Prelims Current Affairs includes World Brain Day 2026, National Flag Day 2026, France Bans Social Media For Children Under 15, Index Of Core Industries Growth Rises 5% In June 2026, Wto Agreement On Fisheries Subsidies, India Unveils First Air Taxi Prototype, Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana, India Wins First-Ever All-Gold Haul At Icho & Commonwealth Games 2026

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. WORLD BRAIN DAY 2026

Current Context: World Brain Day is observed on 22 July to raise awareness about neurological disorders and promote brain health.

ABOUT WORLD BRAIN DAY

• Theme: “Brain Health: Access for All”.
• Objective: Highlights the need for equitable access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care for neurological disorders worldwide.
• First Observed:
• Organised By: World Federation of Neurology (WFN).

IMPORTANT DAYS

2. NATIONAL FLAG DAY 2026

Current Context: National Flag Day 2026 was observed on 22 July 2026 to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian National Flag by the Constituent Assembly on 22 July 1947.

• Purpose: To honour the Tiranga as the symbol of India’s unity, sovereignty, freedom, and democratic values.
• Flag Hoisted for First Time:15 August 1947 (Independent India)

Flag Code of India:

• Amended:2021 and 2022
• Ratio:3:2 (length to breadth)
• Saffron:Top band (bravery, sacrifice)
• White:Middle band (truth, peace)
• Green:Bottom band (prosperity, fertility)
• Ashoka Chakra:24 spokes (navy blue)

INTERNATIONAL

3. FRANCE BANS SOCIAL MEDIA FOR CHILDREN UNDER 15

Current Context: France enacted a law prohibiting children below 15 years of age from accessing social media platforms without parental consent, strengthening online child safety and digital well-being.

• Objective: Protect children from harmful online content, cyberbullying, addiction, and privacy risks.
• Implementation: Social media platforms must establish age-verification mechanisms and parental authorization systems.
• France became the first EU countryto adopt nationwide social media restriction for minors
• The law aligns with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) concerning the protection of minors online.

Implementation Timeline:

• Phase 1 (1 Sept 2026):New accounts blocked for under-15
• Phase 2 (Jan 2027):Existing accounts restricted
• Exceptions:
• Online encyclopedias, educational directories, scientific directories

ECONOMY

4.  INDEX OF CORE INDUSTRIES GROWTH RISES 5% IN JUNE 2026

Current Context: India’s Index of Core Industries (ICI) grew by 5.0% (Year-on-Year) in June 2026, the fastest growth in five months, up from 3.2% in May 2026.

ABOUT INDEX OF CORE INDUSTRIES

• Released By: Office of Economic Adviser (OEA), DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• Base Year: 2022-23 (revised from 2011-12).
• Frequency:
• Purpose: Measures the performance of India’s core infrastructure sectors.
• Importance: Serves as a leading indicator of industrial growth and the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
• Total Industries:9 (increased from 8)

Key Changes:

• Iron Ore:Added as 9th core industry
• Steel Index:Now uses gross production data (previously net)
• Coal Category:Only Raw Coal included (to avoid double counting)
• Sector-wise Performance (June 2026):

Sectors with Negative Growth:

• Natural Gas, Crude Oil, Refinery Products, Fertilizers

INTERNATIONAL

5. WTO AGREEMENT ON FISHERIES SUBSIDIES

Current Context: India deposited its Instrument of Acceptance and became a Party to the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

ABOUT THE AGREEMENT

• Adopted: 17 June 2022.
• Adopted At: 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12), Geneva, Switzerland.
• Negotiated Under: Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.6.
• Administered By: World Trade Organization (WTO).
• Objective: Eliminate harmful fisheries subsidies that contribute to overfishing, illegal fishing, and depletion of marine resources.
• First multilateral WTO agreementwith environmental sustainability objective
• Entered into Force:15 September 2025
• India is the 123rd Memberto deposit Instrument of Acceptance

KEY PROVISIONS

• Prohibits subsidies to vessels or operators engaged in Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
• Prohibits subsidies for fishing overfished stocks, unless measures are in place to rebuild them.
• Prohibits subsidies for fishing in unregulated areas of the high seas outside the competence of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs).
• Requires WTO members to notify fisheries subsidies and enhance transparency.
• Provides Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT), technical assistance and capacity building for developing and least-developed countries.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

6. INDIA UNVEILS FIRST AIR TAXI PROTOTYPE

Current Context: India unveiled its first eVTOL aircraft prototype by the ePlane Company, an IIT Madras-incubated startup.

ABOUT eVTOL

• The ePlane Company, an IIT Madras-incubated aerospace startup, unveiled India’s first full-scale electric air taxi (eVTOL) prototype, e200X (PT-01), in July 2026.
• The company aims to begin flight testing in 2027.
• Type: Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
• Commercial Launch Target:
• Initial Application: Emergency medical transport (air ambulance), followed by urban air taxi services.

WHAT IS AN eVTOL?

• eVTOL stands for Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing
• It uses electric motors to take off and land vertically like a helicopter.
• It transitions to wing-borne forward flight for faster and more energy-efficient travel.
• Designed for short-distance urban and regional transportation.

SCHEMES/PROGRAMMES 

7. KALA SANSKRITI VIKAS YOJANA

Current Context: Union Minister for Culture informed Lok Sabha about Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana.

ABOUT KALA SANSKRITI VIKAS YOJANA

• The Ministry of Culture has invited applications under the Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana (KSVY) for the Grant Year 2026-27 to provide financial assistance to artists, cultural organizations, NGOs, researchers, and institutions for the promotion and preservation of India’s cultural heritage.
• Type: Central Sector Umbrella Scheme.
• Objective: To preserve, promote, and develop India’s rich art, culture, and heritage through financial assistance.
• Beneficiaries: Individual artists, cultural organizations, NGOs, research institutions, and cultural academies.

EDUCATION

8. INDIA WINS FIRST-EVER ALL-GOLD HAUL AT IChO

Current Context: India created history by securing its first-ever all-gold haul at the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) 2026, with all four Indian participants winning gold medals.

ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT

• The competition was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from 10-19 July 2026. This is India’s best-ever performance in the history of the Olympiad.
• Overall Standing: Joint Rank 1 with China, Vietnam, and the Individual Participant (Russia).
• Gold Medallists:

SPORTS

9. COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2026

Current Context: The 23rd Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23 July to 2 August 2026.

• ABOUT COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2026
• Glasgow stepped in as the host after Victoria (Australia) withdrew in 2023 due to rising costs, resulting in a streamlined and cost-effective edition of the Games.
• Countries:74
• Sports:10
• India’s Flag Bearers:
• Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting)
• Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing)

ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES

• First Held:
• Frequency: Every four years.
• Organising Body: Commonwealth Sport.

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