Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of July  15th & 21st July 2026. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBIClerk 2026 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

Weekly Current Affairs July 15th  & 21st PDF Download

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• World Youth Skills Day is observed every year on 15 July to highlight the importance of skill development among youth and the need to equip young people with skills required for employment, entrepreneurship, and self-employment.
• World Day for International Justice 2026 was observed globally on 17 July 2026 to recognise and promote the importance of the international justice system.
• Nelson Mandela International Day 2026 was observed globally on 18 July 2026 to honour the life, legacy, and humanitarian contributions of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the former President of South Africa.
• World Chess Day is observed every year on 20 July to commemorate the establishment of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1924 at Paris, France.
• International Moon Day is observed every year on 20 July to commemorate the anniversary of the first human landing on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission and to promote international cooperation in space exploration.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING, FINANCE & BUSINESS

• Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman reviewed the progress of RBI's Swap Facility Schemes for FCNR(B) Deposits, External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs), and Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings (OFCBs) with MDs & CEOs of Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and Public Financial Institutions (PFIs) in New Delhi.
• The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), Madhya Pradesh Unit, dismantled a sophisticated Mephedrone (MD) manufacturing laboratory in Pune, Maharashtra, under Operation Vajra.
• According to the World Bank Country Income Classification (FY2027), India continues to be classified as a Lower-Middle-Income Economy.
• According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Report 2026, India became the 11th-largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the world in 2025, improving from 13th position in 2024.
• Standard Chartered became the first bank in the world to successfully process a cross-border remittance under SWIFT's new Retail Payments Framework.
• Bank of Maharashtra (BoM), one of India's leading Public Sector Banks (PSBs), launched "FinSpark'26", a national-level cybersecurity hackathon, under the theme "Securing the Future of Banking".
• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) launched Gramodyam, an entrepreneurship development programme for rural youth, during its 45th Foundation Day celebrations.
• Indian Mercantile Co-operative Bank Limited., Lucknow has been excluded from the Second Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934, through a notification dated 4 June 2026, published in the Gazette of India (Part III – Section 4) on 22 June 2026.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) organised the 3rd Annual Conference of Internal Ombudsmen (IO) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Axis Max Life Insurance Limited launched Axis Max Life Smart Retirement Income with Sustained Earnings Plan (Smart RISE), a retirement-focused insurance product designed to provide stable post-retirement income.
• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I) released India's Trade Data for Quarter 1 (Q1: April–June) of Financial Year 2026–27 (FY27) and for the month of June 2026.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released a draft amendment proposing a one-time approval mechanism for eligible institutional investors to acquire and retain major shareholding (5% or more) in the same banking company without seeking repeated approvals.
• Delhivery Financial Services Private Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delhivery Limited, received Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approval for the grant of a Certificate of Registration (CoR) as a Type-II Non-Banking Financial Company–Non-Deposit Taking (NBFC-ND).
• Bloomberg has facilitated the first electronic trade in Indian Government Bonds (IGBs) through its Bloomberg Terminal by integrating it with the Negotiated Dealing System–Order Matching (NDS-OM).
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued final prudential norms for Banks, Small Finance Banks (SFBs), and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) regarding Specified Non-Financial Assets (SNFAs) acquired while resolving stressed loans or Non-Performing Assets (NPAs).
• The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) released its updated High-Risk Jurisdictions and Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring (Grey List) following the FATF Plenary Meeting held from 17–19 June 2026.
• Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under the Digital India Corporation (DIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Punjab National Bank (PNB) to develop multilingual Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions for inclusive banking under the BHASHINI for Seva/Sanchalan
• According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Financial Stability Report (FSR), Private Sector Banks wrote off 7% of their Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) in FY2025–26, compared to 24.3% by Public Sector Banks (PSBs).
• The Board of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance approved a proposal to rename the company as ICICI Life Insurance Limited, subject to approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL AND STATE NEWS

• Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda will lay the foundation stone of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Centre for High Altitude Medicine and Public Health Research at Keylong, Himachal Pradesh.
• Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) created a new Guinness World Record by planting 3,61,000 saplings in a single hour through the largest Miyawaki plantation drive in one hour.
• The West Bengal Government has announced that August 16 will be observed as ‘Ayushman Diwas’ instead of ‘Khela Hobe Diwas’, shifting the focus towards healthcare awareness and promotion of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
• India is set to observe the 3rd NAMASTE Day, marking three years since the launch of the National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme.
• Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Human-Wildlife Conflict at the Wildlife Institute of India–Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (WII-SACON), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
• Kamarajar Port Limited (KPL) in Tamil Nadu has become the second major port in India to achieve an operational draft of 18 metres, after Visakhapatnam Port.
• The Government of India launched the upgraded Centralised IT Enabled Services (CITES 2.01) platform for the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), migrating around 34 crore member accounts from more than 120 decentralised databases into a single unified national system.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) notified Navi Mumbai International Airport, Maharashtra as an authorised port of entry for the import of drugs under the Drugs Rules, 1945.
• India has reiterated its support for Palestine’s application for full membership of the United Nations (UN) and reaffirmed its commitment to the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and peaceful Palestine.
• The Government of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi has renamed its flagship women's welfare scheme Mahila Samriddhi Yojana as the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana.
• The Government of India has officially renamed the Central Vista redevelopment area as the Kartavya Bhawan Area (also referred to as the Kartavya Bhawan Complex).
• The Geographical Indications Registry has granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Unjha Cumin (Jeera) and Unjha Fennel (Saunf), recognising them as unique agricultural products originating from Unjha, Mehsana district, Gujarat.
• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry has notified the Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) allocation procedure under the India–Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
• The Central Government has proposed the establishment of Autonomous Hill Development Councils (AHDCs) in every district of Ladakh to strengthen local self-governance while preserving the region's unique identity.
• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has introduced India’s first trial version of the Index of Services Production (ISP) to measure the monthly performance of the formal services sector.
• The Gujarat Forest Department has successfully reintroduced the Indian Grey Hornbill to the Gir Forest, marking the return of the species after an absence of more than 60 years.
• Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced that the state will establish India’s first government-driven Artificial Intelligence (AI) University during Google I/O Connect India 2026 held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru.
• The International Gas Union (IGU) has released the World LNG Report 2026, providing a comprehensive review of the global Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry and market trends.
• India has officially launched its campaign for election as a Non-Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028–2029
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) with a total outlay of ₹62,500 crore to strengthen India's mobile phone manufacturing ecosystem.
• The Government of India has revised the Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED), commonly known as the windfall tax, on the export of petroleum products with effect from 16 July 2026.
• Kolkata Metro is set to introduce driverless metro train operations on the Green Line and Purple Line, marking a major milestone in India's urban public transport system.
• The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has invited global bids to establish 10 GWh of Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery manufacturing capacity under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for ACC Batteries.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the National Investment Policy for Urea-2026 (NIPU-2026) to promote self-reliance in urea production under the Atmanirbhar Bharat
• India and the European Union (EU) held the 3rd India–European Union Trade and Technology Council (TTC) Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, to deepen cooperation in trade, technology, innovation, and resilient supply chains.
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved Semicon 2.0, India's next-generation semiconductor policy, with a total outlay of ₹1,27,500 crore.
• Uttar Pradesh Government launched two digital platforms, Kaushal Setu and Kaushal Sarathi, during the celebration of World Youth Skills Day 2026 to modernise vocational training and improve skill development services in the state.
• Karnataka Government has released the draft Karnataka Apartment (Ownership and Management) Bill, 2025 (KAOMA) to modernise apartment management, strengthen the rights of apartment owners, and resolve long- standing disputes in the state’s growing real estate sector.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Advanced Mother and Child Centre and the Advanced Neurosciences Centre at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
• Maharashtra Government is set to implement the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) programme, a Mission Mode Project under the Digital India Programme initiated by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India.
• NITI Aayog has introduced the Investment Friendliness Index (IFI) to assess the readiness of 36 States and Union Territories (UTs) in attracting and sustaining investments based on governance, economic, and infrastructure parameters.
• Shabdalok (Museum of Words), India’s first immersive language museum, was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the National Library, Kolkata, West Bengal.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Luiss Business School (LBS) jointly released the 3rd edition of the World Intangible Investment Report 2026.
• Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visited New Zealand from 10–11 July 2026 as the final leg of his three-nation tour, which included Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand.
• The 49th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC49) was held from 6–11 July 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland, where India achieved major success in the development of science-based global food standards.
• Ukraine and nine European countries announced the formation of an Anti-ballistic Missile Coalition to strengthen Europe's defence against the growing ballistic missile threat.
• The United Nations (UN) released the Preliminary Report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence (AI), the first UN-commissioned scientific assessment of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• The United States Federal Reserve (US Fed) appointed three Indian-origin experts—Raghuram Rajan, Raj Chetty, and Asha Sharma—to lead three of its five task forces reviewing the US Federal Reserve's Monetary Policy Framework.
• Government of India (GoI) appointed Srinivasa Kumar Tummala as the new Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• Ukraine's Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) approved the appointment of Sergii Koretskyi as the Prime Minister (PM) of Ukraine, succeeding Yulia Svyrydenko.
• Shri Vivek Nishant Nath has assumed charge as Director (Commercial) of NMDC Limited, India's largest iron ore producer, following his appointment by the Ministry of Steel, Government of India (GoI).
• Mindaugas Sinkevičius, leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), was sworn in as the 20th Prime Minister (PM) of Lithuania.
• Policybazaar, India's leading online insurance marketplace, appointed Amitabh Bachchan as its Brand Ambassador to lead the nationwide awareness campaign "Parivaar Sabse Pehle" (Family Comes First).
• Harjit Singh Grewal was appointed as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), with the appointment notified by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

