UPSC Daily Current Affairs| One Liners 18-07-2026

One Liners 18-07-2026

Polity & Governance

Sabitri Dey @ Swasthi Dey vs Union of India

Recently, In Sabitri Dey @ Swasthi Dey v. Union of India (2026 INSC 694), the Supreme Court stressed fair and lawful citizenship determination.

• Background - The case arose from a 1997 Illegal Migrants (Determination) Tribunal (IMDT) declaring Sabitri Dey and her husband as illegal migrants after they failed to appear before the tribunal.
• Supreme Court's Order – It reaffirmed that citizenship and foreigner status must be determined through a fair, lawful and reasoned process, consistent with constitutional guarantees.
• SC set aside Gauhati High Court orders that upheld ex-parte (One-sided) foreigner declarations.
• Key ruling – Tribunals must give reasoned decisions and cannot rely only on police reports or ex-parte proceedings.
• Significance – The judgment protects Articles 14 and 21, ensuring no one is declared a foreigner without a fair process.

National Commission for Minorities

Harjit Singh Grewal appointed National Commission for Minorities chief.

• The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) is a statutory body in India established to protect and promote the interests of minority communities.
• It was created under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
• Notified Minority Communities
  • Muslims
  • Christians
  • Sikhs
  • Buddhists
  • Zoroastrians (Parsis)
  • Jains (notified in 2014)

Ban on Goods Made Using Forced Labour

India has officially banned the import of all goods produced or manufactured, wholly or in part, through the use of forced labour.

• This policy shift, introduced by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) via an amendment to the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 in 2026, takes effect 30 days after publication.
• Definition of Forced Labour - The regulation adopts the ILO definition that any work or service extracted from someone under the threat of a penalty and for which they did not offer themselves voluntarily.  

International Relations and Issues

12^th BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting

The 12^th BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting was held successfully in Hyderabad under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026.

• Theme – “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability (BRICS)”.
• India highlighted India's e-Shram and National Career Service (NCS) portals.
• The ministers also adopted Brics CONNECT.
• It is an India initiative to establish a platform for technical cooperation among member countries on labour and employment.
• The declaration also took note of an ongoing International Labour Organization (ILO) feasibility study on an International Reference Classification of Occupations (IRCO).
• It also recognises the growing importance of gig and platform work and calls for labour market transitions through knowledge sharing and South-South cooperation.
• India holds the BRICS chairship in 2026.

Assisted-dying Bill

France's National Assembly gave final legislative approval to a landmark assisted-dying bill.

• It aims to grant terminally ill, mentally competent adults the legal right to choose the timing and manner of their death, avoiding prolonged suffering.
• The law limited to persons who meets following conditions –
  • Patients must be at least 18 years old.
  • Applicants must be French citizens or legal residents.
  • Must have a serious, incurable, and life-threatening illness in an advanced or terminal phase.
  • Must experience constant physical or psychological suffering that cannot be relieved.
  • Patients must be fully conscious and able to express free and uncoerced consent.
• Note – Psychological suffering alone does not qualify, and individuals with severe psychiatric conditions or neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s are excluded.

Economy

New solar and wind power capacity 2026

• India installed a record 29 gigawatts (GW) of new solar and wind power capacity during the first half of 2026.
• India was adding about 26 GW of solar and 2.9 GW of wind capacity.
• India's cumulative renewable energy (RE) installed capacity was about 288 GW.
• It was showed by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

• This growth was attributed primarily to the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.
• It accounted for a majority of rooftop solar installations during the period.
• Gujarat emerged as the largest contributor to solar installations followed by Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
• In the wind sector, Gujarat also led capacity additions, representing 43 % of the total, followed Maharashtra and Karnataka.
• Significance – These steps are supporting India's target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based electricity capacity by 2030.

PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana

• It is a Government of India initiative launched to provide up to 300 units of free electricity per month to 1 crore households.
• Eligible residential consumers receive a substantial government subsidy to install rooftop solar panels, reducing their overall electricity bills.
• Households generate their own electricity, significantly lowering monthly bills, and can even sell excess power generated back to the grid through net-metering.

Science

White Rabbit Technology

Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution recently inaugurated the White Rabbit Technology.

• White Rabbit (WR) is an open-source, Ethernet-based network technology that provides ultra-accurate time synchronization and deterministic data transfer across large distributed networks.
• Under vision of – ‘One Nation, One Time,’ a uniform, highly precise and secure time standard across India.
• Led by – Legal Metrology Division of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, in collaboration with ISRO, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), BSNL, and SEBI.
• Objectives –
  • To reduce dependence on foreign time sources like GPS,
  • To strengthen India's digital sovereignty and protecting critical infrastructure.
• Advantages – Critical sectors will gain maximum protection against risks such as cyberattacks and data manipulation.
  • It enhances stability of high-frequency financial markets, stock exchanges, digital banking payments, telecommunications networks, and national power grids.

Ultrafast Organic Anodes Designed for Next-Generation Rechargeable Batteries

• These represent a pioneering class of battery components designed to replace traditional inorganic graphite anodes.
• By using carbon-based molecular frameworks instead of heavy transition metals, these materials enable rapid charging, sustainability, and reduced costs.
• In recent breakthroughs, researchers have successfully engineered organic anodes that allow batteries to reach an 80% state of charge in just over 1 minute.

Index

Investment Friendliness Index (IFI)

Recently the Investment Friendliness Index (IFI) is released.

• It is a data-driven framework to assess how effectively states and Union Territories create an environment for investments.
• Launched by –   NITI Aayog.
• Objective – To strengthen competitive and cooperative federalism by benchmarking state-level reforms and encouraging the adoption of best practices.
• The index grades states on a 100-point scale using 84 specific indicators.
• It combines official secondary data with direct feedback from investor perception surveys, evaluating regions across 8 core pillars –
  • Infrastructure
  • Business Climate
  • Resources
  • Government Policy
  • Regulatory Ease
  • Institutional Environment
  • Financial Health
  • Environmental Resilience

Space Exploration Gallery  

Recently Space Exploration Gallery is inaugurated by CM of Madhya Prdaesh and union Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Government of India.

• Located at – Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

• Key features –
  • Interactive Simulators – Visitors can use flight simulators and enjoy an immersive virtual spacewalk experience.
  • 3D Planetary Models – Walk through interactive, 3D surface views of the Moon and Mars.
  • Space Missions – In-depth exhibits covering India's major achievements, including the Aryabhata, Chandrayaan, and Gaganyaan programs     
• It aims to promote scientific thinking, first of its kind in the country.                                        

Miscellaneous

World Youth Skills Day 2026

• Observed on – July 15.
• Established by – United Nations in 2014.
• Theme for 2026 – "Skills for a Shared Future".
• The day is celebrated to mark the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.

Nelson Mandela International Day 2026

• Observed annually on – July 18
• Established by – United Nations in 2009.
• Theme for 2026 – “It's still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity”
• In commemoration of – Marking the birth anniversary of the global icon and former South African President.
• The day celebrates Mandela's lifelong commitment to human rights, racial equality, and reconciliation.
• People around the world are encouraged to dedicate 67 minutes of their time to community service and acts of kindness.