Karnataka & Group C Current Affairs – July 10th, 2026

Awards

DoT’s ‘Samriddh Gram’ Wins Global WSIS Prize 2026 

Context: A flagship digital initiative of the Department of Telecommunications was recognized globally for driving grassroots socio-economic transformation across rural India. 

Key Highlights: 

• Award: World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2026. 
• Awardee: ‘Samriddh Gram’ project (Department of Telecommunications). 
• Issuing Authority: International Telecommunication Union (ITU). 
• Category: Action Line C6 – Enabling Environment. 
• Core Initiative: Leverages the BharatNet broadband backbone to establish village-level Samriddhi Kendras as one-stop hubs for digital service delivery, integrating e-governance, telemedicine, and digital banking. 
• Global Significance: Selected from nearly 1,600 global submissions at the summit in Geneva, establishing India’s digital public infrastructure as a scalable international model. 

About the Award: Instituted by the ITU to honor outstanding projects that leverage Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to advance sustainable development goals. Recognizes global excellence across specific action lines to foster an enabling environment for worldwide digital inclusion.

Important Days

World Population Day 

• Observed Date: July 11
• Observing Organisation: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• Objective: To raise awareness about global population challenges, reproductive health, and gender equality, while highlighting youth empowerment to harness the global demographic dividend.
• Theme: “Realizing the hopes and aspirations of young people – today and for the future”

Sports

Sourav Ganguly Inducted Into ICC Hall of Fame

Why in News: Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly was officially inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame.

Key Highlights:

• National Standing:- Became the 12th Indian cricketer overall (and 10th Indian men’s player) to receive cricket’s highest individual honour.
• Career Statistics:- Amassed 18,575 international runs across 424 matches (7,212 in Tests and 11,363 in ODIs), registering 38 centuries alongside 132 ODI wickets.
• Captaincy Legacy:- Celebrated for rebuilding the national team, leading India to the 2003 ODI World Cup final and a joint victory in the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy.

ICC Hall of Fame: Complete List of Indian Inductees (Till 2026)

Miscellaneous

1. India’s First Smart Algal Liquid Tree Deployed

Why in News: The CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) successfully deployed India’s first mobile Smart Algal Liquid Tree (SALT).

Key Highlights: 

• Deployment Locations:- Commissioned in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, and Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh, to combat severe air pollution in highly congested urban and industrial zones. 
• Core Mechanism:- Functions as a compact bio-purification device using water-suspended microscopic algae to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide and release oxygen via photosynthesis. 
• Operational Window:- Engineered for continuous, round-the-clock operation by utilizing natural sunlight during the day and integrated artificial light systems at night. 
• Pollutant Filtration:- Beyond carbon sequestration, the enclosed system actively traps ambient dust and particulate matter inside its liquid medium as polluted air passes through it.

2. India and Indonesia to Jointly Develop Sabang Port

Why in News: India and Indonesia signed an agreement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Jakarta in July 2026 to jointly develop the strategic Sabang Port.

Key Highlights: 

• Geographical Location:- It is a natural deep-water port situated on Weh Island in Indonesia’s Aceh province, at the northernmost tip of Sumatra, lying just 160 km from India’s Great Nicobar Island. 
• Maritime choke point:- Overlooks the highly critical Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and maritime choke points. 
• Geopolitical Significance:- Serves as a crucial node in India’s “Necklace of Diamonds” maritime strategy, acting as a direct counterweight to China’s “String of Pearls” network in the Indian Ocean Region.