• Tamil poet, lyricist, and writer R. Vairamuthu was conferred the 60th Jnanpith Award (2025), India's highest literary honour, at a ceremony held in New Delhi.
• The 72nd National Film Awards were announced in New Delhi to honour the best Indian films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

• The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between India and the United Kingdom (UK) came into effect on 15 July 2026, marking a major milestone in bilateral economic and trade relations.
• Serum Institute of India (SII) has entered into an agreement with the Gates Medical Research Institute (Gates MRI) to establish manufacturing capacity for the M72/AS01E Tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

• The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) warship JS Takanami (DD-110) conducted a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the Indian Navy warship INS Surat off the coast of Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth reviewed the functioning of the Canteen Services Department (CSD) during the 80th meeting of the Board of Control Canteen Services (BOCCS) held in Ranchi, Jharkhand, on 14 July 2026.
• Indian Navy will host Operation Southern Readiness 26-2 at the Southern Naval Command, Kochi (Kerala) from 20–23 July 2026 as a four-day multinational maritime training engagement.
• The Indian Navy will commission INS Malvan on 22 July 2026, the second Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC).
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) is participating in Exercise Pitch Black 2026, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)'s premier biennial multinational air combat exercise, scheduled from 20 July to 7 August 2026 at RAAF Base Darwin, Northern Australia.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

• Canada-based Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (Fairfax) emerged as the preferred bidder to acquire a 72% stake in IDBI Bank Limited from the Government of India (GoI) and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).
• State Bank of India (SBI) plans to join a consortium of global lenders to finance Sun Pharmaceutical Industries' acquisition of US-based Organon & Co. in an overseas deal valued at US$11.75–12 billion, subject to board approval.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• Bengaluru-based space startup GalaxEye lost communication with Mission Drishti, the world's first OptoSAR (Optical + Synthetic Aperture Radar) Earth observation satellite, after an onboard anomaly.
• India and Indonesia signed a landmark defence agreement for the export of the Astra Mk 1 Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), making Indonesia the first foreign country to import India's indigenously developed Astra missile system.
• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched Phase-III of the Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP) with a total outlay of ₹1,500 crore to strengthen India's biomedical research ecosystem.
• The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully conducted the first lift-off and landing test of its RV-X reusable rocket prototype at the Noshiro Testing Center, Akita Prefecture, Japan.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted three critical tests of the Gaganyaan Crew Module (CM) systems as part of India's Human Spaceflight Programme.
• Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, has extended financial assistance to M/s K. N. Biosciences (India) Private Limited, Hyderabad for the project “Production of C-Phycocyanin using Spirulina sp. as a Cell Factory.”
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in partnership with the Drone Federation India (DFI), launched the 2nd edition of the National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research (NIDAR 2.0) for 2026–27 under the SwaYaan Initiative at Electronics Niketan, New Delhi.
• Researchers from the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) and N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS), both under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), developed a new porous organic anode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.
• Kerala-based private spacetech startup HEX20 successfully launched its second satellite, KOYO (Kinetic Optical Yaw Observer) aboard SpaceX's Transporter-17 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA.
• CSIR–Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) commenced its Platinum Jubilee Celebrations from 16 July 2026 to 16 July 2027, marking 75 years of scientific excellence in road infrastructure research.
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) signed a multi-million, multi-year agreement with ABB to transform ABB’s global network operations using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), in collaboration with the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), Thanjavur, launched a pilot Short-Term Skill Training Programme (STSTP) on the Assistant Baking Technician (NSQF Level 3) Certificate Programme at the ITC – Integrated Consumer Goods Manufacturing and Logistics (ITC-ICML) facility in Trichy, Tamil Nadu.
• Padma Shri Sridhar Vembu, Chief Scientist and Co-founder of Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd., inaugurated the Thiruvanmiyur campus of VELS Institute of Science, Technology, & Advanced Studies (VISTAS) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• pi-labs, an Indian Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deepfake detection company, entered into a strategic partnership with Google Cloud to develop secure, scalable, and mission-ready AI solutions for India.
• Bharat Tex 2026 showcases India's textile ecosystem by bringing together manufacturers, handloom cooperatives, traditional artisans, technology startups, and global buyers under one platform.
• Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited, a Hyderabad (Telangana)-based private spacetech company, successfully launched Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed orbital-class launch vehicle, under Mission Aagaman (Arrival) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
• Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (Jio), the telecom arm of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), received technical approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to deploy a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation of around 1,600 satellites.
• India commissioned its first-ever geothermal wells at Puga Valley, Ladakh, marking a major milestone in the country's renewable energy sector.
• Union Minister Pralhad Joshi (Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution (MoCAF&PD) and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)) inaugurated the White Rabbit Technology-based Indian Standard Time (IST) Distribution Demonstration Network at the Regional Reference Standards Laboratory (RRSL), Jakkur, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• Captain Aman Johri, an Indian Analog Astronaut, successfully completed a microgravity research flight under Project Astra Farm, marking a major milestone in India's space biotechnology and sustainable space food systems.
• CSIR–Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad has developed India's first indigenous process technology for manufacturing Hydrofluoroolefin-1234yf (HFO-1234yf), a next-generation green refrigerant for refrigeration and air-conditioning systems.
• India's drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), approved Novo Nordisk's Wegovy (Semaglutide Injection 2.4 mg) for the treatment of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH).

