Current Affairs Quiz 21st July 2026 Quiz

Exp. PM Modi inaugurates 75 redeveloped railway stations across country under Amrit Bharat Scheme

PM Modi Inaugurates 75 Redeveloped Railway Stations – 4 Key Points

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated 75 redeveloped railway stations across 20 states under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) at a cost of ₹1,570 crore.

Major redeveloped stations include Jalandhar Cantonment, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Sri Muktsar Sahib, Sri Anandpur Sahib (Punjab); Pratapnagar, Godhra, Porbandar, Bhaktinagar (Gujarat); Barpali, Balangir, Paralakhemundi, Talcher, Kesinga, Bimalgarh, Baripada (Odisha), along with 9 stations under Southern Railway.

The stations have been modernised with passenger-friendly amenities while preserving local culture, heritage, and architecture under the theme “Virasat Bhi, Vikas Bhi”. PM Modi also flagged off the Kartoli–Ambala train and Sant Ravidas Express (Amritsar–Varanasi).

About Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS)

• The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) was launched by the Ministry of Railways in 2022 for the long-term redevelopment of railway stations.
• The scheme aims to modernise railway stations, improve passenger amenities, and transform stations into world-class transport hubs.
• Under the scheme, 1,340 railway stations across India are being redeveloped in a phased manner.
• Key Features: Redeveloped stations incorporate modern infrastructure, improved accessibility, better passenger facilities, and designs reflecting local culture, heritage, and architecture under the theme “Virasat Bhi, Vikas Bhi

Exp. NITI Aayog Unveils Roadmap to Make India a Global BioEconomy Powerhouse by 2035

NITI Aayog released the report titled “Roadmap for Building India as a Leading BioEconomy Powerhouse by 2035.”

India’s BioEconomy has grown 16-fold, from US$10 billion in 2014 to US$195.3 billion in 2025, and currently contributes 4.8% to India’s GDP.

The report targets expanding India’s BioEconomy to US$691 billion by 2035 and US$2.6 trillion by 2047, positioning India as a global bioeconomy leader.

Exp. MoSPI Releases India’s First Trial Index of Services Production (ISP)

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released India’s first Trial Index of Services Production (ISP), with the first trial index covering April 2026.

The trial ISP includes 19 service sub-sectors, representing about 60% of India’s services sector, providing a high-frequency measure of service sector performance.

14 out of 19 sub-sectors recorded double-digit year-on-year growth, with the fastest-growing sectors being Accommodation & Food Services (37.2%), Retail Trade (30.8%), Administrative & Support Services (28.7%), Real Estate (27.7%), and Telecommunications (22.8%).

Monthly trial ISP data will be released with a lag of around 60 days and published on the 29th of every month (or the next working day if the 29th is a holiday).

Exp. R. Vairamuthu Chosen for the 60th Jnanpith Award 2025

Renowned Tamil poet, lyricist, and writer R. Vairamuthu has been selected for the 60th Jnanpith Award (2025), India’s highest literary honour.

The award recognises Vairamuthu’s outstanding contribution to Tamil literature, celebrated for its emotional depth, cultural richness, and distinctive poetic style developed over several decades.

The selection was made by the Bharatiya Jnanpith Selection Committee, chaired by Pratibha Ray, and the announcement was made in March 2026.

About Jnanpith Award

• The Jnanpith Award, instituted in 1961 by Bharatiya Jnanpith, is India’s highest literary honour.
• It is conferred for lifetime contribution to Indian literature and is open to authors writing in any language listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
• The award carries a cash prize of ₹21 lakh, a bronze statue of Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), and a citation.

Exp. ‘Article 370’ Tops the 72nd National Film Awards 2024 with Best Feature Film Honour

The 72nd National Film Awards (2024) were announced, with Article 370 winning the Best Feature Film award and Yami Gautam receiving the Best Actress award for the same film.

The Best Actor award was jointly won by Mammootty (Bramayugam) and Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion).

Rajkumar Periasamy won the Best Director award for Amaran, while Kalki 2898 AD was adjudged Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

Randeep Hooda’s Swatantrya Veer Savarkar won the Best Debut Film of a Director, while Captain Miller received the award for Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values.

