News of The Day –  28th July 2026

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

(with Syllabus Relevance)

(GS-1: Art & Culture)

• World Heritage in Danger: UNESCO places sites on this list when they face serious and specific threats that could damage their outstanding universal value
• Threats: Armed conflict, natural disasters, climate change, uncontrolled urbanisation, pollution and inadequate conservation can endanger heritage sites.
• Updated World Heritage List: Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape (South Sudan), Mount Amel Castles (Lebanon), and Sebastia (State of Palestine) included.
• About World Heritage Committee
  • Composition , Role , etc

(GS-2: Polity & Governance)

• Sports Development in India: Government initiatives aim to build a strong sporting culture and improve India’s performance at national and international levels
• Key Initiatives: Khelo India, Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) initiative, Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Fit India Movement and National Sports Development Fund support grassroots participation, athlete training and elite performance
• Significance: Promotes physical fitness, youth development, social inclusion, employment and India’s soft power through sports.

(GS-2: Polity and Governance)

• Viral Hepatitis: A group of infectious diseases caused by hepatitis viruses, with Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E being the major types.
  • Routine vaccination is available only against Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B
• India’s Challenge: Hepatitis B and C are major causes of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer.
• Elimination Goal: India aims to contribute to the WHO goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030
• Key Measures: Vaccination, screening, early diagnosis, antiviral treatment, safe blood and injection practices and public awareness are crucial.

(GS-2: Polity & Governance)

• NEET Examination Reform: The Supreme Court is examining the feasibility and implications of conducting NEET in an online mode.
• Key Issues: Digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, exam integrity, accessibility and the digital divide are important considerations.
• About the Task Force:
  • To be headed by former UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani, on transitioning the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Undergraduate (NEET-UG) to a computer-based test (CBT).

(GS-2: Polity & Governance)

• Anti-Defection Law: The Tenth Schedule, inserted by the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985, seeks to prevent political defections.
• Key Provision: Legislators can be disqualified for voluntarily giving up party membership or voting/abstaining against the party direction, subject to constitutional provisions.
• About merger exception under the anti-defection law  
• Role of Speaker/Chairman: The Presiding Officer decides disqualification petitions, though such decisions are subject to judicial review.

(GS-2: Polity and Governance)

• Urban Water Crisis: Indian cities face groundwater depletion, water pollution, distribution losses, inadequate sewage treatment and climate-induced water stress.
• Governance Challenge: Fragmented institutional responsibilities and weak urban planning often hinder effective water management
• Solutions: Rainwater harvesting, wastewater reuse, aquifer recharge, leakage reduction, demand management and protection of urban water bodies are essential.
• Significance: Sustainable urban water governance is crucial for climate resilience and liveable cities.

(GS-2: Polity & Governance)

• About Atmanirbhar Panchayat.
• Key Initiative: SAMARTH Portal , Model OSR Rules to Strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions in India
• Key Areas: Local resource mobilisation, capacity building, digital governance, effective planning and improved delivery of public services.
• About the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.

(GS-3: Economy)

• Informal Women Workers: A large proportion of India’s women workers are engaged in informal employment with limited social security, digital access and formal credit.
• Role of AI: Artificial intelligence can improve access to skilling, market information, financial services, healthcare and government schemes through vernacular and voice-based tools.
• Challenges: Digital divide, affordability, low digital literacy, data privacy and algorithmic bias must be addressed to ensure inclusive AI adoption
• India Initiatives: IndiaAI Mission, the BHASHa Interface for India (BHASHINI) multilingual platform, the AI Governance Guidelines and targeted cross-sector partnerships

• Crypto-Asset Reporting: The Income Tax Department has issued guidance aligned with the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF)
• About Crypto-Asset
  • Crypto-asset income is subject to taxation under Indian law, while the reporting framework seeks to strengthen compliance and information sharing.

• About National Coal Gasification Mission 
  • Target of achieving 100 Million Tonnes (MT) of coal gasification capacity by 2030
  • Current capacity and Production
• About Coal Gasification
• Clean Coal Technologies: Include supercritical and ultra-supercritical technologies, coal beneficiation, carbon capture and utilisation/storage and emissions-control systems.
• Challenge: Coal remains carbon-intensive, so environmental safeguards and a transition towards cleaner energy remain important.

(GS-3: Economy)

• Kharif Crops: Major kharif crops include rice, maize, cotton, soybean, groundnut, pulses and millets, generally sown with the onset of the southwest monsoon
• Decline in Sowing Area
  • The total area sown under kharif crops stood at 787.37 lakh hectares as of July 24, 2026, compared with 826.19 lakh hectares.
• Key Factors: Monsoon performance, irrigation availability, input costs, MSP, seed quality and weather conditions influence kharif production.

(GS-3: Economy)

• About Kosi–Mechi Link Project:
  • A proposed interlinking project involving the Kosi and Mechi river systems in Bihar.
• Objective: Utilise surplus water from the Kosi basin for irrigation in water-stressed areas of north-eastern Bihar and reduce flood-related problems.
• India – Nepal Deals on Kosi
  • Joint Project Office (JPO-SKSKI)
  • Sun-Kosi Kamla Diversion Multipurpose Project. 
• About Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana–Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (PMKSY-AIBP).

(GS-3: Environment)

• Zero Waste Approach: Aims to minimise waste generation and maximise segregation, recycling, reuse and composting rather than relying on landfills.
• Madanapalle Model: Focuses on source segregation, decentralised waste processing, recycling and community participation
• About different techniques Adapted like  Material Recovery Facility (MRF) 
• About Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) 2.0. 

(GS-3: Science & Technology)

• About Blue Straggler Star
  • These are unusual stars that appear younger and hotter than other stars in the same stellar population.
• Discovery: Astronomers have identified a luminous blue straggler that is actively forming, providing insights into stellar evolution and star formation.
• Sources: NASA’s TESS space mission and European Southern Observatory in Chile.
• About Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA)