Welcome to Plutus Academy’s Daily Current Affairs for 16 July 2026, carefully compiled from credible newspapers, news agencies and Government sources for aspirants of Bank PO, SSC, RRB and UPSC examinations. Read the summaries below, download the PDF, and test yourself with the five practice questions at the end.

National News

• The Ministry of Mines launched the eighth tranche of auction of critical and strategic mineral blocks on 15 July 2026, offering 20 blocks (13 newly identified and 7 re-offered) across nine states as part of India Mining Week 2026; with seven tranches already completed, 56 of 88 blocks taken up have been successfully auctioned. The portfolio covers Molybdenum, Graphite, Rare Earth Elements, Lithium, Titanium, Tungsten and other strategic minerals.
• Ladakh’s Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra announced that the Union Territory administration will constitute an Autonomous Hill Development Council (AHDC) in each of Ladakh’s seven districts, expanding elected hill-council representation beyond the existing Leh and Kargil councils.
• Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, inaugurating Google I/O Connect India 2026 in Bengaluru, announced that the state will set up India’s first government-driven Artificial Intelligence University on a 100-acre campus in Bengaluru, with regional campuses in Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru and Mysuru; an AI Hub and two hyperscale green data centres were also announced.
• Bharat Tex 2026, one of the world’s largest textile exhibitions, continued at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi (14-17 July 2026).
• NITI Aayog, with the Finance Ministry and DPIIT, scheduled the release of a report on the states’ ‘Investment Friendliness Index’ on 16 July 2026, aimed at fostering competitive cooperative federalism among states to attract private investment.

International News

• The Middle East conflict continued, with the United States carrying out further strikes aimed at protecting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz; Iran said it responded with strikes in the region, and missile-alert warnings were issued in parts of the Gulf.
• The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo crossed 2,011 confirmed cases with 754 deaths, making it the fastest-growing outbreak on record; health workers at Bunia General Hospital went on strike over unpaid compensation.
• China’s economy slowed sharply to a 4.3% annualised growth rate in the second quarter of 2026, its weakest performance in more than three years.
• The Philippines’ armed forces publicly rejected renewed territorial claims by China in the South China Sea, urging Beijing’s embassy in Manila to withdraw them.

News Related to Indian Banking and Finance

• India’s Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation for June 2026 rose to 9.87% year-on-year (from 9.68% in May), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry reported on 14 July 2026, driven by Fuel & Power (27.41%) and Manufactured Products (7.48%); the WPI Food Index rose to 6.14%.
• The Reserve Bank of India released draft amendments to the Commercial Banks – Governance (Second Amendment) Directions, 2026, inviting public and stakeholder comments to strengthen risk reporting and internal-audit oversight.
• RBI temporarily withdrew the interest-rate ceiling on fresh FCNR(B) deposits of three-to-five-year tenor, effective from 17 June 2026 until 30 September 2026, giving banks more flexibility to mobilise NRI foreign-currency deposits.
• The Central Government extended the term of RBI Deputy Governor Swaminathan Janakiraman by two years, effective from 26 June 2026.
• Bank credit growth touched a near two-year high of 17.65% year-on-year as of 31 May 2026, while deposit growth stood at 12.21%, widening the credit-deposit gap to 544 basis points.

News Related to International Banking and Finance

• In its July 2026 World Economic Outlook Update, the IMF projected global growth of around 3% for 2026 and cautioned that renewed escalation in the Middle East could reignite commodity-price volatility and tighten financial conditions.
• The World Bank projected slower growth across emerging market and developing economies in 2026 owing to the Middle East conflict, with South Asia expected to remain the fastest-growing region globally.
• The 2026 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group are scheduled to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 12 to 18 October 2026.

International Sports Events

• India defeated England by 6 wickets in the 1st ODI at Birmingham on 14 July 2026 to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series under Shubman Gill’s captaincy; the 2nd ODI was played at Cardiff on 16 July 2026.
• 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals: Spain beat France 2-0 and Argentina beat England 2-1 on 15 July 2026; defending champions Argentina will face Spain in the final.
• The 2026 ESPY Awards were presented on 15 July, with Jalen Brunson named Best NBA Player and Myles Garrett named Best NFL Player.
• Delhi unveiled ‘Mayur’ as the official mascot of the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships 2026.

Major National or International Appointments

• Ravi Agrawal was reappointed as Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), with his tenure extended till December 2026.
• Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was granted a one-year extension in his current post.
• RBI Deputy Governor Swaminathan Janakiraman’s term was extended by two years with effect from 26 June 2026.

Resignation or Dismissal

• UK Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer announced his resignation on 22 June 2026, triggering a leadership transition in the Labour Party.
• Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko resigned on 14 July 2026, and the Verkhovna Rada approved the resignation of her entire government as part of President Zelenskyy’s cabinet reshuffle; Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov was dismissed on 15 July 2026.
• Herman Smetanin resigned as CEO of Ukraine’s state defence conglomerate Ukroboronprom following an explosion at a facility in Vishnevoye.

Major Inventions and Discoveries

• ISRO announced on 13 July 2026 that it had completed three major Gaganyaan qualification tests for the crew module — the flotation-unit righting test, the crew-service module umbilical disconnect test, and a structural load test for parachute-cover separation.
• NASA’s PACE satellite captured images of the Black Sea glowing turquoise during its annual phytoplankton bloom caused by microscopic coccolithophore organisms.
• Astronomers using Hubble’s ultraviolet observations discovered four nearby white dwarf stars hidden beside brighter red-dwarf companions, including one just 25 light-years from Earth.
• NASA selected 41 commercial technology projects to help address critical challenges for future Moon and Mars missions.

Sources: Press Information Bureau (PIB), Reserve Bank of India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, IMF, World Bank, ISRO, NASA, ESPNcricinfo, Business Standard, Reuters and other credible news agencies.

Test Yourself – 5 Practice Questions