Context

U.S. President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran "over" on July 8 after both sides traded strikes over the safe passage of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said U.S. "violations" had rendered parts of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) "ineffective". This is the second time the two sides have exchanged fire since signing the MoU on June 17.

Background & Key Facts

• Trigger: Three ships passing an alternative route along the Omani coast — the M/T Al Rekayyat (Marshall Islands), M/T Wedyan (Saudi Arabia) and M/T Cyprus Prosperity (Liberia) — were attacked over the weekend.
• U.S. response: Revoked the sanctions waiver that had allowed the sale of Iranian oil after the MoU, then launched dozens of air strikes on "monitoring and surveillance centres" on Iran's southern coast.
• Casualties: U.S. strikes killed eight military personnel, per Iranian state television (described by Tehran as "martyrs").
• Iran's retaliation: The IRGC claimed it struck "85 U.S. military assets" in the Persian Gulf — including Port Salman (U.S. Fifth Fleet area, Bahrain) and Ali Al-Salem Air Base (Kuwait) — and claimed to have downed a U.S. MQ-9 drone over Bushehr.
• MoU terms: Signed June 17. Under Article 5, Iran promised "safe passage of commercial vessels, with no charge for 60 days" from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman; Iran would also hold talks with Oman on future administration of the strait.
• Two structural hurdles: (i) Israel's continued war in Lebanon against Hezbollah (MoU Article 1 covers Lebanon), and (ii) the disputed status of the Strait of Hormuz.
• India's stand: The MEA voiced "deep concern" over the targeting of commercial shipping and urged all parties to exercise restraint and return to dialogue.

Strategic Geography — The Strait of Hormuz

• A narrow chokepoint linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea — the world's most critical oil transit chokepoint.
• Iran has directed tankers to use a "designated route" along its own coast; a second route runs along Oman's coast. The U.S. and Gulf states encourage the Oman route, which Iran fears erodes its leverage.
• Late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated by the U.S. and Israel on February 28; funeral processions were underway in Najaf, Iraq.

Context

Russia's share in India's oil imports rose above 40% in May 2026 — the highest in nearly two years — even as Russia charged India a premium and India moved to diversify sources, including resuming imports from Iran and Venezuela.

Background & Key Facts

• Russian share (May 2026): 40.5% by volume and 42.6% by value of India's total oil imports.
• Premium, not discount: India paid about $916/tonne for Russian oil vs an average $870/tonne across all imports — a premium of ~$46/tonne. Russia had been offering a discount as recently as February.
• Total imports: 21.82 million tonnes in May 2026 — highest since January, ~12% higher than April, but ~2.6% lower than May 2025.
• Price effect: India's oil import bill rose 23.5% over April and ~66% over May 2025 — because oil cost $106/barrel in May 2026 vs $64/barrel in May 2025.
• Russia volume vs value: Value of Russian imports grew 83% year-on-year while the actual volume fell 2% — a pure price effect.
• Diversification: India imported $430.5 million of Iranian oil in April 2026 (falling to $277 million in May); the U.S. began allowing Venezuela to export oil in February.

Context

When the Strait of Hormuz became the epicentre of global anxiety, India — the world's third-largest oil importer — contained fuel and cooking-gas inflation better than many advanced and emerging peers, reviving comparisons with the 1973 oil shock and the 1991 balance-of-payments crisis.

Background & Key Facts

• Dependence: India imports almost 90% of its crude oil and remains heavily reliant on the Gulf for oil, gas and fertilizers.
• Shock magnitude: The Indian crude basket crossed $120/barrel; the import-linked cost of a domestic LPG cylinder rose above ₹1,600; war-risk premiums escalated sharply.
• Petrol restraint: Prices rose just 7.5% in India vs ~14% (Germany), 19% (U.K.), 45% (U.S.), over 50% (Pakistan, Philippines), and almost 90% (Myanmar).
• Diesel restraint: India limited the increase to ~8% while the UAE saw an ~85% surge.
• LPG: India imports ~60% of LPG; a domestic cylinder stayed at ₹942 (₹642 for Ujjwala beneficiaries) — cheaper than in Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka.
• Fiscal cushion: State-run OMCs absorbed ₹74,781 crore in losses on petrol, diesel and LPG up to June 30 instead of passing the shock to consumers.

