CURRENT AFFAIRS 10 July, 2026

CURRENT AFFAIRS 10 July, 2026

1. TAMIL NADU TOPS INDIA IN HIGHER EDUCATION GER –

• Tamil Nadu recorded a Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) of 52.3% in higher education for the 2023-24 academic year. The Union government released this figure in the latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report for 2023-24. The state ranked first among Indian states in higher education GER.

Gross Enrollment Ratio in Higher Education

• Gross Enrollment Ratio is the number of students enrolled in a specific level of education as a percentage of the population in the official age group for that level. In India, higher education GER is calculated for the 18 to 23 age group. Tamil Nadu’s GER of 52.3% was higher than the national average of 30% in 2023-24.

Year-wise Trend in Tamil Nadu

• Tamil Nadu’s higher education GER rose from 47.0% in 2021-22 to 49.1% in 2022-23 and 52.3% in 2023-24. The state has shown a higher education GER above 47% for three consecutive academic years. This trend places Tamil Nadu among the leading states in student participation in tertiary education.

2. DELHI RANKS 120TH IN GLOBAL LIVEABILITY INDEX –

• New Delhi was ranked 120th out of 173 cities in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index 2026, which was released on 8 July 2026. The city scored 48.1 in the 2026 index, and its scores varied across the five assessment categories used in the ranking.

Global Liveability Index

• The Global Liveability Index is an annual city ranking published by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The 2026 edition assessed 173 cities using 30 indicators across five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.

Delhi’s Category-wise Scores

• New Delhi recorded 66.7 in education and 58.9 in infrastructure in the 2026 index. The city scored 41.7 in healthcare and 35.4 in culture and environment, while the index uses stability as one of its five core categories.

Indian Cities in the 2026 Index

• Among Indian cities in the 2026 index, Mumbai was ranked 121st, Chennai 123rd, and Bengaluru 127th. New Delhi remained at 120th place in the 2026 ranking, and Copenhagen, Denmark, retained the top position for the second consecutive year.

3. GENEVA TO HOST GLOBAL AI SUMMIT IN 2027 –

• Switzerland will host a global AI summit in Geneva on June 21-22, 2027. The summit is linked to international discussions on artificial intelligence governance, trustworthy AI, and multilateral cooperation among governments, international organisations, scientists, businesses, and civil society.

Global AI Governance

• The Geneva summit is planned as a platform for stable and effective processes for global discussions on AI governance. Its stated themes include the responsible, safe, and human-centred use of artificial intelligence, along with broader questions on prosperity, progress, and public welfare.

Geneva and the AI for Good Framework

• The host city announcement was made during the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva on July 8, 2026. Federal Councillor Albert Rosti confirmed Switzerland’s role as host during the opening address of that event.

Previous and Future AI Summit Venues

• The Geneva AI Summit 2027 follows earlier editions held in Bletchley Park in 2023, Seoul in 2024, Paris in 2025, and New Delhi in 2026. The United Arab Emirates is scheduled to host a future AI summit in 2028.

4. DRDO TESTS 60-KM PINAKA LONG-RANGE GUIDED ROCKET –

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a flight test of the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR) on 8 July 2026 at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha. The rocket was tested for a user-defined minimum strike range of 60 km and completed all planned in-flight manoeuvres before hitting the designated target.

Pinaka Rocket System

• Pinaka is an indigenous multi-barrel rocket launcher system developed for the Indian Army. The system uses a launcher platform that can fire different variants of the Pinaka rocket family, which allows common launcher compatibility across multiple rocket types.

Design and Development Agencies

• The Pinaka LRGR was designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in association with the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL). The development effort also involved the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), which are DRDO laboratories associated with missile and propulsion technologies.

5. TAMIL NADU’S ASWATH BECOMES INDIA’S 98TH GRANDMASTER –

• S. Aswath, a 17-year-old chess player from Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu, became India’s 98th Grandmaster on 8 July 2026. He earned his third and final Grandmaster norm at the Pune International GM tournament in July 2026.
• Grandmaster title in chess
• The Grandmaster title is awarded by the International Chess Federation, also known as FIDE. A player must secure three Grandmaster norms and cross a FIDE rating of 2500 to receive the title.

Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Tournament

• Aswath finished second in the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Tournament with 7 points from 9 rounds. He defeated USA’s FM Kannan Vaidyanathan with the black pieces in the final round to complete his final norm.

MCQ QUIZ

Q1.  Astra Mk 1 is an indigenous Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) developed by which organization ?

1. a) Defence Research and Development Organisation
2. b) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
3. c) Indian Space Research Organization
4. d) Bharat Dynamics Limited

Q2.  Which state has become the 6th fully literate state in India under the ULLAS – New India Literacy Programme and NEP 2020 ?

1. a) Odisha
2. b) Uttarakhand
3. c) Uttar Pradesh
4. d) Karnataka

Q3.  Recently, the Prambanan Temple was in the news. It is located in which of the following countries ?

1. a) Thailand
2. b) Cambodia
3. c) Indonesia
4. d) Malaysia

Q4.  With reference to the Right to be Forgotten (RTBF) in India, consider the following statements:

1. The Right to be Forgotten is recognised as part of the right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution.
2. In Laksh Vir Singh Yadav v. Union of India (2026), the Delhi High Court held that RTBF can, in appropriate cases, operate against private digital platforms and search engines.
3. The Court ruled that all judicial records containing personal information must be permanently deleted upon an individual’s request.
4. The Court introduced a Structured Proportionality Test to balance privacy with open justice and public interest.

         Which of the statements given above are correct ?

1. a) 1, 2 and 3 only
2. b) 1, 3 and 4 only
3. c) 1, 2 and 4 only
4. d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Explanation-

• Statement 1 – Correct: The Delhi High Court held that the Right to be Forgotten flows from Article 21, particularly the rights to privacy, dignity, and informational privacy.
• Statement 2 – Correct: The Court clarified that RTBF may operate not only against the State but also against private digital platforms and search engines, depending on the facts of the case.
• Statement 3 – Incorrect: The judgment did not mandate automatic deletion of judicial records. Instead, it emphasised a case-by-case balancing exercise between privacy and competing public interests.
• Statement 4 – Correct: The Court introduced a Structured Proportionality Test, requiring authorities to balance:

1. Right to privacy and dignity,
2. Public’s right to know,
3. Principle of open justice,
4. Legitimate public interest.

Q5.  Which of the following developments were announced during the recent India–Indonesia Summit ?

1. Cooperation in critical minerals, including rare earths and steel supply chains.
2. Support for the Gaganyaan Mission through Indonesia’s Biak tracking facilities.
3. India’s support for the restoration of the UNESCO-listed Prambanan Temple Complex.
4. A joint decision to establish a common currency for bilateral trade.

         Select the correct answer using the code below:

1. a) 1, 2 and 3 only
2. b) 1, 3 and 4 only
3. c) 1, 2 and 4 only
4. d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Explanation-

• Statement 1 – Correct: India and Indonesia agreed to strengthen cooperation in critical minerals, rare earths, and steel supply chains. A proposed joint venture between SAIL and PT Krakatau Steel will explore stainless steel production and technology transfer. This is strategically important because Indonesia possesses some of the world’s largest nickel reserves, essential for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
• Statement 2 – Correct: Cooperation between ISRO and Indonesia’s BRIN (National Research and Innovation Agency) will include support for the Gaganyaan Mission through Biak tracking facilities, along with collaboration in AI, nuclear energy, and scientific research.
• Statement 3 – Correct: India will assist in the restoration of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Prambanan Temple Complex, reflecting the deep civilizational and cultural links between the two countries. Additionally, 2026–27 will be celebrated as the Tagore–Dewantara Year.
• Statement 4 – Incorrect: The two countries did not agree to create a common currency. Instead, they agreed to promote Local Currency Transactions (LCT) between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Bank Indonesia, reducing dependence on third-country currencies for bilateral trade.

Answer Key