Daily Current Affairs Quiz 14th July 2026 for Banking & Competitive Exams |

Daily Current Affairs: 14 July, 2026

Q1. NIDAR 2.0 was launched as the flagship innovation platform under the “SwaYaan” initiative of MeitY. What is the core, long-term objective of the SwaYaan scheme approved by the government? (a) Setting up commercial drone manufacturing corridors for export

(b) Capacity building and human resource development in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

(d) Digitizing municipal land records using high-resolution drone mapping

(e) Establishing a centralized civil aviation air traffic controller network for low-altitude airspace

Answer: b

Solution:

MeitY, in collaboration with the Drone Federation India (DFI), launched NIDAR 2.0 (2026–27) under the SwaYaan initiative.
The programme was launched at Electronics Niketan, New Delhi, in hybrid mode, with participation from students, faculty, industry leaders, and government representatives.
NIDAR 2.0 aims to promote innovation in autonomous drone systems, indigenous avionics, and core drone technologies.
The competition is divided into two tracks:
- Track 1 – Drone Innovation: Participants will develop fully autonomous swarm drones capable of locating disaster survivors and delivering medical supplies without external communication networks, as well as GPS-denied drones for indoor industrial inspection.
- Track 2 – Component Innovation: Teams will design an indigenous flight controller and autopilot using the VEGA processor and indigenous electronic components.
The top 100 teams selected under the Component Innovation track will receive two VEGA processor development kits for testing and integration.
The VEGA processor, developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under MeitY’s Microprocessor Development Programme, is based on the RISC-V open-standard architecture.
The prize pool for NIDAR 2.0 has been increased to more than ₹65 lakh.
Winning teams will also receive corporate internships, incubation support, and cloud computing credits to help commercialise their innovations.

About SwaYaan

SwaYaan (Capacity Building for Human Resource Development in Unmanned Aircraft Systems – Drone and Allied Technologies) was approved by MeitY in July 2022.
The initiative has an outlay of approximately ₹89.87 crore over five years.
It operates through a Hub-and-Spoke model involving 30 premier institutions, including IISc, IITs, IIITs, NITs, C-DAC, and NIELIT.

Q2. According to the trade data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, what is the estimated value of India’s total exports (Merchandise and Services combined) specifically for the month of June 2026?

(a) US$ 65.30 Billion

(b) US$ 73.45 Billion

(d) US$ 232.00 Billion

(e) US$ 92.15 Billion

Answer: b

Solution:

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced that India’s total exports (merchandise and services combined) reached an estimated US$73.45 billion in June 2026, registering a 9.48% year-on-year growth over June 2025.

Key Highlights

India’s total exports (merchandise and services combined) were estimated at US$73.45 billion in June 2026, registering a 9.48% growth compared to June 2025.
Total imports (merchandise and services combined) during June 2026 were estimated at US$88.76 billion, recording a 26.85% year-on-year growth.
During April–June 2026, India’s total exports were estimated at over US$232 billion, registering an 11.37% growth compared to the corresponding period in 2025.
Electronic goods exports increased by around 19%, rising from US$4.14 billion in June 2025 to US$4.93 billion in June 2026.
The continued growth in exports reflects strong performance in key manufacturing and technology-driven sectors.

Q3. What is the provisional year-on-year headline inflation rate based on the All India Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded for the month of June 2026?

(a) 3.92 percent

(b) 4.74 percent

(d) 5.32 percent

(e) 2.10 percent

Answer: c

Solution:

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) (Base Year: 2024 = 100) for June 2026, showing that retail inflation remained at 4.38% on a year-on-year basis.

Key Highlights

India’s retail inflation, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) (Base Year: 2024 = 100), stood at 4.38% (Provisional) in June 2026 compared to June 2025.
Rural CPI inflation was 4.74%, while urban CPI inflation stood at 3.92%.
Food inflation, based on the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), was 5.32% (Provisional) in June 2026.
Rural food inflation was 5.45%, whereas urban food inflation was 5.09%.
Housing inflation for June 2026 was 2.10% (Provisional).
The housing inflation rate stood at 2.66% in rural areas and 1.90% in urban areas

Q4. In July, 2026, the ‘AI Champions for Digital Governance’ Summit was launched through a joint collaborative effort. Which of the following tri-institutional bodies are responsible for organizing this national digital initiative?

