Current Affairs for Govt Exams

Indian tennis legend Leander Paes has been appointed Player Ambassador of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF), announced during a ceremony on the sidelines of the Wimbledon Championships in London. Paes - the only Indian to win an Olympic tennis medal (bronze in men's singles at Atlanta 1996) - will promote the sport across Asia, mentor young players and support grassroots development. He won 18 Grand Slam titles (8 men's doubles and 10 mixed doubles) and completed a career Grand Slam in both disciplines. In 2024 he became the first Asian man inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. ATF President: Yuryi Polskiy. Paes represented India at seven consecutive Olympic Games.

World Population Day is observed every year on 11 July to raise awareness of global population issues. The 2026 theme is 'Realizing the hopes and aspirations of young people - today and for the future,' focusing on young people's choices around relationships and parenthood. The day was established by the UNDP in 1989, inspired by the 'Day of Five Billion' (11 July 1987), when the world's population reached five billion. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) leads global coordination. India became the world's most populous country in 2023. The global population is around 8.3 billion in 2026.

Nikola Tesla Day is observed every year on 10 July to mark the birth anniversary of the Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla (born 10 July 1856). Tesla is best known for his pioneering work on the alternating current (AC) electricity supply system, the AC induction motor, and the Tesla coil. The SI unit of magnetic flux density, the tesla (T), is named in his honour. Tesla's alternating current (AC) system became the basis for the electricity that powers homes worldwide.

The annual UN observance on 26 June raises awareness against narcotics abuse and illicit trafficking, mobilising governments and communities toward a drug-free world.

President Droupadi Murmu conferred the remaining Padma Awards at the second Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. India announced 131 Padma Awards for 2026: 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri.

The 12th International Day of Yoga theme was 'Yoga for Healthy Ageing'. PM Modi led the main national event from the riverfronts of Kolkata, West Bengal, with over 210 Indian missions abroad holding programmes at nearly 2,500 locations.

World Refugee Day, led by UNHCR, marked the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention with a theme of solidarity with refugees and the message that 'the right to seek safety was made for you and me'.

World Blood Donor Day is observed annually on 14 June to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors and raise awareness of the need for safe blood, marking the birth anniversary of Karl Landsteiner.

Observed by the ILO/UN, the 2026 slogan was 'Red card to child labour: Fair play for children, decent work for adults', spotlighting the global drive to end child labour.

UIDAI CEO Saurabh Vijay took charge as CEO of the IndiaAI Mission, the body driving India's national artificial-intelligence strategy and compute infrastructure.

Actor Mammootty and singer Alka Yagnik received the Padma Bhushan; cricketers Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur, hockey player Savita Punia, actor-filmmaker R. Madhavan and veteran actor Satish Shah were among Padma Shri honourees.

Economist Neelkanth Mishra was appointed India's Executive Director at the World Bank for a three-year term, succeeding Parameswaran Iyer. He represents the constituency of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka on the Bank's Board.

Mahesh Dixit, a 1993-batch IPS officer of the Telangana cadre, was appointed Director of the Intelligence Bureau, India's internal intelligence agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs, succeeding Tapan Kumar Deka.

HDFC Bank appointed former Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as its part-time non-executive chairman for a three-year term, subject to RBI approval.

The WHO-led global observance on 31 May raises awareness of the health harms of tobacco use and advocates effective policies to reduce consumption.

President Droupadi Murmu presented Padma Awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan, conferring 66 awards in the first phase (2 Padma Vibhushan, 6 Padma Bhushan, 58 Padma Shri). A total of 131 Padma Awards were announced for 2026.

Observed across India on 21 May to spread awareness against terrorism and violence, marking the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission received the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Goddard Astronautics Award at the ASCEND Conference in Washington DC, honouring the 2023 lunar south-pole soft landing.