Four Pillars of Resilience

• 1. Strategic relationships as energy security: Decades of engagement with Iran and Gulf partners kept channels open; Iran facilitated the movement of Indian ships.
• 2. Diversified supplier base: Partnerships from Russia and the U.S. to Africa and Latin America — "not putting all energy eggs in one basket".
• 3. A decade of energy planning: Higher ethanol blending, an expanding renewable base, larger strategic reserves, stronger refining capacity.
• 4. Whole-of-government coordination: Ministries of External Affairs, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Ports/Shipping/Waterways, the Indian Navy and the National Security Council Secretariat worked together to monitor risks and protect supplies.

Context

In a recent ruling (May 29, 2026), the Delhi High Court laid down the principles governing the "right to be forgotten", evolving a new jurisprudence to protect the privacy of those still victimised by their digital footprints despite having matters settled in their favour.

Background & Key Facts

• Definition: The right to have information erased or de-indexed from the public digital environment when its continued accessibility is harmful and serves no public interest.
• Origin (2014): Spanish citizen Mario Costeja González complained to the European Court of Justice about Google displaying an old notice on his repossessed house despite the debt being settled — laying the groundwork for the right, later codified in Article 17 of the EU's GDPR.
• Indian jurisprudence: K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017) held privacy — including informational privacy — a fundamental right under Article 21. High Courts then diverged in approach.
• The 2026 case: The Delhi HC ruled on 30+ consolidated petitions, led by Laksh Vir Singh Yadav v. Union of India. It held the right flows from Article 21's guarantee of dignity and informational privacy.
• Proportionality test: Retention must have a legitimate purpose; harm to privacy must be balanced against public interest; the least intrusive means — masking names rather than deleting judgments — is preferred.
• Directions: A two-week deadline for legal databases to comply; only parties' names are redacted, not the facts. Judgments stay accessible by case number or keyword — only name-based searches are restricted.

Right to be Forgotten & the DPDP Act

• The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 offers a limited statutory right to erasure in Section 12, but it is based on consent and does not explicitly cover judicial records and public archives.
• The Act is "deficient" because rules are not yet notified and the Data Protection Board is not fully effective.
• Constitutional tension: The right conflicts with freedom of speech and press (Article 19(1)(a)), the principle of open justice, and the public's right to know.

Context

On June 2, 2026, the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a Palestinian rights organisation based in Brussels, filed a complaint with India's Home Ministry, Bureau of Immigration and police to arrest Eitan Gilboa — an Israeli soldier of the 271st Combat Engineering Battalion — vacationing in Himachal Pradesh, accusing him of "war crimes in Gaza" in 2024.

Background & Key Facts

• Allegation: Participation in the destruction of residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in Khan Yunis and Rafah, with self-filmed videos later posted online. HRF submitted geo-located videos and chain-of-command documentation.
• Legal basis: Alleged violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which India is a signatory. India lacks a standalone war-crimes law but has the Geneva Conventions Act, 1960.
• Universal jurisdiction: Under the Act, India can arrest any person — irrespective of nationality or where the offence occurred — for a "grave breach" under the Convention. If arrest is not possible, deportation can be facilitated.
• Government response: The Union government did not issue a statement or initiate a probe; Gilboa has since left India.
• 'Hummus Trail': ~80,000 Israelis visit India yearly — many young veterans on the Tiul Gadol (a 6-month-to-a-year post-service trip funded by army bonuses). In February 2026 Israel allocated four million NIS to boost tourism collaboration with India.
• Trail geography: Kasol ("mini-Israel"), Kodaikanal, Kerala, Goa, Hampi, Gokarna, Rishikesh, Varanasi, Pushkar, Almora, Dharamkot, and recently the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• Global context: Israel has killed over 73,000 Palestinians in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 attack and faces a genocide case at the ICJ filed by South Africa. HRF's action has succeeded in Brazil, Romania, Peru, Belgium and Canada; a Chilean court recently recognised universal jurisdiction over Gaza war crimes.

