Daily Current Affairs – 24 July 2026

Introduction

The CareerUdaya Daily Current Affairs – 24 July 2026 edition brings APSC, ADRE, Assam Police, Assam TET, SSC, Banking and Railway aspirants a concise revision set based on verified developments available by 24 July. The strongest examination hooks are the updated Assam flood situation with IMD rainfall analysis and statewide ASDMA-linked figures, the Department of Telecommunications’ ASTR–Sanchar Saathi–DIP architecture against cyber fraud, DRDO–GTRE’s indigenous expendable turbo jet engine, Parliament’s consolidated ISRO launch programme data (SPADEX, NISAR, space-economy target), outcomes under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP), Viswanathan Anand assuming interim charge of FIDE, and India’s hosting of the BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction Ministerial Meeting. Attempt the linked Daily Current Affairs Quiz – 24 July 2026 and explore more editions on the Current Affairs Hub.

Assam & Disaster Management — Upper Assam Flood Crisis

On 24 July 2026, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma briefed the media after a high-level flood review at Lok Sewa Bhawan. He put the statewide flood impact at more than 10.63 lakh people across 25 districts, covering 77 revenue circles and 2,023 villages, with 28,912 people evacuated. The State was operating 162 relief camps (about 41,264 inmates) and 1,072 relief distribution centres. Sivasagar and Charaideo remained the worst-hit pair: more than 6.63 lakh people affected in the two districts alone — Sivasagar about 5.3 lakh across five revenue circles and 333 villages; Charaideo about 1.33 lakh across three circles and 51 villages. Confirmed deaths in Charaideo and Sivasagar stood at 31 (subject to further reports); statewide district-wise deaths cited by the CM included 21 in Sivasagar, 10 in Charaideo, eight in Jorhat, three in Dhemaji, two each in Golaghat and Karbi Anglong, and one in Sonitpur. Eight people remained missing. Damage tallies included 401 houses fully damaged and 1,856 partially damaged. An Inter-Ministerial Central Team was scheduled to assess the State from 25 July for Central assistance.

On the meteorological cause, the CM said the disaster was driven by extreme excess rainfall during 18–20 July, not a cloudburst and not by hydropower releases. IMD ruled out a cloudburst. Nagaland overall received about 181% above-normal rainfall in the period, with Mokokchung about 493%, Wokha about 108% and Mon about 45% above normal; Assam’s Charaideo recorded about 436% and Sivasagar about 134% above normal (roughly 170 mm vs normal ~31.7 mm in Charaideo; 93.2 mm vs ~39.9 mm in Sivasagar). Local runoff in Charaideo combined with massive Nagaland inflows while the Brahmaputra was already high due to heavy rain in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Manipur, so tributaries could not drain. Separately, NEEPCO’s Doyang reservoir in Nagaland continued to rise (about 323.16 m by afternoon of 24 July), with spillway release of roughly 209 cubic metres per second watched for impacts on Sarupathar and Golaghat; Dhansiri at Numaligarh and Kakodonga at Difluting were above danger levels. For APSC/ADRE: statewide vs Upper Assam figures, rainfall excess percentages, IMD cloudburst clarification, and Doyang–Dhansiri–Golaghat linkages.

Cybersecurity & Telecom — ASTR, Sanchar Saathi and DIP

In a 24 July 2026 Parliament-linked update, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) restated its three-layer telecom architecture to choke cyber fraud at the network source. ASTR (AI- and facial-recognition-powered SIM subscriber verification / big-data analytics tool) flags suspicious mobile connections for mandatory reverification by telecom service providers; connections that fail are disconnected. As on 15 July 2026, more than 88 lakh mobile connections had been disconnected after failing ASTR-triggered reverification.

Sanchar Saathi’s Chakshu facility lets citizens report suspected fraud communications (calls, SMS, messaging apps). Based on 11.18 lakh citizen reports as on 15 July 2026, about 50.90 lakh connections were disconnected. The Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) is a bi-directional intelligence hub linking DoT, TSPs, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and financial-sector stakeholders (including SEBI-regulated entities — more than 50 onboarded) for near real-time sharing on misuse of telecom resources. Constitutional framing matters for mains: Police and Public Order are State List subjects, so DoT acts in the telecom layer while investigation/prosecution runs through MHA–I4C and State police. The Telecom Act, 2023 underpins subscriber verification and disconnection directions. Prelims favour full forms (ASTR, DIP, I4C, Chakshu), the 88-lakh / 50.90-lakh figures, and the Centre–State division of cybercrime work.

