Welcome to Plutus Academy’s Daily Current Affairs for 18 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 Union Cabinet approved the ‘Small Hydro Power (SHP) Development Scheme’ for FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31 with an outlay of ₹2,584.60 crore, targeting the installation of small hydro projects with an approximate capacity of 1,500 MW.
• As per the Renewable Energy Statistics 2026, India has moved ahead of Brazil to rank third globally in Renewable Energy Installed Capacity, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi announced, with total non-fossil capacity addition of 55.3 GW in FY 2025-26 taking cumulative installed non-fossil capacity to 283.46 GW as on 31 March 2026.
• India’s cumulative installed wind power capacity has crossed 56 GW, placing the country 4th globally in installed wind turbine capacity.
• One devotee died and over 100 people were rescued after a crowd surge during Puri’s Rath Yatra; the Odisha administration has ordered a review of crowd-management protocols at the shrine.
• The Jammu & Kashmir government ordered a review of books and academic material across schools, colleges, universities and public libraries in the region following a row over content in school libraries.

International News

• Middle East tensions continued as Qatar and Kuwait fended off fresh attacks, while the United States pressed on with strikes on Iran and reinstated its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
• Outgoing UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer travelled to Ukraine for his final visit to the war-torn country before leaving office.
• China’s President Xi Jinping launched a new multilateral AI alliance aimed at coordinating artificial-intelligence governance and cooperation among member nations.
• Colombia’s presidential race remained razor-tight, with Trump-backed candidate de la Espriella leading the preliminary count in the runoff election.
• The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak has now recorded over 2,000 cases and more than 750 deaths, according to health authorities tracking the epidemic’s spread.

News Related to Indian Banking and Finance

• SEBI eased certification norms for Specialised Investment Fund (SIF) distribution, introducing a combined NISM certification examination for mutual fund and SIF distributors to simplify qualification requirements.
• SEBI shifted Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) and Foreign Venture Capital Investor (FVCI) fee payments to a rupee-denominated structure, revised registration and custodian charges, and notified new intraday borrowing norms for mutual funds.
• SEBI introduced single-window access provisions to make it easier for low-risk foreign investors to participate in Indian securities markets.
• RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said SEBI’s proposal to permit banks to enter non-agri commodity derivatives would require amending the Banking Regulation Act and remains under review after an earlier rejection.
• SEBI resolved more than 5,000 investor complaints through its SCORES grievance-redressal platform in June 2026 alone, underlining its continued push on investor-grievance disposal.

News Related to International Banking and Finance

• The IMF’s Executive Board concluded its 2026 Article IV consultation with the Euro Area on 16 July 2026, assessing the currency bloc’s growth outlook and financial-stability risks.
• In its July 2026 World Economic Outlook Update, ‘Global Economy in Crosscurrents of War and Technology,’ the IMF projected global growth of about 3.0% for 2026 and 3.4% for 2027, cautioning that progress on global disinflation has stalled.
• The World Bank projected global growth could slow to around 2.5% in 2026, citing the impact of the Middle East conflict on energy prices and financial conditions in emerging markets.
• The 2026 Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group are scheduled to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 12 to 18 October 2026.
• The IMF published new research on ‘BigTech in Financial Services: Emerging Regulatory Considerations,’ examining risks posed by large technology firms entering payments and financial services.

International Sports Events

• The FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place play-off between France and England was held on 18 July 2026 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, with Kylian Mbappe chasing the Golden Boot and the all-time World Cup scoring record.
• The 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and defending champions Argentina is scheduled for 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey.
• Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe entered the tournament’s closing matches tied on eight goals each in the race for the Golden Boot, with Mbappe one strike behind matching the record for most World Cup career goals.

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, effective 2 July 2026.
• Hitesh Joshi was named the new Chairman of General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re), effective 18 June 2026.
• Mahesh Dixit was appointed as the new Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) for a tenure of two years, effective 25 June 2026.
• Saurabh Vijay, CEO of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), also took charge as CEO of the IndiaAI Mission.

Resignation or Dismissal

• Ukraine’s Parliament approved the resignation of the entire government led by Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko on 14 July 2026, paving the way for a cabinet reshuffle.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Mykhailo Fedorov as Ukraine’s Minister of Defence on 16 July 2026 in a surprise shake-up, triggering protests in Kyiv.
• Serhiy Koretsky, current CEO of Ukraine’s state-owned energy company Naftogaz, has been nominated as the country’s next Prime Minister following the reshuffle.
• Over 100 scientists have resigned from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in recent months; the Department of Space issued stricter resignation-review rules on 14 July 2026 to safeguard continuity of strategic projects, including the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.

Major Inventions and Discoveries

• Scientists combined machine learning with quantum physics to discover two new superconductors and develop a significantly faster method for searching out further candidate materials.
• Researchers demonstrated new quantum control techniques that can make a quantum system appear to run backward in time by precisely managing quantum measurements.
• A study found that a microscopic skeleton structure inside neurons acts as a gatekeeper controlling what and when brain cells absorb substances, offering new insight into neuronal function.
• Researchers cracked the biochemical code behind certain bacteria’s natural ability to manufacture multiple versions of powerful anti-cancer drug compounds.
• A study reported that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, slowed biological aging markers in adults living with HIV.
• Astronomers discovered four nearby white dwarf stars that had been hiding in plain sight beside brighter red dwarf companion stars.

Sources: Press Information Bureau (PIB), Reserve Bank of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, IMF, World Bank, FIFA, Reuters, AFP, Al Jazeera and other credible news agencies.

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