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Current Affairs 16th July 2026
Important International Boundary Lines
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Durand Line – Pakistan and Afghanistan
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Radcliffe Line – India and Pakistan
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McMahon Line – India and China (Arunachal Pradesh–Tibet)
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Line of Control (LoC) – India and Pakistan (Jammu & Kashmir)
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Line of Actual Control (LAC) – India and China.
1. Former ISRO Chief S. Somanath Joins Agnikul Cosmos Board
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S. Somanath served as the Chairman of ISRO from 2022 to 2025 and led the successful Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions.
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Agnikul Cosmos is a Chennai-based space startup that developed the Agnibaan launch vehicle with 3D-printed rocket engines.
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His appointment is expected to strengthen India's private space ecosystem and accelerate commercial space innovation.
Current ISRO Chairman: Dr. V. Narayanan
2. Cabinet Approves ₹1.27 Lakh Crore for Semicon Mission 2.0
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the Union Cabinet approved Semicon Mission 2.0 with an outlay of ₹1.27 lakh crore and the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme with a budget of ₹62,500 crore.
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Semicon Mission 2.0 extends the India Semiconductor Mission (launched in 2021) from 5 years to 12 years to strengthen India's semiconductor ecosystem.
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The mission is based on six pillars, including chip design, to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing and reduce import dependence.
3. Google India Signs MoU with Tripura to Build AI Ecosystem
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Google India signed an MoU with the Government of Tripura during the Destination Tripura Business Conclave 2026 to strengthen the state's AI ecosystem, cloud infrastructure, and digital governance.
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The partnership focuses on AI skill development, digital literacy, education, entrepreneurship, workforce training, and modernizing citizen services.
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The initiative will be supported by the Tripura IT & Data Ecosystem Zone (TIDEZ) and a 10-acre IT Park with an AI Centre of Excellence (CoE).
4. Centre Approves Two Railway Multitracking Projects in Odisha & Jharkhand
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the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved two railway multi-tracking projects for Odisha and Jharkhand.
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The projects include the doubling of the Paradeep–Haridaspur line and the construction of a fourth line on the Rajkharsawan–Dangoaposi route, with a total cost of ₹3,907 crore.
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The projects will add about 145 km to the Indian Railways network and are targeted for completion by FY 2029–30.
5. NABARD Launches ‘Gramodyam’ Programme
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NABARD launched the Gramodyam Programme on 13 July 2026 during its 45th Foundation Day to promote rural entrepreneurship among youth.
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It is a three-year pilot programme with a target of developing around 4,000 rural entrepreneurs across all States and Union Territories of India.
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Gramodyam is implemented in partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and provides entrepreneurship training, mentoring, skill development, and enterprise setup support to participants.
6. Russia Launches ‘Soyuz MS-29 Mission’
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Russia successfully launched the Soyuz MS-29 crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
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The launch was attended by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, marking the first visit by a NASA chief to the Baikonur Cosmodrome since 2018.
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The mission was carried out using the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle and transported National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut Anil Menon and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina to the orbital laboratory for the 75th long-duration expedition rotation.
7. SpaceX Launches the World's First Commercial Nuclear-Powered Satellite
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BOHR (Betavoltaic Orbital High-Reliability) is the world's first commercially built nuclear-powered satellite, developed by City Labs (Florida, USA).
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It was launched aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket during the Transporter-17 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California (USA).
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BOHR uses a NanoTritiumbetavoltaic nuclear battery, which generates electricity from the radioactive decay of tritium, to demonstrate long-life power technology for future space missions.
SpaceX is the private aerospace company founded by Elon Musk in 2002.
8. India Wins First-Ever Women’s T20I Deaf Cricket Series
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the Indian Deaf Women’s Cricket Team won the first-ever Women’s Twenty20 International (T20I) series 2026, defeating Sri Lanka Deaf Women’s Cricket Team 5–0 at the De Soysa International Cricket Stadium in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.
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The series marked the first overseas assignment of the Indian Deaf Women’s Cricket Team under the Indian Deaf Cricket Association (IDCA).
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Indian players dominated the individual honours, with Shradda Vaishnav named Player of the Final, Reddy Jyoshna adjudged Player of the Series, Chandani Khan winning Best Bowler, and Needa Zabi Shaikh receiving Best Batter.
WHAT HAPPENED TODAY
World Snake Day is celebrated annually on July 16 to create awareness about the conservation of snakes and their importance in maintaining ecological balance.
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