Welcome to Plutus Academy’s Daily Current Affairs for 19 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

• Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 became India’s first privately built and launched orbital rocket, lifting off successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on 18 July 2026; PM Modi congratulated the team, calling it the dawn of a new space era.
• The India Meteorological Department issued a heavy rainfall alert for 25 states with a flood risk in Uttarakhand, along with weather warnings for Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
• The Union Cabinet approved the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) and Semicon 2.0 on 15 July 2026, extending long-term policy support to semiconductor manufacturing in India.
• The Union Cabinet approved the National Investment Policy for Urea-2026 (NIPU-2026) to boost domestic urea production under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
• The Union Cabinet approved two railway multitracking projects spanning four districts across Odisha and Jharkhand, adding about 145 km to the Indian Railways network.

International News

• The US-Iran conflict escalated sharply over control of the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran striking targets in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan and the United States resuming its naval blockade along with a 20% fee on ships transiting the strait.
• Iran said US strikes have killed at least 46 people and wounded more than 400 since hostilities resumed, as the earlier ceasefire agreement effectively collapsed.
• Spain and the British territory of Gibraltar removed their border fence on 15 July 2026 under a landmark EU-UK treaty, shifting passport checks to the airport and port.
• Russian strikes on the Ukrainian cities of Sumy and Odesa killed six people and injured at least 20 others.
• The 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and defending champions Argentina is being held on 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.

News Related to Indian Banking and Finance

• The Union Government extended the term of RBI Deputy Governor Swaminathan Janakiraman by two years, effective 26 June 2026.
• The RBI released draft amendments under the Commercial Banks – Governance Second Amendment Directions, 2026, inviting public comments.
• The RBI temporarily withdrew the interest rate ceiling on fresh FCNR(B) deposits with tenors of three to five years, effective 17 June 2026 until 30 September 2026.
• The RBI issued an advisory to regulated entities to address potential cybersecurity threats emerging from the ‘Mythos AI’ system.
• Bank credit expanded 17.65% year-on-year as of 31 May 2026, its fastest pace in nearly two years, while deposits grew 12.21%; RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said slower deposit growth does not limit banks’ lending capacity.

News Related to International Banking and Finance

• The IMF’s July 2026 World Economic Outlook Update, ‘Global Economy in Crosscurrents of War and Technology,’ projected global growth of about 3.0% for 2026 and 3.4% for 2027, with India’s growth projected at 6.4%.
• The IMF Executive Board concluded its 2026 Article IV consultation with the United Kingdom on 16 July 2026.
• The IMF Executive Board concluded its 2026 Article IV consultation with the Euro Area on 16 July 2026.
• IMF staff concluded a visit to Bangladesh on 16 July 2026 as part of ongoing engagement.
• The IMF flagged that artificial intelligence is reshaping cyber risk in the financial sector, increasing the speed and scale of threats to financial stability.

International Sports Events

• The 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina is scheduled for 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, with kick-off at 3:00 pm ET.
• The Rolex Belgian Grand Prix (Formula 1) is being held from 17 to 19 July 2026 at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
• The Hamburg European Open women’s tennis tournament runs from 19 to 26 July 2026 in Hamburg, Germany.
• The Open Championship (golf) concludes on 19 July 2026 at Royal Birkdale, Southport, United Kingdom.
• The UCI BMX Racing World Championships continue in Brisbane, Australia, running from 17 to 25 July 2026.

Major National or International Appointments

• Somnath Ghosh (IFS: 1997), presently Consul General of India in Chicago, has been appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to Malaysia.
• Manoj Tiwari (IPS: 2003) has been appointed Inspector General in the Border Security Force (BSF), with tenure up to 24 August 2030.
• Mamta Rahul (IPS: 2007) has been appointed Inspector General in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
• Stephen Hemsley, Chairman and former CEO of UnitedHealth Group, has been reappointed as CEO following Andrew Witty’s exit.
• Jay Hoag, Netflix’s lead independent director, has been appointed Chairman of the company’s board.

Resignation or Dismissal

• UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty stepped down for personal reasons; he is being replaced by Chairman and former CEO Stephen Hemsley.
• Alstom CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge resigned; Martin Sion has been appointed as his successor.
• Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings stepped down from his board chair role, succeeded by Jay Hoag.
• Perrigo CEO Patrick Lockwood-Taylor resigned after the board found his personal conduct violated the company code; director Albert Manzone has taken over as interim CEO.
• Jindal Steel Ltd CEO Gautam Malhotra resigned effective 15 July 2026, citing personal commitments.

Major Inventions and Discoveries

• Scientists discovered that gallium’s atomic bonds re-form at high temperatures, overturning decades of accepted theory about the metal’s structure.
• Researchers developed a new quantum theory that bridges two rival models describing how impurities behave inside many-particle systems.
• Scientists found that survivors of a deadly amphibian-killing fungus develop powerful immune defenses acquired while they are still tadpoles.
• Paleontologists found a fossilised Edmontosaurus skull with a Tyrannosaurus tooth still embedded in its face, offering rare direct evidence of a predator-prey encounter.
• Astronomers detected helium escaping from exoplanet LHS 1140b, which orbits within its star’s habitable zone.

Sources: Press Information Bureau (PIB), Reserve Bank of India, IMF, World Bank, India Meteorological Department, FIFA, Reuters, AP, NPR, CNN, Al Jazeera, Space.com and other credible news agencies.

Test Yourself – 5 Practice Questions