Today’s important current affairs, which are essential for students preparing for government jobs…
NATIONAL
1. General Upendra Dwivedi retired from his post
- General Upendra Dwivedi retired from the post of Army Chief on 30 June.
- Before retiring, he paid tribute to the fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.
- General Dheeraj Seth has been appointed as India’s 31st Army Chief in place of General Upendra Dwivedi and assumed charge yesterday.
- General Upendra Dwivedi joined the Army in December 1986.
- General Dwivedi’s tenure will be for three years or until the retirement age of 62 years, whichever comes first.
- General Dwivedi was commissioned into the 18 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles after passing out from the Indian Military Academy on 15 December 1984.
- He commanded the battalion during Operation Rakshak in Jammu and Kashmir in the 1990s and led the Assam Rifles Sector during Operation Rhino in Manipur.
- He became the 46th Vice Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army in February 2024.
- He assumed charge as India’s 30th Chief of Army Staff in June 2024.
- General Seth has now replaced General Dwivedi and assumed charge on Tuesday.
- Seth will be India’s 31st Army Chief and joined the Army in December 1986.
- His tenure will be for three years or until the retirement age of 62 years, whichever comes first.
General in the Army
- The post of Chief of Army Staff is of Lieutenant General rank.
- The Army Chief holds the four-star rank of General.
- According to the Indian Constitution, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) of the Central Government recommends the appointment of the General.
- This appointment is made under the Army Act 1950 and the Army Rules 1954.
General Upendra Dwivedi paid tribute to the martyred soldiers at the National War Memorial.
2. President Droupadi Murmu conferred distinguished military honours on Armed Forces officers
- On 29 June, President Droupadi Murmu conferred distinguished military honours on the Armed Forces at the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 (Phase 2) in New Delhi.
- Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit was honoured with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM).
- Army Chief-designate Lieutenant General Dheeraj Seth received the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM).
- Major General Mandeep Singh was honoured with the Sena Medal.
- Major General Mandeep Singh, General Officer Commanding of the White Tiger Armoured Division, was honoured with the Sena Medal.
- Earlier, on 8 June, President Droupadi Murmu awarded a total of 51 gallantry awards to personnel and officers of the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, and the police of States and Union Territories in the first phase of the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026.
President Droupadi Murmu honoured Lieutenant General Ranjit Singh of the Regiment of Artillery with the ‘Ati Vishisht Seva Medal’ for his outstanding service.
APPOINTMENT
3. Rajiv Kumar appointed as new Chairman of HDFC Bank
- On 30 June, HDFC Bank appointed Rajiv Kumar as its Part-Time Chairman.
- Rajiv Kumar will replace former Chairman Atanu Chakraborty.
- Rajiv Kumar has served as the country’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).
- Rajiv Kumar was the Finance Secretary to the Government of India in September 2020.
- Rajiv Kumar has worked in several important positions related to the banking, insurance, pension and financial sectors.
- Rajiv Kumar has also been a member of the boards and committees of various institutions, including the RBI, SBI and NABARD.
- Rajiv Kumar is known for overseeing the successful conduct of free and fair elections as India’s 25th Chief Election Commissioner.
HDFC Bank
- HDFC Bank is India’s largest private sector bank.
- It was established as HDFC Bank Limited in August 1994.
- The bank began operating as a Scheduled Commercial Bank in January 1995.
- HDFC Bank’s headquarters is in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Rajiv was selected for IAS Jharkhand/Bihar cadre in 1984.
5. Rajasthan and Haryana governments signed the Yamuna water agreement
- On 29 June, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan signed the Yamuna water agreement with Haryana. Home Minister Amit Shah was also present on the occasion.
- This agreement is a significant step towards implementing the 1994 Upper Yamuna River Board water-sharing agreement.
- Following this agreement, Haryana will supply 580 million cubic metres of water to Rajasthan every year.
- Under the agreement, Yamuna water will be supplied to Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region and other districts.
- Following this MoU, the irrigation and drinking water problems in Rajasthan’s border districts are expected to be resolved.
- This will enable water-scarce districts in the Shekhawati region, such as Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Churu, to receive drinking water.
- Water will be supplied through three underground pipelines between July and October.
- The estimated cost of this project is ₹34,102 crore.
- This agreement is being considered a historic step towards implementing the 1994 water-sharing agreement, which has been pending for about 32 years.
After this MoU, Haryana’s Bhiwani and Fatehabad districts will also benefit.
6. Bima Sugam portal to be launched in September 2026
- On 30 June, the Chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) announced that the Bima Sugam portal will be launched in September 2026.
- This portal will serve as a ‘one-stop shop’ for purchasing insurance policies, policy servicing and claim settlement.
- It has been created as a single platform for buying insurance policies, comparing policies, managing policies, renewing policies and making claims.
- It is also referred to as the UPI of the insurance sector.
- Through this, transparency and accessibility in the insurance sector will increase. Additionally, a consultation paper on insurance distribution reforms will be issued by the end of July.
- This digital platform will enable customers to compare policies offered by various companies.
- The objective of this portal is to increase insurance penetration in India and reduce fraud.
- India has set a target of achieving ‘Insurance for All’ by 2047, and this portal is expected to support that goal.
7. WhatsApp launched Username feature
- On 29 May, Meta-owned WhatsApp announced the launch of the Username feature.
- With this feature, users will be able to chat using only a username without sharing their mobile number.
- Until now, users had to share their mobile number to chat with a new person on WhatsApp. This will no longer be necessary.
- The company began rolling out username reservations worldwide from Monday. However, this facility will not be available to all users at once.
- It will be rolled out gradually across all countries over the coming months.
- When this feature becomes available in a user’s region, they will receive a notification within WhatsApp.
- Millions of users worldwide can choose the same or similar usernames.
- In such cases, those who reserve their username first will have a better chance of securing their preferred username.
Today in History (1 July)
- In 1852, the first postal stamp system called ‘Sindh Dawk’ was started in Sindh province.
- In 1879, postcards were introduced in India.
- In 1991, ‘National Doctors’ Day’ was celebrated for the first time in India.
- In 2017, Goods and Services Tax i.e. GST was implemented in India.
