News of The Day – 17th July 2026

The Hindu, Indian Express, Live Mint, Business Standard, Economic Times, PIB and AIR, etc

(with Syllabus Relevance)

• Jagannath Rath Yatra is one of India’s largest religious festivals, held annually at Puri, Odisha.
• Dedicated to Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra.
• Recognised for its rich cultural, religious and tourism significance.

(GS-2: Polity & Governance)

• The Supreme Court sought updates on restoration of J&K statehood promised by the Union Government.
• J&K was reorganised into a Union Territory under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 after abrogation of Article 370.
• Statehood restoration remains a key constitutional and federalism issue.

(GS-2: Polity & Governance)

• About PARIVARTAN (Programme for Accelerated Renewal and Incentivization of Vehicle Assets for Reducing Transport Air Pollution and Network Emissions) Scheme
• Vision of reducing vehicular pollution in Delhi-NCR
• Budget Outlay and Key targets.

(GS-2: Polity & Governance)

• SC directed States/UTs to formulate a policy for premature release of eligible elderly and terminally ill prisoners.
• Reinforces Article 21 (Right to Life and Dignity) and prison reforms.
• Seeks humane treatment while balancing public safety.

• Delhi launched an intensified drive to vaccinate adolescent girls against Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
• HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer.
• Vaccination is recommended before sexual activity and complements cervical cancer screening programmes.

(GS-3:Economy)

• The government unveiled the Viksit Krishi roadmap to modernise agriculture.
  • 43 New Crop Varieties, 17 Technologies and 14 Publications Released.
• Focus on higher productivity, climate-resilient farming, technology adoption, value addition, exports, farmer income and sustainable agriculture
• About ICAR and its role in agricultural research and innovation.

(GS-3: Economy)

• NITI Aayog proposed a ₹50,000 crore BioEconomy Growth Fund.
• Aims to strengthen biotech startups, research, manufacturing and commercialisation.
• Roadmap for Building India as a Leading BioEconomy Powerhouse by 2035.

(GS-3: Internal Security)

• About Operation Southern Readiness 26-2
• It is a preparedness exercise to enhance operational readiness and coordination.
• Improves rapid response capabilities and inter-agency cooperation.
• Strengthens national security preparedness for emergencies and contingencies.

(GS-3: Science & Technology)

• Cyclo­sporiasis is a diarrhoeal disease caused by the protozoan parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis.
• Spread through contaminated food or water, especially fresh produce.
• Prevented through improved sanitation, hygiene and safe food handling.

• Recently the Union Minister inaugurated the  ‘White Rabbit Technology’-based ‘Indian Standard Time (IST) – Distribution Demonstration Network.
• White Rabbit is an Ethernet-based technology enabling sub-nanosecond time synchronisation across distributed systems.
• Used in scientific research, defence, telecommunications and power-grid applications.
• Provides highly accurate timing over optical fibre networks.

(GS-3: Science & Technology)

• Testosterone testing
• Induction in the US Military to ensure troops remain strong, resilient and capable of doing everything and be mentally prepared for the modern battlefield demands.
• Raises concerns regarding fairness, privacy and human rights.

(GS-3: Science & Technology)

• INS Malvan is a Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) for the Indian Navy.
• Built under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative with 80 percent indigenous content.

(GS-3: Environment)

• Draft Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) Phase III norms released for passenger vehicles.
• Tightens fuel-efficiency and CO₂ emission standards.
• Supports India’s climate commitments, EV transition and cleaner transport sector.