical progress of Gujarat’s Kalpasar Project. The Detailed Project Report is at an advanced stage of finalisation and is being strengthened through Indo-Dutch technical cooperation. The project also proposes a major renewable-energy and transport component.

Key Points:

• Location and Project Design: The Kalpasar Project, formally known as the Gulf of Khambhat Development Project, is a Gujarat government initiative. It proposes constructing a dam or dyke across the Gulf of Khambhat to create one of the world’s largest coastal freshwater reservoirs.
• Water-Security Objective: The reservoir is intended to store freshwater and provide a dependable source for irrigation and other identified uses. Its primary objective is to reduce water scarcity in the drought-prone Saurashtra region and improve long-term water availability.
• Highway-cum-Rail Corridor: A highway and railway corridor is proposed over the dam connecting the two sides of the Gulf. It could reduce the Bhavnagar–Surat distance from approximately 356 km to 177 km, resulting in a distance saving of nearly 179 km.
• Renewable-Energy Component: The project envisages approximately 2,470 MW of hybrid renewable-energy capacity on reclaimed land presently submerged during high tide. Part of the electricity generated is proposed to be used for pumping freshwater for irrigation in coastal Saurashtra.
• Technical and Environmental Issues: The DPR covers coastal engineering, hydraulic modelling, climate resilience, water management and salinity-control measures. Indo-Dutch cooperation is expected to introduce international expertise, while studies must address salinity ingress, sedimentation and ecological changes in the Gulf.

Registration of Births and Deaths Bill, 2026

In the News: The Registration of Births and Deaths Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 29, 2026. It seeks to make the procedure for registering births and deaths reported after a long delay more stringent. The Bill remains pending before Parliament and has not yet become an Act.

Key Points:

• Parent Act and Provision Amended: Bill No. 140 of 2026 seeks to amend Section 13(3)of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. The subject is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs and falls under Entry 30 of the Concurrent List.
• Delay Between One and Two Years: A birth or death reported after one year but within two years may be registered only on the order of the District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate or an authorised Executive Magistrate. The authority must verify the correctness of the event and the prescribed fee must be paid.
• Delay Exceeding Two Years: Where information is provided more than two years after the occurrence, registration will require an order of a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class. This transfers scrutiny of exceptionally delayed cases from the executive magistracy to the judicial magistracy.
• Objective of the Amendment: Registration of births and deaths is mandatory, and the resulting certificate provides legal identity and is admissible as evidence of the event. The government states that stricter delayed-registration rules will encourage timely reporting and reduce doubtful or unverifiable claims.
• Connection with the 2023 Amendment: The 2023 amendment provided for national and State databases, electronic certificates and data-sharing with specified government databases. It also made the birth certificate a key document for proving the date and place of birth for specified purposes for persons born after its commencement on October 1, 2023.

No blanket amnesty or bar: How SC set ‘public interest’ test for ex-post facto environment clearances

In the News: In Vanashakti v. Union of India, the Supreme Court quashed the Environment Ministry’s 2021 Office Memorandum that created an ongoing mechanism for granting environmental clearance after projects had commenced. The ruling was delivered by a three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi. The judgment is reported as 2026 INSC 761.

Key Points:

• Prior Clearance Remains Mandatory: The Court reaffirmed that prior environmental clearance is mandatory under the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006. Projects covered by the notification cannot ordinarily begin construction or operations before receiving clearance from the competent authority.
• Office Memorandum versus Statutory Notification: An Office Memorandum is an administrative instruction and cannot substantially alter a statutory environmental-clearance regime. Any exceptional mechanism for retrospective clearance must be introduced through a valid statutory notification under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
• Supervening Public-Interest Test: Retrospective clearance may be considered only through a narrowly tailored, exceptional and time-bound scheme supported by a supervening public interest. Relevant interests may include innocent homebuyers, workers’ livelihoods or essential public, environmental and infrastructure projects; the violator’s commercial loss alone is insufficient.
• Treatment of the 2017 and 2021 Measures: The Court upheld the 2017 notification as a limited, time-bound form of delegated legislation but quashed the 2021 OM prospectively because it established a perpetual regularisation regime. The OM failed the tests of proportionality, reasonableness and reasonable classification under Articles 14 and 21.
• Effect on Existing and Pending Cases: Clearances already granted under the 2017 notification or 2021 OM remain valid unless challenged individually. Pending applications may be concluded, but no fresh applications may be accepted under these instruments; the Court also preserved its power under Article 142 to do complete justice in appropriate cases.

