Current Affairs for Competitive Exams: 01 July 2026, Daily Roundup

Current Affairs for Competitive Exams: 01 July 2026, Daily Roundup

Current Affairs – 1 July 2026

National Affairs

1. GST Completes Nine Years: India completed nine years of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on 1 July 2026, marking one of the country’s biggest indirect tax reforms.

Key Highlights

• GST was implemented on 1 July 2017 under the 101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016.
• Annual GST collections increased from ₹7.4 lakh crore (FY 2017–18) to a record ₹22.27 lakh crore (FY 2025–26).
• Registered taxpayers increased from 66.5 lakh to nearly 1.65 crore.
• GST has strengthened fiscal federalism, improved tax compliance and formalised the economy.

2. Digital India Completes 11 Years: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) celebrated 11 years of the Digital India Programme.

Major Achievements

• Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) through Digital Public Infrastructure crossed ₹51 lakh crore.
• Benefits have reached over 176 crore beneficiary accounts.
• India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) now accounts for nearly 49% of global real-time digital transactions.

3. Cabinet Approves Major Infrastructure Projects: The Union Cabinet approved road infrastructure projects worth ₹14,115 crore.

Important Project

• Construction of an 8.1 km six-lane underground tunnel on NH-148AE.
• The tunnel will connect Dwarka Expressway with Nelson Mandela Marg (Vasant Kunj), Delhi.
• Estimated cost: ₹6,969.67 crore.
• The project aims to reduce traffic congestion and improve connectivity.

4. Commercial LPG and ATF Prices Reduced: State-owned oil marketing companies reduced fuel prices due to improved supply conditions.

Key Changes

• 19 kg Commercial LPG cylinder price reduced by ₹183.50.
• Domestic Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices reduced by ₹5 per litre.
• The reduction follows improvement in global fuel supply after easing tensions in West Asia.

International Current Affairs

1. India–Iran Relations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Discussion Points

• Safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
• Regional peace and energy security.
• Invitation to India for the upcoming BRICS Summit.

2. India Strengthens International Cooperation: India has signed 28 Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreements with over 26 countries for safe and legal migration.

• India and Saudi Arabia signed an MoU on Water Resource Management.
• Eurobank (Greece) launched UPI-based remittance services for transfers to India through NPCI International.
• India expanded humanitarian assistance to earthquake-hit Venezuela under Operation Amistad.
• Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit India from 1–3 July for the 16th India–Japan Annual Summit.

Global Developments

• The US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.
• Afghanistan condemned Pakistani airstrikes that killed civilians.
• Diplomatic talks between the US and Iran continued over the West Asia crisis.
• Italy became the country with the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (61).
• The US, Israel and Lebanon signed a trilateral framework to reduce border tensions.

Defence & Science & Technology

1. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit Becomes 51st Vice Chief of Air Staff: Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit assumed charge as the 51st Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS). He succeeds Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor and had earlier served as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC).

2. General Dhiraj Seth Becomes 31st Chief of Army Staff: General Dhiraj Seth assumed charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi.

3. Defence Reforms and Modernisation: Ministry of Defence introduced Delegation of Financial Powers (DFP-2026) for DRDO to speed up research and procurement.

• India is negotiating with Russia for procurement and domestic manufacturing of the Su-57E fifth-generation stealth fighter.
• The Indian Army is developing its first unmanned T-72 battle tank.
• Defence exports have increased from around ₹1,000 crore in 2014 to nearly ₹39,000 crore.
• Project BRAHMANK of BRO completed 16 years, maintaining over 811 km of roads and 86 bridges in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Indian Army rejected reports of Chinese encroachment in Arunachal Pradesh.

Legal & Governance

• Due date for filing appeals before the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) has been extended till 31 July 2026.
• A Pune court awarded the death sentence in the Nasrapur child rape and murder case, terming it a “rarest of rare” case.
• A biometric registration drive for displaced Myanmar nationals continued in Manipur.
• Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah raised concerns with Punjab over unauthorised charges on livestock transport vehicles.

Global Observance

1. National Doctors’ Day – 1 July: Observed every year in memory of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, Bharat Ratna awardee and renowned physician. The day honours the contribution of doctors to society.

2. Chartered Accountants’ Day – 1 July: Marks the foundation of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on 1 July 1949. The day recognizes the contribution of Chartered Accountants to India’s economy and financial governance.

Sports

• ICC Women’s T20 World Cup: Australia defeated West Indies by 8 wickets in the first semifinal.
• FIFA World Cup 2026: Morocco and Paraguay advanced after defeating the Netherlands and Germany in penalty shootouts.
• Wimbledon 2026 began at the All England Club, London.
• Indian rowers Havildar Lakshay and Ujjwal Kumar Singh won India’s first-ever gold medal at a World Rowing Cup in the Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls event.
• BCCI announced the 15-member Indian Women’s Cricket Team for the Asian Games 2026.

Miscellaneous Current Affairs

• Hul Diwas was observed in Jharkhand to honour Sidho, Kanho, Chand, Bhairav and Phulo-Jhano, heroes of the Santhal Hul (1855).
• Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasized that Viksit Bharat cannot be achieved without agricultural development.
• The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls began in several states including Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
• The National Study Report on Low Participation in Gram Sabhas was released by the National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR).

• President Droupadi Murmu urged students at the first convocation of the Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh to use education for building an equitable and inclusive society.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions with Union Secretaries on Ease of Doing Business, Ease of Living, deregulation and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• The Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB-G RAM G] Act, 2025 came into force across rural India.
• Indian Railways approved projects worth over ₹1,100 crore, including:
  • Doubling of the Mansi–Saharsa rail section.
  • Electronic Interlocking at 27 stations.
  • Expansion of optical fibre communication network.
• Home Minister Amit Shah launched the FCRA 2.0 Portal and Electronic Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) Card.
• India achieved a milestone as Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 became the first privately developed orbital rocket stacked on the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• Preparations were completed for the 57-day Amarnath Yatra, beginning on 3 July.