Defence & Technology — Indigenous Expendable Turbo Jet Engine

On 22 July 2026, DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bengaluru, realised and delivered India’s first indigenously designed expendable turbo jet engine in the 350 kg-thrust class, manufactured and assembled by private partner Azad Engineering, Hyderabad. An expendable engine is built for single-use platforms — cruise missiles, target drones and loitering munitions — rather than recoverable aircraft. The programme strengthens Aatmanirbhar Bharat in propulsion by reducing dependence on imported turbo jets for missiles and unmanned systems.

GTRE is DRDO’s long-standing gas-turbine centre (also associated with the heavier Kaveri fighter-engine effort); the 350 kg-class unit is a different, compact mission set. Delivery was received under the aeronautical systems chain of DRDO. Defence prelims typically test: lab name and city, thrust class, “expendable” meaning, industry partner, and the distinction from reusable turbofan/turbojet engines for manned aircraft.

Science & Technology — ISRO Launch Programme Snapshot

A 23–24 July 2026 Department of Space reply to Parliament summarised India’s launch performance from July 2023 to June 2026: 12 launch-vehicle missions, 11 national satellites and nine international customer satellites, with four operational launch vehicles — PSLV, GSLV, LVM3 (GSLV Mk III) and SSLV. Landmark milestones in the window include Chandrayaan-3 (first soft landing near the lunar south pole), SPADEX (orbital docking demonstration — India becoming the fourth country after the USA, Russia and China to master docking), completion of SSLV developmental flights with industry technology transfer, the joint NASA–ISRO NISAR Earth-observation radar mission, and commercial LVM3 flights including heavy GTO payloads. Launch infrastructure includes the First and Second Launch Pads at SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota, a planned Third Launch Pad for the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), and the SSLV Launch Complex at Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Nadu. The space-economy roadmap cited a government target of about USD 44 billion by 2033, supported by IN-SPACe (authorisation and private promotion) and NSIL (commercial arm). Exam hooks: mission count, SPADEX rank, NISAR partners, four launch vehicles, second spaceport, and the 2033 economy target — without re-drilling yesterday’s Aditya-L1 science detail.

Health & Governance — Jan Aushadhi (PMBJP) Outcomes

On 24 July 2026, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Jagat Prakash Nadda informed the Lok Sabha that 20,149 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are open nationwide under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP). Estimated public savings versus branded medicine prices over the last 12 years stand at about ₹45,000 crore. The product basket covers 2,110 medicines and 315 surgicals, medical consumables and devices across major therapeutic groups (cardiovascular, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-infectives, anti-allergic, gastro-intestinal and nutraceuticals). Coverage extends to 776 of 784 districts. Almost all generic medicines on the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) — except lab reagents and vaccines — are included. Stocking incentives reward Kendras that maintain 200 commonly used medicines (100 top-selling scheme medicines plus 100 fast-selling market medicines). The implementing agency is the Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI). SSC, Banking and State PSC papers routinely test scheme full form, Kendra count, savings figure, basket size and PMBI.

Governance & Regulation — UCPMP for Pharma Marketing

On 24 July 2026, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Anupriya Patel informed the Lok Sabha that the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP), 2024 was notified by the Department of Pharmaceuticals on 12 April 2024, replacing UCPMP 2015, with further amendments in September 2025. The Code aims to prevent unethical marketing and regulate interactions between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals/organisations. Key institutional features include Ethics Committees for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (ECPMPs), appointment of company Ethics Officers, structured complaint redressal and appellate mechanisms, self-declarations of compliance, and disclosure of prescribed marketing expenditure (including annual statements of marketing spend after the 2025 amendments). Companies are accountable for medical representatives; gifts, monetary benefits and hospitality to doctors and their families are prohibited. Companies must disclose expenditure on conferences, seminars and CME/CPD events and may face independent, random or risk-based audits. A two-layer complaint adjudication process provides for appeals to the Department of Pharmaceuticals. Exam focus: year of the new Code, nodal department, ECPMP/Ethics Officer architecture, gift ban and disclosure duties.

