DAILY GK 23-25 JULY 2026

 DAILY GK 23-25 JULY 2026

1.       JAPAN OPEN BADMINTON 2026

·         The 2026 Japan Open the 43rd edition of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 750 tournament held at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.

·         Pusarla Venkata (PV) Sindhu, won her maiden Japan Open women’s singles title by defeating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17.

·         France’s Christo Popov claimed the Japan Open 2026 Men’s Singles title with victory over Japan’s Koki Watanabe.

·         Men’s Doubles: Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri (Indonesia).

·         Women’s Doubles: Kim Hye-jeong and Kong Hee-yong (South Korea).

·         Mixed Doubles: Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping (China).

 


2.       FIFA WORLD CUP 2026

·         The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup 2026, the 23rd edition of the men’s FIFA World Cup, co-hosted across 16 host cities in USA (11), Mexico (3), and Canada (2).

·         Spain secured their second FIFA World Cup title by defeating defending champions Argentina 1–0 after extra time in the 2026 final, held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, with substitute Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal in the 106th minute.

·         The 2026 FIFA World Cup featured an expanded 48-team (from 32) format with 12 groups of four teams, a 104-match schedule, and a new Round of 32 involving the top two teams from each group along with the eight best third-placed teams.

·         Spain’s Rodri won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, while France’s Kylian Mbappé claimed his second consecutive Golden Boot with 10 goals.

·         Argentina’s Lionel Messi, aged 39, became the oldest outfield player to start a FIFA World Cup final and the first player to start three FIFA World Cup finals, finishing with 8 goals, 4 assists, and the Silver Ball, while Spain’s Unai Simón set a FIFA World Cup record by keeping 7 clean sheets in 8 matches, conceding just one goal.

·         Following Spain’s victory over Argentina in the final, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) received USD 51 million as champions, while runners-up Argentina Football Association (AFA) earned USD 34 million and England received USD 30 million for finishing third.

·         FIFA World Cup 2026 marked the end of an era as Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Neymar Jr. (Brazil), Manuel Neuer (Germany), and Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico) confirmed that it had been their final appearance on football’s biggest stage.

 

3.       MENUIRES INTERNATIONAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2026

·         Grandmaster (GM) S. Rohith Krishna of Tamil Nadu (TN) won the gold medal, while GM Raja Rithvik of Telangana secured the silver medal at the inaugural Menuires International Chess Championship 2026 held at Le Break des Menuires, Savoie, France.

·         The championship featured an international field of 86 players competing in a nine-round Swiss-system tournament.

·         GM Omelja Artem of Ukraine secured the bronze medal.

 

4.       EXERCISE ‘PITCH BLACK 2026’

·         The Indian Air Force (IAF) participated in the 45th Edition of Exercise Pitch Black 2026, hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at RAAF Base Darwin in northern Australia.

·         Exercise Pitch Black is the RAAF’s premier Biennial (every 2 years) multinational air combat exercise, bringing together air forces from 20 nations, including the United States of America (USA), France, Germany, Spain, Japan, and South Korea.

 

5.       BOOK ‘RSS @ 100: A CENTURY OF SERVICE, UNITY & SACRIFICE’

·         Book ‘RSS @100: A Century of Service, Unity & Sacrifice’ at Uprashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi marking the centenary journey of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

·         The book was authored by Shyam Jaju and Anupam Trivedi, published by Prabhat Prakashan.

·         The book documents the history, growth, and activities of the RSS since its establishment in 1925.

 

6.       SIR GARFIELD SOBERS PASSES AWAY

·         Sir Garfield Sobers, legendary West Indies cricketer and one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history, passed away in Saint Michael, Barbados, at the age of 89.

·         A left-handed batter, versatile left-arm bowler, and exceptional fielder, Sir Garfield Sobers played 93 Tests (1954–1974) for the West Indies, scoring 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78 and taking 235 wickets, earning recognition as cricket’s greatest all-rounder.

