Daily Current Affairs July 20, 2026

Current Affairs and GK updates 20/07/2026

Here is the Daily current affairs and GK updates of the day for UPSC,SSC,IBPS,RRB,NTPC and other competitive exams preparations.This updates particularly focus on news updates from 20th July 2026.

National

• Monsoon Session of Parliament 2026 Begins:The Monsoon Session of Parliament 2026 commenced on 20 July 2026.The session is scheduled to continue until 13 August 2026 and comprises 19 sittings over 25 days.
• A session of Parliament is the time period when the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha meet to make laws and run government business. 
• India has three regular sessions a year by tradition, and the gap between two sessions must never be more than six months.
• Types of Sessions
• Budget Session: Runs from February to May; it is the longest session and includes the presentation of the Union Budget.
• Monsoon Session: Runs from July to September; it focuses heavily on new laws and debates on national issues.
• Winter Session: Runs from November to December; it is the shortest session used to review pending work and policies.
• Special Session: Called outside the normal calendar by the government to handle urgent matters of high importance.
• Key Terms
• Adjournment: Stops a sitting for a short time like hours or days.
• Adjournment Sine Die: Stops a sitting without naming a day to return.
• Prorogation: Ends the session itself, ordered by the President.
• Dissolution: Ends the life of the Lok Sabha completely, leading to new elections (the Rajya Sabha never dissolves)
• Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026:Introduced in the Rajya Sabha to extend statutory protection to the National Song, "Vande Mataram".Proposes making intentional insult, obstruction, or disruption during its singing a punishable offence with imprisonment of up to 3 years, a fine, or both—bringing its legal safeguard on par with the National Anthem.

International

• President Droupadi Murmu Begins Historic Visit to Moldova:President Droupadi Murmu reached Chișinău, Moldova, on 20 July 2026 as the first leg of her state visit to Moldova, North Macedonia and Romania.This was the first-ever visit by an Indian President to Moldova. She held bilateral discussions with Moldovan President Maia Sandu and led delegation-level talks.India and Moldova established diplomatic relations in 1992. President Murmu highlighted opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment, digital transformation, pharmaceuticals, education and other sectors.
• Moldovan President: Maia Sandu
• Capital of Moldova: Chișinău
• Diplomatic relations:Since 1992
• First Indian Presidential visit to Moldova: 2026
• Australia’s largest pension fund, AustralianSuper, committed an investment of approximately ₹3,360 crore into India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) to support digital infrastructure, logistics, and clean energy assets.
• National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited is an Indian public sector company which maintains infrastructure investments funds for international and Indian investors anchored by the Government of India.

Economy and banking

• India's Core Sector Growth Reaches 5% in June 2026:The output of India's nine core infrastructure industries grew by 5% in June 2026, marking a five-month high.Important Change in the Index
• The revised Index of Core Industries (ICI) uses 2022–23 as the new base year, replacing 2011–12.
• The index has also expanded from eight to nine core sectors, with iron ore added to the basket.
• Nine Core Industries
• Coal
• Crude Oil
• Natural Gas
• Refinery Products
• Fertilizers
• Steel
• Cement
• Electricity
• Iron Ore

Days Observed

• International Chess Day:International Chess Day is observed annually on 20 July.The date commemorates the founding of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) on 20 July 1924.
• FIDE Full form: Fédération Internationale des Échecs
• FIDE founded: 20 July 1924
• Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
• International Moon Day is also observed on 20 July.The date commemorates the first human landing on the Moon by Apollo 11 on 20 July 1969.
• First humans on Moon: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin
• Mission: Apollo 11
• Year: 1969
• Space agency: NASA

Static GK for exam preparations

• Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971:
• Section 2: Penalises disrespect to the Indian National Flag and the Constitution of India.
• Section 3: Penalises the intentional prevention of or disruption to the singing of the National Anthem (Jana Gana Mana).
• National Anthem vs. National Song:
• National Anthem: Jana Gana Mana (composed by Rabindranath Tagore); adopted by the Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950.
• National Song: Vande Mataram (composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in his 1882 novel Anandamath); adopted with equal status by the Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950.

👉 TAKE TODAY'S GK QUIZ