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPS & PORTALS

• Union Minister of Coal and Mines, G. Kishan Reddy, in the presence of Minister of State Satish Chandra Dubey and Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt, launched the Online Portal Application for Registration of Coal Exchanges in New Delhi during the Curtain Raiser Event for Indian Mining Week 2026.
• Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal launched the e-VSP (Vidhi Sahitya Prakashan) Portal, developed by the Legislative Department, to provide digital access to Hindi legal literature.
• The Aadhaar App has crossed 40 million (4 crore) downloads, highlighting the growing trust of residents in digital-first identity services.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

• MRF Limited (Madras Rubber Factory Limited) has been recognised as the Most Valuable Tyre Brand and the Strongest Tyre Brand in India in the Brand Finance India 100 – 2026 Report.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ENVIRONMENT

• Scientists have developed an advanced ammonia sensing platform capable of detecting ammonia gas at extremely low concentrations while operating efficiently at room temperature.
• Chitkara University, Punjab launched the Atal Incubation Centre–Chitkara Incubation Foundation (AIC-CIF) and AIC-PRIDE Labs to strengthen India's deep-tech startup ecosystem.
• Researchers from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru (Karnataka) discovered two new species of rare solitary bees during the Siang Expedition in the Siang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh (AR).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• World No. 1 Jannik Sinner (Italy) won the men’s singles title at Wimbledon 2026 for the second consecutive year, defeating Alexander Zverev (Germany) in a four-set final.
• 17-year-old S. Aswath from Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu became India’s 98th Chess Grandmaster (GM) after securing his third and final GM norm at the 2026 Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin Tournament.
• Indian tennis legend Leander Paes has been appointed as the Player Ambassador of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF).
• India secured 5 gold medals at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026, with all five members of the Indian team winning gold medals.
• Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta unveiled ‘Mayur’, the official mascot of the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship 2026, at a special ceremony in New Delhi.
• India captain Rohit Sharma became the first Indian men’s cricketer to score an One Day International (ODI) century at Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, England, during the India–England ODI series.
• Pusarla Venkata Sindhu (PV Sindhu) created history by winning the BWF Japan Open 2026 title, defeating World No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) in the final by 21-17, 21-17 at Tokyo, Japan.
• Argentina's Lionel Messi created history by becoming the first footballer to play in three different FIFA World Cup finals after featuring in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final against Spain at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, United States.
• India created history by winning 1 Gold Medal and 3 Silver Medals at the 37th International Biology Olympiad (IBO) 2026, held in Vilnius, Lithuania.
• India created history at the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) 2026 by winning four Gold medals, becoming the first country to have all four participants win Gold medals in a single edition of the competition.
• Spain won the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup, defeating Argentina in the final to secure its second FIFA World Cup title.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

• Legendary playback singer Sistla Sreeramamurthy (S.) Janaki, popularly known as the "Nightingale of South India" and "Nightingale of the South", passed away at the age of 88 in Mysuru, Karnataka after battling age-related health issues.
• Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former Emir of Qatar, passed away at the age of 74.
• Veteran Indian National Congress (INC) leader and former Member of Parliament (MP) Hanumanthappa passed away at the age of 94 in Chitradurga, Karnataka.
• Renowned Tamil writer and novelist Poomani, whose original name was Pulithurai Manickavasagam, passed away at the age of 79 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• Padma Shri awardee Moozhikkal Pankajakshi, the renowned Nokkuvidya Pavakkali exponent, passed away at the age of 90 in Koothattukulam (Monippally), Kottayam district, Kerala.
• Sir Garfield Sobers, the legendary West Indies cricketer and widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history, passed away in Saint Michael, Barbados, at the age of 89.