July 18, 2026
35 articles published on this date
Skyroot puts first private rocket in orbit & India in elite club; Vikram-1 delivers 6 payloads after 35-minute delay
Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket completed its maiden orbital flight, mission-named "Aagaman," lifting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikot...
Iran says it is suspending commitments to interim deal with U.S. as the two exchange attacks
Iran announced the suspension of its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States, signed in June 2026 to end the...
Skyroot’s orbital launch: India’s own SpaceX is born, startup to give country another option to Isro for satellite launches
Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 successfully placed six payloads into an approximately 450 km low-Earth orbit, becoming the first Indian private rocket to reach...
I was discouraged from taking bold decision to privatise space sector, today you proved me right: PM Modi to Skyroot after Vikram-1 successful launch
Following Skyroot Aerospace's successful Vikram-1 orbital launch, the government highlighted that its 2020 decision to open the space sector to private parti...
Rs 70,000 cr investments proposed for def corridors in UP, TN; Rs 10,000 crore already invested: Rajnath
The Ministry of Defence stated that proposed investments across the Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridors have reached approximately Rs 7...
Iraq, U.S. sign 48 agreements during PM's visit
Iraq and the United States signed 48 agreements and partnerships during a visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to Washington, spanning energy, technolo...
Vizhinjam Port to launch full EXIM operations from August 18
Vizhinjam International Seaport, near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, is set to commence full export-import (EXIM) operations on August 18, transitioning from ...
U.S., Iran have blown past red lines as they lurch back toward all-out war
Hostilities between the United States and Iran, which had de-escalated after a preliminary deal (mid-June 2026) and a subsequent interim ceasefire (late June...
ISRO-SCTIMST sign pact for research in space medicine, Bioastronautics
The Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC), ISRO's dedicated body for human spaceflight, and the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology ...
U.S. lawmaker urges Congress to review arms sales to India
A Capitol Hill briefing titled "India's Transnational Repression: Implications for US National Security" was held on July 14, organised by a coalition of adv...
₹10 and ₹20 notes may be the first polymer currency as RBI's printing arm invites global bids: Report
Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL), the Reserve Bank of India's currency-printing arm, has invited a global Expression of Interest ...
Two years on, Ayushman cover reaches only 1.29 crore of 6 crore eligible seniors
Two years after senior citizens were brought under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) umbrella, only about 1.29 crore of an est...
Friends to foes, controversial bills, agitation at its door: Parliament braces for stormy Monsoon session
Parliament's Monsoon Session is set to open in the third week of July 2026, with a heavy legislative agenda and expectations of contentious floor proceedings...
Om Birla clears merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with Shinde-led Sena
The Lok Sabha Speaker approved the merger of six members of a legislative party with another recognised party in the House, formally recognising the merged g...
'Zero tolerance against terrorism not just a statement': Rajnath Singh's message to Pakistan
The Ministry of Defence reiterated that India's counter-terrorism approach follows a "zero tolerance" doctrine, treating retaliatory military action against ...
India’s first private rocket Vikram-1 succeeds in maiden orbital launch
Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1, an expendable small-lift rocket, lifted off from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on its ma...
India’s first hydrogen train on Jind-Sonipat route to start commercial service on July 19: Ticket price, timing, stops
India's first hydrogen fuel cell train, branded "NaMo Green Rail," began daily commercial passenger service on the Jind Junction-Sonipat route in Haryana fro...
Another bill put on hold as Centre seeks regional parties’ backing for women’s quota, delimitation
Introduction of a pending bill on higher education reform has been deferred, according to reports, as legislative priorities shift ahead of the Parliament's ...
Vizhinjam port to start full EXIM operations from Aug 18
Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala is set to begin full-scale export-import (EXIM) operations from August 18, moving beyond its initial role as a pure...
What makes Skyroot’s Vikram-1 launch unique? | Explained
With the successful flight of Vikram-1 under "Mission Aagaman," India became only the third country, after the United States and China, where a privately dev...
Supreme Court gives Assam Government two weeks to respond to pleas against foreigner declaration orders
The Supreme Court granted the Assam state government two weeks to file vakalatnama and counter-affidavits in five petitions challenging Foreigners Tribunal o...
Vikram-1, country’s first private orbital-class rocket, successfully places tech payloads, postcards into orbit
Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1, described as the country's first private orbital-class rocket, was launched under "Mission Aagaman" and successfully placed tec...
EXIM operations at Kerala’s Vizhinjam seaport set to begin on August 18
Full-fledged EXIM (export-import) operations at Kerala's Vizhinjam International Seaport are set to commence on 18 August, according to an official statement...
India tightens Sri Lanka tax treaty with anti-abuse rule
India has amended its Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Sri Lanka through a bilateral protocol, inserting a Principal Purpose Test (PPT) provis...
Govt explores linking land records with ULI for faster farm credit
The Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development, held discussions with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) on integrating digital l...
Skyroot makes history! 6 payloads put into low-Earth orbit aboard pvt rocket Vikram-1
Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, successfully placing multiple technology-demonstration paylo...
India, Pakistan discuss border security at SCO meeting in Islamabad
The 12th Meeting of the Heads of Border Services of the Competent Authorities of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states was held in Islamabad,...
Gujarat tops NITI Aayog's Investment Friendliness Index 2026
NITI Aayog released its first-ever Investment Friendliness Index 2026, ranking all 28 states and 8 Union Territories on their ability to attract private inve...
A semiconductor vision beyond the factory floor
The Union Cabinet has approved the second phase of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM 2.0) with a proposed outlay of approximately ₹1.27 lakh crore (about ...
Iran's Guards say two oil tankers explode after hitting mines in Hormuz
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that two oil tankers exploded and caught fire after striking mines in a minefield south of the Strait ...
Small rivers need distinct conservation strategy, says NMCG draft framework
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) released a draft framework proposing a distinct conservation strategy for India's small rivers, separate from the...
Supreme Court to examine plea for recognition of intersex persons as a distinct class
The Supreme Court has issued notice on a public interest litigation seeking recognition of persons born with congenital variations in sex characteristics (in...
All you need to know about Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket
Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1, India's first privately developed orbital-class launch vehicle, was readied for its maiden orbital flight, designated Mission A...
Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah dispute: court relies upon government notification of 1920 that indicates existence of pre-Aurangzeb temple
The Allahabad High Court dismissed a petition filed under Order VII Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), 1908, seeking rejection of 18 civil suits c...
It's a revamp! RBI steps ahead on plan for plastic rupee notes
Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL), the RBI's currency-printing subsidiary, invited a global Expression of Interest (EoI) for suppl...