Sports & Appointments — Anand Interim FIDE President

On 23–24 July 2026, five-time World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand assumed charge as Interim President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) after incumbent President Arkady Dvorkovich suspended the exercise of his duties following inclusion on the latest European Union sanctions list linked to the Russia–Ukraine conflict. Anand, who has been FIDE Deputy President since 2022, stepped in under Article 19.2 of the FIDE Charter, which provides that the Deputy President acts as Interim President while the President is subject to such restrictive measures. He is the first Indian to head FIDE, even on an interim basis, until the next presidential process (noted toward September 2026). Historic sports appointments of this stature are standard Banking/SSC/State PSC fare: organisation full form, Anand’s prior role, the Charter provision and the EU-sanctions trigger.

International Affairs & Disaster Management — BRICS DRR Ministerial

Under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs hosted the 3rd BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Group Technical-cum-Ministerial Meeting in New Delhi during 22–24 July 2026. The Working Group sessions on 22–23 July were followed by the Ministerial Meeting on 24 July, chaired by Minister of State (Home) Nityanand Rai. The process consolidates BRICS cooperation on disaster preparedness, resilient infrastructure, disaster-risk financing and coordinated response, recognising disasters as systemic risks to sustainable development, climate resilience, economic stability and human security. India’s Chairship theme remains “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” For IR and disaster-management prelims: host city, dates, nodal body (NDMA/MHA), chair of the Ministerial, and the link to the broader BRICS Chairship agenda (distinct from the Chandigarh Health track covered earlier this week).

Revision Notes

For quick revision of the 24 July edition: Assam floods — over 10.63 lakh people in 25 districts; Sivasagar–Charaideo ~6.63 lakh and 31 deaths in those two districts; excess rainfall (Mokokchung ~493%, Charaideo ~436% above normal); IMD: no cloudburst; Doyang spill ~209 m³/s. DoT cyber stack: ASTR disconnected >88 lakh SIMs after failed reverification; Chakshu reports 11.18 lakh → ~50.90 lakh disconnections; DIP links DoT–TSPs–I4C–SEBI entities. GTRE + Azad Engineering delivered a 350 kg-thrust expendable turbo jet. ISRO 2023–26: 12 launches; four vehicles; SPADEX (4th country to dock); NISAR (NASA–ISRO); space economy target USD 44 bn by 2033. PMBJP: 20,149 Kendras; ₹45,000 crore savings; 2,110 medicines + 315 devices; PMBI. UCPMP 2024 (notified 12 Apr 2024; amended Sep 2025): ECPMPs, Ethics Officers, gift ban. Viswanathan Anand — Interim FIDE President (Art. 19.2; first Indian). BRICS DRR Ministerial in New Delhi, 24 July, MoS Home Nityanand Rai, NDMA/MHA. Practise these facts in the Daily Current Affairs Quiz – 24 July 2026, attempt more mock tests, revise study materials, and prepare for State examinations through the APSC Hub.

Exam Snapshot Table

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key Assam flood figures for 24 July 2026 revision?

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma put statewide impact above 10.63 lakh people across 25 districts. Sivasagar and Charaideo alone accounted for more than 6.63 lakh affected people and 31 confirmed deaths in those two districts. IMD ruled out a cloudburst; extreme excess rainfall in Nagaland and Upper Assam was cited as the driver.

What is ASTR in India’s fight against cyber fraud?

ASTR is DoT’s AI- and facial-recognition-powered SIM subscriber verification tool. It flags suspicious mobile connections for reverification; as on 15 July 2026, more than 88 lakh connections had been disconnected after failing that process.

What is significant about the GTRE turbo jet engine announced this week?

GTRE, Bengaluru, with industry partner Azad Engineering, Hyderabad, delivered India’s first indigenous expendable turbo jet in the 350 kg-thrust class for single-use platforms such as cruise missiles, target drones and loitering munitions.

What are the headline PMBJP numbers from the 24 July Parliament reply?

There are 20,149 Jan Aushadhi Kendras, about ₹45,000 crore estimated citizen savings over 12 years, a basket of 2,110 medicines plus 315 surgicals/devices, and coverage of 776 of 784 districts, implemented by PMBI.

Is there a quiz based on this article?

Yes. The Daily Current Affairs Quiz – 24 July 2026 contains 10 exam-focused MCQs drawn from this edition, with answers and explanations.

Which examinations is this edition useful for?

It is designed for APSC, ADRE, Assam Police, Assam TET, SSC, Banking and Railway aspirants who need concise, verified daily revision.