Why Misir Besra’s arrest could mark the end of the Maoist insurgency

In the News: Jharkhand Police, assisted by the Central Reserve Police Force and its specialised CoBRA unit, arrested senior CPI (Maoist) leader Misir Besra in Dhanbad district. Besra was regarded as the organisation’s last active Politburo member and a key figure in its eastern India network. His capture has effectively dismantled the top command structure that once directed Maoist operations across several States.

Key Points:

• Arrest and Profile: Besra was arrested during Operation Daura Pahad in the Maniadih area near the Dhanbad-Giridih border. Also known as Sagar Da and Bhaskar Da, he carried combined rewards exceeding ₹2.2 crore and was wanted in 175 cases across Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal.
• Rise within the Maoist Movement: Besra joined the Maoist movement during the 1980s and later served in the CPI (Maoist)’s Central Committee, Central Military Commission and Eastern Regional Bureau. He was associated with the organisation’s expansion across the Saranda, Kolhan and Parasnath forest regions.
• Formation and Legal Status of CPI (Maoist): The CPI (Maoist) was formed in 2004 through the merger of the People’s War Group and the Maoist Communist Centre of India. The organisation, along with its formations and front organisations, is listed as a terrorist organisation under the First Schedule of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
• Collapse of Central Leadership: At the beginning of 2024, the CPI (Maoist)’s Politburo and Central Committee reportedly had 21 leaders directing strategy, recruitment and military operations. Over the following two years, 12 were killed, seven surrendered and one was arrested, leaving Besra as the last senior leader still underground before his capture.
• Decline of the Red Corridor: Government data released in April 2026 stated that no district was presently categorised as LWE-affected, compared with 126 districts before April 2018. However, 37 districts remain classified as Legacy and Thrust districts, where security support and development programmes must continue to prevent the revival of extremist networks.
• Why the Insurgency May Not Be Fully Over: Besra’s arrest removes the nationally recognised leadership capable of coordinating an inter-State insurgency, but scattered lower-level groups may still conduct extortion or sporadic attacks. Consolidating the gains will require continued intelligence operations, rehabilitation of surrendered cadres and stronger governance, education, healthcare and livelihoods in tribal areas.

Venezuela Formally Withdraws from the International Criminal Court (ICC); What It Means

In the News: Venezuela formally notified the United Nations of its decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, alleging political and geographical bias against countries of the Global South. However, the notification does not immediately terminate Venezuela’s membership or stop the ICC’s ongoing investigation.

Key Points:

• Withdrawal under the Rome Statute: Venezuela’s withdrawal is governed by Article 127 of the Rome Statute. It normally becomes effective one year after the UN Secretary-General receives the notification, meaning Venezuela continues to remain bound by the Statute during this period.
• Existing ICC Investigation Continues: The ICC’s “Venezuela I” investigation concerns alleged crimes against humanity committed by civilian officials, security forces and pro-government groups since at least 2017. A formal investigation was opened in 2021 and can continue despite the withdrawal.
• No Retrospective Escape from Obligations: Withdrawal does not erase obligations or criminal responsibility arising while Venezuela was a State Party. The ICC may retain jurisdiction over crimes allegedly committed before the withdrawal becomes legally effective.
• About the ICC: The International Criminal Court is a permanent court based in The Hague, Netherlands. It prosecutes individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression when national authorities are unwilling or unable genuinely to act.
• Rome Statute Facts: The Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC, was adopted on July 17, 1998, and entered into force on July 1, 2002. July 17 is observed as the Day of International Criminal Justice.

India Becomes World’s Second-Largest Supplier of Seafarers: BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2026

In the News:  According to the BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2026, India has become the world’s second-largest supplier of seafarers. India contributes 311,936 maritime professionals, representing 12.16% of the global seafaring workforce, and ranks behind only the Philippines.

Key Points:

• India’s Global Ranking: India has overtaken countries such as China, Russia and Indonesia to occupy the second position. Its share of 12.16% highlights India’s growing role in supplying trained personnel to the global merchant-shipping industry.
• Officers and Ratings: India supplies 140,718 maritime officers, constituting 13.41% of the global officer workforce. It also contributes 171,218 ratings or non-officer crew members, accounting for 11.29% of the world’s ratings.
• Rise Since 2015: In 2015, India ranked fifth and accounted for 5.2% of the global workforce. Its share increased to 6% in 2021 and more than doubled to 12.16% by 2026, taking the country to second place.
• Global Supply and Demand: The report estimates the worldwide supply of seafarers at approximately 2.57 million, compared with demand of nearly 2.55 million. Despite the narrow overall surplus, the shipping industry continues to face a shortage of suitably qualified officers.
• About the Report: The report is jointly prepared by the Baltic and International Maritime Council, or BIMCO, and the International Chamber of Shipping, or ICS. The 2026 edition examines workforce demographics, training, recruitment, retention and projected demand up to 2030.

