Current Affairs 13 July 2026

Prime Minister’s Visit to New Zealand

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited New Zealand and held bilateral talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Auckland. During the visit, India and New Zealand elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership and adopted a four-year Roadmap to 2030 for expanding cooperation.

The two countries set an aspirational target of doubling annual bilateral trade in goods and services to NZ$7 billion, approximately ₹35,000 crore, by 2030. New Zealand is also committed to facilitating investments worth $20 billion in India over the next 15 years.

The visit produced 18 concrete outcomes, including 10 agreements. Important areas of cooperation included:

• Hydrographic data sharing;
• Mutual naval logistics support;
• Maritime security and Indo-Pacific engagement;
• Counter-terrorism cooperation;
• Trade and investment;
• Technology, education, agriculture, and tourism; and
• Sports science, sports medicine, and athlete development.

India and New Zealand agreed to establish a Maritime Security Dialogue and a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism. They reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, freedom of navigation, and respect for international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982.

Andhra Pradesh Approves ₹1,010-Crore Pooled Municipal Bond Framework

The Andhra Pradesh government has accorded in-principle approval to a ₹1,010-crore Pooled Municipal Bond Issuance Framework to finance priority infrastructure projects in participating Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

Under a pooled municipal bond mechanism, several smaller urban local bodies jointly raise funds from the capital market instead of issuing bonds separately. Pooling projects and revenues can improve their ability to attract institutional investors and secure long-term finance.

The funds will be used for essential civic infrastructure, including drinking-water supply, sewerage networks, roads, storm-water drains, solid-waste management, and street lighting. The initiative seeks to reduce municipalities’ dependence on government grants while improving their financial discipline, creditworthiness, transparency, and governance.

World Bank Approves $890 Million for India’s Rooftop Solar Programme

The World Bank Group has approved $890 million in financial support to accelerate India’s national rooftop solar programme, PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. The programme aims to expand residential rooftop solar installations, reduce household electricity expenses, and promote domestic manufacturing of solar equipment.

The financing package consists of:

• $820 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development;
• $60 million concessional loan from the Clean Technology Fund; and
• $10 million grant from the IBRD’s Livable Planet Fund.

PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana seeks to support rooftop solar installations in one crore rural and urban households. The initiative also contributes to India’s commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.

PaBV-4 Bird Virus

Indian scientists have identified and genetically characterised Parrot Bornavirus 4 (PaBV-4) in captive psittacine birds for the first time in the country. Psittacine birds encompass parrots and related species, including budgerigars, cockatiels, cockatoos, lovebirds, macaws, and parakeets.

PaBV-4 is an avian bornavirus associated with Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD), a largely fatal condition that affects the digestive and nervous systems of birds.

India Ranks Ninth in Internet Blackout Resilience Assessment

India ranked ninth globally among the countries considered least vulnerable to a major Internet blackout, according to an assessment by U.S.-based digital infrastructure provider TRG Datacenters. India received a vulnerability score of 23.4, placing it just ahead of Sweden, which ranked tenth with a score of 24.3.

The United States topped the ranking with a vulnerability score of zero, followed by Indonesia and the United Kingdom. The study examined nearly 100 countries using indicators such as submarine cable connectivity, Internet Exchange Points, and the proportion of the population using the Internet.

India reportedly has:

• 22 submarine cables
• 40 Internet Exchange Points
• Around 70% of its population uses the Internet

What Are Submarine Internet Cables?

Submarine cables are fibre-optic cables laid on the ocean floor that carry Internet and telecommunications data between countries and continents. They form the backbone of global digital connectivity and carry approximately 99% of international Internet traffic.

A country connected through several submarine cables has more alternative routes for rerouting Internet traffic if one cable is damaged. India’s comparatively limited number of international submarine cable connections has therefore raised concerns regarding network resilience.

What Are Internet Exchange Points?

An Internet Exchange Point (IXP) is a physical infrastructure through which Internet service providers and other networks exchange domestic Internet traffic directly.

Key Points for Exams:

• India’s position: Ninth
• India’s vulnerability score: 23.4
• Report released by: TRG Datacenters
• Country ranked first: United States
• Internet users in India: Around 70% of the population

Jatiya Telugu Saaraswatha Parishath Announces Lifetime Achievement Awards

The Jatiya Telugu Saaraswatha Parishath has announced lifetime achievement awards for four distinguished personalities who have rendered notable services in different fields.

The recipients are Uddaraju Kasi Viswanadha Raju, chairman of the Bhimavaram-based Ananda Group; retired civil services official C.J. Venugopal; spiritual scholar Akella Vibheeshana Sharma; and senior politician and Telugu Desam Party leader Pithani Satyanarayana.

Legendary Playback Singer S. Janaki Passes Away

Legendary playback singer S. Janaki, popularly known as the “Nightingale of South Indian Cinema,” passed away in Mysuru at the age of 88 after suffering from age-related ailments and breathing difficulties.

Anjum Chopra Inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

Former Indian women’s cricket team captain Anjum Chopra was inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket Hall of Fame on 11 July 2026. Former England captain Kevin Peterson was also inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

N. Shree Charani Becomes Andhra Pradesh’s First Woman Test Cricketer

Left-arm spinner N. Shree Charani created history by becoming the first woman cricketer from Andhra Pradesh to represent India in a Test match. She made her Test debut against England at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on 10 July 2026.

Q1. How much financial support has the World Bank Group recently approved to accelerate India’s national rooftop solar programme?
A. $690 million
B. $790 million
C. $890 million
D. $990 million

Q2. According to a report by TRG Datacenters, what is India’s global rank among the countries considered least vulnerable to an Internet blackout?
A. Fifth
B. Seventh
C. Ninth
D. Tenth

Q3. India and New Zealand recently set a target of increasing their annual bilateral trade to approximately how much by 2030?
A. ₹20,000 crore
B. ₹25,000 crore
C. ₹35,000 crore
D. ₹50,000 crore

Q4. Legendary playback singer S. Janaki, who recently passed away at the age of 88, was popularly known by which title?
A. Melody Queen of India
B. Nightingale of South Indian Cinema
C. Queen of Carnatic Music
D. Nightingale of Indian Cinema

Q5. Parrot Bornavirus 4 (PaBV-4), recently identified in India for the first time, is associated with which disease in birds?
A. Avian influenza
B. Newcastle disease
C. Proventricular Dilatation Disease
D. Psittacosis

Q6. Who became the sole woman inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame Class of 2026?
A. Mithali Raj
B. Jhulan Goswami
C. Anjum Chopra
D. Harmanpreet Kaur

Q7. Who became the first woman cricketer from Andhra Pradesh to represent India in a Test match?
A. Ravi Kalpana
B. N. Shree Charani
C. S. Meghana
D. Arundhati Reddy

Q8. Who among the following is the chairman of the Bhimavaram-based Ananda Group and a recipient of the Jatiya Telugu Saaraswatha Parishath Lifetime Achievement Award?
A. C.J. Venugopal
B. Akella Vibheeshana Sharma
C. Uddaraju Kasi Viswanadha Raju
D. Pithani Satyanarayana

Q9. How much does the Andhra Pradesh government propose to mobilise under its Pooled Municipal Bond Issuance Framework?
A. ₹510 crore
B. ₹750 crore
C. ₹1,010 crore
D. ₹1,500 crore