Context

The rehearsal for the second phase of Census 2027 — underway in 16 States and Union Territories since July 6 — carries a key feature: an "open column" in which respondents can state their caste, which the enumerator records. Unlike the 2011 SECC, this counting of caste in the Census itself has statutory backing. The pre-test ends July 20.

Background & Key Facts

• The open-column problem: The open-ended method in the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) returned over 46 lakh "caste names" against the 4,147 in the 1931 Census (the last to tabulate caste) — respondents entered surnames, sub-castes and clan names interchangeably.
• Unusable data: The Centre told the Supreme Court in 2021 that SECC figures were too error-ridden to be relied upon for reservation.
• Proposed fix: Use the digital Census's hand-held devices pre-loaded with a curated list of castes and sub-castes, so the enumerator selects the 'correct' entry after asking the respondent — as the 2022–23 Bihar caste survey showed, this returns more usable data.
• Why count caste: Caste is an abstract, hierarchical identity conferred at birth; the Constitution set itself against caste by abolishing untouchability. The rationale for counting is that empirical data can sharpen welfare and affirmative action, and inform questions of the "creamy layer" and sub-categorisation.

Context

Karnataka's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V. Anbu Kumar rejected allegations by the BJP and JD(S) that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was being conducted through "mass SIR" exercises, asserting it was being carried out transparently and per Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines.

Background & Key Facts

• Door-to-door mandate: All District Election Officers (DEOs) were instructed to ensure Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visited every household and handed over enumeration forms directly.
• Complaint handling: Show-cause notices were issued to 35 BLOs over alleged lapses; reports were sought from DEOs and forwarded to the ECI.
• Scale: Over 11 crore enumeration forms were printed within nine days and supplied to BLOs on schedule; the CEO reported no complaints of non-supply, inter-district mix-ups, or forms delivered to wrong electors.
• BLA role: Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of recognised political parties may also collect filled forms, but a BLA can collect a maximum of 50 forms a day, and forms must be verified by the BLO before acceptance.
• Distribution status (News in Numbers): 80.85% of enumeration forms had been distributed to electors across the State; Bommanahalli recorded the lowest at 35%.

Context

As revenues accrue to the Union, fiscally constrained States are carrying a growing share of welfare spending. Over the 2000s several welfare schemes became laws ("rights-based" welfare); over the last decade the emphasis has shifted from rights towards cash transfers.

Background & Key Facts

• Combined welfare allocation (2025-26): ₹24.20 lakh crore, or 6.77% of GDP, with the Union's contribution accounting for just 1.89% of GDP.
• States drive the rise: Real spending on social services has risen over time, but the Union's share has stayed largely stagnant — the overall rise is driven by States.
• Cost-sharing ratios: PMMVY and ICDS are centrally sponsored with the Centre bearing 60% and States 40%. MGNREGA was funded 90:10; its replacement, the VB-GRAM G Act, will add much more to States' contribution.
• School education: States' share of school-education spending is ~75.2%.
• Cash transfers: Per the 16th Finance Commission Report, States spent ₹4.14 lakh crore on unconditional cash transfers.
• Tax mismatch: Tax revenues favour the Union, but the onus of funding falls disproportionately on States; India's social-security spending lags middle-income peers as a share of GDP.

Context

Quantum computers promise a new era in simulating molecules, securing digital lives, optimising logistics and modelling phenomena that overwhelm supercomputers — but hardware "noise" stands between promise and performance. The Government sanctioned over ₹6,000 crore for the National Quantum Mission (NQM) in April 2023.