Pickaxe Mountain

In the News: Pickaxe Mountain came into focus after US President Donald Trump threatened military action against the deeply buried Iranian facility. The site, whose formal name is Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, lies immediately south of the Natanz nuclear complex in central Iran.

Key Points:

• Location and Identity: Pickaxe Mountain is located near Natanz, approximately 225 kilometres south of Tehran. The under-construction facility occupies nearly 2.7 square kilometres and has several tunnel entrances visible in satellite imagery.
• Reason for Construction: Iran began developing the facility after repeated attacks and sabotage damaged buildings associated with centrifuge production at Natanz. Its location inside a mountain is intended to provide greater protection against aerial attacks.
• Estimated Depth: Experts estimate that parts of the facility may lie between 80 and 100 metres underground, possibly even deeper. This could place it beyond the effective penetration capability of conventional weapons and challenge even specialised bunker-busting bombs.
• Uncertain Nuclear Role: The International Atomic Energy Agency has not inspected Pickaxe Mountain, and its actual contents remain unconfirmed. Analysts believe its size could support the manufacture of centrifuges or uranium-enrichment operations, but this remains an assessment rather than an established fact.
• Connection with Natanz: Natanz is one of Iran’s principal uranium-enrichment centres and has long been monitored under international nuclear safeguards. The United States attacked Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan during Operation Midnight Hammer in 2025, while Pickaxe Mountain remained untouched.

Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area: 7th Draft Notification

In the News: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued the seventh draft notification proposing to declare around 56,825 square kilometres of the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area. The draft was reissued because disagreements with the concerned states prevented the finalisation of earlier proposals.

Key Points:

• States Covered: The proposed ESA extends across six states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka has the largest proposed area at 20,668 sq km, followed by Maharashtra at 17,340 sq km and Kerala at slightly over 9,993 sq km.
• Proposed Restrictions: Activities proposed to be prohibited or tightly regulated include mining, quarrying, sand mining, new thermal-power projects, highly polluting Red Category industries and large construction or township projects. Existing mining operations may be phased out after the final notification.
• Agriculture Not Prohibited: The draft clarifies that ordinary agricultural operations and plantation activities will not be affected. This provision seeks to address concerns that ESA status may disrupt farming, plantations and the livelihoods of local communities.
• Phased Notification: The Centre may issue the final notification either state-wise in phases or through a single combined notification. This approach would permit finalisation in states where agreement has been reached without waiting for consensus among all six states.
• Ecological Importance: The Western Ghats were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012 under natural criteria IX and X. The World Heritage property comprises 39 component sites and is recognised for exceptional biodiversity, endemism and its influence on monsoon patterns.

Fields Medal 2026: Hong Wang, Yu Deng, John Pardon and Jacob Tsimerman Honoured with Mathematics’ Highest Award

In the News:  The International Mathematical Union awarded the 2026 Fields Medals to Hong Wang, Yu Deng, John Pardon and Jacob Tsimerman. The medals were presented at the International Congress of Mathematicians held in Philadelphia from July 23 to July 30, 2026.

Key Points:

• Hong Wang: Hong Wang was honoured for contributions to harmonic analysis and geometric measure theory, including major progress on the three-dimensional Kakeya problem, Fourier restriction and Falconer distance sets. She became the third woman in history to receive the Fields Medal.
• Yu Deng: Yu Deng received the medal for work in partial differential equations. His research includes the rigorous derivation of the Boltzmann equation from hard-sphere dynamics and the study of wave kinetic equations and nonlinear Schrödinger dynamics.
• John Pardon: John Pardon was recognised for achievements in symplectic geometry and for contributions to geometry and topology. His work covers virtual fundamental cycles, Fukaya categories, holomorphic curves, knot theory and group actions on three-dimensional manifolds.
• Jacob Tsimerman: Jacob Tsimerman was honoured for establishing o-minimality as an important method in arithmetic and complex algebraic geometry. His work contributed to proofs of major results, including the André-Oort conjecture for Siegel modular varieties.
• About the Fields Medal: The medal is awarded every four years by the International Mathematical Union to between two and four mathematicians. A recipient’s 40th birthday must not occur before January 1 of the award year; the medal carries the profile of Archimedes and a cash award of CAD 15,000.