Current Affairs 15 July 2026

Berry Alloys to Establish ₹1,200-Crore Steel Materials Complex in Vizianagaram

The Andhra Pradesh government has approved the allotment of 93.43 acres to Berry Alloys Limited for establishing an integrated manganese and steel materials complex at the Bobbili Growth Centre in Vizianagaram district. The company will invest ₹1,200 crore, and the project is expected to create 813 direct jobs.

The proposed complex will include manganese sinter, Direct Reduced Iron (DRI), and carbon-paste manufacturing units. It will also have a 115-megawatt captive power plant to meet its energy requirements.

India’s Retail Inflation Rises to 18-Month High of 4.38%

India’s retail inflation rose to 4.38% in June 2026, compared with 3.93% in May. This was its highest level in 18 months and the first time since January 2025 that inflation exceeded the Reserve Bank of India’s medium-term target of 4%. Rural inflation stood at 4.74%, while urban inflation was lower at 3.92%.

Food and fuel prices were the main contributors. Inflation under the broader food and beverages division reached 5.05%, while inflation measured by the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) was higher at 5.32%. Transport inflation increased to 4.31%, partly due to higher fuel prices.

Uneven monsoon rainfall, weather-related disruptions, global geopolitical tensions, and supply-chain pressures contributed to the increase. Persistently high inflation can reduce consumers’ purchasing power and influence the Reserve Bank of India’s future monetary-policy decisions.

Key Points for Exams:

• CPI stands for Consumer Price Index.
• CPI base year: 2024=100
• CPI data are released by the National Statistics Office.
• NSO functions under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• RBI’s medium-term inflation target is 4%.

Compressed Biogas (CBG)

Compressed Biogas (CBG) can reduce India’s dependence on imported fossil fuels while addressing agricultural residue, animal waste, and municipal organic waste. This is important because India imports most of its crude oil requirements and remains vulnerable to global price shocks and disruptions along major energy transportation routes.

Biogas is produced when organic matter decomposes without oxygen through anaerobic digestion. After removing carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, and other impurities, it is compressed into CBG. CBG has properties similar to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and can be used in vehicles, industries, and domestic gas networks. CBG can be blended with CNG and Piped Natural Gas.

The government has launched two important initiatives to boost the production of Compressed Biogas.

• Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative
  • SATAT was launched on 1 October 2018.
  • Its original target was to establish 5,000 CBG plants.
  • The targeted annual production capacity was 15 million metric tonnes.
• GOBARdhan initiative
  • GOBARdhan stands for Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan.
  • GOBARdhan was launched under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen).
  • The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation coordinates the GOBARdhan initiative.
  • Assistance of up to ₹50 lakh per district is available for community and cluster biogas plants.

India’s Nuclear Energy Landscape

India currently operates 24 nuclear power reactors across seven sites, with a total installed capacity of 8.78 GW. Ten additional reactor units, with a combined capacity of 8,000 MW, are under construction, while pre-project activities are underway for another 10 reactors.

India’s nuclear fleet includes Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs), and Light Water Reactors (LWRs). The Union government allocated ₹20,000 crore in the Union Budget 2025–26 for the research, design, development, and deployment of indigenous Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

India’s indigenously developed 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam attained first criticality on 6 April 2026. It marked the beginning of the second stage of India’s three-stage nuclear power programme.

Recent India–Australia Uranium Agreement

India and Australia finalised an Administrative Arrangement under the India–Australia Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement during the third India–Australia Annual Summit held in Melbourne on 9 July 2026. The arrangement enables long-term exports of Australian uranium to India exclusively for peaceful purposes under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.

The original Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement was signed in 2014 and entered into force in 2015. The new Administrative Arrangement operationalises that agreement by establishing procedures for supplying, tracking, and accounting for Australian uranium exported to India.

What Is Special About the Agreement?

The agreement is particularly significant because India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, while Australia traditionally exports uranium only under strict bilateral safeguards. The arrangement reflects international confidence in India’s civilian nuclear safeguards and non-proliferation record.

Australia possesses the world’s largest uranium resources, accounting for more than one-third of the global total. Long-term access to Australian uranium will diversify India’s nuclear-fuel imports and reduce dependence on a limited number of supplier countries.

The agreement will support India’s target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear-power capacity by 2047. Australia also reiterated its support for India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a voluntary grouping of 48 nuclear-supplier countries that seeks to prevent nuclear-weapons proliferation through common guidelines governing exports of nuclear materials, equipment, and related technologies for peaceful purposes.

India has signed Inter-Governmental Agreements with 18 countries for civil nuclear cooperation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Key Points for Exams:

• Operational nuclear reactors in India: 24
• Nuclear-power sites: Seven
• Installed nuclear capacity: 8.78 GW
• Reactors under construction: 10
• Combined capacity under construction: 8,000 MW
• India’s nuclear-capacity target: 100 GW by 2047
• National Supplier Group membership: 48 countries
• India has civil nuclear cooperation agreements with 18 countries.
• Australia agreed to supply uranium to India despite India not being an NPT signatory, subject to strict bilateral and IAEA safeguards.

Tamil Poet Vairamuthu Receives 60th Jnanpith Award

Tamil poet, lyricist, and writer R. Vairamuthu was conferred the 60th Jnanpith Award for 2025 at a ceremony held in New Delhi on 13 July 2026. Vairamuthu became the third Tamil literary figure to receive the Jnanpith Award. The award includes a cash prize of ₹11 lakh, a citation, and a bronze statue of Vagdevi, representing Goddess Saraswati.

The Jnanpith Award is presented by Bharatiya Jnanpith for outstanding contributions to Indian literature. It is open to Indian writers working in languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and in English.

Book: The Voice of Justice

Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan released the book The Voice of Justice: Justice Gavai Speaks at Uprashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, on 14 July 2026. The book is a collection of speeches, lectures, and reflections of former Chief Justice of India Justice B.R. Gavai. It presents his views on constitutionalism, the rule of law, social justice, democratic governance, and access to justice.

Q1. Who was conferred the 60th Jnanpith Award for the year 2025?
A. Perumal Murugan
B. R. Vairamuthu
C. Jeyamohan
D. S. Ramakrishnan

Q2. The SATAT initiative was launched to promote the production and use of which of the following fuels?
A. Green hydrogen
B. Compressed Biogas
C. Sustainable aviation fuel
D. Liquefied petroleum gas

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding Compressed Biogas (CBG):
1. Biogas is produced when organic matter decomposes without oxygen through anaerobic digestion.
2. Compressed Biogas mainly consists of purified methane.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2

Q4. Berry Alloys Limited will establish a ₹1,200-crore integrated manganese and steel materials complex in which district of Andhra Pradesh?
A. Anakapalli
B. Vizianagaram
C. Srikakulam
D. Kakinada

Q5. India’s retail inflation reached its highest level in the last 18 months during which of the following months?
A. March 2026
B. April 2026
C. May 2026
D. June 2026

Q6. The recently released book ‘The Voice of Justice’ is a collection of speeches, lectures and reflections of whom?
A. Justice B.R. Gavai
B. Justice Surya Kant
C. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud
D. Justice Sanjiv Khanna

Q7. Consider the following statements regarding India’s nuclear energy sector:
1. India currently operates 24 nuclear power reactors.
2. India has a total installed nuclear power capacity of 10.78 GW.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2