News of The Day : 18th July 2026

News of The Day – 18th July 2026 The Hindu, Indian Express, Live Mint, Business Standard, Economic Times, PIB and AIR, etc
News Headline (with Syllabus Relevance)	Source	What to Know?
Falkland Islands (Places in News) (GS-1: Geography)	IE	British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. Claimed by Argentina as the Malvinas Islands. Known for the 1982 Falklands War and strategic maritime location.
Supreme Court to examine plea for recognition of intersex persons as a distinct class (GS-2: Polity & Governance)	The Hindu	SC will examine legal recognition of intersex persons as a separate category. Raises issues of equality, dignity and identity under Articles 14, 15 and 21. May influence future welfare measures and legal protections.
EPFO reform: Government works on new pension plan for all (GS-2: Polity & Governance)	Indian Express	About Target Retirement Sum (TRS) The centre is working on a universal pension framework. Aims to expand old-age social security beyond organised-sector workers. Focuses on wider coverage, portability and financial inclusion.
EPFO launches ‘VISHWAS, 2026’ (GS-2: Polity & Governance)	PIB	Nationwide EPFO grievance-redressal and outreach initiative. Seeks to resolve long-pending member and pensioner grievances. Improves service delivery, transparency and public trust. About EPFO
NITI Aayog releases Investment Friendliness Index (GS-3: Economy)	PIB	Investment Friendliness Index (IFI) assesses States/UTs on investment climate and reforms. Evaluates governance, infrastructure, ease of doing business and investor facilitation. Promotes competitive federalism and attracts domestic and foreign investment.
Bharat Tex 2026 (GS-3: Economy)	PIB	About Bharat Tex 2026 India’s flagship global textile and apparel exhibition. Showcases the complete textile value chain and technical textiles. Promotes exports, sustainability, innovation and the 5F Vision (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign Markets).
India’s food processing sector poised to become a $600 billion industry by 2030 (GS-3: Economy)	DD News	The sector is projected to reach US$600 billion by 2030. Growth driven by value addition, exports, cold-chain infrastructure and FDI. Supports farmer income, employment and agro-industrial development.
What is AI Squatting? An emerging cyber threat targeting AI hallucinations (GS-3: Science & Technology)	BS	AI Squatting exploits AI hallucinations using fake domains or repositories. Can mislead AI systems into generating incorrect or malicious outputs. Highlights emerging cybersecurity and AI governance challenges.
MH-60R Seahawk Helicopter (GS-3: Science & Technology)	The Hindu	About MH-60R Seahawk Helicopter Multi-role naval helicopter inducted by the Indian Navy. Performs anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW) and maritime surveillance. Strengthens India’s maritime security and Indo-Pacific capabilities.
J&K’s Mansbal Lake starts hosting migratory birds again (GS-3: Environment)	The Hindu	Mansbal is Jammu & Kashmir’s deepest freshwater lake. Return of migratory birds indicates improving wetland health. Highlights importance of wetland restoration and biodiversity conservation.
Scientists discover a new monkey species (GS-3: Environment)	NDTV	About Colobus congoensis. New species of monkey identified through genetic and morphological studies. Key features , distribution , etc