Daily Current Affairs July 21, 2026

Current Affairs and GK updates 21/07/2026

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 21st July 2026.

National

•  QDENGA Dengue vaccine :The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) granted market authorisation to Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India's QDENGA (TAK-003), marking India’s first approved dengue vaccine.It is a live-attenuated tetravalent vaccine administered in a two-dose regimen (spaced three months apart) for individuals aged 4 to 60 years.
• The Union Health Ministry stated that India's National Full Immunisation Coverage has remained above 90% for the last four years, with the latest figure exceeding 93%.The government has also strengthened disease surveillance through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and expanded the ICMR's laboratory network.
• Mission Golden Spice:Union Minister for the Development of the North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia today launched the Lakadong Turmeric Mission Golden Spice along with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.Mission Golden Spice is a project under the Ministry’s Unlock the Economic Potential of India’s Northeast (USP) initiative and is worth over 175 crore rupees.. It aims to build a global market ecosystem for Meghalaya's GI-tagged Lakadong turmeric, famous for its high 7–12% curcumin content.
• The Madhya Pradesh Assembly has passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill today. The bill was passed on the second day of the monsoon session of the state assembly amid uproar by opposition parties. It will now be sent to the Governor for approval.

International

• UK Leadership Transition:Andy Burnham formally assumed office as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, succeeding Keir Starmer and pledging structural regional devolution reforms across Britain.
• India will host the 16th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting in Chandigarh from 22 to 24 July 2026 as part of its BRICS Chairship 2026.
• The three-day programme will focus on health security, digital health, artificial intelligence, pandemic preparedness and equitable access to healthcare. Nine priority areas have been identified for BRICS health cooperation. 

Economy and banking

• The Reserve Bank of India's Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) increased from 67.0 in March 2025 to 70.0 in March 2026.  Reported by the Reserve Bank of India, this jump reflects continuous growth across all sectors, driven heavily by an increase in the actual use of digital payments, loans, and banking services.Core Parameters of the Index.
• The FI-Index runs on a scale from 0 (complete exclusion) to 100 (full inclusion) and measures three main weights:
• Usage (45%): Tracks active transactions, digital payments, credit, and savings.
• Access (35%): Measures physical and digital touchpoints like bank branches and ATMs.
• Quality (20%): Covers financial literacy and consumer protection. 
• The index climbed from 43.4 in March 2017 to 70.0 in March 2026.
• RBI’s special currency swap scheme:FOREX inflow crossed over $20 bn under RBI’s special swap scheme:The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced a special USD-INR forex swap scheme on June 8, 2026, to absorb currency risk and incentivize foreign inflows. The RBI recently shortened the deadline for fresh FCNR(B) deposits under this facility to August 31, 2026, after drawing over $56 billion .Key Features of the Scheme.
• Objective: Boost foreign exchange reserves and support the Indian rupee.
• Mechanism: The RBI absorbs the hedging cost, allowing banks to offer higher returns on 3-to-5-year FCNR(B) deposits.
• Lock-in Period: A strict 1-year lock-in applies before any withdrawal flexibility.
• Revised Deadlines: Fresh FCNR(B) deposits must be booked by August 31, 2026.
• The government has informed that nearly 55.49 crore users have onboarded on UPI as of June this year.

Days Observed

• July 21: Commemoration of National Hygiene and Preventive Health Awareness (coinciding with national vector-borne disease control initiatives).
• July 21: Durgashtami / Parvati Jayanti (observed traditionally in regional cultural calendars).

Static GK for exam preparations

• Dengue Virus (DENV):Transmission: Transmitted primarily by female mosquitoes of the species Aedes aegypti (and to a lesser extent, Aedes albopictus).
• Serotypes: Caused by four distinct but closely related serotypes: DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4.
• Classification: Single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae and genus Flavivirus.
• Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO):India's national regulatory body for pharmaceuticals and medical devices under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.Headed by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• India's nationwide HPV vaccination campaign, launched on 28 February 2026, continued to make progress.As of 15 July 2026, 52,10,302 girls had received the HPV vaccine. The campaign targets approximately 1.2 crore eligible 14-year-old girls across all 36 States and Union Territories.
• HPV: Human Papillomavirus
• Main disease prevented: Cervical cancer
• Campaign launched: 28 February 2026
• Target age group: 14-year-old girls

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