In the Non-Feature Film category, Bhangaar won Best Non-Feature Film, Ram-Nami was named Best Documentary, and Kenchanuru Pradeep Kumar Shetty received the Best Book on Cinema award.

Exp. India Creates History with Four Gold Medals at International Chemistry Olympiad 2026

India achieved its best-ever performance at the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) 2026, with all four team members winning gold medals for the first time.

The 58th IChO 2026 was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from 10–19 July 2026, with 363 students from 93 countries, making it the largest edition of the Olympiad.

India finished joint first in the country-wise medal tally alongside China, Vietnam, and Individual Participants Group B (Russia).

The four Indian gold medal winners were Debadatta Priyadarshi (Odisha), Harshit Singla (Punjab), Kabeer Chillar (Delhi), and Sandeep Kuchi (Telangana).

The Indian team was trained by the Chemistry Olympiad Cell at HBCSE, Mumbai, under the guidance of Prof. Subhajit Bandyopadhyay and Dr. Indrani Sen, with support from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Department of Science and Technology (DST), and the Ministry of Education.

Exp. India Achieves Historic Milestone with Successful Launch of Private Orbital Rocket Vikram-1

India’s first privately developed orbital rocket, Vikram-1, built by Skyroot Aerospace under Mission Aagaman, successfully reached a 450 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO) after launching from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

With the successful launch of Vikram-1, India became the third country in the world to achieve private orbital launch capability, marking a major milestone for the country’s private space sector.

Developed by the Hyderabad-based startup Skyroot Aerospace, Vikram-1 is a three-stage solid-propellant launch vehicle with a liquid-fuelled Raman engine, designed to provide cost-effective and flexible launch services for small satellites.

Exp. Cricket Legend Sir Garfield Sobers Passes Away at 89

West Indies cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers, widely regarded as the greatest all-rounder in cricket history, passed away at the age of 89 at his home in Barbados.

Sobers represented the West Indies from 1954 to 1974, playing 93 Test matches, scoring 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78, taking 235 wickets, and famously becoming the first cricketer to hit six sixes in a single over in first-class cricket.

Knighted in 1975, inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009, and the namesake of the ICC Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Men’s Cricketer of the Year.

Exp. Spain Defeats Argentina to Win FIFA World Cup 2026 Title

Spain won the FIFA World Cup 2026, defeating Argentina in the final to claim their second FIFA World Cup title, having previously won in 2010.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 was jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, marking the first 48-team edition of the tournament.

Spain’s victory ended a 16-year wait for the World Cup title and reaffirmed its status as one of the world’s leading football nations.

With this victory, Spain became the first country to simultaneously hold both the FIFA Men’s and FIFA Women’s World Cup titles.

France’s Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot, becoming the first player to finish as the tournament’s top scorer at multiple FIFA World Cups.

Spain captain Rodri was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s Best Player, while Unai Simón won the Golden Glove for Best Goalkeeper.

Pau Cubarsí of Spain received the FIFA World Cup 2026 Young Player Award for his outstanding performances throughout the tournament.

Exp. PV Sinhu Creates History, Becomes First Indian to Win Japan Open Title

PV Sindhu became the first Indian shuttler to win the Japan Open title by defeating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 in the final.

The 31-year-old clinched her maiden BWF Super 750 Japan Open title, ending a more than two-year title drought.

Sindhu became the first Indian woman to reach the Japan Open final and secured her biggest title since winning the 2019 BWF World Championships.

Exp. 21 July – National Flag Adoption Day

National Flag Adoption Day is observed in India on 21 July every year to commemorate the adoption of the Tiranga by the Constituent Assembly on 21 July 1947.

The Indian National Flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya, and its final form was approved before India’s independence.

Exp. International Moon Day

International Moon Day is observed annually on 21 July to commemorate the first human landing on the Moon during NASA’s Apollo 11 mission in 1969.

The day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2021 to promote international cooperation in the peaceful exploration and sustainable use of outer space.

It aims to raise awareness about lunar exploration, scientific advancements, and the benefits of space research for humanity.