July 18, 2026
35 articles published on this date
Skyroot's Vikram-1 Reaches Orbit: India's First Private Orbital Launch
Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket completed its maiden orbital flight, mission-named 'Aagaman,' lifting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre...
US-Iran Interim Deal Collapses Amid Renewed Strikes: Strait of Hormuz and Energy Security Implications
Iran announced the suspension of its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States, signed in June 2026 to end...
Vikram-1 and India's International Space Law Obligations for Private 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...
Space Sector Liberalisation Vindicated as Vikram-1 Reaches Orbit
Following Skyroot Aerospace's successful Vikram-1 orbital launch, the government highlighted that its 2020 decision to open the space sector to private...
Defence Industrial Corridors Cross Rs 10,000 Crore Investment as Indigenisation Deepens
The Ministry of Defence stated that proposed investments across the Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridors have reached approximately Rs...
Iraq and US Sign 48 Agreements During Prime Ministerial Visit to Washington
Iraq and the United States signed 48 agreements and partnerships during a visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to Washington, spanning energy...
Vizhinjam Port to Begin Full EXIM Operations: India's Transshipment Gateway Expands Role
Vizhinjam International Seaport, near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, is set to commence full export-import (EXIM) operations on August 18, transitioning from...
U.S.–Iran Conflict Escalation and India's Strategic Stakes in West Asia
Hostilities between the United States and Iran, which had de-escalated after a preliminary deal (mid-June 2026) and a subsequent interim ceasefire (late...
ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre and SCTIMST Launch India's First Bioastronautics Fellowship
The Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC), ISRO's dedicated body for human spaceflight, and the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology...
US Congressional Push to Review Arms Sales to India Over Transnational Repression Concerns
A Capitol Hill briefing titled 'India's Transnational Repression: Implications for US National Security' was held on July 14, organised by a coalition of...
RBI's Printing Arm Explores Polymer Currency, Starting with ₹10 and ₹20 Notes
Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL), the Reserve Bank of India's currency-printing arm, has invited a global Expression of Interest...
Ayushman Bharat Senior-Citizen Coverage Gap: Two Years In, Enrollment Lags
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...
Monsoon Session Agenda: Women's Reservation Implementation and the Delimitation Linkage
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...
Lok Sabha Speaker Approves a Legislative Party Merger Under the Tenth Schedule
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...
India's Counter-Terrorism Doctrine and Rising Defence Production and Exports
The Ministry of Defence reiterated that India's counter-terrorism approach follows a 'zero tolerance' doctrine, treating retaliatory military action against...
Vikram-1: India's First Private Orbital Rocket and What It Means for the Space Sector
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...
India's First Hydrogen Train Begins Commercial Service
India's first hydrogen fuel cell train, branded 'NaMo Green Rail,' began daily commercial passenger service on the Jind Junction-Sonipat route in Haryana...
Higher Education Reform Bill Deferred as Government Seeks Broader Backing for Delimitation-Linked Legislation
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 Begin Full EXIM Operations, Kerala Launches Mission Samudra
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...
India Joins Elite Club of Independent Private Orbital Launch Capability
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...
Supreme Court Grants Assam Government Two Weeks in Foreigner-Declaration Challenges
The Supreme Court granted the Assam state government two weeks to file vakalatnama and counter-affidavits in five petitions challenging Foreigners Tribunal...
Vikram-1 Launch and India's Private Space Sector Policy Framework
Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1, described as the country's first private orbital-class rocket, was launched under 'Mission Aagaman' and successfully placed...
Vizhinjam Seaport to Begin EXIM Operations, Shifting From Pure Transshipment Hub
Full-fledged EXIM (export-import) operations at Kerala's Vizhinjam International Seaport are set to commence on 18 August, according to an official...
India Amends Sri Lanka Tax Treaty to Add 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)...
Linking Digital Land Records with ULI: Deepening India's Credit Infrastructure
The Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development, held discussions with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) on integrating digital...
Skyroot's Vikram-1: Engineering Behind India's First Private Orbital Launch
Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, successfully placing multiple technology-demonstration...
SCO Border Services Chiefs Meet in Islamabad: RATS, Joint Border Operations, and India-Pakistan Engagement
The 12th Meeting of the Heads of Border Services of the Competent Authorities of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states was held in...
Gujarat Tops NITI Aayog's First Investment Friendliness Index
NITI Aayog released its first-ever Investment Friendliness Index 2026, ranking all 28 states and 8 Union Territories on their ability to attract private...
India Semiconductor Mission 2.0: Building the Value Chain Beyond Fabrication
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...
Tankers Reported Struck by Mines in Strait of Hormuz: Naval Mine Warfare and the Law of Transit Passage
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...
NMCG Drafts Dedicated Conservation Framework for India's Small Rivers
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) released a draft framework proposing a distinct conservation strategy for India's small rivers, separate from...
Supreme Court to Weigh Distinct Legal Class Status for Intersex Persons
The Supreme Court has issued notice on a public interest litigation seeking recognition of persons born with congenital variations in sex characteristics...
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...
Allahabad High Court Allows Mathura Temple-Mosque Suits to Proceed to Trial
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...
RBI's Currency Printing Arm Invites Global Bids for Polymer Banknote Substrate
Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL), the RBI's currency-printing subsidiary, invited a global Expression of Interest (EoI) for...