·         He scored a then-record 365 runs against Pakistan in 1958, became the first cricketer to hit six sixes in an over in first-class cricket (1968), and captained the West Indies in 39 Test matches between 1965 and 1972.

·         Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975, named among Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the 20th Century (2000), inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame (2009), and honoured through the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, awarded annually to the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year.

 

7.       NELSON MANDELA INTERNATIONAL DAY 2026 – JULY 18 

·         The United Nations (UN) observes Nelson Mandela International Day (Mandela Day) annually across the globe on 18 July to commemorates the birth anniversary of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the first democratically elected Black President of South Africa.

·         2026 Theme:  “It’s in our hands”.

·         The first observance of Nelson Mandela International Day was held on 18 July 2010.

 

8.       WORLD CHESS DAY 2026 – JULY 20

·         The United Nations (UN) observes World Chess Day (International Chess Day) annually on 20 July to celebrate chess as one of the world’s oldest intellectual games

·         The day also marks the founding of FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs / International Chess Federation) on 20 July 1924 in Paris, France.

·         2026 Theme: “Celebrate, create and make a difference”.

·         The idea of celebrating International Chess Day was first proposed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The first United Nations-recognised World Chess Day was officially observed on 20 July 2020.

 

9.       WORLD BRAIN DAY 2026 – JULY 22 

·         World Brain Day (WBD) is observed annually across the world on 22 July to raise awareness about brain health and neurological disorders.

·         2026 Theme: “Brain Health: Access for All”.

·         22 July commemorates the establishment of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) in 1957 at Brussels, Belgium.

 

10.    NATIONAL FLAG ADOPTION DAY 2026 – JULY 22 

·         National Flag Adoption Day is observed annually on 22 July to commemorate the adoption of the Indian National Flag (Tiranga) by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947.

·         22 July 2026 marks the 79th National Flag Adoption Day.

·         The design of the Indian National Flag was inspired by the Swaraj Flag, first presented by Pingali Venkayya in 1921.

·         The Swaraj Flag featured three horizontal stripes in red, yellow, and green, with a white crescent and star at the centre.

·         In 1921, Mahatma Gandhi proposed a tricolour flag with a spinning wheel (Charkha) to symbolise progress.

·         The Charkha was later replaced by the 24-spoke navy blue Ashoka Chakra, designed by Badruddin Tyabji.

·         The Indian National Flag has a length-to-width ratio of 3:2.

·         Effective 26 January 2002, the Flag Code of India was amended to allow citizens to hoist the National Flag at their homes, offices, and other places on any day, and not just on national occasions.

 

11.    INCOME TAX DAY 2026 – JULY 24 

·         Income Tax Day (Aaykar Diwas) is observed annually across India on 24 July to mark the introduction of Income Tax in 1860 by Sir James Wilson.

·         In 2010, the Government of India (GoI) officially designated 24 July as Income Tax Day to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the introduction of the Income Tax (IT) system in India.

 

12.    WORLD DROWNING PREVENTION DAY 2026 – JULY 25 

·         The United Nations (UN’s) World Drowning Prevention Day is observed annually across the world on 25 July to highlight the global impact of drowning, promote life-saving prevention measures and encourage coordinated action for water safety.

·         2026 Theme: “Unite to Turn the Tide on Drowning”.

 

13.    RBI’S FI INDEX

·         The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the composite data on the Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) for the financial year 2025-26 (FY26), which increased to 70 in March 2026 from 67 in March 2025.

·         The RBI also issued new “Prudential Norms on Specified Non-Financial Asset (SNFA) acquired by Regulated Entities“, tightening norms governing the resolution of distressed loans. 

·         In July 2026, the RBI issued final prudential norms under the’ Resolution of Stressed Assets Directions, 2025’, prohibiting Regulated Entities(REs) from selling SNFA back to defaulting borrowers.

·         Under the revised norms, Regulated Entities (REs) cannot transfer SNFAs to the defaulting borrower, its promoters, related parties, or entities acting on the borrower’s behalf.