(a) ITDC, SCOPE, and LBSNAA

(b) NITI Aayog, MeitY, and ISRO

(d) FICCI, CII, and Nasscom

(e) ITDC, MeitY, and UPSC

Answer: a

Solution:

The India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), in collaboration with the Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) and the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), inaugurated the three-day ‘AI Champions for Digital Governance’ Summit at Hotel Samrat, New Delhi, from 13 to 15 July 2026.
The initiative supports the objectives of the Government of India’s IndiaAI Mission by promoting the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in governance and public sector organisations.
The programme combines leadership training with hands-on workshops on AI-driven organisational transformation, data-based decision-making, and the responsible use of Generative AI.

Q5. Who became the first woman cricketer in the history of the sport to hit a Test match century at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground?

(a) Smriti Mandhana

(b) Shafali Verma

(d) Harmanpreet Kaur

(e) Tammy Beaumont

Answer: c

Solution:

In July, 2026, The Indian women’s cricket team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, created history by defeating England by 270 runs in the first-ever Women’s Test match played at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Key Highlights

Yastika Bhatia became the first woman cricketer to score a Test century at Lord’s, achieving a historic milestone.
Kranti Gaud claimed a five-wicket haul (5/37) in England’s first innings and also became the first Indian woman to have her name inscribed on the Lord’s Honours Board.

Q6. Recently, in July, 2026, which leading Indian financial technology and online insurance marketplace has appointed veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan as its official brand ambassador to lead its insurance awareness campaign?

(a) Digit Insurance

(b) Coverfox

(d) PhonePe Insurance

(e) Policybazaar

Answer: e

Solution:

In July, 2026, Policybazaar has appointed Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador.
The partnership aims to promote health insurance and term insurance awareness among people across the country.
The campaign aligns with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) vision of achieving “Insurance for All by 2047.”

Q7. Who has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jio Platforms to lead the conglomerate through its upcoming public market transition?

(a) Akash Ambani

(b) Pankaj Pawar

(d) Manoj Modi

(e) Anant Ambani

Answer: b

Solution:

Jio Platforms Limited has appointed Pankaj Pawar as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The leadership change comes ahead of the company’s proposed Initial Public Offering (IPO).
Through the IPO, Jio Platforms aims to raise approximately USD 4 billion.
The proposed public issue is expected to become the largest IPO in India’s history.

Q8. Who is the author of the recently launched book ‘The Second Orbit’, which draws inspiration from India’s accelerating human spaceflight ambitions?

(a) Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma

(b) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla

(d) K. Sivan

(e) ISRO Chairman S. Somanath

Answer: b

Solution:

IAF Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has launched his debut book, The Second Orbit.
The book is inspired by Shukla’s journey to space and celebrates India’s expanding achievements in space exploration.
The title The Second Orbit is a tribute to Rakesh Sharma’s historic 1984 space mission, which made him the first Indian to travel to space.

Q9. A highly decorated coach, Stephen Fleming recently concluded a historic 18-year association across global cricket systems after mutually deciding to part ways with his primary Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise. Which of the following IPL teams did he serve as head coach?

(a) Mumbai Indians (MI)

(b) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

(d) Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

(e) Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

Answer: d

Solution:

Stephen Fleming and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have mutually decided to part ways, ending their long-standing association.
The decision was announced by the franchise on 13 July 2026 following a series of operational reviews.
During his tenure as head coach, CSK won five Indian Premier League (IPL) titles.
Under Fleming’s guidance, the franchise also won two Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) titles.
Fleming’s departure marks the end of one of the most successful and enduring coach-franchise partnerships in IPL history.
He has also stepped down as head coach of Joburg Super Kings in SA20 and Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket (MLC), concluding his association with the Super Kings franchise across all leagues.

Q10. The United Nations released its inaugural scientific assessment of artificial intelligence in July 2026. What is the official title given to this landmark report?

(a) Global AI Governance Framework

(b) Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development Goals

(c) Preliminary Report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI: Evidence-based assessment of opportunities, risks and impacts of AI

(d) Horizon 2026: The UN Technical Report on Generative Models

(e) Annual Scientific Assessment of Frontier Artificial Intelligence

Answer: c

Solution:

The United Nations released its first scientific assessment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in July 2026.
The report is titled Preliminary Report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI: Evidence-based assessment of opportunities, risks and impacts of AI.
The Independent International Scientific Panel on AI comprises 40 members.
The panel is co-chaired by Turing Award laureate Yoshua Bengio and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa.
The report examines AI across seven major themes:
- Advances in AI science
- Applications in healthcare, education, and agriculture
- Economic implications
- Security and environmental impacts
- Human rights and democracy
- Cultural and individual well-being
- AI governance and reliability
The report is intended to serve as the first in a series of periodic global scientific assessments on Artificial Intelligence.
A more comprehensive assessment report is expected to be released next year.