Background & Key Facts

• Origin: Physicist Paul Benioff described the "quantum Turing machine" — a computer operating by quantum mechanics — in a 1980 paper in the Journal of Statistical Physics. Deutsch, Feynman and Peter Shor built on it.
• NQM goal: By 2031, build "intermediate-scale quantum computers" and make India a leading nation in quantum technologies.
• Bit vs qubit: A classical bit is 0 or 1; a qubit exploits superposition (0, 1 and infinite states between) and entanglement (linked states regardless of distance), making quantum machines "massively parallel".
• Qubit types: Superconducting (Josephson junction — e.g., Google's Willow, Dec 2024), quantum-dot, trapped-ion, photonic, and NMR qubits.
• First realisation (1998): Groups from Oxford and IBM/UC Berkeley/Stanford/MIT built a 2-NMR-qubit machine that solved the Deutsch–Jozsa problem faster than classical computers.
• The noise problem: Qubits are fragile (decoherence); processors must be cooled near absolute zero (−273 °C). Error rates are 1%–0.1% vs classical error of one in a quintillion (10 followed by 17 zeroes).
• Error correction: Forces several physical qubits into one "logical qubit". Google's 2024 Nature paper (Willow) showed that scaling a lattice (3×3 → 5×5 → 7×7) suppressed the encoded error rate by a factor of two each time — below the threshold. IBM expects a fault-tolerant machine by 2029.

Context

WHO member states resumed talks in Geneva (a two-week session till July 17 — the seventh round) to finalise the missing piece of the pandemic treaty, with a fresh Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) injecting urgency.

Background & Key Facts

• PABS system: The agreement's Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing mechanism deals with sharing access to pathogens with pandemic potential, then sharing the resulting benefits — vaccines, tests, treatments.
• Timeline: The pandemic agreement was adopted in May 2025 (after 3+ years of post-COVID negotiations); the PABS annex was meant to be finalised by May 2026 but progress has been slow.
• Divide: Wealthy countries and developing nations are at loggerheads over how the mechanism works in practice.
• DRC Ebola: Declared mid-May; 1,561 confirmed cases including 506 confirmed deaths, with spillover into Uganda.
• Leadership push: WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to "keep the destination in sight"; before the G7 summit, he and Brazil's President Lula urged leaders to treat July 17 "as a deadline, not a milestone".

Context

The WHO's first-ever survey of people affected by cancer, and the Global Status Report on Cancer 2026 (WHO with the International Agency for Research on Cancer), were released on July 8, warning of rising cases and widening inequities in access to care.

Background & Key Facts

• Global burden: ~20.6 million new cases and close to 10 million deaths annually — cancer is the second leading cause of death globally after cardiovascular disease.
• Projection: Without action, annual cases are projected to rise to nearly 35 million by 2050.
• Financial/social toll: At least 45% of affected people face financial hardship, more than half report mental-health challenges, and nearly all caregivers report strain.
• Survival inequity: 87% of women with breast cancer survive to five years in high-income countries vs only ~42% in low-income countries. Fewer than one in three countries include cancer care in universal health coverage.
• Regional burden (2024): Asia — over half of all cases (50.7%) and deaths (56.5%); Europe — 21% of cases and 20% of deaths despite ~9% of world population; Africa and parts of Asia — lower incidence but disproportionately high mortality.

Context

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) said on July 8 that jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his associate Satinderjeet Singh (alias Goldy Brar) ordered the June 18, 2023 assassination of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.

Background & Key Facts

• "Operation Hard Ball": Investigations were jointly conducted by law enforcement in the U.S., Canada and Europe; 37 accused — including a serving Punjab Police inspector — were charged by the DoJ.
• Diplomatic backdrop: The murder strained India–Canada relations, with then-PM Justin Trudeau alleging involvement of "agents of the Indian government". The U.S. indictment identified Nijjar as "H.S.N."; India had designated him a terrorist in 2020.
• Charges: Racketeering, targeted killings, shootings, extortion, trafficking of narcotics across borders. 24 defendants have been arrested in the U.S., Canada and Spain; 10 fugitives are sought.
• Seizures: ~1,000 kg of cocaine, 1 kg of heroin, $40,000 in cash and a dozen firearms; a $50,000 reward was declared for Brar's arrest/extradition.
• WhatsApp-from-jail: The DoJ alleges Bishnoi used encrypted apps (as recently as Dec 2025–Jan 2026) to extort/attempt to extort $5 million from victims in Los Angeles and Thousand Oaks. He is lodged at Sabarmati jail under Section 303 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (restricting his movement).
• NIA link: A 2022 NIA chargesheet said Bishnoi "runs the entire operations of the gang from within the jail"; extortion money is allegedly routed to Canada, the U.S., Dubai, Thailand and Australia to fund "pro-Khalistan extremists".